bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Imaginary epistemic objects in integrated children's services
Authors: Brown Steven D. , Daniels Harry , Edwards Anne , Leadbetter Jane , Martin Deirdre , Middleton David , Warmington Paul , Apostolov Apostol , Popova Anna
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the problem of achieving “organizational justice” for children within integrated children's services. Justice is understood, following Byers and Rhodes discussion of Levinas as respecting the “unique and indivisible” character of a given child.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical material reported here is drawn from a large study of interagency working in children's services in the UK. Data are taken from Developmental Work Research sessions. Methodological details are outlined in Daniels et al. and Leadbetter et al.

Findings

The key finding discussed here is that in order to balance the outcome measures used in children's services, participants use a further abstraction “the outcome of improved outcomes”. The logical and practical consequences of this abstraction are analysed.

Originality/value

The paper offers an empirically grounded contribution to conceptual debates about otherness and ethics in organization. In particular, it argues that a concern for the other need not preclude a high level of concrete categorization and minute target setting. The philosophical debate is seen to be “resolved” in practice.
Foreign exchange exposure in emerging markets
Authors: Fornés Gastón , Cardoza Guillermo
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to look at the impact that unanticipated changes in the exchange rate, specifically the currency crises that took place in Latin America between 1998 and 2004, had on the value of Spanish companies operating in this region. It also studies the strategies, decisions, measures and initiatives that these firms made to improve the effectiveness of their hedging activities. Building upon previous studies in industrialised countries, the study applies a broader perspective as it takes a cross‐functional approach by including finance, strategic planning, marketing and operations management in the analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses qualitative and quantitative analyses to reach its conclusions. The quantitative study involves a time series regression to calculate a foreign exchange exposure (FOREX) coefficient. The qualitative analysis uses a systematic approach to develop categories from the data gathered in the interviews. Finally, the conclusions from both analyses were summarised and combined. The data was collected from interviews containing structured and open‐ended questions with senior managers and directors of the largest Spanish investors in Latin America.

Findings

The research results suggest that foreign companies exposed to exchange risks in emerging markets gain resilience when they take a cross‐functional approach for the assessment and implementation of hedging strategies along with the decentralisation to subsidiaries of the decisions and implementation of hedging initiatives. This helps companies in: elaborating scenarios, assessing the possible impact of exchange rate variations, designing pre‐emptive measures and setting alternative strategies to mitigate potential impacts. This cross‐functional approach to managing risks in emerging markets seems to offer companies higher flexibility and new knowledge that can be shared among subsidiaries working in similar economic and political environments.

Originality/value

The results from this empirical study build upon previous works on FOREX and offer companies an alternative approach to minimise its impacts when operating in emerging markets.
Performance evaluation of Polish mutual fund managers
Authors: Swinkels Laurens , Rzezniczak Pawel
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically assess the investment performance of mutual fund managers who operate in the Polish market.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses monthly mutual fund returns over the period 2000‐2007 to investigate the manager's selectivity and market timing skills. It analyzes three investment mutual fund investment categories: equity, balanced, and bond mutual funds. The paper investigates several performance evaluation models, and shows that the findings are robust with respect to the model choice.

Findings

For each of the three categories, equity, balanced, and bond funds, the paper positive, but insignificant selectivity skill of the mutual fund managers. No evidence is found of bond or equity market timing skills in the sample.

Research limitations/implications

Since not many mutual funds exist over a long period, the sample used is relatively small with 38 mutual funds, while in April 2007 more than 300 funds are listed in the Polish market.

Practical implications

Private investors in Poland are not worse off by investing in mutual funds compared to passive market indices. Based on this research, they should select mutual funds that focus on selectivity rather than market timing.

Originality/value

The research on mutual fund manager skill in emerging economies is scarce. In addition, little is known on the performance of balanced and bond mutual funds, even in developed mutual fund markets. This paper contributes by filling both these gaps in the academic literature.
A survey of internet financial reporting in Oman
Authors: Mohamed Ehab K.A. , Oyelere Peter , Al‐Busaidi Munther
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent and variety of practices of internet financial reporting (IFR) by companies listed on the Muscat Securities Market (MSM) in Oman. While IFR is fast becoming the norm in most western countries, there is little empirical evidence of the phenomenon in the Middle East region. This paper attempts to fill some of the gap in the literature by providing evidence of IFR practices in Oman.

Design/methodology/approach

The 142 companies listed on the MSM were investigated to ascertain whether they maintain websites and/or if these sites are being used for communicating financial information.

Findings

Only 84 of the listed companies were found to operate websites, with even less (only 31) engaging in IFR. However, IFR is not restricted to the publication of annual financial statements only as the companies also disclose financial highlights through their websites.

Practical implications

The results of this study indicate that IFR is still at an embryonic stage in Oman and there are lots of opportunities and challenges for all stakeholder parties in corporate reporting.

Originality/value

The study highlights the challenges and opportunities for IFR in the Middle East Region, as well as a number of areas for further study.
Analyzing FDI trends in emerging markets: Turkey vs CSEE and the Middle East
Authors: Apaydin Marina
Published: January 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to deconstruct the economic position of Turkey in comparison to its immediate neighbors, Central and South‐Eastern Europe (CSEE), and the Middle East, with a specific emphasis on Japanese Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

Design/methodology/approach

Several determinants of FDI intensity identified in the extant research are used to conduct this comparative analysis. The data is based on the foreign subsidiaries of Japanese firms.

Findings

The results confirm the ambiguous position of Turkey. It enjoys a high Gross Domestic Product growth despite a relatively low openness to trade. From cultural and political risk perspectives it is closer to the Middle East than to CSEE. In spite of its location advantages, the institutional environment continues to be an impediment, preventing Turkey from realizing its full investment potential. Thus, Japanese investors choose to invest in CSEE economies, which are slightly closer culturally to Japan, and significantly less risky.

Research limitations/implications

The descriptive nature of this study is due to a limited sample size. The comparison of a country with two regions might be too simplistic. Focus on Japanese FDI limits generalizability.

Practical implications

The results of this analysis confirm the importance of continuous market liberalization and political stabilization measures for attracting FDI. Government policies in the region should not only attempt to remedy local deficiencies but strive to create a comprehensive institutional framework.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the emerging market research in the region with paucity of data. Although comparisons among various European regions are common, such tri‐lateral analyses are rare.
Becoming an outstanding management historian in the USA
Authors: Reed Abraham D. , Chad Gibson M. , Novicevic Milorad M. , Robinson Robert K.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to make a specific attempt of historicizing outstanding academic leadership in the field of management history.

Design/methodology/approach

By using the biographical method and applying it to the material contained in Hodgetts's video interview of Wren and Bedeian's autobiography, the authors examine how outstanding management laureates, Wren and Bedeian, look back on their own lives and the people who influenced them.

Findings

The intellectual and institutional origins of their life stories are traced and the factors in Wren's and Bedeian's lives that might explain their pathways to becoming the US outstanding management historians as the Academy of Management Fellows are assessed.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the most outstanding achievements of the past in a manner that might be valuable when addressing the present day concerns about outstanding teaching and research in the field of management history.

Originality/value

The unique contribution of this study is its focus on showing how the manner in which outstanding management historians narrate the past may explain their present‐day achievements, and thus help readers understand that very past.
Joseph N. Scanlon: the man and the plan
Authors: Wren Daniel
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The paper aims to describe the career and contributions of Joseph Scanlon in gaining labor‐management cooperation through employee participation and sharing the gains from cost savings.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper makes use of archives and unpublished sources; correspondence with Scanlon's daughter and a previous colleague; Scanlon's writings; and secondary sources as needed.

Findings

Joseph Scanlon used his experiences to develop a plan that encouraged union‐management cooperation and workers and managers sharing gains from improved productivity. Scanlon's background is examined and how his colleagues at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, especially Douglas McGregor, provided the venue for his ideas to flourish and gain widespread acceptance. An analysis of 117 studies over a period of six decades is used to identify the conditions that appear to promote or to interfere with the Scanlon Plan.

Practical implications

The Scanlon Plan illustrates a means to promote labor‐management cooperation and a means to involve employees through sharing cost savings.

Originality/value

This is the first biographical study to use archival and unpublished sources to provide new insights into Scanlon and how his plan for cooperation and Gainsharing developed.
Louis D. Brandeis and his role promoting scientific management as a progressive movement
Authors: Savino David
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The paper aims to highlight the fact that Louis Dembitz Brandeis, well known for his time as a US Supreme Court Justice, was also very influential in promoting the virtues of scientific management in its early period of development while America was experiencing progressivism. In addition to his well known brilliance as a legal scholar, he was also a proponent of the importance of the role of efficient business practices in benefiting the worker and society in general. This paper aims to discuss the relationship between Brandeis and the scientific management movement that evolved over a period of decades that ultimately led to their mutual success.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a discussion of the key relationship developed between Brandeis and scientific management the paper shows how each was able to thrive during progressive times.

Findings

Over the span of his career Brandeis was adept at blending his appreciation and understanding of efficient business practices based on scientific management concepts with his view of a legal society. His legal and judicial temperament were best illustrated by his well known Brandeis brief which methodically combined economic facts and statistics of work performance with sound and convincing legal recommendations.

Originality/value

This is a historical account that provides a better understanding of the key role that Brandeis played in highlighting the field of scientific management while at the same time applying its concepts in a unique way to issues in the law and society.
Responsibility versus accountability in the Friedrich‐Finer debate
Authors: Jackson Michael
Published: January 2009

Purpose

To consider anew the classic debate between Herman Finer and Carl Friedrich in the history of public administration that has shaped both the theory and practice of government since the 1940s in much of the Western world, and in other parts of the world influenced by the Western example.

Design/methodology/approach

A study of the original contribution of both Finer and Friedrich in their own times, which is then put into the current context of reducing the size of government.

Findings

The central argument is a distinction between accountability which means obeying orders and responsibility which means acting on a judgment of the greater good.

Originality/value

The paper reminds readers that accountability to a minister and responsibility to the public good may not always coincide.
75 years of lessons learned: chief executive officer values and corporate social responsibility
Authors: Tetrault Sirsly Carol‐Ann
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how chief executive officer values and ethics have been translated into what we now term corporate social responsibility in a stakeholder view of the firm.

Design/methodology/approach

To fulfill this purpose, the reflections of early business scholars on top management's impact on corporate social responsibility are examined and linked to more contemporary views.

Findings

In response to stakeholder expectations of corporate social responsibility it is the chief executive officer's values and ethics, moderated by managerial discretion, that frame the firm's actions and ethics.

Practical implications

The aspiring executive may evaluate the ethics of industries and firms against his or her own values to identify zones of greatest synergy, while the firm's executive search process can consider including an assessment of the fit of candidates' personal values.

Originality/value

This paper builds on the works of early management scholars to specifically link contemporary corporate social responsibility decision making with executive values.
Risk management applied to projects, programs, and portfolios
Authors: Sanchez Hynuk , Robert Benoit , Bourgault Mario , Pellerin Robert
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a review of recent risk management literature applied to projects, programs and project portfolios performed inside an organization with the aim of finding areas of opportunity to continue research and the development of current guides and methodologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a review of recent literature published by international organizations and journals specializing in the field of project, programs, and portfolios.

Findings

The review shows that project risk management is a well developed domain in comparison to the program risk management and portfolio risk management fields, for which specifically written methodologies are difficult to find. The review also demonstrates the need to include better tools to perform a continuous control and monitoring process. Integrating a vulnerability approach is also necessary in order to consider the project, program or portfolio characteristics which mediate between consequences and the exposure to hazards and opportunities.

Research limitations/implications

The review does not consider white papers or popular media.

Originality/value

The limitations found in current risk management methodologies show the challenges researchers must undertake to continue improving this domain for projects performed inside an organization. The paper exhibits the areas of opportunity where methodologies and guides can be further improved to evolve towards better management structures.
The project‐specific Formal System Model
Authors: White Diana , Fortune Joyce
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a project‐specific version of the Formal Systems Model that can be used by project managers and other professionals to identify actual or potential weaknesses in a project's structure or processes and to look for difficulties in the relationships between the project and the context in which it is or will be taking place.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses research findings to show how the model was developed and to demonstrate the utility of the approach taken.

Findings

A model that is based upon the Formal Systems Model but which is accessible to those who are not fluent in the language of systems thinking and not familiar with its concepts is developed and its utility is demonstrated. Its use in a real‐life project situation is also demonstrated.

Practical implications

The model that is presented provides a robust means of helping project managers avoid failure.

Originality/value

This paper is based on primary research and provides the first full introduction to the project‐specific version of the Formal Systems Model.
Deviations and the breakdown of project management principles
Authors: Hällgren Markus , Maaninen‐Olsson Eva
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of how unexpected events (deviations) are handled and how the limited time available in a project affects the possibilities for reflection and knowledge creation. Since deviations will inevitably occur and they will substantially increase project costs, studies of them are imperative. When only a fraction of the project management literature has focused on the actuality of the project this study gives insights into the practice of project management.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on an exploratory, in‐depth case study of a power plant project found in an integrated provider of projects of this type. The projects were followed by participative observations during ten weeks of onsite visits.

Findings

The results show that in contrast to contemporary project management theories, the management of deviations was found to be primarily informal. The reason for this was two‐fold. First, there was not enough time to use formal procedures. Second, if the formal routines were to be followed, the window of opportunity would be lost, making the decisions that follow useless. Third, two types of reflection were noted: structured collective reflection and contextual reflection, the former corresponding to formal routines and the later to the solution of deviations which is seen as a trigger for spreading practices around the organization.

Research limitations/implications

The research presented that projects should be studied from a practice point of view, where deviations might be a good starting point. Moreover, it is suggested that there is a need to broaden the studies of reflection to accommodate other organizational levels and time spans.

Practical implications

The case has several suggestions for practitioners. First, small deviations should be paid attention to. Second, bureaucracy hampers flexibility and the organization should rather set up organizational structures, i.e. dual structures, to allow for a smoother process. Third, networks and confidence were found to be essential for the process. Finally, there is a need to pay attention to different time frames when managing deviations.

Originality/value

The paper develops a more intricate view of project organizing coming from the new Project‐as‐Practice agenda. Rather than focusing on what should be done, it focuses on what is done, which is a research area that needs further attention.
Work‐life balance: an exploratory study of supports and barriers in a construction project
Authors: Turner Michelle , Lingard Helen , Francis Valerie
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore employees' perceptions of work‐life balance (WLB) in an Australian infrastructure construction project, using semi‐structured focus groups.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 43 employees participated in the focus groups, representing 50 per cent of the project workforce at the time. Focus groups explored employees' experiences of WLB during the planning and design stage of the project, as well as their expectations for the management of WLB during the construction phase.

Findings

Project culture, project resourcing and the schedule demands of the construction stage of the project were identified as barriers for WLB, while participants believed that the “project alliance” delivery model, flexibility of working hours and the project management team's support for WLB would facilitate WLB in the project.

Research limitations/implications

Data were collected from one case study project which utilised an alliance delivery model. Therefore, the results cannot be generalised to the construction industry as a whole or to construction projects utilising an alliance delivery model. Data were collected from professional and white collar workers therefore the results cannot be generalised to blue collar workers. The research findings suggest new directions for future research in WLB related to project settings.

Practical implications

The study will provide project managers with a better understanding of work‐life experiences of project teams and highlight the barriers and facilitating factors for WLB.

Originality/value

WLB has been widely investigated in static work settings, however it is not well understood how research findings translate to project settings as little research has been conducted in this area.
The Delphi technique: a method for testing complex and multifaceted topics
Authors: Grisham Thomas
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide project management (PM) students with an example of the Delphi research approach that was applied to a recent doctoral research thesis. The objective is to provide both a description of the approach and an explanation of how it was successfully applied so that researchers in PM may become more aware and expand their perceptions of methodological options available to them.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper sets out a literature review of the Delphi approach and explains this research method as it was experienced as a research tool. The paper also provides reflection on the experience of being a researcher undertaking a doctoral study.

Findings

The Delphi approach is one of many that may be selected for researching PM issues and problems. It is appropriate for researching complex issues where larger scale quantitative “hard data” fails to unearth richness in tacit knowledge to help the research understand subtle expert opinion. It does not offer the rigor of clinical testing or quantitative analysis, but it provides a scientific methodology that is well suited to issues that require the insights of subject matter experts. The use of Delphi in this context was successful in that the thesis was passed and so its use in this context may be now considered as proved through rigorous examination.

Originality/value

The paper provides a solid literature review that may be used or referred to by researchers wishing to adopt this research approach. It also describes the protocols and processes adopted in the doctoral study. Thus, this paper provides the opportunity for PM researchers to expand their repertoire of research tools. Practitioners may also benefit from this paper as it provides a useful approach to assess and validate expert knowledge that could be contestable in a range of practice situations.
The model client framework
Authors: Lingard Helen , Blismas Nick , Cooke Tracy , Cooper Helen
Published: January 2009

Purpose

Clients of the construction industry, an important segment of the project management (PM) discipline, can make an important contribution to the occupational health and safety (OHS) performance of the construction projects they procure. This practice note aims to describe an initiative of the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach

A model client framework was developed to assist Australian Government agencies to embed OHS into their procurement and PM practices.

Findings

The model client framework establishes principles for the management of OHS in construction projects and establishes processes for client involvement in OHS through the planning, design and procurement, construction and completion stages of construction projects. Within each project stage, key management actions are established for Australian Government agencies.

Practical implications

The model client framework will enable Australian Government agencies to operate in a consistent framework and on a similar footing, with respect to the management of OHS in their construction projects. This practice note describes the key components of the framework.

Originality/value

The model client framework is the first comprehensive set of tools and resources to support construction clients to integrate OHS into their procurement and PM processes. The life‐cycle approach ensures that OHS information is transferred throughout the construction supply chain from the client, through the designer, constructor and ultimately to the end‐user. The Framework shows how the integration of OHS into all aspects of project decision making (led by the client) can significantly improve the OHS performance of construction projects.
The contribution of the project management office to organisational performance
Authors: Aubry Monique , Hobbs Brian , Thuillier Denis
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarise a doctoral thesis that has been defended in 2007 and to share scientific results on a recent organisational phenomenon, the Project Management Office (PMO), in a context where most of the literature is currently coming from consultants. The focus of this research bears on the PMO transformation process rather than on the description of their great variety. Results bring into question some established paradigms on PMOs.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodological strategy is based upon a constructivist epistemology. Just as organisations are complex social entities, so too are the specific organisational project management structures that encompass PMOs. The methodological strategy is designed to understand such complexity. Results reported in the thesis are based upon a grounded theory approach where over 60 interviews from four large organisations were analysed to uncover the process of transformation of organisational project management.

Findings

There are two primary findings. First, a PMO should not be considered as an isolated island in the organisation, but rather as one part of an archipelago, defined as the organisational project management. Second, the organisation project management and specifically the PMO evolve continuously adapting to changes in their external or internal environment or as an answer to internal tensions.

Originality/value

From an academic perspective, the originality of this research rests primarily on its non‐positivist epistemology to the study of PMOs and particularly with the mobilisation of a social conceptual framework. From the professional perspective, it provides PMO managers with a fresh look at their own configuration and it gives them means to understand their evolution through their particular history. Being able to do this reflection, managers making decisions on structural dimensions are more critical of the advices from outsiders.
Reconciling order and chaos in multi‐project firms
Authors: Geraldi Joana G.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the key findings of a doctoral thesis aimed at exploring how multi‐project companies reconcile order (efficiency, control, clarity) and chaos (creativity, trust, uncertainty, ambiguity).

Design/methodology/approach

The research was focused on multi‐project firms in general and CoPS (Complex Products and Systems) producers in particular (companies involved usually as main contractors in construction and engineering projects). It followed three phases: Exploratory phase (literature review and interviews), Conceptualisation phase (abductive elaboration of the model based on field and longitudinal studies in a multi‐project firm), and Validation phase (deductive validation of the model through multi‐case study).

Findings

The thesis proposes a model to map order and chaos of companies, departments, projects or people based on the complexity faced by the tasks and the flexibility of the organizational structure to deal with it. The analysis of how departments moved in this map led to several findings, such as in the case of mis‐balance, higher flexibility is preferable to excessive control.

Practical implications

The model provides project practitioners with a tool to evaluate and make sense of the degree of necessary project flexibility, and how this can and should change across the project and disciplines.

Originality/value

This paper assists practitioners and academics to reflect on organisational structures of multi‐project companies, how these vary over time and how to avoid the bureaucratisation or the chaotification of structures.
Review of China's agricultural and rural development: policy changes and current issues
Authors: Chen Xiwen
Published: January 2009

Purpose

Since the start of the twenty‐first century China has stepped into a new stage of harmonious urban‐rural development. Based on the brief review of policy changes since the new century, the purpose of this paper is to figure out the comprehensive policy framework, and analyze its background and reasons.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this paper offers a brief review of China's rural reform with focus on the policy framework and changes since the reform of rural tax and fee system in 2000. Next, the paper focuses on food security to discuss grain price increase and China's grain imports, then the current problems facing China's agricultural and rural development are discussed and countermeasures provided.

Findings

The paper finds that several policies have been implemented toward the coordination between urban and rural areas and toward the integration of urban and rural development. However, China's grain production is still facing big challenges, both from the increasing demand and the resource constraint. Therefore, food security should be given priority in future. China's current rural reform and development is also facing the problems such as slow growth of farmer's income, the impacts of migrant rural labourer on economy and society and the outflow of rural resources.

Originality/value

This paper reviews systematically major policies of China's agriculture and rural development, and analyzes the characteristics of and reasons for China's grain price increase. Meanwhile, the constraint of resources, especially land and water, is also studied in detail. The paper's analysis can provide important advice for future policy making.
A conceptual framework for supply chain governance
Authors: Zhang Xiaoyong , Aramyan Lusine H.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

Chinese agri‐food chains consist of the millions of small scale farmers, who are not well structured and organized in the supply chain. Owing to market liberalization and globalization, one of the most challenging issues along agri‐food chains in China is becoming the issue of how to link these small‐scale farmers into the modern chains. Consequently, it is essential for both policy makers and private sectors to understand the governance structure in agri‐food supply chains. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework for supply chain governance, including its antecedents and consequences, as well as a series of hypotheses for empirical testing.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework of chain governance is proposed in this study, where governance structure consists of two dimensions: contractual governance and relational governance. The study intends to propose a complementary relationship between contracts and relational aspects, such as trust, in the Chinese context. Future research is needed to empirically test this model.

Findings

The proposed conceptual model is unique, since the majority of the articles addressing this topic focuses on contract farming while limited research touches upon the issues of trust and relations. However, a combination of both contracting and relationships are seldom addressed.

Originality/value

This paper evaluates a novel concept of two dimensional governance structure in the agri‐food supply chain, where transaction cost economics theory and relational theory are combined to study the governance relationships between small scale producers in China and their buyers.
Business and financial risks of small farm households in China
Authors: Turvey Calum G. , Kong Rong
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between business risks and credit choices of 400 farm households surveyed in Shaanxi province in October 2007 in the Yangling district. More specifically, this paper investigates whether or not rural farm households in China balance business risks from agricultural production with financial risk from the use of debt.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected through a survey of 400 farm households in Shaanxi province conducted in October 2007. Four separate regressions are run using a credit measure as the dependent variable and measures of profitability, risk, risk aversion, and demography, and debt source (formal versus informal lending) as independent variables.

Findings

The model shows evidence of risk balancing. That is, there is strong evidence that Chinese farmers reduce credit use and financial risk, as business risks increase.

Practical implications

The results suggest that Chinese policy makers could encourage the use of finacial leverage and prudent debt use by offering risk reducing programs such as crop insurance, weather insurance, or price insurance.

Originality/value

This paper uses a unique survey form to collect production risk data as well as gather information on credit use and sources. Data were collected so that risk measures could easily be computed using a triangular distribution. Furthermore, this is believed to be the first empirical validation of the risk balancing hypothesis.
Cross‐sectional analysis of food demand in the North Central, Nigeria
Authors: Elijah Obayelu Abiodun , Okoruwa V.O. , Ajani O.I.Y.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of socio‐economic variables on households' food demand. This paper derived the indirect utility function in terms of expenditure and price through the use of nonlinear demand quadratic almost ideal demand system (QUAIDS) model to estimate price, expenditure and elasticities of food items consumed in the North‐Central, Nigeria, and the impact of the socio‐economic variables on households' food demand.

Design/methodology/approach

The primary data used came from random selection of 396 households between 2006 and 2007 through a stratified random sampling procedure from Kwara and Kogi states making up the North Central zone in Nigeria.

Findings

All own price elasticities of the six food groups analyzed (root and tubers – RT, cereal – CR, legume – LG, animal protein – AP, fruits and vegetable – FV, fats and oil) showed that they are price inelastic. The results of income elasticity show that AP consumption is the most sensitive to income changes, while fats and oil is the least sensitive to income changes. Factors that positively and significantly affected demand for LG, FV, AP, CR and RT were household size (HSZ), level of education, primary occupation, access to credit, presence of children ≤6 years mainly at P<0.01. HSZ (P<0.01) negatively affected demand for AP.

Originality/value

This paper is original and novel in that it examines the impact of socio‐economic variables on households' food demand. High‐income elasticities of demand for all the food groups in QUAIDS except fruits and vegetable, as well as fats and oils, suggests that income‐generating policies will foster higher levels of consumption for these commodities.
A gendered view of reforming health care access for farmers in China
Authors: Liu Huixia , Zhang Linxiu , Summerfield Gale , Shi Yaojiang
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The social safety net of health care insurance is rapidly expanding in rural China. New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS) programs proliferated between the national decree of 2002 and 2008, moving from a situation where less than 10 per cent of the rural population had access to health insurance to one where over 80 per cent had the opportunity to participate in these programs. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how NRCMS affects equity goals in access to health care and explore the gender‐specific determinants for farmers to participate in NRCMS and use health care services.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical analysis, by using the national rural socio‐economic survey data collected by the Centre for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2005. Based on Andersen's access to medical care model, the probit model for regression was used. All analyses are conducted with Stata 9.0 software.

Findings

Gender was found to have significant effects on both NRCMS participation and health care use. Age, education, deductible level and ceiling limits of reimbursement had positive effects on both NRCMS participation and health care use. The narrow coverage with high co‐payment compensation system asserted significant deterrence effects on equity access to health care. This is only a first step toward building an adequate health safety net for all rural residents, there is still a long way to go.

Originality/value

Using the national household survey data, this study is one of few studies focusing on the interplay between gender and the distinct determinants of access to health care under the ongoing NRCMS. The relevant findings have important implications for further policy design.
Changing patterns in comparative advantage for agricultural trade in East Asian countries
Authors: Heguang Liu , Tada Minoru , Dongsheng Sun
Published: January 2009

Purpose

Economies in East Asia are at different development stages. Economic development has an impact on factor endowments and the intensities, then on the mode of agricultural trade. To examine the trade modes of these seven East Asian countries' agricultural products will give us some hints to understand the question how economic development impacts the changing patterns in comparative advantage (CA) of agricultural products. Therefore, this paper aims to test the question by using a four‐quadrant method.

Design/methodology/approach

Trade specialization coefficient is used to analyze the agricultural CA among aggregated agricultural products and two typical kinds of products: labor‐ and land‐intensive agricultural products. Then a four‐quadrant method is applied in this study, where trade specialization of agricultural products consists of 2D: labor‐intensive and land‐intensive. The study intends to test the changing routes of CA of agricultural products under the background of economic development and changing situation of factor endowments.

Findings

The analysis result supports that economic development has impact on the trade mode of agricultural products.

Originality/value

The four‐quadrant method is firstly applied to analyze the changing pattern of agricultural products in East Asian countries. This study shows that the changing routes of CA of agricultural products will not limit to only one mode as found by current studies.
Leadership as managing energy
Authors: Clawson James G.S.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provoke academic and practitioner thinking by asserting a set of leadership principles first in oneself and then in others.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper asserts a set of leadership principles, including a new definition of leadership, namely to manage energy. First, most managers seem to use more traditional definitions, like getting people to focus on a common goal, and, second, to focus on others at the expense of recognizing how their own energy level affects those around them.

Findings

Leaders and managers should first reflect on leading themselves and their own energy, while paying more attention to real buy‐in rather than superficial buy‐in. Moreover, leader/managers should pay more attention to the degree to which they live “outside‐in” and therefore behave less “leader‐like” on the inside. Leader/managers can begin to use “level three” techniques rather than the more superficial “level one” (visible behavior) and “level two” (conscious thought) techniques. In this way, managers change the way they think about managing themselves.

Originality/value

This paper builds on, and adds to, the work of Ed Schein, Albert Ellis, William Glasser, Tony Damasio, and others. The originality lies in the collection and integration of concepts raised by these writers, and others.
“We the people … ”: levels of analysis and the US Constitution
Authors: Yammarino Francis J.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

Levels of analysis and multi‐level issues have a long history and are becoming increasingly important in many areas of management and the organizational sciences. Nevertheless, specifics and clarity regarding these issues can be elusive for scholars and educators. To help overcome this difficulty, the paper aims to use the Constitution of the United States of America and the US presidential election to illustrate levels of analysis and multi‐level issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the example of the Constitution of the United States of America and the US presidential election to illustrate levels of analysis and multi‐level issues in the areas of management and the organizational sciences.

Findings

The paper reveals the levels of analysis and multi‐level issues using the US Constitution and US presidential elections.

Originality/value

The value of the paper to scholars and educators is the explanation and illustration of levels of analysis and multi‐level issues using the US Constitution and US presidential elections.
Comments on Yammarino's “Levels of analysis and the US Constitution”
Authors: Jelinek Mariann
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to respond to Yammarino's “Levels of analysis and the US Constitution”.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a conceptual assessment of the approach of Yammarino, suggesting an extension beyond “the” organization to groups of interacting organizations – where much contemporary innovation, and indeed economic activity takes place.

Findings

The paper advocates extending organization theory explicitly to embrace multi‐firm and multi‐organizational collaborations. “The firm” as an isolated entity is increasingly less meaningful without its constellation of affiliates, partners and networks.

Practical implications

Organization theorists, and managers, would do well to extend their horizons to include networks and partners, to understand how “organizations” work beyond their nominal boundaries.

Originality/value

The paper highlights an extension of organization theory to reflect contemporary inter‐organizational cooperation.
What constitutes a level of analysis?
Authors: Michela John L.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to respond to Yammarino's article in this issue on level of analysis and the US Constitution.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper expands on two concepts central to levels of analysis: entity and causal process. Then additional alternative ways of conceptualizing, analyzing, and representing multi‐level organizations – beyond the organization chart – are described. A rationale for America's use of the Electoral College is sought.

Findings

The paper reveals connections among traditional notions of hierarchy (including the traditional organization chart) and contemporary social network concepts.

Practical implications

Leaders and other members of social and organizational systems should be mindful of their mental representations of hierarchy, of organizational or social groupings (e.g., US States), and of social distance. These representations can influence behaviors and perceptions, including perceived fairness of procedures.

Originality/value

The paper presents interesting information on connections among traditional notions of hierarchy and contemporary social network concepts.
Variability in the growth rate of chub Leuciscus cephalus along a longitudinal river gradient
Authors: Tedesco P. A. , Sagnes P. , Laroche J.
Published: January 2009

An increase in individual growth rate of chub Leuciscus cephalus along a longitudinal river gradient of the Rhône River basin was observed and supported by significant differences between mean growth rates of successive river size groups. The potential implications of the results for studies on species traits variability along large‐scale environmental gradients are discussed.
Review article: investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C
Authors: THOMPSON A. J. V. , MCHUTCHISON J. G.
Published: January 2009

Background  The need for effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C infection has driven the development of novel antiviral agents that target specific steps in the viral replication cycle.

Aim  To evaluate the current literature concerning investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Methods  Resources used included PubMed, conference proceedings from the American and European Liver Associations’ meetings 2005–2008 and the National Institute of Health’s clinical trials website (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov). The focus was restricted to investigational agents that have progressed beyond preclinical development.

Results  Over 50 investigational agents for chronic hepatitis C infection are currently in clinical development. Specifically targeted anti‐viral therapy for HCV (STAT‐C) shows great promise with NS3/4a protease inhibitors now entering phase 3 programmes. New interferon‐α and ribavirin formulations aim to optimize anti‐viral efficacy yet limit toxicity. Other candidates include novel immunomodulators and therapeutic vaccines.

Conclusions  A new era of therapy for chronic hepatitis C beckons, promising increased cure rates with shortened duration of therapy. However, the era will not be without challenges including viral resistance, drug toxicity and the need to optimize combination therapy in the face of a rapidly evolving therapeutic arsenal.