bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-perceived assessment competencies and practices among university lecturers
Authors: Matovu Musa , Madziah Zubairi Ainol
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the lecturers’ self-perceived competencies and practices in assessing students.

Design/methodology/approach

– An Assessment Practices Inventory Modified was administered to a sample of 329 randomly selected lecturers from six universities in Uganda. Factor analysis and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to address the research questions.

Findings

– The results of factor analysis yielded a factor structure of four variables; design, administration, interpretation, and application. The MANOVA multivariate test results highlighted differences in assessment competencies and practices among lecturers in the different academic levels (Wilks’λ=0.732,F(16, 313)=5.624,p<0.05,η2=0.075), and in the interaction between type of university, specialisations, and academic levels (Roy's largest root=0.073,F(8, 313)=2.543,p<0.05,η2=0.068). The Tukey HSDpost hoctest results revealed that lecturers in the specialisation of education were different from their counterparts in other specialisations, in interpreting assessment results. Academic levels differences existed in all the dependent variables (design, administration, interpretation, and application). No differences existed in assessment competencies and practices between lecturers in the different types of universities.

Originality/value

– Lecturers have been found to differ in their assessment competencies and practices, according to their specialisations and academic levels. It has been recommended in this study, that, assessment training programmes be made mandatory to all lecturers in universities, in order to bridge the gap their competencies and practices in assessing students.
Flights of two female academics’ entry into the profession
Authors: Lemon Narelle , Garvis Susanne
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate what can be learnt about early career researchers through a narrative self-reflection of two academics’ moving towards the end of the early career into middle career stage.

Design/methodology/approach

– The two academics’ share their experiences as self- study reflective inquiries, specifically as a want and need for “more” through this respective involvement in critically thinking about and planning their career trajectory. Using Schwab's (1969) flights from the field as an interpretative tool, this event is the trigger used to story and re-story the personal experience of the academics through a reflective inquiry approach.

Findings

– Looking across the reflective self-studies, the final analysis reveals similarities, differences and tensions of the lived experiences of early career researchers’.

Originality/value

– Through listening to the voices of early career academics insights are gained that highlight the need for active agency in the academy while learning from others to focus on building research profiles.
Pilot project for peer tutoring: a case study in a Portuguese university
Authors: Sofia Coelho Cristina , Pereira Faria Catarina , Oliveira Filipa , Vale Lucas Carla , Vasconcelos Sónia , Soares Luísa
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Tutoring or mentoring is a form of mutual and informal learning which has distant origins. This is a way of sharing knowledge and experience which has been proved to be extremely useful in educational settings, particularly where there is a peer that plays the role of tutor. Despite its informal characteristic, tutoring should be a structured process, with defined goals and clear roles for both: tutors and tutees, those who benefit from tutoring. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– As this paper aims to explore a pilot project, it was used as a reflexive and practical methodology, in a case study, analyzing the number of participants attending the project as well as the contents of the training course.

Findings

– In this first project in a Portuguese university, 35 students attended as candidates to tutor, participating in the training course, showing interest in helping their colleagues.

Originality/value

– This proposal for a tutoring program in a public higher institution aims to train college students to help other colleagues, giving academic support, helping in the adaptation to academic context, promoting autonomy in learning, sharing effective strategies and helping in maintenance of positive interpersonal relationships. These aspects are very important to promote academic success in higher education.
The life cycle approach as an innovative methodology for the recovery and restoration of cultural heritage
Authors: Settembre Blundo Davide , Ferrari Anna Maria , Pini Martina , Riccardi Maria Pia , García José Francisco , Fernández del Hoyo Alfonso Pedro
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– In this paper, of exploratory character, the purpose of this paper is to propose the analysis of the life cycle for assessing the environmental, economic, and social impact in the activity of recovery, restoration, and valorization of Cultural Heritage.

Design/methodology/approach

– The analysis protocol is applied to the case of recovery and restoration processes and then outlining the salient features of what may become a model of Cultural Heritage Life Cycle Management (CH-LCM).

Findings

– The authors propose the approach of the life cycle, normally used to assess the impact of materials, processes or products, to the management of cultural heritage as an innovative methodology with great potential.

Originality/value

– The methodology for this sector is highly innovative, especially in its interdisciplinary approach, through the use of different technical, historical, and economic skills which can provide the tools for the preparation of a management plan according to the logic of the life cycle.
Aligning agendas for sustainable development in the post 2015 world
Authors: Van Oers Ron , Pereira Roders Ana
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper is an editorial to JCHMSD's Volume 4 Issue 2 and its selection of papers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper presents some of the ongoing discussions at the international level on the establishment of new United Nations global objectives for development, known as the Sustainable Development Goals, which should guide progress in the world for the next 15 years. Two agendas for wise heritage management are discussed, one for the protection of nature and the other for better use of culture, which taken together could make a significant difference in stewarding the world's precious resources.

Findings

– While the previous Millennium Development Goals, established in 2000 as a set of eight goals with 19 targets, have been criticised as too broad, the current proposed Sustainable Development Goals, containing 17 goals and 169 targets to measure progress, are perhaps too many and too detailed and thereby risk failure of implementation. It also illustrates the ambition and the challenges of a pluralistic world with widely divergent priorities, reinforcing the idea of context-specificity of heritage conservation and resources management.

Originality/value

– This editorial further extends on the discussion that was started in the inaugural Editorial, of 2011, which stated that “the international debate is expected to intensify as regards a re-orientation of the concept of sustainability and to re-emphasise its meaning in clear and unambiguous terms” (JCHMSD, 1.1:9).
Lease accounting trouble looms for corporate real estate management
Authors: Baltussen Sjuul , Schelle Tim , Appel-Meulenbroek Rianne , van Egmond Berend , Hesselink Matthijs , van Leersum Leon
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate what impact International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) lease accounting changes might have on corporate real estate (CRE) strategies, and what the consequences for future corporate real estate portfolio decisions might be.

Design/methodology/approach

– A macro-analysis based on the constructive capitalization method of Imhoffet al.(1991) is used to determine the potential impact of IFRS lease accounting changes on Amsterdam Exchange Index (AEX) listed corporations. In addition, a series of interviews were held with CRE executives to discuss this impact and with CRE and IFRS experts for general insight.

Findings

– The impact of IFRS lease accounting seems less severe than expected. Notwithstanding, it could form a serious bottleneck for CRE departments that do not operate on a strategic level. Therefore, IFRS lease accounting changes might act as a catalyst for the professionalization of corporate real estate management departments.

Practical implications

– The paper provides CRE managers with a manageable insight to alter CRE decision-making processes in relation to IFRS lease accounting. The sample size was too small to make a distinction between different industries.

Originality/value

– Past research showed that accounting is a potential variable in CRE decision-making, but did not yet clarify the possible impact of IFRS lease accounting on CRE strategies and the relating CRE operating decisions. Besides that, this paper also provides insight for options to cope with the (possibly severe) implications.
Knowledge fixation and accretion: longitudinal analysis of a social question-answering site
Authors: Matthews Paul
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate longitudinal features of an established social question-answering (Q&A) site to study how question-answer resources and other community features change over time.

Design/methodology/approach

– Statistical analysis and visualisation was performed on the full data dump from the Stack Overflow social Q&A site for programmers.

Findings

– The timing of answers is as strong a predictor of acceptance – a proxy for user satisfaction – as the structural features of provided answers sometimes associated with quality. While many questions and answer exchanges are short-lived, there is a small yet interesting subset of questions where new answers receive community approval and which may end up being ranked more highly than early answers.

Research limitations/implications

– As a large-scale data oriented research study, this work says little about user motivations to find and contribute new knowledge to old questions or about the impact of the resource on the consumer. This will require complementary studies using qualitative and evaluative methods.

Practical implications

– While content contribution to social question-asking is largely undertaken within a very short time frame, content consumption is usually over far longer periods. Methods and incentives by which content can be updated and maintained need to be considered. This work should be of interest to knowledge exchange community designers and managers.

Originality/value

– Few studies have looked at temporal patterns in social Q&A and how time and the moderation and voting systems employed may shape resource quality.
Enhancing social tagging with automated keywords from the Dewey Decimal Classification
Authors: Golub Koraljka , Lykke Marianne , Tudhope Douglas
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential of applying the Dewey Decimal Classification (DDC) as an established knowledge organization system (KOS) for enhancing social tagging, with the ultimate purpose of improving subject indexing and information retrieval.

Design/methodology/approach

– Over 11,000 Intute metadata records in politics were used. Totally, 28 politics students were each given four tasks, in which a total of 60 resources were tagged in two different configurations, one with uncontrolled social tags only and another with uncontrolled social tags as well as suggestions from a controlled vocabulary. The controlled vocabulary was DDC comprising also mappings from the Library of Congress Subject Headings.

Findings

– The results demonstrate the importance of controlled vocabulary suggestions for indexing and retrieval: to help produce ideas of which tags to use, to make it easier to find focus for the tagging, to ensure consistency and to increase the number of access points in retrieval. The value and usefulness of the suggestions proved to be dependent on the quality of the suggestions, both as to conceptual relevance to the user and as to appropriateness of the terminology.

Originality/value

– No research has investigated the enhancement of social tagging with suggestions from the DDC, an established KOS, in a user trial, comparing social tagging only and social tagging enhanced with the suggestions. This paper is a final reflection on all aspects of the study.
Perceived outcomes of public libraries in Finland, Norway and the Netherlands
Authors: Vakkari Pertti , Aabø Svanhild , Audunson Ragnar , Huysmans Frank , Oomes Marjolein
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to compare the perceived benefits of public libraries and their structure in the major areas of life between Finland, Norway and the Netherlands.

Design/methodology/approach

– The data were based on representative samples of Finnish, Norwegian and Dutch adult library users. In Finland a mail survey was used and in Norway and the Netherlands web surveys were used for data collection. The distribution of the proportion of those benefiting from the library in various areas of life at least sometimes was compared across countries. The structure of benefits was compared across countries by factor analysis.

Findings

– The results showed that the level of the nineteen benefits observed was considerably higher, and the range of benefits remarkably broader in Finland compared to Norway and the Netherlands. It is likely that the greater supply of library services in Finland compared to the other two countries explains the differences in benefits derived from the public library. The study validated the measurement instrument for the perceived overall outcomes of public libraries.

Research limitations/implications

– Comparing only three countries is too limited for producing valid results on the relations between the supply of library services and their use and the benefits derived from that use. Analyzing these associations in a larger sample of countries would create reliable results also for policy making.

Practical implications

– The policy implications of these findings are discussed.

Originality/value

– This is the first across-country comparison observing perceived benefits of public libraries across major areas of life.
Applying an information-seeking dialogue model in an interactive information retrieval system
Authors: (Jenny) Yuan Xiaojun , J. Belkin Nicholas
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– People often engage in different information-seeking strategies (ISSs) within a single information-seeking episode. A critical concern for the design of information retrieval (IR) systems is how to provide support for these different behaviors in a manner which searchers can easily understand, navigate and use, as they move from one ISS to another. The purpose of this paper is to describe a dialogue structure that was implemented in an experimental IR system, in order to address this concern.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted a user-centered experiment to evaluate the IR systems. Participants were asked to search for information on two different task types, with four different topics per task, in both the experimental system and a baseline system emulating state-of-the-art IR systems. The authors report here the results related explicitly to the use of the experimental system's dialogue structure.

Findings

– For one of the task types, most participants followed the search steps as predicted in the dialogue structures, and those who did so completed the task in fewer moves. For the other task type, predicted order of moves was often not followed, but participants again used fewer moves when following the predicted order. Results demonstrate that the dialogue structures the authors designed indeed support effective human information behavior patterns in a variety of ways, and that searchers can effectively use a system which changes to support different ISSs.

Originality/value

– This study shows that it is both possible and beneficial, to design an IR system which can support multiple ISSs, and that such a system can be understood and used successfully.
An evaluation of the practice based approach to understanding the adoption and use of information systems
Authors: Rivera Gibran , Cox Andrew
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the value and limitations of a practice-based approach (PBA) to studying the adoption and use of information systems, through a summary of the theory and exploration of empirical data about the use of collaborative software.

Design/methodology/approach

– A selection of theoretical resources from the practice-based approach, namely, its view of routine and change, socio-materiality, relational thinking and knowing are introduced. They are employed to analyse the adoption of a collaborative technology in a corporate setting. The empirical data is 30 interviews with human resource (HR) professionals involved in a project in a large Mexican University.

Findings

– The adoption and use of the collaborative technology is shaped by collective, historical, social and contextual factors that permeate the HR practices being supported by the information system. Among the factors that shaped participation are the interconnection of HR practices to other practices of the University; the existence of habits and the sense of routinisation reflected in HR practitioners’ patterns of interaction and media use; the concern of practitioners that participation in the community did not fit the way HR practices are performed; and the political manoeuvring taking place between actors to persuade potential users to participate in the community.

Research limitations/implications

– The strength of the analysis using key tenets from a PBA is to deepen our understanding of context as shaped by collective and historical conditions. The sociology of translation can be used to further increase understanding of the political process around the adoption of the collaborative technology. Remaining issues point to a major issue with the theoretical resources from the PBA used in this study, namely the adequacy of its treatment of structural power.

Originality/value

– The paper reports research of significance to those interested in information systems by providing an alternative perspective that sheds light on contextual, social and historical factors affecting the adoption and use of information technologies. The paper is also valuable in suggesting how the PBA can benefit from Actor-Network Theory (ANT). This will be relevant to the field of praxeological studies.
Trails across the heterogeneous information environment
Authors: Kumpulainen Sanna
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to aim at modelling the trails, which are search patterns with several search systems across the heterogeneous information environment. In addition, the author seeks to examine what kinds of trails occur in routine, semi-complex and complex tasks, and what barrier types occur during the trail-blazing.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author used qualitative task-based approach with shadowing of six molecular medicine researchers during six months, and collected their web interaction logs. Data triangulation made this kind of detailed search system integration analysis possible.

Findings

– Five trail patterns emerged: branches, chains, lists, singles and berrypicking trails. The berrypicking was typical to complex work tasks, whereas the branches were common in routine work tasks. Singles and lists were employed typically in semi-complex tasks. In all kinds of trails, the barriers occurred often during the interaction with a single system, but there was a considerable number of barriers with the malfunctioning system integration, and lacking integration features. The findings propose that the trails could be used to reduce the amount of laborious manual system integration, and that there is a need for support to explorative search process in berrypicking trails.

Originality/value

– Research of information behaviour yielding to different types of search patters with several search systems during real-world work task performance in molecular medicine have not been published previously. The author presents a task-based approach how to model search behaviour patterns. The author discusses the issue of system integration, which is a great challenge in biomedical domain, from the viewpoints of information studies and search behaviour.
Marginalia as message: affordances for reader-to-reader communication
Authors: Fajkovic Muhamed , Björneborn Lennart
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate readers’ annotations in library books and attitudes towards marginalia among library users. In particular, the study discusses how marginalia function as reader-to-reader communication.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study used data collected from both public library and university library collections, as well as a user survey conducted among library users. The empirical results are discussed in relation to theories of affordances, in order to understand what characterizes the socio-physical realm within which marginalia exist (RQ1), and what specific conditions make marginalia possible as a communicative act between readers (RQ2).

Findings

– The study suggests that marginalia in library books are mainly by-products of reading/studying processes. The user survey depicts an overall picture of ambiguous attitudes towards marginalia. It is argued that marginalia seen as communication rely heavily on the proximity of the context and the permanence of the physical medium. Three distinctive categories are proposed for classifying marginalia according to their relationship with the text: embedded; evaluative; extratextual. In spite of being an often unwanted communication, marginalia thus still function as an additional layer to the main message of the primary text.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings are indicative pointing to follow-up studies that may further validate them. The study contributes to a referential frame for future studies on the subject.

Originality/value

– The study addresses factual and communicative aspects of marginalia less covered in previous research, thus providing a basis for further research also in relation to designing affordances for annotations in e-books.
Exploring the commercial value of social networks
Authors: Chen Hsin , Papazafeiropoulou Anastasia , Chen Ta-Kang , Duan Yanqing , Liu Hsiu-Wen
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand the factors which impact upon the consumers’ willingness to utilise company Facebook pages and e-word-of mouth by proposing and testing a conceptual framework which is inspired by theories in marketing and information systems fields. The authors believe that only by applying both theories will provide a more complete understanding of the relationship between brand experience and Facebook. The research model attempts to illustrate the factors according to customers’ intrinsic and extrinsic motivations and their impact on brand experience, brand Facebook page loyalty and e-word-of-mouth (E-WOM).

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors adopted an online survey method for data collection. The subjects the authors used were Facebook users. The data were collected in Taiwan over spring 2011. The authors then used the structural equation model to analyse the data collected.

Findings

– The findings suggest that users are influenced by the technical characterises of a brand Facebook page, such as ease of use and usefulness, which might be combated by attempting to reduce customer effort when accessing Facebook pages. The authors conclude that customer effort influenced brand experience and consequently loyalty to brand Facebook pages and E-WOM.

Research limitations/implications

– The limitations of this study relate to the investigation of consumer perspectives in a specific geographical context and time frame.

Originality/value

– The study's contributions are both theoretical and practical, as it offers new insights into brand experience attitudes in an online environment and useful insights to companies willing to market themselves on Facebook.
A typology of personal factor attributes among shoppers
Authors: Teng Wong Yue , Osman Syuhaily , Said Aini , Paim Laily
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to derive a comprehensive model with integrated dimensions of trait constructs to understand the shoppers’ dispositional traits in consumption. This study endeavors to gain empirical validation of a motivational network of shoppers’ traits in consumption as well as to ascertain different shoppers’ typology from the configurations of personal factor attributes.

Design/methodology/approach

– Store-intercept method was used to collect data from a sample of 600 apparel adult shoppers at five shopping malls in Klang Valley, Malaysia. The factor structure of personal factors was achieved using confirmatory factory analysis. The hierarchical and non-hierarchical cluster analysis was employed to develop the shoppers’ typology.

Findings

– A relatively good fit in confirmatory factor analysis validates the applicability of the conceptualized personal factor attributes measurement model. The constitution of personal factor attributes results in three shoppers typology of Confident, Enthusiastic Shoppers; Moderate, Pragmatic Shoppers and Self-Confined, Apathetic Shoppers.

Practical implications

– The study provides an understanding of the personal attribute factors and disseminates insightful information about profile of shoppers’ typology. Accordingly, the implementation of the strategy which involving the personality and psychological desires of the consumers, is now possible.

Originality/value

– This paper stipulates new insights to discern other dimensions in personality traits to examine the personal factor attributes, by considering the elemental traits, compound traits, situational traits and surface traits in a holistic manner. The findings of this study advance the knowledge on personal factor attributes that shape shopping behavior along with practical applications.
India, the next China? Analysis of the unique firm resources claimed by Indian apparel export firms
Authors: Das Debanjan , E. Ha-Brookshire Jung
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the unique resources that Indian apparel exporting firms claim to have and the key resources that help provide competitive advantage to these firms.

Design/methodology/approach

– A web-based content analysis of texts available on “About Us” or related sections of the Indian export firms was conducted. Text data were coded and interpreted.

Findings

– Physical resources seemed to be one of the most critical resources for their competitive advantages for the study samples. The ability to provide affordable and competitive prices for their products and experience in exporting were recognized as important firm resource described by the study samples.

Research limitations/implications

– The study results supported the resource-based theory of the firm by showing additional key firm resources, such as ability to maintain domestic operations and to provide competitive prices that Indian apparel exporters claimed to have. Generalizability of the results is cautioned due to the content and analysis mode of the study data.

Practical implications

– The results indicate that design capabilities, flexible production systems, and skilled labor are the key resources that provide Indian apparel industry the competitive advantage over its competitors. Therefore, Indian apparel exporters may want to continue to strengthen and emphasize these abilities to foreign buyers to complete in the global marketplace.

Originality/value

– Given the importance of Indian apparel industry in the global market place, this study builds a knowledge base of the key resources possessed by the Indian apparel export firms.
Meeting the rationale of deposit protection system
Authors: Kleftouri Nikoletta
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the full potential of an effective deposit insurance system. The current financial crisis in Europe has arguably casted fresh doubt on the role and need for deposit insurance. In this regard, the deposit insurance system’s rationale is a key starting issue in order to fully understand its design and role within a financial safety net system.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using the UK regulatory regime as the main reference point, the deposit insurance system’s objectives are divided into two broad categories: depositor protection and financial stability.

Findings

– It is argued that a deposit insurance system could only be effective if designed to perform key regulatory objectives. Otherwise, authorities will keep resorting to other rescue measures, as this system will never be well equipped to respond to a bank failure.

Practical implications

– Notwithstanding recent regulatory reforms, there is still a lack of clear objectives and, thus, a clear profile for the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, as the UK deposit compensation scheme. In light of systemic risk and increased demands on prudential banking regulation, the UK deposit insurance system should be reformed to perform significant regulatory objectives.

Social implications

– The further reform of the UK deposit insurance will enhance depositor protection and financial stability, especially amid the euro-crisis.

Originality/value

– An effective reform of deposit insurance requires a clear role-setting for deposit insurance. To this end, this paper offers a comprehensive analysis of all regulatory objectives that the post-crisis UK deposit insurance system should serve.
Analyzing Russian compliance with anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, insider trading and anti-corruption laws
Authors: Shalimova Maria
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is provide a critical overview of compliance with anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, insider trading and anti-corruption laws in Russia.

Design/methodology/approach

– The mixed approach for this article will be used with some elements of grounded theory. The method used includes the following: observations, various interviews and analysis of legal documents and other primary sources.

Findings

– Russian regulatory compliance has a tremendous pressure and significant challenges for both regulators and regulated banks and organizations. It is a moment when Russia could become a more developed country and play a bigger role in international arena or come back to the past time.

Originality/value

– The article is based on my practical experience and PhD research observations.
Compliance with Basel 2.5: banks’ approaches to implementing stressed VaR
Authors: Prorokowski Lukasz , Prorokowski Hubert
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to outline how banks are coping with the new regulatory challenges posed by stressed value at risk (SVaR). The Basel Committee has introduced three measures of capital charges for market risk: incremental risk charge (IRC), SVaR and comprehensive risk measure (CRM). This paper is designed to analyse the methodologies for SVaR deployed at different banks to highlight the SVaR-related challenges stemming from complying with Basel 2.5. This revised market risk framework comes into force in Europe in 2012. Among the wide range of changes is the requirement for banks to calculate SVaR at a 99 per cent confidence interval over a period of significant stress.

Design/methodology/approach

– The current research project is based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with nine universal banks and one financial services company to explore the strides major banks are taking to implement SVaR methodologies while complying with Basel 2.5.

Findings

– This paper focuses on strengths and weaknesses of the SVaR approach while reviewing peer practices of implementing SVaR modelling. Interestingly, the surveyed banks have not indicated significant challenges associated with implementation of SVaR, and the reported problems boil down to dealing with the poor quality of market data and, as in cases of IRC and CRM, the lack of regulatory guidance. As far as peer practices of implementing SVaR modelling are concerned, the majority of the surveyed banks utilise historical simulations and apply both the absolute and relative measures of volatility for different risk factors.

Originality/value

– The academic studies that explicitly analyse challenges associated with implementing the stressed version of VaR are scarce. Filling in the gap in the existing academic literature, this paper aims to shed some explanatory light on the issues major banks are facing when calculating SVaR. In doing so, this study adequately bridges theory and practice by contributing to the fierce debate on compliance with Basel 2.5.
Improving post-assignment behavioral outcomes of expatriates
Authors: Jayasekara Padmini , Takahashi Yoshi
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between pre-departure human resource management practices (HRMPs) and post-assignment behavioral outcomes (PABOs) among Sri Lankan expatriates.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study focuses on three research questions, namely, first, whether individual HRMPs reinforce desirable PABO consequences, second, whether this relationship would be strengthened when HRMPs are bundled together, and third, whether the purpose of an expatriate’s international assignment would affect the strength of the relationship between HRMPs and PABOs. A questionnaire method was employed to survey Sri Lankan repatriates, and 155 responses were analyzed using a hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

– The authors found that two HRMP types, namely, preparation and selection, significantly influenced job commitment, organizational commitment, and retention, both individually and when bundled. Practices such as recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and compensation, bundled with others, improved job and organizational commitment but not retention. Further, the specific task assigned to the expatriate affected the interaction between the HRMPs and their PABOs except retention.

Practical implications

– As bundled HRMPs influence job and organizational commitment, organizations should attempt to combine several HRMPs. However, there may be a need to customize HRMPs to improving retention and address the development-driven purpose of assignments.

Originality/value

– This study is amongst the first in the Sri Lankan context to emphasize the necessity of proactively managing expatriates’ PABOs before they relocate, using system and contingency approaches.
A perspective-taking model for global assignments
Authors: Hyung Park Joon , Lea Abbott Je’Anna , Werner Steve
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a model that explains how proactive cognitive processes, such as perspective-taking, relates to expatriates’ effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

– This conceptual paper presents the model that is based on the perspective-taking models developed by Parkeret al.(2008) and applies them to the expatriate context.

Findings

– The authors present a framework that delineates how the perspective-taking process leads to an expatriate’s effectiveness. The authors provide propositions about which factors motivate expatriates to engage in perspective-taking and which factors influence higher accuracy of understanding of the host country nationals’ (HCN) perspective.

Practical implications

– Guidance is provided for the training of expatriate to develop perspective-taking.

Originality/value

– The paper expands the expatriate research by incorporating the perspective-taking model to identify which factors may motivate expatriates to see the HCN view point. Also, the paper contributes to the literature by identifying how resources such as expatriates’ psychological capital may promote the degree of accuracy or comprehension with respect to the HCN thoughts and feelings.
The job demands-resources model and the international work context – a systematic review
Authors: T.B. Rattrie Lucy , G. Kittler Markus
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a synthesis and evaluation of literature surrounding the job demands-resources (JD-R) model (Demeroutiet al., 2001) in the first decade since its inception, with particular emphasis on establishing an evidence-based universal application towards different national and international work contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses a systematic review approach following the stages suggested by Tranfieldet al.(2003). Based on empirical data from 62 studies, the authors systematically analyse the application of the JD-R model and queries whether it is applicable outside merely domestic work contexts.

Findings

– The authors find convincing support for the JD-R model in different national contexts. However, the authors also found an absence of studies employing the JD-R model in cross-national settings. None of the empirical studies in the sample had explicitly considered the international context of today’s work environment or had clearly associated JD-R research with the IHRM literature.

Research limitations/implications

– Based on the wide acceptance of the JD-R model in domestic work contexts and the increased interest in work-related outcomes such as burnout and engagement in the IHRM literature, the study identifies a gap and suggests future research applying the JD-R model to international work and global mobility contexts.

Originality/value

– This study is the first to systematically assess the application of the JD-R model in domestic and international work contexts based on a systematic review of empirical literature in the first decade since the inception of the model. The study identifies a lack of internationally focussed JD-R studies and invites further empirical research and theoretical extensions.
Women and international assignments
Authors: Salamin Xavier , Hanappi Doris
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Research on female expatriates has been substantially growing over the last decades and particularly in more recent years. Complementing previous thematic analyses of the literature, the purpose of this paper is to apply textual statistics and correspondence analysis to reveal the existing semantic structure of the field of research on female expatriates.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using correspondence analysis, the authors explored textual data from the abstracts of 151 identified journal articles published in English since 1975. The authors obtained a graphical representation showing the various developmental stages of research on female expatriates.

Findings

– The authors found that research follows a home-host country orientation and advances from an organizational focus toward individual-level studies. The authors identified various directions for future research and especially a strong need for more multilevel approaches to study men’s and women’s expatriate experiences and trajectories in various contexts.

Research limitations/implications

– Only articles with abstracts entered the analysis, which in turn was dependent on the content and quality of these abstracts. This limitation has been addressed by thoroughly reading each article considered.

Originality/value

– This review adopts an original method in research on (female) expatriates and more broadly management research. It enabled the authors to map out the development of key research themes over time. Based on this analysis, gaps in current research could be identified and clear directions for future research were formulated.
An agent-based model for resource allocation during relief distribution
Authors: Das Rubel , Hanaoka Shinya
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose a model for allocating resources in various zones after a large-scale disaster. This study is motivated by the social dissatisfaction caused by inefficient relief distribution.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study introduces an agent-based model (ABM) framework for integrating stakeholders’ interests. The proposed model uses the TOPSIS method to create a hierarchy of demand points for qualitative and quantitative parameters. A decomposition algorithm has been proposed to solve fleet allocation.

Findings

– Relief distribution based on the urgency of demand points increases social benefit. A decomposition approach generates higher social benefit than the enumeration approach. The transportation cost is lower in the enumeration approach.

Research limitations/implications

– This study does not consider fleet contracts explicitly, but rather assumes a linear cost function for computing transportation costs.

Practical implications

– The outcomes of this study can be a valuable tool for relief distribution planning. This model may also help reduce the social dissatisfaction caused by ad hoc relief distribution.

Originality/value

– This study introduces an ABM for humanitarian logistics, proposes a decomposition approach, and explores the ontology of stakeholders of humanitarian logistics specific to last-mile distribution.
Professional autonomy under pressure: towards a dialectical approach
Authors: Andri Maria , Kyriakidou Olivia
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the process of evolution of medical autonomy as an analytic and historical aspect of the medical work organization in a public bureaucracy.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors draw on the analytic concept of organizational contradictions (Heydebrand, 1977) to inform a dialectical approach in organizational analysis. Semi-structured interviews with 20 doctors of a Greek general public hospital were conducted and archival data were collected.

Findings

– The findings suggest that the historical development of two contradictions characterize the process of medical autonomy evolution. The first contradiction tends to develop between medical autonomy, as a self-control relation, and the established division of labour through which bureaucratic control is exercised over the allocation of resources and over the distribution of healthcare service. The second contradiction tends to develop between those reified aspects of the medical work organization and the ongoing organizing activity, i.e. activity towards extending, intensifying and centralizing organizational control over labour, resources and the distribution of healthcare services. These contradictions indicate a pressure towards constraining health professionals’ power to self-define their relationship with patients and towards curtailing their discretionary domain over the use of resources.

Originality/value

– This paper offers an empirical approach to materialist dialectics for organizational analysis towards conceptualizing change as a historical process.
Ageing at home? Meeting housing, health and social needs
Authors: Stewart Jill , Crockett Rachel , Gritton Jim , Stubbs Brendon , Pascoe Ann
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to consolidate the range of issues relevant to owner occupiers who age in place and to offer an initial overview of how effective partnerships can respond to and meet the changing needs of housing, health and social care of our ageing population.

Design/methodology/approach

– Issues affecting older people's changing needs are considered holistically and considered in terms of how partnerships can be enhanced to develop improved services in the future.

Findings

– Most owners wish to stay in their own homes for as long as possible and it can be cost-effective to do so; however, we need to look at new and innovative ways of developing and providing front-line services to enhance health and safety in the home, but also quality of life and wellbeing such as combating loneliness and isolation. However, although there are examples of evidence-based good practice, service provision is variable and there is a risk that many older home owners may miss out on services for which they may are eligible. With this in mind, it may be helpful to develop a new framework where one key practitioner holds responsibility to consolidate and coordinate the range of local services available as a package that offers a range of housing, health and social care services.

Originality/value

– There are currently many policy and practice gaps in older owner occupier's housing conditions and suitability to meet their changing needs. This paper has a particular starting point in housing, and how other personal or technological services can help support independence for as long as possible and adapt to the owner-occupier's changing health and social care needs as they age in place. The authors emphasise the importance of sharing evidence-based good practice partnerships.
CMHTs for older people: team managers’ views surveyed
Authors: Abendstern Michele , Brand Christian , Harrington Val , Jasper Rowan , Tucker Sue , Wilberforce Mark , Challis David
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify features of community mental health teams (CMHTs) for older people valued by their managers, and those they would most like to change.

Design/methodology/approach

– Content analysis was used to analyse “free text” responses to open questions from a national survey about CMHTs’ organisational structures and processes. Responses were sorted into statements which were categorised into content areas and higher level dimensions.

Findings

– Free text information was provided by 376 teams (an 88 per cent response rate). Eight higher level dimensions were identified. One related specifically to integration with social care services, whilst several more included material about other aspects of intra-team integration (e.g. documentation and location). The largest proportion of statements related to staffing and teamwork. Statements about inter-personal and inter-professional issues were largely positive, whilst statements about resources, bureaucracy and integration with social care services typically detailed desired changes.

Practical implications

– Four key issues emerged comprising a high level of support from managers to develop integrated practices; a need to define the focus of CMHTs for older people and to be fully resourced; and the importance of a nurturing and supportive team environment.

Originality/value

– The methodology provides a bridge between qualitative and quantitative research, exploring the volume of statements on particular topics and their meaning.