bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Money, morals and motives
Authors: Hollow Matthew
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to look in more depth at what motivates bank managers and bank employees to commit fraudulent offences at work.

Design/methodology/approach

– This exploratory study adopts both quantitative and qualitative methods to better comprehend what motivates bank managers and employees to commit fraud at work. Evidence is taken from a sample of 64 cases of fraud from the UK financial sector. The sample cases were then subdivided in relation to the occupational status of the offender and classified based on the motives of the offender.

Findings

– The research findings from this study indicate that, as with other sorts of white-collar crimes, financial pressures play a hugely significant role in motivating bank employees and managers to commit fraudulent offences at work. However, the nature of these financial pressures appears to differ significantly depending on what role the offender occupies within the bank. Thus, for cashiers and those in lower positions, personal pressures generally act as the motive, whereas for more senior management offenders, personal financial considerations tend to come second to those of the organisation as a whole.

Research limitations/implications

– The preliminary findings from this paper emphasises that there is a need for more research to be conducted on occupational fraud in the financial sector as to better understand what motivates insiders in the banking profession to commit financial fraud and other criminal offences.

Practical implications

– This paper will help accountants and financial regulators to better understand what motivates those in the financial sector to commit fraudulent offences at work. This, in turn, will enable them to better assess fraud risks and establish improved preventive and detective measures.

Originality/value

– The paper fills a gap in the fraud literature by providing an in-depth study that focuses exclusively on what motivates those inside the financial sector to commit fraudulent offences at work.
Health care managers learning by listening to subordinates’ dialogue training
Authors: Grill C. , Ahlborg Jr G. , Wikström E.
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Middle managers in health care today are expected to continuously and efficiently decide and act in administration, finance, care quality, and work environment, and strategic communication has become paramount. Since dialogical communication is considered to promote a healthy work environment, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the ways in which health care managers experienced observing subordinates’ dialogue training.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews and documents from eight middle managers in a dialogue programme intervention conducted by dialogue trainers. Focus was on fostering and assisting workplace dialogue. Conventional qualitative content analysis was used.

Findings

– Managers’ experiences were both enriching and demanding, and consisted of becoming aware of communication, meaning perceiving interaction between subordinates as well as own silent interaction with subordinates and trainer; Discovering communicative actions for leadership, by gaining self-knowledge and recognizing relational leadership models from trainers – such as acting democratically and pedagogically – and converting theory into practice, signifying practising dialogue-promoting conversation behaviour with subordinates, peers, and superiors.

Research limitations/implications

– Only eight managers participated in the intervention, but data afforded a basis for further research.

Practical implications

– Findings stressed the importance of listening, and of support from superiors, for well-functioning leadership communication at work.

Originality/value

– Studies focusing on health care managers’ communication and dialogue are few. This study contributes to knowledge about these activities in managerial leadership.
Does celebrity credibility influence Muslim and non-Muslim consumers’ attitudes toward brands and purchase intention?
Authors: Mohd Suki Norazah
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to distinguish between Muslim and non-Muslim consumers regarding celebrity influence on brands and purchase intention, and assess the relative importance of celebrity credibility, in terms of physical attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise and product–brand congruency. The study also researches attitudes towards brands, and purchase intention and their ability to predict consumers’ religion.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research aim was achieved through an empirical study involving a self-administered questionnaire distributed to members of the public recruited from the Federal Territory of Labuan, Malaysia. Data were collected from 250 Muslim and non-Muslim consumers using a convenience sampling method. Their participation was purely voluntary. Multiple discriminant analysis via Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) computer program version 20 was used to answer the research questions.

Findings

– Empirical results of the multiple discriminant analysis indicated that celebrity expertise and attitudes towards brands strongly predict allocation to Muslim consumers rather than non-Muslim consumers. The relative importance of the celebrity credibility aspects from Muslim consumers’ perspectives was: celebrity expertise, celebrity attitudes towards brands, purchase intention, product–brand congruency and physical attractiveness. Muslim consumers are found to choose expertise but not trustworthiness. Muslim consumers’ faith or trust may be linked to the perception that products and services endorsed by the celebrities are in line with Shariah principles which are consistent with Islamic principles.

Research limitations/implications

– Respondents were randomly drawn from the Muslim and non-Muslim population of the Federal Territory of Labuan, Malaysia. Consequently, they may not represent the entire population of Malaysia. Future researchers could overcome the limits of generalizability by increasing sample coverage.

Originality/value

– The paper empirically justified the discriminating function among celebrity credibility elements in terms of physical attractiveness, trustworthiness, expertise, and product–brand congruency of Muslim and non-Muslim consumer attitudes towards brands and purchase intention. Thus, the results of this study offer a new forward motion to the findings of prior studies on consumer perception of celebrity credibility, which is not much covered in the literature in the Malaysian context between Muslim and non-Muslim consumer perspectives. The findings are able to add literature on Muslim consumer behaviour in the use of celebrities, as these celebrities could act as inspirational to the consumers.
Shared values and organizational effectiveness: a study of the Nigerian banking industry
Authors: Amah Edwinah , Ahiauzu Augustine
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the extent to which shared values influences organizational effectiveness and the extent to which shared values influences profitability, productivity, and market share.

Design/methodology/approach

– The correlational study adopted a cross-sectional survey design. Research questionnaires were administered; interviews were held with managers in the organizations studied. A total of 388 managers were randomly drawn from a population of 13,339 managers of all the 24 banks in Nigeria. The independent variable, “shared values” was measured by coordination and integration, agreement, and core values. The dependent variable, organizational effectiveness was measured by profitability, productivity, and market share. The measures used a five-point Likert scale ranging from 1-strongly disagree to 5-strongly agree. Spearman's rank correlation statistical tool was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

– The result (ρ=0.555,p<0.05) (see Table II) shows a significant positive relationship between shared values and profitability. The result (ρ=0.504,p<0.05) (see Table III) shows a significant positive relationship between employee involvement and productivity. The result (ρ=0.359,p<0.05) (see Table IV) shows a positive relationship between employee involvement and market share. There is a significant positive relationship between shared values and organizational effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

– The results cannot be generalized because the study was carried out only in the banking industry. Not all the questionnaires given out were retrieved. Some respondents were reluctant to give out information about their organizations because of fear that such information will get to their competitors. Relevant literature on the topic of African origin were scarce, thus most of the literature reviewed was from Europe and America.

Practical implications

– The results imply that increase in the level of shared values in organizations will enhance profitability, productivity, and market share. This means that “shared values” is associated with organizational effectiveness.

Originality/value

– The study provides increased understanding, prediction, and appreciation of human behaviour. It enables us analyse the relationship that exist between shared values and organizational effectiveness. The study significantly enhances the body of knowledge in this area of management as it provides reliable empirical results that can be used by scholars and practitioners. It will also help to alert managers on the implications of cultivating a culture of sharing values in the organization that can serve as a competitive advantage. The study will be a challenge to further research because of its findings.
Affirmative action quotas in Brazilian higher education
Authors: Kirakosyan Lyusyena
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to address its drastic socioeconomic inequality and to compel its higher education institutions to diversify significantly while democratizing access to those schools. Brazil recently passed a sweeping affirmative action law requiring its public universities to reserve half of their available spots for low-income and non-White students. This article examines the underlying assumptions and implications of Brazil’s adoption of affirmative-action quotas for higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

– The article offers comparative analysis of Brazil’s efforts with the experiences with quota and diversity policies in higher education in other countries.

Findings

– It can be contended that, while the recent quota law in Brazil represents an important step in addressing socioeconomic and political inequalities, the measure is too limited in scope to empower historically disadvantaged populations and diminish future inequalities confronting these populations. This article concludes by underscoring the importance of efforts to develop a more comprehensive framing of affirmative action and diversity policies in Brazil’s higher education, along with a simultaneous reform of public secondary education in the nation.

Originality/value

– The article considers experiences with educational quotas in other countries and draws some useful comparisons and parallels to the Brazilian case.
The socio-materiality of designing organizational change
Authors: Stang Våland Marianne , Georg Susse
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the managerial implications of adopting a design attitude to organizational change.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on an ethnographic study of a merger, the paper investigates the intricate interplay between architectural design and organizational change in the context of physically relocating an organization to a new office building. Emphasis is given to the socio-materiality of this double design process.

Findings

– The data suggests that taking a design attitude toward managing organizational change can allow different actors to participate in organizational design processes, releasing management from its traditional role as the keeper of the design solution.

Research limitations/implications

– Although based on a single case, the paper provides insights into the socio-materiality of organizational change that is relevant in other settings where developing new collective understandings of change processes are needed.

Practical implications

– A design attitude allows for multiple contributions to organizational change processes that can help reduce anxiety among those involved. The approach calls for openness, experimentation and the ability to balance different concerns. It can provide new ways of attending to resistance and produce valuable inputs to shaping organizations.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the growing research on the role of material artifacts in organizational studies by providing a detailed account of organizational change as a socio-material achievement.
Principals leading successful organisational change
Authors: Jones Michelle , Harris Alma
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the way in which principals in different countries are securing successful organisational change through systematically building social capital. It argues that how a school works as a cohesive unit and how people collaborates will ultimately define organisational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws upon the international literature to explore how principals are building the social capital for organisational improvement but is not a review of the literature. It adopts a cross-cultural perspective and explores collective capacity building for organisational improvement.

Findings

– This paper concludes that “disciplined” professional collaboration is an important way in which principals can create and sustain the social capital for organisational change.

Originality/value

– The paper is a conceptual piece that proposes that creating social capital, rather than individual or professional capital, is now an essential task for principals seeking successful organisational change and improved outcomes. It explores the idea of “disciplined collaboration” as a methodology for building social capital in a rigorous, effective and sustainable way.
Principal preparation in Kenya, South Africa, and Canada
Authors: F. Webber Charles , Mentz Kobus , Scott Shelleyann , Mola Okoko Janet , Scott Donald
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The International Study of Principal Preparation (ISPP) informs principal preparation in relation to change in schools. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

– The three-stage ISPP study utilized a mixed-methodological approach. Data were gathered in Kenya, South Africa, and Alberta, Canada utilizing a survey instrument that contained items that focussed on: problematic leadership responsibilities, prior leadership development experiences, and perceived adequacy of leadership preparation experiences.

Findings

– Leadership preparation in Kenya and South Africa was relatively unstructured, compared to structured university-based leadership preparation in Alberta. The assumption in Kenya and South Africa was that classroom teaching was adequate preparation, while Alberta respondents perceived teaching and leadership as discrete knowledge sets. Content of preparation experiences in Kenya and South Africa was mainly about teaching and learning, while in Alberta it was more about instructional leadership. Kenyan principals felt prepared for the principalship. Alberta principals stated that they were ill prepared to deal with day-to-day responsibilities. Senior South African principals felt they were not prepared for school improvement while younger principals felt they were adequately prepared.

Practical implications

– Findings suggest that providers utilize cross-cultural partnerships that incorporate technology-mediated dialogue and action research. Cross-cultural learning should be considered co-learning. Preparation should include partnerships between western institutions and informal groups of principals in settings such as Kenya and South Africa. The study informs policymakers, researchers, and school leaders.

Originality/value

– The cross-cultural comparisons in this paper inform understandings of the principalship in relation to organizational change in schools.
The role of WOM and dynamic capability in B2B transactions
Authors: Kim Hyekyoung
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to verify the factors – word-of-mouth (WOM) information and dynamic capability – that affect industrial buyer-based relationship quality and to examine their effect on relationship continuity in business-to-business (B2B) transactions. The study also aims to examine the mediating role of relationship quality in linking WOM information and relationship continuity and in linking dynamic capability and relationship continuity.

Design/methodology/approach

– Two methods are used for this study: a literature review to develop a research model and an empirical study to test hypotheses. To achieve the empirical research, 267 cases were analyzed.

Findings

– This study verified that WOM information and dynamic capability have positive effects on industrial buyer-based relationship quality and relationship continuity in B2B transactions. In addition, relationship quality plays a partially mediating role in linking WOM information and relationship continuity and in linking dynamic capability and relationship continuity.

Originality/value

– WOM information plays an important role in consumers’ behavior in business-to-customer transactions and in B2B transactions; however, WOM in B2B transactions receives less attention, as it occurs by an informal process. This study suggests WOM information and dynamic capability as factors that affect industrial buyers’ perception of relationship quality and relationship continuity, and the research sought to examine the effects of relationship quality on the resulting actions, relationship continuity. This study could be useful for industrial suppliers to understand the industrial buyers’ perception on relationship quality and the results of relationship quality. Moreover, industrial suppliers could utilize the results of this study to build managerial goals to satisfy customers and to strengthen relationships with customers.
Ontology-based text summarization. The case of Texminer
Authors: Hípola Pedro , A. Senso José , Leiva-Mederos Amed , Domínguez-Velasco Sandor
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to look into the latest advances in ontology-based text summarization systems, with emphasis on the methodologies of a socio-cognitive approach, the structural discourse models and the ontology-based text summarization systems.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper analyzes the main literature in this field and presents the structure and features of Texminer, a software that facilitates summarization of texts on Port and Coastal Engineering. Texminer entails a combination of several techniques, including: socio-cognitive user models, Natural Language Processing, disambiguation and ontologies. After processing a corpus, the system was evaluated using as a reference various clustering evaluation experiments conducted by Arco (2008) and Hennig et al. (2008). The results were checked with a support vector machine, Rouge metrics, the F-measure and calculation of precision and recall.

Findings

– The experiment illustrates the superiority of abstracts obtained through the assistance of ontology-based techniques.

Originality/value

– The authors were able to corroborate that the summaries obtained using Texminer are more efficient than those derived through other systems whose summarization models do not use ontologies to summarize texts. Thanks to ontologies, main sentences can be selected with a broad rhetorical structure, especially for a specific knowledge domain.
Electronic theses and dissertations
Authors: Coates Mildred
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine two research questions: first, How do users in different locations find Auburn University Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs)? Second, do users in different locations interact differently with the collection and, if so, how?

Design/methodology/approach

– Google Analytics data for user visits, landing pages, and page views were separated into groups based on user location. Visits data were also correlated with source (referring web site), and landing pages and page views were grouped by type.

Findings

– Most local users came to the repository via Auburn University web pages. This group usually landed on the collection home page and used internal navigation pages to find what they needed. Submission page views showed that most ETD depositors were local. Most out-of-state users came to the repository via web search engines. This group usually landed directly on bibliographic information pages for individual ETDs. They used internal navigation pages less frequently than local users. Users located within the state but outside of the local area interacted with the collection in a way that was intermediate between these two groups.

Practical implications

– Institutions interested in improving repository access for depositors will probably find it helpful to focus on in-state usage reports, while institutions seeking to improve access for end-users should exclude in-state users from their assessments.

Originality/value

– This is the first detailed examination of ETDs usage published since 2001 and shows how filtering tools available in Google Analytics allow comparisons of user behavior based on location and source (referring web site).
The application profiles and development characteristics of library Open Source Software projects
Authors: Choi Namjoo
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Little is known as to the breadth and diversity of Open Source Software (OSS) applications for libraries and the development characteristics that influence the sustainability and success of projects creating them. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap by analyzing a large sample of library OSS projects.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 594 library OSS projects (469 from SourceForge and 125 from Foss4lib) are classified by type and further differentiated and assessed across a number of criteria including, but not limited to, sponsorship status, license type, and development status.

Findings

– While various types of library OSS applications were found to be under development and in use, the results show that there has been a steady decrease in the number of projects initiated since 2009. Although sponsorship was significantly positively associated with several indicators of OSS project success, the proportion of sponsored projects was relatively small compared to the proportions reported in some other contexts. In total, 71 percent of the projects have a restrictive license scheme, suggesting that the OSS ideology is valued among library OSS projects. The results also indicate that library OSS projects exhibit several characteristics that differ from the traditional developer-oriented OSS projects in terms of their technical environment.

Originality/value

– This study, as the first of its kind, offers a broader, more quantitative picture of the state of library OSS applications as well as the development characteristics of projects developing them. Several implications for research and practice, and directions for future research are provided.
Mobile services at academic libraries: meeting the users’ needs?
Authors: Bomhold Catharine
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe how academic libraries in the USA have responded to the rapidly evolving mobile environment and to determine if there is a noticeable, comprehensive pattern to instituting mobile services.

Design/methodology/approach

– The researcher surveyed library mobile services of 73 academic libraries at Carnegie Foundation rated RU/VH institutions. Based on this survey, the paper describes the current state of mobile services at very high research universities.

Findings

– While most academic libraries at research universities have some sort of mobile presence, what is offered is highly varied and is not predictable. There are still many notable University libraries that have no mobile presence.

Practical implications

– This study highlights the inconsistent nature of mobile services at research universities and identifies best practices in place at others.

Originality/value

– This is the first study to employ the Carnegie Foundation ratings of the university in which the library functions.
Audit tenure, auditor specialization and audit report lag
Authors: Dao Mai , Pham Trung
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the association between audit firm tenure and audit report lag (ARL) and the impact of auditor industry specialization on the association between audit firm tenure and ARL.

Design/Methodology/Approach

– Using Habib and Bhuiyan’s (2011) method of measuring auditor industry specialization, the authors examine the sample of 7,291 firm-year observations from 2008 to 2010.

Findings

– The authors find that auditor industry specialization (regardless of city-level, national-level and joint city- and national-level industry specialization) weakens the positive association between ARL and short audit firm tenure, suggesting that auditor industry specialization complements the negative effect of short audit firm tenure on ARL.

Originality/value

– First, the authors add to the literature by answering the question of whether hiring industry auditor specialists is an effective way to shorten ARL created by short audit tenure. The authors provide some evidence that the concern of short audit tenure leading to longer ARL is reduced by hiring an industry-specialized auditor. Prior research mainly focuses on identifying the determinants of ARL without going further to find out which are the effective ways to reduce the audit delay. Second, their findings can somehow resolve the debate on whether audit firm rotation should be mandatory. A new auditor’s lack of knowledge of clients’ business operations during the early years of audit engagements results in longer ARL, which eventually influences the clients’ financial performance. The authors' result suggests the firms can reduce this adverse consequence by hiring an industry-specialized auditor. Finally, their findings may provide helpful information to firms in selecting external auditors, public accounting firms in selecting a differentiation strategy and regulators in mandating audit firm rotation.
Explaining factors affecting technological change adoption
Authors: Coeurderoy Regis , Guilmot Nathalie , Vas Alain
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore how drivers differentially speed up the change process adoption in the perspective of a technological change. More specifically, the paper aims to answer the following question: “Which factors impact the technological change adoption speed of an information system?” Based on an empirical study, our results identify three factors that have a direct influence on the speed of technological change adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology model as a point of departure, the paper analyzes the impact of eight variables grouped in four categories: the perceived attributes of change (performance expectancy and effort expectancy), social influence (peer influence and supervisor influence), facilitating conditions (initial training and helpdesk) and individual characteristics (receptivity to change and self-efficacy). To evaluate which factors accelerate or inhibit change adoption, the paper uses a statistical model of survival analysis.

Findings

– Based on a 15-month longitudinal study of a workflow system implementation in a telecommunications firm, the results highlight that performance expectancy, supervisor influence and self-efficacy have a direct influence on the speed of technological change adoption.

Research limitations/implications

– As a case study, the research findings may only be valid in the particular organization in which it is developed. Indeed, the organizational culture, the company's internal rules, and the history of the organization are factors which significantly influence the speed of change.

Practical implications

– The results may help project leaders to be aware of the elements that must be dealt with effectively if a change process is to succeed within the allotted time.

Originality/value

– The statistical model of survival analysis allows analyzing change adoption from a dynamic perspective. This statistical approach is quite new and complementary with most of the studies which are qualitative in the field.
Access to bank loans while in bankruptcy: the role of single vs. multiple banking relations
Authors: Jha Anand , Shankar Siddharth , Arvi Leonard
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to use a unique hand-collected data set from India to investigate whether firms with multiple banking relationships that are in bankruptcy get additional loans more easily than those with a single banking relationship. The authors find that firms that have a single banking relationship increase their bank borrowing by 5 percent every year compared to those with multiple banking relationships. The results are in contrast to the hypothesis that firms choose to have multiple banking relationships to increase the probability of getting additional loans in cases of financial distress. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that a larger number of banks increases the coordination and bargaining costs during bankruptcy and decreases the liquidation value of the assets, and that the banks take that into consideration before making loans.

Design/methodology/approach

– Regression and control.

Findings

– The choice of single vs multiple banking relationships is a widely studied topic in the banking literature. A large strand of theoretical and empirical literature argues that multiple banking relationships make it easier for a firm to get additional loans in case of financial distress. The study shows that such may not be the case in instances where bargaining and co-ordination costs due to poor bankruptcy procedures are severe.

Originality/value

– The authors use a unique hand collected data set from India to investigate if it is easier to get additional loans in bankruptcy for firms with multiple banking relationships compared to those with a single banking relationship.
Assessment of manufacturing flexibility
Authors: Mishra Ruchi , K. Pundir Ashok , Ganapathy L.
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to present a systematic review of all the enablers of manufacturing flexibility and to provide a path for future research in the area of manufacturing flexibility.

Design/methodology/approach

– Research papers were collected from electronic databases to search academic journals dealing with manufacturing flexibility, environmental uncertainty, business strategy, organizational attributes, technology, innovation and product types. The study consists of a systematic review of 101 research papers and assessment of these papers in terms of their role in enabling flexibility.

Findings

– It is seen from the literature review that most of the research in the field of flexibility was done in developed countries, and further empirical research with respect to manufacturing flexibility and firm performance is required to be done in developing countries. It is also seen that financial performance has often been used in many of the studies as a proxy to measure firm performance and one can explore alternative metrics for firm performance. The review reveals that an integrated framework to assess manufacturing flexibility and firm performance is largely missing in literature. This review highlights some research gaps for future research in the area of manufacturing flexibility.

Research limitations/implications

– The literature review was done using search terms restricted to manufacturing flexibility, environmental uncertainty, business strategy, organizational attributes, technology, innovation and product types. There may be various unexploited areas for future research in terms of indirect influence of several different variables. The proposed framework is only conceptual in nature and thus requires rigorous empirical testing to develop a comprehensive list of enablers and their respective criteria and attributes.

Originality/value

– The study synthesizes existing literature for assessing manufacturing flexibility in an organization and addresses gaps in the research area of manufacturing flexibility. It provides a comprehensive review of all relevant studies from 1992 to January 2013 for the use of both academicians and practitioners.
Reverse logistics innovation, institutional pressures and performance
Authors: Huang Yi-Chun , Yang Min-Li
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to draw on several perspectives rarely used in reverse logistics (RL) research – such as sustainable development, the natural resource-based view and green innovation – to examine the relationship between RL innovation and environmental and economic performance while incorporating institutional theory to verify how institutional pressures moderate these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire survey is used to investigate Taiwan's electrical, electronic and information industries, as well as maintenance and retail stores selling computers, communications and consumer electronics. First, a hierarchical regression analysis is used. Next, moderating relationships are examined along with the related regulatory, competitor and customer pressures.

Findings

– The results indicate that RL innovation is positively associated with environmental and economic performance. Moreover, three institutional pressures positively moderated the relationships between RL innovation and environmental performance. However, investment in greater RL innovation under higher-level institutional pressures did not always enhance economic performance.

Research limitations/implications

– Reverse logistics innovation comprises five components, one of which is cross-functional integration, the process of obtaining information from marketing, production and logistics managers about how their firms created the marketing-operations interface to better handle RL. However, we obtained RL innovation information only from individual respondents. In addition, this study focuses on the economic and environmental aspects of RL activities. Future studies should apply the RL perspective on social sustainability to probe RL issues from sustainability's environmental, social and economic points of views.

Practical implications

– Contrary to the conventional wisdom that RL imposes costs, reduces productivity and curbs competitiveness, this study finds that RL innovation can enrich environmental and economic performances, indicating that firms with more innovative RL capabilities yield more sustainable outcomes for environmental protection, social responsibility and economic performance.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the RL literature by applying multiple perspectives – including sustainable development, the natural resource-based view and green innovation – to explore the relationship between RL innovation and performance while using institutional theory to probe the moderating effects of institutional pressures on RL innovation and performance.
Assessing the effects of satisfaction and value on customer loyalty behaviors in service environments
Authors: Sahin Dölarslan Emre
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The primary purpose of this paper is to determine the relative effects of perceived value and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty behaviors. The secondary aim focuses on addressing whether such personal characteristics as gender, age and levels of income and education exert any moderating influence over perceived value/customer satisfaction such that loyalty behaviors, including repurchase intention (RPI), word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing and willingness to pay more (WPM), are ultimately affected.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research technique used a face-to-face questionnaire for collecting data from passengers who use the State Railways of the Turkish Republic. A total of 780 questionnaires were collected and used in this study after excluding 80 incomplete forms. First, the main effects of perceived value/customer satisfaction on customer loyalty behaviors were tested using structural equation modeling. Next, customers' personal characteristics, considered as moderating variables, including age, gender and levels of income and education, were examined to determine if their impact on perceived value/customer satisfaction would, in turn, have any effect on loyalty behaviors. To do this, a multigroup moderation test was used.

Findings

– The empirical findings of this study show that both customer satisfaction and perceived value directly influence the loyalty behaviors of Turkish railway passengers. However, customer satisfaction was found to be a more important predictor of RPI than perceived service value. However, the relationship between perceived service value and WPM was strong. The association between customer satisfaction and loyalty behaviors was stronger for females, youths and those customers at the lower range of income and education. On the other hand, the association between perceived value and loyalty behaviors was stronger for older passengers with more education and income, irrespective of gender.

Originality/value

– The first goal was to assess the main effects of perceived value/customer satisfaction on customer loyalty behaviors. It was found that perceived value/customer satisfaction affected loyalty behaviors, including RPI, WOM and WPM, in different ways. For instance, while customer satisfaction was suggested to be an important predictor of RPI, perceived value was an important predictor of WPM. Importantly, this study also examines how customers' personal characteristics, i.e. moderating variables in this study, impact perceived value/customer satisfaction such that loyalty behaviors are demonstrably changed. Thus, with this additional knowledge of customers' personal characteristics in the context of loyalty behaviors, marketers can create new strategies to develop long-term brand loyalty.
Team creativity
Authors: Cirella Stefano , Radaelli Giovanni , B. (Rami) Shani Abraham
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This study aims at narrowing a high level of fragmentation in the knowledge on the topic of team creativity (TC) that plays a fundamental role in enhancing an organization's delivery systems and market position by mapping available knowledge within a proposed framework. Although there is a wealth of knowledge on the topic, this fragmentation as revealed by past research limits the comprehensive understanding of the subject.

Design/methodology/approach

– A literature review was used to gather evidence about the key concepts in the fields of management, organization and innovation. This evidence is mapped against the backdrop of a complex adaptive perspective, as creativity is perceived as the product of micro-social units within the context of macro-social systems.

Findings

– The great number of concepts found in literature are organized into a framework that distinguishes relevant inputs that can affect team functioning; relevant mediators for TC; and TC outcomes. The framework is reviewed and discussed within the context of the social systems in which the team is embedded.

Originality/value

– TC is one of the most fertile research streams within the research field of innovation, and yet it suffers from a fragmentation that limits a deeper level of understanding and the advancement of actionable knowledge from taking place. An integrative theoretical perspective of micro- and macro-social systems gives researchers new insights into the interconnection between the numerous findings already found in the literature and gives a clear direction for future research.
Retaining customers after service failure recoveries: a contingency model
Authors: Wang Kai-Yu , Hsu Li-Chun , Chih Wen-Hai
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose and empirically test a customer retention contingency model in service failure settings. Specifically, this research investigates how service recovery satisfaction (SRS) influences the relationship quality (RQ)-behavior chain. It also examines the moderating role of RQ and switching cost (SC) in the proposed model.

Design/methodology/approach

– A two-part survey study was performed and 303 valid responses from banking services users were obtained. The structural equation modeling was used in order to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

– The results of this study show that SRS influences purchase intentions and behavior via RQ. In addition, SC moderate the effect of RQ on purchase intentions whereas RQ moderates the effect of purchase intentions on purchase behavior.

Practical implications

– From a managerial standpoint, this research provides implications for service recovery management. In particular, the findings indicate the importance of RQ. When a service failure occurs, RQ not only mediates the effect of SRS on purchase intentions, but also facilitates transforming behavioral intentions into actual behavior.

Originality/value

– This research fills a void in the service recovery literature by linking service recovery performance to the RQ-behavior chain.
Methodologies for monitoring website performance
Authors: Moral Paz , Gonzalez Pilar , Plaza Beatriz
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– Online advertising such as Google AdWords gives small and medium-sized enterprises access to new markets at reduced costs. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the visibility and performance of a website and to test the effectiveness of online marketing using the data provided by Google Analytics.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a class of econometric time series models with unobservable components, Structural Time Series Models (STSM). The authors allow for time-varying trends to take into account the non-stationary behaviour displayed by time series. The authors illustrate the model using daily data from a local tourist website. Three specific questions are addressed: do paid keywords campaigns increase the volume and quality of search traffic? Do paid keywords affect the volume and quality of the unpaid traffic? How do paid and unpaid keywords perform?

Findings

– The results for the case study show that: first, online campaigns affect traffic volume positively but their effectiveness on traffic quality is uncertain; second, paid keywords do not affect the volume and quality of unpaid traffic; third, the increase in traffic volume is not always due to the paid keywords and the lowest quality visits come from paid traffic.

Practical implications

– This analysis may help webmasters to design successful online advertising strategies.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the development of user-friendly methodologies to monitor website performance. The analysis shows that STSM is a suitable methodology to test the effectiveness of online campaigns and to assess the changes over time in the performance of a website.
Fatigue behaviour of laser-sintered PA12 specimens under four-point rotating bending
Authors: Munguia Javier , Dalgarno Kenny
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was twofold: first, to determine if rotating bending could be used as an effective way of determining the fatigue behaviour of laser-sintered nylon, and second, to examine whether the fatigue behaviour of laser-sintered PA12 showed any significant anisotropy.

Design/methodology/approach

– Specimens were measured to obtain dimensional accuracy, density and surface roughness levels. Then, uniaxial tensile and rotating-bending fatigue tests were performed. A purpose-built test-jig has been used to subject hourglass-shaped specimens to reversed bending at two frequencies: 50 and 30 Hz. Additionally, thermal and microstructural analyses were performed to understand the underlying mechanisms of failure.

Findings

– The experiments suggest PA12 specimens will fail in fatigue following the conventional fatigue mechanisms observed in previous research with ductile polymers. Although high-frequency loading caused a heat build-up in the specimen, temperatures stabilised between 20 and 30°C, suggesting that rotating-bending fatigue at frequencies of up to 50 Hz is a valid way of determining the fatigue behaviour of laser-sintered PA12 specimens. Stresses below 20 MPa led to fatigue lives above 1 million cycles. Some anisotropic behaviour was observed in the fatigue test results, with specimens made orientated with the Z axis showing the lowest fatigue lives on average, but an endurance limit of approximately 15 MPa seems to be common for all specimens regardless of their build orientation.

Practical implications

– The observed endurance limit of 15 MPa did not depend significantly on the orientation at which a part was built – meaning that it may be possible to guarantee a service life for a part which does not depend on part orientation within a build. Clearly, good-quality control will also be required to ensure performance, but this has important implications for the design of laser-sintered PA12 parts for realistic service conditions.

Originality/value

– To our knowledge, this is the first paper to present rotating-bending fatigue data for laser-sintered PA12 parts, and the first to identify an endurance limit which is independent of part orientation.
Color-coded patient-specific physical models of congenital heart disease
Authors: Ejaz Fariha , Ryan Justin , Henriksen Megan , Stomski Lillee , Feith Megan , Osborn Michele , Pophal Stephen , Richardson Randy , Frakes David
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to develop and apply new physical heart defect models (PHDMs) that are patient-specific and color-coded with an optimized map.

Design/methodology/approach

– Heart defect anatomies were segmented from medical images and reconstructed to form virtual models, which were then color-coded and rapid prototyped. The resulting PHDMs were used in a medical educational study to evaluate their pedagogical efficacy and in clinical case studies to investigate their utility in surgical planning.

Findings

– A growing library of 36 PHDMs (including the most common defects) was generated. Results from the educational study showed that the PHDMs enabled uniquely effective learning, and the clinical case studies indicated that the models added value as surgical planning aids.

Research limitations/implications

– The education study involved a limited number of students, so future work should consider a larger sample size. The clinical case studies favored use of the PHDMs in surgical planning, but provided only qualitative support.

Practical implications

– Workflow optimization is critical for PHDMs to be used effectively in surgical planning because some operations must be performed in emergently.

Social implications

– Because PHDMs have potential to influence surgeons’ actions as surgical planning aids, their use in that context must be thoroughly vetted.

Originality/value

– The proposed models represent the first PHDMs that are patient-specific and fully color-coded with a standardized map optimized for the human visual system. The models enhanced medical education and facilitated effective surgical planning in this study.