bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving small farmer participation in export marketing channels: perceptions of US fresh produce importers
Authors: Stanton Julie V. , Burkink Tim J.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify important elements of a strategy to facilitate small farmer participation in international supply chains for fresh produce.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs survey data collected from a national sample of US fresh produce importers. Their concerns and suggestions regarding potential for transactions with small Mexican farmers were assessed, with factor analysis providing a thematic summary of their perspectives.

Findings

Results of the study reveal that US importers are not uniformly pessimistic about the ability of small farmers to meet their demands. On the contrary, almost one‐third said they probably would work with small farmers in the near future. In general, importers are interested in transactions in which the product meets consumer and government expectations and is grown on the buyer's terms, the grower is reliable over time, the transaction is simplified, and the grower handles transportation. Importers rate small farmers poorly on their ability to achieve the last two factors, but these are also the items rated least important to the importers. New approaches to building market capacity in small farmers are also highly valued by the importers, including government investment guarantees, and arrangements for facilitating contact between importers and growers. More traditional methods, such as cooperatives and use of brokers, were not rated as highly.

Research limitations/implications

The study relies on cross‐sectional, self‐report data from one side of the grower/importer dyad. Incorporating longitudinal data with a dyadic perspective could provide additional insight.

Originality/value

A practitioner perspective on the challenges in international fruit and vegetable supply chains, particularly as relates to developing countries, is of considerable value. Not only can governments choose improved policies for improving market readiness for the growers, but also members of supply chains themselves can identify tactics for ensuring successful transactions by enhancing coordination. The prospects for a win‐win outcome for growers and importers are improved.
Knowledge creation in a supply chain
Authors: Wu Chuni
Published: May 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze how organizational conditions, technology adoption, supplier relationship management and customer relationship management affect knowledge creation through socialization‐externalization combination, internalization (SECI) modes, and various ba, as proposed by Nonaka and Konno, in a supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative inquiry with thematic analysis, which focuses on a thin film transistor‐liquid crystal display (TFT‐LCD) panel manufacturer and an integrated circuits (IC) packaging and testing manufacturer, is presented in order to identify how these key factors affect knowledge creation in a supply chain environment through the SECI modes and ba.

Findings

The results show that these critical factors facilitate different types of knowledge conversion process in order to achieve successful knowledge creation in a supply chain. Knowledge of the significant factors that were found in this study may be applicable to countries or areas such as Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore or other developing countries, whose dominant businesses are similar to the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs)/original design manufacturers (ODMs) in Taiwan.

Research limitations/implications

This paper considers the case study only as one empirical illustration of many other possible implementation processes. The study does not assume that these companies are a paradigm or that the specific situation is applicable to all other business enterprises. Future researchers interested in this field are therefore encouraged to triangulate its findings by examining variables generated from this study.

Originality/value

This study employs a quantitative approach to investigate critical knowledge creation factors for supply chain performance. Through empirical study, a better understanding of the dynamics of knowledge creation in a supply chain can be gained.
The effects of shopping orientations on consumers' satisfaction with product search and purchases in a multi‐channel environment
Authors: Lee Hyun‐Hwa , Kim Jihyun
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of consumers' shopping orientation on their satisfaction level with the product search and purchase behavior using multi‐channels.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 181 students in a large US mid‐western university provided usable responses to the survey. Exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analyses were employed to examine the research questions.

Findings

The results showed that more than three quarters of the respondents shopped via the internet and catalogs, and about 95 percent shopped at non‐local retailers. About 60 percent reported that they never shopped from TV shopping channels. Confident/fashion‐conscious shopping orientation and catalog/internet shopping orientation were found to be key predictors of customer satisfaction level with information search via multi‐channels. Both confident/fashion‐conscious consumers and mall shopping‐oriented shoppers were more satisfied with store‐based retail channels for apparel purchases, whereas non‐local store‐oriented shoppers and catalog/internet‐oriented shoppers were more satisfied with non‐store‐based retail channels for their apparel purchases.

Research limitations/implications

The sample of this study was biased by gender and age. For the apparel retail industry, this paper offers practical knowledge about the relationships between shopping orientation and consumer search and purchase behavior in a multi‐channel retailing context.

Originality/value

No study has utilized the shopping orientation framework to explain consumer behavior in a multi‐channel environment. This study provides understanding of consumer product information search behavior on four dimensions (price, promotion, style/trends, and merchandise availability) via multi‐channels.
High‐involvement and low‐involvement products
Authors: Radder Laetitia , Huang Wei
Published: May 2008

Purpose

Knowledge of brand awareness and its role is important for the design of an organisation's marketing strategies. This study aims to determine the brand awareness of high‐ and low‐involvement products among Black and non‐Black students enrolled at a South African university.

Design/methodology/approach

A self‐administered survey was completed by a convenience sample of 300 students of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The focal high‐involvement product was sportswear clothing and the low‐involvement product, coffee.

Findings

The results indicated a higher awareness of high‐involvement product brands than of low‐involvement product brands. Advertising played an important role in the awareness of sportswear clothing brands, but seemed unimportant in the case of coffee. The brand name was important for coffee, while the name and the logo played a role in students' awareness of sportswear brands.

Research limitations/implications

This study was limited to students of the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and to sportswear clothing and coffee product categories. Future studies could comprise larger samples, different contexts and other product or service categories.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that marketers employ different strategies to create and increase brand awareness for high‐ and low‐involvement products.

Originality/value

Previous research found that brand awareness played an important role in low‐involvement products; however, little is known about brand awareness differences between high‐ and low‐involvement products, particularly with respect to the brand awareness of South African students.
Key criteria in twenty‐first century management promotional decisions
Authors: Longenecker Clinton O. , Fink Laurence S.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to determine the key criteria used by managers in rapidly changing organizations to make promotion decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted of 311 managers from over 100 different US service and manufacturing enterprises experiencing rapid organizational change. Managers were asked to identify no more than five factors that were most critical in their organization to actually getting promoted. Results were content analyzed.

Findings

Top ten factors influencing promotion decisions included: getting desired results/strong performance track record; possessing strong business networks; interpersonal/communication skills; strong knowledge‐experience base; demonstrating a strong work ethic; ability to build teams and being a team player; personality, attitude, and ego factors; solving a major problem or getting a “big hit;” demonstrating character, integrity, and trustworthiness; and, preparation and being in the right place at the right time.

Research limitations/implications

Results indicate what organizations are currently using to make decisions but it does not provide a normative guide for what organizations should be using. Also, further research should attempt to differentiate dimensions used at each level of management.

Practical implications

The results provide a useful guide for managers who are looking for a leg up in the competitive fight for promotions. Results also suggest criteria to be considered when organizations update management assessment tools to better reflect the demands on managers working in the new global business environment.

Originality/value

The study focuses on promotions in rapidly changing organizations and uses a sample that is very familiar with how organizations actually make promotion decisions.
Competencies acquisition through self‐directed learning among Malaysian managers
Authors: Hashim Junaidah
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how Malaysian managers acquire job competencies through self‐directed learning activities at their workplace. Specifically it aims to investigate what types of job competencies are required for the managers, how they learn to acquire those competencies, and whether the managers have the self‐directed learning attributes and capability to acquire job competencies by self‐directed learning activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected through survey. The survey adapted the Self‐Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) developed by Guglielmino. In total 238 respondents participated in this study.

Findings

The findings show that the respondents have identified communication, managerial, and job knowledge as the main competencies required for their jobs. Most of these competencies are acquired through on‐the‐job training, working as part of a team and self‐education. The findings also reveal that the respondents do possess the attributes of self‐directed learners.

Research limitations/implications

The findings support previous research. Given the different cultural background of the Malaysian managers, their ways of learning are similar to those of Western managers. Future research can investigate how employees in other professions learn on their jobs and what other factors may influence self‐directed learning.

Practical implications

Given the emphasis being placed on the importance of work place learning, it is timely to advance a workplace curriculum by integrating the everyday learning experiences and guided learning strategy in the organisation, so that the employees' learning can be facilitated more effectively.

Originality/value

The paper includes the different cultural context of how Malaysian managers learn.
Reconstituting knowledge management
Authors: Faucher Jean‐Baptiste P.L. , Everett André M. , Lawson Rob
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to improve traditional knowledge management models in light of complexity theory, emphasizing the importance of moving away from hierarchical relationships among data, information, knowledge, and wisdom.

Design/methodology/approach

Traditional definitions and models are critically reviewed and their weaknesses highlighted. A transformational perspective of the traditional hierarchies is proposed to highlight the need to develop better perspectives. The paper demonstrates the holistic nature of data, information, knowledge, and wisdom, and how they are all based on an interpretation of existence.

Findings

Existing models are logically extended, by adopting a complexity‐based perspective, to propose a new model – the E2E model – which highlights the non‐linear relationships among existence, data, information, knowledge, wisdom, and enlightenment, as well as the nature of understanding as the process that defines the differences among these constructs. The meaning of metas (such as meta‐data, meta‐information, and meta‐knowledge) is discussed, and a reconstitution of knowledge management is proposed.

Practical implications

The importance of understanding as a concept to create useful metaphors for knowledge management practitioners is emphasized, and the crucial importance of the metas for knowledge management is shown.

Originality/value

A new model of the cognitive system of knowledge is proposed, based on application of complexity theory to knowledge management. Understanding is identified as the basis of the conversion process among an extended range of knowledge constructs, and the scope of knowledge management is redefined.
Questioning the conventional wisdom: culture‐knowledge management relationships
Authors: King William R.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The aim of the paper is to provide a framework to enable firms and researchers to better understand and to test for the impact of various levels of culture on knowledge management practice and success.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper questions the conventional wisdom that culture is a critical antecedent of KM success under all circumstances.

Findings

A conceptual framework that can be used by a firm to address culture‐KM relationship issues or by researchers to study them more rigorously is developed.

Practical implication

The measures presented here may be employed by firms, without sophisticated statistical analyses, to address issues of culture‐KM relationships.

Originality/value

The paper questions the conventional wisdom and develops an approach that may be used to test it.
Factors influencing organizational knowledge transfer: implication for corporate performance
Authors: Rhodes Jo , Hung Richard , Lok Peter , Ya‐Hui Lien Bella , Wu Chi‐Min
Published: May 2008

Purpose

Whilst knowledge transfer is a major strategy for managing contemporary organizations the impact of the key factors influencing the rate of organization knowledge transfer is relatively unknown. As a contribution to this identified gap this paper aims to discuss the influence of particular organizational factors (IT systems, structured learning strategies, innovative organizational culture, and flexible structure and design) on knowledge transfer using a conceptual framework derived from the literature. The effect of both explicit and tacit knowledge transfer on innovative capabilities and organizational performance is to be examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey study, conducted amongst 1,086 high‐tech companies, targeted chief executive officers), CFOs (chief financial officers), COOs (chief operation officers) or top managers/administrators as they provided more reliable environmental and organizational information.

Findings

The study findings, based on a sample response rate of 19.6 per cent, indicated that of the particular organizational factors considered IT systems had the most significant impact on organizational knowledge transfer followed by a structured learning strategy, and an innovative organizational culture. Personalized (tacit) knowledge transfer had a strong influence on innovative capabilities development and process innovation had a greater impact on organizational performance than product innovation.

Originality/value

The findings can be used by managers to more efficiently direct knowledge transfer resource allocation decisions to further optimize organizational performance.
Modernizing retail grocery business via knowledge management‐based systems
Authors: Smith Alan D.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide practitioners of management a sense of how a major grocery retail business may flourish on the internet, but by employing a more brick‐and‐mortar approach, through the extensive use of a knowledge‐management system, namely KnowAsis™.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a review of the applied literature on practices and actual examples of companies' practices through personal interviews and basic empirical analysis of managers located in Pittsburgh, PA.

Findings

Giant Eagle's new knowledge‐based system utilizes interactive capabilities and attempts to standardize valuable knowledge in a properly stored format in order to made available to those employees that ot would benefit the most. Among other benefits of its knowledge‐management system, data mining and support for the front‐end personnel could be especially enumerated. It is recommended that the company should pay closer attention to the scalability of the system and the technologies involved, since it would be the key of successful future development. The primary feature is that the posted content is essentially owned and managed by the particular business area and reviewed on a periodic basis; thus the shared information through the various departments and knowledge shared is not permanent.

Practical implications

By investing heavily in its knowledge‐management portal, Giant Eagle, a major grocery retailer in the US marketplace, is looking at improved financial competitiveness, efficiency of operation, and increased market share. The management at GE is hoping that by leveraging its digital‐sharing system to promote the sharing of important ideas, best business practices, and lessons learned; the entire organization will become transformed by a new culture of knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the retail grocery industry is under immense pressure by external and internal stakeholders to remain competitive in a high volume transactional environment by sharing best business practices, policies, and procedures. Today, many of the most dramatic and potentially powerful uses of Internet‐based technology involve networks that connect the people in a company, allowing them to share, manage and create data readily accessible by everyone in the company.
Heedful interrelating, knowledge sharing, and new drug development
Authors: Styhre Alexander , Ollila Sanne , Roth Jonas , Williamson David , Berg Lena
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to report a study of knowledge sharing practices in the clinical research organization in a major pharmaceutical company. While knowledge sharing and knowledge transfer is often conceived of in terms of codification and storage in databases accessed through information technology, there is less experience in industry from working with knowledge sharing in face‐to‐face communication settings.

Design/methodology/approach

A collaborative research methodology including academic researchers, consultants and company representatives was used to examine and develop a knowledge‐sharing model. Interview and participative observations were used as data collection methods.

Findings

The study suggests that the use of so‐called knowledge facilitators, organizing and leading knowledge sharing seminars among clinical research teams, needs to develop the capacity to interrelate heedfully, that is, the dispositions to act with attentiveness, alertness, and care, to fully explore the insights, experiences, and know‐how generated in the clinical research teams. Heed precedes successful sharing of knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

It is concluded that the literature on knowledge sharing needs to pay closer attention to the practices on the micro level in knowledge sharing, in the day‐to‐day collaborations between different professional groups.

Originality/value

The paper applies the concept of “heedful interrelation” in a practical knowledge management project in a major pharmaceutical company.
Perceptions of knowledge management and intellectual capital in the banking industry
Authors: Curado Carla
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to capture the perceptions of knowledge management and intellectual capital in the banking industry. The reason for developing such a study is that little research has clearly addressed both subjects at the same time. After verifying that knowledge management and intellectual capital are identified as different concepts in the banking industry, the final aim of the paper is to identify the relevancy and perceived value of such organizational variables in the banks.

Design/methodology/approach

This research paper follows a qualitative approach and considers two different knowledge management strategies: exploitation and exploration and three different intellectual capital components: human capital, internal structures and external structures. The paper develops and analyses several interviews in the banking industry at top management level across different banks.

Findings

This study led to some interesting findings, allowing verification of most of the theoretical knowledge management and intellectual capital literatures, as well as gathering some examples of its routines and elements, and also identifying the value given to knowledge management and intellectual capital by the banks that took part in the study.

Research limitations/implications

There are some research limitations regarding the industry context, but this may result in a stimulus for the replication of the work in other industries.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper regards the way it addresses simultaneously knowledge management and intellectual capital as related concepts.
Exploitation of the insurance industry for money laundering: the Malaysian perspective
Authors: Thanasegaran Haemala , Shanmugam Bala
Published: May 2008

Purpose

Owing to the vital role played by the insurance sector in the economic growth of a country, the purpose of this paper is to highlight the serious threat posed by money laundering activities in exploiting the insurance industry, from the Malaysian perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Provides a description of the risks posed by money laundering in the insurance sector, along with some useful case examples as illustration. Highlights the measures developed and adopted to control money laundering in the Malaysian insurance sector, with some thoughts on the importance of staying vigilant, as it is the only way in which to effectively counter the menace of money laundering in the sector.

Findings

Research shows that two‐thirds of the cases worldwide associated with money laundering in the insurance sector, related to life insurance products, with general insurance accounting for most of the remaining third of the cases reported. Apart from this, insurance intermediaries like agents and brokers, who are an important direct distribution channel for the sector, are easily subject to exploitation by money launderers.

Practical implications

The practical implication of this paper is to stress the importance of detecting signs of money laundering activities, as early prevention is the best alternative for insurance companies in countering money laundering in the industry.

Originality/value

The formal reporting measures put in place by the Anti‐Money Laundering Act 2001 are a step in the right direction by the Malaysian Government. However, this paper serves as a reminder that in spite of such measures, the insurance sector is particularly vulnerable to money laundering activities, owing to the sector's rapid growth in offering innovative and sophisticated products and services worldwide. Thus, this paper makes for a useful read for practitioners, academics, policymakers and students alike.
Regulating the cross‐border movement of prepaid cards
Authors: Linn Courtney J.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The term “prepaid card” refers to the pre‐payment of value process, i.e. pay now and extract value later, and describes most of the prepaid/stored value products available today. These cards have largely supplanted paper gift certificates and travelers checks, and are used as alternatives for traditional paper‐based transactions such as payroll payments, cross‐border remittances, and government assistance or welfare benefit programs. However, the same attributes that make open‐system prepaid cards attractive to legitimate customers make them attractive to money launderers. The purpose of this paper is to make the case for subjecting certain prepaid card products (but not all) to Report of International Transportation of Currency or Monetary Instruments (CMIR) requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

Addresses how the US law‐enforcement agencies might reconstruct the CMIR enforcement regime to address the unique challenges that prepaid card products present.

Findings

The money laundering threat posed by these products is not immediate, but it is not conjectural either. US law‐enforcement agencies (and perhaps ultimately the courts) will be required to address the fourth amendment and privacy issues that may arise when a customs officer “searches” a prepaid card by swiping it and ascertaining the value of the funds associated with that card.

Originality/value

The paper is of value by showing that problem issues can be surmounted, provided the enforcement regime is narrowly targeted to include only those prepaid card products that bear the closest resemblance to currency, and provided the funds associated with those products are maintained in pooled accounts.
A portfolio approach to develop a theory of future management accounting systems
Authors: Laitinen Erkki K.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The paper seeks to introduce a method based on the Markowitz mean‐variance portfolio approach to outline a theory of future firm, its environment, and management accounting systems (MASs). The approach is based on the target to choose propositions for the theory to maximise expected credibility.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual approach with mathematical modelling is presented. It is illustrated by a set propositions extracted from a survey presented previously. The survey results are used to design a theory of future MASs by choosing an efficient sub‐set of propositions with the help of combinatory optimisation.

Findings

When maximising the credibility of a theory of future MAS, the trade‐off between the mean and the variance of expert judgments should be considered. The resulting theory depends on the level for disagreement aversion by the theory builder. The approach is a useful tool to design a theory of future MASs.

Research limitations/implications

How to select the level of trade‐off between the mean and the variance of judgments should be analysed further. The methods to design propositions for a theory should be researched in more detail. Possible instrumentation and response biases should be assessed.

Practical implications

This approach provides a practical method to analyse judgments to form a consistent set (portfolio) of propositions. It can be applied to any theory building where propositions cannot be tested (such as in futures research) but only assessed by experts.

Originality/value

The paper includes a new approach for researchers, consultants, and teachers to form a theory of future phenomena such as future MASs.
Approaches in researching human measurement
Authors: Otieno Rose
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a model of researching clothing anthropometrics at the Manchester Metropolitan University in the UK (MMU model), to demonstrate steps in devising size charts by analysing raw data, to relate key aspects of size charts to raw data, and to generate debate on such methods that impinge on the disseminated knowledge in this specialised area. Although sizing is important to consumers, retailers and manufacturers, this area has received scarce attention in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

The MMU model presents step‐by‐step processes in generating size charts. Data from 150 women generated descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, percentiles); these were utilised to devise seven sizes of a body measurements table. Correlations were used to determine relationships, resulting in size charts with a defined size range and grading increments that are relatable to utilisation by consumers, retailers and manufacturers.

Findings

A step‐by ‐step model of analysing raw data is presented. A verifiable size chart, codes, grading increments and size limits relatable to data are generated. The usefulness of size charts is therefore contextualised.

Research limitations/implications

This paper discusses only one model of researching clothing anthropometrics and provides a related conceptual framework; this could be the basis for future research and debate in this area.

Practical implications

For competitiveness, efficient sizing is useful for marketing, especially in creating niches, targeting customers and facilitating consumer satisfaction.

Originality/value

The MMU model provides an initial conceptual framework at one institution, a benchmark for similar practice in academia and industry and subsequent debate in literature.
Entrepreneurial selection and success: does education matter?
Authors: Dickson Pat H. , Solomon George T. , Weaver K. Mark
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between general education, specific forms of entrepreneurial education and a range of entrepreneurial activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The relationships were investigated through an analysis of peer‐reviewed research published in a wide range of journals and proceedings between 1995 and 2006.

Findings

Findings suggest strong evidence supporting the relationship between levels of general education and several entrepreneurial success measures. The findings are less clear in regards to the link between general education and the choice to become an entrepreneur. The findings linking specific programs of entrepreneurship education to entrepreneurship, although ambiguous, suggest a positive link between such education and both the choice to become an entrepreneur and subsequent entrepreneurial success.

Research limitations/implications

The review of research suggests four implications for existing research: a need for increased research outside the USA; an understanding that inconsistencies in findings may be to a great extent temporal artifacts; a need for increased research focused on innovation; and an acknowledgement that “venture exit” as an outcome measure has received limited attention.

Practical implications

Given the significant investments by both private organizations and governments aimed at increasing rates of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial success through education, it is important to understand that while the evidence supporting the links between education and entrepreneurial outcomes is promising it is not yet definitive.

Originality/value

In addition to providing a review of existing research this paper suggests an integrative framework for future research.
“Start‐a‐Business”: an experiment in education through entrepreneurship
Authors: Vincett Paul S. , Farlow Steve
Published: May 2008

Purpose

There is wide consensus on the importance of experiential entrepreneurship education. The purpose of this article is to investigate whether two unconventional experiential courses, with the style and content that the authors would like to have experienced before becoming entrepreneurs, can be successfully grafted on to the more conventional offerings of a large university business school.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors create learning by allowing a small group of students with serious business ideas to actually be entrepreneurs (rather than pretending to be) as they evaluate, optimize, and start running their businesses within the university course structure. All distractions from these goals, such as formal business plans and academic exercises, are removed, and direct contact with outside stakeholders is strongly emphasized. Fellow‐students and the instructor provide constant feedback and ideas to adapt and improve the businesses.

Findings

The courses meet a variety of accepted experiential education criteria, receive highly positive student evaluations, and generate many real businesses.

Practical implications

The methodology provides a practical, scalable, and effective way to provide university education through entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

The approach described in the paper has many unusual aspects and works very well. It may be of interest to others attempting innovations in the teaching of entrepreneurship and of the enterprising mindset.
Are misalignments of perceptions and self‐efficacy causing gender gaps in entrepreneurial intentions among our nation's teens?
Authors: Kickul Jill , Wilson Fiona , Marlino Deborah , Barbosa Saulo D.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the reasons behind the significant gender gaps observed in entrepreneurial interest among adolescents. Specifically, the authors aim to test multiple models that analyze direct and indirect relationships between work and leadership experience, presence of a parental role model, self‐efficacy, and interest by teens in becoming entrepreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of over 5,000 middle and high school students participated in the larger study from which the data were drawn. Participants completed measures of entrepreneurial self‐efficacy, entrepreneurial intentions, work and leadership experience, and parental entrepreneurial role model. The authors analyzed the data using structural equation modeling.

Findings

While the study confirmed previous empirical findings regarding the antecedents of entrepreneurial self‐efficacy and entrepreneurial intentions, significant differences across gender emerged. First, while boys and girls hold jobs outside of school in comparable numbers, this work experience is much more powerful in generating self‐efficacy among boys. Additionally, the findings indicated that self‐efficacy seemed to have a stronger effect on entrepreneurial interest for girls than for boys, and that having an entrepreneurial mother or father had a significant and positive effect on girls' (but not boys') levels of the entrepreneurial interest.

Research limitations/implications

Common method variance and other typical limitations of cross‐sectional self‐report surveys are acknowledged. Future research should use longitudinal and multi‐method approaches to overcome such limitations.

Practical implications

Findings suggest that feeling like they are able to succeed as entrepreneurs might count more for girls than for boys when considering career options, and demonstrate the value of entrepreneurial role models for young girls, especially those who already have the confidence and perceived skills to launch their own future ventures.

Originality/value

The paper documents research that represents one of the few large‐scale studies of US teens examining entrepreneurial intentions and antecedents across gender.
Doctoral education in entrepreneurship: a European case study
Authors: Urbano David , Aponte Marinés , Toledano Nuria
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse a European doctoral programme in entrepreneurship. The specific objectives are the following: to illustrate the process to design and launch the doctoral programme; to describe its main characteristics; and to explore the conditioning factors to its success.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology is based upon a systematic application of a longitudinal case‐study approach. Multiple sources of evidence were gathered. These included interviews with key informants and documentary data. Additionally, a participant observation approach was adopted. Concerning the theoretical approach, the related literature in entrepreneurship education was reviewed.

Findings

The analysis supports the notions that the launching of a doctoral programme is similar to the process of creating a new business. The results emphasise the importance of the founder's personality, the network ties among universities and the strategic vision in order to achieve success in an entrepreneurship doctoral programme.

Research limitations/implications

The interpretation of findings represents the authors' perceptions about a single case study. In terms of theory building, as a future research line, a multi‐case study approach would allow for the developmental history of several doctoral programmes to be studied and compared.

Originality/value

This paper provides a very useful source of information for universities that are planning to offer a doctoral programme in entrepreneurship.
Can students in technology entrepreneurship courses help foster start‐ups by the unemployed?
Authors: Watkins Todd A. , Jean Russo M. , Ochs John B.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate Lehigh University's demonstration program integrating technology entrepreneurship courses with state and federal employment and economic development agencies. The article aims to detail program goals, activities, resources and structure.

Design/methodology/approach

The demonstration involved three stages over 30‐months in the context of Lehigh's Integrated Product Development Program. IPD engages students and faculty from business, engineering and design arts. Multidisciplinary student teams worked with unemployed clients with entrepreneurial new product ideas. The authors report results of several surveys and lessons learned from a comprehensive assessment process.

Findings

One year after participating, compared to a control group of non‐participants, clients with student teams had made statistically significantly more progress in launching businesses and generated more economic activity. Family support and market knowledge were the strongest predictors of entrepreneurial progress.

Research limitations/implications

Sample size is small and follow‐up timeframe only one year post‐participation. Larger controlled studies over longer periods would be valuable.

Practical implications

Findings suggest both students and unemployed early‐phase entrepreneurs gain from such academic collaboration. Resources were substantial in the context of curriculum. Partnerships with economic development agencies were instrumental.

Originality/value

Despite a large literature on the value of multidisciplinary and project‐based experiential learning, there is little empirical evidence about the extent of commercial benefits to client companies, particularly early phase entrants. Specifically lacking is evidence on the utility to start‐up entrepreneurs of working with student teams. This paper begins to fill that assessment gap.
Entrepreneur's profile: a taxonomy of attribu tes and motivations of university students
Authors: Raposo Mário , do Paço Arminda , Ferreira João
Published: May 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the profile of the potential entrepreneur student in what concerns the personal attributes and motivations for start‐ups' creation.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of literature related to the entrepreneur profile is made in order to justify the importance of the theme. Through some studies it was possible to identify a diversity of works and authors that present some aspects which contribute to the characterisation of entrepreneur individuals. The present research uses primary data obtained by means of a questionnaire, involving a sample of students, which were currently engaged in a graduation course at the University of Beira Interior. The questionnaire was administrated by interviews conducted in the classrooms of the University's faculties. The collected data were submitted to a multivariate statistical analysis.

Findings

Research findings include the existence of a typology of two distinct groups of students, respectively designated by “The accommodated independents” and “The confidents”, according to the most outstanding characteristics related with several attributes and motivations presented by each of them.

Practical implications

The identification of the entrepreneurs' characteristics and the knowledge of the potential business creator students' profile may be important for the development of an adequate educational programme directed to the entrepreneurship education and start‐up processes.

Originality/value

The paper identifies some important characteristics that are common in entrepreneurs. The findings could be used both to promote entrepreneurship in our education systems and to identify the best practices.
Creating a high‐performance workplace: a review of issues and opportunities
Authors: Morgan Andrew , Anthony Sarah
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of research to identify the key issues affecting organisations implementing and managing workplace change projects.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of literature relating to the constituents of a high‐performance workplace, the impact of workplace change and how workplace performance may be measured, sets the foundation for structured interviews with real estate and facilities executives. Interviews sought to obtain up‐to‐date insights from 17 UK‐based occupiers, drawn from corporate, public and professional services enterprises, which have recently managed accommodation change projects.

Findings

The paper identified how occupiers take a variety of ad hoc approaches to delivering workplace change and capturing the benefits through performance measurement. The evidence suggests that occupiers rely on their own experiences in evaluating their progress towards high‐workplace performance and are not constrained by any lack of evidence of a direct link between workplace and individual productivity.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is limited in scope by nature of organisations participating in the research, is concentrated on the corporate sector and focuses on headquarters buildings.

Originality/value

The paper provides CRE managers with useful guidance on the wider implications of implementing relocation and workplace change projects and consolidates learning from a range of existing academic and industry research papers on measuring productivity impacts of workplace change.
Corporate real estate practice in Australia
Authors: Wills Peter C.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the corporate real estate (CRE) practices of 25 major corporations in Australia. It will study such areas as, what constitutes CRE, the performance measures used in CRE practice, CRE management units, planning horizons in CRE, owned and leased CRE, outsourcing policies for CRE, use of benchmarking measures to assess the performance of CRE, use of “gain share” practices in CRE operations, use of flexible CRE practices and the role of cost or profit centres in corporations.

Design/methodology/approach

A data base was established using 25 companies (corporations) taken from the top 200 listed in the Australian Financial Review. Contact was made with the companies and interviews were carried out to obtain the relevant data. As well as the annual reports for the companies were analysed over the last five years to extract the necessary financial and additional property data.

Findings

The conclusions indicate that there is a great disparity between corporations. This may indicate that certain classes/types of companies do not need the CRE assets that others do. It may also indicate, as previously supported by other research, that some companies fail to capitalize on the potential of their CRE assets to increase overall return and in the long run increase shareholder value. It also revealed that most companies are disposing of property in an attempt to enhance shareholder value. This is reflected in new and innovative ways of financing CRE and moving CRE off the balance sheet.

Originality/value

This study represents the first attempt to extract data direct from company balance sheets and then carry out interviews to assess the role of CRE in company policy.
Performance measurement for accountability in corporate governance
Authors: Feroz Ehsan H. , Goel Sanjay , Raab Raymond L.
Published: May 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the applicability of data envelopment analysis (DEA) in arriving at an unbiased account of relative performance in a set of companies, using the pharmaceutical industry as an example.

Design/methodology/approach

A DEA‐based income efficiency measure of business performance for the pharmaceutical industry is computed. The pharmaceutical industry, which includes many multinational corporations with complex governance problems, and the strategies that allowed firm efficiency rankings to change over time, over ten recent years, are analyzed.

Findings

The analyses indicate that the inclines and declines in DEA efficiency rankings are related to the strategic choices made by the upper management.

Research limitations/implications

The paper attempted to trace firm behavior post hoc to validate the DEA rankings. All relevant firm behavior may not have been captured; the paper only attempted to capture behavior reported in the respectable business press, which may introduce a bias.

Practical implications

The approach may be ideal to evaluate strategic managers (CEOs, general managers, and presidents) by board of directors, since it relates multiple performance indices to a meta‐measure of performance. Another group of beneficiaries include sector financial analysts. The approach adds a new dimension to sector analysis, to compare specific industries and identify the relative rankings of firms on multiple performance indices.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates the usefulness of DEA in performance governance measurement by applying it to the pharmaceuticals industry.