bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How our adolescent children influence us as parents to yield to their purchase requests
Authors: Shoham Aviv , Dalakas Vassilis
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence tactics used by adolescent children and parental yielding to these tactics outside North America.

Design/methodology/approach

Parents of children ages ten to 18 in Israel were surveyed. The questionnaire included questions on adolescents' influence tactics for two products – breakfast cereals and athletic shoes. It also included items to assess parental yielding.

Findings

The findings indicate that Israeli adolescents use rational tactics more often than emotional tactics for both products. Parental yielding follows the same pattern – it is highest for rational tactics and lowest for emotional tactics for both products.Research limitations/implicationsSome ways to improve on this kind of research in the future are using a non‐convenience sample with more balanced gender composition of adolescents and collecting data from multiple countries.

Practical implications

One important implication of our findings is that, given that parents are more likely to respond to rational rather than emotional tactics, marketers' efforts toward parents need to use similar appeals. Another practical implication pertains to how parents can handle constant purchase/consumption requests by their children. The findings suggest that parents can find comfort in the fact that not yielding to emotional tactics like guilt trips is quite common (and, therefore, okay) among parents in different places in the world.

Originality/value

An important contribution of this research is that it examines an important issue, children's influence on family decision making, in a culture outside North America. Children's influence on family purchases continues to grow, both within the USA and elsewhere. Yet, with a few exceptions, most empirical studies were conducted in the USA and less is known about children's influence elsewhere.
What Is RSS and How Can Libraries Use It to Improve Patron Service?
Authors: Holvoet Katherine
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The aim is the provide an introduction to RSS feeds.

Design/methodology/approach

Description of the basic disc‐based audio‐video technologies.

Findings

Provides the baseline for types of RSS feeds and readers such as which are one of two categories, web‐based, or desktop based.

Originality/value

This paper is useful for information management professionals who seek greater understanding of the RSS feeds, uses in libraries and how to get started.
The changing landscape of supply chain management, marketing channels of distribution, logistics and purchasing
Authors: Gundlach Gregory T. , Bolumole Yemisi A. , Eltantawy Reham A. , Frankel Robert
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The paper seeks to examine the changing landscape of supply chain management, marketing channels of distribution, logistics and purchasing.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors examine and take stock of the changing nature and landscape surrounding the related disciplines of supply chain management, marketing channels of distribution, logistics and purchasing. This examination highlights the considerable evolution and significant advances occurring within and between these disciplines.

Findings

The authors find that this new landscape provides both opportunities and challenges for future scholarship and practice in these related disciplines.

Originality/value

The examination and findings should be of value to those attempting to understand the evolving nature and interrelationship of these fields, and those who currently practise within them.
Information leaflet used in out‐patient clinics
Authors: Rajasundaram Ramanan , Phillips Steve , Clay Nigel R.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

To assess patients' attitude towards information leaflets, their understanding of the given information, and the time factor involved in an out‐patient clinic set‐up.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 50 patients who received depot preparation of Methyl Prednisolone as local injections in an out‐patient hand‐clinic were given 15 minutes to read the patient information leaflet and were simultaneously asked to answer a questionnaire.

Findings

Patients want to be informed and are willing to spend more time and effort on information leaflets. Their ability to grasp and retain the relevant information is highly variable. Excess of information, poor presentation/format, lack of time, irrelevant data are factors which seem to adversely affect the effectiveness of information leaflets.

Originality/value

This study gives recommendations to those providing patient care. Emphasises the need for a careful review of all written information with respect to patients' better understanding of the treatment they will receive for the condition being treated.
Re‐engineering healthcare pipelines
Authors: Towill Denis R.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

To demonstrate that effective re‐engineering of healthcare pipelines requires selecting both the “best” process (how we shall do it in the future) and the best trajectory for change (how we get from here to there).

Design/methodology/approach

Exploitation of Braess' Paradox to identify strategic factors necessary to enable change in the re‐engineering of NHS healthcare pipelines.

Findings

Route to maximising the chance of achieving effective change is displayed via a Johari Window. Each cell is then related to no change (despite significant investment); failure; or successful implementation.

Research limitations/implications

The demonstrator pipeline is an NHS cataract repair supply chain. However, via the “Power of Analogy” concept the NHS scenario is readily related to a substantial number of industrial case studies.

Practical implications

The need to understand both process and trajectory is the key to effective re‐engineering of pipelines. All “actors” in re‐engineering programmes should acquire this knowledge and benefit from the new way of doing things.

Originality/value

Formalises the strategic route to enabling healthcare delivery “best practice”.
Retail employee theft: a theory of planned behavior perspective
Authors: Bailey Ainsworth A.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

One area of concern for retailers is the impact of employee theft on retailing profit margins and operations. It is possible that the application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to the employee theft could shine some light on the problem and possibly offer some assistance to retailers. The purpose of this paper is to apply TPB to this phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

A model and series of propositions are developed. The propositions are open to empirical verification and can form the basis for a research stream on retail employee theft.

Findings

The model incorporates certain individual difference factors that are likely to influence intentions to engage in retail theft. The model proposes that variables such as organizational commitment and an employee's moral norm are likely to have an impact on retail theft.

Research limitations/implications

The propositions stemming from the model have to be tested empirically. The model incorporates certain individual difference factors that are likely to influence intentions to engage in retail theft. There are additional individual and external factors that will have direct and indirect on the variables in the proposed model.

Practical implications

Before efforts can be undertaken to stem employee theft, retail managers need to understand the phenomenon. The application of the TPB to this phenomenon is a step in that direction. It can provide insights to retail management on the nature of employee theft and who is likely to engage in it. In addition, information can be obtained for use in human resources efforts such as pre‐employment screening.

Originality/value

Prior work on retail employee theft has not applied the TPB in an effort to understand the phenomenon. This is an initial effort to do so.
Scoping the contextual issues that influence shrinkage measurement
Authors: Chapman Paul , Templar Simon
Published: October 2006

Purpose

Measures and measurement systems must reflect the context to which they are applied, requiring that the contextual issues relating to retail shrinkage must be identified as a necessary precursor when measuring shrinkage. Without considering these issues any decision on which method of shrinkage measurement to employ will be uninformed, arbitrary and at best intuitive. The objective of this paper is to scope out and summarise the contextual issues surrounding retail shrinkage in Europe's grocery sector and to offer a view on the implications of these issues to shrinkage measurement.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology adopted was a scoping study of the key issues that influence shrinkage measurement, drawing these from prior research and exposing these findings to the informed opinion of a review panel for critique and to highlight areas for further investigation.

Findings

The findings from the study were to identify a range of contextual issues relating to shrinkage and to summarise these issues into four categories, namely: stewardship and performance improvement; cost reduction and sales improvement; local effects of systemic issues; and the detailed nature of retailing.

Practical implications

The implications of these key issues are significant to the measurement of shrinkage in terms of the scope across the business from which shrinkage needs to be considered. This finding highlights the need to consider shrinkage as a systemic issue that extends across a business from design, through planning to operational execution. It also identifies the impact of shrinkage on increasing cost and depressing sales and considers the responsibility of management teams in addressing these matters.

Originality/value

This paper is theoretically original and thus of value to the academic community. It is also of value to the practitioner community in grocery retailing where shrinkage and its measurement is of worldwide strategic importance.
A research agenda for loss prevention
Authors: Guthrie John , Guthrie Anna
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to draw attention to an area of research that has considerable potential for academic researchers in the disciplines of retailing and distribution studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology adopted was an overview of existing literature with a view to identifying possible trends in research in the area of loss prevention.

Findings

The paper identifies an extensive body of existing literature and provides an indication of areas for future research in loss prevention.

Practical implications

The implications of these key issues are significant to the measurement of shrinkage in terms of the scope across the business from which shrinkage needs to be considered. This finding highlights the need to consider shrinkage as a systemic issue that extends across a business from design, through planning to operational execution. It also identifies the impact of shrinkage on increasing cost and depressing sales and considers the responsibility of management teams in addressing these matters.

Originality/value

This paper is an original discussion on the topic and thus of value to the academic community. It is also of value to the practitioner community as it highlights the importance of developing relationships with the academic community.
The role of perceived risk in pricing strategy for industrial products: a point‐of‐view perspective
Authors: Hunt James M. , Forman Howard
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to examine the role corporate and individual risk (from the point of view of the pricing manager) plays in developing pricing strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

Managerial professionals in two graduate business programs were used to assess riskiness associated with pricing strategies. Grounded in attribution theory, t‐tests were used to compare the different types of risk associated with the various pricing strategies.

Findings

The findings suggest that pricing managers will view risk from different perspectives (i.e. corporate and individual) and that this “point of view” should have an impact on the pricing strategies selected.

Research limitations/implications

Research limitations include the use of graduate students in lieu of actual pricing managers. However, this research is a first step in examining the different perspectives of risk that may be taken by managers.

Practical implications

Pricing managers and organizations alike should be made aware of how a point‐of‐view perspective regarding risk can have a significant impact on selecting pricing strategies. The results of the study could provide guidance for corporations so that they can make sure pricing managers have the “correct” point of view regarding the riskiness of pricing strategies.

Originality/value

The research is the first to identify and examine the different risk perspectives. This provides value for academic research because it is the first in the area of risk regarding the different perspectives.
The oral epic and the web site: a story of convergence
Authors: Clougherty R.J.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The paper seeks to illustrate the way in which internet and hyper‐text practices reflect ancient and classical literary practice, both of which differ from linear published manuscripts.

Design/methodology approach

The essay traces the shifts and alterations in the transformations from oral text and protonarrative, through manuscripts, printed texts, hyper‐text. It then compares the narrative structures and practices of ancient epics with contemporary web site design.

Findings

The essay argues that the linear printed narrative was a deviation from ancient practices which are being recovered in the use of the web; such that the web is actually a return to more traditional forms.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are the interpretations and mediation of common patterns.

Practical implications

The essay posits a new continuity of literary history from ancient pre‐writing to contemporary hypertext.

Originality/value

Hyper‐text and the web have been primarily viewed as a technology which strongly deviates from established communication norms, whereas this essay seeks to initiate discourse through its re‐examination.
Review of Storytelling in Daily Life: Performing Narrative by Langellier and Peterson
Authors: McDowell Kate
Published: October 2006

Purpose

This review seeks to evaluate the book Storytelling in Daily Life by Langellier and Peterson.

Design/methodology/approach

This book presents an analysis of storytelling as a communication practice. The authors analyze stories collected from the field to show how they conform to and resist common understandings of what storytelling is, does, and means.

Findings

This review finds that the book will be engaging for communications scholars and others interested in critical theoretical approaches to storytelling.

Originality/value

Provides a synopsis of the theoretical approach, topics, and audience for this book, pointing out its value for those interested in academic approaches to storytelling.
Review of Storytelling in Organizations: Why Storytelling Is Transforming 21st Century Organizations and Management by John Seeley Brown
Authors: Comstock Sharon L.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

This is a review of Storytelling in Organizations: Why Storytelling Is Transforming 21st Century Organizations and Management by John Seeley Brown.

Design/methodology/approach

This review looks at the applications of storytelling, as described by the authors of the book reviewed, in the context of a larger storytelling revival.

Findings

This review finds value in the advocacy of storytelling in contexts where it has often been neglected. Nevertheless, it criticizes the authors of the book for their lack of awareness of work on storytelling done in other fields.

Originality/value

This will help place the revival of narrative in corporate settings within the larger context of storytelling as an art.
Reliability‐redundancy optimization using simulated annealing algorithms
Authors: Kim Ho‐Gyun , Bae Chang‐Ok , Park Dong‐Jun
Published: October 2006

Purpose

This paper aims to present a simulated annealing (SA) algorithm to search the optimal solution of reliability‐redundancy allocation problems (RRAP) with nonlinear resource constraints.

Design/methodology/approach

The developed SA algorithm is coded in C++ and is applied to reliability design problems which include the series system (P1(a) and P1(b)), the series‐parallel system (P2), and the complex (bridge) system (P3). The numerical experiments are executed on an IBM‐PC compatible with a Pentium IV 2.0 GHz. The results are compared with those of previous studies.

Findings

The SA algorithm can find better solutions comparable to the previous studies in all problems except the problem P1(b). The difference on the order of 10−4 between the best and worst for all problems indicates good solution convergence of the SA algorithm. Note that the CPU times for these problems are within a few seconds by Pentium IV 2.0 GHz (P1(a) =2.78 sec, P1(b) =3.37 sec, P2=1.38 sec, and P3=1.40 sec).

Originality/value

The application of the SA is expanded to the RRAP, which can help reliability engineers design the system reliability.
Reliability design of industrial plants using Petri nets
Authors: Bertolini M. , Bevilacqua M. , Mason G.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The paper aims to develop a new methodology for reliability modelling able to use the data collected in an FMECA analysis to simulate the reliability behaviour of a complex system and the effects of different maintenance policies.

Design/methodology/approach

A new methodology has been developed, that combines the FMECA analysis with the Petri nets, oriented graphs able to simulate the behaviour of complex systems with concurrent events. This approach was tested on a case study in API oil refinery in Falconara Marittima (AN, Italy).

Findings

By using data collected during an FMECA analysis as input for a Petri net, it is possible to obtain important reliability parameters that describe the behaviour of the system, such as MTTR, MTBF, availability of the plant/machine. It is possible to perform what‐if analysis observing how the reliability parameters change depending on changes in preventive maintenance policies.

Research limitations/implications

In the case study proposed it was not necessary to simulate on condition maintenance. Even if the approach here described is able to do that, it would be interesting to evaluate the methodology presented also in other case studies. The approach described can be used as a starting point to develop techniques of optimization of preventive and on condition maintenance.

Practical implications

The application of the methodology of a case study demonstrated its practical effectiveness, obtaining data very close to experimental ones. This approach is able to provide useful data that help maintenance managers in scheduling maintenance activities and assessing their effect on the behaviour of the whole system.

Originality/value

The methodology presented shows a new solution for reliability modelling of complex industrial systems and represents the first combination of Petri nets with FMECA technique.
Stochastic performance evaluation for multi‐task processing system with software availability model
Authors: Tokuno Koichi , Yamada Shigeru
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The paper seeks to provide new stochastic measures for evaluating software reliability and performance characteristics comprehensively.

Design/methodology/approach

The time‐dependent behavior of the software system itself alternating between operable and inoperable states is described by a Markov process. Then several software performance measures when the arrival process of tasks follows a homogeneous Poisson process can be derived with the infinite‐server queuing theory.

Findings

Provides a new evaluation method for understanding software reliability‐related performance quantitatively. Presents a way to decide the testing time duration to satisfy the software performance requirement based on the model.

Research limitations/implications

Production of the reasonable method for deciding the model parameters characterizing the processing time and the arrival process of the task remains as future study.

Practical implications

Most of the past models have paid attention only to the software failure‐occurrence phenomenon. On the other hand, this model includes the software restoration and the task‐processing characteristics as well and can evaluate customer‐oriented quality. In software project management, this model can provide more useful and comprehensive information than before for software development managers.

Originality/value

This paper introduces the concept of performability into the stochastic software reliability modeling and provides new quantitative evaluation measures considering reliability and performance simultaneously.
Brand origin in an emerging market: perceptions of Indian consumers
Authors: Jin Zhongqi , Kondap N.M.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The study aims to examine the usefulness of the brand origin concept in shaping the perceptions of Indian consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

Guided by recent advance in social identity theory and social motivation theory, a dynamic iterative model of brand origin recognition is proposed. Six hypotheses were tested using a sample of 145 consumers from west of India. Using paired t‐test, average consumer preference of brand origin was analysed for different product categories. A factor analysis with varimax rotation for determining band images was also carried out.

Findings

The results demonstrated that most consumers can recognise the brand origin correctly but the power of recognition decreases when the brand has a long history of “localization”. Distinguished trajectories of consumer perceptions of foreign brands and domestics brands were projected, and this allowed one to extend existing country of origin (CO) research to brand of origin research.

Practical implications

The results implied that brand origin is a useful concept for companies engaging in an emerging market such as India. But the changing nature of the concept requires careful steering and nurturing if companies want to attach a positive value to its brand via brand origin association.

Originality/value

Research into CO effect has been extensive. However, few studies examine empirically the effect of “brand origin” which is more appropriate in emerging market in today's increasingly competitive global environment. This paper is a first to explore the validity of the concept of brand origin in the Indian market.
Importance of appropriate marketing strategies for sustainability of small businesses in a developing country
Authors: Sengupta Kalyan , Chattopadhyay Atish
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The study is designed to explore the importance of appropriate marketing strategies for sustainability of small firms in India, a developing economy.

Design/methodology/approach

A framework based on accepted definition of marketing strategy was developed which could notionally evaluate the appropriateness of marketing strategies and its impact on the market position of the firms. The framework was tested on a set of small scale bakery firms operating in the city of Kolkata. The marketing mix of the firms was studied through case study method. A customer survey was conducted to measure the firms’ market offerings with respect to their target segment. For this, data were collected from 546 consumers and analyzed using multivariate techniques.

Findings

It was observed that the firms, which could align their market offerings with respect to the target segment, achieved higher performance.

Research limitations/implications

The framework used was easy and simple to comprehend. The only two input components required were the marketing mix elements and a corresponding survey to understand customer perceptions. The interpretation of appropriateness, which is reactive in nature, is important, particularly for small firms where marketing is mostly informal, unplanned, relies on intuition and differs from that of large companies. The marketing mix elements were composed through qualitative observations and interviews only. Further research may be undertaken to refine the same in future.

Originality/value

The current research addresses the issue of interpreting the appropriateness of marketing strategy adopted by a set of small firms.
The implications of management by walking about: a case study of a German hospital
Authors: Beil‐Hildebrand Margitta
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to report on case study research conducted in a German hospital and describe the implications that the “Management by walking about” approach had on healthcare employees. “Management by walking about” is widely seen as one of the favoured procedures for increasing employee commitment and shared understanding as well as supporting high trust work relations.

Design/methodology/approach

This case study set out to examine the actual labour processes and the concrete experiences of healthcare employees behind the “Management by walking about” approach in a German hospital. This was achieved by means of a six month field study of day‐to‐day life in the hospital's nursing division.

Findings

In this case study, the popular initiative of “Management by walking about” was used as a means of managerial control and, as such, the internal promotion of soaring values and path‐finding visions was met with both scepticism and cynicism.

Practical implications

Pre‐commitment and motivation levels were high among healthcare employees, they were passionate about their healthcare work and they actively engaged in open communication and organisational development. But all this had little to do with “Management by walking about”, and its implications raise questions about its influence on high trust work relations more generally.

Originality/value

The paper concludes that a more critical analysis is necessary to challenge the way in which “Management by walking about” is examined by healthcare management academics and practitioners.
Designing the primary health care centre of the future
Authors: Bowerman Jennifer
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe and assess the process undertaken by Capital Health responsible for planning and developing a new primary care centre in an older urban, and demographically mixed neighbourhood in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach to the paper is to describe how health centres, if they are to be fully effective in terms of meeting community needs, need more than technical excellence; they also need to fit into the community where they are to be located. Primary care centres, through helping people stay healthy and manage their own health in their own communities, can be an essential antidote to the challenges presented by an aging population. The paper uses the Capital Health initiative as a means of demonstrating how a primary care centre can achieve this objective, in terms of design and physical location, as well as planning process.

Findings

The paper describes the process the project planners have developed to enter into dialogue with representatives of the community. The proposed site selected for the clinic was met with some resistance because it was formerly a school built in the 1930s in the middle of a large area of green space and surrounded by mature elms in the midst of a mixed urban residential area. Through an intense two‐way communication process with residents of the area, the plans for the centre are iterative, evolving in such a way that the clinic will not only integrate architecturally and structurally, but better meet the needs of the community it serves.

Practical implications

The paper has practical implications for anyone interested in designing and locating new health centres in already existing urban communities.

Originality/value

Discusses the issues of building a new primary care centre, while preserving precious green space and considering opinions of local residents.
A measurement scale for product innovation performance
Authors: Alegre Joaquín , Lapiedra Rafael , Chiva Ricardo
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study aimed at conceptualising and developing valid measurements for two key dimensions of product innovation performance‐efficacy and efficiency – in the context of firm competition.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from French biotechnology firms. Using structural equations modeling, the constructs’ measurement models were tested and the scale was validated.

Findings

The results of the study indicate that the operational measures developed here satisfy the criteria for unidimensionality, reliability, and validity.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to innovation management research by providing a set of valid and reliable operational measures. These measures are expected to help researchers in theory testing. Because of the sample features, final results should be considered with caution.

Practical implications

The proposed measurement scale for product innovation performance could be implemented as an innovation audit tool.

Originality/value

This paper provides a new measurement instrument for product innovation performance.
Constructing, enacting and packaging innovations
Authors: Erik Mørk Bjørn , Hoholm Thomas , Aanestad Margunn
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the knowledge generation in a cross‐disciplinary group in Norway that developed a new medical device. The aim is to shed light on how knowledge was generated and how the relationships between different communities of practice were mediated. In particular, the paper seeks to examine how material objects and contextual conditions influenced the innovation process.

Design/methodology/approach

In this longitudinal case study an innovation process was followed for five years, and the research material was constructed through extensive observations, interviews and document analysis.

Findings

The innovation process exhibited different themes in varying degrees of blend throughout the process. First, the practices of constructing the device and ascertaining technical feasibility are described. Then the enacted nature of the work is outlined; how it was significantly dependent on circumstantial factors, but also strongly shaped by the need to ensure clinical usability of the device. Finally, the work to package the innovation and turn it into a commercial product is explored.

Originality/value

In contrast with many previous studies, this study follows large parts of the innovation process, and it emphasises how knowing and practice are a result of networked, and changing, relations between both human and non‐human actors. Rather than one community of practice emerging around the innovation work, what can be called an object‐centred assemblage of communities of practice was seen, which grew and changed according to the changing nature of knowledge needs for the project to continue and succeed. This has interesting implications for the understanding of cross‐disciplinary innovation processes.
An AHP approach in benchmarking logistics performance of the postal industry
Authors: Chan Felix T.S. , Chan H.K. , Lau Henry C.W. , Ip Ralph W.L.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

To develop a new benchmarking process for continuous improvement against the market leader, and report a case study in the postal industry by employing the proposed benchmarking process.

Design/methodology/approach

A double AHP methodology is developed in this paper to divide benchmarking process into two main parts: performance evaluation and continuous improvement. Both qualitative and quantitative factors have been taken into consideration. The first phase aims at evaluation of the performance of the benchmarked company and its competitors. The second phase aims at finding the best practice from a list of improvement alternatives based on the first phase.

Findings

The proposed framework can evaluate the performance of the case company against its competitors. It can also help the company to select the best improvement alternative for implementation in order to enhance its performance on the weakest measures.

Originality/value

The proposed benchmarking process in this paper can help the case company to identify its weaknesses and then select the best improvement alternative in order to improve its performance against the market leader. Although the postal industry is used to demonstrate the proposed framework, it can be applied to other industries with a little modification.
Benchmarking of project planning and success in selected industries
Authors: Zwikael Ofer , Globerson Shlomo
Published: October 2006

Purpose

To identify the industry in which projects are best planned and executed and use it as a benchmark for improving project planning in other industries.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on data collected from 280 project managers, project success and quality of project planning were evaluated and analyzed for four industries – construction and engineering, software and communications, services, and production and maintenance.

Findings

Quality of project planning was found to be the highest in construction and engineering organizations and the lowest in manufacturing organizations. This is a result of a few factors, among them the intensive organizational support which is offered to project managers working in construction and engineering organizations. The other three industries limit their support mostly to tactical aspects, such as the purchasing of project management software. The high quality of project planning in the construction and engineering organizations resulted in their ability to complete projects by almost half the cost and schedule overruns, as compared to organizations belonging to the other industries. Finally, results of the industries in Israel and Japan are compared and analyzed.

Research limitations/implications

Findings are limited to the four industries included in the study.

Practical implications

If organizations, not belonging to the construction industry, wish to improve the probability of success in project planning and execution, they should follow methodologies commonly used in the construction industry.

Originality/value

This paper introduces a valid field study, exploring project management practices in four industries and identifies the one which may be used as a benchmark for the others. It also identifies specific strengths and weaknesses in project management within the explored industries.
Urban wastewater treatment in Europe: from operational problems to plant design
Authors: Jardin N.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The paper seeks to review some of the main operational problems of wastewater treatment plants designed for nutrient removal. It aims to pay particular attention to bulking and foaming due to massive growth of filamentous organisms, failure or non‐optimal operation of secondary settling tanks, and compliance with more stringent effluent requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

The discussion of the major operational problems is based on a thorough review of the available literature and own experiences with more than 80 wastewater treatment plants.

Findings

To suppress the undesirable growth of filamentous organisms and to achieve an all‐year round stable operation of secondary settling tanks several design options for improvement have been developed based on the experience gained so far. The most desirable option for improving the operation of a single treatment plant is to a large extent site specific. Beside adopting the design procedures also operational measures are possible.

Practical implications

The paper recommends several practical options for optimising the performance of wastewater treatment plants with regard to the aforementioned problems. These recommendations are based on proved practical experience and, therefore, may act as a flexible toolbox for an individually tailored design or operation of the plant in order to avoid and/or combat the problems during operation.

Originality/value

The described options for improvement the operation are based on long lasting practical experience with large scale wastewater treatment plants. They can be used by any operator of such plants for solving some of the major problems of modern wastewater treatment plants.
Unsustainable development to sustainable development: a conceptual model
Authors: Mohan Das Gandhi N. , Selladurai V. , Santhi P.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

Modelling of sustainable development is essential, as environmental protection is regarded as a top global priority in the twenty‐first century. The basic objective of this paper is to provide a conceptual framework, named the Four Forces model for diagnosing the process of sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach

Michael Porter's Five Forces model serves as a starting‐point to derive the Four Forces model. The Four Forces model, which is developed based on Back Casting technique, shows the transformation process from current unsustainable development to future sustainable development through environmental degradation, greening force and greening process. These five major components are related based on cause and effect.

Findings

The paper reveals that a clear understanding of the transformation process and their integration is necessary for successful implementation of sustainable development projects, as the transformation is a continuous process. The Four Forces model is a generic and contribute towards a richer understanding of sustainable development process.

Research limitations/implications

The suggested conceptual model provides a holistic view of sustainable development and does not attempt to provide a detailed, step‐by‐step approach for implementing sustainable development in industries. This paper helps to initiate future studies in this area.

Originality/value

In line with Michael Porter's three generic competitive strategies, this study analysis various greening strategies and greening tools and also recommends the Green Productivity as a better tool for implementing sustainable development in industries. The model can be used as a framework for further development of a practical sustainable development system in industries.
Addressing sustainability early in the urban design process
Authors: Boyko Christopher T. , Cooper Rachel , Davey Caroline L. , Wootton Andrew B.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

Designers and planners in the UK are being asked by government to address sustainability. This paper seeks to explore how such issues can be addressed with the urban design process. From the literature, it is unclear when specific sustainability issues should be addressed, who actually makes decisions and what influences them, or how different stakeholders are engaged.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study is presented, focusing on the early stages of an urban design and redevelopment process taking place in a deprived region of the UK. Interviews with key decision‐makers and observations were conducted and subsequently analysed using content analysis.

Findings

The findings show that the process adopted by clients and consultants was relatively similar to that identified by the literature. The importance of creating a sustainable community, and of addressing deprivation and poor services was recognised from the outset. Sustainability was referred to in the briefing to select a team of consultants to develop a vision and regeneration framework. However, specific problems related to sustainability, such as crime and poor health, were not communicated through the briefing documents, for fear of deterring private investment. Indeed, the need to attract private investment was a key aspect of early stage of the urban design process.

Originality/value

This paper highlights potential difficulties of addressing sustainability at the early stage of the design process, when private sector backing is such a crucial component of the regeneration.
Mutual funds under fire: reform initiatives
Authors: Smith Thomas R.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

To describe the broad range of reform initiatives that has been undertaken in response to a series of mutual fund scandals that have become apparent starting in 2003. This is the second of a two‐part article. The first part, in Volume 7, Number 1, is a chronology of developments related to the fund scandals since 1 January 2003.

Design/methodology/approach

Describes SEC reforms, including governance reforms; compliance reforms; SEC‐directed expanded disclosure regarding fund expenses and costs; reforms with respect to share distribution practices; reforms addressing market timing, selective disclosure, and fair value pricing; other reform initiatives including codes of ethics for investment advisers and a requirement that hedge fund advisers register with the SEC; an enhanced surveillance and inspection program for mutual funds; and enforcement activities. Describes private civil suits brought against fund companies, legislative proposals, the roles of NASD and New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, the development of “best practices” guides by industry groups, and measures being promoted by institutional investors.

Findings

A broad range of reform initiatives has been undertaken by the SEC; NASD; and the New York, Massachusetts, and California Attorneys General. Both the US House of Representatives and the Senate have held hearings and proposed legislation, which at the moment appears dormant. Independent directors of only one mutual fund have been implicated in the trading abuse scandals. Hundreds of private civil lawsuits have been brought by fund shareholders against fund groups but virtually none has resulted in substantial restitution to plaintiffs.

Originality/value

A detailed and comprehensive analysis of reform initiatives in response to mutual fund scandals since 2003.
Automotive supply chain models and technologies: a review of some latest developments
Authors: Coronado Mondragon Adrian E. , Lyons Andrew C. , Michaelides Zenon , Kehoe Dennis F.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

To critically review business trends and drivers affecting the performance of supply chains and build‐to‐order initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a comprehensive review of the potential implications of two inbound logistics solutions: supplier parks and the notion of full‐service‐vehicle supply in addition to developing technologies such as web services interoperability, radio frequency identification (RFID) and collaborative product commerce (CPC).

Findings

It is expected that the wide adoption/consolidation of supplier parks and full‐service‐vehicle supply and technologies such as web services interoperability, RFID and CPC will facilitate/promote the adoption of build‐to‐order initiatives.

Research limitations/implications

The business models and technologies presented in this paper have been developed and exploited mainly in the automotive sector. Their success could have a big impact if transferred to other industries. Only a handful of technologies/business models affecting supply chain management have been reviewed.

Practical implications

The widespread use of the technologies and inbound logistics solutions presented in this paper might require the development of sophisticated measurement tools to assess the performance of the entire supply chain. The developed tool has to capture the state of the supply chain in terms of synchronisation, bullwhip effect, pipeline inventory, cycle times, stockout and backorder incidents plus other metrics associated to the operation of the firm including sunk costs, invested capital and ROI.

Originality/value

This paper provides a sound review on technologies and business models critical for supply chains developing build‐to‐order capabilities.
Corporate governance and the quality of accounting earnings: a Canadian perspective
Authors: Niu Flora F.
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The paper seeks to examine the association between corporate governance mechanisms and the quality of accounting earnings.

Design/methodology/approach

Quality of earnings is measured in two ways: the accounting‐based measure of earnings management and the market‐based measure of earnings informativeness. Using firm‐level corporate governance data for a sample of Canadian firms in the years 2001‐2004, regression analysis explores the relation between corporate governance (including board composition, management shareholding, shareholders' rights and the extent of disclosure of governance practices), and the quality of earnings.

Findings

Empirical tests demonstrate that overall governance quality is negatively related to the level of abnormal accruals and positively influences the return‐earnings association. In addition, the magnitude of abnormal accruals is negatively associated with the level of independence of board composition, the extent of alignment of management compensation with interests of shareholders and the strength of shareholder rights. The results from the returns and earnings analysis are consistent with these findings.

Research limitations/implications

The tests in this study are association tests. Future research may use qualitative research approaches to examine the link between quality of financial reporting and governance effectiveness.

Originality/value

This study provides evidence that supports Canadian regulators' initiatives that stronger corporate governance mechanisms provide greater monitoring of the financial accounting process and may be important factors in improving the integrity of financial reporting.
An analytical theory of project investment: a comparison with real option theory
Authors: Chen Jing
Published: October 2006

Purpose

The paper seeks to develop an analytical theory of project investment.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors derive a partial differential equation that the variable cost of a project should satisfy, determine a proper initial condition through a thought experiment, and solve the equation.

Findings

A formula of variable cost as an analytical function of fixed cost, uncertainty of the environment and the duration of a project is obtained.

Practical implications

The analytical formula enables systematic comparison of returns of different investment under different market conditions to be made. This refines the insights from real option theory in many ways. Since all production systems need fixed investment to lower variable costs, by providing an analytical theory about the relation among fixed costs, variable costs and uncertainty, this theory contributes a new foundation to investment theory and other different fields.

Originality/value

An analytical theory of project investment about the relation among fixed costs, variable costs, uncertainty of the environment and the duration of a project, which is the core concern in most business decisions, does not exist in the current literature.