bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effects of overeducation on wages in Italy: a bivariate selectivity approach
Authors: Cutillo Andrea , Di Pietro Giorgio
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to analyse the effects of overeducation on wages in the Italian graduate labour market.

Design/methodology/approach

The relationship between overeducation and wages is analysed using a double selection approach. Two basic individuals' decisions are explicitly considered in the analysis: the decision to work and the choice of occupation. The first one could create a problem of sample selection bias, whereas the second one could generate an endogeneity bias.

Findings

Although in line with previous studies it was found that overeducated workers earn less than their appropriately educated peers, the results suggest also that this pay gap is significantly higher when a double selectivity approach is used than when an OLS approach is employed. The main reason why OLS techniques significantly underestimate the wage penalty associated with overeducation appears to be the bias introduced by the endogeneity of overeducation.

Originality/value

Recent studies have examined the impact of overeducation on earnings using a single selection framework. This paper extends previous work by analysing the relationship between overeducation and wages using a double selection approach. Additionally, little research has focused on overeducation in Italy.
Entrepreneurial ventures and wage differentials between Germans and immigrants
Authors: Constant Amelie , Shachmurove Yochanan
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper studies the entrepreneurial undertaking and economic success of immigrants and natives in Germany, namely the West Germans, the East Germans, the guestworkers, and other immigrants.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper studies factors that affect the sorting of individuals into self‐employment and investigate whether the self‐employed fare better than the paid‐employed, and whether self‐employed immigrants fare better than Germans. Employing data from the German Socioeconomic Panel both the probability to choose self‐employment through a probit and the selection adjusted earnings are estimated.

Findings

The paper finds that the probability of self‐employment increases significantly with age for all ethnicity groups. More education and a self‐employed father propel self‐employment choices for West Germans only. Immigrants are rather pushed into self‐employment to avoid unemployment; however, they are able to traverse the socioeconomic gap through self‐employment. Except for the East Germans, the self‐employed earn more than their salaried counterparts, and immigrants fare the best, having the highest earnings of all groups. For immigrants, entrepreneurship maybe a way of “making” it in the new country. While self‐employment is a lucrative choice for immigrants, their rates remain low.

Originality/value

This study produces new empirical evidence on the importance of the self‐employment sector in Germany, where individuals fare well and where immigrants can achieve earnings over‐assimilation compared to natives and higher occupational prestige.
The effect of downsizing on the financial performance and employee productivity of Korean firms
Authors: Yu Gyu‐Chang , Park Jong‐Sung
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The paper's objective is to explore the effect of downsizing on both a firm's financial performance in terms of profitability and efficiency, and a firm's employee productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

Analyzed six‐year longitudinal financial data of 258 listed Korean firms between 1997 and 2002 along with survey data of 2000. Using multiple regression, the paper investigated the relationship between downsizing and three measures of financial performance and two measures of organizational performance: return on assets, asset turnover, operating income per employee, sales per employee, and value added per employee. Five dependent variables were standardized by industry average.

Findings

First, firms implementing downsizing tended to suffer more financial difficulties than their counterparts. Second, downsizing showed a positive effect by improving a firm's profitability and efficiency, but no effect on employee productivity. Third, the improvement of financial performance (ROA) by downsizing was greater among companies that had not experienced any loss than among those that had experienced loss.

Research limitations/implications

First, there is a possibility of overestimation or underestimation since we do not know if firms classified as non‐downsizers actually downsized during 2000‐2002. Second, the magnitude of downsizing was not measured. Third, the effect of layoff and “honorable retirement” was not analyzed separately.

Practical implications

Downsizing is more effective when a firm implements it proactively, and less effective when a firm implements downsizing after a financial loss as a “quick fix” to a financial problem.

Originality/value

The paper utilizes a unique experiment opportunity with Korean firms since the economic crisis in 1997 to investigate the recent phenomenon of downsizing in Asian countries. The paper provides new evidence for why downsizing can improve a firm's financial performance, but not employee productivity in Korean firms.
New estimates of the risk and duration of registered unemployment in urban Russia
Authors: Nivorozhkin Anton
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper examines whether deregistration from the employment office decreases unemployment duration in urban Russia.

Design/methodology/approach

Econometric methods of transition data analysis/duration modeling were applied to a dataset on unemployed individuals in order to learn whether deregistration from the employment office decreases unemployment duration.

Findings

The paper finds that only 29 percent of the unemployed obtained a job simultaneously with deregistering from the Public Employment Office. Others continued to search for job on their own. The predicted risk of getting a job is non‐monotonic and tends to decrease at longer duration intervals. There is a significant excess in job finding rates following employment office deregistration.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is based on information from unemployment registry of a single industrial city, which might limit its usefulness elsewhere.

Practical implications

The paper identifies groups of individuals who are likely to exit employment office without finding a job.

Originality/value

This paper uses results of the first follow‐up survey of unemployed who deregister from employment offices and provides new evidence on the duration of unemployment spell in Russia. Results are particularly useful for individuals who are interested in the design of unemployment insurance system in Russia and its impact on the duration of unemployment spell.
Do job disamenities raise wages or ruin job satisfaction?
Authors: Böckerman Petri , Ilmakunnas Pekka
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The objective of this paper is to analyse the role of adverse working conditions in the determination of individual wages and job satisfaction in the Finnish labour market.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses estimation of econometric models for wages and job satisfaction scores by using the Quality of Work Life Survey of Statistics Finland.

Findings

The paper finds that adverse working conditions have a very minor role in the determination of individual wages. In contrast, adverse working conditions substantially decrease the level of job satisfaction and the perception of fairness of pay at the workplace. This evidence speaks against the existence of compensating wage differentials, but is consistent with the view that the Finnish labour market functions in a non‐competitive fashion.

Practical implications

Provides useful information for improvement of working conditions.

Originality/value

Very few papers have analysed the data sets that include, besides wages and job satisfaction scores, detailed information on several different aspects of self‐reported working conditions at the workplace, not just conditions typical of some occupations or industries.
Employee role enlargement
Authors: Chiaburu Dan S. , Marinova Sophia V.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To investigate the antecedents and contingencies of employee role enlargement.

Design/methodology/approach

The hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analysis on data obtained by surveying 186 line and administrative employees.

Findings

Results indicate that leader‐ and organization‐directed trust are positively related to employees' role enlargement toward individual‐ and organization‐directed citizenship behaviors (OCBOs). In addition, organizational justice moderated the above direct relationships. Specifically, interpersonal justice moderated the relationship between leader‐directed trust and role enlargement toward individual‐directed citizenship behaviors. Furthermore, procedural justice and distributive justice moderated the relationship between organization‐directed trust and role enlargement toward OCBOs, respectively.

Practical implications

Practitioners interested in interventions to enlarge the role perception of their employees can use organizational development interventions beyond the enhancement of social exchange factors such as leader‐ and organization‐directed trust. Depending on the desired individual or organizational focus of role enlargement, proper care should be given to fairness‐related components such as interpersonal, distributive and procedural justice.

Originality/value

The findings are valuable for those engaged in theory building and testing and for practitioners. From a theoretical perspective, the paper provides support for the interaction between trust and organizational justice and their impact on role enlargement. Practitioners can use these ideas to design organizational development interventions.
Leadership, management, and derailment
Authors: McCartney William W. , Campbell Constance R.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper examines the relationship among leadership skills, management skills and individual success and failure in formal organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

A model is presented depicting the interactive relationship among the three variables and explaining why some high potential employees suffer derailment while other individuals with similar skills continue to develop and achieve organizational success.

Findings

The model indicates that there is not one combination of management and leadership skills related to individual success.

Practical implications

Developmental activities should be ongoing regardless of the individual's level in the organization.

Originality/value

This paper synthesizes several streams of research into a coherent model that can be used as a guide for leadership development activities.
Effects of power concepts and employee performance on managers' empowering
Authors: Tjosvold Dean , Sun Haifa
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Despite calls for empowerment, employees often do not feel their managers assist and support them. Traditional views of power as limited and involving overcoming resistance may seriously obstruct empowerment efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

About 60 male and 60 female undergraduates majoring in management and recruited from universities in Guangzhou, China, were randomly assigned to six conditions, 10 males and 10 females in each condition. They prepared for the interaction, then interacted with an employees, and then completed measures of the dependent measures.

Findings

Results from an experiment conducted in China indicate that participants used their capacity of power to assist, encourage, and in other ways empower employees when they viewed power as expandable rather than independent or limited. They also responded to the needs of the employee by providing assistance to low performing employees but they developed an ongoing relationship and felt their power was reinforced with high performing employees.

Research limitations/implications

Results were interpreted as suggesting that, even in high distant power societies like China, beliefs that power is expandable and cooperative goals both reinforce leader empowering.

Practical implications

The tendency to confound power and competition may have important organizational implications. The prevalence of viewing power as limited may be an underlying reason why developing a cooperative, supportive relationship between managers and employees appears to be so difficult.

Originality/value

This study demonstrates experimentally that viewing power as expandable can help managers actually empower employees and also suggests these findings apply in China.
Outsourcing services in turbulent contexts
Authors: Nordin Fredrik
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Describes challenges and problems of outsourcing services at firms that are also adopting service logic and, based on an empirical study, provides lessons regarding how they can be managed.

Design/methodology/approach

One in‐depth longitudinal study of a leading systems provider has been carried out and data from between 1997 and 2003 has been utilised, consisting of 92 interviews, documents, and insider observations. Over 20 outsourcing projects were studied and the analysis was conducted both for the individual projects and across the different projects, in an iterative cycle back and forth between data on different levels and between data and theory. The aim was to search for patterns in the observed processes and glean lessons related to the outsourcing of services on an organisational level.

Findings

Based on a literature review, three outsourcing challenges and how they should be managed are presented: the internal change challenge, the strategy formation challenge, and the customer‐relationship challenge. Four selected project stories are then presented; illustrating empirically how the outsourcing challenges can be managed. The project stories illustrate how difficult it can be to select a detailed sourcing strategy and implement it in a linear fashion.

Practical implications

Three main lessons learned during the research are described. First, the change process should be iterative and interactive. Second, all outsourcing and partnering initiatives should be coordinated. Third, the customer‐relationship should be nurtured during the outsourcing process.

Originality/value

An unusual in‐depth study of the process and challenges of outsourcing product services at an industrial firm; providing rich illustrations and empirically‐based advice regarding how the challenges of outsourcing can be managed.
Remote operations for fusion using teleoperation
Authors: Sanders Stephen
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The Joint European Torus (JET) is the flagship for European Fusion Research. This study seeks to address the issue of the need for remote handling in the process of recreating nuclear fusion as a limitless source of clean energy.

Design/methodology/approach

Describes in detail the JET remote handling system with its “man in the loop” approach providing the operator with “remote hands” inside the JET Torus.

Findings

Finds that the increase in requirement for remote operations has necessitated rationalization of task procedures and their associated paper work.

Originality/value

This paper opens the gates for increasing productivity, broadening the scope of remote handling procedures, increasing operating loads and reducing downtime.
Lessons learned from a novel teleoperation testbed
Authors: DeJong Brian P. , Faulring Eric L. , Colgate J. Edward , Peshkin Michael A. , Kang Hyosig , Park Young S. , Ewing Thomas F.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Sets out to discuss lessons learned from the creation and use of an over‐the‐internet teleoperation testbed.

Design/methodology/approach

Seven lessons learned from the testbed are presented.

Findings

This teleoperation interface improves task performance, as proved by a single demonstration.

Originality/value

In helping to overcome time‐delay difficulties in the operation, leading to dramatically improved task performance, this study contributes significantly to the improvement of teleoperation by making better use of human skills.
Delmia robot modelling software aids nuclear and other industries
Authors: Connolly Christine
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To review the capabilities, features and uses of a robotic simulation package.

Design/methodology/approach

Describes some applications within the nuclear industry. Gives an overview of the latest version of the software, and a detailed description of the procedure for modelling the robot and its workspace, defining its movements and converting the plan into reality. Also describes some applications in other industries.

Findings

The software enables engineers to plan robotic or manipulator work ensuring its feasibility, efficiency and safety, and has applications in a wide range of industries. It models the interactions of multiple robots and integrates with other aspects of the manufacturing process such as product flow and resource utilisation. For many standard robots, it can produce executable programs, with considerable time saving.

Originality/value

A general overview of some very useful and powerful software, of interest to engineers in a variety of industries.
Regulation and freedom in global business education
Authors: Harney Stefano , Oswick Cliff
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper seeks to confront the orthodoxy of global business education with some insights from postcolonial theory in order to develop a new critical pedagogy adequate for a global sociology of management and accounting.

Design/methodology/approach

Reviewing the state of play in postcolonial theory and noting the new politicisation in that field, the paper asks what relevance this politicisation might have for an alternative to orthodox global business education.

Findings

The paper finds that the texts available to postcolonial theory present a wealth beyond the regulation of colonial and neo‐colonial regimes and in contrast critical management studies do not have texts that express such wealth or reveal global business as the regulator of such a wealth. Instead critique and indeed the anti‐globalization movements risk, appearing as regulators of wealth and business, threaten to emerge as the true carnival of wealth and path to freedom.

Research limitations/implications

To dissociate critique from regulation and business from wealth, business and management education must seek out these texts in the fantasies among students and in the differences that obtain, as Dipesh Chakrabarty has argued, at the heart of capital.

Originality/value

This article embraces the fantasies of the fetish of the commodity as part of an immanent politics, claiming both an excess of wealth and an access to wealth, based on a new fetish adequate for the globalized limits that students and teachers encounter.
Equality and regeneration: conflicting priorities?
Authors: Speeden Stuart
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This article considers how the persistence of race inequalities can be addressed in the field of regeneration. Race has been a consistent feature in inner urban areas yet there is little to suggest contemporary means of regeneration has taken this on board.

Design/methodology/approach

The article is based on a series of qualitative, semi‐structured interviews that were undertaken as part of ongoing work associated with the implementation of the Equality Standard for Local Government in England.

Findings

An emergent set of relations between equality, social inclusion and community cohesion is evident. As a result, aspects of inequality continue to lie at the heart of public sector intervention policies such as regeneration.

Research limitations/implications

The article suggests that while there may be methods of management to help ensure good equality principles, it is the role of local democratic and political processes to eradicate such practice.

Practical implications

The findings are important to public sector management. Continued work on Equality Standard for Local Government should take on board the findings of this article.

Originality/value

The article adds knowledge to how, in the field of regeneration, the characteristics of institutional racism can be locked into the practices and organizational cultures of public sector agencies.
Regeneration for all?
Authors: Pemberton Simon , Alty Carys , Boylan Rose , Stevens Claire
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to explore whether it is possible to analyse if Black and other racial minorities (BRM) groups in Liverpool are benefiting from processes of regeneration, and their impact on levels of BRM employment and economic activity.

Design/methodology/approach

The article draws on official social and economic statistics and on qualitative interview data to provide a case study analysis.

Findings

It is argued that local regeneration initiatives do not always reflect and address the needs of different BRM groups and that this has contributed to the underperformance of the Liverpool's BME population.

Research limitations/implications

There are important research implications from this piece. The work has demonstrated that the limited data collection practices of a number of agencies that operate at a local level, struggle to understand the broad and diverse range of BRM needs.

Practical implications

Addressing the needs of BRM groups is hampered by methods of community engagement with BRM groups. While some examples of good practice are starting to emerge, challenges remain in relation to sharing such practice and the co‐ordination of data collection.

Originality/value

The article provides an original overview of the information requirements to better understand how BRM groups can be supported through regeneration.
An empirical model of the relationships between manufacturing capabilities
Authors: Größler Andreas , Grübner André
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between strategic manufacturing capabilities, particularly whether they are cumulative or trade‐off in nature.

Design/methodology/approach

Uses statistical analyses, particularly structural equation modelling based on data from the third round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey.

Findings

Finds mostly cumulative effects between the strategic capabilities. Shows that “quality” is a basis for “delivery”, which is a basis for “flexibility” and “cost”; between “flexibility” and “cost” an unclear relationship is found. Whether “flexibility” and “cost” are pursued exclusively or simultaneously seems to be connected with the implementation of certain improvement programmes.

Research limitations/implications

Results cannot be interpreted in a prescriptive way, but only as descriptive findings stemming from a large empirical database. Future research in this area needs to be extended by longitudinal analyses and simulation studies because cross‐sectional analyses can only provide indirect empirical measures of dynamic changes of capabilities.

Practical implications

Describes a common pattern of capability accumulation in the industries investigated. This information can be used to estimate potential competitor behaviour or as a way to perform in an innovative manner.

Originality/value

Offers a clear conceptualisation of strategic capabilities with the help of an empirical study.
Forecast‐driven or customer‐order‐driven? An empirical analysis of the Chinese automotive industry
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Chen Rongqiu
Published: July 2006

Purpose

A successful implementation of mass customization and customer‐order‐driven production can bring numerous benefits to automakers. However, the transition from mass production to mass customization is difficult. Most of the previous studies focus on mature markets, leaving emerging markets untouched. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the necessity of making the strategic transition to mass customization in an emerging market.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is based on an extensive field study. A multi‐method approach (including semi‐structured interviews, document examination and plant tours) was used to collect the data at different levels in five commercial vehicle manufacturers.

Findings

The respective advantages and disadvantages of these two manufacturing strategies are analyzed based on the findings and a framework is established. The drivers of the transition to mass customization have been recognized and the obstacles of transition are identified. The specific benefits of a successful mass customization implementation are listed. According to the empirical evidence, this paper concludes that customer‐order‐driven production is a promising direction in a rapidly changing market such as China.

Originality/value

This study makes a contribution in two aspects. First, the evidence of mass customization fills a gap in the empirical literature and the findings of mass production help cross validate the drawbacks reported in other studies. Second, this study presents a transition model to facilitate automakers to analyze the complex phenomena in a systematic way when they embark upon the strategic transition to mass customization.
Supply management: is it a discipline?
Authors: Harland C.M. , Lamming R.C. , Walker H. , Phillips W.E. , Caldwell N.D. , Johnsen T.E. , Knight L.A. , Zheng J.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To examine management literature for guidance on what constitutes a discipline. To examine supply management publications to determine whether the field constitutes a discipline or an emerging discipline. To contribute a structured evaluation to the body of supply management theory/discipline development knowledge.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review of what constitutes a discipline and an initial assessment of whether supply management is a discipline. Development of research questions used to design tests, using combinations of qualitative pattern matching, journal quality rankings, and social science citations index impact factor. Application of the tests, to evaluate field coherence, quality and the existence of a discipline‐debate, to determine whether supply management is an emerging discipline.

Findings

An initial literature review finds supply management not to be a discipline, as the field lacks quality of theoretical development and discussion, and coherence. Tests for increasing evidence of coherence, quality and impact yield positive results, indicating that supply management is progressing in its theoretical development. The test findings combined with the existence of the start of a discipline‐debate indicate that supply management should be judged to be an emerging discipline.

Originality/value

Drawing from the management literature, the paper provides a unique structured evaluation of the field of supply management, finding it not to be a discipline, but showing evidence of being an emerging discipline.
Supply chain management: theory, practice and future challenges
Authors: Storey John , Emberson Caroline , Godsell Janet , Harrison Alan
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically assess current developments in the theory and practice of supply management and through such an assessment to identify barriers, possibilities and key trends.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on a three‐year detailed study of six supply chains which encompassed 72 companies in Europe. The focal firms in each instance were sophisticated, blue‐chip corporations operating on an international scale. Managers across at least four echelons of the supply chain were interviewed and the supply chains were traced and observed.

Findings

The paper reveals that supply management is, at best, still emergent in terms of both theory and practice. Few practitioners were able – or even seriously aspired – to extend their reach across the supply chain in the manner prescribed in much modern theory. The paper identifies the range of key barriers and enablers to supply management and it concludes with an assessment of the main trends.

Research limitations/implications

The research presents a number of challenges to existing thinking about supply strategy and supply chain management. It reveals the substantial gaps between theory and practice. A number of trends are identified which it is argued may work in favour of better prospects for SCM in the future and for the future of supply management as a discipline.

Practical implications

A central challenge concerns who could or should manage the supply chain. Barriers to effective supply management are identified and some practical steps to surmount them are suggested.

Originality/value

The paper is original in the way in which it draws on an extensive systematic study to critically assess current theory and current developments. The paper points the way for theorists and practitioners to meet future challenges.
Occupational gender wage discrimination in Turkey
Authors: Kara Orhan
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate gender based wage differences by schooling and occupations and to estimate the occupational gender wage discrimination in Turkey where strenuous attempts are underway to modernize and negotiate its culturally (Islamic)‐based gender differences.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs an extension of Blinder and Oaxaca's approach to measure the effect of wage discrimination. In order to correct a possible sample selection problem, Heckman's two step procedure is used to estimate the earning equations for males and females by using Turkish Household Expenditure and Income Survey.

Findings

Among the paper's central findings is that gender wage gap decreases with education, is less in the public sector, and varies across occupations. The overall discriminatory wage gap is estimated at 30 percent after controlling for education, experience, occupation, region, and selection effects.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations of this study are mostly related to the nature of the data set used in the analysis. Future research should be replicated on time series data with more variables if they are available.

Practical implications

Policy makers should promote education of women since education reduces inequalities among genders as revealed from the decreasing gap of wage differentials for higher levels of education. They should implement measures aimed at reducing inequalities in women's pay and improving women's status in the labor market in line with the European Union policies.

Originality/value

By using micro data, this study estimates the gender wage discrimination at occupational levels in Turkey by correcting the possible sample selection bias in the analysis, usually omitted in other studies.
Returns to costly pre‐bargaining claims: taking a principled stand
Authors: Ostaszewski A.J.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To model a bargaining environment where the tactic of qualitative commitment (staking a principle) can have a demonstrably strong effect.

Design/methodology/approach

Amend the two‐person alternating offers model due to Rubinstein to include simultaneously pre‐announced stakes, and a mechanism for altering agents' utilities by reference to substantial costs of “surrendering a principle” (capitulation costs). Identify all stationary, pure strategy equilibria. Isolate subgame perfect Nash equilibria (SPNE).

Findings

SPNE is unique and offers efficient re‐allocation. For high enough capitulation costs, gains at equilibrium (relative to the bench‐mark game without commitment) result to the first‐mover. The shift in the equilibrium allocation is linear in cost.

Research limitations/implications

Symmetric fixed capitulation costs were assumed. Surrender of principle required introduction of discontinuities in the cost function (zero or fixed cost). No gradation of the cost was considered. Future directions could involve discovering what distortions are created by asymmetric costs, by gradations and from smoothing out of the discontinuity.

Practical implications

Practical implications at best point to the potential rewards available from identifying and introducing a high‐cost commitment tactics in a bargaining context.

Originality/value

The innovation is in the use of an explicit bargaining apparatus to examine the commitment tactic (previous research used an axiomatic treatment of bargaining), and in offering a model for the notion of a qualitative commitment. The result about the qualitative shift in the equilibrium is also new. The paper is thus a contribution to the understanding of how an agent may seek to influence the outcome of a game such as “divide the pie (the resource)” through the manufacture/introduction of a factor outside the original game.
Six Sigma: a vital improvement approach when applied to the right problems, in the right environment
Authors: Lee‐Mortimer Andrew
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Seeks to detail key issues, raised by a specialist training organisation, concerning the implementation of Six Sigma within manufacturing.

Design/methodology/approach

Describes the benefits that can be gained from implementing a Six Sigma programme, with some manufacturing examples, but also highlights a number of the “when and how” factors that must be addressed if any Six Sigma implementation is to deliver the expected gains.

Findings

The potential benefits of Six Sigma are well proven. But the methodology is no “quick fix” and many companies, as examples show, might find that they are just not ready to introduce the methodology without first undertaking some extensive ground work. Even if companies are “ready”, a successful programme relies on considerable management input and support.

Originality/value

Brings to the attention of managers some of the key Six Sigma implementation issues gained from considerable experience in working with both large and small European manufacturers.
BMW innovates at new Leipzig assembly plant
Authors: Kochan Anna
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To look at BMW's latest assembly plant in Leipzig and identify new processes and techniques.

Design/methodology/approach

Visited BMW's Leipzig plant, viewed new assembly lines, and interviewed key managers.

Findings

Innovations at BMW's Leipzig plant include new work structures that raise productivity and increased use of outsourcing.

Originality/value

Gives an indication of production trends in the automotive industry.
Library development for Texas A&M at Qatar: maximum access/minimum holdings
Authors: Gilreath Charles L.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To discuss the challenges of developing a branch library of Texas A&M University Libraries to serve the faculty and students in a new degree‐granting program as part of Education City in Qatar. The goal of the program is to provide students in Qatar an authentic “Aggie” education and experience.

Design/methodology/approach

Discusses the development of this new branch library to support undergraduate degrees in electrical, mechanical, chemical and petroleum engineering.

Findings

Library service in support of these degrees was developed so that duplication of resources and size of collections that had to be managed in Qatar were minimized. The TAMUQ library has successfully provided a full range of information services in support of this innovative collaboration between the university and the government of Qatar.

Originality/value

This paper provides a model for the development of a branch library using the resources of the main campus as much as possible.
Library service at the “paperless” information center
Authors: Grace Xu F.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

By reflecting the historical transition of the University of Southern California (USC) social work departmental library, the article aims to share challenges and solutions of the library collection and services in the electronic environment and to facilitate a discussion about the future of library services.

Design/methodology/approach

The author conducted a literature review about departmental libraries, and a historical review of the USC social work library collection and services. Direct observation, surveys, reference statistics and the web visiting data were employed in the research analysis. A new vision and service model were created.

Findings

The USC social work students rely on both the print and electronic resources for their research and study. The decentralized social work library collection and the students' inadequate information literacy skills are the major challenges for the librarian. Information literacy instruction, web‐based collection management and library outreach are beneficial for the access service at the new information center.

Research limitations/implications

Some findings may not be compatible with other user groups in academic libraries. The established service model is applicable in other departmental libraries and information centers.

Practical implications

The solutions employed by the USC social work librarian are applicable in other departmental academic libraries.

Originality/value

This paper combines research and library service practice at the information center.
Fire safety evaluation of motor fuel dispensing facilities
Authors: Hassanain Mohammad A. , Al‐Mudhei Ali
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The increasingly improved automotive vehicle production technology has allowed consumers to purchase passenger cars and commercial vehicles at reasonably affordable prices. This has resulted in greater demands for the construction and installation of motor fuel dispensing facilities, or simply “gas stations”, in virtually all urban districts worldwide. However, unlike most consumer products, which are designed to be fire resistant, highly flammable gasoline dispensed at these facilities is intended and formulated to burn. Therefore, fire safety of motor fuel dispensing facilitates becomes a major concern since these facilities form one of the greatest fire hazards that millions of people visit everyday. This paper seeks to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the current international and local legislation and requirements on fire safety in gas station facilities, and presents the findings of a case study conducted to evaluate fire prevention measures and fire protection equipment in five gas station facilities located in the growing City of Al‐Khobar, Saudi Arabia, where dispensing of motor fuel is carried out in an outside shaded area by station attendants.

Findings

The evaluation revealed that none of the five gas stations is complying with all fire safety regulations. Recommendations are made to improve fire safety at such facilities by regular inspection and evaluation.

Research limitations/implications

Although the results are limited to Saudi Arabia the approach taken could be extended to other geographical areas.

Practical implications

The paper is of practical value to facility managers responsible for day‐to‐day operations of gas station facilities.

Originality/value

The paper reviews literature from North America as well as that pertaining to the legislation in the country where the case study facilities are located.
The improvement journey: an interview with Joe Goasdoué
Authors: by Kim Foster Interview
Published: July 2006

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to discover what the British Quality Foundation is, what they represent, and what they can offer UK businesses and organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

This interview of Joe Goasdoué, Chief Executive of the British Quality Foundation, was prepared by an independent writer.

Findings

The British Quality Foundation advises businesses how to achieve best practice in terms of all their functions. They publish the excellence model, and also hold the annual UK Business Awards.

Practical implications

Provides details of how businesses and organizations can source help when looking to improve their organization.

Originality/value

This is a one‐to‐one interview which covers the Chief Executive of the British Quality Foundation's opinions on all things quality.
Online auctions prove their staying power
Authors: Armes David
Published: July 2006

Purpose

Explores how the growth of online auctions is affecting businesses.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by David Armes, Co‐founder of Ivo Business Solutions.

Findings

Online auctions are the latest tool being used by organizations to reduce costs and improve margins with a wider supply base. The auctions work by pitting invited companies against each other to obtain the lowest price from suppliers. Some commentators believe that auctions may ultimately supersede traditional buying meetings.

Practical implications

Highlights the benefits that online auctions can bring to businesses.

Originality/value

Explains online auctions and how they have and can affect businesses. Presented in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.
A vision‐based system for inspecting painted slates
Authors: Ghita Ovidiu , Carew Tim , Whelan Paul
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This paper describes the development of a novel automated vision system used to detect the visual defects on painted slates.

Design/methodology/approach

The vision system that has been developed consists of two major components covering the opto‐mechanical and algorithmical aspects of the system. The first component addresses issues including the mechanical implementation and interfacing the inspection system with the development of a fast image processing procedure able to identify visual defects present on the slate surface.

Findings

The inspection system was developed on 400 slates to determine the threshold settings that give the best trade‐off between no false positive triggers and correct defect identification. The developed system was tested on more than 300 fresh slates and the success rate for correct identification of acceptable and defective slates was 99.32 per cent for defect free slates based on 148 samples and 96.91 per cent for defective slates based on 162 samples.

Practical implications

The experimental data indicates that automating the inspection of painted slates can be achieved and installation in a factory is a realistic target. Testing the devised inspection system in a factory‐type environment was an important part of the development process as this enabled us to develop the mechanical system and the image processing algorithm able to perform slate inspection in an industrial environment. The overall performance of the system indicates that the proposed solution can be considered as a replacement for the existing manual inspection system.

Originality/value

The development of a real‐time automated system for inspecting painted slates proved to be a difficult task since the slate surface is dark coloured, glossy, has depth profile non‐uniformities and is being transported at high speeds on a conveyor. In order to address these issues, the system described in this paper proposed a number of novel solutions including the illumination set‐up and the development of multi‐component image‐processing inspection algorithm.
Querying non‐uniform image databases for biometrics‐related identification applications
Authors: Zhang Zhongfei (Mark)
Published: July 2006

Purpose

This research project focuses on developing techniques and technologies for automatically identifying human faces from images in the situations where face sample collections in the database as well as in the input query images are “as is”, i.e. no standard data collection environment is available. The developed method can also be used in other biometric applications.

Design/methodology/approach

The specific method presented in this paper is called scale independent identification (SII). SII allows direct “comparison” between two images in terms of whether the two objects (e.g. faces) in the two images are the same object (i.e. the same individual). SII is developed by extensively using the matrix computation theory and in particular, the singular value decomposition theory.

Findings

It is found that almost all the existing methods in the literature or technologies in the market require that a normalization in scale be done before any identification processing. However, it is also found that normalization in scale not only adds additional processing complexity, but also may reduce the identification accuracy. In addition, it is difficult to anticipate an “optimal” scale in advance. The developed SII complements the existing methods in all these aspects.

Research limitations/implications

The only limitation which is also the limitation for many other biometric identification methods is that each object (e.g. individual in human face identification) must have a sufficient number of training samples collected before the method works well.

Practical implications

SII is particularly suitable in law enforcement and/or intelligence applications in which it is difficult or impossible to collect data in a standard, “clean” environment.

Originality/value

The SII method is new, and the paper should be interesting to researchers or engineers in this area, and should also be interesting to companies developing any biometrics‐based identification technologies as well as government agencies.
Consolidated data acquisition and management for first responders
Authors: Vidacic Dragan , Melnyk Pavlo , Krstovski Kriste , Messner Richard A. , Hludik Frank C. , Kun Andrew L.
Published: July 2006

Purpose

To design an efficient and integrated framework for automated and simple data acquisition and processing targeted for first response scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

Utilizes existing software/hardware integration tools and primarily off‐the‐shelf components. Use the modular system architecture for development of new applications. System construction is preceded by the analysis of currently available devices for specific data acquisition and processing.

Findings

The development and integration of data acquisition and processing tools for first responder scenarios can be rapidly achieved by the modular and already existing software/hardware integration platform. Data types processed by this system are biometrics, live video/audio and textual/command data. The data acquisition is followed by the prompt dissemination of information from the incident scene thus overcoming interoperability issues.

Practical implications

Integration of new modules is achieved through simple system upgrades – new applications are created and integrated while the rest of the platform remains intact. Off‐the‐shelf components used eliminate the need for specialized hardware development. The speech user interface allows simple interaction with the system in an eyes‐off, hands‐off manner.

Originality/value

The system represents an efficient platform for integrated data acquisition and processing specially targeted for first response. The test‐bed flexibility allows for straightforward integration of devices/applications handling new data type as required by the user.