bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What is theory?
Authors: Stewart Jim , Harte Victoria , Sambrook Sally
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The aim of the paper is to examine the meaning and value of the notion of theory as a basis for other papers in the special issue which examine facets of theorising HRD.

Design/methodology/approach

A small scale and targeted literature review was conducted which focused on writings in the philosophy and sociology of science in order to review the current status of knowledge and debate on the concept.

Findings

The literature review revealed problems with the traditional but still conventional understanding of the concept. These are best illustrated by critiques of “scienticism” which apply in both the natural and social sciences. There are clear and significant problems with simplistic formulations of “theory” as a concept which limit the potential value of applying the term in academic enquiry and which also limit what might be thought possible for theorising HRD.

Research limitations/implications

A number of implications for theorising and so researching HRD are identified. These include a need to locate such theorising in declared and clearly articulated as opposed to assumed positions and to be aware of the paradigmatic principles informing both research and theorising in HRD.

Originality/value

The article has value primarily in relation to setting the scene for the other papers in the special edition and in delineating the aspirations and possibilities of future HRD theorising and research. It suggests a need for working towards achievable outcomes within a context of rejecting the grand ambitions and aspirations of scienticism. While not directly addressed in this article the other papers make clear that such aspirations and ambitions have been characteristic of previous and current HRD theorising.
Theorising and practitioners in HRD: the role of abductive reasoning
Authors: Gold Jeff , Walton John , Cureton Peter , Anderson Lisa
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue that abductive reasoning is a typical but usually unrecognised process used by HRD scholars and practitioners alike.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper that explores recent criticism of traditional views of theory‐building, based on the privileging of scientific theorising, which has led to a relevance gap between scholars and practitioners. The work of Charles Sanders Peirce and the varieties of an abductive reasoning process are considered.

Findings

Abductive reasoning, which precedes induction and deduction, provide a potential connection with HRD practitioners who face difficult problems. Two types of abductive reasoning are explored – existential and analogic. Both offer possibilities for theorising with HRD practitioners. A range of methods for allowing abduction to become more evident with practitioners are presented. The authors consider how abduction can be used in engaged and participative research strategies.

Research limitations/implications

While this is a conceptual paper, it does suggest implications for engagement and participation in theorising with HRD practitioners.

Practical implications

Abductive reasoning adds to the repertoire of HRD scholars and practitioners.

Originality/value

The paper elucidates the value of abductive reasoning and points to how it can become an integral element of theory building in HRD.
Spanning the HRD academic‐practitioner divide: bridging the gap through mode 2 research
Authors: Gray David E. , Iles Paul , Watson Sandra
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This article aims to explore dimensions and tensions in the relationship between theory (usually produced by academics) and practice (the domain, normally of practitioners) in human resource development (HRD).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines, from a conceptual perspective, the nature of mode 2 research, where knowledge is generated in the context of multi‐stakeholder teams (academics and practitioners) that transcend the boundaries of traditional disciplines, working on problems to be found in working life.

Findings

Mode 2 research has been seen in dichotomous terms of theory versus practice, referred to in various ways such as: the research‐practice gap; the implementation gap; the research‐practice divide; and the theory‐practice void. This gap is also typified by mode 1 research, an approach which adopts the principles of “normal science” and which generates results, the main beneficiaries of which are the academic community. The authors forward mode 2 research as an approach that requires both academic rigour and practical relevance. The article presents and critically evaluates a number of examples of academic‐practitioner partnerships in action in order to highlight both the potential and the challenges for the development of mode 2 research. It also recommends strategies for the advancement of mode 2 research, including getting academics to attune themselves more closely with the needs of practitioners, encouraging academics to write for practitioner journals, and the use of the kinds of research methodologies that can generate richer stories and cases that resonate with practitioner interests. Practitioners, however, need research that has a practical focus and which can be applied immediately.

Research limitations/implications

This is a conceptual paper that draws on secondary examples to support the authors' contentions, making it appropriate to gain further background information on bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Practical implications

The paper critically evaluates a number of examples of academic‐practitioner partnerships in action.

Originality/value

This paper provides an in‐depth analysis of the challenges of undertaking effective and robust practice‐based research, through articulating philosophical differences in research approaches and discussing tensions between academic and practitioner needs.
A discourse approach to theorising HRD: opening a discursive space
Authors: Lawless Aileen , Sambrook Sally , Garavan Tom , Valentin Claire
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how a discourse approach to theorising human resource development (HRD) can open a “discursive space” to challenge dominant discourses within the field; enabling a more critical discourse to emerge.

Design/methodology/approach

Discusses two approaches to discourse analysis, a “practice” and a “critical” approach, and illuminates how both approaches can contribute to theorising HRD.

Findings

The notion of what constitutes HRD is being constantly renegotiated both in theory and in practice. While contemporary HRD discourses are many and there is fluidity in the field a dominant discourse can be identified. The authors argue that a focus on the discourses which construct and constitute HRD need to consider both the “practice” and “the order of discourse” enabling the emergence of alternative discourses within the field.

Research limitations/implications

Due to word restrictions an empirical example has not been included. However, future work will address this limitation.

Practical implications

The two approaches to discourse analysis discussed provide a useful framework; enabling an analysis of the dominant and competing discourses within the field of HRD.

Originality/value

Discourse analysis is rarely discussed in business settings despite the evidence that applied discourse analysis focuses on questions that are of relevance to the field. This paper contributes to a perceived gap and demonstrates how discourse analysis can contribute to researching alternative notions of HRD in order to encourage a variety of conceptual developments.
Theorising critical HRD: a paradox of intricacy and discrepancy
Authors: Trehan Kiran , Rigg Clare
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to advance theoretical understanding of the concept of “critical human resource development”.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper.

Findings

Foregrounding questions of power, emotions and political dynamics within the analysis of organisational learning and development activity, critical approaches in HRD pay particular attention to the importance of context, interests and patterns of inter‐relationships amongst organisation stakeholders. It is notable that much of the work in this area operates on a theoretical plane, and is often light on practical guidance or recognition of the distinctive contexts of HRD practice, compared to other areas of critical learning.

Research limitations/implications

Empirical investigations that have systematically applied critical approaches to HRD are in short supply, and their potential to enrich HRD practice has rarely been explored. This paper contributes to addressing these gaps.

Originality/value

Firstly, it elucidates the concept of critical HRD through illuminating the diversity of theoretical perspectives; secondly, it demonstrate some of the intricacies and discrepancies within current theorising on critical HRD; thirdly, it raises questions for the practical significance of tools and insights informed by critical HRD.
Management control system support of initiatives for disruptive students
Authors: Scott Colin
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to investigate the management control system (MCS) support of school initiatives to develop the school climate and to re‐engage disruptive students.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts an approach of critical action research interviews with management and document reviews informed by Habermasian concepts to investigate practical concerns of schools with a complex problem and which add to the body of knowledge.

Findings

Using Habermas's discourse ethics distinction between the pragmatic, ethical and moral it was observed that both schools had gone beyond pragmatically informed strategic initiatives to include more rational problem solving responses: one school is more ethical the other more moral. Both schools' MCS are better explained by Otley's categorisation based on three concerns of MCS, the transactional, the strategic and stakeholder aspirations. Both schools' MCS displayed a stakeholder concern.

Research limitations/implications

As only two schools where investigated the generalised conclusions need to be considered cautiously.

Practical implications

Schools should be supported to take initiatives to develop a supportive school climate and improve the rationality and justice of their practices. In schools, MCS cannot just be developed from strategic considerations.

Originality/value

The paper uses Habermasian social philosophy to illuminate MCS support in schools of their response to a complex problem.
The components and determinants of preschool teacher organisational citizenship behaviour
Authors: Oplatka Izhar , Stundi Masada
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the components and determinants of preschool teacher organisational citizenship behaviours (OCB), i.e. role behaviours that are discretionary, unrewarded and beyond formal‐role expectations.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 12 Israeli kindergarten teachers and four supervisors participated in semi‐structured interviews during 2008‐2009.

Findings

It was found that preschool teacher OCB appears in professional (e.g. instructional innovations, diverse teaching methods, helping colleagues) and in inter‐personal (e.g. the children, the parents, the local community) arenas. Likewise, both personal and organisational determinants may account for the occurrence of this behaviour in preschool teaching.

Research limitations/implications

It is recommended that education districts and superintendents facilitate preschool teacher OCB by promoting greater job autonomy for kindergarten teachers and forms of participative leadership among their supervisors.

Originality/value

Understanding preschool teacher OCB may fill in gaps in the theoretical knowledge about the nature of OCB among a group of employees that tends to work at small educational settings and has a limited scope of interactions with co‐workers and superiors.
Student life balance: myth or reality?
Authors: Doble Niharika , Supriya M.V.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

Student life stress, student family conflict and student life balance are issues that are scarcely researched. This paper aims to develop a scale for assessing the concept of student life balance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study evaluated a 54‐item scale for assessing the construct. The data are obtained from 612 Indian students.

Findings

The study identified 15 key factors that students perceive to affect student life balance. These factors could account for 64.48 per cent of the observed variance. This research adds to the understanding of the interface between academics and other roles.

Social implications

The implications for academic administrators who are concerned with the holistic growth of students are discussed.

Originality/value

This study makes a modest attempt to develop an instrument to understand sources of imbalance in student life. The instrument is valid and reliable and can be used to determine student life balance perceptions among students enrolled in academic institutions.
Effects of vice‐principals' psychological empowerment on job satisfaction and burnout
Authors: Schermuly Carsten C. , Schermuly René A. , Meyer Bertolt
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between psychological empowerment, job satisfaction, and burnout among vice‐principals (VPs) in primary schools.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 103 VPs at 103 different primary schools in Germany were surveyed with a questionnaire that assessed the four dimensions of psychological empowerment (competence, meaning, self‐determination, and impact), emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction. Participants also reported demographic data, including days absent from work over the past year. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

Regarding the consequences of empowerment, SEM revealed a strong indirect relationship with emotional exhaustion via job satisfaction. The direct relationship between empowerment and emotional exhaustion did not reach statistical significance. Of the dimensions of empowerment, competence and meaning were the strongest predictors of the outcomes. Emotional exhaustion and days absent from work were positively related.

Practical implications

Job related burnout can cause serious consequences for the individual and the school, because VPs have a central role in the functioning of primary schools. Since the empowerment dimensions competence and meaning have the strongest influence, measures should be implemented to foster them. Because job satisfaction is highly related to emotional exhaustion, it could serve as an early alert system. For this reason, VPs should be surveyed at regular intervals regarding their job satisfaction.

Originality/value

The study is the first that examines the relationship between psychological empowerment, satisfaction, and burnout among VPs in schools.
Chinese students' satisfaction of the study abroad experience
Authors: Wang Qinggang , Taplin Ross , Brown Alistair M.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

Building upon McLeod and Wainwright's paradigm for rigorous scientific assessment of study abroad programs, this paper aims to use social learning theory to assess mainland Chinese students' satisfaction of the Chinese Curtin Student Accounting Academic Programme.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of mainland Chinese students enrolled in Curtin units were invited to complete a short survey on their perspectives of the study abroad programme.

Findings

The author's results suggest that preparation for study in Australia, in addition to differences between Australia and China concerning culture and technical teaching, is essential for a mainland Chinese student to flourish in the programme.

Research limitations/implications

McLeod and Wainwright's social learning theory proposes that behaviour is predicted by the expectancy that if a person behaves in a certain way that person will be rewarded by the extent that the person values the reward. The expectancy which is linked to a local of control is reflected in the mainland Chinese students' preparation of studies in China.

Social implications

Mainland Chinese students who feel they are better prepared for study in Australia showed higher satisfaction. Preparation is, therefore, an important factor in getting satisfaction out of the study abroad programme.

Originality/value

The paper offers some helpful practical implications for managers and administrators wanting to continue the study abroad programmes. There is a clear need to convey to prospective students the need for sound preparation when students consider taking on a study abroad programme.
Teachers' attributions for stress and their relationships with burnout
Authors: McCormick John , Barnett Kerry
Published: March 2011

Purpose

It may be argued that some shared psychological mechanisms (attribution) and structures (schemas) are likely to play a role in how individuals perceive stress. This paper seeks to propose and test some hypothesised relationships between stress attribution domains and burnout dimensions.

Design/methodology/approach

The participants were 416 classroom teachers in 38 randomly selected high schools in New South Wales, Australia. Two established instruments, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Teachers' Attribution of Responsibility for Stress Scale were employed in a postal survey. Data were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and multilevel modelling.

Findings

Most variance was at the individual level, supporting the view that the stress and burnout were overwhelmingly psychological phenomena. Findings suggest the centrality of stress attributed to student misbehaviour in predicting each of the three dimensions of burnout: depersonalisation, emotional exhaustion, and personal accomplishment. Occupational stress attributed to personal failings also negatively predicted personal accomplishment.

Practical implications

The principal implication for practice is that greater emphasis should be placed on effective management of student behaviour when assisting teachers at risk of burnout.

Originality/value

This original study provides new insights into attribution schemas to assist understanding teachers' perceptions and reporting of their occupational stress and burnout in an education system.
Rising to the level of a record? Some thoughts on records and documents
Authors: Yeo Geoffrey
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to suggest ways of understanding the relationships between records and documents.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews some of the statements made about records and documents in professional literature. It also offers some thoughts on the connections between records and documents in digital and pre‐digital environments and their intersections with other concepts such as “data”.

Findings

Although professionals have often seen records and documents as closely intertwined, this paper argues that the record and the document follow different logics. Documents are characterised by their format, records by their relation to activities, events or other temporal occurrents. Records need not be in documentary form, and can exist at multiple levels of aggregation. The notion that documents become records when they are “declared” is problematic. Capture and declaration do not determine record status, but if capture systems are robust they allow the power of the record to be harnessed to the fullest possible extent.

Originality/value

The paper seeks to explicate some basic concepts of the professional discipline.
Public access to legislative drafting files
Authors: Tomlinson Shannon
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of setting access restrictions to legislative drafting records – specifically in New Zealand.

Design/methodology/approach

Various international archival institutions and other offices which create legislative drafting records were contacted to see what access restrictions were placed on any legislative drafting files that they held. The information provided by these institutions, together with written theoretical information regarding public access and legal professional privilege, was the basis for the research.

Findings

There is no standard approach to allowing public access to legislative drafting records across the institutions researched. The level of accessibility varies, as does the period of restriction. In New Zealand legislative drafting records are considered to be protected by legal professional privilege and therefore are restricted unless the privilege is waived.

Research limitations/implications

The main form of communication used to contact the various institutions was e‐mail. A large number of institutions and offices from which information was requested did not reply, and some that did reply did not provide answers specific to legislative drafting records. The research is therefore limited to the information that was received.

Originality/value

There is very little published information available regarding legislative drafting records and public access to them. These records are unique due to debate over whether or not they are, or should be, covered by legal professional privilege. Because of the unique nature of these records, there is no common or widely available precedent to follow when applying access restrictions to them.
Records management myopia: a case study
Authors: Hase Stewart , Galt Julian
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to provide some important lessons learned from the introduction of a new records management system in a tertiary educational institution and its relation to records management.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes the form of a case study using after action review.

Findings

The key findings build on the extant literature that is largely case study based. The findings were that: it is easy to lose sight of key systems issues and knowledge management in a busy world; knowledge and records management are strategic issues; records management is essential to organizational effectiveness; records and knowledge management is not just another task; implementation needs to be driven from the top and built from the bottom; training and support are essential; development is ongoing; and external expertise should be used when necessary.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited by being a single case study.

Practical implications

The case study provides practical advice about implementing effective records keeping systems for those overseeing such a process.

Originality/value

The case study contributes to the understanding of records management as a component of knowledge management and provides some new insights into implementation of new systems. It also provides evidence that after action review is a valuable tool in being a good knowledge management citizen.
Measuring the impact of records management
Authors: Bailey Steve
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a source of reliable, empirical data regarding the return on investment (ROI) that can be achieved by an organization through various approaches to improving the management of records. It is hoped that these data will help address the current dearth in such evidence in relation to records management and provide a source of citable reference data as part of the business case for investment in records management elsewhere. The paper also aims to explore some of the issues and challenges surrounding the measurement, analysis and interpretation of performance data in relation to records management.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on the collected outputs of six UK higher education institutions, each of which were funded to pilot the JISC infoNet Impact Calculator. All six of these projects used the same transparent tool (the Impact Calculator) as the basis for their data collection and analysis, but each chose to apply it to different records management projects and organizational contexts. This paper assesses the key findings from each pilot project in turn, whilst also considering the more general issues and challenges regarding the measurement of impact with regards to records management that has emerged through the collective experience of these projects.

Findings

This paper provides demonstrable proof that investment in improvements to records management can realise significant and sustained financial ROI. It also uncovers some interesting variations in this overall picture, making it possible to start to identify which aspect of records management is likely to yield the greatest ROI and at what scale it needs to operate before this can be realised.

Originality/value

A previous extensive literature review undertaken by the author indicates that no other such source of empirical data currently exists in an openly accessible published form. It is hoped that doing so in a respected, peer‐reviewed journal such as the RMJ will provide a valuable service to records professionals by not only providing such data, but also a full account of the context and methodology used to generate it.
Records professionals: an invisible profession in Malaysia
Authors: Ismail Aliza , Jamaludin Adnan
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This study seeks to examine the existence of records professionals and their role in Malaysian organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The study compares case studies done in six government‐controlled companies. Interviews were conducted with the persons handling the records and information (including records in electronic environment) in the organizations. The interviews were then transcribed and analyzed manually to obtain the comparative data from each case.

Findings

The findings indicate that there are no “real” records professionals in Malaysian organizations. The responsibility and accountability of documenting and managing the organizations' records are dispersed and decentralized. Records managers as a profession are not established within the Malaysian organization structures. Generally there is no specific position of “records manager” in Malaysian organizations. However, the “archivists” are confined at the National Archives and there are no such positions at any of the case organizations studied.

Research limitations/implications

The study selected six of the government‐controlled companies.

Practical implications

Findings and discovery of the study are significant in confirming that Malaysian organizations (both public and private) are taking their records management responsibilities very unconscientiously with little understanding and support from the top management. They have yet to realize the risk their organizations are facing for non‐compliance to records management standards and practices.

Originality/value

The study confirms the non‐existence of the records professional's position in the formal structures of Malaysian organizations. Though their roles and responsibilities are vital in the management and protection of records to support the business delivery of the organizations, their functions are carried out without due recognition to the profession.
Web site structure mining using social network analysis
Authors: Martínez‐Torres M.R. , Toral Sergio L. , Palacios Beatriz , Barrero Federico
Published: March 2011

Purpose

Web sites are typically designed attending to a variety of criteria. However, web site structure determines browsing behavior and way‐finding results. The aim of this study is to identify the main profiles of web sites' organizational structure by modeling them as graphs and considering several social network analysis features.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study based on 80 institutional Spanish universities' web sites has been used for this purpose. For each root domain, two different networks have been considered: the first is the domain network, and the second is the page network. In both cases, several indicators related to social network analysis have been evaluated to characterize the web site structure. Factor analysis provides the statistical methodology to adequately extract the main web site profiles in terms of their internal structure.

Findings

This paper allows the categorization of web site design styles and provides general guidelines to assist designers to better identify areas for creating and improving institutional web sites. The findings of this study offer practical implications to web site designers for creating and maintaining an effective web presence, and for improving usability.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to 80 institutional Spanish universities' web sites. Other institutional university web sites from different countries can be analyzed, and the conclusions could be compared or enlarged.

Originality/value

This paper highlights the importance of the internal web sites structure, and their implications on usability and way‐finding results. As a difference to previous research, the paper is focused on the comparison of internal structure of institutional web sites, rather than analyzing the web as a whole or the interrelations among web sites.
Comparing consumer complaint responses to online and offline environment
Authors: Chang Chiao‐Chen , Chin Yang‐Chieh
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to apply the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to predict which factors can determine consumers' intentions to complain when they meet an online or offline service failure.

Design/methodology/approach

The method of obtaining quantitative data was that of the instrument of a survey questionnaire. Data were collected from 300 potential consumers to assess the influence of attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control on the intention to complain. Participants were assigned averagely and randomly to one of two conditions: online medium and offline medium. Two‐stage structural equation modeling was employed to test hypotheses.

Findings

It was found that both the TRA and the TPB predict the intention to complain well, although the predictive power of the TPB is more robust than the TRA in online media and is weaker than the TRA in offline media. In particular, perceived behavioral control is a better predictor of intention to complain than is attitude or subjective norm in the online environment.

Research limitations/implications

This study assessed self‐reported behavioral intention as part of its survey and, as a result, could have introduced unintentional inaccuracies.

Practical implications

The findings of the study will help marketers to address the key factor which influences consumers' intention to complain and to improve firm performances to meet consumer needs.

Originality/value

The TRA and TPB are novel and usable in explaining the intention of online and offline consumers to complain, and these findings may be generally applicable to marketers and consumers.
Trust and reputation models comparison
Authors: Gómez Mármol Félix , Martínez Pérez Gregorio
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse and describe several trust and reputation models for distributed and heterogeneous networks and compare some of them in order to provide an evaluation amongst some of the most relevant works in this field.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have developed a trust and reputation models simulator for wireless sensor networks, called TRMSim‐WSN, and implemented several trust models for distributed networks in order to test their accuracy as well as their resilience against a set of specific security threats that can be applied in these particular systems, as the paper will show.

Findings

The analysis of the outcomes obtained from the experiments revealed that while some models have a reasonably good performance against certain security threats, none of them behaves as would be desired under any circumstances.

Research limitations/implications

Ongoing work is focused on the implementation of several trust and reputation models in the simulator TRMSim‐WSN, in order to have a wider range of possibilities for comparison. Furthermore, the authors are planning to include additional security threats that allow the testing of those models under new undesirable situations.

Practical implications

The experiments show that when deciding which trust and/or reputation model is more suitable or adequate to be applied, it is crucial to study and analyse the specific features of the distributed network where such model is to be deployed, as well as the possible security threats that can spoil its accuracy.

Originality/value

As far as is known, this is one of the few works in the field of trust and reputation in distributed systems where no new model is presented, but a comparison and analysis of some of the current most representative ones is carried out.
Remedies for information asymmetry in online transaction
Authors: Shen Chung‐Chi , Chiou Jyh‐Shen , Kuo Biing‐Shen
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This study seeks to investigate the signals on which consumers may rely to reduce the problems of information asymmetry on an online auction site. The research aims to develop and test based on information signaling theory. It classifies signals from auction web pages into three types: seller reputation, product condition, and argument quality. To understand how the signals affect consumers' online buying decisions, the study intends to test the impacts of these signals on the auction outcome variables: number of bids, auction success, and willingness to pay.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs an empirical test with real observation data comprised of 5,013 samples coded from the eBay auction site in the USA. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression is used to predict the effect of web page signals on the number of bids, logistic regression to determine which web page signals contribute to auction success, and Tobit maximum likelihood estimation to estimate the impact of web page signals on willingness to pay.

Findings

Results show that, in addition to the seller's reputation, signals like product condition and the quality of the sellers' arguments on the web page are significantly related to the three auction outcomes. Buyers tend to rely on these signals to resolve information asymmetry in online auction transactions.

Originality/value

Past studies have found that the seller's feedback score is central to a positive online auction outcome. This paper is the first to classify web page signals comprehensively and to investigate their impacts on online auction outcomes using real transaction data. The findings provide substantial evidence and implications for both academic research and practitioners in online auctions. A dynamic strategy for success in online auctions is offered in the conclusion section.
A web analytics tool selection method: an analytical hierarchy process approach
Authors: Nakatani Kazuo , Chuang Ta‐Tao
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an analytical hierarchy process (AHP)‐based selection model for choosing a web analytics product/service that meets organizational needs.

Design/methodology/approach

The research objective is achieved through modeling and empirical validation.

Findings

While more criteria could be added, the proposed selection model provides a feasible approach to choosing a web analytics product/service. Cost‐ and risk‐related criteria are weighed heavier than those of technical capabilities. Tools based on the page tagging method are more popular than those based on transaction log file analysis. The level of technology savvy might play a role in the application of the selection model.

Research limitations/implications

The development of web analytics products/service is still evolving. Thus, as the use of web analytics increases, more criteria might be identified and added to the model. The model is validated by groups for different sectors. In the future, it is suggested to conduct a similar study with one sector by different groups.

Practical implications

The selection model provides a process in which practitioners can systematically evaluate pros and cons of web analytics products/services. The selection model includes a comprehensive list of criteria that vendors of web analytics products/services can use to benchmark their products. Following this model, an organization contemplating the use of web analytics will more likely find one product/service that accommodates organizational and technological characteristics.

Originality/value

A sufficiently comprehensive list of qualitative and quantitative criteria for evaluating web analytics products/services was developed. Practitioners will be able to use the model to select a proper tool. In academia, the article fills a gap in literature that might bring academics' interests in this area.
The different effects of online consumer reviews on consumers' purchase intentions depending on trust in online shopping malls
Authors: Lee Jumin , Park Do‐Hyung , Han Ingoo
Published: March 2011

Purpose

With the increasing influence of online consumer reviews (OCRs) on a consumer's decision making, online sellers have begun to embed the OCRs in their advertisements (OEAs). This study has the following two research objectives: first, to investigate the effects of two types of (OCRs vs OEAs) on consumers' purchase intention from an informational influence perspective; second, to investigate the effects of OCRs from a credibility perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for this study are obtained from a two‐way factorial experimental research design. The factors included are the type of OCRs and the trust level of online shopping malls. In addition, PLS test is used to understand the underlying effects of trust in online shopping malls, credibility of OCRs/OEAs, and consumers' purchase intentions.

Findings

The results show that OCRs are more influenced by trust in online shopping malls than OEAs. The greater the perceived credibility of OCRs among potential consumers, the higher is the purchase intention. When the trust in online shopping malls is high, consumers' purchase intentions influenced by OCRs are more favorable than those influenced by OEAs.

Originality/value

This study is an initial consumer endorsement research that uses OCRs to extend the trust transfer theory and extends the interpersonal online trust perspective. For practitioners, this study is useful in determining which type of OCRs is useful for marketing, depending on the trust in online shopping malls. Moreover, the results of this study could aid in the development of an e‐commerce strategy using OCRs.
An analysis of the AIS basket of top journals
Authors: Liu Franklin , Myers Michael D.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the types of research published in the Association for Information Systems (AIS) basket of top journals.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses bibliographic analysis to analyze all the articles that were published in the AIS basket of top journals over a ten‐year period, from 1998 to 2007. Articles were classified based on their paradigmatic and methodological approach.

Findings

Although there is a common perception within the information systems (IS) research community that European IS research is mostly qualitative and interpretive, the bibliographic analysis reveals that the two European IS journals are not significantly different from their US counterparts. All six journals in the AIS basket are remarkably similar in terms of the types of research published.

Originality/value

This article is one of the first to provide a comprehensive overview of the types of research published within the AIS basket of top journals. It provides a picture of how the two European IS journals differ from their US counterparts.
A comparative analysis of end‐user training methods
Authors: Kaplan‐Mor Neomi , Glezer Chanan , Zviran Moshe
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The aim of this study is to evaluate effectiveness of several end‐user training methods during the deployment of a new information system in an Israeli financial institution.

Design/methodology/approach

Four training methods, namely, frontal (lectures), simulator (e‐learning), mentor (personal guidance), and hybrid (mix of the three aforementioned methods) were all compared in terms of the number of referrals to an online helpdesk following training sessions.

Findings

A pair‐wise analysis to pinpoint the source of the differences between the various training methods indicates that all training methods are significantly different except for frontal and simulator and therefore an organization considering these two methods can select them indifferently. A combination of mentor and simulator was found to be significantly inferior to the frontal and simulator hybrid method.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of the study is that evaluation was based on data associated with a specific organization, and thus external validity to other industries or countries is somewhat limited. Among other limitations are cross‐organizational differences in terms of: difficulty of calls, individual experience in the IS/IT area, and prior exposure to similar technologies.

Practical implications

Although this research does not recommend a specific training method, our findings suggest that deploying a new software system is a matter that requires early assessment by the organization and that the best results are obtained by employing the hybrid training approach.

Originality/value

The use of the number of referrals to an online helpdesk is a novel metric for measuring training effectiveness. The study also investigates the decline of the number of referrals over time.
Knowledge retention in the IT service industry
Authors: Bairi Jayachandra , Murali Manohar B. , Kundu Goutam Kumar
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop and evaluate an effective employee retention plan for information technology (IT) service organizations as part of a knowledge management (KM) strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The employee retention plan is evaluated at three IT multi‐national companies which are providing global IT services with successful knowledge management systems (KMS) in place. Semi‐structured telephone interviews were conducted with senior managers and team leaders of three companies. The data collected is used for studying attrition and retention and its impact on KM.

Findings

The paper provides evidence of various strategic, technological, and local issues influencing the success of retention and its benefit to KM programs in global IT service companies. Organizations adapt attrition control measures for long‐term benefit. These measures help in effective KM, serving the client at lower cost with consistent service levels.

Research limitations/implications

Interviews are limited to three large companies in the IT services sector in the Bangalore (India) region. Future in depth studies would benefit from a larger and more diverse sample. It is suggested that IT service organizations develop and practice effective employee retention plans along with effective KMS.

Practical implications

To provide clear benchmarks for developing employee retention capabilities, an employee retention plan for IT services is proposed. The employee retention plan is discussed from a consistent delivery perspective and in view of effective KM practice.

Originality/value

The paper conducts an evaluation of the retention measures and provides a roadmap for future research endeavors.
Intra‐project transfer of knowledge in information systems development firms
Authors: Terje Karlsen Jan , Hagman Line , Pedersen Thomas
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The focus of this paper is on knowledge transfer. The purpose is to investigate intra‐project knowledge‐transfer practice in information systems development (ISD) firms applying a Scrum methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study of ISD projects and empirical data obtained using in‐depth interviews following a semi‐structured approach were employed.

Findings

One of the main findings showed that Scrum team members believed in the usefulness of knowledge transfer. The study observed extensive personal exchange of knowledge through, for example, meetings and networks, including dialog with the client. The mechanisms observed in creating knowledge transfer were: lean and dynamic documentation, cross‐functional teams, client consultation and feedback, intra‐project meetings, application of project tools and techniques, and management of changes.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should investigate other organizations and countries, so that these findings may be generalized.

Practical implications

The study observed extensive personal exchange of knowledge which can be described as people track of knowledge management. This observation coincides with the view that information systems and tools only play a subordinate role in knowledge management widely held by many contributors to the people track of knowledge management. Others argue that the dominance of tacit knowledge in projects is a key challenge. This involves a particular concern for organizational culture and leadership style and has implications for how a project should be structured and managed.

Originality/value

Knowledge transfer in ISD projects is studied in this research paper.
Analyzing changing organizational environments
Authors: Ziegenfuss J.T.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

Recognizing the difficulty inherent in studying organizational change stimulated by the external environment, this paper seeks to present a four‐phase model useful for collecting information and for analyzing the impact of organization‐environment dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

In the context of a case study of academic health centers, a research methods model is offered with four phases: case study; comparative case study; experimental/quasi experimental; and meta analysis. This four‐phase methodology relies on varying information styles and data streams within the context of exploratory, comparative, and large dataset analysis.

Findings

The synthesis of research approach highlights the strengths, weaknesses, and the linkage to system thinking in theory and in practice and are illustrated by the case.

Practical implications

Mixed methods approaches are increasingly sought and used in multi‐disciplinary research and applied settings. The model is useful for examining the multiple effects of the organization environment on a wide range of industries, with medical/health care demonstrated here.

Originality/value

Few models of mixed methods approaches exist – this one synthesizes existing approaches incorporating many types of “data”.