bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Using IT to share knowledge and the TRA
Authors: Casimir Gian , Ngee Keith Ng Yong , Liou Paul Cheng Chai
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The major objective of this paper is to examine whether or not information technology (IT) usage to share knowledge is a mediator or moderator of the intention behaviour relationship proposed in the theory of reasoned action (TRA).

Design/methodology/approach

A letter of invitation to participate in the study was sent to all of the public‐listed companies in Malaysia. A total of 483 full‐time employees from 23 organizations completed an anonymous, self‐administered survey in a cross‐sectional design. Partial least squares analysis was used to test the conceptual model.

Findings

The major finding is that the relationship between the intention to share knowledge and knowledge sharing is partly mediated and not moderated by IT usage to share knowledge.

Research limitations/implications

Knowledge sharing was considered only at the individual level. The data are self‐reported, cross‐sectional, from a single source and a single method. The relational and capability‐membership perspective leads to a positive attitude towards knowledge sharing whereas the instrumental perspective leads to a negative attitude. The findings augment the TRA by showing there is a mediator of the intention‐behaviour relationship in the context of knowledge sharing.

Practical implications

The findings indicate that organizations need to ascertain employees' preferred methods for sharing knowledge, provide appropriate IT for knowledge sharing, establish online communities for knowledge sharing, publicly acknowledge members for sharing knowledge, and avoid relying on extrinsic tangible rewards to foster knowledge sharing.

Originality/value

Previous research has shown that using IT to share knowledge does not moderate the intention‐behaviour relationship in the TRA. An alternative conceptualisation of the role of using IT to share knowledge in the intention‐behaviour relationship is provided.
Knowledge sharing and institutionalism in the healthcare industry
Authors: Kim Yong‐Mi , Newby‐Bennett Donna , Song Hee‐Joon
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Knowledge sharing is recognized as one of the most important ways to improve organizational performance. Organizations strive to facilitate knowledge sharing routines, yet these attempts often fail. Although the successful deployment of knowledge sharing practices has been a focus of knowledge management and organizational performance studies, little research has considered the impacts of institutional structures. As such, the purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which institutional structures facilitate knowledge sharing practices and their impacts on organizational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on 220 usable survey responses, the authors applied structural equation modeling (SEM) to observe the extent to which institutional structures enhance organizational performance through knowledge sharing, and other important knowledge sharing‐related constructs (i.e. leadership and punitive behavior). The healthcare industry was used as the research context as it is a knowledge‐intensive industry.

Findings

The study finds that knowledge sharing practices were strongly influenced by institutional structures, and together considerably enhanced patient safety. Furthermore, the institutional structures had a high impact on leadership roles and the abatement of punitive behaviors, which in turn collectively considerably enhanced patient safety.

Originality/value

This paper recognizes the power of institutional structures that successfully facilitate knowledge sharing practices within an environment that is unfriendly to knowledge sharing behaviors.
Books as a knowledge translation mechanism: citation analysis and author survey
Authors: Serenko Alexander , Bontis Nick , Moshonsky Madora
Published: June 2012

Purpose

As a response to the claims that much of management academic research is irrelevant from the practitioner perspective, this study aims to empirically investigate whether books serve as effective knowledge distribution agents and whether peer‐reviewed publications are used in the development of book content.

Design/methodology/approach

A citation analysis of 40 authored and nine edited books was done, followed by a survey of 35 book authors.

Findings

This study refutes the previous claims that management academic research has made little impact on the state of practice. Peer‐reviewed sources, such as refereed journals, book chapters, and conference proceedings, are used to develop the content of knowledge management and intellectual capital (KM/IC) books. Even though most business professionals do not directly read academic articles, the knowledge existing in these articles is delivered to them by means of books and textbooks.

Practical implications

Scholarly research has played a significant role in developing the KM/IC field. This study confirms the existence of the indirect knowledge dissemination channels where books serve as knowledge transmission agents. Therefore, academics should not change their research behavior. Instead, infrastructure should be developed to facilitate the transition of scholarly knowledge to practitioners. The question is not whether academic research is relevant, instead it is whether it reaches practitioners in the most efficient way.

Originality/value

This is the most comprehensive empirical investigation of the role of books in academic knowledge transition ever conducted.
Lessons learned from large construction project in Saudi Arabia
Authors: Mitra Sumit , Wee Kwan Tan Albert
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify project management issues in a specific construction project in Saudi Arabia, highlighting its unique context.

Design/methodology/approach

In the tradition of phenomenological research, a framework based deductive research approach is adopted where a structured questionnaire is used in one‐to‐one interview with project participants.

Findings

This research highlights the interaction outcomes of human, project tool & methods, supply chain and finance affecting overall project execution and goes beyond to identify critical linkages in these interactions, including those that will need identification of skill sets required for the project manager's role, options approach and standardization of product and processes together with early involvement of diverse stakeholders in the project for their better execution through ex ante identification of project parameters requiring minimum changes.

Practical implications

The final framework arrived at identifies various tradeoffs involved in project management in the idiosyncratic context of demanding client driving the project needs and internal resistance to change limiting flexibility in project execution. It focuses on deviations from international project execution standards, as found in large construction projects in the Middle East, specifically Saudi Arabia.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of the research lies in arriving at generalizable findings based on the study of a single international hotel construction project, and not an industry‐wide questionnaire survey which can, in future, refine and strengthen the framework developed.

Originality/value

A study in the context of Saudi Arabia is seldom reported in international journals although large turnkey construction project opportunities exist for international firms in this country and in the Middle East region.
A decision aid for finding performance groups
Authors: Jessop Alan
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Finding groups of similarly performing organizations for strategic or tactical performance comparison has typically been done by either cluster or frontier analysis. Both present problems of definition and interpretation. Given the inevitable abstraction of any model it is desirable that as much as possible of the model specification be in easily understood language and that, where appropriate, the ambiguity of the model is recognised by giving a number of equally good solutions. The purpose of this paper is to describe a model which balances what is judged and what is calculated in a way different to that usual in performance analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

Two linked optimisations find the minimum number of groups and the distribution of group sizes which identifies large groups, if they exist. A number of alternative optimal solutions are generated and must be considered in the final synthesis. The method is illustrated by finding performance groups among 35 international airports.

Findings

In total, 16 alternative optimal solutions, each of 12 groups, are found. Two thirds of the airports were found in the same groups in all solutions, forming the robust core. Of the remainder, a solution was chosen and justified on the grounds of similarity of country and jurisdiction.

Practical implications

The model changes the focus of analysis from one of reacting to apparent patterns in the result of an analysis to one in which careful thought is given about the definitions of group which reflect the point of view of the user.

Originality/value

The paper illustrates how a novel methodology forms a decision aid for finding performance groups in which due scope is given for the interpretation of equally good solutions.
Efficiency evaluation of municipal solid waste management utilities in the urban cities of the state of Madhya Pradesh, India, using stochastic frontier analysis
Authors: Vishwakarma Amit , Kulshrestha Mukul , Kulshreshtha Mudit
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evolve a framework for assessing the efficiencies of municipal solid waste management (MSWM) services.

Design/methodology/approach

Stochastic frontier analysis (SFA), a deterministic parametric frontier technique, has been employed for benchmarking of the MSWM services across municipalities in 22 cities in the state of Madhya Pradesh, India.

Findings

This paper reviews the solid waste management status and applies SFA to evaluate the relative performances of the services in terms of seven models, of which two models were found significant and acceptable based on the null hypothesis, significance of elasticity of variables, and an absence of data heteroskedasticity. The paper discusses the results in the context of various indicators, and finds that a large number of MSWM municipalities exhibit relative inefficiencies, implying that most municipalities can achieve higher levels of outputs by deploying fewer resources, thereby improving performances without necessarily increasing municipal spendings.

Social implications

The work suggests some of the changes at the policy level that would affect the way in which solid waste is managed currently in India, and hence the work has social implications whereby the lives of a billion people will be improved through improved solid waste management services.

Originality/value

To the best of the author's information, advanced benchmarking techniques such as SFA have seldom been applied for evolving the efficiencies of solid waste management municipalities, primarily because the sanitation services are yet to take the shape of an industry in the developing world. Lack of availability of data and non‐transparent functions of these services prevent further exploration into estimating the inefficiencies of these service utilities. The paper will be of use to policy makers, solid waste managers, administrators, and sector regulators.
Longitudinal benchmarking studies in operations management: lessons learned
Authors: Kuula Markku , Putkiranta Antero
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the possibilities and pitfalls of longitudinal studies in the field of operations management (OM).

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal study conducted in Finland was analyzed from the methodological point of view. In the theoretical part, a framework for analyses was created by studying the literature of longitudinal studies within and without the OM field.

Findings

Longitudinal studies are important in revealing root‐cause effects. They are particularly important in generating new ideas and theories and in questioning old ones. However, longitudinal studies are somewhat difficult to conduct and some unexpected challenges may arise, such as the effect of technology development on data retrieval.

Research limitations/implications

The analyses in this study are based on the data obtained in a longitudinal study conducted in the years 1993, 2004 and 2010. The sample in the longitudinal study is quite small for real quantitative statistical analysis, and therefore the conclusions made here are only indicative. However, the purpose of this study is to give some hints and guidance, and thus the lessons learned are valuable.

Originality/value

There are only a few studies describing methodological issues in longitudinal studies in the field of OM, and most of these studies are purely theoretical and do not refer to real experiences. This appears to be one of the first studies describing real experiences from a longitudinal study.
Business multicriteria performance analysis: a tutorial
Authors: Iazzolino Gianpaolo , Laise Domenico , Marraro Laura
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The business performances of firms are measured on a set of indicators (Financial Ratio Analysis Indicators or Balanced Scorecard Key Performance Indicators). Traditional benchmark analysis considers a set of criteria, though it generally synthesizes all the results, taking into consideration only an aggregate performance criterion (reductio ad unum approach). This methodology has many disadvantages, both theoretical and empirical. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the advantages, in terms of greater flexibility and realism, related to the application of a multicriteria methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a tutorial approach. An exemplification of an outranking multicriteria methodology (ELECTRE type) is described.

Findings

The main findings of the paper can be summarized as: first, the evaluation of a business performance cannot generally be conducted by means of a unique criterion as in the traditional monocriterion benchmark analysis; second, when the evaluation of a firm is based on different genuine criteria, the performance has to be “satisfacing” and not maximizing; and third, the outranking methods are able to provide logically rigorous solutions to the genuine multicriteria benchmarking evaluation problems.

Practical implications

The paper provides practical implications useful for evaluating firm performances in many cases, also when each stakeholder (managers, shareholders, banks, etc.) assigns different “weights” to the decision criteria.

Originality/value

As a multicriteria evaluation is generally incompatible with a profit maximizing approach, the paper proposes a multicriteria performance measure approach that offers Simon's satisfacing solutions. The paper shows that satisfacing solutions to a multicriteria evaluation problem may be rigorously obtained through an outranking methodology (already introduced by other scholars).
Visual workplace practices positively impact business processes
Authors: Kattman Braden , Corbin Thomas P. , Moore Larry E. , Walsh Leonard
Published: June 2012

Purpose

In today's globally competitive environment, customers only want to pay for value‐added activity. They are not willing to pay for inefficiencies, such as those incurred through extra motion, or time spent searching for data, information, or tools. Although these wastes may be transparent to customers, they usually manifest themselves in the company's market share and bottom line. The purpose of this paper is to describe how the visual workplace helps increase efficiency by eliminating non‐value added activities. The visual workplace improves performance by providing information, enabling workers through self‐direction and empowerment to quickly make decisions without requiring oversight. While its practice in the office environment is increasing, it is still not as consistently practiced as it is in the manufacturing environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizing benchmarking, a case study approach and analysis was conducted.

Findings

Visual workplace practices are very common in manufacturing environments. While the practices and usefulness are just as useful in business process environments, there is found to be a reluctance to fully embrace the practices.

Practical implications

The application of visual work practices requires business leaders to create, utilize, and support visual communication tools to manage their business. Its usage can be effectively applied to business processes to eliminate inefficiencies and decrease lost time.

Originality/value

The usefulness of visual workplace practices, once embraced by business leaders, will increase business performance by increasing efficiency and reducing waste.
Organizational routine breach response and knowledge management
Authors: Bloodgood James M.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose the organizational knowledge effects of organization routine breach response.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the routines and knowledge management literatures and applies them to the concept of organizational routine breach.

Findings

It is found that three types of organizational routine breach response affect the explicit and tacit knowledge contained within routines differently. These differences can influence organizational performance in positive and negative ways.

Research limitations/implications

Future research can be based on an enhanced understanding of the knowledge effects stemming from breaches in organizational routines.

Practical implications

Managers can use an enhanced understanding of the knowledge effects of organizational routine breach to increase their ability to manage organizational routines and the knowledge contained in them.

Originality/value

This paper links the organizational routines literature with the knowledge management literature to identify the effects of various responses to organization routine breach on organizational knowledge. This integration enables researchers and managers to better understand the implications of routine breach on organizational knowledge and performance.
A review of customer relationship management: successes, advances, pitfalls and futures
Authors: Nguyen Bang , Mutum Dilip S.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide academics and practitioners working with customer relationship management (CRM) with a review of key topics, such as advances in CRM, the shifting role of consumers, issues with conceptualisation and consumer exploitation. The authors further integrate concepts of fairness, trust and paradoxes of one‐to‐one marketing, which are little researched within customer management. As a result, the authors suggest eight propositions for improving the CRM scheme.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews extant literatures in CRM, with a particular emphasis on the pitfalls of CRM.

Findings

The authors find that the risks of depleting customer trust as they perceive themselves being exploited by firm's CRM offerings should be openly discussed, as it poses a significant threat to the CRM scheme if it is overly used and misused.

Practical implications

It is proposed that the concept of dual value‐creation and win‐win relationships are fundamental to successful implementation. However, the danger of implementing CRM in such a way as to lead customers to believe that they are worse off requires more research. Managers must therefore define their CRM, understand their pitfalls and look at where their CRM is headed.

Social implications

Advances in CRM must consider issues of fairness, transparency, honesty, trust and with the emergence of social media, understand how CRM will adapt and immerse itself in such a future.

Originality/value

In total, eight propositions are made about CRM's successes, advances, pitfalls and futures. A focus is on the fairness of CRM and a new definition is offered.
A nomological model of RFID privacy concern
Authors: “Andy” Wu Yu , Prybutok Victor R. , Koh Chang E. , Hanus Bartlomiej
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Radio frequency identification (RFID) can bring a lot of benefits to supply chain management. However, privacy issues caused by RFID surface constantly and can impede widespread implementation of RFID. The purpose of this paper is to propose a theoretical model to explicate the construct of concern for information privacy (CFIP).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors review and synthesize the extant and pertinent literature on RFID and privacy issues. Starting with previous theorization of CFIP, its four constituent dimensions are examined – collection, unauthorized secondary use, improper access, and errors – within the context of RFID‐related privacy issues.

Findings

The authors situate CFIP within a nomological model, which advances that: awareness of the RFID technology itself, awareness of information security risks entailed by RFID use, and awareness of privacy protective measures are direct antecedent to CFIP; and CFIP directly influences a person's trust in the RFID technology.

Social implications

Users' concern about privacy is a major impediment to wide‐spread use of RFID. From a societal perspective, the business advantages of RFID technologies should not be gained at the expense of citizens' privacy. This research helps to determine the proper management of privacy issues involved in RFID implementations.

Originality/value

Although there has been some technical discussion of privacy protection measures related to RFID, academic theorization of privacy issues at the human‐societal level is lacking in comparison. With this paper, the authors contribute to remedying this insufficiency.
Adoption of CRM technology in multichannel environment: a review (2006‐2010)
Authors: Awasthi Preety , Sangle Purnima S.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review state‐of‐art literature on adoption of CRM technology, including the CRM in multichannel environment and provide a comprehensive view of insights gained in this area of research through the bibliography.

Design/methodology/approach

All together, nine databases were searched on the basis of four main descriptors which provided identification of 812 articles. A close review of the abstracts of these articles led to selection of 123 articles which were found relevant. Each of these articles was further reviewed and classified based on the main channel of CRM implementation. The articles were further classified in sub‐categories under each main channel theme.

Findings

The selected articles were categorized under four main themes based on the channel – CRM, multichannel CRM, eCRM, mCRM. The articles in the CRM category were mainly focused on the strategic alignment along with research on increasing customer loyalty and use of data mining in CRM. Under the multichannel CRM theme the articles were further classified under eight categories – CRM (articles focusing on overall CRM implementation on multiple channels and related issues), eCRM (articles related to CRM implementation on online channel and its impact in multichannel environment), IT, Marketing, Sales, Service, Strategy, and Mixed (articles addressing two issues simultaneously: Marketing and IT).

Originality/value

The bibliography provides a comprehensive academic literature published between 2006 and 2010 covering all the channels of CRM implementation – traditional, electronic and mobile – along with studies specifically focused on issues dealing with multichannel environment.
A business continuity management maturity model for the UAE banking sector
Authors: Randeree Kasim , Mahal Ashish , Narwani Anjli
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Organisations utilise Business Continuity Management (BCM) to support sustained performance of electronic systems on which their core activities are based. These organisations require a tool that can be used to assess the maturity of their existing BCM processes. Through the examination of the banking sector of the United Arab Emirates, the purpose of this paper is to address the need for a BCM maturity model.

Design/methodology/approach

A tailored BCM maturity model was developed using a two‐stage approach; the first stage was developing a model based on the analysis of five existing models; and the second stage was validation of the developed model against the formulated objectives through the use of focus groups with ten UAE banks, comprising of three BCM experts for each bank.

Findings

The research found that the provision of a standard maturity model for BCM as a situational analysis tool for the banking sector is functional and can be the basis of a tool to address the gap in organisations in general to assess the maturity level of their BCM processes.

Research limitations/implications

The developed model is limited to validation within a specific sector and geographically, with generic model validation being outside the scope of this research.

Practical implications

The framework provides different areas to which maturity can be assigned, various levels across quality and scope and how an overall BCM maturity of an organisation can be determined.

Originality/value

The development of a maturity model which could be used as a BCM self analysis tool is a significant addition to the BCM knowledge base.
Process mining: from theory to practice
Authors: Turner Chris J. , Tiwari Ashutosh , Olaiya Richard , Xu Yuchun
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a comparison of a number of business process mining tools currently available in the UK market. An outline of the practice of business process mining is given, along with an analysis of the main techniques developed by academia and commercial entities. This paper also acts as a primer for the acceptance and further use of process mining in industry, suggesting future directions for this practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary research has been completed to establish the main commercial business process mining tool vendors for the market. A literature survey has also been undertaken into the latest theoretical techniques being developed in the field of business process mining.

Findings

The authors have identified a number of existing commercially available business process mining tools and have listed their capabilities within a comparative analysis table. All commercially available business process mining tools included in this paper are capable of process comparison and at least 40 per cent of the tools claim to deal with noise in process data.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper is to provide a state‐of‐the‐art review of a number of commercial business process mining tools available within the UK. This paper also presents a summary of the latest research being undertaken in academia in this subject area and future directions for the practice of business process mining.
Managerial implications from Indian case studies on e‐reverse auctions
Authors: Srivastava Samir K.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate e‐reverse auctions (eRA) implementation experiences across a diverse group of firms and sectors in the Indian context, to derive useful insights for theory and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes the form of a qualitative multiple case study following direct observation of object reality. The data analysed include written documentation, archival records, physical artifacts and unstructured interviews with key eRA personnel.

Findings

eRA work best in a competitive, high capacity marketplace and are the dominant strategy when the focus is on low search cost per supplier, when the percent reduction over time in the price offered by the current supplier is low and when the product is standardized. The optimum number of bidders is five to ten. Most of the findings are in line with literature but some of them differ too. These will add to academic discourse.

Research limitations/implications

The small sample size and case method approach limits the ability to generalize the findings. The firms were selected as a convenience sample and so may not be truly cross‐sectional. Only analytical generalisation is claimed rather than any statistical generalisation.

Practical implications

eRA improve effectiveness of the sourcing process and facilitate access to new suppliers. They also lead to standardization of sourcing procedures, reduced order cycle, reduced prices and generally higher service levels. This paper will help firms in India and other countries to develop policies, strategies and procedures while implementing eRA.

Originality/value

The paper is perhaps the first on eRA practices in India. The author describes the practices in detail and based on this develops a framework for eRA process and provides detailed and concise guidelines for managers.
Business process management: a missing link in business education
Authors: Seethamraju Ravi
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the inadequacies of current business education in the context of “process”. It presents an analysis of the background to business processes in historical perspective and posits the significance of business management for today's business education. It argues the importance of business processes and business process management (BPM) in the context of the current and emerging information technologies (IT) and business education and highlights its ability to offer a missing link between business, IT and strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach involves analysis and review of the literature and analysis of secondary data.

Findings

Even though business processes have been the subject of formal study from multiple perspectives for a long time, since the start of industrial age, processes still are not well understood, left unmanaged and poorly executed. With business schools teaching primarily function specific and narrow and IT schools focused on narrow technical skills, learning and understanding “process view” and “integration” is left to the individual student or academic, this study observes. It posits the significance of BPM and highlights its ability to provide the missing link to business education. It reports on the strategies employed by business schools and discusses the challenges in BPM education.

Research limitations/implications

Recognising the importance of BPM by business schools and embedding the BPM concepts and tools in a unified integrated curriculum across the business school with an inter‐disciplinary focus is challenging for business schools. Further studies, investigating how practitioners perceive this gap and on the effectiveness of different strategies of teaching BPM, are important.

Practical implications

These findings will help practitioners in understanding the gap between university education and practice and to develop appropriate training and development strategies.

Originality/value

The paper provides an analysis of the concept of “process” from an historical perspective and posits BPM as a missing link in business education that delivers “integration” and “process orientation” to business students.
Knowledge complexity, absorptive capacity and weak ties
Authors: Minguela‐Rata Beatriz , Concepción Rodríguez‐Benavides M. , López‐Sánchez José Ignacio
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effect of knowledge complexity, absorptive capacity and weak ties between franchisor and franchisee on standards compliance related to quality and operative procedures.

Design/methodology/approach

A franchisee outlets survey was carried out to investigate the effect of knowledge, franchisee and relationships characteristics on franchise systems uniformity. A linear regression analysis was conducted on a sample of franchisees from different franchise chains and sectors of activity operating in Spain. The authors also controlled for transformation type, which represents the kind of activities carried out in the franchisee units, whether just commercial or both transformative and commercial activities.

Findings

Partial support was found for the hypothesis. Knowledge complexity and absorptive capacity do not affect uniformity, although weak ties do affect it: the fewer weak ties, the greater franchise system uniformity. These results allow the authors to identify differences between outlets that carry out commercial and physical transformation activities and those in which only commercial activities are carried out. Specifically, uniformity is greater in outlets that perform both commercial and productive activities, and lower in outlets that only carry out commercial activities.

Originality/value

The paper shows that uniformity can be regarded as a source of competitive advantage in the context of franchise operations with multiple centres dispersed geographically.
A management framework for organisational networks: a case study
Authors: Taticchi Paolo , Cagnazzo Luca , Beach Roger , Barber Kevin
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to draw on the experiences of a real company to develop a framework of management processes for an organizational network model that has enabled a network of enterprises to develop new levels of organizational flexibility, particularly with regards to improving the network's capacity to innovate.

Design/methodology/approach

A longitudinal case study of an Italian enterprise network forms the basis of the analysis described in this paper.

Findings

The key operational and organizational activities of the principal agent in a novel organizational network model known as the Virtual Development Office (VDO) are identified and discussed.

Research limitations/implications

The (VDO) concept is identified as a realistic and practical means of leveraging the competences of an enterprise network to achieve competitive advantage. However, more empirical data are required before the concepts described herein can be generalised more widely.

Practical implications

The small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) is a major contributor to the European economy. However, the constraints that these organizations operate under mean that they are often at a competitive disadvantage. The organizational network model outlined in this paper can assist in leveraging their capacity to innovate.

Originality/value

Research in collaborative networks has become increasingly important given the significant impact it can have on competitiveness. This paper demonstrates a framework of management processes for a novel organizational network model that facilitates collaboration amongst networks of SMEs.
Improving new product development by screening manufactured goods for potential disbenefits and negative consequences
Authors: Fox Stephen
Published: June 2012

Purpose

New types of manufactured goods can have disbenefits and negative consequences, as well as benefits and positive consequences. However, disbenefits and negative consequences have received little consideration within manufacturing literature related to new product development (NPD). The purpose of this paper is to provide preliminary analysis, and propose improvements to NPD screening processes, which can facilitate reduction of disbenefits and negative consequences that can arise from new manufactured goods.

Design/methodology/approach

The research comprised a review of the literature relating to: new product development processes; disbenefits of manufactured goods; and negative consequences arising from manufactured goods.

Findings

There is often broad consensus about the disbenefits of manufactured goods. However, some disbenefits are not stopped before they have contributed to potentially irreversible negative global consequences. This can be because there is often disagreement about, for example, the composition and extent of negative consequences.

Practical implications

NPD processes should be improved to facilitate reduction of disbenefits and negative consequences. In particular, the screening of new manufactured goods as they progress from idea to concept to development should be improved.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper is that it provides descriptions of underlying characteristics that differentiate disbenefits and negative consequences. These descriptions can enable better understanding of how negative unintended consequences arise from the introduction of new types of manufactured goods. The value of this paper is that it proposes improvements to NPD screening processes that can facilitate reduction of disbenefits and their negative consequences.
Supply chain issues in Indian manufacturing SMEs: insights from six case studies
Authors: Thakkar Jitesh , Kanda Arun , Deshmukh S.G.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report insights on supply chain issues in small‐ and medium‐scale enterprises (SMEs) based on an analysis of six case organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

A broad range of qualitative and quantitative data was collected during interviews and field visits in a multi‐case study research design. In total, six manufacturing SME units were investigated and analyzed.

Findings

The deliverables of the paper are two‐fold. First, the paper documents six cases uncovering supply chain and operations complexities in manufacturing SMEs. Second, based on the critical analysis of the case organizations, insights developed are reported with a set of recommendations.

Practical implications

The field of supply chain management (SCM) is reaching a new stage. After a period dominated by enthusiasm for the newness of the idea of managing the stream of products across the whole chain, from supply through manufacturing to end‐users, it is now realized that “one size does not fit all”. SCM has been considered an effective strategy for integrating suppliers and customers with the objective of improving responsiveness and flexibility of manufacturing organizations. It seems that the supply chain issues are much explored in the context of large enterprises but less attention is paid to SMEs.

Originality/value

This paper draws an attention towards select supply chain issues in Indian manufacturing SMEs. The paper includes six cases highlighting their supply chain issues in the Indian environment. Subsequently, an analysis is reported to acquaint industry practitioners and contemporary researchers with the issues that influence managing supply chain in SME sectors. It maps SCM orientation of case organizations and summarizes the critical supply chain issues in Indian manufacturing SMEs.
Corporate social and environmental accounting information reporting practices in Swaziland
Authors: Kabir Humayun , Akinnusi David M.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to determine corporate social reporting practices and to examine the type and extent of such reporting in the corporate reports of manufacturing companies in Swaziland over a period of two years from 2007 to 2008. This paper also aims to examine the various areas of social practices in which companies are involved.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses questionnaires and corporate reports to gather information from 30 selected manufacturing companies. This research uses content analysis of corporate reports as a method to measure the extent and nature of corporate social reporting according to the number of words disclosed over the two‐year period.

Findings

Findings show that the concept of corporate social responsibility is fairly new in Swaziland and very few companies disclose corporate social responsibility information in corporate reports. However, the study finds that there is a trend of increasing corporate social responsibility information disclosures among the companies from 2007 to 2008.

Practical implications

The increasing trend of corporate social responsibility information disclosures indicates a positive step towards the further development of corporate social responsibility information reporting practice in Swaziland as well as other developing African countries.

Originality/value

The study makes an important contribution to the knowledge of corporate social responsibility in Swaziland. In addition, it also elaborates the perspective for a greater understanding of the social obligations that corporate entities owe to their stakeholders and society in general.
Student attitudes to socially responsible business: a case study of mine workers in Chile
Authors: Holley Debbie
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Given the proliferation of United Kingdom (UK) media headlines around the recent financial meltdown and the subsequent allocation of blame to government, bankers, the Bank of England and the Financial Services Authority, it is clear that there is disquiet amongst the public as to how the crisis has been handled. Business schools, both in the UK and worldwide, have been accused of failing to address issues of governance in their curricula. Can the assumption be made that current curricula will have prepared students to evaluate this key concept critically? This paper seeks to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Taking a case study approach, this work sets out to explore the attitudes of a cohort of 43 final‐year undergraduate students studying in a UK business school. It focuses on an analysis of their written work on the sourcing of copper from Chile and its procurement by the UK Royal Mint for coinage.

Findings

The findings indicate that students valued the inclusion of corporate social responsibility in its widest context, and would welcome earlier inclusion within their curricula.

Originality/value

This is a timely point in their academic studies, as the students are preparing for study at Master's level or for the job market. The coursework required research into the production process of raw material at the copper mines in Chile, as well as the ethical decision‐making process of a UK governmental agency. Although this is a small‐scale study, it does offer some interesting insights into student perspectives. The paper concludes with recommendations for future curriculum development.
CSR through the heart of the Bodhi tree
Authors: Kraisornsuthasinee Suthisak
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore an alternative direction to break the theoretical impasse in CSR.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs ancient insights from the core of Buddhist teaching, featuring the Four Noble Truths and the concept of “me” and “mine”, for the modern application of CSR by investigating the crux of major related theories.

Findings

The Noble Truths emphasize that suffering should be eradicated at its root. The Buddhist model of CSR suggests that beyond doing good such as supporting philanthropy and avoiding evil as mitigating the impact of corporate malpractice, which are consistent with major CSR theories, it is also crucial to purify the hearts of stakeholders from the “self” and “what belongs to self”, the genesis of suffering. Detachment is the key.

Research implications

The shift from an institutional to an individual level, more specifically the transformation from a mindset of over‐consumption to one of conscious consumption, is an alternative direction to the progress of theory and practice in CSR.

Practical implications

Defiled by greed and profitability, consumers and investors, who provide income and funding to an organization and define its business practice, are of the highest priority among all stakeholders to start the change according to the Buddhist model of CSR.

Originality/value

This paper takes Buddhism as timeless insight, rather than a religious belief, to propose an alternative model and direction to development of CSR in theory and practice.
Corporate investment in social responsibility versus dividends?
Authors: Rakotomavo Michel T.J.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The paper aims to examine whether corporate investment in social responsibility takes away from expected dividends.

Design/methodology/approach

The article builds two hypotheses that are tested empirically through the analysis of 17,670 US firm‐year observations covering the period 1991‐2007. The tests are conducted in both univariate and multivariate settings.

Findings

The evidence supports the hypothesis that mature firms tend to invest more in corporate social responsibility (CSR). Specifically, firms investing highly in CSR tend to be larger, more profitable, and with greater earned (rather than contributed) equity. The evidence also supports the hypothesis that CSR investment does not subtract from dividends. Instead, CSR effort and dividend tend to increase together. Thus, CSR investment tends to be effected by companies who can afford it, and it does not lower value by lowering investors' expected payout.

Practical implications

These results imply that spending resources on CSR does not lower the cash flows paid out to investors. When combined with the finding that CSR lowers the cost of equity, they also mean that CSR increases the value of a company's stock.

Originality/value

This is the first study that explicitly links CSR to the dividend flow.
Cultural and legal challenges in implementing code of conduct in supply chain management of mobile phone industries: Sony Ericsson case study
Authors: Zakaria Mohamad , Garanča Zanda , Sobeih Abdallah
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to identify the practical challenges of implementing a code of conduct in the supply chain management of multinational mobile phone industries from diverse cultural and legal contexts by analysing critically how a multinational company manages the CSR concept in its supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on qualitative interviews, analysis of codes of conduct and the practices of Sony Ericsson as well as of one of its suppliers.

Findings

Codes of conduct should be perceived differently within different contexts. Therefore, cultural and legal issues have to be considered when formulating and implementing codes of conduct, and when assessing compliance. The development of codes of conduct in the mobile phone industry is an ongoing process. Both cultural and legal challenges have to be considered.

Originality/value

Each company should define its own standards and limits of responsibility within the context of ethical sourcing, while some basic codes of conduct compliance should be forced on the whole mobile phone industry.
Sources of variation in linking corporate social responsibility and financial performance
Authors: Quazi Ali , Richardson Alice
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This purpose of this paper is to identify the possible sources of variation of results in prior studies linking corporate social responsibility (CSR) with corporate financial performance (CFP).

Design/methodology/approach

A meta‐analysis was performed on 51 prior studies included in Orlitzky et al. in order to ensure compatibility with previous results. The meta‐analysis is based on sub‐groups of papers in five‐year time intervals focusing on sample size and methodology employed as the sources of variation concerning the nexus between CSR and CFP.

Findings

The major finding of the study is that sample size and methodology are significant sources of variation in measuring the link between CSR and CFP.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are likely to help develop a structural framework towards broadening and deepening our understanding of the debate regarding the sources of variation in the measurement of CSR and CFP link. This research is limited to papers published up to 1999 as included in Orlitzky et al. Future research can update the findings by using data beyond 1999.

Originality/value

This paper can be considered an advance on the previous research as it contributes to broadening our understanding of the possible source of causes of variation in results of studies linking CSR with CFP.