bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immigrant groups, vocational training, and employment
Authors: Valentin Kvist Ann
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to assess the effect of vocational training on employability for immigrant groups.

Design/methodology/approach

Cognitive test results were computed as factor scores on broad ability variables, and group means were calculated. The effects of cognitive factors and training on employment were investigated in a series of regression equations. The development of employment was estimated in a growth curve model.

Findings

There were considerable group differences in mean cognitive estimates. The influence of training on employment was beneficial for all groups. Training courses at different levels of complexity had different long term effects.

Research limitations/implications

A replication with information on grades or other training outcome measures should be useful. Replication studies with other groups should be conducted, such as replication with a more balanced proportion of male and female participants.

Practical implications

Immigrant groups benefit from vocational training despite entering with lower skills. Different long term influence on employment rates could influence choice of course.

Originality/value

This paper contributes information on cognitive achievements and training outcomes for immigrants in working life, an area where much more knowledge is needed. It provides support for the praxis of granting vocational training to immigrants with language skills considerably below those of comparable native groups. It also shows that courses at different levels of complexity have different long‐term impact, which can be useful information in a cost‐benefit perspective.
Evaluating a tacit knowledge sharing initiative: a case study
Authors: Gubbins Claire , Corrigan Siobhan , Garavan Thomas N. , O' Connor Christy , Leahy Damien , Long David , Murphy Eamonn
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to present a case study illustrating the issues involved in the tacit knowledge conversion process and to determine whether such conversion delivers value to the organisation in terms of business value and return on investment (ROI).

Design/methodology/approach

A single‐case multiple baseline participants experimental design, replicated across two participants, was utilised. Aaron's KM V‐model of evaluation is utilised to determine the ROI of the initiative.

Findings

While the evaluation of the tacit knowledge conversion initiative suggests positive value to the business; analysis of the conversion process also reveals a number of individual level factors, which reinforce the challenges associated with efforts to access, capture and share expert tacit knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study may stimulate further research on tacit knowledge management processes, and specifically the influence of the individual in the success or failure of these initiatives.

Practical implications

The paper presents an actual case study situation that reveals the micro‐level issues involved in converting tacit expert knowledge.

Originality/value

The paper addresses three important areas; it makes an effort to focus on tacit rather than explicit knowledge management, it takes steps to evaluate a tacit knowledge management initiative in terms of its tangible business value, and it pays attention to the influence of the individual in knowledge management processes, which are inherently driven by the individual.
A survey of internship programs for management undergraduates in AACSB‐accredited institutions
Authors: Kim Eyong B. , Kim Kijoo , Bzullak Michael
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to survey the current status of internship programs for Management undergraduate students and to introduce a well‐established internship program.

Design/methodology/approach

A web page analysis was conducted on 473 institutions that have AACSB (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accreditation in the USA. The list of these institutions is from the AACSB web site (member school list) as of July 2010. A description of a well‐established internship program is provided. The 15 item questionnaire is developed to get the students feedback on the required internship course described in this paper. Based on that survey and web search findings, suggestions for internship course improvement are provided.

Findings

Most schools (96.5 per cent) offer some type of internship course but only a few schools (4.5 per cent) require students take an internship course. The pass/no pass grading system was preferred by a majority of universities (85 per cent). Students need to work an average of 169 hours for three credit internship courses. The most popular prerequisites are: GPA of 2.5 or higher; permission from an advisor or coordinator (62.5 per cent); and various other restrictions such as school minimum accumulated credit hours (22.5 per cent) and specific courses (33 per cent). The well‐established program introduced has dedicated advisors to supervise the required internship courses.

Practical implications

Internship program advisors/coordinators can assess the compatibility of their internship program with the introduced program. In addition, universities can benchmark against the introduced internship program to improve their current programs or establish a new program.

Originality/value

If any universities want to improve their current internship courses, or establish an internship program, the paper's findings offer some guidelines.
Knitted patterns or contagious hotspots?
Authors: Cornelissen Frank , de Jong Tjip , Kessels Joseph
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a framework which connects perspectives on knowledge and learning to various approaches of social networks studies. The purpose is twofold: providing input for the discourse in organizational studies about the way different views on knowledge and networks drive design choices and activities of researchers, policy makers, and practitioners; providing relevant questions which can support researchers, (human resource) managers, policy makers and practitioners to reflect on their views and their endeavors to study, understand and facilitate knowledge and learning processes in organizational networks.

Design/methodology/approach

In exploring the conceptual connections the authors draw on distinctions made between views on knowledge and networked learning in the fields of organizational development, human resource development and social networks. The proposed framework is built from connections identified in the literature review.

Findings

The paper proposes a framework which identifies four different ways of studying and understanding the outcomes of learning and knowledge processes in organizational networks.

Practical implications

The framework supports researchers, policy makers, (human resource) managers and practitioners in their endeavor to study, understand and facilitate the relationship between knowledge, learning, networks and their outcomes. The four perspectives can be used in designing and evaluating interventions and policy which are intended to foster knowledge processes and learning in organizations.

Originality/value

Studies on knowledge processes and learning in organisational networks are increasingly based on a variety of knowledge theories, which are not always based on a clear academic synthesis. Often these views of knowledge remain implicit and do not fit approaches adopted for understanding or evaluating knowledge processes and learning in organisations. This paper proposes a framework which integrates different concepts of knowledge and approaches to network studies.
Unmasking the capability of strategic learning: a validation study
Authors: Sirén Charlotta A.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The strategic learning perspective has attracted increased interest among strategic management scholars, yet the operationalisation of this concept is still in its infancy. The aim of this study is to develop a multidimensional understanding of the strategic learning process and to build an instrument to measure this concept.

Design/methodology/approach

The article confirms the validity of the developed measurement instrument with expert evaluations and quantitative data from the analysis of 206 Finnish software companies. Structural equation modelling was the primary statistical technique used.

Findings

The results of the validation study suggest that strategic learning is a multidimensional construct that is manifested through the sub‐processes of strategic knowledge creation, distribution, interpretation, and implementation. The results demonstrate that the reliability and validity of the developed measurement model is satisfactory, thus enabling its use in further studies.

Research limitations/implications

Although the validation study and the use of a panel of expert judges present substantial support for the developed construct, future research is necessary to continue to examine and refine the measure in other industries and cultural contexts.

Practical implications

Executives and practitioners can use the developed tool to identify potential areas for improvement and thus bring focus to organisational development efforts to enhance collective strategic learning.

Originality/value

This study contributes to strategic management research by developing and validating a measurement method for the concept of strategic learning. To date, the empirical research of strategic learning has been mainly limited to descriptive case studies, and the literature lacks a comprehensive measurement tool.
Effects of brand love, personality and image on word of mouth
Authors: Rageh Ismail Ahmed , Spinelli Gabriella
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Fashion brand love is a central concept in the consumer‐brand relationship domain. Brand managers tend to create more lovable brands, e.g. McDonald's “I’m lovin it”. However, the importance of this concept is not frequently discussed in marketing literature. Furthermore, the impact of brand personality and brand image on brand love has not been investigated in any empirical research. This paper aims to address this gap by developing a causal model incorporating brand love, brand personality, brand image and word of mouth (WOM) to investigate the relationships among them.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using a survey method and usable questionnaires were completed by 250 undergraduate students. Path analysis was used to test the hypotheses using AMOS 16.0.

Findings

Results revealed that only brand image is considered as a determinant of brand love that affects WOM along with brand personality.

Practical implications

Results provide detailed implications and a platform on which future research can be built.

Originality/value

The extant love research seems to be solely in the US context. To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the concept of brand love outside the USA.
Information overload in the context of apparel
Authors: Stanton Julie V. , Paolo Diane M.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This study aims to examine the nature and impact of information overload and related coping strategies in the context of apparel shopping. It also examines perceptions of overload and coping strategies as antecedents to consumer confidence, shopping orientation and leader/follower status.

Design/methodology/approach

Focus groups and previous literature are used to develop components for a survey of US consumer perceptions. The 205 valid responses were factor analyzed to identify components of information overload and coping strategies, and cluster analysis was used to identify groupings of consumers around those constructs.

Findings

Consumer segments that result from cluster analysis show meaningful descriptions regarding information flow, over‐choice and coping strategies. Segments also differ on confidence level, shopping orientation and fashion leadership in ways that appear logically related to their information and coping strategy perspectives.

Research limitations/implications

The study does not explore the underlying psychological and intellectual processes that influence attitude toward information flow and coping strategies.

Practical implications

By categorizing consumer attitudes toward and strategies for coping with too much information, the study offers the industry insight into how modern marketing strategies may backfire rather than create knowledgeable consumers ready to adopt the latest products made available to them.

Originality/value

This study is the first to view information overload and coping strategies as antecedents to confidence, shopper orientation and fashion leadership.
The sensory retail environment of small fashion boutiques
Authors: Wade Clarke Daniel , Perry Patsy , Denson Hayley
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The literature holds few contributions regarding the sensory environment of small, privately‐owned retail stores. Hence, this paper seeks to explore the sensory experience of patrons of a small boutique.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses photo‐elicitation to examine the experience of the sensory retail environment of patrons of a small fashion boutique in the North West of England. Participants were asked to “show me how it feels to shop here” by taking photographs to depict their sensory in‐store experiences. Follow up interviews were carried out to explore the participants’ sensory experiences and then qualitative content analysis was used to identify the typical “likes” and “dislikes” regarding aspects of the sensory environment.

Findings

The findings reveal that it is not just tangible things that can affect a shopper's experience, but store traits such as smell, lighting and presence of owner‐manager can also influence a consumer's experience.

Research limitations/implications

By providing an illustration case study, this paper provides a visual method for researching shopping experience from a sensory perspective. This research concerned small fashion boutiques. Other research as well as this study indicates that studies of sensory environments in other kinds of boutiques could produce different findings.

Practical implications

The paper is intended not only to equip small fashion retailers with an understanding of why some customers dwell and return to browse, but also to help them discern what it is that shoppers want to experience while shopping. Managerial implications are offered with the aim of converting patronage into sales to support survival of small fashion retailers.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the literature on small to medium‐sized enterprise fashion retailing and the sensory experience of fashion shopping. The identification of sensory touch points in small fashion boutiques helps owner‐managers to understand female shoppers and provides a handrail for thinking up new ways of improving shopping experiences.
Assessing the effectiveness of the “human givens” approach in treating depression: a quasi experimental study in primary care
Authors: Tsaroucha Anna , Kingston Paul , Stewart Tony , Walton Ian , Corp Nadia
Published: September 2012

Purpose

– This paper aims to present the findings of research commissioned by a Primary Care Trust in the UK to assess the implementation of a new pilot Human Givens mental health service (HGS) within primary care.

Design/methodology/approach

– Participating General Practitioners practices were designated as either “Human givens” or “Control” practices. The study focused on service users with mild to moderate depressed mood measured using HADS. The well-being of these participants was examined at the point of referral, and after four, eight and 12 months using three well-being questionnaires.

Findings

– The results revealed that emotional well-being significantly improved during the first four months following referral for both groups and this improvement was maintained up to and including one year post referral. Compared to the Control group Human givens therapy was found to be of shorter duration, lasting one or two sessions compared to standard treatment which lasted on average four sessions.

Originality/value

– Apart from the psychological insight and emotional support, it is suggested that Human givens therapy might help the client to better function in society and maintain a sense of social integration. This has benefits to other providers of social care.
On the association between HIV knowledge and unsafe sexual behaviour in India
Authors: Agarwal Smriti , de Araujo Pedro
Published: September 2012

Purpose

HIV prevention campaigns have focused on condom distribution and the dissemination of HIV‐related knowledge, with the goal to reduce risky sexual behavior. However, very little empirical work has been done to reveal any possible association between HIV‐related knowledge and risky sexual behavior. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to estimate such associations, using demographic health survey data for India.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors estimate multiple binary response models and calculate average partial effects of every treatment (HIV‐related knowledge) on the outcome variable (risky sexual behavior) controlling for socioeconomic characteristics, location of residence, and state specific effects.

Findings

Using data from the third wave of the national demographic survey, it is found that better HIV‐related knowledge does not always promote safer sexual practices. While, better HIV knowledge increases the likelihood of condom use, it also increases the likelihood of pre‐marital sex, and reduces the likelihood of abstinence. These effects are much stronger for males when compared to females. These results also suggest, albeit indirectly, that informational and condom distribution campaigns are not necessarily promoting safer sexual practices in India.

Research limitations/implications

One possible limitation of this study is the possibility of endogeneity bias due to omitted variables or reverse causality. The authors follow the literature in the use of controls and interpreted results with caution.

Originality/value

The paper is believed to be the first to derive empirical results relating HIV knowledge and risky sexual behaviour, using a population‐based survey for India.
Sustainability knowledge and behaviors of apparel and textile undergraduates
Authors: Hiller Connell Kim Y. , Kozar Joy M.
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze changes in undergraduate student knowledge of issues of sustainability relevant to the apparel and textiles industry. Assessment occurred prior to and upon completion of a course that addressed topics specific to the global production and distribution of apparel and textile goods. The study also examined modifications in students' reported apparel purchasing behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants included those in their third, fourth or fifth year of undergraduate education in the apparel and textile discipline at a higher education institution located in the Midwestern USA. All participants were enrolled in a course focused on globalization and the apparel and textile industry. Measures used to assess students' knowledge of social and environmental sustainability issues related to the industry and their apparel purchasing behavior were included in the research instrument.

Findings

Pre and post comparisons revealed significant changes in students' knowledge of social and environmental issues relevant to the apparel and textile industry. However, the study found no significant adjustments in apparel purchasing behavior. Further, a post hoc analysis revealed no significant relationship between students' knowledge and their reported purchasing behavior.

Originality/value

Limited resources exist which examine methods for educating apparel and textile students about sustainability issues, with even less research documented on assessing the effectiveness of these methods. The paper analyzes the contributions sustainability‐focused curriculum can make in modifying the level of knowledge and purchasing behavior of students and recommends further strategies to yield possibly even greater results.
ReProTool Version 2.0
Authors: Pouyioutas Philippos , Gjermundrod Harald , Dionysiou Ioanna
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present ReProTool Version 2.0, a software tool that is used for the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) and the Bologna Process re‐engineering of academic programmes. The tool is the result of an 18 months project (February 2012‐July 2013) project, co‐financed by the European Regional Development Fund and the Republic of Cyprus through the Research Promotion Foundation (www.reprotool.com).

Design/methodology/approach

The project entails the development and pilot use of ReProTool, a software tool that will support the design and development of university academic programmes using Learning Outcomes and the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) of the Bologna Process. The paper briefly describes the various stages of the project: Identification of User and System Requirements; System Analysis and Design; and Software Development. More specifically, it presents the results of on‐line questionnaires distributed to students and academics aiming at extracting the user requirements of the system. Based on these results and the results from interviews with experts and literature review, the system was designed. The underlying database is thus presented. The implementation details and the system architecture are also presented. Various screenshots of the system are used in the paper to exemplify the functionality of the tool.

Findings

The ECTS process and the supporting methodologies are quite complex and complicated, requiring the involvement of all education stakeholders (faculty, students, industry, etc.). The lack of a software tool to support the available methodologies and the involved stakeholders makes the process even more complex, laborious and difficult to complete. The authors are currently developing such tool. The availability of a free software tool will therefore simplify the process and help all Universities in their effort to obtain the ECTS label and help them towards the full implementation of the Bologna Process directives.

Originality/value

The paper presents the software tool ReProTool, which will provide support to the Tuning Methodology, also taking into consideration state‐of‐the‐art developments in the area of ECTS, Learning outcomes and the European Qualifications Framework and will thus make it possible for Universities to re‐engineer their academic programs in line with ECTS, achieve ECTS certification/label and fulfill the Bologna Process directives. This will result in the improvement of academic programs offered by Universities and the creation of compatible programmes across Europe, so that students and faculty will be able to utilize the Erasmus and other mobility programmes and participate in exchange visits. Without the use of such a tool, the application of such methodologies is really a non‐trivial, error‐prone task. This is a very demanding task and very few Universities in Europe have managed to obtain the ECTS label.
Helping disabled people: the potentials of biometric information
Authors: Chin Ann Ong , Bee Theng Lau
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate an idea of producing an assistive and augmentative communication (AAC) tool that uses natural human computer interfacing to accommodate the disabilities of children with cerebral palsy (CP) and assist them in their daily communication.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors developed a prototype that recognizes the real time detected emotions display on the face and send alerts to the caretakers through Short Messaging System (SMS) or loud speaker.

Findings

The evaluation result shows that the proposed prototype recognizes real time facial expressions from the children with CP with an average of 79.4 per cent, and a maximum of 88.3 per cent (standard deviation of 7.4 per cent) on ten children with CP. Evaluations were also conducted to investigate the effectiveness of the prototype to deliver critical expression messages to their caretakers. The result showed that 98.5 per cent of SMS was sent successfully to the caretakers (pre‐defined mobile phone number) with an average waiting time of 8.3 seconds.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates the potential of the proposed prototype to assist children with CP to communicate with their caretakers in real time.
Assessing the health needs of vulnerable children, are the data fit for purpose?
Authors: Evans Sian
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess whether current routinely available population level data are adequate for assessing the health needs of vulnerable children.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a review of routinely available population level data relating to 23 vulnerable child groups.

Findings

Data were available to measure how many children may be affected locally for seven groups (30 per cent) (looked after children, care leavers, absent or excluded pupils, children in poverty, young offenders, children in need and children assessed to be at risk of social services). Partial data were available for 11 (48 per cent) groups and no data were identified for five (22 per cent) groups. At least one measure of health and well being status was identified for three groups (13 per cent) (care leavers, children assessed to be in need of social services and children assessed to be at risk by social services). For seven groups (30 per cent), a measure of health status was identified for some children in the group. No measure of health status was identified for 13 groups (57 per cent).

Research limitations/implications

The review only considered routinely published data that can be reported for all counties or unitary authorities in England. Although every effort was taken to ensure complete identification, it is still possible that some data sources may have been missed.

Practical implications

The gaps in available data to monitor vulnerable children's health will make the task of ensuring their needs are appropriately represented in local needs assessment and health strategies more difficult. The current service reforms offer an opportunity to address the data gaps.

Originality/value

Data relating to some vulnerable child groups was reviewed in 2006 when a number of recommendations were made. This paper updates and broadens that review and reports on progress made against the 2006 recommendations. The findings of the paper have implications for policy makers and commissioners of children's services.
Changes in the levels of psychological distress in eight countries of the former Soviet Union
Authors: Roberts Bayard , Abbott Pamela , McKee Martin
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare levels of psychological distress in 2001 and 2010 in eight countries of the former Soviet Union and to explore how these changes vary for different population groups.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected using two related studies from 2001 (n=14,242) and 2010 (n=15,081). Both studies consisted of nationally representative cross‐sectional household surveys in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine using a standardized questionnaire. Psychological distress was measured using a 12 item instrument, with scores of 10‐12 indicating high psychological distress. Changes in prevalence of high psychological distress were measured between 2001 and 2010 by country, gender, age group, educational level, disability status, personal support and household economic status using descriptive and prevalence rate ratio analysis.

Findings

Levels of high psychological distress decreased from 8.7 per cent in 2001 to 4.9 per cent in 2010 for the whole study region (4.5 per cent to 2.8 per cent for men; 12.0 per cent to 6.5 per cent for women). All study countries recorded decreases in high psychological distress. The adjusted relative rate ratios indicate the observed decreases have not been experienced by men, older age groups, less educated respondents, those with a disabling health condition, low levels of support and bad household economic status.

Originality/value

The study shows decreases in levels of high psychological distress in the study countries, but that decreases were less for socially and economically marginalised populations. This highlights the cycle of poverty, social exclusion and poor mental health in the region. Despite decreases of psychological distress among women, they continue to bear a significantly higher burden than men.
Cross‐sectional analysis of emerging market volatility index (India VIX) with portfolio returns
Authors: Bagchi Debasis
Published: September 2012

Purpose

Earlier studies establish a positive relationship between volatility index (VIX) and the stock index returns. These studies are mainly restricted to developed markets and research in this regard in emerging markets is scarce. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper studies the direct and cross‐sectional relationship of India VIX in relation to three important parameters: viz., stock beta, market to book value of equity and market capitalization. The paper constructs value weighted portfolio sorted on the basis viz., stock beta, market to book value of equity and market capitalization. The paper employs three‐factor multiple regression to find out the results.

Findings

The paper finds that India VIX has a positive and significant relationship with the returns of the value‐weighted high‐low portfolios sorted on the basis of the above parameters. The paper examines the behavior of India VIX in the presence of the above two parameters. The India VIX yields a positive and significant relationship with the above sorted portfolio returns.

Research limitations/implications

India VIX was recently introduced in November, 2007 and therefore the research is expected to suffer from small sample bias.

Practical implications

The findings suggest India VIX is a distinct risk factor capable of predicting the price discovery mechanism of the market.

Originality/value

In the rapidly expanding emerging markets the introduction of Volatility Index is a recent phenomenon. Research in this regard is scarce, particularly in the area of finding predictive ability of the Volatility Index. This research is in this direction and would definitely help the market regulators and policy‐makers with their understanding of the market and market direction. It would help them to correct the market imbalances and avert crisis, which has been recently witnessed.
A survey of mutual fund fees and expenses in Thailand
Authors: Na Lamphun Pornlapas , Wongsurawat Winai
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to supply basic statistics of fees and expenses charged by mutual funds in Thailand, and to investigate the economic determinants of the variations in these charges.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors construct an original dataset on characteristics of Thai mutual funds from annual reports filed between 2005 and 2007, and then use statistical analysis to investigate variations in fees and expenses.

Findings

Funds that are small, entail higher risk, and offer special income tax benefits charge higher fees and expenses. Bond funds that produce high returns on investment tend to charge significantly lower fees and expenses when compared to those that produce low returns.

Practical implications

Statistics from the gathered data can help investors better evaluate Thai mutual funds. Determinants of variations in the fees and expenses can yield useful insights for policy makers regarding the competition and efficiency of the asset management industry.

Originality/value

This paper adds to a small but growing literature that investigates characteristics of the asset management industries outside of the United States and Europe.
The profile of health problems in African refugees admitted to Sicilian hospitals from Lampedusa, since the beginning of the 2011 humanitarian exodus (1 January to 22 September)
Authors: Pasta Linda , Farinella Enzo M. , Marchese Gaetano , Mesa Suero Leonardo A. , D'Amico Nicolò , Giovanna Di Stefano Maria
Published: September 2012

Purpose

This paper's aim is to study North African refugees admitted to Sicilian hospitals from Lampedusa by helicopter emergency service 118, from 1 January to 22 September 2011 when due to a violent uprising in the Refugee Centre, Lampedusa is no longer accepting refugees by order of the Ministry of Interior.

Design/methodology/approach

Those migrants who were in need of hospitalization were transferred to the Sicilian hospitals exclusively by the emergency helicopter service 118. All 203 patients were classified according to the admission diagnosis reported on medical records of 118 and data were aggregated according to: disease, sex and department in which hospitalization was required.

Findings

Women were admitted to hospital almost exclusively for obstetrics and gynecological problems, while men for trauma, severe dehydration, attempted suicide, infectious diseases (TB, airways distress, and scabies), seizures and metabolic diseases. Hospitalization rate was 20 times lower in African migrants than Italian population compared per age and sex, confirming “the healthy immigrant effect”.

Originality/value

The paper shows that identification of health problems requires a careful monitoring that has implications for diseases dissemination (i.e. TB, HIV) both for ill patients who arrive, either for prophylaxis of healthy migrants, pursuing a valid vaccination policy. Maximum use must be made of the moment of the arrival of migrants to get and disseminate health information.
Meaningful use of service user contributions to professional training courses: whose formulation is it anyway?
Authors: Tickle Anna , Braham Louise
Published: September 2012

Purpose

There is much literature regarding the involvement of service users in the training of mental health professionals, yet there are few specific examples of such initiatives. This paper aims to report an innovative way of involving service users via DVDs in the teaching psychological formulation on the Trent Clinical Psychology Doctorate programme.

Design/methodology/approach

A focus group was held with the service users involved in teaching psychological formulation and analysed using thematic analysis incorporating saliency analysis.

Findings

Analysis revealed ten themes, which broadly fell into two categories: service users' experience of involvement and consideration of the impact on teaching and improving trainee experience.

Originality/value

It is believed that this approach could not only inform the teaching of psychological formulation but also inspire other innovative opportunities to involve service users in the training of mental health professionals.
The influence of managerial factors on the capital structure of small and medium‐sized enterprises in emerging economies
Authors: Borgia Daniel , Newman Alexander
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of owner/manager characteristics in explaining the capital structure decisions of entrepreneurial enterprises in emerging economies using a sample of Chinese small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Although mainstream theories from the finance literature are useful in explaining capital structure decisions for large firms in developed economies, they do not adequately explain the financing behaviour of SMEs in developing economies.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors' mixed methods approach utilized both quantitative and qualitative methods to understand how managerial factors influence the capital structure of Chinese SMEs.

Findings

The findings suggest that the capital structure of SMEs in China is primarily influenced by aversion to external control and propensity to take risk. It was also found that owners with better networking ties generally require less debt financing because they can access adequate external resources through informal channels.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation concerns the extent to which the paper's findings can be generalised to outside of the specific location in which the research was undertaken. Future research might be extended to other emerging economies to determine whether the findings of this research are unique to China or robust across emerging economies, given different institutional contexts.

Practical implications

Given the critical importance of fostering growth of private enterprise in China, policy makers should be aware of how the attitudes of owner/managers impact on the development of SMEs when developing mechanisms to support them.

Social implications

Citizens in economies which provide sufficient financing and support to entrepreneurial enterprises generally enjoy a higher standard of living than societies which do not.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified need for studying how entrepreneurial firms in emerging economies make the financing decisions necessary to expand and grow.
IPO valuation of entrepreneurial firms in China's new growth enterprise market
Authors: Xu Zhijian , Xu Libo
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study whether there is correlation between valuation in initial public offering (IPO) and board composition, the ownership dispersion of top management teams (TMTs) and their human capitals, in entrepreneurial firms of China's new growth enterprise market (GEM). Also, it aims to evaluate the relative importance of various factors in determining initial public issuing value.

Design/methodology/approach

The SPSS 16.0 statistical package was used to perform the analysis. The authors compute descriptive statistics, calculate correlation coefficients for all variables and use multiple regression analysis test the hypothesis.

Findings

The paper shows that IPO valuation has significant positive correlation with board composition, significant negative correlation with TMT ownership dispersion, but it does not show significant correlation with TMT human capital. The empirical results also show that: the influence of variable “CEO also Founder” on IPO valuation is significant, which indicates that investors are concerned with the leadership of firms in IPO. Also the influence of the variable “underwriter prestige” on IPO valuation is also significant, but weaker, which indicates that investors still keep confidence in the well‐known underwriters for their vision and ability of judging the firms.

Research limitations/implications

Based on the first batch of 28 entrepreneurial firms listed on Chinese GEM, the sample size is relative small. Also, the measure of TMT human capital, defined by the education degree level, is not an accurate rule in this paper.

Originality/value

Focusing on 28 new firms in China's new security market, this paper presents some interesting and new findings, by using data from the first batch of listed companies in China's GEM, which comprises many privately‐owned, high technology and entrepreneurial firms.
The influences of entrepreneurial orientation on product advantage and new product success
Authors: Kam Sing Wong Stanley
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of what makes or breaks a new product by exploring the direct and indirect impacts of the three dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation (EO) – innovativeness, risk taking and proactiveness – on product advantage and new product success (NPS).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the literature reviewed, theoretical relationships among five constructs and relevant hypotheses were developed and subsequently tested using data collected from 244 electronics manufacturers in China.

Findings

The results show that the three dimensions of EO and product advantage are the driving antecedents of NPS. Moreover, it is confirmed that the relationships between the three dimensions of EO and NPS are mediated by product advantage and the relationship between risk taking and product advantage is moderated by innovativeness and proactiveness.

Originality/value

Literature about the interplay among the three dimensions of EO and NPS are often disparate and heterogeneous. The paper overcomes this problem by confirming the relative influences of each of the EO dimensions on NPS, as well as their respective indirect impacts on NPS through the intermediate construct of product advantage. The findings help to enrich our knowledge on EO, particularly on the roles of innovativeness, proactiveness and risk taking in new product development in the electronics manufacturing sector in China.
Student engagement
Authors: Robinson Carol
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider recent developments in student engagement practices within higher education institutions (HEIs) and to reflect upon the practical reality and challenges faced by HEIs as they develop such practices.

Design/methodology/approach

Consideration is given to theoretical understandings around institutional and social power relations and to the influence such relationships can have on the development of student engagement practices within HEIs. The work of Giroux, Freire and Foucault is drawn upon to help develop and deepen understanding of the power relationships at play within HEI student engagement practices.

Findings

It is argued that the power imbalance ingrained within student‐tutor relationships serves to constrain how students act and respond in the presence of tutors, and this can have significant implications in terms of the extent to which student engagement practices genuinely capture the perspectives, interests and visions of students.

Practical implications

Thought needs to be given to how HEIs will balance student engagement with academic work. The historical hierarchical staff‐student relationship will need to be challenged and re‐defined as some staff and students move outside of their comfort zones in order to work as partners and develop mutual understandings around, for example, practices of assessment, curriculum and teaching, and seek to improve the quality of student's HEI experiences.

Originality/value

The paper develops and deepens our understanding of the power relationships at play within HEI student engagement practices and opens up debates about the potential of student engagement practices in HEIs and the related dilemmas which surround the development of such practices.
What makes a good university lecturer? Students’ perceptions of teaching excellence
Authors: Su Feng , Wood Margaret
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue that, in order to achieve teaching excellence, student engagement in dialogue on this important matter is needed. Students’ conceptualisations of good teaching are fundamental when building an understanding of what this is and how it can be developed.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports on findings of a qualitative study of undergraduate students’ perceptions of a good university lecturer. The paper draws on the secondary dataset collected by four subject centres of the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Findings

The interpretive analysis of the data shows that, from students’ perspectives, a combination of the lecturer's subject knowledge, willingness to help and inspirational teaching methods makes a good university lecturer. Being humorous and able to provide speedy feedback were also perceived as important factors. These findings have some important implications for academic practice.

Originality/value

The key thesis advanced is that definitions of teaching excellence cannot be adequately obtained from typologies and descriptions of techniques and skills. The authors’ contention is that deeper understandings are built through engaging students in meaningful dialogue about pedagogy. This may uncover more profound layers of understanding of what makes good teaching at university and so probe the more elusive aspects which defy measurement via scales or performance indicators.
Principles in halal supply chain management
Authors: Tieman Marco , van der Vorst Jack G.A.J. , Che Ghazali Maznah
Published: September 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new framework to optimise the design of halal food supply chains, called the “Halal Supply Chain Model”. In this research the main logistics business processes are defined, which are the determinants for the halal supply chain performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Next to an extensive literature review, a large discussion group and various focus group sessions conducted in Malaysia, The Netherlands and China have been used to identify halal control activities and assurance activities in logistics business processes, with a focus on transportation, warehousing and terminal operations.

Findings

The findings show that product characteristics (bulk versus unitised, ambient versus cool chain) and market requirements (Muslim or non‐Muslim country) determine the supply chain vulnerability to halal contamination, for which halal control activities and assurance activities are put in place to reduce supply chain vulnerability. More empirical research is needed to further refine the Halal Supply Chain Model for different product–market combinations. Second, qualitative research is recommended for halal cosmetics and pharmaceutical supply chains.

Practical implications

This study shows that halal supply chain management is different from conventional supply chain management, which requires a halal policy and specific design parameters for supply chain objectives, logistics control, supply chain network structure, supply chain business processes, supply chain resources and supply chain performance metrics.

Originality/value

The Halal Supply Chain Model can be an important instrument to design and manage halal food supply chains in extending halal integrity from source to point of consumer purchase. As there is an evident lack of academic research in the field of halal supply chain management, it provides an important reference for halal logistics and supply chain management. The large discussion group and focus group sessions resulted in the publication of the International Halal Logistics Standard (IHIAS 0100:2010) by IHI Alliance in 2010.