bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The chemical composition of some garden Dahlia tubers
Authors: Nsabimana Consolate , Jiang Bo
Published: September 2011

Purpose

Dahlia is an ornamental plant originating from Mexico where it is considered as the National flower. The purpose of this paper is to investigate tubers from yellow, white and red‐flowered cultivars of the common garden Dahlia (D. pinnata) for their chemical composition.

Design/methodology/approach

The composition of minerals was determined using Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS), whereas vitamins were analyzed by High‐Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC).

Findings

Carbohydrates represented the major constituent in Dahlia tubers, followed by fibre and protein. Tubers of the yellow‐flowered cultivar “HGH” contained the highest amount of carbohydrates, while tubers of the white‐flowered cultivar “BJ” and those of the red‐flowered cultivar “XM” abounded in fibre and protein, respectively. In addition, Dahlia tubers exhibited varying concentrations of minerals, among which potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc and chromium were predominant. Tubers of the white‐flowered cultivar “LB” contained the highest amounts of magnesium and phosphorus. Moreover, tubers of the red‐flowered cultivar “MLH” showed the highest contents of potassium and chromium, whereas those of the red‐flowered cultivar “XM” were rich in calcium and zinc. Furthermore, Dahlia tubers were found to contain water and fat soluble vitamins, among which vitamins B2, B6, B7 and E were the most abundant. Tubers of the white‐flowered cultivar “BJ” exhibited the highest contents of water soluble vitamins, whereas those of the white‐flowered cultivar “LB” abounded in fat soluble vitamins.

Originality/value

Despite the considerable variability observed among cultivars, Dahlia might be utilized as an alternative food resource for human nutrition.
The content of L‐carnitine in meat after different methods of heat treatment
Authors: Knüttel‐Gustavsen Seline , Harmeyer Johein
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of pan‐frying, boiling and cooking in a microwave on the amount of L‐carnitine in meat and to look at its distribution in the surrounding fluid after food processing.

Design/methodology/approach

Total carnitine, free carnitine and acylcarnitines were determined in meat samples from beef, pork and poultry (including ostrich) and in a liver sample from beef. The measurements were carried out before and after the specimens were subjected to different heat treatments. A radio‐enzymatic assay was used for measurement of L‐carnitine. Results are expressed per 100 gram dry matter and per 100 gram wet weight.

Findings

Except for pan‐frying, virtually no losses of carnitine occurred during the different procedures of heat treatment. During boiling and microwaving, however, a considerable portion of the tissue carnitine escaped into the water fraction. With pan‐frying, carnitine losses from meat amounted to from 3 to 36 per cent. In all animal species, tissue losses of L‐carnitine increased with increase of boiling time. When expressed as a percentage of total carnitine, the proportion of carnitine present as esters differed somewhat between different heating procedures but showed no typical pattern.

Originality/value

The findings of this study show the important role that meat products play for providing an adequate amount of L‐carnitine in humans who are suffering from carnitine deficiency and an exogenous supplementation is needed.
ACE inhibitory activity and bioconversion of isoflavones by Lactobacillus in soymilk supplemented with B‐vitamins
Authors: Ewe Joo‐Ann , Wan‐Abdullah Wan‐Nadiah , Karim Alias Abdul , Bhat Rajeev , Liong Min‐Tze
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the bioactive properties of lactobacilli‐fermented B‐vitamin soymilk, namely the in‐vitro antihypertensive property and bioconversion of isoflavone glucosides to aglycones.

Design/methodology/approach

Lactobacillus acidophilus BT 1088, L. fermentum BT 8219, L. acidophilus FTDC 8633 and L. gasseri FTDC 8131 were investigated for their bioactive potential and enhanced bioconversion of isoflavones in soymilk supplemented with individual B‐vitamins at a concentration of 1 mg/L.

Findings

The supplementation of thiamine, riboflavin, niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, biotin and folic acid enhanced the ACE‐inhibitory activity of lactobacilli in soymilk accompanied by a lower IC50 value compared to the control (P<0.05). The β‐glucosidase specific activity of lactobacilli was also enhanced on supplementation of B‐vitamins, leading to increased bioconversion of isoflavones in soymilk. The concentration of genistein was decreased, accompanied by an increased concentration of genistein on fermentation in the presence of thiamine, niacinamide, biotin, calcium pantothenate and folic acid. Additionally, the supplementation of niacinamide, calcium pantothenate, biotin and folic acid also led to lower concentrations of malonyl daidzin, indicating increased hydrolysis of malonyl daidzin to daidzin. Results from the present study indicated that the supplementation of B‐vitamins could enhance the bioactive potential and bioconversion of isoflavones in lactobacilli‐fermented soymilk.

Originality/value

This work has shown that the supplementation of B‐vitamins in lactobacilli fermented soymilk has exerted in vitro ACE‐inhibitory activity and increased the accumulation of bioactive isoflavone aglycones. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first evaluation reporting on such aspects.
Extraction, characterization and utilization of rice bran protein concentrate for biscuit making
Authors: Yadav Ritika B. , Yadav Baljeet S. , Chaudhary Deepu
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the utilization of the rice bran protein concentrate (RBPC) in biscuits to upgrade the nutritional quality.

Design/methodology/approach

Extraction of rice bran protein concentrate (RBPC) from defatted rice bran was standardized using alkali extraction method. Defatted rice bran and RBPC were analyzed for their proximate composition. RBPC was analyzed for its bulk density, foaming capacity (FC), emulsion activity (EA), and water and oil absorption capacity. RBPC was incorporated in biscuits at 5, 10 and 15 per cent levels. The biscuits were analyzed for their physicochemical, fracture strength (texture analyzer) and sensory attributes (nine‐point hedonic scale) to assess their acceptability.

Findings

The maximum yield of 13.2 per cent for RBPC was obtained at alkaline pH of 11, temperature of 60°C and extraction time of 60 minutes. The bulk density, foaming capacity, emulsifying ability, water and oil absorption capacity of RBPC were 0.4 g/ml, 11 per cent, 40 per cent, 2.9 ml/g and 2.3 ml/g respectively. The protein content of biscuits increased significantly from 7.3 per cent in control biscuits to 15.4 per cent in the 15 per cent RBPC supplemented biscuits with their fracture strength also significantly higher than the control biscuits (p<0.05). Replacement of refined wheat flour up to 10 per cent RBPC produced protein‐enriched biscuits with desirable overall acceptability.

Originality/value

Rice bran protein concentrate can be beneficially utilized to formulate protein enriched biscuits with enhanced nutritional value especially for malnourished or undernourished people.
Effect of lemon juice on the survival of Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli in cig kofte (raw meatball)
Authors: Baris Bingol Enver , Cetin Omer , Muratoglu Karlo
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of lemon juice on the survival of Salmonella Enteritidis and Escherichia coli in cig kofte (raw meatball).

Design/methodology/approach

Cig kofte samples were inoculated one by one with both bacteria at high inoculum levels and were treated with different doses of fresh lemon juice (2, 5, 10 and 15 ml) for 10 seconds, 30 seconds, and 1, 5, 15, 30 and 60 minutes.

Findings

Treatments of lemon juice for different exposure times caused reduction ranging between 0.1 and 1.7 log CFU/g for Salmonella Enteritidis and 0.1 and 2.1 log CFU/g for E.coli. Results showed that lemon juice caused slight decrease in Salmonella Enteritidis and E.coli as an immediate inhibitor, but this effect increased with concentration and time.

Originality/value

This is a research study to provide information on the effectiveness of lemon juice which is squeezed generally before eating cig kofte, on the presence of the surface flora to strengthen the hygienic quality of the product. Inactivation effect of lemon juice on Salmonella Enteritidis and E.coli may give a practical and easy way of providing food safety for cig kofte.
Antioxidant activity, total phenolic compounds and flavonoids of mangoes coming from biodynamic, organic and conventional cultivations in three maturation stages
Authors: Fonseca Maciel Leonardo , da Silva Oliveira Cassiane , da Silva Bispo Eliete , da P. Spínola Miranda Maria
Published: September 2011

Purpose

Phenolic compounds, including flavonoids, are nutritionally important for their antioxidant activities and protective functions against disease risk caused by oxidative stress. These compounds are primarily found in fruits, and mangoes are an important source. This paper aims to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, the antioxidant activities of mangoes cultivated in three different ways were evaluated by their ability to capture free radicals using the DPPH radical.

Findings

The results showed that the biodynamic mangoes had highest antioxidant activity in mature‐green and ripe fruits, while for those of organic origin the antioxidant activity was highest in unripe fruits. The organic mangoes also showed highest values of phenolic compounds at all maturation stages. The mangoes from conventional crops had lower values for all parameters evaluated in this study than the organically and biodynamically cultivated fruits.

Originality/value

This work brings an important contribution in the field of agriculture at a time when organic and biodynamic systems of cultivation are an alternative to the conventional system and that pollutes the environment and produces food that contains quantities of chemical contaminants that can damage the health of the consumer. The comparison in phenolic compounds content, flavonoids and antioxidant activity in biodynamic, organic and conventional systems is original and of great importance, showing that the ecological cropping systems are less harmful to the environment and promote improvements to the chemical composition of foods.
A “librarian‐LIS faculty” divide in open access practice
Authors: Xia Jingfeng , Kay Wilhoite Sara , Lynette Myers Rebekah
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine a librarian‐faculty divide in authors' OA contributions with regard to article self‐archiving and OA consumptions with regard to citation counts.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper measures the OA availabilities and citations of scholarly articles from 20 top‐ranked LIS journals published in 2006. A logistic regression analysis is taken to make the comparisons.

Findings

It finds that there is no correlation between the numbers of OA articles and the professional status of the authors. However, librarian authors differ from faculty authors in the citation and self‐citation rates of their articles. There are also differences between these two groups of authors in co‐authorship and the numbers of article pages and references.

Originality/value

This study takes a new approach to compare the publications of librarians and faculty in library and information science for their open access availability and citations. The findings may help OA advocates and administrators to make appropriate policy changes.
Journal bibliometric analysis: a case study on the Journal of Documentation
Authors: Tsay Ming‐yueh , Shu Zhu‐yee
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This study aims to explore the journal bibliometric characteristics of the Journal of Documentation (JOD) and the subject relationship with other disciplines by citation analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The citation data were drawn from references of each article of JOD during 1998 and 2008. Ulrich's Periodicals Directory, Library of Congress Subject Heading, retrieved from the WorldCat and LISA database were used to identify the main class, subclass and subject of cited journals and books.

Findings

The results of this study revealed that journal articles are the most cited document, followed by books and book chapters, electronic resources, and conference proceedings, respectively. The three main classes of cited journals in JOD papers are library science, science, and social sciences. The three subclasses of non‐LIS journals that were highly cited in JOD papers are Science, “Mathematics. Computer science”, and “Industries. Land use. Labor”. The three highly cited subjects of library and information science journals encompass searching, information work, and online information retrieval. The most cited main class of books in JOD papers is library and information science, followed by social sciences, science, “Philosophy. Psychology. Religion.” The three highly cited subclasses of books in JOD papers are “Books (General). Writing. Paleography. Book industries and trade. Libraries. Bibliography,” “Philology and linguistics,” and Science, and the most cited subject of books is information storage and retrieval systems.

Originality/value

Results for the present research found that information science, as represented by JOD, is a developing discipline with an expanding literature relating to multiple subject areas.
The environment on holidays or how a recycling bin informs us on the environment
Authors: Haider Jutta
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This study sets out to explore how people account for their translation, negotiation and shaping of environmentally relevant practices as information practices in their everyday life during the holidays and asks further how these narratives can be seen as accounting for situated information practices. It aims to focus on how summer guests holidaying in southern Sweden talk about how they connect different kinds of common everyday life practices to environmental information.

Design/methodology/approach

The investigation was carried out over a period of five months during 2008. It is based on seven semi‐structured interviews with nine owners of summer cottages in a holiday village in southern Sweden, three field visits to the village, one including a guided tour, as well as textual analysis of official documents and a local journal. A qualitative thematic analysis, together with a theoretical reading, brings together the intertwined narratives on environmental and information practices, which emerged in the interviews with close readings of textual documents. The resulting themes were given additional meaning by relating them to observations from field visits.

Findings

First, there is no obvious link between people's theoretical knowledge of environmental issues and their actual practices in everyday life. This is also the case for those aware of the impact individual practices are said to have on the environment and on society at large. Second, certain objects and the practices tied to them seem to have become carriers of environmental information in themselves. They are so routinely connected to environmental issues that people “think” through them, when they account for how they think about the environment in a way that has meaning to them.

Social implications

Focusing on the situated information practices involved in creating meaning on environmental issues could have implications for how we think about information campaigns and policy making regarding environmental issues and lifestyles.

Originality/value

This paper suggests that a strong focus on the various perceived and constructed roles of information might contribute to conceptualise more robustly the role of objects and practices for conveying and enacting environmental issues and help to counter the de‐coupling of private and institutional responsibilities.
Requesting and providing information in blogs and internet discussion forums
Authors: Savolainen Reijo
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The major aim of this study is to find out whether people articulate their information needs and provide information to others differently in online sites of various types, more specifically, blogs and internet discussion forums.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on the analysis of ten blogs and 40 threads of Suomi24, a Finnish internet discussion forum. The blogs and discussion threads focus on the same topic, that is, coping with depression. For the study, 1,044 blog postings, 1,727 bloggers' and blog readers' comments and 1,236 messages written by the discussion forum participants were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis.

Findings

The bloggers, blog readers and discussion group participants mainly articulated needs related to getting an opinion or evaluation of an issue, while needs for factual information and procedural information about possible ways of action were presented less frequently. Information provision drew strongly on the use of personal knowledge. There were no remarkable differences between the types of online sites with regard to the articulation of information needs and using sources for providing information to others.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are based on the analysis of a limited number of Finnish blogs and discussion threads in the field of coping with depression. Thus, the findings cannot be generalized to all online forums of these kinds.

Practical implications

Blogs and internet discussion forums provide useful sites to pose questions for online contributors and to get opinions as well as factual information about the ways to cope with depression.

Originality/value

The study is unique in that it compares information needs and information provision in online sites of various types.
Knowledge management in the firm
Authors: Nielsen Peter , Rasmussen Palle
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce this special issue on knowledge management in the firm.

Design/methodology/approach

The papers presented are all contributions dealing with knowledge in the firm.

Findings

This special issue is part of the scientific response to the increasing importance of knowledge and learning.

Originality/value

The papers in this issue provide a range of well‐documented responses to these methodological challenges, examples that may serve as inspiration for continued methodological development.
Knowledge management in the firm: concepts and issues
Authors: Rasmussen Palle , Nielsen Peter
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to set focus on, and discuss the concept of knowledge, and show how the interrelations between knowledge and other concepts, such as learning, have become a decisive element in managing human resources and firm performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The dimensions of knowledge management are identified and related to learning, organizational configurations, human resources management and institutional environments in order to identify and percent the most important approaches to knowledge management and the development over time.

Findings

Creating, transforming and utilizing various kinds of knowledge as a firm‐specific asset is a very important element of firm competitiveness and innovative performance. In managing knowledge learning and innovation learning approaches are central. The paper identifies various approaches to learning and strategies to innovation and illustrates how combinations of these might benefit firm performance. It also stresses the preconditions of employee involvement and participation to knowledge management and not least the importance of interaction with environmental resources. To improve performance firms should be aware of the importance of deliberately combining various approaches to innovation and learning in order to include a maximum of actors as sources in building knowledge assets and strategies.

Research limitations/implications

Most of the empirical examples are from private sector enterprises, even though the theoretical arguments should also be valid for the public sector.

Originality/value

The paper relates knowledge management to theoretical approaches on learning, organization and innovation and shows the growing importance of these constructs in firm performance.
The effect of human resource management control systems on the relationship between knowledge management strategy and firm performance
Authors: Liao Yao‐Sheng
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine whether the relationship between knowledge management (KM) strategy and firm performance is contingent on human resource management (HRM) control systems.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys were collected in computer and peripheral equipment manufacturing industries in Taiwan. A total of 111 presidents returned usable questionnaires.

Findings

When firms emphasize personalization strategy, the use of behavior control will enhance firm performance. In contrast, when firms emphasize codification strategy, the use of output control will make firm performance better. If personalization and codification strategy were emphasized simultaneously, firms would not use single HRM control system to better performance.

Research limitations/implications

First, the use of a self‐rating performance measure may constitute a limitation of the study. Second, this study is confined to a limited scope of control system. Third, perhaps the most obvious limitation is inherent to the selected research methodology that the one‐time data resemble a snapshot. Finally, it is not known how the selection of industries and geographical areas affect this study's findings.

Practical implications

Results from this study suggest that managers can leverage their best performance by matching the HRM control system to a particular KM strategy.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the knowledge about the importance of HRM control for KM methods. The firm's HRM control systems can be expected to contribute significantly to KM‐performance. Understanding how an organization can use its control systems to support KM will help firms sustain their competitive advantage.
Organizational learning
Authors: Wang Yu‐Lin , Ellinger Andrea D.
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to examine the antecedent, perception of the external environment, and its relationship to organizational learning, as well as explore the relationships between organizational learning and innovation performance at two levels, including individual and organizational‐level innovation performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire data were collected from 268 senior R&D project team members who reported their perception about the external environment and organizational learning along with 83 R&D managers who evaluated their employees' innovative behaviors.

Findings

The results indicated that the antecedent of organizational learning, perception of external environment, was significant to organizational learning, and organizational learning was significant to both individual and organization‐level innovation performance and contributed more to the individual‐level than organizational innovation performance.

Originality/value

The value of the study lies in its contributions to the scholarly literature on organizational learning and innovation because examining the antecedent perception of the external environment and the relationships between organizational learning and innovation performance as well as the relationship between individual and organizational‐level innovation performance have not received considerable empirical attention.
Organizational learning through development projects
Authors: Laursen Erik
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate organizational development projects considered as ways of implementing new methods – technologies and ways of organizing work in organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical study presents four organizational development projects (covering the organizations as a whole) run by four Danish upper secondary schools (“gymnasium”). The study included questionnaires as well as interviews with the management and staff, as well as a survey of selected written materials and documents.

Findings

The empirical study offers a description of the activities actually organized by the projects, as well as the various ways in which different groupings among the staff and the management are relating to the project. A special focus is directed towards the different perspectives on the projects established by the staff and the management and what consequences these different perspectives have on what is actually learned. Another finding is the weak links that exist between what is known by the staff as “ordinary problems” of the organizations and the objectives and goals of the development projects.

Practical implications

The possible transformation of management emerging through the development projects, should be outlined and discussed in an open and explicit manner instead of constituting a hidden – and often highly controversial – agenda for the projects.

Originality/value

A typology of development projects is presented and discussed as a tool to describe and understand different ways of framing organizational learning processes. The study also points out a possible relation between loosely coupled organizations (Weick, 1976; Brunsson, 2003) and the learning outcome of organizational development projects.
The relationship between high‐commitment HRM and knowledge‐sharing behavior and its mediators
Authors: Chiang Hsu‐Hsin , Han Tzu‐Shian , Chuang Ju‐Sung
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between high‐commitment human resource management and individual knowledge‐sharing behavior. Furthermore, the mediating factors that link the relationship are examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The structural equation model was applied to test eight hypotheses by means of a survey of 198 practitioners.

Findings

High‐commitment human resource management was positively related to perceived organizational support. Perceived organizational support was positively associated with organizational trust and organizational commitment. Organizational commitment was positively related with knowledge‐sharing behavior. Perceived organizational support and organizational commitment mediated the relationship between high‐commitment human resource management and knowledge‐sharing behavior.

Research implications

First, enterprises can foster knowledge‐sharing behavior by adopting high‐commitment HRM. Second, when employees perceive organizational support, they generate organizational commitment and then perform knowledge‐sharing behavior, benefiting the organization.

Originality/value

From the perspectives of social exchange and social identity, this study demonstrated how high‐commitment HRM practices dominate knowledge‐sharing behavior via perceived organizational support and organizational commitment.
A new mode of learning organization
Authors: Chuen Huang Yueh , Shih Hui‐Chuan
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This is a case study paper. A major research goal of this study is to extend the existing theories of learning organization put forth in the 4I model by adding more complicated ideas to it. One minor goal of this research is to show that the first stage of organizational learning, “intuiting”, is the hardest to implement when starting a learning organization. Particular attention should be paid to this step, and with the addition of adult learning theory, the possibility of facing a negative situation should be reduced. A second less important goal is to explain how to assess organizational learning, and how the flow of single‐ and double‐loop learning takes place within a learning organization.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a combination of qualitative and quantitative survey methods to study the effectiveness of the new mode of transformational activity practiced in Firm A.

Findings

Statistical evidence showed that the practice was successful. It solved the issue that expertise and top managers mostly protest against learning.

Originality/value

This paper brings a new and more adaptive perspective for building a learning organization upon existing organizational learning theories. Through this case study, the integration and transformation from tacit knowledge to explicit knowledge, intuition to institution (the 4i model), and individual level to organizational level are illustrated. The practices of single‐loop and double‐loop learning are also well depicted by this study.
Knowledge management capacity and organizational performance: the social interaction view
Authors: Hsiao Yung‐Chang , Chen Chung‐Jen , Chang Shao‐Chi
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between knowledge management capacity and organizational performance from the social interaction perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical study employs a questionnaire approach. The sample for this study is drawn from the population of the top 5,000 Taiwanese firms listed in the yearbook published by the China Credit Information Service Incorporation. Regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses in a sample of 105 Taiwanese firms.

Findings

The findings suggest that two assessments of knowledge management capacity, knowledge acquisition and dissemination, and the communication factor of social interaction are positively related to organizational performance. Further, social interaction has complementary or synergistic interaction effects with knowledge management capacity on organizational performance.

Practical implications

Given the need for the use of knowledge management capacity as an enabler to improve organization outcome, firms need to be aware that social interaction would moderate the link between knowledge management capacity and organizational performance. Therefore, firms should pay special attention to formulate appropriate social interaction conditions under which knowledge acquisition and dissemination are most likely to enhance organizational performance.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by theoretically developing a conceptual model and then empirically examining the relationships among knowledge management capacity, social interaction, and organizational performance.
The Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ)
Authors: Sadegh Sharifirad Mohammad
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to assess the validity and reliability of the measurement scores related to the learning organization culture, the Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ), in an Iranian context. This research can contribute to the growing literature of learning in organizations.

Design/ methodology/approach

The data were collected through distributing questionnaires to 54 service firms and manufacturing companies in ten major cities of Iran during the third quarter of 2010. Rigorous translation procedures, including both forward and backward processes, have been used to guarantee the relevance of this instrumentation in different cultural contexts. Confirmatory factor analysis, simple item‐internal consistency estimates, and item inter‐correlation analysis were performed to test the validity of DLOQ.

Research limitations/implications

There are five positional limitations. First, this study relies on self‐report and different perceptions of questions can bring about percept‐percept bias. Second, the nature of this research is cross‐sectional which may cause causality among variables. Third, the various organizational levels in the questionnaire can render some misinterpretations while answering the questions. Furthermore, the length of the original questionnaire (43 questions) could cause lack of concentration and boredom, which in turn, can impact the results. Last, two constructs related to performance (knowledge and financial performance) in the questionnaire were omitted.

Originality/value

This study confirms, according to some statistical results, that the Iranian version of DLOQ has produced reliable measurement scores with the construct validity sufficient to measure the learning organization culture in the Iranian context.
Effect of organizational relationship style on the level of knowledge sharing
Authors: Lee Hung‐Wen , Yu Ching‐Fang
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effect of organizational relationship style (employees' relationships with colleagues, supervisors, and the organization) on the sharing of knowledge in high‐tech companies; it goes on to determine which particular relationship style is the most important in accounting for the extent of knowledge sharing in these companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a quantitative approach. Research hypotheses are tested by statistical methods including Pearson Correlation and Structural Equation Modeling. A total of 300 questionnaires were distributed, of which 182 valid questionnaires were returned (a 61 percent response).

Findings

An organization should establish, and maintain, relationships between employees to improve the sharing of knowledge within the organization, ensure a high interaction between employees, and create well‐arranged knowledge resources for the organization.

Practical implications

The research shows that managers in the high‐tech industry need to pay more attention to the interaction among organizational members. The relationship of an employee with the organization, supervisor and colleagues, and thus the willingness to share knowledge, can be improved via job rotation, implementation of a mentoring system, and role‐playing activities.

Originality/value

The significant findings of the study relate to high‐tech industry in Taiwan. The proposed model can be replicated in other industrial and country settings in order to test its generality.
Towards a methodology to assess organizational learning capability
Authors: Camps Joaquín , Alegre Joaquín , Torres Federico
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The present study aims to revalidate a measurement scale for organizational learning capability in the context of university faculty members. This is a particularly relevant context because it deals with knowledge‐intensive services. Following Chivaet al., organizational learning capability was conceptualized as a second factor construct including five dimensions: experimentation, risk taking, interaction with the external environment, dialogue and participative decision making.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, a leading university in Costa Rica. The survey was addressed to faculty members. A total of 795 valid questionnaires were obtained. Using confirmatory factor analysis, the construct measurement model was tested and the scale was validated.

Findings

The results show the internal consistency and the satisfactory factorial structure of the scale within the context of knowledge‐intensive services.

Originality/value

This validation of organizational learning capability measurement instruments has considered cultural differences (Spain vs Costa Rica), sectorial differences (industrial vs services), and the different educational background distribution of the sample. Another contribution of our study is the consideration of the non‐independence of observations through the complex Mplus method, since the samples in human resource research are affected by multilevel influences.
HRM practices and knowledge sharing: an empirical study
Authors: Fong Chee‐Yang , Ooi Keng‐Boon , Tan Boon‐In , Lee Voon‐Hsien , Yee‐Loong Chong Alain
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between human resource management (HRM) practices and knowledge sharing from the Malaysian industry context.

Design/methodology/approach

The method of exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were employed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the measurement model. The structural equation modeling (SEM) method was applied to examine the theoretical framework.

Findings

The results indicate that recruitment and selection, teamwork, training and development, and performance appraisal, showed a positive relationship with knowledge sharing, as perceived by the managers in the Malaysian manufacturing and service organizations.

Research limitations/implications

The research design in this study was cross‐sectional rather than longitudinal. Hence, even though the SEM method was adopted, the interpretations of the cause‐effect‐relationship among the variables could not be determined. In this case, longitudinal research designs serve to be more constructive as compared with cross‐sectional designs in providing causation evidence between HRM practices and knowledge sharing.

Practical implications

Findings from this study should be beneficial for HRM managers in developing countries such as Malaysia, who plan to develop competitive knowledge sharing competencies through the adoption of HRM practices.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study is the construction of a measurement system of HRM practices and knowledge sharing that could facilitate future research on human resource management, as well as highlighting important implications for HR managers in developing countries.
Growing up in divided societies: confronting continuity and change
Authors: Leonard Madeleine , McKnight Martina , Spyrou Spyros
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the six main articles which represent the special issue on “Growing up in divided societies” and to locate the articles within a framework of children's experiences of divided societies.

Design/methodology/approach

The article reviews the main methodologies employed by authors of the six articles and evaluates how these methodologies contribute to debates on researching children and young people's everyday lives.

Findings

The paper presents the core findings of the six articles and discusses these in relation to core themes, methodologies and policy implications.

Originality/value

The authors argue that there is a dearth of research on children and young people's everyday lives in politically contested societies and the special issue responds to this vacuum.
Children's educational engagement with nationalism in divided Cyprus
Authors: Spyrou Spyros
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a situated, theoretically informed account of national identity construction by exploring children's engagement with nationalism in the context of the classroom in divided Cyprus. The paper aims to illustrate how children enter and participate in the cultural world of nationalism in the classroom by accepting, resisting, and negotiating the ideological meanings they encounter there.

Design/methodology/approach

The research on which the paper draws used an ethnographic approach. The paper draws primarily on teacher‐student exchanges during class lessons and, to a lesser extent, on interviews with children.

Findings

The paper suggests that the process of engagement between children, teachers, and nationalism often produces powerful senses of belonging which are, however, always limited and unstable both because of ideological contradictions and ambiguities and because of children's access to alternative knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

Though the ethnographic evidence suggests that nationalism in educational contexts produces powerful senses of belonging among children, more research is necessary to document the processes by which children consume nationalistic ideologies.

Originality/value

The paper is original because it offers a dynamic explanation of national identity construction through the application of practice theory to ethnographic data which takes into account both the powerful institutional constraints imposed on children at school as well as their agency and ability to impact their worlds.
Senses of place in flux: a generational approach
Authors: Hammad Suzanne H.
Published: September 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore and illuminate the various ways in which different generations experience and interpret their home and land in one divided Palestinian village in the West Bank.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on mental maps, walk‐alongs and semi‐structured interviews.

Findings

The paper explores the intergenerational geographies of adults and children from one household located in the village of Bilin and outlines the dynamics of continuity and change in their attitudes to and experiences of contested place and space.

Originality/value

The paper suggests that generational perspectives are essential for acquiring a holistic, meaningful understanding of the complexities and subtleties of contested places.
“Keep going despite everything”: legacies of genocide for Rwanda's children and youth
Authors: Pells Kirrily
Published: September 2011

Purpose

Bringing together anthropological and sociological conceptions of “the everyday” with the new social studies of childhood, this paper seeks to challenge the predominance of the trauma paradigm in understanding the impact of the 1994 Rwandan genocide upon children and youth.

Design/methodology/approach

In focus group and ethnographic research conducted with Rwandan children and young people aged between 12 and 25, the challenges identified were primarily within their everyday lives, relationships and environments.

Findings

Building on the assertion that “we have great resilience to keep going” the resiliency and agency of children and young people in negotiating an ongoing nexus between violence and peace is emphasized.

Research limitations/implications

This is not to deny the horrendous nature of the genocide, or that there are some children with enduring severe psychological problems. However, the trauma paradigm is only one way of capturing the legacies of the genocide and can give rise to a misplaced emphasis on passivity and vulnerability. The framework of the everyday provides a holistic paradigm for policies and programmes addressing the situation of children and young people post‐conflict and builds upon their resources and competencies.

Originality/value

This paper offers a more complex and nuanced understanding of trauma, resilience and the legacies of genocide for children and young people.
Analyzing the efficiency of Russian firms
Authors: Linz Susan J. , Rakhovsky Ilya
Published: September 2011

Purpose

Did the Soviet development strategy of according high priority to firms in heavy industry give these firms an advantage during Russia's transition to a market‐oriented economy? This paper seeks to answer this question.

Design/methodology/approach

To document industry variation in efficiency between priority and non‐priority sectors, the paper uses firm‐level data collected in 1992 and 1995 to estimate a stochastic frontier production function for 11 industries. It then aims to investigate which firm characteristics contributed to variation in technical efficiency between 1992 and 1995.

Findings

Firms in low‐priority sectors exhibited higher efficiency in 1992 than firms in high‐priority sectors; by 1995, efficiency differences diminish. Efficiency gains were relatively higher in industries which experienced the largest percentage output declines. Non‐state ownership tends to improve efficiency, but the ownership effect varies by industry and over time. The paper rejects the hypothesis that export experience increases efficiency, and this result is especially strong in 1995. Location in Moscow proved to be a positive factor, and the benefit grew over time.

Research limitations/implications

Panel data were not used because near‐hyper‐inflationary conditions and changes in capital valuation methods make it impossible to accurately adjust output and capital values between 1992 and 1995; and because firms that divided into multiple units or changed industry classification between 1992 and 1995 would need to be dropped, reducing sample size considerably and making industry‐level analysis impossible.

Practical implications

The paper provides a baseline for analyzing the impact of the transition on the performance of Russian manufacturing firms. It evaluates the influence of location (capital city effect) on firm performance, and demonstrates that privatization alone is not sufficient to improve efficiency.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine the initial impact of transition on the efficiency of Russian firms across 11 industries, with focus on differences between former priority and non‐priority sectors. The results underscore the magnitude of structural dislocation caused by planners' preferences in the former Soviet economy.
Economic growth with space and fiscal policies with housing and public goods
Authors: Zhang Wei‐Bin
Published: September 2011

Purpose

This study aims to examine dynamic interactions among economic growth, geography and the housing market with public goods financed by the government. A general dynamic equilibrium model of an isolated economy with economic geography, local public goods and capital accumulation is to be constructed. The economy has three sectors, supplying industrial goods, housing, and local public goods. The model synthesizes the main ideas in neoclassical growth theory, the Alonso urban model, and the Muth housing model in an alternative framework to the traditional growth theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The model is based on the neoclassical growth theory with an alternative approach to household behavior. The paper shows how to solve the dynamics of the economic system and simulate the model to demonstrate dynamic interactions among economic growth, housing market, residential distribution and public goods over time and space.

Findings

The paper simulates equilibrium and motion of the spatial economy with Cobb‐Douglas production and utility functions. The simulation demonstrates, for example, that, as the tax rate on the land income is increased, the total capital stocks and the stocks employed by the three sectors are increased, the rate of interest falls and the output of the industrial sector and the wage rate are increased, the land devoted to local public goods falls and the land rent and housing rent rise over space, the consumption level of the industrial goods and the total expenditures on the public goods are increased.

Practical implications

The paper provides some possible implications of the model for complicated consequences of government policy over time and space. In particular, the paper shows that a change in government policy not only has a macroeconomic impact over time, but also affects the economic geography of the national economy.

Originality/value

The paper offers insights into the linkage among growth, national public policies and economic geography.