bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Availability and accessibility of ICT in the rural communities of Nigeria
Authors: Kari Hudron K.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this work is to ascertain the information needs of the people of rural Nigeria, to identify the type of information channels available to them and to suggest ways of improving the provisions of information services to the inhabitants of rural communities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted the descriptive survey research method with the questionnaire as the major instrument. Interviews and observation were also employed. The simple percentage method is used to present and analyse data with appropriate tables.

Findings

The empirical findings of the research are as follows: about 80 per cent of Nigerians live in rural areas and are predominantly poor farmers and fishermen, of whom about 90 per cent are illiterate in the Western sense. They lack basic information infrastructures such as internet, libraries and information centres, and electricity. The oral tradition is still prevalent and written communication remains elusive because a majority of the populace is still illiterate. Rural dwellers show positive response to the services of information agents such as agricultural extension workers, rural health workers, etc.

Research limitations/implications

The study covers Bayelsa State which represents the Niger Delta region. Further study is needed on information policy in Nigeria as a whole.

Practical implications

Electronic media like radio and television are seen as sources of entertainment and often regarded as propaganda materials. Computers, libraries, and information centres are completely absent. The traditional library is not suitable for rural dwellers. Apart from printed materials, which are the stock‐in‐trade of orthodox libraries, rural libraries must include in their stock visual and audio materials.

Originality/value

The majority of rural dwellers in Nigeria do not have access to new information technology and are thus cut off from the global world. This work creates a greater awareness of the vacuum that exists in the rural areas concerning information communication technologies and will stimulate further discussion.
From holdings to access – and back
Authors: Baker David , Evans Wendy
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The aim of this article is to update the 1992 work done by David Baker with regard to the economic and management “balance” between the on‐site holding of journals and the remote delivery, on demand, of specific journal articles.

Design/methodology/approach

The research for the article consists of a review of the literature since 1992, together with trends in library serials acquisitions and interviews with key library staff involved in document delivery.

Findings

The article reviews the original work undertaken at the University of East Anglia and its conclusions: charts and reflects on what happened between then and now; summarises and analyses the current position; considers present trends and existing research and development work; suggests future possible scenarios and proposes further studies and projects in the area. The article is concerned primarily with the UK Higher Education (UKHE) sector.

Practical implications

The article will be useful in terms of planning future work on the economic aspects of library provision, and digital library development in particular.

Originality/value

The article presents a summary of key aspects of document delivery over the last 15 years and suggests major areas for future planning and development.
The rethinking resource‐sharing initiative: a new development in the USA
Authors: Wanner Gail , Beaubien Anne , Jeske Michelle
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to describe innovations in resource sharing in the US library community with an international perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The article provides a descriptive analysis.

Findings

It describes the reforms that need to be made in the form of a manifesto. It discusses interoperability, improving library visibility in internet search results and the GET‐IT button project with illustrated examples.

Originality/value

The authors are all key figures in the developments described. The article provides important insights into current thoughts on resource sharing in the USA.
Opinion paper: the availability of monographs through ILL –
the need for a national strategy
Authors: Hendrix Frances
Published: June 2007

Discusses the need for a national access policy for monographs in
public libraries and the role of networking in the future of resource
sharing. Suggests the need for the newly‐created Library and Information
Commission to produce a blueprint or guidelines for national strategies
to cover resource sharing and the need to co‐ordinate elements of the
situation in which the public libraries no longer have a single
monograph national database but two unconnected systems, and the
academic libraries have yet another separate database. Introduces the
EARL project (electronic access to resources in libraries) as a new
model, and emphasizes the need for a genuine partnership approach.
Competing risks for reliability analysis using Cox's model
Authors: Elfaki F.A.M. , Bin Daud I. , Ibrahim N.A. , Abdullah M.Y. , Usman M.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

Cox's model with Weibull distribution and Cox's with exponential distribution are the most important models in reliability analysis. This paper seeks to show that, with a large sample size based on expectation maximization (EM) algorithm, both models give similar results.

Design/methodology/approach

The parameters of the models have been estimated by method of maximum likelihood based on EM algorithm. The objective of this analysis is to fit the modification of Cox's model with Weibull distribution and Cox's with exponential distribution, examine its performance and compare their results with Crowder et al.

Findings

A simulation study indicates that the parametric Cox's model with Weibull distribution gives similar results to Cox's with exponential distribution, especially for a large sample size. Also, the modification of the two models showed better results compared with Crowder et al., especially for the second causes of failure.

Originality/value

A modification of the two competing risk models has mostly been applied in failure time data and simulation data. The results of the simulation study indicate that the Weibull and exponential are suitable for Cox's model as they are easy to use and it can achieve even higher accuracy compared with other distribution models.
An investigation of global versus local online branding
Authors: Murphy Jamie , Scharl Arno
Published: June 2007

Purpose

Draws upon Hofstede's cultural values and Rogers' diffusion of innovations to investigate relationships between search engine popularity and a company's preference for global versus local online branding.

Design/methodology/approach

Investigates the global versus local domain name selection strategies and web site popularity of multinational corporations based on their organizational characteristics and Hofstede's cultural values of their host countries.

Findings

Organizational size, industry and two cultural values – individualism and masculinity – relate to how companies adopt innovations, in this case selecting and promoting a global or local online identity. For their web presence, most Fortune Global 500 companies use the global.com domain rather than a local country domain. The results also suggest a virtual divide in online visibility, favoring.com companies over companies using country domains.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of this study include the lack of a longitudinal perspective and a possible Google bias – towards English content – in its proprietary PageRank metric. Future research could validate the results with other third‐party data and enrich the independent variables through automated web content analysis.

Practical implications

In countries with strong cultural values of masculinity and collectivism, international business managers should consider paying homage to local domain names for web site and employee email addresses.

Originality/value

Extending diffusion of innovations and cultural research to domain name selection and search engine popularity, this study underscores the importance of culture in international branding research.
Global brand communities across borders: the Warhammer case
Authors: Cova Bernard , Pace Stefano , Park David J.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The “brand community” concept believes that the meaning of the brand transcends national boundaries. However, such an assumption presents challenges arising out of several reasons including co‐existence of sub‐tribes within a given brand community that allocate different meanings to a particular brand. This plurality of meanings seems exacerbated for global brands where meanings are shaped by tremendously varying cultures. Aims to address the issues.

Design/methodology/approach

This text relies on a comparative study of the meanings attributed to one particular global brand, Warhammer, by the members of its brand community in France and the USA.

Findings

Findings highlight the elements of homogeneity and heterogeneity that reside in the cross‐border meanings of the brand. The authors also discuss the marketplace relevance arising out of this plurality that should be taken into account by global marketers.

Originality/value

The present text argues that community attached to a global brand constitutes a complex phenomenon, one that both integrates and ignores geographical considerations.
Revitalising suffering multinational brands: an empirical study
Authors: Andrews Melanie , Kim Daekwan
Published: June 2007

Purpose

This study explores factors influencing the revitalisation of a multinational brand that is perceived negatively by local consumers because of various reasons such as past poor quality or negative publicity.

Design/methodology/approach

This study conceptualises brand revitalisation as a second order construct, arguing that brand revitalisation is comprised of improved brand image, brand associations, and brand attitudes. Innovative product improvements, warranty programs, third‐party appraisals, and advertising communications are hypothesised to play a role in revitalising multinational brands plagued by negative perceptions. In addition, the moderating effect of the management's local market knowledge is tested on several proposed relationships.

Findings

According to the results, international brand revitalisation is positively influenced by innovative product improvements, warranty programs, and advertising communications.

Practical implications

While overall brand perceptions play an important role in influencing consumer decisions, understanding what improves the consumer's perception of multinational brands is of vital importance to marketers. The empirical results suggest that product innovations, warranty programs, third‐party appraisals, and advertising communications all help revitalise a firm's damaged brand in international markets. These findings offer multiple strategic implications to managers for their multinational brand revitalisation/management.

Originality/value

The value of this research lies in its goal to go beyond the general brand recovery guidelines suggested in the literature and to offer potential marketing strategies that could actually motivate the consumer to change his or her negative opinion about a multinational brand. This is one of the first empirical studies on multinational brand revitalisation.
A meta‐analysis of the effect of TQM on competitive advantage
Authors: El Shenawy Eman , Baker Tim , Lemak David J.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to integrate findings of empirical studies regarding the effect of total quality management (TQM) on competitive advantage. This purpose is to support building a theoretical model of TQM and its components. These components are: top management commitment/leadership, teams, culture, training/education, and process efficiency; they are grounded in the work of Deming and deduced from three other models offered by Dean and Bowen and Reed et al.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a meta‐analysis to synthesize results of a sample of 51 studies into, effectively, one database. The meta‐analysis approach is used to establish external validity for the theoretical model of TQM used in the paper. The sample includes studies that were conducted in different countries to provide a comprehensive investigation.

Findings

Each individual component of TQM was associated with competitive advantage, that these associations each explain roughly 60 percent of the variability in competitive advantage, and that a 1 point change in an average component score (1‐5 Likert scale) results in at least a 0.1 point change in competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

The strong correlations between the five components, coupled with the limited sample size, made it impossible to fit a competitive advantage explanation model that included all five components with any statistical significance. Thus, it was not possible to determine the relative impacts of the five components on competitive advantage. Moreover, these limitations made the impact of leadership relative to other variables indeterminate, even in two independent variable models.

Originality/value

Despite the modest findings, this study provides a link between the theory and practice of TQM efforts and provides direction for future research.
Measuring information quality in the order fulfilment process
Authors: Forslund Helena
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a scale for measuring information quality in the order fulfilment process.

Design/methodology/approach

Measurement scales are developed out of the practical information needs and a theory review. A state‐of‐the‐art description and further scale development are based on a survey of the most important suppliers of 136 Swedish companies.

Findings

The paper finds that information quality can be measured with variables as in time, accurate, convenient to access and reliable. The scales were found to possess unidimensionality, validity and reliability.

Research limitations/implications

The implications of this paper are mainly theoretical, providing a foundation for further empirical research.

Practical implications

Even though established customer‐supplier relations were studied, information quality deficiencies were found on all variables. This is an indication of improvement possibilities.

Originality/value

There is a lack of research on measuring the information quality construct, which might be the reason for little empirical research on the impact of information quality on logistics performance.
Modeling and analysing system failure behaviour using RCA, FMEA and NHPPP models
Authors: Sharma Rajiv Kumar , Kumar Dinesh , Kumar Pradeep
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to permit system reliability analysts/managers/practitioners/engineers to analyse system failure behaviour more consistently and plan suitable maintenance actions accordingly.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopted three important tools, namely, root cause analysis (RCA), failure mode effect analysis (FMEA), and non‐homogeneous Poisson point process (NHPPP), to build an integrated and helpful framework, able to facilitate the maintenance managers in decision making. The factors contributing to system unreliability were analysed using RCA and FMEA. The failure data related to the components are modelled using NHPPP models and are used to optimise maintenance decisions (repair or replacements) based on cost dimensions.

Findings

The paper finds that the in‐depth analysis of a system using RCA and FMEA helps to create a knowledge base to deal with problems related to process/product unreliability. From the results it is observed that NHPPP models adequately analyse time‐dependent rate of occurrence of failures. Thus, assisting the maintenance analyst in development of suitable maintenance strategy by properly understanding the mechanism of failure (through modeling of failure data); adopting adequate aging management actions (such as predictive or periodic testing) to predict or detect the degradation of components; and performing cost analysis.

Originality/value

The contemporaneous adoption of the three proposed techniques for failure analysis will help system reliability engineers/managers/practitioners not only to understand the failure behaviour of component(s) in the system, but also to plan/adapt suitable maintenance practices to improve system reliability and availability.
Using a reliability capability maturity model to benchmark electronics companies
Authors: Tiku Sanjay , Azarian Michael , Pecht Michael
Published: June 2007

Purpose

This paper seeks to introduce a set of key practices that can be used to assess whether an organization has the ability to design, develop and manufacture reliable electronic products.

Design/methodology/approach

The ability to design, develop and manufacture reliable electronic products is defined in the paper in terms of a reliability capability maturity model, which is a measure of the practices within an organization that contribute to the reliability of the final product, and the effectiveness of these practices in meeting the reliability requirements of customers.

Findings

The paper presents a procedure for evaluating and benchmarking reliability capability. Criteria for assigning different capability maturity levels are presented. The paper also presents a case study corresponding to reliability capability benchmarking of an electronics company.

Originality/value

The paper provides a set of practices for evaluating and benchmarking reliability capability.
A study of measures to improve constructability
Authors: Wong Franky W.H. , Lam Patrick T.I. , Chan Edwin H.W. , Shen L.Y.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

This paper is aimed at identifying the common approaches for improving constructability and evaluating their effectiveness of implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

A comprehensive survey has been carried out on contemporary literature, i.e. from 1990 onwards, to trace the development of the buildability and constructability concepts and the common approaches of improvement.

Findings

Results show that buildability is mainly concerned with design, quality of built products, ease of construction, as well as efficient and economical construction. Constructability emphasises integration of construction knowledge and experience at various project stages; optimisation of different project requirements to achieve overall goals; and ease of construction. Therefore, “constructability” embraces the concept of “buildability”. The implementation of Quantified Assessment, Constructability Review and Constructability Programmes are the three commonly adopted approaches.

Practical implications

Improvement measures should be implemented at the design stage, whereas improved constructability would eventually bring about tangible benefits in terms of time, cost, quality and safety. The Quantified Assessment approach appears to be the most practicable way of improving constructability.

Originality/value

Up till now, there have been very limited studies providing an evaluation of different approaches for improving constructability. The study has offered an insight into the commonly adopted improvement measures, highlighting proven success cases, hence enabling effective strategies to be developed for enhancing constructability.
Quality management practices: a comparative study between East and West
Authors: Dahlgaard Jens J. , Kristensen Kai , Kanji Gopal K. , Juhl Hans J. , Sohal Amrik S.
Published: June 2007

This paper compares quality management practices in manufacturing companies in the East and the West. It uses data collected from three countries in the East, namely Japan, Korea and Taiwan and compares these with data collected from four countries in the West, namely Denmark, Finland, Sweden and Australia. Twenty‐five Japanese companies, 105 Korean companies, 48 Taiwanese companies, 65 Danish companies, 88 Swedish companies, 18 Finnish companies and 62 companies from Australia responded to the questionnaire. Comparison between the East and the West is carried out on the following: formulation and communication of a quality policy; education and training of employees in quality management; top management participation in quality activities, quality motivation and suggestions; and the use of quality tools and methods. The comparison shows that quality management practices are relatively more widespread in the Eastern companies than in the Western companies. The key differences between the East and the West are identified and suggestions made to close the gap.
Project social capital, leadership and trust
Authors: Tansley Carole , Newell Sue
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to consider how project leadership knowledge and behaviour influence project team trust and social capital development and use in the context of a global HR information systems project.

Design/methodology/approach

A comparative interpretive case study approach was used, including interviews (n=45) and participant observation with members at all levels of the two examined projects. Interpretive patterns from situated activities enabled inferences to be drawn about different types of project leader (PL) knowledge and behaviours and trust and the bridging and bonding aspects of social capital.

Findings

PLs need to apply knowledge in three areas in order for trust to develop within the project team (external leadership, internal leadership and hybrid leadership), which in turn is a necessary pre‐condition for the development and exploitation of social capital, a significant influence on project success.

Research limitations/implications

The choice of two extreme cases (one where trust did not develop and one where trust did) means that further research is needed to corroborate the findings in order to make generalisations.

Practical implications

The study highlights ways in which a PL can foster the development of trust in the context of complex cross‐cultural, cross‐functional IS project teams. The study identifies how there are different types of trust that need to be generated and how this depends on good internal, external and hybrid PL leadership.

Originality/value

The study highlights the importance of different types of trust for being able to exploit social capital at the project level that has not been studied explicitly in the literature.
(Re)viewing problem‐based learning
Authors: Yeo Roland K.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The paper seeks to explore the role of problem‐based learning (PBL) in the workplace context. Its aim is to explain the relationship between PBL and workplace learning by examining PBL as an approach to continuous learning in the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

Through an exploratory orientation, data were collected at two stages. Stage 1 involved convergent interviewing with ten international PBL trainers. The data gathered here partly formed a questionnaire to be tested in the next stage. Stage 2 involved an Ideas Unlimited™ qualitative survey with 50 Singapore working professionals through face‐to‐face and online means. Follow‐up telephone interviews were also conducted to minimize lost data. In addition, a second questionnaire, developed through literature review, was given out in both stages.

Findings

Findings reveal that there is a significant relationship between PBL and workplace learning. For instance, PBL systematizes learning in a way that informal learning patterns are transformed into specific structures to facilitate workplace learning. Skills such as critical thinking, reflective inquiry and team learning were identified as essential for workplace PBL. In order to implement PBL programs successfully, strong leadership, an appropriate reward and recognition system together with a realistic timeframe should be considered.

Research implications/implications

The study suggests a coherent relationship between experiential learning, team learning, single and double‐loop learning, and triple‐loop learning. A key theoretical contribution is that the complexity of learning embedded in the systemic process of PBL ultimately leads to the generation of competitive organizational knowledge. Future lines of study could focus on in‐depth analyses of intra‐organizational processes to explore the wider relationship and application of PBL and workplace learning.

Originality/value

The applicability of PBL is evaluated in the context of workplace rather than an educational setting. Owing to the limited research in this area, the development of new organizational perspectives and concepts from two rather different disciplines – PBL and workplace learning – contributes to the paper's originality.
Knowledge sharing and the psychological contract
Authors: O'Neill Bonnie S. , Adya Monica
Published: June 2007

Purpose

An employee's willingness to share knowledge may be contingent on whether the organization equitably fulfills its reward obligations. This paper seeks to examine how managers and organizations can be vehicles for managing psychological contract perceptions favoring knowledge sharing among current employees, newcomers, and applicants.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose an integrative model to discuss psychological contract issues within each stage of employment and HRM initiatives that can encourage knowledge‐sharing behaviors.

Findings

The implicit psychological contracts that often influence knowledge worker attitudes for sharing knowledge are easy to overlook and challenging to manage. Managers must properly assess the nature of psychological contracts maintained by such workers so that knowledge‐sharing messages address employees' key motivators. Different psychological contracts exist at various stages of employment. Several prescriptions for effectively managing each type of psychological contract and reducing perceptions of PC breach were offered.

Research limitations/implications

Empirical studies should seek to investigate whether different psychological contracts actually exist within a field setting. In addition, how workers move between transitional, transactional, balanced and relational psychological contracts should be empirically examined.

Originality/value

The authors sought to better understand the different psychological contract perceptions of knowledge workers at various stages of employment, which has not been done to date. Such workers are keenly aware of the impact of their knowledge and effective management for sharing rather than hoarding becomes a critical success factor for knowledge‐intensive organizations.
Organizational‐professional conflict and cultural differences among auditors in emerging markets
Authors: El‐Rajabi Mohamad T.A.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate the relationships between organizational‐professional conflict (OPC), organizational commitment (OC), professional commitment (PC), job satisfaction (JS), and job resignation intention (JR) in the Jordanian and Kuwaiti auditing firms. In addition, the paper examines the impacts of demographic and nationality variables on the previous variables.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected through a survey questionnaire for a sample of 308 auditors from Jordan and Kuwait.

Findings

The study finds that there is a significant impact of OC and PC on OPC and negative correlation between OC and PC. Additionally, the results show a negative correlation between OPC and JS and positive correlation between JS and OC. The nationality variable that dichotomizes Jordan and Kuwait sub samples has a significant effect on OPC and JR.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is limited to auditing firms that have five or more auditors. Thus, the results are not generalizable to all audit firms working in these two countries.

Practical implications

OPC in large audit firms is more than that in small audit firms and the OC in large audit firms is less than that in small audit firms. This finding suggests that large auditing firms would do well when managing these factors.

Originality/value

Prior research is not extensive in this area, specifically that which compares the attitudes of the auditors in Jordan and Kuwait.
The “economic paradigm” in management accounting
Authors: Frezatti Fábio
Published: June 2007

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the profile of artifacts with superior returns in order to identify the usage of management accounting in a Brazilian context.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is part of an empirical research project based on a probabilistic sample (119 entities) from medium and large Brazilian companies, selected according to economic sector and revenues. The management accounting artifacts were identified according to the five stages of International Management Accounting Practice 1 (IMAP 1, International Federation of Accountants (IFA), 1998). Logistic regression was applied to identify the artifacts most adherent to companies with the outstanding profile.

Findings

In the analysis of the five stages of IMAP 1, only the fifth stage, value management, provided the significance level to accept the hypothesis. In this stage, the artifacts that were accepted with a significance level of 90 percent were return on equity and balanced scorecard.

Research limitations/implications

The field research was applied only in the Brazilian market.

Practical implications

Especially for researchers, this paper raises some important questions, and aims to stimulate future studies in management accounting.

Originality/value

This paper contributes by presenting research from outside the Anglo‐Saxon world, and by analyzing the artifacts' profile with approaches balanced between positive and qualitative accounting.
The Chinese are coming, and I'm afraid
Authors: Humphreys John
Published: June 2007

Purpose

In the popular media there appears to be a growing refrain of the so‐called China threat. This paper offers an alternative perspective, in particular, how emerging Chinese economic prowess could actually prove beneficial to Western societies.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is based upon personal experience within the country, as well as understanding of Chinese history and culture. In addition, the often cited hyperbole surrounding Chinese economic domination is challenged by the available data.

Findings

Although we often read about Chinese firms, buoyed by low‐cost labor and government subsidies, dominating the global marketplace, reality is often overlooked. Actually, the number of state‐owned enterprises (SOEs) in China is dropping dramatically and foreign firms are the majority in the growing private enterprise sector. In fact, foreign‐funded enterprises account for the majority of Chinese exports.

Research limitations/implications

The paper offers a contrarian viewpoint. The aim is to present a more balanced inquiry and a broader understanding and discussion of the growing Chinese economy and the substantial global opportunities presented by such historic expansion.

Practical implications

China, indeed Asia as a whole, is emerging as a significant global economic force. If Western firms and economies are to benefit from such a boon, we must become more engaged. If we refrain, we are allowing others to assemble the personal infrastructure needed to capture the building Chinese market.

Originality/value

This paper offers a rebuttal to many of the myths surrounding Chinese economic development. Moreover, it demonstrates the critical nature of time sensitive engagement and collaboration if Western organizations are to reap the potential benefits of such remarkable economic growth.
Stop competing yourself to death: strategic collaboration among rivals
Authors: Slywotzky Adrian , Hoban Charlie
Published: June 2007

Purpose

Vigorous competition among companies for customers, talent, and capital serves everyone well, for the most part. But competition can be harmful as well, when companies fight over things that hold little value to customers or that offer little potential for differentiation.

Design/methodology/approach

The article discusses how thinking and changing the compete/collaborate ratio offers a way out that benefits all players. By joining forces to carry out common and largely undifferentiated functions or processes, companies can avoid redundant expenditures and capitalize on economies of scale and shared expertise. Strategic collaboration can take place at any stage of an industry's value chain. It can take many other forms, consistent with antitrust laws, including the sharing of back‐office functions, factory production, R&D efforts, marketing and distribution, and repair or return facilities.

Findings

Even bitter rivals have sometimes joined forces to achieve common goals and solve common problems. Notable examples are the Airbus consortium of European aircraft manufacturers, the Sematech consortium of US semiconductor manufacturers, banks working together to launch Visa and Mastercard, and small hardware stores using the TruValue organization for cooperative marketing, purchasing, and loyalty programs.

Originality/value

Collaborating on well‐defined activities offers an immediate payoff in reduced costs. And it tends to promote, rather than hamper, constructive competition in the areas most valued by customers.
CEO succession: some finer – and perhaps provocative – points
Authors: Dalton Dan R. , Dalton Catherine M.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The paper discusses some finer points on CEO succession.

Design/methodology/approach

This as a viewpoint paper in which the authors discuss the merits and disadvantages of various approaches to CEO succession

Findings

CEO succession planning is a fundamental element of enterprise risk. A board must have an effective CEO and the board must have a means to replace the CEO. Boards must have succession processes in place for the routine and the unplanned emergency.

Originality/value

It is hoped that the discussion will direct more attention to CEO succession and its challenges.
‘Liberating’ user education: developing a Web‐based teaching & learning package at University College Northampton
Authors: Powis Chris , Payne Georgina
Published: June 2007

This article describes the development and application of a Web‐based teaching & learning package, Liberation, by Learning Resources at University College Northampton. Rather than discuss the technical aspects of the programme it concentrates on the practical issues around creating and using such a product.
Electronic information delivery: joint working at UCE
Authors: Rudge Sarah , Wilson Isobel
Published: June 2007

The increasing availability of electronic information is changing the role of the librarian and information professional. This article examines how joint working between the School of Information Studies and the Library at the University of Central England is crucial to successfully deliver electronic information resources to students and staff. It also illustrates how co‐operation and collaboration has helped them both to adapt to the changing needs and culture of today’s electronic environment.
Meeting the information needs of distance learners ‐ the Open University’s response
Authors: Bremner Alison
Published: June 2007

Distance learning is becoming an accepted means of study for many UK undergraduate and postgraduate students. Librarians now face the challenge of delivering library services to these new customers. The Open University has accepted this challenge, and has been working to create services for students and staff that will never visit the ‘real’ library. This article gives a description of the OU Library’s work in this area in the last five years.
Raising information security awareness in the academic setting
Authors: Cox Andrew , Connolly Sarah , Currall James
Published: June 2007

This paper examines three approaches to increasing awareness in an academic setting: a discussion session, a checklist and a web based tutorial. All three are found to be effective in raising motivation and understanding of security because they present the issues in an accessible, interesting way. The research for the paper was funded by the JISC Committee for Awareness, Liaison and Training as part of a project on the human and organisational issues associated with network security. http://litc.sbu.ac.uk/calt/
Building an Intranet content management strategy
Authors: Tredinnick Luke
Published: June 2007

A step‐by‐step guide to the principals of creating content management processes and resources for Intranets, this article covers the creation of aims and objectives for Intranets, information management issues specific to Intranets, and how to turn those objectives and issues into working content management procedures.
Managing the Intranet: trying a new tool
Authors: Ramsden Anne , Turpie David , Rea Jonathan
Published: June 2007

A case study is described of how the Open University Library is developing a pilot departmental Intranet with the open source package, Zope and the Content Management Framework toolkit. The approach is to manage and share content held in a variety of formats, develop workflow for creating and approving new content before it is published to the site, separate content from presentation in order to support easy maintenance and consistency, and locate information through metadata and full text retrieval. Designing the Intranet involved content mapping and identifying library staff’s working needs before developing the structure and site framework. The Zope CMF has proved to be a highly flexible set of tools for creating a knowledge sharing Intranet, but the drawbacks are lack of documentation and training in the UK.
The future of traffic analysis on the Web
Authors: Hunter Philip
Published: June 2007

Web statistics have been a bone of contention for some considerable time. Part of the reason for this is that the analysis of the statistics now serves a quite different range of functions from those originally envisaged.
EASY ‐ Electronic Article Supply
Authors: Stuart Ian , Phillips Sam
Published: June 2007

The Electronic Article Supply “EASY” is a document delivery project, setting out to test a system to satisfy inter‐library loans from publisher’s digital versions of articles. A user’s request for an ILL is screened against digital holdings in ingenta, if it is found there, for a fixed standard fee the request can be satisfied by the system, directly or subject to approval by a librarian.
How it all began: a brief history of the Internet
Authors: Keefer Alice , Baiget Tomas
Published: June 2007

When an article on the history of the Internet was first suggested, our reaction was, “But doesn’t everyone already know how it started?” Having lived the experience “or, perhaps more aptly, having survived it”, we had become like veterans of any major event who assume that certain facts will always be maintained in the collective memory. However, we ourselves ‐ from the US and Spain, respectively ‐ have noted with incredulity the mistaken answers given by members of the younger generations among our compatriots to such questions as: “In what Southeast Asian country did the US fight a war?” or “Who was Francisco Franco?”. While for some, the answers are burnt into the cerebral circuitry, the younger respondents treat the questions as so many Trivial Pursuit challenges, on the same par as “What team did Brazil beat in the 1962 World Cup?” or “What was the name of the boy actor who played Timmy in the original Lassie series?”.
Integrating reference books for the web
Authors: Hodgkin Adam
Published: June 2007

Adam Hodgkin looks at the role of the reference book within traditional libraries as compared to the new role for reference books on the web. He explains the approach taken by xrefer, and the added benefit that aggregation and integration offer the user online. He concludes by looking at the scalability of the xrefer approach and the future for online referencing.
Open archives: institutional issues
Authors: Ayris Paul
Published: June 2007

This article discusses issues surrounding the move towards electronic delivery of journals within the UK. Ayris looks at the problems faced by academics, libraries and institutions as a whole and examines the need for anational electronic archive in the UK. Current development towards new models of electronic provision are highlighted, and future options suggested.
A library odyssey: electronic journals management in an academic institution
Authors: Cole Louise
Published: June 2007

This article will look at electronic journal management from an academic library perspective. Issues under consideration are types of e‐journal, licensing and access, and future developments, including replacement of print collections. The experience of the University of Leeds in exploiting its e‐journal collections be will be used to look at the wider picture.
LITC
Authors: Akeroyd John
Published: June 2007

LITC is a familiar organisation to almost anybody in the UK library sector. It was originally known as the Library Information Technology Centre. It was founded in 1982 by the DTI and the British Library to help libraries choose computerised library house keeping systems. The twenty years since then has seen an astonishing change to the business in which we work; information technology, especially the Internet has changed every aspect of the way information services operate. The library management system has become but one component in the effective delivery of modern libraries, albeit it continues to be a major component.
Using Dublin Core in educational material: some practical considerations based on the EASEL experience
Authors: Slavic Aida , Baiget Clara
Published: June 2007

Access to educational material has become an important issue for many stakeholders and the focus of much research worldwide. Resource discovery in educational gateways is usually based on metadata and this is an area of important developments. Resource metadata has a central role in the management of educational material and as a result there are several important metadata standards in use in the educational domain. One of the most widely used general metadata standards for learning material is the Dublin Core Metadata Element Set. The application of this general purpose, metadata standard for complex and heterogeneous educational material is not straightforward. This paper will give an overview of some practical issues and necessary steps in deploying Dublin Core based on the LITC experience in the EASEL (Educators Access to Services in the Electronic Landscape) project.
NewsAgent, a personalised alerting service
Authors: Baiget Clara
Published: June 2007

NewsAgent (http://newsagent.sbu.ac.uk/) is an Internet based Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI) service for library and information workers, alerting them of news and resources relevant to their professional interests.
Digital imaging awareness ‐ experience and potential
Authors: Sandford Paul
Published: June 2007

Following a market research phase early in 2001, LITC at South Bank University are moving a head in developing targeted consultancy services in digital imaging. The current phase of this initiative will result, early in 2002, in one day short
courses in digital imaging awareness, at which interested parties in education, healthcare and the cultural sector will gather to share experience and examine good (and not so good) practice in case studies. The initiative fits well with LITC’s involvement in wider aspects of online educational resource identification and provision through EC and JISC funded projects, and in initiatives to assess the take‐up of digital images in UK HE and FE.
The world according to LITC ‐ LTWorld [ISSN 1475‐018x] http://www.sbu.ac.uk/litc/ltworld/
Authors: Cox Andrew
Published: June 2007

LTWorld is LITC’s free online news service for information professionals. It covers a range of information management topics, concentrating on developments in library system design, trends in electronic publishing (electronic journals and
electronic books), news from policy makers and the results of research in our sector. It is not meant to be comprehensive in its coverage. It is (part of) our view point on what is going on in the information world. We pick out the important stories that reflect the main trends in the information sector.
Opening the book: developing e‐book resources at the Open University Library
Authors: Love Rodgers Christine
Published: June 2007

A range of different types of electronic texts are being offered to the distributed users of the Open University library, including free out‐of‐copyright texts, online versions of reference works, collections of full text and academic texts from netLibrary. Indications are that they are well used. Some indications of the criteria for evaluating different collections are emerging.
The INHALE Project (Information for Nursing and Health in a Learning Environment): the first year
Authors: Brook Jennifer , Weaver Margaret , Pattern David , Anderson Sheila
Published: June 2007

The two year INHALE Project, begun in November 2000 at the University of Huddersfield, is one of forty‐four projects supported nationally by the JISC as part of the DNER (Distributed National Electronic Resource) learning and teaching development programme. This article describes the creation, design, utilization and evaluation of the project’s innovative interactive information retrieval skill materials.
Subject Portals project overview
Authors: Stuckes Julie
Published: June 2007

Julie Stukes gives an overview of the Subject Portals Project, which is continuing the work carried out by the Resource Discovery Network by extending and enhancing existing services. The Subject Portals Project intends to enable further development of these portals and produce a recommended “software toolkit” that can be used wholly or in parts for the construction of subject‐based portals.
Enhancing use of JISC data services
Authors: Carter Jackie , Rice Robin , Beharrell Andy , Massey Moira , Frank Andrea , Kent Debbie
Published: June 2007

This article covers five of the projects that have been funded under the DNER development programme to enhance use of JISC data services in learning and teaching. The data services referred to are provided by EDINA at the University of Edinburgh, MIMAS at Manchester Computing, University of Manchester, the UK Data Archive at the University of Essex and the ILRT at the University of Bristol. The projects reported on are: 1. Use of Numeric Data in Learning and Teaching; 2. TimeWeb; 3. The Virtual Learning Arcade; 4. Developing the Collection of Historical and Contemporary Census Data and Materials into a Learning and Teaching Resource (The CHCC Project); and 5. e‐MapScholar. The outcomes from these projects will feed into the Information Environment that is being developed by JISC to deliver resources to students, teachers and researchers in meaningful ways.
The knowledge and knowing of spiritual learning
Authors: Bennet Alex , Bennet David
Published: June 2007

Purpose

This article seeks to introduce the concept of spiritual learning by exploring the value of human characteristics spiritual in nature with respect to their relationship to learning.

Design/methodology/approach

In developing this theme, the authors engage a systematic approach: defining terms; identifying representative human characteristics that are spiritual in nature; surfacing assumptions; and identifying emerging themes among the representative spiritual characteristics with respect to learning.

Findings

There appears to be a positive correlation between the representative spiritual characteristics and human learning. For better or worse, the material universe and non‐material universe are married in the conscious and unconscious learning of the human mind.

Originality/value

This work provides a new frame of reference for understanding the relationship between spirituality and learning.