bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sphingobacterium cladoniae sp. nov., isolated from lichen, Cladonia sp., and emended description of

Sphingobacterium siyangense
Authors: Lee Dong-Heon , Hur Jae Seoun , Kahng Hyung-Yeel
Published: May 2012

A strictly aerobic, Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain No.6T, was isolated from a lichen (Cladonia sp.) collected in Geogeum Island, Korea, and its taxonomic status was established by a polyphasic study. Cells of strain No.6T were non-motile, catalase- and oxidase-positive, non-spore-forming rods. Growth was observed at 15–35 °C (optimum, 25–30 °C), at pH 5.0–10.0 (optimum, pH 6.0–8.0) and with 0–3 % NaCl (optimum, 0–2 %). The predominant cellular fatty acids were summed feature 3 (comprising iso-C15 : 0 2-OH and/or C16 : 1ω7c, 41.5 %), iso-C15 : 0 (26.7 %) and C16 : 0 (9.6 %), and menaquinone MK-7 was the only respiratory quinone. The G+C content of the genomic DNA of strain No.6T was 36.8 mol%. A phylogenetic tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain No.6T fell within the evolutionary group encompassed by the genus

Sphingobacterium

. Levels of 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity between the novel strain and the type strains of recognized

Sphingobacterium

species ranged from 92.1 to 99.1 %, the highest values being with

Sphingobacterium siyangense

SY1T (99.1 %) and

Sphingobacterium multivorum

IAM 14316T (98.5 %). DNA–DNA relatedness between strain No.6T and these two type strains were 32.0 and 5.7 %, respectively. The polar lipids found in strain No.6T were phosphatidylethanolamine, two unidentified phospholipids, three unidentified aminophospholipids, one glycolipid and four unidentified lipids. One unidentified sphingolipid was also found. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic data, strain No.6T represents a novel species of the genus

Sphingobacterium

, for which the name Sphingobacterium cladoniae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is No.6T ( = KCTC 22613T = JCM 16113T). An emended description of

Sphingobacterium siyangense

is also proposed.
Sphingobium czechense sp. nov., isolated from a hexachlorocyclohexane dump site
Authors: Niharika Neha , Moskalikova Hana , Kaur Jasvinder , Khan Fazlurrahman , Sedlackova Miroslava , Hampl Ales , Damborsky Jiri , Prokop Zbynek , Lal Rup
Published: May 2012

A yellow-pigmented bacterial strain, designated LL01T, was isolated from hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH)-contaminated soil at Spolana Neratovice, a former Czech producer of lindane. A neighbour-joining tree based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain LL01T occupied a distinct phylogenetic position in the

Sphingobium

cluster, showing highest similarity to

Sphingobium rhizovicinum

CC-FH12-1T (98.5 %). The DNA G+C content of strain LL01T was 66.1 mol%. The predominant respiratory pigment was ubiquinone Q-10. The polar lipid profile of strain LL01T also corresponded to those reported for other

Sphingobium

species (phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine, phosphatidyldimethylethanolamine, sphingoglycolipids), supporting its identification as a member of the genus

Sphingobium

. Spermidine was the major polyamine observed. The results obtained from DNA–DNA hybridization and biochemical and physiological tests clearly distinguished strain LL01T from closely related species of the genus

Sphingobium

. Therefore, strain LL01T represents a novel species of the genus

Sphingobium

, for which the name Sphingobium czechense sp. nov. is proposed (type strain LL01T = CCM 7979T = DSM 25410T).
piRNA-mediated transgenerational inheritance of an acquired trait
Authors: Grentzinger Thomas , Armenise Claudia , Brun Christine , Mugat Bruno , Serrano Vincent , Pelisson Alain , Chambeyron Séverine
Published: May 2012

The maintenance of genome integrity is an essential trait to the successful transmission of genetic information. In animal germ cells, piRNAs guide PIWI proteins to silence transposable elements (TEs) in order to maintain genome integrity. In insects, most TE silencing in the germline is achieved by secondary piRNAs that are produced by a feed-forward loop (the ping-pong cycle), which requires the piRNA-directed cleavage of two types of RNAs: mRNAs of functional euchromatic TEs and heterochromatic transcripts that contain defective TE sequences. The first cleavage that initiates such an amplification loop remains poorly understood. Taking advantage of the existence of strains that are devoid of functional copies of the LINE-like I-element, we report here that in such Drosophila ovaries, the initiation of a ping-pong cycle is exclusively achieved by secondary I-element piRNAs that are produced in the ovary and deposited in the embryonic germline. This unusual secondary piRNA biogenesis, detected in the absence of functional I-element copies, results from the processing of sense and antisense transcripts of several different defective I-element. Once acquired, for instance after ancestor aging, this capacity to produce heterochromatic-only secondary piRNAs is partially transmitted through generations via maternal piRNAs. Furthermore, such piRNAs acting as ping-pong initiators in a chromatin-independent manner confer to the progeny a high capacity to repress the I-element mobility. Our study explains, at the molecular level, the basis for epigenetic memory of maternal immunity that protects females from hybrid dysgenesis caused by transposition of paternally inherited functional I-element.
Access to credit, factor allocation and farm productivity
Authors: Ciaian Pavel , Fałkowski Jan , Kancs d'Artis
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how farm production and input use (land, variable inputs, labour, and capital) is related to farm access to credit in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) transition countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a unique farm level panel data set with 37,409 observations and employing a matching estimator, this paper analyses how farm access to credit affects farm input allocation and farm efficiency in the CEE transition countries. The large size of the FADN data set has an additional advantage. It allows the authors to employ a semi‐parametric estimator based on the propensity score matching. Using more than 37,409 observations assures that the loss in efficiency of semi‐parametric estimates, as compared to parametric ones, is not a problem. This is important for at least two reasons. First, applying a semi‐parametric propensity score matching (PSM) estimator allows to control for any heterogeneity in the relationship between farm performance and their observable characteristics (in particular access to credit). Second, matching estimators are robust in situations where farms having access to credit systematically differ from those that do not.

Findings

It is found that farms are asymmetrically credit constrained between inputs. The use of variable inputs and capital investment increases up to 2.3 percent and 29 percent, respectively, per 1,000 EUR of additional credit. The authors' estimates suggest also that farm access to credit increases the total factor productivity up to 1.9 percent per 1,000 EUR of additional credit, indicating that an improved access to credit results in adjusting the relative input intensities on farms. This finding is further supported by a negative effect of better access to credit on labour, suggesting that these two are substitutes. Interestingly, farms are found not to be credit constrained with respect to land.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, the present paper is the first to investigate the importance of access to credit for farm performance in the CEE region as a whole.
Strategic options associated with cooperative members' equity
Authors: Power Gabriel J. , Salin Victoria , Park John L.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

Building on the property rights framework, the purpose of this paper is to frame the cooperative business model in terms of strategic options held either by the board or by members. Options that are analyzed include growth and restructuring, dividend allocation, member entry and exit, and member embedded value options.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical estimates of the options' financial value, as well as sensitivity analyses, are presented for a stylized example using historical data and Monte Carlo option‐pricing methods. Attention is paid to the effect of member age, discount rate and business operation size.

Findings

Results suggest that the board's growth options can be substantial, while member options generally have small but nontrivial value. Implications for the stability of membership are drawn.

Practical implications

The financial or economic value of strategic options in agricultural cooperatives can be significant, and decision makers may benefit from accounting for their presence.

Originality/value

Cooperatives play an important role in agribusiness but have undergone significant changes in the past two decades in terms of organizational and financial structure. This paper contributes to an understanding of the value of control and residual rights associated with the Board and members of cooperatives.
Comparison of alternative sources of farmland values
Authors: Zakrzewicz Christopher , Wade Brorsen B. , Briggeman Brian C.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

Consistent and reliable data on farmland values is critical to assessing the overall financial health of agricultural producers. However, little is known about the idiosyncrasies and similarities of standard land value data sources – US Department of Agriculture (USDA), Federal Reserve Bank land value surveys, and transaction prices. The purpose of this paper is to determine the differences and similarities of land value movements from three land value data sources.

Design/methodology/approach

In addition to Oklahoma transaction prices, two survey sources are considered: the USDA annual report and the quarterly Tenth District Survey of Agricultural Credit Conditions administered by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The paper describes each data set and identifies differences in data sampling, collection, and reporting. Average values of Oklahoma farmland across data sources are examined. USDA estimates are regressed against quarterly Federal Reserve values across multiple states to determine the point in time represented by USDA estimates. Granger causality tests determine if Federal Reserve land value estimates anticipate movements in USDA land value estimates.

Findings

It is found that all three data sources are highly correlated, but transaction prices tend to be higher, especially for irrigated cropland and ranchland. USDA land values are reported as representing land values on January first, but instead they more closely represent first and second quarter land values according to a multi‐state comparison to changes in quarterly Federal Reserve land values. Given the finding that first quarter Federal Reserve Bank land values lead USDA land values and that they are published before the USDA release, Federal Reserve land values are a timely indicator of agricultural producers' financial position.

Originality/value

No previous research has addressed the topic of how various sources of agricultural land values compare.
Premium estimation inaccuracy and the actuarial performance of the US crop insurance program
Authors: Ramirez Octavio A. , Carpio Carlos A.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of the levels of inaccuracy associated with three different premium estimation methods, one of which attempts to mimic the protocol currently used by the Risk Management Agency (RMA), on the actuarial performance of the US crop insurance program.

Design/methodology/approach

The analyses are conducted using empirically‐grounded simulation and other computational methods, under various plausible assumptions about the producer's risk aversion behavior and knowledge of his/her actuarially fair premium.

Findings

Regardless of the assumed producer knowledge and behavior, it is concluded that the persistently high government subsidy levels required to keep the program solvent could be solely explained by the inaccuracy in the RMA's premium estimates. In other words, the observed need for large subsidies does not necessarily imply that the program is systematically favoring less efficient farmers or particular crops or production areas. Also, contrary to the commonly accepted “adverse selection” argument, it is shown that farmers having more information about their actuarially fair premiums than the insurer is not the reason why high subsidies are needed. Actuarial performance, however, could be improved by using the more elaborate methods exemplified in the paper, as well as larger sample sizes for premium estimation.

Originality/value

The paper provides conclusions and recommendations that could substantially reduce the amount of public subsidies needed to keep the US crop insurance program solvent.
The fragile strength of a leading Polish yoghurt company (case study of Bakoma)
Authors: Domanski Tomasz , Bryla Pawel
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the case study of Bakoma, which is a leading Polish yoghurt‐producing company that has achieved a remarkable success, but now is facing serious challenges from multinationals. The authors aim to analyse its development model, marketing strategy, and competitive position.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the authors' own case study. They gathered the necessary information from company documents, both published and unpublished, as well as a series of in‐depth interviews with representatives of Bakoma and other key players in the Polish dairy market.

Findings

The authors found out a strong interdependence of the business and political spheres, especially during the initial phase of the Polish systemic transition. Secondly, foreign partners played a major role in the creation of the company (inflow of capital from an American businessman of Polish origin), acquiring access to technology licence (Onken), and capital investments and transfer of management skills (Danone). A major strength of the company is its innovative marketing strategy based on a perfect knowledge of the specificity of Polish consumer preferences. Nevertheless, the Polish yoghurt market as an important segment of the dairy market becomes gradually more and more dominated by multinational corporations, especially of French and German origin.

Originality/value

This paper provides original insights into the development and marketing strategies of a leading Polish yoghurt company facing strong competition from multinationals. The results may be useful to managers from Central and Eastern European dairy companies.
Pork quality in the eye of the Greek consumer
Authors: Papanagiotou Panoraia , Tzimitra‐Kalogianni Irini , Melfou Katerina
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The present study aims at investigating consumers' pork meat quality perception, focusing on the stage prior to consumption. Furthermore, market segmentation is attempted on the basis of specific socio‐demographic characteristics, pork consumption habits and quality perception.

Design/methodology/approach

A field research was performed in a Greek urban area, Thessaloniki. The research was based on consumers' quality evaluations of pork meat pictures, which were computer‐manipulated to acquire different levels of two intrinsic quality cues (colour and marbling), while labels were added indicating various levels of two extrinsic quality cues (price and origin). Data were analysed by means of conjoint analysis.

Findings

Results indicate that Greek consumers appear to attach more importance to marbling when forming pork quality judgments. Price is classified second in importance closely followed by colour, while country of origin appears to be the least important factor affecting quality perception of pork.

Research limitations/implications

The study has employed only a number of quality cues, hypothesising that these cues principally influence consumers' decisions on pork quality. This restricted number of cues was decided so that consumers could more easily and effectively respond to the data collection procedure. As a result, some cues that could possibly be used by consumers were not included.

Originality/value

Although quality perception of meat has been researched before in Greece, the procedure followed in the present study was employed for the first time to investigate quality perception of pork meat.
Foodborne diseases in India – a review
Authors: Rao Vemula Sudershan , Naveen Kumar R. , Polasa Kalpagam
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the nature and extent of foodborne diseases in India due to chemical and microbial agents.

Design/methodology/approach

The scientific investigations/reports on outbreak of foodborne diseases in India for the past 29 (1980‐2009) years due to adulteration, chemical, and microbiological contamination have been reviewed. Reported scientific information on foodborne pathogens detected and quantified in Indian foods has also been reviewed.

Findings

A total of 37 outbreaks involving 3,485 persons who have been affected due to food poisoning have been reported in India. Although the common forms of foodborne diseases are those due to bacterial contamination of foods, however, higher numbers of deaths have been observed due to chemical contaminants in foods.

Originality/value

A national foodborne disease surveillance system needs to be developed in India in order to enable effective detection, control and prevention of foodborne disease outbreaks.
Is there an inverted U‐shaped relationship between job demands and work engagement
Authors: Sawang Sukanlaya
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility of an inverted U‐shaped relationship between job demands and work engagement, and whether social support moderates this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses 307 technical and information technology (IT) managers who responded to an online survey. Multiple regressions are employed to examine linear and curvilinear relationship among variables.

Findings

Overall, results support the applicability of the quadratic effect of job demands on employee engagement. However, only supervisor support, not colleague support, moderated the relationship between job demands and work engagement.

Originality/value

The paper is the first to shed light on the quadratic effect of job demands on work engagement. The findings have noteworthy implications for managers to design optimal job demands that increase employee engagement.
The return to education and skills in Italy
Authors: Carlo Cainarca Gian , Sgobbi Francesca
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the incidence of educational mismatch in Italy and the return to investment in education, controlling for employees’ ability. Contrary to most existing studies, the heterogeneity of individual performance is measured directly through the assessment of required and provided skills.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on original data including over 3,600 face‐to‐face interviews, this paper appraises the incidence of self‐assessed educational mismatch in the Italian private sector and estimates wage models of the economic returns to educational mismatch, skill requirements and provided skills.

Findings

In Italy, under‐educated employees outnumber over‐educated ones and returns to required education and over‐education are lower than in other industrialised countries. Individual heterogeneous ability, as captured by individual skills, is a significant determinant of wage, although the inclusion of direct measures of required and provided skills does not substantially affect the estimated coefficients of the return to investment in education.

Practical implications

The omission of controls for the heterogeneous ability of employees biases the results of traditional ordinary least squares (OLS) estimates of wage models. However, the bias may be small enough to make simple OLS estimates on existing cross‐sectional data an acceptable compromise to provide policy makers with reasonably accurate and up‐to‐date information.

Originality/value

The paper provides a direct appreciation of individual heterogeneity that other studies can capture only through sophisticated indirect econometric techniques. In addition, the paper extends the set of available cross‐country comparisons by estimating the educational mismatch and the returns to educational and skill mismatches in the overall Italian private labour market.
Generative leadership: responding to the call for responsibility
Authors: Macaux William P.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The responsible leadership movement may be seen as part of the wider sustainability revolution. Sustainability was defined by the World Commission on Environment and Development as “economic development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. Since then, guiding principles have been formulated and a growing number of business leaders have issued a call to action. Still one expert, Orr, recently concluded that “virtually no indicator of planetary health is moving in a positive direction, and we should ask why.” The purpose of this paper, heeding the admonition to “ask why”, is to examine what it means to be responsible as a leader at this time, in this context.

Design/methodology/approach

A consensus view of the context and the accountabilities it implies is gleaned from an analysis of sustainability principles. A psychological approach to conceptualizing leader responsibility as a variable in personal development is elaborated under the normative construct of generativity. A new model for coaching developing leaders and promoting leader responsibility is proposed. It is based on recent advances in psychoanalytic psychology, and aspects of its theory base and method are illustrated in a case example.

Findings

Development of responsibility is found to hinge on personal value commitments that can best be awakened and cultivated through professionally‐relevant personal development in conjunction with experiential development strategies such as stretch assignments and action learning.

Originality/value

The approach offers a practical, developmental pathway for promoting leader responsibility.
Losing your self: managerial persona and shadow pressures killing responsible leadership
Authors: Ketola Tarja
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of a specialist at a research institution turned into an unwilling manager who lost her Jungian self under the managerial persona and shadow pressures of the organization. The findings lead to a personal development model.

Design/methodology/approach

The problem and solution are translated into Jungian language, which fits with the Buddhist approach chosen by the interviewee. The case study looks for answers to questions: How responsible should individuals be? How far should they go: blow the whistle? Is responsible leadership possible in an organization whose ego is in the powerful grip of its persona and shadow? What is the role of individual/group/organizational/societal unconscious in striving for responsible leadership? Can an organization become aware of its persona and shadow and develop into an enlightened self?

Findings

Individuals can take responsibility for the less powerful but not always for the more powerful. Whistle‐blowing may be counterproductive. Responsible leadership is possible, if individuals/groups/organizations/societies are mature enough to become aware of their persona and shadow to free this energy for responsible behaviour. A Jungian‐Buddhist personal development model is built.

Research limitations/implications

Single case study results are not generalizable, but the presented problem may be common in research organizations. The model requires further empirical support.

Practical implications

Holistic personal development: “Loose (don’t lose) your self. Shelve your persona! Don’t fear your shadow; learn to know it!”

Originality/value

The paper presents a novel account of presenting and solving a real‐life managerial problem through integrating Buddhist and Jungian knowledge, and introducing a Jungian‐Buddhist model.
Beyond the banality of evil: conscience, imagination and responsibility
Authors: Kerwin Ann
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to revisit philosopher Hannah Arendt's classic study of the banality of evil in light of posthumously published works bearing on moral psychology and philosophy.

Design/methodology/approach

Largely expository and interpretive, this conceptual paper articulates Arendt's approach to morally responsible thinking, with an emphasis on managerial decision making. Arendt's practical ethics draws, in part, on Kantian aesthetic theory, providing an original but unfinished account of “the life of the mind” and personal responsibility in community.

Findings

Arendt contends that humans can, and are morally obliged to, use conscience, imagination and reason to avoid evil‐doing; that self‐critical introspection, active imagination and representative judgment are essential for moral decision making, especially in times of moral crisis; and that neither profit nor pressure can justify breaching fundamental responsibilities to humanity.

Research limitations/implications

This paper discusses, but does not critique, Arendt's oeuvre. It interprets, connects and applies ideas from disparate works relating to responsible moral psychology.

Practical implications

Confronting a “modern crisis” in values, Arendt acknowledged pressures on leaders to fulfill organizational objectives, even those effecting harm which violate deeply‐held personal ethics. Warning against temptations to divide selves into a “personal” moral self and a compartmentalized “organisational self,” she prescribed ways of thinking and judging to counteract thoughtless evil‐doing.

Originality/value

The paper connects Arendt's privative analysis of evil‐doing in Eichmann in Jerusalem with later works which delineate shared human mental capacities and processes which facilitate morally responsible leadership, independent of culture or context.
A view from within: exploring the psychology of responsible leadership
Authors: Rozuel Cécile , Ketola Tarja
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the links between ethics, leadership and psychology, and to introduce the papers for the special issue of the Journal of Management Development.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a conceptual review of issues attached to research in the field of responsible leadership psychology.

Findings

Individual organisational members affect and are affected by the organisation's collective psyche, and all are potential leaders; therefore, all should care about their “inner life” and reflect on the interrelationships between their ethical responsibility, their psychological world, and their interaction with others.

Originality/value

The paper shows that self‐enquiry and understanding the unconscious influences on ego‐consciousness are essential for nurturing ethical awareness and responsible action as leaders, followers and more generally as organisational agents.
Future now: operation agility – conference report on the SLA Leadership Summit
Authors: Etter Zana C.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

This article aims to report on a two‐day leadership summit which is held each year for Special Library Association Chapter Presidents and Program Chairs. The paper also aims to describe the format and discusses the advantages of such training for local association representatives.

Design/methodology/approach

This a simple report of a short leadership training session which describes the format and group exercises comprising the sessions.

Findings

The author finds that this intense concentrated training session, using short presentations and small group discussions, works well and seems to provide ample opportunities for interaction among participants leading to an increase in knowledge and understanding, as well as enjoyment. One positive outcome is the enhanced opportunity for information sharing.

Originality/value

The author concludes that this kind of leadership skill training has value for not only the new chapter or division leader but for the seasoned information professional as well.
Working for peaceful co‐existence and a just world – ISSA's 35th Social Science Congress @MGAHV, Wardha: a summary report
Authors: Ghosh Maitrayee
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a summary report of the 35th Social Science Congress deliberations held in December 2011 at MGAHV, Wardha, India.

Design/methodology/approach

The report includes selected presentations and provides a review of some of the events of the ISSA's 35th Social Science Congress. The author's observation/participation and discussion on vital areas, namely, peaceful co‐existence and just world, created an insight to prepare this report.

Findings

The Indian Academy of Social Science (ISSA) was established on August 15, 1974 at Allahabad, with the vision to discover, develop and disseminate the science of Nature‐Humans‐Society with a view to enable people of India to enjoy higher quality of material, social and cultural life while living in peace and harmony with nature. Today corruption has taken center stage in India and at this juncture the discussion on the theme is most appropriate to evolve a blueprint for peaceful co‐existence and a just world. The congress programs were designed to help participants tackle current issues and prepare them for future challenges. The theme generated a lot of discussion on what is a just world and what is the right pathway towards working for peaceful co‐existence.

Originality/value

The 35th Social Science congress report will be of interest to every member of the society on a global scale to understand the challenges, issues, and opportunities for peaceful co‐existence with special reference to poor and disadvantaged populations.
Community development in the school workplace
Authors: Brouwer Patricia , Brekelmans Mieke , Nieuwenhuis Loek , Simons Robert‐Jan
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The aim of this study is to explore whether and to what degree community development of teacher teams takes place and how community development comes about, that is, what community‐building efforts teacher teams undertake.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a multi method approach, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from seven interdisciplinary teacher teams in a secondary school during one school year. Teachers' perceptions of community development were complemented with video‐observations of team meetings by relative outsiders.

Findings

Data showed that the teacher teams undertook a wide variety and amount of community‐building efforts. However, community development of the teacher teams as perceived by the teachers was limited. Relative outsiders observed some community development.

Practical implications

From the findings the authors conclude that school managers could play a more proactive role in supporting teacher teams' community‐building efforts. Strategies embedding community‐building into the culture and policy of the school, including diagnosing, custom‐made support and making efforts explicit, could be effective.

Originality/value

The current study takes a long‐term approach, investigating the community development of teacher teams during the course of one school year. In addition, community development is measured using two perspectives, i.e. that of the community members and that of the relative outsider.
Accounting and detective stories: an excursion to the USA in the 1940s
Authors: Czarniawska Barbara
Published: May 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to explore accounting across time and space via novels.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses distant readings.

Findings

The paper reveals peculiarities and commonalities of the work of Certified Public Accountants 70 years ago and now.

Originality/value

The originality/value is to be decided by readers.
Jokes in popular culture: the characterisation of the accountant
Authors: Miley Frances , Read Andrew
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The accountant has been characterised in popular culture as dull and boring. Accounting scholarship consistently describes this stereotype as negative. The purpose of this research is to enhance our understanding of this stereotype by comparing the characterisation of the accountant found in contemporary jokes with a similar characterisation found in commedia dell'arte, which is a form of improvisational theatre.

Design/methodology/approach

This research employs netnography to identify the stereotype of the accountant portrayed in jokes on social networking sites. To enrich our understanding of the stereotype of the characterisation of the accountant in contemporary jokes, it is compared with the characterisation of il dottore, the stock character of the professional man in commedia dell'arte.

Findings

The characterisation of the accountant in contemporary jokes is consistent with characterisations of the accountant in other areas of popular culture, confirming that the stereotype is widely entrenched in popular culture. Contemporary jokes provide a more detailed characterisation than previously identified in accounting scholarship. Since the stereotype of il dottore in commedia dell'arte resembles the stereotype of the accountant as portrayed in contemporary jokes, studying commedia dell'arte provides an approach that enhances our understanding of the characterisation of the accountant in popular culture.

Originality/value

The contribution of this research to accounting scholarship is the deployment of commedia dell'arte to capture the essence of the stereotype of the accountant as portrayed in popular culture. Extending the definition of popular culture to include contemporary jokes brings a unique use of netnography to accounting scholarship.
The development of assistant principals: a literature review
Authors: Oleszewski Ashley , Shoho Alan , Barnett Bruce
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this review is to add to the discussion of assistant principals (APs), a position that has been under‐represented in the professional literature.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive search was undertaken on assistant principals, vice principals, and deputy head teachers from various sources, including journals, conference papers, doctoral dissertations, ERIC documents, articles from professional publications and organizations, and relevant books and chapters. Each document was thoroughly analyzed and common themes were identified.

Findings

The assistant principalship is a unique entity because the position lacks a precise job description yet entails numerous tasks to ensure the success of a school. Although the assistant principal is a critical leader in schools, the position is underutilized and under‐researched. This review analyzes the roles, responsibilities, training, socialization, and typologies of the assistant principal.

Research limitations/implications

As a result of this research, it is suggested that the role of the assistant principal needs to be reconfigured. Additional research is needed in the areas of training, professional development, and transition to the principalship.

Originality/value

This article presents a unique comparison of the roles of APs throughout the past 30 years both in the USA and abroad. In addition, after examining the lack of university training and professional development for the assistant principalship, suggestions are made as to how APs can be better prepared for this critical leadership position.
The importance of teachers' perceived organizational support to job satisfaction
Authors: Bogler Ronit , Nir Adam E.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The paper aims to investigate the mediating effect of teacher empowerment on the relationship between teachers' perception of their school support and their intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a sample of 2,565 teachers affiliated with 153 Israeli elementary schools. A path analysis procedure was employed to test the mediating effect of teacher empowerment on the relation between perceived organizational support and job satisfaction.

Findings

The results reveal that teacher empowerment mediated the relations between perceived organizational support and satisfaction, adding more than 30 per cent to the explained variance of each of the satisfaction types. Teacher empowerment shows different relationships when intrinsic versus extrinsic type of satisfaction is considered. The most influential dimension of empowerment predicting teacher intrinsic satisfaction is self‐efficacy, a psychologically oriented variable, while the most powerful dimension of empowerment predicting extrinsic job satisfaction is earned status and respect, a sociologically oriented variable.

Research limitations/implications

The results reinforce the notion that both types of job satisfaction are two different entities that should be addressed differently. Taking a theoretical perspective, it appears that teacher empowerment should be conceived as a multi‐dimensional scale, where its various components are differently associated with the two types of satisfaction.

Practical implications

Moreover, it seems that teacher empowerment has a much stronger impact on teacher satisfaction when it takes place in an organizational context that supports individuals. Hence, school leaders need to focus on different qualities of teacher empowerment, depending on the qualities of satisfaction that they wish to promote.

Originality/value

Little is known about perceived organizational support in the educational realm. Studying it in relation with teacher empowerment and job satisfaction, key concepts in the school arena, is unprecedented.
Why leadership matters: empowering teachers to implement formative assessment
Authors: Hollingworth Liz
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The focus of this research is to understand the role of the district superintendent, the building principal, and the school leadership team of classroom teachers as catalysts for innovation in instruction and classroom assessment. School characteristics and structures designed to specifically support professional learning communities are to be analyzed, and the responsibility teachers take for student learning using formative assessment is evaluated.

Design/methodology/approach

The setting for the study is a small, Midwestern high school in the USA. The high school has a staff of 38 teachers, 15 of whom are on the Formative Assessment Building Leadership Team. The high school principal and district superintendent also participated in the study. The study took the form of a qualitative case study. The data sources were transcripts and artifacts from eight months of interviews, and building‐wide teacher meetings. Professional development inservices were also analyzed.

Findings

The principal served as a catalyst for building teacher knowledge and implementation of formative assessment practices. The success of the change initiative hinged on relationships between teachers and school leaders. Teachers used assessment in the service of student learning.

Research limitations/implications

Because this is a case study, the findings themselves are not designed to be generalizable to other contexts.

Practical implications

Understanding the role school leadership will play in the implementation of a new State‐wide policy initiative for curriculum improvement is critical to uncovering the capacity required for formative assessment to be successfully implemented on a large scale.

Social implications

There has been research in the field of educational measurement in the past few years on the use of formative assessments to raise standards of achievement and to lead to higher quality learning. This is an analysis of the complex dynamic between school leaders and teachers in the service of implementing assessment for learning.

Originality/value

The implementation of formative assessment on a large scale is a concern not only in the State in this research study, but in schools around the country. An exploration of the leadership capacity needed to originate and sustain this school improvement initiative is novel to the field.
Supply chain management practices in small retailers
Authors: Hamister James W.
Published: May 2012

Purpose

The aim of this research is to investigate the adoption and implementation of SCM practices by small retail firms. Past research has established the benefits of SCM practices on performance of large enterprises, but the impact of these practices on small retailers merits attention due to the importance of this sector in the economy and organizational difference due to scale.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey instrument based on existing scales is developed and distributed to small retailers in Upstate New York. A total of 79 valid responses were received. A theoretical model is developed relating implementation of supply chain management practices to performance at both retail and supplier levels. The theoretical model was tested using partial least squares (PLS) methods.

Findings

This research suggests that supply chain management practices are positively related to performance at both the retail and suppler levels. Moderate implementation levels of supply chain management practices are reported among the small retailers studied.

Research limitations/implications

This research employed perceptual performance measures. Future studies can expand on this research by examining objective data on performance metrics at both the retail and supplier level to better quantify costs and benefits of supply chain management in this context.

Originality/value

This research is the first paper to attempt to empirically test supply chain management practices among small retailers, thus generalizing our understanding of the supply chain management practices in a context not previously studied. Implications for suppliers and retailers are discussed.
Impacts of store type importance and country of origin
Authors: Won Jeong So , Stoel Leslie , Chung Jae‐Eun
Published: May 2012

Purpose

Retail success in China for dietary supplement products requires knowledge of the importance consumers place on store type as well as their perceptions of product characteristics such as country of origin (country where the product is made and where the brand is from). Accordingly, the purpose of the present study is to examine differences in purchase intention and its key antecedents such as attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, based on store type importance and product country of origin (China versus USA). To test the proposed hypotheses, MANCOVA was conducted.

Design/methodology/approach

A mail survey was conducted in Shanghai and the total number of usable questionnaires was 444.

Findings

This paper revealed that perceived importance of large store format was significantly related to consumer attitudes and behavioural control for dietary supplement products, but country of origin was not important to Chinese consumers. Additionally, significant relationships with marketer trust and product familiarity were found.

Originality/value

This research is important because the Chinese government recently decreed that prescriptions could now be sold in outlets other than hospitals. This opens the realm of possibilities for retailers of health and beauty products by enabling them to sell a broader and potentially more profitable range of goods. In China, the demand for DS and other health‐related products is increasing. The present study will provide insights to foreign retailers who want to enter China about the impact of store type and product country of origin on consumer purchase intention and its antecedents.
Product carbon footprint developments and gaps
Authors: Kronborg Jensen Jesper
Published: May 2012

Purpose

– Over the last decade, multiple initiatives have been undertaken to learn how to capture the carbon footprint of a supply chain at a product level. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the process of standardization to secure consistency of product carbon footprinting (PCF) and to outline how the current developments in PCF support the need for a standardized method to measure and report environmental performance in supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is based on a literature review and a review of international standards for PCF which brings knowledge of PCF to the existing literature of green supply chain management.

Findings

– The multiple initiatives for standardization each improve the understanding of standardized methods of conducting PCF. At the same time, however, important differences exist between the standards in terms of the modelling framework to be used when conducting a PCF, and a paradox exists concerning methods for securing future standardization of PCF.

Research limitations/implications

– Standards for evaluating emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in supply chains are evaluated without consideration of other environmental impacts. In addition, the research only compares international standards, thereby excluding national initiatives.

Practical implications

– Standardization efforts can be expected to shape the future practice of measuring emission of GHGs in companies and supply chains which provides a framework for reducing impacts.

Originality/value

– Papers that outline the standardization process for PCF have been examined, but this paper adds value by categorizing the field, outlining the latest standards, and by being the first paper to compare standards for PCF on selected criteria and identify gaps.
Dynamic capabilities and sustainable supply chain management
Authors: Beske Philip
Published: May 2012

Purpose

– Most sustainable supply chains are situated in dynamic environments, which leads to the assumption that management of such chains requires the application of dynamic management theories, such as the dynamic capabilities (DC) concept. In spite of this, DCs have only scarcely been taken up in (sustainable) supply chain management (SSCM) research. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to discuss the complementarities of DCs and SSCM research; and second, to develop a framework which integrates DCs in SSCM practices.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is conceptual in nature and grounded in SSCM and DC theory. Relevant literature from the SCM, SSCM and DC context has been scrutinized. In total, three models from SSCM and DC literature, together with related inputs from other literature sources, have been conjoined.

Findings

– DC and SSCM are linked through similar environmental and organizational conditions, making the application of DC concepts in the field of SSCM a logical choice. The framework embeds specific DCs into SSCM practices.

Research limitations/implications

– The presented framework is a step towards building an analytical basis for future empirical research in this area. Discussion on the nature of DCs is still going on, as well as on how to measure supply chain performance. The framework can only give indications and help in the theory building process. Furthermore, the underlying frameworks used for the development of the framework presented here have been derived through different methodologies and not all of them have, as yet, been (fully) empirically tested.

Practical implications

– Investment in DCs and implementation of SSCM practices improves the agility of the overall supply chain and can lead to higher performance against the three dimensions of sustainability.

Originality/value

– The paper is the first explicit framework linking SSCM and DC theory. The framework shows that the DC concept can be and indeed should be applied to SSCM research and practice. Furthermore, explicit DCs are put forward. It is a step towards building an analytical basis for future empirical research in this area.