bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computed Tomography in the Management of Adrenal Tumors: Does Size Still Matter?
Authors: Azoury Saïd C. , Nagarajan Neeraja , Young Allen , Mathur Aarti , Prescott Jason D. , Fishman Elliot K. , Zeiger Martha A.
Published: January 2017

Objective

We sought to evaluate computed tomography (CT) imaging as a predictor of adrenal tumor pathology.

Methods

A retrospective review was conducted of patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy for an adrenal mass between January 2005 and July 2015. Tumors were classified as benign, indeterminate, or malignant based on preoperative CT findings.

Results

Of 697 patients who underwent unilateral adrenalectomy, 216 met the inclusion criteria. Pathology was benign in 88.4%, indeterminate in 2.3%, and malignant in 9.3%, with a median tumor diameter of 2.7 cm (interquartile range, 1.7–4.1 cm) and 9.5 cm (interquartile range, 7.1–12 cm) in the benign and malignant groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Of the tumors with benign features on CT, 100% (143/143) had benign final pathology.

Conclusions

Imaging characteristics of adrenal tumors on CT scan predict benign pathology 100% of the time. Regardless of size, when interpreted as benign on CT scan, laparoscopic adrenalectomy, if technically feasible, should be the technique used when surgery is offered, or close surveillance may be a safe alternative.
Moving Beyond Clinical Risk Scores with a Mobile App for the Genomic Risk of Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Muse Evan D. , Wineinger Nathan E. , Schrader Brian , Molparia Bhuvan , Spencer Emily G. , Bodian Dale L. , Torkamani Ali , Topol Eric J.
Published: January 2017

Primary prevention of coronary artery disease (CAD) is important for individuals at increased risk, and largely consists of healthy lifestyle modifications and initiation of medications when appropriate – including statins. Defining the inherent risk for any given individual typically relies on traditional risk factors established decades ago by the Framingham Heart Study. Unfortunately, recent studies have indicated that these traditional clinical risk factors systematically overestimate the risk of CAD across all major ancestries. This has increased the number of patients that would be eligible for statin therapy for the primary prevention of CAD but would likely receive little benefit and potentially incur negative consequences. On the other hand, researchers have demonstrated that genetic factors can effectively identify a subset of high risk individuals, and that the benefit from statin therapy is greatest among individuals with the highest genetic risk score (GRS). These individuals also receive the greatest absolute benefit from healthy lifestyle choices, being able to titrate their risk to normal levels despite high genetic predisposition. However, it is not yet possible for the average individual to discover their genetic risk because no tools are currently available to make such a determination. Here, we present a free mobile app – MyGeneRank – that can provide this information. Individuals may choose to use this knowledge to complement traditional risk assessments, and make critical decisions regarding lifelong statin therapy and lifestyle changes. As of 1/25/2017, MyGeneRank is currently in closed beta and will soon be available to the public.
Prevailing homozygous deletion of interferon and defensin genes in human cancers
Authors: Ye Zhenqing , Dong Haidong , Li Ying , Huang Haojie , Liang Han , Kocher Jean-Pierre A. , Wang Liguo
Published: January 2017

Interferons and defensins are antimicrobial peptides that can also induce anti-tumor immunity. By analyzing the copy number profiles of 10,759 patients across 31 cancer types, we found the homozygous deletions of interferon and defensin genes are prevailing in most human cancers, and that patients with these homozygous deletions exhibited significant reduced overall survival or disease-free survival. We further demonstrated that the homozygous deletion of interferon and defensin genes significantly impacted the expression of genes regulated by tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and IFNγ. Our findings suggested a novel immune escape mechanism that disrupts the tumor cells’ ability to be recognized, and have implications for personalized immunotherapy.
Atom interaction propensities of oxygenated chemical functions in crystal packings
Authors: Jelsch Christian , Bibila Mayaya Bisseyou Yvon
Published: January 2017

The crystal contacts of several families of hydrocarbon compounds substituted with one or several types of oxygenated chemical groups were analyzed statistically using the Hirshfeld surface methodology. The propensity of contacts to occur between two chemical types is described with the contact enrichment descriptor. The systematic large enrichment ratios of some interactions like the O—H...O hydrogen bonds suggests that these contacts are a driving force in the crystal packing formation. The same statement holds for the weaker C—H...O hydrogen bonds in ethers, esters and ketones, in the absence of polar H atoms. The over-represented contacts in crystals of oxygenated hydrocarbons are generally of two types: electrostatic attractions (hydrogen bonds) and hydrophobic interactions. While Cl...O interactions are generally avoided, in a minority of chloro-oxygenated hydrocarbons, significant halogen bonding does occur. General tendencies can often be derived for many contact types, but outlier compounds are instructive as they display peculiar or rare features. The methodology also allows the detection of outliers which can be structures with errors. For instance, a significant number of hydroxylated molecules displaying over-represented non-favorable oxygen–oxygen contacts turned out to have wrongly oriented hydroxyl groups. Beyond crystal packings with a single molecule in the asymmetric unit, the behavior of water in monohydrate compounds and of crystals withZ′ = 2 (dimers) are also investigated. It was found in several cases that, in the presence of several oxygenated chemical groups, cross-interactions between different chemical groups (e.g.water/alcohols; alcohols/phenols) are often favored in the crystal packings. While some trends in accordance with common chemical principles are retrieved, some unexpected results can however appear. For example, in crystals of alcohol–phenol compounds, the strong O—H...O hydrogen bonds between two phenol groups turn out to be extremely rare, while cross contacts between phenols and alcohols have enriched occurrences.
Crystal structure ofcatena-poly[[bis(acetato-κO)copper(II)]-bis[μ-4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenol]-κ2N3:O;κ2O:N3]
Authors: Poyraz Mehmet , Sarı Musa
Published: January 2017

In the title compound, [Cu(CH3COO)2(C9H8N2O)2]n, the CuIIion resides on a centre of inversion, displaying a tetragonally distorted octahedral coordination environment defined by two pairs of N and O atoms of symmetry-related 4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenol ligands and the O atoms of two symmetry-related acetate ligands. The bridging mode of the 4-(1H-imidazol-1-yl)phenol ligands is associated with a very long Cu...O interactions involving the phenol O atom of the heterocyclic ligand, which creates chains extending parallel to [100]. In the crystal, the chains are arranged in a distorted hexagonal rod packing and are linkedviaC—H...O hydrogen bonds and by π–π stacking interactions involving centrosymmetrically related pairs of imidazole and phenol rings.
2,2′-[(1E,1′E)-1,2-Phenylenebis(azanylylidene)bis(methanylylidene)]bis(4-bromophenol)
Authors: Dekar Souad , Bendia Sabrina , Ouari Kamel
Published: January 2017

In the title compound, C20H14Br2N2O2, there are two intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bonds forming S(6) ring motifs. The outer benzene rings are inclined to the central benzene ring by 39.09 (11) and 24.31 (11)°, and to one another by 37.12 (11)°. In the crystal, molecules are linked by a short Br...O contact [3.1307 (19) Å], forming zigzag chains propagating along the a-axis direction. The chains are linked by weak offset π–π interactions [intercentroid distance = 3.716 (1) Å], forming layers parallel to the ac plane.
Hollowing out national agreements in the NHS? The case of “Improving Working Lives” under a “Turnaround” plan
Authors: Roper Ian , Etherington David , Lewis Suzan
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider the resilience of a national-level initiative (Improving Working Lives (IWL)) in the face of local-level initiative (Turnaround) in an NHS hospital and compare to Bach and Kessler’s (2012) model of public service employment relations.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study research consisting of 23 in-depth semi-structured interviews from a range of participants.

Findings

The principles behind IWL were almost entirely sacrificed in order to meet the financial objectives of Turnaround. This indicates the primacy of localised upstream performance management initiatives over the national-level downstream employee relations initiatives that form the basis of the NHS’ claim to model employer aspiration.

Research limitations/implications

The case study was conducted between 2007 and 2009. While the case study falls under previous government regime, the dualised system of national-level agreements combined with localised performance management – and the continued existence of both Turnaround and IWL – makes the results relevant at the time of writing.

Originality/value

Some studies (e.g. Skinner et al., 2004) indicated a perception that IWL was not trusted by NHS staff. The present study offers reasons as to why this may be the case.
The relationship between management’s commitment and effective safety and health committees in Malaysia
Authors: Farouk Ummu Kolsome
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the relationship between management’s commitment and effective occupational safety and health committees (OSHCs), which are a form of representative employee involvement in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from a survey of 231 manufacturing companies in Malaysia, the study empirically examines both passive and active management commitment and its relationships with the perceived effectiveness of OSHCs.

Findings

Respondents to the survey, who were members of OSHCs, felt that both passive and active management commitments had significant, positive relationships with OSHCs’ perceived effectiveness, with active management commitment having a stronger relationship with the dependent variable – the effectiveness of OSHCs. All three variables were perceived to be at the medium level, with active management commitment recording the lowest mean value.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited by the fact that it is cross-sectional. However, this allows its findings to be placed in the context of past research, underpinned by Malaysia’s manufacturing sector and legislative framework.

Practical implications

This paper provides suggestions for how the perceived effectiveness of OSHCs can be improved in the Malaysian context.

Originality/value

This study conceptualises management’s commitment in terms of passive and active commitment, given the context of the current legislative framework, and it addresses the relationships between both types of management commitment and the effectiveness of OSHCs, in the heretofore-unexamined Malaysian manufacturing context.
Manager mindsets and employee organizational citizenship behaviours
Authors: Özduran Ali , Tanova Cem
Published: January 2017

Purpose

This study aims to investigate how hotel managers with incremental mindsets influence the organisational citizenship behaviours (OCBs) of their subordinates through the process of coaching.

Design/methodology/approach

Surveys were collected from managers and employees of 12 five star hotels operating in Northern Cyprus. A sample of 176 employees and 40 managers from 40 departments responded to the survey. As the employees are nested in the departments, a multilevel analysis using hierarchical linear modelling was utilised.

Findings

Effects of higher incremental mindsets of managers on the OCBs of their subordinates are mediated by the coaching behaviour of the managers. Effective coaching serves as a mechanism through which the incremental mindsets lead to higher levels of employee OCBs.

Practical implications

A growth mindset-oriented organisational culture should be formed in hospitality organisations with shared beliefs that employee abilities are malleable and can be developed. Hotels should not only seek managers who have experience and knowledge, but should also strive to attract managers with incremental mindsets.

Originality/value

The study contributes to social exchange theory, the mindset and OCB literature by demonstrating how OCBs can be improved by management with higher incremental mindset through effective coaching using a multi-level model. The findings reveal that incremental mindset managers are more likely to demonstrate effective coaching which, in turn, leads to higher levels of OCBs in their team members.
QSR brand value
Authors: Harrington Robert J. , Ottenbacher Michael C. , Fauser Simon
Published: January 2017

Purpose

This study aims to examine the quick service restaurant (QSR) differentiation in the minds of consumers, customers and non-customers and addresses the use of absolute measures. The study integrated competitive context and customer vs non-customer perceptions to better understand marketing strategies and the impact on customer value.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework is provided with marketing strategy, 7Ps, value positioning and outcomes. A survey instrument to assess perceptions of QSR marketing mix dimensions and leading QSR brands as referents was used. The study used exploratory factor analysis, ANOVA and logistic regression to address research questions.

Findings

The five QSR brands were differentiated by three marketing mix dimensions: quality, convenience and price. Subway and Starbucks customers perceived higher quality than McDonald’s and Burger King. Price separated Starbucks and McDonald’s customers. Overall, QSR customers perceived higher quality and convenience than non-customers. Age group was a predictor of customer membership of QSR overall and McDonald’s.

Research limitations/implications

The study used participants in Germany and had more respondents identified as McDonald’s customers or referent.

Practical implications

The quality bundle represents unique resources for each QSR brand. Management teams should use a holistic mindset in considering the quality bundle reputation and how the various attributes support each other.

Originality/value

Consumers look to three factors for QSR rather than 7Ps: quality, convenience and price. Relative comparisons of perceptions among brands and between customers vs non-customers provided important contributions for QSR marketing mix factors.
Competencies of hotel general managers: a conceptual framework
Authors: Bharwani Sonia , Talib Parvaiz
Published: January 2017

Purpose

It is crucial for hospitality organisations to develop sustainable leadership by regularly re-evaluating the competencies and skills required by their senior managers and leaders. In the context of this strategic talent management imperative, this paper aims to identify and map competencies required for the pivotal position of a hotel general manager to develop a holistic and relevant leadership competency framework.

Design/methodology/approach

Through secondary research, this study undertakes a detailed literature review of competency and leadership studies in the context of the hospitality industry to distil the essential competencies and skills required by a general manager.

Findings

This study proposes a leadership competency model for hospitality organisations in the form of a 43-item competency framework for hotel general managers categorised into four broad dimensions – cognitive competencies (knowledge), functional competencies (skills), social competencies (attitudes and behaviours) and meta competencies (motives and traits).

Practical implications

The proposed competency model, once empirically tested for robustness, could serve as a blueprint for hospitality organisations to develop their own organisation-specific competency framework for senior leadership that could prove to be a keystone for integrated talent management practices. Further, educationists and trainers could use the findings of this study as inputs in designing curricula and pedagogical interventions to meet the industry’s future needs and expectations with regards to competencies of senior managers.

Originality/value

By aggregating competencies from earlier studies and synthesising and categorising them in accordance with a contemporary, hospitality industry-relevant typology, a comprehensive competency model specific for hotel general managers has been proposed.
Hospitality and tourism education research from 2005 to 2014
Authors: Hsu Cathy H.C. , Xiao Honggen , Chen Nan
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to synthesize and evaluate research on hospitality and tourism education in the past ten years (2005-2014) and to suggest directions for future inquiries.

Design/methodology/approach

From 13 hospitality and tourism journals, 644 full-length articles were reviewed. A multi-stage process was used to code and analyze each article by two analysts independently to ensure objectivity and accuracy. Two more researchers were involved in discussion to resolve differences in coding.

Findings

The analysis resulted in five distinctive meta-themes, grounded within 30 sub-themes. Observations are made in terms of teaching and learning, student development, curricula and programs, education environment and faculty development. Areas requiring further scholarly attention under each theme were identified.

Research limitations/implications

This review provides an important reflection of the scholarly activities over the past decade on hospitality and tourism education, summarizes the current knowledge on various relevant concepts and offers avenues for future education research.

Practical implications

This review provides a one-stop information source for education and industry practitioners engaged in human capital, professional and executive development practices.

Originality/value

Operating under the dynamic industry and changing higher education environment, it is timely to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of recent education research to assess whether these activities address the challenges faced.
Assessing the impact of pubs on community cohesion and wellbeing in the English countryside
Authors: Cabras Ignazio , Mount Matthew P.
Published: January 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to explore and examine how public houses or pubs function as facilitators and developers of community cohesion and social interactions in rural areas of England.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use data and information about facilities and services available for 284 rural parishes in two different points in time (2000 and 2010) to elaborate an index measurement of community cohesion. The index, created upon a range of discrete variables capturing multiple aspects of community living, is then investigated by using structural equation models to assess the impact of pubs in shaping the levels of community cohesion in the English countryside.

Findings

Findings gathered from the analysis identify a strong positive relationship between the presence of pubs and higher levels of community cohesion index occurring within the examined parishes, indicating that this relationship is maintained in time regardless of size of the parish, although different impacts are found in the two time points considered.

Research limitations/implications

As the study is based on a longitudinal examination, it can stimulate research on themes and issues regarding the impact of third places on community cohesion and social capital in rural and remote communities, increasing the amount of information and data available. For instance, due to the nature of information considered, the study could not explore the effects on rural communities’ wellbeing associated with different types of pubs’ ownership and management.

Practical implications

These results provide a valuable and original contribution to the literature related to the measurement of community cohesion and wellbeing with regard to third places such as small businesses and local retailers, whose significant functions of fostering social aggregation and communal initiatives at a local level are frequently neglected.

Social implications

Findings from this study provide a valuable opportunity for policymakers and local administrators to evaluate policies and actions in support of their communities. In particular, findings provide an original piece of information about the social value of community pubs particularly in small and peripheral areas of England.

Originality/value

The paper provides new and original information about the importance of pubs and third places in general in fostering and developing community cohesion and wellbeing at a local level. Given the significant paucity of empirical studies in the field, the paper represents a valuable contribution to knowledge with particular regard to the methodology applied as well as the potential implications of its findings.
An updated comprehensive review of website evaluation studies in hospitality and tourism
Authors: Sun Sunny , Fong Davis Ka Chio , Law Rob , He Shan
Published: January 2017

Purpose

This study aims to review published articles on website evaluation in hospitality and tourism for the period of 2000-2015 to provide a comprehensive updated review, as well as to offer implications for academic researchers and industry practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

Content analysis was adopted by this study to review retrieved articles on website evaluation in hospitality and tourism. Articles were then analyzed from consumers’ perspective, suppliers’ perspective, and both consumers and suppliers’ perspectives using a systematic approach.

Findings

Major findings of this study showed that a majority of articles focused on either hospitality or tourism. Moreover, most of the articles generally discussed user interface, marketing effectiveness and website quality. However, these articles did not discuss in detail the implications of website evaluation and ignore the connections between suppliers and consumers to some extent.

Research limitations/implications

This study can be used as a reference for academic researchers to extend previous frameworks and for industry practitioners to reconstruct the traditional organizational chart and implementing e-strategic management strategies, including m-marketing.

Originality/value

This study updates website evaluation development in hospitality and tourism in the new millennium. The findings of this study provide significant implications for hospitality and tourism researchers and practitioners to encourage supplier-consumer engagement.
Measuring health literate discharge practices
Authors: Innis Jennifer , Barnsley Jan , Berta Whitney , Daniel Imtiaz
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Health literate discharge practices meet patient and family health literacy needs in preparation for care transitions from hospital to home. The purpose of this paper is to measure health literate discharge practices in Ontario hospitals using a new organizational survey questionnaire tool and to perform psychometric testing of this new survey.

Design/methodology/approach

This survey was administered to hospitals in Ontario, Canada. Exploratory factor analysis and reliability testing were performed.

Findings

The participation rate of hospitals was 46 percent. Exploratory factor analysis demonstrated that there were five factors. The survey, and each of the five factors, had moderate to high levels of reliability.

Research limitations/implications

There is a need to expand the focus of further research to examine the experiences of patients and families. Repeating this study with a larger sample would facilitate further survey development.

Practical implications

Measuring health literate discharge practices with an organizational survey will help hospital managers to understand their performance and will help direct quality improvement efforts to improve patient care at hospital discharge and to decrease hospital readmission.

Originality/value

There has been little research into how patients are discharged from hospital. This study is the first to use an organizational survey tool to measure health literate discharge practices.
The impact of sustainable manufacturing practices on sustainability performance
Authors: Abdul-Rashid Salwa Hanim , Sakundarini Novita , Raja Ghazilla Raja Ariffin , Thurasamy Ramayah
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Sustainable manufacturing practices are one of the significant environmental initiatives taken by manufacturing industries to preserve the environment and improve the quality of human life while performing manufacturing activities. The emergence of the value creation concept, economic value no longer counts as a single factor for measuring manufacturing performance. Within the sustainability context, the impact of manufacturing activities on the environmental and social aspects should be taken into account as the basis for assessing manufacturing performance, which is called sustainability performance. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship of sustainable manufacturing practices with sustainability performance, which considers the environmental, economic and social aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey is carried out among 443 ISO 14001 certified manufacturing companies in Malaysia. Structural equation modelling is used to evaluate the relationship of sustainable manufacturing practices with sustainability performance.

Findings

The findings of this study indicate that manufacturing process is the manufacturing stage that gives the most impact on the improvement of sustainability performance. Hence, it is concluded that manufacturing companies in Malaysia are highly focussed on the production bound when implementing sustainable manufacturing practices.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study indicates a good estimation of the proposed model, additional variables might be added to improve the prediction strength of the proposed model such as considering type of industries, economic scale or ownership. Adding the comparison of sustainable manufacturing practices between different countries also a valuable research to investigated.

Practical implications

The framework proposed here can also assist manufacturing industries to conduct sustainability assessments by providing elements of sustainability performance and can serve as a guideline to select appropriate sustainable manufacturing practices and to what level the practices need to be improved to leverage companies’ sustainability performance.

Originality/value

The framework proposed here can also assist manufacturing industries to conduct sustainability assessments by providing elements of sustainability performance and can serve as a guideline to select appropriate sustainable manufacturing practices and to what level the practices need to be improved to leverage companies’ sustainability performance.
Servitization: revisiting the state-of-the-art and research priorities
Authors: Baines Tim , Ziaee Bigdeli Ali , Bustinza Oscar F. , Shi Victor Guang , Baldwin James , Ridgway Keith
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consolidate the servitization knowledge base from an organizational change perspective, identifying developed, developing and undeveloped topics to provide a platform that directs future research.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper addresses three objectives: it comprehensively examines organizational change management literature for selection of a theoretical framework; it classifies extant studies within the framework through a systemic literature review; and it analyses 232 selected papers and proposes a research agenda.

Findings

Analysis suggests increasing global awareness of the importance of services to manufacturers. However, some topics, especially related to servitization transformation, remain undeveloped.

Research limitations/implications

Although the authors tried to include all publications relevant to servitization, some might not have been captured. Evaluation and interpretation relied on the research team and subsequent research workshops.

Practical implications

One of the most significant challenges for practitioners of servitization is how to transform a manufacturing organization to exploit the opportunity. This paper consolidates literature regarding servitization, identifying progress concerning key research topics and contributing a platform for future research. The goal is to inform research to result eventually in a roadmap for practitioners seeking to servitize.

Originality/value

Although extant reviews of servitization identify themes that are examined well, they struggle to identify unanswered questions. This paper addresses this gap by focusing on servitization as a process of organizational change.
Linking QFD and the manufacturing network strategy
Authors: Scherrer Maike , Deflorin Patricia
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to integrate the manufacturing site and network perspectives for the purposes of strategy fulfilment, which has rarely been jointly discussed. By doing this, the site and network perspectives are broken into their constituents and linked to one another.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides qualitative research; it conducts a comprehensive literature review and merges the results with the concept of the quality function deployment to link the relevant dimensions. The developed framework is discussed based on a single case study.

Findings

The proposed framework relates the network and site perspectives in different dimensions, which range from the strategic dimension to the network and site dimensions. The paper, furthermore, offers the groundwork of developing relationship maps of the site and network capabilities, network configuration and coordination, and the structural and infrastructural dimensions.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contains a single case study and lacks foundation with a broader data set.

Practical implications

The results support the decision-making process of the manufacturing network managers who assess, design, and develop their manufacturing networks and attempt to gain transparency by using different levels of analysis.

Originality/value

The paper is the first attempt to show how the different network and site capabilities contribute to strategy fulfilment, to link the configuration and coordination dimensions of the manufacturing network level, and to link the structural and infrastructural dimensions on the site level. Thus, the authors add to multilevel research in operations management because the authors provide a combined framework for the network- and site-level analysis.
Performance measurement maturity in a national set of universities
Authors: Alach Zhivan
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Performance measurement in higher education has attracted substantial attention, often focussing on the applicability and value of performance measurement concepts to the sector. The purpose of this paper is to use components of a seven-element maturity model to examine the development of performance measurement maturity in New Zealand universities in the period 2008-2013.

Design/methodology/approach

Documentary analysis was the primary approach. A total of 48 annual reports were examined. The focus was the statement of service performance, but all surrounding material was also examined. Each annual report was subjected to a range of quantitative and semi-quantitative analyses.

Findings

Universities have shown strengths in aligning measures to strategic direction, the quality of commentary, and improvement in the use of outcomes frameworks. More variable results have been seen in the breadth and quality of measures, and most importantly, in the use of performance information to guide institutional decision-making. This lack of evolution is likely to be linked to the particular accountability relationships surrounding the universities, which while part of the public sector are semi-autonomous. It is also likely to be linked to academic organisational culture.

Originality/value

There have been few examinations of the use of performance measurement by universities, with most studies focussing less on operational practice than on broader theoretical issues. This study provides useful information about the actual use of performance measurement.
Spring is coming: WTA and tennis in China
Authors: Xu Chengli , Tian Jing , Liu Cong , Wang Yan
Published: January 2017

Purpose

With the rapid economic development, China has been increasingly paying special attention to its sports and health industries. In October 2014, the State Council raised the goal to upscale the sports industry to the net worth of 5 trillion yuan by 2025. To gain further insights into the current development of tennis in China, especially the development of Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tennis competitions, an interview with the director of Wuhan Opening Fabrice Chouquet and Mr Guoqing Yi of Wuahan Sport Investment Inc. was conducted. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

To gain further insights into the current development of tennis in China, especially the development of WTA tennis competitions, an interview with the director of Wuhan Opening Fabrice Chouquet and Mr Guoqing Yi of Wuahan Sport Investment Inc. was conducted.

Findings

The interview comprised a series of topics including motivators of tennis industries in China, the strategic position of China for WTA development, WTA choice of hosting city, effects of WTA competition events toward the hosting city, and the operation of WTA tennis competitions. Integrating the aforementioned topics with Wuhan Tennis Open, the interviewees also provided suggestions toward the future development of tennis industry in China.

Research limitations/implications

This study has several limitations that are of concern to researchers in the future. First, the interviewees of this research came from Wuhan Tennis Open. Though Mr Fabrice used to be the managing director of WTA in Asia, he only knows about women tennis in China, and his viewpoints have their own limitation. Therefore, the interviewee in the future has to be the person who could hold the opinion on tennis development in China at the macro scale. Second, the questions in the interview have a wide scale, but lack depth and penetration. For instance, the interview only relates to the motive of tennis development but does not go deeply into the relation between the above two aspects. Moreover, it mentions the problems related to the tennis development. It only concentrates on the tennis tournaments but does not discuss the tennis culture and the industry. These questions need to be considered when the authors research on the development of tennis in China in the future.

Originality/value

Through the analysis on WTA and tennis in China, the authors can understand the development of sports in China and the Chinese sports industry in recent years.
Emerging role of for-profit social enterprises at the base of the pyramid: the case of Selco
Authors: Goyal Sandeep , Sergi Bruno S. , Kapoor Amit
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze and understand the business logic of the for-profit social enterprises targeting the basic needs of the base of the pyramid (BoP) segment. A case study of an organization offering clean energy solutions to the BoP segment has been used to illustrate the socio-economic business model of the for-profit social enterprises, which can serve the underserved needs of the BoP segment using an inclusive approach.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyses Selco, a social enterprise offering energy solutions to the low-income population in rural India. The qualitative case-based research involves the secondary data inputs from the online sources and primary data inputs from the field interviews with the different stakeholders at Selco.

Findings

The research findings recommend the following strategic choices for the social enterprises – focus on segmentation; field-based experimentation, innovation and prototyping; local skill-building and engagement; hybrid organizational setup; systemic behavior change orientation; customized value offerings; last-mile delivery and support; and collaboration with non-traditional stakeholders.

Practical implications

The lessons learnt through the analysis of Selco provide tools and strategies to enable the social enterprises to better understand their business model and make informed decisions resulting in the effective social interventions while remaining sustainable. The paper offers an actionable framework for creating an inclusive formal market ecosystem that is sustainable, scalable and socially relevant.

Originality/value

This study is an original contribution to the field of social entrepreneurship. It undertakes a field study of the social enterprise delivering inclusive energy solutions to the BoP segment in India. The study of Selco brings out the learnings regarding the key strategic actions, which can lead to sustainable business models for targeting the BoP segment in developing countries like India
The open source guild: creating more sustainable enterprise?
Authors: Larner Justin , Cheverst Keith , MacDonald Matthew , Hoile Cefn , Soutar Angus
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on an action research project with two emergent micro-businesses that explored how their business model connected with the principles of open source.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors first gained initial qualitative data to establish the core values of each micro-business, which the authors then explored in the context of open source and business models in two design workshops with each organisation.

Findings

The authors developed the open source guild business model, which has the elements of: building a focal micro-business with resources secured through the guild, promoting learning and development through apprenticeship, promoting shared values through a commons of experience and capturing value by protecting key intellectual property.

Research limitations/implications

This research was undertaken with two emergent micro-businesses in the North West of England. Further research will be needed to establish the wider applicability of the open source guild model.

Practical implications

The open source guild model can be a mechanism for an emergent micro-business to create a community around their values and grow their business without conventional external investment of resources.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature on business models based on open source and how these models can be sustainable in terms of the quadruple bottom line, which extends the triple bottom line to include personal values and meaning.
Workplace bullying complaints: lessons for “good HR practice”
Authors: Catley Bevan , Blackwood Kate , Forsyth Darryl , Tappin David , Bentley Tim
Published: January 2017

Purpose

Current research provides an incomplete picture of the challenges facing human resource personnel (HRP) tasked with managing a workplace bullying complaint. The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic model of the complaint management process in order to advance the theorising of HRP’s role in this important process, and the challenges they face in undertaking it.

Design/methodology/approach

Cases of workplace bullying heard before the legal system were analysed – a novel data source in research on workplace bullying. Thematic analysis was undertaken on the case determinations to identify the challenges HRP faced that prevented the resolution of the complaint.

Findings

The analysis indicated two key phases in the complaints management process with five associated challenges. The first two challenges were related to HRP’s ability to assess the substance of the complaint. HRP’s ability or inability to “sort out” conflicting accounts and to follow the process saw the complaint follow one of three “resolution pathways”. Three further challenges were associated with HRP communicating the outcome to the complainant. Failure to overcome these challenges left the complainant aggrieved at the unfairness in which their complaint had been handled – triggering legal action.

Originality/value

This paper draws on a novel data source to provide a holistic model of the complaint management process related to workplace bullying which details the various components and challenges related to HRP throughout the process. Alongside advancing theory, this research has practical value for improving HR practice.
Initial study of transdermal oxybutynin for treating hyperhidrosis
Authors: Millán‐Cayetano José Francisco , del Boz Javier , Toledo‐Pastrana Tomas , Nieto‐Guindo Miriam , García‐Montero Pablo , de Troya‐Martín Magdalena
Published: January 2017

Oral oxybutynin for treating hyperhidrosis is effective and safe. Its side‐effects are mild but frequent so we consider whether transdermal oxybutynin (considered to have a better side‐effect profile) could be an alternative for treating hyperhidrosis. During 2015, a prospective study was conducted. Epidemiological variables, effectiveness (using the Hyperhidrosis Disease Severity Scale) and tolerance to transdermal oxybutynin were compiled concerning two different groups (patients previously treated or untreated with oral oxybutynin), at baseline, and at 3 and 12 months. Seven previously treated and six previously untreated patients were included. Five patients in the first group discontinued the treatment within 3 months. Of the two remaining patients, one reported ineffectiveness and the other obtained an excellent response but discontinued due to local irritation. Among the untreated patients, two showed no response and four experienced improvement (three with “partial response” and one with “excellent response”). All patients discontinued treatment within 12 months. No major adverse effects were observed. The absence of active metabolites after transdermal oxybutynin could result in less effectiveness than oral oxybutynin, although it is usually well tolerated. In conclusion, transdermal oxybutynin could have low effectiveness for the treatment of hyperhidrosis in patients following intolerance to oral oxybutynin but could provide good results in patients who have never tried systemic drugs.
Climatic effects on population declines of a rare wetland species and the role of spatial and temporal isolation as barriers to hybridization
Authors: Rohde Katja , Hau Yvonne , Kranz Nicole , Weinberger Jasmin , Elle Ortwin , Hochkirch Axel
Published: January 2017

Climate change and climatic extremes may affect species directly or indirectly. While direct climatic effects have been intensively studied, indirect effects, such as increasing hybridization risk, are poorly understood.

The goal of our study was to analyse the impact of climate on population dynamics of a rare habitat specialist, Chorthippus montanus, as well as the fine‐scale spatial overlap with a sympatric habitat generalist, Chorthippus parallelus and the dispersion of hybrids. We were particularly interested in the role of spatiotemporal overlap on heterospecific encounter frequencies.

We conducted high‐precision mark‐recapture studies on two sites over 7 years and genotyped 702 individuals of two C. montanus generations to detect hybrids. We tested the performance of three programs (structure, newhybrids and adegenet) and accepted only hybrids detected by the two best performing programs. We then tested for correlations between yearly population trends and climatic variables. Furthermore, we analysed the spatial dispersion of both taxa and the hybrids to calculate variation in spatial and temporal overlap and infer heterospecific encounter probabilities.

Our results revealed that droughts during the egg phase and rainy weather during nymphal development were strongly correlated with population declines in the habitat specialist. The highest hybridization rate (19·6%) was found in the population with lowest population size. The combined effects of spatial and temporal niche overlap decreased heterospecific encounter probabilities to 4·2–7·6% compared to 20–28% and 11–19% calculated alone from phenology or spatial overlap respectively. Hybrids were detected in areas of higher heterospecific encounter probability, mainly at the edge of the specialists’ occupied habitat in areas with intermediate soil moisture conditions compared to the parental species.

This illustrates that the combination of spatial and temporal segregation provides an effective barrier to hybridization. However, the high hybridization rate in one of the populations suggests that this function may decrease with decreasing population size. This supports the hypothesis that climatic extremes threaten rare species directly by reducing reproductive success and may indirectly increase hybridization risk.

A lay summary is available for this article.
Environmental Kuznets Curve with Adjusted Net Savings as a Trade‐Off Between Environment and Development
Authors: Neve Martin , Hamaide Bertrand
Published: January 2017

The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesises that emissions first increase at low stages of development then decrease once a certain threshold has been reached. The EKC concept is usually used with per capita Gross Domestic Product as the explanatory variable. As others, we find mixed evidence, at best, of such a pattern for CO2 emissions with respect to per capita GDP. We also show that the share of manufacture in GDP and governance/institutions play a significant role in the CO2 emissions–income relationship. As GDP presents shortcomings in representing income, development in a broad perspective or human well‐being, it is then replaced by the World Bank's Adjusted Net Savings (ANS, also known as Genuine Savings). Using the ANS as an explanatory variable, we show that the EKC is generally empirically supported for CO2 emissions. We also show that human capital and natural capital are the main drivers of the downward sloping part of the EKC.
Operationalizing Deep Structural Sustainability in Business: Longitudinal Immersion as Extensive Engaged Scholarship
Authors: Wells Peter , Nieuwenhuis Paul
Published: January 2017

This paper offers an innovative perspective on engaged scholarship as multiple, cumulative interactions between academia and external organizations in the business and policy realms. A definition of longitudinal immersion is positioned relative to the extant literature on academic engagement as a dialectic relationship between academic research and the praxis of business and society. Using a case study of a specific academic theoretical concept, we seek to demonstrate how over a period of some 25 years the ideas and practice of deep structural sustainability have co‐evolved through a process of reflexivity. Drawing from critical management studies and design science we give a different perspective on the processes and mechanisms of engagement and the question of the nature of impact. Notwithstanding the challenges thus presented to researchers in nurturing the ability for informed creativity, it is concluded that future opportunities for engagement and impact may be captured by a longer‐term, value‐driven and less episodic approach to the entire research process.