bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An integrated framework for understanding the driving forces behind non‐sequential process of internationalisation among firms
Authors: Osarenkhoe Aihie
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Is non‐sequential internationalization process solely technology enabled or a product of mutually interdependent forces? This paper aims to show that even though the sequential approach in the process model is intuitively appealing, not all firms follow such a path. Hence, integrated framework to explain how the international market entry process has changed with respect to the sequential approach is presented.

Design/methodology/approach

The data banks of the Swedish Trade Council and the Chambers of Commerce are used to identify small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) with between 50 and 250 employees (in compliance with European Union's definition of SMEs). Data are collected through the use of questionnaires and in‐depth interviews from 60 Swedish SMEs operating in other countries and foreign SMEs operating in Sweden that tends not to develop in incremental stages with respect to their international.

Findings

Some of the findings are: that the sequential model is by no means reflective of, or appropriate for all firms' approaches to international business; the usefulness gained by using an international network approach to study the international activity of a firm; and the interplay between the identified driving forces behind a non‐sequential internationalization process.

Research limitations/implications

Even though market entry patterns of firms investigated demonstrate a non‐sequential internationalization process, they are still within the general theoretical framework where the basic assumption of the sequential internationalization model can maintain its validity. Firms are indeed exposed to irrecoverable transaction costs that hamper their behaviours and complicate export supply responses in international markets. However, the magnitude of the costs and speed of internationalization is dependent on the ability of the firms to take advantage of the enablers of non‐sequential internationalization pattern. This is particularly important for firms to and from developing countries and emerging markets and their propensities to succeed in their internationalization endeavours.

Originality/value

Knowledge acquired from the empirical study of firms that tend not to develop in incremental stages with respect to their international activities, and therefore start international activities by entering very distant markets and multiple countries right from birth without prior experience, is used to develop an integrated framework which aptly depicts that non‐sequential internationalization process is not solely enabled by technology, as commonly envisaged in literature, but a product of mutually interdependent forces. Consequently, this study provides a holistic view on the driving forces behind the rapid internationalization process encountered by many SMEs today.
Personal knowledge management
Authors: Pauleen David
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The author aims to introduce this themed issue on personal knowledge management.

Design/methodology/approach

The author discusses some of the issues surrounding personal and organisational knowledge management, and then introduces the papers in this themed issue.

Findings

Personal knowledge management is an under‐researched area. This themed issue contributes both technical and theoretical papers to the field.

Originality/value

The paper provides an introduction to this themed issue.
Personal knowledge management through communicating
Authors: Jones Rachel
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to emphasise the importance of a complex view of communication for the development of personal knowledge management (PKM) and for the technology that supports PKM.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper uses complex responsive process theory (CRP) to understand the communication and knowing processes that underpin PKM.

Findings

PKM could potentially avoid some of the problems of knowledge management by being open to interdisciplinarity. This paper introduces a theory that sees communication as a complex, adaptive process of relating. Applying CRP to PKM, this paper suggests how web and internet technology might support individuals in managing their knowing and communicating processes, as well as their accumulation of knowledge and information.

Practical implications

Understanding knowing and communicating as a complex process of relating offers a fresh perspective on the way that organisations might support PKM.

Originality/value

This paper offers a new way of thinking about PKM by introducing CRP's view of communication and how it relates to knowledge. In doing so it provides information scholars with ideas outside of their typical paradigm that invite a reconsideration of the role of technology in PKM.
Crossings
Authors: Cranefield Jocelyn , Yoong Pak
Published: April 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how online communities of practice facilitate the embedding of personal professional knowledge in a complex online environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This research consisted of exploratory, interpretivist case research, using qualitative methods. Forty‐one individuals from five online communities in a national professional development programme were interviewed. Additional data were drawn from diverse online records. Data were coded via text analysis. A wiki was used for participant feedback.

Findings

Embedding of new knowledge was facilitated by individuals' crossings between different engagement spaces – communication and sense‐making contexts. Community members repeatedly crossed between online and offline, visible and invisible, formal and informal, and reflective and active engagement spaces as they sought to meet diverse needs. As they did this, they had to continually recontextualise knowledge, adapting, varying and personalising it to fit the function, genre and conventions of each engagement space. This promoted the embedding of professional knowledge. The complex online environment in which they operated can be seen as providing a situation of enhanced polycontextuality, within which multiple boundary crossings facilitated strong personalisation. At the community level, knowledge convergence was fostered by the recurrence of dominant, powerful mnemonic themes.

Research limitations/implications

An opportunity exists to investigate the applicability of these findings in other online professional contexts.

Originality/value

The paper extends the concept of boundary crossing to crossings in a polycontextual online environment. It updates literature on communities of practice by outlining the dynamics of a complex online community system. It provides an explanation for how personal knowledge evolves to fit emerging trends and considers how information systems can support deep knowledge transfer.
Predictors of diverse usage behaviour towards personal knowledge management systems
Authors: Doong Her‐Sen , Wang Hui‐Chih
Published: April 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to argue that individuals' use of personal knowledge management systems (PKMS) differs significantly as a result of their underlying innovativeness and involvement traits. Based on the literature, this paper seeks to propose that while more involved users utilise PKMS more frequently, more‐innovative users utilise more functions of PKMS.

Design/methodology/approach

A field survey was conducted to collect data. Correlation techniques and regression analysis were used to test the proposed relationship between constructs.

Findings

The findings indicated that while both traits were significantly associated with PKMS usage behaviours, users' involvement was the primary predictor of PKMS use frequency, while users' innovativeness predominated in the prediction of the number of PKMS functions they used. That is, although more involved users may use fewer functions compared with more innovative users, they are more likely to become long‐term supporters of PKMS because their use frequency is significantly higher than that of more innovative users.

Practical implications

The paper informs scholars and managers that using a single approach – that is, only using frequency or the number of functions used – to evaluate the performance of a PKMS may lead to a biased result.

Originality/value

After half a century of development of information technology, this paper addresses the importance of taking a step further and verifying the behaviours related to the use of PKMS with different approaches, such as use frequency and the number of functions used. In particular, the paper presents a pioneering piece of research in the information systems discipline, revealing that individuals' underlying innovativeness and involvement contribute to different PKMS use behaviours.
The effective use of technology in personal knowledge management
Authors: Agnihotri Raj , Troutt Marvin D.
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to further explore the emerging concept of personal knowledge management (PKM) and to bring researchers’ attention to this notion. Specifically, this paper aims to address issues related to the effective utilisation of technology in PKM practices.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical framework incorporating PKM skills, technology tools, user context and skills‐tools fit is proposed. Arguments are built on the task‐technology fit theory, which explores the link between technology tools and task characteristics (PKM skills).

Findings

The impact of effective PKM will depend increasingly on skills‐tools fit.

Practical implications

The success of technology utilisation resides not simply in whether individuals use technology, but if this usage actually improves effectiveness. For their own benefit, individuals should consider and assess the technology tools in the context of how they will be aligned with specific PKM skills.

Originality/value

Proposing a conceptual framework of PKM, this paper suggests that the core focus is individual inquest, that is, the effort to discover, share, learn and explore through combinations of technology and information skills. The importance of the user's context in the PKM process is also discussed
Establishing business integrity in an online environment
Authors: Hooper Tony , Vos Marta
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which New Zealand business web sites conform to the provisions of the New Zealand Privacy Act, 1993 as an articulation of the national values on the rights of individuals to information privacy. The secondary aim is to assess whether adherence to these values might be used as criteria that can reflect on the business integrity of the web site sponsor.

Design/methodology/approach

The privacy notices and information‐handling practices of New Zealand business web sites were analysed using a content analysis methodology. The analysis was carried out on a sample of 200 companies, selected at random from a published list of the top 800 companies in New Zealand in 2005. Government web sites were excluded.

Findings

The first research hypothesis – that New Zealand business web sites demonstrate awareness of the privacy concerns of customers by posting a privacy notice – was not supported. Similarly, the privacy notices on New Zealand business web sites did not reflect the principles of the New Zealand Privacy Act, 1993 as a basis for establishing “value congruence” with customers. Consequently the use of the principles of the Privacy Act to assess business integrity was not demonstrated sufficiently by the investigation.

Practical implications

The lack of a usable convention for evaluating privacy notices on New Zealand business web sites may lead to a loss of value congruence between businesses and their customers, leading to less‐than‐optimal commercial transactions. The principles of the New Zealand Privacy Act 1993 define the national values and privacy rights of online customers. The use of the Privacy Act to assess the information handling practices of New Zealand businesses online could ensure more ethical business practice, demonstrate business integrity and promote customer confidence.

Originality/value

The use of legislated privacy principles as a reflection of established national values on the rights of citizens could provide a useful measure of value congruence and possibly business integrity. The variety of privacy legislation worldwide reflects a global lack of agreement on acceptable principles. Nevertheless, businesses wishing to establish their integrity and value congruence would be advised to ensure that their web sites provide for the growing sensitivity to privacy issues and the way that personal information is gathered and used online.
Increasing the authoritativeness of web recommendations using PageRank‐based approaches
Authors: Yang Wan‐Shiou , Jan Yuan‐Shuenn
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Web content has been widely used for recommending personal webpages. Despite its popularity, the content‐based approach regards a webpage simply as a piece of text, thereby often resulting in less authoritative recommendations of webpages. This paper aims to propose novel approaches that utilise other sources of information pertaining to webpages to facilitate the automatic construction of an authoritative web recommender system.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, four approaches that exploit hyperlink structure, web content and web‐usage logs for making recommendations are proposed. The proposed approaches have been implemented as a prototype system, called the authoritative web recommender (AWR) system. An evaluation using the web‐usage logs and the corresponding pages of a university web site was performed.

Findings

The results from the evaluations using empirical data demonstrate that the four proposed approaches outperform the traditional content‐only approach.

Originality/value

This paper describes a novel way to combine information retrieval, usage mining and hyperlink structure analysis techniques to find relevant and authoritative webpages for recommendation.
Errors of omission and their implications for computing scientometric measures in evaluating the publishing productivity and impact of countries
Authors: Jacsó Péter
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to explore the extent of the absence of data elements that are critical from the perspective of scientometric evaluation of the scientific productivity and impact of countries in terms of the most common indicators – such as the number of publications, the number of citations and the impact factor (the ratio of citations received to papers published), and the effect these may have on the h‐index of countries – in two of the most widely used citation‐enhanced databases.

Design/methodology/approach

The author uses the Scopus database and Thomson‐Reuters' (earlier known as ISI) three citation databases (Science, Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities), both as implemented on the Dialog Information Services (Thomson ISI databases) and on the Web of Knowledge platform, known as Web of Science (WoS). The databases were searched to discover how many records they have for each year, how many of those have cited references for each year, and what percentage of the records have other essential or often used data elements for bibliometric/scientometric evaluation.

Findings

There is no difference between the databases in the presence of publication year data – all of them include this element for all the records. The presence of the language field is comparable between the Thomson and Scopus databases, but it should be noted that a 2 per cent difference for mega‐databases of such size is not entirely negligible. The rate of presence of the subject category field is better in Scopus, even though it has far fewer subject categories (27) than the Thomson databases (well over 200). The rate of absence of country identification is the most critical and disappointing. It is caused primarily by the fact that journals have not had consistent policies for including the country affiliation of the authors. The huge 34 percent omission rate of country identification in Scopus also hurts its impressive author identification feature. Unfortunately, the country information is not available in more than 12 million records.

Originality/value

Irrespective of the reasons for the very high rate of omission of country names or codes, it should be realised and prominently mentioned in any scientometric country reports. The author has never seen this mentioned in published papers, nor in the manuscripts that he has peer reviewed. Many can live with the low omission rates of the language, document type and subject category elements, and many can just avoid using these filters. The two factors that define the level of distortion in the assessment and ranking of the research achievements of countries are the rate of cited reference enhanced records and the rate of presence of country affiliation data.
Intangible and financial performance: causes and effects
Authors: Moeller Klaus
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect between intangible and tangible (i.e. financial) organizational performance as well as the effects of the crucial influencing factors “trust”, “strategic relevance” and “participation”.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modelling is used to test a large‐scale empirical study of more than 100 German business networks. Quantitative data are collected from the heads of the management accounting departments by means of a written questionnaire.

Findings

The results show an interrelation between intangible and tangible/financial performance that is mainly influenced by strategic relevance and participation. In contrast to other studies, trust is not found to have significant effects on tangible or intangible performance.

Research limitations/implications

As the study focuses on German business networks, country‐specific effects cannot be excluded. Furthermore, no time‐lagging effects have been revealed, as the data are only representative of a point in time. As the study is based on empirical data gathered by individual persons, it is open to general criticism of the broad empirical analysis methodology that is applied.

Practical implications

The study supports the selection of measures for performance management and the control of intangibles. It differs from prior studies in respect of its findings regarding the impact of trust on intangible and tangible performance; consequently, more research on this topic is essential.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies that focuses on the prerequisites of intangible performance instead of investigating the correlation between different groups of intangible factors. Measures from social capital theory, as well as from organisational system design and strategic management, are integrated into this study.
The incremental impact of intellectual capital on value creation
Authors: Liu Day‐Yang , Tseng Kuo‐An , Yen Szu‐Wei
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of the Ohlson model and to explore the influence of intellectual capital (IC) on corporate value (V) and value creation (VC) in order to develop a business valuation model served as the managerial criterion of IC.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypotheses are based on current research on the Ohlson model and IC. Descriptive statistics are used to find the data patterns. Information content and incremental information provided by various capital sources are validated through multiple and stepwise regression.

Findings

Corporate value is measured by both IC and financial capital (FC). The Ohlson model with FC reveals information that is significant in corporate value. Besides, FC and IC – mainly, innovation and human capital – contains a great deal of incremental information in terms of V and VC.

Research limitations/implications

In addition to financial statement, IC must be taken into account when intending to do business valuation.

Practical implications

To create higher corporate value, corporations must actively place a high premium on their IC and manage it well, particularly for innovation and human capital.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the information technology industry in Taiwan. It, respectively, uses the share price and price and book value models to represent V and VC. It cites the more complete four aspects of IC, which are referred to as “other information”, to combine IC and the Ohlson model.
A framework for estimating negotiation amounts in construction projects
Authors: Marzouk Mohamed , Moamen Mohamed
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Construction disputes can often be resolved using several techniques including: negotiation; mediation; dispute resolution boards; arbitration; and litigation. Negotiation is considered the most preferred technique due to the following facts: first it prevents litigation amongst project parties; and second it keeps a harmonious relationship between project participants. Further, negotiation saves the time, expenses and efforts that are associated with other resolutions techniques. The purpose of this paper is to provide a tool that is geared towards assisting construction contractors during negotiation process.

Design/methodology/approach

The framework consists of three modules; duration, certainty and intention. These modules capture the main characteristics of the negotiation process including: the expected claim duration in the case of litigation; certainty of litigation; and contactor's intention to make litigation. The paper also describes the characteristics of these three modules and their associated factors which have been determined based on interviews with claims' experts and questionnaire surveys. Analytical hierarchy process and utility theory are used to determine weights and utility values of attributes, respectively. Decision tree analysis is used to estimate the equivalent monetary value of litigation.

Findings

The framework calculates the lower threshold of a claim value with an average error of 12 per cent. A case study is presented to illustrate the practical use of the proposed framework and its ability to determine the minimum acceptable claim amount.

Research limitations/implications

The knowledge of the framework was retrieved from the Egyptian construction industry. However, the utilized methodology can be applied to capture local contraction practices, law and politics in other construction industries.

Originality/value

This paper presents a framework that is developed to assist contractors in calculating the lower threshold of a claim value, which can be considered, during negotiation process with owners.
Construction professionals' perception of critical success factors for large‐scale construction projects
Authors: Toor Shamas‐ur‐Rehman , Ogunlana Stephen O.
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Large‐scale construction projects pose several challenges for successful completion. There seems to be no general agreement among researchers on what are the critical success factors (CSFs) on construction projects. Success factors vary across various projects, let alone countries. This paper attempts to elicit the perception of construction professionals on CSFs appertaining to large‐scale construction projects in Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire surveys and interviews were conducted with project managers, deputy project managers, and line managers to gather their perception on CSFs.

Findings

Results of 76 questionnaire surveys and 35 interviews revealed that factors related to project planning and control, project personnel, and involvement of client were perceived to be critical for the success of large‐scale construction projects in Thailand. Participants also showed their high concern for sufficient resources, adequate communication, mutual understanding of stakeholders on project goals, and award of bids to the “right” designers and contractors.

Research limitations/implications

The study was conducted on a single large‐scale construction project in Thailand, and hence, findings should be interpreted in context of Thai construction industry. The study also did not consider any specific procurement methods under which the project was being developed. Participants were asked about their general perception about CSFs on large‐scale construction projects.

Practical implications

Results from this study can be used as guidelines to ascertain CSFs on other large‐scale projects in Thailand. Project managers can also use this study to evaluate their current project and compare the perceived and real success factors for knowledge management exercises.

Originality/value

The paper captures the perception of construction professionals about CSFs in large‐scale projects in Thailand. It also presents a model for conceptual illustration of CSFs by differentiating the process domain from performance domain.
Towards sustainable construction: promotion and best practices
Authors: Pitt Michael , Tucker Matthew , Riley Mike , Longden Jennifer
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand what factors best promote or prevent sustainable construction practices and establish the consistency of how sustainability is measured.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review considered the impact of the industry to sustainability and identified what action and initiatives are already in place. Through this, the main drivers, barriers, measures and benchmarks were identified. The opinions of building surveying professionals were sought and analysed.

Findings

The paper suggested that fiscal incentives/penalties and regulations help to drive sustainable construction. Such financial implications are consistent with “affordability” being the biggest barrier highlighted. The majority of respondents believed the industry is taking some account of sustainability issues, but identified that more needs to be done.

Originality/value

Sustainable development is an integral part of the lives and affects all aspects of business operations. This paper provides an in‐depth insight into the level of sustainable development within the construction industry, identifying implications for both the demand and supply side.
Investigating the integration of design and construction from a “lean” perspective
Authors: Jørgensen Bo , Emmitt Stephen
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Better integration of project processes has often been identified as the key issue regarding construction performance improvement. In some countries lean construction has become well‐established, although there appears to be considerable diversity in the interpretation of the concept. Lean construction initially focused on production aspects, but gradually design issues have started to receive more attention and integrating construction design and production processes from a lean perspective are beginning to be addressed. The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the practical challenges underlying the implementation of approaches promoted as “lean” and compare this with published research/theory.

Design/methodology/approach

Following an extensive review of the literature, a multiple case‐strategy approach was used to explore the practical application of lean approaches to design and construction integration in an organisational setting. Summaries of the case studies, one from the USA and two from Denmark, help to highlight a number of pertinent issues facing practitioners and researchers.

Findings

Findings suggest that it is possible to identify a number of aspects that (in theory as well as in practice) both influence and, to various extents, limit the applicability of the lean philosophy to construction. Findings also help to emphasise the importance of a number of interdependent factors for achieving better integration, namely: value identification/specification; an appropriate project delivery framework; structuring and planning of delivery processes; transparency; management and leadership; learning; and the importance of local context.

Originality/value

The findings provide an original contribution to the integration of design and construction activities from a lean perspective. The findings are generic and could be practically applied in a variety of contexts.
Audit assessment of the facilities maintenance management in a public hospital in Malaysia
Authors: Ali Maisarah , Mohamad Nasbi Bin Wan Mohamad Wan
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the existing facilities maintenance management practices and processes in public hospitals, in accordance with the concession agreement (CA), in order to identify the current performance status.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study is conducted in one district hospital in Malaysia to assess five key elements: leadership; policies, plans and procedures; training and orientation; monitoring and supervision; and service performance. Data are collected through questionnaires, guided interviews, documentation review and retrieval, archival records review, and direct observations.

Findings

The status of facilities maintenance management in the hospital is categorised as “maturing”, which implies that there has been a good planning and management with all essential requirements and compliance with regulations. Nevertheless, analyses of findings indicate that the maintenance organisations in the hospital still do not realise the importance and benefits of effective facilities maintenance management.

Research limitations/implications

Findings reveal that continuous involvement of all organisations is rudimentary to provide guidance and direction to the maintenance function.

Practical implications

This research has gained an insight into the management practices and processes exhibited by a maintenance organisation in executing contractual and regulatory requirements of privatised facilities maintenance services in a public hospital. It has also gained an insight into the practice of a maintenance management audit, which was conducted with a view to identifying areas of weakness such that recommendations can be derived to improve the maintenance performance.

Originality/value

This research has introduced a set of key ingredients and effectiveness measures for successful facilities maintenance management. It also explores opportunities for improving facilities maintenance management in public hospitals.
The view on Chinese license regulation for insurance companies
Authors: Feng Li Chao , McGee Andrew
Published: April 2009

Purpose

With the development of the Chinese economy and its gradually opened market, there are more and more chances for foreign business entities who want to expand their businesses in China. The insurance market is one the most attractive. However, getting the authorization for their insurance business is one problem they encounter. The purpose of this paper is to provide some different views about Chinese insurance license regulations for those who want to start their business in China.

Design/methodology/approach

Different from the office papers or Regulations of China, this paper is based on research interviews carried out in China (mainly in Beijing and Shanghai). The empirical methodology reveals the actual ideas and attitudes about Chinese insurance license regulations. Except that, the comparative about some issues have been carried on between Chinese insurance companies and foreign insurance companies.

Findings

The research interview reveals that it is not difficult for foreign insurers to meet the requirements of clauses of regulations. However, the attitude of Chinese insurance regulators and the culture background, and even the political opinions of the official leaders, have played a very important role in the decision of the regulatory body.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to the limitation of funds and time for this interview research, the interviews were carried out mainly in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzheng. Even most of head offices of insurance companies located in these cities, however, it cannot be said these views represented the 100 percent true opinions.

Originality/value

These findings cannot be said in public, while everyone can understand it. That is the value of this paper.
Trade liberalisation and poverty: empirical evidence from household surveys in Ghana
Authors: Kofi Ocran Matthew , Adjasi Charles K.D.
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Drawing first on stylised facts, the purpose of this paper is to isolate the impact of trade liberalisation policies pursued for the past two decades on poverty in agricultural households in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

Two samples of agricultural households are drawn from the most recently published Ghana Living Standards Survey. Using terms of trade as a channel of the reforms, an econometric estimate of the impact of terms of trade on per‐capita expenditure, of these agricultural households, is run on both samples using two cross‐sectional models.

Findings

The results suggest that trade liberalisation had an adverse welfare impact on agricultural households immediately after the reforms‐1992; however, trade positively influenced welfare much later‐1999. Even though agricultural producers' terms of trade have improved they still constitute the largest segment of the poor in Ghana.

Research limitations/implications

Targeted trade policy instruments are required to positively impact mainstream agricultural households in poverty alleviation efforts. The absence of repeated cross‐sections in the Living Standards Survey limits the possibility of exploring dynamic effects.

Originality/value

This paper isolates welfare effects of trade on agriculture households in Ghana – a departure from previous studies which examine the effect of trade on all households. This distinction is important since welfare effects of trade in Ghana are more likely to impact households whose livelihoods depend on agriculture than on other households.
The legal nature of domain names rights
Authors: Alramahi Moe
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the legal status of domain names from both a contractual and a property right perspective, and to consider whether domain names are to be considered as a new form of property, in particular as virtual property.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper approaches the topic from contractual perspective. It then examines the concept and various property law theories. This is followed by an analysis to the intangibility of domain names and the appropriate category of protection.

Findings

Domain names are creatures of contract and contract law will provide some form of protection. According to the bundle of rights theory, domain names are intangible property with limitations. Some names are very valuable but nevertheless attract no protection beyond contractual rights. These names should be clothed with property rights protection. The relevant form of property rights is still contentious issue.

Originality/value

The nature of rights over domain names is a key emerging issue in the area of information technology law, with little to guide lawyers and judges. There is currently no consensus on what the legal status of a domain name is and opinions vary about the nature of these rights. The paper offers an insight to the nature of rights in an attempt to further the protection and recognition of rights over domain names.
Sense making of clinical governance at different levels in NHS hospital trusts
Authors: Som Chandra
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the current debate on the implementation of clinical governance by exploring the understanding of clinical governance at different levels in an NHS organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study method has been adopted with in‐depth interviews to understand how organisational actors make sense of the term “clinical governance”. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous group of 33 persons in an NHS hospital trust handling important responsibilities for clinical governance. In‐depth analysis of the data revealed the understanding of clinical governance at different levels in an NHS organisation.

Findings

The results indicate that clinical governance creates more confusion, debate and disagreement on quality of care, making it more a contentious issue than one promoting unanimity, uniformity and consistency. This could become a major obstacle in achieving continuous quality improvement in healthcare.

Research limitations/implications

Further research on a wider scale is required to develop a better understanding of how people make sense of clinical governance for improving the quality of care.

Practical implications

To look into implications of clinical governance in NHS organisations, it is necessary to understand how people at different levels in the NHS understand clinical governance. The paper makes a valuable contribution by bringing out the practical implications which will be useful for policy makers and practitioners. A better understanding of how health staff make sense of clinical governance would enable policy makers to know the problems of implementing clinical governance.

Originality/value

From the current literature very little information is available on the above topic. This empirical research makes a valuable contribution by focusing on how stakeholders at different levels in an NHS organisation make sense of clinical governance.
Benchmarking impact on elderly admissions following CRHTT intervention
Authors: Sadiq Khurram , Chapman Andrea , Mahadun Prem
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The aim of this study is to benchmark the impact of the Crisis Resolution Home Treatment Team (CRHTT) on the elderly admission rate as well as the duration of admission

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected for a period of one year before (August 2006 to July 2007) and after (August 2007 to July 2008) the extension of CRHTT input into elderly services.

Findings

There was an overall reduction in the number of admissions after CRHTT got involved with the elderly.

Research limitations/implications

This study only considered individuals with functional disorders who were admitted to the in‐patient services or referred to the CRHTT. However, these only make up a proportion of the elderly in‐patients.

Practical implications

The study will help identify areas which may further help in reducing the admissions.

Originality/value

This is an original study that acknowledges the reduction in admission following the introduction of a crisis resolution home treatment team in Trafford, Manchester.
PAHS: a Nepali project with international implications
Authors: Courneya Carol‐Ann , Dunne David
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Patan Academy of Health Sciences (PAHS), an initiative for rural medical education in Nepal, and show its implications for rural medical education in other contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a methodology from the field of design to identify solution requirements based on an understanding of the operational context and evaluates how the initiative meets these requirements.

Findings

The PAHS model meets the extremely challenging requirements of the Nepali context for rural medical education by providing a model of education that is closely integrated with rural communities and working to develop leaders in community health. It faces important future challenges in obtaining sustainable funding and implementation of tele‐health.

Practical implications

On several levels, the project offers potential lessons for similar initiatives in North America: community health leadership; early and sustained community engagement; a pre‐medical course to bring students to a common standard; and role modeling by faculty. The approach will be of interest to those responsible for rural medical education in the developed and developing worlds.

Originality/value

The paper shows how the local context in rural medical education can be understood by evaluating desirability for users, viability and feasibility.
Adverse events in five surgical procedures
Authors: Kable Ashley , Gibberd Robert , Spigelman Allan
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to measure the adverse event rates for five elective surgical procedures: transurethral resection of prostate, cholecystectomy, hysterectomy, joint arthroplasty, and herniorrhaphy.

Design/methodology/approach

A retrospective two‐stage medical record review was conducted on 1,177 admissions in 1998 and 2000 at two tertiary hospitals. Records found to be positive for any of 17 screening criteria during the first stage were reviewed by surgeons from the relevant specialty for adverse events associated with the admissions.

Findings

The adverse event (AE) rate overall was 23.1 per cent. There were large variations between the procedural groups, ranging from 12.7 per cent (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) to 44.8 per cent (abdominal hysterectomy). Of the 272 AEs, 89 (32.7 per cent) had an unplanned readmission requiring 709 additional days in hospital and 55 (20.2 per cent) patients had additional surgery (seven returned to theatre during their admission for the procedure). AEs involving a disability that resolved within 12 months occurred for 91.2 per cent, 6.3 per cent had permanent disability, and 2.5 per cent resulted in death. The surgical reviewers determined that 24.7 per cent of the AEs were highly preventable.

Originality/value

The study confirms that surgical admissions have a high risk for AEs. The risk varies between procedural groups and 47.3 per cent are not preventable. Adverse events are an important patient safety issue. Preventing AEs would reduce readmissions, patient discomfort and associated costs. Routine monitoring of AEs is recommended.
What is the problem? Chew it as food for thought … lessons for workplace learning
Authors: Yeo Roland K.
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The article explores problem‐based learning (PBL) as an emerging approach to workplace learning. It discusses the role of PBL in the workplace, factors influencing its successful implementation and its potential application to organizational dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study was conducted in Singapore using a purposeful sampling of 50 professionals who had some experience using PBL in their organizations. Views were sought through semi‐structured interviewing and further supported by the expert opinion of ten PBL consultants.

Findings

Breaking away from the comfort zone is a fundamental approach to appreciating the fullness of uncertainty that confronts employees in today's workplaces. Looking within for answers is a first step to generating more questions for subsequent collaborative inquiry.

Research limitations/implications

The interpretive process of PBL is challenged by the structured nature of each learning phase. Such systematization produces a learning that demands a capacity to balance the dichotomy of amplifying and constraining effects. An integrated epistemology can be further pursued.

Practical implications

Although driven by a shared problem, PBL requires a unique distribution of ownership to the problem such that it means something specific to the learner before diversity of perspectives can be further facilitated. PBL induces reflective practice.

Originality/value

Although a pedagogical methodology, PBL has great potential for redefining workplace learning. It is a process that amalgamates a variety of familiar learning activities yet, in totality its distinction is realized in the mutually‐implicating elements that are unique on their own.
Capitalizing on coaching investment: enhancing coaching transfer
Authors: Stewart Lorna J. , Palmer Stephen
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to raise organization's and practitioner's awareness of how to maximise coaching investment via enhancing coaching transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a research project that comprised two sub‐studies. The first employed used semi‐structured interviews and qualitative analysis techniques to explore coachees' (N=25), coaches' (N=9) and organizational stakeholders' (N=5) perceptions of a successful coaching outcome and the facilitators and barriers to transfer. The second study administered a self‐report questionnaire developed from the results of Study one to coachees (N=110) to explore possible relationships between transfer and coachee motivation, work environment psychosocial factors and situational factors.

Findings

Coachees, coaches and organizational stakeholders described coaching outcomes as comprising intra‐personal development, personal and performance outcomes. Further, they described transfer as associated with a pro‐development organizational climate, psychosocial support and the coachee having a pro‐development attitude. Correlational analyses of questionnaire data supported these findings.

Research limitations/implications

The findings were based on self‐report. Despite the limitations of self‐report data, they provide a useful indication of the factors which likely impact on coaching transfer.

Practical implications

The findings are valuable in that they provide practical guidance to assist organizations and practitioners maximise coaching investment.

Originality/value

Although this study drew on training transfer research, it was original in the field of coaching.
Fear, panic and prosperity consciousness: developing resilience as the paradigm shifts
Authors: Courtney OBE Angela
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The article shares insights from a program that was developed to address burnout, compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. The program works from the premise that people and organizations thrive when they have shared values and common understandings.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach draws together reflection at the organizational and person levels. Connecting business ethics and organizational analysis, improving understanding of the body's energy as well as inter‐cultural understanding are all achievable while adopting the resilience development methods.

Findings

The article concludes that reflective practice through the tools used on the program enhances understanding of the challenges faced by organizations and the individuals involved. It provides creative routes to resilience and enables problem solving. The indications are that this might have relevance to teams and work groups in a variety of settings.

Originality/Value

In confronting current realities, it is timely that we promote a holistic view of human and organizational energy. The tools for our organizations are to hand. Individuals in the groups that I am involved with, whether for team building, strategic planning or supervisory management, have made considerable shifts in perspective and their ability to handle problems while employing them. The shared values which lie within each person can meet the highest values at the heart of any organization.