bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inequality in organizations: stereotyping, discrimination, and labor law exclusions
Authors: Berry Daphne , Bell Myrtle P.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to highlight inequalities created and sustained through gendered, raced, and classed organizational processes and practices using Joan Acker's work as a lens for perceiving the mechanisms that support such practices. It aims to use home health aide work as an example of how US labor laws and court decisions create and support disadvantages for workers who are largely economically‐disadvantaged and often women of color.

Design/methodology/approach

The article considers processes of inequality based on demographic characteristics and the resulting stereotyping, discrimination, and gender, race, and class inequalities.

Findings

The article finds that multiple intersecting processes of inequality exist in organizations, manifested in practices of stereotyping and discrimination for some job applicants and workers and advantageous positioning for certain others.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should more specifically consider the effects of multiple processes of inequality on individuals' organizational experiences and the intersections of gender, race, and class (as well as other markers such as ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability) in organizational practices.

Practical implications

Managers and human resources practitioners should be aware of the effects of processes related to the intersectionality of gender, race, and class and work to eliminate resulting stereotyping and other discriminatory organizational practices linked to these processes in their organizations.

Social implications

Identification of processes of inequality resulting in stereotyping and discrimination may help reduce them, thus increasing opportunities for work, wages, and benefits, and reducing poverty for members of the most devalued groups.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature on the intersecting nature of gender, race, and class‐based inequalities and on human resources decision making in organizations.
Surprising intersectionalities of inequality and privilege: the case of the arts and cultural sector
Authors: Tatli Ahu , Özbilgin Mustafa
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore the difficult territory of intersectionality as it relates to inequality and disadvantage in the labour market of the arts and cultural sector. It aims to first examine the way Acker's concept of inequality regimes is located in the extant literature. Then, it aims to study the dynamics of intersectionality in the arts and cultural sector, which offers an ideal setting with interesting and counter‐intuitive outcomes of intersectionality.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on a qualitative study which generated interviews with students, employers and higher education institutions which are involved in industrial placements (internships) in the arts and cultural sector in Britain.

Findings

In line with Acker, the paper also disputes a‐contextual and cumulative formulations of intersecting inequalities that rely on multiplying the unequal outcomes on the basis of traditional categories of disadvantage. Instead, it argues that multiplicity of identities and forms of disadvantage introduce complexity and contextual depth into the analysis of inequality if we are to understand interplay between different forms of disadvantage. In addition, the paper maintains that intersectionality produces surprising outcomes which vary across industrial contexts, in particular across different sectors of employment. It uses the case of work undergraduate and postgraduate placement practices in the arts and cultural sector, in order to demonstrate the unexpected nature of intersectionality in producing disadvantage.

Research limitations/implications

The study draws on a selection of students, employers and higher education staff from London. A larger selection of institutions outside London could reveal differences between London and other cities and regions in Britain.

Practical implications

Intersectionality is an important concern for diversity and human resources management professionals. This paper provides an assessment of it in an unusual sectoral context.

Social implications

There is need to develop an emic understanding of intersectionality in each sector.

Originality/value

In the literature, intersectionality is problematised at workplace and individual levels. This paper's view of intersectionality is original in the sense that it explores how intersectionality operates at a sectoral level. In doing so, it demonstrates that salience of a strand of inequality in terms of producing intersectional disadvantage depends on the context.
Pleading the fifth
Authors: Dye Kelly , Mills Albert J.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The notion of organizations as gendered is not new yet critical gaps in the understanding of the processes responsible for the creation and maintenance of these gendered organizations still exist. Within the existing breadth and depth of feminist organizational scholarship an increasing number of researchers have been drawn to Joan Acker's notion of the “gendered substructure” as one of the more promising frameworks for analysis of the gendering of organizations. In this paper the authors seek to develop an analysis of Acker's gendered substructure through, and reflection on, its application.

Design/methodology/approach

Acker's framework of gendering processes is explored through a case study of the gendering of a single organization over time – Pan American World Airways (Pan Am). The authors' “reading” of the archival materials was informed by a combination of feminist poststructuralism, critical discourse analysis and critical hermeneutics.

Findings

Through an exploration of the roots of Acker's framework and its application to a case study of a single organization over time (Pan Am), the paper contends that its greatest potential lies in examining the four process sets – division of labor, workplace culture, social interactions and (self) reflection – through a fifth process of “organizational logic” that is seen as temporal and contextual. Drawing on poststructuralist feminist theory, it argues that organizational logic can be viewed through analyses of organizational, and organizationally based, discourses.

Originality/value

The paper argues that the (widely recognized) heuristic value of Joan Acker's “gendered substructure” has not been realized due to inconsistencies in its interpretation and application. This study engages Acker's framework in its entirety, as gendering processes do not exist in silos and are likely more interdependent than typically credited. The paper looks at the dynamics of, and between the five sets of, gendering processes.
Celebrating Joan Acker's contribution to theorising gender and organisation
Authors: Sayce Susan
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this editorial is to present a series of articles in this special invited issue that celebrate Joan Acker's theories of gendered organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

This editorial presents articles that utilise Joan Acker's notions of gendered organisations, the gender subtext in organisations, the ideal worker, and inequality regimes to help explain gender discrimination in organisation. It is a celebration of Joan's theorising in relation to this topic and also includes Joan's own thinking about the development of her ideas as theorised by the authors in different organisational and empirical contexts.

Findings

The paper reveals that the articles illustrate the value of Acker's original thinking, how the original concepts have evolved to theorise and explain the intersectionality of current discriminatory practices.

Originality/value

This paper presents a celebration of Joan Acker's work and an introduction to the special issue.
The relationship between work‐family enrichment and nurse turnover
Authors: Russo Marcello , Buonocore Filomena
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The central aim of this paper is to test a model in which work‐family enrichment is associated with lower levels of professional turnover through higher levels of job satisfaction and professional commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

The bootstrap procedure for estimating indirect correlations in multiple mediator models was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings show that nurses experiencing high levels of work‐family enrichment are likely to report lower intentions to leave their profession by virtue of their higher levels of professional commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The research relies on a cross‐sectional design with a single source of data.

Practical implications

The research suggests that management should foster work‐family enrichment since this appears to be linked to decreased turnover intentions.

Social implications

There is a shortage of nurses in Italy and many other countries, which has negative consequences for high‐quality nursing care and costs of the healthcare system, and the results of the present study suggest ways in which nurse retention could be improved.

Originality/value

This study contributes to work‐family literature by addressing the relationship between work‐family enrichment and professional‐related outcomes.
The relationship between individual values and psychological contracts
Authors: Cohen Aaron
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine whether individual values are related to perceptions of psychological contracts and psychological contract breach when justice perceptions are taken into account.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample comprised staff employees of one of the largest banks in Israel. The sample included 311 employees in the head office of this bank. Data were collected from the employees over a period of about three months.

Findings

The findings show a modest relationship between individual values and perceptions of a relational type of psychological contract. The findings show weaker relationships between the values, perceived transactional‐type contracts, and perceptions of contract breach.

Research limitations/implications

The study relied upon a cross‐sectional design. Such a design consists of a single observation with no control groups, and so cannot be used to draw conclusions about causal relationships between the variables. In addition, the study examined only one professional group in one culture.

Practical implications

The significant relationship between conservation and self‐transcendence values and perceptions of relational‐type contracts suggests that organizations should take this into account when making hiring and human resource (HR) management decisions.

Originality/value

Few studies have examined how individual values relate to the type of psychological contract individuals perceive themselves involved in, or the way they perceive contract breach. Examining individual‐level values helps to elucidate the attitudes and behaviors of employees in the workplace.
Affiliation motivation and interest in entrepreneurial careers
Authors: Decker Wayne H. , Calo Thomas J. , Weer Christy H.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The goal of this paper is to better understand affiliation motivation patterns among students interested in pursuing entrepreneurial/self‐employment careers as compared to students less interested in pursuing entrepreneurial careers.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample included 424 college students enrolled in upper‐division business courses in a public institution in the Mid‐Atlantic region of the USA. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the effects of four dimensions of affiliation motivation on entrepreneurial aspirations.

Findings

Interest in entrepreneurial careers was negatively associated with the need for emotional support and positively associated with the need for positive stimulation from other persons. Therefore, persons with entrepreneurial interests enjoy interacting with other people, but they are not emotionally dependent upon them. Neither the need for social comparison nor the need for attention varied as a function of entrepreneurial aspirations.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should distinguish among persons seeking different types of entrepreneurial and self‐employment opportunities, as well as compare business students both to students studying fields other than business and persons established in careers.

Practical implications

Knowledge of persons' affiliation motivation patterns may contribute to effective career counseling and career development.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to greater understanding of the distinguishing characteristics of persons aspiring to be entrepreneurs by assessing four subcategories of affiliation motivation rather than treating it as a one‐dimensional concept.
Synthesis and characterisation of precipitated CuO · SiO2 oxide composites
Authors: Modrzejewska‐Sikorska Anna , Ciesielczyk Filip , Jesionowski Teofil
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new method of synthesis of CuO · SiO2 oxide composite based on the reaction of precipitation from water solutions of sodium silicate and copper nitrate.

Design/methodology/approach

Solutions of sodium silicate and copper nitrate were used as substrates. The effects of direction of substrate supply, concentration, excess of reagents and temperature of precipitation on the physicochemical properties of the products were analysed.

Findings

A new method of synthesis of CuO · SiO2 oxide composite based on a precipitation reaction is proposed.

Research limitations/implications

Only sodium silicate and copper nitrate solutions were used.

Practical implications

The CuO · SiO2 oxide composite obtained can be used as blue pigment or polymer filler.

Originality/value

The paper determines optimum conditions of CuO · SiO2 oxide composite precipitation to obtain products with desired physicochemical, dispersive and structural properties.
PMMA‐co‐PHFBA‐co‐PHPA acrylic fluoropolymers via an ab initio emulsion atom transfer radical polymerisation with activators regenerated by electron transfer
Authors: Zheng S. , Xiong B. , Xiong Y.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to synthesise the tercopolymer PMMA‐co‐PHFBA‐co‐PHPA in an ab initio emulsion through activators regenerated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerisation in the absence of F‐containing surfactant and organic assistants.

Design/methodology/approach

To produce the tercopolymer of methyl methacrylate, hexafluorobutyl acrylate, and 2‐hydrothyl propyl acrylate with a precise macromolecular composition and structure, water used as the dispersion medium, Tween‐80 and SDS as emulsifiers, soluble ascorbic acid as the reducing agent and benzyl bromide as the initiator. The catalyst was CuBr2/O‐phenanthroline complex. The molecular structure of the polymer was characterised by FT‐IR, Raman, and 1H‐NMR. Molecular weight and molecular weight distributions were measured by gel permeation chromatography.

Findings

The polymer molecular composition and structure are controllable during polymerisation as defined without nitrogen protection. However, the average molecular weight of the polymer deviates from the theoretical value when the monomer fractional conversion reaches 90 percent. The molecular weight distribution of the polymer (PDI=1.4) is much broader than those done in bulk or solution polymerisation.

Originality/value

Integrating ab initio emulsion with activators regenerated by electron transfer via atom transfer radical polymerisation (ARGET‐ATRP) technologies could be a significant method for producing functional acrylic‐fluoropolymer with defined macromolecular composition and structure, even in the absence of F‐containing surfactant and organic assistants, both of which are necessary in the normal case.
Frankfurt Book Fair 2011 – a sampling of panel discussions and lectures
Authors: Hrubes Stephen
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This article is a conference report of the Frankfurt Book Fair, compiled so that those not in attendance can read about some of the structured discussions that were programmed.

Design/methodology/approach

The author attended lectures and discussions and took notes.

Findings

There are many technological changes on the horizon for the publishing industry, which in turn will affect how readers and researchers will access information.

Originality/value

If you couldn't attend the Frankfurt Book Fair, this conference report will allow you to read about some of the opinions on technology expressed by leaders in the publishing industry.
Sensory cues and shoppers' touching behaviour: the case of IKEA
Authors: Hultén Bertil
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The presented research aims to depict shoppers' touching behaviour in relation to the introduction of visual and olfactory sensory cues at point‐of‐purchase in a retail setting. In the field of retailing research, there is a paucity of knowledge on how visual and olfactory sensory cues impact on consumers' touch behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

The author presents a review of theoretically relevant work from retailing and consumer psychology, and an original study examining the impact of visual and olfactory sensory cues on consumer touch behaviour. The study was a field experiment in the glass department of the Swedish retailer IKEA. The design was quasi‐experimental with a convenience sample of shoppers assigned to a control group (n=451) and an experimental group (n=435).

Findings

In the reported study, the author finds significant differences between shoppers' touching behaviour in a manipulated point‐of‐purchase compared to a conventional one. The findings show that visual and olfactory sensory cues have a positive impact on shoppers' touching behaviour, purchase intentions and total sale.

Research limitations/implications

The findings demonstrate that sensory cues exert a positive impact on consumers' desire to touch. Sensory cues frame consumers' affective responses and decision making through involving the sense of touch.

Practical implications

The findings provide guidelines for managers of retail and service outlets, concerning the benefits of sensory cues in enhancing shoppers' touching behaviour at point‐of‐purchase.

Originality/value

The research demonstrates that the introduction of visual and olfactory sensory cues impact consumers' touch behaviour at point‐of‐purchase in a retail setting.
Bridging the gap between brand strategy and customer experience
Authors: Clatworthy Simon
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the development and evaluation of a process model to transform brand strategy into service experiences during the front end of new service development (NSD). This is an important yet poorly understood transformation that occurs early in service development projects. The paper also aims to describe the theoretical basis for this transformation, and introduces a process model that has been developed to understand and assist with this. Further, it seeks to describe early evaluation results and reflections upon its use.

Design/methodology/approach

A research through design approach using participatory co‐design led to the development of the new process. The development was iterative and carried out together with three service providers. The process model was evaluated using a combination of qualitative methods, including interviews, observation and participatory observation.

Findings

This work underlines the importance of aligning the customer experience to the company brand and suggests how this can be achieved. A key element in this is the development of a service personality and consideration of service touch‐point behaviours through a combination of analytical work and experience prototyping. The suggested process model has received positive evaluation when used in commercial projects, in terms of brand congruence, project team cohesiveness and experiential result. The work advocates tighter integration between brand management and NSD, and has identified multiple issues regarding the content of a service brand strategy. These include the ways in which a brand department should communicate its brand strategy, and how it should be involved in NSD projects to ensure brand alignment.

Research limitations/implications

The evaluation of the model has limitations, both in terms of number of cases and downstream/long term effects. This should therefore be considered an initial evaluation of the model, requiring further verification.

Practical implications

The paper describes a structured three‐stage experience‐centric process that improves brand alignment in projects. Further, the work shows that brand specifications for services should increasingly focus upon desired customer experiences, service touch‐points and touch‐point behaviours rather than the current focus upon visual identity.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to suggest a process that transforms a brand strategy into customer experiences during NSD. It also adds original insights into the transition from brand to concept, bridging branding, service design and NSD.
Determinants and consequences of consumer satisfaction with self‐service technology in a retail setting
Authors: Chih‐Hung Wang Michael
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the antecedents and consequences of consumer satisfaction with the use of self‐service technology (SST) in a retail setting.

Design/methodology/approach

In cooperation with a survey firm, a total of 424 respondents were collected from among consumers who had experience of using multimedia kiosks at convenience stores in Taiwan. The conceptual model was tested by using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results show that perceived usefulness and perceived enjoyment both, initially, influence perceived control and convenience and then affect consumer satisfaction, which in turn has an impact on consumer continued behavior intention. In addition, perceived enjoyment is found to enhance consumer satisfaction, but perceived usefulness is not.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a conceptual model to synthesize the essence of the ECM‐IT model and two important incentives in self‐service (i.e. perceived control and convenience) in order to provide a theoretical explanation for consumer satisfaction in the self‐service context. This not only extends the ECM‐IT model, but also remedies previous self‐service literature that lacked the theoretical background in investigations of consumer satisfaction.
Employee engagement – a new paradigm
Authors: Millar Guy
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to argue that the relationship between employer and employee needs to change from independent/dependent to interdependent.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper puts forward the view that most management training does not work because it does not change behavior. The paper offers a model of training to help people and organizations to evolve.

Findings

The paper describes what is missing in the employee contract – accountability on both sides. It explains what accountability means, why it is critical and how to start creating this in your organization.

Practical implications

The paper argues that, if you want to have a successful employee‐engagement program, you have to start with employees who are engaged in their own life. Helping to grow people's self‐awareness and personal accountability is a good place to start. In this model of development, self‐awareness is defined as having a strong sense of yourself and the part you play in your world. It is the ability to respond in a positive and effective way to your environment. But the organization also has to step up and ensure all its behavior and actions are aligned with its stated values.

Social implications

The paper contends that empowering people with these tools allows them to make more sense of their world, make better choices and to start living their best life. Business has the resources and organization to effect more than just economic growth.

Originality/value

The paper advances the view that, with big questions being raised about the integrity of our most fundamental institutions, it is imperative that people's behavior be aligned with the values the organization espouses. If our state of being is not matched by our state of doing we court disaster.
HR as business partner during mergers and acquisitions
Authors: Uday Bhaskar A.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to highlight the important role human resource (HR) plays in organizations during mergers and acquisitions.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper looks at the role of HR in various organizations that have undergone mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and captures the criticality of HR getting involved early during the process.

Findings

The paper provides case studies illustrating that if HR is involved from the early stages of the M&A deal, the chances of success are higher than if HR gets involved only after the merger has taken place.

Practical implications

The paper includes a number of case studies of successful and failed M&As and draws out the lessons for HR.

Social implications

The paper draws out the factors that help to ensure that mergers and acquisitions are good for the companies and employees involved, as well as for society as a whole.

Originality/value

The paper looks at the process of mergers and acquisitions from a mainly Indian context.
So you want to be an interim manager in pharma
Authors: Evans Perry
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline what it takes to be a successful interim manager in today's pharmaceutical industry, based on the experiences of two people currently in the role.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explains when it is and is not appropriate to employ an interim manager, and details the main advantages and disadvantages from the points of view of both the company and interim manager involved.

Findings

The paper describes the main challenges as: working across a range of time zones; traveling between countries; juggling different and demanding clients; recognizing that one has been brought in to solve a specific problem, not to become a permanent employee; guiding without interfering; managing client expectations; and coping with down‐time when the contract finishes.

Practical implications

The paper demonstrates how interns may help companies to solve a particular problem quickly and easily.

Social implications

The paper explains that, when companies are feeling the pinch and may have frozen their recruitment of permanent employees, interims offer immediate support and expertise but are dispensable.

Originality/value

The paper contains much to interest companies thinking of taking on an interim and individuals considering interim management as a career.
Why do some people manage phishing e‐mails better than others?
Authors: Pattinson Malcolm , Jerram Cate , Parsons Kathryn , McCormac Agata , Butavicius Marcus
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the behaviour response of computer users when either phishing e‐mails or genuine e‐mails arrive in their inbox. The paper describes how this research was conducted and presents and discusses the findings.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was a scenario‐based role‐play experiment that involved the development of a web‐based questionnaire that was only accessible by invited participants when they attended a one‐hour, facilitated session in a computer laboratory.

Findings

The findings indicate that overall, genuine e‐mails were managed better than phishing e‐mails. However, informed participants managed phishing e‐mails better than not‐informed participants. Other findings show how familiarity with computers, cognitive impulsivity and personality traits affect behavioural responses to both types of e‐mail.

Research limitations/implications

This study does not claim to evaluate actual susceptibility to phishing emails. The subjects were University students and therefore the conclusions are not necessarily representative of the general population of e‐mail users.

Practical implications

The outcomes of this research would assist management in their endeavours to improve computer user behaviour and, as a result, help to mitigate risks to their organisational information systems.

Originality/value

The literature review indicates that this paper addresses a genuine gap in the research.
Soft skills requirements in software development jobs: a cross‐cultural empirical study
Authors: Ahmed Faheem , Fernando Capretz Luiz , Bouktif Salah , Campbell Piers
Published: March 2012

Purpose

Most of the studies carried out on human factor in software development concentrate primarily on personality traits. However, soft skills which largely help in determining personality traits have been given comparatively little attention by researchers. The purpose of this paper is to find out whether employers' soft skills requirements, as advertised in job postings, within different roles of software development, are similar across different cultures.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors review the literature relating to soft skills before describing a study based on 500 job advertisements posted on well‐known recruitment sites from a range of geographical locations, including North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The study makes use of nine defined soft skills to assess the level of demand for each of these skills related to individual job roles within the software industry.

Findings

It was found that in the cases of designer, programmer and tester, substantial similarity exists for the requirements of soft skills, whereas only in the case of system analyst is dissimilarity present across different cultures. It was concluded that cultural difference does not have a major impact on the choice of soft skills requirements in hiring new employee in the case of the software development profession.

Originality/value

Specific studies concerning soft skills and software development have been sporadic and often incidental, which highlights the originality of this work. Moreover, no concrete work has been reported in the area of soft skills and their demand as a part of job requirement sets in diverse cultures, which increases the value of this paper.
Effects of e‐mail addiction and interruptions on employees
Authors: Marulanda‐Carter Laura , Jackson Thomas W.
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect of e‐mail interruptions on tasks and to explore the concept of e‐mail addiction within the workplace.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a large car rental company in the UK. The first collection method involved observing the effects of simulated e‐mail interruptions on seven employees by measuring the interrupt handling time, the interrupt recovery time, and the additional time required to complete the task given the number of interruptions. The second part of the study involved a questionnaire sent to 100 employees to capture addictive characteristics in employees' e‐mail communication behaviour.

Findings

E‐mail interruptions have a negative time impact upon employees and show that both interrupt handling and recovery time exist. A typical task takes one third longer than undertaking a task with no e‐mail interruptions. The questionnaire data show clinical characteristics classify 12 per cent of e‐mail addicts, and behavioural characteristics classify 15 per cent of e‐mail addicts in the workplace.

Research limitations/implications

Observation was constrained by the timeframes and availability of the participating organisation. Measuring an employee receiving e‐mail interruptions over a greater time period might achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the impact.

Originality/value

The small study is the first to determine the impact of e‐mail interruptions on work tasks by observing employees, and to present a method to determine e‐mail addiction. By understanding these factors, organisations can manage workflow strategies to improve employee efficiency and effectiveness.
The effects of employee competencies and IT applications on operations strategy: an empirical study of retail firms in China
Authors: Yu Wantao , Ramanathan Ramakrishnan
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between employee competencies, information technology (IT) applications, operations strategy, and business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon the resource‐based theory, this study employs a path analytic framework to investigate how employee competencies and IT applications influence the development of competitive operations strategies and business performance for a sample of retail firms in China.

Findings

The findings indicate significant and positive relationships between employee competencies and operations strategy (e.g. low cost, quality and flexibility). IT applications also play a vital role in helping retailers pursue a flexibility strategy. The operations strategies of low cost and flexibility in turn influence business performance.

Originality/value

This study seems to be the first in investigating the impacts of employee competencies and IT applications on operations strategy and performance in the service sector, especially in the Chinese context.
Managerial lessons on relevance and measurability in R&D project valuation
Authors: Suomala Petri , Kanniainen Juho , Lönnqvist Antti
Published: March 2012

Purpose

Comprehensive R&D project valuation calls for internal information on, for example, R&D investments as well as external information such as market projections that relate to the expectations on product's life and revenue cash flows. Given the versatility of information needs, the valuation is generally expected to be challenging during R&D. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the perceived feasibility of R&D project valuation in real‐life organizations and discuss possibilities to increase the relevance of measurement for managing value creation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on empirical data gathered by a questionnaire targeted at companies representing different industries in Finland. The data are analyzed in terms of company size, R&D intensity and the nature of the development activity (product or service).

Findings

The results describe how the managers responsible for R&D experience the importance and measurability of different elements potentially relevant for the success of a project. It was discovered that things that were considered important were generally perceived as challenging to apply in practice.

Practical implications

The paper lists several managerial activities for improving R&D evaluation practices. As a managerial contribution, the paper develops a framework for identifying different types of measurement elements.

Originality/value

Based on the empirical findings, a number of suggestions are made for improving the measurement of various elements of value. The paper elaborates the potential role of a number of indirect and less obvious aspects in association with R&D project value: the features of developed product's life cycle, created intellectual capital, emerging real options and windows of opportunity.
A contingency approach to performance measurement in service operations
Authors: Jääskeläinen Aki , Laihonen Harri , Lönnqvist Antti , Palvalin Miikka , Sillanpää Virpi , Pekkola Sanna , Ukko Juhani
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contingency factors affecting performance measurement in the service context. The paper aims to review the literature on performance measurement and synthesize it to a framework that creates a basis for analyzing measurement practices in various kinds of service contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to obtain a fresh update to the existing knowledge on the topic, a systematic literature review was carried out. Around 8,000 articles published between 2005 and 2011 were reviewed and as a result 80 papers were chosen for a more detailed examination.

Findings

The paper applies a fresh approach to performance measurement in services, increasing generalizability of case study findings. By analyzing a large set of studies, the study identifies contextual factors that affect performance measurement in service operations. The resulting framework acts as a foundation for further research on performance measurement in services.

Practical implications

The results of this research can be further refined into more practice‐oriented framework. After further field research and testing, the framework can be linked to practical recommendations in different settings of measurement development.

Originality/value

The measurement of service operations is known to be challenging due to some service‐specific features. Much of the existing research on the topic has been carried out in a specific service industry with a specific measurement need. In order to increase generalizability, there is also a need to carry out cross‐case analysis identifying patterns among individual case studies. This supports the application of lessons learned from a certain specific setting into other fields. There is very limited knowledge on the contingency factors related to measurement system development caused by service context.
Social housing, community empowerment and well‐being: part one – empowerment practice in social housing
Authors: Rosenberg Jonathan
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This paper gives an account of the development and pioneering management practices of a community‐owned and managed agency, Walterton and Elgin Community Homes (WECH), locating these in the context of continuing concerns and emerging aspirations over the role of social housing, with developing UK national policy and a proposed statutory “Right to Transfer” for tenants.

Design/methodology/approach

This report provides a narrative of the recent development of social housing policy development and the evolving practice of WECH. This is the essential historical and social policy background to a recent study into the health and well‐being benefits of empowerment through community ownership of social housing. This first paper refers to and discusses the wider implications of the data collected during the well‐being research and literature review, indicating that the population of the WECH estates experience a sense of belonging, and of being involved, which contrasts markedly with statistics for comparable populations in comparable areas of deprivation. Further analysis of the key findings of the original study will be published in Part two.

Findings

The benefits of more community‐owned services include the more efficient and holistic management of properties. Community‐based, resident‐controlled housing associations offer a secure foundation for building in additional services as part of the continued drive to devolve public services to the local level, including hosting of a substantial range of community services, for example the reintegration of the Police into the community. The principle of community ownership of council estates is also valuable in its own right for informing the direction of housing management and policy and where to target effort. The experience and practice of WECH supports the proposition that community ownership of social housing may be an exceptionally effective means for improving and sustaining wellbeing in poor neighbourhoods.

Research limitations/implications

This paper argues that Government policy should actively support mass mutualisation as a means for improving wellbeing on council/social housing estates and for empowering poorer communities to take greater responsibility for their welfare. Regardless of the extent of mutualisation, many of the practices involved are transferable to non‐mutual social landlords, and may be seen as markers of good practice for agencies intending to taken on social housing via transfer.

Originality/value

There is continued interest in the transfer of social housing stock to new provider agencies. WECH has been the only large‐scale statutory transfer until now of council housing in England and Wales to a mutual, community‐owned housing association. WECH's experience is especially relevant for evidencing the significant advantages governments could obtain through encouraging many more transfers of council estates to community housing associations.
The value of research to the housing profession
Authors: Brunwin Rick
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The intention of this article is to alert practitioners of the need to engage with research and to appreciate the range and specific roles of organisations undertaking research and the purposes for their findings. The paper seeks to describe the difficulties research findings bring if not used within their limitations, and fully conscious of their motivation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper illustrates the issues through the example of research studies published over several years on homelessness amongst former Services personnel – “veterans”.

Findings

The paper finds that understanding research findings within the context of the original purpose of the commissioner is crucial if managers are to understand the need for changes in practice – in this case working with homeless people with an ex‐military background. With this proviso, housing organisations can use research to evidence the issues they are encountering to a wider audience, notably policy makers and secondary, to establish new directions for Services that are then more accurately designed to meet actual and emerging needs.

Practical implications

This paper encourages housing organisations, especially those working with people whose needs are partly specific to their cohort, to integrate research into their main business functions, i.e. to underpin their business plan.

Originality/value

This is a rare account to appear in print, tracing the history and drawing conclusions from this particular area of research.
Staff and ex‐service user co‐working: a counselling service's enhanced response to multiple exclusion homelessness
Authors: Conolly John , Ashton Paul
Published: March 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to describe a novel collaboration between a worker and a former service user in developing two support groups – an art group and an “alcoholics anonymous group” self help group – at a central London “Wet” hostel for the homeless. The paper seeks to explore the issues raised for both workers in this experience.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a jointly written case study of innovative and reflective practice. It begins with an overview of policy frameworks and research that promote and advocate inclusion practice; then gives an account of the origins and development of the collaboration initiative; and concludes with reflections from each of the participants on what they have gained from the experience.

Findings

The main challenge for professionals lies in the need for “self‐reflective” practice and to challenge their own personal investments in the maintenance of their professional role and status. For ex‐service users, the challenge is to overcome low self‐confidence, the safety of the all‐too‐familiar “service user” role, and to realise that, despite real obstacles, a productive, useful contribution can be made to society. This can therefore be seen as a journey for both parties.

Social implications

Working with multiple exclusion homelessness can leave professionals feeling isolated and deskilled, leading people with complex needs to be further excluded from services that feel that they do not fit their criteria. Tackling these issues requires time for reflection on the personal issues raised.

Originality/value

The paper provides unique learning and insight into the development and running of support groups, resulting from the novel collaboration between a worker and a former service user.
North European companies' relation with Russia and China: future outlook on transport flows
Authors: Laisi Milla , Hilmola Olli‐Pekka , Sutela Mikko
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the changes in Swedish and Finnish companies' traffic flows and evaluate the future prospects.

Design/methodology/approach

Research was implemented through web‐based questionnaire. Furthermore, numerous second‐hand sources were used to gain knowledge. Research was conducted in three parts: first research was executed in 2006, second in 2009 and the third was realized in 2010.

Findings

The main findings support previous studies arguing that the traffic between Europe and China will continue to grow in the future. However, contrary to earlier studies, the balance will change from eastbound to westbound traffic. The future prospects to Russian traffic are stated as a slight increase in demand: however, the balance is shifting from eastbound to westbound transport, and it is noted that the transport flows from Russia to Europe might increase in the near future.

Research limitations/implications

Empirical data were gathered from two North European countries, Sweden and Finland. To follow the development in the market, and in order to make more general conclusions, research should be extended to include other countries. Furthermore, economic downturn's influences on traffic flows and its development could be analyzed in a year's time.

Practical implications

The research aggregates data from three surveys and evaluates the companies' standpoints. The study results could be used to evaluate the companies' development trends in Finland and Sweden. In addition, the research provides valuable data for the business world, as well as for academia, by adducing the market actors' outlook.

Originality/value

The paper contributes actor‐level data to the subject, which previously has been scrutinized mainly via second‐hand data and literature analyses.
Cruise passengers' satisfaction: Cartagena de Indias
Authors: Gabriel Brida Juan , Garrido Nicolás , Jesús Such Devesa María
Published: March 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the onshore satisfaction of cruise passengers, in the port of call of Cartagena de Indias.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was given to 1,361 passengers of 28 cruise ships during October and November of 2009, then factor analysis and cluster analysis were employed.

Findings

The results suggest that although visitors held a high overall satisfaction of the onshore experience, there are two dimensions that require the attention of tourist policy makers: the city infrastructure (traffic, noise, cleanliness and infrastructure) and the general shopping experience. In particular, the worst experience seems to be related to street vendors. Moreover, there is evidence that tourists from the USA are more exigent of being fully satisfied.

Research limitations/implications

The survey was only conducted in the months of October and November. Future research can also include the repetition of the study in different seasons to compare results. The study shows that there is a good potential for the growth of tourism activity of the destination because over 52 per cent of the participants declared their intention of return to the city as land tourists and more than 60 per cent will recommend the destination to their friends.

Originality/value

The application of known methodologies to an emergent destination, in which many stakeholders are involved and concerned about cruise tourism evolution and its effects on the destination.