bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drawing the line between targeting and patronizing: how “vulnerable” are the vulnerable?
Authors: Wolburg Joyce M.
Published: September 2005

Purpose

This article aims to address the nature of vulnerability and the basis for protecting certain audiences from targeted goods and services. It aims to evaluate the need for protection as well as marketers' defense that protection merely patronizes audiences.

Design/methodology/approach

This article cites published research that offers guidelines for determining vulnerability in the marketplace and examines conclusions from a case study that argue for holding companies to have standards of both individual and collective responsibility.

Findings

Categories of vulnerability are offered, and distinctions are drawn between the vulnerable and the disadvantaged to provide a rationale for deciding when some form of protection is needed. Arguments are given for addressing both individual and collective responsibility in order to determine whether charges of misplaced marketing are justified.

Practical implications

Marketers can gain better knowledge of targeting potentially vulnerable audiences and can better predict the likelihood of public outcry.

Originality/value

Questioning the issues helps key players including marketers, consumers, and members of regulatory bodies balance conflicting needs within society.
The impact of perceived justice on consumers' emotional responses to service complaint experiences
Authors: Schoefer Klaus , Ennew Christine
Published: September 2005

Purpose

Emotional responses to complaint experiences have received limited research interest. The current paper seeks to address this gap by considering the role of perceived justice in the elicitation of differential emotions following complaint‐handling experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

Service scenario scripts were devised to depict a complaint‐handling encounter in relation to holiday check‐in arrangements. The scripts, which varied in terms of levels of interactional, procedural and distributive justice, were presented to a total of 384 respondents. Respondents were asked to imagine themselves as the person in the scenario and to indicate the extent to which different emotional adjectives described their reaction to the complaint‐handling encounter.

Findings

Analyses of variance (ANOVA) revealed that perceived justice evaluations were predictive of the type of emotion (i.e. positive or negative) elicited.

Research limitations/implications

Existing theoretical frameworks focus primarily on cognitive evaluations of perceived justice associated with the complaint‐handling encounter; the findings of the current study suggest that a cognitive appraisal of perceived justice may also elicit an emotional response, which in turn is expected to impact on satisfaction with complaint handling.

Practical implications

With a better understanding of the nature and causes of the emotions experienced by customers during service recovery, it should be possible to implement and manage recovery systems that are designed to elicit strongly positive evaluative judgements from consumers.

Originality/value

Demonstrates that different degrees of justice during service recovery will impact on consumers' emotional states.
The impact of choice on fairness in the context of service recovery
Authors: Mattila Anna S. , Cranage David
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The paper proposes introducing a new antecedent to service recovery – that is customers' choice over some components of the service delivery process. The authors also examined the interactive effects of tangible compensation and apology on perceived fairness in a context of restaurant services.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2 (choice) × 2 (compensation) × 2 (apology) between‐subjects design was used to test the hypotheses. Subjects were exposed to a written scenario describing a restaurant experience. A total of 280 undergraduate students served as the subject pool.

Findings

The study results indicate that choice, compensation and apology jointly influence customers' perceptions of informational fairness. The combined effects of apology and compensation were observed for interactional fairness, whereas only main effects were found for distributive justice. Finally, the findings suggest that the four facets of justice (distributive, procedural, interactive, and informational) are highly linked to post‐recovery satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

Several limitations regarding this research should be kept in mind. First, students served as the sample pool for this investigation. Although the choice of students somewhat limits the generalizability of the results, the behaviors and responses of students and other market segments are likely to be more similar than different in service recovery incidents. Second, the manipulations involved absence and presence of three service recovery attributes (choice/no choice; compensation/no compensation, and apology/no apology). Consequently, different levels of these attributes might produce differential responses.

Practical implications

The findings of this study highlight the benefits of a proactive management of the service recovery process.

Originality/value

This research sheds some light on the role of choice in customer perceptions of service recovery processes. It also introduces a fourth dimension of justice – informational justice – to the service recovery literature.
Business (not) as usual: crisis management, service recovery and the vulnerability of organisations
Authors: Smith Denis
Published: September 2005

Purpose

This paper is concerned with an exploration of crises within the service sector. The paper proposes setting out a thesis that places “management”, as both a function and a process, at the centre of crisis generation and response rather than simply in terms of “continuity management” or service recovery. The paper argues that the nature of interactions within a service sector context generates significant problems of emergence that, in turn, create vulnerability within organisations. The paper aims to conclude by offering suggestions regarding the various points of intervention that are available to organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explores the nature of crisis with particular reference to the service industries. The paper is conceptual in its scope, although it draws on a number of research‐ and consultancy‐based investigations.

Findings

This paper has sought to identify three of the key elements of the crisis management literature: namely vulnerability, emergence and the barriers to learning. Each of these offers quite fundamental challenges to the practice of service recovery by highlighting the need to address both the prevention and response dynamics of the crisis process. The paper outlines the theoretical aspects of failure and outlines the process of vulnerable pathways within organisations.

Research limitations/implications

The conceptual framework needs to be applied to specific cases of crisis in order to validate the framework.

Practical implications

The interdisciplinary approach seeks to outline key issues facing practitioners around the development of contingency plans and the limitations that such plans have embedded within them.

Originality/value

The paper seeks to develop understanding of the nature of vulnerability within organisations and outlines a conceptual framework for the analysis of escalation within organisations.
When service failure is not service failure: an exploration of the forms and motives of “illegitimate” customer complaining
Authors: Reynolds Kate L. , Harris Lloyd C.
Published: September 2005

Purpose

Proposes responding to earlier calls for further research into “fraudulent” or “feigned” customer complaints, and providing insights which explore and describe the motivations and forms of such deliberate “illegitimate” customer complaints.

Design/methodology/approach

Critical incident technique was utilized in analyzing 104 interviews with customers who had knowingly made an illegitimate complaint within the six months prior to the interview. Data collection stopped at the point of theoretical saturation and was subsequently analyzed according to the coding procedures advocated by Strauss and Corbin (open, axial and selective coding).

Findings

Two key insights emerged from data analysis. First, coding procedures revealed four distinct forms of customer complainants. These are labeled; “one‐off complainants”, “opportunistic complainants”, “conditioned complainants”, and “professional complainants”. Second, six main motives for articulating fraudulent complaints were uncovered during data analysis. These are termed; “freeloaders”, “fraudulent returners”, “fault transferors”, “solitary ego gains”, “peer‐induced esteem seekers”, and “disruptive gains”.

Research limitations/implications

The study is constrained by its exploratory design and qualitative methods employed. Subsequently, future studies could employ survey methods to improve empirical generalizability. Future studies could adopt a more inclusive approach and incorporate insights from employees, managers, and other relevant actors within service encounters.

Practical implications

Practical implications highlighted by the study include a need for businesses to examine and, in many cases, reevaluate their personnel training, customer complaint and service recovery procedures. Furthermore, managers may wish to enforce mechanisms wherein customer complaints are monitored and tracked in a manner that assists in the identification and challenging of re‐offending fraudulent complainers.

Originality/value

The study constitutes the first systematic attempt to explore and describe illegitimate customer complaining behaviors.
Organizational citizenship behavior in school
Authors: Bogler Ronit , Somech Anit
Published: September 2005

Purpose

Organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) has received much attention in the past decade as scholars have recognized its significant impact on the success of organizations. The current study seeks to enrich our understanding of citizenship behavior in the school setting by identifying the main factors that may enhance this behavior among teachers.

Design/methodology/approach

Specifically, the paper examines the direct effect of teachers' participation in decision making (PDM) on their OCB, and the impact of teacher empowerment, as a mediating variable, on this relationship. Data were collected from 983 teachers in 25 junior and 27 senior high schools in Israel.

Findings

Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that teacher empowerment played an important role in mediating the relationship between teachers' PDM and OCB. Involvement in decision‐making processes induces teachers to take on new roles and have a more direct impact on school life, which in turn might lead them to invest extra efforts in achieving school objectives. Principals and school administrators should acknowledge the importance of empowerment to teachers, and involve teachers in decision making within the managerial arena too.

Originality/value

The results of the study contribute to our understanding of the way PDM and OCB interact in schools, and the importance of teachers' sense of empowerment in explaining this relationship. Future research should further investigate the organizational citizenship within schools as little research has been conducted to date.
The roles of collective efficacy of teachers and fiscal efficiency in student achievement
Authors: Cybulski Timothy G. , Hoy Wayne K. , Sweetland Scott R.
Published: September 2005

Purpose

Public schools in the USA face increased pressures for more accountability and improved performance. The objective of this study was to wed two previously separated theoretical strands of educational research – economic theory and organizational theory – by using variables from each theory base to develop, compare, and test a series of explanatory models of student achievement.

Design/methodology/approach

A diverse set of schools was provided by 146 elementary schools in Ohio. Teachers in sample schools provided data on the collective efficacy of their schools and the Ohio Department of Education supplied demographic and achievement data. An ex post facto design was used to test a theoretical set of hypotheses and several structural models. Data were collected from the teachers in each school during regularly scheduled faculty meetings and analyzed using correlation analysis and structural equation modeling.

Findings

Collective efficacy of teachers in these elementary schools had a positive direct effect on student reading and mathematics achievement, even when controlling for SES and prior achievement; however, school efficiency was unrelated to both collective efficacy of teachers and student achievement.

Originality/value

This study weds two previously separated theoretical strands of educational research – economic theory and organizational theory – by using variables from each theory base to develop, compare, and test a series of explanatory models of student achievement.
Teacher team commitment, teamwork and trust: exploring associations
Authors: Park Sungmin , Henkin Alan B. , Egley Robert
Published: September 2005

Purpose

To investigate relationships between teamwork, trust and teacher team commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

Research has confirmed the value‐added effects of organizational commitment in terms of job performance, organizational effectiveness, and employee retention. This study focused on teacher teams as the unit of analysis, and posited associations between teamwork, viewed as team skills, trust and teacher team commitment. Data were derived from responses of elementary school teachers to an instrument including established measures of teamwork component skills, affective‐ and cognition‐based trust, and team commitment.

Findings

Teamwork was found to be a significant predictor of teacher team commitment. Respondents showing higher levels of teamwork skills perceived higher levels of team commitment. Results, while not entirely confirmatory, suggested the importance of trust in the commitment equation.

Research limitations/implications

This research was limited by the study sample of elementary schools. Future research should test initially confirmed associations in different school contexts with substantially dissimilar teacher demographics, and include consideration of dispositional antecedents that may impact teacher perceptions.

Practical implications

School leaders concerned with teacher commitment and related implications for teacher retention should consider strategies to strengthen performance‐enhancing teamwork and support satisfying teaming processes.

Originality/value

This study provides an initial understanding of teacher teamwork and affects on commitment in the context of teams viewed as building blocks of organization in locally‐managed schools.
Perspectives on public relations training in international schools
Authors: Bunnell Tristan
Published: September 2005

Purpose

Evidence from the UK shows that public relations (PR) in schools initially met with resistance but has since entered a second phase, that of “post marketisation”. But, it is still believed that unqualified and untrained administrators practise it in schools. Little formal research has been undertaken into this, especially among the growing body of schools called “international schools”. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

Research was undergone among the training background and needs of the PR practitioner (PRP) in 34 international schools in 22 countries worldwide.

Findings

Each school had a designated PRP who is largely untrained and unqualified. A range of induction and ongoing training needs were identified which do not presently seem to being met.

Research limitations/implications

This paper deals specifically with the diverse body of “international schools”. The findings cannot automatically be applied to other types of institution.

Practical implications

It is suggested that these training needs have to be met largely from within the school itself. Deming's four total quality management principles of “profound knowledge” are used to conceptualize what these needs might be.

Originality/value

This paper resurrects the issues and problems facing the practical implementation of PR in some schools. It raises the issue that international school managers ought to give more regard to both the induction and ongoing training needs of the PRP within their own institution, making it more of a “learning organization”. It also offers a pragmatic training role for the fledgling body called the “Alliance for International Education”.
Determinants of rural‐urban variability in the implementation of educational decentralisation programmes in developing countries
Authors: Ikoya Peter O. , Ikoya Oluremi V.
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to identify some determinants of rural‐urban disparity in the implementation of decentralised educational management programmes in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The study examines how political leadership's disposition to decentralised educational management, allocation of funds and physical facilities established for decentralised educational management programmes differ in rural, suburban and urban communitites of Nigeria. Employing a survey design, the study uses national survey data on educational statistics and planning of the Federal Ministry of Statistics, in addition to the administration of questionnaires to 200 key stakeholders in educational management. Sampled groups included political leaders, policy makers in educational administration, traditional rulers, women leaders, leaders of different unions and the youths.

Findings

Data collected were analysed using comparative means and findings show that several facts are responsible for the reported disparity between rural, suburban and urban communities in the implementation of educational decentralization programmes. These factors ranged from inequitable distribution of physical facilities, to poor leadership disposition, to decentralised educational management functions.

Practical implications

The implication of the findings from this study is that in spite of the rhetorics of universalisation of educational developments, national policies and attitude towards implementation of decentralised management reform programmes is still low, particularly in rural and suburban communities.

Originality/value

Hopefully, findings from this study would provide practical solutions to existing disparity between rural, suburban and urban communities in the implementation of educational decentralization programmes in Nigeria, since some of the impending factors for current disparity have been identified in this study.
An XML‐based architecture for data integration in vulnerability assessments
Authors: Blyth Andrew , Thomas Paula
Published: September 2005

Purpose

One of the problems facing systems administrators and security auditors is that a security test/audit can generate a vast quantity of information that needs to be stored, analysed and cross referenced for later use. The current state‐of‐the‐art in security audit tools does not allow for information from multiple different tools to be shared and integrated. This paper aims to develop an Extensible Markup Language (XML)‐based architecture that is capable of encoding information from a variety of disparate heterogeneous sources and then unifying and integrating them into a single SQL database schema.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper demonstrates how, through the application of the architecture, large quantities of security related information can be captured within a single database schema. This database can then be used to ensure that systems are conforming to an organisation's network security policy.

Findings

This type of data integration and data unification within a vulnerability assessment/security audit is currently not possible; this leads to confusion and omissions in the security audit process.

Originality/value

This paper develops a data integration and unification architecture that will allow data from multiple vulnerability assessment tools to be integrated into a single unified picture of the security state of a network of interconnected computer systems.
Information systems security issues and decisions for small businesses
Authors: Gupta Atul , Hammond Rex
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The objective of this study is to gather information about information technology (IT) related security issues in small firms in both manufacturing and service.

Design/methodology/approach

Despite its widely acknowledged importance, the academic research in the area of information systems security issues for small businesses is almost negligible. To fill this gap, a questionnaire was mailed to 1,000 small business owners in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA, and 138 valid responses were received.

Findings

The results of this study indicate that the small business owners may have procedures and policies in place and may use technologies to counteract the security threat, but this research raised doubts about their effectiveness.

Originality/value

The data collected through this research will help small business organizations in planning, training, and exploitation of IT.
What ERP systems can tell us about Sarbanes‐Oxley
Authors: Brown William , Nasuti Frank
Published: September 2005

Purpose

To provide background for senior and middle management in information technology organizations who may be in the implementation phase of compliance for Sarbanes‐Oxley (SOX). As the information technology (IT) organization looks forward to additional compliance or other IT control frameworks such as COBIT, the paper can help construct a roadmap. Other audiences include senior management, accountants, internal auditors, and academics who may wish to evaluate the impact of SOX on the information technology organization.

Design/methodology/approach

SOX is surveyed to understand the four major compliance areas that must be supported in the IT organization. Recently published works are integrated into an evaluation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) research to identity several ongoing themes that point to practical advice for implementing SOX. The private sector of US business is saturated with ERP applications and provides a useful benchmark of what to expect with SOX compliance. The sections of this report include: SOX and IT governance; ERP systems: recurring themes; after the initial implementation of SOX; frameworks to support SOX compliance; IT governance and SOX: where we go from here; to best practice and competitive advantage; and conclusion.

Findings

Competencies in several related core disciplines including project management, change management, and software integration should be the top priority for SOX implementation. Enterprise architecting and related areas such as security and outsourcing can be managed more effectively with the appropriate competencies.

Research limitations/implications

The authors' observations are based on several research reports but are not exhaustive, and are not specific to a particular industry.

Originality/value

The content is a very useful source of information for senior management, IT management, accountants, auditors, and academics to understand the impact of SOX on the IT organization and how to develop a roadmap to respond.
Dynamic content attacks on digital signatures
Authors: Alsaid Adil , Mitchell Chris J.
Published: September 2005

Purpose

Aims to address some of the problems that arise when signing digital documents that contain dynamic content.

Design/methodology/approach

Briefly introduces the problem of signing digital documents with dynamic content and discusses possible locations for signature functionality in a computer system. Outlines existing solutions to the problems and introduces a novel solution. Finally, discusses issues and unresolved problems.

Findings

The suggested solution requires all document handling applications to possess application awareness of the digital signature program in order to function properly. Every application must implement a COM interface and register itself in the Registry, in a locale specific to the digital signature program to sign the digital document.

Originality/value

Provides a new solution to the problem of digitally signing a digital document.
Academic entrepreneurship
Authors: Brennan Michael C. , Wall Anthony P. , McGowan Pauric
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The aim of the paper was to investigate entrepreneurship in a university setting and in particular amongst university managers, established academic entrepreneurs and nascent academic entrepreneurs. The purpose was to better understand the enablers and barriers to entrepreneurship taking place.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative, sense‐making methodology was used involving a single case method and a purposeful sampling approach. A three‐stage design strategy consisted of: identification of key themes by questioning university policy makers, managers and academic entrepreneurs; development of a questionnaire to profile academic entrepreneurs; and use of the questionnaire to assess preferences amongst nascent academic entrepreneurs

Findings

Four types of academic entrepreneur (hero, maverick, broker and prospector) were identified based on different approaches by individual academics to the use/production of discipline knowledge and the nature of their relationship with the host university.

Research limitations/implications

The single case research is perceived as a limitation. Future studies will involve refining the level of analysis in terms of different disciplines and institutions.

Practical implications

The results suggest that interventions to promote entrepreneurship within universities ought to consider different strategies in order to take account of preferences amongst nascent entrepreneurs.

Originality/value

The paper looks at entrepreneurship in universities from a corporate perspective rather than from an individual perspective. The powerful influence of the university organisational setting is therefore recognised in terms of the creation of enablers and barriers to academic entrepreneurship taking place.
Entrepreneurial learning: a narrative‐based conceptual model
Authors: Rae David
Published: September 2005

Purpose

Entrepreneurial learning is an important area of enquiry which is not well understood in either the academic study of entrepreneurship or the practical development of new entrepreneurs. The article aims to explore two questions: first, how do people learn to work in entrepreneurial ways – are there significant processes and experiences in their learning, which can be related to existing learning theories? Second, can a useful framework to understand entrepreneurial learning be developed and applied both in entrepreneurial practice and conceptually by educators?

Design/methodology/approach

The article includes a brief critical review of the theoretical literature in the areas of entrepreneurship and learning. Thematic discourse analysis is used to interpret the life story narratives of three entrepreneurs in the creative industries. Material from their learning experiences is used to support the development of a conceptual model. This demonstrates connections between the emergence of entrepreneurial identity, learning as a social process, opportunity recognition, and venture formation as a negotiated activity.

Findings

The principal finding is to propose a conceptual framework of entrepreneurial learning as a triadic model, including major themes of personal and social emergence, contextual learning, the negotiated enterprise, and a group of 11 related sub‐themes.

Practical implications

Applications of the model in entrepreneurship education, work‐based learning and practice, are proposed, within and beyond the context of the creative media industry.

Originality/value

The paper develops an original and distinctive conceptual understanding of entrepreneurial learning through analysis of entrepreneurs' experiences, based on a social learning and constructionist perspective.
Graduate employment in SMEs: a longitudinal perspective
Authors: Westhead Paul , Matlay Harry
Published: September 2005

Purpose

To evaluate the abilities, skills and expertise of undergraduates who participated in the UK‐based Shell Technology Enterprise Programme (STEP) and their suitability for prospective employment in small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employ a longitudinal postal survey approach, involving a sample of undergraduates who responded in 1994 and in 1997.

Findings

Evidence suggests that the STEP has enhanced the skills, expertise and credibility of graduates seeking employment in SMEs. Prospective employers consider the skills and experience gained by STEP graduates as an advantage.

Research limitations/implications

The longitudinal data under investigation is relatively old, but not obsolete. A further investigation of the impact that the STEP had on the research sample is planned for the near future.

Practical implications

The result suggests that owners/managers of SMEs are increasingly seeking specific business‐related skills. Higher education institutes should proactively liaise with their local business communities to ensure that students gain a broad range of skills, as required by employers in this important and expanding sector of the British economy.

Originality/value

The authors adopt a human capital perspective on skill accumulation and its impact on the future of graduate employment.
Barriers to successful new product development within small manufacturing companies
Authors: Millward Huw , Lewis Alan
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The objective of the research is to identify and analyse the main barriers to new product development within small manufacturing companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study has employed a longitudinal case‐study methodology, which has focused on data gathering from three manufacturing companies that have undertaken new product development activities in‐house. The detailed case‐study material has been derived from project documentation and interviews with personnel at various technical and managerial levels.

Findings

Three generic managerial issues that impinge on new product development are identified: the influence of a dominant owner/manager; a focus on time and cost ahead of other key factors; and a failure to understand the importance of product design.

Research limitations/implications

Although the case studies are detailed, only three manufacturing companies are assessed. Future research should expand on the generic issues, increase the number of case‐study companies, and ideally include an assessment of new product development within small companies from outside of the UK.

Practical implications

In order to overcome some of the inevitable managerial limitations within small companies, new product development activities should seek to promote a more systematic approach to design. This may encompass formal design training for senior managers and the implementation of simple design tools, such as product design specifications.

Originality/value

Barriers to and opportunities for new product development within small manufacturing companies are neglected areas in terms of detailed research studies. The issues highlighted in this paper will help to inform managers, practitioners and policy makers who are engaged in enhancing the competitive advantage of “traditional” manufacturing companies.
Cognitive and behavioural determinants of trust in small and medium‐sized enterprises
Authors: Sharif Khurram J. , Kalafatis Stavros P. , Samouel Phillip
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a systematic examination of the importance of trust‐developing constructs and the impact of trust on long‐term orientation within the small and medium‐sized enterprises (SME) domain.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretically grounded model has been developed that comprises three cognitive (reputation, skill and transaction specific investments) and three behavioural (information exchange, coercive power and flexibility) antecedents of trust, which in turn is posted to be a determinant of long‐term orientation. The model has been tested using 229 responses obtained through a postal survey carried out in the UK electrical and electronic industry.

Findings

With the exception of the skill to trust, all other hypothesised relationships have been supported. In relative terms, reputation followed by flexibility have been found to be the most important determinants of trust.

Research limitations/implications

The moderating impact of company size and length of relationships have not been examined. The potential for differential behaviour of upstream and downstream business relationships also merits examination.

Practical implications

The results indicate that development of trust can best be affected by a balanced and coordinated set of activities designed to enhance both cognitive and behavioural aspects of trust. Advice as to how this can be achieved is offered.

Originality/value

Despite the extensive study of trust between large organisations there is a general lack of corresponding research with the SME domain. The results reported here provide support for the claim that related findings based on large organisations can be extended to apply to SMEs.
The impact of organizational change on entrepreneurship in community settings
Authors: Heilbrunn Sibylle
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of organizational change upon entrepreneurship in communities such as the Israeli kibbutz, which underwent during the last two decades a process of crisis and change. Based on a theoretical model that identifies how cultural orientations of individualism versus collectivism affect the entrepreneurial process, attempt is made to analyze whether and how the move from organizational collectivism towards organizational individualism influences the volume and type of entrepreneurship in community settings.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive questionnaire has been administered to a sample of 60 kibbutzim in 1997 and in 2004. The questionnaire includes issues of organizational culture, structure and business orientation, as well as reports on the ventures initiated during the relevant years. The data received by means of the questionnaire are analyzed by quantitative statistical methods. In‐depth interviews with office holders in a small number of kibbutzim add understanding of the underlying ongoing processes of change.

Findings

The results of the study show that after processes of organizational change, resource leverage is still characterized by induced strategic behavior, but venture policy is no longer one of nurturing. Market criteria such as profitability and competition at the organizational level promote individualistic‐oriented motivation and economic behavior of entrepreneurs within the community setting.

Research limitations/implications

Using a model of corporate entrepreneurship is the inherent limitation of the design of this study. Future research should consider alternative theoretical models for the analysis of entrepreneurship in community settings, focusing on independent variables such as human and social capital of the community entrepreneur.

Originality/value

The paper provides an investigation into the influence of organizational change upon the volume of entrepreneurship in a community setting.
Does size matter?
Authors: Wincent Joakim
Published: September 2005

Purpose

To develop and empirically test a framework on how firm size can matter for firm behavior and performance in strategic networks of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SME networks).

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical study based on statistical analysis of standardized questionnaires and analysis of interview material from face‐to‐face interviews with managers in a population of 54 firms that operates in SME networks.

Findings

Firm size can be an important determinant for firm performance, and for networking inside and outside the SME network. Different networking behaviors are found to have different roles for pursuing corporate entrepreneurship and for gaining performance effects in interaction with corporate entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

Prior research has suggested larger firms as valuable for holding firms in SME networks together, but has not put much effort in explaining why and how, and what they gain from doing this. This study advances these suggestions by showing how larger firms can prosper simultaneously as they bind firms together in these networks. Since firm size may determine networking behavior and outcomes in SME networks, the suitability of a larger vs a smaller firm size for SME network participation is discussed.
Testing the statistical significance of sector and regional diversification
Authors: Lee Stephen , Stevenson Simon
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The question as to whether it is better to diversify a real estate portfolio within a property type across the regions or within a region across the property types is one of continuing interest for academics and practitioners alike. However, this study is somewhat different from the usual sector/regional analysis in that this study is designed to investigate whether a real estate fund manager can obtain a statistically significant improvement in risk/return performance from extending out of a London based portfolio into firstly the rest of the South East of England and then into the remainder of the UK, or whether the manger would be better off staying within London and diversifying across the various property types.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to examine these issues we form a number of portfolios that can be directly compared to a number of benchmark portfolios, as well as to each other. Then using the statistical tests developed by Gibbons et al. and Jobson and Korkie, we investigate whether the benefits that accrue from the differing diversification strategies are statistically significant or not.

Findings

The results show that staying within only one sector and one region (London) is undesirable in terms of risk and return compared with all three benchmark portfolios considered here. Secondly diversification on a naïve basis, or in an optimal fashion, leads to significant improvements in performance, irrespective of whether it is across different property types within London or within the same sector across the regions. Finally the results indicate that staying within London and diversifying across the various property types may offer performance comparable with regional diversification, although this conclusion largely depends on the time period and the fund manager's ability to diversify efficiently.

Originality/value

The results suggest that diversification almost always offers increased performance. Indeed a little diversification can quickly lead to levels of performance that is superior to number of benchmarks as well as performance insignificantly different from that of the most diversified portfolio that could be constructed! Consequently fund managers should be encouraged to diversify, be it across the regions or across the sectors of the UK.
Lessons from the private finance initiative in the UK
Authors: Dixon Timothy , Pottinger Gaye , Jordan Alan
Published: September 2005

Purpose

This paper summarises the main research findings from a detailed, qualitative set of structured interviews and case studies of private finance initiative (PFI) schemes in the UK, which involve the construction of built facilities. The research, which was funded by the Foundation for the Built Environment, examines the emergence of PFI in the UK. Benefits and problems in the PFI process are investigated. Best practice, the key critical factors for success, and lessons for the future are also analysed.

Design/methodology/approach

The research is based around 11 semi‐structured interviews conducted with stakeholders in key PFI projects in the UK.

Findings

The research demonstrates that value for money and risk transfer are key success criteria. High procurement and transaction costs are a feature of PFI projects, and the large‐scale nature of PFI projects frequently acts as barrier to entry.

Research limitations/implications

The research is based on a limited number of in‐depth case study interviews. The paper also shows that further research is needed to find better ways to measure these concepts empirically.

Practical implications

The paper is important in highlighting four main areas of practical improvement in the PFI process: value for money assessment; establishing end‐user needs; developing competitive markets and developing appropriate skills in the public sector.

Originality/value

The paper examines the drivers, barriers and critical success factors for PFI in the UK for the first time in detail and will be of value to property investors, financiers, and others involved in the PFI process.
The importance of property‐specific attributes in assessing CBD office building quality
Authors: Ho Daniel , Newell Graeme , Walker Anthony
Published: September 2005

Purpose

This paper identifies the importance of key factors influencing the quality of CBD office buildings. An office building quality index (BQI) is constructed and its relationship with net rent assessed.

Design/methodology/approach

The importance of 30 property‐specific CBD office building attributes on the quality of CBD office buildings is assessed using a survey of property industry respondents. The analytical hierarchy process procedure is used to determine weights for each of these attributes to construct an office BQI.

Findings

Findings indicate that functionality (31.0 per cent), services (22.6 per cent), access and circulation (16.4 per cent), presentation (13.1 per cent), management (11.5 per cent) and amenities (5.4 per cent) are the order of importance in assessing office building quality. There was found to be a strong functional relationship between office building quality and net rent.

Practical implications

A better understanding of the factors influencing CBD office building quality is determined, with a more effective and practical office BQI developed for benchmarking purposes in property portfolios.

Originality/value

Importance of CBD office building attributes is determined and a new CBD office BQI is developed for practical implementation in the property industry.
Reporting on contaminated land: a comparison of Australian and British practice standards
Authors: Adair Alastair , Chan Nelson
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The paper seeks to ascertain if there exists a uniform approach towards reporting on contaminated land in practice standards employed in Australia and the UK. The UK is a highly industrialised country and Australia is less so. The paper also tries to find out if the practice standard in a less industrialised country is less stringent than the practice standard in a highly industrialised country.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper compares the valuation practice standards in Australia and the UK. In the former country, formal guidance on contaminated land valuation was first published in 1994 by the Australian Institute of Valuers and Land Economists (now the Australian Property Institute) in the Contaminated Land Practice Standard. This document was subsequently downgraded from a practice standard to a guidance note, “Guidance Note 15 Reporting on Contaminated Land” of Professional Practice 2002. In the UK practice standards are contained in the RICS guidance note Contamination and Environmental Matters their Implications for Property Professionals. (RICS, 2003a).

Findings

Both Australia and the UK have developed significant and detailed guidance notes on contamination and environmental matters. The respective guidance notes reflect the varying socio‐economic backgrounds of the two countries in particular differing industrial legacies. Despite a high degree of similarity in the approaches and procedures adopted there are nonetheless significant differences across the two sets of standards. The extended guidance in the UK highlights the increasing knowledge on contamination and environmental matters as it affects all types of chartered surveyors rather than focussing solely on the valuation function. In contrast the Australian guidance note appears to be more prescriptive concentrating on the details of the valuation role.

Originality/value

Contaminated land is an environmental problem that causes great concerns among the general public, landowners, occupiers, investors and financial institutions. Despite the negative image of contaminated land, valuers are from time to time instructed to assess its market value. In this regard, valuation institutions in most developed countries have prepared a practice standard to help members report on contaminated land. Each country has its unique socio‐economic background. The various practice standards will no doubt reflect the respective conditions in their country and the reporting standards will be different. Thus, it can be inferred that there is a substantial difference in the reporting standards between highly industrialised countries and less industrialised countries.
The acceptability of digital resources
Authors: Gorman G.E.
Published: September 2005

Purpose

To introduce a review of the most recent literature concerning electronic information. Also to look at the problem of permanency of electronic work regarding ever‐changing internet links.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a range of comments, articles and book reviews.

Findings

Advises that libraries should initiate the recording of changes in internet addresses and disseminate those of significance to their clientele.

Originality/value

This review is a useful source of information for librarians and others interested in electronic information.
Reforming scholarly publishing and knowledge communication
Authors: Ramalho Correia Ana Maria , Carlos Teixeira José
Published: September 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the continuous evolution of scholarly publishing and knowledge communication as a result of the internet revolution.

Design/methodology/approach

Information was obtained from a literature review of the main contributions on “self‐archiving” – the broad term often applied to electronic publishing of author‐supplied documents on the web without commercial publisher mediation. The paper analyses the impact of the open access movement, which came to fruition after the OAI Metadata Harvesting Protocol was established, as it creates the potential for interoperability between e‐print repositories. It concludes by outlining the challenges for information managers in developing the full potential of open access.

Findings

With regard to the future of self‐archiving, particularly in relation to peer‐reviewed journals, information managers have a very important role to perform within their organization.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the benefits of publishing in e‐print repositories for authors and their institutions. It points to the roles and responsibilities of information managers, primarily within academic and research institutions, in devising clear institutional policies and assisting users to self archive their papers for the benefit of their own organizations and the global scientific community.