bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A personal narrative on understanding and navigating transitional change: lessons learned by an accounting academic amidst COVID-19
Authors: Ackermann Christo
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to present the personal narrative of an accounting academic, seeking to make sense of his transition change-response to online accounting education, through the thematic lens of the transition cycle of change.

Design/methodology/approach

The research approach falls under the umbrella term of autoethnography. An autoethnography is presented as a personal narrative that focused on a specific event in life.

Findings

The author found that gaining awareness of how resistance to change manifests itself in the early stages of transition allows us to move forward, rather than remaining “stuck in transition”. Furthermore, the author found that transition cycles can be looped; in other words, we find ourselves starting transition anew if circumstances change again. Thus, transition should not be seen as linear but cyclical.

Practical implications

This research could be useful to other accounting academics by fostering an awareness of individual change-responses during times of crisis, thereby enabling better self-management of change. For heads of accountancy academic departments, it is important to take note that change amidst crisis can sap morale and diminish work performance. The management of staff, and understanding their transition change-responses during crisis, is therefore critical to ensure that staff are navigated through change arising from crisis.

Originality/value

This paper answers the question what can we learn by understanding our transitional process of change by drawing on change theory? To this end, this paper presents and starts this conversation, through a personal narrative bringing to life the transitional change journey of an accounting academic during crisis. This study lays a foundation for further empirical and theoretical enquiry into accounting education change processes during crisis.
The Business Process Design Space for exploring process redesign alternatives
Authors: Gross Steven , Stelzl Katharina , Grisold Thomas , Mendling Jan , Röglinger Maximilian , vom Brocke Jan
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Process redesign refers to the intentional change of business processes. While process redesign methods provide structure to redesign projects, they provide limited support during the actual creation of to-be processes. More specifically, existing approaches hardly develop an ontological perspective on what can be changed from a process design point of view, and they provide limited procedural guidance on how to derive possible process design alternatives. This paper aims to provide structured guidance during the to-be process creation.

Design/methodology/approach

Using design space exploration as a theoretical lens, the authors develop a conceptual model of the design space for business processes, which facilitates the systematic exploration of design alternatives along different dimensions. The authors utilized an established method for taxonomy development for constructing the conceptual model. First, the authors derived design dimensions for business processes and underlying characteristics through a literature review. Second, the authors conducted semi-structured interviews with professional process experts. Third, the authors evaluated their artifact through three real-world applications.

Findings

The authors identified 19 business process design dimensions that are grouped into different layers and specified by underlying characteristics. Guiding questions and illustrative real-world examples help to deploy these design dimensions in practice. Taken together, the design dimensions form the “Business Process Design Space” (BPD-Space).

Research limitations/implications

Practitioners can use the BPD-Space to explore, question and rethink business processes in various respects.

Originality/value

The BPD-Space complements existing approaches by explicating process design dimensions. It abstracts from specific process flows and representations of processes and supports an unconstrained exploration of various alternative process designs.
Inequality through MNE–emerging economy coevolution? A political actor view on Myanmar/Burma’s peacebuilding
Authors: Hermes Jan , Lehto Irene
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This study aims to understand how the coevolution of multinational enterprises (MNEs) and emerging economy institutions affects social and economic (in)equality in an ambiguous, emerging economy context from a political actor perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative in nature, the study builds on conversations with 20 political actors involved in the peacebuilding process in Myanmar/Burma. It analyzes their perceptions of interaction of MNEs and host economy institutions from a social constructionist viewpoint.

Findings

The study identifies four coevolution patterns which portray the evolving interaction between MNE activities and different elements of their host institutional environment as well as their consequences for social and economic (in)equality.

Originality/value

This study contributes to critical international business research on emerging economies by emphasizing the different and partly conflicting host institutions of various stakeholder groups involved in the coevolution of MNEs and host institutional environments. The more nuanced conceptualization of the complex institutional environment enables the analysis of inequality as a direct and indirect outcome of MNE–institution interaction. Thus, the study connects to the business and human rights discussion and provides insight into the consequences of MNEs’ adoption of social and environment standards.
Population estimation using Twitter for a specific space
Authors: Hara Hiroki , Fujita Yoshikatsu , Tsuda Kazuhiko
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to estimate the population in a specific space from the numbers of posted tweets and their senders, using Twitter's real-time property and location information data.

Design/methodology/approach

The population to be estimated was set to be the attendance at each game among the six baseball teams of the Japan Professional Baseball Pacific League held at the main stadium of each team. The relation between the attendance and Twitter data was analyzed, and regression models using Twitter data were used to estimate the attendances.

Findings

The correlation coefficient tended to be larger for the attendance and tweeting users than for the attendance and that of the number of tweets. Furthermore, the comparison and evaluation of several regression models combining Twitter data, game data and weather data for estimating the attendance showed the usefulness of Twitter data, and that using the number of tweeting users improved the accuracy of population estimation.

Originality/value

While there are many studies on event detection or location identification using Twitter data, no study has been reported on the estimation of the population in a specific space using “time information” and “location information” characteristic of Twitter data. Using Twitter data, which contains users' messages, for estimating the population can be extended to various types of analyses, such as the analysis of feelings and opinions of the groups in the space.
A thermal performance study of four communities in Ghana's savannah region
Authors: Koranteng Christian , Simons Barbara , Manu Frederick Wireko
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Many countries the world over continue to grapple with issues of thermal discomfort both within and without – a condition that has arisen due to incessant urbanization, climate change, among others. The current study focussed on assessing the level of thermal stress both in and outdoors towards finding measures to reduce overheating in spaces within the Savannah climatic region of Ghana through a four-stage approach.

Design/methodology/approach

A four-stage approach has been used for the study; thus, a thermal comfort analysis based on physiologically equivalent temperature (PET), overheating assessment, a subjective thermal responses/evaluation of residents and a simulation effort to improve comfort.

Findings

There was an indication of “moderate cold stress to slight cold stress” on the coolest day (28th December). On the warmest day (12th April), however, the indoor environment had exceedance and severity of overheating of at least 56% and 38-degree hours. The acceptable comfort range and comfort temperatures of occupants of buildings in the study area have been determined to be 25.5–33 °C by the thermal sensation survey. Meanwhile, the simulation showed that a 200% increase in thermal mass, exterior wall insulation and roof extension and insulation has the potential to generate a reduction of 18% in overheated hours.

Originality/value

The paper unearths the flagrant disregard for thermal comfort in an attempt of “copying blindly” architecture from Southern Ghana by the affluent within the Savannah Region. Again, data provided prove that indeed human activities have worsened the plight of inhabitants through materials as well as construction methods.
CEO interview-Mr. Jingbang Zhang, EVP of Yagao Meihua Hotel Management Co., Ltd and CEO of Madison Brand, Shanghai, China
Authors: Wen Jun
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to interview Mr. Jingbang Zhang, EVP of Yagao Meihua Hotel Management Co., Ltd & CEO of Madison Brand based in Shanghai, China, regarding the impact of COVID-19 on China’s hotel industry and potential post-COVID-19 trends.

Design/methodology/approach

Interview with hotel group CEO and industry leader in China.

Findings

Several effects of COVID-19 and potential trends are discussed from a hotel CEO’s perspective.

Originality/value

Tourism and hospitality stakeholders will acquire a better understanding of the impacts of COVID-19 on China’s hotel industry and possible post-COVID-19 adjustments
Reading between the lines: analyzing online reviews by using a multi-method Web-analytics approach
Authors: Gour Alekh , Aggarwal Shikha , Erdem Mehmet
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The dynamic yet volatile nature of tourism and travel industry in a competitive environment calls for enhanced marketing intelligence and analytics, especially for those entities with limited marketing budgets. The past decade has witnessed an increased use of user-generated content (UGC) analysis as a marketing tool to make better informed decisions. Likewise, textual data analysis of UGC has gained much attention among tourism and hospitality scholars. Nonetheless, most of the scholarly works have focused on the singular application of an existing method or technique rather than using a multi-method approach. The purpose of this study is to propose a novel Web analytics methodology to examine online reviews posted by tourists in real time and assist decision-makers tasked with marketing strategy and intelligence.

Design/methodology/approach

For illustration, the case of tourism campaign in India was undertaken. A total of 305,298 reviews were collected, and after filtering, 276,154 reviews were qualified for analysis using a string of models. Descriptive charts, sentiment analysis, clustering, topic modeling and machine learning algorithms for real-time classification were applied.

Findings

Using big data from TripAdvisor, a total of 145 tourist destinations were clustered based on tourists’ perceptions. Further exploration of each cluster through topic modeling was conducted, which revealed interesting insights into satisfiers and dissatisfiers of different clusters of destinations. The results supported the use of the proposed multi-method Web-analytics approach.

Practical implications

The proposed machine learning model demonstrated that it could provide real-time information on the sentiments in each incoming review about a destination. This information might be useful for taking timely action for improvisation or controlling a service situation.

Originality/value

In terms of Web-analytics and UGC, a comprehensive analytical model to perform an end-to-end understanding of tourist behavior patterns and offer the potential for real-time interpretation is rarely proposed. The current study not only proposes such a model but also offers empirical evidence for a successful application. It contributes to the literature by providing scholars interested in textual analytics a step-by-step guide to implement a multi-method approach.
Cognitive processing and affect predict negotiators’ post-adversity subjective and economic outcomes
Authors: Olekalns Mara , Smith Philip Leigh
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Negotiators are offered limited advice on how to overcome adverse events. Drawing on resilience and coping literatures, this study aims to test the impact of three cognitive processing strategies on negotiators’ subjective and economic value following adversity.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants completed two negotiations with the same partner. The difficulty of the first negotiation was manipulated and tested how cognitive processing of this experience influenced subjective and economic outcomes in the second negotiation.

Findings

Subjective and economic outcomes were predicted by negotiators’ affect, their cognitive processing strategy and negotiation difficulty. In difficult negotiations, as positive affect increased, proactive processing decreased self-satisfaction. As negative affect increased, affective processing increased satisfaction with relationship and process.

Research limitations/implications

Cognitive processing of adversity is most effective when emotions are not running high and better able to protect relationship- and process-oriented satisfaction than outcome-oriented satisfaction. The findings apply to one specific type of adversity and to circumstances that do not generate strong emotions.

Originality/value

This research tests which of three cognitive processing strategies is best able to prevent the aftermath of a difficult negotiation from spilling over into subsequent negotiations. Two forms of proactive processing are more effective than immersive processing in mitigating the consequences.
Facilitating factors in cultivating diverse online communities of practice: a case of international teaching assistants during the COVID-19 crisis
Authors: McLaughlan Toni
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This study aims to identify facilitating factors in cultivating a linguistically and culturally diverse virtual Community of Practice (CoP) and techniques in tailoring such support for international graduate teaching assistants (ITAs) at a US university while assessing indications for ITAs' self-perceptions in four key areas: social connectedness, confidence teaching in English, pedagogical support and self-efficacy in teaching.

Design/methodology/approach

This mixed-methods case study qualitatively analyzes open-ended responses utilizing a Grounded Action Research approach along with follow-up interviews of ITAs. Quantitative measures of key perception areas between three “Experience Groups” were conducted to identify potential correlations with involvement in the CoP.

Findings

Calculations using the Kruskal–Wallis test of differences yielded no statistically significant results. However, qualitative analyses highlight ITAs' needs, classified into four general concepts and 16 specific core categories. Evaluation of CoP communications suggests COVID-19 and a sudden transition to online teaching represented recognizable shared problems that invigorated the CoP and overshadowed diversity-related factors.

Research limitations/implications

These findings have implications for culturally and linguistically diverse CoPs and particularly for ITA training programs worldwide, allowing universities to enhance support of ITAs and bolster development of undergraduate programs especially during times of crisis and transitions to online learning.

Originality/value

The first study to investigate an international, multilingual ITA population in a virtual CoP regardless of academic discipline, this contributes by addressing several common CoP criticisms, including cultivation in distributed contexts and in further guiding expectations for its adoption into culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
The significance of mentor–mentee relationship quality for student teachers' well-being and flourishing during practical field experiences: a longitudinal analysis
Authors: Dreer Benjamin
Published: January 2021

Purpose

To support student teachers' well-being and ensure that they flourish during teacher education, it is necessary to examine the relationship between student teachers and their mentors during field experiences. Previous research has identified a connection between the quality of the mentor–mentee relationship and facets of student teachers' well-being. However, to date, this link has been insufficiently corroborated using longitudinal empirical data. This study aims to investigate the impact of mentor–mentee relationship quality on the well-being and flourishing of student teachers.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-lagged panel design with two intervals (six weeks apart) was applied during a 15-week field experience with a sample of 125 German student teachers. Well-being and flourishing were captured using the positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, achievement (PERMA) framework. Relationship quality was assessed by adapting a questionnaire from the field of mentoring in medicine.

Findings

Relationship quality at the outset significantly predicted all five PERMA dimensions at the end of the assessment period. The impact of relationship quality was especially strong on the dimensions of relationships (R) and meaning (M). Conversely, the PERMA dimensions (except achievement) did not significantly impact relationship quality.

Originality/value

These results provide longitudinal empirical evidence underlining the beneficial effects of a healthy relationship between mentor and mentee in the field of teacher education. The findings clearly suggest that the relationship quality significantly influences student teachers' well-being and capacity to flourish during practical phases.
China's OFDI policy announcements and cross-border M&A
Authors: Utesch-Xiong Fredrik
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to enhance the understanding of the role of Chinese outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) policies for cross-border merger and acquisition (M&A) by distinguishing between coercive and noncoercive OFDI policies.

Design/methodology/approach

The dependent variable is the count of completed M&A transactions, measured monthly. Due to the nature of the study’s data, the author performs a zero-inflated negative binomial (ZINB) regression.

Findings

Separating between coercive and noncoercive policies, the author finds that the latter type shows a stronger supportive effect on the count of M&A deals. Considering firm ownership, the study’s results reveal that announcements of coercive policies have a weaker effect on cross-border M&A for state-owned enterprises (SOEs) than that for private-owned enterprises (POEs). For local SOEs (LSOEs) and central SOEs (CSOEs), this difference becomes even larger with noncoercive policy announcements. The influence on M&A of both policy types gets partially replaced with increasing internationalization experience.

Originality/value

Combining institutional theory with policy change theory, the author argues that international business (IB) research on policy change needs to consider the integration of theoretical policy-level approaches to catch the effects of policy change on firm internationalization appropriately. The findings of the study support this argument by highlighting that the policy effect differs by policy type.
How home country identity salience affects emerging market companies' overseas IPO performance: an empirical investigation from China
Authors: Cui Nan , Xie Peng , Jiang Yiran , Xu Lan
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the current study is to examine how and when home country identity salience of emerging market companies affects their overseas initial public offering (IPO) performance

Design/methodology/approach

By using secondary data from multiple sources, this study empirically tests the proposed research framework in the context of Chinese companies' overseas IPO activities in the US stock markets.

Findings

The results demonstrate that home country identity salience positively affects overseas IPO performance, and thus can be recognized as the asset of foreignness. Cultural specification positively moderates the effect of home country identity salience on overseas IPO performance. Market internationalization also plays an important moderating role in the relationship between home country identity salience and overseas IPO performance.

Originality/value

The current study identifies a new factor, that is, home country identity salience, that can mitigate the liability of foreignness for emerging market companies in their overseas IPO activities. The study also documents the positive cultural impacts on overseas investors in a financial and international context.
An ecosystems analysis of how sales managers develop salespeople
Authors: Peesker Karen M. , Ryals Lynette J. , Rich Gregory A. , Davis Lenita
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify and explain how leadership behaviors of sales managers can enhance the development of salespeople within the context of those interpersonal connections and interactions that is the sales ecosystem.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected and analyzed qualitative data from in-depth interviews with a sample of 36 sales professionals. Over 47 hours of interviews were transcribed and analyzed via NVivo. The statements were labeled as particular leader behaviors using the Miles and Huberman (1994) coding system.

Findings

The study identifies coaching, customer engaging, collaborating and championing as the four key leader behaviors that are relevant to the sales ecosystem. Specifically, coaching and customer engaging enhance the individual microsystems of salespeople; and collaborating and championing enhance the corresponding mesosystems. Analysis of the interview statements further revealed that trust, confidence, optimism and resilience are four relational elements that tend to coexist with these leader behaviors in the sales ecosystem.

Practical implications

This study provides a structure for sales organizations to strengthen their sales ecosystem through targeted interventions and training for those that manage salespeople. Past research finds that sales organizations too often neglect this type of managerial training.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine sales leadership through the lens of Bronfenbrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory. Further, the qualitative methodology, which is relatively unique in sales research, provides rich data that is particularly useful for exploring how and why things have happened.
Ecotoxicological assessment of soil-like mixtures made of drill cuttings
Authors: Ostakh Oxana , Uzyakova Elena , Grechishcheva Natalya , Kusheeva Violetta
Published: January 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the possibilities to use drill cuttings in soil formation processes on sandy substrates. The ecological and toxicological assessment of drill cuttings of various genesis and mixtures based on them is applied for the purpose.

Design/methodology/approach

Acute toxicity of mixtures consisting of various drill cuttings, sand and peat was estimated using soft wheat seeds (Triticum aestivum) using the eluate method. Subacute toxicity experiments were carried out using creeping trefoil (white clover) seeds (Trifolium repens), rye seeds (Secale cereale), and garden radish seeds (Raphanus sativus L.). Drill cuttings of the West Siberian oil-and-gas basin generated as a result of drilling on clay-polymer drilling fluids can be used as a component of soil-like mixtures in the reclamation of sand fills. Patterns of the selective stimulation of seed growth by components of drilling fluids (xanthate and bentonite) were revealed.

Findings

It was found that the addition of bentonite and xanthan (0.05% by weight of the cuttings each) reduces the suppression of seed growth occasioned salt content by 21.1% and 24.0%, respectively.

Originality/value

Soil degradation and desertification is a serious and widespread problem. The restoration of the fertile layer can be launched by application of the artificial soil-like mixtures based on drill cuttings of a certain origin to the disturbed lands.
A proposed framework for implementing risk-based Shari’ah audit
Authors: Sani Suleiman Dalhatu , Abubakar Mustapha
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to recommend a framework that serves as a practical work tool for conducting risk-based Shari’ah audit (RBSA) in Islamic financial institutions (IFIs).

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative research method was used through critical in-depth content analysis of documented literature to generate deep insights, further supported with a hypothetical illustrative case study application of the framework on an Islamic bank, aimed at bringing the framework to a practical, near real-life scenario.

Findings

A robust RBSA framework has been developed which focuses on Shari’ah non-compliance risks to systematically and practically arrive at a rated opinion on the level of an IFI’s adherence with Shari’ah rules and principles as recommended by the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions, aimed to safeguard the IFI and promote financial system stability at large.

Research limitations/implications

Practical realities limited the study to the use of a hypothetical case study bank. Future researchers can apply the framework to a real case study of diverse IFIs for effective contextual recalibration in diverse jurisdictions.

Practical implications

This paper aids the development of both internal and external Shari’ah audit practice using the risk-based approach.

Social implications

The RBSA framework contributes to promoting public trust and confidence in the Islamic finance industry.

Originality/value

This paper has proposed this RBSA framework as a practical work tool for Shari’ah auditors in their engagements and regulators in promoting sound governance and financial system stability. It provides foundation for future researchers in the field.
Modelling human resource dimension of international project risk management
Authors: Dandage Rahul Vishwanath , Rane Santosh B. , Mantha Shankar S.
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Project risk management (PRM) and human resource management (HRM) are the two critical success factors (CSFs) for international project management. This paper aims to correlate these two CSFs, identify the human resource (HR) barriers, develop a hybrid model for risk management and develop strategies to overcome the HR barriers to effective risk management in international projects.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 20 key HR barriers have been identified through a literature survey and verified by project professionals. These HR barriers are ranked according to their ability to trigger other barriers by analysing their interactions using the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method. Based on Ulrich’s revised model for HR functions, a hybrid framework for international PRM has been proposed.

Findings

DEMATEL analysis categorized nine barriers as cause barriers and 11 as affected barriers. The “PROJECTS” model proposed for HR strategy development suggests eight strategies to overcome these nine cause barriers. The hybrid PRM framework developed includes the effect of the HR dimension.

Research limitations/implications

This paper presents the generalized prioritization of HR barriers to international PRM. For a specific international project, the HR barriers and their prioritization may change slightly. The hybrid framework for PRM and the strategy development model suggested are yet to be validated.

Originality/value

Correlating two CSFs in international project management, i.e. HRM and PRM and ranking the HR barriers using the DEMATEL method is the uniqueness of this research paper. The hybrid framework developed for PRM based on HR functions in Ulrich’s revised model and the proposed new HR strategy development model “PROJECTS” are unique contributions of this paper.
Governance mechanisms and the Takaful insurance performance: the moderating role of the leader’s seniority
Authors: Sallemi Nourhen , Zouari Hadiji Rim , Zouari Ghazi
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the effect of governance mechanisms (board size, board independence, duality, the Sharia board size, Sharia board meetings and ownership concentration) on the performance of insurance providers of distinguishable Muamalah contracts (wakalah and hybrid), moderated by the length of senior leaders’ servicing time.

Design/methodology/approach

The full sample includes 21 listed Takaful companies divided into two subsamples – 12 insurance wakalah contracts offered in the South East Asian (SEA) countries and 9 insurance hybrid contracts offered in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries over the period of 2012–2018. The methodology is informed by Baron and Kenny’s (1986) moderation process approach.

Findings

The results of this study indicate that the larger the size of directors’ board and the higher the number of outside directors, the greater the SEA wakalah Takaful insurance performance. Nondual functions and a larger size of Sharia board along with a highly-concentrated ownership structure have a positive effect on the Takaful insurance performance in both the SEA and GCC regions. Furthermore, the higher the Sharia board meetings, the higher performance of all types of Takaful insurance providers in the sample. As for the moderating effect of the director’s seniority, it is found to negatively moderate the relationship between the governance mechanisms and the Takaful performance in both regions.

Originality/value

This paper highlights that the leader’s entrenchment stands as an obstructing factor impeding the governance mechanisms from enhancing Takaful performance. Thus, it serves to contribute to clearly understanding the appropriate governance mechanisms usefully fit for a Takaful insurance effective performance, applying the wakalah and hybrid contract types. Such a contribution should be appreciated by the concerned regulators engaged in setting up limited serving periods for the directors whereby the Takaful insurance practice could be efficiently managed and supervised.
Responsible leadership and employees’ turnover intention. Explore the mediating roles of ethical climate and corporate image
Authors: Yasin Raheel
Published: January 2021

Purpose

Employee turnover, building a positive corporate image and ethical lapses in the corporate world demand business leaders to perform their jobs with a higher sense of responsibility. This study aims to investigate the mediating effect of ethical climate and corporate image by using the corporate social responsibility theory and social identity theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 280 employees from the banking sector of Pakistan was collected through a questionnaire-based survey by using the convenience sampling technique. The structural equation modeling technique using Smart partial least square was used to test the hypothesized model.

Findings

The findings of the study affirmed a significant positive correlation between responsible leadership and ethical climate and ethical climate is significantly positively correlated with corporate image. Meanwhile, the corporate image is negatively correlated with employees’ turnover intention. Results further corroborate ethical climate mediating effect between responsible leadership and corporate image and corporate image likewise mediates between ethical climate and employee turnover intention.

Research limitations/implications

This study enriches the present literature on the subject of responsible leadership, ethical climate, corporate image and turnover intention from the employee’s point of view. Elucidating from previous studies, most of the investigations about the corporate image was conducted from the customers’ perspective and there has been a scarcity of studies focusing on employees’ perspective.

Practical implications

This study guides a value proposition that is concerned with the turnover of employees for human resource professionals from the banking industry. It explores a new dimension of the debate on employee turnover intention.

Originality/value

This study marks the first step toward corporate image as an organizational behavior construct by demonstrating that corporate image impact turnover intention. This study tests a model that demonstrates the role of ethical climate and corporate image in the linkage between responsible leadership and employees’ turnover intention.
Identifying distinctive traits of healthcare leaders in Israel: in-depth interviews with senior physicians – an exploratory study
Authors: Dopelt Keren , Levi Baruch , Davidovitch Nadav
Published: January 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the views of physicians in senior management positions regarding the distinctive characteristics and roles of leaders in the Israeli health-care system and what might be the interactions between management and leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 13 semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with physicians in senior management positions. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and analyzed using the qualitative-phenomenological method.

Findings

Interviewees discerned leaders as exhibiting traits of transformational leadership and managers, as expressing characteristics of transactional leadership. Most interviewees asserted that physicians should act as social leaders promoting public health and equality in health care, beyond their clinical practice. They agreed that physicians should fill most senior positions in the health-care system, provided they undergo appropriate training in management, leadership and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Originality/value

Interviewees revealed gaps between the aspiration to lead, perceptions of physicians as leaders and what occurs in reality: physicians wish to assume leadership roles in the health-care system and emphasize the qualities of transformative leadership, but medical education does not include leadership training. Therefore, there is a need to develop training programs for physicians in management and leadership. There is also a need to integrate physicians from various communities to promote local leadership in the health-care field and to reduce disparities. The consideration of health-care leadership is especially applicable in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has placed the question of leadership within and outside of the medical community in a broader social context.
A Quantitative Assessment of the Environmental Impact of Flexible Partitions
Authors: Beisi Jia
Published: January 2021

Each person in Hong Kong produces three times more waste than that of Singapore. This is because a large portion of the waste in Hong Kong is from the construction sector. Re-decoration work carried out by dwellers in Hong Kong is one of the major sources of the construction and demolition waste. Development of flexible reusable infill systems with high recycling potential is significant. A number of these systems are currently used, mainly in public and commercial buildings. They may have potential to be applied in residential buildings in the future.

This paper starts with an introduction to the infill systems applied in open building history. It then points out the need to investigate the development of infill processes by integrating infill products available in the market. The paper further introduces current open building studies on reusability of infill systems and addresses the problem that there is a lack of quantitative information on embodied energy and other environmental impacts of infill systems.

In the methodology section the paper describes five types of partition walls selected, ranging from low flexibility to high flexibility. Applying an evaluation model for environmental impact, the paper analyzes embodied energy intensity, and environmental impacts of each partition systems in two simulated situations. One is in a two room unit of a public housing prototype and the other is in private apartment. It concludes that partition walls with higher flexibility are highly intensive in their embodied energy. In other environmental impacts, especially recycling potential, flexible partition wall panels exceed that of conventional block-work partitions. The study will enable more complete information to be obtained concerning the environmental impact of infill components and will assist architects and other building professional wisely apply open building design concepts.
Open Building Principles: An Academic Exploration in Soshanguve, South Africa
Authors: Osman Amira , Lemmer Catherine
Published: January 2021

The Department of Architecture at the University of Pretoria is working in the South African housing context while gaining knowledge of such issues worldwide. Various innovations are being carried out in terms of housing design and delivery methods in South Africa. Through a methodical approach to design, it is believed that future architects will be able to answer to contextual needs without compromising the high standard of design expected by the Department.

This paper evaluates an exercise in open building principles, carried out in 2003, with post−graduate architecture and interior architecture students at the University. The focus was the application of open building principles from the urban design level to that of the building and the residential units. It involved the design of social housing and the upgrading of existing workers’ hostels into family units as well as the provision of social amenities. Students were to design various types of housing, showing alternative ways of ‘living’ and study housing in the area. The project involved close interaction with community representatives.

The area of study was located in Soshanguve, a township with predominantly black inhabitants, situated to the northwest of Pretoria. The previous political dispensation designated specific areas on the outskirts of the city as locations for black migrant workers, known as townships. Subsequently these townships have become cities in themselves, housing a large portion of the total population of Pretoria. It is here that there is a need for urban development and social housing.

Soshanguve offered an excellent opportunity for learning and the dissemination of good design principles in housing design. A debate on the relevance of open building to South Africa has been initiated. It is concluded that open building systems are an effective tool to achieve diversity and can accommodate for wider sectors of the population.
Cries in the Dark: Reconstruction after Hurricane Mitch in Honduras
Authors: Rhyner Kurt
Published: January 2021

Disasters are always caused by a combination of factors, and the natural phenomenon that brings them on is usually just a catalyst. The underlying cause of most disasters is poverty as mostly the poor segments of the population usually live in high risk areas where their shelter all too often cannot withstand even light winds, small inundations or medium earthquakes.

When Hurricane Mitch hit Central America in October 1998, all countries were ill prepared. A few weeks earlier, the authorities of the Honduran capital, Tegucigalpa, had attempted to simulate an evacuation, but it had met with a great degree of resistance from the public. When Mitch hit, unprecedented masses of water raced down the mountainous river beds. People were taken by surprise, as no efficient organisation existed. Everybody ran for their lives. Houses slid down hillsides, rivers swept bridges, houses and people with them.

Six years later, Tegucigalpa looks very similar to the days before Mitch. The steep hillsides are covered with a potpourri of dwellings, from miserable huts to solid upmarket houses. Regulations were passed in the year 2002 to prohibit construction in high risk areas; however, enforcement is difficult, especially when existing buildings are renovated and even enlarged. Theoretically it is possible to evacuate high risk areas. Nonetheless, such drastic measures are virtually impossible to implement, as no mayor or police chief would survive such an action in office.

The paper presents a case study which shows that the underlying problems of poverty and the non-availability of suitable land for people to relocate from high risk areas can usually not be overcome by post-disaster reconstruction programmes. A mitigation strategy is thus to empower inhabitants of high risk areas to improve their own situation by affordable access to information, advice and suitable low cost construction materials through “Building Advisory Services” and Ecomaterials producers within the neighbourhoods.
Post-Disaster Housing Reconstruction for Sustainable Risk Reduction in Peru
Authors: Ferradas Pedro
Published: January 2021

Intermediate Technology Development Group (ITDG) recently completed the systematisation of their reconstruction projects which were implemented between the early 1990s and the year 2003 in the poor areas of Peru affected by disasters or internal war. Within these projects, technological housing reconstruction schemes were designed and validated as part of an effort to reduce the vulnerability of the affected population. 1,300 houses were built during 5 years; 600 houses between April 1992 and April 1994 and 700 houses between July 2001 and July 2003. The key factors for successful risk reduction identified during post-disaster reconstruction were: the location of reconstructed housing, the construction procedures and materials employed, the improvement of people's self-construction techniques, and the improvement of local risk-management skills.

ITDG's first experience in Alto Mayo during the early 1990s involved participatory management at a local level and the use of the so-called improved “wattle and daub technology” (i.e. structural reinforcement of mud, wood and cane buildings). This technique is more earthquake-proof than the construction technology predominating in Peru (i.e. cement and iron-based structures). The experience in Ayacucho, which concluded in 2001, provided the opportunity to apply the so-called “improved adobe technique” (i.e. structural reinforcement of mud buildings), as well as to install community water supply systems. The reconstruction work in Moquegua and Tacna, completed in 2003, was based on the organisation of workshops geared towards encouraging the participation of women in the use of various housing construction technologies and providing the facilities for them to adapt such technologies to traditional architecture.

This article highlights the ITDG approach and experiences to post-disaster reconstruction: the main activities carried out in preparation for and during the implementation of the projects, the lessons obtained during these experiences, and the monitoring and evaluation procedures recommended for future reconstruction projects.
Building Disaster Risk Reduction in Asia: A Way Forward
Authors: Kessler Earl
Published: January 2021

Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) was established in 1986. It was restructured in July 2003 to focus on specific technical areas: climate variability and change management, urban disaster risk management, public health in emergencies, building national and provincial disaster management systems, and community based disaster risk management (CBDRM), promoting regional cooperation, identifying disaster risk management (DRM) needs in the region and developing strategic solutions. The consolidation enables ADPC's teams to work more effectively with stakeholders and build cross-team inputs into their work. Multiple hazards under this new thematic approach are a key concept along with new areas of importance to DRM that include chemical, biological and radio-nuclear risks, heritage and disaster mitigation, and the role of domestic capital markets in financing improvements in the built environment to create a safer, more disaster-resilient world.

The terms “risk management”, “risk reduction”, “vulnerability reduction”, “capacity building” and “mitigation” began replacing the reactive term “disaster management”, thus making pro-active DRM in Asia part of the development agenda that must deal with the growing variety and intensity of hazards. It was a shift from short-term, reactive, charity-driven responses to long-term, proactive, development initiatives.

Making the right development choices requires coordinated efforts by committed leaders who have the political will and determination to include risk reduction measures in their policies and plans; a corporate sector that will prioritise risk issues and include them into their business plans; scientists who will provide the knowledge and understanding of current and new areas of risk reduction; committed non-government agencies that advocate for risk reduction; educators who are responsible for shaping the awareness of future generations; a mass media that has the power to influence and change behaviour; and informed citizens who make choices about the risks in their lives.
Editorial
Authors: Wilkinson Nicholas
Published: January 2021

2006 was our 30th year of publication - quite a feat considering that our financial muscle is dependent on a relatively small group of subscribers and seven institutional subscribers. Like a poor distant Elsevier relative we had no cash to have a party or to give away subscriptions but we did look around and say that we had achieved a lot with some color issues, a web site and some double length issues. In 2006, Open House International was covered by the Thomson ISI products namely, The Social Science Citation Index, The Arts & Humanities Citation Index, Social Sci-Search, Current Contents/Social & Behavioral Sciences, Current Contents/Arts & Humanities and Journal Citation Reports / Social Sciences Edition. This was a kind of 30th birthday present. It must not be overlooked that this success was not without the unfailing support of our Board of Editors (referees) and guest editors of theme issues who have maintained the highest standards of editing through their rigorous approach to the written words of authors and to referencing and citation levels of author's manuscripts. My job, more managerial by nature, has been and still is to ensure that timely publication is maintained and that a healthy flow of quality articles is achieved. Without all these attributes citation index rating cannot be considered.