bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impacts of corporate social responsibility on organization citizenship behavior and task performance in hospitality
Authors: He Jie , Zhang Hao , Morrison Alastair M.
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the impacts of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on employee organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and task performance in hospitality. The existing research emphasizes the effects of CSR on organizational performance at a macro level. There is a need to explore social responsibility at a micro level, more precisely, the effects on employee OCB and task performance. Significant evidence shows that CSR positively affects employee OCB. However, there is scant research explaining how CSR impacts OCB and consequently task performance. The main purpose of this investigation was to bridge this gap by analyzing how CSR influences employee OCB and task performance in hospitality based on social identity theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical model was proposed and tested through sequential mediation regressions based on a survey of 296 employees in the hospitality sector in China.

Findings

The results showed that CSR has a positive effect on social identity, which in turn influences employee OCB and consequently task performance. Social identity and OCB play sequential mediation roles between CSR and task performance. Additionally, there is an inverted U-shape relationship between OCB and task performance.

Research limitations/implications

This research illustrates how and why CSR impacts employee OCB and task performance based on social identity theory. More specifically, a sequential mediation chain exists between CSR and task performance. The study suggests that hospitality businesses adopting CSR promote employee identification with their companies that leads to enhanced OCB and task performance. This may be an effective way to motivate employees through hospitality businesses accepting greater social responsibility. Additionally, it was found that OCB has a positive effect on task performance, and there is an inverted U-shape relationship between OCB and task performance.

Originality/value

CSR can be applied as the employee management practice in the hospitality sector. CSR has a positive impact on organizational identification that contributes to individual outcomes such as OCB and task performance at work.
Enhancing human performance reliability in aircraft pushback operations
Authors: Ng Yang Siong Robson , Rashid Hamad
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the aircraft pushback operations to predict and manage human errors, particularly those associated with the complex team work of carrying out the pushback operation. This should improve air ramp operations reliability.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applied the human reliability assessment “Systematic Human Error Reduction and Prediction Approach” that involved a total of 60 semi-structured interviews with practicing experts. Past ramp accident reports were also reviewed to provide more in-depth insights to the problem.

Findings

Some of the key performance reliability-degrading errors identified relate to some frequent critical technical inabilities within the team of headset operator and tug driver, as well as the vulnerable intra-team communications. Several best practices were similarly identified.

Practical implications

Based on its findings, this study proposes a new technological concept that can help enhancing safety of aircraft pushback operations. This should enhance reliability of aircraft ground handling and improve aircraft availability. It also provided a generic methodological approach to improve safety-critical operations within high-risk industries.

Social implications

This study responses to the increasing trend in ramp accidents worldwide.

Originality/value

The research conducted to date in this area is still quite limited compared to that of flight and aircraft maintenance safety. The relevant existing studies focus more on ramp safety holistically, and do not go into the details of how safety and reliability of a ramp operation can be improved. The current paper aims at filling this gap.
Extending the service profit chain: the mediating effect of employee productivity
Authors: Adeinat Iman , Kassim Norizan
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the gap in the literature by extending the service profit chain (SPC) model and testing the validity of the proposed model in high-contact service contexts rather than by testing the key elements of the SPC in regard to a single business.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses the exploratory factor analysis to identify a set of observables to use in representing the relationships included in the proposed extended model and employs the structural equation modeling to test the eight proposed hypothesis.

Findings

The study shows that the best-fit structural model supports the notion that employee internal service quality drives employee satisfaction that drives employee loyalty and employee productivity. In addition, employee productivity is shown as partially mediating the relationship between employee satisfaction and employee loyalty.

Practical implications

The results presented in this study have managerial implications and shed light on the importance of operational factors in the service industry, in particular high-contact services.

Originality/value

The integration of operations management and SPC still remain limited in the literature. Therefore, the study extends the SPC by integrating other operational factors, namely, employee productivity and internal service quality, and tests its validity in high contact services where the prolonged contact between the customer and the service system creates more opportunities to influence a customer’s perception of service quality.
Statistically constrained economic design of X ¯ control chart with Weibull in-control time for processes subject to multiple assignable causes
Authors: Nadreri Mohammad Hosein , Bameni Moghadam Mohamad , Seif Asghar
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an economic statistical design based on the concepts of adjusted average time to signal (AATS) andANFforX¯control chart under a Weibull shock model with multiple assignable causes.

Design/methodology/approach

The design used in this study is based on a multiple assignable causes cost model. The new proposed cost model is compared with the same cost and time parameters and optimal design parameters under uniform and non-uniform sampling schemes.

Findings

Numerical results indicate that the cost model with non-uniform sampling cost has a lower cost than that with uniform sampling. By using sensitivity analysis, the effect of changing fixed and variable parameters of time, cost and Weibull distribution parameters on the optimum values of design parameters and loss cost is examined and discussed.

Practical implications

This research adds to the body of knowledge relating to the quality control of process monitoring systems. This paper may be of particular interest to practitioners of quality systems in factories where multiple assignable causes affect the production process.

Originality/value

The cost functions for uniform and non-uniform sampling schemes are presented based on multiple assignable causes withAATSandANFconcepts for the first time.
Research gaps in Lean manufacturing: a systematic literature review
Authors: Psomas Evangelos , Antony Jiju
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Literature contributions to Lean manufacturing (LM) are fragmented and show some significant limitations. The purpose of this paper is to identify the existing research gaps in LM as well as to group them into respective themes.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review (SLR) of peer reviewed journal articles in LM was carried out by the authors, based on four major publishers, namely, Emerald Online, Science Direct, Springer Link and Taylor & Francis. In total, 120 articles published in 30 journals during 2005–2016 were collected which revealed LM research gaps. A simple affinity diagram was applied in order to group the research gaps into logical themes.

Findings

A large number of research gaps are identified in the LM literature and meaningful themes of these gaps are also revealed.

Research limitations/implications

The SLR carried out by the authors is based on only four academic journal publishers and some of other publishers might have been missed out in this search. Excluding articles focusing on an individual Lean principle or tool/technique is also a limitation of the present SLR.

Practical implications

Researchers and practitioners can use the LM research gaps presented in this study for further development of LM methodology.

Originality/value

Presenting LM research gaps analytically and grouping them into meaningful themes, significantly differentiates the present SLR study from those published so far.
EFQM model’s application in the context of higher education
Authors: Laurett Rozélia , Mendes Luis
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model has been widely used by higher education institutions (HEIs). However, knowledge about the state of the art concerning its application in the context of HEIs is still reduced. The purpose of this paper is to provide groundwork able to boost coordinated research efforts toward the development of the knowledge body in the field.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on a systematic literature review (SLR) of 25 papers identified in the ISI Web of Knowledge and SCOPUS databases, and considered relevant for analysis.

Findings

The paper provides a broad overview of the main issues explored so far in literature: potential benefits, potential barriers and critical success factors. By highlighting the main shortcomings of current research and the corresponding opportunities for additional research directions, the authors hope to boost further research efforts in the field.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first SLR in the field.
A lifestyle sport: idiosyncratic and dynamic belonging
Authors: Harris Garth , Dacin Peter A.
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore what an idiosyncratic and dynamic sense of belonging entails for consumption in a lifestyle sport, an ever shifting and progressing world in which individuals engage in community while also seeking to individuate their own sense of belonging.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt an ethnographic approach in the context of a regional skateboarding community. Over a year at local skateparks, we interviewed 15 well-established, committed members of the community identified by others (through snowball techniques) to allow us to delve into the phenomenon. These interviews were conducted as part of the primary author's doctoral thesis (See Harris, 2011).

Findings

An idiosyncratic and dynamic sense of belonging is prevalent in the lifestyle sport community, even among well-established members. This is reflected in and motivated by a variety of consumption, as well as overconsumption practices.

Practical implications

Understanding the idiosyncratic and dynamic nature of a sense of belonging allows marketers to design offerings to effectively deal with the ambiguities of belonging but also raises the potential for the destructive use of marketing.

Originality/value

The authors demonstrate how approaching belonging through a dynamic and idiosyncratic sense of belonging provides a deeper understanding of belonging and related consumption activities in a lifestyle sport.
Exploring integrated reporting in the banking industry: the multiple capitals approach
Authors: Doni Federica , Larsen Mikkel , Bianchi Martini Silvio , Corvino Antonio
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the engagement with integrated reporting (IR) of the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS), as one of the banks that pioneered IR. Banking industry members face critical sector-specific issues regarding the use of capitals, especially the disclosure of relational and natural capital-related information, and reporting of the outcomes of capitals. This study examines an innovative approach to accounting for multiple capitals adopted by DBS during its journey toward IR.

Design/methodology/approach

This empirical research follows the case study method, using semi-structured interviews with DBS’s managers, and analyzing reports and other documentation.

Findings

The authors find that DBS re-conceptualizes, re-categorizes and measures multiple capitals as a form of non-financial value using the balance sheet approach to make visible the interactions and potential tensions (trade-offs) among capitals.

Research limitations/implications

Case studies are best used to understand a specific context, so the findings of this study cannot be generalized statistically. However, the study does provide insights into the banking industry that may be applicable to other organizations.

Practical implications

The categorization and reporting of multiple capitals using the balance sheet approach and the integration of the balanced scorecard are innovative operationalizations of the International  Framework.

Originality/value

This study provides an innovative approach to the categorization and measurement of multiple capitals. It represents a step toward reducing the gap between research and practice on IR.
Conceptualizing the distinctiveness of team coaching
Authors: Jones Rebecca J. , Napiersky Uwe , Lyubovnikova Joanne
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Team coaching (TC) is a popular new addition to the team learning and development toolkit. However, the conceptualization of TC and the distinction between TC, team training, team development and team building interventions remains unclear. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors address this significant gap by abductively exploring how TC is conceptualised in practice (n=410). The authors survey practitioners engaged in delivering TC to ask how they would define TC and distinguish it from other team interventions.

Findings

A thematic analysis of the data reveals eight themes, which can be used to define TC and illustrate areas of overlap and distinctiveness with other team interventions.

Research limitations/implications

The absence of a clearly defined construct is hindering the development of a rigorous theory of TC. The contribution of the paper is, therefore, a clear and comprehensive definition of TC, which can be used by researchers and practitioners alike when working within the domain of TC.

Originality/value

The paper provides the first systematic exploration of a definition of TC in relation to alternative team interventions. By utilising an abductive approach in the research, the authors are able to capitalise on practitioner experience in this practice-led field.
Work context and turnover intention in social enterprises: the mediating role of meaning of work
Authors: Sun Jonghun , Lee Jeong Won , Sohn Young Woo
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of meaning of work as a linking mechanism between the perception of work context and turnover intention within the rarely studied context of social enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on meaning of work theories, an integrated research model was developed. Data were collected using questionnaires from 315 full-time employees at 114 social enterprises in Korea. Mediated and moderated structural equation models were used to assess the hypotheses.

Findings

Social mission was fully mediated by meaning of work to predict low turnover intention, and shared vision was partially mediated to predict the same. The authors also found that the positive relationship between social mission and meaning of work was stronger when shared vision was higher.

Originality/value

This study extends previous literature on managerial psychology (i.e. meaning of work and turnover) in the context of a new but increasingly prevalent organizational form, social enterprises. It also provides practical advice for managers seeking to retain employees and encourage the sustainability of the social enterprise sector.
Antecedents and consequences of employee engagement revisited
Authors: Saks Alan M.
Published: February 2019

Purpose

In 2006, Saks (2006) published one of the first empirical studies of the antecedents and consequences of employee engagement. Since then dozens of studies on engagement have been published and most of them have used the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) to measure work engagement. The purpose of this paper is to revisit Saks (2006) to try and address some issues that have arisen during the last ten years and to assess the generalizability of his findings and model using the UWES measure of work engagement and single-item measures of job and organization engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

Additional analyses was conducted using the data from Saks (2006) including measures of each job characteristic, the use of the UWES measure of work engagement, and single-item general measures of job engagement and organization engagement. In addition, a review of engagement research was conducted as well as research that used Saks’ (2006) measures of job engagement and organization engagement.

Findings

The results indicate that skill variety is the main job characteristic that predicts job engagement. The results of the analysis using the UWES measure of work engagement found that job characteristics and perceived organizational support are significant predictors of work engagement, and work engagement predicts job satisfaction, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior and intentions to quit and mediates the relationship between the antecedents and the consequences. Similar results were found using the single-item measures of job engagement and organization engagement. A review of the engagement literature indicates general support for the Saks (2006) model of the antecedents and consequences of employee engagement and for his measures of job and organization engagement. A revised and updated model is provided with additional antecedents and consequences.

Practical implications

The results indicate that organizations can drive employee engagement by focusing on skill variety as well as providing social support, rewards and recognition, procedural and distributive fairness, and opportunities for learning and development. In addition, organizations can assess employee engagement more frequently and easily by using single-item measures of job and organization engagement.

Originality/value

This paper provides an update and revision of the Saks (2006) model of employee engagement and suggests that the main findings are similar when using the UWES measure of work engagement and single-item general measures of job engagement and organization engagement.
Green city branding: perceptions of multiple stakeholders
Authors: Wang Hui-Ju
Published: February 2019

Purpose

With society’s growing environmental concern, developing a green brand identity provides cities with opportunities to enhance their competitiveness. Nevertheless, few studies have explored green city branding and specifically considered the diverse perceptions of multiple stakeholders. Accordingly, this study aims to explore green city branding from the perceptions of multiple stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on associative network theory, the study uses brand concept maps and network analysis approaches to construct and analyze the content and structure of mental models among local residents and foreign tourists for a green city brand. This study further seeks empirical support for the findings via a survey, using the sample case of Yilan County in Taiwan.

Findings

The results of this study reveal that foreign tourists possess a more diverse and heterogeneous brand perception than local residents. Additionally, the study uncovers significant green city brand associations regarding their influences on the behavioral decisions of local residents and foreign tourists.

Originality/value

This research is the first attempt to advance the knowledge of green city branding by empirically exploring the green city brand perceptions of multiple stakeholders based on associative network theory. The results provide brand researchers with different analytical perspectives on the existing knowledge about city brand perceptions and offer strategic information for city managers.
The nexus between exchange rate and long-term investment in Indian manufacturing industry
Authors: Panda Ajaya Kumar , Nanda Swagatika
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of changes in the exchange rate on long-term investment decisions of Indian manufacturing firms at the sector level.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is undertaken on a sample of 1,222 firms from six key manufacturing sectors of Indian economy during the period 2000-2016. The non-linear relationship between real exchange rate and long-term investment is studied using the two-step generalized model of moments estimator.

Findings

The study finds a concave (i.e. inverted U-shaped) relationship between the long-term investment and real exchange rate, particularly in case of chemical, construction, machinery and textile sector, in particular, and Indian manufacturing industry as a whole. It implies that investments in these sectors increase with depreciation of real exchange rate up to a point of inflection and subsequent to which it starts decreasing if exchange rate continues to depreciate further. But consumer goods and metal product sectors ensure a convex pattern, which demonstrates that investment is decreasing at the initial stage of depreciation of the exchange rate. The study moves one-step forward in validating this nexus between investment and exchange rate with respect to the price-cost margin and the extent of financial flexibility of firms. It is found that high price cost margin and financial flexibility moderates the adverse impact of exchange rate depreciation and immunizes the long-term investments in the scenario of a weak domestic currency and induce long-term investments.

Research limitations/implications

The study measures the impact of exchange rate changes, but the impact of exchange rate volatility on investment has not been studied, which is absolutely different with different implications.

Practical implications

The study provides a clear guideline to firm managers for using the exchange rate movements in a favorable manner. The findings can be used to ensure sustainable long-term investments with respect to the core competence of firms in terms of price cost margin and financial flexibility at sector level of Indian manufacturing firms.

Originality/value

The study analyzes the non-linear relationship between exchange rate changes and long-term investment behavior of manufacturing firms from six key sectors of India. Further, the study moves one step forward to analyze this nexus under different scenarios of financial flexibility and price cost margin using dynamic panel models.
Student assessment of quality of engineering education in India: evidence from a field survey
Authors: Choudhury Pradeep Kumar
Published: February 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss students’ assessment of quality related issues in engineering education in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses primary survey data of 1,178 undergraduate engineering students in Delhi, India, in 2009-2010. Students’ experience and views of four important aspects such as teaching methods used in the classroom, evaluation pattern, skills acquired by students during the course and the involvement of students in different activities other than classroom teaching are discussed using descriptive statistics and correlation to examine the quality issues.

Findings

The study finds that the lecture method is still dominant in the teaching and learning of engineering institutions compared to technical demonstration and laboratory work. Around half of the engineering students reported that they had never gone through any field work or industrial visits during their entire program of study. Involvement of students in the activities other than classroom teaching (e.g. working on research projects, attending engineering internships, studying a foreign language and opting for interdisciplinary courses) is more prevalent in government institutions compared to private institutions. The findings suggest that engineering institutions (particularly private colleges) should change their focus from traditional methods of teaching and evaluation of students to interactive methods of learning to improve the quality of technical education in India.

Originality/value

The literature reveals that the quality assessment of engineering and technical education in India is largely based on the information collected from stakeholders other than students. Therefore, this study contributes a new dimension to the existing literature by considering students’ assessment of the quality of engineering education.
Bridging theory and practice with Lean Six Sigma capstone design projects
Authors: Martínez León Hilda Cecilia
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the challenges academics face today in developing a knowledge-based economy. In response to these challenges, the authors developed a collaborative approach to enhancing the learning experience for engineering management (or industrial engineering) capstone design courses. The core of this approach is the problem-based learning through the execution of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) projects implemented via university–industry partnerships. The ultimate goal of this approach is to facilitate the integration and application of theoretical knowledge while promoting the development of professional skills in undergraduate students as demanded by business organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The framework is firmly grounded in theory and methods from project management and quality management, and LSS literature and was tested in an engineering and management capstone design course at the author’s university. The case study presented here offers a detailed analysis of the design and implementation of the proposed framework. The authors also present the results of a survey conducted to assess the extent to which the proposed approach contributes to bridging the gap between theory and practice.

Findings

Results from the pilot implementation and survey results revealed that students who took the enhanced LSS capstone course felt that their projects helped them gain a better understanding on how to apply the theory to practical situations while preparing them to approach and solve problems in real-world settings confidentially. The authors also found that the LSS green belt certification helped recent graduates to transition to the workforce more easily, gain more credibility among coworkers and supervisors and make contributions quicker than other new hires, get the job they wanted faster and overall advance in their careers.

Originality/value

The framework is a composition of best practices used in a variety of universities and industries. While the majority of the LSS university-based programs are typically offered at the graduate level and with limited (support for) project executions, the framework proposed here provides the infrastructure for solid company staff-student team collaborations on projects executed from inception to implementation.
Convergence consensus analyst earnings estimates and option pricing in modeling material accounting misstatements
Authors: Aubert François , Wang Jeff J. , Grudnitski Gary
Published: February 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce analyst estimates and option pricing-based variables in modeling material accounting misstatements.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a logistic regression model to analyze a comprehensive sample of AAER and non-AAER firms listed in the USA.

Findings

By applying a cross-sectional, sequence of time-series logistic regression models, the authors find better identifiers of ex ante risk of fraud than prediction models based on an inspection of abnormal accruals. These identifiers include the managed earnings (ME) component of a firm and the change in a firm’s option contracts’ implied volatility (IV) prior to an earnings announcement.

Practical implications

The empirical findings contribute to an understanding of earnings manipulation (fraud) and should be of value to auditors and regulatory bodies interested in identifying financial statement fraud, particularly the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has been improving its accounting quality model (AQM or Robocop) fraud detection tool for many years. The results contribute substantially to enhancing the current accounting literature by introducing two non-accrual-based measures that significantly enhance the predictive power of an accrual-based accounting misstatement prediction model.

Originality/value

This paper radically departs from relying on the assumption that the clearest and easiest pathway to detect fraud reporting ex ante is through an examination of accruals. Instead, the authors use a richer source of information about the possibility of a firm’s misstatement of its financial accounting numbers, namely, analyst estimates of ex post earnings and the IV from exchange-traded option contracts.
Artificial intelligence: HR friend or foe?
Authors: Hogg Peter
Published: February 2019

Purpose

While the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace is on the rise, few understand how it will affect our jobs. Will it be a hindrance? A threat? Or the solution to the current productivity dilemma? As with any new, and largely untested, technology, AI brings both challenges and opportunities that we need to be conscious of.

Design/methodology/approach

The current and potential future implementation of AI technologies at Schneider Electric is assessed.

Findings

In HR, it is our responsibility to help navigate business leaders towards making the best business decision, often with the use of technology. AI, like analytics before it, has huge potential.

Originality/value

What we know for sure, is that the development of human talent has become one of the top priorities for global CEOs. With severe talent shortages in the UK, finding the right candidates for the job and investing in their professional development and well-being to keep them for longer look like no-brainers.
People analytics and the rise of HR: how data, analytics and emerging technology can transform human resources (HR) into a profit center
Authors: DiClaudio Michael
Published: February 2019

Purpose

Employee and workforce insights are the greatest competitive advantage for organizations dealing with the disruption and uncertainty driving dramatic changes in today’s workplace. Embedded in this is the growing expectation of the human resource (HR) function to understand how workforce analytics informs the business and fuels success. This paper aims to explore how the HR function can achieve this.

Design/methodology/approach

The evolution of the “Future of HR” and how it is moving from “descriptive and diagnostic” to “prescriptive and predictive.”

Findings

According to KPMG’s 2019 Future of HR survey: 37 per cent of respondents feel “very confident” about HR’s actual ability to transform and move them forward via key capabilities such as analytics and artificial intelligence (AI). Over the next year or two, 60 per cent say they plan to invest in predictive analytics. Among those who have invested in AI to date, 88 per cent call the investment worthwhile, with analytics listed as a main priority (33 per cent). Despite data’s remarkable ability to deliver news insights and enhance decision-making, 20 per cent of HR believe analytics will be a primary HR initiative for them over the next one to two years, and only 12 per cent cite analytics as a top management concern.

Research limitations/implications

Taking a page from meeting customer needs, innovative technologies such as AI and the cloud, data analytics can give an organization the potential to gather infinitely greater amounts of information about customers.

Practical implications

Today’s workforce analytics focuses mostly on what happened and why. For instance, you might have tools for identifying areas of high turnover and diagnosing the reasons. But thanks to advancements in technology and data analytics capabilities, HR is better-positioned to be the predictive engine required for the organization’s success.

Social implications

There has never been a better time for HR to create greater strategic value, as the potential for meaningful workforce insights and analytics comes within reach. Even advancements in cloud-based systems for human capital management are coming packaged with analytics and visualization capabilities, enabling HR leaders to integrate people data with other data sources, such as customer relationship management, for a full view of the business.

Originality/value

This paper will be of value to HR leaders and practitioners who wish to use predictive analytics and emerging technology to drive performance improvement and gain the insights about their workforces.
What does urbanization actually mean? A framework for urban metrics in wildlife research
Authors: Moll Remington J. , Cepek Jonathon D. , Lorch Patrick D. , Dennis Patricia M. , Tans Eric , Robison Terry , Millspaugh Joshua J. , Montgomery Robert A.
Published: February 2019

Extensive research has demonstrated that urbanization strongly alters ecological processes, often perniciously. However, quantifying the magnitude of urban effects and determining how generalized they can be across systems depends on the ways in which urbanization is measured and modelled.

We coupled a formal literature survey with a novel conceptual framework to document and synthesize the myriad of metrics used to quantify urbanization. The framework enables clear cataloguing of urban metrics by identifying (a) the urban component measured, (b) the method of measurement, (c) the metric's spatial scale and (d) the metric's temporal nature. Thus, the framework comprehensively captures the what, how, where and when of urban metrics.

We documented striking variability in urban metrics with respect to which urban components were measured as well as how, where and when they were quantified. Overall, our survey revealed that they tended to be: (a) structurally focused, (b) methodologically simplistic, (c) spatially variable and (d) temporally static.

Synthesis and applications. Many metrics are used to quantify urbanization or ‘urban‐ness'. The variation in urban metrics complicates the development of theory, comparisons of findings across studies, and the implementation of management and conservation actions. To pave a clear path forward for more efficient and policy‐relevant urban research, we systematically organized urban metrics using a simple, flexible and comprehensive framework. The framework clarifies what urbanization actually means in empirical practice and identifies several crucial areas for future research, including: (a) systematic assessments of urban metrics across multiple scales, (b) an increased and judicious use of more complex urban metrics aimed at evaluating both mechanistic and broad‐scale correlative ecological hypotheses, and (c) an increased emphasis on the socio‐economic aspects of urban effects.
Financialising acute kidney injury: from the practices of care to the numbers of improvement
Authors: Bailey Simon , Pierides Dean , Brisley Adam , Weisshaar Clara , Blakeman Thomas
Published: February 2019

Although sociological studies of quality and safety have identified competing epistemologies in the attempt to measure and improve care, there are gaps in our understanding of how finance and accounting practices are being used to organise this field. This analysis draws on what others have elsewhere called ‘financialisation’ in order to explore the quantification of qualitatively complex care practices. We make our argument using ethnographic data of a quality improvement programme for acute kidney injury (AKI) in a publicly funded hospital in England. Our study is thus concerned with tracing the effects of financialisation in the emergence and assembly ofAKIas an object of concern within the hospital. We describe three linked mechanisms through which this occurs: (1) representing and intervening in kidney care; (2) making caring practices count and (3) decision‐making using kidney numbers. Together these stages transform care practices first into risks and then from risks into costs. We argue that this calculative process reinforces a separation between practice and organisational decision‐making made on the basis of numbers. This elevates the status of numbers while diminishing the work of practitioners and managers. We conclude by signalling possible future avenues of research that can take up these processes.
A problem with empirical studies of party policy shifts: Alternative measures of party shifts are uncorrelated
Authors: ADAMS JAMES , BERNARDI LUCA , EZROW LAWRENCE , GORDON OAKLEY B. , LIU TZU‐PING , PHILLIPS M. CHRISTINE
Published: February 2019

Many recent cross‐national studies analyse the causes and electoral consequences of party policy shifts, using party position measures derived from election manifestos, expert surveys or voter surveys. However few studies validate their findings by analysing multiple measures of party policy shifts. In this article, data on European parties’ position shifts on both European integration and left‐right ideology is analysed, showing that this is problematic because, while alternative measures of party policy positions correlate strongly in cross‐sectional analyses, alternative measures of parties’ policy shifts are essentially uncorrelated in longitudinal analyses. Suggestions are offered on how to address this problem.
The politics of policy diffusion
Authors: GILARDI FABRIZIO , WASSERFALLEN FABIO
Published: February 2019

This article discusses the recent literature on policy diffusion and puts forward a new articulation of its political dimensions. Policy diffusion means that policies in one unit (country, state, city, etc.) are influenced by the policies of other units. The diffusion literature conceptualises these interdependencies with four mechanisms: learning, competition, coercion and emulation. The article identifies a model of diffusion that is dominant in the diffusion literature. According to this model, policies spread because decision makers evaluate the policy implications of the actions of other units. It is argued that the role of politics remains in the background in this model, and the article shows how going beyond a narrow focus on policy adoptions helps us to consider the politics of policy diffusion more explicitly.
Facial Structure and Achievement Drive: Evidence from Financial Analysts
Authors: HE XIANJIE , YIN HUIFANG , ZENG YACHANG , ZHANG HUAI , ZHAO HAILONG
Published: February 2019

We use a large pictorial sample of Chinese financial analysts to test the association between facial width‐to‐height ratio (fWHR) and performance in men. Financial analysts offer an ideal setting for our investigation because we can objectively track individual analysts’ behaviors and performance. We find that high‐fWHR analysts are more likely to conduct corporate site visits and they exhibit better performance. The positive fWHR–performance association survives a battery of robustness checks and the association is more pronounced for analysts with lower status, for firms with higher uncertainty, and for analysts facing more intense competition. Our results suggest that the dominant trait predicted by fWHR is achievement drive.
Human factors influencing out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest survival
Authors: Morgan Dominic P , Muscatello David , Hayen Andrew , Travaglia Joanne
Published: February 2019

Objective

Programmes that reduce the time to defibrillation are likely to improve overall survival rates from out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs). This research sought to identify human factors common among community responders taking an automated external defibrillator (AED) to a victim of an OHCA that are either barriers or enablers of desired behaviour.

Methods

A qualitative methodology was used. Community members who had access to an AED and who had been notified of an incident of OHCA near them were approached to participate in the research. Participants completed a written survey and undertook a semi‐structured interview. A thematic analysis was undertaken using NVivo software and triangulated against findings from an automated data‐mining package, Leximancer.

Results

The study found that 100% of people who were notified of the need for an AED responded. Twelve participants subsequently identified during interviews that they held some form of leadership role in their community. First aid training and previous experience of, and competency in managing emergencies were the strongest motivations for their response. Personal risk was not a concern when responding to victims in immediately life‐threatening situations.

Conclusion

Prospective programmes may be able to be designed to increase the likelihood that community members with AEDs will respond in advance of emergency medical services by targeting common human factors, such as leadership behaviour, training, competency and experience in managing emergencies, leading to better overall survival rates from OHCA.
Portable NIR Spectrometer for Prediction of Palm Oil Acidity
Authors: Kaufmann Karine Cristine , Favero Flávia de Faveri , de Vasconcelos Marcus Arthur Marçal , Godoy Helena Teixeira , Sampaio Klicia Araujo , Barbin Douglas Fernandes
Published: February 2019

Palm oil is widely used in the food industry, and its quality is associated with the free fatty acids (FFA) content. Determination of FFA in oil is time‐consuming, requires chemicals and generates residues. There is a trend of applying process analytical technologies (PAT) for fast and nondestructive determination of oil parameters. Portable near‐infrared (NIR) spectrometers are cheaper than bench top equipment, and have been used for several tasks in the food processing industry, as it provides fast and reliable data for inline measurements. This study investigated the use of NIR spectra using a portable equipment, combined with both unsupervised and supervised multivariate analyses for identification of palm oil samples with different levels of FFA. Soft independent modeling of class analogy , k‐Nearest Neighbors, and linear discriminant analysis models were able to correctly identify 100% of the studied samples with selected wavelengths from NIR spectra. Calibration models were performed for acidity prediction, achieving R2 = 0.97, with root mean square error of prediction = 4.37 for partial least squares model using most relevant wavelengths. These results demonstrate the feasibility of applying a low‐cost portable NIR spectrophotometer to predict quality parameters of palm oil.

Practical Application

This work presents results that show the feasibility of using a low‐cost portable near‐infrared spectrophotometer for the classification of raw palm oil samples according to free fatty acids contents. Regression models are presented as a fast and nondestructive alternative to classify samples for acidity, which is an important quality parameter and that directly affects the market value of crude palm oil.
Systematic review with meta‐analysis: Chromoendoscopy versus white light endoscopy in detection of dysplasia in patients with inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Wan Jian , Wang Xuan , Yang Zhi Ping , Wu Kai Chun
Published: February 2019

Objective

To compare chromoendoscopy (CE) and white light endoscopy (WLE) for dysplasia surveillance in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods

We conducted a meta‐analysis of 6 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 5 prospective studies and compared the CE and WLE groups. A fixed‐effect model was used unless the heterogeneity was high.

Results

CE detected more patients with dysplasia (relative risk [RR] 2.05, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.62‐2.61) and more dysplastic lesions (RR 2.04, 95% CI: 1.40‐2.98) than WLE. When magnification was added to CE, the detection rate of patients with dysplasia and dysplastic lesions improved. CE also detected more patients with dysplasia than high‐definition WLE (RR 1.60, 95% CI: 1.11‐2.29). Compared with WLE, the incremental yield of CE for detecting patients with dysplasia was 9%. CE was superior to WLE in detecting non‐polypoid dysplastic lesions (RR 1.38, 95% CI:1.02‐1.88). CE had no advantage for detecting polypoid dysplastic lesions compared with WLE.

Conclusions

CE is superior to WLE in the surveillance of dysplasia in IBD patients. It is thus necessary to use CE in the surveillance of dysplasia in patients with IBD in clinical practice. Adding magnification improves the detection rate.
Circulating miR‐29b positively correlates with non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease in a Chinese population
Authors: He Zhen , Yang Jian Jun , Zhang Rong , Li Hua Ting , Wu Liang , Jiang Feng , Jia Wei Ping , Hu Cheng
Published: February 2019

Objective

Early screening of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is of great significance for the early detection and intervention in NAFLD. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are important regulators of metabolic diseases including NAFLD. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of serum miR‐29a‐c with NAFLD in a Chinese population.

Methods

Participants were divided into four groups based on the presence or absence of NAFLD and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis was performed to quantify serum level of miR‐29a‐c. The association of miR‐29a‐c with NAFLD was evaluated.

Results

Serum miR‐29b, but not miR‐29a or miR‐29c, was positively associated with NAFLD (odds ratio [OR] 2.04 [1.16‐ 3.58], P = 0.013). Additionally, age, serum triglyceride and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels were independently associated with miR‐29b (β ± standard error [SE] = 0.004 ± 0.002, P = 0.019 for age; β ± SE = 0.110 ± 0.054, P = 0.042 for triglyceride; and β ± SE = 0.389 ± 0.161, P = 0.016 for FPG). MiR‐29b level was positively correlated with intrahepatic lipid content (β ± SE = 6.055 ± 2.630, P = 0.024) after adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index.

Conclusions

Serum miR‐29b was associated with intrahepatic lipid content and NAFLD in a Chinese population‐based study.