bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Behavioral implications of the transition process from products to services
Authors: Gebauer Heiko , Friedli Thomas
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper attempts to provide a better understanding of behavioral processes and their impact on the transition from products to services.

Design/methodology/approach

Case studies are the main tool of theory development. The paper focuses mainly on German and Swiss product manufacturers, whose products require a high level of customer investment.

Findings

The objective was merely to explain behavioral dimension of transition. The paper indicated seven behavioral processes which play a critical role during the transition. Managerial service awareness and role understanding, as well as employee service awareness and role understanding seem to be the right triggers to change the behavioral processes in the desired manner.

Research limitations/implications

The main focus was on the German and Swiss machinery and medical equipment manufacturing industries, and the remarks are limited to these sectors.

Practical implications

The key managerial implications and recommendations can be formulated as follows: establish a “value‐added” managerial service awareness; change managerial role understanding – from traditional customer support to business manager; establish a “value‐added” employee service awareness; and change employee role understanding – from selling products to providing services.

Originality/value

The authors were able to add a complementary perspective to existing literature on the transition process from products to services. For service management theorists, it is suggested that the transition from product manufacturers into service providers is influenced strongly by several behavioral processes. A complete theory of the transition process requires an interdisciplinary theory that integrates service management and human decision making.
Bidding for funds: creative partnerships
Authors: Mahurter Sarah
Published: July 2006

Bidding for additional funds for your organisation can be both a daunting experience and an exciting challenge. This article offers a few principles for fundraising which have been gained through practice and the help received from others. It includes some “how to do it” tips which may serve well in practical situations. Before bidding for a real project or need, it also suggests that an exercise on preparing a hypothetical bid, perhaps with some colleagues as a staff development session, be carried out.
Using the world of blogs for project and financial management
Authors: Nagel Sarah C.
Published: July 2006

Weblogs or “blogs” are a recent addition to the library professional's toolkit. They can be particularly useful to library managers, whether as a means of maintaining current awareness of managerial trends or as a cheap alternative to project management software.
Which came first, the project or the fundraising?
Authors: Noel Jennings Karlene
Published: July 2006

One of the harder endeavors faced in a library is maintaining a balance between necessary projects and providing the funds to finance them. Ideally, discussions of funding and projects should go hand‐in‐hand, as each discussion is relevant to the other. However, this is not always the case. Donors may have preconceived notions about how they would like their generosity used. Similarly, a library's desire to raise capital may tempt it to accept gifts for projects that may not be part of their overall development plan. By including fund‐raising at the beginning of a project, a library increases its chances of creating a successful action plan and balancing its financial and project priorities.
Skulls in the desert
Authors: Maxymuk John
Published: July 2006

Perhaps the one constant in every business is the need to cope with technological change, and libraries are no exception. In fact, libraries may be one of the most affected industries – with technological change impacting not only how libraries do business, but also what services they provide and how collections are built and maintained. While reading this brief history of the various technologies that have gone the way of the Dodo, librarians are asked to contemplate how they keep themselves relevant in our ever‐evolving technological world of information access.
Risk, uncertainty and probabilistic decision making in an increasingly volatile world
Authors: Ugur Mehmet
Published: July 2006

This article aims to ascertain the extent to which probabilistic decision making can enable managers to make crucial decisions in a world of uncertainty associated with globalization. Existing evidence suggests that probabilistic decision making can be deployed for risk management purposes if two conditions are satisfied: the decision maker must be aware of a complete list of possible future events; and the decision maker must be able to revise his/her expectations in the light of new information about such events. This article demonstrates that the satisfaction of these conditions requires a sound understanding of the sources of risks, quantifying those risks, and assessing the probability associated with each. To ensure that these conditions are satisfied, a risk management strategy must aim to maximize the amount of information that will be available at the time of taking the decision rather than wait to learn from outcomes. Outcomes‐based justification of decisions may no longer be an effective decision‐making strategy because the stakes involved, i.e. the risks and opportunities associated with globalization, are too high. An information‐driven, proactive decision‐making strategy requires higher levels of information pooling and exchange within companies.
Superior products and services confer only a fleeting advantage
Authors: Bacon Terry
Published: July 2006

Global competition has created an endless cycle of innovation and imitation among companies striving to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Increasingly, the traditional sources of differentiation, such as product uniqueness, are not sustainable enough to create sufficient competitive advantage. So some of the most successful companies today are using behavior to differentiate themselves in their markets. Behavioral differentiation is more difficult to copy, even when competitors know what you are doing, because differentiating yourself behaviorally requires more skill and will than many companies have. Herb Kelleher at Southwest Airlines, Horst Schultze at Ritz‐Carlton, George Zimmer at Men’s Wearhouse, and Sam Walton at Wal‐Mart understood that they could attract and retain customers by creating significantly positive experiences – and it starts with treating their own employees well. These business leaders succeeded in part because they understood the powerful effect their employees’ behavior has on customers’ experiences with their companies. Positive behavior is attractive. Behavior that is significantly negative also differentiates, but it has a repulsive effect on customers. Three forces drive behavioral differentiation: leadership, culture, and processes. Companies that excel at behavioral differentiation, including Harley‐Davidson and Xilinx, have leaders who set a powerful behavioral example and understand the role behavior plays in business strategy. These companies also have strong cultures of differentiated treatment toward employees as well as customers. Finally, they have processes in place that help them operationalize superior behavior. Behavioral differentiation offers a significant advantage to companies whose products and services have become commoditized in today’s tough markets.
How to build a great product
Authors: Rau Susan E.
Published: July 2006

Building great products can be a reality for any company that takes the time and effort to create and execute the linkages between: winning strategy; the role of products and services; the product building blocks; and, linkages to customer needs. In fact, our research and work with clients suggests that a lack of alignment of these factors is the number one cause for the poor performance of many new products. This article defines for the reader the four winning strategy choices a company has – Product Leader, Distribution Giant, Innovation Superstar and Customer Lover and how each of these models puts a different emphasis on products and services. Once a company has selected a winning strategy, executing that strategy successfully requires adherence to the business model, including aligning product and services, customer imperatives and financial realities to that winning strategy model. Losing focus and drifting away from the chosen strategy or interspersing, for example, the product priorities from one winning strategy with the customer imperatives from another is a recipe for lackluster earnings and poor stock performance. Readers will learn how to outsmart the competition and build products that really win in the marketplace.
How DuPont used insights from needs‐based research to redefine brand, business
Authors: Sena Keith , Petromilli Michael
Published: July 2006

Businesses risk losing customers when traditional product‐based features, attributes, and benefits are no longer differentiated. Offsetting that risk requires taking a more customer‐centric approach to the brand and business. This entails developing a far deeper understanding of the customer than can be gained through traditional demographic‐based research. At issue is what motivates the purchase decision, and how well the motivating factors are being addressed or could be better addressed at each customer touch point. Organizations seeking to adopt a more customer‐focused strategy will learn from the approach DuPont Performance Coatings took in grappling with this challenge, based on an extensive program of qualitative and quantitative research with customers around the globe. This article focuses on two particular areas of interest. First is the model and far‐reaching research conducted, which revealed comprehensive details on customer priorities and product usage behaviors. The characteristics uncovered became the basis for segmenting customers into groups that could be better targeted to re‐establish relevance and solidify their relationship with the brand. Second is the customer touch‐point analysis, which facilitated alignment of functional groups within the organization (product, sales, customer service, etc.) and equipped them to deliver on newly developed, segment‐specific value propositions. This major initiative has enabled DuPont to reprioritize internal efforts and business practices and been a catalyst for broader organizational changes notably the dissolution of many functional silos that previously had hindered its ability to deliver against its brand promise.
Intellectual capital in waiting – a strategic IC challenge
Authors: Edvinsson Leif , Hofman‐Bang Peder , Jacobsen Kristine
Published: July 2006

The purpose with the paper is to bring forward the opportunities we face by realizing that future economics lie in knowledge and intangibles. We want to communicate this as a giant business potential, as capital in waiting by introducing some tools and cases. Two concrete leadership tools are presented and discussed (IC Rating and Balanced Scorecard‐like approaches) and cases from different places around the globe are introduced. These methods and conclusions will support any organization wishing to take part in the intellectual capital evolution. The countries, societies, businesses and individuals grasping the opportunity of exploit their intellectual capital in waiting will be the winners of tomorrow. Their skills will be shown in new cultivated leadership, new company navigation tools for strategic mapping and measurement, transparent reporting of intangibles as well as new approaches to risk assessment. The longitude perspective of Leif Edvinsson is for the first time combined with the extensive research made within the EU project, PRISM, as well as with two of the most popular practical applications of intangible measurements, IC Rating and the BSC. In addition, the IC Rating and BSC are intertwined, introducing a completely new approach for organizational development, Sei‐Cho.
Strategic management of intangible value drivers
Authors: Marr Bernard
Published: July 2006

Organizations are recognizing that if they want to survive and prosper in the long run they need to strategically manage their intangible assets. New theories of strategic management such as the resource‐based view show that organizations can only gain sustainable competitive advantages if they are focusing on the development of their value drivers. Intangible assets such as know‐how, brands, copyrights, patents and relationships with customers or suppliers, are key value drivers in today’s business world. It is therefore critical for organizations to identify, understand, and manage these organizational value drivers. This article outlines the process of how organizations can identify their key resources – tangible and intangible – as well as their interdependence and causal dynamics to deliver value. An improved understanding of the strategic resource architecture helps to overcome causal ambiguity of how value is created and helps to direct resource allocation and competence acquisition.
Strategic leadership in permanent whitewater
Authors: Kipp Michael F.
Published: July 2006

A whitewater ride calls for a particular type of leader – one with an acute sensitivity to the situation, a high degree of personal autonomy and the ability to discern and convey to others how things might play out more favorably for everybody. With the rapids as a backdrop, the author considers seven fundamental lessons on strategic leadership when navigating “permanent whitewater,” drawing on his career and experience as an executive coach and consultant.
Beating stress and preventing burnout
Authors: Kaufman Barbara
Published: July 2006

Fueled by the relentless pressures of the 24/7 work schedule, globalization, large‐scale initiatives and scarce resources, leaders today are experiencing more and more stress, fatigue and total burnout. At the same time, few leaders have learned the important lessons about addressing inherent stressors. Instead, leaders often choose to continue pursuing a pace that ultimately negatively affects both their work and personal lives. In fact, it is rare for leaders to stop their fast‐paced cycles, reflect on the goals and strategies they are creating and recognize the need to step back and use their change agent skills to improve their own work environment. Leaders can harness their strengths as strategic thinkers and risk‐takers in an effort to create a healthier and more effective balance. This article discusses the ways to do that through recognizing the causes, unlearning bad habits and recommitting to a more balanced life for themselves and their co‐workers. Campbell Soups CEO, among others, is cited as one good example.
What constitutes leadership and why it can’t be taught
Authors: Ackoff Russell L.
Published: July 2006

Leadership is an art and, as such, requires talent. Talent can be enhanced but not taught. Leaders must be able to formulate inspiring visions and strategies for approaching them. Idealized design can be used for this purpose. In addition, leaders must understand the nature of social systems and what this implies, and the nature of the transformations occurring in our way of thinking. In this article the author explains how leaders, like artists, can be made more effective by learning about the relevant materials available and how to use them. Knowledge of the same tools and techniques may also improve managers, but it cannot make leaders of them.
Applying small business success strategies in the corporate world
Authors: Johnstone Marc
Published: July 2006

The purpose of this article is to help corporates learn from the small business owner so they can implement winning strategies in their own business and/or also sell more effectively to their customers, the small business owner. Shirlaws has 250 small business clients globally and has spent ten years developing its models in the marketplace. These strategies can be applied to any corporate. Just as importantly, Shirlaws knowledge of small businesses can provide corporates insights into their client base to increase sales and improve customer retention.
Is the Internet putting your corporate identity at risk?
Authors: Wolf Douglas R.
Published: July 2006

The purpose of this paper is to review problems related to Internet, trademark, and domain name issues. The paper was developed by studying recent legal developments and drawing from empirical research and professional problem solving. A major aim of the paper is to identify solutions to these issues, both preventive and following a theft or other violation of rights. The paper also includes techniques for making violations by “cyber pirates” harder to commit. Businesses of all kinds will benefit by learning the most up‐to‐date dangers of Internet trademark crime and what to do about them.
Manage your IT projects like an investment portfolio
Authors: D’Amico Vin
Published: July 2006

This paper provides a clear and simple means of evaluating and managing a portfolio of information technology projects. The ultimate goal being a major reduction in the failure rate for such projects. The phrase “alignment of business and technology goals” (or some variation thereof) is widely used. But, how do you go about “aligning” such intangibles? And, what does “alignment” mean when it comes to information technology projects? Most companies struggle with these questions. The real problem is that they are dealing with the issues on an individual project basis when they should be evaluating all projects as a portfolio. For example, financial investors diversify. There is not a single investment that provides complete risk and reward diversification. Likewise, attempting to manage individual projects to meet corporate goals is futile. Manage the project portfolio instead. Many companies have used Project Portfolio Management successfully. While their results vary, there have been clear, definable gains from using one or more of the approaches discussed in this article. Failure rates for information technology projects are much too high. The survival of information technology as a strategic corporate service depends on better management of IT project portfolios. Too much is written about theories of management or concepts for dealing with failure. This paper is different. It is focused on practical ideas and metrics that any corporation can put to immediate use.
How technologies support winning strategies and productivity
Authors: Carneiro Alberto
Published: July 2006

This article intends to contribute to a better understanding of the role that technologies may play within the fields of organizational operations, namely the formulation of competitive strategies. The aim of these considerations is to adopt an adequate and critical perspective of the relationships among different technologies and strategic efforts in order to recognize that information technologies are needed to obtain higher levels of understanding competitors’ movements and to enhance organizations’ performance. Moreover, by considering that information technologies are related extensively with strategic decisions, it attempts to provide useful insights on knowledge management and technologies effectiveness. Continued research relating information technology and technological networks to organizations’ performance is needed to explain management efficiency’s levels.
Strategic conversations with your customers helps hone the planning process
Authors: Oleksak Michael
Published: July 2006

This paper makes the case that customer feedback is a valuable input to a company’s strategy development. The paper also suggests a process for capturing and using this input. By following this process, a company is more likely to identify a strategy in sync with customer and market demands. Closer relationships will also grow between the supplier and customer as a result of the consultative approach to collecting feedback from the customer. The article is based on the author’s experience working with companies to develop fresh information about their businesses before undertaking strategy development. Customers of a company are involved in the market every day and have a different point of view than the company itself. Their observations on issues including new technologies, offerings by competitors, and market demands can help a company prepare for the next threat, or exploit a developing opportunity. The article describes in steps the path to follow if management decides to seek out customers’ views to obtain fresh information for strategic development. By introducing the concept and benefits of strategic customer conversations, and by outlining the steps to take to implement such a system, the reader can now embark on a process of extracting fresh information from customers in order to build or fine‐tune their own strategy. This will help the CEO, VP strategy, head of marketing, or business development head as they plan product, market or service strategies.
Unpredictable ways to release the natural intelligence of your organization
Authors: Vogt Jay W.
Published: July 2006

The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the immediate and practical value of a new way of thinking about organizations – not as machines, but as living things. The article contrasts an old view of organizations as machines with a new view of them as living things. It suggests that an “emergent” approach to setting strategy is one consequence of the new view. It then explores the power of fostering “emergent strategy” in two real‐life cases, one each from the corporate and community sectors. Finally, it details process steps and results. The author shows how two organizational development processes foster “emergent strategy:” “Open space technology” and “Grounded visioning”. “Open space technology” helps develop breakthrough strategies in business challenges that are complex, urgent, require diverse thinking, and spark conflict. “Grounded visioning” helps create a shared vision among large, diverse, and conflicted sets of stakeholders in record time. Senior leaders now have tools for finding strategic direction with large, diverse groups in complex, fluid, and conflicted situations. This article demonstrates the value of “emergent strategy” as an alternative to traditional, directive strategy setting processes used by senior leaders. It presents real‐life case examples from the corporate and community sectors in which this idea is put to use with spectacular results. It introduces senior leaders to two innovative organizational development processes – “Open space technology” and “Grounded visioning” – which they can use in their organizations to tap the natural intelligence of their people.
Best way to improve your performance: improve how you impart core values
Authors: Evans Bill
Published: July 2006

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for delivering greater customer value through the clear shaping, enhancing, and living of core values. The approach is to construct a model that explains the approach; illustrate it with a number of useful ideas, likely snags, and real examples. True customer value comes from a series of ordered events and related concepts that management must apply with rigor all the time. The paper shows how different pieces of a complex puzzle fit together into a lucid model. Value is to middle and upper management who are experiencing frustration at getting their message across and talented, overlooked employees who feel they don’t have a voice.
The knowledge value chain: a pragmatic knowledge implementation network
Authors: Wang Catherine L. , Ahmed Pervaiz K.
Published: July 2006

In this article, we address the issue of knowledge management (KM) implementation by developing a pragmatic yet theoretically rigorous knowledge implementation framework, referred to hereinafter as the knowledge value chain. The model consists of KM processes (identification, acquisition, codification, storage, dissemination, refinement, application and creation), KM enablers (knowledge system, knowledge culture, organizational memory, knowledge sharing and knowledge benchmarking). Such processes and enabling factors lead to enhanced organizational capabilities – strategic flexibility, new product development, organizational learning, and responsiveness to customers – which are antecedents to performance. The knowledge value chain provides a tool to systematically examine resources and infrastructures. We further highlight the elements in the knowledge value chain that create synergies and enable effective implementation of three generic KM strategies.
A comparison of the quality of lead‐free solder pastes
Authors: Sitek Janusz , Ročak Dubravka , Bukat Krystyna , Fajfar‐Plut Janeta , Belavič Darko
Published: July 2006

The European Commission has decided that from the second half of 2006 only lead‐free solder pastes will be permitted for use in the electronics industry. Earlier results of testing showed that lead‐free solder pastes may not be appropriate for both printed‐circuit‐board (PCB) and hybrid‐circuit applications, because of the materials' compatibility with the soldering process and with the solder pads. The basic properties of the investigated pastes show which of the tested solder pastes can be used for both applications. After selection of the appropriate solder pastes, reliability tests were conducted. The surface insulation resistance was tested for both the hybrid circuits and PCBs, whereas the mechanical strength of the soldered joints of components was only tested for the PCBs.
Dissolution of solids in contact with liquid solder
Authors: Mannan Samjid , Clode Michael P.
Published: July 2006

The dissolution rate of a solid metal such as Cu, in contact with molten solder can be calculated with the use of the Nernst‐Brenner equation. We describe how this equation should be correctly used in cases when the solder is in contact with both the base metal and any intermetallic compounds that have formed. We also show that the concentration of solute in the solder will generally lie between the metastable solubility limit and the equilibrium solubility limit, illustrating these ideas with reference to a system comprising Nb as the base metal and eutectic In‐Sn as the solder, where the concentration levels can be directly correlated to the crystal growth rate.
An application of a multi‐criteria approach to assessing the performance of Portugal's economic sectors
Authors: Augusto Mário , Figueira José , Lisboa João , Yasin Mahmoud
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To propose a multi‐criteria approach for ranking the performance of the economic sectors of the Portuguese economy and to identify the most attractive sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi‐criteria approach using ELECTRE III and SRF software for eliciting the weights of criteria is used to solve the ranking problem statement.

Findings

The sector non‐metallic mineral products was ranked in first place in relation to all the rankings; the wholesale trade and retailing trade sectors were ranked in second place in relation to all the rankings; the sector wood, cork and furniture was ranked often in second place; the electronic and electrical industry sectors was ranked in third place; the agriculture and fishing sector was ranked in the tail‐end of the ranking; the agro‐industry sector and the transportation and distribution sector consistently were ranked in the lowest positions, just before the agriculture and fishing sector.

Research limitations/implications

Other evaluation criteria can be used to improve the relative ranking classification, namely strategic and operational performance measures.

Practical implications

The results of this application are useful for investors, business leaders, and policy makers. From the perspective of potential investors, investment opportunities can be evaluated based on the attractiveness of the economic sectors studied. From the perspective of Portuguese policy makers and business leaders, sectors of the Portuguese economy that are in need of fundamental restructuring are easily identified. For these sectors, business strategies and policy initiatives that are based on benchmarking effective innovations are in order. Therefore, joint partnership between business leaders, policy makers and higher education to lay the ground for innovative practices in these sectors may prove very useful.

Originality/value

The proposed multi‐criteria approach utilized in this study is simple; furthermore it has the capacity to deal well with uncertainty. This study also contributes to an important, yet relatively new body of application‐based literature, dealing with a multi‐criteria approach to decision making with the aid of fuzzy theory methodologies.
Governance and global effectiveness of the Serbian economy
Authors: Petrovic‐Lazarevic Sonja
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper attempts to present what business people may expect in terms of governance if entering the Serbian market.

Design/methodology/approach

Attention is paid to the building and construction industry that has significantly contributed to the economic recovery of the country destroyed by political disaster.

Findings

If foreign companies know what constitutes the role of governance in improving the effectiveness of the Serbian economy, they will make quicker decisions to enter this market and consequently gain competitive advantages.

Originality/value

Emphasizes how the new management styles influence market orientation of firms and consequently the efficiency of the Serbian economy.
The China market and European companies
Authors: Ju Choi Chong , Nailer Christopher
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the changing nature of competition in China. China received over $60 billion in foreign direct investment in 2003, and its economy is already the world's second largest in PPP terms. Thus, there is a tremendous need for executives to understand the changing business environment in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is primarily theoretical complemented by applied cases of foreign companies and their experiences in the Chinese business environment.

Findings

Multinational companies face intense price pressure competition in China. The primary factor is due to the growing competitiveness of local Chinese competitors.

Practical implications

China is a complex market combining a transition economy, deflationary economic conditions and local competitors that learn about global products and services in the shortest possible time. Multinational companies are underestimating the speed at which Chinese companies are becoming globally competitive.

Originality/value

Existing business and management research on China has tended to focus either on the transitional nature of the Chinese economy, or on the nature of competition among multinational corporations. This paper illustrates the importance of emphasising China's local companies, that are rapidly becoming multinational corporations.
New service development: learning from and with customers
Authors: Matthing Jonas , Sandén Bodil , Edvardsson Bo
Published: July 2006

New service development relies on the complex task of understanding and anticipating latent customer needs. To facilitate proactive learning about the customer, recent findings stress customer involvement in the development process and observations of customers in real action. This paper draws on theory from market and learning orientation in conjunction with a service‐centered model, and reviews the literature on customer involvement in innovation. A field experiment was conducted in Sweden with end‐user mobile phone services. The design departures from the nature of service that precepts value‐in‐use and by borrowing from relevant techniques within product innovation that supports learning in customer co‐creation. The experiment reveals that the consumers' service ideas are found to be more innovative, in terms of originality and user value, than those of professional service developers.
The concept of fit in services flexibility research: an empirical approach
Authors: Verdú‐Jover Antonio J. , Lloréns‐Montes F. Javier , García‐Morales Víctor J.
Published: July 2006

The research attempts to evaluate whether services firms form a homogeneous body when applying managerial flexibility as compared to manufacturing firms. The paper examines the differential effects that exist regarding performance when faced with divergences in the levels of fit between the firm's real flexibility and that required by the environment on a strategic, structural and operational level. The hypotheses are tested using data from 417 European firms. The results show that a good fit between real and required operational flexibility has a more positive influence on business performance in service firms than in the manufacturing sector. Service firms, in the day‐to‐day context should have the capacity to change rapidly when successful operational practices in their adjacent environment change.
Reconciling the theory and practice schism in educational administration through practitioner‐developed theories in practice
Authors: Keedy John L.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the international debate over the university as the service provider for school administrator preparation programs from the United States perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The author's approach is that of using historical analysis in developing a conceptual position: the author argues that the university professoriate in the United States now has little choice but to heal the historic rift between theory and practice if it wants to survive this current ideological era characterized by accountability for public schools to improve student outcomes and by the competitive marketplace.

Findings

The author's analysis consists of four separate explications. He first explains the genesis of the schism between theory and practice endemic to all professional schools: 19th century Positivism and early 20th century Technical Rationality. Second, he points out that the university, which traditionally protected education administration programs from constituency attacks, can no longer do so in large part because the field's weak knowledge base is perceived by many reformers and practitioners alike as counter‐productive to improving schooling's core technology: teaching and learning. Third, based primarily upon the work of Culbertson, Willower, and Schon, the author draws on over a century's rich counter tradition to the forces of Positivism and Technical Rationality in advocating that practitioners should develop and test their own theories of practice.

Practical implications

The last explication infers the practical value to this concept paper.

Originality/value

The author suggests how professors can exploit the university's institutional advantages in adopting practitioner‐developed theories in practice as a curricular centerpiece.
The influence of organisational structure on entrepreneurial orientation and expansion performance
Authors: Altinay Levent , Altinay Mehmet
Published: July 2006

This paper fills a gap in the research undertaken into the influence of organisational structure on entrepreneurial orientation and expansion performance. The expansion decision‐making process of an international hotel group was investigated. In‐depth interviews, observations and document analysis were used as the data collection techniques. Findings suggest that the concern about protecting and developing internationally recognised brands profitably caused the organisation to be remarkably centralised. A centralised decision‐making structure, however, not only slowed down the decision‐making process and limited international expansion, but also resulted in frustration and de‐motivation among the market‐based organisational members who were responsible for international expansion. The paper therefore concludes that organisations whose growth performance is highly dependent on having market‐based organisational members in diverse host country environments need to structure differently and bring about a new way of thinking to the management.
Whole brain leadership development for hospitality managers
Authors: Tesone Dana V.
Published: July 2006

This article posits a model to describe a learning process that may be applied to the development of leadership practices of hospitality managers who are current practitioners in hotels, resorts and other hospitality establishments. The premise of the model is found in the academic disciplines of science and philosophy as they relate to leadership and learning theories. The article concludes with a suggested seven‐step method that may be used to enhance leadership development among workers in hospitality enterprises.
Evaluating service quality in a UK hotel chain: a case study
Authors: Antony Jiju , Jiju Antony Frenie , Ghosh Sid
Published: July 2006

Service quality is a growing concern for many service firms in the UK. Today service firms are paying more attention than ever to the needs and expectations of the customers by consistently improving the quality of service provided to their customers. This paper briefly explores the relation between service quality and business performance followed by an assessment of service quality as a framework. The case study focuses on a hotel group in UK, where service quality was measured at six different locations. The findings from the research unveiled that there were significant variations for service quality between the six hotels.
The effect of demand visibility in product introductions
Authors: Lehtonen Juha‐Matti , Småros Johanna , Holmström Jan
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Aims to examine the value of manufacturer access to downstream demand information in managing product introductions and to Identify factors affecting this value.

Design/methodology/approach

Simulation based on actual data on 19 product introductions is used for comparing different types of demand information and their usefulness to a manufacturer. Two metrics are introduced. Bias indicates if there is a consistent difference between demand information from two sources. Delay in demand synchronization measures how long it takes for demand information from two sources to start conveying demand similarly in a transient situation.

Findings

Finds that, in the supply chain examined, demand variability is mainly induced by distributors, whereas bias and delay in demand synchronization are mainly induced by retail outlets, especially for products with large wholesale packages compared with their sales.

Research limitations/implications

The simulation model is simple and does not enable realistic examination of how a manufacturer could best use downstream demand data in managing its operations. Further research including such mechanisms as forecasts and stock‐outs is needed.

Practical implications

Provides a means for manufacturers to assess when they should invest in gaining access to downstream demand information and to estimate when their traditional information sources start to accurately convey end‐customer demand for new products.

Originality/value

Although it has been suggested that the value of access to downstream demand information could be greatest in situations with transient or irregular demand, such as product introductions, this claim has not yet been thoroughly examined. This study is a first attempt at filling this gap in the theory.
Organization of packaging resources at a product‐developing company
Authors: Klevås Jenny
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The outcome of product development, i.e. the product design, together with the packaging solution, has a great impact on the logistics performance of supply chains. Despite this, packaging has traditionally been given a very modest role in the product development literature as well as in the logistics literature. The aim of this paper is to show how logistics performance and product design can be affected, and improved, by the packaging organization within a company.

Design/methodology/approach

A single case study has been conducted at IKEA, including on‐site interviews and review of internal documents. Along with the case study, a literature study has been conducted within the areas of product development, packaging and logistics.

Findings

The IKEA case suggests that the packaging function should have a strong link to both the logistics functionandthe product development function within a product‐developing company to be able to improve the logistics performance.

Research limitations/implications

As the evidence is collected through a single case study, the results are not to be seen as generalizable but should be regarded as a first step to future research within the interface of product development, packaging and logistics.

Practical implications

Packaging and logistics are usually considered late in the product development process with the result that possible logistics solutions are constrained. Through considering “the whole package” – i.e. the product, the packaging and the supply chain characteristics – at an early stage in the product development process, savings can be made.

Originality/value

This paper includes the aspects of product development, logistics and packaging, an interface with very limited research contributions.
Gender and job attitudes: a re‐examination and extension
Authors: Singh Parbudyal , Finn Dale , Goulet Laurel
Published: July 2006

Job attitudes, such as work commitment and job satisfaction, have attracted academic and practitioner attention for a number of reasons. Previous research indicates that such attitudes have important organizational consequences, such as turnover, effort expenditure, and productivity. Earlier findings indicate that men and women have different attitudes towards their jobs. In this study, using a sample of 228 employees, the effects of gender on job attitudes was investigated. The results suggest support for the job model or structuralist perspective; that is, women and men have similar job attitudes once we control for work‐related and other variables.
Role stress among women in the Indian information technology sector
Authors: Aziz Mohsin
Published: July 2006

Organisational stress originates in organisational demands that are experienced by the individual. Stress is built up in the concept of role which is conceived as the position a person occupies in a system. This paper investigates the intensity of organisational role stress among women informational technology professionals in the Indian private sector. Organisational role stress scale is used on a sample of 264 to explore the level of role stress. Resource inadequacy has emerged as the most potent role stressor, followed by role overload and personal inadequacy. The research finds differences in the level of stress between married and unmarried employees on several role stressors. However, level of education does not emerge as a significant differentiator of stressors.
Are female supervisors good for employee job experiences, health, and wellbeing?
Authors: Moore Sarah , Grunberg Leon , Greenberg Edward
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Aims to investigate managers’ reports of their job experiences, wellbeing, and health outcomes as a function of whether they had either a male or a female supervisor.

Design/methodology/approach

Self‐report survey data were collected from male (n =328) and female (n =222) managers; these managers, in turn, had either a male or a female supervisor.

Findings

Consistent with the hypothesis, two (gender of participant) by two (gender of supervisor) analyses of covariance revealed that all managers with female supervisors reported significantly higher levels of mastery and social support at work, and lower levels of work to family conflict and depression. Women with female supervisors also reported significantly higher levels of job autonomy and work absences than did women with male supervisors or men with either male or female supervisors. In an effort to explain these outcomes, the mediational role of work‐based social support was explored as well as the gender ratio of the subordinate's work environment. Findings suggest that, for both men and women, there are some modest benefits associated with having a female supervisor and with working in a more female‐dominated environment.

Originality/value

The study is one of the few to focus on possible work‐related outcomes associated with the gender of the supervisor and the first to examine if there are any associated health and well‐being effects for their subordinates.
On direct estimation of initial damage in the case of a major catastrophe: derivation of the “basic equation”
Authors: Bočkarjova Marija , Steenge Albert E. , van der Veen Anne
Published: July 2006

Input‐output analysis (I‐O) is increasingly used in studies of sudden catastrophes such as earthquakes, hurricanes, or, in the case of The Netherlands, major flooding. Unfortunately, in catastrophe analysis, there is no general consensus over the points of departure. Therefore, we need a basic notion of “where to start from”. One task the I‐O modeller faces after the disaster is to construct a plausible basis for the recovery and reconstruction efforts. Here the literature has developed the concept of the so‐called event matrix. The event matrix is an I‐O compatible matrix that traces the development of the situation at selected intervals after the catastrophe and during the reconstruction phase. However, the concept of I‐O on the basis of a well‐founded “event matrix” theory is still developing. It is the purpose of this paper to put forward a specific point of departure in disaster analysis, starting from I‐O fundamentals and introducing the concept of a “basic equation” as a necessary first step in the construction of an event matrix.
A methodology for incorporating natural catastrophes into macroeconomic projections
Authors: Freeman Paul , Martin Leslie , Mechler Reinhard , Warner Koko
Published: July 2006

This paper addresses a critical problem in macroeconomic planning for natural disaster losses: how to incorporate potential future losses into current planning activity. The authors develop a technique to integrate probabilistic natural hazard losses into macroeconomic planning models. Probabilistic losses to capital stock (direct losses) serve as input to a macroeconomic model, which consequently calculates the macroeconomic impacts. The macroeconomic effects calculated comprise the indirect effects of losing and not being able to replace capital stock sufficiently or in a timely manner, as well as the effects of diverting funds to relief and reconstruction activities. The modeling can serve as a tool for planning for the effects of natural disasters before they occur and for engaging in appropriate risk management activities.
The nature of risk: The nature of systemic risk – trying to achieve a definition
Authors: Mundy Chris
Published: July 2006

Systemic risk is an elusive concept. The author suggests that the search for a proper definition can be fruitless but an understanding of its nature is essential.
The nature of risk: Deep impact – Basel in the European Union
Authors: Barfield Richard
Published: July 2006

Basel II will have a huge impact on the risk management of banks across Europe. The author assesses the findings of a survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers of what the likely results will be on the banking industry.