bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Minority ethnic men in British labour market (1972‐2005)
Authors: Li Yaojun , Heath Anthony
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This paper seeks to investigate ethnic disadvantages in the UK labour market in the last three decades. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on data from the most authoritative government surveys, the gross and net differences in employment status and class position between minority ethnic and White British men covering 34 years (1972‐2005) are analysed.

Findings

White British and White Other men were generally advantaged in employment and in access to professional and managerial (salariat) jobs. White Irish men were making steady progress, and have now caught up with the White British. Black men were much more likely to be unemployed in recession years but progress is discernible with Black Caribbeans approaching, and Black Africans frequently outperforming, the White British in gaining access to the salariat. Indian and Chinese men were behind the White British in employment but little different in access to the salariat. Pakistani/Bangladeshi men were most disadvantaged in both respects.

Originality/value

This is the most systematic research in this area so far, using the most authoritative data and covering such a long period.
Customer heterogeneity in operational e‐service design attributes
Authors: Sousa Rui , Yeung Andy C.L. , Cheng T.C.E.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This study aims to empirically examine whether heterogeneity in personal customer profiles translates to heterogeneity in the valued operational e‐service design attributes. It focuses on a key operational e‐service design attribute – service quality – by investigating whether customers with different profiles (demographics, pattern of use of the service, and pattern of channel use) attach different levels of importance to different dimensions of web site quality.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on path analysis of data collected from multiple sources in a commercial e‐service setting (e‐banking): data from an online survey of the customers of the e‐service; data stored in the transaction and log files generated by the operation of the e‐service over time; and data from the e‐service provider's customer database and back office IT systems.

Findings

The results suggest that: customer demographics, pattern of service use, and pattern of channel use have no influence on the importance attached by customers to web site quality dimensions; and customer demographics affect the pattern of use of an e‐service.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should examine this question in other types of e‐services and should examine other types of profile variables.

Practical implications

Service providers may not need to employ customization at the level of web site quality dimensions. The findings support the existence of the concept of an “optimal” web site design for quality.

Originality/value

The paper answers calls for an increased understanding of the design of high quality e‐services and for multidisciplinary research in the field of services management, in particular, incorporating operations management perspectives.
Design creativity: static or dynamic capability?
Authors: Azadegan Arash , Bush David , Dooley Kevin J.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

Viewing creativity through the theoretical lens of the resource‐based view, the paper attempts to answer a fundamental question: is design creativity a static or dynamic capability? If static, then firms need to acquire personnel who are already creative. If dynamic, then personnel's creative talents should be developed through training.

Design/methodology/approach

In an exploratory controlled experiment of 74 design engineers from ten firms, two forms of training emphasizing design creativity as static or dynamic capability were applied. Creative designs developed by the participants were judged by professionals inside each organization. Results were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The exploratory findings support the notion that design creativity is a static capability. In tandem, support for design creativity as a dynamic capability, contingent upon personality traits is apparent. Training may help develop some people's creative skills.

Research limitations/implications

Small sample size limited the ability to distinguish the significance of some effects. Further incubation time for training and an added evaluation step by the judges could have resulted in more apparent effects of training.

Practical implications

Finest candidates for recruitment and development may not be identified based on a limited set of characteristics. Selection should be based on a combination of criteria. To gain the most, training programs should be subject to the individuals' learning styles.

Originality/value

Design creativity should be considered as a static characteristic determined upon recruitment (buy), and as a dynamic one developed post hire (make). The exploratory findings suggest a combined buy and modify approach to design creativity.
Researching performance measurement systems
Authors: Marchand Marie , Raymond Louis
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to clarify the notions that underlie performance measurement systems (PMS) and to propose an information systems (IS)‐based characterisation and definition of PMS, that is, as a performance management information system (PMIS).

Design/methodology/approach

Research on PMS can be enhanced by a clear, precise and uniform characterisation of this research object in IS terms A classification scheme is developed and the contribution areas of an IS perspective to PMS research are presented and exemplified.

Findings

The knowledge developed in IS research in the form of IS theories, models and methods can be applied in research on PMS, particularly in empirical studies that analyse the individual and organisational behaviours associated with the PMS phenomenon.

Research limitations/implications

The conceptualisation and definition of PMS, as found in the literature, have not truly reflected their basic nature and characterisation as IS.

Practical implications

The research benefits of an IS‐based approach are illustrated through a PMS usage model founded on IS theory. In so doing, a contribution is made to the PMS research field by reinforcing its theoretical and empirical foundations.

Originality/value

This study proposes a novel and demonstrably useful IS‐based perspective, including an improved conceptualization and definition of PMS.
Shedding light on causation between ISO 9001 and improved business performance
Authors: Dick Gavin P.M. , Heras Iñaki , Casadesús Martí
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The adoption of the ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems Standard has proven to be a persistent and growing phenomenon in services and manufacturing, yet to date little research has been done that can indicate how far improved business performance can be attributed to it rather than counter‐intuitive causes. The paper aims to examine the evidence for the causal links between quality management system certification and improved performance in the empirical literature.

Design/methodology/approach

A method is proposed for testing how far performance improvement can be attributed to quality management system certification and how far attribution to other causes applies. This method is illustrated on a longitudinal study and then utilised to interpret the findings of other longitudinal studies.

Findings

It is concluded that although there is some evidence to indicate that quality management system certification has some causal influence on business performance, there is also evidence for the existence of a substantial mechanism whereby better performing firms self‐select to adopt certification. Possible causes for this mechanism are discussed.

Research limitations/implications

The existence of a self‐select mechanism has profound implications for interpreting business performance achievements associated with quality management system certification because the benefits found may well be inflated by its presence. The authors suggest that richer theory is needed that can incorporate bi‐directional influences and new research is needed to explore the underlying causes of adoption selection effects.

Originality/value

The paper provides researchers with a method for testing and discussing causation influences on results. It provides evidence that a substantial part of the association found in the research on quality management system certification and business benefits may be due to counterintuitive causes.
Barriers to organizational creativity
Authors: Asad Sadi Muhammad , Al‐Dubaisi Ali H.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the significance of some barriers in Saudi organizations from the perspectives of marketing executives.

Design/methodology/approach

A range of contemporary literature is presented to help define the term “organizational creativity,” and describe “barriers to creativity” from the marketing executives' perspective within the organizational culture of Saudi Arabia.

Findings

Self‐confidence and task achievement are the most significant barriers to the creativity of marketing executives in Saudi Arabia.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is primarily based on a survey questionnaire, the contents of which were derived from previous studies on this subject or related themes. The barriers to creativity surveyed in this study were identified by Osborn. They were grouped into six constructs: self‐confidence; need for conformity and risk taking; use of the abstract; use of systematic analysis; task achievement and physic1al environment.

Practical implications

Throughout this paper the concept of “barriers to creativity” was explored. The results indicated that self‐confidence is considered a slightly higher barrier to creativity among Saudi executives compared to non‐Saudis who rate task achievement higher. To improve self‐confidence among executives, both Saudi and non‐Saudi organizations must improve positive behavioral elements such as optimism, passion, and self‐image and minimize negative behavior elements such as sarcasms, destructive criticism, status consciousness and fear of evaluation.

Originality/value

The celebrated Osborn model is used to identify the creativity barriers among organizations from the perspective of marketing executives. This paper concludes that creativity is an important issue for any organization to survive and excel, and knowing the barriers that diminish creativity is an essential step towards the objective of creating a culture of creativity within an organization in the Saudi Arabian context.
Management development and the unconscious from an analytical psychology framework
Authors: Figler Robert , Hanlon Susan
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore and explicate the role of the unconscious, from an analytical psychology framework, in the development of managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Developing effective managers is an enormous task requiring views from many different perspectives. The lifeblood of all types of managerial work and activity involves relating, understanding, cooperating, and depending on others at both a conscious and unconscious level. In this paper, management development and the unconscious is viewed from an analytical psychology (Jungian) perspective.

Findings

Insights are provided from this framework describing how managers might become more receptive and effective in relational skills necessary for the effective management of the workplace.

Originality/value

The paper develops a conceptual framework, which may help managers, through a dialogue with the unconscious, become more receptive to emotion, feeling and subjectivity in workers and themselves. This, in turn, may make them more effective in relating and being related to others.
The broken trailer fallacy
Authors: Stringham Edward P. , Snow Nicholas A.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze some of the unseen negative effects of the post‐Katrina government policies dealing with housing in New Orleans.

Design/methodology/approach

Since Hurricane Katrina, the government, along with private for profit and not‐for‐profit organizations, has worked to rebuild the city of New Orleans. This effort is most evident in the response to the housing crisis that followed the storm. The government has spent billions of dollars and brought thousands of people in to rebuild homes and other infrastructure in the long run and to provide stopgap measures in the short run. The approximately 120,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) trailers in the region are one of the most visible examples of government efforts.

Findings

The paper finds that while the trailers did provide benefits to those who received them, it could be argued that the government's policies aimed toward solving the housing crisis suffer from Frédéric Bastiat's broken window fallacy. FEMA trailers and the multitude of workers brought in are examples of what is seen, and, as Bastiat showed, we must also look at what is unseen.

Originality/value

The paper is of value in showing that the trailer problem, among many others, has weakened the relief effort.
Institutions, incentives, and disaster relief
Authors: Westley Christopher , Murphy Robert P. , Anderson William L.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of property rights institutions to disaster relief efforts, with a focus on the US Federal Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilizes public choice, Austrian, and new institutional analyses of bureaucracy. It discusses private and public sector responses to the situation in New Orleans following Katrina and to disasters in general, and compares the institutional frameworks that develop over time in both sectors.

Findings

The paper finds that a large and bureaucratized response to disasters hinders economic calculation, incentive structure, and property rights institutions, all of which are crucial for rapid disaster response, the relief of human suffering, the minimization of knowledge problems, and the promotion of an efficient allocation of resources.

Practical implications

This research suggests that the role of the price system in allocating resources is especially important following disasters and that in order to ensure relief efforts are as efficient as possible, public‐sector actors should do nothing to impede them. It also suggests that the incentives to prepare an efficient emergency preparedness program are greater when those most affected by potential disasters are held responsible for their implementation.

Originality/value

The paper provides a critical evaluation of the role of highly centralized approaches to disaster relief.
Market‐based “disaster relief”: Katrina and the casino industry
Authors: Walker Douglas M. , Jackson John D.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect the rebuilding of the casino industry has had on the recovery efforts from Katrina.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses quarterly data from four states affected by Katrina, and a simple OLS model to test the effect the casino industry has had on personal income in the states.

Findings

The paper finds that the casino industry has had a statistically significant positive impact on the economic recovery in casino states relative to non‐casino states.

Research limitations/implications

The paper examines a relatively short term. Other research has suggested that the long‐run effects of casinos are less certain. As more data become available, the model could be re‐tested.

Practical implications

These results support previous evidence on a short‐run economic stimulus effect from casinos.

Originality/value

The paper extends previous work on the Katrina recovery by including more data, including a control sample of states without casinos, and weighting the income and revenue data.
Beliefs, bias, and regime uncertainty after Hurricane Katrina
Authors: Carden Art
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between beliefs and economic policy in the context of gasoline prices following Hurricane Katrina.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper applies three contributions – by North, Caplan and Higgs – to the question of gasoline pricing policy; and surveys public opinion regarding interference with prices.

Findings

The paper identifies evidence of “anti‐market bias” in polling data, press releases, and legislation, and argues that the uncertainty emanating from statutes restricting “price gouging” may reduce investment in the provision of “necessary goods and services” after natural disasters.

Originality/value

The paper is of value in offering evidence of anti‐market and anti‐foreign bias among what might be called political first responders to Hurricane Katrina, and posits the view that interference with prices compounded the shortages facing the Gulf coast or any other disaster‐stricken area.
An economic and ethical analysis of the Katrina disaster
Authors: McGee Robert W.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply economic and ethical analysis to natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina to determine which approaches to disaster relief work best and which should be abandoned.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides a combination of narrative with argument and analysis.

Findings

Government involvement in disaster relief has proven to be economically inefficient and also rights‐violating. Private sector initiatives and economic and political freedom provide better solutions.

Practical implications

The findings point to ways that can improve the economic efficiency of providing disaster relief while also safeguarding property and contract rights.

Originality/value

This paper combines economic and ethical analysis and includes discussions from the perspectives of both utilitarian ethics and rights‐based ethics, which is not usually done in the economics literature.
Implementing social software in public libraries
Authors: Rutherford Louise L.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a research project designed to identify the kinds of social software that public libraries are using and to explore the issues confronting public library adopters of social software.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses a qualitative methodology and takes the form of open‐ended interview questions using an e‐mail format. The research uses Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations theory as a framework.

Findings

The research found that blogs were the most popular social software tool being used in public libraries and that people‐related issues were the most important issue for librarians to take into account when implementing social software. Library staff acceptance of social software was the most crucial success factor for social software. Other important issues included staff training, the steep learning curve involved in becoming a social software user, and human resource constraints.

Originality/value

This paper provides public librarians with a basis on which to assess potential adoption decisions for social software and to learn from the experiences of others.
Adding value to digitizing with GIS
Authors: Stowell Bracke Marianne , Miller C.C. , Kim Jae
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a project that digitized the 1906 Soil Survey of Tippecanoe County, Indiana, extracted its contents into full‐text and geospatial datasets, and then built them into a web application designed to approximate but improve upon the way soil surveys are typically used by soil scientists in their research and field work.

Design/methodology/approach

The components of a 1906 soil survey document were scanned and their contents were extracted using several different methods, chief among them imagery segmentation and classification. The resulting datasets included a full‐text version of the original narrative and two georeferenced versions of the soil survey map.

Findings

Going several steps beyond just scanning, including the application of geographic information system (GIS) capabilities, adds significant value to geospatial materials whose contents are still relevant but whose formats are cumbersome. In addition, this allows for a GIS platform to which other maps and content can be added.

Originality/value

This is a unique approach to enhancing content through GIS.
Managing subject guides with SQL Server and ASP.Net
Authors: Greene Araby
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the content management solution for 50 subject guides maintained by librarian subject specialists at the University of Nevada, Reno Libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

The Web Development Librarian designed an SQL Server database to store subject guide content and wrote ASP.Net scripts to generate dynamic web pages. Subject specialists provided input throughout the process. Hands‐on workshops were held the summer before the new guides were launched.

Findings

The new method has successfully produced consistent but individually customized subject guides while greatly reducing maintenance time. Simple reports reveal the association between guides and licensed resources. Using the system to create course‐specific guides would be a useful follow‐up project. Skills learned in training workshops should be refreshed at regular intervals to boost confidence and introduce changes in the system.

Practical implications

The advantages of centralizing content and separating it from presentation cannot be overstated. More consistency and less maintenance is just the beginning. Once accomplished, a library can incorporate Web 2.0 features into the application by repurposing the data or modifying the ASP.Net template. The now‐organized data is clean and ready to migrate to web services or next‐generation research guides when the time is right.

Originality/value

This paper uniquely reports on an SQL Server, ASP.Net solution for managing subject guides. SQL Server includes data management features that increase application security and ASP.Net offers built‐in functionality for manipulating and presenting data. Utmost attention was given to creating simple user interfaces that enable subject specialists to create complex web pages without coding HTML.
Examining student outcomes in university computer laboratory environments
Authors: Newby Michael , Marcoulides Laura D.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to model the relationship between student performance, student attitudes, and computer laboratory environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 234 college students enrolled in courses that involved the use of a computer to solve problems and provided the laboratory experience by means of formal closed laboratory classes. The a priori proposed model that student performance can be explained by perceptions of the computer laboratory environment and attitudes towards computer was tested using structural equation modeling.

Findings

The proposed model was determined to fit the data reasonably well. These results indicate that student performance scores can be explained by perceptions of the computer laboratory environment and attitudes toward computers.

Originality/value

The theoretical and practical implications of the model concerning student performance within the framework of educational management are discussed.
Caught in the net: the network‐entrepreneurship connection in public schools
Authors: Eyal Ori
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the association between public schools' networks and strategies of entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

The Public School Entrepreneurship Inventory (PSEI) and a questionnaire on schools' networks were administered to a stratified, random sample of teachers and principals from 140 Israeli elementary schools.

Findings

It was found that although the network is associated with school entrepreneurship, it is limited to non‐radical entrepreneurship. Thus, extensive connections in the school's network may be considered an advantage for some entrepreneurial purposes and a burden for others. It may therefore be concluded that extensive connections create pressure to conform with network norms, thus restricting radical endeavors.

Orginality/value

The study bridges the gap between the general literature on networks and the literature on educational networks, reflecting how a school's entrepreneurship is contingent on the qualities of its network ties.
Quality in higher education
Authors: Redmond Richard , Curtis Elizabeth , Noone Tom , Keenan Paul
Published: June 2008

Purpose

There can be little doubt about the importance and relevance of quality for any service industry. One of the most influential contributors to service quality developments was W. Edwards Deming (1900‐1993). An important component of Deming's philosophy is reflected in his 14‐principles for transforming a service as they indicate what management needs to do to ensure that they and their employees are able to deliver good service quality. The purpose of this paper is first, to select and describe six of the 14 principles and their implications for organisational management; and second, to hightlight the relevance of these principles within higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

Six of Deming's principles for transforming organisational management and the application of these to management within the area of higher education are discussed. The selection of these six principles, for discussion is not that they are more important for quality, but because they are among the most important for management in higher education.

Findings

Deming's principle on teamwork is not only about problem solving and decision making but more fundamentally it is about breaking down organisational and professional barriers. This is necessary for creating opportunities for people to generate new insights and ideas for improving quality of the service provided by the organisation.

Orginality/value

This general review paper discusses six of Deming's principles seen as being important in managing education and considers that organisational management needs to embrace these particular principles if they are to be successful in pursuing their quality initiatives.
Emotional experiences in customer relationships – a telecommunication study
Authors: Roos Inger , Friman Margareta
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This study aims at deepening understanding of the role of emotion in customer switching processes and identifying the relative frequency of negative discrete emotions in terms of different triggers.

Design/methodology/approach

Customers of Swedish telecommunications services were interviewed about their switching processes. The interviews were analyzed according to switching path analysis technique, which divides relationships into different stages in accordance with their relevance to the relationship strength. The ultimate focus is on self‐reported emotions embedded in the switching process.

Findings

The main finding was that the identified emotions were located in the trigger part of the relationship, and was expressed by the respondents during the switching process in form of annoyance, anxiety, disappointment, dissatisfaction, distress, depression, rage, stress and tension.

Research limitations/implications

The empirical study is conducted within the telecom industry which may influence the switching frequency because of the deregulations in the beginning of this decade. This interpretation of valence and activation was based on theoretical assumptions about where various discrete emotions are located on a continuum.

Originality/value

The paper offers insight into the role of emotion in customer relationship.
Internal performance evaluation: the case of bank branches
Authors: Grifell‐Tatjé E. , Marques‐Gou P.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a new approach for gauging the performance of the operating units of a retail banking organisation, responding to the special demands of an internal evaluation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper defines a measure of internal performance (MIP) based on behavioural theory, particularly on disappointment models.

Findings

MIP is applied for the internal evaluation of a network of bank branches. Application to this real managerial setting reveals that bank managers' preferences support behavioural decision theory, including prospect theory.

Practical implications

The paper shows how MIP can be used as a management tool for improving organisational performance. The approach can be extended to other sectors.

Originality/value

The proposal differs from others existing in the literature in two main aspects. Firstly, it is consistent with the requirements of an internal evaluation because it uses the managers' real preferences instead of assuming them. Secondly, it takes into account that each unit has a different target to achieve according to its specific characteristics.
The nature and consequences of price unfairness in services: a comparison to tangible goods
Authors: Martín‐Ruiz David , Rondán‐Cataluña Francisco Javier
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore consumers' perceptions of price unfairness in services, what are its antecedents and when it is important for the consumer. Thus, the central question of this research is whether consumers care about how much profit the service company is making and whether there are significant differences to physical goods.

Design/methodology/approach

Building on justice and equity theory, a causal model is developed – which analyses the main antecedents (seller profits vs customer value), moderators and consequences of perceptions of price unfairness. Structural equation modelling has been applied to test the proposed model.

Findings

The lack of specific tools to measure perceptions of price fairness required the development of a multi‐item scale to capture the complexity of the evaluation. This instrument has been tested for reliability and validity in a variety of settings, with excellent results, and can be appropriate when using the survey as a data collection method. Also, the authors have argued that there should be significant differences due to the nature of the product – service industries vs physical goods– as well as due to the number of available alternatives that the buyer has in the market.

Originality/value

The validity of a new model is tested by means of an empirical research conducted in four different settings, two different services (automobile repair services and music concerts) and their related physical goods (automobiles and music CDs). A multi‐item scale is also developed to capture the complexity of price fairness perceptions. Finally, significant differences between contexts, as well as due to the number of available alternatives present in the marketplace are examined.
Linking employee perceptions of collective efficacy in self‐managing service teams with customer‐perceived service quality
Authors: de Jong Ad , Wetzels Martin , de Ruyter Ko
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the linkage between self‐managing team (SMT) member perceptions of collective efficacy and customer‐perceived service quality, and the most cost‐efficient way to reliably assess collective efficacy and customer‐perceived service quality, using generalizability theory (G‐theory).

Design/methodology/approach

Longitudinal design; employee and customer survey data from 52 teams of a major financial services institution were collected at two points in time.

Findings

First of all, results of OLS regression analysis show a positive effect of collective efficacy on customer‐perceived service quality. In addition, taking a G‐theory approach, the results indicate that collective efficacy possesses a higher psychometric quality than customer‐perceived service quality and that the costs of reliably comparing SMTs on collective efficacy are considerably lower compared to customer‐perceived service quality. Finally, for both constructs, the results reveal subtle but relevant differences in psychometric quality and costs of data collection across different types of service (routine versus non‐routine) settings.

Practical implications

To begin with, as a linkage construct, collective efficacy provides managers a mechanism for team intervention by means of task‐focused team building, role‐play exercises, and using feedback to increase service employee confidence. Secondly, when deciding to use survey data as one means to compare performance of organizational units, managers should first determine to what extent the distinct measurement design facets (e.g. items, persons, and occasions) account for variance in measures and sample correspondingly to save money on data collection. In doing so, they should explicitly take into account the type of service context and type of respondent.

Originality/value

This study identifies collective efficacy and customer‐perceived service quality as a set of service SMT performance measures that meaningfully connects employee and customer perceptions at the group level. Secondly, a G‐theory approach was used to assess the psychometric quality of these two measures and how data collection costs can be minimized to achieve a desired level of generalizability.
Replication strategies, knowledge and attention: a study of coffee chains
Authors: Yaniv Eyal , Brock David M.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a model that uses “organizational attention” as an explanatory factor of knowledge transfer, and apply it to firms pursuing a replication strategy – like McDonalds or Starbucks.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from three coffee chains, empirical findings that operationalize and illustrate their different attention profiles are presented, and differences in their replication outcomes are demonstrated. The paper concludes with some qualitative analyses of the linkages between attention and replication success.

Findings

Each chain has a different attention profile, reflected in varying attention to knowledge sources and domains. These profiles are found to be consistent with each three outcome measures of each chain's replication strategy – namely uniformity, accuracy, and distinctiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The paper extends prior understanding of the knowledge based view of the firm, organization, learning, cognitive limits, attention, and templates into an explanatory model of the process of knowledge flows, selection, and effectiveness in implementing replication strategies in service firms.

Originality/value

The proposed model is a pioneering examination of the influence of organizational attention on exploiting knowledge as a strategic resource; and specifically on three indications of the success of the replication strategy, namely accuracy, uniformity, and distinctiveness.
Location planning in charity retailing
Authors: Alexander Andrew , Cryer David , Wood Steve
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This paper seeks to evaluate the particular conditions informing locational decision making and related network planning in the charity retail sector. Its purpose is to identify both differences and commonalities with related debates that have been focussed very largely on the grocery sector and the superstore format. Its wider purpose is to contribute to the growing literature on charity retailing which has not considered this aspect of retail management in detail.

Design/methodology/approach

Details the particularities of charity retailing locational decision making and network planning through a detailed case‐study consideration of a hospice charity's emerging retail store network.

Findings

Finds that existing conceptual and practical considerations pertaining to locational decision making in retailing require a nuanced re‐revaluation in relation to the locational and network planning of charity retailers. Identifies the importance of supply chain (stock donators) and workforce factors together with the customer demand in informing locational decision making.

Originality/value

Detailed academic consideration of location planning in the charity shop sector is absent in the literature. The paper addresses this.
Cultural adaptation of the Strengthening Families Programme to a Swedish setting
Authors: Skärstrand Eva , Larsson Jörgen , Andréasson Sven
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the adaptation and programme development of the Strengthening Families Programme to a Swedish setting.

Design/methodology/approach

A descriptive approach was employed with a focus on the cultural adaptation and programme development. This included meetings with two reference groups, a telephone interview with parents, translation of materials and production of videos and manuals. A pilot study was conducted which included course evaluations by students and parents, meetings with teachers and group leaders and a focus group interview with parents.

Findings

The programme format was altered in the Swedish version so that the youth sessions were held earlier during the day and the parent sessions later in the evening. Instead of having one family session at every meeting, the Swedish version included two family sessions in all. In the Swedish version, the booster sessions were incorporated as a regular part of the programme. In addition, more emphasis on alcohol and other drugs was added as well as an extra session. Following the evaluation of the pilot study, the materials were revised, with the inclusion of a “milder” vocabulary concerning disciplinary matters.

Practical implications

It seems to be possible to disseminate the core elements in family programmes between different cultures, especially if care is taken to make adjustments to local conditions.

Originality/value

This paper makes a contribution to the research on how to culturally adapt prevention programmes.
Using intervention mapping for systematic development of two school‐based interventions aimed at increasing children's fruit and vegetable intake
Authors: Reinaerts E. , De Nooijer J. , De Vries N.K.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how the intervention mapping (IM) protocol could be applied to the development of two school‐based interventions. It provides an extensive description of the development, implementation and evaluation of two interventions which aimed to increase fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption among primary school children.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes how information drawn from relevant literature and theory, as well as additional data collected from primary school children, their parents and teachers, were applied to the development, implementation and evaluation of the interventions. The IM protocol consists of five steps: defining proximal program objectives; applying methods and strategies for behavioural change; creating a program plan; preparing program implementation; and evaluation. An extensive assessment of the perceived health problem was conducted prior to beginning step 1 of IM.

Findings

Application of the protocol resulted in two school‐based interventions aimed at making F&V consumption habitual: a free F&V distribution program; and a multi‐component, age‐specific program consisting of a classroom curriculum and parental involvement.

Practical implications

The matrices presented can provide health educators with a foundation for the development of future dietary interventions for children.

Originality/value

By providing a detailed description of the application of the IM, it was shown that the protocol can be used as a practical aid for the development of planned health promotion interventions. It proved to be an effective means for making well‐considered choices in every step of program development and implementation.
Barriers associated with implementing a campus‐wide smoke‐free policy
Authors: Adam Harbison Philip , Whitman Marilyn V.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to review the barriers associated with implementing a campus‐wide smoke‐free policy as perceived by the American Cancer Society's Colleges against Cancer (CAC) Program chapter representatives.

Design/methodology/approach

Four focus group sessions were conducted at the annual CAC National Leadership Summit in October 2006. A total of 109 participants, or 41.4 percent of the total population of CAC member institutions, attended the focus groups.

Findings

All participants identified encountering barriers at some stage of the implementation process. Three major themes emerged when participants were asked to identify what they perceived to be the most significant barriers to successfully implementing a campus‐wide smoke‐free policy: lack of administrative and staff support, student involvement, and resources.

Practical implications

With the rising rate of smoking among college students and the release of the 2006 Surgeon General's report citing the harmful effects of secondhand smoke, the need for colleges and universities to take measures not only to curtail the number of smokers, but to limit the exposure to secondhand smoke is intensifying.

Originality/value

A study examining the challenges faced by colleges and universities when trying to implement a campus‐wide smoke‐free policy is absent from the literature. The paper helps in identifying the most significant barriers that may encourage efforts among colleges and universities to lessen or eliminate these barriers.
The effect of organizational and individual characteristics on corporate intranet utilizations
Authors: Noorman Masrek Mohamad , Shahriza Abdul Karim Nor , Hussein Ramlah
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This paper has the purpose of investigating the effect of organizational and individual characteristics on corporate intranet utilizations measured in terms of utilization modes, utilization for decision support and utilization for knowledge sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a positivist case study approach conducted at four corporate organizations operating in Malaysia. About 700 questionnaires were administered to intranet users yielding 359 usable responses.

Findings

Four organizational characteristics, namely top management support, technical user support, functional integration and social norm, were found to be significantly related to intranet utilization variables. Likewise, four individual characteristics, namely web efficacy, personal information technology innovativeness, length of service and intranet experience, were also found to be significantly related to intranet utilization variables.

Research limitations/implications

Only four organizational and individual characteristics were explored. In addition, data were collected employing a cross‐sectional design instead of longitudinal design. The perceptual measures used in the questionnaires could also contribute to biasness.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the body of knowledge by developing an empirical‐based framework that depicts the determinants of intranet utilization at user‐level perspective.
Ontologies for information security management and governance
Authors: dos Santos Moreira Edson , Andréia Fondazzi Martimiano Luciana , José dos Santos Brandão Antonio , César Bernardes Mauro
Published: June 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to show the difficulties involved in dealing with the quantity, diversity and the lack of semantics security information. It seeks to propose the use of ontologies to tackle the problem.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the general methodology to create security ontologies and illustrates the case with the design and validation of two ontologies: system vulnerabilities and security incidents.

Findings

Two examples of ontologies, one related to systems vulnerability and the other related to security incidents (designed to illustrate this proposal) are described. The portability/reusability propriety is demonstrated, inferring that the information structured at lower levels (by security management tools and people) can be successfully used and understood at higher levels (by security governance tools and people).

Research limitations/implications

Work in the area of managing privacy policies, risk assessment and mitigation management, as well as CRM, business alignment and business intelligence, could be greatly eased by using an ontology to properly define the concepts involved in the area.

Practical implications

Ontologies can facilitate the interoperability among different security tools, creating a unique way to represent security data and allow the security data from any security tool (for instance, Snort) to be mapped into an ontology, such as the security incident one described in the paper. An example showing how the two ontologies could be plugged into a high level decision‐making system is described at the end.

Originality/value

Although several previous papers examined the value of using ontologies to represent security information, this one looks at their properties for a possible integrated use of management and governance tools.
Differences between potential, new and experienced e‐customers
Authors: Hernández‐Ortega Blanca , Jiménez‐Martínez Julio , José Martín‐DeHoyos M.
Published: June 2008

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to analyse the evolution of e‐customer purchasing behaviour. Certain perceptions of electronic commerce (EC) may differ according to the purchasing experience of customers. Three groups of e‐customers are differentiated: potential, new and experienced.

Design/methodology/approach

First of all, the socio‐demographic characteristics of each group were analysed using the Chi‐squared test. Then, using ANOVA and post hoc analysis (Scheffe's test), the differences that exist in their perceptions were analysed.

Findings

Data analyses show that level of experience with Internet and the perceptions about EC differ according to the e‐customer. Some variables, like perceived usefulness or attitude, increase significantly as the number of interchanges grows, while others, such as perceived ease of use, tend to stabilise. It can be affirmed that there is an evolving cycle of purchasing that will continue to develop as the individual acquires experience.

Practical implications

This research enables the companies that want to compete in the e‐market to know the type of customer they are addressing. Moreover, the results obtained show what perceptions must be concentrated on if these companies want to capture new customers (potential e‐customers) or if they want to maintain existing customers (new and experienced). The evolution of this behaviour means that the strategies oriented to fomenting EC should stress one or another aspect depending on the target customer.

Originality/value

While most research indistinctly analyses the behaviour of any e‐customer, this study has considered it necessary to differentiate at least three types of e‐customers in function of their purchasing experience. Thus, this is one of the few studies that allows us to know the evolution of the perceptions related to e‐commerce.