bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A review of gel permeation chromatography: Part 2
Authors: Ellis R.A.
Published: November 2014

Bellens has reported the study of several types of alkyd resin using a Waters Associates chromatograph equipped with a duplicate set of four columns covering a porosity range of 0.485 to 105 nm and eluted with THF at ambient temperature. Automatic sample injection was employed and, during a four‐hour fractionation process, the eluent from the sample set of columns was monitored by a differential refractometer using the other set as reference. The detector signal was fed to the Y‐axis of an X‐Y recorder, on which the X‐axis was used to display eluent volume information. A generalised GPC curve is presented in which the author identifies the zones attributable to solvent, non‐polymerised materials, oligomers and polymers and shows the pseudomaxima that arise from the four individual columns. Molecular sizes are quoted for fatty acids (15 Å), phthalic‐glycerol monoester (15 Å), diphthalate glycerol monoester (26 Å), monoglycerides (34 Å), phthalic monoester monoglyceride (37 Å), diglycerides (51 Å) and triglycerides (67 Å), whilst the GPC traces for most alkyds are shown to have a peak in their molecular size distributions between 75 and 120 Å.
Coatings update: new proprietary products, Part I
Authors: Americus
Published: November 2014

Despite the problems of energy, pollution, and toxicity which occupy the attention of paint companies these days, new products are motivated by the three factors just mentioned. Thus, there is particular emphasis on industrial products which cure at low temperatures and thus are energy‐saving. Non‐polluting compositions are of course welcome, particularly in those states where air and water pollution regulations are stringent. Many of the new compositions are those formulated to avoid toxic pigments and driers. All together, these motivations make for a spate of new materials.
Coatings update: new raw materials
Authors: Americus
Published: November 2014

If the paint chemist is to meet the challenges of ecology, toxicity, and government regulations generally, he must rely on two things. One of these is formulating skill, the other, new raw materials. In fact, however, there have been very few truly new raw materials in the past decade. Most of the advances have involved variations of known products and these variations have related to the needs of the paint chemist. For example there has been a strong desire to convert materials which are normally solvent‐based to forms useful in water‐borne compositions.
Pigmentation of Security inks — Part 1
Authors: Smith Anthony
Published: November 2014

The replacement of man by computers and automated machinery continues. Reading machines are now being used in increasingly large numbers (a) to provide input data to computers and (b) to activate equipment that performs minor tasks. The complexity of these tasks is expected to increase swiftly.
Stainless steel pigments
Authors: Smith C.A.
Published: November 2014

Surface coatings containing stainless steel flake pigments have now become firmly established and proven by applications which increase in variety. The particles, which are lamellar, are marketed in both powder and paste forms.
Coatings update: pollution, toxicity, regulation, and the paint industry, Part 1
Authors: Americus
Published: November 2014

There is no question that the consumer is better protected from chemical hazards of all sorts than he was ten years ago. The question of the importance of this better protection, however, is extensively debated. There is strong evidence that the chemical industry, of which the coatings industry is an important part, contributed very little to actual mortality, at least from a statistical point of view. The problems, where they existed, were regional problems which, to be sure, brought discomfort and oft‐times far more to a small segment of the population. But these had only slight affect on accident and death rates statistically. It goes without saying that workers should not be allowed to go into vinyl chloride tanks to clean them since it is well‐established that this practice may lead to angiosarcoma and ultimately to death. Certainly asbestos should be removed from air and water and workers should not be exposed to it. These are obvious areas where alertness to pollution and toxicity will effect changes for the good. But the nagging question is: How much can we afford in order to regulate hazards out of existence, particularly in cases considerably less clear‐cut than the two just cited? And if we really want to effect a statistical improvement in death rates, why do we not work harder to eliminate the use of tobacco? To say that the situation is complex is only to repeat a truism.
Coatings update: high solids coatings
Authors: Americus
Published: November 2014

An interesting article by Bauer and Briggs has described a means for predicting flow properties of high solids coatings formulated with and without flow control agents. The flow properties were studied, starting with spray application and continuing through until curing. The solvent content in the coating film was measured by high performance liquid chromatography as a function of time after spray. A kinetic model was used to determine the increase in molecular weight and correspondingly in viscosity during cross‐linking. The rheological behaviour of the polymer solutions, which contained a polymeric microparticle flow control agent was measured. Also, models were developed to calculate the sheer stress as a function of sheer rate for different coatings, and these were related to the concentration of the flow control agent. Finally, all of the above data were used to calculate the sag of coatings as a function of time after spray with and without flow control agents. Although the addition of a flow control agent reduces sag during baking, it also tends to inhibit levelling. Also, the appearance of the high solids coating containing the flow control agent is more sensitive to film thickness than are low solids coatings.
Letter from America USA
Authors: Paintman
Published: November 2014

With regulators shaping the paint industry's product mix through tightening restrictions on volatile organic compound emissions, raw material suppliers are finding that one of the most important things they can supply the paint industry is innovation.
Letter from America USA
Authors: Paintman
Published: November 2014

New polyester polyols for urethanes are claimed to be fluid and pourable at room temperature. Called Urethall, they can be poured out of a drum at room temperature and uniformly manufactured using a novel dibasic acid technology, to the lowest end of the acid‐value scale (with narrow hydoxyl and viscosity specification). Many polyols currently used for urethanes consist of solids that must first be melted in a hot room (which can take several hours), and which have a limited operational range of acid values. Urethanes made from Urethanes exhibit incrementally better hydrolytic stability. In addition, the liquid polyols offer comparable hardness with less isocyanate and are said to elininate the need for plasticizers in certain flexible applications.
Letter from America USA
Authors: Paintman
Published: November 2014

A recent report indicates that demand for most extender and filler minerals used in adhesives and sealants, paint, paper, plastics and rubber is expected to recover slowly from the current recession. Demand for these minerals is expected to grow at an average rate of 3.5% up to 1995. However, most of this growth is occuring in the paper market where continued shifts in technology and quality requirements are producing double‐digit growth levels for selected fillers, according to the report by A. Kline & Co.
Letter from America USA
Authors: Paintman
Published: November 2014

Pebax MX1074 is a new grade of Pebax polyamide‐based thermoplastic elastomers. The resins are made in a full range of durometers without plasticizers to optimize performance.
Connecticut: The library network
Authors: Akeroyd Richard G.
Published: November 2014

Public Act 95‐234, An Act Establishing a Commu‐nications Grant Program for Schools and Libraries and the Connecticut Library Network was passed by the Connecticut General Assembly in 1995. This act directs the Connecticut State Library to plan and develop the Connecticut Library Network (CLN). The act specifies that the CLN shall 1) be an expansion of the State Library's existing statewide database, 2) have the potential to link all school, public, and academic libraries and municipal government offices, and 3) for the purpose of making the State Library's information resources accessible through the state via the network, incorporate the linkage of the State Library to the library automation system of the Connecticut State University.
Acquisitions: Is 50/50 good enough?
Authors: Ellis Darryl J. , Pekar Peter P.
Published: November 2014

Over the past 90 years, 50% of all mergers have been judged failures by the executives responsible for them.
Major growth through internal development
Authors: Bush John B.
Published: November 2014

Statistics indicate that high growth companies look first to mergers and acquisitions to achieve their objectives. An alternative, complementary view point — that the management of innovation resulting from internal development can lead to major growth with acceptable profitability — will be discussed here.
Thai Beverage Public Company Limited: Thailand leader, global challenger
Authors: Thoumrungroje Amonrat , Racela Olimpia C.
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Corporate diversification, product portfolio analysis, industry structure, international business expansion, beverage industry.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate MBA strategic management, international business strategy, and marketing strategy courses.

Case overview

Thai Beverage Public Company Limited (ThaiBev) was Thailand's largest beverage company and was among Asia's major alcoholic beverage companies. The case situation takes place during the latter part of August 2010, two years after the public announcement of ThaiBev's ambitious intentions to become a comprehensive and integrated beverage company and after having recently re-launched its acquired Wrangyer energy brand, a move signaling ThaiBev's strong commitment to its non-alcoholic beverages. The case describes the beverage industries at the global, regional, and country level and discusses ThaiBev's range of businesses. Marut Buranasetkul, Senior Vice President of Corporate Service and Deputy Managing Director of Thai Beverage Marketing, the sales and marketing arm of ThaiBev, must decide on the direction for ThaiBev to pursue to bring ThaiBev's non-alcoholic beverages to account for at least 10 percent of the company's total revenue. This case presents a number of important strategic topics, particularly in discussing industry structure and competition, as well as diversification issues encountered by a firm that was attempting to create a greater balance between the revenue contributions from its market leading dominant businesses and that of its younger and newer business lines.

Expected learning outcomes

Students will: understand the challenges faced by large conglomerates wanting to change their market position; learn to apply different frameworks such as Porter's Five Force Model, portfolio analysis, SWOT and to assess the competitive environment; learn to evaluate a company's current product portfolio and to recommend strategies to improve its allocation of resources; and learn to identify key success factors necessary to compete in a highly competitive industry.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
A social entrepreneur's journey: leading a foundation across cultures
Authors: Betters-Reed Bonita , Porter Elise
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Leadership, organizational behavior, entrepreneurship.

Study level/applicability

This case study is intended for undergraduate and graduate levels.

Case overview

This is a leadership case about Agnes Jean Brugger, founder of the A.J. Brugger Education Project (also known as the A.J. Brugger Foundation (AJBF)) in San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. It is the story of how and why she and Chris Berry co-founded this unique non-profit foundation in tandem with Piedras Y Olas: Pelican Eyes Resort (PEPO) in the late 1990s. The case focuses on how her identity and values shape the origins of AJBF and how the organization evolves in the context of the Nicaraguan and Anglo-American cultures. “Devoted to assisting Nicaragua through education and development of one of the country's most valuable and treasured resources: its young people”, the vision for AJBF was a cutting edge socially conscious venture that grew to meet the needs of the community that had captured Jean's heart and mind. The case ends in early 2009 on the precipice of the biggest economic down-turn the US economy has experienced in recent history. Standing at the edge of this cliff, Jean contemplates the numerous successful accomplishments of the foundation, while reflecting on the many leadership and organizational problems she, as Founder and Chair of the Board, faces.

Expected learning outcomes

The case will help participants to: evaluate and discuss leadership effectiveness, identifying responses to opportunities and challenges; explain cross-cultural identity from the Globe Study model and how it impacts organizational interactions; explore successful models of cross-cultural leadership through the lens of gendered theory; explore the ways in which social entrepreneurship can be seen as an extension of socially-minded leadership; describe how socially-minded entrepreneurship is different from traditional forms of entrepreneurship; describe social identity and evaluate its impact on leadership; and discuss the rich historical and community context that influences interpersonal and organizational dynamics.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or e-mail support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Environment agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) paperless day initiative
Authors: Menhali Entesar Ali Al , Ahmed Syed Zamberi
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Business Management and Strategy.

Study level/applicability

The case study is relevant for undergraduate and post-graduate management degrees. It includes courses such as business management, corporate ethics and change management.

Case overview

This case study illustrates one of the important initiatives that the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) has undertaken to help save the atmosphere and the environment. This case study describes the Paperless Day initiative that EAD launched in 2008 and how it was carried out for five years. The study also describes how EAD implemented this initiative internally.

Expected learning outcomes

Creating awareness and encouraging individuals in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere to reduce their use of paper, water and energy for a cleaner environment.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
YC Company: decreasing profit margin in overseas market
Authors: Jun Zhuo , Yingrui Huang , Lele Li , Greeven Mark J.
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Strategic management.

Study level/applicability

This case is suitable for graduate students, postgraduate students and MBAs.

Case overview

YC Company is a foreign trade SME operating in the lighting fixtures export business in Ningbo City, a major outdoor lighting products manufacturing base in mainland China. Established by Li Lele in 2008, the sales revenue and gross profit of YC Company have been increasing every year, reaching $ 4.06 million and ¥ 1.00 million, respectively, by the end of 2011. However, the growth rate of profit lagged far behind the growth of sales revenue. If this situation were not controlled, YC Company would hardly survive in this increasingly competitive market. Li Lele, the CEO of the company, was trying to find a way to enlarge the profit margin.

Expected learning outcomes

This case lets students learn more about strategic management. Students are expected to learn: how to precisely identify and map a problem; and how to select a better solution by analyzing the context and using some strategic analysis tools, such as Porter's Five Power, Smile Curve, SWOT. In the learning process, students are expected to acquire a better knowledge of some strategic management theory/method, international business, the condition of small and medium trading companies in China.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Long-range dependence in Indian stock market: a study of Indian sectoral indices
Authors: Kumar Dilip
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to test the efficient market hypothesis for major Indian sectoral indices by means of long memory approach in both time domain and frequency domain. This paper also tests the accuracy of the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) approach and the local Whittle (LW) approach by means of Monte Carlo simulation experiments.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author applies the DFA approach for the computation of the scaling exponent in the time domain. The robustness of the results is tested by the computation of the scaling exponent in the frequency domain by means of the LW estimator. The author applies moving sub-sample approach on DFA to study the evolution of market efficiency in Indian sectoral indices.

Findings

– The Monte Carlo simulation experiments indicate that the DFA approach and the LW approach provides good estimates of the scaling exponent as the sample size increases. The author also finds that the efficiency characteristics of Indian sectoral indices and their stages of development are dynamic in nature.

Originality/value

– This paper has both methodological and empirical originality. On the methodological side, the author tests the small sample properties of the DFA and the LW approaches by using simulated series of fractional Gaussian noise and find that both the approach possesses superior properties in terms of capturing the scaling behavior of asset prices. On the empirical side, the author studies the evolution of long-range dependence characteristics in Indian sectoral indices.
Working with complex problem behaviors in juvenile institutional care: staff's competence, organizational conditions and public value
Authors: Ahonen Lia , Degner Jürgen
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Institutional staff encounter juveniles with complex problems (externalizing and internalizing) which calls for adequate formal education/training and professional experience to deliver quality treatment, contributing to an effective organization and increasing public value. The purpose of this paper is to investigate staff's formal education, professional experience and the institutions’ organizational strategies providing knowledge and clinical training to staff.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study includes staff questionnaires from eight wards (n=102). In addition, 39 in-depth interviews were conducted with management and staff members.

Findings

– Results show that institutions lack clearly defined target groups, 70 percent of staff members lack college education, 30 percent has never been offered education within the organization, and the vast majority of staff does not feel competent in performing their daily work.

Practical implications

– The results from this study shed light on an overlooked area in institutions, detention centers and prison settings, and are important to policy makers and governmental organizations responsible for coercive care of juveniles.

Originality/value

– Unlike previous studies, treatment and detention organizations are emphasized as similar to manufacturing industry and profit organizations, and the results are discussed with departure in organizational theory.
Analysis of rural households’ wellbeing in Nigeria: a capability approach
Authors: Ayoola Oni Omobowale , Adenike Adepoju Temitayo
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to use the capability approach to analyse the wellbeing of rural households in Nigeria and determine the factors that influence the wellbeing status reported.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper analyses multidimensional wellbeing of the households in the capability space using data in seven dimensions obtained from the Nigeria Core Welfare Indices Survey of 2006. The wellbeing status of households was derived using the fuzzy set approach, while a logistic regression was used to isolate the factors that determine wellbeing.

Findings

– The results of the fuzzy set analysis showed that overall rural households in Nigeria have a low mean wellbeing status at 0.27. Capability to attain a desired state of wellbeing is highest with respect to asset ownership and lowest with respect to security. The logistic analysis shows that the predicted probability of attaining the mean capability wellbeing increases for male headed households, increasing educational level and age of the head, household size, and public service occupation.

Social implications

– The paper showed that the capability to attain desired levels of wellbeing increases for dimensions which are key variables in making policies for human capital development, with direct implications for improving wellbeing.

Originality/value

– This paper attempts to bridge the knowledge gap in the empirical literature of wellbeing studies and specifically in the use of the capability approach and its application in the Nigerian wellbeing context.
Viewpoint: open access – a nail in the coffin of ILL?
Authors: McGrath Mike
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the arguments for the survival of interlibrary lending (ILL) in an open access environment.

Design/methodology/approach

– Viewpoint – a brief narrative.

Findings

– That ILL will survive!

Originality/value

– Useful in being one of the few (only?) articles to counter the widespread assumption ‘that everything is free on the web’, thus leading to the demise of ILL.
Tawarruq application in Islamic banking: a review of the literature
Authors: Mohamad Nasrun , Ab Rahman Asmak
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present the results of a comprehensive literature review with regard to the application of Tawarruq in the Islamic banking system covering the period between 2011 and before. The review aims to synthesize the previous research, capsulize the structural overview inasmuch as future research might be oriented and identify the gaps and direction for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

– A range of published and unpublished documents was collated and filtered based on the defined rules to identify the determinants of the writing. The documents were then be classified into few segments in which content analysis was conducted to capsulize the essence of the subject matter described in the literature.

Findings

– The analysis demonstrates that most of the studies discussed the fundamental theories which concerning the area of jurisprudence, while a few of them did discuss the application aspect in the banking environment. However, none of the operational process is discussed in-depth, whereas the risk of Shari’ah non-compliance might arise in the detail transaction.

Research limitations/implications

– The databases used in the search might not contain all the documents that could be relevant for the review. Furthermore, the defined-rule for document searching and selection excluded the out-of-scope documents that might be relevant.

Originality/value

– This paper identifies the gaps that become apparent in the literature in assisting researchers to ascertain the interesting areas as well as the direction for future research.
The effect of Banana Xanthomonas Wilt on beer-banana value chains in central Uganda
Authors: Margaretha Rietveld Anne , Jogo Wellington , Mpiira Samuel , Staver Charles
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Beer-bananas in Central Uganda are important for smallholder farmers’ livelihoods, especially for those that process the banana into beer and spirits. The purpose of this paper is to understand how actors in the beer-banana value chain are affected and how they are managing disease has become an important issue since the outbreak of the bacterial banana disease Xanthomonas Wilt.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted an exploratory study focusing on producers of beer-bananas; brewers and non-brewers, and on retailers in Central Uganda and in Kampala. The authors conducted surveys with these value chain actors and we used baseline data, collected through a household survey in the project sites.

Findings

– Results showed that Banana Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW) has drastically reduced productivity of beer-banana systems, resulting in reduced sales volumes of beer-bananas and processed products and consequently reduced incomes. Application of disease control measures was generally higher among those farmers that brew.

Research limitations/implications

– This being an exploratory study, the samples for the different value chain actors were rather small. Future research should address: product quality and opportunities for differentiation; effects of beer-banana processing on rural communities; adoption of BXW control measures.

Originality/value

– Beer-bananas are often neglected in research; this paper shows that is unfounded since beer-banana production and processing are important for many people’s livelihood. More insight into what motivates farmers to control the disease is essential to protect these people’s livelihoods.
Reading between the lines: the role discourse in shaping responses to safeguarding older people
Authors: Galpin Diane
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on findings from research into the role of language and discourse in shaping responses to older people at risk of abuse in England. Critical discourse analysis is used in this research to deconstruct policy to identify hidden meaning.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study comprised of a critical discourse analysis (CDA) of the coalition governments underpinning policy statement outlining its approach to safeguarding adults in “A Vision for Adult Social Care:Capable Communities and Active Citizens.”

Findings

– This paper analyses the policy statement in some detail to explore its ability to guide practice in supporting older people at risk of harm. The results suggest ideological, philosophical and economic discourses underpinning policy may promote “Big Society” rather than address the abuse of older people, and that this might leave some older people vulnerable and at risk.

Research limitations/implications

– It is acknowledged the qualitative approach of CDA has its limitations as issues of subjectivity and interpretation exist. Fallibility is always present and no research can give a “complete” view of the world.

Practical implications

– Drawing on this analysis may provide a heightened awareness of the use of discourse to expose potentially hidden motivations in others, and ourselves, by seeking out the ideological, philosophical and theoretical hiding places which enable specific discourses to become taken for granted.

Social implications

– By identifying the taken for grantedness of some discourses in everyday life, the author can gain a better understanding of how to challenge the status quo.

Originality/value

– This paper explores practice in safeguarding adults from an ideological, economic and philosophical perspective.
An integrated approach for individualised support: carers' views
Authors: Moule Pam , Pollard Katherine , Clarke Jackie , Fear Christine , Lawson Bob , Thompson Rennie , Young Pat
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to capture carers’ views of a service in Bristol funded jointly by the Local Authority and the NHS Clinical Commissioning Group, which offers support to carers in the form of a one-off payment which they can use for anything they choose.

Design/methodology/approach

– A multi-method evaluation of this integrated service was conducted between August 2012 and October 2013 to explore its impact on carers’ health and well-being. This paper presents findings from 40 interviews conducted with carers as part of the evaluation.

Findings

– Many carers have little respite from very stressful situations; the break enabled them to focus on their own needs. Carers’ needs included actual short breaks away with or without those being cared for, as well as items like household equipment or exercise classes.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was centred on an innovation and integrated approach to support carers in one city and provides a snap-shot of the short-term effects. Longer lasting effects are not known.

Social implications

– Most carers found the support beneficial, and in some cases reported a positive effect on their own health and well-being. Effective inter-agency communication and collaboration is essential for the success of the integrated service.

Originality/value

– There is limited research available on the outcomes of integrated approaches to support carers.
“I don’t know why I’m here”: from knot-working to not-knowing
Authors: Wegener Charlotte
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the idea of getting lost during field studies as a point of departure for reframing the initial research question.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper presents field notes and reflections to illustrate the process of tracing innovation in the field by means of a theoretical concept – “knot-working” as proposed by Engeström (2008). By paying attention to seemingly irrelevant empirical data and experiences of being lost, the author infuses another theoretical concept – “not-knowing” as proposed by Lather (2007).

Findings

– By questioning research questions, it becomes possible to challenge conventional assumptions in the field under study as well as assumptions underlying existing theory. It is argued that good research questions evolve iteratively throughout a study and might be even more valuable than answers (Alvesson and Sandberg, 2013). The paper illustrates how not-knowing can serve as a methodological perspective from where ordinary held assumptions can be reconsidered, thus paving the way for novel research questions that can enhance established theory.

Originality/value

– The paper questions the initial research question: “How is the elderly care sector affected by innovation imperatives,” and ends up posing the reverse question: How are innovation imperatives affected – or how could they be affected – by the notion of care.
Anti‐money laundering compliance for the mutual fund industry
Authors: Robertson Robert A. , Delhomme Monique S.
Published: November 2014

The USA Patriot Act and its implementing regulations required mutual funds to implement anti‐money laundering (AML) programs by July 24, 2002. This legislation, which substantially amended the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), no doubt will have the most far‐reaching affect on the fund industry since the Investment Company Act was adopted in 1940. It also will present new challenges to fund legal counsel and compliance personnel. Until the Patriot Act was signed into law, the regulatory framework for funds generally focused on protecting investors through mandatory disclosure obligations and self‐dealing prohibitions. AML programs add a new focus. An AML program must be designed to, among other things, prevent a fund from being used for money laundering or the financing of terrorist activities. While banks have had AML programs for several decades, these requirements are uncharted waters for mutual funds, as well as for most other securities firms.
Using cues to forage for information on the Web
Authors: D. Tomasi Stella
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to study users’ behaviour when using different search engine results pages (SERPs) to identify what types of scents (cues) were the most useful to find relevant information to complete tasks on the Web based on information foraging theory.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study has designed three interface prototypes and conducted a qualitative study using the protocol analysis methodology. The subjects were recorded and videotaped to identify patterns of searching behaviours on visualization interfaces of SERPs.

Findings

– The study found that users found titles of categories or websites, keywords of categories, orientation of results and animation are strong scents that users follow to help find information on SERPs. If certain scents are not used followed on an interface, then their strength will diminish. Furthermore, the study showed that simple scent trails are more important to users than complicated trails.

Originality/value

– This study uses a qualitative approach to explore how users behave with different SERP formats, particularity a visualization format, and identify which scents on the interface are important for users to follow to successfully complete tasks on the Web.
Revisiting of Theory X and Y
Authors: Gürbüz Sait , Şahin Faruk , Köksal Onur
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of leaders’ Theory X and Y managerial assumptions on subordinates’ attitudes and behaviors.

Design/methodology/approach

– Military leaders (n=50) completed a questionnaire with Theory X and Y scale and their subordinates (n=150) completed a questionnaire with the scales of satisfaction with leader, affective commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior. The paper used hierarchical linear modeling to test the hypotheses.

Findings

– The results indicated that the Theory Y management style is significantly and positively associated with subordinates’ satisfaction with the leader, affective commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors. The Theory X management style had a significantly negative impact on subordinates’ satisfaction with the leader, but no significant impact on affective commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. The findings of the present study suggest that the Theory X and Y managerial assumptions are a worthwhile basis from which to examine several important organizational and individual outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample consisted of military personnel and were predominantly male. This may limit the generalizability of the findings.

Practical implications

– The findings of the present study suggest that the Theory X and Y managerial assumptions are a worthwhile basis from which to examine several important organizational and individual outcomes.

Originality/value

– Although McGregor's (1960) Theory X and Y have contributed to management and leadership thinking and practice for many years; empirical studies examining the Theory X and Y managerial assumptions in a work environment are very scarce. By examining the effect of leader's Theory X and Y managerial assumptions on follower's attitudes and behaviors, the study provides important insights for leadership literature.
How UNIQLO evolves its value proposition and brand image: imitation, trial and error and innovation
Authors: Huang Pei-Yuh , Kobayashi Shigeru , Isomura Kazuhito
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to clarify how a competitive company develops its own method to create innovation by utilizing imitation and learning.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper examines the case of Fast Retailing from the viewpoint of imitation strategy.

Findings

– Fast Retailing constantly explores and imports business ideas, evolves its business model through trial and error and finally creates innovation.

Practical implications

– The paper emphasizes the importance of imitation strategy that flexibly accepts and extends business ideas through learning, creates new values by evolving a business model and combines them with corporate identity and brand.

Originality/value

– The case study of Fast Retailing suggests that the successful imitation is enabled by flexible corporate culture and redefining its corporate identity and brand through the process of evolving its business model.
How strategists use “big data” to support internal business decisions, discovery and production
Authors: H. Davenport Thomas
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The author, an internationally known IT expert, aims to explain how big data is being used by leading corporations to promote better decision making, especially about innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Big data is the collection and interpretation of massive data sets, made possible by vast computing power that monitors a variety of digital streams – such as sensors, marketplace interactions and social information exchanges – and analyses them using “smart” algorithms. It offers a promising new way to discover new opportunities to offer customers high-value products and services.

Findings

– Big data […] resembles not so much a pool of statistics as an ongoing, fast-flowing stream of information about customer choices. Therefore, a more continuous approach to sampling, analyzing and acting on data is necessary.

Practical implications

– A number of major financial services firms are using “customer journeys” through the tangle of websites, call centers, tellers and other branch personnel to better understand the paths that customers follow through the organization, and how those paths affect attrition or the purchase of particular financial services.

Originality/value

– The desired outcome of data discovery is an idea – a notion of a new product, service, or feature, or a hypothesis – with supporting evidence – that an existing model can be improved. Increasingly, corporate strategists are recognizing that big data architecture and management should be designed so that discovery and analysis is the first order of business.
Does corporate social responsibility matter to consumers in Indonesia?
Authors: Arli Denni , Tjiptono Fandy
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this research is to examine consumers’ perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and to explore the impact of CSR on consumers’ support in Indonesia.

Design/methodology/approach

– A convenience sample of respondents in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, was collected. The final sample consisted of 254 surveys.

Findings

– The findings confirmed the applicability of Carroll’s (1979) categorization of CSRs to consumers in Indonesia but challenged the order of importance of these responsibilities. In addition, the results clearly indicated that perceptions of legal and philanthropic responsibilities significantly explained consumers’ support for responsible businesses. The results will assist managers operating in the developing countries, especially Indonesia.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample was taken from one city (i.e. Yogyakarta) in Indonesia and may not represent all Indonesians, as it is a culturally diverse country. Thus, this limits the generalizability of the findings.

Practical implications

– For businesses operating in Indonesia, it is important to focus on being a company that follows the regulatory system and supports various philanthropic activities such as poverty reduction, especially when half of the population in Indonesia lives just above the national poverty line. It has been shown that inoculation communication strategy will reduce perceived hypocrisy and mitigate its negative consequences.

Originality/value

– The study examined consumers in Indonesia, the world’s fourth most populous nation. The results will provide some insights for multinationals operating in Indonesia.
Experiences of prison officers on a Lifer Psychologically Informed Planned Environment
Authors: Bond Natalie , Gemmell Linda
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Psychologically Informed Planned Environments (PIPEs) provide a pathway facility for offenders with complex needs, such as personality disorder; to maintain and develop the progress made on offending behaviour programmes (Ministry of Justice and Department of Health, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of prison officers who work on a PIPE in a Lifer prison.

Design/methodology/approach

– Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used to explore the experiences of five prison officers working on a PIPE in a Lifer prison.

Findings

– Main themes identified were labelled “Role Conflict”, “Growth”, “Relationships” and “Impact”. A rich and detailed account of the experience of the “voyage of discovery” and the personal challenges, costs and rewards of the PIPE work was achieved.

Research limitations/implications

– Limitations include the small number of participants, limited focus of the researchers, both Forensic Psychologists, and the uniqueness of the context, a Lifer prison. Limitations might be addressed by future research that could expand on the current findings. Implications for future research include further exploration of the psychological impact of the work, dynamics within the PIPE and the value of attachment theory in work with personality disordered offenders. Implications for future policy and practice concern training, support and the development of new PIPEs.

Originality/value

– The research adds a rich account of what it is like for these prison officers to work on a PIPE in a Lifer prison. The experiences shared reveal the personal challenge, costs and rewards of the work through which ideas to develop the staff, residents and the PIPE model emerged.
Organizational learning culture and customer satisfaction
Authors: Islam Talat , Ahmad Kassim Norliya , Ali Ghulam , Sadiq Misbah
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this study is to develop a theoretical framework with which to investigate the inter-relationships between organizational learning culture, normative commitment and customer satisfaction through the use of empirical investigation across the service sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire-based survey was given to 297 Malaysian employees in different service organizations.

Findings

– First, instruments were checked regarding its uni-dimensionality by applying confirmatory factor analysis and then structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to test the model. SEM confirms that organizational learning culture not only directly influences customer satisfaction, but also has an indirect influence through normative commitment.

Research limitations/implications

– The study selected samples from Malaysia, the results might be different if samples are taken from a geographically different area.

Practical implications

– The study has theoretical and practical implications for Human Resources managers to enhance employees’ organizational commitment and customer satisfaction.

Originality/value

– The study highlights the importance of organizational learning culture in enhancing an employee’s commitment towards their organizations and customer satisfaction.
Rural tourism opportunities: strategies and requirements for destination leadership in peripheral areas
Authors: Pröbstl-Haider Ulrike , Melzer Verena , Jiricka Alexandra
Published: November 2014

Purpose

This paper aims to address lack in destination leadership and to propose a new typology of approaches. Frequently, rural tourism is suggested as a remedy that should enhance the local economy, create new jobs, strengthen the regional identity and finance the infrastructure.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study analysis shows that regions, communities, tourism organizations and managers use different strategies to strengthen their tourism offers or to develop new ones. The paper analyzes different development approaches among destinations and discusses their respective leadership structure.

Findings

The typology of tourism development models makes the different development options transparent and easy to understand. This may aid a community to support tourism development with spatial planning and avoid conflicts with other forms of land uses. Overall, leadership for rural tourism development should lead to a strategic cooperation between tourism businesses and other organizations based on a commitment to destination coherence.

Research limitations/implications

The chosen research approach is based on the analysis of Central European case studies. Therefore, researchers of other geographical backgrounds are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.

Practical implications

The presented typology illustrated four distinct options of coherent development strategies, which can support communities/regions to find a long-term decision frame.

Originality/value

The presented typology facilitates collaborative planning, helps operationalize rural tourism development policies and provides the foundation for spatial planning, all of which furthers the linkages between tourism and other sectors in the rural economy.
Portuguese tourism – facing the crisis
Authors: Brito Sérgio Palma
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is address two questions: “Did the context of economic crisis affect the image of Portugal as a tourist destination? And What were the answers and lessons learned?”.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors have no information to assess the effect of the crisis on the brand image of Portugal as a tourist destination. The paper limits itself to what is a first step in this assessment and assumes that periods of low demand for destination Portugal are linked in some way to the economic crisis. The paper examines the UK market demand for holiday travel to Portugal from 2009 to 2013 and additionally the revenue contribution from tourism to Portugal’s balance of payments. The data are analyzed in the context of two decisions relating to Portuguese tourism governance: the anti crisis measures of 2009 and the new model for tourism promotion of 2013.

Findings

– The paper assumes that during the period 2009-2013 the demand for Portuguese tourism was not affected by the crisis and, if any damage has been done to the international brand image of destination Portugal, its consequences are not dramatic. In fact, the demand for destination Portugal in the UK market remained strong and is higher than the market as a whole. The same applies to destination Greece and the decline in demand for destination Turkey seems to be linked to social and political crisis in the country. Given this context, it is interesting to note that revenue from travel and tourism in Portugal achieved a growth rate that had not occurred before in the recent past.

Research limitations/implications

– The scope for analyzing empirical data is limited to the statistical information for Tourism in Portugal. However, it is possible to identify patterns of demand behavior of demand that help provide clues to the variations in tourism flows.

Practical implications

– In 2013, the index of overnight stays and income to the Portuguese hospitality industry exceeded that of 2009, but the index of average revenue per overnight stay at current prices was still lower than that of 2009. It would appear that the anti-crisis measures that the government took in 2009 had little or no impact nor do the changes to the tourism promotion Model in 2013 reveal why the Government considered 2013 to be “the best tourist year ever” or in 2014 “an historic year”.

Originality/value

– The paper provides a bottom-up perspective, based on observation, measurement and analysis.