bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
CheckM: assessing the quality of microbial genomes recovered from isolates, single cells, and metagenomes
Authors: Parks Donovan H. , Imelfort Michael , Skennerton Connor T. , Hugenholtz Philip , Tyson Gene W.
Published: May 2015

Large-scale recovery of genomes from isolates, single cells, and metagenomic data has been made possible by advances in computational methods and substantial reductions in sequencing costs. Although this increasing breadth of draft genomes is providing key information regarding the evolutionary and functional diversity of microbial life, it has become impractical to finish all available reference genomes. Making robust biological inferences from draft genomes requires accurate estimates of their completeness and contamination. Current methods for assessing genome quality are ad hoc and generally make use of a limited number of “marker” genes conserved across all bacterial or archaeal genomes. Here we introduce CheckM, an automated method for assessing the quality of a genome using a broader set of marker genes specific to the position of a genome within a reference genome tree and information about the collocation of these genes. We demonstrate the effectiveness of CheckM using synthetic data and a wide range of isolate-, single-cell-, and metagenome-derived genomes. CheckM is shown to provide accurate estimates of genome completeness and contamination and to outperform existing approaches. Using CheckM, we identify a diverse range of errors currently impacting publicly available isolate genomes and demonstrate that genomes obtained from single cells and metagenomic data vary substantially in quality. In order to facilitate the use of draft genomes, we propose an objective measure of genome quality that can be used to select genomes suitable for specific gene- and genome-centric analyses of microbial communities.
Time management profiles of Cypriot school principals: a mixed-methods approach
Authors: Kouali Georgia , Pashiardis Petros
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a piece of research concerning the time management of Cypriot primary school principals. Time management refers to the interrelation of five independent variables: the various tasks principals perform, their frequency, the degree of accomplishment of those tasks, the use of time management techniques and time management style (from monochronic to polychronic).

Design/methodology/approach

– Quantitative methods were used (questionnaire) together with qualitative methods (observation, interviews, collection of artifacts), in order to obtain richer, deeper data and view multiple angles of the same phenomenon.

Findings

– The results of cluster analysis indicated three different time management profiles/types of principals: The Centralized Monochrons, the Procrastinative Managers and the Decentralized Polychrons. One basic conclusion is that the principals who adopt the practices of the Decentralized Polychrons manage better their time.

Practical implications

– The three time management profiles of principals are described, analysed, and discussed in order to reach conclusions about the selection, training, and placement of school principals. Through the description of the everyday practice of Cypriot principals useful information concerning school leadership and management are also provided. Finally, the conclusions of this research may prove useful for principals, because they are provided with the opportunity to rethink and evaluate their own time management and effectiveness of their daily practices.

Originality/value

– The creation and description of the three time management profiles is the main contribution of this piece of research, since there are not any time management types-profiles registered in the bibliography, which were produced with the use of scientific instruments and procedures.
An analysis of intensive mode pedagogy in management education in India
Authors: Mishra Sita , Nargundkar Rajendra
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Management education is at its peak in India. But pedagogy and modes of delivery are not always innovative compared to top international Business Schools. It is through experimentation that the paper may be able to discover what works best in our context. The purpose of this paper is to determine the effectiveness of intensive mode of delivery vs traditional semester-wide teaching of management courses among MBA students of a leading Business School, through one such experiment.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 19 dimensions were used in this study. The questionnaire was tested on two different groups. An independent samplet-test was conducted for each dimension, to find out if the group that was subjected to this experiment had opinions different from the group that did not undergo the accelerated version.

Findings

– The results indicated perceptions on most of the dimensions disconcerting, barring increase in commitment, engagement, focus, and concentration with intensive mode. Further, this negative perception augmented towards intensive delivery mode, after experiencing traditional delivery.

Practical implications

– The literature does appear to show controversial outcomes related to intensive mode but more studies are in support of intensive modes of delivery format. The issue of whether students learn better in a semester/trimester of traditional length or with a compressed schedule is a key concern to the innovations in higher education scheduling today. Findings of this study pose a serious threat to all those management institutions which are planning to attempt to speed up the delivery of programmes and courses within them in order to reduce cost or other reasons.

Originality/value

– In education literature, significant amount of research has been carried out using a time compressed in developed countries. This study is one of the first studies, which focuses on determining the effectiveness of intensive teaching against traditional trimester/semester wide teaching among MBA education in India.
Impact of writing proficiency and writing center participation on academic performance
Authors: Bielinska-Kwapisz Agnieszka
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– Given that there exists in the literature relatively little research into the effectiveness of writing centers at universities, the purpose of this paper is to show the impact of university writing centers on first-year business seminar student writing.

Design/methodology/approach

– This quantitative study involved 315 first-year undergraduate business students. Logistic and quantile regression analysis was used to test two hypotheses.

Findings

– Results indicate that student intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors positively influenced the likelihood that a student visits the center. Student grades on writing assignments were significantly higher for students who visited the writing center but only for students who scored in the top 40th percentile of the grade distribution.

Practical implications

– Writing centers should try to reach all students not only those who are naturally motivated. Most importantly, centers should find ways to help students in the lower portion of grade distribution since these students presumably require sustained help.

Originality/value

– This paper suggests that writing centers helped only students at the top of the grades distribution which may be valuable to universities in assessing impact of writing centers and help in the efforts to improve student writing. However, this effect can only be uncovered using quantile regression. Therefore, this research has demonstrated the potential usefulness of quantile regression as a predictive and explanatory tool in assessment.
How parents were involved in a special school in Hong Kong
Authors: Ng Shun Wing , Lee Tai Hoi Theodore
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on a case study of 93 parents’ attitude toward their involvement at various levels of school education in a special school. It also examines the relations between parents’ education backgrounds and different levels of parental involvement.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study adopted quantitative research approach. A questionnaire composed of 30 items under six scales was developed with reference to Ng’s (1999) six-level Model of Home-School Cooperation which was adopted to frame the study.

Findings

– The study indicates that parents’ inclined to be involved more outside the school including “two-way communication,” “supervision of children at home” and “participation in parent organizations and activities” than that inside the school such as “volunteering,” “providing advice on school policies” and “participating in decision making.”

Research limitations/implications

– In spite of its small scale in a case-study special school, the paper does not aim at generalization but illuminates how parental involvement was carried out.

Practical implications

– The study carries implications for school management and policy makers when promoting and implementing parental involvement in special schools.

Originality/value

– For the school personnel, a total and positive relationship could help enhance efficient and effective management of education. Second, more resources should be provided by the Education Bureau for special schools to educate parents and subsidize their involvement. Third, more training opportunities regarding knowledge and skills of parental involvement should be provided for frontline teachers.
The Russian market of university services: social and demographic aspects
Authors: Bydanova Elizaveta , Mushketova Natalia , Rouet Gilles
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of demographic, social, economic and international aspects on the market of university services in Russia. It also reminds readers briefly of the evolution of the Russian higher education system during the last 20 years and considers some consequences of the current public policy and reforms in this sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper provides a qualitative analysis of the marketing environment of Russian universities.

Findings

– The results show that it is urgent for Russian universities to think and innovate about their marketing strategies to better position themselves in the educational market that has greatly changed throughout the transition period. International competition, demographic decrease, change in age structure and consumer behavior and preferences are those trends that create new challenges.

Research limitations/implications

– Public policy in higher education needs to be improved also to enable better equity across territory and different universities.

Practical implications

– After a drastic drop in the public funding during the 1990s (from 9.6 percent of GDP in 1986 to 3.5 percent in 1990), the higher education sector in Russia is still “struggling for survival.” In spite of the increase in funding in the year 2000, public support is distributed unequally across universities, 40 universities being distinguished among more than 1,100 other existing institutions. For those institutions that are not supported by the State, an efficient marketing strategy helps to keep the pace and continue to exist and offer educational programs. In order to ensure a wide access to higher education throughout the whole territory and to let some institutions to continue to work, it is urgent to rethink and reinforce marketing research in education.

Originality/value

– The paper is an original study of the market for higher education services in Russia.
Professional norms guiding school principals’ pedagogical leadership
Authors: Leo Ulf
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze the professional norms surrounding school development, with a special emphasis on school principals’ pedagogical leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

– A norm perspective is used to identify possible links between legal norms, professional norms, and actions. The findings are based on answers given by 974 school principals in a web-based questionnaire. The design of the study and the findings are structured around three questions used to identify professional norms: what tasks principals prioritize as pedagogical leaders, where the external expectations on principals are derived from, and with whom school principals communicate regarding issues related to their pedagogical leadership.

Findings

– The most evident professional norms identified in this study are that principals should: be present and close to the teaching and learning processes; involve teachers in quality development; enhance the development of formative assessments; engage in teacher development; develop the internal organization of the school to promote learning.

Originality/value

– The norm perspective and the findings of this study could be used by principals, principal trainers, and researchers to reflect on pedagogical leadership in different contexts. A challenge for principals is to become aware of the professional norms that guide them, and to close the gap between their “desirable” norms and their actions. Action alternatives and professional norms become visible through discussions emanating from questions about what leaders do, how they do so and why they do what they do, which is a way to strengthen both the profession and the individual principals.
The role of internal auditing in risk management: evidence from banks in Jordan
Authors: Abdullatif Modar , Kawuq Shatha
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the current practices of internal auditors in banks in Jordan regarding risk management, especially the risks they are most involved in dealing with, the nature of their responses in the presence of these risks, and appropriateness (according to the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), 2009a) of these responses.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire surveyed views of internal auditors about their roles in risk management. It asked about 20 different types of risks, and, for each individual risk, how internal auditors would respond in its presence.

Findings

– The role of internal auditors in risk management in banks in Jordan was found to be limited. The risks that internal auditors were most involved in managing were those related to compliance, while the risks least dealt with by internal auditors included those related to the Jordanian economy and culture. Also, most of the respondents reported that they did undertake some inappropriate roles in dealing with the risks.

Practical implications

– The findings suggest the possibility that internal auditors are not aware of the importance of several types of risks and of the appropriate roles for internal auditors in risk management. Therefore, increasing awareness of these issues is very important.

Originality/value

– The research topic is relatively new and very under-researched in the Jordanian environment. This study is therefore likely to significantly contribute to the knowledge about how internal auditing operates in a developing country context that differs significantly from the contexts where professional internal auditing standards were issued.
Latent classes of delinquent behaviour associated with criminal social identity among juvenile offenders in Pakistan
Authors: Shagufta Sonia , Boduszek Daniel , Dhingra Katie , Kola-Palmer Derrol
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the number and nature of latent classes of delinquency that exist among male juvenile offenders incarcerated in prisons in Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

– The sample consisted of 415 young male offenders incarcerated in prisons in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) Pakistan. Latent class analysis was employed to determine the number and nature of delinquency latent classes. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate the associations between latent classes and the three factors of criminal social identity (cognitive centrality, in-group affect, and in-group ties) whilst controlling for criminal friends, period of confinement, addiction, age, and location.

Findings

– The best fitting latent class model was a three-class solution. The classes were labelled: “minor delinquents” (the baseline/normative class; Class 3), “major delinquents” (Class 1), and “moderate delinquents” (Class 2). Class membership was predicted by differing external variables. Specifically, Class 1 membership was related to having more criminal friends; while Class 2 membership was related to lower levels of in-group affect and higher levels of in-group ties.

Practical implications

– Findings are discussed in relation to refining current taxonomic arguments regarding the structure of delinquency and implications for prevention of juvenile delinquent behaviour.

Originality/value

– First, most previous studies have focused on school children, whereas, this paper focuses on incarcerated juvenile offenders. Second, this research includes delinquents from Pakistan, whereas, most previous research has examined delinquent behaviour in western cultures.
Evolution of multiple organisational identities after an M&A event
Authors: De Bernardis Luigi , Giustiniano Luca
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the possible coexistence of single and multiple organizational identities (OIs) after mergers and acquisitions (M&A). In particular, it describes how the sensemaking process leads the acquired and acquiring companies to maintain multiple identities, even after the formal conclusion of the integration process.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper presents a grounded study based on a single case study (M&A between a German chemical multinational and an Italian/Swiss pharmaceutical firm).

Findings

– While many previous studies suggest that the evolution of OI reduces ambiguity by providing multiple identities under a shared commonality, this paper shows that multiple identities might survive within the same “new entity.”

Research limitations/implications

– Despite being based on a single case, the paper argues that the choice of maintaining multiple identities may be even more appropriate than the tendency to converge toward one of the old ones or toward a new one. The “sense” that employees and managers give to the same “words,” as well as the “sense” that they make for them, mirrors the perception they have of the OI.

Practical implications

– The conclusions presented could help managers to facilitate sensemaking as a means of dealing with multiple OIs.

Originality/value

– Differently from the extant literature, the paper concludes by stating that striking a balance between single and multiple identities might provide the ideal platform for building a new identity based on plurality. When the two (or more) organizational contexts present some complementarities, the existence of multiple identities, and its inner ambiguity, is not a problemper se.
Quantitative assessment of spiritual capital in changing organizations by principal component analysis and fuzzy clustering
Authors: Taghizadeh Yazdi Mohammad Reza
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the application of statistical tools and techniques for quantitative assessment of spiritual capital (SC) based on a questionnaire survey in the organizations which undergo large-scale organizational change projects.

Design/methodology/approach

– A sample of 65 individuals from three organizations were interviewed. The paper uses the 12 principles of transformation available to spiritual intelligence (referred to as SQ characteristics) to assess SC in a two-phase integrated algorithm of principal component analysis (PCA) and fuzzy clustering.

Findings

– The paper proposes a two-phase integrated algorithm. In the first phase, PCA is used to reduce the scores of items related to each of SQ characteristics and aggregate them into a single and unique measure. In the second phase, PCA is applied for total SQ quantification. For verification and validation, fuzzy clustering is employed along with PCA to cluster the people in the survey into different classes, which may possess different stocks of SC and rank them based on their level of SQ. The results of PCA are verified and validated by fuzzy clustering revealing the applicability and usefulness of PCA for SC quantification.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper is based on individual judgments about their own SQ characteristics hence the results of questionnaire survey may be biased by individual personal characteristics. Future research can apply the proposed algorithm and check for its reliability using other psychometric instruments available in the field.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes by filling a gap in the quantitative management tools literature, in which empirical studies on validated multivariate analysis of spirituality have been scarce until now.
Case Research and Writing: Three Days in the Life of Professor Moore
Authors: Armandi Barry R. , Sherman Herbert , Vega Gina
Published: May 2015

This article, written in case format, has been written to assist the novice case writer in case research and writing. The article covers all aspects of case writing including: idea generation and sources of cases, working with primary and secondary case sources, obtaining client releases, writing the case story line, developing a catchy ‘hook’, using the past tense, providing supporting exhibits, and providing a bibliography for the case. The teaching note (or instructor's manual)is also covered in detail including: an overview of the case, learning objectives, course placement and targeted audience, instructional methodologies, case questions and answers, the epilogue, and the bibliography. Appendix A includes a discussion on case publishing and includes a list of journals and conferences which accept cases.
Kio-Tek at the Portland Venture Capital Fair1
Authors: Osland Asbjorn , Feldman Howard , Campbell George , Barnes William
Published: May 2015

John Caldwell, president of Kio-Tek (KT), presents his company's business plan to a group of 30 venture capitalists at the November 2001 annual meeting of the Portland Venture Group. John's presentation is included in the case as an exhibit. The case begins with a brief overview of the meeting and John's presentation. The body of the case describes the question and answer period immediately following John's presentation.

Included in the case is a set of exhibits that John has handed out to the audience as supplemental information. These exhibits provide additional information on marketing, management, and financial issues facing the company and John refers to them throughout the question and answer period. The VC's ask John a variety of questions in an effort to determine whether KT is an attractive investment opportunity
Trouble in Chocolate Town: A Look at Hershey Foods Corporation
Authors: Curran Terence P. , Richardson Linda L. , Smith-Hunter Andrea E.
Published: May 2015

This case presents an overview of the confectionary industry, a description of the Hershey Foods Corporation, and a look at the company's strategies and the impact of these strategies. The case focuses on the unintended consequences that result from the implementation of dramatic new strategies for a company and what occurs in a company town that displays a very strong paternalistic culture. Some analysts had previously thought that Hershey's profitability and its close relationship with the town, the trust and the school made the company untouchable, but events proved otherwise.

After reading this case, the reader will feel compelled to answer the following questions. What is the best strategy for future growth of Hershey? How important is organizational culture on a corporation's strategic direction? Should the company indeed be sold to a larger corporation?
Ascom Marketing and Publishing: Entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates*
Authors: Kuehn Kermit W.
Published: May 2015

The case takes place in the city of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a booming regional tourist and commercial center located on the Arab (Persian) Gulf coast of the Arabian Peninsula. The story describes Vijay, the Indian (East Asian) entrepreneur, his personality, background, motivations and management style. The focus of the case is on how this entrepreneur grows the business over the seven years leading up to the decision to launch a travel club targeted toward East Asian travelers in the region. The details of the new venture are chronicled from inception to its eventual closure four years later under desperate financial circumstances. The richness of the case is enhanced by the inclusion of details of the legal, economic and cultural factors that define the business context and business risks. The case provides an interesting and informative view of a part of the world that is “in the news” but largely remains a mystery to the typical North American student.
At the Heart of Controversy: Genentech Markets a Genetically Engineered Drug
Authors: Ross Diana , Royalty Kent , Kampschroeder Karl
Published: May 2015

This case, developed from a wide variety of publicly available information, presents ethical and economic issues arising from the development, marketing, and pricing of a biotech drug. Genentech developed TPA, the first genetically engineered drug that could be used in clot-dissolving therapy for heart attack, and marketed it as Activase. Public outrage focused on the disparity between the drug's $10 direct manufacturing cost and what Genentech charged for its drug. Activase/TPA was priced at $2200 a dose, raising immediate concerns about its affordability and therefore availability to those who needed it. Additional issues arise from other events, including concern over related-party relationships between the company and organizations which researched and recommended TPA, as well as aggressive marketing of TPA to physicians and the company's refusal to participate in an international drug study to compare TPA with competitor drugs.
Sailing Through a Lull at Sabre Yachts1
Authors: Leach Thomas C. , Armandi Barry R. , Sherman Herbert
Published: May 2015

Derived from field interviews and secondary research, the case describes the dilemma that the Marketing Manager Bentley Collins of Sabre Yachts faces in developing a profitable marketing mix given the firm's current product line, competitors, industry and national economic trends. Sabre had always been a niche boat builder. Their product line was divided into two distinct categories; sail boats and power boats. Their sailboats were targeted toward boaters interested in the comfort desired for cruising but also the capability of competitive racing while their power boats were designed to be modern yachts that could cruise 20 knots or better. A majority of sales came from the New England and Mid-Atlantic regions with only sporadic success in other areas. Bentley worried that slower phone traffic in Spring of 2001 would be indicative of slower sales and wanted to know what actions the firm should take to continue their regional growth as well as their push to become a more nationally-based firm. The case has a difficulty level appropriate for a junior or senior level course. The case is designed to be taught in one class period and is expected to require between five to seven hours of outside preparation by students.
Beringer Wine Estates Holdings, Inc.1
Authors: Gilinsky Armand , Lopez Raymond H. , Gould James S. , Cangemi Robert R.
Published: May 2015

The Beringer Wine Estates Company has been expanding its market share in the premium segment of the wine industry in the 1990's. After operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of the giant Nestlé food company for almost a quarter of a century, the firm was sold in 1996 to new owners, in a leveraged buyout. For the next year and a half, management and the new owners restructured the firm and expanded through internal growth and strategic acquisitions. With a heavy debt load from the LBO, it seemed prudent for management to consider a significant rebalancing of its capital structure. By paying off a portion of its debt and enhancing the equity account, the firm would achieve greater financial flexibility which could enhance its growth rate and business options. Finally, a publicly held common stock would provide management with another “currency” to be used for enhancing its growth rate and overall corporate valuation. With the equity markets in turmoil, significant strategic decisions had to be made quickly. Should the IPO be completed, with the district possibility of a less than successful after market price performance and these implications for pursuing external growth initiatives? A variety of alternative courses of action and their implications for the financial health of the Beringer Company and the financial wealth of Beringer stockholders are integral components of this case.
21st Century Learning: Leadership Lessons from Collaborative Case Research, Teaching and Scholarship
Authors: McCarthy John F. , O'Connell David J. , Hall Douglas T. , Wang Jan Eyvin
Published: May 2015

Management scholars and researchers have long been concerned about the impact and relevance of their work. Here we chronicle the teaching, research, management, and personal leadership development lessons that have arisen from a collaborative, decade-long relationship between three management faculty members and the senior management team of a major Norwegian-based global shipping and logistics company. This relationship grew from the creation of a teaching case in 1997 to many years of productive and meaningful work together, including the development and delivery of the all-conference Plenary Session at the 2006 Eastern Academy of Management Meeting, held concurrently with the annual CASE Association Conference. At the 2006 Plenary Session, each of the authors expressed powerful personal and professional development through their collaboration over the years, which is summarized in this article. Reflections, lessons and future research directions are provided.
The College of St. Germain Global Conference in Business and Economics, Part A1 and B
Authors: Pahl Joy M. , Chung Ed , Jenkel Iris , McKay Ruth B.
Published: May 2015

The College of St. Germain is a private, liberal arts college in the U.S. Midwest. Several faculty members developed and launched an academic business and economics conference. Despite of a lack of funding from the college, and a general apathy among other colleagues, the conference became financially self-sufficient and grew each year, with increasing attendance and submissions from many international scholars. Part A of the case focuses on the beginning, planning, and growth stages of the conference, and culminates with the successful conclusion of the third annual conference and planning for the fourth conference. Part B focuses on the fourth and fifth conferences, and concludes with the surprising cancellation of the sixth annual conference. The case highlights the challenges and accomplishments of the conference chairpersons and the organizing committee, as well as management, marketing, and leadership factors that contributed to the ultimate demise of the conference.
Sally’s Dilemma: Making Tough Choices In Collaborative Visioning
Authors: Hickerson Karl A. , O’Connell David J. , Pillutla Arun K.
Published: May 2015

This case involves an experience in large group visioning, specifically the processes of developing and building consensus around institutional goals and objectives. It takes place at a point roughly halfway through the process. The protagonist, Sally, is the project coordinator. At this point in the process, the participants have collectively invested hundreds of hours in the creation of widely diverse ideas for the future of the university. Her dilemma is the challenge of maintaining the commitment and support of the participants as the vision is reduced to a much shorter and more focused statement.

The case is based on archival data and interviews with 40 of the 300+ participants who were engaged in the process, including Sally, steering committee members, faculty, staff, and outside stakeholders (alumni and members of the board of directors). The Instructor's Manual provides key questions for future large group process consultants, OD professionals and students of organizational behavior and leadership, including references from the OD and visioning literature. An Epilogue provides the actual decision at the time of the challenge and its rationale.
Customer Service at the Jewish Community Center
Authors: Demarais Edward , Sheckman Sandra , Vega Gina
Published: May 2015

Doris, the Executive Director of the JCC, had a Board of Directors that lacked the requisite skills, perspective, behaviors, and willingness to change policies and practices in order to meet external environmental opportunities and threats or to address internal competencies and competitive capabilities. Changes in the external environment were exacerbating the JCC's internal deficiencies. In addition, the Board created impediments to the professional staff's efforts to implement good managerial practices and policies. The current management team was acutely aware of the changes in the external environment, how these changes impacted the JCC's operations and what the JCC needed to do in order to meet these challenges. The management team was frustrated by a Board that did not provide leadership, fulfill their responsibilities, hold each other accountable and undermined management by intervening in day-to-day operations. The staff was passively hostile to the Board and to the management team. As consumers, the members' expectations were higher and more demanding. Doris and her management team had to resolve a myriad of strategic and operational issues that confronted the organization.
The Frozen Production Line
Authors: Massman Anton , Davis Elaine , Kurtz Janell M.
Published: May 2015

Workforce diversity is a reality and offers many benefits to business. Nevertheless, managing diversity poses numerous challenges. This case involves religious diversity, focusing on employers' legal duty to accommodate religious practices. In the case, the assembly line at Electrolux's Frigidaire plant in St. Cloud, Minnesota hummed with activity when suddenly a group of Somali workers walked off the line. The Somali employees were new immigrants and introduced cultural and religious customs which were for the most part unfamiliar to management. The employees were Muslim and left the work stations to observe sunset prayers, one of the five daily prayers central to the Islamic faith. The management dilemma presented in the case is balancing the demands of assembly line production with the religious requirements of Muslim workers in a legal and effective manner. There is a substantial epilogue detailing Electrolux response to the situation which can be used as the basis for further class discussion. To help guide this dialogue, a “mini-instructors manual” follows the epilogue.
Case Writing and Research: Professor Moore Looks for a Better Way to Grade Student Case Analyses
Authors: Leach Thomas C. , Vega Gina , Sherman Herbert
Published: May 2015

The case is a continuation of the series of articles, written in the form of a case, that focus upon various issues relating to case research, writing and teaching with cases. In this article Professor Moore and the other fictitious characters, confront the difficulties that he had experienced grading student case analyses. In discussing the situation with his department chair Gloria Gorham he learns much about the origins of grading and the various methods of evaluating student work. At a later date other colleagues, Chris Anderson and Dave Berger, are brought into the discussion expressing their views and providing rubrics for use in grading student case analyses.
Organizational measures to stimulate user engagement with open data
Authors: Susha Iryna , Grönlund Åke , Janssen Marijn
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate which organizational measures can facilitate the use of open data. Implementation of open government data initiatives is commonly supply-driven, as it is difficult to predict the possible uses and users of data. Nonetheless, the value of open data materializes only upon its use – either to achieve societal benefits or economic value.

Design/methodology/approach

– First, a list of organizational measures to facilitate open data use from the literature is collated. Then, four case studies to examine the challenges faced in practice when implementing them are carried out. The case sample includes two types of organizations (statistical agency and municipality) in two country settings (Sweden and The Netherlands).

Findings

– Public organizations find it challenging to set up support for open data users having various requirements and skills. Most public organizations have no or limited interaction with data users and are often selective with regards to with whom and how to communicate.

Research limitations/implications

– Given the fragmented and emerging state of research on open data use and engagement, to date no systematic framework existed which would be dedicated to user engagement strategies. The authors systematized the literature and identified the themes pertaining to this issue. Their contribution is a list of measures for public organizations to improve open data use.

Practical implications

– An important deliverable of this research is the list of possible organizational measures, which can be used by public managers to plan their open data engagement strategies. The authors suggest that data publishers adopt a problem-oriented approach for selecting which data to publish and put more efforts into stimulating stakeholder participation.

Originality/value

– The novelty of this study lies in the fact that it addresses a previously overlooked area of open data research, namely, the use of open data and ways to stimulate it.
Looking for friends and followers: a global investigation of governmental social media use
Authors: Mainka Agnes , Hartmann Sarah , Stock Wolfgang G. , Peters Isabella
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify governmental social media use in cities with enhanced information and communications technology infrastructures (i.e. Informational World Cities) and high Internet penetration rates. Social media platforms are increasingly being used by governments to foster user interaction and it was investigated if social media platforms are valuable tools for reaching high numbers of citizens.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is based on an iterative content and Web analysis from November 2012 till January 2013 and offers a comparison of different social media service types and the particular use.

Findings

– This empirical investigation of 31 Informational World Cities provides an overview of social media services used for governmental purposes, of their popularity among governments and of their usage intensity in broadcasting information online. Even as cities in a globalized world become more similar, a variety in the use of social media by governments was detected, which is due to regional and cultural characteristics.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings are limited to calculable data, e.g. number of used social media accounts, posts and followers which were available through a content and Web analysis at the time of investigation.

Practical implications

– A more detailed content analysis, as well as a more differentiated analysis of users, must be conducted in the future.

Originality/value

– This paper is one of the first that presents a global comparison of governmental social media use of cities of the knowledge society and compares different social media platforms.
Constructing identities – professional use of eID in public organisations
Authors: Hedström Karin , Wihlborg Elin , Gustafsson Mariana S , Söderström Fredrik
Published: May 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to reveal how identities are constructed when electronic identification (eIDs) cards are introduced through information systems in public organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

– Through two case studies, the authors generate rich data on the construction of identities through use of eID within public organisations. The author’s analysis, based on actor network theory, focusses on the translation of eIDs in these two settings.

Findings

– ID can be viewed as an artefact where the public and private spheres meet. The authors found at least three mixed roles in employees’ use of eID: as a purely private person; as a private person in the work place; and as a professional in the work place.

Research limitations/implications

– There is a need for further research on how eID is translated into organisational contexts and how institutional settings define the openings for local translation processes. However, the results are based on two small cases, meaning that broad generalisations are difficult to make.

Practical implications

– EID is so much more than technology. The technical framing of the identification system appears to be subordinated to organisational arrangements and cultures, making it important to apply a socio-technical perspective when working with eID.

Originality/value

– The empirical cases have offered a unique chance to study implementation and use of eID in two very different public service organisations. The findings illustrate how eID translated into organisational contexts, and how identity management within an organisational setting is linked to the employees’ private and professional roles.
Double decomposition: decomposing the variance in subcomponents of male extra‐pair reproductive success
Authors: Losdat Sylvain , Arcese Peter , Reid Jane M.
Published: May 2015

Extra‐pair reproductive success (EPRS) is a key component of male fitness in socially monogamous systems and could cause selection on female extra‐pair reproduction if extra‐pair offspring (EPO) inherit high value forEPRSfrom their successful extra‐pair fathers. However,EPRSis itself a composite trait that can be fully decomposed into subcomponents of variation, each of which can be further decomposed into genetic and environmental variances. However, such decompositions have not been implemented in wild populations, impeding evolutionary inference.

We first show thatEPRScan be decomposed into the product of three life‐history subcomponents: the number of broods available to a focal male to sireEPO, the male's probability of siring anEPOin an available brood and the number of offspring in available broods. This decomposition ofEPRSfacilitates estimation from field data because all subcomponents can be quantified from paternity data without need to quantify extra‐pair matings. Our decomposition also highlights that the number of available broods, and hence population structure and demography, might contribute substantially to variance in maleEPRSand fitness.

We then used 20 years of complete genetic paternity and pedigree data from wild song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to partition variance in each of the three subcomponents ofEPRS, and thereby estimate their additive genetic variance and heritability conditioned on effects of male coefficient of inbreeding, age and social status.

All three subcomponents ofEPRSshowed some degree of within‐male repeatability, reflecting combined permanent environmental and genetic effects. Number of available broods and offspring per brood showed low additive genetic variances. The estimated additive genetic variance in extra‐pair siring probability was larger, although the 95% credible interval still converged towards zero. Siring probability also showed inbreeding depression and increased with male age, while the numbers of available broods and offspring per brood did not.

Our results indicate that the probability that a male will sire an EPO in an available brood is the primary source of genetic variation in maleEPRS, implying that the evolution of female extra‐pair reproduction could be facilitated by genetic covariance with this subcomponent ofEPRS.
Natural vegetation benefits synergistic control of the three main insect and pathogen pests of a fruit crop in southern Africa
Authors: Henri Dominic C. , Jones Owen , Tsiattalos Ariana , Thébault Elisa , Seymour Colleen L. , van Veen F. J. Frank
Published: May 2015

Most studies of the potential for natural habitat to improve agricultural productivity have been conducted in transformed, temperate regions, but little is known of the importance of agroecosystem services in biodiverse developing countries.

Natural vegetation may promote the density and/or diversity of natural enemies of crop pests, but the strength of the effect varies, and few studies directly measure concurrent impacts on pest density. Considering multiple pest species within the same agroecosystem may help explain why some pests are more affected than others by landscape complexity. Here, we investigated multiple pest species (three species of Tephritidae fruit fly, leaf galling flies and pathogenic fungi Fusarium spp.) and their enemies in cultivated mango Mangifera indica, in north‐eastern South Africa.

The density of generalist Tephritidae fruit flies increased with distance from natural vegetation during harvesting months, and predation rate of pupae sharply decreased from ~50% at the edge with natural vegetation to 0% at 250 m into the crop. Parasitism rates of the cryptic, gall‐forming fly increased with proximity to natural vegetation, but pest density was unrelated to distance from natural vegetation. Incidence of the fungal pathogen disease increased with distance from natural vegetation, possibly due to decreased predation of commensal mites.

Although the relationship with distance to natural vegetation was significant for all species considered, the strength of this relationship varied across pest species and type of natural enemy studied, suggesting the benefits of natural vegetation depend on each natural enemy species' ability to disperse into the agricultural environment.

Synthesis and applications. Our results suggest that natural vegetation is a net source of natural enemies in a region of South Africa that still contains much of its natural biodiversity. However, the decline in natural enemies, and increase in pests, with distance from natural habitat indicates that this biocontrol is limited by natural enemy dispersal. In landscapes like these that are still dominated by natural habitat, conservation biocontrol can still be improved by management aimed at providing corridors of key plants and habitat elements into the crops, to facilitate natural enemy dispersal.
Managing Coopetitive Tensions at the Working‐group Level: The Rise of the Coopetitive Project Team
Authors: Le Roy Frédéric , Fernandez Anne‐Sophie
Published: May 2015

This study seeks to provide insights into the management of coopetitive tensions at the working‐group level. We theoretically discuss the principles of separation and integration and a combination of both to manage coopetitive tensions at this level. An in‐depth case study of a space programme conducted by two competitors − Astrium and Thales Alenia Space − was conducted. At the organizational level, according to the separation principle, we found that the coopetitors implemented a Coopetitive Project Team separated from the rest of their organization. At the individual level, according to the integration principle, we evidenced that project managers internalize the coopetitive paradox. At the working‐group level, we revealed a new principle, that of co‐management. The co‐management principle, in the case of dyadic coopetition, relies on the implementation of a dual, equally shared governance structure and a dual management committee. To efficiently manage coopetitive tensions, firms are combining the separation principle at the organizational level, the co‐management principle at the working‐group level and the integration principle at the individual level.