bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
NovG, a DNA-binding protein acting as a positive regulator of novobiocin biosynthesis
Authors: Eustáquio Alessandra S. , Li Shu-Ming , Heide Lutz
Published: June 2005

The biosynthetic gene cluster of the aminocoumarin antibiotic novobiocin contains two putative regulatory genes, i.e.novEandnovG. The predicted gene product ofnovGshows a putative helix–turn–helix DNA-binding motif and shares sequence similarity with StrR, a well-studied pathway-specific transcriptional activator of streptomycin biosynthesis. Here functional proof is provided, by genetic and biochemical approaches, for the role of NovG as a positive regulator of novobiocin biosynthesis. The entire novobiocin cluster of the producer organismStreptomyces spheroideswas expressed in the heterologous hostStreptomyces coelicolorM512, and additional strains were produced which lacked thenovGgene within the heterologously expressed cluster. These ΔnovGstrains produced only 2 % of the novobiocin formed by theS. coelicolorM512 strains carrying the intact novobiocin cluster. The production could be restored by introducing an intact copy ofnovGinto the mutant. The presence ofnovGon a multicopy plasmid in the strain containing the intact cluster led to almost threefold overproduction of the antibiotic, suggesting that novobiocin biosynthesis is limited by the availability of NovG protein. Furthermore, purified N-terminal His6-tagged NovG showed specific DNA-binding activity for thenovG–novHand thecloG–cloYintergenic regions of the novobiocin and clorobiocin biosynthetic gene clusters, respectively. By comparing the DNA sequences of the fragments binding NovG, conserved inverted repeats were identified in both fragments, similar to those identified as the binding sites for StrR. The consensus sequence for the StrR and the putative NovG binding sites was GTTCRACTG(N)11CRGTYGAAC. Therefore, NovG and StrR apparently belong to the same family of DNA-binding regulatory proteins.
A minor catalase/peroxidase from Burkholderia cenocepacia is required for normal aconitase activity
Authors: Lefebre Mathew D. , Flannagan Ronald S. , Valvano Miguel A.
Published: June 2005

The opportunistic bacterium Burkholderia cenocepacia C5424 contains two catalase/peroxidase genes, katA and katB. To investigate the functions of these genes, katA and katB mutants were generated by targeted integration of suicide plasmids into the katA and katB genes. The catalase/peroxidase activity of the katA mutant was not affected as compared with that of the parental strain, while no catalase/peroxidase activity was detected in the katB mutant. However, the katA mutant displayed reduced resistance to hydrogen peroxide under iron limitation, while the katB mutant showed hypersensitivity to hydrogen peroxide, and reduced growth under all conditions tested. The katA mutant displayed reduced growth only in the presence of carbon sources that are metabolized through the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, as the growth defect was abrogated in cultures supplemented with glucose or glycerol. This phenotype was also correlated with a marked reduction in aconitase activity. In contrast, aconitase activity was not reduced in the katB mutant and parental strains. The authors conclude that the KatA protein is a specialized catalase/peroxidase that has a novel function by contributing to maintain the normal activity of the TCA cycle, while KatB is a classical catalase/peroxidase that plays a global role in cellular protection against oxidative stress.
The specificity of oligopeptide transport by Streptococcus thermophilus resembles that of Lactococcus lactis and not that of pathogenic streptococci
Authors: Juille Odile , Bars Dominique Le , Juillard Vincent
Published: June 2005

Peptide transport is a crucial step in the growth of Streptococcus thermophilus in protein- or peptide-containing media. The objective of the present work was to determine the specificity of peptide utilization by this widely used lactic acid bacterium. To reach that goal, complementary approaches were employed. The capability of a proteinase-negative S. thermophilus strain to grow in a chemically defined medium containing a mixture of peptides isolated from milk as the source of amino acids was analysed. Peptides were separated into three size classes by ultrafiltration. The strain was able to use peptides up to 3·5 kDa during growth, as revealed by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses. The same strain was grown in chemically defined medium containing a tryptic digest of casein, and the respective time-course consumption of the peptides during growth was estimated. The ability to consume large peptides (up to 23 residues) was confirmed, as long as they are cationic and hydrophobic. These results were confirmed by peptide transport studies. Extension of the study to 11 other strains revealed that they all shared these preferences.
Photo-oxidative stress in Rhodobacter sphaeroides: protective role of carotenoids and expression of selected genes
Authors: Glaeser Jens , Klug Gabriele
Published: June 2005

In Rhodobacter sphaeroides, carotenoids are essential constituents of the photosynthetic apparatus and are assumed to prevent the formation of singlet oxygen by quenching of triplet bacteriochlorophyll a (BChl a) in vivo. It was shown that small amounts of singlet oxygen are generated in vivo by incubation of R. sphaeroides under high light conditions. However, growth and survival rates were not affected. Higher amounts of singlet oxygen were generated by BChl a in a carotenoid-deficient strain and led to a decrease in growth and survival rates. The data support earlier results on the pivotal role of carotenoids in the defence against stress caused by singlet oxygen. Results obtained under photo-oxidative stress conditions with strains impaired in carotenoid synthesis suggest that sphaeroidene and neurosporene provide less protection against methylene-blue-generated singlet oxygen than sphaeroidenone in vivo. Despite their protective function against singlet oxygen, relative amounts of carotenoids did not accumulate in R. sphaeroides wild-type cultures under photo-oxidative stress, and relative mRNA levels of phytoene dehydrogenase and sphaeroidene monooxygenase did not increase. In contrast, singlet oxygen specifically induced the expression of glutathione peroxidase and a putative Zn-dependent hydrolase, but mRNA levels of hydrogen-peroxide-degrading catalase E were not significantly affected by photo-oxidative stress. Based on these results, it is suggested that singlet oxygen acts as a specific signal for gene expression in R. sphaeroides. Presumably transcriptional regulators exist to specifically induce the expression of genes involved in the response to stress caused by singlet oxygen.
A PCR-based specific assay reveals a population of bacteria within the Chloroflexi associated with the reductive dehalogenation of polychlorinated biphenyls
Authors: Watts Joy E. M. , Fagervold Sonja K. , May Harold D. , Sowers Kevin R.
Published: June 2005

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) accumulate and persist in sediments posing a risk to human health and the environment. Highly chlorinated PCBs are reductively dechlorinated in anaerobic sediments and two bacteria, designated o-17 and DF-1, from a novel phylogenetic group that reductively dechlorinate PCBs have recently been identified. However, there is a paucity of knowledge about the distribution, diversity and ecology of PCB-dechlorinating bacteria due to difficulty in obtaining pure cultures and the lack of detection by universal PCR 16S rRNA gene primer sets in sediments. A specific PCR primer was developed and optimized for detection of o-17/DF-1 and other closely related bacteria in the environment. Using this primer set it was determined that bacteria of this group were enriched in sediment microcosms from Baltimore Harbour concurrent with active dechlorination of 2,2′,3,4,4′,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl. Additional 16S rRNA gene sequences that had high levels of similarity to described PCB dechlorinators were detected in sediments from the Elizabeth River tributary of Chesapeake Bay, which had confirmed PCB-dechlorinating activities. Phylogenetic comparison of these detected 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed a relatively diverse group of organisms within the dehalogenating Chloroflexi that are distinct from the Dehalococcoides spp. Results from this study indicate that reductive PCB dechlorination activity may be catalysed by a previously undescribed group of micro-organisms that appear to be prevalent in PCB-impacted sites.
The native Pseudomonas stutzeri strain Q chromosomal integron can capture and express cassette-associated genes
Authors: Coleman Nicholas V. , Holmes Andrew J.
Published: June 2005

The integron-gene cassette system contributes to multiple antibiotic resistance in bacteria and is likely to be of broader evolutionary significance. However, the majority of integron diversity consists of chromosomal integrons (CIs), with mostly unknown phenotypes, which are poorly characterized. A pUC-based reporter plasmid (pUS23) was developed containing a recombination site [aadB59 base element (59-be)] upstream of promoterlessaadB[gentamicin (Gm) resistance] andgfp(green fluorescence) genes, and this construct was used to investigate the recombination and expression activities of the CI inPseudomonas stutzeristrain Q. Electroporation of pUS23 intoP. stutzeriQ gave ampicillin-resistant transformants, which yielded GmRgreen fluorescent recombinants after plating on Gm medium. Site-specific integration of pUS23 atattIwas detected by PCR in 8 % of GmRcolonies and the frequency ofattIintegration was estimated as 2·0×10−8perP. stutzeriQ(pUS23) cell. RT-PCR confirmed integron-mediated expression ofaadBin one recombinant strain (Q23-17) and a promoter (Pc) was localized to the 5′ end of theintIgene. The integrated pUS23 and flanking integron DNA were cloned from genomic DNA of strain Q23-17 and sequenced, confirming that site-specific integration of the entire reporter plasmid had occurred at theattIsite. An insertion sequence (ISPst5; IS5family) was discovered in the vector backbone of the reporter plasmid integrated atattIand also in a pUS23 derivative recovered as a plasmid inEscherichia coliJM109. This is the first demonstration that wild-type CIs can capture gene cassettes and express cassette-associated genes.
Regulation of two highly similar genes, omcB and omcC, in a 10 kb chromosomal duplication in Geobacter sulfurreducens
Authors: Leang Ching , Lovley Derek R.
Published: June 2005

The Fe(III)-reducing micro-organism Geobacter sulfurreducens requires an outer-membrane c-type cytochrome, OmcB, for Fe(III) reduction, but a related cytochrome, OmcC, which is 73 % identical to OmcB, is not required. The omcB and omcC genes are part of a tandem chromosomal duplication consisting of two repeated clusters of four genes. The 2·7 kb sequences preceding omcB and omcC are identical with the exception of a single base pair change. Studies that combined genetic, Northern blotting and primer extension analyses demonstrated that both omcB and omcC are transcribed as monocistronic and polycistronic (orf1-orf2-omcB/omcC) transcripts. All of the promoters for the various transcripts were found to be located within the 2·7 kb identical region upstream of omcB and omcC. The sequences of the promoter regions for the two monocistronic transcripts are identical and equidistant from the omcB or omcC start codons. The promoters for the two polycistronic transcripts, in contrast, are distinct. One is specific for transcription of orf1-orf2-omcB and the other is associated with transcription of orf1-orf2-omcC. Studies with an RpoS-deficient mutant suggested that transcription from all four promoters is RpoS dependent under one or more growth conditions. Deletion of orfR, a gene immediately upstream of orf1-orf2-omcB that encodes a putative transcriptional regulator, significantly lowered the omcB transcription when Fe(III) was the electron acceptor and partially inhibited Fe(III) reduction. In contrast, levels of omcC transcripts were unaffected in the orfR mutant. These results indicate that omcB and omcC operons represent a rare instance in which duplicated operons, located in tandem on the chromosome, have different transcriptional regulation.
Binding and transcriptional activation of non-flagellar genes by the Escherichia coli flagellar master regulator FlhD2C2
Authors: Stafford Graham P. , Ogi Tomoo , Hughes Colin
Published: June 2005

The gene hierarchy directing biogenesis of peritrichous flagella on the surface of Escherichia coli and other enterobacteria is controlled by the heterotetrameric master transcriptional regulator FlhD2C2. To assess the extent to which FlhD2C2 directly activates promoters of a wider regulon, a computational screen of the E. coli genome was used to search for gene-proximal DNA sequences similar to the 42–44 bp inverted repeat FlhD2C2 binding consensus. This identified the binding sequences upstream of all eight flagella class II operons, and also putative novel FlhD2C2 binding sites in the promoter regions of 39 non-flagellar genes. Nine representative non-flagellar promoter regions were all bound in vitro by active reconstituted FlhD2C2 over the K
D range 38–356 nM, and of the nine corresponding chromosomal promoter–lacZ fusions, those of the four genes b1904, b2446, wzz
fepE and gltI showed up to 50-fold dependence on FlhD2C2
in vivo. In comparison, four representative flagella class II promoters bound FlhD2C2 in the K
D range 12–43 nM and were upregulated in vivo 30- to 990-fold. The FlhD2C2-binding sites of the four regulated non-flagellar genes overlap by 1 or 2 bp the predicted −35 motif of the FlhD2C2-activated σ
70 promoters, as is the case with FlhD2C2-dependent class II flagellar promoters. The data indicate a wider FlhD2C2 regulon, in which non-flagellar genes are bound and activated directly, albeit less strongly, by the same mechanism as that regulating the flagella gene hierarchy.
Three putative oxylipin biosynthetic genes integrate sexual and asexual development in Aspergillus nidulans
Authors: Tsitsigiannis Dimitrios I. , Kowieski Terri M. , Zarnowski Robert , Keller Nancy P.
Published: June 2005

Oxylipins called psi factors have been shown to alter the ratio of asexual to sexual sporulation in the filamentous fungusAspergillus nidulans. Analysis of theA. nidulansgenome has led to the identification of three fatty acid oxygenases (PpoA, PpoB and PpoC) predicted to produce psi factors. Here, it is reported that deletion ofppoB(ΔppoB) reduced production of the oleic-acid-derived oxylipin psiBβand increased the ratio of asexual to sexual spore development. Generation of the triple mutant ΔppoAΔppoBΔppoCresulted in a strain deficient in producing oleic- and linoleic-acid-derived 8′-hydroxy psi factor and caused increased and mis-scheduled activation of sexual development. Changes in asexual to sexual spore development were positively correlated to alterations in the expression ofbrlAandveA, respectively. PpoB and/or its products antagonistically mediate the expression levels ofppoAandppoC, thus revealing regulatory feedback loops among these three genes. Phylogenetic analyses showed thatppogenes are present in both saprophytic and pathogenic Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes, suggesting a conserved role for Ppo enzymes in the life cycle of fungi.
ftsZ mutations affecting cell division frequency, placement and morphology in Bacillus subtilis
Authors: Feucht Andrea , Errington Jeffery
Published: June 2005

A key event in cytokinesis in bacteria is the assembly of the essential division protein FtsZ into ring-like structures at the nascent division site. FtsZ is the prokaryotic homologue of tubulin, and is found in nearly all bacteria. In vitro, FtsZ polymerizes in the presence of GTP to form higher-ordered polymers. FtsZ consists of two domains, with the GTP-binding site located in the N-terminal domain. The less-conserved C-terminal domain contains residues important for GTP hydrolysis, but its overall function is still unclear. This paper reports the development of a simple strategy to generate mutations in the essential division gene ftsZ. Nine novel and viable ftsZ mutants of Bacillus subtilis are described. Eight of the mutations would affect the C-terminus of FtsZ. The collection of mutants exhibits a range of morphological phenotypes, ranging from normal to highly filamentous cells; some produce minicells, or divide in a twisted configuration; one mutation has a temperature-sensitive effect specifically impairing sporulation. The sites of the amino acid changes generated by the mutations could be informative about FtsZ function and its protein–protein interactions.
Attenuated virulence of an Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida type III secretion mutant in a rainbow trout model
Authors: Burr Sarah E. , Pugovkin Dmitri , Wahli Thomas , Segner Helmut , Frey Joachim
Published: June 2005

Aeromonas salmonicida subsp. salmonicida is the causative agent of furunculosis, a severe systemic disease affecting salmonid fish. This bacterium contains a type III protein secretion system that is responsible for the secretion and translocation of the ADP-ribosylating toxin, AexT, into the cytosol of fish cells. This study showed that inactivation of the type III secretion system by marker-replacement mutagenesis of the gene ascV, which encodes an inner-membrane component of the type III secretion system, attenuated virulence in a rainbow trout model. The isogenic ascV deletion mutant was phagocytosed by peripheral blood leukocytes but the wild-type (wt) A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida isolate was not. Histological examination of fish experimentally infected with the wt bacterium revealed extensive tissue necrosis and bacterial aggregates in all organs examined, including the heart, kidney and liver, indicating that the isolate established a systemic infection. Cumulative mortality of fish experimentally infected with the wt bacterium reached 88 %. In contrast, no mortality was observed among fish infected with the same dose of the ascV mutant, and histological examination of fish infected with this strain revealed healthy organs. The results indicate that the type III secretion system of A. salmonicida subsp. salmonicida is required to establish systemic infection.
Oxidative protein damage causes chromium toxicity in yeast
Authors: Sumner Edward R. , Shanmuganathan Anupama , Sideri Theodora C. , Willetts Sylvia A. , Houghton John E. , Avery Simon V.
Published: June 2005

Oxidative damage in microbial cells occurs during exposure to the toxic metal chromium, but it is not certain whether such oxidation accounts for the toxicity of Cr. Here, aSaccharomyces cerevisiae sod1Δ mutant (defective for the Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase) was found to be hypersensitive to Cr(VI) toxicity under aerobic conditions, but this phenotype was suppressed under anaerobic conditions. Studies with cells expressing a Sod1p variant (Sod1H46C) showed that the superoxide dismutase activity rather than the metal-binding function of Sod1p was required for Cr resistance. To help identify the macromolecular target(s) of Cr-dependent oxidative damage, cells deficient for the reduction of phospholipid hydroperoxides (gpx3Δ andgpx1Δ/gpx2Δ/gpx3Δ) and for the repair of DNA oxidation (ogg1Δ andrad30Δ/ogg1Δ) were tested, but were found not to be Cr-sensitive. In contrast,S. cerevisiae msraΔ (mxr1Δ) andmsrbΔ (ycl033cΔ) mutants defective for peptide methionine sulfoxide reductase (MSR) activity exhibited a Cr sensitivity phenotype, and cells overexpressing these enzymes were Cr-resistant. Overexpression of MSRs also suppressed the Cr sensitivity ofsod1Δ cells. The inference that protein oxidation is a primary mechanism of Cr toxicity was corroborated by an observed ∼20-fold increase in the cellular levels of protein carbonyls within 30 min of Cr exposure. Carbonylation was not distributed evenly among the expressed proteins of the cells; certain glycolytic enzymes and heat-shock proteins were specifically targeted by Cr-dependent oxidative damage. This study establishes an oxidative mode of Cr toxicity inS. cerevisiae, which primarily involves oxidative damage to cellular proteins.
Structural and replicative diversity of large plasmids from sphingomonads that degrade polycyclic aromatic compounds and xenobiotics
Authors: Basta Tamara , Buerger Sibylle , Stolz Andreas
Published: June 2005

The plasmids from 16 sphingomonads which degrade various xenobiotics and polycyclic aromatic compounds were compared with the previously sequenced plasmid pNL1 fromSphingomonas aromaticivoransF199. The replicase genesrepAaAbfrom plasmid pNL1 were amplified by PCR and used as a gene probe for the identification of plasmids belonging to the same incompatibility group as plasmid pNL1. Plasmids were prepared from various sphingomonads and hybridized with therepAgene probe. Positive hybridization signals were obtained with plasmids of approximately 160–195 kb fromSphingomonas subterraneaandS. aromaticivoransB0695, which had been isolated from the same subsurface location asS. aromaticivoransF199. TherepAprobe also hybridized with plasmids fromSphingomonas xenophagaBN6,Sphingomonassp. HH69 andSphingomonas macrogoltabidus, which had been isolated from different continents and which utilize different organic compounds thanS. aromaticivoransF199 and the other subsurface strains. The results of the hybridization experiments were confirmed by PCR experiments using primers deduced from therepAaAbregion of plasmid pNL1. Nucleotide sequence comparisons suggested that three gene clusters were conserved between plasmid pNL1 and plasmid pBN6 from the naphthalenesulfonate- degrading strainS. xenophagaBN6. From these sequence comparisons, PCR primers were derived in order to detect the respective gene clusters in the other strains and to deduce their position relative to each other. These experiments demonstrated that all analysed subsurface strains harboured the same three gene clusters, but that the position and distance from each other of the clusters varied considerably among the different strains.
Professional food purchasers' practice in using environmental information
Authors: Bergström Kerstin , Solér Cecilia , Shanahan Helena
Published: June 2005

Purpose

Food consumption impacts heavily on the environment. It is therefore highly relevant to study food‐purchasing processes and needs for environmental information in the food supply chain. The objective of this article is to report findings from a study identifying practices in using environmental information when making decisions on what food to procure and purchase.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a phenomenographic approach, professional purchasing managers at food production companies and wholesalers in public and commercial food services as well as retailing were interviewed with the aim of identifying practices when using environmental information in decisions on what food to procure for purchasing.

Findings

The findings show that purchasers are dependent on corporate policy when it comes to environmental considerations related to food. Purchasers are mainly guided by business parameters with respect to price, quality and service. These factors are given priority over co‐operation along the food supply chain. Such co‐operation has been shown to have the potential to encourage environmentally friendly purchasing decisions.

Originality/value

The study places the issue of the use of and need for environmental information in the food supply chain on the national agenda in Sweden. Thus, the study contributes to increasing the awareness of the importance of professional food purchasers as actors for change towards more environmentally friendly food consumption.
Metadata quality: implications for library and information science professionals
Authors: Robertson R. John
Published: June 2005

Purpose

In contrast with recent studies noting the necessity of library and information science (LIS) skills in digital library and repository projects, this study aims to examine the impact of metadata quality requirements on how LIS professionals apply their skills outside a library setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the concept of metadata quality and examines the implications of this for LIS professionals by reviewing the differences between the context of the library community and other relevant communities of practice.

Findings

The paper argues that, although much needed, LIS skills require contextualisation before application outside library settings.

Research limitations/implications

Many of the new opportunities for and settings of LIS skills are immature – consequently this analysis may date as the context of these settings mature. Current trends, however, suggest that it will not.

Practical implications

Training in LIS skills should take account of how they might apply differently outside libraries. Librarians co‐operating with colleagues outside the library should appreciate the potential metadata “compromises” they might have to make and why they are necessary.

Originality/value

The paper provides food for thought on the increasing number of LIS professionals working outside library settings.
Using research to support management decision making within the field of education
Authors: Hemsley‐Brown Jane
Published: June 2005

Purpose

There has been much interest in evidence‐informed decision making in education – identifying effective ways of increasing the use of research evidence to provide a basis for management decision making, in both the private and public sectors. However, in education, although there has been much speculation and discussion, there has been a paucity of recent empirical research evidence that provides insights into the characteristics, practice and mechanisms of successful research utilisation strategies. This study aimed to explore how research evidence was successfully disseminated and how the barriers to research use by head teachers (principals) were successfully addressed. The study was qualitative and exploratory in nature and aimed to identify examples of projects led by, and supported by, local education authorities (LEAs), that aimed to help education practitioners to access, engage with, and use the findings from published research and research carried out by themselves, and shared with others.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents and discusses the findings from an empirical study conducted in eight local authorities in England and Wales.

Findings

The research evidence suggests that to improve research use among managers in education, strategies should focus on facilitating communication networks, partnerships and links between researchers and practitioners, with the key long‐term objective of developing a culture that supports and values the contribution that research can make to management decision making in education.

Originality/value

Managers in local education authorities (LEAs) can help to build networks, develop partnerships between professionals locally, nationally and internationally, and also act as change agents in the dissemination and adoption of new ideas. However, the research focused on illustrative examples of research use – and further research is needed to evaluate the impact of using research for decision making in education.
Towards a high‐performance workplace: managing corporate climate and conflict
Authors: Suliman Abubakr M. , Abdulla Mohamed H.
Published: June 2005

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the role of work climate in influencing employees’ perceptions of intra‐individual conflict in a Middle Eastern context.

Design/methodology/approach

A self‐administered questionnaire in which 600 employees were surveyed. The co‐opted participants were selected from 17 companies and represented top‐, middle‐ and bottom‐level management.

Findings

The findings revealed that feelings of frustration and perceptions of role and goal conflict among participants were largely determined by the factors of work climate.

Research limitations/implications

The sample represented only industrial and service sectors. The implications of the findings for researchers together with some future guidelines are discussed in the paper.

Practical implications

The paper provides practitioners with some advice about understanding and managing climate and conflict.

Originality/value

The paper is the first study in the Middle Eastern context that explores the link between the multifaceted concepts of climate and conflict.
An overview of continuous improvement: from the past to the present
Authors: Bhuiyan Nadia , Baghel Amit
Published: June 2005

Purpose

To provide an overview of the history, evolution, and existing research on continuous improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

Extensive review of the literature.

Findings

This paper provides an overview of continuous improvement, its inception, how it evolved into sophisticated methodologies used in organizations today, and existing research in this field in the literature.

Research limitations/implications

It does not provide an exhaustive review of the existing literature, or an exhaustive list of all continuous improvement programs, only the most well known.

Originality/value

This paper traces how organizations have used various tools and techniques to address the need for improvement on various levels. The paper also presents research conducted in this field. It should be of value to practitioners of continuous improvement programs and to academics who are interested in how continuous improvement has evolved, and where it is today. To the authors’ knowledge, no recent papers have provided an historical perspective of continuous improvement. Furthermore, our paper also discusses the existing research in this field.
The real meaning of value in trading relationships
Authors: Ramsay John
Published: June 2005

Purpose

The paper aims to survey the main usages of the term “value” in the economics, marketing, strategy and operations fields.

Design/methodology/approach

The way in which all four fields adopt an unbalanced approach, concentrating exclusively on the customer's perspective, is highlighted. A complete, balanced analysis including both the customer and supplier perspectives is outlined. The precise meaning of the term value is then explored in detail, revealing and exploring the difference between the potential and realised versions.

Findings

These insights are applied to an analysis of the concept of the “value chain” leading to the conclusion that, given the ontology of value, much of the language used to describe value and chains is deeply misleading.

Practical implications

The paper ends with a discussion of the possible effects of this ontological and linguistic sloppiness on practitioners and business practice. By bringing clarity to the real meaning of value in trade it may be possible to improve the effectiveness of the use of the word by management as a motivational tool for enhancing company performance.

Originality/value

The paper offers a clear, detailed explanation of the nature of value in trading relations.
Has ISO 9000 lost some of its lustre? A longitudinal impact study
Authors: Casadesús Martí , Karapetrovic Stanislav
Published: June 2005

Purpose

Seeks to analyze changes in the perceived benefits and costs of ISO 9000 implementation over time.

Design/methodology/approach

Results of two surveys, performed in 1998 and 2002, with 283 and 399 Catalonian companies participating, respectively, are presented, compared and analyzed.

Findings

There has been a significant decrease in the perception of ISO 9000 implementation benefits from 1998 to 2002. However, most companies still believe that ISO 9000 is beneficial overall. ISO 9000 implementation and maintenance costs have substantially decreased in the same four‐year period.

Research limitations/implications

In July 2002, when the second survey was conducted, the majority of the participating companies were still registered to one of the old versions of the standard, namely ISO 9001/2/3:1994. The findings support the notion that ISO 9000 standards are limited in providing a set of concrete benefits over time.

Practical implications

The outcome of the study contributes to a better understanding of the temporal nature of the impact ISO 9000 requirement standards have had on companies.

Originality/value

This is one of the first papers that analyses the benefits and costs of ISO 9000 implementation over time.
Health service use of whole system interventions
Authors: Papworth Mark A. , Crosland Ann
Published: June 2005

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate a whole system intervention (WSI) that was applied to North Tyneside (UK) adult mental health services and offer a discussion on the broader implications of these results. WSIs are brief, participant‐intensive, democratic change methods that are widely utilised but have received relatively little empirical consideration.

Design/methodology/approach

Two methods were used for the WSI evaluation: comparative (of local documentary evidence with scientific and professional sources); and qualitative (analysis of semi‐structured interviews with project planners, stakeholders and participants).

Findings

Issues emerged from the research associated principally with the following topics: system definition, power, stakeholder representation, facilitator role, intervention planning, as well as WSI follow‐up and time‐scale.

Originality/value

Guidance is offered associated with WSI methodology choice and its implementation within a health service context.
Towards a typology of managerial barriers to learning
Authors: McCracken Martin
Published: June 2005

Purpose

To contribute to the literature on managerial learning and illustrate the most important barriers to participation in learning for mid‐career managers. To provide recommendations on how to eliminate such barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

From a larger sample of 61 managers, 22 were selected for further in‐depth analysis of their interview transcripts, due to the severity of barriers experienced. Using a grounded theory approach, they were categorised according to whether they had intrinsic (perceptual, emotional, motivational, cognitive) or extrinsic (organisational culture, management development culture or physical pressures) barriers to learning.

Findings

Three distinct groupings emerged when the managers were plotted on a chart according to the barriers experienced. Solutions were then proposed for eliminating barriers for each group of managers. The most important recommendations were that the support of top management was necessary to encourage continued development and that line managers had a critical role to play in developing tailored development packages.

Research limitations/implications

For future research, it would be useful to test whether or not these findings could be replicated across other sectors and managerial types. It is suggested that widening the sample would also be beneficial to eliminate issues inherent with a small population.

Practical implications

Leadership programmes for managers, focussing on understanding motivation at the individual level. In addition, top management should be involved in the evaluation of training and development so that they can lead their managerial teams effectively.

Originality/value

This paper is original in that it focuses on managers with severe barriers to learning and offers practical advice on what organisations should do in relation to these issues.
Sustainable competitiveness of aluminium building products
Authors: Radlbeck Christina , Dienes Eszter , Kosteas Dimitris
Published: June 2005

Purpose

To explore the potential and weaknesses of aluminium building products in practice and to consider the material's competitiveness and sustainable performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The characteristics of aluminium are reviewed and data is collected from architects and materials’ suppliers. These two groups are chosen because they have most influence on the builder's decision and consequently on the selection of the building material.

Findings

Standards addressing sustainability are currently being developed and will soon be obligatory for building and construction activities. These changes are also likely to have an impact on the conditions for competition.. Aluminium possesses high potential for sustainable building applications mainly due to its light‐weight, durability, formability, low maintenance need and excellent recycling properties. From the perspectives of architects and providers, these facts are not known sufficiently yet. In addition no correlations between sustainability and the current competitiveness of aluminium building products are observed.

Research limitations/implications

The research has been carried out in Germany, which may limit the usefulness of the results elsewhere.

Practical implications

A useful information source for architects, engineers and providers of aluminium building products.

Originality/value

This paper identifies the current knowledge gap of architects and providers concerning the potential of aluminium in respect to the whole life‐cycle as well as the use of sustainability to influence the competitiveness of aluminium products.
B2C e‐commerce web site quality: an empirical examination
Authors: Cao Mei , Zhang Qingyu , Seydel John
Published: June 2005

Purpose

To identify what constitutes web site quality or what makes a web site effective.

Design/methodology/approach

This article examines and integrates four sets of factors that capture e‐commerce web site quality using an IS success model: system quality, information quality, service quality, and attractiveness. A questionnaire survey was conducted to verify the measures of web site quality. Based on TAM, a framework is also developed relating web site quality to customers' beliefs (perceived usefulness and ease of use), attitudes (preferences for the site), and intentions (to revisit the site).

Findings

A set of instruments of web site quality has been developed and empirically validated by factor analysis.

Research limitations/implications

The research is based on a sample of students browsing several book web sites and they may not sense the web site quality across different B2C commercial web sites such as music, computer, travel, clothes and flowers. Data in these domains should be collected in any future research to examine further the measures developed here.

Practical implications

Guidelines for web interface design are proposed.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils the identification of web site quality and the development and validation of its measures and offers a framework and practical guidelines for e‐commerce managers and web designers.
Marketing standardisation: tour operators in the Nordic region
Authors: Roper Angela
Published: June 2005

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the marketing decisions made by European tour operators. It seeks to assess the extent of marketing standardisation/adaptation across and within the Nordic region and to identify the centric profiles of the sample firms in terms of marketing decision‐making.

Design/methodology/approach

A multiple case study approach was employed and the research design combined a range of empirical data gathered from regional headquarters and one subsidiary.

Findings

These indicate that the case study firms manage marketing regionally, at the same time; certain activities are adapted to local market and competitive conditions. It is clear that the “think regional‐act local” philosophy or “cooperative centralisation” is a challenge for tour operators to manage and that the level of international marketing standardisation is affected by situation‐specific factors such as product and industry characteristics.

Research limitations/implications

Any bias in the research as a result of basing findings only on the views of executives interviewed and upon company documentation is tempered with reports from outside sources. Further research needs to be undertaken at the corporate level, in other source markets, and longitudinally. It would also be interesting to carry out a comparative study of other types of firms.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to our knowledge of marketing standardisation/adaptation from the perspective of a regional market‐place by investigating the strategic approach chosen for the establishment of marketing decisions. In exploiting the concept of centricity, it is more conceptually grounded than some previous studies.
The roles of xinyong and guanxi in Chinese relationship marketing
Authors: Leung T.K.P. , Lai Kee‐hung , Chan Ricky Y.K. , Wong Y.H.
Published: June 2005

Purpose

This study incorporates two Chinese cultural variables guanxi (personal relationship) and xinyong (personal trust) with other relational variables that are well defined in the west, i.e. supplier competence, commitment, conflict handling and satisfaction to see how they generate partnership relationship in a sino‐western relationship marketing context.

Design/methodology/approach

Research objectives are achieved through a combination of model building, quantitative design, testing of hypotheses using AMOS and analysis of findings. The subject scope is imbedded within cultural impact on relationship marketing in a sino‐western context.

Findings

This study finds that Western suppliers must be competent in product knowledge, market development, and adaptation to buyers' requirements to resolve conflicts in order to establish their xinyong with the buyers. Competence allows suppliers to show psychological commitment and establish guanxi with the buyers. It also shows that guanxi has a stronger influence on xinyong than on satisfaction. Suppliers should use guanxi to generate buyer's perception on xinyong whilst maintaining a reasonable level of buyer satisfaction with their products and services. Also, relationship between xinyong and satisfaction is not significant. A buyer's satisfaction on the supplier's product and services does not necessarily mean that this buyer perceives the supplier having xinyong because Chinese mix (up) business with personal relationships together and sometimes they make trade‐off between them!

Research limitations/implications

This relationship study was conducted in a single‐product relationship context within the clothing industry in the PRC environment and therefore, its findings may not be generalised to other industry. Future Chinese relationship study should increase the sample size so as to cover more industries to allow comparison across industries. This is especially valid between a manufacturing and a service‐based industry. A service‐based industry may even emphasize more on guanxi and xinyong because of its intangible aspects! Future research should include the xinyong constructs, the concepts of face and reciprocity. To what extent these important Chinese cultural values affect satisfaction and xinyong have not been determined.

Practical implications

Effective conflict handling skills and guanxi are vital to formulate a xinyong positioning strategy. A supplier must be competent in product knowledge, market development skills, and adapt to a buyer's requirements to resolve conflicts with the buyer to establish xinyong.

Originality/value

This research is an initial attempt to establish the relationship between guanxi, xinyong and partnership relationship and generates a new research area in Chinese relationship marketing.
Is the seven‐year hitch premature in industrial markets?
Authors: Barnes Bradley R.
Published: June 2005

Purpose

The paper reports on an exploratory study aimed at analysing a series of independent variables derived from international industrial marketing and channel management literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The respondents represent a number of dyadic business‐to‐business relationships of different duration, and involve firms of different size (multinational enterprise buyers and their corresponding medium sized enterprise suppliers).

Findings

Initial findings support much of the extant literature on relationship marketing, demonstrating that certain aspects of a relationship tend to change over time. In particular, the study revealed that: there is a high degree of optimism associated with dyadic relationships at early stages, and these are characterised by both parties having high initial perceptions of the relationship; in mid‐term relationships some negativity maybe apparent, where certain aspects regress; and in long‐term situations, there is a tendency for relationships to be well structured, and these are particularly highly perceived among both exchange parties.

Research limitations/implications

The research approach shares those benefits as well as limitations associated with earlier empirical investigations. That is a trade‐off in favour of undertaking dyadic exploration, than administering large samples and data sets. As a consequence of the sample size, some caution should be exercised when interpreting these findings.

Practical implications

Firms need to pay particular attention to relationships of differing time duration. This is because specific aspects of relationships may not develop in a uniform direction.

Originality/value

The research attempts to unravel the complexities and difficulties associated with obtaining data of a dyadic perspective for a significant number of relationships of different length. Such studies that map the evolvement of buyer‐seller relations over time are rare.
An analysis of quality management in franchise systems
Authors: Fernández Monroy Margarita , Melián Alzola Lucía
Published: June 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual model of behavior in the franchise network from the perspective of quality management.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the review of the literature, the development of a theoretical scale for measuring quality in franchise systems in the short term (i.e. transactional quality) and in the long term (i.e. relationship quality) is proposed.

Findings

Two dimensions of transactional quality are identified from the franchisee perspective: contents and assistance. The dimensions of transactional quality from the franchisor's point of view refer to two aspects: formality and identify. The relationship quality identifies variables such as trust between cooperation partners, mutual commitment, and relationalism.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed model is a theoretical model; an additional step is to validate empirically the dimensions of the model.

Practical implications

The main practical implication is that the contract does not completely reflect the actual conduct of franchisor‐franchisee relationships. It is necessary to harmonize the transactional or contractual perspective with the relationship view.

Originality/value

The franchise system has assumed great importance as a pattern for the expansion of services and, just like any other organization, needs to preserve the quality of the business concept to achieve overall success. On that basis, this paper aims to contribute to quality management in franchise networks and proposes a dual model for measuring quality: transactional and relational quality.