bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sociological analysis of food and nutrition in Iran
Authors: Lahsaeizadeh Abdolali
Published: April 2007

This paper seeks to analyze the food and nutrition of Iran and the impact of the social elements on this system. Regards food and nutrition as a system with the following sub‐systems: production, importation, processing, storing, distribution and consumption. In relation to production, there has been a production increase in recent years, yet food shortages continue to exist. Imports of food are on the rise except for beef. Food processing is getting modernized, but traditional processing is not yet standardized. The system of food storing has deficiencies. Food distribution takes place in three different ways, though with some malfunction. Finally, regarding food consumption, there are entirely different patterns among various social classes. Suggests that food production should increase, and that there should be a reduction of food imports, a reduction of food wastages, an increase in the level of processing standards, a reduction in food shortages and better distribution of food.
The role of visual cues in consumer perception and acceptance of a food product
Authors: Imram Nazlin
Published: April 2007

Discusses the role appearance plays in influencing consumer perception and subsequent acceptance of a food product. Texture and flavour have long since been known to exert an effect on consumer perception. However, the “first taste is almost always with the eye”. This is especially the case where a food product is sold through its appearance, rather than through its packaging. In addition, appearance can have a halo effect which modifies subsequent flavour perception and food acceptability. The article also briefly discusses the many factors that affect the perception process and the significance of food product development in the food industry.
The relationship among reported disclosure of sexual orientation, anti‐discrimination policies, top management support and work attitudes of gay and lesbian employees
Authors: Day Nancy E. , Schoenrade Patricia
Published: April 2007

There is currently very little research to support the popularly held claim that “closeted” homosexual workers will have a less positive work‐related attitude and no empirical investigation of companies that prohibit discrimination on grounds of sexuality. This study used data from a survey of 744 homosexual employees to determine the relationships of reported disclosure of sexual orientation, anti‐discrimination policies and top management support for equal rights with relevant work attitudes. All three independent variables were found to be significantly related to affective organizational commitment and conflict between work and home. Additionally, anti‐discrimination policies and top management support were related to job satisfaction. However, none of the independent variables were significantly associated with continuance organizational commitment or job stress. It is suggested that human resource managers concerned with integrating gay and lesbian employees begin by educating top managers and creating a work environment in which disclosure of homosexual orientation is supported.
Dismantling pluralism
Authors: Gunnigle Patrick , MacCurtain Sarah , Morley Michael
Published: April 2007

Focuses on recent empirical evidence on management approaches to industrial relations in greenfield companies in Ireland. Places particular emphasis on the impact of industrial relations on the location of greenfield site facilities, patterns of trade union recognition and avoidance, pay determination, and the role of employer associations. Finds that, despite a national system of “bargained consensus” and the integration of trade unions into corporatist decision‐making structures on economic and social issues, most recent greenfield site facilities are non‐union. Argues that this evidence points to extensive management opposition to conventional pluralist industrial relations, despite the existence of a State system which has consistently promoted a consensus approach over the past two decades. This apparent paradox is explained by reference to the transformation in the structure and performance of the Irish economy in parallel with related social changes since the early 1980s.
The role of reference librarians in institutional repositories
Authors: Bailey Charles W.
Published: April 2007

Purpose

This paper proposes explaining institutional repositories (IRs) and open access, discussing the relationship of open access to IRs, and examining the possible roles of reference librarians in IRs.

Design/methodology/approach

Key IR and open access concepts are clarified and critiqued. New organizational roles for reference libraries are suggested that build on their current functions.

Findings

The IR concept is defined, and IRs are shown to be different from scholars' personal web sites, academic department/unit archives, institutional e‐print archives, and disciplinary archives. Open access is defined and examined. While the vision of open access is clear, the implementation of the vision is less pure. Open access and IRs are not synonyms: IRs are best seen as an enabling technology for open access. Reference librarians must play a key role in IRs, and ten potential IR support activities for them are identified.

Originality/value

This paper orients reference librarians, library administrators, and others to IRs and open access, providing a context for understanding how reference librarians' jobs may be transformed by the emergence of IRs.
The impact of emotional intelligence on counterproductive behaviour in China
Authors: Deshpande Satish P. , Joseph Jacob , Shu Xiaonan
Published: April 2007

This study examines the impact of perceived emotional intelligence of 118 Chinese respondents on perceived ethicality of various counter productive behaviours. Respondents in the high emotional intelligence group perceived 6 of the 16 items to be more unethical than the low emotional intelligence
group. There was a significant difference in aggregate counter productive behaviours between high and low groupings of three (self‐regulation, social awareness, and social skills) of the five facets of emotional intelligence and over all emotional intelligence. There was no significant difference in over all counter productive behaviour between the student and manager sub‐samples. Implications of the study are discussed.
Senior managers’ business knowledge in a transition economy
Authors: Woldesenbet Kassa , Storey John , Salaman Graeme
Published: April 2007

Purpose

To explore senior managers’ knowledge and thinking about strategy and organisational capabilities, and developments of both during a time of transition.

Design/methodology/approach

Interpretive case research based on semi‐structured interviews with 44 senior managers in a number of business organisations in Ethiopia supplemented by secondary sources.

Findings

Senior managers had a narrow and contingent knowledge of, and interaction with, the external environment. The notion of “strategy” was problematical for them. Managers’ knowing of their environment and organisational aspects were differentiated, context specific and subject to changes and reinterpretations depending on shifting roles, responsibilities and changing contexts.

Research limitations/implications

This research sheds light on how assumptions about the often “taken‐for‐grantedness” of the strategic “manageability” of change by senior managers may be exaggerated. This was revealed, at one extreme, in this research but it may extend also into other situations in varying degrees. In this and other ways the study of senior Ethiopian managers could be used as a way to reflect back upon conventional thinking about strategizing in other contexts.

Practical implications

The research can help managers gain insight into how their everyday ways of knowing and seeing are unnecessarily limited and constrained.

Originality/value

Work in business knowledge is just commencing and hence its continuity would further both scholars’ and practitioners’ understanding of the knowledge work of managers in varied contexts and environments.
Strategic decision‐making in the healthcare industry: the effects of physician executives on decision outcomes
Authors: Parayitam Satyanarayana , Phelps Lonnie D. , Olson Bradley J.
Published: April 2007

Purpose

Research on strategic decision‐making has emphasized the importance of team decision‐making as it brings the benefits of synergy. Literature on healthcare is silent on the role of professional doctors in the strategic decision‐making process and their impact on decision outcomes. The purpose of the present paper is to empirically examine the outcomes of decisions when physician executives were involved in strategic decision‐making process in healthcare organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured survey instrument, this paper gathered data from 361 senior executives from 109 hospitals in USA and analyzed the data using regression techniques on whether the presence of physicians in strategic decision‐making processes enhanced decision quality, commitment, and understanding.

Findings

Results showed the presence of professional doctors in the decision‐making process enhances commitment and decision quality in healthcare organizations.

Research limitations/implications

Only the healthcare industry was considered. Self‐report measures may have some inherent social desirability bias.

Practical implications

This study contributes to both practicing managers as well as to strategic management literature. This study suggests that healthcare administrators need to engage physician executives in strategic decision‐making to have successful decision outcomes.

Originality/value

To the extent strategic decision‐making process is similar in other industries, the findings can be generalizable across other industries.
A coincidence of needs?
Authors: Curtis Susan , Lucas Rosemary
Published: April 2007

Employers’ demands for cheap and flexible labour which can multi‐task, make decisions and act responsibly are being met by an increasing supply of students to the part‐time labour market who are having to work due to financial necessity during term‐time. This article details the results of a survey and focus group study conducted at Manchester Metropolitan University in February 1999 addressing the nature of this employment relationship. Students’ employment provides them with advantages other than money – valuable work experience, the opportunity to meet people and to take on responsibility. Employers benefit from an easily recruited workforce of intelligent, articulate young people who are numerically and functionally flexible, conscientious, accepting relatively low pay, and who are easy to control. Potential conflict is indicated as students do articulate dislikes about their work and employment conditions, yet they feel unable to challenge their employers about them.
Tourism employment: contingent work or professional career?
Authors: Hjalager Anne‐Mette , Andersen Steen
Published: April 2007

The period 1980‐1995 saw the emergence of a more professional Danish tourist sector, with increasing numbers of both employees and entrepreneurs possessing a formal degree or diploma of some kind. Investigates the profile of employees with dedicated training and finds that their educational background does not give them any particular advantages vis‐à‐vis employees with less relevant qualifications. The retention of employees is a critical problem in Danish tourism, but while turnover is extremely high among the unskilled, significantly better retention rates are found among those with a professional or vocational tourism education. Discusses the implications of the retention pattern, arguing that tourism shares its professional labour market with neighbouring sectors, and that the industry and educational support framework must therefore take account of this. However, there is a very real risk of losing the competition for the best‐qualified staff. Finally, it is postulated that tourism is a locus for new types of career concepts; however, we still lack a genuine understanding of the role of tourism for the contingent or boundaryless career.
The new face of academic libraries in mainland China as they enter the twenty‐first century
Authors: Tang Jinhong
Published: April 2007

Presents a brief introduction to the development of librarianship in China, describes the environment in which academic libraries exist in mainland China today, summarising their new features. They are digitising and networking information resources and services. Problems are identified and suggestions made for overcoming them. Provides lists of some academic library homepages and networks.
Disruptive technologies: what future universities and their libraries?
Authors: Lafferty Susan , Edwards Jenny
Published: April 2007

Christensen's Theory of Disruptive Technologies predicts that mainstream organisations and industries can be made obsolete by new technologies that change the whole paradigm of the industries in which they operate. This paper demonstrates the relevance of the theory of disruptive technologies to academic libraries, higher education and the academic publishing industry. The way universities are organised and how they operate could change radically; scholarly communication could be transformed, placing academic publishers at risk; academic libraries may become irrelevant as new business models emerge. There are strategies that these organisations might adopt to limit the effect of such technologies and/or preferably transform them into sustaining technologies.
Human resource management in Turkey ‐ Current issues and future challenges
Authors: Aycan Zeynep
Published: April 2007

In Turkey’s dynamic economy, HRM is recognized as one of the most important tools in maintaining organizational effectiveness and competitiveness. However, there are a number of barriers to the design and implementation of effective systems. The first part discusses the ways in which environmental forces influence HRM practices. In the second part, the administration of the key HR functions in Turkish organizations is described. Finally, future directions are discussed.
Successful strategies for managing change
Authors: Smith Vince C. , Sohal Amrik S. , D′Netto Brian
Published: April 2007

During the recent recession, Australian organizations have
undergone major changes focused on improvement of organizational
competitiveness. In Australian public sector organizations, strong
government control, stringent legislation and powerful trade unions make
it extremely challenging to bring about meaningful restructuring.
Describes how successful reform and restructuring was implemented in the
public transit system in New South Wales. In 1988, the State Transit
Authority of New South Wales had 6,600 staff and incurred an operational
loss of more than $70 million. Five years later, it had only
3,800 employees and in the financial year 1991‐92, returned a dividend
to the government. Discusses the general management and human resource
management strategies which were used successfully to implement change
at the State Transit Authority of New South Wales.
What we have learned about developing transformational leaders
Authors: Kevin Kelloway E. , Barling Julian
Published: April 2007

This article reviews an approach to training transformational leaders that has been used for the past five years. Data assessing the effectiveness of the approach are reviewed and the key elements of the training program are described. Concludes with an assessment and identification of ongoing research issues.
The relationship between empowerment, job satisfaction and reported stress levels: some Australian evidence
Authors: Savery Lawson K. , Luks J. Alan
Published: April 2007

The role of empowerment of subordinates has been an ongoing argument since the 1950s and 1960s following the work of social scientists like Likert and Herzberg. It is argued that empowerment can improve the productivity of the organization. The catch cry of the 1900s and 2000s has been that organizations must be more productive: this could be partly achieved by reducing the workforce and empowering the survivors to make decisions affecting them. The data for this study were collected by the federal government from workplaces across Australia and released in late 1997. It seems that having influence on decisions affecting a person and type and speed of work seems to alter the perceived level of job satisfaction rather than the level of job stress. This study investigates these findings further and discusses the influence of some demographic variables on job satisfaction. The final area of the study will look at how all these variables will impact on the perceived productivity of the organization.
Global Strategic Alliances and Organizational Learning
Authors: Chan Peng S. , Wong Anna
Published: April 2007

As the tide of globalization rides high and global competition
intensifies, more and more firms are resorting to strategic alliances as
a means to increase competitive‐ness. Despite apparent advantages that
a strategic alliance may bring, it does not compensate for weaknesses in
corporate culture which, as shown in this article, could only be done
through organizational learning. Such learning cannot be acquired
through purchase or by contract, it has to be gained by effort.
Direct writing of digital images onto 3D surfaces
Authors: Sung Raymond C.W. , Corney Jonathan R. , Towers David P. , Black Ian , Hand Duncan P. , McPherson Finlay , Clark Doug E.R. , Gross Markus S.
Published: April 2007

Purpose

Aims to develop a greyscale “painting system” by enabling the physical reproduction of digital texture maps on arbitrary 3D objects selectively exposing “pixels” of photographic emulsion with a robot mounted light source.

Design/methodology/approach

After reviewing existing methods of “decorating” 3D components, the properties of photographic emulsion are introduced and the nature of the rendering process' pixels discussed. A proposed path planning algorithm, used to derive both the robot's movement and the exposure times directly from a VRML representation, is then presented.

Findings

Results obtained from successfully rendering images on the surface of a test object are presented.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of current system include the overall process time and the inability to handle objects with concave geometry.

Originality/value

The system requires no bespoke production tooling and fills an automation gap in rapid prototyping and manufacturing technology that is currently occupied by hand painting.
An analysis of sources of competitiveness and performance of Chinese manufacturers
Authors: Li Ling X.
Published: April 2007

An exploratory model of competence and performance is presented and tested in the study. Competence in marketing, product innovation, manufacturing, and human resource development across a list of 42 items have been analyzed. Marketing competence was ranked high by Chinese managers. Elements contributed to manufacturing competence regarding process reengineering have not been emphasized as much by Chinese managers. Human resource competence, on the other hand, has been found to be significantly correlated with performance. The results clearly show a trend moving from the state‐planned economy to the market economy.
Developing a framework for make‐or‐buy decisions
Authors: Cánez L.E. , Platts K.W. , Probert D.R.
Published: April 2007

The make‐or‐buy question represents a fundamental dilemma faced by many companies. Companies have finite resources and cannot always afford to have all manufacturing technologies in‐house. This has resulted in an increasing awareness of the importance of make‐or‐buy decisions. This paper reports on the development of a make‐or‐buy framework to address the make‐or‐buy decision for either a specific individual part or family of parts. Firstly, a literature review of the principal make‐or‐buy approaches is discussed. Secondly, the development of a make‐or‐buy framework is described and the framework is explained and illustrated using case studies. Thirdly, the operationalisation of the framework is outlined. The paper concludes with a discussion of its contribution to both the academic understanding of the subject, and the improvement of industrial practice.
Critical success factors for integration of CAD/CAM systems with ERP systems
Authors: Soliman Fawzy , Clegg Stewart , Tantoush Tarek
Published: April 2007

Current advances in information technology and, in particular, computer‐aided design/computer‐aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) and enterprise resources planning (ERP) systems, have led organisations to undertake significant investments in these systems. Next generation manufacturers require both systems to maintain or gain a competitive advantage, reduce risks and improve productivity and viability. In addition, recent attention to the implementation of CAD/CAM systems highlights their important role in automating complex design and next generation manufacturing processes. In the next millennium more manufacturers are likely to implement CAD/CAM and ERP systems and hence issues in the integration of CAD/CAM with ERP systems must become a major concern. Accordingly, this paper will: explore the problems of integration of CAD/CAM systems with ERP systems; study how the severity of these problems relates to CAD/CAM integration success; propose a set of critical success factors (CSF) for the integration of CAD/CAM with ERP systems; suggest hypotheses to study the relevance of these CSF for successful integration of CAD/CAM with ERP systems. In addition, the paper also demonstrates the importance of successful integration of CAD/CAM systems with other applications for next generation manufacturers. These findings suggest that integration of CAD/CAM systems with ERP systems is complex, involving many factors.
A SUPER methodology for business process improvement ‐ An industrial case study in Hong Kong/China
Authors: Lee K.T. , Chuah K.B.
Published: April 2007

In recent years, three key topics under the big umbrella of business process improvement (BPI) have been continuous process improvement (CPI), business process reengineering (BPR), and business process benchmarking (BPB). Each has received much attention and has been supported by a considerable amount of literature and empirical research and findings from business consultants and academics. Within the manufacturing domain, these three topics have been accepted by many manufacturing process analysts striving to improve productivity and efficiency of companies. However, organization structures in manufacturing enterprises are complex and involve many different processes. Their needs may be quite different. One process may require an incremental improvement in critical areas or technology updating in its existing operation while others may need a total enterprise‐wide process revamp. In other words, CPI, BPR, and BPB’s usefulness and applicability may not be universal; one or a combination of the two or three may be more appropriate, depending on the process, organization and its environment. An improvement framework which incorporates the characteristics of the three approaches has been developed. This paper describes the methodology, SUPER, and its use in a real case study.
Flowmeter review
Authors: Smith Jonathan
Published: April 2007

Outlines the four main types of flow metering technology and their
various applications, covering electromagnetic flowmeters, coriolis mass
flowmeters, vortex flowmeters and ultrasonic flowmeters. Looks at the future
of flowmeters with regard to quality control standards, signal converters and
serial communication. Concludes that since the basic problems surrounding
flow measurements have been solved there will be no quantum leap in flowmeter
technology, however the four basic flowmeter measuring techniques will be
gradually developed and the level of intelligence in each unit will be
further enhanced.
Reverse engineering using laser metrology
Authors: Dalton Graham
Published: April 2007

Claims recent advances in laser‐based camera technology and 3D analysis software have made production of 3D CAD models from range images a practical proposition. Laser based cameras must meet very strict design criteria if they are to operate at long ranges; these criteria are explored. High‐speed laser cameras produce vast quantities of image data; it is shown that this data can be converted swiftly into a 3‐D CAD model.
Developing businesses and people: an MBA solution?
Authors: Paton Robert A.
Published: April 2007

MBA programmes, especially those not provided by the recognised premier league business schools, are often criticised as being “all things to all men”. They are essentially product driven and “sold” to the potential client. When organisations think about developing people to fulfil organisational goals and roles, there is a tendency to assume that MBAs offer personal development, not necessarily business or organisational benefits. This article examines the MBA supplier buyer divide from a business and people development perspective. The “product” driven approach, as it relates to the needs of the client, be they corporate or individual, is examined. An alternative business focused model is suggested. A practical case is provided to illustrate design, partnership and implementational issues.
Drama as an opportunity for learning and development
Authors: Monks Kathy , Monks Kathy , Barker Patricia , Ní Mhanacháin Aoife
Published: April 2007

This article evaluates the role of drama in management education and development programmes. The drama workshops utilise the methodology developed by Augusto Boal and focus on the issue of empowerment. Participants are engaged in the dramatic process through a series of exercises and role plays. The workshops have been incorporated into three very different programmes: a masters in human resource strategies, a management certificate and a management development programme for women academics. The impact on each of these programmes is described and evaluated and the outcomes of this type of learning experience for management education and development programmes are discussed.
Competitive Frontiers: Women Managing across Borders
Authors: Adler Nancy J.
Published: April 2007

Examines the underlying assumptions that companies make about the role of women in international management. Based on numerous studies, explodes some of the traditional myths about women expatriates: that they do not want to be international managers and that foreign prejudice against women renders them ineffective. However, another myth – that companies hesitate to send women abroad – is found to be true. Competitive advantage in transnationals can only come from a combination of an increased representation of women and a recognition of differences as complementary. Recommendations are given to companies and to future women expatriates.
Perceived value and psychological thresholds: implications for marketing
Authors: Groth John C.
Published: April 2007

Individual decisions fall in the broad categories of instinctive, automatic, intuitive, deliberate, and impulsive. Decisions may be conscious, pre‐conscious, or unconscious. These broad categorizations serve as background for the thrust of this paper. Decisions occur if certain forces exceed a threshold. This paper centers on issues related to action thresholds in the context of marketing. The approach characterizes decision space of an individual in the context of multidimensional utility‐psychic space. Variables of different characteristics influence decision space and thresholds. Asserts that variables of influence in the psychic region of the mind play an especially important role in this decision space and in marketing. Offers a conceptual background on this decision space and thresholds and focuses on implications for marketing.
Perceived security and World Wide Web purchase intention
Authors: Salisbury W. David , Pearson Rodney A. , Pearson Allison W. , Miller David W.
Published: April 2007

While Web‐based consumer activity is poised on the brink of dramatic growth, concerns about security have the potential to limit this growth by arousing shopper’s concerns about the Web‐based channel. One key aspect to consumer participation in Web commerce may be the extent to which they perceive risk to their sensitive information. This study describes the creation of a scale to measure perceived Web security. We apply the scale in a causal model to investigate the relative impact of beliefs about Web shopping on intent to purchase products using the World Wide Web. Data from two samples is used to develop the scale and to perform the causal analysis. Our findings indicate the favorable psychometric properties of the scale, and the causal analysis from our sample indicates that security is a greater influence on intent to purchase using the Web than is the ease and utility of purchasing products.
The implementation of world class manufacturing techniques in Egyptian manufacturing firms
Authors: Ismail Salaheldin Salaheldin , Eid Riyad
Published: April 2007

Purpose

The purposes of this paper are to illustrate how the world class manufacturing (WCM) techniques which could be described as outperforming the industry's global best practices have been implemented in the Egyptian manufacturing firms, to identify the critical driving and resisting forces toward WCM techniques implementation in Egyptian manufacturing firms, and to provide guidelines for the successful implementation of WCM by Egyptian manufacturers.

Design/methodology/approach

The data analyzed in this study are collected from a mail questionnaire sent to 200 manufacturing firms in Egypt.

Findings

The findings of this study indicate that the Egyptian manufacturers are still in the 1970s and 1980s, when compared with world‐class manufacturers. The most important variables that promote the implementation of WCM techniques are “reduced operating costs (marketing and production)” and “global issues (environment‐market).” More importantly, the results of this study indicate that poor planning and lack of knowledge are the most significant barriers to WCM implementation in the Egyptian manufacturing sector.

Research limitations/implications

There is a need to empirically explore the benefits of WCM implementation by the Egyptian manufacturing companies. Furthermore, more research is needed to study how the perceived importance of these drivers and barriers may differ across each industry such as manufacturing equipment, chemical and plastics, telecommunications, hardware equipment, textile industry, home equipment, scientific and medical equipment, management consulting, and software development.

Practical implications

This study hopes to create more awareness among management and employees about the strategic importance of WCM techniques to operations processes in the Egyptian manufacturing firms.

Originality/value

Although the last few years have witnessed phenomenal growth in WCM techniques, the underlying factors driving and inhibiting its diffusion are not well understood specially in the context of less developed countries in general and Egypt in particular. Therefore, this paper presents an empirical research that investigated the factors driving and inhibiting WCM implementation in Egypt and it provides insight into the strategies currently being adopted by Egyptian manufacturers in an effort to meet the challenge of obtaining WCM status.
Podcasting for e‐learning, communication, and delivery
Authors: Shim J.P. , Shropshire Jordan , Park Sungmin , Harris Howard , Campbell Natalie
Published: April 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of podcasting and webcasting, and to examine student preferences between the different delivery richness of communication media.

Design/methodology/approach

Background information regarding podcasting and webcasting is discussed. A conceptual model, based on media richness theory, is developed to explain student's perceptions. For the testing of the model, a survey metric is introduced, and a research methodology is explained. Finally, a conclusion and research limitations are discussed.

Findings

The conceptual model of the motivations to use podcasting was adopted from media richness theory. It was proposed that six factors are related to future media use; immediacy of feedback, personal focus, transmission of cues, functionality, usability, and ease of use. The methodology relied heavily on logistic regression analysis for testing the various hypotheses. The authors collected data for hypothesis testing. The results of the study were inconclusive. This may be due to the lack of user experience with podcasting.

Research limitations/implications

Some instructors have even adopted such techniques as their primary means (within the classroom or outside classroom) of communicating to students. However, the selection of appropriate communication media requires an understanding of the students' perceptions, preferences and receptiveness of these new technologies.

Practical implications

The findings from this exploratory research will be valuable for podcasting users.

Originality/value

This study is the first kind of empirical research in this area. With this study, the authors examined the perceived value of podcasting.
RoMEO studies 5: IPR issues facing OAI data and service providers
Authors: Gadd Elizabeth , Oppenheim Charles , Probets Steve
Published: April 2007

This paper is the fifth in a series of studies emanating from the UK Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC)‐funded RoMEO Project (rights metadata for open‐archiving). The paper reports the results of two surveys of OAI data providers (DPs) and service providers (SPs) with regards to the rights issues they face. It finds that very few DPs have rights agreements with depositing authors and that there is no standard approach to the creation of rights metadata. The paper considers the rights protection afforded individual and collections of metadata records under UK law and contrasts this with DPs' and SPs' views on the rights status of metadata and how they wish to protect it. The majority of DPs and SPs believe that a standard way of describing both the rights status of documents and of metadata would be useful.
The use of a digital rights management system in a document supply service
Authors: Braid Andrew
Published: April 2007

Digital rights management (DRM) has had a chequered history. It has been called “the saviour of intellectual property rights” and “completely useless” in protecting digital content. The truth probably lies somewhere in between. The paper describes the use of DRM in providing a secure document supply service, the reasons for implementation of a DRM system by the British Library, the system adopted, with reasons for the rejection of some systems and insight into how the chosen system has been received by users.
A fast contact detection algorithm insensitive to object sizes
Authors: Perkins Eric , Williams John R.
Published: April 2007

Presents a new contact detection algorithm based on double‐ended spatial sorting (DESS) that is insensitive to variations in object size. It was developed to address the problems that arise when objects with non‐spherical geometry and non‐uniform sizes are simulated using discrete element techniques. The algorithm is applicable to general spatial reasoning problems. While techniques based on spatial hashing (sometimes called bining methods) perform well for objects of similar size, they degrade significantly when the objects vary in size. The DESS algorithm overcomes this problem by using a spatial sorting technique applied to both ends of the object’s projection along each orthogonal axis. Discrete element test simulations comparing DESS and spatial hashing (NBS) are detailed. The results demonstrate that when object sizes vary significantly (size ratios greater than 8:1), DESS outperforms NBS up to around 100,000 objects. It is noted, however, that the superior scaling properties of NBS will always outperform DESS for some large numbers of objects.
A fully‐distributed parallel global search algorithm
Authors: Watson Layne T. , Baker Chuck A.
Published: April 2007

The n‐dimensional direct search algorithm, DIRECT, developed by Jones, Perttunen, and Stuckman has attracted recent attention from the multidisciplinary design optimization community. Since DIRECT only requires function values (or ranking) and balances global exploration with local refinement better than n‐dimensional bisection, it is well suited to the noisy function values typical of realistic simulations. While not efficient for high accuracy optimization, DIRECT is appropriate for the sort of global design space exploration done in large scale engineering design. Direct and pattern search schemes have the potential to exploit massive parallelism, but efficient use of massively parallel machines is non‐trivial to achieve. A fully‐distributed control version of DIRECT that is designed for massively parallel (distributed memory) architectures is presented. Parallel results are presented for a multidisciplinary design optimization problem – configuration design of a high speed civil transport.
Load paths and load flow in finite element analysis
Authors: Kelly D.W. , Hsu P. , Asudullah M.
Published: April 2007

A procedure for plotting load paths and load flow in structures from a finite element analysis is described. The load flow is indicated by pointing vectors and the load paths are determined by plotting contours tangent to these vectors. The procedure is applied to assembled structures. An explanation is given for “eddies” that can appear in regions not contributing to the load path.
Export Behaviour of Fresh Produce Marketers
Authors: Aksoy Safak , Kaynak Erdener
Published: April 2007

Probes the export behaviour of fresh fruit‐and vegetable‐marketing firms
in an international context. The case study investigations comprise
examination of Belgium, Chile, Canada (The Government of Ontario), New
Zealand (The New Zealand Apple and Pear Marketing Board), Turkey, and
South Africa (The Outspan Organization and Unifruco Ltd). Identifies
selected firms′ export behaviour, export objectives, export stimuli, and
export inhibitors. Explains the concept of export success and
delineates profiles of successful exporters. Concludes that fresh fruit
and vegetables provide scope for future contributions with reference to
general theory of export marketing.
Success and failure factors in developing new banking and insurance services in South Africa
Authors: Oldenboom Nicola , Abratt Russell
Published: April 2007

While there have been many studies on new product development issues, there have been relatively few that deal with new service development. This study investigates the banking and insurance sectors in South Africa. A comprehensive literature review was undertaken and propositions formulated. A study of new service managers was undertaken to establish success and failure factors in developing new banking and insurance services. The results are reported from both sectors and the differences between them are discussed. The implications for the financial services sector are dealt with in detail.
Singapore’s undergraduates: how they choose which bank to patronise
Authors: Gerrard Philip , Barton Cunningham J.
Published: April 2007

Undergraduates constitute an attractive segment of customers for retail banks in many countries of the world, including Singapore. This study, using a sample of Singapore’s undergraduates, sets out to establish a ranking of the various dimensions which influence their bank selection decision and seeks to determine how homogeneous undergraduates are in relation to their selection decision. Seven bank selection dimensions were identified, the most important being undergraduates should “feel secure”, while the least important dimension was “third party influences”. Responses between those “attending engineering courses and non‐engineering courses” were compared, as were those between “males and females” and “single and multiple bank users”. More significant differences were found when engineering undergraduates were compared with non‐engineering undergraduates. Irrespective of these differences, the sequencing of the seven selection dimensions was invariably in the same order.
Employee evaluations of service quality at banks and credit unions
Authors: Allred Anthony T.
Published: April 2007

Service quality in the USA has become a frustrating and unsatisfying experience. Recent indicators suggest customer satisfaction with service has been steadily declining. The financial services sector is no exception. Existing research indicates credit union customers are more satisfied with service quality than bank customers. Current studies also suggest service quality and employee satisfaction are linked to customer satisfaction. Surveys were administered to bank and credit union employees about service quality they receive from their managers. The results did not support the study’s hypothesis that credit union managers would receive higher scores than bank managers. However, the results and implications are important for researchers and practitioners interested in improving service quality at banks and credit unions.
Grounded theory methodology and practitioner reflexivity in TQM research
Authors: Leonard Denis , McAdam Rodney
Published: April 2007

There is a paucity of research which seeks to develop TQM theories based on a deep and rich understanding of both socio‐political and technical issues. Resultant theories from such an inductive approach could potentially give a deeper insight into TQM, based on sound theoretical evidence. Studies of this kind should not be confused with descriptive case study analysis and examples of applications. While these helpful approaches contribute to the overall TQM discourse, they do not of themselves develop underpinning theory. This paper describes a grounded theory research methodology for TQM, rather than the actual theory and results. The methodology was applied to 19 organisations and to a longitudinal case study. The methodology makes a contribution from two aspects. First, a comprehensive grounded theory approach for developing TQM theory based in practice was developed and applied. Second, the methodology enabled the practitioners involved in the study to be critically reflective and reflexive in their thoughts and influence throughout the study. This reflexivity resulted in the case study organisation evaluating and implementing TQM‐based change throughout the study.
Quality Management: Beyond the Japanese Model
Authors: Dawson Patrick
Published: April 2007

A key strategic objective behind the introduction of TQM centres on
ensuring employee commitment and participation in continuous process
innovation for the purpose of improving operational efficiencies and
developing a competitive edge within the expanding and dynamic
marketplace. Uses the experience of Pirelli Cables to describe employee
responses to the process of establishing a “quality culture” and to
illustrate how Japanese TQM programmes may not be well suited to
building employee commitment within an Australian workforce which is
culturally very diverse.
Self‐assessment
Authors: van der Wiele A. , Williams A.R.T. , Dale B.G. , Carter G. , Kolb F. , Luzon D.M. , Schmidt A. , Wallace M.
Published: April 2007

Reports a European study on the use of quality management self‐assessment. Data have been obtained from 117 organizations who, in general, have some experiences of self‐assessment methods. Among the main findings were the identification of the steps which are considered to be a key influence on the success of the self‐assessment process and what have been the main learning points. Points out that organizations are using self‐assessment mainly to identify strengths and weaknesses and also to facilitate internal and external learning in terms of transfer of best practice and ideas.
Relationship dominance – Rethinking management theories from the perspective of methodological relationalism
Authors: Cheng Tsz‐kit , Sculli Domenic , Shui‐fun Chan Fiona
Published: April 2007

Questions the universality of theories of management and organizational behaviour on the ground that they have not adequately addressed the factor of culture. Traditionally, these theories consider political, regulatory, social, economic, and technological forces on behaviour, without taking into account the cultural context within which such forces operate. Neglecting the culture factor may be traced to an ideological bias that there is regularity or invariance in human behaviour regardless of cultural variation. Another issue concerns the ideology of methodological individualism. The inadequacy of existing literature and research directions is reviewed first. In conclusion, it is suggested that the traditional research paradigm, which relies on the methodological individualism, employed in decades of management and psychological research should be balanced by a more holistic approach, such as methodological relationalism, which recognizes the individual’s embeddedness in the social network.
Attitudes towards money and work – Implications for Asian management style following the economic crisis
Authors: Soo Hoon Lee , Lim Vivien K.G.
Published: April 2007

Examines the extent to which individuals’ attitudes towards money and work are affected by their country’s economic performance. A group of Singaporean youths’ attitudes towards money and work before and after the July 1997 Asian economic crisis is examined. A group of Thai youths’ attitudes towards money and work following the start of the economic crisis were also examined and compared with those of the post‐crisis Singaporean youth sample. By contrasting the attitudes of the Thais and Singaporeans, the results allow an assessment of people’s attitudes towards money and work given the different level of severity in economic conditions faced by the countries in Southeast Asia. In conclusion, recommendations are made concerning how to manage Thais and Singaporeans in the face of negative catastrophic economic conditions.
The impact of various factors on the personality, job satisfaction and turnover intentions of professional accountants
Authors: Dole Carol , Schroeder Richard G.
Published: April 2007

Recently, several studies have appeared in the literature that have investigated various hypotheses involving the relationships between ethnicity, gender, job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and the personality characteristic termed type A. Aims to examine the relationships between personality, job satisfaction and turnover intentions, and to determine if the moderating variables – ethnicity, gender, occupational setting, and level of decision making authority – have an impact on these relationships. The study was conducted using a modified meta‐analysis. The analysis did not detect an overall significant relationship between personality and job satisfaction or turnover intentions, but did find an inverse relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intentions that was consistent with previously reported research. Neither gender nor ethnicity was found to be a significant moderating variable influencing the relationships between the primary variables; however, both occupational setting and level of decision making authority were found to have a significant impact on the relationships between the primary variables.