bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Planning successful partnership in the process of outsourcing
Authors: Kavčič Klemen , Tavčar Mitja I.
Published: March 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to deal with the dynamic aspect of outsourcing – in the world of business, change is the only constant, nothing is permanent, which also holds true for the relationships in outsourcing. Thus, we should think about the consequences of the termination of such a relationship, which could be effected by both sides. This research is aimed at finding an answer to the question of what outsourcing can bring in the long run.

Design/methodology/approach

The research for this paper is based on the collection and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data.

Findings

The research results show that companies are ill‐prepared for the time when the cooperation between the outsourcing and insourcing company ends.

Originality/value

The initial research has proved that outsourcing can bring about increased short‐term, especially financial, gains. But at the same time, the cause of poor quality and difficulties can also be concealed, and the reputation and success of the company can be ruined. Problems may be revealed later and can exceed the short‐term benefits of outsourcing.
Growing spanning trees in plasmodium machines
Authors: Adamatzky Andrew
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the novel issues of executing graph optimization tasks on distributed simple growing biological systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The author utilizes biological and physical processes to implement non‐classical, and in principle more powerful, computing devices. The author experimentally verifies his previously discovered techniques on approximating spanning trees during single cell ontogeny. Plasmodium, a vegetative stage of slime moldPhysarum polycephalum, is used as experimental computing substrate to approximate spanning trees. Points of given data set are represented by positions of nutrient sources, then a plasmodium is placed on one of the data points. Plasmodium develops and span all sources of nutrients, connecting them by protoplasmic strands. The protoplasmic strands represent edges of the computed spanning tree.

Findings

Offers experimental implementation of plasmodium devices for approximation of spanning tree.

Practical implications

The techniques, discussed in the paper, can be used in design and development of soft bodied robotic devices, including gel‐based robots, reconfigurable massively robots, and hybrid wet‐hardware robots.

Originality/value

Discusses original ideas on growing spanning trees, and provide innovative experimental implementation.
Contextual leadership development: a South African perspective
Authors: Magner Colleen
Published: March 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to highlight the importance and impact of leadership education which is contextually relevant. It is based on a case study of an innovative learning programme, Nexus, at a leading business school in South Africa (Gordon Institute of Business Science). South African institutional leaders are under increasing pressure to take on a significant role in guiding the organization in a manner that is in tune with the political mandate of social transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

Nexus has been operating as a leadership development programme for five years, and various evaluation methods have been employed to assess the success and impact of the programme. This paper therefore has a multi‐phased approach which will look at the different stages of the programme's development, what methods were used, and how participants' perspectives have changed over time.

Findings

The evaluations show that Nexus contributes to an individual's leadership development, in particular, by understanding the broader issues affecting their organisations and society, how to work in diverse environments, and how to build trust across networks.

Originality/value

This paper highlights alternative, mainly out‐of‐classroom, learning methods which have been assessed in a specific case study over a period of four years. This case study has informed leadership development recommendations, which in turn hopes to influence the scope of leadership education in business school institutions.
Optimized pattern grading
Authors: Bye Elizabeth , LaBat Karen , McKinney Ellen , Kim Dong‐Eun
Published: March 2008

Purpose

To evaluate current apparel industry Misses grading practices in providing good fit and propose grading practices to improve fit.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants representing Misses sizes 6‐20 based on ASTM D 5585 were selected. The fit of garments from traditionally graded patterns was assessed. Garments were fit‐to‐shape on participants. Traditionally graded patterns were compared to fit‐to‐shape patterns using quantitative and qualitative visual analysis.

Findings

Current apparel industry grading practices do not provide good fit for consumers. The greatest variation between the traditionally graded patterns and the fit‐to‐shape patterns occurred between sizes 14 and 16. For size 16 and up, neck and armscye circumferences were too large and bust dart intakes were too small.

Research limitations/implications

This study was limited to a sheath dress in Misses sizes 6‐20. Future research should assess the fit of garments from traditionally graded patterns for other size ranges.

Practical implications

Multiple fit modes are needed in a range of more than five sizes. The fit model should be at the middle of a sizing group that does not range more than two sizes up or down.

Originality/value

There are few studies on apparel grading that test fit of actual garments on the body. The analysis documents the real growth of the body across the size range and suggests that changes in body measurements and shape determine the fit of a garment. These findings impact future research in apparel and the practices of apparel manufacturers.
Conspicuous consumption among middle age consumers: psychological and brand antecedents
Authors: Shukla Paurav
Published: March 2008

Purpose

This paper sets out to address the issue of conspicuous consumption among middle age consumers (40‐60), focusing on the psychological and brand antecedents, using the context of automobile buying behaviour. Existing literature does not clearly conceptualise psychological and brand antecedent and their effect on conspicuous consumption due to usage of inconsistent measurement techniques and being largely targeted at the youth segment.

Design/methodology/approach

Two scales of measurement (psychological antecedent scale, brand antecedent scale) were employed to measure the impact. The study involved a quantitative research methodology employing a structured questionnaire and quota sampling with a total sample of 302 within the region of the South‐East of the UK.

Findings

The findings suggest that psychological and brand antecedents are of crucial importance among middle‐aged consumers in influencing their conspicuous consumption.

Practical implications

Using the examples of present communication strategies adopted by conspicuous product marketers, the paper argues how they are missing an opportunity and provides them with a novel way to market their brands, focusing on how consumers associate themselves with these brands.

Originality/value

The paper is the first of its kind to explicitly investigate the impact of brand and psychological antecedents among middle‐aged consumers – one of the most significant segments for conspicuous marketers, yet so far understudied.
A new approach to analysing comovement in European equity markets
Authors: Bhar Ramaprasad , Hamori Shigeyuki
Published: March 2008

Purpose

To provide an alternative channel of investigation of comovement in four large European equity markets over a sample period of nearly 30 years.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts a two stage methodological approach. In the first instance, the interaction between the equity market and the industrial production in each of the countries is analysed in a hidden Markov framework. This helps extract the information on expansion and contraction of the economies over the three decades. In the second stage, the inference on probability of expansion and contraction of the economies is used to measure the level concordance between these probability series. This helps deduce the level of comovement between the equity markets.

Findings

Although the nature of interaction between the equity market and the industrial production in these countries are different, the overall comovement in the equity markets is well established.

Originality/value

The paper introduces a new style in the process of investigation with respect to comovement in different markets and illustrates that with an example of four large European markets.
The tail behavior of extreme stock returns in the Gulf emerging markets
Authors: Maghyereh Aktham I. , Al‐Zoubi Haitham A.
Published: March 2008

Purpose

In this paper, the aim is to investigate the tail behavior of daily stock returns for three emerging stock in the Gulf region (Bahrain, Oman, and Saudi Arabia) over the period 1998‐2005. In addition, the aim is also to test whether the distributions are similar across these markets.

Design/methodology/approach

Following McNeil and Frey, Wanger and Marsh, and Bystrom, extreme value theory (EVT) methods are utilized to examine the asymptotic distribution of the tail for daily returns in the Gulf region. As a first step and to obtain independent and identically distributed residuals series, the returns are prefiltered with an ordinary time‐series model, taking into account the observed Gulf return dynamics. Then, the “Peaks‐Over‐Threshold” (POT) model is applied to estimate the tails of the innovational distribution.

Findings

Not only is the heavy tail found to be a facial appearance in these markets, but also POT method of modelling extreme tail quantiles is more accurate than conventional methodologies (historical simulation and normal distribution models) in estimating the tail behavior of the Gulf markets returns. Across all return series, it is found that left and right tails behave very different across countries.

Research limitations/implications

The results show that risk models that are able to exploit tail behavior could lead to more accurate risk estimates. Thus, participants in the Gulf equity markets can rely on EVT‐based risk model when assessing their risks.

Originality/value

The paper extends previous studies in two aspects. First, it extends the classical unconditional extreme value approach by first filtering the data by using AR‐FIAPARCH model to capture some of the dependencies in the stock returns, and thereafter applying ordinary extreme value techniques. Second, it provides a broad analysis of return dynamics of the Gulf markets.
A conversation with Gary Hamel: it's time to reinvent management
Authors: Allio Robert J.
Published: March 2008

Purpose

Gary Hamel, world renowned strategic thinker, has adopted the controversial position that “Management is the single largest constraint on business performance.” S&L wanted to find out what he means by this provocative statement and how firms benefit from his ideas. this paper aims to investigate this

Design/methodology/approach

Strategy & Leadership interviewed Hamel, who recently published the controversial book The Future of Management, to ask him why he believes a new management model is urgently needed.

Findings

The paper finds that Hamel says that, “Management as we practice it today is just another old technology that needs to be reinvented.”

Practical implications

Hamel offers suggestions for leading management innovation and recruiting innovative leaders.

Originality/value

Hamel challenges managers to see that most firms are limited by their management model, which is characterized by bureaucratic processes and top‐down decision‐making, concentration of power at the top and deafness to contrary ideas.
How leaders can use powerful narratives as change catalysts
Authors: Denning Stephen
Published: March 2008

Purpose

Modern leaders need to encourage their organizations to thrive on innovation and embrace opportunities to do things differently. Based on the author's experience training executives, the paper aims to conclude that successful leaders inspire enthusiasm for change through communication that is fundamentally differently from the traditional, abstract approach.

Design/methodology/approach

Effective leaders communicate by first getting attention, then stimulating desire and only then reinforcing with reasons. The paper explains the surprising method that works best in practice.

Findings

The paper finds a surprisingly effective change management skill: learn to tell simple, attention getting stories that enable audiences to recognize and choose future possibilities that they have hitherto missed.

Practical implications

An ability to spark enthusiasm for change through the use of simple but powerful narratives becomes an essential competence for all leaders in the organization.

Originality/value

The paper reveals that the kinds of stories that are effective for leaders in stimulating desire for change are very different from what most people expect.
Academics as professionals or managers? A textual analysis of interview data
Authors: Chandler John
Published: March 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the themes of professionalism and managerialism in how academics in England talk about their work in universities today. The aim is to examine how academics represent their work and to identify what kind of identifications they make in the process. In doing so, it is hoped to shed some light on how academics can position themselves in relation to managerialism in the English academy, while also exploring the value of a particular methodological approach to doing so.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs Fairclough's approach to textual analysis in analysing extracts from interview data as part of a critical discourse analysis of the work of academics in universities in England at a particular time.

Findings

The paper suggests that individual academics in middle ranking positions do not identify in a straightforward way either with managerialism or professionalism. Instead they perform ambiguous, ambivalent, complex and fluid positionings of the self in relation to the themes of managerialism and professionalism.

Originality/value

The paper demonstrates that the use of Fairclough's approach to textual analysis can provide a rich picture of individual social positionings from relatively short extracts of interview data.
Understanding empowerment from an employee perspective
Authors: Greasley Kay , Bryman Alan , Dainty Andrew , Price Andrew , Naismith Nicola , Soetanto Robby
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to examine the various meanings of empowerment for employees from their own perspective, the psychological dimension of empowerment and whether employees want to be empowered.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to understand how employees feel about empowerment, it is necessary to ask them directly so that one can understand their perceptions. A qualitative approach is adopted, employing 45 semi‐structured, in‐depth interviews with employees. The aim of the interviews is to provide an insight into the meanings of empowerment for these employees.

Findings

The findings indicate that the employees do not recognise the term “empowerment” nor do they reference the term “power” in relation to themselves. However, they are able to relate to associated concepts, notably “personal responsibility” and “control over their work”. Empowerment for the employees was found to operate as a continuum, as the extent to which employees seek empowerment varies considerably. The innate feelings that employees have with regard to empowerment enable an insightful understanding of what empowerment means and the employee response to it.

Research limitations/implications

This study is based on employees from one particular industrial sector. The research would benefit from exploration in alternative sectors.

Originality/value

The study examines the various meanings of empowerment for employees from their own perspective. Furthermore, it explores whether employees want to be empowered.
Navigating toward team success
Authors: Jenewein Wolfgang , Morhart Felicitas
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline a set of principles which enable companies and managers to effectively handle people as a resource and allow them to turn teams into high performance teams.

Design/methodology/approach

The Alinghi sailing team's approach to establishing and managing a high performance team was explored by means of an ethnographic case study. The development, organization and leadership principles of the team were subjected to intense scrutiny. This was done by interviewing the key players in the different areas (sailing crew, design team and management) at different stages, by observation of the group at work and video analyses. To substantiate the findings from interviews and observations, workshops with team members and experts were organized.

Findings

The Swiss Alinghi sailing team was the undisputed winner of the famous America's Cup in 2003 and managed to defend it successfully in July 2007 – against strong competition. The principles implemented by team founder Ernesto Bertarelli also offer a valuable model for managers.

Originality/value

The study is a useful tool for companies and managers who wish to create and manage high performance teams.
Regulation and information asymmetry
Authors: McLaughlin Robyn , Safieddine Assem
Published: March 2008

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the potential for regulation to reduce information asymmetries between firm insiders and outside investors.

Design/methodology/approach

Extensive prior research has established that there are substantial effects of information asymmetry in seasoned equity offers (SEOs). The paper tests for a mitigating effect of regulation on such information asymmetries by examining differences in long‐run operating performance, changes in that performance, and announcement‐period stock returns between unregulated industrial firms and regulated utilities that issue seasoned equity. The authors also segment the samples by firm size, since smaller firms are likely to have greater asymmetries.

Findings

Consistent with regulated utility firms having lower levels of information asymmetry, they have superior changes in abnormal operating performance than industrial firms pre‐ to post‐issue and their announcement period returns are significantly less negative. These findings are most pronounced for the smallest firms, firms likely to have the greatest information asymmetries and where regulation could have its greatest effect.

Research limitations/implications

The paper does not examine costs of regulation. Thus, future research could seek to measure the cost/benefit trade‐off of regulation in reducing information asymmetry. Also, future research could examine cross‐sectional differences between different industries and regulated utilities.

Practical implications

Regulation reduces information asymmetry. Thus, regulation or mandated disclosure may be appropriate in industries/markets where information asymmetry is severe.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to compare the operating performance of regulated and unregulated SEO firms.
Female consumers' evaluation of apparel quality: exploring the importance of aesthetics
Authors: De Klerk Helena M. , Lubbe Stephna
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of aesthetics in female consumers' evaluation of apparel quality during the decision‐making process.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative research style was followed and unstructured interviews and focus group interviews were chosen as data‐collection methods. A total of 45 unstructured interviews were held with 15 adult career women. The researchers used certain stimuli during the interviews, the aim of which was to give the participants something concrete to react to, and to put them in a specific decision‐making situation.

Findings

It was found that the sensory, emotional and cognitive dimensions of the aesthetic experience play a major role when female consumers evaluate the quality of apparel products during the decision‐making stage. The product's design and materials bring about these aesthetic dimensions. Especially colour and texture play major roles in bringing about the necessary aesthetic experiences.

Originality/value

Retailers and e‐tailers should purposively draw their customers' attentions to the linkage between physical properties that influence important functional properties that may play a role in the satisfaction that consumers will experience when wearing the item. Findings have further implications for retailers' and e‐tailers' fashion merchandising strategies related to buyers and visual merchandisers.
Good guys wear black: uniform color and citizen impressions of police
Authors: Nickels Ernest
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to examine whether officer uniform color influences impressions the public forms about the character of police officers.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey using digitally manipulated photographic prompts was used to examine how various levels of officer race, posture, and uniform color as well as a number of other experiential, attitudinal and demographic variables influenced subjects' impressions of officers' character on factor scores constructed from a set of semantic differential scales.

Findings

Officer uniform color influences impression formation, but not in the expected manner. Black uniforms elicited more positive impressions of officers than did lighter uniforms.

Research limitations/implications

Convenience sample was drawn from university undergraduates.

Practical implications

Darker uniforms for police may enhance favorable character impressions formed by some sectors of the public.

Originality/value

The research instrument improves measurement validity over prior methods while maintaining a precise experimental control. Findings contradict the conclusions of prior research on public perceptions of darker vs lighter police uniforms.
The owner/manager's mentality and the financial performance of SMEs
Authors: Wijewardena Hema , Nanayakkara Gunapala , De Zoysa Anura
Published: March 2008

Purpose

Despite the fact that the mentality of owner/managers is an important aspect of their personality characteristics no prior study has made any attempt to examine its possible impact on enterprise performance during various stages of growth. Therefore, based on a questionnaire survey conducted in Sri Lanka, this study attempts to examine this aspect of small to medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a review of the literature, a conceptual model was constructed as the initial step in this research for visualising and testing the relationship between owner/managers' personality styles, operational approaches and financial performance. The model was then extended to reflect the relationship between owner/manager's mentality styles and financial performance over all stages of enterprise growth.

Findings

The results of the study show that there is a strong relationship between owner/managers' mentality and financial performance of their enterprises. Moreover, when owner/managers of these enterprises become more entrepreneurial minded in the introductory and decline stages their performance tends to be higher. However, this relationship is not seen to be significant in the growth and maturity stages.

Practical implications

The findings of this study can be useful to SMEs in any country as they show how the mentality of owner/managers is likely to affect the financial performance of their enterprises differently during different stages of growth.

Originality/value

Since no similar research has been reported in the past this study takes its own independent approach and presents its analysis and findings as a novel addition to the small business literature.
Jordan Quality Award (King Abdullah II Award for Excellence (KAIIAE))
Authors: Rawabdeh Ibrahim A.
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the essence of the Jordan Quality Award (JoQA) that has been developed and implemented in Jordan. The award characteristics, framework, examination criteria, objectives, benefits and comparative assessment are described. The JoQA is benchmarked with two international quality awards: Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and European Quality Award.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to investigate the experiences of companies and gain feedback on the award's benefits, achievements, problems, and criteria weights, a questionnaire was developed. A sample of 49 companies which had applied for the award was selected to test a set of hypotheses regarding the award's objectives, benefits, problems, and criteria weights, and to determine areas of weaknesses and potential improvements.

Findings

The testing of the hypotheses shows that the objectives of the award, externally, and internally viewed benefit were achieved. However, various implementation problems exist. Based on the findings, a recommended change is proposed for the weights of the award criteria.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on a relatively small number of companies who had participated on one occasion in the award's process. Although the findings confirm the theoretical framework, more empirical work is needed to better understand the award's impact over a longer time span. Further research should also identify if and how the award influences the participating companies in managerial, technical and financial aspects.

Originality/value

The paper is unique insofar as it is the first to explore the experiences of users of the JoQA. It contributes to a better understanding of such awards' impact on organizations in developing countries.
Privacy regime, culture and user practices in the cyber‐marketplace
Authors: Jin Park Yong
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the congruence between policy supply and demand in Internet privacy as moderated by culture.

Design/methodology/approach

This study consists of the two parts. The first part qualitatively examines policy harmonization efforts among Asian‐Pacific nations. The second part, based on survey findings, quantitatively analyzes differences between the US and Korean college students in regulatory attitudes toward information privacy. The aim, drawing on regime theory as a departure, is to measure the policy genesis and its effectiveness in operation.

Findings

The findings are two‐fold. First, contrary to the expectations, the notions of online privacy rights among the Korean respondents are strongly formed, with the regulatory demands widely shared with the US participants. Second, however, there exists a gap between the beliefs of information privacy rights and daily practices – the duality far more magnified among the Korean respondents.

Practical implications

The results suggest the incongruence of the consensus between the two levels – of policymakers and of online users of different cultures.

Originality/value

While most studies focus on internet policy genesis alone, this paper measures the policy effectiveness in its consumption to capture the operation of cultural values in everyday practices. Policy implications and alternatives for developing nations are discussed in the specific context of Asian‐Pacific nations.
Internet banking and quality of service
Authors: Sadiq Sohail M. , Shaikh Nassar M.
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure the quality of service from customers' perspective. With an enormous growth in internet banking, this paper discusses how banks can be competitive by providing quality services.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a questionnaire survey conducted in Saudi Arabia. Based on an extensive review of literature, the paper uses empirical research to analyse service quality of internet banking services provided by banks in Saudi Arabia.

Findings

Results based on a factor analysis identify three factors that influence users' evaluation of service quality of internet banking services. These factors are labelled as “efficiency and security”, “fulfilment” and “responsiveness”.

Research limitations/implications

This research is useful for banks in order to improve service quality and retain/gain a share of the market in a highly competitive industry.

Practical implications

The findings are important to enable bank managers to have a better understanding of customers' perception of service quality of internet banking and consequently of how to improve their satisfaction with respect to the online aspects of service quality.

Originality/value

This paper makes a valuable contribution given the fact that there are only a limited number of comprehensive studies dealing with the assessment of electronic service quality in banking environment.
The impact of office comfort on productivity
Authors: Haynes Barry P.
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact that office comfort has on office occupiers' productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

The author evaluates the literature that claims to make a linkage between the physical comfort of the office environment and the effect on the productivity of the office occupiers. Office comfort will initially be discussed as a generic concept and subsequently be broken down into sub‐components.

Findings

The review of the literature reveals that the evaluation of office comfort is a complex one. There appears to be no universally accepted definition of office comfort, and there is a clear lack of agreement as to how office comfort should be measured. This paper establishes that, there is enough evidence to support the claim that office comfort can affect productivity.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the debate by identifying the need for a common and universally accepted measurement of office comfort. It is proposed that this can largely be achieved by evaluating office comfort with a multi‐item scale, and adopting an office occupier perspective to any future research.
Insiders' timing ability and disclosure on corporate share buyback trading
Authors: Kim Jaemin , Varaiya Nikhil
Published: March 2008

Purpose

Due to insufficient disclosure on open market share repurchases in the USA, at any given point in time, outside shareholders have no knowledge of whether their firm is executing open market share repurchase trades. It is hypothesized that such information disparity between outside shareholders and insiders of a repurchasing firm creates asymmetric opportunities for insiders to time their sell trades in a period when the firm is engaged in buyback trading of its own shares. Insiders have an incentive to sell when the firm is in the market supporting the price by repurchasing its shares. The purpose of this study is to examine this hypothesis (insider timing hypothesis) by investigating insiders' trading activities during the periods of corporate share buyback trading.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple regression analyses are used to explore relations among trades by insiders, corporate share buyback trades, and a number of other control variables.

Findings

This study finds evidence that insiders do increase the net number of shares sold in a fiscal quarter when the firm is in the market engaged in share buyback trading.

Originality/value

This study suggests the possibility of insiders' opportunistic trading behavior during the periods of corporate open market share buyback trading.
Does the environmental management standard ISO 14001 stimulate sustainable development?
Authors: Fortuński Bartosz
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relation between the ISO 14001 standard and sustainable development, and to present a case study of the energy sector in Poland in order to provide an example of the influence of the environmental management system according to ISO 14001 on environmental quality and sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach

The relation between sustainable development and the environmental management system related to the ISO 14000 series is discussed by comparing these series with the ICC Business Charter for Sustainable Development. The case study is based on the analysis of the fulfilment of environmental goals and tasks, which are part of the environmental management system, introduced in the company under research.

Findings

The case study provides arguments that the ISO 14001 standard may support sustainable development, in particular when standard legal enforcement mechanisms are weak.

Practical implications

The introduction of standards for business may be a tool for achieving sustainable development.

Originality/value

The paper shows an example of opportunity for business to contribute to sustainable development.
Freedom of information rights may result in the FSA's views about regulated firms becoming public
Authors: Conceicao Carlos , Gray Rosalind
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the implications of recent decisions by the UK Information Commissioner under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, ordering the UK Financial Services Authority (FSA), over its objections, to disclose details of certain investigations.

Design/methodology/approach

Explains the details of two recent decisions by the Information Commissioner that have called into question whether the FSA can refuse to disclose the names of firms it investigates or censures privately or informally.

Findings

If the Information Commissioner's view is upheld over the FSA's appeals, the FSA could no longer conduct mystery shopping exercises and other types of informal thematic investigations without the risk of the details of those exercises having to be disclosed, and the Information Commissioner's reasoning could possibly be extended to require the disclosure of the FSA's views about firms expressed in reports prepared by supervisors, such as Arrow reports, and private warnings.

Originality/value

Practical interpretation of FSA policy by expert securities lawyers.
Exploring strategy‐misaligned performance measurement
Authors: Pongatichat Panupak , Johnston Robert
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to explore the possibility that some degree of misalignment between performance measures and strategy, far from being counterproductive, could indeed have some benefits. The research question underpinning this paper is what the benefits are of misalignment between performance measurement and strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on the results of a four‐year empirical study into performance management. The four research sites were central government agencies that should be adept at managing realignment of performance measures, as government strategy is often the subject of frequent change. Data were collected from 30 semi‐structured interviews and from documentation.

Findings

It could be contended that alignment deterioration, in both private and public organisations, is a natural phenomenon resulting from either continuous changes in the external environment and/or frequent, or at least occasional, changes in the internal environment. It could further be suggested that in some cases these misalignments might not be accidental but understood and created by the managers. All the senior managers interviewed understood that their measures ought to align with strategy.

Research limitations/implications

The paper has several limitations including the limited number of organisations studied and the number of interviews conducted. The paper raises several questions for further research.

Practical implications

Several questions are posed for managers as to how they might deal with opportunities from the misalignment of performance measures and strategy.

Originality/value

A substantial body of knowledge has developed over the last 20 years on performance measurement and management in both the private and public sectors, though the majority of material is concerned with private sector applications. This review of the performance management literature has identified over 400 papers and texts, just under a quarter of which (92/425) are set in a public sector context.
The employment of female nationals in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Authors: Gallant Monica , Pounder James S.
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the reasons why the employment of Emirati females in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is not currently realizing its potential.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature‐based study that employs a framework adapted to predict the incidence of the employment of female nationals in the UAE. This gives rise to an analysis of reasons why this employment is not achieving the predicted level.

Findings

The study indicates that cultural factors are largely responsible for inhibiting the level of employment of Emirati females in the UAE.

Research limitations/implications

This paper presents a focused literature study and does not contain the first‐hand accounts of Emirati females both employed and not employed. It does, however, provide the basis for obtaining such first‐hand accounts in future studies.

Practical implications

The study indicates that in a rapidly developing economy such as that of the UAE, cultural mores may take some time to catch up with the speed of economic development. Government leaders need to be aware of the need for cultural adaptation to take place before their plans for development can be fully realized using nationals as the driving force for these plans.

Originality/value

The paper is one of the few attempting to assess the effects of culture of the incidence of employment of female nationals in the UAE.
Globalisation and China's iron and steel industry
Authors: Hu Xiaoling , Ping Hua , Xie Charlene , Hu Xiaoju
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to estimate China's import‐demand function for steel products within the context of globalisation.

Design/methodology/approach

The research used the monthly data for the period 1996‐2004 and a cointegration procedure is applied in the estimation.

Findings

The results show that the price and income elasticities of China's import demand for steel are no different from those of other countries investigated by other researches. Specifically, the results of this study are consistent with the hypothesis that China's import of steel products is strongly correlated with its economic activities and the fluctuation of its real exchange rate.

Practical implications

The empirical results obtained are important both for government policy and for employment. On the one hand, the magnitude of imports may adversely affect employment in China's steel industry. On the other hand, any changes in China's domestic macroeconomic activity and its exchange rate will generate great uncertainty in the world steel market.

Originality/value

This paper may be the first of its kind to apply the cointegration technique in estimating China's import‐demand function for steel products. It is important, given China's dominant position as both the biggest producer and the biggest consumer of steel products.
Appointing a general manager in Sino‐US joint ventures
Authors: Lin Xiaohua
Published: March 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine performance implications of general manager appointment in Sino‐US joint ventures, specifically whether there is a difference in outcomes when the appointment is made by the Chinese or American partner.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 94 managers representing US and Chinese partners in 67 international joint ventures (IJVs) based in China.

Findings

The results show that, when the general manager is Chinese rather than American, there is heightened conflict on daily personnel management issues, but not on strategic and contract issues, and the overall levels of partner satisfaction and relationship commitment decrease as well.

Research limitations/implications

The research was based on small sample size and cross‐sectional design.

Originality/value

This article focuses on the general manager appointment as a control mechanism and explores its link to IJV performance. It identifies daily/personnel issues as a source of conflicts that are associated with the right to appoint the IJV general manager.
Planétisation du tourisme
Authors: René Duchet Par
Published: March 2008

I. Dans les transformations en cours qui changent la face du monde, qui modifient de plus en plus profondément nos rapports avec la nature, avec les autres, avec nous‐mêmes, l'expansion du tourisme, son développement à l'échelle planétaire est sans doute un des faits les plus importants, sur le plan économique, sur le plan social, sur le plan international. Jamais encore les migrations touristiques n'avaient mis en mouvement de telles masses d'hommes.
Charakteristik der Entwicklungstendenzen im Fremdenverkehr
Authors: Von
Published: March 2008

Wir befinden uns heute in der vollen Entfaltung des modernen Fremdenverkehrs. Dies nach seiner klassischen Periode vor 1914 und der Periode des Überganges bis ca. 1954. Nachstehend soll vom modernen Fremdenverkehr in seiner Gesamtheit und einigen aus seinem Fortschritt sich ergebenden Entwicklungstendenzen die Rede sein. Dies geschieht in Form eines summarischen, sozusagen im Telegrammstil gehaltenen Abrisses.
Attuale situazione dell'istruzione tecnica professlonale turistica in Italia
Authors: Professore Carmelo Caligiuri Del
Published: March 2008

Con provvedimenti perfezionati nell'estate 1966 sono stati creati quattro Istituti tecnici per il Turismo in sostituzione di altrettanti Istituti professionali che erano sorti:
Conception et réalisation de stations de montagne
Authors: de Senarclens Jean , Ullmann Frédéric
Published: March 2008

Depuis l'époque des «Voyages en Zig‐Zag» de Rodolphe Toepffer, le tourisme s'est transformé à une vitesse vertigineuse. Considéré il y a encore quelques lustres comme un aimable et innocent passe‐temps, il est devenu aujourd'hui une industrie dans toute l'acception du terme.
Das grosse Zentrum als sozio‐pädagogisches problem des Jugendtourismus
Authors: Leugger J.
Published: March 2008

Den Anstoss gab die belgische Krankenkassen‐Dachorganisation «Alliance nationale des Mutualités chrétiennes», Brüssel, die zirka 4,5 Millionen Mitglieder zählt und seit dem Jahre 1949 u. a. in leerstehenden Holzbaracken des Armeesanitätsdienstes alljährlich Tausenden von Kindern in Ferienkolonien Unterkunft gewährte, so in Melchtal, wo 2000 Schlafstellen mit guten Erfahrungen für Ferienkinder ausgenützt werden.
Die wirtschaftliche Bedeutung kleinerer Kongresse, dargestellt am Beispiel der Stadt St. Gallen
Authors: Schmidhauser H.P.
Published: March 2008

Im Rahmen des 20. AIEST‐Kongresses 1970 in Den Haag war fast ausschliesslich von internationalen Kongressen die Rede. Sie stehen sicher zu Recht im Mittelpunkt des Interesses, sowohl aus wirtschaftlichen wie aus publizistischen und prestigemässigen Gründen. Jedoch meine ich, dass wir die kleineren, meist nationalen Kongresse nicht vernachlässigen dürfen. Gerade für Städte von der Grösse St. Gallens (zirka 80 000 Einwohner) haben nationale Veranstaltungen insofern grössere Bedeutung, als sie wesentlich zahlreicher sind als Anlässe mit internationaler Beteiligung.
Danish tourism in the seventies
Authors: Alkjaer Ejler
Published: March 2008

In accordance with the fact that “outgoing business” was the most important working field for most of the agencies present at the Seminar and that the programme had as focus the relations to the various transport companies, the discussions of the Seminar were concentrated on journeys starling in Denmark. The “incoming business” was, therefore, only the subject of sporadic deliberations at this occasion.
Fremdenverkehr und Raumüberwindung
Authors: KIafkowski M.
Published: March 2008

Die Verkehrsmittel vergrössern ihre Schnelligkeit und ihr Fassungsvermögen. Die Preise für ihre Inanspruchnahme werden im Hinblick auf die Befriedigung des Massenbedarfs immer tragbarer. Die nachfolgende Studie untersucht, wie sich diese Entwicklung auf den Inhalt der touristischen Aktivitäten auswirken kann.
The development of the tourist travel systems: A metropolitan economic hegemony par excellence?
Authors: Lundgren Jan O.J.
Published: March 2008

This paper wants to illustrate a development sequence of a number of interrelated elements into a strongly tied total transport mechanism for individual travelling. The example is drawn from the geographically far‐flung mechanism which serves international tourist travel and especially the relationships, more or less rigid at different periods of the evolution, of the travel system, between travel‐generating and destination areas. The interrelationships which are depicted are in the author's mind quite similar to the economic and structural regional inter‐dependence between developed (metropolitan) and developing parts of the world. Therefore, the various complaints that have been voiced about widening gaps between the haves and have nots, on an international scale, and that are based on comparisons between national incomes etc. seem also to be applicable to the characteristics of the travel structures and systems within which the international tourist flows take place. The notions of center/periphery relationships could, however, also be seen on other geographic scale levels.
Human resource development in the tourism sub‐sector: The beginnings of a Venezuelan approach
Authors: Getter David F.
Published: March 2008

During the past decade, as the emerging middle classes of the developed countries have become more mobile, spending their vacations abroad, many developing countries have been building their tourism sub‐sector infrastructures as a way of attracting these international tourists, thus generating foreign exchange and new jobs.
Notes on the rconomic impact of international tourism in developing countries
Authors: Theuns H.L.
Published: March 2008

Nowadays it is — to a certain extent — popular to criticize international tourism to third world countries. These criticisms may base on widely divergent aspects of the phenomenon, ranging from for instance the economic impact to the environmental impact or the psychological impact. Without implicitly suggesting that the non‐economic effects of international tourism in developing countries are unimportant we will concentrate in the following on the economic impact. The reason for this is twofold:
L'analyse et l'évaluation d'un projet touristique de nature publique
Authors: Rassi Faouzi F.
Published: March 2008

L'analyse coûts—bénéfices, conduite en terme d'appréciation et de planification des investissements, consiste à prendre en considération non seulement l'aspect financier d'un projet mais aussi sa dimension sociale ainsi que des impératifs politiques en touchant, entre autres, à l'étude d'éléments intangibles ainsi qu'aux effets secondaires ou indirects dudit projet. L'accent est mis sur l'affectation et l'utilisation efficiente, dans le sens le plus large du terme, des ressources productives de la société, ce qui d'une manière générale se ramène à un problème de maximisation sous contrainte de la valeur actuelle de tous les bénéfices (les flux futurs de bénéfice par période) moins celle detous les coûts. L'intervention croissante des pouvoirs publics dans l'activité économique, la position de l'Etat en tant qu'agent producteur principal de biens et de services, les projets d'envergure et de dimensions de plus en plus grandes ainsi que leurs répercussions de plus en plus prononcées sur l'espace économique et dans le temps, la mise à profit de la programmation linéaire et non linéaire, de la théorie des jeux, le recours à l'analyse des systèmes ainsi qu'à d'autres approches et instruments donnèrent une impulsion décisive au développement de l'analyse coûts‐bénéfices depuis près d'un demi‐siècle.