bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
E‐book utilization among mathematics students of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
Authors: Letchumanan Malathi , Tarmizi Rohani Ahmad
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this preliminary study is to identify the e‐book utilization habit of postgraduate and undergraduate students from the Mathematics Department of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), and to determine the reasons why students are feeling comfortable or uncomfortable with the e‐book services offered by the library and the role the librarians can play in solving the identified obstacles.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative approach which employs a face‐to‐face interview session was used to collect information on e‐book utilization habit and to capture perception of the e‐book services offered by UPM library.

Findings

This research found that most of the participants use one common e‐book reading habit. Factors such as easy access reduce physical visits to the library and user‐friendly features offer a comfortable platform for the participant to use the mathematics e‐books. However, unreliable service, eye fatigue, lack of manipulability of online features and flaws in the physical design and insufficient e‐book collection cause the participants to feel uncomfortable with the service. Moreover, the role of librarians, publishers and interface designers is perceived to be an important remedy for all the inconvenience incurred.

Research limitations/implications

Only 70 participants participated in this preliminary study. Furthermore, e‐books from a single publisher (SIAM) were used to collect data from the participants. Hence, the size of the population surveyed and usage of a single mathematics e‐book publisher placed certain limitations on the level of detail in which the data collected could be analysed and summarised.

Practical implications

The study is important in terms of obtaining a better understanding of e‐book reading habits among mathematics students and the factors that cause them to feel comfortable and frustrated with the e‐book service offered by the library.

Originality/value

This is believed to be the first published study of mathematics students' reading habits and their perception using e‐book in UPM.
Evaluating accessibility features of tutorial creation software
Authors: Wakimoto Diana K. , Soules Aline
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to compare the accessibility features and ease of use of three tutorial creation products – Camtasia® 6 (by TechSmith®), Captivate® 4 (by Adobe®), and VoiceThread® – to determine which product creates the most accessible tutorials.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper tested the accessibility of the tutorials created using Camtasia, Captivate, and VoiceThread against the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template® (VPAT®) criteria. The tests were completed using JAWS®, a screen‐reading software application. Results were compared to determine which product(s) created the most accessible tutorials. The products' ease of use and user manuals were also evaluated.

Findings

Camtasia and Captivate exceed VoiceThread in terms of accessibility compliance. In testing the products, the paper concluded that the VPATs were accurate, with minor exceptions. All products provide user manuals and help guides; Camtasia and Captivate have steeper learning curves than VoiceThread.

Research limitations/implications

This study compares only three of the available tutorial creation products. Accessibility features may change with new versions.

Practical implications

The results of the evaluation will enable other librarians to make more informed decisions when purchasing and using tutorial creation products.

Social implications

Ensuring accessibility of online resources is everyone's responsibility. This paper will help readers to meet that goal.

Originality/value

While there are comparison studies of the features of Camtasia, Captivate, and VoiceThread, accessibility features are largely uncovered. This study adds this dimension to the literature, enabling librarians to make more informed decisions when selecting and using these products to create accessible tutorials.
Access to serials: integrating SFX with Evergreen open source ILS
Authors: Liu Guoying , Zheng Huoxin
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the integration of SFX link resolver with Evergreen open source integrated library system (ILS). It also aims to describe a method to incorporate print serials into SFX.

Design/methodology/approach

A print serials project has been proposed and implemented to integrate print and electronic serials at University of Windsor Leddy Library. It contains two sub‐projects: to incorporate all forms of serials in SFX; and to integrate SFX with the Evergreen library catalogue for serials access. Various issues associated with print serials and open source software were also investigated.

Findings

A unified view of print and electronic serials is desired and well received by librarians and patrons. There is no technical difficulty uploading print serials data into SFX, but the process can be time‐consuming and challenging. Open source software is flexible in terms of customization and interoperability with other library systems though it presents challenges to system staff.

Originality/value

This paper has the following contributions: it is the first work on the integration of Evergreen open source ILS and the proprietary link resolver, SFX, in the literature. The issues encountered and their solutions presented in this paper may be applicable to the integration of open source ILSs, such as Evergreen and Koha, with link resolvers or other library systems; and the method described in this paper to facilitate users in accessing all forms of serials may be useful for other institutions having SFX or other link resolver systems.
Online databases and the research experience for university students with print disabilities
Authors: Dermody Kelly , Majekodunmi Norda
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present findings of a study which examined the searching experience of university students with a print disability and their use of screen reading software to navigate three proprietary databases.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants completed a series of tasks in three different online databases using their screen‐reading software. Screen‐recording software provided video and audio documentation of the process. Survey data were collected pre‐ and post‐study as well as after each database search session.

Findings

The paper provides insights on the information‐seeking behavior of students with print disabilities as well as the barriers encountered while navigating online databases using screen‐reading software.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses only on a small sample of university students with print disabilities and therefore lacks a control group of non‐print‐disabled students against which the results could be measured.

Practical implications

Database vendors are aware of the barriers their databases pose for users of screen readers. It is in the best interest of vendors to assist libraries in promoting the accessible features that already exist in their databases. Libraries can assist students by providing database instruction tailored to users of screen readers and by assisting database vendors in usability feedback and in marketing options.

Originality/value

Participants consisted of students with learning, visual and mobility disabilities and who were native users of screen‐reading software. There is a lack of research on the intersection of databases design and its impacts on the information literacy skills of students with print disabilities. This paper provides some insights on the first step in the information‐seeking process (gathering information) by students with a print disability and the barriers encountered.
IR system and features: study of Indian scenario
Authors: Sawant Sarika
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to study various issues concerning the IR software/system involved in development of institutional repositories (IRs) in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey research method was used. The data collection tool applied for the study was a web questionnaire, which was created with the help of software provided by surveymonkey.com

Findings

It was observed that 79 per cent of the institutions had implemented the DSpace IR software package. The respondents considered the End‐user interface to be the top ranking IR‐system feature. It was found that all IRs supported Text (HTML, Postscript, PDF, Spreadsheet etc.) file formats. Half of the respondents marked bitstream copying as a long‐term preservation strategy. Almost all institutional repositories were OAI‐PMH‐compliant.

Research limitations/implications

Only Indian institutional repositories were studied.

Originality/value

This is the first detailed study focusing on the IR system/software aspects of IR. The present study has identified the existence of 16 functional IRs, some of which were not registered in any of the directories such as ROAR, Open DOAR.
Library blogs and user participation: a survey about comment spam in library blogs
Authors: Oguz Fatih , Holt Michael
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to identify and describe the impact of comment spam in library blogs. Three research questions guided the study: current level of commenting in library blogs; librarians' perception of comment spam; and techniques used to address the comment spam problem.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach is used to investigate research questions. Informal interviews were conducted with four academic and three public libraries with active blogs to develop a better understanding of the problem and then to develop an appropriate data collection instrument. Based on the feedback received from these blog administrators, a survey questionnaire was developed and then distributed online via direct e‐mailing and mailing lists. A total of 108 responses were received.

Findings

Regardless of the library type with which blogs were affiliated with and the size of the community they served, user participation in library blogs was very limited in terms of comments left. Over 80 percent of libraries reported receiving five or fewer comments in a given week. Comment spam was not perceived to be a major problem by blog administrators. Detection‐based techniques were the most commonly used approaches to combat comment spam in library blogs.

Research limitations/implications

The research focuses on the comment spam problem in blogs affiliated with libraries where the library is responsible for content published on the blog. The comment spam problem is investigated from the library blog administrator's perspective.

Practical implications

Results of this study provide empirical evidence regarding level of commenting and the impact of comment spam in library blogs. The results and findings of the study can offer guidance to libraries that are reconsidering whether to allow commenting in their blogs and to those that are planning to establish a blog to reach out to their users, while keeping this online environment engaging and interactive.

Originality/value

The study provides empirical evidence that level of commenting is very limited, comment spam is not regarded as an important problem, and it does not interfere with the communication process in library blogs.
Archiving in the networked world: by the numbers
Authors: Seadle Michael
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to investigate: how many journal titles are both in LOCKSS and in Portico?; what is the relationship of small publishers to LOCKSS/CLOCKSS and Portico?; and what is the relationship of large publishers to LOCKSS/CLOCKSS and Portico?

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes how data from Portico, LOCKSS, and CLOCKSS were cleaned and analyzed using Perl programs to discover duplications.

Findings

The findings show a significant overlap among the archiving systems. They also show that Portico has no prejudice against small publishers and that large publishers are as willing to choose the LOCKSS software as to choose Portico. LOCKSS does, however, archive many more small and arguably endangered publishers and may be the only economically viable choice for them.

Originality/value

The push for greater transparency has made more and more data available. Both LOCKSS and Portico deserve commendation for providing the detailed lists of titles and publishers on which this paper was based. Such data give the library community an opportunity to build decisions about the long‐term digital future on firm and verifiable ground.
Precedents for the 4Ps idea in the USA: 1910s‐1940s
Authors: Usui Kazuo
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the development of the 4Ps idea from the 1910s to the 1940s in the USA and explore its historical background.

Design/methodology/approach

The historical consideration of the precedents for the 4Ps idea is not only focused just on the idea, but also on the historical context in which it was produced. The analysis will include a re‐examination of the traditional “functional approach” to marketing thought, leading to different interpretations from previous research.

Findings

The 4Ps idea did not suddenly appear in the 1950s, but had precedents that could be traced back to the 1910s. Based on the separation of planning from implementation and ideas on management process, the precedents for the 4Ps appeared as various discussions on components of the planning function in sales management, sales/marketing policies and marketing management.

Research limitations/implications

The research implies the historical study could enrich our knowledge. This investigation is limited to the USA: other studies could investigate the history of marketing and marketing thought in other countries.

Practical implications

Recognizing how previous marketers and marketing thinkers considered the issues could provide a broad and solid basis to explore how marketing strategy should be formed.

Originality/value

Identifying the antecedents of the 4Ps before the Second World War is a unique contribution to historical research in marketing. This paper provides a new interpretation of the development of marketing management and its thought.
Breaking down corporate secrecy in the Middle East: lessons from a successful “infomediary”
Authors: Leigh Laurence
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the history of poor corporate transparency in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and show how one company, Zawya LLC, has succeeded in turning this persistent problem into a business opportunity by creating a successful information collection and dissemination business or “infomediary”.

Design/methodology/approach

Through interviews with knowledgeable individuals, the author examines the techniques the Company has used to develop its corporate database in Lebanon, where much of its operations are now based, and elsewhere in the region.

Findings

While government control and influence represents a major challenge to entrepreneurs throughout the Middle East, its nature varies considerably. The fundamental key to breaking down traditions of secrecy in both the private and public sector is to promote a virtuous circle of information provision and use. The success of “infomediaries” who do this is consistent with the concept of “self‐regulating sub‐systems” suggested in the literature.

Research limitations/implications

Being a single case study, the conclusions have to be treated with appropriate caution. Examples of other successful “infomediaries” are given and avenues for future survey research among their clients are suggested.

Practical implications

Entrepreneurs looking for opportunities to develop “infomediaries” in other contexts will benefit from the discussion of factors that led to Zawya's success. The conclusion that the private sector can provide valuable help in breaking down corporate secrecy without the need for direct government intervention has important social implications.

Originality/value

This is the first case study of an “infomediary” in the MENA region.
Designing lobbying capabilities: managerial choices in unpredictable environments
Authors: Lawton Thomas , Rajwani Tazeeb
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how, in unpredictable policy environments, specific managerial choices play a vital role in designing lobbying capabilities through the choice of levels of investment in human capital, network relationships and structural modification.

Design/methodology/approach

Using an inductive case study approach, data were collected through 42 in‐depth, semi‐structured interviews and documented archival data. Cross‐case pattern sequencing was used to construct an interpretive model of lobbying capability design. Data were framed by the dynamic resource‐based theory of the firm.

Findings

Heterogeneous lobbying capabilities are adapted differently in private and state‐owned airlines as a result of diverse ownership structures and time compositions that interplay with organizational processes. The result is a divergence between private‐ and state‐owned airlines in how they engage with governmental actors and policies.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contributes to ongoing discourse in and between the dynamic capabilities and corporate political activity literatures, particularly on how state/non‐state‐owned airlines design their political lobbying capabilities. The research is limited in so far as it only studies the European airline industry.

Originality/value

The paper illustrates how a specific and far‐reaching unanticipated external policy stimulus (the 9/11 terrorist attacks) impacted on management choices for lobbying design in the European airline industry.
Coercive deinternationalisation and host institutional legitimacy
Authors: Turner Colin
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to identify the major coercive forces driving the enforced reconfiguration of the multinational company. This is explored through the conceptual development of coercive deinternationalisation via the literature on legitimacy. Through a multi‐case study approach, the concept is developed within the context of counteracting non‐market strategies. This material is used to develop a conceptual framework through which the drivers and reactions to these coercive pressures can be more fully explored.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a conceptual, multi‐case study.

Findings

The paper uses the link between case material and the literature on legitimacy to generate testable hypotheses to guide future research. These are based on the causes, conditions and effectiveness of counteracting coercive deinternationalisation.

Originality/value

The paper offers a strategic framework to guide further research and highlights an under‐explored area within the increasingly complex internationalised system.
A model of cause‐related marketing for “profit‐driven” and “non‐profit” organizations
Authors: Svensson Göran , Wood Greg
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a model of cause‐related marketing (CRM) for both profit‐driven (PD) and non‐profit (NP) organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The model consists of two parallel internal and external organizational processes – one representing the process of a NP organization and the other a PD organization. They are interlinked as the outcome of a CRM‐partnership is dependent upon their mutual efforts.

Findings

The authors argue that it is essential to remember that a CRM‐partnership is a challenge and risk for both the PD and NP organizations that may harm their reputation and position in the marketplace and/or society. CRM has benefits as well as downsides that should not be underestimated nor neglected.

Research limitations/implications

Will the involvement of the PD or NP organizations in the resultant partnership be perceived as commercialism, altruism or a combination of both, in the marketplace and society? A focus on both processes opens up opportunities for further research.

Practical implications

A contribution is that the CRM‐model may be used as a guide for both PD and NP organizations in order to reveal whether a CRM‐partnership is appropriate for them with a potential partner or not. It may also indicate whether the motives are based upon commercial reasons or altruistic reasons or a combination of both.

Originality/value

The model enables these organizations to think through the process prior to engaging in CRM.
Internationalization, market forces and domestic sectoral institutionalization
Authors: Hakan Altintas Murat , Vrontis Demetris , Ruediger Kaufmann Hans , Alon Ilan
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of micro‐environmental international entrepreneurship and the macro‐environmental market forces on domestic institutionalization of the industrial sector. In doing so, the paper examines the moderating effect of the degree of internationalization on the relationship between domestic market forces and domestic sectoral institutionalization.

Design/methodology/approach

Based upon the creation of the item pools “domestic sectoral institutionalization”, “market forces” and “degree of internationalization” derived from previous research, an applied Delphi technique and a representative sample of 149 exporters in Turkey, a survey using a web‐based questionnaire was conducted. All scales were designed and a number of hypotheses were validated. Results were analyzed by the principal components of factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and moderated hierarchical regression.

Findings

The empirical analysis resulted in an interaction effect of two sub‐elements of the market forces (trust and organization) and internationalization. The findings imply that internationalization can make an important contribution to the institutionalization of the domestic industrial sector. The paper confirms the findings of previous research on the significant importance of trust for institutionalization. Summarizing, it was found that internationalization significantly and positively moderates the effect of trust on institutionalization. Interestingly, however, internationalization negatively moderates the effect of organization on institutionalization implying that the learning process and experiences created by internationalization cause a higher level of structural adaptation.

Originality/value

This paper innovatively sheds light upon the interrelationship between macro environmental market forces, internationalization of entrepreneurship and domestic institutionalization. In doing so, it relates various disciplines, as national and international entrepreneurial behavior, with sociological aspects such as institutionalization for the sake of achieving important macro economic objectives, especially for countries in transition. The comprehensive, reliable and valid research methodology can be applied when researching this topic with important economic implications for transitional economies in other research settings.
Leadership for learning: lessons from 40 years of empirical research
Authors: Hallinger Philip
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to present a research‐based model of leadership for learning. It argues that the field has made substantial progress over the past 40 years in identifying ways in which leadership contributes to learning and school improvement. Four specific dimensions of leading for learning are presented: values and beliefs, leadership focus, contexts for leadership, and sharing leadership.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a review methodology but focuses especially on evidence from several recent empirical studies. While the author argues that progress has been made, limitations – especially with respect to linking leadership practice to different contexts – are noted.

Findings

The paper finds that significant progress has been made in identifying the means by which leadership impacts on learning.

Research limitations/implications

The key limitation in this research lies in the difficulty in linking leadership to its context. While progress is also beginning to be made in this area, it remains a limiting factor in interpreting the findings from this body of research.

Practical implications

The above limitation means that individual school leaders must still apply the findings both with caution and with an understanding of their own particular school context.

Originality/value

The paper extends prior reviews by its inclusion of findings from a series of important studies that have emerged since 2008.
Fit for purpose? Western Australian insights into the efficacy of principal preparation
Authors: Clarke Simon , Wildy Helen , Styles Irene
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight what principals consider their most severe challenges in the first three years of appointment and the extent to which they believe they were adequately prepared to meet these challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports on the initial Western Australian findings of a survey developed for Phase Three of the International Study of Principal Preparation (ISPP). The survey was designed as a common instrument across international contexts to investigate those aspects of principals' work perceived to be most challenging in the early years in the position and the extent to which principals believe they were prepared for these challenges. The survey was administered to 45 novice principals in Western Australia.

Findings

The preliminary results of the survey have yielded some insights that draw attention to what principals regard as their main challenges and the extent to which they felt prepared to deal with them.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size is a little small for some of the analyses and results need to be treated with caution.

Practical implications

The insights derived from responses to the survey have clear implications for the efficacy of role preparation and development.

Originality/value

The paper helps to clarify those aspects of the work of novice primary principals which they find most problematic, relative to other aspects and the extent to which they felt prepared to deal with them.
The democratic deficit and school‐based management in Australia
Authors: Kimber Megan , Catherine Ehrich Lisa
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The paper seeks to apply the theory of the democratic deficit to school‐based management with an emphasis on Australia. This theory was developed to examine managerial restructuring of the Australian Public Service in the 1990s. Given similarities between the use of managerial practices in the public service and government schools, the authors draw on recent literature about school‐based management in Australia and apply the democratic deficit theory to it.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is conceptual in focus. The authors analyse literature in terms of the three components of the democratic deficit – i.e. the weakening of accountability, the denial of the roles and values of public employees, and the emergence of a “hollow state” – and in relation to the application of this theory to the Australian Public Service.

Findings

A trend towards the three components of the democratic deficit is evident in Australia although, to date, its emergence has not been as extensive as in the UK. The authors argue that the democratic principles on which public schooling in Australia was founded are being eroded by managerial and market practices.

Practical implications

These findings provide policy makers and practitioners with another way of examining managerial and market understandings of school‐based management and its impact on teachers and on students. It offers suggestions to reorient practices away from those that are exclusively managerial‐based towards those that are public‐sector based.

Originality/value

The value of this paper is that it applies the theory of the democratic deficit to current understandings of school‐based management.
Predicting teacher retention using stress and support variables
Authors: Sass Daniel A. , Seal Andrea K. , Martin Nancy K.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

Teacher attrition is a significant international concern facing administrators. Although a considerable amount of literature exists related to the causes of job dissatisfaction and teachers leaving the profession, relatively few theoretical models test the complex interrelationships between these variables. The goal of this paper is to partially fill this gap.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 479 certified teachers who taught either at elementary (55.3 percent), middle (33.0 percent), or high (10.6 percent) school levels, three competing theoretical models with variables related to teacher stress or support were tested using structural equation modeling to predict job dissatisfaction and eventual intention to quit.

Findings

The most parsimonious model revealed that student stressors completely mediated the relationship between teacher efficacy related to student engagement and job dissatisfaction, with social support superiors and student stressors being best predictors of job dissatisfaction. Although important within the school system, teacher workload stressors and social support from colleagues did not contribute significantly to the models.

Originality/value

Theoretical models are needed to assist school administrators and researchers in developing programs to improve teacher retention and to predict those teachers who will struggle within the profession. Moreover, developing and testing comprehensive models associated with variables related to teacher and student success is critical for a well functioning school system.
Comparative historical analysis of four UK hotel companies, 1979‐2004
Authors: Quek Mary
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine why and how M&A activity has been used by UK hotel companies over a 26‐year period and aims to provide a preliminary exploration of its relative success, given that the M&A literature suggests high failure rates or M&A transactions which do not achieve their objectives.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on a combination of a multiple‐case study and comparative historical analysis to bring out the different levels of analysis embedded in past M&A literature and to identify changes of motives for undertaking M&A activities based on companies and their external environment.

Findings

The paper finds that value maximizing motives are prevalent whilst non‐value maximizing motives are not supported. The acquisition of brand names and rights is a major motive for the UK hotel industry, particularly in the light of global competition and the brand power that enables companies to expedite growth while at the same time reducing financial risks.

Practical implications

This longitudinal study serves to reinforce the type of target companies, particularly those that share similar resources or end products, for acquiring companies to select from in order to expect a higher M&A success rate.

Originality/value

This paper provides the first empirical study to integrate the comparative historical analysis approach with strategic management M&A theory to trace and understand how and why UK hotel companies became leading international companies. Through this interdisciplinary approach, the importance of acquiring a brand name is illustrated and identified as an essential motive, specific to the hotel industry.
Do investors reward restaurant firms that go abroad?
Authors: Hua Nan , Upneja Arun
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate, empirically, the value relevance of the degree of internationalization in publicly traded restaurant firms in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for the study were obtained from the Compustat Industrial Annual. Pearson correlation analysis, regression analysis, and Vuong's Z‐test were employed to analyze the data.

Findings

The paper has two principal findings: the degree of internationalization is positively and significantly related to market capitalization; and the relation is strong enough to cause an 18.3 percent increase in the explanatory power, in the presence of control variables.

Research limitations/implications

The method of expansion might have some impact on market capitalization and this is not explicitly controlled for in the study due to data and cost constraints. Moreover, there are likely other variables affecting firms' market capitalization, but due to data constraints, they are also not included in the model.

Practical implications

The results indicate firms, which decide to diversify abroad, see their market capitalization changes positively with the degree of internationalization.

Originality/value

There are many studies that investigate the behavior of firms that diversify abroad; however, this is the first study to the authors' knowledge that examines the impact of the degree of internationalization on the stock market capitalization in the hospitality industry.
Commercial hospitality
Authors: McMillan Carolyn L. , O'Gorman Kevin D. , MacLaren Andrew C.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how commercial hospitality has catalysed sustainable social change in Nepal through empowering women. Utilising a new framework, developed by combining existing theories, empowerment of women tea house owners/managers is assessed.

Design/methodology/approach

Within a critical feminist paradigm, primary research consisting of interviews and participant observation was undertaken over a three‐month period in the central region of Nepal.

Findings

Involvement in the hospitality industry improved the livelihoods of the women tea house owners/managers, it also has the potential to facilitate sustainable empowerment for future generations, providing them with education, choice, control and opportunities.

Research limitations/implications

Although steps are taken to limit rhetorical issues, language barriers could have influenced the findings of the interviews. To fully investigate the potential for hospitality to act as a vehicle for the sustainable empowerment of women, it is suggested that this study be replicated again in another region or that a detailed ethnographic study be carried out.

Practical implications

The paper demonstrates how the commercial hospitality industry can be a force for good; women working in the industry are agents of change, actively improving their levels of empowerment in their immediate environment. The commercial hospitality industry has pioneered the empowerment of women and this could lay the foundation for the further emancipation of women.

Originality/value

To date, there has been limited research into the relationship between involvement in the commercial hospitality sector and the empowerment of women; this paper begins to fill this gap by investigating a tourist region of Nepal.
Diversity management strategies of global hotel groups
Authors: Gröschl Stefan
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The study aims to explore major internationally operating hotel groups and their corporate diversity statements. An understanding of these statements is critical for the analysis of workforce diversity actions, as they shape the policy framework and basis for any diversity management (DM) program or initiative.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applied a qualitative content analysis of corporate web sites. The analysis and evaluation of the data was not treated in statistical terms or in any quantifiable measures due to the study's rather exploratory and inductive nature. Moving away from traditional forms of validity and reliability, this study applied Denzin and Lincoln's authenticity criteria.

Findings

Most of the selected hotel companies with diversity management strategies and policies need to communicate their diversity management activities and actions more extensively and clearly via their corporate web sites to help support employee recruitment efforts, attraction of talents with different educational and cultural backgrounds, development of multiple (minority) supplier relations and corporate social responsibility (CSR) image, and accessibility into new markets.

Research limitations/implications

This study should be seen as a starting point with some of the arguments and conclusions to be reconfirmed with more case‐study based explorations of corporate DM policies and their translation into operational actions and programs.

Practical implications

Communicating in a more effective and structured way, corporate or operational diversity strategies and activities via corporate web sites will provide hotel organizations with a key sustainable competitive advantage in talent recruitment, CSR and market accessibility.

Originality/value

This study provides a starting point for better understanding corporate diversity management in the global hotel industry.
Internationalising hospitality management degree programmes
Authors: Brookes Maureen , Becket Nina
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the extent to which hospitality management degree programmes are internationalised to develop graduates capable of working within the global hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative multiple case study approach was adopted for a UK study of undergraduate international hospitality management degrees. Interviews and document analysis were used as the data collection techniques.

Findings

The findings reveal the importance of the development of graduates' cross‐cultural competencies within international hospitality management programmes and the methods used to develop these. The study also reveals further opportunities to enhance the internationalisation of degree programmes.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are based on a case study research strategy set within the context of the UK and as such, the generalisability of the findings may be limited. In addition, the study sample contained only undergraduate international hospitality management degree programmes.

Practical implications

This paper reveals a number of opportunities to enhance the internationalisation of hospitality management programmes and the challenges currently faced by academics and students.

Originality/value

The paper provides a framework comprising internationalisation at home (IaH) and internationalisation abroad (IA) dimensions for academics to assess the internationalisation of degree programmes and the extent to which cross‐cultural competencies are developed among graduates. The framework can also be used by graduate recruiters seeking candidates with the requisite cross‐cultural understanding, attitudes and skills to work within the international hospitality industry.
Exploring the internationalisation prospects of a Chinese domestic hotel firm
Authors: Gross Michael J. , Huang Songshan (Sam)
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the internationalisation prospects of Chinese domestic hotel firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examined the Jin Jiang Hotel Group, China's largest domestic hotel firm. The qualitative method of semi‐structured personal interviews was selected in the design of this exploratory study to address the research question: What are the factors guiding Jin Jiang's considerations for internationalisation? Personal interviews were conducted with the senior corporate headquarters' management in Shanghai.

Findings

The findings indicate that the firm is in a stage of pre‐internationalisation in its organisational development, and has adopted a cautious and passive approach on its path towards internationalisation. This paper identifies company abilities, government support, marketing and brand strategy, network and management standards, state‐owned enterprise (SOE) related problems, human resources and other external opportunities/challenges as factors that may affect the firm's internationalisation.

Practical implications

This paper develops a better understanding of the evolution of Chinese SOEs' internal capabilities as internationally competitive providers of hospitality management services. It also explores the nature of relevant relationships that will determine the activities, pace, and progress along such firms' internationalisation paths. The paper specifically provides understanding of a firm's prospects of internationalisation, internationalisation activities that the firm has already undertaken, factors that support or inhibit internationalisation, and future intentions and plans for internationalisation.

Originality/value

This paper analyses factors underlying a Chinese SOE domestic hotel firm's approach to internationalisation. While most internationalisation studies are conducted after the firm has already internationalised, this study examines the pre‐internationalisation stage.
Generating positive word‐of‐mouth in the service experience
Authors: Ng Sandy , David Meredith E. , Dagger Tracey S.
Published: March 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate the effects of relationship benefits on relationship quality and aspects of service quality, namely technical and functional quality, and the subsequent influence on word‐of‐mouth behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports results from a structural equation model that utilizes data from 591 consumers across a range of services.

Findings

The findings highlight the important role of relationship benefits in driving customer perceptions of technical, functional and relationship quality. While confidence, social and special treatment benefits drive technical and functional quality, it is only confidence benefits that drive relationship quality. Furthermore, it is found that functional and relationship quality drive word‐of‐mouth behavior.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study contribute to the literature by showing the differential impact that relationship benefits have on quality – technical, functional, and relationship – and subsequently the effect that functional and relationship quality have on word‐of‐mouth behavior.

Practical implications

The paper provides firms with the knowledge needed to more effectively implement relationship‐marketing activities. As the service economy continues to grow, competition intensifies, and to ensure service excellence, firms need to establish strong relationships with their customers as the quality of the customer‐provider relationship can increase word‐of‐mouth behavior.

Originality/value

The paper empirically investigates the role of relationship benefits in enhancing perceptions of quality while also providing an analysis of the differential role of functional, technical, and relationship quality in enhancing customers' word‐of‐mouth intentions.
Service co‐creation in community‐based aged healthcare
Authors: Gill Liz , White Lesley , Cameron Ian Douglas
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to identify and describe the themes underlying four concepts: client orientation, client involvement, provider empowerment, and client empowerment, which have been reported in the literature as influencing service participant interaction in the formation of a service. The meaning that service participants assign to each of those themes is also to be examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Triadic studies were undertaken in two separate locations with three discrete community‐based service networks, purposively recruited from the same aged healthcare organisation. Using a phenomological approach, 29 individual semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with managers, providers, and clients were conducted. Inductive and deductive analysis was used to identify the emerging themes and their meaning for each participant category.

Findings

Key themes were identified for each concept, but the meaning ascribed to each theme was found to differ between the participant categories. It is suggested that these results reflect participant role differences in the service co‐creation process.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are limited by the small sample and its relative homogeneity.

Practical implications

The findings offer service managers insights into how to engage clients in the service creation process, which in turn will affect the ultimate quality of the service that is created. They also provide information that will assist with service design, staff selection, training, and assessment.

Originality/value

This is the first study that investigates the four concepts, client orientation, client involvement, provider empowerment, and client empowerment, in the context of service co‐creation. It identifies associated abstract themes and the applied meaning differences of the service participants.
Consumer language preferences in service encounters: a cross‐cultural perspective
Authors: Holmqvist Jonas
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The importance of the mutual interaction between consumers and the company in service encounters is widely recognised, but researchers have usually presumed that both parties are able to interact with each other. That is not always the case. If they do not share a common language, it may have consequences for the service encounter. This paper aims to analyze consumer language preferences across four language groups.

Design/methodology/approach

Quantitative and qualitative studies are conducted among bilingual speakers of four languages (English/French and Finnish/Swedish) in two countries (Canada and Finland). Study 1 is a quantitative analysis of the degree of importance that respondents in the various language groups attach to the use of their first language in a variety of service encounters. Study 2 is a qualitative examination of the factors that determine the preferences expressed in Study 1.

Findings

Use of first language in service encounters is preferred by consumers in all four language groups. However, the reasons for preferring first‐language use differ between countries. Language is shown to have emotional connotations for consumers that go beyond mere communication.

Originality/value

This is the first study of the role of language in service encounters among consumers from different countries.
A comparison of users and non‐users of banking self‐service technology in Portugal
Authors: Proença João F. , Antónia Rodrigues Maria
Published: March 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the behaviour of Portuguese users and non‐users of self‐service technologies (SSTs) in banking services.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical study is conducted by means of a survey questionnaire. Data are collected from a sample of 300 respondents chosen to represent the Portuguese adult population in terms of age, gender, and geographical place of residence.

Findings

The results show that Portuguese users of SST banking services are likely to be young to middle‐aged individuals, with medium to high levels of education. They have a greater propensity to complain and are more price‐sensitive than non‐users of such services.

Research limitations/implications

Only six dimensions of consumer behaviour were investigated: price sensitivity, satisfaction, word‐of‐mouth, repurchase intention, propensity to change banks, complaint behaviour. Only three forms of SST contact were examined (ATMs, telephone banking, and internet banking). Other behaviours and SSTs could be examined in future research.

Practical implications

Banks investing in SST can expect: more sales (consumers with higher intention to repurchase); more opportunities for service recovery (consumers with higher propensity to complain); and more price competitiveness (more price‐sensitive consumer behaviour).

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine consumer behaviour among Portuguese customers of SST banking services. The study shows that SST does not ensure consumer satisfaction and positive word‐of‐mouth; moreover, it is not a barrier to changing banks.