bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Applications and extensions of quality function deployment
Authors: Zare Mehrjerdi Yahia
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The paper aims to review the fundamental concept of quality function deployment (QFD) and discusses the fact that a road to success for a new product development is the identification of customers' requirements and their conversion into engineering design requirements. Thereafter, it seeks to review the subject and to study four new cases on the topic of QFD.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses key elements of QFD and the fact that the vision for the development of a comprehensive quality system can be built upon the principles of QFD taking customer requirements into consideration and relating that to the design requirements.

Findings

To make product development task successful and bringing competitive advantages to the core business, management must be committed to the needs of the customers through marketing surveys and implementing that into the process of product development by converting them into engineering design requirements.

Practical implications

The method has been used successfully in practice in areas such as: facility locations, marketing strategies, robot selection, ERP selection, software development, and sports.

Originality/value

The paper reviews QFDs, and its extensions such as fuzzy QFD, analytic hierarchy process, analytic network process and QFD, statistically extended QFD, dynamic QFD, and other extensions of that. In addition to that, cases covering topics of: ship of quality, cost‐design parameter modeling, enhanced version of the quality function development, financial factors and uncertainties in the product design process with fuzzy formulation, and a model for prioritizing and designing rule changes for the game of soccer, are also reviewed.
Financial development and economic growth: evidence from the European Union
Authors: Halkos George E. , Trigoni Marianna K.
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to detect the relationship between finance and growth in the European Union countries, by searching the direction of causations.

Design/methodology/approach

The growth of real sector is expressed by real GDP per capita growth (dgdpcap), while the size of the financial system by the ratio of domestic credit to GDP (domcregdp). The deposit rate and inflation are used as indexes of monetary policy. This paper estimates vector autoregressive models, based on the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and the Schartz criterion (SC) criteria and cointegration tests are conducted. To test for stationarity, the paper uses Im, Pesaran and Shin (IPS) test. In case with variables are integrated of order one I(1), the paper tests whether they are cointegrated using Pedroni's methodology.

Findings

In the short run, the size of the financial system does not directly seem to affect growth, although its increase seems to lead to an increase in the deposit rate and consequently to a decrease in real GDP per capita. However, according to the vector error correction estimates, the significance of the error correction coefficients implies that there is a relationship between real sector, financial sector and monetary policy in the long run.

Originality/value

Pedroni's methodology, which allows for heterogeneity across members and residual serial correlation, is used for the first time, in Europe, regarding the above‐mentioned variables. According to the results, there seems to be a long‐term relationship, between finance, growth and monetary policy.
Arithmetic mean: a bellwether for unbiased forecasting of portfolio performance
Authors: Missiakoulis Spyros , Vasiliou Dimitrios , Eriotis Nikolaos
Published: October 2010

Purpose

We know that estimates of terminal value of long‐term investment horizons are biased. Unbiased estimates exist only for investment horizon of one time‐period. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a method based on the arithmetic mean in order to obtain unbiased estimates for the terminal value of long‐term investment horizons.

Design/methodology/approach

The method used for the investigation was to employ loss functions or error statistics. Namely, the mean error, the mean absolute error, the root mean squared error, and the mean absolute percentage error was used.

Findings

The suggested method produced the closest values to the actual ones than any other suggested averaging method when the authors examined ten‐year investment horizons for Standard & Poor's 500 index and on Dow Jones Industrial index.

Practical implications

Portfolio managers and individual investors may use this paper's suggestion if they wish to obtain unbiased estimates for investment horizons greater than one time‐period.

Originality/value

The suggestion to equate the time‐period of the observed data to the time‐period of the investment horizons is novel and useful to practitioners since it produces unbiased estimates.
Marketing a consumer durable brand in Malaysia: a conjoint analysis and market simulation
Authors: Sim Ong Fon , Kitchen Philip J. , Shiuan Chew Shih
Published: October 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to use conjoint analysis to examine how Malaysian consumers make decisions regarding a consumer durable product – namely room air conditioners – under multi‐cue situations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study first assesses the impact of a priori perceived differences between brand names, country of manufacture, price, quality, technological advancement, and warranty on product evaluation. Second, the relative importance of the attributes as evaluative criteria is determined by performing part worth analysis. Six pertinent hypotheses are developed and tested. Conjoint analysis is used to develop product profiles that respondents could evaluate via a survey. This is followed by a market simulation to suggest marketing strategies for Malaysian and Japanese products (the latter dominate the Malaysian market).

Findings

The findings indicate the importance of capitalising upon consumer durables' intrinsic qualities, and the need to carefully consider the relationship between price and quality. Ways to take advantage of the strength of foreign brand names need to be understood and operationalised. The simulation exercise also indicates ways in which indigenous and external competitors could take advantage of market opportunities.

Research limitations/implications

The study does place in a Malaysian context, and moreover used a convenience sampling approach. The need is demonstrable for more representative probabilistic sampling. While country of origin effects are understood, other criteria (i.e. design, assembly, and source) need to be considered in future studies.

Practical implications

It is felt that the approach utilised and the simulations developed can be applied in other geographic and cultural contexts and have implications for marketing strategies for branded consumer durable typologies.

Originality/value

The paper identifies and evaluates strategies for more effective competition in the Malaysian room air conditioner market. The use of conjoint analysis and market simulation provides a basis for competitive advantage in a tightly focused market sector.
Consumer perceptions of extended warranties and service providers
Authors: Albaum Gerald , Wiley James
Published: October 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to assess consumer perceptions of extended warranties that are marketed by the manufacturer for an independent service provider as applied to the purchase of a computer by mail catalog, telephone ordering, or the internet.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive survey of a large sample of consumers in the USA was conducted using data collection by the internet. Measurement was responses to eight Likert scales of agreement and two demographic items.

Findings

Significant differences between perceptions of females and males were observed. Overall, there was no relationship between perceptions and age, although there were significant differences for some scale items. There were no interaction effects of gender and age. A major finding is that although service is provided by an independent service company, consumers believe it to be provided by the manufacturer.

Originality/value

This is the first known examination of the specific research questions underlying the study.
Deviant employees and dreadful service encounters: customer tales of discord and distrust
Authors: Patterson Anthony , Baron Steve
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore poor service encounters from the customer's perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple autoethnographic accounts of overwhelmingly dreadful customer experiences at a department store were gathered and analyzed. The writers of the accounts were asked only to chronicle their experiences, and not directed to comment specifically on retail employee behaviour. Thus a different approach to dysfunctional service employee behaviour is offered to complement research on service sabotage, internal marketing and service delivery gaps.

Findings

Department store customers, especially the younger ones, have very low opinions of retail frontline employees. Common to all the autoethnographic accounts was a cynicism towards the actions of such employees that pervaded the customer perceptions of retail service encounters. Overcoming customer cynicism was identified as a key objective of employee training.

Research implications/limitations

The approach, based on multiple autoethnographic accounts, provides insights that can be overlooked with traditional customer satisfaction surveys. It is particularly useful for eliciting constructive feelings of experiences. By its nature, it can be difficult for researchers to forecast the ground that may be covered by the scribes, and therefore to plan a research project around the method.

Practical implications

The findings are relevant to those involved in training retail frontline employees. They strongly suggest that training, through functional scripts and handy customer service tips, is inappropriate for creating successful service encounters with cynical customers, and may even encourage service sabotage behaviours from severely bored employees.

Originality/value

The methodology is novel in the context of retail customer experiences. The findings bring customer cynicism to the fore, and question the viability of continuing with retail formats that require monotonous and uninspiring roles to be played by retail employees.
Drawing the line: how inspectors enact deviant behaviors
Authors: Suquet Jean‐Baptiste
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The paper seeks to show frontline employee sensemaking in service encounters. The purpose is to reveal the processual nature of the dysfunctional behavior category and to point out the dilemmas that organizations face when drawing the line between what is acceptable and what is not.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper focuses on fare evasion management in urban bus transport, and more specifically on control interactions between ticket inspectors and passengers. Thanks to an ethnographic study of inspection work and to a dramaturgical approach to control interactions, the paper accounts for the process of fraud enactment.

Findings

The paper gives insight into a specialized service related activity: frontline inspection. It shows how different types of fare evasion behaviors are identified, qualified and eventually enacted. In addition, it points out three types of dilemmas in deviant behavior management: service/sanction; offense focused perspective/dysfunctional behavior management perspective and control outcome effectiveness/control outcome visibility.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed to generalize the results. Moreover this original enactment perspective may not be restricted to service encounters, and future research work should address other aspects of the dysfunctional behavior enactment process.

Practical implications

Managers should take into consideration the organizational complexity involved in dysfunctional behaviors' management. A collective inquiry into their organization's participation in the shaping of these behaviors is especially recommended; so is a specific focus on front line employees' management, given their importance in the enactment of deviant behaviors.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the theory of deviant clients' behaviors and brings a processual and social‐constructive perspective.
The international search for ethics norms: which consumer behaviors do consumers consider (un)acceptable?
Authors: Neale Larry , Fullerton Sam
Published: October 2010

Purpose

Businesses cannot rely on their customers to always do the right thing. To help researchers and service providers better understand the dark (and light) side of customer behavior, this study aims to aggregate and investigate perceptions of consumer ethics from young consumers on five continents. The study seeks to present a profile of consumer behavioral norms, how ethical inclinations have evolved over time, and country differences.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from ten countries across five continents between 1997 and 2007. A self‐administered questionnaire containing 14 consumer scenarios asked respondents to rate acceptability of questionable consumer actions.

Findings

Overall, consumers found four of the 14 questionable consumer actions acceptable. Illegal activities were mostly viewed as unethical, while some legal actions that were against company policy were viewed less harshly. Differences across continents emerged, with Europeans being the least critical, while Asians and Africans shared duties as most critical of consumer actions. Over time, consumers have become less tolerant of questionable behaviors.

Practical implications

Service providers should use the findings of this study to better understand the service customer. Knowing what customers in general believe is ethical or unethical can help service designers focus on the aspects of the technology or design most vulnerable to customer deviance. Multinationals already know they must adapt their business practices to the market in which they are operating, but they must also adapt their expectations as to the behavior of the corresponding consumer base.

Originality/value

This investigation into consumer ethics helps businesses understand what their customer base believes is the right thing in their role as customer. This is a large‐scale study of consumer ethics including 3,739 respondents on five continents offering an evolving view of the ethical inclinations of young consumers.
Private healthcare quality: applying a SERVQUAL model
Authors: Muhammad Butt Mohsin , Cyril de Run Ernest
Published: October 2010

Purpose

This paper seeks to develop and test the SERVQUAL model scale for measuring Malaysian private health service quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The study consists of 340 randomly selected participants visiting a private healthcare facility during a three‐month data collection period. Data were analyzed using means, correlations, principal component and confirmatory factor analysis to establish the modified SERVQUAL scale's reliability, underlying dimensionality and convergent, discriminant validity.

Findings

Results indicate a moderate negative quality gap for overall Malaysian private healthcare service quality. Results also indicate a moderate negative quality gap on each service quality scale dimension. However, scale development analysis yielded excellent results, which can be used in wider healthcare policy and practice.

Research limitations/implications

Respondents were skewed towards a younger population, causing concern that the results might not represent all Malaysian age groups.

Originality/value

The study's major contribution is that it offers a way to assess private healthcare service quality. Second, it successfully develops a scale that can be used to measure health service quality in Malaysian contexts.
Auditing psychiatric out‐patient records
Authors: Pillay Selena , O'Dwyer Sarah , McCarthy Marguerite
Published: October 2010

Purpose

Up‐to‐date patient records are essential for safe and professional practice. They are an intrinsic component for providing adequate care and ensuring appropriate and systematic treatment plans. Furthermore, accurate and contemporaneous notes are essential for achieving professional standards from a medico‐legal perspective. The study's main aim was to investigate current record‐keeping practices by looking at whether out‐patient communication pathways to general practitioners, from letter dictation to insertion in the chart, were being satisfied.

Design/methodology/approach

From current out‐patient attendees over six months, 100 charts were chosen randomly, and reviewed. A pro‐forma was used to collect data and this information was also checked against electronic records.

Findings

Of the charts reviewed, 15 per cent had no letter. If one considers that one‐month is an acceptable time for letters to be inserted into the chart, then only 11 per cent satisfied this condition. Electronic data were also missing.

Research limitations/implications

It is impossible to discern whether letters to GPs were dictated by the out‐patient doctor for each patient reviewed. Another limitation was that some multidisciplinary hospital teams have different out‐patient note‐keeping procedures, which makes some findings difficult to interpret.

Practical implications

The review drew attention to current record‐keeping discrepancies, highlighting the need for medical record‐keeping procedures and polices to be put in place. Also brought to light was the importance of providing a workforce sufficient to meet the out‐patient team's administrative needs. An extended audit of other medical record‐keeping aspects should be carried out to determine whether problems occur in other areas.

Originality/value

The study highlights the importance of establishing agreed policies and procedures for out‐patient record keeping and the need to have a checking mechanism to identify system weaknesses.
Effect of sewing on the drape of goat suede apparel leathers
Authors: Krishnaraj Kaliappa , Thanikaivelan Palanisamy , Phebeaardn Kavati , Chandrasekaran Bangaru
Published: October 2010

Purpose

Drape is a property that affects the aesthetic appeal and functionality of materials used for clothing manufacture. When various cut components of apparel are assembled together, the drape behavior of the final garment could be affected compared to the base fabric. Goat suede leathers are widely used for making apparels. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the effect of sewing on the drape characteristics of goat suede leather.

Design/methodology/approach

For this study commercially available goat suede leathers of Indian origin from five different firms were used. The bending length, drape coefficient and number of nodes were measured for goat suede leathers with different stitch and seam values and compared with the same measurements taken in plain leather. For bending length measurement, plain, single stitched and seamed samples were prepared. For drape coefficient measurement, plain, radially stitched and seamed namely half circle and quarter circle samples were prepared.

Findings

The introduction of seam (0.5 and 1 cm allowance) on the goat suede leathers increases the bending length significantly thereby reducing the drape ability but the influence of single stitch on the bending length is negligible. On contrary, there is a significant increase in drape coefficient values for simple radial stitched as well as for seamed samples. The number of nodes generated reduced marginally upon the introduction of stitch or seam.

Originality/value

The paper provides the information on the effect of sewing on the drape characteristics of goat suede apparel leathers. This is the first of its kind study on leather as clothing material.
Information exchange and information disclosure in social networking web sites
Authors: Mital Monika , Israel D. , Agarwal Shailja
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of trust on the relationship between the type of information exchange (IE) and information disclosure (ID) on social networking web sites (SNWs).

Design/methodology/approach

Constructs were developed for type of IE and trust. To understand the mediating role of trust a mediation analysis was conducted. To test for mediation effects, the four step procedure of partial mediation analysis was used.

Findings

There was found to be a partial mediating effect of trust on the relationship between the type of IE and ID on SNWs.

Practical implications

Since the basis of formation of the communities is similarities, when there is trust amongst the community members they would not post false profiles but real profiles and the extent of ID would be higher.

Originality/value

In most of the studies it is suggested that the type of exchange and trust is dependent upon information disclosure, as against the study in which we found that it is the type of exchange and the trust which lead to increased ID.
Community creation by means of a social media paradigm
Authors: Fernando Isuru
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study from which a framework for the purposeful building of knowledge communities by means of social media is formulated.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach first takes the form of a literature review. Based on a review of literature as well as on various data sets and surveys within the case study organisation, a social media tool is developed and implemented as a platform to build a knowledge community.

Findings

That there is a need for more information by means of practical experimentation in the current literature. In addition to this, eight steering points for constructing a framework of best practice in the purposeful creation of knowledge communities are submitted.

Research limitations/implications

The above‐mentioned points are still undergoing field evaluation and further analytics is been undertaken.

Originality/value

The paper provides detail into a social media campaign. Further corporations will be able to build on the findings to construct a framework for the purposeful creation of communities facilitated by social media technologies.
Quality assessment in the blog space
Authors: Schaal Markus , Fidan Guven , Müller Roland M. , Dagli Orhan
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is the presentation of a new method for blog quality assessment. The method uses the temporal sequence of link creation events between blogs as an implicit source for the collective tacit knowledge of blog authors about blog quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The blog data are processed by the novel method for the assessment of blog quality. The results are compared to Google Page Rank with respect to the Gold Standard, the BlogRazzi Bookmark Rank.

Findings

The method is similar or better than Google Page Rank with respect to the chosen Gold Standard.

Originality/value

The major contribution of this paper is the introduction of a novel method for blog quality assessment. Even though its superiority to other and more established methods cannot be proven in the context of this limited study, it enriches the toolset available for blog quality assessment and may become important for a deeper understanding of organizational learning.
Industrial cluster involvement and organizational adaptation
Authors: Niu Keui‐Hsien
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The research of industrial cluster and organizational adaptation can be traced back to early strategic management and organization theory. This paper initiates an attempt to empirically examine the relationship between a firm's involvement in an industrial cluster and its adaptive outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Field survey research method was used and data were collected from four international industrial clusters which consist of 188 company responses. Regression analysis and path analysis were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The paper found that the degree of a firm's involvement in an industrial cluster affects its adaptation outcomes. But the nature of the adaptation benefits depends, to a large degree, on the type of cluster involvement.

Research limitations/implications

Using self‐reported data could be a potential limitation of this paper. It would be preferable to have other forms of data for a study.

Practical implications

Industrial clusters are widely considered a network‐based industrial system with the aim of adapting to fast‐changing markets and technologies as an organized whole. Firms within a cluster can work together to co‐evolve for the purpose of enhancing competitiveness and adapting to the environmental change. As the sum of the benefit of a cluster is of greater value than each individual company or institution, whether to involve in an industrial cluster to have effective adaptation is worthy of managers' consideration.

Originality/value

The major contribution of this work is the first attempt to operationalize the construct “industrial cluster” and to create a coherent model that logically links industrial clusters and organizational adaptation to tests that have not been covered sufficiently in the literature.
The role of integrative technology in competitiveness
Authors: Lollar James G. , Beheshti Hooshang M. , Whitlow Brenton J.
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between integrative technologies and the corporation's ability to remain or gain a competitive advantage in today's fast‐paced global economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors' professional experience, extensive literature review, and personal communications on the subject provided the foundation for this research.

Findings

The global business environment requires corporations to use a variety of information and communications technologies in order to coordinate and control all activities in its global operations. In order to be competitive, firms are implementing new technologies such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), ERP II, and radio frequency identification to reduce the cost of doing business by improving operational efficiencies, establish better relationship with their business partners, as well as effectiveness by quickly responding to changes in the marketplace. Challenges and benefits of implementing these technologies by both manufacturing and service organizations are explored and examined in this paper.

Practical implications

Low‐cost and differentiation strategies require corporations to integrate information and communications technologies to streamline processes both within the firm and between business associates. A considerable amount of time and capital is required for acquisition and implementation of the new technology but the return on the investment is significant in the long run. Top management participation, change in management, and employee training are critical success factors in successful utilization of technology.

Originality/value

The paper provides useful information with regards to the importance of technology in sustaining or gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace.
Architecture as brand: store design and brand identity
Authors: Kirby A.E. , Kent A.M.
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between the architecture of retail stores and the communication of brand identity.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers adopted a qualitative approach using case studies of the design process and architecture of four new food superstores in the UK between 1998 and 2005. The case studies draw on interviews, photographs, observations, and archival materials.

Findings

The case studies demonstrate that high‐profile architects have been involved in the design of supermarket buildings. The reuse of buildings has also become a significant element of visual identity at a local level. “Stealth” design, by contrast, reduces visual identity. In each case the relationship between retailer, architect, local authority, media and public opinion influenced the design process and the visual identity of the building.

Research implications

The research implications are that architecture is not well understood in the retail industry as a medium for communicating a consistent brand identity. For designers and architects, building as brand for superstores presents opportunities to create a distinctive brand style. Urban regeneration will continue to offer opportunities for new, iconic buildings. The building, its location and history can provide points of differentiation and contribute to brand awareness and reputation.

Originality/value

The originality of this research lies in its interdisciplinary approach, which uses both design and management literature and methodology to examine architecture's role in visual identity. It focuses on the previously unresearched architecture of food retailers.
The modern American university: a love story
Authors: Scott Robert A.
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to survey areas of admiration, anguish, and anticipation in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The article takes the form of a reflective essay.

Findings

There is much to admire about higher education; much that causes anguish; and much to anticipate in the years ahead.

Originality/value

This is an original approach and an original piece of work.
National Survey of Student Engagement's (NSSE) benchmarks – one size fits all?
Authors: Lerer Nava , Talley Kathryn
Published: October 2010

Purpose

Administrators of the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) argue that the results from the five benchmarks, constructed from the survey's items, “produce a set of national benchmarks of good educational practice that participating schools are using to estimate the efficacy of their improvement efforts”. The objective of this paper is to show that any assessment of educational quality cannot be separated from students' expectations and goals.

Design/methodology/approach

Data are drawn from two sources: five years of NSSE data and Adelphi data. A quantitative approach was used to analyze the data.

Findings

While NSSE items are important indicators of experiences that certain types of students might be seeking and expect from their college, the benchmarks are supposed to provide an overall picture of colleges' educational practices.

Originality/value

This is an original work which was previously presented at the 2005 Northeast Association of Institutional Research annual conference.
Between the acropolis and the agora
Authors: Abeles Tom P.
Published: October 2010

Purpose

Post‐secondary institutions are undergoing change. This review aims to look at how the changes are being addressed in Europe and the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

Two books are reviewed. One looks at the change through the efforts of the Spellings Commission in the USA while the other, a study of the European Bologna Process, holds the hope that there might be lessons for the USA's traditional colleges and universities.

Findings

Both of the authors are concerned with the current and future state of post‐secondary education in the USA. Gaston defines the rise and the current state of the Bologna Process of harmonization of universities across the EU's borders. He also indicates that the USA's global hegemonic reputation may not hold in the future. Zemsky's study focuses on the Spellings Commission study and sees post‐secondary education as the center point of knowledge, needing some change, but not so off course that it needs to follow the path of homogenization which the USA sees as being taken in Europe. The paper also reveals how the US public institutions, the public itself and the government need to resolve the need for centers of academic and research excellence while addressing the social needs of an increasingly diverse population in a time of limited fiscal resources.

Social implications

The rising technological demands of a flattening world raise the educational need of the workforce taking it from K‐12 to K‐14+ and removing the bright line that has separated the tertiary institutions from the secondary schools. Additionally, global mobility changes the marketplace, particularly at the undergraduate levels and the role of the academics who labor in the Ivory Tower.

Originality/value

The paper reveals information on the influence of the Bologna Process and the Spellings Commission in educational reform.
Review of Reflections on Higher Education, by Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, Oryx Press, Westport, CT, 2002
Authors: Scott Robert A.
Published: October 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to review a book of insights from a highly successful campus president.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes the form of an essay review.

Findings

The paper provides key insights into presidential leadership, roles and responsibilities, and fundraising.

Originality/value

This paper is an original essay review.
Plant function deployment via RCM and QFD
Authors: Kianfar Azadeh , Kianfar Ferydoon
Published: October 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to address the capability of reliability‐centered maintenance (RCM), which is a preventive maintenance design tool.

Design/methodology/approach

A model named Plant Function Deployment (PFD) is developed, in which the methodology of quality function deployment (QFD) is added to RCM to improve RCM capability in preserving the functions of the plants.

Findings

The objective of preserving the plant functions with least resources, in RCM, is attained more efficiently if the methodology of QFD is added to RCM.

Practical implications

PFD is a model for designing a preventive maintenance program which uses RCM and QFD methodologies. PFD organizes all the important data and information, gathered by RCM, in a matrix chart named The House of Quality. This chart gives a compact and detailed picture of all the relationships between the failure modes and functions of the plant, with logical numerical measures, for evaluating the degree of importance of the failure modes for receiving preventive maintenance tasks. In PFD the maintenance engineers use the information contained in the House of Quality to select preventive maintenance tasks and their frequencies. This causes the designed preventive maintenance program to approach more closely the optimal program with the objective of preserving the plant functions with least resources.

Originality/value

In comparison with RCM, PFD provides additional valuable information about failure modes, in a compact form, which can be used by the maintenance design engineers when they are trying to select the best preventive maintenance tasks for the plants.
Maintenance strategies for deep‐sea offshore wind turbines
Authors: Bouwer Utne Ingrid
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to outline a framework that guides the development of sound maintenance strategies and policies for deep‐sea offshore wind turbines.

Design/methodology/approach

An important challenge with offshore wind energy production is to reduce the high operation and maintenance costs. To decrease complexity, and structure the maintenance strategy developing process, systems engineering principles are used.

Findings

The framework facilitates integration of fragmented but valuable information from different disciplines in the development of sound maintenance strategies. In addition, the framework may be used to identify knowledge gaps, and areas for further research.

Research limitations/implications

The paper refers to research on deep‐sea offshore wind turbines, which is in its infancy, with a limited amount of data yet available for verification and validation. Deep‐sea offshore installations are not commercialized, and few pilot installations have been installed.

Originality/value

The design of the offshore wind turbines determines operation and maintenance features. Reducing operation and maintenance costs is necessary to make deep‐sea offshore wind projects viable in the first place. The framework contributes to the complicated development of maintenance strategies for a system not yet realized.
Retailers' use of niche marketing in product development
Authors: Parrish Erin
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to investigate the growing trend of the use of private labeling as a competitive strategy among fashion retailers. Specifically, how retailers differentiate and create niche markets within their own private label merchandise is examined. The study focuses on how retailers develop and expand their private label portfolios, while minimizing the risk of cannibalization.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology is an in‐depth case study design that is used to gather information from a selected sample of those retailers that participate in apparel private label product development.

Findings

Results indicate a strong use of a niche marketing strategy by retailers in the development and implementation phase of private labels. The strategy resulted in increased profits and market share.

Practical implications

The study is significant because it provides a framework for a globally competitive strategy that retailers can utilize in order to develop specialized, niche markets within their private label merchandise, while minimizing the risk of cannibalization.

Originality/value

There is a void in the current research literature relative to the use of a niche market strategy as a competitive strategy by the fashion retail industry, particularly when related to the development and marketing of private label merchandise.
Shopping behavior and the involvement construct
Authors: Kinley Tammy R. , Josiam Bharath M. , Lockett Fallon
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the degree of involvement with shopping for clothing affects the frequency with which GenY consumers seek the opinions of others when making clothing purchases for themselves; the non‐personal sources that influence the frequency of clothing purchase; and certain shopping behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

Written questionnaires were completed by students at a university in the southwestern region of the USA.

Findings

Most of the participants were determined to be high involvement shoppers who sought opinions of female friends and co‐workers, used most of the non‐personal idea sources, shopped more often, spent more money, and were more comfortable shopping for clothing.

Research limitations/implications

While the participants are representative of the GenY characteristics and a valid sample for this project, the use of a convenience sample may limit the generalizability of the results.

Practical implications

Generation Y consumers who are more involved with shopping for clothing tend to consult a variety of resources prior to purchase, particularly other females and marketing delivered via various media. Retailers and clothing manufacturers should take advantage of visual merchandising opportunities and social networking avenues as well as traditional advertising and promotion outlets.

Originality/value

The research further refines the involvement construct with a group of consumers who are very involved with shopping for clothing. The opinions of other females, magazines, catalogs, television advertisements and programs, music videos, internet advertisements, and celebrities are important in the product selection process.
Specialty store strategy within Japanese apparel wholesalers: an empirical analysis
Authors: Urakami Takuya , Wu Xueying
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight two important strategies (private label strategy and specialty store strategy) of the Japanese wholesale apparel market and then to clarify the characteristics of those apparel wholesalers who own or intend to establish specialty private label stores.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was carried out on 3,008 apparel wholesalers in Japan and probit regression analyses were applied to identify what types of apparel wholesalers already own or whether they intend to establish specialty private label stores.

Findings

The main findings are as follows: large‐scale apparel wholesalers tend to own specialty private label stores but these wholesalers experience a worse financial outcome; apparel wholesalers with brand strength tend to possess their own specialty stores; and apparel wholesalers, who do not currently own specialty stores, plan to strengthen their brands in order to take advantage of apparel distribution channels.

Originality/value

Because of a lack of published data, no empirical studies have investigated the effectiveness of private label or specialty store strategies developed by Japanese apparel wholesalers. The present study has sought to address this problem by conducting questionnaire surveys with all Japanese apparel wholesalers and has, therefore, been able to clarify the situation regarding survival in the apparel market by considering those apparel wholesalers that already own or intend to establish specialty private label stores.
An investigation into product development processes for UK fashion retailers
Authors: Goworek Helen
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate contemporary practice in product development for clothing sold by UK fashion retailers, focusing on three essential types of participant: textile designers, fashion designers, and fashion buyers.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with practitioners working in textile design, fashion design and fashion buying in clothing suppliers, a design agency and fashion retailers, from which case studies were compiled.

Findings

The case studies provide evidence that communication skills have become particularly significant to enable effective collaboration during fashion product development. The three roles discussed in the paper have a high degree of congruence in their responsibilities, particularly in terms of awareness of fashion trends and market.

Originality/value

There is an overlap between textile design, fashion design, fashion buying and other roles in the fashion business, evidenced by the case studies in the paper. Therefore the congruence between various roles and processes within the fashion business could potentially be analysed. The paper has concentrated on the mass market fashion business in the UK and the same roles mentioned here could be investigated in other countries or at different market levels.
Determinants of single authorship
Authors: Vafeas Nikos
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to shed light on the conditions that lead academics to seek co‐authors in some cases, but not in others: i.e. to identify empirical determinants of the co‐authorship decision.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used for this purpose is logistic regression. Specifically, data is collected on all the articles published in 25 accounting and finance journals over a five‐year period and a comparison is made on how these articles differ among them, on various dimensions across the co‐authorship choice.

Findings

The findings are consistent with authors being more likely to work on a project alone when the project is conceptual or analytical, rather than empirical in nature, when the amount of work involved is small, when the author is affiliated with a highly ranked university, and when the author is a junior faculty member.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of this type of analysis is that it does not employ actual faculty perceptions about co‐authorship, but has to rely on the output of this choice (i.e. the published articles) to draw inferences.

Practical implications

The results of this study have practical implications to those who write, evaluate, and study accounting and finance research, by offering them a better understanding of the conditions that determine the presence of co‐authors on a research project.

Originality/value

The results of this study would be useful to decision‐makers, academic authors, journal editors, referees, and other members of the academic community, who may gain additional insights on papers and authors that conform to or deviate from the suggested norms.
Commercial mortgage backed securities: resurgence or demise?
Authors: Solomon Jenniffer , McCluskey William
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The main purpose of this paper is to reflect on the impact of the financial crisis of 2007 on commercial mortgage backed securities (CMBS) and to consider how market confidence in this form of financing can be re‐established.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a two‐stage approach involving a questionnaire and structured interviews. The questionnaire was distributed to market participants in Europe with the goal of identifying their views on the future of CMBS. Structured interviews were held with the three largest credit rating agencies again with the purpose to illicit their opinions on steps necessary to create the confidence in this innovative financing tool.

Findings

The empirical results show that market revival will depend on a simplification of deal structures and transparency by all market players. It is clear that regulation of the CMBS instrument is not a top priority for the main market players, but rather, better and more open risk assessment, greater disclosure of information and more due diligence on behalf of investors are seen as crucial.

Practical implications

The paper finds that there are several pragmatic changes that have to be introduced into the way CMBS are designed if they are to be, once again, significant tools for the securitising loans underlying real estate assets.

Originality/value

As well as the practical applications of this analysis it makes an academic contribution in relation to the perceptions of the main market players in creating the environment for a resurgence of CMBS.
Risk appetite of real estate and property security markets: an empirical study of Hong Kong
Authors: Hui Eddie , Wang Hui , Zheng Xian
Published: October 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the risk appetite in Hong Kong real estate and property security markets in the recent episode of global financial crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

An advanced methodology developed from the previous risk appetite measurement and Markov Chain Monte Carlo simulation is used. Traditional research on risk appetite had never been applied to the real estate market before because no options underlying properties exist. However, this paper makes a contribution that in the absence of options, risk appetite indicators are derived for the real estate and property security markets.

Findings

The empirical results show that the risk appetite for the real estate market started to fall markedly in the third quarter of 2008, matching the very period of the Sub‐prime Mortgage Crisis in the USA. By contrast, those for the property security index were stabilizing in that period. This implies that investors' risk attitude to the real estate market differs from that to the property security market. Furthermore, the correlations between the index prices and the corresponding risk appetite in each market suggest that investors are “risk neutral” in the real estate market, while they are “risk lovers” in the property security market.

Originality/value

This paper, to the authors' best knowledge, is the first study to explore the risk appetite indicator in the real estate market, which could enable us to shed new light on the market price movement from the perspective of investors' market sentiment.