bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PEGASUS: designing a system for supporting group activity
Authors: Kyprianidou Maria , Demetriadis Stavros , Pombortsis Andreas , Karatasios George
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the design and first results of the integration of a web‐based system person‐centred group‐activity support system (PEGASUS) in university instruction, as a means for advancing person‐centred learning by supporting group activity. The PEGASUS is expected to help students and teachers in two distinct objectives: enhancing metacognition (students and teachers are supported to identify their learning and teaching preferences, which in turn is used as a framework for reflection), and group formation (the system suggests homogeneous or heterogeneous workgroups, supporting also teacher‐students negotiations of the final group synthesis).

Design/methodology/approach

First, a theoretical framework is built to reflect the process of transforming the principles for learner‐centred learning into a pedagogical model which becomes the basis for defining the PEGASUS specifications. Then, qualitative field evidence is provided from the initial integration of the system into the teaching process to support students' group activity.

Findings

From the pilot testing of PEGASUS it is evident that learning style‐based group formation might not be acceptable to all students in the typical classroom setting where students already know each other. The early implementation data indicate that not every student might accept the theory‐based grouping suggestions of the instructor.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to qualitative and preliminary results from undergraduate as well as postgraduate students.

Practical implications

Systems like PEGASUS can initiate fruitful discussions among students and teachers on the role of learning styles in learning. However, group activity is a complex socio‐cognitive phenomenon that cannot be approached simply on the basis of students' learning styles. Still, such a system can help identify how students' learning styles can be of significance under certain conditions.

Originality/value

The paper describes the development of a web‐based system for personalised learning and system integration in everyday teaching.
Relations between epistemological beliefs and culture classifications
Authors: Sulimma Maren
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Epistemological beliefs, defined as individuals' beliefs about the nature of knowledge and the process of knowing, are assumed to serve an important function in regulating the application of individuals' learning behaviour. Previous research has mainly been shaped by the framework of results of white, well‐educated people from North America. More empirical work is needed to examine epistemological beliefs in a cross‐cultural context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibility of using cultural classifications to indicate the development of epistemological beliefs in different countries.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross‐cultural pilot‐study is carried out in Germany and Australia with a total of 103 participants. A German and English version of the Schraw et al.'s epistemic beliefs inventory, based on Schommer's model, is employed for the study. The cultural comparison between Germany and Australia is carried out by using Hofstede and Hofstede's cultural classification.

Findings

The cultural comparison between both countries leads to the hypothesis that the development of the epistemological beliefs is different. Although factor analysis indicates the same three dimensions of epistemological beliefs for both countries (structure, source, and control), the development for each dimension is different.

Practical implications

It might be possible to indicate epistemological beliefs in various countries due to cultural classification.

Originality/value

The paper provides a new perspective of epistemological beliefs within cross‐cultural research and might lay the path for cross‐field research projects.
Factors influencing intention to use personal health records
Authors: Whetstone Melinda , Goldsmith Ronald
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The USA is striving to educate consumers and to promote awareness of personal health records (PHRs) with the launch of the American Health Information Management Association's “It's HI time, America!” campaign. Although the health management industry favours their use, there is little research from the consumer perspective. The purpose of this paper is to examine factors that bear on consumers' intention to create and to use a PHR.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 542 US college students were surveyed with an online questionnaire asking about several factors associated with intent to create a PHR.

Findings

The results showed that being innovative with regard to healthcare, confidence in the privacy and security of the records, and especially perceived usefulness of PHRs were positively associated with intent to create a PHR. Gender, age, presence of a chronic illness, and awareness of PHRs were largely unassociated.

Research limitations/implications

The primary limitation of this study is the use of a convenience sample of college students for data. A secondary limitation lies in constructs omitted from the model, e.g. the technology acceptance model's “ease of use” component.

Practical implications

This study did not consider the effect that social communication or word of mouth will have on the spread of PHRs.

Originality/value

These results contribute to the effort to understand and to promote consumer acceptance of PHRs. Stressing PHR usefulness might enhance their promotion.
Generalized pattern in competition among tourism destinations
Authors: Dawes John , Romaniuk Jenni , Mansfield Annabel
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine competition between tourism destination brands in terms of how they share travelers with each other.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzes survey data from four international markets (USA, UK, Japan and Singapore). The study examines the cross‐purchasing of travel destinations. It applies an established empirical generalization, the duplication of purchase law (DPL) to frame hypotheses and contextualize results.

Findings

The overall results are consistent with the DPL. Destination brands share tourists with other destinations generally in‐line with the popularity of the competing destination. However, there are very noticeable market partitions, most of which take two forms: destinations that are either geographically close to each other, or close to the point of origin. Destination brands in these partitions share travelers far more than they would be expected to, given their respective size.

Practical implications

Tourism marketers need to appreciate the broad nature of competition. A specific destination brand competes with many other travel destinations, sharing customers more with other broadly popular destinations and less with less popular destinations.

Originality/value

The analytical approach presented in this study provides a straightforward benchmark for assessing the expected level of competition between particular tourist destinations, given their respective overall popularity.
China's renewable energy development
Authors: Wang Zhongying , Li Junfeng
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find some feasible measures to solve the problems faced in China's renewable energy development and promote the industrial development of China's renewable energy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper summarises the status and studies the problems of China's renewable energy industrial development, and then puts forward some proposals for the industrial development.

Findings

The paper finds that most of China's renewable energy technology is still in the transitional period from research and development to industrial production, and that the renewable energy industrial development needs the establishment of a series of technical experiments and demonstration projects to analyze and investigate the resources, the conversion and market development experience, and then form complete sets of equipment design and manufacturing, cultivation and collection of biomass resources and technology development capabilities, and that regulations should be established to provide a solid foundation for the large‐scale development of China's renewable energy. As a result, some development measures are suggested in the paper.

Originality/value

The paper raises the problems faced in China's renewable energy development, and gives some feasible development measures for the industrial development of China's renewable energy.
Applying best‐worst scaling to wine marketing
Authors: Cohen Eli
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Most marketing researchers use rating scales to understand consumer preferences. These have a range of problems, which can be greatly ameliorated by the use of a new technique, best‐worst scaling (BWS). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the BWS method by an empirical example, which demonstrates the steps to design and analyze a BW study.

Design/methodology/approach

A brief critique of ratings and rankings is presented. Then the basic concept of BWS is described, followed by how to use the BW method to explore how Australian and Israeli consumers choose wine in a retail store. The paper demonstrates the design of the questionnaire as well as the steps to analyze and present the results.

Findings

The BWS approach can be easily implemented for research in wine business especially for multicultural comparisons as it avoids scale confounds. After transformation of the best and worst scores of each respondent for each attribute, the data can be analyzed directly using various statistical methods and can be expressed as choice probabilities.

Research limitations/implications

The advantage of BWS is its ability to compare attributes using B−W and B/W scores. The BW method provides a better discrimination of the attributes analyzed.

Practical implications

The simplicity of the analysis and graphical presentation makes a significant contribution to practitioners as the B−W counts and probabilities of attributes are easy to obtain and understand.

Originality/value

This paper presents BWS method in a form that researchers and practitioners can use and adopt for research and market surveys. The paper presents an empirical example using BWS method to determine the importance of wine cues while consumers are choosing wine in a retail store.
The Entente in World War I: a case study in strategy formulation in an alliance
Authors: Grattan Robert
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to stimulate thought on the management of business alliances by considering the mismanagement of relationships between the allies, particularly France and Great Britain, in World War I.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is not intended to be a work of history, although such works are used extensively, but, given the limitations of such a paper, an exhaustive analysis of the events in World War I is infeasible. Errors in selection of data are the responsibility of the paper's author.

Findings

The war did not develop as expected and the physical stalemate on the Western Front proved intractable to the routine thinking of the generals. The war involved the total economy of the nations involved in a way never before encountered and the steps the politicians had to take to gear up their nations brought them into conflict with the military. Although the nations opposing the Central Powers were allied, there was no single strategy, rather a series of national initiatives that were barely co‐ordinated with their partners. Unity of military command was achieved in the final months of the war and led to a greater effectiveness of the Entente armies. Firms that ally themselves need to overcome this tendency to concentrate on their own operations and be prepared to appoint an “alliance manager” with the power to make the partners work effectively as a team. The absence of clear thinking in strategy formulation and effective joint command in 1914‐1918 resulted in a Pyrrhic victory and terrible casualties and vast expenditure. Firms cannot afford such a “victory”.

Practical implications

The case is a warning to those forming business alliances that their aims must be harmonised with those of their partners, that the strategy is for the benefit of all partners, and some “sovereignty” must be sacrificed in the wider interests o the alliance.

Originality/value

This approach aims to cast an unusual perspective on alliances from which the value of existing theory is reinforced.
“Ye shall know them by their fruits”
Authors: Tackney Charles T.
Published: April 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to report the continental European jurisprudence origins and Roman Catholic social teaching parallels of post‐World War II Japanese industrial relations practices. It focuses on the modes of social relation in the Japanese legal employment ecology of the post‐World War II enterprise and is designed to aid understanding of Japanese management theory and practice. An additional purpose of the paper is to facilitate development of evaluative criteria for authentic adoption of Japanese management practices to other national settings.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach used is an analysis of Japanese sources using industrial relations theory to explore the “working rules” governing post‐World War II Japanese employment relations. This method, grounded in a source‐comparative method, results in the derivation of comparative employment ecology models of the USA, German, and Japanese enterprise. Against this background, the potential evangelization of the American workplace is discussed in reference to Roman Catholic social teaching.

Findings

Success in deploying Japanese management modes of production is contingent upon adaptive appropriation of their modes of social relations within the enterprise. Insofar as the latter derive from and/or reflect continental European jurisprudence and Roman Catholic social teaching, their deployment in other nations – such as the USA – becomes, first, easier to comprehend in principle (not being subject to Japanese concepts), and, second, a potentially potent form of workplace evangelization reflecting continental European industrial relations norms.

Originality/value

Authentic deployment of the Japanese management employment ecology is a form of “evangelization” of the US workplace. Furthermore, it asserts that this constitutes a potential evangelization toward continental European sensibility regarding employment rules, closely related to Roman Catholic social teaching.
Optimal tariffs of preferential trade agreements and the tariff complementarity effect
Authors: Saggi Kamal , Murat Yildiz Halis
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and contrast the welfare effects of free trade agreements (FTAs) and customs unions (CUs) on member and non‐member countries when tariffs of both members and non‐members are endogenously determined. It also aims to provide sufficient conditions under which both types of preferential trade agreement (PTA) are likely to lower tariffs on non‐members relative to that under most favored nation (MFN).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a three country Cournot oligopoly model of trade with segmented markets.

Findings

It is shown that under symmetry CU members enjoy higher welfare relative to that under an FTA or MFN. Furthermore, the non‐member country gains from the formation of a PTA so long as the PTA's external tariff falls below a certain threshold. However, for FTA members to necessarily gain, their external tariff needs to be greater than this threshold but smaller than twice their MFN tariffs. Outside this tariff range, welfare effects of FTAs are ambiguous in the absence of further assumptions. The paper also isolates sufficient conditions under which a PTA member is less likely to impose a positive tariff on the non‐member relative to that under MFN.

Originality/value

Unlike existing literature, we do no assume demand linearity to obtain our main welfare results and use this assumption only for illustrative purposes. Another contribution of the paper is to provide sufficient conditions under which a PTA member is less likely to impose a positive tariff on the non‐member relative to that under MFN.
Intermediation in corruption markets
Authors: Bose Gautam , Gangopadhyay Shubhashis
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Consider a government benefit that is earmarked for a group of people “deserving” the benefit. Corruption happens when undeserving candidates obtain the benefit with the help of corrupt officials. Often, such corrupt activities are mediated by professional touts who act as intermediaries between the undeserving candidates and the corrupt officials. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the equilibrium in such an intermediated market.

Design/methodology/approach

A queuing model was theoretically analyzed where candidates wait in line to obtain the benefit. Undeserving candidates can also obtain the service – in exchange for a bribe – if they happen to wait at a counter with a corrupt clerk. The intermediary collects information to find out which clerks are corrupt, and charges a fee to direct candidates to an honest or corrupt clerk, as the candidate may choose.

Findings

In a market with a single intermediary we show that, under fairly general conditions: the intermediary is active; both deserving and undeserving candidates use the service of the intermediary; welfare in an economy with an intermediary is lower than that in an economy without intermediaries; and under some conditions, an optimal response to corruption is to reduce the number of officials dispensing the benefit.

Originality/value

This paper provides a framework within which intermediated markets for corruption can be analysed. The framework is easy to adapt and can accommodate social costs other than waiting costs. The conclusion suggests more complex scenarios that may be analysed using the approach in this model.
Grower heterogeneity and the gains from contract farming
Authors: Ramaswami Bharat , Singh Birthal Pratap , Joshi P.K.
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer an empirical analysis of contract farming (CF) for poultry in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh in India.

Design/methodology/approach

Through a probit equation, the factors that matter to their participation in contracting are evaluated. The estimation of income gains is considered within a treatment effects model. The risk benefits from contracting are estimated by simulating the variability of returns if the contract farmers were to be independent growers.

Findings

This paper shows that the poultry integrators in Andhra Pradesh are able to appropriate almost the entire efficiency gains from contracting. Yet, the contract growers are better off with the contract. This outcome is because of grower heterogeneity and the way it is employed in the selection of contract growers. The paper also finds that contract growers do gain substantially in terms of risk reduction.

Research limitations/implications

The CF literature reminds us that these arrangements often fail because of opportunistic behavior. The poultry example shows that contracting is a useful institution when processor interests are closely aligned to that of the grower. This paper describes the circumstances under which this alignment is obtained.

Originality/value

First, it adds to the small and growing body of work that estimates the income gains to contract growers. Second and going beyond existing work on developing countries, this paper also addresses the risk benefits from contracting. Thirdly, this paper estimates the income gains from contracting to the processing firms.
Team learning, top management support and new product development success
Authors: Islam Zahidul , Doshi Jason A. , Mahtab Hanif , Ariffin Ahmad Zainal
Published: April 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the relationship between team learning, top management support (TMS) and new product development (NPD) success.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a quantitative research by nature. A questionnaire derived from previous studies and covered by 27 NPD projects in the high‐tech semiconductor industry in Malaysia. Stepwise regression was adopted to test hypothesis.

Findings

Out of the four independent variables, knowledge acquisition and information interpretation were found to have a signification relationship with NPD success. The findings also confirmed that TMS is a moderator in the relationship between team learning and NPD success.

Research limitations/implications

The relationships investigated in this research deserve further investigation. Because the data analyzed were collected from the high‐tech semiconductor industry in Malaysia. More studies are required before general conclusion can be drawn.

Practical implications

It is reasonable to conclude, on these findings, that NPD can be successful in the high‐tech semiconductor industry with given emphasis on team learning and TMS.

Originality/value

The paper reinforces the body of knowledge relating to NPD in the high‐tech semiconductor industry.
New product development projects and project manager skill sets in the telecommunications industry
Authors: Kosaroglu Mustafa , Hunt Robert Alan
Published: April 2009

Purpose

This paper summarises a doctoral research study. The purpose is to provide a summary of the scope, literature review, main issues raised in the thesis, the application of case study research methodology, key research findings and potential areas for future research.

Design/methodology/approach

Research reported here is based on a case study methodology for a better understanding of new product development (NPD) projects in the Australian Telecommunications service provider (Telco) industry, and what makes their project managers successful. Theoretical conclusions from the literature review were tested using empirical data from one‐on‐one interview with experienced project management professionals and major stakeholders (i.e. unit of data collection). Sample projects (i.e. units of analysis) were analysed to gain a better understanding of Telco NPD projects and the skill sets required for their success.

Findings

A theoretical skill set framework of technical, leadership, managerial and administrative skills, has been proposed and summarised with clear definitions grounded in the recent management and leadership literature and with a rationale of how they contribute to project management success that this thesis fleshes out. This framework was empirically proven to define successful Telco NPD project managers.

Practical implications

The research study advances knowledge of projects and their practices in a specific Telco industry NPD context, and proposes a better description of successful project managers. Its results have important implications for hiring, developing and assigning project managers to projects in different phases. Generic project manager competency standards need to be complemented and adjusted in accord with the findings from this research.

Originality/value

This paper alerts academicians and practitioners to this research work on Telco industry NPD projects, and their project managers. It presents an up‐to‐date status of this industry, and requirements for project managers.
Information transmission between Islamic stock indices in South East Asia
Authors: Abdul Rahim Fahmi , Ahmad Noryati , Ahmad Ismail
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the transmission of information (at return and volatility level) as well as the correlation between Kuala Lumpur Syariah and Jakarta Islamic Indices.

Design/methodology/approach

The daily return from July 4, 2000 to December 29, 2006 was employed in the bivariate VAR GJR‐GARCH model.

Findings

The results indicate significant unidirectional return and volatility transmissions from Kuala Lumpur Syariah and the Jakarta Islamic Indices. There is no evidence of asymmetric effects in volatility for both markets. However, volatility is highly persistent and mean‐reverting in each market. The findings also revealed that there is low correlation between the two Islamic stock markets investigated.

Research limitations/implications

The data used in this study are limited to the Islamic stock markets located in South East Asia, concentrating more on the post‐economic crisis period analysis. Further research may be conducted using a different time period and frequency of data while utilizing more Islamic indices. In addition, future research may look at and compare the market interdependence of Islamic stock markets in different economic conditions such as the pre‐economic crisis period, during an economic crisis period or post‐economic crisis period.

Practical implications

Market participants such as investors and market analysts should include the Malaysian Islamic stock market in forecasting market price movement and the volatility of the Indonesian Islamic stock market. In addition, both the Kuala Lumpur Syariah and Jakarta Islamic Indices offer potential for diversification to investors who wish to create an Islamic portfolio investment. From the regulator point of view, this study highlighted the fact that the Jakarta Stock Exchange should consider the Malaysian Islamic stock market in setting its policy to control the volatility of the Indonesian Islamic stock market because the source of volatility in Indonesian market is not only from the market itself, but also from the Malaysian market. On the other hand, in controlling the volatility of the Islamic Malaysian market, Bursa Malaysia should only implement a policy related to the Malaysian market because the source of volatility only comes from the local markets. Finally, the policy makers in both markets do not need to implement long‐range measures to reduce the impact of volatility persistence in these markets.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to investigate information transmission and market interdependence between the Islamic stock markets in South East Asia.
Predicting intention to choose halal products using theory of reasoned action
Authors: Lada Suddin , Harvey Tanakinjal Geoffrey , Amin Hanudin
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Emphasis on the importance of halal products is now growing. It is fast becoming a new market force and brand identifier and is now moving into the mainstream market, affecting and changing perception on how business should be conducted, including from a marketing point of view. The purpose of this paper is to test the applicability of the theory of reasoned action (TRA) in predicting the intention to choose halal product among Malaysian consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses from consumers using a convenience sampling technique. A total of 485 responses were received. Needless to say, this study extends the applicability of the TRA to study halal product usage among consumers in Malaysia.

Findings

The findings indicated that the TRA is a valid model in the prediction of the intention to choose halal products. Attitude (β=0.288, p<0.001) and subjective norm (β=0.814, p<0.001) were found to be positively related to intention, with subjective norm being the more influential predictor. Subjective norm was also positively related to the attitude (β=0.336, p<0.001) to choose halal products.

Research limitations/implications

The study contains a limited number of measures in the model. Nevertheless, it provides new information on the emerging issue of halal products.

Practical implications

The results will be primarily beneficial to restaurants, fast food restaurants and small and medium enterprises in Malaysia by offering an insight into the intentions of consumers to choose halal products.

Originality/value

The paper extends the understanding of TRA to newly emerging contexts such as halal products usage intentions.
Hospitality, tourism and economic growth in India
Authors: Jauhari Vinnie
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to provide a backdrop to the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) theme issue on developments in hospitality and tourism in India and its contribution to economic growth.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper narrates the growth potential of tourism in India and provides a perspective on the conduct of a roundtable discussion about economic growth.

Findings

The paper discusses the potential that tourism holds for India and its economic growth. It also captures the essence of the roundtable which was conducted in 2008 to capture practitioners perspectives.

Originality/value

This paper relates the growth of hospitality and tourism in India to the country's overall economic growth. The paper provides academic and practitioner perspectives on some key issues.
Managing online distribution for tourism growth in India
Authors: Dutta Kirti , Manaktola Kamal
Published: April 2009

Purpose

With the growing use of the internet, online distribution is emerging a communication and distribution channel. This paper aims to explore the role of the internet as a tool for sustainable tourism in India, especially as deployed by a large segment of three star and four star hotels in India. It discusses the practices currently employed by the mid‐segment hotels for the distribution of their services and seeks to delineate how they can use this as a tool for working towards sustainable growth.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper discusses how selected hotels in the National Capital Region (Delhi) are deploying online distribution. Their web sites have been assessed to evaluate how they fare in a generic search on the three major search agents currently being used in India: Yahoo, MSN and Google. The web sites are assessed as to whether they are likely to attract and provide enough information to potential tourists. Discussions with practitioners from the industry have also been incorporated to give more conclusive insights into how they practice the online distribution of their services.

Findings

The paper points at elements which should be incorporated while designing the web sites so as to effectively distribute their inventory and make it easily accessible to tourists looking for accommodation. This will reduce the intermediaries involved and, as this is paperless transaction, result in sustainable low‐cost economic growth.

Research limitations/implications

The paper provides an insight into what consumers have access to when they search for hotels via different search engines and whether or not this information is sufficient to precipitate a decision when choosing a particular hotel. If this can be managed effectively, customers can go online for all their bookings. This would yield cost savings for the organization and the customer, and in so doing, contribute to sustainable growth.

Practical implications

These findings are relevant to academics and practitioners as they offer an insight into online distribution channel management and communications with potential customers.

Originality/value

Relatively few studies have been conducted in the field of online distribution in the hospitality industry. This paper aims to assist hospitality operators in framing strategies to use the internet as a tool for sustainable tourism.
The franchise partner selection process and implications for India
Authors: Vaishnav Tushar , Altinay Levent
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insights on the franchise partner recruitment process and decision‐making criteria used to select partners. It aims to investigate the process and parameters considered by franchisees in selecting potential international hotel organizations as partners. The success of such choices influences growth of the firms and consequently affecting industry and economy.

Design/methodology/approach

In‐depth semi‐structured interviews with owners, directors, vice presidents and mangers of the franchisee organizations were deployed.

Findings

Findings suggest that partner selection is a multidimensional activity involving several key stages. Indian franchisees use profitability, brand name, operations support as decision‐making criteria while selecting their partners.

Practical implications

Differences occur at various stages of partner selection. A proper understanding of partner selection dynamics and careful consideration of criteria's like culture, organizational values, pricing, experience, etc. would result in a better building of relationship.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the complexity of the process and the decision‐making criteria from a franchisee's perspective. From a practical perspective, it could be of value to future and existing international hotel chains using franchising as a mode of expansion.
Pre‐crisis period planning: lessons for hospitality and tourism
Authors: Malhotra Richa , Venkatesh Umashankar
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The aim of this exploratory paper is to highlight for hospitality and tourism, the importance of an effective contingency plan – in case the worst happens. The paper critically evaluates and suggests guidelines for preparing a crisis management plan in the pre‐crisis period. This could have a significant impact on the growth of the firm as well as the industry and economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the review of crisis management literature, key issues have been identified, lack of pre‐crisis planning has been witnessed and subsequently an existing model has been adapted to be used in generic format for preparing a contingency plan.

Findings

The paper analyzes various issues relating to readiness to address crises, different types and stages of crisis, the relative impact of these negative events on the hospitality and tourism industry, gaps found in the crisis management strategies and the lessons learnt from them.

Originality/value

This paper should prove useful to managers considering the development of a crisis management plan so that they are prepared for the unexpected in a strategic manner.
The hospitality and tourism industry in India: conclusions and solutions
Authors: Jauhari Vinnie
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The paper aims to present answers to the strategic question: what contribution will hospitality and tourism make in securing sustainable economic growth in India? It attempts to integrate the conclusions of the six articles contributed by industry experts to the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes (WHATT) issue on hospitality and tourism in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is to integrate the findings and recommendations from the six articles and to include the issues and suggestions that were made by practitioners and academics at the theme issue roundtable discussion.

Findings

While discussing the overall challenges to the hospitality and tourism in India, the practitioners suggested measures which if addressed, could stimulate economic growth not only in this industry but also for India's economy as a whole. The most significant factors affecting hospitality and tourism in India are: infrastructure management; government policy; workforce issues and education in hospitality and tourism; strategies for growth; crisis management; the management of destinations in India and the deployment of online techniques for marketing.

Originality/value

This paper provides a consolidated view from industry as well as academia and also makes suggestions that would help to develop the hospitality and tourism industry in India.
Innovation for growth in mature industries: Solvay's influenza business
Authors: Crijns Jeroen , Palache Bram , Vanhaverbeke Wim
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Major technological innovations are usually associated with central R&D facilities in large companies and leading edge technologies that are key to unlocking business opportunities in promising, embryonic markets. The purpose of this paper is to identify and analyze several factors that determine the success of a major process innovation in a mature but changing industry. The paper furthermore shows that the periphery of a company can be as innovative as headquarters and central R&D‐labs.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based upon an in depth case study of the “Business Group Influenza” (BGI) at Solvay, a multinational company in the chemical and pharmaceutical industry based in Brussels. BGI turned a mature business into a growth engine for the company through the development of a cell culture technology. Next, we identified 20 success factors of innovations based on extensive literature research. These factors can be placed in four main categories; strategic factors, market environment factors, development process factors, and organizational factors. In this paper, we apply these key drivers to the renewal of Solvay's influenza vaccine business.

Findings

It is found that a systematic analysis of the case using the 20 key drivers allows us to evaluate the management of this major innovation process. In this way, one can easily spot the drivers that need more attention or require another management approach. We also find that the management of attention of the top‐management is crucial in long‐term innovation projects.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study is twofold. On the one hand, the rejuvenation of Solvay's influenza vaccine business shows that changing markets conditions in combination with a breakthrough process technology can turn a cash cow into a growth business. On the other hand, the systematic analysis of key innovation drivers allows one to identify the strength and weaknesses in the management of a long‐term, breakthrough process innovation.
The impact of FDI on regional technological capabilities: evidence from China
Authors: Chen Yufen , Chen Jin
Published: April 2009

Purpose

Whether foreign direct investment (FDI) can promote technology progress in the host country, or not, has become an issue in recent decades. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of FDI on regional technological capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper first analyzes the spillover effects of FDI with reference to actual conditions in foreign‐funded enterprises in China, then uses correlation analysis and regression analysis to show the impact of FDI on technological capabilities. This paper compares the R&D expenditures in foreign‐funded enterprises and FDI origin countries between three typical regions – Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong – to show the influencing factors of spillovers.

Findings

The impact of FDI on regional technological capabilities is found to be weak; FDI has little use for enhancing indigenous innovation capability. The regions with higher technological capabilities will attract the higher quality of inward FDI, and the powerful technological capabilities and abundant human capitals in domestic enterprises are essential factors to stimulate the spillover effects of FDI.

Research limitations/implications

The arguments could be discussed more fully if an empirical model could be established to disclose the determinants of spillover effects. How to measure the spillover effects quantitatively is a key problem for future research.

Originality/value

This paper discloses the mutual relationship between domestic and foreign‐funded enterprises. The findings in this paper provide some insights for both the host countries and the foreign investors.
Gender and entrepreneurial capital: implications for firm performance
Authors: Shaw Eleanor , Marlow Susan , Lam Wing , Carter Sara
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the interplay between gender, entrepreneurial capital and firm performance. Using matched sample data, the paper considers how gender shapes the possession of entrepreneurial capital and discusses the implications of capital variance for business performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology was designed to collect data about the entrepreneurial capital of small firm owners and the performance of their firms. A sample of 30 matched pairs of business owners (30 male, 30 female) was created. Data were collected in two stages involving a telephone survey followed by face to face semi‐structured interviews.

Findings

The findings reveal an interplay between economic, human, social and symbolic capital and suggest that our understanding of the possession and impact of entrepreneurial capital on firm performance can be advanced by recognising the convertible nature of entrepreneurial capitals. The paper also draws attention to the impact which human capital, particularly age and experience, can have on the accumulation of entrepreneurial capital.

Research limitations/implications

The paper identified the value in exploring the convertibility of entrepreneurial capitals and the benefits of investigating all forms of capital.

Practical implications

The paper identifies gender as a critical influence and suggests that the relationship between gender and engagement in entrepreneurship should be more fully understood and addressed by policies designed to encourage and support business ownership.

Originality/value

The theoretical and methodological framework developed for this study lays the foundation for extending and developing literature on entrepreneurial capital and firm performance research.
Women business owners in the Middle East and North Africa: a five‐country research study
Authors: Weeks Julie R.
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer an account of women business owners in the Middle East and North Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

This five‐country research study included face‐to‐face interviews with women entrepreneurs in Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.

Findings

The findings revealed that the women surveyed were operating across a range of business sectors and, in some cases, with employment levels ahead of most women‐owned firms in Western Europe and North America. Most of the women surveyed were trading internationally and were growth‐oriented.

Practical implications

This research offers valuable practical insights for policy makers, women's business organizations and financial institutions.

Originality/value

The paper offers an unprecedented level of new detailed information about women business owners and their enterprises in the region.
Knowledge management and the performing arts industry
Authors: More Elizabeth , Carroll Shane , Foss Kay
Published: April 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline one innovative Australian initiative to harness creative, often intangible, knowledge, and reap the benefits of the intellectual capital of dance artists both during and post performing careers – the project Securing Career Opportunities and Professional Employment (SCOPE) which has been running for the last three years in conjunction with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

Design/methodology/approach

Unlike much of the work in the field of knowledge management that concentrates on individual organization knowledge management processes and practices, this paper takes an industry‐sector‐wide perspective, utilizing written, and oral data sources.

Findings

International focus on innovation, entrepreneurship, creativity and knowledge management has led to a growing recognition of the role of the creative industries for our post industrial economic well being. Dance plays a central role as a unique way of knowing and learning, with both intrinsic and instrumental value. Whilst there is diversity among dance artists, one unifying feature is short careers as performers. Having amassed an array of special attributes and competencies that are beneficial, it is crucial for artists to manage the knowledge gained through their training and careers in order to sustain and reap the benefits of their intellectual capital. The creative value of dance artists' capabilities can be a beacon in the link between creativity and economic outcomes. SCOPE is especially innovative as, unlike other programs, it moves beyond the notion of a transition program to emphasizing that of career development and sector knowledge management.

Originality/value

The research case study approach contributes to a fuller understanding of a very under researched area – first, that of management in the performing arts; and second, in knowledge management within an industry sector.
Does predation risk influence habitat use by northern redbelly dacePhoxinus eosat different spatial scales?
Authors: Dupuch A. , Magnan P. , Bertolo A. , Dill L. M. , Proulx M.
Published: April 2009

This study investigated the relationship between spatial variations in predation risk and abundance of northern redbelly dacePhoxinus eosat both macroscale (littoralv.pelagic zones) and microscale (structuredv.open water habitats in the littoral zone) of Canadian Shield lakes. Minnow traps were placed in both structured and open water habitats in the littoral zone of 13 Canadian Shield lakes, and estimates of the relative predation risk ofP. eosin both the pelagic and the littoral zones were obtained from tethering experiments. Results showed that (1) the mean abundance ofP. eosin the littoral zone was positively correlated with the relative predation risk in the pelagic zone, (2)P. eospreferentially used structured over open water habitats in the littoral zone and (3) this preference was not related to the relative predation risk in the littoral zone but decreased as the relative predation risk increased in the pelagic zone. At the lake level, these results support the hypothesis thatP. eosenter the littoral zone to avoid pelagic piscivores. At the littoral zone level, the results do not necessarily contradict the widely accepted view thatP. eospreferentially use structured over open habitats to reduce their predation risk, but suggest that flexibility in antipredator tactics (e.g.shelter usev.shoaling) could explain the spatial distribution ofP. eosbetween structured and open water habitats.
Pre‐winter lipid stores in young‐of‐year Atlantic salmon along a north–south gradient
Authors: Berg O. K. , Finstad A. G. , Solem Ø. , Ugedal O. , Forseth T. , Niemelä E. , Arnekleiv J. V. , Lohrmann A. , Næsje T. F.
Published: April 2009

The pre‐winter lipid stores of young‐of‐the‐year (YOY, age 0 year) Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were analysed along a north–south gradient from c. 71 to 58° N, with winter conditions ranging from >200 days of ice cover to no ice. The rivers sampled in Northern Norway represent some of the most northerly S. salar rivers. There was an increase in lipid content with increasing latitude, and mean lipid content (size adjusted to common mass) for YOY in northern rivers were almost three times higher: 0·035 g compared to 0·013 g in southern rivers. The relationship was not sensitive to variation in sampling time or variation in YOY body size. The lipid stores, however, varied markedly between rivers and also between neighbouring rivers, indicating different strategies or opportunities for pre‐winter lipid storage both at latitudinal and local scales.
Evaluation of a new semi‐natural incubation technique for Atlantic salmon Salmo salar fry
Authors: Bamberger A.
Published: April 2009

The incubation environment had a significant effect on fork length (LF) and body mass (M) of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar fry at the time of emergence. Fry that were incubated in a new incubator design, that mimics the conditions in a natural redd (the Bamberger‐Box), achieved significantly greater and attained a significantly higher M than those reared in conventional hatchery troughs for control. Fewer fry from the Bamberger‐Boxes had visible deformities compared with those from the hatchery troughs. Results were consistent for five consecutive seasons using both wild and domesticated broodstock from genetically different origins. Survival from the eyed embryo stage in the Bamberger‐Boxes and hatchery troughs was >93% during normal climatic conditions. Only larvae reared in Bamberger‐Boxes, however, survived abnormally high water temperatures during one test season. The results demonstrate that the Bamberger‐Box is an effective alternative to the conventional incubation technology.