bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Doing well and doing good
Authors: Ozcelik Hakan , Langton Nancy , Aldrich Howard
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether and how leadership practices that facilitate a positive emotional climate (the “PEC practices”) are related to organizational outcomes in terms of performance (increase in revenue), strategic growth, and outcome growth.

Design/methodology/approach

A panel study was conducted to test the hypotheses. Data were collected from 229 entrepreneurs and small business owners operating in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. In the first wave of the study, the authors collected data regarding the PEC practices. The data on outcome variables, i.e. revenue, strategic growth, and outcome growth, were collected in the second wave, 18 months later.

Findings

The regression analyses showed that the PEC practices were positively related to company performance, revenue growth, and outcome growth, providing support for the hypotheses in the study.

Originality/value

This study provides valuable insights about the role of emotional factors in organizational‐level outcomes, a relatively unexplored area in emotions research. Analyzing a set of panel data, the study has shown that leadership practices that facilitate a positive emotional climate in an organization make a difference in organizational‐level outcomes.
The law dealing with sexual favouritism in the workplace?
Authors: Middlemiss Sam
Published: February 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to cast light on the legal aspects of a problem which in the past, because of its nature, has largely gone unrecognised and become part and parcel of working life. The paper seeks to provide an overview of the current legal treatment of sexual favouritism in the UK and USA and recommends how it can be improved.

Design/methodology/approach

The law in the USA is chosen for comparison because they have a system of employment law which is more longstanding and because the volume of cases dealt with there provides more examples than that in the UK. The law in this area is analysed through consideration of the relevant legal decisions and statutes and codes of practice that apply in both jurisdictions.

Findings

This article highlights the key issues for victims and employees involved in sexual relationships with their supervisor at work and encourages employers to take steps to combat this practice. It will also hopefully persuade the judiciary to interpret the existing law to provide a remedy to its victims or legislators to introduce specific legal protection for them.

Research limitations/implications

Unfortunately there is a dearth of legal cases dealing with sexual favouritism in the UK and very few commentators writing on this issue. Sexual favouritism is regarded as an acceptable practice at work by employers and managers and there are no plans for changing the law to provide protection to its victims in both jurisdictions. Hopefully this article will serve to persuade employers to combat this behaviour in the workplace and convince the judiciary and Parliament to change the law in favour of victims of sexual favouritism. Primary research into the incidence rate of sexual favouritism and its impact in the workplace would be extremely useful to underpin the conclusions of this paper.

Originality/value

This paper examines for the first time the legal rights both of victims of sexual favouritism and of employees involved in a sexual relationship and includes a comparison between the legal rules dealing with this issue in the United Kingdom and the USA. It will be of particular value to human resource managers and line managers who have to deal with this issue in the workplace and legal representatives who are called upon to represent victims in their legal claims.
Corporate governance theorising: limits, critics and alternatives
Authors: Letza Stephen , Kirkbride James , Sun Xiuping , Smallman Clive
Published: February 2008

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the mainstream theories of corporate governance in an attempt to suggest that their underlying assumptions and ideologies are misplaced and ought to give way to an emerging pluralistic view of the governing process in order to understand any governance contribution to the dynamics of the business environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper engages with the traditional literature and views on governance models from law, business and organisational studies perspectives. It then considers the environment and changes in the environment and how those challenge the relevance of the traditional approach, drawing upon the impacts on the fluidity of management and governance perspectives and practices in the global economy.

Findings

The reflections and analysis confirm the view that the underlying assumptions of existing models and regulatory frameworks for governance are misplaced and it is suggested, with reason, that a pluralistic view and framework are better than the current dualistic approach to provide a better understanding of corporate governance in today's dynamic business environments.

Originality/value

The paper develops a new model and framework for governance practice and regulation and seeks to persuade policy makers and commentators that the global business environment needs to recognise and engage with this new model and validate its assumptions.
An extended model of the antecedents and consequences of consumer satisfaction for hospitality services
Authors: Ekinci Yuksel , Dawes Philip L. , Massey Graham R.
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of self‐congruence on consumer satisfaction with services and to develop and test a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of consumer satisfaction in the hospitality industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual framework consists of the following constructs: actual self‐congruence, ideal self‐congruence, desires congruence, service quality, consumers' overall attitude to a service firm, and intention to return. Moreover, 12 hypotheses were developed and tested. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were used to test the validity of the measures, while PLS was used in hypotheses testing. Data were collected from 185 consumers who had recently visited a restaurant or hotel.

Findings

Strong support was found for 11 of the 12 hypotheses. Findings reveal that ideal self‐congruence and desires congruence have positive effects on consumer satisfaction. In contrast, it is shown that actual self‐congruence is not related to consumer satisfaction. Moreover, it is demonstrated that the two dimensions of service quality – physical quality and staff behaviour – have a positive impact on both desires congruence and consumer satisfaction. Importantly, consumer satisfaction is found to be a better indicator of the consumers' overall attitude to the service firm than service quality. The study confirms that consumer satisfaction mediates the relationship between the two service quality dimensions, ideal self‐congruence, and intention to return.

Originality/value

This study makes four important contributions. First, satisfaction research is advanced by integrating self‐concept theory into the postpurchase evaluation of services. Second, the relationship between the multidimensional nature of service quality and consumer satisfaction is examined by testing paths from two posited dimensions of service quality – physical quality and staff behaviour – to satisfaction. Third, the consumers' overall attitude to a service firm is integrated into existing models of satisfaction and its impact on behavioural loyalty (intention to return) is tested. Finally, a contribution is made to the satisfaction research literature by testing the effect of service quality on desires congruence, and the effect of desires congruence on consumer satisfaction.
The relationships between market orientation and alternative strategic orientations
Authors: Grinstein Amir
Published: February 2008

Purpose

One of the strongest convictions in marketing is that market orientation contributes to firms' performance substantially more than alternative strategic orientations such as innovation and entrepreneurial orientations. Still, some studies show that alternative orientations can also substantially affect the performance of firms, and furthermore, that firms that combine market orientation with alternative orientations are likely to perform even better than firms adopting only market orientation. Also, the nature of the relationship between market orientation and other strategic orientations is not clear. The purpose of this paper is to deal with these discrepancies in the marketing literature. It highlights the importance of the study of the relationship between market orientation and alternative strategic orientations, examines the effect of market orientation on different orientations, and identifies the orientations that are more likely to be combined with market orientation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a meta‐analysis procedure to synthesize empirical results on the relationship between market orientation and innovation, learning, entrepreneurial, and employee orientations.

Findings

Findings suggest that market orientation is strongly correlated with learning, entrepreneurial, and employee orientations, and that it has a moderate positive relationship with innovation orientation.

Research limitations/implications

Research on market orientation should shift its focus, moving from the study of the direct effect of market orientation on business performance to the study of the various combinations of strategic orientations that firms can pursue in different situations, studying how the more successful market‐oriented firms balance between market orientation and other strategic orientations.

Originality/value

This is the first meta‐analysis to examine the relationships between market orientation and alternative strategic orientations.
Into the light and engagement
Authors: Milne Markus , Guthrie James , Parker Lee
Published: February 2008

Purpose

This editorial seeks to reflect on seven contributions to this AAAJ special issue and on the interdisciplinary accounting, auditing and accountability movement and its future directions. The seven papers were invited plenary contributions to the APIRA 2007 conference, which in part served to celebrate 20 years of AAAJ. The important role of academic researchers is highlighted in not simply observing, but also in engaging in and constructing an enabling accounting. The contribution of scholarly research to knowledgeable debates about an enabling accounting for society and the sustainability of the planet is discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a literature‐based analysis and critique. The paper is primarily a discussion paper.

Findings

This editorial draws together the themes of papers in this AAAJ special issue, which point to the need for researchers to reflect on their motivation, use of theory and values to ensure that academic work is making a genuine contribution.

Research limitations/implications

The practical and research issues explored in this, and the other papers, in this special theme section, it is hoped, will invoke more critical perspectives on accountancy, assist scholars in theory development and application, and influence growth in reflective academic studies in this area.

Originality/value

This editorial discusses the contributions to this AAAJ special issue.
Public sector to public services: 20 years of “contextual” accounting research
Authors: Broadbent Jane , Guthrie James
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review and critique the field of public sector accounting research. Many nation states deliver essential public services. In recent times, many of these nations have been involved in programmes of “modernisation”, which, in part, means that these public services now are significantly managed, delivered and governed by private and third sector organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a literature‐based analysis and critique of public sector accounting articles published in the selected journals from 1992 to 2006. From this, a descriptive meta‐analysis of the characteristics of the research will be discussed. Finally, a conceptual analysis of the selected literature will be used to evaluate the field and address a possible future research agenda.

Findings

The descriptive analysis highlights that among the research papers reviewed several interesting patterns emerged concerning public service research. Also, the dominance of Australasia and UK research was noted. The extent of research in different levels of government/jurisdiction indicated that the majority of research was organisationally based. Finally, when the various functional types of accounting are considered, management accounting remained the most researched area of interest.

Research limitations/implications

The paper only considered research within eight selected journals and over the period 1992 to 2006. Therefore, for instance, US mainstream public sector accounting research has not been reviewed.

Originality/value

The main implications of the paper are that “contextual” public service accounting research has a strong tradition and, through the process of reflection and critique of the body of work, several important insights are provided in order to highlight areas for further research and policy development.
Auditing research: a review across the disciplinary divide
Authors: Humphrey Christopher
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the contribution made by auditing research over the last three decades to understandings of audit practice and to consider the implications for the future development of the discipline.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of a literature review.

Findings

The paper challenges the extent of one's knowledge of audit practice, highlighting a variety of concerns with dominant research approaches/traditions and pin‐pointing a range of research questions and approaches which offer potentially rewarding insights of the audit practice arena.

Practical implications

The paper emphasises the scope for auditing researchers and practitioners to think differently about audit practice and to work collectively in pursuing advances in auditing knowledge and educational processes more generally.

Originality/value

The paper illustrates just how vibrant contemporary auditing research agendas can be when the focus is directly on understanding the practice of audit and the work of associated regulatory institutions. It argues that the development of the auditing research discipline has been hindered by desired attachments to so‐called notions of “scientific rigour” and a reluctance across significant parts of the discipline to undertake (or even acknowledge) research of a more “qualitative” or “critical” dimension.
Did Kaplan and Johnson get it right?
Authors: Otley David
Published: February 2008

Purpose

This paper sets out to demonstrate a conceptual structure for the study of performance management systems which subsumes one major aspect of management accounting activity, namely performance evaluation and control.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of a review of management accounting practices and change over the past 20 years, to give insight into how research can become more fruitful in the future.

Findings

Management accounting is argued to be an unhelpful conceptual category in developing insight and theories in the field of organizational control practices. A wider framework is proposed that has fewer limitations.

Practical implications

Many of the practical implications have already been observed in organizational practices; for academic research, the practical implication is the need to move beyond the confines of an artificial management function and seek to establish a more appropriate basis for theorisation.

Originality/value

The paper gives guidelines and criteria for evaluating the likely contribution of different research approaches. It is hoped that these will be helpful in encouraging researchers to move outside conventional boundaries in developing fresh approaches to understanding long‐standing issues and practices.
Chronicles of wasted time?
Authors: Owen David
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a critical review of the development and current state‐of‐the‐art of social and environmental accounting (SEA) research, with particular reference to the role and contribution of the Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, while also offering some pointers as to how the field may develop in the future.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach combines a literature review and critique, with particular emphasis on SEA papers published in AAAJ (1988‐2007) together with other papers published in a range of leading‐edge journals (2004‐2007).

Findings

While published SEA research covers a wide range of topics, particular emphasis has been placed on polemical debate and studies investigating the organisational determinants and managerial motivations underpinning reporting initiatives. Some evidence is produced of a rapprochement between mainstream SEA scholars and critical theorists, with the moral foundation, and interventionist stance, of the former being combined with the historically and theoretically informed perspective of the latter. Evidence is also offered of field‐based studies achieving greater prominence in the literature in recent years.

Research limitations/implications

While a “broad brush” analysis of the historical development of SEA research is offered, detailed investigation is largely confined to the contribution of Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal and that of contemporary research studies.

Practical implications

Agreement is expressed with the conclusions emanating from previous authoritative reviews of the field concerning the need for engagement with practice on the part of researchers. However, a managerial perspective is eschewed in favour of recommending articulation of research to social movements and working directly with stakeholder groups.

Originality/value

The paper provides a detailed analysis of the contribution made by one particular leading edge journal, while further drawing on recently published work in a range of journals in order to develop pointers for future effective interventions by SEA researchers in matters of public policy and praxis.
Innovation, convergence and argument without end in accounting history
Authors: Walker Stephen P.
Published: February 2008

Purpose

This paper seeks to review the accounting history content ofAccounting, Auditing & AccountabilityJournal(AAAJ) over the last 20 years and to identify distinctive research themes therein. Observations and suggestions are offered in relation to future accounting history research.

Design/methodology/approach

The study comprises an analysis of the content ofAAAJand related literature.

Findings

Histories appearing inAAAJhave focused on technical issues, accounting in business organisations, cost and management accounting, accounting historiography, professionalisation, and socio‐cultural studies of accounting. The journal has been an important medium for the pursuit of interdisciplinarity, the promotion and practical application of new research methods, methodological pluralism, and searches for convergence in historical debates.

Research limitations/implications

The paper discusses the potential for advancing established research agendas in accounting history and identifies some new subjects for investigation by accounting historians.

Originality/value

It is suggested that, while methodological innovation and plurality are to be applauded, the sustained application of new approaches should also receive greater encouragement. Searches forrapprochementin accounting history debate run the risk of stultifying historical controversy. It is argued that histories of management accounting, gender, class, professionalisation are far from “complete” and should be reignited through the adoption of broader theoretical, temporal and spatial parameters. An emphasis on the performative aspects of accounting in socio‐cultural histories is encouraged, as is clearer recognition of the significance of contemporary understandings of the boundaries of accounting. Also emphasised is the desirability of more indigenously sensitised histories of the profession, greater engagement with the “literary turn”, and a renewed commitment to interdisciplinarity.
Gearing service quality into public and private hospitals in small islands
Authors: Arasli Huseyin , Haktan Ekiz Erdogan , Turan Katircioglu Salih
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to develop and compare some determinants of service quality in both the public and private hospitals of Northern Cyprus. There is considerable lack of literature with respect to service quality in public and private hospitals.

Design/method/approach

Randomly, 454 respondents, who have recently benefited from hospital services in Famagusta, were selected to answer a modified version of the SERVQUAL Instrument. The instrument contained both service expectations and perceptions questions.

Findings

This study identifies six factors regarding the service quality as perceived in both public and private Northern Cyprus hospitals. These are: empathy, giving priority to the inpatients needs, relationships between staff and patients, professionalism of staff, food and the physical environment. Research results revealed that the various expectations of inpatients have not been met in either the public or the private hospitals

Research implications/limitations

At the micro level, the lack of management commitment to service quality in both hospital settings leads doctors and nurses to expend less effort increasing or improving inpatient satisfaction. Hospital managers should also satisfy their employees, since job satisfaction leads to customer satisfaction and loyalty. Additionally, hospital administrations need to gather systematic feedback from their inpatients, establish visible and transparent complaint procedures so that inpatients' complaints can be addressed effectively and efficiently.

Originality/value

The hospitals need to organize training sessions based on the critical importance of service quality and the crucial role of inpatient satisfaction in the health care industry. Future studies should include the remaining regions in Cyprus in order to increase research findings' generalizability. Additionally, including other dimensions such as hospital processes and discharge management and co‐ordination may provide further insights into understanding inpatients' perceptions and intentions.
The influence of service quality and patients' emotions on satisfaction
Authors: Helena Vinagre Maria , Neves José
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to develop and empirically test a model to examine the major factors affecting patients' satisfaction that depict and estimate the relationships between service quality, patient's emotions, expectations and involvement.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach was tested using structural equation modeling, with a sample of 317 patients from six Portuguese public healthcare centres, using a revised SERVQUAL scale for service quality evaluation and an adapted DESII scale for assessing patient emotions.

Findings

The scales used to evaluate service quality and emotional experience appears valid. The results support process complexity that leads to health service satisfaction, which involves diverse phenomena within the cognitive and emotional domain, revealing that all the predictors have a significant effect on satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

The emotions inventory, although showing good internal consistency, might be enlarged to other typologies in further research – needed to confirm these findings.

Practical implications

Patient's satisfaction mechanisms are important for improving service quality.

Originality/value

The research shows empirical evidence about the effect of both patient's emotions and service quality on satisfaction with healthcare services. Findings also provide a model that includes valid and reliable measures.
The relative importance of service dimensions in a healthcare setting
Authors: Roshnee Ramsaran‐Fowdar Rooma
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The paper aims to focus on an augmented SERVQUAL instrument that was used to measure private patients' service expectations and perceptions.

Design/method/approach

A questionnaire was administered to 750 and 34 per cent responded.

Findings

A new service quality instrument called PRIVHEALTHQUAL emerged from the study, based on factor and reliability analysis. The “reliability and fair and equitable treatment” factor was found to be the most important healthcare service quality dimension.

Originality/value

Adds to the existing body of research on service quality and demonstrates that SERVQUAL is not a generic service quality measure for all industries.
Telework adoption, change management, and firm performance
Authors: Martínez‐Sánchez Angel , Pérez‐Pérez Manuela , José Vela‐Jiménez María , de‐Luis‐Carnicer Pilar
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the contribution of human resource (HR) commitment practices to firm performance through the adoption of workplace practices that require the organisational climate created by HR commitment practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is a survey of 156 Spanish firms and statistical test of research hypotheses through structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results indicate that the extent that employees have access to HR commitment practices and HR social benefits is positively related to the intensity of telework adoption. Firm performance is positively associated to the intensity of telework adoption, functional flexibility and internal numerical flexibility, and negatively related to external numerical flexibility. HR commitment practices impact directly and indirectly on different measures of firm performance.

Research limitations/implications

Cross‐sectional, survey‐based data that cannot infer causality. Longitudinal and qualitative designs are needed to get a better understanding of the relationships. A follow‐up study of employees perception of several variables analysed in this study (e.g. access to HR commitment practices and employee benefits) could reveal possible contradictions between what policies managers claim there exist, and what policies employees perceive to exist.

Practical implications

The adoption of HR commitment practices can facilitate the organisational change required by the adoption of telework.

Originality/value

The findings provide evidence that HR commitment practices are indirectly related to firm performance through their effects on the use of flexibility practices like telework that require organisational climates containing high levels of trust.
Critical management studies and theagélasteethos
Authors: Styhre Alexander
Published: February 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to discuss the notion of carnival laughter in Bakhtin's examination of Rabelais's literary works. The paper suggests that what may be called, after Rabelais, theagélasteethos, the ethos of the men and women without laughter, remains a strong influence in some domains of critical management studies (CMS) as well as mainstream organization theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature review discusses Russian literature theorist Mikhail Bakhtin's analysis of the writings of François Rabelais and related his concept of theagélasteto contemporary social and organization theory.

Findings

Some proponents of CMS praise the critical thinking and the outlook on society established by its foundational writers Adorno, Horkheimer and Marcuse. As a consequence, CMS tends to exclude the sources of joy, laughter and transgression and regard such social and human gestures and events as being frivolous and ephemeral. Therefore, CMS remains trapped within its own sphere of critical thinking and fails to address and understand significant components of everyday life.

Research limitations/implications

The paper suggests that the notion of “critique” needs to be explored within the community of CMS researchers.

Originality/value

Discusses the concept of critique so central for both the CMS tradition of thinking and other domains of management studies in new terms.
Separation, emulation and competition
Authors: Shimoni Baruch
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The paper's aim is to show three different styles local managers around the world use to hybridize global corporations' and local management practices and values.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is qualitative research based on managers' stories.

Findings

The paper provides data of the styles of hybridization of management produced by local managers in Thailand, Mexico, and Israel of two global corporations headquartered in Sweden and the USA.

Research limitations/implications

Through a focused inspection of 24 managers in three different countries (two offices in each country) this paper attempts to identify local styles of hybridization –obviously, further research is needed to confirm the findings of this research. Managers who were interviewed are in urban sites in Thailand, Mexico and Israel, senior managers with academic degrees in engineering or business, and they manage highly trained workers. The cultural processes this paper develops are most applicable to people like those interviewed

Practical implications

Recognizing the styles of hybridization shown in this paper can be of assistance for global corporations in setting the conditions not only for the transfer but also for the appropriate integration and adaptation of their management values and practices to the local.

Originality/value

The paper suggests seeing local managers of global corporations as acknowledgeable agents who do not absorb the corporations' management forms as they are but use different styles to integrate them in their own.
Multicultural leadership
Authors: Canen Alberto G. , Canen Ana
Published: February 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to contribute to the understanding of organizational conflict management from a multicultural perspective in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

Besides a theoretical discussion about multiculturalism and leadership, a case study based extensively, but not exclusively, on oral history has been undertaken within a unit of a HEI in Brazil. The case study, which illustrates the cost when multicultural leadership is absent, is based on a combination of first‐hand information and facts reconstruction.

Findings

The research discussed in this paper showed that the system of constructing “otherness” and isolating it can actually be characterized as workplace bullying condoned by extremely mono‐cultural leaders. An alternative scenario with more multiculturally competent leaders is discussed, providing possible tools and avenues for organizational conflict management.

Practical implications

HEIs should be viewed as multicultural organizations, not only for the purpose of developing multicultural curricula but also for reviewing the impact of institutional practices and leadership on the organizational climate. Leaders should be ethically and multiculturally accountable for ensuring an institutional identity that is open to cultural plurality and to the challenge of the institutionalization of differences.

Originality/value

This paper goes beyond multicultural issues restricted to individual and group identities and incorporates institutional cultural climate and the role of multicultural leaders in organizational conflict management in the context of HEIs, hitherto not much discussed, which may open up new debates in the area.
Asymmetrical contextual ambiguity, negotiation self‐efficacy, and negotiation performance
Authors: Miles Edward W. , LaSalle Margaret M.
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The current studies examine the relationship between negotiation performance and negotiation self‐efficacy of both the focal negotiator and the negotiating counterpart. This paper seeks to further examine the possibility that these relationships are moderated by contextual ambiguity. It proposes that contextual ambiguity is asymmetrical with regard to gender: that a given situation is less ambiguous to the stereotype‐consistent gender and more ambiguous to the other gender.

Design/methodology/approach

Two negotiation cases are constructed. One was a feminine‐stereotyped situation and the other was a masculine‐stereotyped situation. Study participants negotiated one of the two cases. The primary statistical analysis was moderated regression analysis.

Findings

Results show that both focal negotiator self‐efficacy and counterpart self‐efficacy are significant predictors of focal negotiator performance. However, for both men and women, counterpart self‐efficacy had a stronger association with performance in negotiation situations of higher contextual ambiguity (stereotyped to the other gender) than in negotiation situations of lower contextual ambiguity.

Originality/value

In these studies, the paper responds to recent calls to include negotiation counterpart variables in negotiation research. Further, this study extends research regarding gender and negotiation performance by examining two previously unexplored topics: gender‐based asymmetrical contextual ambiguity and the moderation by gender of the relationship between negotiation self‐efficacy and negotiation performance.
Stakeholder theory: antidote to a drug company's market health?
Authors: Bornsen Susan , Ostrom‐Blonigen Jean , Plowman Kenneth D.
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the history and strategies used by Synthroid producers, currently Abbott Laboratories, one of the top drug companies in the world through the use of stakeholder theory.

Design/methodology/approach

News releases and The Wall Street Journal from similar dates were compared and contrasted for examples of Donaldson and Preston's three typologies of stakeholder theory, which include descriptive accuracy, instrumental power, and normative validity.

Findings

Illustrations of stakeholder typologies reveal that public relations messages can be used to influence stakeholders. However, the examples also illustrate that ethics may be a separate issue.

Practical implications

When consumers rely on products, such as prescription drugs, for good health and even life itself, there is a fine line between product and drug product.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates the value of Donaldson and Preston's typology in evaluating the market health of organizations.
Trends in government communication in The Netherlands
Authors: Vos Marita , Westerhoudt Evelyn
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a current state of the art of government communication in The Netherlands which can help to promote a dialogue about how communication quality in this field can be improved further.

Design/methodology/approach

In 2006 a survey was conducted for the second time to trace the communication trends in ministries, provinces, municipalities and water boards. The survey was set up in association with sector representatives and it is implemented every two years. The respondents were the top manager and the communication managers of all organisations in the four public sectors. The questionnaire was answered online and the response was 33 per cent.

Findings

The paper finds that the communication budget remained reasonably intact, even in more difficult years, and is now regarded with cautious optimism. The principal goals of government communication are to make government action more transparent and to generate interaction with the outside world. The respondents saw the main tasks as: communicate from a wider societal perspective, make the organisation more communicative internally and (especially in the municipalities) do more work on citizen participation. What strengths should a communication professional possess? As in 2004, when a similar survey was conducted, the most frequently cited competencies were analytical insight and empathy. In the discipline‐specific competencies, advisory skills and knowledge of the target group were mentioned most often. Knowledge of the political environment scored slightly lower than in 2004. The section on the main developments in government communication met with a mixed response. The ministries said more unity and coordination. The provinces mentioned, amongst others, a shift from a re‐active to pro‐active approach. The municipalities stressed citizen participation and the water boards stressed staying closer to people and their living environment. As in 2004, a common denominator for all the sectors was more attention to digital communication. Now that government communication has further developed, coherence and differences in approach between the tiers of government have to be taken into account.

Practical implementations

The survey provides insight into what the various public sectors (ministries, provinces, municipalities and water boards) see as the added value of communication.

Originality/value

This investigation focuses on government communication and gives insight into this area of communication.
Applying relationship management theory to the fundraising process for individual donors
Authors: Waters Richard D.
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure the relationships non‐profit organisations develop with their annual giving and major gift donors and to compare the differences between the giving levels.

Design/methodology/approach

A web‐based survey of individual donors (n=120) to a non‐profit healthcare organisation evaluated their relationships with the organisation using Hon and Grunig's four dimensions of organisation‐public relationships.

Findings

To explore the dynamics of the fundraising process, donors were categorised into two different schema. First, donors were classified as either major gift donors or annual giving donors. With this classification, major gift donors were more likely to have stronger feelings of trust, satisfaction, commitment, and control mutuality with the organisation than annual gift donors did. The second classification divided the donors who have made multiple contributions to the organisation and those who had only made one donation at the time of the study. This study found that donors who gave multiple times to an organisation evaluated the relationship stronger than one‐time donors. Finally, these dimensions were also able to predict past giving behaviour 91 per cent of the time for the participants in this study.

Research limitations/implications

The findings strengthen the bridge between public relations and fundraising. Additionally, they further validate the organisation‐public relationship measures created by Hon and Grunig, and they demonstrate the indices' ability to predict behaviour.

Practical implications

The findings stress the importance of donor cultivation within the non‐profit organisation‐donor relationship particularly since the number of non‐profit organisations is rapidly growing and competing for donations. Additionally, the results demonstrate the growing importance of demonstrating financial and social accountability.

Originality/value

The study extends the growing organisation‐public relationship paradigm into a specialisation of public relations that is rarely studied from a social scientific perspective. This study strengthens the reliability and validity of Hon and Grunig's variables as well as strengthening the connection between public relations and fundraising.
Interest‐based negotiation
Authors: Katz Neil H. , Pattarini Nancy M.
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the principles of interest‐based negotiation to communications professionals and provide examples of how the technique can be applied to both the business and practice of public relations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper looks at interest‐based negotiation as an approach for managing differences or overcoming obstacles for the public relations counselor.

Findings

The paper finds that with an understanding of interest‐based negotiation, the public relations counselor can introduce clients to a highly valuable approach for managing differences or overcoming obstacles. Using carefully articulated principles, steps, and techniques, interest‐based negotiation can improve client's ability to establish trust and credibility with stakeholders. The approach also can play a significant role in helping strengthen rapport in the public relations consultant‐client relationship.

Originality/value

The paper provides interesting information on the use of interest‐based negotiation.
A review of business process mining: state‐of‐the‐art and future trends
Authors: Tiwari A. , Turner C.J. , Majeed B.
Published: February 2008

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the area of business process mining, providing an overview of state‐of‐the‐art techniques. An outline of the main problems experienced in the practice of process mining is given along with reference to work that addresses the most challenging issues experienced in this field. This paper also aims to examine the application of soft computing techniques to process‐mining problems.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a comprehensive review of literature covering more than 50 research papers. These papers are analysed to identify current trends and future research directions in the field.

Findings

Process‐mining techniques are now becoming available as graphical interface‐driven software tools, where flow diagram representations of processes may be manipulated as part of the mining task. A significant number of papers employ mining heuristics to aid in the task of process discovery. Soft computing algorithms are increasingly being investigated to aid the accuracy and speed of mining algorithms. Many papers exist that address common mining problems such as noise and mining loops. However, problems such as duplicate tasks, mining perspectives and delta analysis require further research.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper is to provide a summary of the current trends in process‐mining practice and point out future research directions. A review of the work in this new and expanding area has been provided in the form of illustrative graphs and tables that identify the trends in this area. This is the most comprehensive and up‐to‐date review of business process‐mining literature.
Business process outsourcing: an approach to gain access to world‐class capabilities
Authors: Ghodeswar Bhimrao , Vaidyanathan Janardan
Published: February 2008

Purpose

This paper sets out to review the different types of outsourcing, its drivers and process, and to identify world‐class capabilities that host organisations can leverage.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is primarily based on a review of literature.

Findings

Outsourcing helps the organisation to achieve higher levels of value creation for the final customer. Drivers of outsourcing emanate from organisational initiatives, improvement focus, financial and cost objectives, or growth objectives. A wide range of core and non‐core critical business processes are increasingly being outsourced covering a large spectrum of sectors and operations, enabling host organisations to gain access to world‐class capabilities.

Originality/value

This paper identifies critical drivers of outsourcing and the process by reviewing available literature in this area. In doing this an attempt is made to find answers to some fundamental questions. What are the main types and drivers of outsourcing? What are the different phases in the process of outsourcing? This paper discusses in detail the significant drivers and process of outsourcing; and the world‐class capabilities accessible by the host organisation. Case studies are used to illustrate these aspects further.
An evaluation of the value stream mapping tool
Authors: Serrano Lasa Ibon , Ochoa Laburu Carlos , de Castro Vila Rodolfo
Published: February 2008

Purpose

The value stream mapping (VSM) is a tool created by the lean production movement for redesigning the productive systems. Since, it was theoretically developed, some cases have been published where the mentioned tool has been used; however, there is a need to see how it is put into practice, that is to analyze the level in which theory is able to adapt to real practice, the strengths, weaknesses and the key aspects to be taken into account by the applicant teams to obtain the highest performance of the VSM. This paper aims to discuss all of these aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used is a case study of a company in which the process of application of the VSM has been thoroughly analyzed. A team created to improve the productive system of a manufacture for plastic casings for mobile phones has carried out this application.

Findings

The research shows that the VSM is a valuable tool for redesigning the productive systems according to the lean system. Nevertheless, there are some key points for the establishing teams that have to take into account, as follows: the time and training resources spent, the use of suitable information systems and a suitable management of the application phases.

Research limitations/implications

The conclusions of this research can be reinforced by the monitoring of the application process in more company cases.

Practical implications

The conclusions of this research are useful for future practitioners, so that they may bear in mind the different aspects of planning projects for redesigning productive systems by using VSM. On the other hand, these conclusions can also be useful for the academic field in order to enhance the theory of VSM.

Originality/value

The paper is a contribution based on practical references according to a thoroughly monitoring of a successful case in establishing VSM.
Modelling strategic actor relationships for risk management in organizations undergoing business process reengineering due to information systems adoption
Authors: Misra Subhas C. , Kumar Uma , Kumar Vinod
Published: February 2008

Purpose

Because of the competitive economy, organizations today seek to rationalize, innovate and adapt to changing environments and circumstances as part of business process reengineering (BPR) efforts. Irrespective of the process reengineering program selected and the technique used to model it, BPR brings with it the issues of organizational and process changes. Thus, BPR initiatives involve risk taking. Effective management of risks and their prediction and estimation should help in minimizing failures from BPR efforts. Risk management is non‐trivial due to the large uncertainty involved with business success with BPR efforts. Though some attempt has been made to model risk management in enterprise information systems using conventional conceptual modelling techniques, the previous works have analyzed and modeled the same just by addressing “what” a process is like, but do not address “why” the process is the way it is.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach presents a new technique for analyzing and modelling early‐phase requirements of organizational risk management that provides the motivations, intents, and rationales behind the entities and activities.

Findings

A case study has been considered to illustrate this approach.

Originality/value

The approach is novel in the sense that there is no similar intentional modeling approach for risk management to the best of one's knowledge. The approach is expected to be valuable because by using this approach one can reason about the risks associated with BPR and can incorporate prominently the issues related to risk in the process of systems analysis and design.