bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Recognition of knowledge and skills at work: in whose interests?
Authors: Berglund Leif , Andersson Per
Published: February 2012

Purpose

Work‐place learning takes place in many settings and in different ways, resulting in knowledge and skills of different kinds. The recognition process in the work place is however often implicit and seldom discussed in terms of recognition of prior learning (RPL). The aim of this paper is to give examples of how the knowledge/skills of employees get recognition in the workplace and to discuss what the consequences of such recognition processes might be.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a study in two companies and two municipalities, where 21 interviews were conducted with human resource managers, team leaders and union representatives. The research questions concerned the ways skills were recognised among employees and how the logics of these actions could be understood.

Findings

The findings show that both companies and municipalities have their own ways of assessing knowledge/skills, mostly out of a production logic of what is needed at the workplace. However, certain skills are also made “unvisualised” for the employee. This employer‐controlled recognition logic is important to understand when RPL models are brought to the work place in order to obtain win‐win situations for both employers and employees.

Practical implications

It seems important to identify an already existing system for assessment of knowledge/skills at the workplace when bringing RPL processes to the workplace.

Originality/value

The approach to understand assessment processes in these companies and municipalities from an RPL perspective has not been widely covered before.
Organizational and behavioral factors that influence knowledge retention
Authors: Caroline Martins Ellen , Meyer Hester W.J.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to identify and explore the organizational and behavioral factors that influence knowledge retention, specifically in the tacit knowledge sphere.

Design/methodology/approach

A multidisciplinary approach focusing on knowledge management and organizational behavior was followed to develop a theoretical model that identifies the organizational and behavioral factors to be considered when addressing the issues relating to knowledge loss. A quantitative empirical research paradigm using the survey method was adopted to determine the organizational and behavioral factors that impact on knowledge retention. The survey was conducted electronically and on paper in the water supply industry. The exploratory principal component factor analysis technique (PCFA technique) was used to explore the factor structure underlying the variables. The theoretical model was compared with the newly proposed factor model to determine similarities and differences.

Findings

Nine key factors were identified through the factor analysis, of which knowledge behaviors, strategy implementation, leadership and people knowledge loss risks proved to be the most important. In comparing the factor structure of the theoretically derived model and the PCFA‐composed factor structure, some factors essentially remained the same with few changes, and a number of new factors emerged.

Research limitations/implications

The literature study reveals that little research has been conducted in the field of knowledge retention with a behavioral focus. However, a vast amount of literature is found on knowledge, knowledge management, knowledge retention with a focus on organizational challenges and solution driven knowledge retention initiatives, and the organizational behavior discipline as such, thus facilitating the application of the relevant concepts to knowledge retention from an organizational and behavioral perspective.

Practical implications

This study encourages practitioners to take cognizance of the fact that organizations are different and that enhancing and impeding organizational factors as well as behavioral factors of knowledge retention are to be considered.

Originality/value

The findings should provide insight into the organizational and behavioral factors that should be considered in implementing a knowledge retention strategy to retain critical tacit knowledge, thus ensuring organizational effectiveness and competitive advantage.
Narratives in knowledge sharing: challenging validity
Authors: Geiger Daniel , Schreyögg Georg
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This paper aims at extending research on narrative knowledge sharing in organizations. Current literature often assumes that narratives can provide orientation and guidance in complex task environments by conveying embedded actionable problem‐solving knowledge or practices. In this paper an empirical example of narrative‐based knowledge sharing is used as a starting point to explore knowledge sharing via narratives in more detail. It turns out to be a much more ambiguous and problematic exercise than previous studies assume.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a conceptual paper but uses a case vignette from Shell to exemplify the problem of narrative‐based knowledge sharing discussed in the paper.

Findings

A possible model shall be outlined showing how inconsistent and questionable narratives could be handled in order to provide orientation. It concludes with stressing the importance of reflecting on narratives and suggests a generative interplay between narrative and argumentative modes of communication in knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

The paper is actually the first which deals systematically with the shortcomings of a narrative mode of knowledge sharing. It explores the potential problems and outlines some suggestions of how these problems could be addressed theoretically and practically.
Responsible ownership behaviors and financial performance in family owned businesses
Authors: Berent‐Braun Marta M. , Uhlaner Lorraine M.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship of ownership behaviors with both firm financial performance and family assets in the context of family owned businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

The research framework allows for a comparison of predictions drawn from social psychological, economic, and management literature. The hypotheses are tested using ordinary least squares hierarchical regression analyses conducted on a nonrandom sample of medium and large family businesses.

Findings

The empirical results identify four potential categories of responsible ownership behaviors: professionalism, active governance, owner as resource, and basic duties. Professionalism (i.e. acting in accordance with expectations and agreements among owners and in relation to the firm) is the only behavior positively associated with financial performance. The effect of active governance (i.e. the monitoring of management) on financial performance is moderated by business size – this behavior has a negative effect on the dependent variable for all but the largest firms in the sample.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the current research and directions for further research include issues related to sampling, other possible variables to be explored, and alternative validations of the responsible ownership concept.

Practical implications

This study has direct practical implications for owners' actions in relation to one another and with other actors in the firm.

Originality/value

This study contributes to existing research on governance by developing a better understanding of the role of owners and their influence on the firm.
Social capital in the international operations of family SMEs
Authors: Kontinen Tanja , Ojala Arto
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The aim of this study is to discuss how social capital is developed in the internationalization process of small and medium‐sized family enterprises (family SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reports findings from an in‐depth multiple case study with four Finnish manufacturing family SMEs. The data were analyzed through the perspectives of structural holes, network closure, and the interplay between these two mechanisms.

Findings

The material in the paper demonstrated that family entrepreneurs had a large number of structural holes when launching international operations, but also after several years of running international operations. Instead of trying to span structural holes, they concentrated merely on developing the network closure with agents and subsidiary staff. The case firms spent a lot of resources on finding suitable network ties and on developing good network closure with the selected social capital ties.

Research limitations/implications

There are some aspects that might differ depending on the home and target country of firms. For instance, firms in some Asian countries are able to utilize emigrant relationships that help them with networking, which was not the case here with Finnish family SMEs.

Practical implications

Family entrepreneurs seem to have a tendency to concentrate on a limited number of foreign partners, and to neglect the building of new relationships that could help them in future challenges.

Originality/value

This study: responds to calls for more research on network development in the entrepreneurial process, especially in the context of internationalization; introduces the notions of network closure and structural holes to the internationalization context; and reveals how social capital restricts and facilitates family SMEs' international operations.
Factor analysis of executive compensation determinants: survey evidence from executives and non‐executive investors
Authors: Fleming Arron Scott , Christian Schaupp Ludwig
Published: February 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to examine the differences between executives and investors in the perception of determinant factors in executive compensation.

Design/methodology/approach

From a survey instrument comprised of archival executive compensation determinant items, a factor analysis is performed to examine the construct determinant perceptions unique to executives and non‐executive investors.

Findings

The authors find differences in factors between executives and non‐executive investors in a manner expected by agency theory. Non‐executive investors place greater weight on factors related to performance and less weight on human capital factors, while executive investors place greater weight on human capital factors in determining executive compensation.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited in that the sample may not be representative of the population of chief executive officers or shareholders in the USA.

Practical implications

Differing factors suggest that there is a misalignment of measures desired to be the foundation of executive compensation. The differing measures used to potentially motivate agents (executives) by principals (investors) results in an agency cost.

Originality/value

The authors have documented a difference between executives and investors in factors desired to determine executive compensation.
Media impact on corporate governance in India: a research agenda
Authors: Dash Amarendra Kumar
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of media on corporate governance and to develop a research agenda on the same issue in the peculiar Indian setting.

Design/methodology/approach

Extant and premier literature on the impact of media on corporate governance is reviewed. The relevance of the issue to the Indian context is analyzed. Based on that, a research agenda is developed keeping in view the problems unique to the Indian context.

Findings

The review of literature reveals that research on the impact of media on corporate governance is basically done in the context of Western media and democracy. There is no attempt to gauge the influence of media reports on corporate governance in India, although the largest democracy of the world has experienced the biggest scandals of unethical governance in the last two decades.

Originality/value

This is an early effort to study the role of media in addressing corporate governance issues and abuses in India. The paper brings together the problems peculiar to the Indian situation indicating mass media's scope for having some impact on corporate ethics, regulators' responsibility and public opinion in India.
A Delphi study on building services engineers' core competence and statutory role in Hong Kong
Authors: Yik Francis W.H. , Lai Joseph H.K. , Lee W.L. , Chan K.T. , Chau C.K.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to narrow the diverse views of the industry stakeholders on two controversial issues, namely the scope of core competence of building services engineers (BSEs) and the statutory role that they should play, which were encountered in an extensive research study on the building services profession of Hong Kong.

Design/methodology/approach

An expert panel was formed and the Delphi method was applied to resolve the controversies. In the Delphi process, every panel member was provided with complete opinions expressed by all other panel members in each round of the deliberation.

Findings

Sufficient support was found for the proposition that professional BSEs should be competent in handling air‐conditioning, electrical, fire services, and plumbing & drainage works, and that the government authorities should mandate the design and compliance certification of electrical and fire services installations by BSEs.

Research limitations/implications

Although the Delphi method has not been hitherto applied to resolve the controversies addressed in the study, it was proven to be a very effective tool in seeking majority opinions from a group of experts. The same approach may be taken in similar studies in future.

Practical implications

The core competence identified should be made as a minimum requirement for practitioners who wish to practise as professional BSEs. The views and comments given by the expert panel members are informative references to public policy makers.

Originality/value

This was the first ever study conducted in an attempt to identify the core competence and statutory role of BSEs in Hong Kong.
Drivers and barriers of new product development and innovation in event venues
Authors: Hassanien Ahmed , Dale Crispin
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the role of new product development (NPD) in event venue operations by drawing on existing literature. The paper acknowledges product innovation as an under‐researched field in event venues and explores this within the context of seven diverse operations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a case study analysis methodology the research reveals a number of key findings.

Findings

It is revealed that NPD is a fundamental process within event venues but takes a number of different forms, depending on the profit or non‐profit orientation of the organisation. Within this, the findings discuss the different aims, reasons and barriers of NPD.

Originality/value

The paper concludes with the key issues to NPD that managers in event venues should be aware of and proposes a number of limitations and areas for future research.
The diversification discount and takeovers: some Australian evidence
Authors: Nankervis Michael , Singh Harminder
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the existence of a diversification discount in the Australian takeover market. A sample of 446 Australian publicly‐listed firms involved in the market for corporate control was observed between 2000 and 2007. The authors examined two pre‐announcement and four post‐announcement periods, predominantly around the immediate event date, but also examined activity out to one year following the announcement.Design/methodology/approach – An event study, in this case, is used to examine abnormal returns around the announcement of a merger or acquisition. The timeframe this study intends to focus on is the period from announcement date to a time one year down the track which, although some studies may deem it “long‐term”, is still a relatively short‐term measure of performance. While many variables in acquisitions have been looked at in depth over the years, such as outcome, nature, payment method and size of deal, one area which has had considerably less attention is the area of specialisation and diversification. That is, do focus increasing (or non‐diversification) deals have different return patterns relative to focus decreasing (or diversification) deals?

Findings

The overall findings of this paper are fairly mixed, barring a few exceptions, and there does not appear to be a great deal of variation in return patterns based purely on whether the announced acquisition is non‐diversifying or diversifying in nature.

Originality/value

The paper is of particular value in Australia. Most of the research of diversification to date has taken place in the USA. Australia is similar to the USA in that it has a well‐developed economy based on common law principles and an active equity market, however, the existence of institutional and regulatory differences suggests that US results may not hold in Australia.
Technology transfer in Asia: challenges from a cross‐cultural perspective
Authors: Hirt Christian
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight challenges to the transfer of technologies which are caused by the internationalization of companies and the need to outsource production in a globalized business environment. Aside from typical methods of transfer by means of documents or equipment, technology is mainly brought forward by human resources, which in a transboundary context implies the interaction between cultures. However, a connection between culture and technology has, for a long time, been underestimated by practitioners and researchers and a fortiori necessitates the development of competences to facilitate collaboration in a more and more multicultural working environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were retrieved from a semi‐structured questionnaire used in ten in‐depth interviews and exploited by discourse analysis. The survey questionnaire was the main instrument to support data collection in the interviews with at least one respective executive involved in cross‐border technology transfer in the Japanese sample companies.

Findings

Contradicting the assumptions in Western literature, this study reveals that not only countries correlating on collectivism and masculinity but also more feminine countries can be considered as successful technology transfer partners. It is also substantiated that cultural closeness between countries does not imperatively result in frictionless technology transfer when analyzed from a cultural point of view.

Practical implications

Survey results from a small‐sized exploratory study on Japanese companies and their experience in technology transfer processes within Asia provide information that will help managers to better understand the challenges in cross‐cultural transfer situations and to create a more effective transfer framework.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the combination of technology transfer processes and the need for cross‐cultural competence and hence fulfils an identified need to link technology transfer to culture.
A strategic framework for determining e‐commerce adoption
Authors: Li Peixin , Xie Wei
Published: February 2012

Purpose

Many firms have attempted to adopt e‐commerce to upgrade their formidable competitive capabilities and thereby build their own competitive advantages. However, some firms have achieved great performance, whereas others have failed in competitive outcomes. How can the differences in firms' e‐commerce adoption be explained? This question remains largely unanswered. The purpose of this paper is to help fill this literature gap by developing a framework that incorporates factors determining firms' adoption of e‐commerce.

Design/methodology/approach

Through literature review, this paper summarizes ten factors which determine firms' adoption of e‐commerce.

Findings

The paper summarizes ten factors which determine firms' adoption of e‐commerce and four significant factors are especially highlighted, including managerial attitudes, corporate strategies, external pressures and firms' technology strengths.

Originality/value

The framework developed by this article provides a conceptual basis for further quantitative analysis. It can also guide firms' implementation of e‐commerce strategy. Moreover, this paper should be of great value to the policy makers who encourage firms to build up their competitiveness through e‐commerce adoption.
Green practices in the Chinese building industry: drivers and impediments
Authors: Ying Liu Jung , Pheng Low Sui , He Xi
Published: February 2012

Purpose

Green building has become increasingly significant in China, with hundreds of projects being certified. While this has been the case, the driving and impeding factors behind this have remained unclear. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the green practices in China and to investigate the current status and the driving and impeding factors for green practices in the Chinese building industry.

Design/methodology/approach

After a comprehensive review of the pertinent literature, this study first describes major environmental changes in China. Next, this study conducts an industry‐wide survey, with 65 completed responses received that form the analysis of this research.

Findings

The results of the survey showed that “to obtain countenance and incentives from the government” appears to be the dominant motivation for green practices. “High fabrication cost” in design and “cost control” in construction were considered to be the largest obstacles encountered. “Lack of application experience” seems to be the largest obstacle faced in certification. The respondents seem to disagree much on the advantages of green buildings over conventional ones. The study also found that “countenance and incentives from the government” were the most significant driving force behind the rapid expansion of the green building industry in China.

Originality/value

A clearer understanding of the perceptions of industry practitioners would assist those in the green building industry to better appreciate their shortcomings and to inspire new ways of improving performance of the green building industry. Although the future of the green building sector in China is promising, this industry still faces significant obstacles in technologies relating to design, production and manufacturing as well as in “soft” skills relating to regulations, management and stimulation.
Modelling bi‐directional research: a fresh approach to stakeholder theory
Authors: Money Kevin , Hillenbrand Carola , Hunter Ian , Money Arthur G.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

While Freeman's stakeholder management approach has attracted much attention from both scholars and practitioners, little empirical work has considered the interconnectedness of organisational perspectives and stakeholder perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to respond to this gap by developing and empirically testing a bi‐directional model of organisation/stakeholder relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual framework is developed that integrates how stakeholders are affected by organisations with how they affect organisations. Quantitative data relating to both sides of the relationship are obtained from 700 customers of a European service organisation and analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling technique.

Findings

The findings provide empirical support for the notion of mutual dependency between organisations and stakeholders as advocated by stakeholder theorists. The results suggest that the way stakeholders relate to organisations is dependent on how organisations relate to stakeholders.

Originality/value

The study is original on two fronts: first, it provides a framework and process that can be used by researchers to model bi‐directional research with other stakeholder groups and in different contexts. Second, the study presents an example application of bi‐directional research by empirically linking organisational and stakeholder expectations in the case of customers of a UK service organisation.
Leadership practices that encourage strategic thinking
Authors: Goldman Ellen F.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define and then investigate the incidence of organizational leadership practices that encourage a culture of strategic thinking.

Design/methodology/approach

Discussions with 400 US healthcare executives attending focused educational seminars identified 18 leadership practices that encourage strategic thinking and 117 participants in subsequent seminars completed a survey assessing their use of the practices. Central tendencies, patterns across high and low users, and demographic differences were analyzed.

Findings

The two most frequently used practices involved reactions to crises. Executives using most of the practices employed long time horizons and made investments in human resource development and organizational learning. Industry suppliers and those responsible for parts of organizations were more likely to formally develop subordinates' strategic thinking ability.

Research limitations/implications

While the study used a convenience sample with self‐ratings, it identified salient leadership practices for encouraging strategic thinking. This research should be expanded to other industries and countries. Case study methods would provide additional insight.

Practical implications

The findings support enhanced practitioner education regarding strategic thinking and provide practitioners with a place to start in looking for ways to enhance strategic thinking among individuals in their organizations.

Originality/value

The study fills a gap in the literature regarding specific ways in which organizational culture may impact strategic thinking in others. The study also provides a model for scholar‐practitioner inquiry, exemplifying practitioner involvement in methodology development and the interpretation of findings.
Knowledge management and organisational resilience
Authors: Mafabi Samuel , Munene John , Ntayi Joseph
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of the mediation effect of innovation in the relationship between knowledge management and organisational resilience.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a cross‐sectional design to collect data used to carry out mediation analysis.

Findings

Innovation had an effect on organisational resilience. Knowledge management did not have a direct effect on organisational resilience, except through the full mediation of innovation. This suggests that without organisational innovation, parastatal organisations may not improve their level of resilience.

Research limitations/implications

The sample size was small, covering only parastatals. The results may be different in the private sector. The study was cross‐sectional which is limited to trace long‐term effects of knowledge management and organisational innovation on organisational resilience. Therefore, a longitudinal study may be undertaken, subject to resource availability.

Practical implications

Managers in parastatals should carry out organisational innovations as a gateway for knowledge management to build organisational resilience.

Originality/value

The study generates empirical evidence on less studied phenomena in the parastatal sector. The evidence highlights the powerful influence of organisational innovation in building resilience based on knowledge management.
Strategies for change: adaptation to new accounting conditions
Authors: Carlström Eric D.
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify middle managers' strategies during changed accounting conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Middle managers from hospitals, primary care and community care were interviewed about their strategies during change processes. Each middle manager selected changes that had played the greatest part in a ten‐year period.

Findings

Each change was dominated by one strategy that corresponded to the tactics of middle managers during change. They questioned new control models, they experimented with smart budget strategies and they implemented new IT technology. These strategies formed transitions in a continuous circular change model based on Hinings and Malholtra. The study points to two key findings. First, strategies that can be perceived as irrational are organised within a context of plausible explanations; and second, middle managers in public organisations are likely to adopt innovations supported by management policy voluntarily and to question or even reject those prohibited.

Research limitations/implications

Criticism may be directed towards the fact that the theoretical model presented in the analysis has an element of determinism. In the model, the managers' control strategies are given limited influence. The theoretical model's strength is that it measures the development in slow‐to‐change public organisations with long histories and deeply rooted practices.

Practical implications

The results can be used to understand the motives of the middle managers' strategies for change. It provides support to management that hesitates between defending a well‐established but criticised organisational model, and implementing new and untested approaches.

Originality/value

Theoretical change models frequently originate from a management perspective or differentiate between “top‐down” and “bottom up” change. In this paper, change is regarded as a generalised process where different phenomena are connected. This forms a circular model that moves between stable phases without change and transformative phases of major change.
Publicly owned accounting firm consolidators: executive benefit expectations
Authors: Pickering Mark Edward
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the company‐related benefits expected by executives of public accounting companies consolidating accounting practices and the implications of these expectations for company performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a case study approach involving the review of publicly available information and interviews with executives and senior professionals of two Australian, publicly‐owned accounting companies. Analysis of the financial performance of the two companies was performed using data from annual reports.

Findings

Executives predominantly expected to achieve revenue growth and efficiency benefits through consolidation and change in ownership form. In one of the cases these benefit expectations emerged over the course of the acquisition program. The paper highlights the difficulty in estimating and realising the magnitude, timing and associated costs of consolidation benefits and the consequences of failure to achieve expected benefits; also it suggests advantages in a more conservative consolidation approach.

Research limitations/implications

Care is required generalising findings to other professions and other geographic jurisdictions.

Practical implications

This paper has implications for entrepreneurs and executives consolidating professional service firms, partners considering selling their firms and investors in publicly‐owned professional service firms.

Originality/value

This is the first study to consider the benefits expected by executives of the recently emerged, publicly‐owned accounting companies and the associated costs of implementation. The paper highlights opportunities for researchers provided by the availability of data for publicly‐owned accounting and other professional service firms.
Firm's information environment and stock liquidity: evidence from Tunisian context
Authors: Loukil Nadia , Yousfi Ouidad
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of public and private information of Tunisian firms on stock liquidity.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a sample of 41 Tunisian firms listed in Tunis Stock Exchange for the year 2007. Public information disclosed in annual reports and in web sites is measured by two self‐constructed disclosure indexes. To assess private information the authors use imbalance order flows. The stock liquidity proxy used in the study is Liu's multidimensional measure. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression is applied to model the relationship between firm's information environment and stock liquidity.

Findings

First, the results provide evidence that public and private information are independent. Second, Tunisian investors do not trust the information disclosed in both annual reports and web sites, consequently it has no effect on stock liquidity, in contrast with private information. This result implies that Tunisian investors are overconfident and rely only on their private information.

Practical implications

The paper's findings indicate that Tunisian regulation efforts to enhance corporate transparency are not sufficient. Hence, Tunisian firms need more incentives to disclose more information to investors.

Originality/value

This paper, to the authors’ best knowledge, is the first to investigate the effect of both private and public information on stock liquidity. Moreover, the authors were not limited to annual reports as the only source of public information, as were prior papers, because public information was assessed in both annual reports and corporate web sites.
Employability skills development: strategy, evaluation and impact
Authors: Andrews Georgina , Russell Marilyn
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report how one University has sought to test the effectiveness of strategies to enhance employability skills, and the key themes which emerged from this investigation.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey tool has been used to record staff perceptions of where employability skills are strongly developed and assessed in a sample of courses. The results have been triangulated against explicit statements/mapping in course documentation, and top level University strategies and policies. Key performance indicators have been reviewed, and focus groups have been conducted to appraise student perceptions. An external scan of selected comparator benchmark institutions has also been undertaken.

Findings

Key emerging themes include issues surrounding the role of higher education; deficiencies in the classification of graduate destinations; the challenge of predicting the needs of employers of the future; and gaps between strategies, perceptions and realities.

Research limitations/implications

A number of the outcomes of the audit are University specific. However, some of the key themes and issues that have emerged are relevant to the sector as a whole. This paper highlights these broader issues, whilst acknowledging that individual Universities will find their own unique responses to these challenges.

Originality/value

This paper shares an approach to the critical evaluation of the effectiveness of strategies to enhance employability skills development, which may be of value to educational establishments wishing to review their own provision. The paper also draws attention to key issues relating to the enhancement of graduate employability.
Changing policies, their impact on the provision of work‐based learning and the development of an e‐portfolio based pedagogy for WBL
Authors: Felce Alison , Purnell Emma
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify how key external and internal policies can impact on the internal policies of a University in the UK. It explains how the internal structures can be changed to meet the policy demands and how the need to meet those demands can lead to the development of an innovative pedagogy to broaden engagement with the business community, to offer work‐based learning to employees within small to medium‐sized enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

The objectives of the case study are to review the key external policies and drivers for change and how these led to internal policy and structure changes. The paper reviews past practice in the university around employer engagement, how this is affected by the external changes and identifies opportunities for change offered through the availability of external project funding. The key requirements for the new pedagogical approach are outlined, along with its primary concepts and how an e‐portfolio has been designed to meet the needs of the target group.

Findings

The paper shows how imperatives arising from policies and drivers outside the university can be contextualised by that university to develop a cost‐effective, sustainable and scaleable pedagogy to widen access to cohorts of learners that would otherwise not be able to access higher education.

Originality/value

The paper showcases an innovative pedagogic approach to enable access to higher education for work‐based learners in small to medium‐sized enterprises.
Corporate governance research applied at a private university
Authors: Kyriakos Georgiou Andreas , Koussis Nicos , Violaris Ioannis
Published: February 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the evidence regarding the link between accounting education and the industry, with particular emphasis on the links between accounting education and firm performance. In particular, the paper investigates corporate governance education and its relation to firms’ performance, to improve the content of business‐related programs at Frederick University.

Design/methodology approach

Survey analysis, action research and literature review are used in order to apply the findings of corporate governance research on course programmes at the university.

Findings

The main recommendation of the research is that new modules have to be introduced for both the accounting and finance and business administration degrees so as to meet the increasing need for corporate governance education. This is reflected in the interviews of managers, the student questionnaires, the faculty interviews and the literature review on the subject. These new modules will serve the increasing needs of the Cyprus business world towards better corporate governance practices. These modules should cover the main theoretical aspects concerning corporate governance and the empirical findings concerning corporate governance education and its relation with performance.

Originality/value

The paper provides new insights as to how corporate governance research could be applied to business‐related degree courses at a university in Cyprus.
Progesterone receptor downregulates breast cancer resistance protein expression via binding to the progesterone response element in breast cancer
Authors: Wu Xiaojuan , Zhang Xiaofang , Zhang Hui , Su Peng , Li Weiwei , Li Li , Wang Yan , Liu Wenjun , Gao Peng , Zhou Gengyin
Published: February 2012

Breast cancer resistance protein (BCRP) plays a major role in multidrug resistance (MDR). Sequence analysis reveals there is a novel progesterone response element (PRE) in the BCRP promoter, suggesting progesterone receptor (PR) may have a function in the regulation of BCRP expression. We examined the expressions of BCRP, PR, estrogen receptor α (ERα), androgen receptor (AR) and Her‐2 in 95 breast cancer samples by immunohistochemistry. Then, to identify the role of PR in the regulation of BCRP expression, two constructs encoding full length BCRP cDNA driven by putative PRE promoter or constitutive CMV promoter were transfected into MCF‐7 and MDA‐MB‐231, respectively. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and western blotting were used to detect the expression of BCRP. Further electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to verify the nuclear protein‐DNA specific binding. We innovatively found that the expression of BCRP negatively related with that of PR and ERα in breast cancer by immunohistochemistry. While at a cellular level, after being treated by progesterone and 17β‐estradiol, BCRP mRNA and protein levels were significantly reduced in a concentration‐dependent manner in MCF‐7/P‐BCRP cells with PR bound to the identified PRE in BCRP promoter. Our results demonstrated that active PR inactived BCRP expression via progesterone‐PR complexes binding to PRE in BCRP promoter in breast cancer cells. (Cancer Sci 2012; 103: 959–967)
Clinical metabolomics paves the way towards future healthcare strategies
Authors: Collino Sebastiano , Martin François‐Pierre J. , Rezzi Serge
Published: February 2012

Metabolomics is recognized as a powerful top‐down system biological approach to understand genetic‐environment‐health paradigms paving new avenues to identify clinically relevant biomarkers. It is nowadays commonly used in clinical applications shedding new light on physiological regulatory processes of complex mammalian systems with regard to disease aetiology, diagnostic stratification and, potentially, mechanism of action of therapeutic solutions. A key feature of metabolomics lies in its ability to underpin the complex metabolic interactions of the host with its commensal microbial partners providing a new way to define individual and population phenotypes. This review aims at describing recent applications of metabolomics in clinical fields with insight into diseases, diagnostics/monitoring and improvement of homeostatic metabolic regulation.
Triptolide in the treatment of psoriasis and other immune‐mediated inflammatory diseases
Authors: Han Rui , Rostami‐Yazdi Martin , Gerdes Sascha , Mrowietz Ulrich
Published: February 2012

Apart from cancer chronic (auto)immune‐mediated diseases are a major threat for patients and a challenge for physicians. These conditions include classic autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis and dermatomyositis and also immune‐mediated inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis. Traditional therapies for these conditions include unspecific immunosuppressants including steroids and cyclophosphamide, more specific compounds such as ciclosporin or other drugs which are thought to act as immunomodulators (fumarates and intravenous immunoglobulins). With increasing knowledge about the underlying pathomechanisms of the diseases, targeted biologic therapies mainly consisting of anti‐cytokine or anti‐cytokine receptor agents have been developed. The latter have led to a substantial improvement of the induction of long term remission but drug costs are high and are not affordable in all countries. In China an extract of the herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. (TwHF) is frequently used to treat autoimmune and/or inflammatory diseases due to its favourable cost–benefit ratio. Triptolide has turned out to be the active substance of TwHF extracts and has been shown to exert potent anti‐inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects in vitro and in vivo. There is increasing evidence for an immunomodulatory and partly immunosuppressive mechanism of action of triptolide. Thus, compounds such as triptolide or triptolide derivatives may have the potential to be developed as a new class of drugs for these diseases. In this review we summarize the published knowledge regarding clinical use, pharmacokinetics and the possible mode of action of triptolide in the treatment of inflammatory diseases with a particular focus on psoriasis.
Childhood stunting and caries increment in permanent teeth: a three and a half year longitudinal study in Peru
Authors: DELGADO‐ANGULO ELSA K. , HOBDELL MARTIN H. , BERNABÉ EDUARDO
Published: February 2012

International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry 2013; 23: 101–109

Background.  Malnutrition has been consistently associated with caries in primary teeth, although an effect on permanent teeth has not been established because of the few longitudinal studies.

Aim.  To explore the association between stunting and caries increment in permanent teeth over 3.5 years.

Design.  In 2003, 121 children aged 7–9 years were randomly selected from nine underserved communities in Lima (Peru). Parents provided demographic information and a food diary for their children. Clinical examinations included assessments of height, weight, oral hygiene, and dental caries. Stunting was defined using the 2000 CDC and 2007 WHO standards. In 2006, 83 children were re‐examined, and the 3.5‐year net DMFS increment was calculated. The association between stunting and net DMFS increment was assessed using negative binomial regression.

Results.  Stunting was related to net DMFS increment after adjustment for sex and age, oral hygiene, sugary snacks between meals, and caries experience in primary and permanent teeth. Consistent results were found when using either the 2000 CDC (incidence rate ratio: 1.61; 95%CI: 1.07, 2.44) or 2007 WHO standards (IRR: 1.79; 95%CI: 1.28, 2.51).

Conclusion.  Stunting was a significant risk factor for caries increment in permanent teeth over a 3.5‐year period, independent of other well‐known risk factors for caries development.
A computer tool for cardiovascular risk estimation according to Framingham and SCORE equations
Authors: Ramírez‐Rodrigo Jesús , Moreno‐Vázquez José Antonio , Ruiz‐Villaverde Alberto , Sánchez‐Caravaca María Ángeles , Lopez de la Torre‐Casares Martín , Villaverde‐Gutiérrez Carmen
Published: February 2012

Background  Currently, we have different scales to estimate the cardiovascular risk of one individual. The most commonly used in clinical practice are the Framingham method and the SCORE project. Both are based on mathematical models that take into account the presence and intensity of various risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Aims and objectives  The aim of our study was to develop a measurement system that allows unifying criteria of both models. Thus, we will be able to estimate the cardiovascular risk globally in a cohort of patients instead of individually.

Methods  The study included a representative subgroup of 50 patients treated at in the Endocrinology Service of Virgen de las Nieves University Hospital, Granada, below 30 years or above 75 years. The equations used in the present study were in strict compliance with the original publications. The reliability and validity of results were tested, comparing them with results obtained using calculation programs developed, available on‐line. The degree of similarity was determined by means of the Dice index and the distance between our values and those of the other programs were compared by using the expression: Da–b = √Σ(a − b)2

Results  The results of the present study demonstrated our application to be reliable and valid for cardiovascular risk assessment. Our observations also demonstrated differences in the criteria applied to create cardiovascular risk calculation tools. This may have repercussions on clinical decisions for some patients, suggesting a need to compare and standardize these criteria, ensuring that programs developed for this calculation correctly manage the different risk categories considered.

Conclusion  The present study validates a computer tool developed for the simultaneous calculation of cardiovascular disease probability by applying Framingham‐Anderson and Framingham‐Wilson methods, the Spanish adaptations of Regicor and Dorica, and the SCORE project.