bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge management in Islamic and conventional banks in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Cader Yoosuf , Kathleen O'Neill K. , Blooshi Ayesha Ali , Bakheet Al Shouq Amena Ali , Hussain Mohamed Fadaaq Barra , Galal Ali Farah
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into the extent that knowledge management (KM) is practiced by Islamic and conventional banks in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Design/methodology/approach

Following secondary research, structured in‐depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with CEOs, senior managers, and department heads of eight banks in the UAE.

Findings

Islamic banks in the UAE were found to be relatively more actively engaged in KM than conventional banks. However, both Islamic and conventional banks were found to be focused on knowledge capture, knowledge transfer, and knowledge sharing. Most of the banks in this study could be classified as being in the pre‐ or early implementation phase of KM. The study found scant knowledge‐based marketing taking place in either type of bank. None of the banks was found to have a dedicated knowledge champion (KM Officer). Similarly, none of the banks was identified as possessing a strong organization‐wide KM culture.

Research limitations/implications

Cultural norms concerning privacy limited willingness to participate and information sharing. Although the sample was small, it was deemed reliable, as participants not only understood the importance of research to the development of the UAE, a country very keen to participate in the knowledge‐based economy, but they also held key positions in their banks which allowed them full knowledge of the scope of KM implementation, utilization, and practice in their organizations and they agreed to full disclosure and transparency in their responses. The implication of this research is that best practice in KM can be implemented in banks in the UAE once KM gaps are identified.

Originality/value

The banking sector is an important element of the UAE economy. Successful and appropriate implementation of KM practices in UAE banks may buttress the Emirati economy, especially during the current banking crisis. The insight gained from the initial findings of this research can assist KM implementation, utilization, and practice in UAE banks, thereby aiding organizations' learning and the development of a knowledge culture in banks which, in turn, may lead to increased productivity and gains in competitive advantage, growth, and profit.
Marketing of Shari'ah‐based financial products and investments in India
Authors: Jamaluddin Nasiruddin
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Most conventional financial products currently on offer to Muslims in the Indian market are incompatible with Islamic religious principles; there is a recognized demand for alternatives within this niche community. India has the third largest Muslim population in the world – 155,477,386 in 2011. The purpose of this paper is to present the status of marketing activities of Shari'ah‐based investments and a comprehensive analysis of avenues for Islamic investments in India.

Design/methodology/approach

In India, Islamic investment is gathering pace as Muslims in the country are becoming more vocal in their demands for greater self expression. Hence, there is a great potential in India itself. Even if a small percentage of this population can be pressured to invest in the Islamic investments, the amount of money that can be brought into the system could be enormous.

Findings

The findings reveal the emergence of Islamic investment opportunities on Shari'ah‐based investments in India. This paper also provides suggestions for enhancement of Islamic investment opportunities in India.

Originality/value

With a sound economic base and with hundreds of companies complying with Shari'ah norms, India offers a huge opportunity for Islamic equity investment. If performance as a parameter is considered, it is observed that Shari'ah‐compliant investments, being low in debt and having sound fundamental principles, tend to perform better, hence large non‐Muslim investors should take the benefit of these socially responsible and above par performing Islamic investments.
2‐D finite‐element modeling of electrostatic sensor for tomography system
Authors: Tizhe Thuku Iliya , Fua'ad Rahmat Mohd , Abdul Wahab Norhaliza , Tajdari Teimour , Amuda Yusuf Abdulrahamam
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Circular pipelines are mostly used for pneumatic conveyance in industrial processes. For optimum and efficient production in industries that use a pipeline for conveyance, tomographic image of the transport particles is paramount. Sensing mechanism plays a vital role in process tomography. The purpose of this paper is to present a two‐dimensional (2‐D) model for sensing the characteristics of electrostatic sensors for electrical charge tomography system. The proposed model uses the finite‐element method.

Design/methodology/approach

The domain is discretized into discrete shapes, called finite elements, by using a MATLAB. Each of these elements is taken as image pixels, on which the electric charges carried by conveyed particles are transformed into equations. The charges' interaction and the sensors installed around the circumference, at the sensing zone of the conveying pipeline are related by the proposed model equations. A matrix compression technique was also introduced to solve the problem of unevenly sensing characteristics of the sensors due to elements' number's concentration. The model equations were used to simulate the modeled electrostatic charge distribution carried by the particles moving in the pipeline.

Findings

The simulated results show that the proposed sensors are highly sensitive to electrostatic charge at any position in the sensing zone, thereby making it a good candidate for tomographic image reconstruction.

Originality/value

Tomographic imaging using finite element method is found to be more accurate and reliable compared to linear and filtered back projection method.
New methodologies for precise building boundary extraction from LiDAR data and high resolution image
Authors: Li Hui , Zhong Cheng , Hu Xiaoguang , Xiao Long , Huang Xianfeng
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) offers a fast and effective way to acquire DSM and extract ground objects such as building, trees and so on. However, it is difficult to extract sharp and precise building boundary from LiDAR data, because its ground sample distance (GSD) is often worse than that of high resolution image. Recently, fusion of LiDAR and high resolution image becomes a promising approach to extract precise boundary. To find the correct and precise boundary, the aim of this paper is to present a series of novel algorithms to improve the quality.

Design/methodology/approach

To find the correct and precise boundary, this paper presents a series of novel algorithms to improve the quality. At first, a progressive algorithm is presented to register LiDAR data and images; second, a modified adaptive TIN algorithm is presented to filter ground point, where a region growth method is applied in the adaptive TIN algorithm; third, a novel criterion based on the density, connectivity and distribution of point cluster is developed to distinguish trees point; fourth, a novel method based on the height difference between neighbor points is employed to extract coarse boundaries; at last, a knowledge based rule is put forward to identify correct building boundary from parallel edges.

Findings

Thorough experiments, it is conducted that: the registration results are accurate and reliable; filtered ground points has good quality, without missing or redundancy; all tree clusters bigger than one grid are detected, and points of walls and edges are eliminated with the new criterion; detected edges exactly locate at real building boundaries, and statistics show the detection correctness is 98 percent, and the detection completeness is 95 percent.

Originality/value

All results prove that precise boundary can be extracted with fusion of LiDAR and high resolution image.
The impact of cloud computing on the future of academic library practices and services
Authors: Mavodza Judith
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues involved in navigating the modern information environment where the relevance of cloud computing is unavoidable. This is a way of shifting from the hardware and software demands of storing and organizing data, to information access concerns. That is because with the exponential growth in information sources and all accompanying complexities, the limited capacity of libraries to host their own in its entirety necessitates opting for alternatives in the cloud.

Design/methodology/approach

A review of current literature about the topic was performed

Findings

Literature used reveals that currently, libraries are using the cloud for putting together user resources, i.e. using Software as a Service (SaaS), such as in library catalogues, WorldCat, Googledocs, and the aggregated subject gateways like SUMMON, and others; the web Platform as a Service (PaaS) as in the use of GoogleApp Engine; or Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) as in the use of D‐Space, FEDORA, and others. The cloud is confirmed as a facilitator in storing and accessing information in addition to providing a unified web presence with reduced local storage capacity challenges.

Originality/value

The value of these findings is to remind librarians of the shift in focus towards which devices provide the easiest access to data and applications. This is one of the reasons they in many instances are currently having to address issues relating to the use of electronic media tools such as smartphones, iPad, e‐book readers, and other handheld devices. The largely borderless information resources also bring to the forefront considerations about digital rights management, fair use, information security, ownership and control of data, privacy, scholarly publishing, copyright guidance, and licensing that the librarian has to be knowledgeable about. It has become necessary for librarians who make use of commercial cloud services to be conversant with the implications on institutional data. To avert the ever present dangers and risks involving cyber‐security, it is usually practical for institutions to keep policies, procedures, fiscal, and personnel data in private clouds that have carefully crafted access permissions. Being aware of these implications enables thoughtful, adaptive planning strategies for the future of library practice and service.
State aid for innovation clusters in the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Varga Sinisa , Vujisic Dragan , Zdravkovic Marija
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine conditions for and initial results of granting state aid for innovation clusters in the Republic of Serbia.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on primary research data and secondary sources of scientific information. Due to interpretation of legal acts, a normative method was adopted.

Findings

There is a legal and institutional framework for granting state aid to innovation clusters in the Republic of Serbia. It is important because state aid distorts competition and may reduce economic growth if it is not controlled and moderate. Serbian state aid for innovation clusters is more than moderate so less than 1 per cent of Serbian businesses are joined within innovation clusters.

Research limitations/implications

The legality and effects of granted state aid are not explored. Requests for access to agreements signed with and reports submitted by beneficiaries remained unanswered.

Originality/value

Few studies examine the topics discussed in this paper; legal issues concerning government intervention's effect on the economy are often neglected. This paper explores legal regulations, procedures, and confinements of state aid for innovation clusters as a measure of economic policy.
Conducting public utilities in Serbia: providing and maintaining services in Kragujevac
Authors: Petrovic Milena
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the conditions and manner in which communal services are performed in Serbia. All public utility companies face significant issues such as unclear ownership, politicized management, insufficient funds for investment, and dominant market positions. These issues are cited as reasons why they are ineffective, chronically illiquid, insufficiently modernized, and unable to offer citizens satisfactory service quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is based on an analysis of current legislation, especially the Law on Communal Services and the Law on Public Enterprises, and on laws regulating the communal sector. Since this area is in transformation, proposals for new laws are discussed with strategies for restructuring public utility companies and with suggestions from experts on drafts of legislative solutions.

Findings

The article points out major issues related to inefficiency of public utility companies, and the reasons why citizens are provided with low‐quality services.

Research limitations/implications

There is a dearth of literature, especially critical literature, on this topic in Serbia. This paper fills this gap partially.

Practical implications

This paper has direct implications for improving performance of communal services in Serbia. Combining all other observations and suggestions, it should intrigue creators of new legislative solutions in this area.

Originality/value

This paper is based on a survey of existing legislation and legislation under review, representing a significant contribution to understanding the issues faced by the communal sector.
Public‐private community partnerships: an isodynamic model in water management
Authors: Sharma Sangeeta , Nayak Sabyasachi
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how, as a multiple‐stakeholder partnership, public‐private community partnerships emerge as a holistic solution to address issues of water management.

Design/methodology/approach

A pilot study was conducted to gain insight into the dimensions pertinent to implementing a public‐private community partnership water project in Rajasthan, India.

Findings

Public‐private community partnerships are effective in ensuring the availability and management of water at the grassroots level. The approach introduces isodynamics, incorporating sustainability, technology, innovation and accountability.

Research limitations/implications

Limited literature is available concerning water resource management incorporating a public‐private community partnership, making future research a must for further insights into this method of solving water issues.

Practical implications

The model proposed provides a framework that takes a broad view of public‐private community partnerships for wider replication in accord with local conditions to ensure water security for various stakeholders.

Originality/value

The model proposed is based on research that should be explored further to address the issue of water management holistically.
Cross‐sector collaboration: management decision and change model
Authors: Erakovich Rod , Anderson Trisha
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine critically private (for profit), public and not‐for‐profit sector management strategies with a focus to assess and enhance organizational capacity building through cross‐sector collaboration. This topic is considered from both a contemporary and an evolutionary perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on research from secondary sources.

Findings

This paper identifies barriers to collaboration and measures for effectively creating organizational change to build cross‐sector capacity.

Research limitations/implications

While considerable literature exists on organizational change, none includes the need for cross‐sector collaboration to increase management capability to move beyond current economic, social and market development capacity. This study addresses this gap.

Practical implications

The adoption of management practices to understand values across sectors will improve effectiveness of organizations across sectors. These recommendations will also facilitate economic development reform efforts of policy makers.

Originality/value

The paper, based on original research, makes a significant contribution to the ability to understand managing in a cross‐sector collaborative manner.
Business research in virtual worlds: possibilities and practicalities
Authors: MacKenzie Kim , Buckby Sherrena , Irvine Helen
Published: March 2013

Purpose

It is predicted that virtual business and related research possibilities will expand significantly. In this context, the aim of this paper is to use insights from a virtual research project to present a theoretically‐informed toolbox of practical suggestions to guide the conduct of virtual world business research.

Design/methodology/approach

Archival evidence is presented, and data from a study conducted in Second Life® in 2007 is interpreted through Llewellyn's framework (physical, structural, agential, cultural and mental dimensions).

Findings

With the burgeoning of virtual business applications, appropriate systems that encompass the dynamics of both the real and the virtual will need to be developed by and for accountants, auditors and business professionals. Researchers of virtual business activities will need to adapt to the physical, structural, agential, cultural and mental dimensions unique to virtual worlds.

Research limitations/implications

While based on reflections from a single study in Second Life, this paper identifies possibilities for future virtual research on issues of accountability and accounting relating to virtual worlds.

Practical implications

The practical toolbox will assist virtual researchers to deal with the possibilities and practicalities of conducting research in virtual worlds.

Originality/value

Despite the proliferation of virtual worlds, predictions of virtual business applications, and consequent accountability and accounting implications, there is a paucity of academic literature on conducting business research in virtual settings. This prescient paper develops a conceptual framework to guide the conduct of research in virtual worlds, and identifies the unique opportunities and challenges they present.
Sexuality and sexual symbolism as processes of gendered identity formation
Authors: Haynes Kathryn
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to critically evaluate sexuality and sexual symbolism within the organisational culture of an accounting firm to explore how it is implicated in processes of gendering identities of employees within the firm.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a reflexive autoethnographical approach, including short vignettes, to analyse the inter‐relationships between gender, sexuality and power.

Findings

By exploring the symbolic role of artefacts, images, language, behaviours and buildings in creating and maintaining gendered relations, male sexual cultures and female sexual countercultures, the paper finds that sexual symbolism in this accounting firm entwines gendered power and domination, practice and resistance, in complex cultural codes and behaviours. It draws out implications for organisations and accounting research.

Originality/value

The paper extends current conceptualisation of gendered constructs in accounting to include sexuality; applies organisational and feminist theory to autoethnographical experience in accounting; and contributes a seldom‐seen insight into the organisational symbolism and culture of a small accounting firm, rather than the oft‐seen focus on large firms.
Descriptive, instrumental and strategic approaches to corporate social responsibility
Authors: Boesso Giacomo , Kumar Kamalesh , Michelon Giovanna
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the descriptive, instrumental, and strategic approaches to corporate social responsibility (CSR) are related to corporate performance (CP) and to determine the nature of this relationship, if any.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected by KLD Research Analytics and Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), the study examines the association between companies' choice of approaches to the CSR and CSR‐CP relationship.

Findings

Results of this study indicate that each of the three approaches to CSR – descriptive, instrumental, and strategic – are associated with CP, but in different ways. While the instrumental approach to CSR has a positive association with short‐term measures of CP, the strategic approach is associated with short‐term and medium‐term measures of CP, and the descriptive approach has no definite association with CP at all.

Originality/value

This study integrates the prevailing justifications for CSR with the taxonomy of approaches to CSR – instrumental, descriptive and strategic – suggested in the literature. It has been argued that these frameworks influence managers' conception of what constitutes effective stakeholder management and make a difference in how decision makers in an organization think and act in crafting the company's social initiatives and in deciding what the company aims to achieve through these initiatives. By examining the association between companies' approaches to CSR and stakeholder management of the CSR‐CP relationship, the study offers another perspective of the ongoing debate in the social accounting literature about the accountability relationships between business and society.
Accounting ambiguity and structural change
Authors: Englund Hans , Gerdin Jonas , Abrahamsson Gun
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an emergent model showing the change potential inherent in the mirroring of time‐space bound metrics and numbers in management accounting (MA) and other cognitive frames.

Design/methodology/approach

An observation‐based qualitative field study of a change project in a large manufacturing company is used as the basis for the analysis.

Findings

The empirical study shows that as actors recurrently mirror time‐space bound metrics/numbers in MA and other cognitive frames, three forms of ambiguity may occur. Definitional ambiguities occur as actors' extant MA frame cannot fully account for the metric as such, while representational ambiguities occur as actors perceive uncertainties as to what a particular number stands for “in reality”. Operational ambiguities, finally, occur as actors perceive uncertainties as to how time‐space bound numbers can be “causally” explained. In the emergent model, the paper shows how these different forms of ambiguity constitute important sources of critical and collective reflection of, and subsequent change in, both metrics and MA and other cognitive frames.

Originality/value

Through identifying and elaborating on the change potential inherent in the interplay between cognitive frames and time‐space bound metrics and numbers, the study adds a partial, yet previously largely unexplored answer to the paradox of embedded agency in a MA context (i.e. how actors may change existing cognitive (MA) frames when their interpretations and actions are largely constrained and shaped by these very frames). Also, the study shows that it may not necessarily be the content of MA information per se that triggers critical reflection and structural MA change, but also the perceived ambiguities that such information use may engender.
Cost‐effectiveness of a quality improvement collaborative for obstetric and newborn care in Niger
Authors: Broughton Edward , Saley Zakari , Boucar Maina , Alagane Dondi , Hill Kathleen , Marafa Aicha , Asma Yaroh , Sani Karimou
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe a quality improvement collaborative conducted in 33 Nigerian facilities to improve maternal and newborn care outcomes by increasing compliance with high‐impact, evidence‐based care standards. Intervention costs and cost‐effectiveness were examined and costs to the Niger Health Ministry (MoH) were estimated if they were to scale‐up the intervention to additional sites.

Design/methodology/approach

Facility‐based maternal care outcomes and costs from pre‐quality improvement collaborative baseline monitoring data in participating facilities from January to May 2006 were compared with outcomes and costs from the same facilities from June 2008 to September 2008. Cost data were collected from project accounting records. The MoH costs were determined from interviews with clinic managers and quality improvement teams. Effectiveness data were obtained from facilities' records.

Findings

The average delivery‐cost decreased from $35 before to $28 after the collaborative. The USAID/HCI project's incremental cost was $2.43/delivery. The collaborative incremental cost‐effectiveness was $147/disability‐adjusted life year averted. If the MoH spread the intervention to other facilities, substantive cost‐savings and improved health outcomes can be predicted.

Practical implications

The intervention achieved significant positive health benefits for a low cost. The Niger MoH can expect approximately 50 per cent return on its investment if it implements the collaborative in new facilities. The improvement collaborative approach can improve health and save health care resources.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies known to examine collaborative quality improvement and economic efficiency in a developing country.
Large‐eddy simulation of a compressible free jet flow on unstructured elements
Authors: Tajallipour Nima , Kumar Vimal , Paraschivoiu Marius
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a large‐eddy simulation, using low order numerical discretization and upwinding schemes on unstructured grids, for a turbulent free jet at Mach number 0.95. The accuracy and stability performance is discussed for the finite element/volume upwinding numerical code used.

Design/methodology/approach

This code is equipped with a self‐adaptive upwinding method which has been previously developed to reduce the numerical dissipation of applied low order flux calculation on unstructured elements using Roe's scheme. Herein, this method is used to numerically investigate a high Reynolds, compressible turbulent free jet and compare the results with a recently published set of experimental data. The effect of grid size is also investigated. A reasonable good agreement with the experimental measurements is obtained.

Findings

Based on the results, it is concluded that the developed self‐adaptive upwinding scheme provides a considerably better emulation of the flow regime in comparison to the full‐upwinding scheme. Different case studies have been carried out to assess the performance of self‐adaptive upwinding method and the effect of the subgrid model.

Originality/value

This paper presents an original research on self‐adaptive upwinding scheme and the effect of the subgrid model on a compressible turbulent free jet.
Developing a decision model for brand naming using Delphi method and analytic hierarchy process
Authors: Hsu Pi‐Fang , Lin Fang‐Lei
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design a model for selecting brand names on the basis of the perceptions of enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the proposed model adopts the modified Delphi method to identify suitable criteria for evaluating a brand name. Next, the model applies the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to determine the relative weights of evaluation criteria, then ranks the alternatives and selects the brand name. Finally, the model adopts sensitivity analysis to examine how other evaluative criteria would change with any changes in the weightings of the evaluation criteria.

Findings

The analytical results indicated that enterprises rank criteria in terms of importance as follows: emotional appeal, linguistics appeal, marketing appeal and legal appeal. In addition, the example of a renowned Taiwanese beverage company is used to demonstrate the process of brand name selection based on this model.

Originality/value

The proposed model helps enterprises effectively select a brand name, making it highly applicable in academia and commerce.
Measuring shopping values of Malaysian retail consumers
Authors: Abdul Karim Jeannot , Kumar Mukesh , Abd Rahman Sofiah
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to verify the measurement scale of shopping values in the Malaysian context. Both hedonic as well as utilitarian shopping value measurement scales were tested for their reliability and validity. Further, a series of hypotheses was developed to test the differences in the shopping values across the market segments based on demographic characteristics of the consumers. Finally, the discriminant analysis was used to determine the relative importance of each variable measuring shopping value in discriminating between the groups of interest.

Design/methodology/approach

The scale developed by Babinet al.for measuring shopping values has been put on test with modifications on selected questions to fit the local content. A convenient sampling technique was used to obtain information on hedonic and utilitarian values on a seven‐point Likert scale from a sample of 200 consumers from major shopping centres in Klang Valley, the most developed region in Malaysia. Statistical tools such as Cronbach's Alpha test, confirmatory factor analysis and discriminant analysis were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings reveal that hedonic shopping value measurement scale is a reliable and valid scale to be used for Malaysian consumers. However, the same could not be ascertained on the utilitarian shopping value measurement scale. The results further reveal that there are significant differences in the shopping values across the groups of interest. The sense of joy and escape are the most important variables discriminating between the groups based on gender, age and marital status.

Originality/value

The research in the area of shopping motivation is very limited in Asian countries, including Malaysia. This study undertakes an empirical examination of consumer value that encompasses the entire consumer shopping experience associated with the context.
Further steps to define and deliver high quality care for care clusters: the mental health care clusters and pathways website
Authors: Clark Michael , Hilton Clare , Shiels Wendy , Green Carole , Walters Christina , Stead Miranda , Batty Karen , Smyth Ian , Flahive Joseph
Published: March 2013

Purpose

With care clusters an established framework for mental health services it is timely to consider how to use them to deliver high quality, evidence based care that is socially inclusive and recovery oriented. This paper aims to describe conceptual thinking about these issues, specifically in relation to the challenges and balances inherent in the care packages approach. It seeks to describe work to develop an internet based, high‐level description of such packages for each care cluster.

Design/methodology/approach

The background to the project is described, along with a discussion of the conceptual and practice issues behind the work.

Findings

With mental health care now trying to make sense of local services in terms of care clusters the authors offer a high‐level framework to help people in this sensemaking. Coherent, socially inclusive and recovery oriented packages are set out on the website.

Research limitations/implications

The work discussed in the article is highly innovative, being the first systematic attempt to provide evidence‐based, high‐level care packages for the care clusters model. Hence, a limitation is the challenge remaining to operationalise the work to real world care contexts.

Practical implications

The website sets out a framework to help local services and commissioners plan and organise their services, drawing on the best guidance and evidence and developing care packages on the basis of the right ethos of care.

Social implications

In moving to services fully commissioned and organised around the care clusters model, there remain major conceptual and practice challenges to address including operationalising evidence‐based care packages and means of flexibly delivering individual care.

Originality/value

This is the first view of socially inclusive packages for each of the care clusters that also draw together the best of guidance and standards of care.
Follow‐up study of an integrated weight management and fitness programme
Authors: Cormac Irene , Ferriter Michael , Buchan Sandra
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of 14 cohorts of patients recruited into an integrated weight management and fitness programme in a high secure psychiatric hospital.

Design/methodology/approach

Body measurements and fitness parameters were measured before commencement and after completion of the programme.

Findings

Of the 206 patients recruited for the first time to one of 14 programmes, 120 (58 per cent) patients completed their programme, of these 76/120 (63 per cent) lost weight with a mean weight loss of 1.3 kg (sd 3.7). Statistically significant improvements were recorded for hand strength (p<0.005), flexibility (p<0.0001), peak expiratory flow (p<0.0001) and aerobic capacity (p<0.0001). There were no significant changes in systolic blood pressure and resting heart rate, although there was a significant decrease in diastolic blood pressure (p<0.05).

Research limitations/implications

It was not possible to undertake an economic analysis. Motivation to lose weight was not assessed. Data were not available on the hours of staff time taken to deliver the programmes and whether patients were smokers or not.

Practical implications

These programmes complied with NICE guidance for weight management. This service evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of these specially designed weight management and fitness interventions for patients with complex mental health needs. They could be used in conditions of lesser security and in the community with patients with complex mental health needs.

Originality/value

This is a follow‐up study with significantly more data than presented in an earlier paper which reported on the results of only the first four programmes.
Lessons from the front line: working with offenders with learning disability and personality disorder in a high secure therapeutic community
Authors: Taylor Jon , Trout Sarah
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the experiences of nursing staff providing a residential treatment programme for high risk offenders with an intellectual disability and personality disorder.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper's approach is thematic analysis of focus groups, repeated measures EssenCES.

Findings

Nursing staff report increased insight into patients' risk factors, improved relationships with patients and enhanced team working.

Practical implications

This descriptive paper will be of interest to clinicians working with offenders with intellectual disability and personality disorder. Improvements in team functioning may be of interest to managers.

Originality/value

There are few published papers concerning treatment approaches with offenders with intellectual disability and personality disorder. This paper fills some of the gaps.
The contribution of volunteering and a wider asset based approach to active ageing and intergenerational solidarity in Europe
Authors: Robertson Guy
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline learning and good practice across Europe on the deployment of asset based approaches for promoting active ageing and intergenerational solidarity.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on a wide ranging review of good practice across Europe distilled from desktop analysis and two European roundtable sessions with key stakeholders.

Findings

The paper analyses the current level of volunteering by older people across Europe and the evidence for its benefits to the health and wellbeing of older people. It then goes on to provide analysis and good practice regarding area and individual based asset approaches, as well those relevant to addressing the social exclusion faced by people with dementia.

Practical implications

The analysis and good practice examples in the report provide resources for developing effective asset based approaches to promoting active ageing and intergenerational solidarity.

Originality/value

The review of European experience is particularly original. There has been little if any European review of asset based approaches to active ageing and intergenerational solidarity. Learning from practice elsewhere enables more confident initiatives to be taken up and developed.
The best things in life are free: community‐powered advocacy
Authors: Wightman Clare
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This is an opinion piece about exploring fresh approaches to advocacy for older and disabled people. The purpose of the paper is to suggest a new role for professional advocates. Professional advocacy help can be an important first step to a stronger life or it can be a revolving door. It makes all the difference when we've got people around us who can help us to get over problems, and not feel we're stuck on our own. But most users of services have no one whom they can turn to when things get tough for them. What if we designed advocacy services so they acted on the causes of demand for advocacy, rather than delivered a number of advocacy transactions?

Design/methodology/approach

This article uses the experiences of Grapevine in Coventry and draws on the findings of a project conducted with advocacy organisations in the Midlands and South East, many of whom felt that professional advocacy was not getting to the root of the problem.

Findings

Advocacy practice is about being a corrective to failures in other services and an intermediary between service users and providers. It can be very vulnerable at times to being seen as an “add‐on” of unproven value.

Practical implications

The article asks practitioners to consider the new role advocates might play in developing and connecting networks of local people for mutual help and support. This “community‐powered” advocacy could provide effective root cause help and protect the sector's legitimacy during unprecedented financial austerity.

Originality/value

The paper is of value to practitioners and commissioners of advocacy services.
The role of symbols signalling the product status on online users' information processing
Authors: Gurrea Raquel , Orús Carlos , Flavián Carlos
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of the presence and type of product symbol on online users' information search behaviour. Adopting an information processing perspective, it gathers objective and self‐reported measures and investigates the relationships between them.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment was conducted with a sample of 174 individuals. The presence of a symbol recommending the product or signalling its popularity within the website was manipulated. Participants' need for cognition was measured.

Findings

The presence of a product symbol positively influenced users' cognitive elaboration and perceptions of information diagnosticity. Significant differences of situational and individual characteristics, related to the type of symbol and the users' motivation to process information, were detected.

Research limitations/implications

Dual information processing theories represent an adequate framework to analyse the ways in which online users perceive and process product symbols, and how they incorporate them into their diagnosticity perceptions. The presence and type of product symbols operate through different mechanisms depending on the user's need for cognition. Web designers should consider displaying these cues in online product presentations, given their potential to improve the quality of consumers' thoughts and diagnosticity perceptions.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies which examines how product symbols affect online users' information processing and evaluations. The paper offers a complete view of online information search behaviour by gathering users' objective and self‐reported measures. In addition the paper stresses the importance of contextual variables related to the messages and individual's characteristics.
Exploring the effect of the human brand on consumers' decision quality in online shopping
Authors: Wook Chae Seong , Chang Lee Kun
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how employing human brands affects consumers' decision quality in an online shopping environment by analysing visual attention using an eye‐tracking technique.

Design/methodology/approach

The experimental design used to examine the effect of human brands in an online shopping environment was a two‐factor repeated measure with two levels for each factor. The first factor of the design was a within‐factor measure of the product type, and the second was a between‐factor measure of the level of perceived decision quality. For this experiment 38 healthy participants were recruited at a university in South Korea.

Findings

First employing human brands in an online shop influences consumers' perceived decision quality. Second the results support a significant difference in perceived product trust between the two perceived decision quality levels. Finally the product type influences consumers' perceived trust towards the product.

Research limitations/implications

This research has the limitations of a relatively small sample size and the use of a sample of university students, which may not be representative of the general population. Future researchers could utilise experiments to analyse the message area of the screen for detailed product descriptions and include various samples, which could result in additional insights and generalised experimental results.

Practical implications

Employing human brands can improve consumers' decision making processes and enhance the quality of their decisions by reducing cognitive effort and appealing to consumers emotionally through heuristic choices. In addition it can increase trust towards products and, furthermore, lead consumers to think positively about the quality of the decisions they make. The paper suggests that companies apply human brands in online shops to improve consumers' decision quality and obtain competitive advantage.

Originality/value

One of this paper's contributions is employing a multi‐method approach, a self‐reported questionnaire and eye‐movement data, to gain a deeper understanding of the data when observing a complex phenomenon, as consumers themselves may not be aware of their reactions in such situations.
Factors affecting the intensity of emotional expressions in mobile communications
Authors: Kwon Ohbyung , Kim Choong‐Ryuhn , Kim Gimun
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The use of text‐based communications such as instant messaging or social media such as Twitter has been growing significantly as the use of mobile devices increases. Not only do people share information via mobile communication, there are significant implications for advertising and marketing. Due to display limitations, however, the message senders use various conventions in addition to the text‐based message to more clearly and richly express emotions. Since users use a range of expressions to convey these emotions, it would be very useful to verify the relationships between users' emotional expressions and receivers' perceptions of the expressions. The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated model to examine the relationship between emotional expressions and the emotional intensity of the receivers.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors formulated a series of research hypotheses and tested them using empirical survey data. The research model used is based on regression analysis with dummy variables for statistical analyses.

Findings

First, emotional intensity had a closer relationship to user acceptance than was expected. Second, the use of exclamation marks and emotional messages are far less acceptable in negative messages. Third, the high formalisation group has a more positive emotional intensity in their basic expression.

Originality/value

The authors successfully determined that emotional expressions significantly affect the message receivers' emotional intensity and hence acceptance of the message.
Performance monitoring system for a biomass gasifier
Authors: Sampson Mamphweli Ntshengedzeni , Leroy Meyer Edson
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this research is to build a low‐cost gas and temperature profiling system for data acquisition at a biomass gasifier.

Design/methodology/approach

A gas and temperature profiling system was developed from NDIR sensors, Pd/Ni sensor, a number of type K thermocouples and a data logger interfaced to a computer.

Findings

The results obtained using the system were in agreement with the results obtained using a gas chromatograph for gasses. The temperature recorded during the testing also followed the expected temperature of the gasifier used.

Research limitations/implications

The lifetime of the developed system depends on the lifetime of the sensors used. NDIR sensors have a lifetime of three years working on a continuous basis and the Pd/Ni sensor has a lifetime of ten years. Replacement of the Pd/Ni sensor after ten years is not a problem as the payback period of biomass gasifier systems is around eight to ten years.

Practical implications

The major implication for this research was that low‐cost gas and temperature measuring systems could be developed. These could be useful particularly for PhD students and other researchers who need to get onsite data on gas and temperature profiles at a gasifier system for a period of three years.

Social implications

Biomass gasifier technologies can be used to provide power in rural areas that are outside the national utility grid but endowed with biomass resources. The provision of electricity to these communities could solve social challenges such as exposure to smoke in open fire normally used by rural women for cooking. The developed data acquisition system is therefore necessary to conduct research on gasification.

Originality/value

The findings of this paper are of importance to researchers who need online data but do not have funding to purchase bulky and expensive equipment's for gas analysis at biomass gasifier systems.
In‐housing or out‐sourcing on‐site materials handling in housing?
Authors: Lindén Samuel , Josephson Per‐Erik
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discover whether on‐site materials handling should be performed in‐house or out‐sourced. This is done by studying visible and hidden costs related to materials handling and of the managers' awareness of these costs.

Design/methodology/approach

The data have been gathered through 15 interviews, a number of short discussions on construction sites, and direct observations on six occasions in four housing projects in Scandinavia.

Findings

Indirect and waste costs for materials handling on construction sites are unknown and are often underestimated during budgeting, planning, scheduling and organizing construction projects.

Practical implications

The short case‐studies indicate that the benefits of out‐sourcing on‐site materials handling outweigh the costs.

Originality/value

The solution for materials handling in practice studied in the paper is undergoing rapid development in Scandinavia.