bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Consequences of Flexible Working Times on German Industrial Relations
Authors: Whittall Michael
Published: January 2008

In the UK the flexibilisation of working time in relation to part‐time working has been one of the key areas identified in the growing polarisation of the workforce along with threatening to produce a reduction in overall employment standards (Brugel & Hegewisch, 1994). The motivation, supervision and co‐ordination of employers with non‐standardised working hours is often recognised as a major new challenge for management.
Flexibility, Job Security and Self‐Employment in the UK Construction Industry
Authors: Nisbet Peter
Published: January 2008

Does flexibility in employment relations necessarily mean a polarisation into desirable and undesirable jobs? The Core/Periphery labour force structure was developed as the model which would facilitate the attainment of numerical, financial and functional flexibility. In particular, numerical flexibility is achieved via the expansion of the peripheral workforce as variations in the supply of non‐firm specific activities occur in response to the demands of the firm.
Workplace Industrial Relations Under Stress: Ten Year After the Single Union Deal at Norsk Hydro
Authors: Tuckman Alan
Published: January 2008

In 1985 workers for the Norsk Hydro Fertilizers signed new contracts under the company's New Personnel Package, effectively — through pressure on individual workers and the promise of future investment and continued employment on the site — introducing a single union deal for the TGWU derecognising the other four unions on site. This established an Advisory Council, consisting of management and elected members of the workforce, and a three year inflation linked pay deal. The result seemed to give even the remaining union only a token presence on site. While single union deals has been associated with Japanese transplants, and increasingly with other green field sites, this was promoted by their management as the first such deal within an established site with long standing traditions of trade unionism and collective bargaining. This paper examines the developments at Norsk Hydro subsequent to the implementation of the package, which while seeing the establishment of what is characterised — following Parker & Slaughter — as a ‘management‐by‐stress’ regime, it identifies the resurgence of workplace organisation on the site.
The Flexible Psychological Contract? Career Management in an Era of Insecurity
Authors: McGovern Patrick , Stiles Philip , Hope Veronica
Published: January 2008

This paper proposes to examine the management of the psychological contract — particularly that for professional and managerial staff — in the context of organizations with a recent history of job losses or downsizing. It offers a critical examination of one of the central tenets of human resource management: that organizations should seek to invest in their employees as assets by providing them with development and career opportunities. The empirical evidence is drawn from an intensive three year study of human resource management conducted jointly by the London Business School and the Judge Institute of Management, University of Cambridge.
DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL MARKET ACTIVITIES OF HUNGARIAN FIRMS
Authors: Hisrich Robert D. , Fulop Gyula
Published: January 2008

To understand the development of a market‐oriented economy in Hungary from a previously‐centrally‐planned one, it is necessary to look at events occurring from 1947 to 1982, and from 1982 to the present, encompassing Hungary's democratic transformation.
The Significance of Team Working
Authors: Carr Frank
Published: January 2008

Team working has widely been seen by managers as a key way of utilising employee ideas and improving performance. But how important it is depends on circumstances. This article examines its introduction into a motor assembly plant, and draws attention to the specificity of the local context. It draws on research carried out at the Vauxhall Motors Luton plant.
Empowerment and Successful Management of an Organizational Change: The Case of a Bank Acquisition
Authors: Kappelman Leon A. , Prybutok Victor R. , von Dran Gisela M.
Published: January 2008

The motivational benefits of employee empowerment in facilitating organizational change and promoting organizational effectiveness are widely recognized. But often it is not appropriate for an organization to utilize a participative, collaborative, or consultative change‐management strategy. We examined the effects of a small empowerment during the radical and directively‐managed transformation of 52 recently‐acquired branches of a large regional bank. Our findings indicate that even when used in conjunction with an autocratic change‐management strategy, significant benefits can be derived from seemingly minor opportunities for employee empowerment.
The Rhythm of the Saints: A Generational Perspective on Management History
Authors: Wyld David C.
Published: January 2008

This paper examines the potential relationship between the history of American generations and the development of American management thought. The paper reviews the recently developed generational theory of American history, along with the generational concept itself. Then, the leading thinkers in the history of the management discipline are classified according to their generational membership. The potential theoretical and research implications of the interplay of managerial and historical generations are then discussed.
LONG‐TERM CORPORATE BLOCKHOLDER RETURNS AND FIRM SIZE
Authors: Dawson Bogert James , Smith Faye
Published: January 2008

In a review of America's capital investment system, Michael Porter concluded that the most critical determinant of competitive advantage is “sustained investment in physical as well as intangible assets, things like employee skills and supplier relationships” (1992: 65). Why supplier relationships? This study measures firm returns associated with one form of interfirm investment—stock blockholdings—and tests how investing firm returns are affected by alternative measures of firm size.
NEW DEVELOPMENT IN TECHNIQUES FOR ANALYSING DIVERSIFIED COMPANIES IN TODAY'S GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Morales Raul G. , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: January 2008

Over the last decades, our global outlook has changed rapidly in many ways. What used to be no longer is: the fall of the Berlin wall, the disintegration of the U.S.S.R., and the emergence of common trade markets are just a few examples of big changes that are affecting our every day life. One big change in particular has turned our whole business community upside down: the globalisation of world markets.
THE QUEST FOR QUALITY MANAGEMENT: PROFILING THE PIONEERS IN HONG KONG
Authors: Martinsons Maris G.
Published: January 2008

The ISO 9000 standards have been rapidly accepted by business communities around the world. An on‐going research programme focuses on the implementation of quality management systems based on these standards. This article presents data collected from the managers of the first cohort of firms to receive ISO 9000 certification in the export‐driven Hong Kong economy. The results indicate that the local firms typically made a non‐compensatory choice to pursue quality certification and only subsequently elaborated a quality‐based strategy. Quality systems implementation was perceived to have resulted in greater control, higher employee morale and fewer production errors. The presence of such a system was also linked to higher quality outputs and more satisfied customers. Despite the absence of substantial improvements in either quality costs, sales levels or profit margins during the initial post‐certification period, the informants expected tangible long‐term benefits.
EXPLORING CHINESE CONFLICT MANAGEMENT STYLES IN JOINT VENTURES IN THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
Authors: Ding Daniel Z.
Published: January 2008

This paper centers on the exploration of Chinese conflict management styles in the context of international joint ventures in the People's Republic of China (PRC). Based on interviews conducted with directing managers in U.S.‐Chinese joint ventures and seminars held in China on conflict management in such ventures, major characteristics of Chinese conflict management styles are discussed. Influenced by the traditional Chinese values, norms, and philosophies, Chinese managers in joint ventures tend to adopt contingent, long‐term, contextual, and holistic approaches to conflict resolution.
CHINESE CULTURAL VALUES AND SEGMENTATION OF YOUTH APPAREL MARKET: A HONG KONG EXPERIENCE
Authors: Fok Vincent S. , Chong Viola K.
Published: January 2008

This paper examined the usage of cultural values in market segmentation. The study involved young Chinese consumers of apparel market in Hong Kong. Chinese Cultural Values Scale (CCVS) (Yau 1994) was adopted as the measurement instrument of the value construct. Samples were asked to rate the importance of various store attributes in their choices of where to purchase. The analysis involved multivariate statistical methods. Respondents were segmented into four clusters and contrasted. It revealed that clusters with different value orientations rated differently the importances of ten store attributes. Implications for marketers were proposed.
Environmental Ethics for Business
Authors: Zsolnai Laszlo
Published: January 2008

In our technological age business is one of the greatest destroyers of the natural environment. At present, we do not have any appropriate theory of business that would be consistent with ecology, that is, contains a well‐articulated ecological point of view. This article is an attempt to meet this need.
Forecasting Earnings: Controlling for Differences Across Industries
Authors: Sneed John
Published: January 2008

Accounting studies have attempted to forecast future attributes of firms' financial statements, primarily earnings. These studies typically adopt a cross‐sectional approach in estimating forecasting models, combining firms from different industries in the same model. This cross‐sectional approach implicitly assumes the relations between earnings and the explanatory variables are consistent across industries.
Pitfalls to Avoid While Pursuing ISO Registration
Authors: Gopalakrishnan M. , Reddy S.J.
Published: January 2008

ISO 9000 is a series of five international quality standards developed by the Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) in Geneva, Switzerland to help companies define what a quality system should do. It is a check list for doing business at a world class level. They are ISO 9000, 9001, 9002, 9003, and 9004. While ISO‐9000 and 9004 are basic guidelines, ISO 9001, 9002, and 9003 are conformation guidelines to be used by companies for contractual purposes.
Seeking Expert Advice for Better Performance: A Study of Small U.S. Export Firms
Authors: Chong John K.S. , Park Jaesun
Published: January 2008

More than a decade after the introduction of the U.S. Export Trading Company Act of 1982, which primarily aimed at helping American firms market their products abroad, the U.S. today still has a great deal to catch up in improving its huge deficit position. To most Americans, it may seem difficult to accept that a superpower like the U.S. has lagged far behind its international trade partners, notably Japan and Germany. But as pointed out by Rossman, there is at least one major contributory factor for the poor performance of the U.S. in its world trade activities.
Strategic Plan Intensity and Competitive Strategy
Authors: Drago William A.
Published: January 2008

This study investigates the relationship between a firm's competitive strategy and strategic plan intensity, defined as the emphasis placed on strategic planning in guiding the future decisions and activities carried out by organisational members. The research question addressed is “Under what competitive strategy contexts does high strategic plan intensity lead to greater performance?” The competitive strategies considered are low‐cost, differentiation and competitive strategy segmentation. Strategic plan intensity is viewed as the combined emphasis a firm places on mission/vision, long‐term objectives, planned activities, short‐term objectives and policies in guiding the decisions and activities of organisation members.
Influence of Computer User Training on Decision‐Making Risk Preferences
Authors: Richards R. Martin , Prybutok Victor R. , Kappelman Leon A.
Published: January 2008

Risk‐related attitudes are important in today's business environment because as organisations become flattened decisions are pushed down in the hierarchy and a greater percentage of the individuals in the organisation must become proficient decision makers [16]. Risk preference is important because recent work shows that: (1) as risk tolerance increases so does the individual's effectiveness in some decision‐making activities [6], and that (2) self confidence is related to risk taking [8]. This study was designed to examine the relationships among information‐system‐related knowledge and experience, confidence (i.e. personal prospects), risk preference (i.e. planning horizon), and risk‐taking propensity (i.e. utility for risk).
What Managers Must Know to Conduct Business in Brazil
Authors: Turner Warren , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: January 2008

Before conducting business in Brazil, a business person should become familiar with its commercial and economic environment as much as possible. This entails attaining a general knowledge of its culture, its laws, level of development, and how these factors affect one's ability to transact business there. Brazil is the largest and most developed country in Latin America. Its uniqueness demands respect for its complexity. No‐one should take it for granted by assuming that it is nothing more than another third world country of overcrowded slums.
Efficient Market Hypothesis and the Contrarian Trading Paradox
Authors: Pat Obi C. , Sil Shomir
Published: January 2008

The investments industry is made up of two major groups of security analysts: fundamentalists and technicians. Fundamentalists make investment decisions by analysing a company's “fundamentals,” which are risk and performance factors specific to that firm. Technicians, on the other hand, believe that patterns in historical price and volume data for a stock can be used to make profitable trading decisions. In keeping with the latter approach, DeBondt and Thaler (1985, 1987) find evidence of price reversals in three‐year stock returns. Specifically, they determine that stock prices overreact to information, suggesting that a contrarian strategy of buying stocks that performed poorly in the past (i.e. losers) and selling stocks that performed well in the past (i.e. winners), produces significant abnormal returns. Additional support to this “overreaction phenomenon” is documented by Chan (1988), Lo and MacKinlay (1990), and Zarowin (1990).
A Minimax Regret Solution to a Transportation Problem for Handling Future Uncertainties
Authors: Goldstein Zvi
Published: January 2008

In this article we consider the case of a manufacturing firm which has several production centres providing finished goods to several warehouses. Both the manufacturing cost at each production centre as well as the cost of transportation between the production centres and warehouses will vary (typically due to different labour costs or because of varying distances between the production centres and warehouses). The objective is to determine the optimal allocation of goods between the production centres and warehouses which minimises the total production and transportation costs.
Managing Capital Investment and Taxation in Europe
Authors: Spratley Derek , Pointon John , Farrar Sue
Published: January 2008

In this paper we report on three research projects relating to investment in Europe.
Is American Health Care Entering the ‘Country Club’ Era?: How Capitation May Transform Health Care Management in the U.S.
Authors: Wyld David C.
Published: January 2008

This article examines the scope of change which is likely to be brought about in the American health care industry due to the emergence of capitated reimbursement systems. As we will see, the goals, the terminology, and the operations of hospitals in the United States will be greatly affected as the shift to capitation occurs. This article explores the underlying cause of the movement of hospitals toward capitation and examines the impact of capitation on hospital management practices.
Employer Educational Assistance: An Assessment of the Impact on Organizational Commitment
Authors: Guffey Cynthia J. , West Judy F. , White Charles S.
Published: January 2008

Successful organizations recognize that employees are their most valuable resource because of employee commitment to the organization. Organizational commitment is a multi‐dimensional variable which is the degree of loyalty to one's job and organization. Employers should strive to increase organizational commitment of employees. One suggested method is employer educational assistance.
The ‘Be True To Your School’ Phenomenon: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Bristow Dennis N. , Walker Steven J.
Published: January 2008

As suggested in the lyrics from the popular Beach Boys song, students may be expected, by themselves and/or others, to ‘be true’ to their school; to be loyal to their alma mater. It is likely that the reader can readily recall their own school ‘fight’ song and rousing cheers at sporting events touting the superiority of the home team.
Section One Workplace Reform
Authors: Erwin P. , Parks B. , Knapp K. , Ieronimo N.
Published: January 2008

Australia's $10 billion automotive industry faces an uncertain future in the global market place of the late 20th Century. A dramatic increase in international trade, accompanied by increasing mobility of capital, technology, and education, has diminished many of the traditional sources of competitive advantage once held by firms in Western industrialised countries (Grayson & O'Dell, 1988; Lawler, 1992). Newly industrialised countries in South East Asia, for instance, are eroding the market share of Australian vehicle manufacturers and components producers. Australia's once heavily protected automotive industry now competes in an increasingly open market. The free trade policies of the Australian government have steadily reduced the tariff on imported vehicles from 57.5% in 1985 to 35% in 1992, and aim to achieve a tariff of 15% by the year 2000 (Automotive Industry Authority, 1995).
Manufacturing Industrial Relations?
Authors: Stewart Paul , Martinez Lucio Miguel
Published: January 2008

The aim of this paper is to review the social and political role of labour within the evolution of new production regimes and, in particular, teamworking. It draws on various research projects regarding the development of new management practices in a key European car manufacturer. The authors are concerned with the simplistic and, indeed, problematic analysis presented by the lean production paradigm who have been unable to explain the contextual factors and historical processes that underpin the development in firms. In addition, however, whilst agreeing in broad terms with the argument that what we are seeing in Europe is the emergence of a series of hybrid forms we nevertheless express some concern with the tendency to downplay the active role of labour and industrial relations regulation within these developments. More importantly we feel that the referencing to ‘social settlements’ and to ‘industrial relations systems’, whilst on the whole should be welcomed given the limits of the managerialist literature, tends to be done in such a manner that it draws attention away from the active and dynamic role of labour difference and conflict in conditioning management developments. Hence this discussion paper will present some preliminary insights based on a range of research projects that have been executed in recent years.
The Manufacturing of Management Strategy: Workplace Innovation and Employment Relations in the Scottish Spirits Industry
Authors: Marks Abigail , Findlay Patricia , Hine James , Thompson Paul , McKinlay Alan
Published: January 2008

The paper focuses on the formation and implementation of new manufacturing strategies in two UK drinks conglomerates ‐ United Distillers (UD) and Allied Distillers (ADL). Traditionally both companies have been marketingled and relatively indifferent to the achievement of marginal gains in operating efficiencies. But recently each has launched major innovation programmes, ADL's ‘Project Star’, and ‘Towards World Class’ in the case of UD.
Section Two Changing Roles and Skills in the ‘New’
Authors: Poole Michael , Jenkins Glenville
Published: January 2008

The central aims of this paper are to address: (1) whether or not approaches to human resource management in manufacturing industry in Britain differ from those obtaining in other branches of the economy; and (2) the current situation in manufacturing industry in Britain with respect to developments in human resource management.
Leadership in the Front Line: The changing nature of supervision in UK manufacturing
Authors: Parry Ivor
Published: January 2008

As a researcher on a three year EPRSC funded project on teamworking in manufacturing at the Change Management Research Centre, Sheffield Hallam University, the writer's particular research focus within the project centres on the changing nature of first‐line supervision in UK manufacturing industries. He is about to embark on a ‘first phase’ case study at Rolls Royce Motors, a company which has been committed to teamworking since 1991, when the company underwent a major re‐organisation programme in which teamworking formed a major part of the new production system. [There are 16 manufacturing zones with ten manufacturing teams in each ‐ 160 team leaders]. There are ten collaborating companies on the project, and Rolls Royce will be the first to undergo ‘phase two’ research. [Initial data has already been collected from the companies]. The company is highly committed to the project, and is likely to provide richly contextualised data.
New Training Requirements in the Automotive Industry a Partnership Solution
Authors: Rawlinson Mike
Published: January 2008

The paper examines the development of a training centre focused on the automotive sector in Wales. An Automotive Training Centre is being set up by Ford in partnership with the WDA and is intended for use by Ford and local component suppliers, irrespective of whether or not they are Ford suppliers. There are several reasons why a shared training centre makes sense for Ford, local companies and the wider labour market.
The Japanese Manufacturing Sector in the UK: A Performance Appraisal
Authors: Peel Michael J. , Munday Max
Published: January 2008

The development of the Japanese transplant manufacturing sector in the UK economy has been relatively rapid. In 1981, 17 Japanese manufacturing enterprises in the UK employed just 3,000 people. By 1994, this total was estimated to have grown to over 60,000. Japanese manufacturing transplants in 1992 accounted for over 7% of foreign manufacturing sales and employment in the UK. The Japanese TMS has grown in terms of employment and diversity. Initial investments were concentrated in the consumer electronics industry. However, by 1993 the net value of Japanese manufacturing assets in the UK was more evenly divided between electrical engineering (35%), transport equipment (33%), and mechanical engineering/other manufacturing (32%). The late eighties witnessed other changes in the composition of the Japanese TMS with greater diversification in entry mode (i.e. joint ventures and acquisitions as opposed to greenfield investments), and increasing numbers of ‘second wave’ component manufacturers entering the UK to support existing Japanese OEM operations.
Transitory JIT at Proton Cars, Malaysia
Authors: Simpson Mike , Sykes Geoff , Abdullah Adini
Published: January 2008

In September 1963 the Federal Government of Malaysia announced its intention to encourage the establishment of an automobile industry. It was felt that car manufacture would underpin the industrialisation of the country. However, it was not until 1967 that assembly of cars commenced in Malaysia, with the help of Swedish partners. Simultaneously, the government imposed high tariffs on car imports; CBUs or completely built‐up cars in the jargon. Stringent import licensing was enforced to encourage the growth of local assembly of imported packs of CKD (completely knocked down) vehicles. Since then, the Malaysian automobile industry has grown steadily, helped by strong growth of the national economy and relatively low labour costs. Despite this latter advantage, the small scale of the industry (on a global comparison) militates against achieving really competitive production costs. The government's insistence since 1979 in progressively cutting the proportion of imported components in CKD vehicles has not helped in this respect, since the Malaysian component industry is still small‐scale and therefore high cost. Indeed, the government has made clear its intention that all vehicles shall eventually be CML (completely made locally).
‘Faking it’ in Supply Chain Relationships
Authors: Caldwell Nigel , Down Simon
Published: January 2008

Supply chain management has been defined as ‘the concept of strategically co‐ordinating supply chains made up of businesses owned and run by different people, each with his or her own business objectives’ (Slack, Chambers, Harland, Harrison and Johnston, 1995, p.532) or ‘close, shared destiny relations with suppliers’ (Oliver, Delbridge, Jones, Lowe, 1995, p.54). These and other definitions stress the role of supply chain management as managing value across organisational boundaries, and this mandates new forms of (and new ways of managing) inter firm relationships.
The Resource‐Based View: Using Strategy Unor‐thodoxy to Identify Uniqueness
Authors: Herbane Brahim
Published: January 2008

Whilst the automotive industry celebrates its centenary, in this same period relationships between manufacturing organisations and their component suppliers have experienced a sea change due to the advent of global competition. In the case of the automotive components industry, the change from market‐based approaches to collaborative relations has included earlier and more profound commitments to part design, downstream dependent manufacture and delivery (JIT), constancy of production, higher quality, and falling unit costs (Womack et al 1990; Lamming, 1994). If the latter part of the twentieth century can be characterised as one of uncertainty, discontinuity and unreason, so too must the concept of strategy. Seen as the art and science of management exercised to meet the competition in the marketplace under more favourable conditions, the search for sustainable competitive advantage has become the centre‐point of strategic management yet has marginalised re‐source‐based views of the firm for much of this period. Successful organisations are seen to be those who match the opportunities and threats in their environments using their capabilities, known through the continuous analysis and development of internal proficiencies. Known as the concept of ‘best‐fit’ and popularised by ‘SWOT’ type analyses, strategy theory has suggested a linear process involving mission/goal setting and review, internal and external analysis, strategic choice, implementation, and feedback and control. However, such organisational analysis has tended to follow functional boundaries, often eliciting functional bias. Other approaches have centred upon the value/cost generating operations in the manufacturing/delivery process (Porter, 1985). Quantification of organisational attributes has often been sought or espoused at the expense of relevance and explanatory power, yet it can be readily acknowledged that soft systems, tacit knowledge and behaviour, and foresight play a part in determining organisational configuration. At the dawn of a golden age for the discipline the perceived constraints of pedagogy, the need to quantify and the stubborn orthodoxies of planning have given rise to situation that Whittington describes as follows: “If there was really so much agreement on the fundamentals of corporate strategy, then strategic decisions would not be so hard to make” (1993:1). Clearly, firms are historical and social entities, often influenced by the organisations and resources closest to them.
Improving Supply Chain Performance: A Tool for Diagnosing and Correcting Performance Deficiencies
Authors: Morris Adrian , Conway George , Maguire John
Published: January 2008

Since 1994 the Supplier Development Team (SDT) of the University of Sunderland has been managing an EU/DTI funded project aimed at raising the level of performance of SME suppliers to OEM's based in the North East of England. As a result the team have had access to over 60 SME suppliers in 11 supply chains. This source of data has enabled the SDT to evaluate several of the tools currently in use and develop their own methodology based on this and their experience in the field.
Flexible Specialisation in the Clothing and Garment Industry
Authors: Lowson Bob
Published: January 2008

This paper provides a preliminary opportunity to report the findings of an empirical research study. The work details new management strategies, different methods of organisation, and changing manufacturing systems in a particular industry sector. Further, it postulates that the changes witnessed in strategic direction and operational emphasis are directly related to a particular macro‐environmental influence in the form of a sociological transition. It is argued that particular socio‐cultural and anthropological changes may well form a crucial determinant for this industry in promoting its observed responses.
Mature Firms in the UK Mid‐Corporate Sector: Linking Innovation, Technology and Corporate Strategies
Authors: Jones Ossie , Tang Nelson
Published: January 2008

Schumpeter (1943) linked innovation to the creation of a dynamic economy: ‘The fundamental impulse that sets and keeps the capitalist engine in motion comes from the new consumer goods, the new methods of production or transportation, the new markets, the new forms of industrial organisation that capitalist enterprise creates’. In other words, both product and process innovations are central to the ability of firms to establish competitive advantage over their rivals. However, in many industries it is increasingly difficult to differentiate between product and process innovations. Financial services organisations rely on technology as a means of facilitating or delivering new products. Even in traditional manufacturing industries the distinction between product and process innovation is becoming blurred.
The Political Economy of Manufacturing Change in the Regions
Authors: Pike Andy , Tomaney John
Published: January 2008

The paper examines the anatomy of manufacturing change in the regions by focusing on the political economy of restructuring in the North East region. The broad context of change in the manufacturing sector in the regions at the national level is outlined. The remainder of the paper deals with the issues in more detail through examining the recent experience of the North East region. The paper argues that the somewhat ad‐hoc mixture of market‐led and ‘neo‐interventionism’ of UK government policy toward the manufacturing sector has had particular effects on the nature of restructuring in the regions which has constrained the framework within which industrial adjustment and regional renewal could be undertaken.
The Evolving European Works Councils: Some Early Evidence
Authors: Weston Syd , Martinez Lucio Miguel
Published: January 2008

There has long been an interest in consultative processes and in raising the level of social dialogue within European companies ever since the Vredeling proposals of the early 1970s. While such interest has been delayed and made secondary to market‐oriented integration policies (Ramsay, 1990; Grahl and Teague, 1990), it has reemerged in the very systematic development of the European Works Council directive. Given that the employers had been strongly resisting any such legislation since the original Vredeling proposals, coupled with the reduction in trade union political influence and power throughout Europe generally, it is not surprising that the European Works Council directive has been warmly greeted by the unions generally.
The Dimensions of Lean Manufacturing
Authors: Bicheno John , Millman Tony , Ostrowski Silverio
Published: January 2008

During the 1980s and 1990s there were numerous exhortations from politicians, academics, consultants, managers and the media for companies to become “leaner and fitter” as a recipe for improving the productivity and international competitiveness of manufacturing industry.
Strategies for Finding Individual Purpose and Meaning
Authors: Lauper Barbara C. , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: January 2008

One strategy for achieving a meaningful life is described by John Kekes of New York State University at Albany. His belief on this matter is that the will is informed and is capable of achieving a meaningful life if the following conditions are met.
NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING PRACTICE IN AN ARABIAN GULF COUNTRY
Authors: Tuncalp Secil
Published: January 2008

Advertising is an important marketing activity, perhaps more important in Saudi Arabia than in other international markets. According to one observer of the Saudi market, Arabs are lazy buyers (Sisley, 1980). They need to be pushed into shopping behaviour. In addition, the climatic environment prevailing in the country is not conducive to frequent shopping trips. The high humidity in the air which at times reaches 100 per cent, the frequent sand storms which sometimes last several days, and the scorching hot temperatures which can reach 140 degrees Fahrenheit or more are some of the climatic conditions which force people to abandon shopping plans in favour of staying in the air conditioned atmospheres of their homes. The reluctance on the part of the people in Saudi Arabia toward shopping can be overcome with persuasive and persistent advertising.
The Buyer's Perspective on Transaction Costs and Relational Norms in the Distribution Channel: Prepositions for Research
Authors: Bakkeland Gunnar , Berthon Pierre R.
Published: January 2008

Some understanding and form of inter‐organisation management is necessary and desirable if a channel is to maintain or achieve satisfactory performance as a competitive entity (Stern and El‐Ansary 1992). Although this view is not novel (of. Alderson 1954,1957), it has not been the subject of extensive research (Frazier 1983), and interorganisational coordination in distribution channels has perhaps received less focus as a survival requirement (Dwyer and Oh 1988) than it deserves. Stern and El‐Ansary (1992) seem to reflect traditional points of view when stating that power is the major means available to achieve coordination and co‐operation among channel members. Power, however, gives rise to channel dependence and interdependence issues, (of. Pfeffer and Salancik 1978; Gaski 1984; Brown, Lusch and Muehling 1983), and issues of interorganisational governance mechanisms which for some years have also interested institutional economists, (of. Williamson 1993, 1991, 1986, 1981, 1975, Ouchi 1980) and economic sociologists, (of. Granovetter, 1985, Granovetter and Swedberg 1992). The marketing literature (of. Heide and John 1992; 1990; 1988) has questioned Williamson's somewhat simplistic treatment of opportunism as an underlying behavioural norm, central as this is to his transaction cost paradigm. Since Heide and John's [1992] work on the role of norms in marketing relationships, there is a distinct possibility that insufficient further research has been done in order to allow comparisons of their findings with those of other studies that differ with regard to cultures, settings, and time periods. Maintaining focus on the transaction between dyadic exchange partners as a fundamental activity in marketing channels (of. Achrol, Stern, and Reve 1983), the objectives of this article are to examine the existence or otherwise of relational norms between dyadic exchange partners serving as a governance mechanism safeguarding against opportunistic behaviour in the presence of transaction‐specific assets. The work of Heide and John [1992] shed much light on this, but examined the dyad from the perspective of a strong buyer facing a large number of small suppliers. We will focus on a strong supplier, facing a large number of small buyers, currently, but not indefinitely, bound to it by legislation and contract. The perspective adopted will be that of many small buyers (phar‐macies) from a monopolistic ethical drug wholesaler, at the time of dismantling of a statutory wholesale drug monopoly in Norway.
Practices of Excellent Companies in the US Banking Industry
Authors: Brown Kathryn , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: January 2008

“Welcome to the new world of banking, where the bank goes to the customer rather than waiting for the customer to come to the bank.”. Financial institutions are in the process of executing an unprecedented reconfiguration of the banking industry.
PRACTICES OF EXCELLENT COMPANIES IN THE AMERICAN DRUG INDUSTRY
Authors: Pringle Fred , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: January 2008

When one considers excellence in the pharmaceutical industry one might focus attention on the primary manufactured product, drugs. Emphasis would be placed on how the drugs are developed, tested for safety, and manufactured. Other factors could include marketing and distribution of these pharmaceuticals. These practices although extremely important, represent a very traditional view of drug companies. In other words drug companies primary business is to develop, manufacture, and distribute drugs. Starting in the mid 1980s most drug companies viewed themselves this way. When the medical inflation rate soared to over 15% year after year, most drug companies arbitrarily raised the price of their drugs at this extremely high rate. At the time, despite pleas from consumer groups, the pharmaceutical industry justified these increases by pointing to the high cost of research and product liability. The recession of the early 1990's has had profound effect on health care costs. As businesses look for ways to cut costs in general, they no longer will tolerate constantly rising health care insurance premiums. The election of Bill Clinton in 1992 further accelerated cost cutting trends in health care. This effect stemmed from the threat of nationalised or other radical health care reform. President Clinton in fact, singled out the drug companies for price gouging. Since this time, medical costs, including drugs has declined to approximately 5%. Cost containment efforts such as HMOs and managed care have continued.
ORGANISATION STRUCTURE AND STRATEGIC PLANNING: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION
Authors: Drago William A.
Published: January 2008

The relationship between organisation structure and strategic planning has been discussed by numerous authors. However, empirical studies of this relationship remain scarce. This article examines the interrelationship between strategic plan intensity and organisation structural factors through an empirical analysis to provide additional insights into this important relationship. Strategic plan intensity is defined as the degree to which an organisation uses a strategic plan to guide the actions and decisions of organisation members.
THE DETERMINANTS OF CEO's COMPENSATION IN RETAILING
Authors: Hsing Yu , Lin Wen‐Jeng
Published: January 2008

CEOs' compensation has received a great deal of attention in recent years. Some criticised that CEOs' compensation is not responsive to their performance, because some CEOs still received the same or more compensation even if their companies incurred losses. Others complained that the compensation received by some of the CEOs was so astronomical that it can not be justified with any rational explanations. Many also maintained that some CEOs do not care about employees' wellbeing and shareholders' interest in the determination of their compensation in view of the facts that many workers received pay cuts or declining compensation in real terms and are laid off in the re‐structuring of organisations in order for firms to become more competitive domestically and worldwide.
Exploring an Innovative International Research Database: Swot Analysis
Authors: Jones Michael John , Parker David
Published: January 2008

There is an evolving literature on comparative international accounting (see Meek and Saudagaren (1990) and Wallace and Gernon (1991) for comprehensive reviews). Many of these studies utilise corporate annual reports either directly or indirectly. Direct usage of corporate annual reports has been used to explore a variety of topics. For example, Choi and Bavishi (1982) and Cairns, Lafferty and Mantle (1984) looked at the quantity and nature of corporate financial disclosure; Gray (1978) explored segmental disclosures; and Choi (1973) examined voluntary disclosure. Indirect usage involves data synthesised from annual reports. For example, Datastream and the Financial Times 500, inter alia, provide a selection of data, such as sales and profit figures, extracted from corporate annual reports. This data is then used by a variety of users, such as industrial analysts and academics.
Implications of Total Quality Management for Agency Theory
Authors: Luxmore Stephen R. , Stendardi Edward J.
Published: January 2008

Total quality management (TQM) has received considerable attention as a way to increase both the effectiveness and the efficiency of corporations (Bounds et. al., 1994; Grant, Shani and Krisnan 1994; Olian and Rynes 1991; Powell 1995; Ross 1993). Concerned primarily with the delivery of customer satisfaction, the proponents of quality and/or TQM (Deming 1986; Juran 1992; and Crosby 1979) have developed principles and procedures for achieving total quality and meeting multiple corporate goals. Empirical evidence regarding outcomes is mixed; success and failure case studies abound, statistical methodologies are questioned, and more rigorous empirical studies present some positive findings (Powell 1995). Some maintain that the reasons for the failure of TQM systems is incompatibility between existing Western management thought which is grounded in economic models, and the TQM paradigm, which evolved from statistical theory, and has its own set of assumptions (Grant, Shani and Krisnan 1994). Despite such mixed empirical results, TQM continues to be promoted and implemented. This is the beginning point for our examination of TQM. The TQ management paradigm is practiced in economically and culturally diverse environments, including those which embrace an economic perspective, complete with maximisation of shareholder wealth, self‐interest, rational decision makers, separation of ownership, and agency costs (Grant, Shani and Krishnan 1994).
Linking Communities and Campuses Through Distance Learning
Authors: Ward Edna C. , Lee J. Edward
Published: January 2008

The former speaker of the U.S. House, Thomas P. O'Neil, remarked “all politics is local”. We would elaborate upon these wise words by adding “all innovative teaching is local”. As instructors who use interactive distance learning, we stress that successful teaching results when links are established between campuses and local communmities. These partnerships, assisted by modern technology, create advantages for all individuals who participate in projects such as the ones discussed in this article.
Parental Influence Style and the Development of Adult Shopping Behaviour
Authors: Lesser Jack A. , Thumurluri Lakshmi K.
Published: January 2008

Much of human behaviour is viewed as a process, which begins with early childhood experience, and develops into later life emotions, values, beliefs, and behaviours. Described below, considerable interdisciplinary attention has been given to the role of childhood, and more specifically, to the relevance of different types of parental influence on children as they later become adults. Within marketing, selected scholarly consideration has been devoted to the roles of parents on their children's existing consumer behaviour. The unique contribution of this article is to examine the role of different types of parental influence on later adulthood shopping behaviours.
Practices of Excellent Companies in the American Automotive Finance Industry
Authors: Spina Joseph , Kleiner Brian H.
Published: January 2008

Excellent companies in the automative finance industry are considered so because of, among other things, their financial strength. In order for these companies to have achieved such status there have been strategies successfully executed by a committed workforce. Policies and procedures have been put in place in each company that ensures that employees are afforded certain basic benefits that protect their livelihood and others that reach beyond to create a more attractive environment that will help guarantee a long relationship between company and employee. The employee benefits of Toyota Motor Credit Corporation, Ford Motor Credit and Nissan Motors Acceptance Corporation are explored here in an effort to illustrate why these companies have succeeded, why some have succeeded more than others and, very importantly, how these companies are affected by the benefits that are put in place as a means of achieving long term success.
The Attitude Towards Advertising by Medical Practitioners and the General Public: Some Evidence from Malta
Authors: Caruana Albert , Carey Claire
Published: January 2008

Many professionals abhor the thought of marketing their services. Marketing is assumed to be merely advertising and it is widely believed that advertising commercialises and hence demeans professional services (Chan, 1992; Darling and Hackett, 1978). Although restrictions on advertising have been removed or relaxed in a number of countries, many professionals and their associations still regard advertising with suspicion and regulate its use. This is perhaps nowhere more so than with medical professionals. A fundamental rule set by medical professional associations in European and North American countries is that the doctor's job is not a business. More explicitly, the Medical Council in Luxembourg specifies that medicine cannot be exercised ‘as a business’. While it is perfectly acceptable for other professions to declare that profit is the enterprise's driving force, such a statement would go completely against the professional conscience of the medical profession. Medical practitioners are expected to observe a high ethical code. Respect for life should come before any other consideration. However, the medical professional's ability to survive depends as much on marketing as on his specialised technical skills. A different marketing approach from that used conventionally in the business sector may be needed, but the utility of marketing cannot be denied. Like businesspersons, medical practitioners also network with their market by being active within the community. These and other actions all contribute to make the individual a well‐known figure within the area of his practice (Gelb, Smith and Gelb, 1988). Medical practitioners in the various countries frequently belong to national medical professional associations. These often have legal standing, and are empowered to issue regulations and sanction non compliance on many aspects relating to the profession including advertising. This study first aims to position within a North American and European perspective the approach to advertising adopted by the Malta Medical Council. Secondly, it seeks to empirically investigate (1) the attitude of Maltese medical practitioners towards advertising by their profession, and (2) the attitude of the Maltese general public towards advertising by medical practitioners. In America, the general public have been found to have a more positive attitude towards advertising than medical practitioners and professionals in general (Darling and Hackett, 1978; Dyer and Shimp, 1980; Miller and Waller, 1979). Similarly, we expect that in Malta medical practitioners will exhibit a more negative attitude towards advertising than the general public.