bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Temporary migrants and occupational mobility: evidence from the case of Estonia
Authors: Masso Jaan , Eamets Raul , Mõtsmees Pille
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of temporary migration on the upward occupational mobility by using a novel database from Estonia.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a unique data set of the online job search portal of Estonia that includes thousands of employees with foreign work experience. The authors study whether the presence of temporary migration in ones working career is associated with upward movement in the occupational ladder, defined either in terms of wages or required human capital.

Findings

– The authors did not find any positive effect of temporary migration on upward occupational mobility and in case of females the effect was negative. The results could be related to the short-term nature of migration and the occupational downshifting abroad as well as the functioning of home country labour market.

Research limitations/implications

– While the uniqueness of the data set is of value, one needs to acknowledge its weaknesses: the job-seekers work histories are self-reported and the authors do not know what information was left out as undesired by applicant.

Practical implications

– The findings imply that the benefits of temporary migration from Eastern to Western Europe on the sending country via the returnees’ labour market performance might be limited, yet it does not exclude the benefits of return migration through other mechanism.

Originality/value

– The literature on return migration is not big and there are only a few papers dealing with occupational change or mobility of the return migrants. Compared to earlier studies we have looked at wider set of occupations ranked by different ladders. Using the unique data set the authors have included in the study ca 7,500 return migrants while earlier studies have been based on rather small samples.
Two new datasets on south-north migration by occupational category
Authors: Neubecker Nina
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to break down south-north migration along both the skill and the occupational dimension and thus to distinguish and compare several types of south-north migration and brain drain.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper presents south-north migration rates by occupational category at two distinct levels of disaggregation according to International Standard Classification of Occupations 1988 (ISCO-88). The data sets combine information about the labor market outcomes of immigrants in Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) countries around the year 2000 provided by the Database on Immigrants in OECD Countries by the OECD with employment data for the developing migrant-sending countries from the International Labour Organization.

Findings

– The incidence of south-north migration was highest among Professionals, one of the two occupational categories generally requiring tertiary education, and among clerks and legislators, senior officials and managers. At the more disaggregated level, physical, mathematical and engineering science (associate) professionals, life science and health (associate) professionals, as well as other (associate) professionals exhibited significantly larger brain drain rates than teaching (associate) professionals. The data also suggest non-negligible occupation-education mismatches due to the imperfect transferability of skills acquired through formal education because south-north migrants with a university degree worked more often in occupational categories requiring less than tertiary education compared to OECD natives. The employment shares of most types of professionals and technicians and associate professionals, as well as of clerks and corporate managers were significantly smaller in the migrant-sending countries compared to the receiving countries.

Originality/value

– The constructed data sets constitute the first comprehensive data sets on south-north migration by ISCO-88 major and sub-major occupational category for cross-sections of, respectively, 91 and 17 developing countries of emigration.
Nurses’ experiences of encountering undocumented migrants in Swedish emergency healthcare
Authors: Gullberg Frida , Wihlborg Monne
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how nurses’ working in emergency health care in Sweden experience their encounter with undocumented migrants.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 16 qualitative interviews were conducted and analyzed using a phenomenographic approach, aiming at describing various ways in which nurses experienced undocumentedness.

Findings

– The process of assessment involves formal regulations as well as interpersonal features, leading to uncertainty, conflicts and dilemmas when judging such situations. Nurses’ conceptions concerned the undocumented migrants’ migrant status and social existence; second, conflicts in encountering undocumentedness pertaining to an identification systems and judgments and emotional reactions; and thrid, shifts within and between arbitrary boundaries, with unclear conditions for interaction and creative maneuvering.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research is needed to develop guidelines or other structures to support nurses who deal with this kind of assessment in their daily work, to reduce ethical dilemmas and the risk of inequitable treatment.

Practical implications

– Guidelines to support nurses need to be further debated and discussed and implemented in health care education, as well as in clinical contexts.

Social implications

– Increased knowledge and awareness among nurses concerning migrants’ status and rights, might lead to better working conditions for nurses and thus more secure judgments.

Originality/value

– Research with a specific focus on emergency nurses’ conceptions of undocumentedness and their strategies for handling the ensuing practical and ethical dilemmas has not been conducted in Sweden before using a qualitative method.
Black African asylum seekers’ experiences of health care access in an eastern German state
Authors: Scott Penelope
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how access to health care for (rejected) asylum seekers in an eastern German state is structured and experienced and to consider the implications for their human rights.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on 12 in-depth interviews with rejected black African asylum seekers and also draws on ethnographic research undertaken at a grassroots refugee organisation and asylum homes. The analysis of the interview data are framed by theorisations of “everyday practices” as “tactics” of resistance to an imposed order.

Findings

– Accomplishing health care access involved a range of structural barriers and humiliating interactions with administrative and health care staff, which had adverse consequences for their health status and were injurious to their human rights and dignity. The study participants used a range of oppositional and discursive tactics in an effort to secure certain (health) outcomes, mediate social relations and resist their domination as asylum seekers.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research should focus on the cumulative micro-level effects of asylum policies on health care access and how they create health inequities and violate asylum seekers’ rights and dignity.

Practical implications

– Policy priorities should include the provision of human rights education as well as training and support for administrative and health staff.

Originality/value

– There is limited qualitative research on the health care experiences of asylum seekers in Germany. This paper makes policy recommendations and identifies areas for further research and human rights advocacy.
Bank competition and interest rate pass-through in the BRICS
Authors: Fadiran Gideon
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine and compare the interest rate pass-through among the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reviews a general literature on interest rates pass-through by applying a cointegration and asymmetric mean adjustment lag (MAL) error correction methodology (ECM).

Findings

– A symmetric adjustment is found in Russia, China and South Africa's deposit rate, while an asymmetric adjustment is found in Brazil and India's deposit rate adjustments. The presence of a customer reaction theory is found in Brazil, India, China and South Africa's deposit rate adjustments, while a collusive pricing arrangement is found in Russia. From the lending rate adjustment, a collusive pricing arrangement was found in Brazil, China and South Africa, while a customer reaction theory was found in India and Russia.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample period used in the study covers a period starting from the formal recognition of BRIC (2001-2010), which limits the data length.

Practical implications

– The research output and implication can assist monetary policy makers, investors and consumers to monitor BRICS’ central banking, commercial banking and competition behaviour, individually and as a group. The BRICS are potentially heading towards a more financially integrated bloc as multilateral agreements among members increases. This is in the form of Letters of Credit and Memorandum of Understanding. These agreements should boost intra-BRICS financial transactions, investments and trade.

Originality/value

– This is, to the best of knowledge, the first analysis of BRICS interest rate pass-through using the asymmetric MAL ECM application.
Attitude to rehabilitative counselling in southwestern Nigerian prisons
Authors: A. Alao Kayode , F. Adebowale Olusegun
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to examine the attitudes of prison inmates and warders (prison staff) to rehabilitative counselling and its relationship to their prison status on one hand and their educational attainment on the other.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study adopts a descriptive survey research design. In all 123 prison inmates and 110 warders were selected by stratified random sampling from Osogbo prison headquarters, as well as Ilesa and Ile-Ife prisons in southwestern Nigeria. Data were collected through a self-constructed questionnaire titled “inmate and prison staff attitude to rehabilitation counselling”. Data collected were analysed using percentages and χ2 statistics.

Findings

– The results showed that the prison inmates and staff possessed positive attitude to rehabilitative counselling. No significant difference was found between the attitudes of prison inmates and staff members or on the basis of their prison statuses. However, the study found a significant relationship between the prison inmates’ attitude to rehabilitative counselling and their educational attainment.

Research limitations/implications

– Statutory provision needs be made for professional rehabilitative counselling in Nigerian prisons in contrast to the religious instructions currently being allowed prisoners. Educational opportunities should be provided to ensure that the knowledge so obtained complements the rehabilitative counselling.

Originality/value

– This paper fulfils an identified need to study the attitude towards rehabilitative counselling.
Developing a sustainability index for companies’ efforts on responsible use of water
Authors: S. Sodhi ManMohan , Yatskovskaya Ekaterina
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate an initial set of formative indicators to measure the level of efforts on sustainable use of water by companies from different sectors to eventually generate an index with a ranking of such companies.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors started with unstructured data from an open-ended survey conducted by the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) on over 300 global companies. Using data from 158 of the companies in that survey from 27 different two-digit UK SIC codes, the authors devised the indicators, translated these into questions requiring response on a seven-point Likert scale, and then coded the companies’ response in the CDP survey for the questionnaire.

Findings

– First, all the questions were valid in that responses could be provided. Second, in open-ended surveys like CDP's survey, companies provided information only on selected dimensions and not on others. Third, across sectors, companies are putting more effort on usage efficiency relative to where the water comes from or where it goes after use.

Research limitations/implications

– The questions still require field-testing for validation and user acceptance.

Practical implications

– The proposed questions could become part of a survey for companies to self-assess or to disclose information on the sustainable use of water. An index created using disclosed data would motivate companies to make more effort towards sustainable use of water.

Originality/value

– The authors believe this to be the first effort towards formulating a sustainability index of companies’ use of water.
Developing “Extra Distance” as a measure for the evaluation of road freight transport performance
Authors: Sanchez Rodrigues Vasco , Cowburn John , Potter Andrew , Naim Mohamed , Whiteing Anthony
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop a measure that links the causes and consequences of disruptions in freight transport operations. Such a measure is needed to quantify the scale of impact and identify the root causes of disruptions.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to develop this measure, an inductive approach was adopted, using four primary case studies to test the measure in an industrial environment. The case studies are from the fast moving consumer goods sector with primary and secondary distribution networks included. The “Extra Distance” measure has been evaluated against established generic criteria that define the quality of any performance measure.

Findings

– The research indicates good compliance with the criteria used to evaluate the “Extra Distance” measure. The measure is also found to be useful for practitioners who are able to directly relate the measure to their distribution network operations.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research should see the “Extra Distance” measure further tested in other freight transport operations and industrial sectors.

Practical implications

– The measure is directly related to a number of causes of uncertainty which helps freight transport managers to quickly identify potential solutions. The “Extra Distance” measure can be used to quantify the effects of disruptions which can occur in road freight transport networks generate unnecessary cost within distribution networks, potentially eroding profit margins which are known to be very low in the road freight transport industry.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a novel approach to the assessment of the impact caused by uncertainty within freight transport operations.
Do public service motivation, red tape and resigned work satisfaction triangulate together?
Authors: Yousaf Momna , Zafar Shiza , Abi Ellahi Abida
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of public service motivation (PSM) on red tape and resigned satisfaction in Pakistani public administration.

Design/methodology/approach

– Employees working in federal organizations were the target population of this study. As part of field survey, 350 questionnaires were distributed to collect data from respondents.

Findings

– The research findings indicate that red tape is a strong predictor of resigned satisfaction and is positively related to it. Among the dimensions of public-service motivation “attraction to policy making” and “commitment to civic duty” dimensions were found to have no relation with red tape and resigned satisfaction. Whereas, “compassion” and “self-sacrifice” dimensions of PSM had a positive moderating effect on the relationship between red tape and resigned satisfaction. It was concluded that under perception of red tape, PSM can have possible negative effect on work satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

– By highlighting the effect of red tape on satisfaction it can help public sector organizations in trying to crowd out the negative factors of employees’ work through minimizing the rules and regulations which are worth nothing except for extra work and stress for employees. The results can also be used to assess the differences in level of red tape perceived in developed and developing countries.

Originality/value

– This study provides a contribution to the literature, as it is study is among the first few studies in Pakistan. The main theoretical contribution of this study is that it raises an important question about the extent to which the theory and research developed in one country can contribute to the application of PSM in other counties especially developed vs developing countries.
“Man, I shop like a woman!” The effects of gender and emotions on consumer shopping behaviour outcomes
Authors: Maurer Herter Márcia , Pizzutti dos Santos Cristiane , Costa Pinto Diego
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Research suggests that women demonstrate higher levels of shopping satisfaction, recommendation, return intentions, and hedonic shopping than men. However, is it possible to reduce the effects of gender on shopping behaviour? The purpose of this paper is to explore how the interaction between gender and emotions affects consumers’ shopping behaviour outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

– Two studies show the effects of gender and emotions on shopping behaviour outcomes. Study 1 is a field experiment that tests the effects of gender and emotions (positive vs neutral) on consumer satisfaction, recommendation, and return intentions. Study 2 is a laboratory experiment that explores the effects of gender and emotions (positive, neutral, and negative) on hedonic shopping.

Findings

– Results demonstrate that positive (vs neutral) emotions increase shopping behaviour outcomes for men, to reach the same level as for women. The findings also indicate that retail environment perception mediates the effects. Moreover, the results show that positive emotions increase levels of hedonic shopping for men and that negative emotions reduce levels of hedonic shopping for women.

Practical implications

– This paper helps retailers enhance shopping behaviour outcomes in retail environments. From a managerial perspective, the findings also provide insights on how to improve shopping behaviour outcomes for male consumers.

Originality/value

– This paper shows how to reduce gender effects on consumer shopping behaviour outcomes by activating specific emotions in retail environments. This research also demonstrates the mediating role of retail environment perception.
Coalition loyalty-programme adoption and urban commercial-network effectiveness evaluation
Authors: De Noni Ivan , Orsi Luigi , Zanderighi Luca
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– To counter the proliferation of out-of-town shopping centres, a spontaneous or planned coalition loyalty programme (CLP), one involving most retailers in an urban network, may positively affect a town centre's capacity to entice customers and may enhance its competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to assess the effectiveness of CLP implementation in town-centre management (TCM) as a tool for enhancing urban commercial-system attractiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

– The theoretical framework used in this study is supported by the evaluation methodologies of an empirical case study: the Savigliano Card project. CLP performance analysis uses a dynamic network-competitiveness index, an approach based on Laspeyres-type decomposition. The effects on each retailer's profitability are then tested by matching network and regression analyses.

Findings

– The results suggest that CLPs implementation in a TCM scheme can produce benefits and positive externalities for customers, retailers and urban areas. CLPs can influence a town centre's revitalisation process, improve the attractiveness of the urban commercial network and increase the profitability of private retailers by enhancing cross-selling dynamics.

Practical implications

– The paper provides a CLP performance-evaluation methodology and presents the benefits concerning CLP implementation in TCM strategies.

Originality/value

– This type of CLP is weakly exploited in marketing theory and practice; therefore, the paper provides theoretical and empirical explanations for the measurement of CLP effectiveness in TCM. In addition, it has significant implications for both practitioners and academics.
Understanding and influencing eco-luxury consumers
Authors: Gibson Paul , Seibold Silvia
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explain how the role of marketing for luxury brands can be re-thought in order to ensure that such brands establish a strong connection between their luxury image and positive social and environmental values.

Design/methodology/approach

– The findings are based upon qualitative empirical research which informed a new categorisation of consumer motivations, through the application of self-determination theory which shows how concerns for environmental and social sustainability can be integrated with individual psychological needs.

Findings

– The findings provide a deep understanding of consumers of luxury-eco products which could be used by marketing practitioners to shape socially responsible purchasing decisions.

Research limitations/implications

– The research was designed for theory building, not theory-testing, so future research would be needed to study the efficacy of the recommended strategies for encouraging eco-luxury behaviour.

Practical implications

– To increase the likelihood of practical applications, the authors follow the presentation of their findings with suggestions and examples for marketing to each of the consumer types identified by their research.

Social implications

– The findings of this research have implications of a global, environmental and social kind. The societal adoption of eco-luxury consumption is about educating consumer desire, shifting it from its current focus on personal satisfaction, to a higher level of personal and social flourishing.

Originality/value

– The findings effectively support the claims of self-determination theory by demonstrating how and why consumer motivations differ and how an improved sense of well-being can be achieved through internalised levels of self-determination.
The hidden rent-seeking capacity of corporations
Authors: Loehr Dirk
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to develop the hypothesis that corporations are a particularly suitable instrument for rent seeking. Benefits are reaped by powerful companies, whereas a great deal of the costs is passed on to weakly organized groups.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper develops and substantiates the hypothesis theoretically and gives some indications. Moreover, a case study is added which refers to the German electricity market.

Findings

– Equity seems to be indispensable to get access to land and other assets with similar characteristics as land. At the same time, profits appear to reflect the rent-earning capacity of the company's assets. High land rents stimulate investment intensity, and corporations can collect the necessary funds. The flip-side of rents is often the externalization of costs. Also, due to their limited liability, corporations externalize risks.

Originality/value

– The paper provides a rationale for the common criticism of corporations, which is based on the reflection of equity as the key to land (in a broad sense) and (land) rents as the core of profits. If the findings hold true, corporations should be subject to particular regulatory observation. In particular, the corporate constitution of corporations and the taxation framework should try to get a better coupling of benefits and costs.
Community involvement and development
Authors: Katamba David , Marvin Nkiko Cedric , Tushabomwe Kazooba Charles , Kemeza Imelda , Babiiha Mpisi Sulayman
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore how ISO 26000 inter-marries with millennium development goals (MDGs) with a view to demonstrate and recommend how businesses can successfully use this intermarriage to solve society problems.

Design/methodology/approach

– Case methodology was used to investigate how a company can use the social responsibility standard, ISO 26000, to guide its corporate social responsibility (CSR) aimed at contributing to MDGs. The paper focussed on the CSR dimension of community involvement and development (CI&D) interventions in health-related MDGs (4, 5 and 6). Data collection was by semi-structured interviews with CSR managers of the studied company, plus non-participant observation of CSR activities and projects. In order to develop a framework within which the collected data could be analyzed, the authors employed pattern-matching, explanation building and time series analysis. For generalization purposes of findings, the authors were guided by the “adaptive theory approach.”

Findings

– The intermarriage is much revealed in health and wellness. This intermarriage also reveals cross-cutting issues which support universal access to health care and prevent illnesses. Lastly, the intermarriage is symbiotic in nature, that is, MDGs contribute what to achieve while ISO 26000 contributes how to achieve.

Research limitations/implications

– The case study (Uganda Baati Ltd, - UBL) that informed this research is a subsidiary company of a multinational, SAFAL Group. This provided an indication that global or trans-national forces drive CSR/CI&D at UBL. Thus, the findings may not fit directly with a company that has a local/national focus of its CSR/CI&D.

Practical implications

– The paper presents guidelines to use and localize this intermarriage so as to focus CSR on global socio-economic development priorities, identify strategic stakeholders, and pathways to solutions for complex CI&D issues.

Originality/value

– This research advances the Post-2015 MDG Development Agenda suggested during the United Nations MDG Summit in 2010 which called for academic contributions on how MDGs can be realized even after 2015.
Barriers to employment for visually impaired women
Authors: Coffey Margaret , Coufopoulos Anne , Kinghorn Karen
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore barriers to employment for visually impaired (VI) women and potential solutions to those barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

– Mixed methods, comprising three phases; first, exploratory interviews with VI women (n=6) and employers (n=3); second, a survey to assess the barriers to employment experienced by this group (n=96); and third, in-depth interviews with VI women (n=15). This paper reports phases 2 and 3.

Findings

– The most commonly reported barriers to work were: negative employer attitudes; the provision of adjustments in the workplace; restricted mobility; and having an additional disability/health condition. Significantly more barriers were reported by women: who reported that their confidence had been affected by the barriers they had experienced; with dependents under 16; and women who wanted to work.

Research limitations/implications

– Key solutions to these barriers included: training for employers; adaptive equipment; flexibility; better support; training and work experience opportunities; and more widely available part-time employment opportunities.

Originality/value

– This paper adds to the literature in respect of the key barriers to employment for VI women, together with providing key solutions to these barriers.
Behavior analysis methods for Twitter users based on transitions in posting activities
Authors: Yamaguchi Yutaro , Yamamoto Shuhei , Satoh Tetsuji
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to activate latent users posts by modeling user behaviors by a transition of clusters that represent particular posting activities. Twitter has rapidly spread and become an easy and convenient microblog that enables users to exchange instant text messages called tweets. There are so many latent users whose posting activities have decreased.

Design/methodology/approach

– Under this model, two kinds of time-series analysis methods are proposed to clarify the lifecycles of Twitter users. In the first one, all users belong to a cluster consisting of several features at individual time slots and move among the clusters in a time series. In the second one, the posting activities of Twitter users are analyzed by the amount of tweets that vary with time.

Findings

– This sophisticated evaluation using a large actual tweet-set demonstrated the proposed methods effectiveness. The authors found a big difference in the state transition diagrams between long- and short-term users. Analysis of short-term users introduces effective knowledge for encouraging continued Twitter use.

Originality/value

– An the efficient user behavior model, which describes transitions of posting activities, is proposed. Two kinds of time longitudinal analysis method are evaluated using a large amount of actual tweets.
Opinion-driven communities’ detection
Authors: Dinsoreanu Mihaela , Potolea Rodica
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to address the challenge of opinion mining in text documents to perform further analysis such as community detection and consistency control. More specifically, we aim to identify and extract opinions from natural language documents and to represent them in a structured manner to identify communities of opinion holders based on their common opinions. Another goal is to rapidly identify similar or contradictory opinions on a target issued by different holders.

Design/methodology/approach

– For the opinion extraction problem we opted for a supervised approach focusing on the feature selection problem to improve our classification results. On the community detection problem, we rely on the Infomap community detection algorithm and the multi-scale community detection framework used on a graph representation based on the available opinions and social data.

Findings

– The classification performance in terms of precision and recall was significantly improved by adding a set of “meta-features” based on grouping rules of certain part of speech (POS) instead of the actual words. Concerning the evaluation of the community detection feature, we have used two quality metrics: the network modularity and the normalized mutual information (NMI). We evaluated seven one-target similarity functions and ten multi-target aggregation functions and concluded that linear functions perform poorly for data sets with multiple targets, while functions that calculate the average similarity have greater resilience to noise.

Originality/value

– Although our solution relies on existing approaches, we managed to adapt and integrate them in an efficient manner. Based on the initial experimental results obtained, we managed to integrate original enhancements to improve the performance of the obtained results.
Evaluating credibility of interest reflection on Twitter
Authors: Han Hao , Nakawatase Hidekazu , Oyama Keizo
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article was to confirm whether users’ interests are reflected by tweeted Web pages, and to evaluate the credibility of interest reflection of tweeted Web pages.

Design/methodology/approach

– Interest reflection of Twitter is investigated based on the context of sharing behavior. A context-oriented approach is proposed to evaluate the interest reflection of tweeted Web pages based on machine learning. Some different distribution models of similarity are present, and infer whether tweeted Web pages reflect respective users’ interests by analyzing user access profiles.

Findings

– The analysis of browsing behaviors finds that many users partially hide their own concerns, hobbies and interests, and emphasize the concerns about social phenomenon. The extensive experimental results showed the context-oriented approach is effective on real net view data.

Originality/value

– As the first-of-its-kind study on evaluating the credibility of interest reflection on Twitter, extensive experiments have been conducted on the data sets containing real net view data. For higher accuracy and less subjectivity, various features are generated from user’s Web view and Twitter submission background with some different context factors.
Mobile information services in libraries: a review of current trends in delivering information
Authors: Vassilakaki Evgenia
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to review the literature on mobile information services. It considers only peer-reviewed papers published in English between 2004 and 2014.

Design/methodology/approach

– The method of systematic review was adopted to collect and analyse the relevant literature. The searches were conducted during the last week of July 2014 on different databases, and in total, 76 papers were considered after applying inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Findings

– Seven themes emerged: “introducing mobile libraries”, “reporting on current trends”, “exploring users’ perceptions of libraries’ mobile services”, “presenting libraries’ mobile services”, “presenting mobile technology use in libraries”, “reporting case studies” and “reporting on evaluation of libraries’ mobile services”. It is evident that research on mobile libraries is very recent and focuses mainly on raising the Library and Information Science profession’s awareness of providing mobile information services.

Research limitations

– This literature review focused only on peer-reviewed papers published between 2004 and 2014 in English.

Originality/value

– This paper summarises and critically presents the relevant literature on libraries offering mobile information services. It informs libraries and librarians’ understanding of recent developments in mobile technology for the successful provision of information services.
Collaborative resource sharing between public and school libraries
Authors: Smith Daniella , Shea Misty , Wu Wei-Ning
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study was to examine youth service librarians’ use of collaborative collection development (CCD) behaviors and interlibrary loan (ILL) to collaborate with school librarians.

Design/methodology

– A quantitative design was implemented with a self-administered survey that was placed online.

Findings

– Public youth services librarians in the USA believe it is important to collaborate with school librarians. However, they are not frequently using collaborative resource sharing strategies. Public youth services librarians that have more experience, understand trends and issues in school libraries and feel they have knowledge of collaborative strategies are more likely to engage in collaborative resource sharing.

Research limitations

– The study was limited to 265 public librarians serving youth in the USA. This study does not present the perspectives of school libraries.

Social implications

– CCD and ILL between public and school libraries are overlooked practices for building relationships between public and school librarians that should be explored. Presenting the benefits of these strategies during training programs may increase the resources that youth can access, thus having an overall impact on the quality of life in communities. Collaborating will also help communities understand the value of libraries as institutions for promoting lifelong learning.

Originality/value

– The results provide evidence that public youth service librarians in the USA believe in the importance of collaborative relationships with school librarians. However, they do not frequently use ILL or engage in CCD behaviors with school librarians. Using ILL and CCD are two strategies that may be used to build stronger relationships.
The causality between returns of interest-based banks and Islamic banks: the case of Turkey
Authors: Hakan Ergec Etem , Gülümser Kaytanci Bengül
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to test whether the Islamic bank rate of returns are affected by the deposit rates of the interest-based bank in Turkey and whether they need to develop additional tools to manage it if they face an interest risk.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study tests the causality between the Islamic bank rate of returns and the time deposit interest rates between 2002 and 2010 in Turkey by use of the Granger Causality method based on monthly data. The same analysis is repeated with respect to the terms before and after 2006.

Findings

– It is concluded that for each term, the time deposit interest rates are the Granger cause of the Islamic bank rate of returns. This causality relation is more visible for the period after 2006.

Originality/value

– The results shows that the Islamic banks are sensitive to the interest-based bank interest rates in Turkey. Therefore, this finding suggests that these banks need to remain cautiousvis-à-visthe interest rate risk.
Commitment and trust in achieving financial goals of strategic alliance
Authors: Wahyudi Imam
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to illustrate theoretically and empirically the decision and result of strategic alliance between baitul maal wa tamwil (BMT) and Islamic banks as a relationship based on trust, mutual-trustworthiness and commitment. This paper also identifies the basic criteria for the resilience of a strategic alliance, the challenges and the barriers in a strategic relationship along with managerial and operational implications.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this study, we have chosen to use the confirmatory approach through a structured questionnaire by means of field survey to 131 BMT spread throughout Central Java and Yogyakarta. From the total sample, 89 BMT fulfilled the sampling criteria, that is: has operated for a minimum of two years and does not experience any financial difficulties during those two years; has done a financing contract with an Islamic bank; channels some of its funds to micro, small and medium enterprises; and is in the form of a cooperative, and not a micro financial institute. Data treatment uses the method of listwise deletion. Data analysis uses equation model with the software LISREL version 8.80. To validate the result of data analysis, we have also run a focus group discussion with Directorate of Syariah Banking, Bank of Indonesia, and in-depth interviews with BMT parent cluster (Inkopsyah).

Findings

– This research shows that commitment contributes positively in achieving the financial goals of an alliance. Coordination and initial agreement has a positive and significant influence in forming commitment from BMT and trust from Islamic banks. Other than coordination and initial agreement, the trust given by Islamic banks also came from the social capital owned by BMT.

Originality/value

– The trust and commitment will assist the building of strategic alliance between Islamic banks and BMT. Apart from financial purposes, the alliance between the two will also encourage natural knowledge-sharing.
Spectrum sharing metrics
Authors: Kruys Jan , Anker Peter , Schiphorst Roel
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose technology-independent metrics for measuring spectrum utilization efficiency and spectrum sharing which could prove useful in spectrum management. Radio spectrum is considered a scarce resource. The rapid rise in all kinds of wireless devices emphasizes the need for spectrum usage efficiency and spectrum sharing. Notably in license exempt spectrum, the increased density of radio devices requires new methods of evaluating their performance.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors go back to the fundamentals of spectrum utilization and show that under high usage conditions, wireless network performance is interference limited. The impact of interference depends both on the environment and on the type of modulation used. The authors use these factors to derive the above metrics.

Findings

– The main findings of this work are metrics for spectrum utilization and sharing that are technology-independent and therefore widely applicable, notably to license exempt spectrum. These metrics provide increased visibility of receiver performance in determining spectrum use. The authors also find that the capacity of a wireless network is for all practical purposes unlimited – provided the appropriate choices of the technical parameters are made, recognizing the impact of the propagation environment.

Research limitations/implications

– Because the authors proceed from simplifying assumptions, detailed analysis and prediction of spectrum-sharing cases may require additional parameters to be added to the equations given.

Practical implications

– The results of this work have potential application in spectrum management and in the development of regulatory requirements for license exempt spectrum.

Originality/value

– New in this paper is the derivation of spectrum utilization and sharing metrics from first principles that allow different technologies to be compared. The authors also show that, given the right choice of technical parameters, the capacity of wireless networks is practically unlimited.
Anchor product regulation – a new regulatory tool
Authors: Williamson Brian
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new regulatory tool which is intermediate between an ex ante price control and no price control.

Design/methodology/approach

– The approach adopted utilises public sources and first-hand experience in relation to the development and implementation of anchor product regulation.

Findings

– Anchor product regulation is found to be an effective alternative to price control, particularly in the context of copper-fibre transition in access networks. The approach is less demanding in terms of information than a price control to implement, and evidence from the UK suggests that anchor product regulation improved investment incentives.

Research limitations/implications

– The degree of substitution between anchor products and other access products could be investigated where anchor product regulation has been implemented.

Practical implications

– Anchor product regulation is a practical tool which regulators can apply.

Originality/value

– Anchor product regulation is a new concept, and this paper for the first time sets out the motivation for anchor product regulation, its development and experience in terms of implementation.
Over-the-top (OTT) content: implications and best response strategies of traditional telecom operators. Evidence from Latin America
Authors: José Ganuza Juan , Fernanda Viecens María
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to focus on the interplay between the market of contents and telecom operators. Traditional telecom operators are vulnerable to the new markets and services that appear as a consequence of accessibility to the Internet and, in particular, in the face of over-the-top content as Netflix.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors build a conceptual framework to analyze the response strategies by telecom operators in the context of an evolving TV technology.

Findings

– They argue that the technology that enabled bundling of services was the entry door of telecom operators to the content market and that, nowadays, online TV may be their exit door if they do not display innovative strategies to remain in this market.

Originality/value

– This is the first paper exploring the interplay between the market of contents and telecom operators with a focus in countries from Latin America.
Cointegration, linear and nonlinear causality
Authors: Kumar Soni Tarun
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the market efficiency, unbiasedness and the direction of causality among four agricultural commodity futures contracts for a forecasting horizon of 28 days, 56 days and 84 days which are traded at National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange Ltd.

Design/methodology/approach

– To analyse the efficiency of futures market in Indian scenario, we focus on maize, chickpea, soybean and wheat which are among the most important agricultural commodities traded in India. In the first step, Augmented Dickey-Fuller test and nonparametric Phillips-Perron approaches have been used to examine the stationarity of all futures and spot price series. After testing the presence of cointegration in futures and spot series using Johansen’s Cointegration approach, the joint restrictions of β
0=0, β
1=1 and β
1=1 on the cointegrating vectors were imposed to test whether the futures price is an unbiased predictor of spot at contract maturity. In the next step, linear Toda and Yamamoto (1995) and the nonparametric Diks and Panchenko (2006) causality tests were applied to examine the direction of causality. Finally, nonlinear test were applied on the vector error correction model (VECM) residuals to investigate whether any remaining causality is strictly nonlinear in nature.

Findings

– The results of cointegration tests between futures and spot prices of the selected agricultural commodities indicated a long term relationship do exist in three out of four futures contracts. However, the Wald tests results on the cointegrating vectors indicate markets as inefficient and biased. Further, analysis of short-term relationship using alternate tests of causality do not give consistent results for same commodity series indicating that results may vary due to alternate measures and specifications. Finally, if we consider the results of Diks-Panchenko test on the filtered VECM-residuals, results provide evidence that if cointegration is taken into account; neither spot nor future leads or lags the other consistently.

Research limitations/implications

– The results are based on the sample of four agricultural futures commodity contracts. The study can be extended to a larger sample of contracts and relative efficiency of each contract can be explored.

Originality/value

– There are very few studies that have explored the efficiency, unbiasedness and direction of causality using both linear and nonlinear techniques for Indian agriculture commodity futures market for different forecasting horizons.
Modernising the regulation of health and social care professionals: the Law Commissions’ final report and draft Bill
Authors: Spencer-Lane Tim
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to summarise the Law Commissions’ final report and draft Bill on the regulation of health and social care professionals.

Design/methodology/approach

– To summarise the key recommendations that are relevant to adult safeguarding.

Findings

– The final report concludes that new legislation is needed to govern the UK regulators of health and social care professionals.

Originality/value

– The paper sets out the recommended new legal framework.