bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Negotiating and constructing an educationally relevant leadership programme
Authors: Giles David L. , Smith Richard J.M.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This article aims to discuss the conceptualisation process of developing a new one‐year taught‐master's programme in educational leadership at an Aotearoa/New Zealand university.

Design/methodology/approach

The perspective taken is a highly personalised one from the two lead “drivers” of the programme and outlines the two‐year process of development of the programme from conception through to the first papers delivered in semester one 2008. The article describes the process, the concerns, the underlying philosophy, content and intended delivery pattern within the Master of Educational Leadership (MEdL) programme. As the programme designers, the authors wanted something discernibly different in orientation from the postgraduate programmes offered by other tertiary providers in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The content had to be both educationally and culturally relevant and reflect the nation's bi‐cultural heritage, yet growing multi‐ethnic population base.

Findings

The proposed programme was somewhat controversial and had a rather difficult journey through the New Zealand Vice Chancellors' Committee (NZVCC) that deals with the accreditation process. The philosophy of the programme centred on leadership rather than a management focus. Moreover, the philosophy was premised on both theory and practice as praxis and drew on both developmental and experiential models for leadership development.

Originality/value

This article leads a critical discourse amongst tertiary educators in educational leadership programmes towards a greater exploration and articulation of the critical, humanistic, and phenomenological nature of the programmes it offers.
User freedom or user control?
Authors: Freeman Stephanie
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the often complex and contradictory argumentation of a spectrum of different Finnish public sector actors interviewed on the topical issue of Free/Libre Open Source (FLOSS) adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

The science and technology‐inspired critical discourse‐analytical approach combines insights from Billig et al. and Fairclough, with a special focus on dilemmatic aspects of socially embedded discourses. The vocabularies used to justify FLOSS implementation highlight power struggles on the level of speech.

Findings

The identified dilemmatic discourses express the continuing tension between the freedom to choose, use and develop one's desktop in the spirit of FLOSS on the one hand, and the striving for better desktop control and maintenance by it staff and user advocates on the other.

Research limitations/implications

The research acts as an opening for reframing common and axiomatic knowledge on FLOSS tools.

Practical implications

The asymmetry between the layperson (the ordinary user) and the expert (IT staff) manifests itself in discourse in a way that calls for critical re‐evaluation of the language used in information communication technology (ICT) implementation and support. It also questions the role of pilots in ICT implementation.

Originality/value

The paper critically examines the often taken‐for‐granted ideals of open source software and elaborates a methodological tool for spotting power struggles on the level of speech.
The relationship between learning capability and organizational performance
Authors: Goh Swee C. , Elliott Catherine , Quon Tony K.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a meta‐analysis of a subset of published empirical research papers that measure learning capability and link it to organizational performance. It also seeks to examine both financial and non‐financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

In a search of published research on learning capability and organizational performance, the authors identified 33 articles that met criteria for inclusion in the meta‐analysis. Both objective and perceptual measures of organizational performance were considered to be acceptable. The data were analyzed using the Hunter and Schmidt meta‐analysis software.

Findings

The findings support a positive relationship between learning capability and organizational performance, with stronger results for non‐financial than financial performance. This has significant implications for justifying the investment in building a learning capability in organizations. Recommendations for managers are provided, such as the use of learning capability measures and the need to measure performance.

Research limitations/implications

The paper discusses the implications of these results for further theory building and development to advance knowledge in the field. This includes addressing the need for new research designs, the issue of causality, potential mediating effects and the impact of context in better understanding this complex relationship. It suggests that research is also needed to increase our understanding of how to effectively build this learning capability.

Originality/value

This meta‐analysis provides empirical evidence to support the value of building a learning capability in organizations.
Managing for continuous improvement in off‐site construction
Authors: Meiling John , Backlund Fredrik , Johnsson Helena
Published: February 2012

Purpose

Several off‐site manufacturing companies in Sweden have attempted to apply lean management to improve process effectiveness and efficiency. A state of continuous improvement is a key goal of lean management, as described in, e.g. Likers 4P model. The aim of this study is to test a method to measure the degree to which lean management principles have been adopted by companies that base their production on off‐site manufacturing, as a prerequisite for a sustainable approach to continuous improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey is applied as research method, using a questionnaire based on the authors' perceptions of best practices corresponding to each lean management principle. Two questionnaires were distributed to both management and factory production personnel in two off‐site manufacturing firms in Sweden.

Findings

The Likert scores regarding the degree to which lean principles have been applied in the two studied companies showed similar patterns (and similar differences between the management and production personnel's responses), indicating that the results can be generalised within an off‐site construction context. The study shows that continuous improvements must emerge and evolve simultaneously with a focus on processes, people and long‐term thinking.

Research limitations/implications

In order to obtain more generalised and detailed results a more extensive survey covering several companies, as well as more detailed case studies and more questions regarding each principle, are needed. A multivariate analysis will also scan the material for further dependences.

Originality/value

The paper highlights several aspects that are important for management to be aware of when aiming for continuous improvements in off‐site manufacturing.
Divide and prosper? When partitioned prices make sense
Authors: Love Edwin
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This research seeks to investigate the relationship between product bundling strategies and brand value.

Design/methodology/approach

Three studies were conducted, two using student subject pools and another using data collected from online auctions. The impacts of brand and bundling strategy stimuli on the dependent variables product choice and price paid were measured.

Findings

Bundles offered by low‐tier brands are more attractive when they are offered in a combined price format than in a partitioned price format. Bundles offered by high‐tier brands are more attractive when they are offered in a partitioned price format than in a combined price format.

Research limitations/implications

The cost of bundle elements to the firm, which may influence consumer reference prices, is not considered in this research. Also, the impacts of bundle pricing strategies are evaluated on the bundles only; the influence of a given strategy on a product portfolio is left for future research.

Practical implications

Firms should consider the status of its brand within its product category before deciding on a bundle pricing strategy.

Originality/value

This research has important implications regarding the pricing of product bundles. It also provides a new perspective on how consumers evaluate product bundles
Consumption hedging and home‐country bias in a model of international capital market equilibrium
Authors: Schnabel Jacques A.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a model of international capital market equilibrium where investors exhibit home‐country bias due to their desire to hedge real consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper posits a two‐stage process of portfolio choice for the representative investor of a country. In the first step, the investor's benchmark portfolio is determined, whereas in the second step, his optimal portfolio is chosen. The latter portfolio maximizes the expected portfolio rate of return minus the risk tolerance weighted variance of tracking error. The market equilibrium implications of the portfolio optimality conditions are determine via aggregation across all investors and countries.

Findings

A revised security market line is derived that differs from the traditional security market line in terms of vertical intercept, slope, and beta coefficient. It is demonstrated that the derived model may be interpreted as a multi‐country generalization of the Chen‐Boness extension of the capital asset pricing model under uncertain inflation.

Originality/value

This paper presents an innovative application of Roll's tracking portfolio paradigm. Another novel feature is the derivation of the international capital market equilibrium implications of such portfolio choice behaviour.
Bank concentration and financial constraints on firm investment in UK
Authors: Abubakr Saeed , Esposito Franco
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of bank concentration on firm financial constraints to perform investment across two types of financial constraints firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyse this relationship by estimating the investment‐cash flow sensitivity across groups of firms classified according to debt maturity structure model. The firms were classified as short‐term and long‐term debt dependent firms. Empirically the authors analyze a sample that consists of the most recent dataset (over 2001‐2009) of UK firms that engage in foreign direct investment by using fixed‐effects and GMM‐IV estimation techniques.

Findings

Bank concentration was found to relax financial constraints on firm level investment. Results indicate that higher level financial constraints are associated with short‐term debt dependent firms that exhibit high level of investment‐cash flow sensitivity. Further, it was found that bank concentration is associated with reduction in financial constraints on firm investment and this effect is stronger for short‐term debt dependent firms.

Originality/value

Unlike previous studies, the paper investigates the bank concentration effects on UK foreign direct investing firms that are uniquely classified; based on distinctive dimension of financial frictions in capital market. Estimated results ascertain that information‐based hypothesis is pertinent to the UK capital market.
On the cross‐methodological validation of bank efficiency assessments
Authors: Perera Shrimal , Skully Michael
Published: February 2012

Purpose

Since there is no agreement on the consistency of their estimates, the purpose of this paper is to investigate whether parametric stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) and nonparametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) generate consistent bank efficiency assessments.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors utilize four alternative efficiency computation models: two DEA technical efficiency models based on constant and variable returns to scale, and two SFA cost efficiency models employing Translog and Fourier functional specifications. An unbalanced panel of 59 Indian banks over 1990‐2007 is employed as a model, developing country, banking market.

Findings

The Translog and Fourier specifications in SFA and the constant and variable returns to scale assumptions in DEA are found to rank and identify “best‐practice” and “worst‐practice” approximately in the same order. The association between DEA efficiency estimates and non‐frontier standard performance measures, however, is mixed and inconclusive. Unlike DEA scores, SFA efficiency assessments were found to be consistent with cost and profit ratios and hence are “believable”.

Practical implications

For regulators and bankers alike, the authors' findings highlight the importance of investigating the consistency of efficiency scores across various research methods. They should ensure that frontier‐based efficiency assessments are not simply “artificial constructs” of models' assumptions/specifications.

Originality/value

This paper extends the existing literature by checking jointly the statistical consistency of both DEA technical efficiency scores and SFA cost efficiency scores. The prior studies focus either on technical efficiency or cost efficiency, but not both. Moreover, as far as the authors are aware, this is the first cross‐methodological validation study to focus on bank efficiency in the context of a developing country banking market.
Alignment between social and technical capability in software development teams
Authors: Maheshwari Manjari , Kumar Uma , Kumar Vinod
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of alignment at the team level. Because teams are important in software development projects, the paper focuses on studying the influence of alignment between the social and technical capabilities on software development team performance. Drawing on socio‐technical theory and software product development literature, the paper aims to identify social and technical capabilities for software development teams.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data from 192 software development teams were analyzed. The profile deviation approach was used to calculate alignment.

Findings

The findings suggest that misalignment between capabilities negatively impacts product and process performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study provides an intellectually coherent view in studying software development team performance. The study contributes to the literature by assessing alignment needs at the team level.

Practical implications

The study provides a holistic view for studying team capabilities and guides software development team leaders and managers to consider both the social and technical aspects in assessing team performance.

Originality/value

Alignment or misalignment is mostly studied in the literature from a macro level/organizational perspective. There exists a gap in the literature for studying alignment at more granular levels such as between various business sub‐units or within teams. The study addresses the gap by studying alignment within teams.
Hyper‐growth of SMEs
Authors: Cassia Lucio , Minola Tommaso
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This study seeks to focus on factors characterizing a pool of hyper‐growth firms, trying to gather insights on how the hyper‐growth firms achieve hyper‐growth.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical framework is proposed, borrowing well established approaches from strategic management and entrepreneurship. Subsequently, some explorative case studies are described and help in understanding how much of a firm's hyper‐growth can be explained by the resource endowment and entrepreneurial orientation (EO). A revised framework and some propositions are eventually suggested.

Findings

Hyper‐growth seems mainly explainable by extraordinary business opportunities and extraordinary access to resources (especially knowledge‐based). Entrepreneurship appears much more as a moderating variable, rather than an explanatory variable per se of hyper‐growth.

Research limitations/implications

Although the case study approach is robustly motivated as a research step that can contribute to the process of theory building, the findings are not statistically generalizable.

Practical implications

It has long been argued that policy makers and governments, especially in Europe, should concentrate their efforts on those industries and environments where rapid growth firms are likely to be found. The paper offers a practical example on a suitable environment to facilitate such growth, where practices like mergers and acquisitions in foreign countries as well as venture capital and private equity financing play a role.

Originality/value

No research has been performed so far on the explicit link between resources, EO and hyper‐growth. Moreover, the research suggests a possible reconciliation of resource‐based view (RBV) and EO frameworks in explaining such a pattern.
Managing highly flexible facilities: an essential complementary asset at risk
Authors: Tierney Robert , Groen Aard J. , Harms Rainer , Luizink Miriam , Hetherington Dale , Stewart Harold , Walsh Steve T. , Linton Jonathan
Published: February 2012

Purpose

Twenty first century problems are increasingly being addressed by multi technology solutions developed by regional entrepreneurial and intreprepreneurial innovators. However, they require an expensive new type of fabrication facility. Multiple technology production facilities (MTPF) have become the essential incubators for these innovations. This paper aims to focus on the issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors address the lack of managerial understanding of how to express the value and operationally manage MTPF centers through the use of investigative case study methods for multiple firms in the study.

Findings

Owing to the MTPF centers' novelty and outward similarity to high volume semiconductor fabrication (HVF) facilities, they are laden with ineffective operation and strategic management practices. Metrics are the standard for both operational and strategic management of HVF facilities, yet their application to this new type of center is proving ineffectual.

Research limitations/implications

These new types of regional economic resources may be at risk. A new approach is needed.

Practical implications

The authors develop an operational and strategic metrics management approach for MTPFs that are based on these facilities' unique nature and leverages both the HVF and R&D metrics knowledge base.

Social implications

Innovations at the interface of micro technology, nanotechnology and semiconductor micro fabrication are poised to solve many of these problems and become a basis for job creation and prosperity. If a new management technique is not developed, then these harbingers of regional economic development will be closed.

Originality/value

While there is an abundance of research on metrics for HVF, this is the first attempt to develop metrics for MTPFs.
Luxury customer value
Authors: Jung Choo Ho , Moon Heekang , Kim Hyunsook , Yoon Namhee
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize luxury customer value and empirically test the reliability and validity of the proposed structure of it. In addition, it aims to identify luxury customer value factors that influence brand relationship and behavioural intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A thorough literature study produces a comprehensive model of luxury consumer value. For an empirical test of the model, a web‐based on‐line survey is performed using a consumer sample in Korea. Statistical tests including CFA, second order factor analysis and structural model testing using covariance analysis are conducted.

Findings

The findings show that the luxury customer value represents a second‐order construct. The results provide satisfactory support for the four‐value structure model composed of utilitarian, hedonic, symbolic and economic values. Utilitarian value includes excellence and functional values, whereas hedonic value encompasses aesthetic, pleasure and experiential values. Symbolic value is reflected in self‐expressive and social values. Regarding the effect of luxury customer value on relationship quality, customers who perceive high symbolic, economic and functional values for luxury brands are more likely to develop a positive relationship with the brands.

Originality/value

In an attempt to confirm the luxury customer value structure in an emerging economy under a collective culture, this study expands previous studies on the conceptualization of luxury customer value. Through the empirical phase of the study, measures with both high reliability and validity for luxury customer value are produced, which will provide great benefits for further studies in the subject area. The association between customer value and brand relationship is examined.
The efficiency of police stations in the city of Ankara: an application of data envelopment analysis
Authors: Akdogan Huseyin
Published: February 2012

Purpose

Police organizations' main goal is providing the security of the neighborhoods for citizens. This paper aims to investigate how efficiently the police stations in the city of Ankara work. It also seeks to determine how the efficiency of police organizations can be measured by using data envelopment analysis (DEA).

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses DEA to measure the efficiency of police stations in the city of Ankara in Turkey. DEA measures the relative efficiency of decision‐making units (DMUs) based on their inputs and outputs.

Findings

The results showed that ten of 19 police stations in Ankara were efficient. In other words, 52.6 percent of police stations were found to be efficient.

Research limitations/implications

All police stations in Ankara could not be included in the study. Since DEA analysis the relative efficiency of DMUs, including all police stations in Ankara, may have given a broader perspective for police managers.

Practical implications

Inefficient police stations in this study should either reduce the number of incidents that occurred in the precinct or solve those crimes and increase the number of solved incidents. Preventing crimes may be achieved by employing community policing strategies, thus, police managers should focus on adopting community policing strategies.

Originality/value

The results of the DEA analysis can be used to help police stations in Ankara to be more efficient. Furthermore, applying DEA may be a new approach to measuring the efficiency of police services.
Organisational psychosocial hazard exposures in UK policing
Authors: Houdmont Jonathan , Kerr Robert , Randall Raymond
Published: February 2012

Purpose

There is a paucity of contemporary evidence on the organisational (as opposed to operational) psychosocial hazard (OPH) exposures of UK police officers. The purpose of this study is to report on OPH exposures measured via an instrument developed by the UK government – the management standards indicator tool – among police officers sampled from an entire UK force. The study seeks to provide reference values for UK police officers' OPH exposures, to consider these in relation to government exposure targets, and to examine the association between officers' OPH exposures and perceived work‐related stress.

Design/methodology/approach

Police officers (n=1,729) completed the management standards indicator tool which measures perceived exposure to seven psychosocial work environment dimensions: demands, control, managerial support, peer support, relationships, role, and change. In addition, a single‐item measure of perceived work‐related stress was applied.

Findings

Sector‐specific reference values were generated by job role and rank on each of the seven dimensions assessed by the indicator tool. Scores on all seven dimensions were below government target levels (indicating that scores fell below the 80th percentile in relation to benchmark data). In total, 46 per cent of police officers reported their work to be very or extremely stressful. A significant positive correlation (p <0.01) was found between scores on each of the seven psychosocial work characteristics and perceived work‐related stress.

Originality/value

This study is the first to report on the assessment of UK police officers' OPH exposure using the management standards indicator tool. It provides reference values that UK forces will find useful for benchmarking and intervention‐targeting purposes, and against which progress in reducing OPH exposures can be assessed.
S&T policy and foresight investigation – impacts in Japan
Authors: Urashima Kuniko , Yokoo Yoshiko , Nagano Hiroshi
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The 9th S&T Foresight for Japan has recently been completed. A key element of this Foresight is that S&T is now expected to indicate solutions for broad social issues and global issues (climate change, etc.) including those that address Japan's most urgent challenges (e.g. energy, aging population). This mission‐oriented foresight is novel for the Japanese, since prior foresight exercises have been done with a technology focus. This paper aims to address how the new view of foresight – as more than mere technical potentials – has resulted in several types of foresight impacts, which are noted in the main text.

Design/methodology/approach

The 9th Delphi Survey involved two types of interdisciplinary perspectives related to Japan's social future (Safe, Secure, Cooperation and Collaboration) and 12 S&T fields. The committees discussed what could emerge within 30 years and involved 26 domains of social expertise and 140 specialists.

Findings

The 9th S&T Foresight investigation consists of an integration of three foresight methods – Delphi survey, scenario writing, and capability of local regions for green innovation – regarding sustainable development. Each method provides clear messages, and has unique impacts.

Originality/value

Overall, a major foresight impact has been to enable a broader view of innovation to prevail in this ninth foresight, where social‐scenario insights and more socially adaptive policies complement the traditional S&T focus developed by Delphi surveys 1‐8. This shifted the policy discourse toward societal innovation from technical innovation.
Dynamic foresight evaluation
Authors: Miles Ian
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to depict foresight programmes as extended service encounters between foresight practitioners, sponsors, and other stakeholders. The implications of this perspective for evaluating the outcomes of such programmes are to be explored.

Design/methodology/approach

The range of activities comprising foresight is reviewed, along with the various objectives that may underpin these activities. The more substantial foresight programmes are seen in terms of a series of steps, in each of which various partners can be involved in generating service outcomes and later steps of the process. The arguments are illustrated with insights drawn from various cases.

Findings

A foresight programme is likely to feed into more than one policy process, so that the foresight activities can be linked to various stages of the policy cycles, as well as engaging participants with different degrees of influence on the policies in question. The outcomes of the foresight activity are also heavily shaped by the degree of involvement of various stakeholders, not least the sponsoring agency and any other groups it seeks to mobilise. Seeing foresight as a service activity brings to the fore the notion of co‐production, and the importance of the design of the service encounters involved.

Research limitations/implications

The task of evaluating foresight is a challenging one, and comparison of foresight activities needs to bear in mind the different scale, scope, and ambitions of different programmes. Simple static comparison of formal inputs and outputs will miss much of the value and value‐added of the activity.

Practical implications

A dynamic approach to evaluation stresses the learning of lessons about the roles of multiple stakeholders – and the responsibilities of sponsors as well as practitioners.

Originality/value

Foresight programmes are frequently commissioned, and often have significant influence on decision‐making. Attempts to systematically evaluate these efforts have begun, and this essay stresses the need to be aware of the complex interactive nature of foresight, highlighted by viewing it in service terms.
Achieving supply chain integration using RFID technology
Authors: Fosso Wamba Samuel
Published: February 2012

Purpose

Despite the high operational and strategic potentials of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology, very few studies have been conducted about its role as enabler of supply chain integration to achieve high‐level operational efficiency. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to be an initial effort towards bridging the existing knowledge gap in the literature.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory research was conducted in one retail supply chain. A multi‐method approach combining a longitudinal real‐life case study and a methodology integrating several steps, including a “living laboratory” strategy was used and involved all members of a product line to analyze their contributing activities and their interface with other supply chain members; the aim being to explore the impact of RFID technology on inter‐and intra‐organizational processes and information systems.

Findings

The results provide support to the role of RFID as enabler of better integration of timeliness and accuracy data flows into information systems, business process optimization through automation, better system‐to‐system communication and better inter‐and‐intra‐organizational business process integration. Furthermore, they also validate the unique characteristics of RFID technology such as enabler of real‐time multiple tags items data collection and exchange within the supply chain and the read‐and‐write capability that may help, for example, to reuse some RFID tags within the supply chain and therefore reduce the cost related to the purchase of the said RFID tags. Finally, the study also reveals the importance of business process renovation and complementary investments during the adoption of RFID technology, in order to achieve high level of business value from the technology.

Originality/value

The paper is original in the sense that it provides some empirical support for the enabling role of RFID technology in allowing supply chain integration.
How experience‐driven community identification generates trust and engagement
Authors: Hsu Chiu‐Ping , Chiang Yi‐Fang , Huang Heng‐Chiang
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model of how technology‐enabled virtual experiences contribute to community members' online trust and engagement through inducing their community identification. It also seeks to examine two types of social influence in the virtual community: within‐community normative pressure and normative pressure from outside the community.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employed the structural equation modelling approach to estimate a conceptual model using survey data from participants in the World of Warcraft online game community.

Findings

The results mainly supported the hypotheses. It was shown that three types of experience could influence community members' engaging behaviour through an increase in community identification and community trust. More importantly it was found that normative pressure from outside the community exhibits a significant and inverted U‐shaped relationship with online community engagement, while within‐community normative pressure had a positive relationship with community engagement. No evidence was found to support the inverted U‐shaped relationship between within‐community normative pressure and community members' engagement.

Originality/value

From perspectives of virtual experience, social identity theory, social trust, and susceptibility to normative influence, the current study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the process through which community members are willing to share what they know, participate in collective actions, and spend their time with strangers in a virtual space.
The changing leadership landscape
Authors: Clayton Helena
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the key changes in the leadership landscape, articulating what these changes mean for the organization, leaders and the HR function. It also aims to consider the impact of change on leadership development and to put forward clear recommendations relating to how the HR and L&D functions can create leadership development programs that are fit for purpose based on the shifts in today's leadership and learning landscapes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on Blue Sky's own research to identify trends in the leadership landscape. Drawing on the work of the in‐house leadership practice, and using the Experian leadership development program case study, the paper makes recommendations for how leadership development needs to evolve and how those responsible for leadership development can enable this change.

Findings

The findings of Blue Sky's research, combined with the practical experience of organizations like Experian, highlight just how key shifts in the way organizations develop their leaders can have a positive impact on the quality of leadership within an organization.

Originality/value

The paper is particularly useful for individuals responsible for reviewing or commissioning leadership development within their organization. It provides a research‐led foundation for why organizations need to review the focus of their existing leadership development and outlines practical steps HR can take to make a positive difference in this area.
Deep learning approach's effectiveness on sustainability improvement in the UK construction industry
Authors: Alkhaddar Rafid , Wooder Thomas , Sertyesilisik Begum , Tunstall Ashley
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a deep learning approach can impact the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The objectives of this paper were to investigate: the awareness of people dealing with sustainability in their daily working environment; how much training and information construction industry workers have had in the topic of sustainability; and if a deep learning approach to sustainability teaching can make an impact on everyday practise in the industry. With these objectives, following a literature review, a questionnaire survey has been applied to 133 office and site‐based construction workers. In total, 50 office‐based workers and 50 site‐based workers participated.

Findings

The findings reveal that deep learning can be a possible opportunity and that the Government and the construction industry should explore it when training their staff. Although there are agencies which specifically deal with green issues, they are not widely embraced and workers currently just use them as a way to meet criteria and not to fully grasp the concept and incorporate it into their everyday practice. If deep learning can be embraced it can lead to a continuous improvement in green practice.

Originality/value

With the UK government recently setting new targets for sustainability, it is important that the construction industry takes actions to reduce its carbon footprint. The construction industry needs to improve its ability to train and teach its staff about the importance of green issues and environmentally‐friendly practices. This paper presents the results of research which may contribute to meeting the government targets and can be useful for practitioners and researchers.
Traffic contribution of volatile organic compounds to the air‐shed of Kuwait
Authors: Alhumoud Jasem M. , Al‐Ruwaih Fawzia M. , Ali Sami H. , Redhaee Mohammad H.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate the effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the indoor and outdoor air quality in Kuwait due to vehicular traffic.

Design/methodology/approach

About 700 VOCs samples were collected from randomly selected residences within Kuwait. For simplicity, the study was divided into three areas: area A between the first and third ring roads, area B between the third and fifth ring roads and area C between the fifth and sixth ring roads. Hazardous Air Pollutants on Site (HAPSITE), a portable Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer (GC/MS), was used to gather air samples inside and outside of the residences selected in the study area for a period of three months during 2008.

Findings

Median indoor air quality levels in the study area were similar to the outdoor levels. Indoor/outdoor ratios varied from 0.5 to 8 for most compounds, suggesting that the indoor air quality was less than the outdoor air quality. It was found that none of the indoor VOC concentrations measured exceeded the upper limits of the indoor air quality set by the Kuwait Environmental Protection Agency (KEPA), with the exception of only one residence where the benzene concentration was observed to be in excess of 17 per cent of the KEPA limit. Moreover, the indoor air quality for the study areas was found to be in accordance with level 1 set by KEPA, indicative of very good air quality.

Originality/value

This is the first study conducted in Kuwait to collect VOCs samples and to explore the air quality inside and outside of residential buildings.
The jobs of others: “speculative interdisciplinarity” as a pitfall for impact analysis
Authors: Rader Michael
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The paper shows that current research systems are not geared to organise and evaluate research involving several scientific disciplines. A consequence is exaggerated promises and expectations based on “speculative interdisciplinarity”. These expectations are one cause of “speculative ethics”. Evaluators of interdisciplinary research proposals should be aware of the pitfalls existing in this kind of research. The purpose of this paper is to highlight “speculative interdisciplinarity” as a cause of exaggerated expectations with the result that ethical analysis and similar activities focus on unlikely impacts.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper confronts documented statements of champions of emerging technologies with assessments by specialists from the scientific disciplines involved in the development of the technologies and examines the extent to which differences are due to problems with interdisciplinary work.

Findings

The paper identifies the causes of exaggerated expectations related to the impact of emerging technologies based on interdisciplinary research. Lack of experience with interdisciplinary research is shown to be a major cause.

Research limitations/implications

This is basically a case study for a spectacular individual example. There is a need to show that the same problems exist for less spectacular scientific endeavours.

Practical implications

Review process organisers and reviewers should be aware that exaggerated expectations can arise as a result of insufficient attention to the organisation of interdisciplinary research. There is a need for studies to confront expectations with the genuine state of research.

Originality/value

The paper highlights a need to pay attention to the organisation of interdisciplinary research.
Ethics in the bank internet encounter: an explorative study
Authors: Dahl Rendtorff Jacob , Mattsson Jan
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss some ethical issues in the internet encounter between customer and bank. Empirical data related to the difficulties that customers have when they deal with the bank through internet technology and electronic banking. The authors discuss the difficulties that customers expressed from an ethical standpoint.

Design/methodology/approach

The key problem of the paper is “how does research handle the user's lack of competence in a web‐based commercial environment?” The authors illustrate this ethical dilemma with data from a Danish Bank collected in 2002. The data have been structured by an advanced text analytic method, Pertex (by generation of intentionality of verbal actors from text).

Findings

The authors can conclude that the experience of lack of competency in internet banking implies a severe damage on the experience of the ethics of the good life and of the respect for the basic ethical principles of customer autonomy, dignity, integrity and vulnerability. However, increased experience of competency may imply experience of increased feeling of ethical superiority and of the good life among customers.

Research limitations/implications

The important implication for managerial research of this study would be for banks to focus on customer competency with an ethical concern instead of only being concerned with technical solutions for effective internet operations.

Practical implications

Since more and more businesses are digitally based, the authors can foresee a potential generic problem of lack of competence for certain age groups and also of people from different social groups.

Originality/value

The paper provides an analysis of the ethics of on‐line banking on the basis of Pertex methodology and with the use of basic ethical principles of autonomy, dignity, integrity and vulnerability.
Current state of public sector performance management in seven selected countries
Authors: Lee Rhodes Mary , Biondi Lucia , Gomes Ricardo , Melo Ana I. , Ohemeng Frank , Perez‐Lopez Gemma , Rossi Andrea , Sutiyono Wayhu
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to extend the analysis of performance management regimes by Bouckaert and Halligan to other countries in order to contribute to the developing theory of forms and challenges in public sector performance management.

Design/methodology/approach

The state of performance management and the context in which it has evolved is assessed in seven different countries using dimensions drawn from Bouckaert and Halligan's work along with elements from earlier work by Pollitt and Bouckaert. These are summarized in a table and comparisons made to generate additional insights into the factors that influence the shape and speed of public management evolution.

Findings

The paper finds that the Bouckaert and Halligan framework for analyzing public sector performance management is useful, albeit with some modifications. Specifically, it finds that administrative culture is a key factor influencing the speed of reform and that the attitude of elites (politicians and civil servants, in most cases) is also a vital piece of the puzzle that was not included in Bouckaert and Halligan, but did appear in the earlier framework of Pollitt and Bouckaert. It also finds evidence that economic and political crises occurring together accelerate the introduction of integrated performance management systems, but that trust in government does not appear to be a significant factor. Finally, the paper observes that, absent political crisis/commitment, governments will prioritise “external” performance measures such as customer service, participation and transparency objectives over “internal” performance measures such as financial, staff management and whole of government reporting.

Originality/value

The countries studied provide a rare insight into lesser‐known performance management regimes and the use of the Bouckaert and Halligan framework allows for comparisons to earlier (and future) research. The findings will be of interest to scholars in public administration reform and performance management.
An empirical investigation of the market duration of repossessed single‐family houses
Authors: Larsen James E.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine if lender experience in disposing of repossessed single‐family houses in the local market is significantly related to the probability a property will sell. In addition, other factors that are significantly related to the market duration of repossessed houses are identified.

Design/methodology/approach

The Cox proportional hazard model is used to analyze transaction data for 2,099 single‐family houses in Dayton, Ohio. Title to each of these properties was obtained by lenders through foreclosure. The study period approximates the first three years of the subprime mortgage crisis in the USA: 2007‐2009.

Findings

The marketing efforts of lenders with more local property disposition experience are found to be superior to the efforts of less experienced lenders. The results also indicate that the selling rate function increased over the study period, and there is seasonality in the data which is consistent with lenders attempting to limit holding costs.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to the experience of lenders in a single local market over a three year study period. Additional research to determine if similar results apply in other markets would be a valuable addition to the literature.

Practical implications

While foreclosure is not a desirable outcome for any of the parties involved in a mortgage loan, the paper's results offer a bit of good news for lenders. The results are consistent with organizational learning theory which posits that experience should enhance performance. Given predictions that the mortgage crisis has not yet run its full course, lenders' performance in disposing of repossessed houses is likely to continue to improve.

Originality/value

This is the first study to apply the proportional hazard model to the study of foreclosed houses. This technique offers an advantage over previously applied methodologies because it allows the researcher to include properties that lenders did not sell during the study period into the analysis. All previous efforts were limited to sold properties and this restriction may have biased the previous results.
Knowledge management capabilities and SMEs' organizational performance
Authors: Gharakhani Davood , Mousakhani Morteza
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of knowledge management (KM) capabilities on small to medium‐sized enterprises' (SMEs') organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, Data were collected from 30 SMEs in Iran. The present study employs a questionnaire survey approach to collect data for testing the research hypotheses. The response rate was 60 percent. Relevant statistical analytical techniques, including regression for analysis, were then used.

Findings

The results indicate that all three factors of KM capabilities (knowledge acquisition, knowledge sharing, and knowledge application) have positive and significant effects on SMEs' organizational performance.

Practical implications

The practical implication of the results is that managers need to actively manage their firm's human capital to stimulate its capability in managing knowledge acquisition, sharing, and application. Furthermore, research suggests appropriate investments in KM initiatives can enhance organizational performance.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the paper is to provide empirical evidence about the impact of KM capabilities on SMEs' organizational performance. Also the findings of the study are important for both practitioners and academics.