bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Book review: Educating Educators with Social Media, Charles Wankel
Authors: Conway Maree
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This viewpoint paper aims to review the book Educating Educators with Social Media, Charles Wankel (Emerald Group Publishing).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides an overview of the book, key messages and implications for the future.

Findings

Social media is already being used in higher education and its almost ubiquitous use in the social environment means academics and other staff involved in learning activities will need to consider how and when to integrate social media into those activities.

Practical implications

The book provides an excellent starting point for anyone interested in social media and learning to find out what has been done to date, what has been learned, and what is possible in the future.

Originality/value

The value of this book rests with the wide range of social media tools it covers, and the willingness of authors to share their learnings from their experiences with social media.
The future of the university
Authors: Abeles Tom P.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the cost of basic or textbook knowledge that is asymptotically approaching zero.

Design/methodology/approach

New ways to access such knowledge and to receive academic credit are challenging the mature academic institutions and acting as a disruptive innovation.

Findings

These alternatives will create competitive models, some current institutions will fade or be absorbed and the present institutions will/are undergoing substantive changes in what is delivered and how and what will emerge as the new value proposition.

Originality/value

This knowledge is both fungible and transferable across geo‐political boundaries including the walls of the Ivory Tower.
Impact of e‐marketplace on supply chain under the markdown policy
Authors: Ning Zhong , Choi Tsan‐Ming , Xie Charlene , Xie Li , Dai Junjun
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the effect of e‐marketplace on the supply chain's performance under the markdown policy. Profit and risk analyses are both conducted and channel coordination issues are examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a markdown policy supply chain analytical model with e‐marketplace and examines the optimal markdown policy. The mean‐variance theory is employed to study both the risk and profit residing in the supply chain. Extensive numerical analysis is conducted. The paper investigates both the cases when e‐marketplace selling price is exogenous and endogenous.

Findings

The markdown policy can coordinate the supply chain as long as the parameters satisfy certain analytical conditions. The expected profit and risk in the supply chain are both increased when e‐marketplace is introduced. The retailer shares a larger portion of the increased expected profit but at the same time bears a higher risk.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, similar to the mainstream literature in the related area, the supply chain consists of one manufacturer and one retailer, and there is one single selling season with one product. Despite being able to generate interesting analytical results, this model fails to capture the more complicated real world practices.

Practical implications

The existence of e‐marketplace can be beneficial to the whole supply chain in terms of expected profit improvement. When the expected profit increase brought about by e‐marketplace is large enough to compensate for both the operational cost of e‐marketplace and the increase of the risk, the retailer could consider introducing e‐marketplace to dispose of the excess inventory.

Originality/value

This paper is an original work. It is based on the reviewed literature and the model with markdown policy is new. This could be a reference for further research into optimal performance in the supply chain with e‐marketplace.
Sourcing from China: experiences of Australian firms
Authors: Wang Jeffrey , Singh Prakash J. , Samson Danny , Power Damien
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the motivations of Australian manufacturing companies for sourcing products and services from China, the results achieved and whether these lived up to expectations, related barriers and problems, and how these problems were dealt with.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a survey of 35 Australian manufacturing firms, which have moved to import some goods or components from Chinese sources.

Findings

Most firms that source components or products from China do so because of the cost reductions that were expected. In actuality, significant cost reductions were achieved, however these reductions were on average less than expected. Along with these cost reductions, importing goods or components from China had some quality problems and delivery delays. Control procedures, improved communications and relationship‐building strategies were employed to overcome and deal with such problems, and most firms reported remaining committed to their China sourcing strategies.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates and measures the motivation, degree of success, performance outcomes, and challenges that can be anticipated by firms wishing to source products or components from China.
Managing production outsourcing risks in China's apparel industry: a case study of two apparel retailers
Authors: Hon Kam Booi , Chen Ling , Wilding Richard
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how Chinese apparel retailers manage their production outsourcing risks and why they elect to manage those risks in a particular manner.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigation used the case study approach to explore factors driving two Chinese apparel retailers operating in different market environments to manage their production outsourcing risks.

Findings

The selection of production outsourcing risk management strategies hinges on what apparel retailers view as the most important value their products provide to customers. Product values were linked to specific product characteristics as well as the market environment in which the apparel retailers operated. The retailer that regarded product quality as a key value driver was found to place emphasis on manufacturer selection and use of a formal contract for process control. The retailer that viewed newness and variety as a value driver opted to cultivate a strong, committed business relationship based on Guanxi to achieve speed‐to‐market.

Research limitations/implications

As a case study research, the findings of this study have their limitations in generalisability. Given that one of the retailers did not invoke Guanxi to cultivate a long‐term business relationship with its outsourced manufacturers, the role of Guanxi in outsourcing risk management in China deserves further exploration, as businesses in China become more globalised.

Practical implications/value

This study grounds mainstream outsourcing strategy literature on operational practice through case studies. It highlights the influence of both product characteristics and market environment in dictating the choice of outsourcing risk management strategies in apparel manufacturing.

Originality/value

The study views outsourcing risk management from the perspective of minimizing outsourcing failures, rather than achieving outsourcing success. It reveals that risk management behavior of apparel retailers was linked to the notion of value protection, which varied according to what they considered as their principal product value drivers.
Logistics outsourcing in China: the manufacturer‐cum‐supplier perspective
Authors: Rahman Shams , Jim Wu Yen‐Chun
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This study aims to investigate differences among Chinese manufacturers‐cum‐suppliers in their logistics services provided to different local and foreign customers and assess the management areas that they must address in order to satisfy the logistics requirements of their customers.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire‐based survey was conducted amongst managers of manufacturing firms in four industries, automotive, telecommunication and computer, household appliance, and electronics, located in the Shanghai region of China. A five‐point Likert scale (1 – least important, 5 – most important) was used to measure the importance of services provided, and assess customer satisfaction level, impact on management of manufacturers, and difficulties and challenges faced by the manufacturers.

Findings

The results indicate that foreign customers place significant emphasis on different services from those of their local counterparts. Results also indicate that many challenges need to be addressed by the manufacturers with respect to HR, customer service, and IT integration. A significant difference between manufacturers' satisfaction levels with local and foreign customers is also noticeable.

Practical implications

Since third‐party logistics (3PL) industry in China is still in its infancy. Most of the Chinese manufacturing firms have to provide major logistics services to their customers. Hence further growth of the Chinese economy depends to a large extent on the ability of the manufacturing firms to provide efficient and effective logistics services. The findings of this study demonstrate that in order for the outsourced manufacturers in China to provide logistics services to local and foreign customers, they are required to restructure their organizations and adjust their operation strategies.

Originality/value

This study is a rare attempt to discuss outsourced manufacturers in China in adjusting their logistics strategies and operations to meet the demands from both local and foreign customers after China's admission to the World Trade Organization.
Assessing and managing risks using the Supply Chain Risk Management Process (SCRMP)
Authors: Tummala Rao , Schoenherr Tobias
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a comprehensive and coherent approach for managing risks in supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on Tummalaet al.'s Risk Management Process (RMP), this paper develops a structured and ready‐to‐use approach for managers to assess and manage risks in supply chains.

Findings

Supply chain risks can be managed more effectively when applying the Supply Chain Risk Management Process (SCRMP). The structured approach can be divided into the phases of risk identification, risk measurement and risk assessment; risk evaluation, and risk mitigation and contingency plans; and risk control and monitoring via data management systems. Specific techniques for conducting this process are suggested.

Originality/value

While supply chain risk management is an emerging and important topic in our dynamic and interconnected world, conceptual frameworks providing a clear meaning and normative guidance are scarce (Manuj and Mentzer, 2008). This paper presents such a framework, offering structure and decision support for managers.
Memoir and the diagnosis of schizophrenia: reflections on The Centre Cannot Hold, Me, Myself, and Them, and the “crumbling twin pillars” of Kraepelinian psychiatry
Authors: Woods Angela
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Over 100 years ago, Emil Kraepelin revolutionised the classification of psychosis by identifying what he argued were two natural disease entities: manic depressive psychosis (bipolar disorder) and dementia praecox (schizophrenia). Kraepelin's discoveries have since become the “twin pillars” of mainstream psychiatric thinking, practice, and research. Today, however, a growing number of researchers, clinicians, and mental health service users have rejected this model and call for a symptom‐led approach to prioritise subjective experience over diagnostic category. The purpose of this paper is to ask: how can the published first‐person accounts of experts by experience contribute to these debates?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyses the representation of psychiatric diagnosis in two prominent autobiographies: Kurt Snyder's Me, Myself, and Them: A Firsthand Account of One Young Person's Experience with Schizophrenia (2007) and Elyn Saks' The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness (2007).

Findings

As well as providing a prognosis and a plan for treatment, the psychiatric diagnosis of schizophrenia gives shape and meaning to the illness experience and ultimately becomes the pivot or platform from which identity and memoir unfold.

Practical implications

The paper introduces two popular autobiographical accounts of schizophrenia which may be useful resources for mental health service users and clinicians.

Social implications

The paper highlights the complex ways in which people interpret and make meaning from their psychiatric diagnosis.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates that first‐person accounts make an important, if frequently overlooked, contribution to debates about psychiatric diagnosis.
The impact of Melville's manic‐depression on the writing of Moby Dick
Authors: Dolman Clare , Turvey Sarah
Published: October 2011

Purpose

There is evidence to suggest an association between mood disorders, in particular bipolar disorder, and creativity. This paper aims to examine the evidence that the writer Herman Melville suffered from bipolar disorder.

Design/methodology/approach

An interdisciplinary approach is adopted, examining the genetic and biographical evidence as well as textual examples that illustrate the argument in his masterpiece Moby Dick.

Findings

Taking the genetic, behavioural, and textual evidence together, it is concluded that the likelihood that Melville did have bipolar disorder is high.

Research limitations/implications

Retrospective analysis of the biographies and work of deceased writers has acknowledged limitations. Close examination of all Melville's literary output would be useful to either add credence to this theory or refute it.

Social implications

Adding to the evidence that revered writers and artists were on the bipolar disorder spectrum helps people with the condition feel more positive and reduces stigma.

Originality/value

Close literary examination of textual examples of hypomanic writing, combined with a psychological approach to Melville's biography provides evidence that Melville's mental illness contributed positively to his creativity as a writer and is therefore evidence that this condition has some benefits to society.
Telling the whole story: a conceptual model for analysing the mental illness memoir
Authors: Donohue‐Smith Maureen
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to describe the advantages and limitations of using the mental illness memoir to teach future health care providers about mental illness.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the challenges to reconstructing the mental illness experience is followed by “caveats and considerations” in employing the mental illness memoir to teach prospective health care providers about mental illness. The importance of examining the way the many factors that shape the mental illness narrative is emphasised.

Findings

While mental illness memoirs can be effective vehicles for educating students about mental illness, they may be even more valuable when accompanied by a careful examination of the factors that may have affected the construction of the narrative itself. An ecologically‐based conceptual model is proposed as a framework for systematic analysis of the mental illness memoir. A checklist of factors to employ in the analysis (inventory of influences on the mental illness narrative) is also included.

Practical implications

To use the mental illness memoir effectively as a pedagogical strategy in clinical education, one needs a strategy for organising and interpreting the characteristics of both clients and their contexts.

Originality/value

This model and the accompanying checklist incorporate a broad range of both individual and contextual factors that affect the stories individuals construct about their mental illness. The model can serve as a framework for analysis of an individual memoir and may also suggest specific avenues for further research across multiple accounts or the genre itself.
Dominant and non‐dominant lease structures and their effect on place‐based valuation practices
Authors: Halvitigala Dulani , Murphy Laurence , Levy Deborah
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the experiences of valuers when valuing market dominant and non‐dominant standard lease structures. The research compares the perceptions and approaches of New Zealand valuers when valuing gross and net leases, two standard lease types commonly utilised in the New Zealand commercial property market.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a structured survey of 87 commercial valuers practising in Auckland (where net leases dominate) and Wellington (where gross leases dominate) complemented by in‐depth interviews with senior commercial valuers employed by large national/international multidisciplinary real estate companies.

Findings

The results suggest that valuers find the process of valuing standard non‐dominant lease structures more demanding than valuing dominant leases and tend to be comparatively less confident about carrying out valuations of leases with which they are less familiar. This lack of confidence tends to result from the lack of comparable evidence and the added complexity of the valuation process requiring additional valuer expertise and judgement. In addition the study uncovers the adoption of place‐based differential valuation practices that have built up over time between the two centres under study.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the literature relating to valuer behaviour by revealing that even within one country with the same rules and professional standards different valuation practices may evolve. This study specifically identifies different dominant lease structures as being one of the reasons for these differential valuation practices. The findings also highlight the difficulties perceived by valuers when valuing non‐dominant leases and in turn this may have implications when comparing the valuation outcomes of similar buildings within different markets.
Robust estimation of distance effects and sub‐optimality in mixed use buildings
Authors: Dahlberg Gunnar , Janssen Christian , Zhou Julie
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether buyers and sellers appears to take distance to the capital business district (CBD) into account in their valuation for acquisition or disposition.

Design/methodology/approach

Under a mono‐centric model conceptualization, applicable to the central area of many European cities, location can be represented by distance to the city center. The effect of several distance measures on selling price is investigated for income properties with mixed residential and commercial components – geometric distances, driving distance and time, and time by subway. Exponential and multiplicative models are considered and estimated using a robust estimation method.

Findings

The findings indicate the mono‐centric model to be a useful conceptualization, that buyers and sellers of income properties do take distance into account, and that a number of buildings operate under a suboptimal split between residential and commercial components.

Research limitations/implications

In social science even when a model shows good statistical fit, one will not know if it is correct, but only that it represents observed relationships well. Several models, however, may fit the data. The authors chose ones used by other researchers in similar investigations in past decades. Variable definition and measurement are always issues. In the present case “time by subway” is a mix of walking‐waiting‐riding and minutes in each activity would not be equivalent, involving inter‐personal comparisons of utility. The variable “effective age” based upon the assessment concept of “value year” may not fully capture age‐related effects on price.

Practical implications

The key implications are that the multiplicative model may well be a suitable functional form for these types of analyses and that robust methods are important to prevent outliers in the data from having an undue influence on the estimation.

Originality/value

The authors used robust estimation methods for the price models. The authors defined and studied a sub‐optimality ratio of residential area to commercial area in the mixed use buildings.
Valuation of airports for financial reporting: fair value?
Authors: Parker David
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to investigate issues associated with the application of international and national accounting and valuation standards to owner occupied property for financial reporting purposes.

Design/methodology/approach

The regulatory framework and relevant literature are reviewed and analysed in order to hypothesise a theoretical framework, comprising an order of classification and tests for application by valuers to owner occupied property. The hypothesised approach is then tested in principle for the valuation of airports and specifically for the valuation of a part building and underlying land.

Findings

While the hypothesised approach requires development through the proposition of further tests, it is found to be supported in application to both a part building, being the retailing area within an international terminal, and to the operational land underlying an airport.

Research limitations/implications

The research provides a theoretical framework for the application of accounting and valuation standards to owner occupied property for financial reporting purposes and highlights limitations therein for further research.

Practical implications

The hypothesised approach provides valuers with a globally consistent theoretical framework for application to the valuation of owner occupied property for financial reporting purposes.

Social implications

As airports grow and move from government ownership, the measurement of their value for financial statements becomes progressively more important if a robust basis for stakeholder decision making and the optimal allocation of capital is to be provided

Originality/value

The paper seeks to improve property appraisal, finance and investment skills by promoting awareness of new theories, applications and related concepts and their implications to market conditions in the context of airports.
Participation in the Green Power Partnership
Authors: Ghosh Soma
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyze those US colleges and universities that are participating in the Green Power Partnership (GPP). GPP is a voluntary environmental program initiated by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 2001 to help increase the use of green power (electricity produced from solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low‐impact small hydroelectric sources) among US organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on literature in voluntary environmental programs to develop an understanding as to what types of campuses might be most likely to partner with the US Government to be leaders in the use of green power. It then characterizes partner campuses based on institutional, geographical, financial, student specific and sustainability variables. The study draws attention to the GPP participants that are also signatories of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). This provides leeway into future research that would benefit from investigating the motivations for and constraints to such dual commitments.

Findings

The analysis reveals that GPP partners are primarily private, four‐year institutions located in the northeast region. These campuses show a high level of awareness for the environment and vested interest on part of the students, as evidenced by the dominance of environmental studies in the curriculum, student‐run organizations dedicated to sustainability issues, and adoption of green fees. Further, they are actively involved in the generation and use of electricity from renewable sources and more than two‐thirds have also signed the PCC.

Originality/value

This study is the first to explore EPA's GPP program with respect to the participation of higher education institutions (HEIs) in this program. It serves as a pioneer study, exploring a voluntary partnership between the US Government and the higher education sector and contributes to the understanding of the vital role of higher education in the development and deployment of renewable energy.
Mental models research to inform community outreach for a campus recycling program
Authors: Olson Lauren , Arvai Joseph , Thorp Laurie
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a better understanding of the state of knowledge of students and faculty on the Michigan State University (MSU) campus; identify relevant gaps in knowledge and misconceptions about recycling; and provide recommendations regarding how these gaps and misconceptions may be addressed through education and outreach.

Design/methodology/approach

Using mental models analysis, the current state of knowledge possessed by students and faculty was compared with a comprehensive inventory of on‐campus recycling procedures and opportunities.

Findings

By combining data from individual mental models elicited from students and faculty members, an overall mental model that depicted the frequency with which subjects understood MSU‐specific recycling concepts was developed. This composite model, and the accompanying statistical analysis, revealed important gaps – on part of both students and faculty – in understanding for several key recycling concepts that are relevant to established campus‐based waste reduction practices.

Originality/value

The mental models approach, which to the authors' knowledge has yet to be applied to campus sustainability initiatives, provides program managers and outreach specialists with a constructive and transparent opportunity to develop and deploy program information that builds on existing knowledge while also meeting the new information needs of key stakeholders.
Developing a quantitative tool for sustainability assessment of HEIs
Authors: Waheed Bushra , Khan Faisal I. , Veitch Brian
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Implementation of a sustainability paradigm demands new choices and innovative ways of thinking. The main objective of this paper is to provide a meaningful sustainability assessment tool for make informed decisions, which is applied to higher education institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

The objective is achieved by developing a quantitative tool for sustainability assessment using a driving force‐pressure‐state‐exposure‐effect‐action (DPSEEA) framework. The DPSEEA framework considers environmental, social, economic, and educational performance as main dimensions of sustainability. The proposed model is called DPSEEA‐Sustainability index Model (D‐SiM). The D‐SiM is a causality‐based model in which the sustainability index (SI) is an outcome of nonlinear effects of sustainability indicators in various stages of DPSEEA. To have an improved understanding of input factors (driving forces) and their impact on sustainability, a simplified empirical model is developed and applied to HEIs to determine the percent contribution of various driving forces on sustainability.

Findings

The study reveals that economic development, social equity, and education in sustainability are the major drivers for achieving sustainability in HEI, while health and safety issues, energy requirements, institutional enhancement, and international research and development trends are the less significant driving forces.

Originality/value

The indicators connected in DPSEEA framework through causal relationships lead to the quantitative assessment of sustainability, which provides a unique approach for informed decision making.
Cotton and sustainability
Authors: Ha‐Brookshire Jung , Norum Pamela
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of intensive extra‐curricular learning opportunities on students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding cotton and sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

A three‐phase extra‐curricular learning opportunity was designed to include a Sustainable Cotton Summit; pre‐summit and post‐summit surveys of students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward cotton; and an individual essay competition.

Findings

The two‐group mean comparisons showed that the summit made the largest impact on students' knowledge in cotton and sustainability, followed by students' skills and attitudes. The student essays indicated that the summit provided insight that is not readily available in their education curricula.

Research limitations/implications

The benefits derived from educating students about sustainability and cotton should be extended to other fibers, as well as to other segments of the supply chain.

Practical implications

Businesses involved with cotton supply chain must do a better job at educating and explaining sustainability aspects of cotton to consumers. Educators must also further their efforts in preparing students as professionals in the industry.

Originality/value

In response to the lack of educational opportunities about cotton and sustainability in the textile‐ and apparel‐related academic field in the USA, this study offered the two‐day Sustainable Cotton Summit in 2010 in which over 400 students have participated. Changes in students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes were assessed through pre‐ and post‐summit surveys, and post‐summit essays.
Communicating the sustainability message in higher education institutions
Authors: Djordjevic A. , Cotton D.R.E.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the possibilities and problems with engaging in effective communication about sustainability in higher education (SHE) institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a case study of a new (post‐1992) university in the UK, the research investigated the ways in which sustainability issues were communicated with staff across the institution, and any barriers encountered. Semi‐structured interviews and a focus group with selected staff led to the development of four key themes related to different aspects of the communication strategy, and it is these which are explored in this paper.

Findings

This research suggests that there are some particular difficulties with regard to communicating messages about sustainability successfully. These relate to the lack of an agreed definition or shared understanding of sustainability, and also to potential individual differences in values and attitudes which may act as a perceptual filter of the message.

Research limitations/implications

This is a small‐scale project so findings should be treated with caution. However, the lack of previous research in this area gives this interest as an exploratory study.

Practical implications

In the context of a large organisation, the research emphasizes the importance of alignment of institutional strategies, in order to provide a coherent view of what the organisation expects from employees. This needs to be supported by staff at the highest level, in order for it to have the maximum impact.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to use a model of organisational communication to analyse and evaluate the effectiveness of communication around SHE context.
Evolution of a campus sustainability network: a case study in organizational change
Authors: Kurland Nancy B.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the evolution of a sustainability network at a large California public university, as an example of organizational change.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper combines participant observation and case study techniques over a three‐year period. From 2007 to 2010, the author helped found the university's Institute for Sustainability and sat on both the Institute's first Advisory Board and the university's first Core Green Team. The author also interviewed 19 key informants to the sustainability network, including upper administrators, physical plant management (PPM) staff, faculty, and students.

Findings

This campus sustainability initiative evolved over three decades in three phases. Phase I evolved from the 1980s in facilities management and student recycling because of changing environmental demands, the 1994 Northridge earthquake, and strong leadership who believed in developing human resources. In Phase II, faculty and Academic Affairs established the Institute for Sustainability. Phase III examines the current state at May 2010. Forces driving change include leaders' core values, incentives, communication, and community outreach. Forces inhibiting change relate to funding, information, policies, shared values, time, and training. Key informants defined success in campus sustainability as actions which: increase efficiency (and reduce waste); educate and prepare graduates for a fundamentally different world; achieve broad‐based support; and improve the university's sustainability image.

Research limitations/implications

This study points to at least four avenues of future research. One, scholars interested in more completely revealing their organization's sustainability network can map it using social network analysis techniques. Two, scholars could seek to answer the extent to which a campus institute becomes a center of gravity or an excuse for others to step away. Three, scholars can directly measure the four parameters of success respondents in this study identified (increase efficiency/reduce waste, educate/prepare graduates, achieve broad‐based support, improve image). And four, scholars can examine how an organization's commitment to recycling affects its image.

Originality/value

This paper provides a longitudinal look at the evolution of a campus sustainability network. It highlights how sustainability efforts evolve in different parts of the university at different rates, and in the present case how PPM and facilities planning influenced Academic Affairs to embrace sustainability.
The role of Web 2.0 applications on niche culture diffusion
Authors: Zhang Nan
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the roles Web 2.0 applications play in niche cultures such as rock music diffusion.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper aims to examine the influence of online forums on fans of rock music and to validate the intermediating roles of the cognitive variables.

Findings

The results show that the three factors associated with innovation diffusion theory play different intermediating roles in the relationship between the stickiness of online forums (their ability to make users stay longer and return) and the levels of appreciation displayed by fans of rock music. While stickiness shows a significant positive impact on an individual's perception and image of a rock band, visibility has a significant negative influence on the individual's level of enthusiasm for the band.

Research limitations/implications

Additional data and measures are required for in‐depth investigations of other cultural contexts.

Practical implications

The study could be helpful for determining the influence of online forums on rock music diffusion and for planning innovative promotions and sales strategies for rock bands. Moreover the findings could be applicable to the marketing and promotion of other niche culture items.

Originality/value

This study's originality lies in confirming the intermediating roles of the cognitive variables based on innovation diffusion theory between online forums' stickiness and appreciation of rock bands by using a mixed qualitative and quantitative approach and then by showing the opportunities and challenges provided by networking to rock music.
The moderating effect of social roles on user behaviour in virtual worlds
Authors: Yeh Nai‐Ching , Chuan‐Chuan Lin Judy , Lu Hsi‐Peng
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Virtual worlds are a typical form of social network syndication. Although the future of the virtual world phenomenon seems bright, not all efforts have succeeded. Therefore knowing how to motivate users and keep them continually engaged and visiting is an important challenge for those who create and manage virtual world websites. This paper aims to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study proposes a conceptual model from technological, entertainment and social perspectives to examine the determinants affecting users' intentions in their virtual worlds usage. Recognising that human behaviour varies according to different social roles, this study investigated four social roles (habitual, active, personal and lurker), and 729 valid data samples were collected from the Chinese virtual world, i‐Partment. Partial least square and multi‐group analysis were performed to measure the research model.

Findings

The results of this study indicate that ease of use, usefulness, social presence and enjoyment are important factors of virtual worlds usage. This study also confirms that social presence and enjoyment are influenced by platform‐based and sociability‐based interactive quality, with sociability‐based interactive quality having a much higher impact on social presence than platform‐based quality. Moreover the proposed model demonstrates different intensities of explanatory power for users' usage intentions according to four social roles, and the results of this study indicate different but insightful findings for each of the four social roles.

Practical implications

The virtual worlds practitioners should strive to launch creative and new recreational information or functions on a regular basis to make users' experiences enjoyable. In addition practitioners should initiate special activities or festivals to promote social interaction and devise rules to encourage users to spend more time on the virtual world websites. Moreover virtual world websites must be easy to use – with a user‐friendly interface, smooth moving lines and clear and understandable information – and provide useful functions.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the few studies that compares and analyses the behavioural models of different social roles, and suggests that virtual world website practitioners should make use of these findings and provide flexible services to fulfil different users' special needs.
The h‐index, h‐core citation rate and the bibliometric profile of the Web of Science database in three configurations
Authors: Jacsó Péter
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the new version of the Web of Science (WoS) software.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper discusses the new version of the Web of Science (WoS) software.

Findings

The new version of the Web of Science (WoS) software released in mid‐2011 eliminated the 100,000‐record limit in the search results. This, in turn, makes it possible to study the bibliometric profile of the entire WoS database (which consists of 50 million unique records), and/or any subset licensed by a library. In addition the maximum record set for the automatic production of the informative citation report was doubled from 5,000 to 10,000 records. These are important developments for getting a realistic picture of WoS, and gauging the most widely used gauge. It also helps in comparing WoS with the Scopus database using traceable and reproducible quantitative measures, including the h‐index and its variants, the citation rate of the documents making up the h‐core (the set of records that contribute to the h‐index), and computing additional bibliometric indicators that can be used as proxies in evaluating the research performance of individuals, research groups, educational and research institutions as well as serial publications for the broadest subject areas and time span – although with some limitations and reservations.

Originality/value

This paper, which attempts to describe some of the bibliometric traits of WoS in three different configurations (in terms of the composition and time span of the components licensed), complements the one published in a previous issue of Online Information Review profiling the Scopus database.
Do organizations learn when employees learn: the link between individual and organizational learning
Authors: Boateng Richard
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the link between individual learning and organizational learning and offer guidelines to harness the individual capability of learning for organizational objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper using arguments from the theory of meaning structures.

Findings

The author shows that, learning, whether organizational or individual, is about the construction and accessibility of meaning, and that such processes thrive in a culture which fosters collaborative team work.

Research limitations/implications

The theory presents a perspective of how organizational knowledge exists in a triad – private, accessible and collective – and the interrelationships to create organizational learning. These constructs can form the building blocks for future research.

Practical implications

The theory brings organizations closer to prioritizing and evaluating learning processes to ensure that they facilitate the accessibility of knowledge.

Social implications

The theory can enable organizations to identify processes which inhibit the accessibility of knowledge and create the environment to promote such.

Originality/value

The theory opens a new insight into viewing organizational learning from the perspective of constructing and sharing meaning structures.
The learning needs of physicians: should it be formal or informal assessment?
Authors: Vakani Farhan , Sheerani Mughis
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to explore how learning needs of physicians are best achieved when planning for appropriate continuing medical education activities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper examines the informal types of needs‐assessment as opposed to formal types when identifying the learning needs of physicians.

Findings

This paper projects how informal types of needs‐assessment probe more deeply into the opinions and perceptions of physicians, thus complementing with formal methods when planning appropriate academic activities.

Research limitations/implications

Informal types of needs‐assessment show promise in deriving a physician's individual learning needs, but has limitations as the educational activities proposed and undertaken would not necessarily benefit a larger group and, as they are usually unshared, would result in unimpressive utilization of educational resources.

Practical implications

Although the method of informal needs‐assessment is noteworthy, when planning academic activities on a larger scale and for wider gain, the formal methods of needs‐assessment are to be preferred.

Originality/value

This paper establishes that the informal method of needs‐assessment is significant in obtaining the true learning needs of the physicians but should always be complemented by formal methods.
SEC adopts final rules on Dodd‐Frank Whistleblower Program
Authors: Clark Michael E. , Lese Laurence S. , Reid Avett F.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Recently, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted final rules for the expanded whistleblower program established by the Dodd‐Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The rules raise challenging issues, perhaps the most significant being their impact on existing compliance and corporate governance procedures. This paper seeks to examine this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzes the final rules and their impact on public companies.

Findings

Publicly listed entities have cause for concern that their existing compliance programs may be bypassed by whistleblowers who now have strong incentives to place personal interests ahead of loyalties to employers.

Practical implications

Companies need to improve their compliance programs to limit the potential hazards.

Originality/value

The proffered “steps to potentially minimize Dodd‐Frank whistleblowers” can help publicly traded companies – and particularly multinational enterprises subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act – to avoid the significant risks that Dodd‐Frank presents to them.
FINRA's concept proposal on fixed‐income research reports
Authors: Sacks Russell D. , Blankenship Michael J.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to explain Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) Regulatory Notice 11 11, which requests comment on a concept proposal to further regulate fixed income research reports, including through both substantive regulation and additional disclosure requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explains the background, including the application of FINRA's current research rules to only equity securities; definitions, including FINRA's proposed definition of a “debt security” as other than an “equity security,” a “treasury security”, of a municipal security; proposed standard and requirements, including most of the provisions of NASD Rule 2711; the institutional investor exemption, including an opt‐out provision; both permitted and prohibited communication between fixed‐income research analysts and fixed‐income sales and trading personnel; and the likely impact of the concept proposal on firms and investors.

Findings

The proposed rule extends regulatory requirements to fixed‐income research that are similar to those applicable to equity research, while subjecting research distributed solely to institutional investors to a more general “health warning”.

Practical implications

The proposed rule will likely precipitate cultural and business shifts at firms that both provide debt research services and may encourage a shift towards research disseminated solely to institutional investors.

Originality/value

The paper presents practical guidance from experienced financial services lawyers.
The role of money laundering reporting officers in combating money laundering in Zambia
Authors: Simwayi Musonda , Wang Guohua
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess the role of Money Laundering Reporting Officers (MLROs) in combating money laundering in Zambia's commercial banks.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires were administered to MLROs in all commercial banks in Zambia as well as guided oral interviews.

Findings

The paper found that commercial banks in Zambia have generally complied with the Bank of Zambia AML directives of 2004 and they have taken AML laws and regulations very seriously. Support from senior management and board of directors is overwhelming. AML activities, in most banks, are incorporated in compliance departments and bank operations. However, some MLROs are not adequately trained and qualified to meet the demands of their positions. Further, some external factors have impacted negatively on the performance of MLRO. These factors include lack of feedback from the Anti‐Money Laundering Investigations Unit (AMLIU) and the snail's pace at which investigations are carried out.

Practical implications

The implications of these findings is that commercial banks should invest more resources in training MLROs and ensure that they are elevated to international standards. Such standards include certifications as money laundering experts.

Originality/value

MLROs are key to the AML regime all over the world. It is hoped that this study will encourage similar studies in other countries, particularly in Africa.