bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Enhancing education through service learning: a project overview
Authors: Jordan Mark H. , Schraeder Mike
Published: July 2011

Purpose

This paper intendsto provide a summary of a service learning project that was used as a form of work‐based learning to facilitate leadership training and education for undergraduate business students.

Design/methodology/approach

Details regarding the service learning project are provided, including objectives and a general overview of the methodology. This specific project required undergraduate business students in a leadership course to function in simulated roles as consultants for a fictional consulting company charged with developing and delivering a leadership training seminar for practicing managers/employees of non‐profit organizations located near the university.

Findings

Benefits or advantages to using this project are described. One of the most significant benefits associated with the project included the opportunity for students, as fictional employees, to become subject matter experts, while also becoming actively engaged or immersed in the content of leadership.

Practical implications

This project provides evidence that service learning can be an effective method for “teaching” leadership skills and knowledge to undergraduate business students.

Originality/value

The service learning project summarized here provides a unique perspective on how this form of work based learning can be designed to foster the development of leadership knowledge and skills to undergraduate business students. Further, this project provides evidence of how this approach to learning can also benefit the community by enhancing the knowledge levels of employees in community organizations.
Social media: key tools for the future of work‐based learning
Authors: Toole Tony
Published: July 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate the potential of web 2.0 tools in the online support of work‐based learners.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides an overview of the current use and benefits of web 2.0 tools in the support of work‐based learners. It includes two case studies that demonstrate, first, how action research is testing the boundaries of online technologies as new tools and functionality emerge and, second, how work‐based learning support staff are being trained to use such tools. These case studies are illustrations of how institutions in South Wales, UK are seeking to exploit the benefits of web 2.0 technologies in their drive to improve the support of work‐based learners.

Findings

The outcomes of the work described in this paper showed that the use of web 2.0 tools enabled online support of work‐based learners to include remote access to practical work. It also describes how work‐based learning support staff are being trained in the use of the new technologies.

Practical implications

There are significant practical implications in this paper. It shows how online distance learning support for work‐based learners can include remote access to practical work through the use of web 2.0 tools. This has always been a problem for the distance learning support of vocational subjects and indicates that such support will continue to improve as new web 2.0 functionality emerges.

Originality/value

The original value in the paper is: the remote access to practical work for work‐based learners using web 2.0 tools; and the online support of WBL trainers in their use of web 2.0 tools
Negotiating lean
Authors: Rahbek Gjerdrum Pedersen Esben , Huniche Mahad
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how negotiations between the constituencies affect the processes and outcomes of lean projects in Danish public sector organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a qualitative analysis of interviews with managers and employees who have participated in lean projects in the Danish public sector. Negotiated order theory serves as the overarching theoretical framework for the analysis.

Findings

The paper concludes that the processes and outcomes of lean depend not only on the technology itself, but also the negotiation context in which the planning and implementation of lean projects take place. Lean implementation is not a neutral and value‐free activity; it is fluid and open for multiple interpretations, interests, and logics.

Research limitations/implications

The project is based on qualitative data from lean projects in the Danish public sector. It cannot be concluded that the findings can be generalised to reflect all types of lean projects across organisational and geographical settings.

Originality/value

The paper adds value to the relatively scarce literature on lean management in the public sector by exploring how negotiative processes influence the planning, implementation, and maintenance/development of lean projects.
Determinants of manufacturing productivity: pilot study on labor‐intensive industries
Authors: Islam Shahidul , Syed Shazali S.T.
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to address the impact of three issues: degree of skills, favorable working environment and R&D on manufacturing productivity of labor‐intensive industries.

Design/methodology/approach

Convenience sampling method has been used to conduct this study. Three categories of labor‐intensive manufacturing industries (A, B and C) have been chosen to perform this research. Industrial category A represents the manufacturing operations which are based on skill of labor. Category B is a group of industries which provides a favorable working environment to utilize the potential of skill in manufacturing process. Category C is a specialized group of industries and its manufacturing process is dependent on R&D. Input–output data for manufacturing operations of the sample industries have been analyzed by using standard statistical techniques to establish the relationship between dependent and independent variables.

Findings

The degree of skill and productivity is positively correlated, but not strongly (r<0.5). The study found that productivity is positively (r>0.5) associated with favorable working environment. However, a significantly positive correlation (r>0.7) is found between R&D expenditure and productivity. The study concludes that a higher degree of skills, favorable working environment and R&D are important inputs to a labor‐intensive manufacturing process, which is positively associated with productivity.

Research limitations/implications

Manufacturing productivity is an important parameter of industrial growth, and this paper addresses this issue. The current work addresses the garments sector, i.e. a part of the labor‐intensive industries. Though this work is focused on only one part of this sector; the findings of this study have significant policy implications. The results would be useful for manufacturing business executives and policy makers.

Originality/value

This study addresses the important issue of productivity of labor‐intensive manufacturing industries, and generates quantitative evidence of the impact of degree of skills, favorable working environment and R&D on productivity. The generated information enriches the present knowledge stock of manufacturing systems. The findings could be the basis for further academic research on manufacturing systems.
Performance measurement systems in supply chains
Authors: Cuthbertson Richard , Piotrowicz Wojciech
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to propose a common framework for the empirical analysis of supply chain performance measurement systems used in different supply chain contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper, which includes an extensive literature review and an illustrative case study. The content, context, process framework is applied to structure the body of knowledge and the case study.

Findings

Supply chain performance measurement is a context‐dependent process, tailored to specific supply chain requirements. To understand how a performance measurement system in a supply chain has developed and is used there is a need to capture its context, process and content.

Research limitations/implications

The framework is illustrated by a single case study. Further empirical research is required to fully appreciate the breadth of application of this framework.

Practical implications

The proposed framework can help to develop performance measurement systems that are suitable for certain organisational and supply chain contexts in which a company operates, as well as to compare different systems used across different supply chains.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates an approach for analysing existing supply chain performance measurement systems that can be applied across different supply chains and sectors. This will create an opportunity to use a consistent data collection process across a variety of supply chain situations and thus generate data for further theory development.
Economic value added: a useful tool for SME performance management
Authors: Bahri Moujib , St‐Pierre Josée , Sakka Ouafa
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The aim of this study is to propose a performance measurement and management system (PMMS) for small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), based on an analysis of the connections between these firms' business practices and performance measured by economic value added (EVA).

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data from the PDG® database was used on a sample of 108 Canadian manufacturing SMEs over two consecutive years. The primary statistical method used was regression analysis to investigate the influence of diverse business practices on EVA in these firms.

Findings

This paper shows that EVA can be a useful tool for performance management in SMEs, when used in conjunction with a list of business practices that affect the firm's results. The findings indicate that some business practices have a direct impact on EVA within one year, while others have a deferred influence. The impacts of other practices on EVA were found to be weak or insignificant, an aspect that requires further investigation.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study is the lack of generalizability of the findings. However, the sampled SMEs vary widely in terms of their characteristics, which may mitigate the negative impacts of a non‐probabilistic sample.

Practical implications

This study offers a structured methodology to identify the paths leading to better performance in SMEs, through an improved understanding of their business practices' impacts on EVA.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that explores the linkage between SME business practices and EVA. When applied in conjunction with a set of business practices, EVA can help managers detect problems and identify sources of improvement.
The relationship between governance and NPD performance and the mediating role of tie strength
Authors: Teimoury E. , Fesharaki M. , Bazyar A.
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of governance modes (trust and unilateral control) on new product development (NPD) performance and the mediating role of tie strength.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey research was conducted to collect data from 112 NPD relationships and structural equation modeling was conducted to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results suggest that the trust and tie strength are positively related, while unilateral control and tie strength are negatively related. On the other hand, tie strength is positively related to NPD performance. Results also show that the impact of trust and unilateral control on NPD performance are mediated by the tie strength.

Originality/value

This study enhances the understanding of NPD relationships by examining the key modes of governance through which tie strength and NPD performance are influenced.
Precipitation‐free periods and water resources in the Lublin region, SE Poland
Authors: Janicki Grzegorz , Dobek Mateusz , Filipiuk Eugeniusz , Gluza Andrzej , Kaszewski Bogusław M. , Sobolewski Wojciech
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The moist periods with high precipitation and periods of atmospheric droughts are a potential great hazard to the functioning of ecosystems and different sectors of the national economy in the Lublin region. Therefore, a recognition of time variability of these atmospheric phenomena and the conditions of their occurrence are the main aims of this paper.

Design/methodology/approach

The analysis of the precipitation‐free periods was based on the meteorological data from the years 1951‐2009 recorded in the Meteorological Observatory of the Maria Curie‐Skłodowska University in Lublin. Main hydrological data concerning dynamics of groundwater table and surface water table came from the measurement network of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management.

Findings

Very long precipitation‐free periods, lasting over 20 days, appeared only seven times – once a year in 1953, 1956, 1959, 1971, 1983, and twice in 2000. Since the 1980s, the number of precipitation‐free periods has been decreasing parallel to the higher frequency of downpours and increasing annual precipitation totals. In the years 1981‐1994, the following phenomena were observed in the Lublin region: decrease of river mean discharges, groundwater‐table lowering, lowering of lake surfaces, disappearance of springs, and the shortening of the upper reaches of rivers. However, replenishment of water resources and more frequent meteorological extreme events have been recorded in the Lublin region since the second half of the 1990s. Therefore, local flood and inundations have occurred, and flood hazard in larger river valleys has increased.

Originality/value

Examination of time variability of these atmospheric phenomena and conditions of their occurrence should contribute to the development of effective ways and techniques of management of water resources in the regional economy in order to reduce economic losses.
Residents' attitude towards possible adaptation measures to the sea coast erosion in Latvia
Authors: Apine Lilija
Published: July 2011

Purpose

In addition to climate changes, human activities in the sea coast area are also important in the context of coastal erosion. There is a need to consider possible measures of adaptation at a national level to solve this issue. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the findings of the interviews made by the author and come to conclusions about residents' attitude towards possible measures of adaptation to the coastal erosion in Latvia.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was made by interviewing those seashore residents whose households are most influenced by sea coast erosion along the entire coastline of Latvia in the areas where erosion rate is projected to be at least 6 m until the year of 2025.

Findings

Half of the interviewees consider hard coast defense structures as an effective adaptation measure to the sea coast erosion in households concerned. The other half would not support that because of either long‐term ineffectiveness or other unwilling consequences. Retreat as a strategy is acceptable only for quite a small part of interviewees.

Originality/value

The results of the research can be taken into consideration when making political decisions concerning adaptation to climate change.
Adaptation through insurance: lessons from the NFIP
Authors: Thomas Adelle , Leichenko Robin
Published: July 2011

Purpose

Insurance is widely regarded as a key adaptation option for climate change. Yet, the experience of the insurance sector in dealing with climatic hazards, particularly flooding, has been highly varied. Drawing from the experience of the US National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the purpose of this paper is to identify opportunities and challenges associated with using insurance as an adaptation strategy for climate change.

Design/methodology/approach

This article critically reviews the history and recent performance of the NFIP and considers lessons for climate change adaptation through insurance.

Findings

The US NFIP offers government‐subsidized flood insurance for firms and residences. Over its 40‐year history, the NFIP has struggled with financial instability and low levels of public participation in the program. The experience of the NFIP offers several lessons regarding the viability of insurance as an adaptation strategy: increasing insurance premiums to account for new climatic risks may mean that a growing segment of the population is unable or unwilling to purchase insurance, absent some other form of subsidization; educating the public on levels of risk and promoting appropriate risk mitigation are highly effective means for reducing damages from current and emerging weather‐related risks; and close public‐private cooperation is likely to be needed to prevent withdrawal of private insurers from high‐risk areas and to ensure that insurance coverage continues to be widely available.

Originality/value

Examination of past experience with insurance as a mechanism for climate adaptation offers lessons and insights that can inform development of effective strategies to address climate change.
Robust adaptation assessment – climate change and water supply
Authors: Hall Julia , Murphy Conor
Published: July 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a framework to assist the identification of robust adaptation options that account for uncertainty in future climate change impacts for the water sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The water evaluation and planning (WEAP) tool, is to identify future water resource vulnerability in the Glore sub‐catchment within the Moy catchment in the West of Ireland. Where water stress is evident, a detailed hydrological modelling approach is developed to enable an assessment of the robustness to uncertainty of future adaptation decisions. WEAP is coupled with a rainfall runoff model (hydrological simulation model), and forced using climate scenarios, statistically downscaled from three global climate models to account for the key sources of uncertainty. While hydrological models are widely applied, they are subject to uncertainties derived from model structure and the parameterisation of the catchment. Here, random sampling of key parameters is employed to incorporate uncertainty from the hydrological modelling process. Behavioural parameter sets are used to generate multiple future streamflow series to determine where the bounds within future hydrological regimes may lie and the ranges within which future adaptation policy pathways need to function.

Findings

This framework allows the identification of adaptation options that are robust to uncertainty in future simulations.

Research limitations/implications

Future research will focus on the development of more site‐specific adaptation options including soft and hard adaptation strategies. This approach will be applied to multiple water resource regions within Ireland.

Originality/value

A robust adaptation assessment decreases the risk of expensive and/or mal‐adaptations in a critical sector for society, the economy and the aquatic environment.
China's R&D internationalization and reform of science and technology system
Authors: Chen Jin , Zhao Xiaoting , Tong Liang
Published: July 2011

Purpose

China's research and development (R&D) internationalization has grown rapidly in the 1990s. However, academic research has not kept pace with it. The purpose of this paper is to study the development characteristics and evolution pattern of China's R&D internationalization, explore its challenges to China's traditional science and technology (S&T) system, and to give some suggestions for the reform of China's S&T system as well.

Design/methodology/approach

An in‐depth case study about Huawei is conducted by focusing on its strategy and development pattern of overseas R&D activities. It involves two methods of data collection: comprehensive interviews and administrative records and documents of the company. More information about China's R&D internationalization and S&T system is obtained through literature review, policy documents collection and a previous questionnaire survey of 28 leading Chinese firms.

Findings

Based on the literature review, previous survey and study of the strategy and development of R&D internationalization of Huawei, a three‐stage model is proposed to explain the evolution of R&D internationalization in China. The challenges to the traditional S&T system in China are summarized. In the future, R&D internationalization should be considered as an important factor in the reform of China's S&T system. Some suggestions are given as well.

Originality/value

This paper puts forward a three‐stage model to explain the evolution of R&D internationalization in China, which may add both academic and practical value to the field of internationalization of R&D. It brings some valuable implications to the reform of China's S&T system as well. This paper analyzes the challenges and opportunities brought by R&D internationalization to China's S&T system on the basis of case study and policy documents collection. The suggestions of the reform of China's S&T system are presented.
Government support, international trade and firm's R&D investment
Authors: Li Zheng‐wei , Millman Cindy , Chi Ren‐yong
Published: July 2011

Purpose

Innovation is becoming the key approach for firms to achieve sustainable competitive advantages. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether government public R&D subsidies have a positive impact on firms' private R&D investment (RDI) under globalization; this paper also investigates the impact of international trade on firms' private RDI in China.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper empirically tests the government support and international trade on firms' private RDI. An online survey was conducted as well as collaborated with the Department of Science and Technology of Zhejiang Province in 2006. The sample was obtained from more than 1,000 firms in high‐tech industries in Zhejiang province, and covers the year 2003‐2005. Linear regression was used for the firm‐level estimations.

Findings

The empirical results indicate that public R&D subsidies and disembodied technology imports positively and significantly impact on firms' private RDI, while non‐high‐tech product exports and embodied technology imports do not have positive effects. Moreover, the results show that high‐tech product exports are positively associated with firms' private RDI but not significantly.

Originality/value

The paper's findings extend the existing understanding of the determinants of firms' RDI in less developed countries, such as China. Moreover, unlike most extant studies, the authors investigate different types of exports and imports and their impacts on firms' RDI, respectively.
Exploring a new low‐carbon development paradigm for China's future manufacturing sectors
Authors: Cao Huajun , Du Yanbin , Chen Yongpeng
Published: July 2011

Purpose

China has become the low‐cost manufacturing center of the world. The purpose of this paper is to provide an in‐depth analysis of a new manufacturing strategy for China's future manufacturing sector which is trying to transform into a new low‐carbon development paradigm. It also aims to discuss the empirical implications and policy suggestions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the broad reviewing of the relative government documents and press reports in China, the USA, and Japan. The authors also conducted case research of China's remanufacturing practices.

Findings

The high energy consumption and emissions of China's manufacturing sector results from the widespread use of obsolete production equipment, which can produce low‐cost products with a severely negative environmental effect. The remanufacturing strategy can upgrade existing production equipment to improve production efficiency, which will be a more practical paradigm for China's future manufacturing sector.

Originality/value

The previous relative low‐carbon policies in China are mainly associated with the administrative measures, such as direct “command‐control”, which have paid little attention to the practical development paradigm. This paper first provides a framework for understanding and practical evidence for the remanufacturing strategy as a new low‐carbon paradigm for the giant manufacturing sector of the world's largest developing country.
Reshaping the business ecosystem in China: case studies and implications
Authors: Rong Ke , Liu Zheng , Shi Yongjiang
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore a way to reshape the business ecosystem for existing industries by comparing traditional and Shanzhai networks in China. The research is also conducted on the supporting activities by service intermediaries in the ecosystem.

Design/methodology/approach

This research starts with a literature review on firms' strategy of industry maturity from three perspectives, including technology orientation, innovation orientation, and network orientation. The approach of multiple case studies is adopted to unveil the reshaping process of the business ecosystem. Two types of networks are mapped: the traditional mobile companies' network and the Shanzhai network. Intra‐network and inter‐network cross‐case analyses aim to generate the research findings and provide implications for different ecosystem players.

Findings

First, the relationship between industry and the business ecosystem is placed into a two by two matrix. Second, in order to reshape the business ecosystem, the traditional network prefers geographical dispersion to other countries to establish a new ecosystem, whereas the Shanzhai network brings niche substitutes to cut down industry entry barriers. Third, government agencies, as one of the service intermediaries, not only support the traditional network dispersion by providing preferential policies, but also support the reshaping process enabled by the Shanzhai network with legal guidance and resource capture. Fourth, other service intermediaries such as law firms, technology services, talent searchers, financial and industry associations, have greater impact on the Shanzhai network than on the traditional network. Fifth, from the comparison between these two networks, strategies to reshape the ecosystem can be differentiated in five aspects: frugal solution, platform enablement, organization recentralization, downstream innovation, and regulation adaptation.

Research limitations/implications

This research further develops the observations into service intermediaries not only in core business but also in the extended level of the business ecosystem. The Shanzhai phenomenon also provides an excellent example implicating classical theories like cluster, innovation and global manufacturing virtual network. From a methodology perspective, this research combined the roadmap methods and cross‐case analysis. However, this study focuses more on Shanzhai network study than the traditional network.

Practical implications

Five nurturing strategies implicate small firms in the Shanzhai network and large firms in the traditional network as well as service intermediaries.

Originality/value

This paper is the first one to deeply study the relationship between industry and the business ecosystem in China, and the reshaping process of a mature business ecosystem from the traditional network, Shanzhai network and service intermediaries' perspectives.
Sports business and multisided markets: towards a new analytical framework?
Authors: Budzinski Oliver , Satzer Janina
Published: July 2011

Purpose

Despite still being younger than a decade, the theory of multisided markets has offered numerous valuable insights for the analysis of industries in which a supplier serves two distinct customer groups that are indirectly interrelated by externalities. Examples include payment systems, matching agencies, commercial media, and software platforms. However, professional sports markets have largely been neglected so far in this kind of research although they possess the characteristics of multisided markets. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to filling this gap by describing the platform elements of professional suppliers of sports events and by conceptually outlining issues where an application of this theoretical framework is likely to provide valuable insights and to add to the existing knowledge. Among these problems are integrative pricing strategies of sports clubs towards such different customer groups as attendees, broadcasters, sponsors, etc., including their welfare and antitrust implications, and design decisions of sports associations, in order to promote positive feedback loops among the customer groups as well as management strategies to reinforce positive externalities among customer groups and alleviate negative ones.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper applies the theory of multisided markets to sports markets. It analyses whether the participants and their interrelations can be described as facing a multisided market context and briefly outlines the strategy implications for sports business.

Findings

The paper finds that the multisided market framework offers a promising framework for analysing sports business and adds insights to several problems of sports markets that “traditional” analysis cannot fully solve.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to systematically discuss the applicability of the multisided market framework to sports markets. As a conceptual paper, it hopes to stimulate further research in this area and open a promising avenue for scientific progress in the field.
Does order matter? An empirical analysis of NHL draft decisions
Authors: Tingling Peter , Masri Kamal , Martell Matthew
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of order on the quality of outcomes when making sequential decisions and test the widely‐held belief that choosing earlier is preferable and results in better outcomes than choosing later.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative performance from the sequence of athletic decisions made by the teams of the National Hockey League (NHL) at the annual amateur entry draft is longitudinally analyzed using a participation threshold of 160 games.

Findings

Analysis indicates that earlier choice does result in outcomes that are significantly and substantially better but that this effect is muted beyond approximately the first 100 decisions, after which there is no discernable advantage.

Research limitations/implications

The dichotomous performance measure excludes more qualitative or stratified assessments of performance and does not include context of the individual decision choices. The results may not generalize beyond the National Hockey League or other human resource situations.

Practical implications

The research suggests that sequential decision processes are suboptimal in the presence of large amounts of information and choice. Recommendations include reallocating the amount of confirmatory attention spent on highly‐ranked candidates.

Originality/value

The paper exposes limitations to the widely‐held belief that choosing earlier is preferable to choosing later.
Dimensions of motivation associated with playing sport video games
Authors: Cianfrone Beth A. , Zhang James J. , Jae Ko Yong
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to modify and extend the Sport Video Game Motivation Scale (SVGMS).

Design/methodology/approach

The original scale included seven factors (Competition, Diversion, Enjoyment, Fantasy, Interest with Sport, Social Interaction, and Sport Knowledge Application) with a total of 20 items. Initial modification and revision were conducted through a review of literature, adoption of pertinent theories, and a test of content validity by a panel of experts and a sample of sport video game (SVG) players. The scale was modified with additional items and three additional motivation factors, resulting in ten factors with 34 items. The revised SVGMS was administered to gamers (n=232) who played two popular SVGs.

Findings

In total, eight factors were determined in a confirmatory factor analysis (Competition, Diversion, Enjoyment, Fantasy, Social Interaction, Sport Interest, Sport Knowledge Application, and Team Identification).

Originality/value

Overall, the modified SVGMS showed good validity and reliability, providing good measurement evidence for the scale to be adopted for future investigations of motivations associated with sport video gamers.
March Madness, office gambling, and workplace productivity issues: an empirical study
Authors: Smith Amber A. , Smith Alan D.
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore and test certain assumptions concerning the employee productivity and employee morale associated with the annual participation in March Madness activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of relatively well‐paid professionals many of whom routinely engage in office pools and most universally are involved in bracketing March Madness plays, from a major Pittsburgh‐based financial service provider. Multivariate statistical analyses were used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Although management may advertise that their companies lose operational productivity, respondents generally agree that there is little drop off in workplace productivity. Apparently, there is a trade off between labor productivity, which may be slightly reduced on the short term, and employee cohesiveness, which may increase on the long term.

Practical implications

March Madness activities are such time‐honored traditions that it may be questionable whether any efforts on the part of management to curb office pooling would be effective, due to the expense, uncertain consequences, and doubtful impacts on productivity arising from such initiatives.

Originality/value

Continued research to determine the balance of productivity losses and gains in employee cohesiveness and morale is needed to develop appropriate strategies to effectively deal with the complexities posed by March Madness activities in the workplace environment.
Green management and environmental sustainability: a case of ITC Green Center
Authors: Singh Anjana , Rishi Meghna , Shukla Rati
Published: July 2011

Subject area

The built environment

Study level/applicability

This case can be used for undergraduate and post graduate level business and management studies. The topics identified for this case study would be environmental management applicable to green management, corporate sustainability and financial planning, buildings conservation, sustainable constructions and projects and the hospitality industry.

Case overview

Mr Niranjan Khatri is one of the people involved in ITC's successful implementation of green management techniques. The key issue causing concern to management is how they initiate this new concept to the already existing and functional hotels in the country. The second key challenge is managing their stakeholders. Being in the service industry, customer service and convenience is of prime importance and at times they may be in conflict with the sustainability agenda of ITC.

Expected learning outcomes

Students should be able to analyse the importance of environmental management in the hospitality industry; recognize the operational constraints and legal obligations surrounding environmental performance in hospitality and tourism, Interpret environmental theory and work out an implementation plan for implementing environmental management in hotels.

Supplementary materials

Teaching note.
Role of Notch signaling in colon homeostasis and carcinogenesis
Authors: Miyamoto Shingo , Rosenberg Daniel W.
Published: July 2011

Colorectal cancer is a leading cause of cancer‐related deaths world‐wide. Despite the development of new anticancer agents, there will be an estimated 150 000 new cases and 50 000 deaths associated with this disease during the next year.(1) This is due, in part, to the limitations of chemotherapy, resulting from drug resistance and organ system toxicities. To overcome the inherent limitations associated with standard chemotherapy techniques, the development of novel drug targets is of utmost importance in combating this disease. There is accumulating evidence that a small fraction of cancer cells, referred to as cancer stem cells, may play a critical role in the pathogenesis of this disease. In fact, the identification of cancer stem cells can be accomplished based on the expression of surface markers associated with a cancer stem‐like phenotype. This stem‐like phenotype includes indefinite self‐replication, pluripotency, and most importantly, resistance to chemotherapeutics. Therefore, understanding the properties of cancer stem cells may ultimately lead to new therapeutic approaches. Recently, several studies have shown that Notch signaling is critical in maintaining cancer stem cell properties. This review provides a summary of colonic crypt organization and colon carcinogenesis with a focus on stem cells. Moreover, we discuss novel therapeutic strategies that are under development for targeting Notch signaling in cancer stem cells. (Cancer Sci 2011; 102: 1938–1942)
Combination treatment with fulvestrant and various cytotoxic agents (doxorubicin, paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinorelbine, and 5‐fluorouracil) has a synergistic effect in estrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer
Authors: Ikeda Hirokuni , Taira Naruto , Nogami Tomohiro , Shien Kazuhiko , Okada Masanori , Shien Tadahiko , Doihara Hiroyoshi , Miyoshi Shinichiro
Published: July 2011

Patients with estrogen receptor (ER)‐positive breast cancers have a better prognosis than those with ER‐negative breast cancers, but often have low sensitivity to chemotherapy and a limited survival benefit. We have previously shown a combination effect of taxanes and fulvestrant and suggested that this treatment may be useful for ER‐positive breast cancer. In this study, we evaluated the effects of combinations of hormone drugs and chemotherapeutic agents. In vitro, the effects of combinations of five chemotherapeutic agents (doxorubicin, paclitaxel, docetaxel, vinorelbine, and 5‐fluorouracil) and three hormone drugs (fulvestrant, tamoxifen, and 4‐hydroxytamoxifen) were examined in ER‐positive breast cancer cell lines using CalcuSyn software. Changes in chemoresistant factors such as Bcl2, multidrug resistance‐associated protein 1, and microtubule‐associated protein tau were also examined after exposure of the cells to hormone drugs. In vivo, tumor sizes in mice were evaluated after treatment with docetaxel or doxorubicin alone, fulvestrant alone, and combinations of these agents. Combination treatment with fulvestrant and all five chemotherapeutic agents in vitro showed synergistic effects. In contrast, tamoxifen showed an antagonistic effect with all the chemotherapeutic agents. 4‐Hydroxytamoxifen showed an antagonistic effect with doxorubicin and 5‐fluorouracil, but a synergistic effect with taxanes and vinorelbine. Regarding chemoresistant factors, Bcl2 and microtubule‐associated protein tau were downregulated by fulvestrant. In vivo, a combination of fulvestrant and docetaxel had a synergistic effect on tumor growth, but fulvestrant and doxorubicin did not show this effect. In conclusion, fulvestrant showed good compatibility with all the evaluated chemotherapeutic agents, and especially with docetaxel, in vitro and in vivo. (Cancer Sci 2011; 102: 2038–2042)
The CSF tap test in normal pressure hydrocephalus: evaluation time, reliability and the influence of pain
Authors: Virhammar J. , Cesarini K. G. , Laurell K.
Published: July 2011

Background:  The cerebrospinal fluid tap test (TT) is a diagnostic tool used to select patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) for shunt surgery. The procedure and the evaluation of the TT vary between centres. We aimed to describe the evaluation time after the TT, to assess the variability between repeated measurements, the interrater agreement of the gait tests chosen and finally to investigate whether pain affects the gait performance post‐TT.

Methods:  Forty patients (21 men and 19 women) under evaluation for iNPH underwent a TT. Standardized gait analyses were performed before and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 24 h after the TT and repeated twice on every occasion. Independent of each other, two investigators evaluated the quality of gait. At each assessment time, the patients graded headache and back pain on a visual analogue scale.

Results:  Twenty‐seven patients (15 men and 12 women) responded to TT. Improvements in gait speed and number of steps were significant at every assessment time post‐TT. The variability between two measurements was low (Intra class correlation coefficient = 0.97), and the inter‐rater agreement was good with a κ = 0.74. Pain correlated negatively with improvement in gait speed (r = −0.40, P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  We suggest that the TT can be evaluated at any time within the first 24 h and should be repeated if the patient does not initially improve. Gait analysis appears reliable between two evaluators. Further, it is indicated that post‐lumbar puncture pain negatively affects the gait and should be minimized.
Low antioxidant status of serum uric acid, bilirubin and albumin in patients with neuromyelitis optica
Authors: Peng F. , Yang Y. , Liu J. , Jiang Y. , Zhu C. , Deng X. , Hu X. , Chen X. , Zhong X.
Published: July 2011

Background:  Oxidative stress plays a central role in neuropathology of multiple sclerosis (MS). The patients with MS have low antioxidant status. Antioxidant therapy may represent an attractive treatment of MS. However, the relationship between neuromyelitis optica (NMO), a distinct nosologic entity or a form of MS, and antioxidant status has not fully been investigated.

Objectives:  To investigate the correlation between NMO and serum antioxidant status of uric acid (UA), bilirubin and albumin.

Methods:  The serum levels of antioxidant molecules UA, bilirubin (Tbil and Ibil) and albumin were measured in 236 individuals comprising healthy subjects and patients with NMO or MS.

Results:  We found that serum levels of UA, Tbil, Ibil and albumin in patients with NMO were significantly lower than those in healthy control group. Moreover, these results were also observed when the male and female cohorts were investigated separately. Likewise, the serum levels of UA, Tbil, Ibil and albumin in patients with NMO were also lower than those of patients with MS. In all groups, women had lower serum UA, Tbil, Ibil and albumin levels than men. In UA groups, women had significantly lower serum UA levels than men.

Conclusion:  We concluded that there were reducing serum levels of UA, bilirubin and albumin in patients with NMO. The study showed patients with NMO had low antioxidant status. As a replacement therapy to patients, administration of albumin, bilirubin and UA or theirs precursors, such as inosine of UA precursor, may be beneficial to the patients with NMO.
Identifying Changing Aviation Threat Environments Within an Adaptive Homeland Security Advisory System
Authors: Lee Adrian J. , Jacobson Sheldon H.
Published: July 2011

A critical component of aviation security consists of screening passengers and baggage to protect airports and aircraft from terrorist threats. Advancements in screening device technology have increased the ability to detect these threats; however, specifying the operational configurations of these devices in response to changes in the threat environment can become difficult. This article proposes to use Fisher information as a statistical measure for detecting changes in the threat environment. The perceived risk of passengers, according to prescreening information and behavior analysis, is analyzed as the passengers sequentially enter the security checkpoint. The alarm responses from the devices used to detect threats are also analyzed to monitor significant changes in the frequency of threat items uncovered. The key results are that this information‐based measure can be used within the Homeland Security Advisory System to indicate changes in threat conditions in real time, and provide the flexibility of security screening detection devices to responsively and automatically adapt operational configurations to these changing threat conditions.
Estimating Conditional Probabilities of Terrorist Attacks: Modeling Adversaries with Uncertain Value Tradeoffs
Authors: Levine E. S.
Published: July 2011

Many analyses conducted to inform security decisions depend on estimates of the conditional probabilities of different attack alternatives. These probabilities are difficult to estimate since analysts have limited access to the adversary and limited knowledge of the adversary’s utility function, so subject matter experts often provide the estimates through direct elicitation. In this article, we describe a method of using uncertainty in utility function value tradeoffs to model the adversary’s decision process and solve for the conditional probabilities of different attacks in closed form. The conditional probabilities are suitable to be used as inputs to probabilistic risk assessments and other decision support techniques. The process we describe is an extension of value‐focused thinking and is broadly applicable, including in general business decision making. We demonstrate the use of this technique with simple examples.
Resource Distribution in Multiple Attacks with Imperfect Detection of the Attack Outcome
Authors: Levitin Gregory , Hausken Kjell
Published: July 2011

This article extends the previous research of consecutive attacks strategy by assuming that an attacker observes the outcome of each attack imperfectly. With given probabilities it may wrongly identify a destroyed target as undestroyed, and wrongly identify an undestroyed target as destroyed. The outcome of each attack is determined by a contest success function that depends on the amount of resources allocated by the defender and the attacker to each attack. The article suggests a probabilistic model of the multiple attacks and analyzes how the target destruction probability and the attacker's relative resource expenditure are impacted by the two probabilities of incorrect observation, the attacker's and defender's resource ratio, the contest intensity, the number of attacks, and the resource distribution across attacks. We analyze how the attacker chooses the number of attacks, the attack stopping rule, and the optimal resource distribution across attacks to maximize its utility.
Biogeographical Analysis of Chemical Co‐Occurrence Data to Identify Priorities for Mixtures Research
Authors: Tornero‐Velez Rogelio , Egeghy Peter P. , Cohen Hubal Elaine A.
Published: July 2011

A challenge with multiple chemical risk assessment is the need to consider the joint behavior of chemicals in mixtures. To address this need, pharmacologists and toxicologists have developed methods over the years to evaluate and test chemical interaction. In practice, however, testing of chemical interaction more often comprises ad hoc binary combinations and rarely examines higher order combinations. One explanation for this practice is the belief that there are simply too many possible combinations of chemicals to consider. Indeed, under stochastic conditions the possible number of chemical combinations scales geometrically as the pool of chemicals increases. However, the occurrence of chemicals in the environment is determined by factors, economic in part, which favor some chemicals over others. We investigate methods from the field of biogeography, originally developed to study avian species co‐occurrence patterns, and adapt these approaches to examine chemical co‐occurrence. These methods were applied to a national survey of pesticide residues in 168 child care centers from across the country. Our findings show that pesticide co‐occurrence in the child care center was not random but highly structured, leading to the co‐occurrence of specific pesticide combinations. Thus, ecological studies of species co‐occurrence parallel the issue of chemical co‐occurrence at specific locations. Both are driven by processes that introduce structure in the pattern of co‐occurrence. We conclude that the biogeographical tools used to determine when this structure occurs in ecological studies are relevant to evaluations of pesticide mixtures for exposure and risk assessment.