bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Female educational leadership in the UK and Greece
Authors: Mitroussi Anastasia , Mitroussi Kyriaki
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to concentrate on investigating the role of gender on educational leadership in the context of two differing cultures. The focus will be on exploring whether gender appears to impact on the leadership roles in education by examining the extent of female participation in leadership across educational levels in Greece and the UK, highlighting differences and similarities between them.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines secondary data on a number of issues, like the proportion of women in lower and higher ranking teaching posts across education sectors. Such data are retrieved from official national and international statistics, such as UNESCO, Eurostat, the Office of National Statistics UK and the Higher Education Statistics Agency, UK, as well as previous academic studies.

Findings

The results of the analysis reveal that in both countries, fewer women than men reach top rank positions in education, particularly in secondary and higher education.

Research limitations/implications

The investigation will rely on the use of secondary data collected from a number of diverse national and international sources as well as from existing literature. The choice of secondary data is judged to bae appropriate on the basis of this paper and its research aim. Examination of women's presence across educational sectors in the two selected countries required obtaining information about actual and not representative, overall numbers or percentages of women in educational posts. Such information can only be positively retrieved by national or international, official statistics, while even these, the investigation revealed, can show variations between them.

Practical implications

The paper should raise awareness to women's under‐representation in leadership positions in education, especially at the secondary and the tertiary education levels.

Originality/value

Leadership has been acknowledged as a decisive component in education namely due to the improvements it brings in many areas. The complexity and diversity surrounding leadership has turned attention to the effect of a number of factors on the practice of leadership educational context, such as gender and culture. Therefore, the present paper concentrates on an exploration of the effect of gender in leadership in education. Also, the cross‐cultural investigation between Greece and the UK, allows for constructive comparisons to take place where appropriate.
E‐mentoring women entrepreneurs: discussing participants' reactions
Authors: Petridou Eugenia
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advance the argument for the transformative potential of e‐mentoring support to women entrepreneurs, presenting an e‐mentoring intervention to rural women entrepreneurs in Greece.

Design/methodology/approach

A six stage e‐mentoring process is practiced through a project supporting rural women entrepreneurs, based on mentees' and mentors' reactions. Their expressed degree of satisfaction with regard to the e‐mentoring relationship, achievement of personal goals, as well as their desire to continue the relationship are served as useful indicators. Questionnaires are used during three times (pre and post the e‐mentoring relationship, i.e. before, just after its end and six months later) to obtain information from mentees' and mentors' groups.

Findings

The features of the quality of the e‐mentoring relationship such as mentors'/mentees' characteristics, frequency of contacts, and e‐services are judged to be satisfactory by both mentors and mentees. Mentees perceive that they sufficiently achieved their personal goals, emphasizing the successful role modeling that their mentors provide. Mentors gain publicity and the broadening of their connections.

Practical implications

The survey results could offer substantial assistance to decision makers concerning designing and implementing e‐mentoring processes supporting female entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

Despite the explosion of online mentoring opportunities, few academic articles and little empirical evidence have addressed e‐mentoring support to women entrepreneurs. The present paper attempts to add research results and suggests a framework of e‐mentoring process discussing both mentors' and mentees' reactions.
Israeli male versus female teachers' intent to leave work
Authors: Shapira‐Lischshinsky Orly
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that may reduce teachers' intent to leave. The paper examines differences between Israeli male and female teachers in their perceived organizational justice, perceived organizational commitment, and intent to leave work.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants are 1,016 school teachers from 35 high schools in Israel. Series of mixed‐model regression analyses are used to test for mediated relationships.

Findings

Multilevel analysis reveals that among female teachers, organizational commitment (affective and normative) fully mediated the relationship between intent to leave and distributive justice (fairness regarding employee outcomes), whereas among male teachers this relationship is only partially mediated. The negative relationship between intent to leave and procedural justice (fairness regarding procedures) is higher among females than among males.

Research limitations/implications

Although some precautions are used, the self‐reported measures may likely reflect same‐source bias, calling for further safeguards in future studies.

Practical implications

Schools should become aware of differences between male and female teachers' perceptions and should build an equitable school climate that considers fair rewards, opportunities, and programs to increase teachers' commitment and reduce their intent to leave.

Originality/value

This paper sheds light on the possible reasons for male and female teachers' turnover intentions through examining teachers' justice perceptions and their work commitment.
Forage‐livestock policies designed to improve livelihoods in Western China: a critical review
Authors: Brown Colin , Waldron Scott , Yuman Liu , Longworth John
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how the promotion of integrated forage/ruminant‐livestock industries forms a key plank in efforts to improve rural household livelihoods in Western China.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper critiques how this industry development has proceeded in the case of Qingyang prefecture in Gansu. The way in which the industry policy has manifested from central to local levels of government is outlined along with how the industry policy relates to other measures intended to improve household livelihoods.

Findings

The outcomes of this forage‐livestock industry policy do not always match the intention, and the paper examines the various disconnects that arise between government agencies, government and households and households and the market. The foremost challenge for policy makers is in connecting households and markets.

Originality/value

Identifying the impacts of policy and institutional settings associated with forage‐livestock systems is crucial if improvements are to be made and as these systems become more widespread in Western China.
The transition of state‐peasants relationship
Authors: Zhao Yang , Xiujuan Tian
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The relationship between state and peasants are reflected as the distribution of the economic benefits to each party. The purpose of this paper is to explore the essential change of the relationship from the fiscal term since the beginning of the new century.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing first‐hand survey data, this paper illustrates the changes of relationship between state and peasants by certain qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Findings

Recent positive changes in China have seen the creation of a new public finance system designed to improve equality within basic public services not only for the world's largest population but also the world's largest number of peasants. This development has produced a change in the relationship between state and peasant from “take more” to “take less.”

Research limitations/implications

The sample size used in the empirical studies in this paper is relatively small. In addition, the studies focus only on the effects of relationships in the fiscal term while the social impacts are neglected.

Originality/value

This paper provides evidence that the recent positive changes in China have seen the building of a new public finance system, with the intention of enabling a huge number of peasants to experience equality within basic public services.
Meat demand in China
Authors: Ortega David L. , Holly Wang H. , Eales James S.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a thorough analysis of meat demand in China and predict future trends in meat consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

Expenditure as well as Marshallian and Hicksian demand elasticities of various meats in China are evaluated using the linear almost ideal demand system.

Findings

Results from this paper show that pork, the primary meat in Chinese diets, has become a necessity and that poultry, beef, mutton, and fish are considered luxuries within the meat budget allocation of Chinese households. Furthermore, the results predict that for any increase in future meat expenditure, the largest share of that increase will be allocated to pork consumption.

Originality/value

This paper fills a gap currently present in the empirical literature regarding time series meat demand analysis in China. This paper makes use of newly available time series data on Chinese meat consumption and prices to estimate expenditure as well as own‐price and cross‐price elasticities. Implications for both domestic meat producers and grain exporters are discussed.
Review of China's agricultural integration development: 1978‐2008
Authors: Feng Kaiwen , Zhang Jinhua , Yingwei Huang
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw conclusions about China's agricultural integration (CAI) by looking back its processes stage by stage, discussing the problems related to CAI, in order to learn salutary lessons for the future of agricultural development, for the increase in rural income, and especially for the promotion of CAI.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper comprises three stages: analyzing the process of CAI from the household responsibility system, to agricultural industrialization, until the stage of CAI led by farmers' co‐operatives; discussing the related practice together with literature; and historically proving that there is no better way to promote CAI than letting it be led by farmers' co‐operatives.

Findings

The paper finds that, the development of China's agricultural economic organizations is owing to CAI, and can be studied stage by stage; the process of CAI proves that it needs to be promoted as a new style led by farmers' co‐operative in order to increase rural income; literature review also gives eloquent proof of the above viewpoint; agricultural integration led by farmers' co‐operative should be taken as a better way to upgrade CAI and to increase rural income, for it can decrease the benefit disputes that usually happened in the former type of agricultural industrialization.

Originality/value

The obvious value of the paper is to show, by a historical review, a way to promote CAI and to increase farmers' income. A literature review finds these countermeasures comprehensively, historically, and theoretically. The information about CAI will be beneficial for people who are interested in the topic.
Food demand in China: income, quality, and nutrient effects
Authors: Huang Kuo S. , Gale Fred
Published: October 2009

Purpose

China's remarkable income growth has changed the food landscape in recent years. Chinese consumers are demanding greater food quantity and quality and changing the nutrient content of their diets. Most food demand studies are based on data from earlier time periods before these structural changes had taken hold. The purpose of this paper is to show how the rapid change in food markets and surprisingly slow growth of food imports warrants a new assessment of food demand in China.

Design/methodology/approach

Engel equations measuring elasticities of food quantity and quality purchases with respect to household income are estimated. These estimates are then converted to nutrient elasticities to show how the availability of nutrients varies with income based on the Engel demand relationship.

Findings

The income elasticities diminish as income rises. Households in the top tier of the income distribution appear to have reached a saturation point in the consumption of most food items. As income rises, most additional spending is on foods with higher unit values that may reflect better cuts of meat or branded items. The pattern of food purchases for households at different income levels suggests that protein, saturated fat, and cholesterol intake rises with increased income. The change in diets prompted by rising income is most pronounced for low‐income households.

Originality/value

This paper applies a unique approach to measure income, quality, and nutrient elasticities within the same framework of Engel relationship. The finding has important implications for opening new market opportunities of imported foods and understanding dietary change in China.
Key developments and future challenges in Chinese‐foreign cooperation in higher education
Authors: Adams John , Song Hongli
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the key developments in Sino‐foreign cooperation in higher education (HE) in China in terms of policy initiatives and legal frameworks and to highlight the main challenges for the sector in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

Numerous policy papers, academic literature sources and legal acts are analysed to produce a meta analysis of the understanding to date of the issues involved in partnerships in HE in China. Secondary data sources are accessed and compared for consistency.

Findings

The analysis reveals a clear path of initially slow, enhancing, and then rapid developments in the framework of Sino‐foreign HE cooperation. It also reveals some serious issues in the motives behind cooperation, quality of provision, and relevance to China's future development.

Practical implications

The findings of this paper suggest that cooperative partnerships in HE in China need to be much clearer on strategy and purpose and there is an urgent need for a proper assessment of their contribution to the country's education capacity building, educational, and knowledge exchange and future social and economic development.

Originality/value

This paper offers an insight into how it arrives at where it is in terms of these partnerships, how to improve them and raises questions that may well be uncomfortable reading for some.
Strategic collaboration in higher education: a Sino‐UK case study
Authors: Li Xiang , Wilson John , Doran Ed
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore, within the context of developing Sino‐UK educational relationships, the evolution of a specific partnership, that between Tianjin Business School, Tianjin University of Commerce, Tianjin, and Salford Business School, University of Salford, UK. The paper is the first in an intended series, which will track the evolution of the on‐going collaboration and will document the various opportunities and barriers in establishing a successful strategic partnership. Specifically, the paper focuses on the context of the embryonic relationship, notably the policy drivers in China and the UK and the profile of the two participant partners.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a case study‐based paper of two business schools.

Findings

This paper stresses the importance of the context and factors involved in establishing successful, and sustainable, collaborative partnerships in higher education (HE) and specifically between institutions based in China and the UK. It draws upon the experiences of two partner institutions, one in Tianjin, China, and one in Salford, UK and both of which are business schools.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the limited literature on Sino‐UK collaboration in HE and does so through an original case study, involving description and analysis of an evolving collaborative relationship.
Legal incoherence and the extra‐constitutional law of regulatory takings
Authors: Brown Russell
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine Canadian law governing “regulatory takings” – the state's interference in a landowner's use and enjoyment of his property as a consequence of regulation. It considers whether the way that the law has developed in this area poses a risk of “legal incoherence” – a contradiction in the law itself, either between two discrete areas of law (“external incoherence”) or within a single discrete area of law (“internal incoherence”).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws upon and expands a conception of coherence articulated by past commentators and applies it to reported judgments comprising the Canadian law in this area.

Findings

The extra‐constitutional nature of restrictions on the state's power to take, and a lack of doctrinal rigour are shown to have allowed the risk of incoherence to materialize in Canada by creating a distorted body of law. The modest constraints which Canadian law imposes upon regulatory takings fail to cohere to rights conferred upon landowners under various treaties and declarations to which Canada has subscribed. The law is therefore incoherent in an external sense. Recent jurisprudence also reveals an internal incoherence as the law purports to recognize a distinction between an expropriation and a regulatory taking, whilst simultaneously requiring that a regulatory taking demonstrate a quality unique to an expropriation.

Practical implications

This paper clarifies the distinctions between an expropriation and a regulatory taking, explains the Canadian law governing both, and illustrates the tenuous state in Canada of public authority liability for restricting private use and enjoyment of land.

Originality/value

The implications for domestic law of international obligations respecting regulatory takings are highlighted. This paper's reference point of coherence offers a novel standpoint for assessing the quality of judge‐made regulatory takings law.
Responsiveness to change by standard‐form contract drafters in the construction industry
Authors: Raj Shekar , Hillig Jan‐Bertram , Hughes Will
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the Fédération Internationale des Ingénieurs‐Conseils (FIDIC) White Book standard form of building contract. It tracks the changes to this contract over its four editions, and seeks to identify their underlying causes.

Design/methodology/approach

The changes made to the White Book are quantified using a specific type of quantitative content analysis. The amended clauses are then examined to understand the nature of the changes made.

Findings

The length of the contract increased by 34 per cent between 1990 and 2006. A large proportion of the overall increase can be attributed to the clauses dealing with “conflict of interest/corruption” and “dispute resolution”. In both instances, the FIDIC drafting committees have responded to international developments to discourage corruption, and to encourage the use of alternative dispute resolution. Between 1998 and 2006, the average length of the sentences increased slightly, raising the question of whether long sentences are easily understood by users of contracts.

Research limitations/implications

Quantification of text appears to be particularly useful for the analysis of documents which are regularly updated because changes can be clearly identified and the length of sentences can be determined, leading to conclusions about the readability of the text. However, caution is needed because changes of great relevance can be made to contract clauses without actually affecting their length.

Practical implications

The paper will be instructive for contract drafters and informative for users of FIDIC's White Book.

Originality/value

Quantifying text has been rarely used regarding standard‐form contracts in the field of construction.
On the proposed private certification of building works in Hong Kong
Authors: Yau Yung
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The responsibility for ensuring the safety and standard of building works in Hong Kong has long rested with the government. In 2003, the government proposed a new control regime to streamline the process of building proposal approval by allowing private‐sector practitioners to certify certain types of minor building works. The purpose of this paper is to consider the likely effectiveness of the proposed regime by examining the views of local building professionals.

Design/methodology/approach

Following an overview of the government's initiative in private certification of building works, a literature review is conducted to collate the collective views of the local professional institutions about the proposals. A total of 90 local architects, building surveyors and structural engineers in the private and public sectors are then interviewed using a structured questionnaire.

Findings

The proposed regime is generally perceived as having the capacity to speed up the process of building proposal approval whilst also improving overall standards of building performance in Hong Kong. Concerns are however expressed about the clarity of the definition of minor works, and about the level of professional competence of the private certifiers. The respondents also expressed further general concern over the adequacy of government support offered to the private certifiers under the proposed system.

Research limitations/implications

Stakeholders of the proposed minor works regime are not confined to building professionals such as architects, engineers and building surveyors, but also include contractors and the general public as a whole. Owing to limited resources, only the views of the local building professionals are solicited.

Practical implications

The findings of this study provide valuable insights for public administrators into the design and subsequent operation of the new regime. They will also assist the Hong Kong Government in making more informed decisions about the future streamlining of the building control system without, at the same time, sacrificing the overall building safety of the city.

Originality/value

This is the first published study on the views of building professionals from different professional backgrounds on the proposed private certification regime.
An integrated approach to water protection and management: the European Union model
Authors: Adshead Julie
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive. It seeks first to determine whether its provisions align with modern thinking on integrated river basin management and second to assess the degree to which it has the potential to achieve legislative and inter‐agency integration throughout the Union.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a desktop study. The paper draws upon theories and definitions of integrated river basin management and internal integration in existing literature and then proceeds to examine the provisions of the Water Framework Directive in the light of the models identified.

Findings

The framework for river basin management in the Water Framework Directive does not fully match the modern approach to integrated river basin management. The directive is limited by its primary focus upon the single medium of water, and its consequent failure to fully address wider land use planning issues. It, therefore, also fails to achieve integration between all relevant legislative instruments. It provides a framework for stakeholder involvement that could potentially serve the goal of inter‐agency integration. However, due to the high level of discretion in the hands of member states, there is likely to be a substantial divergence of practice across the EU.

Originality/value

In assessing the Water Framework Directive against modern notions of river basin management and the directive's stated integrative aspirations, the paper informs implementation and practice in member states.
The service of notices by commercial property managers in England and Wales
Authors: Mansfield John
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically review recent developments in the judicial approach to the preparation, service, and receipt of notices associated with the management of commercial property in England and Wales. It raises awareness of the range of problems that may be encountered in seemingly routine matters of language, and makes recommendations for practitioners in the form of a checklist of issues to be considered prior to issuing or responding to the various notices.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs critical analysis of settled case law and associated professional commentary.

Findings

The paper notes the speed with which the law continues to develop in these areas. In the light of this, it concludes that practitioners need to be far more aware of their obligations when serving or responding to the various forms of statutory or contractual notice than has hitherto been the case. The archaic language used in the drafting of leases is found to be a confounding issue, although it is demonstrated how this can be managed by paying close attention to critical detail.

Originality/value

The paper combines an examination of the relevant legal principles with a commentary on contemporary practices in the commercial property sector in order to make practical recommendations for professionals in an important area of real estate consultancy work.
Homeostasis and evolution together dealing with novelties and managing disruptions
Authors: Vargas Patricia A. , Moioli Renan C. , von Zuben Fernando J. , Husbands Phil
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an artificial homeostatic system whose parameters are defined by means of an evolutionary process. The objective is to design a more biologically plausible system inspired by homeostatic regulations observed in nature, which is capable of exploring key issues in the context of robot behaviour adaptation and coordination.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed system consists of an artificial endocrine system that coordinates two spatially unconstrained GasNet artificial neural network models, called non‐spatial GasNets. Both systems are dedicated to the definition of control actions in autonomous navigation tasks via the use of an artificial hormone and a hormone receptor. A series of experiments are performed in a real and simulated scenario in order to investigate the performance of the system and its robustness to novel environmental conditions and internal sensory disruptions.

Findings

The designed system shows to be robust enough to self‐adapt to a wider variety of disruptions and novel environments by making full use of its in‐built homeostatic mechanisms. The system is also successfully tested on a real robot, indicating the viability of the proposed method for coping with the reality gap, a well‐known issue for the evolutionary robotics community.

Originality/value

The proposed framework is inspired by the homeostatic regulations and gaseous neuro‐modulation that are intrinsic to the human body. The incorporation of an artificial hormone receptor stands for the novelty of this paper. This hormone receptor proves to be vital to control the network's response to the signalling promoted by the presence of the artificial hormone. It is envisaged that the proposed framework is a step forward in the design of a generic model for coordinating many and more complex behaviours in simulated and real robots, employing multiple hormones and potentially coping with further severe disruptions.
A comparative study of the canonical genetic algorithm and a real‐valued quantum‐inspired evolutionary algorithm
Authors: Fan Kai , Brabazon Anthony , O'Sullivan Conall , O'Neill Michael
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Following earlier claims that quantum‐inspired evolutionary algorithm (QIEA) may offer advantages in high‐dimensional environments, the purpose of this paper is to test a real‐valued QIEA on a series of benchmark functions of varying dimensionality in order to examine its scalability within both static and dynamic environments.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper compares the performance of both the QIEA and the canonical genetic algorithm (GA) on a series of test benchmark functions.

Findings

The results show that the QIEA obtains highly competitive results when benchmarked against the GA within static environments, while substantially outperforming both binary and real‐valued representation of the GA in terms of running time. Within dynamic environments, the QIEA outperforms GA in terms of stability and run time.

Originality/value

This paper suggests that QIEA has utility for real‐world high‐dimensional problems, particularly within dynamic environments, such as that found in real‐time financial trading.
Gender and sources of finance in Finnish SMEs: a contextual view
Authors: Eriksson Päivi , Katila Saija , Niskanen Mervi
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of gender on the usage of different funding sources in a sample of Finnish small‐ to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). The aim is also to embed the results into the country‐context, which is characterized by the long history of women's economic activity and bank‐based capital markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The database includes variables on terms of credit for the firms' most recent loans and detailed information on the firms' banking relationships. The total number of firm‐year observations in the database is 3,519. The analysis is based on multivariate tests.

Findings

The funding patterns of women‐owned SMEs (WOS) and men‐owned SMEs (MOS) in the data are different: WOS are more likely to use additional equity investments by current owners as a funding source. They do so at least partly because of their positive attitudes towards this funding source. The results also contradict prior studies, which indicate that MOS have easier access to bank lending. The results suggest that there are no gender‐related differences in the use of bank debt. Also in contrast to prior studies, the paper finds no differences in firm size or profitability between WOS and MOS.

Research limitations/implications

The results of study both confirm and contradict the results of prior research and the paper suggests that this is due to the context‐specific features of the Finnish labour market and the gender system as well as the bank‐centered financial markets.

Practical implications

Concerning the issues of gender and finance, policy makers and financial experts in any country should not uncritically rely on the research results arrived at in other countries.

Originality/value

Only a handful of studies have investigated issues of gender and finance in SMEs embedding the results into the country‐context.
Women non‐traditional entrepreneurs and social capital
Authors: Sappleton Natalie
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider the relationship between “entrepreneurial segregation” – self‐employment in a gender typical or atypical sector – and social capital.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on analysis of data from the 2006 wave of the European Social Survey (ESS). A sample of 2,214 male and female business owners is extracted from the dataset. The sample comprises four sub‐samples – females in female‐dominated industries (n=283); females in male‐dominated industries (337); males in male‐dominated industries (n=1,476) and males in female‐dominated industries (n=118). Regression analysis is used to determine the impact of business owners' gender and the sector of their firm upon their levels of social capital.

Findings

Women who operate firms in traditionally female sectors are found to have the highest levels of social capital. In stark contrast, those individuals – men and women – working in traditionally male sectors exhibit lower levels of social capital, measured in terms of trust, community engagement and social networks. Furthermore, self‐employment in a gender traditional or non‐traditional sector is found to be a significant predictor of social capital.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the literature on female entrepreneurship in general but also contributes to the embryonic body of work that is concerned with segregation in self‐employment. To date, very little research has been conducted on women in atypical enterprises, or on the nature of their activities. This paper is a preliminary step towards filling this academic gap. No prior study has assessed the social capital men and women entrepreneurs operating traditional and non‐traditional enterprises.
Resource mobilization through business owners' networks: is gender an issue?
Authors: Díaz García M. Cristina , Carter Sara
Published: October 2009

Purpose

In this paper, a social capital perspective is presented to illustrate the interaction between gender and resource mobilization through business owners' networks.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explores the resources provided by key supporters of small and young Spanish business owners within the professional service sector.

Findings

The findings suggest that a small group of key individuals provides a diverse range of mainly intangible support to the entrepreneur. Overall, the paper finds only limited support for the idea that male and female networks differ in resource mobilization except for the source of contacts‐referrals and emotional capital. The importance of including emotional capital is evident in the fact that men and women seek it in large numbers, although few studies consider it within the resources provided by the entrepreneurial networks, since it is normally attributed to women and the private sphere.

Research limitations/implications

It seems that women business owners, through their embeddedness in networks, can build a bridge between their agency and the structure which normally implies some constraints for them due to the gender‐belief system. Establishing a mentorship program can prove very useful, since business owners prioritize obtaining intangible resources from their key supporters: ideas‐advice, emotional support, and contacts‐referrals.

Originality/value

Despite the research attention on social capital in recent years, prior work has tended to focus on how actors connect (structural dimension); however, there is a dearth of research about the resources actors can potentially gain access to by examining with whom they connect. Moreover, few studies have recognized the impact of gender on networking experiences.
Training female entrepreneurs: lessons from the FEIW project
Authors: Tynan Margaret , Thomas Dennis , Durand Margaret , O'Gorman Bill , Fuller‐Love Nerys
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline the authors' experiences of designing and implementing an enterprise development programme for female entrepreneurs. The programme targets those women who already have a business and wish to grow it further.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the motivation for the programme and the range of issues which is encountered in its design and delivery. It concludes with a brief assessment of lessons learned.

Findings

In addition to the importance of design and focus, the experiences of the Female Entrepreneurship Ireland‐Wales (FEIW) project indicate the need for appropriate programme presentation and marketing; networking and mentoring aspects are also hightlighted.

Research limitations/implications

As this is a pilot project with flexibility to adapt to the needs of the participants, it is not possible to apply a robust evaluative framework, although such a framework will need to be developed in due course. That said, the qualitative data collected pre‐, during and post‐programme delivery offer valuable insights to the needs of female entrepreneurs; this learning may be incorporated into the design of future programmes.

Practical implications

The FEIW programme is essentially a pilot initiative and is delivered in only two regions. Thus, it is difficult to generalise findings.

Originality/value

As a case study, the experiences of the FEIW project contribute valuable empirical evidence regarding the design and implementation of an enterprise programme for female entrepreneurs.
The global implementation of the “winner's competitive cycle”
Authors: Slater Stephanie , Paliwoda Stanley , Slater Jim
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to revisit the winning cycle's model proposed by Abegglen and Stalk to investigate the competitive strategies being deployed by Japanese firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses the literature on the international strategies of Japanese corporations and explains why simplification of work; elimination of waste; discipline; and continuous improvement and radical innovation strategies are presently contributing to a re‐enactment of the “winner's competitive cycle”.

Findings

As international competition intensifies, the winner's competitive cycle has been re‐engineered as Japanese corporations change course in search of alternative routes for sustaining and maintaining a source of competitive advantage.

Originality/value

This paper explains why increased competition and global success has required Japanese firms to reposition their competitive strategy.
Job satisfaction: what is its true meaning in Greater China?
Authors: Han Yong , Kakabadse Nada K.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Previously, researchers have performed studies on job satisfaction and organizational behavior outcomes in Western contexts. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether economic prosperity or cultural perspective may explain why job satisfaction may not be an effective predictor of organizational outcomes in Greater China. Researchers need more empirical evidence to understand the nature of the relationship between job satisfaction and work outcomes in a non‐Western context in general and in Greater China in particular.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper represents a conceptual work that draws on the metrical literature review within the field of organizational behavior.

Findings

Review of empirical studies regarding job satisfaction shows that in Greater China, including Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, job satisfaction has a different meaning than those presented in Western organizational behavior literature. The differences in the meaning of job satisfaction between Western interpretation and Eastern (i.e. Chinese) interpretation can be explained by differing Western and Eastern cultural values rather than stages of economic development. Thus, both scholars and practitioners are able to re‐examine the concept, construct and correlates between job satisfaction and its organizational outcomes in Greater China.

Practical implications

The paper has implications for global management awareness in understanding complex meanings of job satisfaction and work outcomes in multinational enterprises and international joint ventures in Greater China.

Originality/value

The paper's findings raise awareness of potential shortcomings in using Western concepts, models and practices in Greater China and other non‐Western cultures. Moreover, it highlights the importance of cultural context and a need for further research in the area of organizational behavior from a Chinese cultural perspective.
Reforming the Dutch water chain: how radical ambitions turned into a moderate pace of change
Authors: Argento Daniela , Jan van Helden G.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain how and why the initially ambitious reform of the Dutch water sector turned into a moderate pace of change. The explanations are based on institutional theory.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is a case study at the organizational field level of the Dutch water sector.

Findings

In order to enhance efficiency and transparency, Dutch Central Government initially attempted to enforce top‐down radical changes, including the formation of integrated water chain companies. However, after discussions and reactions of the interested parties, the central government authorised a bottom‐up approach, giving discretional powers to the individual water organizations. This transition to a bottom‐up approach can mainly be explained by the limited pressure exerted by the central government to change and the powerful position of the relevant organizations within the water sector, as well as their ability to establish strong coalitions to avoid mandatory radical changes.

Research limitations/implications

The theoretical background is useful in analysing the change processes in other public sectors.

Practical implications

The Dutch way of consensus seeking might be threatened by its own inertia, and in the case of ineffectiveness, it could be replaced by a more top‐down and radical reform package.

Originality/value

Unravelling public sector reform into goals, means and approaches is useful, because although goals can remain the same during the change process, the means and approaches may be altered. Resistance to radical changes might stimulate convergent change options, such as reinforcement of the existing means of reform and may also decrease the embededdness and impermeability of the institutional fields.
The alcohol industry and public interest science
Authors: Stenius Kerstin , Babor Thomas F.
Published: October 2009

Aims  This report argues that the growing involvement of the alcohol industry in scientific research needs to be acknowledged and addressed. It suggests a set of principles to guide ethical decision‐making in the future.

Methods  We review relevant issues with regard to relationships between the alcohol industry and the international academic community, especially alcohol research scientists. The guiding principles proposed are modelled after expert committee statements, and describe the responsibilities of governmental agencies, the alcohol industry, journal editors and the academic community. These are followed by recommendations designed to inform individuals and institutions about current ‘best practices’ that are consistent with the principles.

Findings and conclusions  Growing evidence from the tobacco, pharmaceutical and medical fields suggests that financial interests of researchers may compromise their professional judgement and lead to research results that are biased in favour of commercial interests. It is recommended that the integrity of alcohol science is best served if all financial relationships with the alcoholic beverage industry are avoided. In cases where research funding, consulting, writing assignments and other activities are initiated, institutions, individuals and the alcoholic beverage industry itself are urged to follow appropriate guidelines that will increase the transparency and ethicality of such relationships.
Alcohol and hypertension: gender differences in dose–response relationships determined through systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Taylor Benjamin , Irving Hyacinth M. , Baliunas Dolly , Roerecke Michael , Patra Jayadeep , Mohapatra Satya , Rehm Jurgen
Published: October 2009

Aims  To analyze the dose–response relationship between average daily alcohol consumption and the risk of hypertension via systematic review and meta‐analysis.

Design  A computer‐assisted search was completed for 10 databases, followed by hand searches of relevant articles. Only studies with longitudinal design, quantitative measurement of alcohol consumption and biological measurement of outcome were included. Dose–response relationships were assessed by determining the best‐fitting model via first‐ and second‐degree fractional polynomials. Various tests for heterogeneity and publication bias were conducted.

Findings  A total of 12 cohort studies were identified from the literature from the United States, Japan and Korea. A linear dose–response relationship with a relative risk of 1.57 at 50 g pure alcohol per day and 2.47 at 100 g per day was seen for men. Among women, the meta‐analysis indicated a more modest protective effect than reported previously: a significant protective effect was reported for consumption at or below about 5 g per day, after which a linear dose–response relationship was found with a relative risk of 1.81 at 50 g per day and of 2.81 at an average daily consumption of 100 g pure alcohol per day. Among men, Asian populations had higher risks than non‐Asian populations.

Conclusions  The risk for hypertension increases linearly with alcohol consumption, so limiting alcohol intake should be advised for both men and women.
Do Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol concentrations indicate recent use in chronic cannabis users?
Authors: Karschner Erin L. , Schwilke Eugene W. , Lowe Ross H. , Darwin W. David , Pope Harrison G. , Herning Ronald , Cadet Jean L. , Huestis Marilyn A.
Published: October 2009

Aims  To quantify blood Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) concentrations in chronic cannabis users over 7 days of continuous monitored abstinence.

Participants  Twenty‐five frequent, long‐term cannabis users resided on a secure clinical research unit at the US National Institute on Drug Abuse under continuous medical surveillance to prevent cannabis self‐administration.

Measurements  Whole blood cannabinoid concentrations were determined by two‐dimensional gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry.

Findings  Nine chronic users (36%) had no measurable THC during 7 days of cannabis abstinence; 16 had at least one positive THC ≥0.25 ng/ml, but not necessarily on the first day. On day 7, 6 full days after entering the unit, six participants still displayed detectable THC concentrations [mean ± standard deviation (SD), 0.3 ± 0.7 ng/ml] and all 25 had measurable carboxy‐metabolite (6.2 ± 8.8 ng/ml). The highest observed THC concentrations on admission (day 1) and day 7 were 7.0 and 3.0 ng/ml, respectively. Interestingly, five participants, all female, had THC‐positive whole blood specimens over all 7 days. Body mass index did not correlate with time until the last THC‐positive specimen (n = 16; r = −0.2; P = 0.445).

Conclusions  Substantial whole blood THC concentrations persist multiple days after drug discontinuation in heavy chronic cannabis users. It is currently unknown whether neurocognitive impairment occurs with low blood THC concentrations, and whether return to normal performance, as documented previously following extended cannabis abstinence, is accompanied by the removal of residual THC in brain. These findings also may impact on the implementation of per se limits in driving under the influence of drugs legislation.