bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managing multiple speech‐enabled applications in a mobile handheld device
Authors: Schuricht Michael , Davis Zachary , Hu Michael , Prasad Shreyas , Melliar‐Smith Peter M. , Moser Louise E.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Mobile handheld devices, such as cellular phones and personal digital assistants, are inherently small and lack an intuitive and natural user interface. Speech recognition and synthesis technology can be used in mobile handheld devices to improve the user experience. The purpose of this paper is to describe a prototype system that supports multiple speech‐enabled applications in a mobile handheld device.

Design/methodology/approach

The main component of the system, the Program Manager, coordinates and controls the speech‐enabled applications. Human speech requests to, and responses from, these applications are processed in the mobile handheld device, to achieve the goal of human‐like interactions between the human and the device. In addition to speech, the system also supports graphics and text, i.e., multimodal input and output, for greater usability, flexibility, adaptivity, accuracy, and robustness. The paper presents a qualitative and quantitative evaluation of the prototype system. The Program Manager is currently designed to handle the specific speech‐enabled applications that we developed.

Findings

The paper determines that many human interactions involve not single applications but multiple applications working together in possibly unanticipated ways.

Research limitations/implications

Future work includes generalization of the Program Manager so that it supports arbitrary applications and the addition of new applications dynamically. Future work also includes deployment of the Program Manager and the applications on cellular phones running the Android Platform or the Openmoko Framework.

Originality/value

This paper presents a first step towards a future human interface for mobile handheld devices and for speech‐enabled applications operating on those devices.
A new approach to web users clustering and validation: a divergence‐based scheme
Authors: Koutsonikola Vassiliki A. , Petridou Sophia G. , Vakali Athena I. , Papadimitriou Georgios I.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Web users' clustering is an important mining task since it contributes in identifying usage patterns, a beneficial task for a wide range of applications that rely on the web. The purpose of this paper is to examine the usage of Kullback‐Leibler (KL) divergence, an information theoretic distance, as an alternative option for measuring distances in web users clustering.

Design/methodology/approach

KL‐divergence is compared with other well‐known distance measures and clustering results are evaluated using a criterion function, validity indices, and graphical representations. Furthermore, the impact of noise (i.e. occasional or mistaken page visits) is evaluated, since it is imperative to assess whether a clustering process exhibits tolerance in noisy environments such as the web.

Findings

The proposed KL clustering approach is of similar performance when compared with other distance measures under both synthetic and real data workloads. Moreover, imposing extra noise on real data, the approach shows minimum deterioration among most of the other conventional distance measures.

Practical implications

The experimental results show that a probabilistic measure such as KL‐divergence has proven to be quite efficient in noisy environments and thus constitute a good alternative, the web users clustering problem.

Originality/value

This work is inspired by the usage of divergence in clustering of biological data and it is introduced by the authors in the area of web clustering. According to the experimental results presented in this paper, KL‐divergence can be considered as a good alternative for measuring distances in noisy environments such as the web.
Customer service‐orientation of small retail business owners in Austria, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia
Authors: Carraher Shawn , Parnell John A. , Spillan John E.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the feasibility of using a biodata inventory to measure service‐orientation – one's disposition to be helpful, thoughtful, considerate, and cooperative – across cultures in a sample of 1,324 owners of businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

Subjects in Austria, The Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Slovakia, and Slovenia are given the inventory in order to predict their on‐the‐job service‐oriented performance.

Findings

Within the samples, the service‐orientation ratings are highly correlated with extroversion and openness to experience in all six countries, and agreeableness in five countries and conscientiousness in four countries. The correlations of these scales with service‐orientation are as high as or higher than those generally obtained with measures of service‐orientation with customer service representatives.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis lends credence to the notion that service‐orientation may be effectively measured by biodata within small organizations across multiple cultures.

Originality/value

This paper examines the utility of a personality‐oriented biodata inventory for explaining levels of customer service‐oriented performance across six countries. Little cross‐country research has been done on the owners of business thus this paper helps to fill in gaps in the literature dealing with business owners and the importance of personality attributes to explain service‐oriented performance.
The prevalence of envelope wages in the Baltic Sea region
Authors: Williams Colin C.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate in the Baltic Sea region the prevalence of an illegitimate wage arrangement whereby formal employers pay their formal employees both an official declared wage as well as a supplementary undeclared (envelope) wage.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2007 Eurobarometer survey is reported that evaluates envelope wage practices in 27 European Union (EU) member states. This paper focuses upon the 4,031 face‐to‐face interviews conducted in four countries from the Baltic Sea region that are now member states of the EU, namely Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Findings

Some one in eight formal employees in these four countries from the Baltic Sea region received an undeclared “envelope” wage from their formal employer during the past 12 months which on average amounted to 45 per cent of their gross wage packet. Although this practice is concentrated in smaller businesses, the construction industry, and amongst younger people, manual workers and lower income groups in these four countries, it is by no means confined to specific pockets of the economic landscape. Rather, it exists throughout these countries in all business types and employee groups.

Research limitations/implications

The existence and commonality of envelope wages reveals the need to transcend the dichotomous depiction of formal and informal jobs as always separate and discrete and to recognise how they can be inextricably interwoven.

Practical implications

This paper outlines a range of potential policy measures for tackling envelope wages and calls for their piloting and evaluation.

Originality/value

The first cross‐national evaluation of the incidence and nature of envelope wages in the Baltic Sea region and what needs to be done to tackle this practice.
The evolution of non‐cooperative behaviour: the case of post‐transitional Estonia
Authors: Põder Kaire
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the emergence of non‐cooperative behaviour after the economic transition in Estonia.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a combined research design, in that evolutionary game theory and network segregation models are enriched with semi‐structured interviews. Simulations are used to deal with analytical complexity; in this case a prisoners' dilemma situation is used and randomness is created through the exogenous shock of opening the network to “aliens”.

Findings

Consequently, it is found that individuals in large and small communities differ in their behavioural strategies: in an open community, players are more self‐interested and reciprocate only benevolent behaviour; in a regular community, people rely on cooperative social norms. Case specific information leads to the suggestion that in open networks people behave cooperatively only in teams of up to four members. Increasing the random connections in a network makes people use group segregation – that is, they behave cooperatively in regular connections and in a self‐regarding manner towards others.

Research limitations/implications

The method brings certain limitations to the implications of the results – simulations are sensitive to the initial conditions set up using qualitative data.

Practical implications

In managerial areas the results can provide at least two insights. First, it is obvious that only small teams (with personal connections) can be fully cooperative. In this case, the ideal number of co‐operators is four. In larger teams, individuals find it more profitable to segregate an inner circle and others. Second, if players are interpreted as firms, then competition between firms will prevail even in small communities (where new players can penetrate the market) and thus any cartel or other cooperative action will fail.

Originality/value

The main value of the research is twofold: it allows to introduce the combined research methodology and explain the mental change after transition in the 1990s. The first enables to reduce the methodological impediments researchers find in the qualitative‐quantitative dichotomy. The second explains the emergence of, and changes to, the behavioural or moral codes as a result of rational social learning.
Safeguarding subjects?
Authors: Gatrell Caroline
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the long‐term effects of qualitative interviews on respondents. The paper offers a reflexive account of the author's research practices with regard to “safeguarding” research participants and researcher accountability.

Design/methodology/approach

In 1999‐2002, 20 women and 18 men who are in dual earner marriages/partnerships were interviewed separately. The study was entitled “Hard Labour 1”. In this paper, It is explained how, in 2007, 17 “Hard Labour 1” participants were contacted for a follow‐up study entitled “Hard Labour Revisited”. They were asked, via telephone and e‐mail, whether (and if so, how) they perceived themselves to have been affected by their interview for “Hard Labour 1”.

Findings

Some respondents are interviewed at a time of personal anxiety. This group perceived their interview as having been influential because it made them reflect deeply on their situation, bringing their thoughts to bear when they conducted subsequent negotiations with partners. However, participants do not see this as a reason to avoid qualitative research. They describe themselves as agentic beings who felt ownership of their involvement in “Hard Labour 1”. Their approach make to reflect upon the author's interpretation of “safeguarding” which is now regarded as a concept which may be co‐constructed between researcher and participants.

Originality/value

The paper explores “safeguarding” in relation to the long‐term effects of qualitative research interviews. It is suggest that undertaking a reflexive reappraisal of research practices is important because analyses of past projects may (as in the author's case) result in a “shift” in understanding of research concepts from both an empirical and a theoretical perspective.
Using triangulation to validate themes in qualitative studies
Authors: Jonsen Karsten , Jehn Karen A.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide instructional guidance on how to increase validity and reduce subjectivity in qualitative studies, such as grounded theory. The paper also demonstrates how different techniques can help management research by including informants/managers in a time efficient way.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper describes how three complementary triangulation methods can be used for validation and exploration of concepts and themes in qualitative studies. Tree graphs, concept mapping, and member checking are applied in a managerial case study, complementing a conventional grounded theory approach.

Findings

The paper suggests that naturalistic inquiries, such as grounded theory and thematic analysis, can use mixed methods and multiple sources and coders in order to offset biases and to validate and sort findings. The case study presents three different perspectives on how an organization comprehends diversity as a strategic issue.

Originality/value

The paper suggests a mixed methods design that addresses some of the potential shortcomings often found in grounded theory and other qualitative studies, their theory development and their documentation of processes. It positions the approach over the range of the triangulation literature and it argues that it is important to be aware of different triangulation mindsets, and these they are not necessarily contradictory.
Impact of the 2007 US financial crisis on the emerging equity markets
Authors: Shabri Abd Majid M. , Hj Kassim Salina
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore empirically the effects of the current financial crisis on the integration and co‐movements of selected stock markets of the emerging economies, namely Indonesia and Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs the standard time series technique and vector autoregressive framework.

Findings

The results of this paper support the general view that stock markets tend to show greater degree of integration or increased co‐movements during the crisis period, resulting in lesser benefit of diversification that can be gained by investors participating in these markets.

Research limitations/implications

This paper only focuses on emerging equity markets of Malaysia and Indonesia.

Practical implications

This paper reveals that unlike during the pre‐crisis period, the long‐run diversification benefits that can be earned by investors across the emerging equity markets of Indonesia and Malaysia during the crisis period tend to diminish.

Originality/value

By dividing the study periods into the pre‐crisis period and during the crisis period, it enables us to explore whether the cross‐market linkages between these markets change due to the crisis.
Responding to global crisis: the contribution of emerging markets to strategic adaptation
Authors: Enderwick Peter
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss ways in which exposure to the dynamic conditions of emerging markets can contribute to strategic adaptation and international competitiveness of developed market firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper includes a conceptual discussion which considers the global market for market transactions and examines six key strategies that can be utilized to restructure strategy and structure. Illustrations are drawn primarily from the global automobile industry.

Findings

The characteristics and rapidly developing capabilities evident in emerging markets provide fertile grounds for experimenting with new business strategies and structures. The paper identifies and develops six primary strategies for improving international competitiveness.

Practical implications

Involvement in emerging markets can provide a critical market test for conditions likely to be attached to government bailouts as well as valuable learning opportunities for international businesses.

Originality/value

The paper's originality and value lies in suggesting that emerging markets offer more than just alternative revenue streams and lower costs for firms seeking to adapt to difficult market conditions and in linking these strategic options to the global market in market transactions.
A valuation model for corporate social responsibility
Authors: Rigoberto Parada Daza José
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an analytical model for appraising and measuring corporate social responsibility (CSR). The theoretical and conceptual grounds that sustain the model are based on previous approaches.

Design/methodology/approach

The utility function, which is the basis of a company's economic dimension, is analyzed in its philosophical and ethical setting, concentrating largely on the Utilitarian and Hedonistic schools and a maximizing agent, the “homo oeconomicus”.

Findings

The resulting new approach permits an analytical explanation of the behavior of a company and its owners when incorporating both economic rationality (“homo oeconomicus”) and social responsibility.

Originality/value

The quantitative determination of a global indicator for social responsibility is shown, as is the development of a method for calculating a monetary value of CSR.
Corporate irresponsibility and corporate social responsibility: competing realities
Authors: Jones Brian , Bowd Ryan , Tench Ralph
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Building on the work of Carroll this article attempts to unravel, explore and explain corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a theoretical construct that has implications and consequences for corporate governance in particular, and more generally for the economy, business and society. It aims to extend Carroll's work on definitional constructs by re‐examining some of the theoretical frameworks that underpin, inform and guide CSR.

Design/methodology/approach

Carroll identified different levels, or a pyramid, of CSR and these are outlined and the advantages and disadvantages of a pyramid, levels‐based approach discussed. The main contributions of this article lies is in its exploration of corporate social irresponsibility (CSI) as a concept in contrast to CSR. Bowd, Jones and Tench's CSI‐CSR model is described, explained, analysed and used as a conceptual tool to make the theoretical move from a pyramid or level‐based approach to a more dynamic framework of analysis.

Findings

The proposition that CSI is better suited to a shareholder business model and CSR sits more comfortably with a stakeholder business model is examined. It is contested that people often wrongly equate CSR with irresponsible corporate actions. The CSI‐CSR model establishes a theoretical framework around which grounded empirical research can be undertaken, applied and on which it can be reported.

Research limitations/implications

This is a new area of research that addresses a gap in the literature and puts forward innovative theoretical models. Discussing the concept of irresponsibility makes for an interesting theoretical move. It questions the idea that corporations and business per se are always or necessarily socially responsible.

Originality/value

In looking at and developing existing theoretical models, concepts and frameworks and exploring their merits, shortcomings and limitations, the article will be of interest and relevance to the business and academic communities. If there is such a thing as CSR then the implication is that there is such a thing as CSI and it is on this issue that this article seeks to promote and stimulate discussion.
Socially responsible purchasing in supply chains: drivers and barriers in Sweden
Authors: Mont Oksana , Leire Charlotte
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to explore the factors that drive or hinder organisations to implement socially responsible purchasing.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature analysis is complemented with empirical data from interviews with 20 private and public Swedish organisations.

Findings

The findings from the literature analysis are compared with findings from Swedish organisations. The study finds that in Swedish organisations, the main drivers for socially responsible purchasing include stakeholder influence and organisational values, media and NGOs' attention and employees' concern. The main barriers are a lack of resources for supplier audits, difficulties to ensure that all suppliers fulfil the code of conduct, differences in culture and management style, low levels of social standards and high levels of corruption in some countries of supply, all of which makes assurance practices a very costly enterprise.

Research limitations/implications

Future research could compare socially responsible purchasing (SRP) practices of focal organisations from different countries and deepen the understanding of contextual factors that shape responses of suppliers situated in different regions.

Practical implications

Although exploratory in nature, this study assists managers and public procurers with a greater understanding of the drivers and barriers of socially responsible purchasing, as well as of success factors for integrating social aspects into purchasing practices.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the limited body of literature on the drivers and barriers for organisations to initiate and maintain the work on socially responsible purchasing.
The influence of ISO 14000 on firm performance
Authors: Koe Hwee Nga Joyce
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Economic prosperity has often come at the expense of the natural environment. Environmental degradation has surfaced in problems such as pollution, increased carbon dioxide emissions via burning of fossil fuels and environmental waste. Ignoring the ecological costs through indiscriminate use of non‐renewable resources may lead to increase in the cost of doing business in the future. This unsustainable trend exacerbates inter‐generational poverty and equity. Responsible firms have resorted to ISO 14000 certifications, which comprise guidelines for environmental management systems which promote green, efficient production processes. However, ISO 14000 is not a performance standard and does formulate financial key performance indicators. Nonetheless, extant literature has documented the perception that ISO 14000 certification leads to increased competitive advantage, pre‐emption of regulations, increased financial performance, enhanced reputation and reduction of cost of business. This study seeks to bridge the lacuna in research on the influence of ISO 14000 certification on firm financial performance in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

Methodologically, certain matching criteria have been used to enhance the comparability of ISO 14000 certified firms with their non‐certified counterparts based on the work of Collins, and Collins and Porras.

Findings

The findings indicate that ISO 14000 certification improves average return of equity but not necessarily in terms of sales and capitalisation.

Originality/value

The study suggests that there may be a business case for ISO 14000 certification terms of return on equity in the medium term within the Malaysian context.
Parental mediation of children's TV viewing in China: an urban‐rural comparison
Authors: Sun Tao
Published: October 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how parental mediation of children's television viewing varies among urban and rural children in China.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey of 1,056 children ages 6 to 14 in nine Chinese provinces was conducted. Independent sample t‐tests were performed to make rural‐urban comparisons. Correlation analyses were provided on the relationships between parental mediation styles and children's television usage, and between parental mediation styles and children's purchase request.

Findings

The paper finds that urban parents engage in more instructive mediation and restrictive mediation than rural parents. Urban parents use restrictive mediation the more often, while rural parents use co‐viewing the more frequently. Only urban children's television viewing has a significantly positive relationship with co‐viewing with their parents. In general, children's purchase request is positively related to parental mediation styles in rural and urban China (except for restrictive mediation in rural areas).

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on an analysis of secondary data. Future studies should adopt established scales of parental mediation styles for the Chinese context.

Practical implications

The findings should help public policy makers understand the dynamic parents‐children interactions with television, and help marketers find effective and efficient ways to reach young Chinese consumers.

Originality/value

The study represents a preliminary effort to examine the antecedents of television parental mediation, its occurrence, and its potential effects in the Chinese context.
Conspicuous consumption patterns of Turkish youth: case of cellular phones
Authors: Acikalin Sezgin , Gul Ekrem , Develioglu Kazim
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the notion that people consume goods and services not only to derive satisfaction from them, but also to publicize their social status and show off.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire, based on a detailed literature review, is developed and applied to 691 university students at three state universities in Turkey.

Findings

The findings mainly indicate that one dimension of conspicuous consumption, namely prestige, is an influential variable on social (indirect) benefit of consumers. Another significant finding points out that conspicuous consumption expenditures are observed in all social strata.

Research limitations/implications

The sample consists of university students from three state universities in three cities of Turkey. A larger sample would increase the value of the paper. Despite this fact, the composition of the sample of students, who come from three state universities located in three cities and from all social strata, can be evaluated as a positive feature for the study.

Originality/value

The paper provides beneficial research implications for practitioners by postulating conspicuous consumption patterns of students, who form one of the biggest market segments for cellular phones. The study also employs a cause and effect approach to examine the conspicuous consumption approach, which aims to enhance the notions of Veblen's approach.
Young consumers' evaluations of diffusion brands
Authors: Phau Ian , Cheong Edith
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine how status‐seeking and fashion‐innovative young consumers evaluate diffusion brands. The influence of brand naming techniques and country of origin on brand image and product quality of diffusion brands is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Two well‐known luxury brands and two product categories were identified as the stimulus for the study through pretests. Data were collected using a convenience sampling method in a large Australian university. A self‐administered questionnaire was distributed and 603 usable responses were returned with the sample falling between the ages of 18‐24.

Findings

The results revealed that sub‐brands and nested brands have similar product quality and brand image evaluation when compared with the parent brand. Furthermore, sub‐brands and nested brands have demonstrated product quality fit and brand image fit with the parent brand. The findings suggest that a new brand is not a good substitute for the parent brand to express status. In addition, brand origin is a greater indication of product or brand quality than country of origin.

Research limitations/implications

Replication of study on other segments is worthy of future research. Only the influence of fashion innovativeness and status consumption on diffusion brands was examined. Other external factors can be identified and explored.

Practical implications

Marketers or brand strategists can consider establishing sub‐brands or a nested brand in the early stages of product innovation as status symbols to attract young consumers. There should also be greater emphasis on brand name instead of product involvement when marketing a diffusion brand.

Originality/value

There is limited research that examines how young status‐seeking and fashion‐innovative consumers evaluate diffusion brands. Furthermore, the study is conducted in an Australian context. Two product categories were also studied.
Preparing teachers to teach literacy in responsive ways that capitalize on students' cultural and linguistic backgrounds through weblog technology
Authors: Hsu Hui‐Yin
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Although teacher educators have worked on improving pre‐service teachers' diversity awareness, researchers still face the challenge of pursuing a better approach to achieve the goal. In an era when educators are calling for evidence‐based practice, the purpose of this paper is to explore various ways in which both teacher‐education programs and general schools can integrate diversity issues into literacy teaching and learning. The paper undertakes this exploration on the basis of Gollnick and Chinn's cultural‐identity model and of weblog‐technology use.

Design/methodology/approach

The participants of this paper are 27 pre‐service teachers. The researchers set up a private group blog and invited all participants to be blog authors. The blog enabled the instructor to archive and categorize all posts and to continue to invite cohorts of pre‐service teachers to join the blog. Pre‐service teachers are placed in culturally and linguistically diverse classroom settings and are required to post their weekly reflections on the weblog. The researchers adopte mixed methodology to collect both qualitative data (field observation reports, discussion content on the blog, case studies, and focus groups) and quantitative data (pre‐post surveys).

Findings

The pre‐service teachers in this paper possessed positive and open‐minded attitudes toward English language learners. According to the pre‐ and post‐survey, pre‐service teachers are confident that they could resolve issues related to diversity in the classroom after participating in the paper. According to the results of the case‐scenario analysis, the instructor should use reading contexts to address diversity issues, especially those pertaining to exceptionality, geography, class, and gender. The pre‐service teachers' discussions and interactions on the blog were rich. Pre‐service teachers felt motivation to expand their diversity‐themed discussions from the classroom to the blog.

Originality/value

With the assistance of weblogs, the instructor can extend the in‐class discussion. In the paper, group blogs became a tool that helped the instructor and the pre‐service teachers not only link the in‐class discussion to their field observations but also share personal experiences and resources. For introverted pre‐service teachers, a group blog can serve as a channel through which the pre‐service teachers can comfortably express carefully organized opinions. In general, the commenting feature of the blog enriches interaction among pre‐service teachers and widens their discussion in a way in which limited class time cannot.
The impact of culture on learning: exploring student perceptions
Authors: Ramburuth Prem , Tani Massimiliano
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse similarities and differences in perceptions of learning among students from diverse cultural backgrounds, using the responses of 2,200 undergraduate students surveyed at an Australian University.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey questionnaire is designed to elicit perceptions about the impact of prior learning, competence in language and communication, quality of student‐staff relations and cultural interactions, on student learning. It draws from disciplines including cognitive psychology, social sciences, higher education and economics. The questionnaire is implemented to approximately 2,200 undergraduate students at one of the Australia's largest and most diverse universities. The results are analysed through quantitative techniques.

Findings

There are statistically significant differences between the experiences and learning perceptions of students born in Australia, Asian countries and elsewhere. Differences emerge in prior learning and preparation before entry into university, self‐confidence and the ability to participate in classroom discussions, interacting with peers, and engaging with teaching staff from similar and different language backgrounds.

Research limitations/implications

The quantitative approach to exploring the student experience provides data across a broad spectrum of issues but does not probe into causal factors. A mixed method approach provides such information.

Practical implications

Students from diverse backgrounds need to be provided with appropriate institutional and academic support to acculturate to their new learning and language environments.

Originality/value

The paper provides valuable insights into the learning experiences of students from diverse backgrounds, an increasingly important area as the number of students seeking higher education across boarders and cultures continues to rise.
Ethical issues in instructional technology: an exploratory framework
Authors: Lucey Thomas A. , Grant Michael M.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore a framework for considering moral K‐12 instructional technology. It seeks to examine the extent that development of technology policies consider and respect affected parties' interests.

Design/methodology/approach

Interpreting morality as an economic concept that involves a reconciliation of societal members' diverse needs and wants, the authors describe moral instruction technology use as a negotiation of administrative, teaching and learning needs along five continua defined by Mason, in 1986 and Peace and Hartzel in 2002: property, freedom of speech, privacy, accessibility, and accountability. The paper commences with observations concerning research into technology‐based empowerment and associated ethical issues. It then describes the five continua of ethical instructional technology challenges within the contexts of K‐12 settings.

Findings

The authors encourage research through observational and survey studies to clarify understandings of these continua. Although presented separately, they acknowledge that these dimensions overlap and interact to comprise a mesh of moral dilemmas. If morality represents a concept designed to balance societal powers, then implementation of moral instructional technology processes respects the views of all educators. The authors argue that how educators interpret technology's placements along these moral continua have important consequences for practice. They encourage research that interprets these relationships and how they may best support classroom processes.

Originality/value

The paper presents an exploratory framework, offering insights into ethical issues in instructional technology.
Analysing the parameters of the duty of reasonable adjustment to facilitate access to e‐learning resources
Authors: van Hoorebeek Mark , Walker Stuart , Dermo John
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the parameters of the duty of reasonable adjustment to facilitate access to e‐learning resources.

Design/methodology/approach

Educational providers continue to develop new methods of delivering content in digital format, the increasing use of broadband, web‐based resources and new content creation software provides numerous methods of delivering excellence in content creation and delivery. It is important that this excellence is available to all; to this end the disability aspects of e‐learning provision are discussed in this paper, specifically relating to a anticipatory “duty of reasonable adjustment” to facilitate access to computer‐based learning resources within the UK education sector.

Findings

The paper concludes that the concept of reasonable adjustment is likely to remain unclear within the current statutory framework, is dynamic in relation to e‐learning software applications, and will continue to increase in scope and complexity as advanced software applications are used on a larger scale in the education sector.

Practical implications

After relating general accessibility approaches to the various open and proprietary source software applications and the concept of “lock in,” the paper argues that knowledge of reasonable adjustment is optimally considered in the early planning stage of development rather than after implementation, under the legislatively mandated anticipatory model. Further conclusions are presented which propose that the approaches described can be scaled up to provide general themes, which benefits the full spectrum of disability alongside the wider student cohort.

Originality/value

Further work is discussed and includes a potential UK extension of the analysis presented by Scroggins in 2007 concerning measurement and structural modeling of reasonableness under the provisions of the US Rehabilitation Act of 1998 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
An experiential, social network‐based approach to direct marketing
Authors: Palmer Adrian , Koenig‐Lewis Nicole
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Direct marketing faces challenges and opportunities associated with the emergence of social network media. Companies need to address target audiences both directly and also indirectly through social media. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the changing media landscape of direct marketing, and proposes a model of direct and indirect targeting of buyers.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual model is presented which brings together the needs of producers, sellers and communities. Customer experience is used as an integrative framework for reconciling the sometimes differing needs of these groups.

Findings

The literature is reviewed, noting changes in media habits. Previous studies of social network users provide a picture of the benefits sought by members of online communities.

Originality/value

Assessment of direct marketing has traditionally emphasised cognitive and behavioural metrics. This paper has proposed an experiential framework which may be more difficult to measure, but evidence is presented that emotions associated with use of social network web sites may be more important as a key success factor for direct marketing.
Internal brand equity defines customer experience
Authors: Ghose Kamal
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Brands scintillate on the twin pillars of external brand communication and staff commitment to the envisioned customer experience (CE). However, until very recently the contribution of staff to internal brand building has not received the importance it deserves. With customers becoming more knowledgeable and moving towards a holistic experience rather than buying “products”, the quality of customer interaction (CI) is becoming the deciding factor in brand creation and CE. From this on‐going research based on the emerging services dominant logic popularised by Vargo and Lusch, this paper aims to explore a model to measure the awareness, understanding and commitment of staff to the vision of the service‐oriented brand.

Design/methodology/approach

Answers to a Likert questionnaire with six question sets will give researchers an insight into the awareness, understanding and commitment of staff to the brand vision. At a later stage researchers will use the above data to calculate the internal brand proprietor‐like quality rating of the organization based on the percentage of employees at high/low internal brand proprietor levels. Findings will assist in understanding and improving quality of CI and brand image.

Findings

Successful brand builders identify and spend aggressively on interactions that will have the most impact on revenue growth and profitability and ensure that the touch points that matter are synchronized to successfully convey the brand's promise (Hogan).

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of this research are sample constraints and test persons being highly involved in the research. More accurate results could be obtained if future research is carried out on a sector‐wise basis.

Originality/value

The paper explores a model to measure the awareness, understanding and commitment of staff to the vision of the service‐oriented brand.
Considering implementing major strategic change?
Authors: Rod Michel , Ashill Nicholas , Saunders Sarena
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and illustrate those factors that influence successful implementation of major strategic change drawing on the example of a joint venture between two small firms in the health technology sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodological approach involves a selective review of the strategic change implementation literature in conjunction with personal reflections on the part of the lead author regarding his involvement in the development and first year of operations of this joint venture.

Findings

The authors provide an illustration of the sorts of factors that influence major strategic change implementation from the literature integrated with the findings from the focal joint venture in developing a taxonomic framework and several propositions with accompanying managerial action points to help guide the development and management of a small joint venture as one example of major strategic change implementation.

Originality/value

The paper provides managers with a framework that identifies the sorts of issues that need to be considered when implementing this type of major strategic change.
Entry barriers in retail pharmacy: a novel model
Authors: Clark Christopher , White Lesley
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Barriers to entry and entry deterrent strategies are widely discussed elements of the strategic literature and help define the attractiveness of an industry. The channel structure of the pharmaceutical industry, in part because of the level of regulation applicable to it, has the potential for idiosyncratic strategic behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to explore the applicability of traditional approaches to entry barriers and entry deterrence in the Australian retail pharmacy industry facing the threat of a major entry by examining the perceptions of incumbent retail pharmacists regarding the strength of potential barriers to entry into the industry, and their likely response to entry.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses both qualitative and quantitative methodology to categorise potential barriers to entry in terms of their perception by incumbent players. More than 20 in‐depth interviews are conducted with a range of stakeholders and 132 retail pharmacists completed questionnaires.

Findings

The paper suggests that this industry is relying on barriers which, while arguably effective, are outside the industry's control, and do not justify the apparent complacency among retail pharmacists.

Practical implications

This research is of significant managerial relevance since it demonstrates that the incumbents are unprepared for potentially devastating impacts if supermarkets or other new competitors were to enter the market.

Originality/value

The authors propose and utilise a novel framework for entry barrier analysis which includes the perceivedlocusof control for each entry barrier. The contribution of the paper is therefore in its treatment of the traditional arena of entry barriers and deterrence.
E‐government diffusion in Oman: a public sector employees' perspective
Authors: Al‐Busaidy Moaman , Weerakkody Vishanth
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Although significant investments have been made, to date only limited progress has been made in terms of realising fully functional and integrated e‐government services in Oman. The purpose of this paper is to identify the most salient factors that are currently influencing the development and diffusion of e‐government in Oman as perceived by government employees involved in e‐government service delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a quantitative survey‐based empirical study in three key public service agencies in Oman.

Findings

This research reveals that improved accessibility, efficiency and availability of public services may lead to high levels of confidence among citizens in relation to e‐government adoption in Oman. The study also finds that Omani information technology workforce capability has an indirect impact on citizens' trust and confidence in using e‐services.

Research limitations/implications

The research focuses on the views of government employees and therefore the results represent only the views of e‐government service providers; these views may be influenced by their own experience, background and attitude towards online services.

Practical implications

In order to realise the vision of implementing e‐government in Oman, ten key factors are identified in this study that may serve as a starting point for decision makers and implementers. Decision makers and implementers can draw from best practices in the region and rest of the world in terms of addressing the ten factors discussed in the study.

Originality/value

The study analyses the salient factors influencing e‐government adoption in Oman from the service providers perspective and compares these with previously published literature on e‐government adoption that take a citizen centric perspective. This research strategy offers a new and more balanced perspective of e‐government adoption and diffusion in Oman.
Energy technology alternatives for India till 2030
Authors: Parikh Jyoti , Ghosh Probal P.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

India aspires for high economic growth of around 8‐9 percent over next few years. Higher economic growth would lead to higher production and consumption, more energy use and more CO2 emissions. At a time when CO2 emissions reductions are becoming an important point of debate and fast erosion of fossil fuel reserves all over the world, it is necessary to identify technological choices that reduce CO2 emission and dependence on fossil fuels. A few modeling studies have explored India's technology options. The Integrated Energy Policy (IEP) report of the Planning Commission of India presents different scenarios for energy supply. The IEP model is however an energy technology model and does not consider a feed back into the economy due to changes in technological choice. This paper aims to follow the IEP in the kind of scenario's envisaged and attempts to investigate its macro‐economic impacts.

Design/methodology/approach

The Integrated Research and Action for Development model is an activity analysis model that uses a social accounting matrix to account for inter‐sectoral influence and which allows for a two‐way interaction between energy sectors (coal, oil, natural gas, and electricity) and other sectors of the economy. This paper tries to have three scenarios that are comparable to IEP in terms of specifications and their resultant energy demand (Mtoe).

Findings

The analyses prove that changing technological choice results in gross domestic product gains, and reduction in energy demand and CO2 emission. The results show that the policies considered can have adverse welfare impacts.

Originality/value

This paper helps in providing an insight into the macro‐economic impacts of the IEP scenarios. The two‐way dependence of technological choice and output shows the gains and loses out of moving to more costlier but low emission‐based power generation technology.