bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Competences of an effective director
Authors: Coulson‐Thomas Colin
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to share the findings of investigations into the competences that an effective director should have. It draws upon the findings of surveys of director development undertaken by the author and others and the author's experience of advising over 100 boards on director and board development.

Design/methodology/approach

The surveys examined have mainly involved UK directors and unitary boards. The situation might be different in other countries. It would be helpful if more studies were undertaken of director and board development in other contexts and involving different board structures, e.g. two tier or management and supervisory boards.

Findings

The findings suggest it is possible to identify, categorize and prioritize the competences that directors require to be more effective in their roles. Trainers and developers interested in addressing directorial competence requirements need to understand the distinction between direction and management, and between deficiencies that require individual and collective action, the boardroom context and concerns directors may themselves have about the assessment of their competences. There are certain questions they need to ask to assess the development requirement.

Practical implications

The competences of individual directors and those of the board as a whole should be periodically reviewed, particularly as the membership of a board changes and it faces new challenges. Trainers and developers can address this requirement by sensitively handling any concerns directors may have about the process used.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the nature of the competences required by a competent director and the challenge of assessing, categorizing, prioritizing and addressing competence deficiencies. The paper should be of value to those who support directors and boards and have an interest in improving the competence of directors and the effectiveness of boards.
The training methodology of project management office (PMO) personnel
Authors: Rozenes Shai , Vitner Gad
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need of a methodological training framework for project management office personnel.

Design/methodology/approach

Working closely with hi tech corporations whose main line of business is based on projects, the paper presents an integrative training approach supported by managerial commitment to improve training effectiveness.

Findings

The paper concentrates on qualifying the project management office personnel to facilitate the project's aims and objectives. The paper concludes with a high level prescription for developing a project management training methodology.

Practical implications

The paper highlights the need to establish a well‐defined way for upgrading the project management office personnel performances.

Originality/value

The article will deepen the understanding of the need for project management training.
Are we having fun yet? Creating a motivating work environment
Authors: Clark Regina M.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to give readers some ideas about how to create a motivating work environment. A motivating environment will lead to increased productivity ad reduced turnover.

Design/methodology/approach

Regina Clark speaks at association conferences and corporate meetings throughout the year. The ideas found in this article were communicated by audience members or were a result of experiences that Regina had as a management consultant.

Findings

There are many practical applications cited in the article. All of the ideas have been implemented.

Originality/value

This paper aims to share best practices.
Personalised learning environments (part 2): a conceptual model for construction
Authors: Syed‐Khuzzan S.M. , Goulding J.S.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model for a PLE prototype, specifically incorporating learning styles for the UK construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The initial research methodology approach adopted for this paper embraced the distillation of core research material gathered from a detailed literature review. The literature review encompassed the needs and importance of developing a PLE prototype, and used as a context learning styles for the UK construction industry. A qualitative approach was used in this research, as this was considered more suitable for studying social and cultural phenomena. This paper explores the relationship between pedagogy and technology in the context of the design and implementation of a PLE. The implementation framework for the PLE adopted the principles of the “Collaborative System Design” approach as identified by the Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Initiative Guidelines.

Findings

This paper describes the development phases of the PLE prototype incorporating learning styles. This prototype incorporates a learning style inventory – known as the diagnostic questionnaire which was developed based on the amalgamation of three existing models of learning styles defined from a detailed synthesis of the literature – namely the Kolb's model of learning styles, Honey and Mumford's model of learning styles and the Felder and Solomon's model of learning styles.

Originality/value

This paper is a very useful source in developing a learning style inventory and a PLE prototype incorporating learning styles.
Open science in e‐science: contingency or policy?
Authors: Fry Jenny , Schroeder Ralph , den Besten Matthijs
Published: January 2009

Purpose

This paper seeks to discuss the question of “openness” in e‐Science.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on 12 in‐depth interviews with principal investigators, project managers and developers involved in UK e‐Science projects, together with supporting documentary evidence from project web sites. The approach was to explore the juxtaposition of research governance at the institutional level and local research practices at the project level. Interview questions focused on research inputs, software development processes, access to resources, project documentation, dissemination of outputs and by‐products, licensing issues, and institutional contracts.

Findings

The findings suggest that, although there is a widely shared ethos of openness in everyday research practice, there are many uncertainties and yet‐to‐be resolved issues, despite strong policy imperatives towards openly shared resources.

Research limitations/implications

The paper concludes by observing a stratification of openness in practice and the need for more nuanced understanding of openness at the level of policy making. This research was based on interviews within a limited number of e‐Science/Social Science projects and the intention is to address this in future work by scaling the study up to a survey that will reach the entire UK e‐Science/Social Science community.

Practical implications

The fundamental challenge in resolving openness in practice and policy, and thereby moving towards a sustainable infrastructure for e‐Science, is the coordination and integration of goals across e‐Science efforts, rather than one of resolving IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) issues, which has been the central focus of openness debates thus far.

Originality/value

The question of openness has previously been posed on the macro‐level of research policy, e.g. whether science as a whole can be characterized as open science, or in relation to the dissemination of published outputs, e.g. Open Access. Instead, a fine‐grained perspective is taken focusing on individual research projects and the various facets of openness in practice.
Documentation and the users of digital resources in the humanities
Authors: Warwick Claire , Galina Isabel , Rimmer Jon , Terras Melissa , Blandford Ann , Gow Jeremy , Buchanan George
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the importance of documentation for digital humanities resources. This includes technical documentation of textual markup or database construction, and procedural documentation about resource construction.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study is presented of an attempt to reuse electronic text to create a digital library for humanities users, as part of the UCIS project. The results of qualitative research by the LAIRAH study on provision of procedural documentation are discussed, as also is, user perception of the purpose, construction and usability of resources collected using semi‐structured interviews and user workshops.

Findings

In the absence of technical documentation, it was impossible to reuse text files with inconsistent markup (COCOA and XML) in a Digital Library. Also, although users require procedural documentation, about the status and completeness of sources, and selection methods, this is often difficult to locate.

Practical implications

Creators of digital humanities resources should provide both technical and procedural documentation and make it easy to find, ideally from the project web site. To ensure that documentation is provided, research councils could make documentation a project deliverable. This will be even more vital once the AHDS is no longer funded to help ensure good practice in digital resource creation.

Originality/value

Previous work has argued that documentation is important. However, the paper presents actual evidence of the problems caused by a lack of documentation and shows that this makes reuse of digital resources almost impossible. This is intended to persuade project creators who wish resources to be reused to provide documentation about its contents and technical specifications.
Attracted to open access journals: a bibliometric author analysis in the field of biology
Authors: Faber Frandsen Tove
Published: January 2009

Purpose

Scholars from developing countries have limited access to research publications due to expensive subscription costs. However, the open access movement is challenging the constraint to access. Consequently, researchers in developing countries are often mentioned as major recipients of the benefits when advocating open access (OA). One of the implications of that argument is that authors from developing countries are more likely to perceive open access positively than authors from developed countries. The present study aims to investigate the use of open access by researchers from developing countries and is thus a supplement to the existing author surveys and interviews.

Design/methodology/approach

Bibliometric analyses of both publishing behaviour and citing behaviour in relation to OA publishing provides evidence of the impact of open access on developing countries.

Findings

The results of the multivariate linear regression show that open access journals are not characterised by a different composition of authors from the traditional toll access journals. Furthermore, the results show that authors from developing countries do not cite open access more than authors from developed countries.

Originality/value

The paper argues that authors from developing countries are not attracted to open access more than authors from developed countries.
Understanding interaction in information seeking and use as a discourse: a dialogic approach
Authors: Foster Jonathan
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to identify the organization, functions, and forms of talk that occur as groups collectively review, interpret, and organise information sought and retrieved as part of a learning activity.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants in the study were undergraduate students conducting a series of group investigations into the topic of information management. A content analysis of the discourse generated during the presentation‐planning stage of the group investigations was conducted.

Findings

Findings relate to the discovery of a focus formulation step; speakers' use of structuring, informing, eliciting, and summarizing sequences; and speakers' use of exploratory, coordinating, disputational, and cumulative forms of talk. Variations in the use of the functions and forms of talk across the steps of the task and across the groups are discussed.

Research limitations/implications

Issues relating to the reliability and validity of the content analysis are discussed; along with the implications of the study for the support of dialogic interaction during collaborative information seeking and use.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper rests in analyzing collaboration in information seeking and use as a discourse; and in hypothesizing as to the nature of educationally‐valued interaction when speakers collaborate on the seeking and use of information in learning settings.
Student digital information‐seeking behaviour in context
Authors: Nicholas David , Huntington Paul , Jamali Hamid R. , Rowlands Ian , Fieldhouse Maggie
Published: January 2009

Purpose

This study provides evidence on the actual information‐seeking behaviour of students in a digital scholarly environment, not what they thought they did. It also compares student information‐seeking behaviour with that of other academic communities, and, in some cases, for practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were gathered as part of CIBER's ongoing Virtual Scholar programme. In particular log data from two digital journals libraries, Blackwell Synergy and OhioLINK, and one e‐book collection (Oxford Scholarship Online) are utilized.

Findings

The study showed a distinctive form of information‐seeking behaviour associated with students and differences between them and other members of the academic community. For example, students constituted the biggest users in terms of sessions and pages viewed, and they were more likely to undertake longer online sessions. Undergraduates and postgraduates were the most likely users of library links to access scholarly databases, suggesting an important “hot link” role for libraries.

Originality/value

Few studies have focused on the actual (rather than perceived) information‐seeking behaviour of students. The study fills that gap.
Meaning in philosophy and meaning in information retrieval (IR)
Authors: Thornley Clare , Gibb Forbes
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the question of whether the differences between meaning in philosophy and meaning in information retrieval (IR) have implications for the use of philosophy in supporting research in IR.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of a conceptual analysis and literature review.

Findings

There are some differences in the role of meaning in terms of purpose, content and use which should be clarified in order to assist a productive relationship between the philosophy of language and IR.

Research limitations/implications

This provides some new theoretical insights into the philosophical context of IR. It suggests that further productive work on the central concepts within IR could be achieved through the use of a methodology which analyses how exactly these concepts are discussed in other disciplines and the implications of any differences in the way in which they may operate in IR.

Originality/value

The paper suggests a new perspective on the relationship between philosophy and IR by exploring the role of meaning in these respective disciplines and highlighting differences, as well as similarities, with particular reference to the role of information as well as meaning in IR. This contributes to an understanding of two of the central concepts in IR, meaning and information, and the ways in which they are related. There is a history of work in IR and information science (IS) examining dilemmas and the paper builds on this work by relating it to some similar dilemmas in philosophy. Thus it develops the theory and conceptual understanding of IR by suggesting that philosophy could be used as a way of exploring intractable dilemmas in IR.
Ambiguity and legitimate peripheral participation in the creation of scientific documents
Authors: Shankar Kalpana
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on a qualitative study of data management and recordkeeping in the research sciences and their roles in information creation and professional identity formation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses ethnographic fieldwork data in an academic laboratory to examine documentation practices as a part of the trajectory of scientific professionalization. The article examines ethnographic fieldnotes and medical records as cognate areas that provide insight into the topic.

Findings

The paper argues that scientific recordkeeping is essential for learning to balance professional standards and personal knowledge, establishing comfort with ambiguity, and can be a process marked by ritual, anxiety, and affect. The article does this by discussing the creation of record from data, tacit knowledge as part of that process, and the process of legitimate peripheral participation (LPP).

Research limitations/implications

The qualitative nature of the study suggests the need for similar studies in other environments.

Originality/value

The article emphasizes recordkeeping as a part of documentation studies by taking an interdisciplinary, ethnographic approach that is still emergent in information studies. The article is written primarily for fellow researchers.
What HR managers do versus what employees value
Authors: De Vos Ans , Meganck Annelies
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore HR managers' and employees' views on the factors affecting employee retention using the perspective of the psychological contract.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies were conducted. First, a sample of HR managers gave their view on the factors affecting employee retention and turnover and described their retention practices. Second, a large sample of employees reported on the importance attached to five types of employer inducements commonly regarded as retention factors, on their evaluation of these inducements and on their loyalty. Regression analysis was used to examine the impact of the delivery of employer inducements on retention.

Findings

The HR managers survey indicates that retention practices focus more on the factors believed to cause employee turnover (career opportunities and financial rewards) than on those believed to affect employee retention (social atmosphere, job content, work‐life balance). The focus on career opportunities is supported by the employee survey. The delivery of career opportunities had the strongest impact on employee loyalty while the impact of the delivery of financial rewards was much smaller.

Research limitations/implications

It is useful to distinguish between different content dimensions of the psychological contract when studying its impact on employee outcomes. The psychological contract provides a relevant framework for studying employee retention.

Practical implications

This paper offers HR professionals' insights into the effectiveness of retention practices.

Originality/value

The paper shows how the psychological contract can be applied in retention management and examines impact of different content dimensions of the psychological contract on employee outcomes.
Moderating effect of national attributes and the role of cultural dimensions in technology adoption takeoff
Authors: Haapaniemi Tomi P. , Mäkinen Saku J.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the influence of national cultural dimensions on the evolution of national innovation adoption over time. The paper considers the moderating effects of national wealth, population density and illiteracy rate on the role of cultural dimensions in the timing of innovation takeoff in national markets.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical study investigates 137 national innovation adoption time series; the dependent variable being the time it takes for innovation adoption to take off. The independent variables are Hofstede's five cultural dimensions and the moderating variables are gross domestic product (GDP), population density and illiteracy rate.

Findings

The outcome of the study shows that cultural dimensions have a greater influence on takeoff time in countries with highly developed economies, dense populations and low illiteracy rates. The study also shows that especially the cultural dimension of individualism has a significant context independent influence on takeoff dynamics, whereas masculinity has no such effect.

Research limitations/implications

The paper provides evidence that the influence of cultural dimensions may be more complex than previously believed. Contribution of the research to the academic community especially lies in results regarding moderation effect of GDP, population density and illiteracy. Other independent and moderating variables could provide useful subjects for further research.

Practical implications

The results of this study could assist companies conducting business in cross‐national settings in planning their international operations in such areas as designing marketing promotions and deciding the entry order into national markets. Especially, useful the results are in pre‐takeoff phase of the evolution of innovation adoption.

Originality/value

The paper extends our understanding of the relationship between the national cultural dimensions and the early evolution of innovation adoption. Incomplete understanding of the cross‐national dynamics of the innovation adoption takeoff is scrutinized and the findings support earlier research that cultural dimensions affect adoption dynamics. The study demonstrates that the influence of cultural dimensions may be dependent on and moderated by other national attributes.
Trade union merger strategies: good or bad?
Authors: Gennard John
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this editorial is to review the significance of Roger Undy's book, Trade Union Merger Strategies: Purpose, Process and Performance, Oxford University Press, 2008.

Design/methodology/approach

The editorial outlines and evaluates the arguments put forward by Dr Undy to explain why trade union mergers take place. It also evaluates the book's analysis of the politics of trade union mergers.

Findings

As trade union membership has declined mergers have been prominent features in strategies of union revival. Yet, there is little empirical research into the effects of mergers on the unions actually merging or on their impact on the wider union movement. Dr Undy concludes that mergers do not provide a solution to the problem of falling membership and that transfers of engagements are often more successful than amalgamations.

Originality/value

The editorial offers insights into the process, performance and effects of trade union mergers.
Labour mobility and migration within the EU following the 2004 Central and East European enlargement
Authors: Dobson John R.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The paper seeks to investigate the effects of the 2004 Central and East European EU Enlargement on labour mobility.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on an analysis of recently available empirical evidence from the UK Labour Registration Scheme and EU comparative data based on administrative data and labour force surveys.

Findings

Only Ireland, Austria and Germany had significant migration from CEE migration and none of these exceeded 2 per cent of the labour force. The imposition of a transitional arrangement had little effect on migration flows. CEE workers were predominantly young, had above average education and yet did not fill UK skills gaps, but filled labour shortages for low paid, unskilled work.

Originality/value

This paper assesses the empirical evidence on labour mobility from Central and Eastern Europe, which is used to assess the current highly contentious debate.
The changing locus of workplace control in the English further education sector
Authors: Mather Kim , Worrall Les , Seifert Roger
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to discuss how the so‐called “modernisation” agenda has triggered changes in the structure and management of the UK public sector. The concern of the paper is with how such changes have impacted on the labour process of lecturers in the English further education sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A Bravermanian approach is adopted to examine aspects of change in the FE lecturer labour process. Empirical evidence is derived from three FE colleges and draws on data from semi‐structured interviews, a survey of lecturers and documentary evidence.

Findings

Power relations have been radically reinvented in these colleges, with senior managers now able to redefine the parameters of lecturers' contractual obligations. These colleges were characterised by standardisation, routinisation and rules driven by senior managers who saw themselves as “change agents” and “modernisers”. Lecturers, on the other hand, felt that they had less power, job autonomy and task discretion. The labour process provides a valid explanatory framework for linking these observed changes in workplace relations to broader matters of political economy.

Research limitations/implications

The research provides detailed insights into changes in FE lecturers' working experiences. However, the reliance on three colleges may place some limitations on the generalisability of these findings.

Practical implications

FE lecturers are central to delivering on ministerial priorities around skills for work. The paper reveals that lecturers feel under‐valued, over‐worked and over‐managed. This raises questions as to the sustainability of current approaches to the management of FE lecturer labour.

Originality/value

The FE sector continues to be under‐researched and the paper therefore provides a valuable contribution.
Employee evaluations of occupational pensions
Authors: Gough Orla , Hick Rod
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The paper aims to examine the role of an occupational pension in employees' psychological contracts, the degree to which such pensions influence decisions relating to employee recruitment and retention, and attitudes of managerial employees to the recent Employment Equality (Age) Regulations.

Design/methodology/approach

Thirty‐six in‐depth interviews were conducted with managerial employees in order to examine the topics described above.

Findings

It is found that the role of an occupational pension in employees' psychological contracts is related to age, and that they play a much greater role in the psychological contracts of older employees. The provision of an occupational pension was found to be more successful in promoting the retention rather than the recruitment of staff. The managerial employees interviewed were overwhelmingly supportive of the introduction of the recent Employment Equality (Age) Regulations, but some expressed scepticism that they would be implemented faithfully by their organisations.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed to examine the impact of the widespread closure of defined benefit pension schemes on employment decisions. The small sample size used in this research means no claims can be made to external validity.

Originality/value

The original features of the paper are that the authors apply the psychological contract framework in analysing the degree to which employees value their occupational pensions, employees themselves are interviewed rather than their employers in assessing the impact of an occupational pension on recruitment and retention, and the paper provides an early assessment to the recent introduction of age discrimination.
Employment relations in liberal market economy airlines
Authors: Harvey Geraint
Published: January 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the institutional complementarity thesis, which anticipates that the institutional context of the firm will have a considerable influence on the choice and success of employment relations strategies. Focusing on two liberal market economies, the paper presents analysis of secondary data from the US airline industry and primary data from UK civil aviation to assess the power of the institutional context on employment relations.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data were drawn from trade journals, newspaper reports and other civil aviation information sources such as the Civil Aviation Authority database. Primary data collection involved interviews with airline management, officials at the British Air Line Pilots Association, and pilots. A large‐scale questionnaire survey of pilots was also conducted.

Findings

In both liberal market economies airlines have adopted a range of employment relations strategies, which demonstrates the robustness of strategic management choice. Moreover, in both the UK and the USA, airlines with institutionally complementary employment relations strategies performed less well over a range of measures than their counterparts with employment relation strategies more closely aligned with coordinated market economies.

Originality/value

The findings identify best practice in the management of people in the airline industry and build a business case for cooperating with employees and their trade unions.
From administrative expert to strategic partner
Authors: Lemmergaard Jeanette
Published: January 2009

Purpose

Replicating Ulrich's model, this study aims to investigate empirically the HR role performance of a case organisation. Despite the popularity of the model, both theoretical discussions and empirical research that build on the model are scarce.

Design/methodology/approach

The present study investigates HR professionals' and line managers' perceptions of HR roles in a regional full‐service bank based on a combination of interviews and a questionnaire survey distributed to the HR executive and line managers.

Findings

The case study evidence reported suggests that not only are all four roles strongly represented, they are also equally shared between the HR executive and line managers.

Research limitations/implications

This study is limited by the usual problem of a wider application of findings provided by a small‐scale single‐case study. The generalisability of the findings would be improved by conducting more comparable cases within the field.

Originality/value

HR professionals are struggling to make top executives and colleagues recognise the value of their operations and initiatives. It is therefore increasingly important to demonstrate the value of the HR function, and a first step towards demonstrating its value is to define and clarify the roles and role expectations of the HR function in the organisation. This study demonstrates how an organisation can get a clear picture of the roles that are performed or perceived as performed by the HR function by using Ulrich's relatively simple model, and thereby create a good basis for further discussion and clarification.
Can you hear us?
Authors: Bailey Marie
Published: January 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to analyse the effectiveness of European Works Councils (EWCs) as a mechanism of employee voice from the perspective of Hungarian workers in UK‐owned multinational companies (MNCs). In addition, it analyses the role of prevailing systems of employee voice in Hungary, such as trade unions and works councils, assessing their capacity to influence the work of the EWC.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative approach, the data are drawn from three case studies and comprise a series of semi‐structured interviews, whilst observational and archival data provide additional information. Interview participants primarily consisted of EWC representatives from the UK and Hungary, together with a number of central and local managers and trade union officials.

Findings

The data are presented using a five‐themed framework, devised to highlight a number of key themes and comparisons. Evidence suggests fundamental differences in the quality of EWCs, with some providing a better mechanism of voice than others. The level of consultation, managerial and employee attitudes, Eastern European working conditions, training and inadequate communication strategies form some of the major issues identified in the study. Furthermore, trade union involvement and the impact that local works councils have in general proved limited in enhancing the success of the EWC.

Practical implications

The implications for improving the Hungarian voice within the EWC forum are discussed.

Originality/value

The paper confirms existing issues surrounding EWCs, extending the existing field of literature and offering a unique insight into the impact of EWCs in Hungary.
Refocusing for the future: meeting user expectations in a digital age
Authors: Sidorko Peter Edward , Tao Yang Tina
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the changes adopted in a major Asian academic library aimed at making the library more responsive to evolving and growing client needs, and to positioning the library as a key player on campus in terms of teaching and learning support.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a period of organizational restructuring, the library embarked on a series of client focused services specifically aimed at enhancing its role in teaching and learning support.

Findings

The article draws on a number of previously existing and new services introduced by the library, and demonstrates growth in their usage. Further evidence of success is highlighted through three consecutive biannual user survey results which demonstrate an increasing responsiveness to user expectations.

Research limitations/implications

While many of the new services have been well received, the findings require further examination to ensure that the services continue to create value for the organization and that the library sustains its role.

Practical implications

This paper reinforces the perspective that, in order to succeed and remain relevant, academic libraries must continue to evolve and to position themselves within their organizations so that they are recognized as important players in teaching and learning processes.

Originality/value

This article provides one possible model for other libraries to follow in attempting to reposition themselves within their organizations.
Local touch and global reach
Authors: Wang Jian , Lim Adriene
Published: January 2009

Purpose

Technology changes swiftly and the traditional library online public access catalog (OPAC) is in danger of becoming irrelevant as more users rely on network‐level search engines such as Google and Google Scholar to search for information resources. This paper seeks to explore the next‐generation discovery and delivery solutions that are designed to adapt to changing user expectations in the Web 2.0 environment. It aims to examine the current trends in which libraries are partnering with vendors to promote their value‐added services to library users, and are making their collections more visible in a global digital landscape.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with an overview of current library catalogs and then introduces some emerging products focusing on discovery and delivery that affect the value of libraries as they present their collections and provide services to a new generation of library users. Case studies are presented to illustrate trendy features of next‐generation catalogs as well as the challenges that the new tools bring to libraries as they work toward providing users with richer discovery experiences and greater delivery of content beyond local collections.

Findings

The paper identifies major problems with libraries' existing OPACs as well as challenges of implanting new discovery tools to meet the demands of today's network users.

Practical implications

The paper suggests that libraries must become more responsive and adaptable to remain sustainable, relevant, and competitive in the new environment.

Originality/value

The paper presents an up‐to‐date account of the state of next‐generation library catalogs used in American libraries.
ERM system implementation in a consortium environment
Authors: Liu Guoying
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the issues associated with electronic resources management (ERM) system implementation in a consortium environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper outlines the implementation process along with the problems encountered and their solutions and impacts on the use of the system in the implementation of Verde ERM system at University of Windsor Leddy Library, which implemented the system as one of the early adopters within a consortium. The issues and challenges the library experienced in the project are analyzed and discussed.

Findings

The ERM system is still in its early stages. There are both benefits and challenges of the consortia approach in ERM system implementation. Should a library adopt the system within a consortium or just as a single library? When would be the right time to implement an ERM system? Answers depend on the library's local needs, resources and environment. The strategy of ERM system selection, evaluation and implementation is crucial for libraries to make a suitable decision.

Practical implications

The issues related to the ERM system implementation in a consortium environment discussed in the paper will have implications for libraries to select a proper approach and time on the adoption of emerging library systems.

Originality/value

The paper addresses issues related to a large library system, especially ERM system implementation in a consortium environment. The experience and findings obtained from the project can provide practical information to libraries that are considering implementing ERM or other large library systems.
Learning Library 2.0: 23 Things @SCPL
Authors: Titangos Hui‐Lan H. , Mason Gail L.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the significance of 23 Things @SCPL, a learning Library 2.0 program based on Web 2.0, running from September 2007 to January 2008 at Santa Cruz Public Libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper introduces a new methodology in promoting the concept that learning could not only be self‐directed and collaborative, but also fun and rewarding.

Findings

By studying indepth the program's implementation process, the two authors report their findings in the following areas: organizing the first project in the history of Santa Cruz Public Libraries, to involve the whole organization in the learning process about the digital realm; helping staff members overcome typical learners' stress and blocks, by offering an innovative teaching approach; key to success I: comprehensive curriculum; key to success II: strong leadership; and impact on library services and beyond.

Practical implications

The paper analyzes a successful implementation of the “lighten‐up” approach for program management. For this purpose, it adopts a user‐friendly and easy approach, so as to reach a broader audience.

Originality/value

The paper helps project managers to organize, develop and succeed in their new projects.
Library managers and information in World 2.0
Authors: Allard Suzie
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide library managers with the ability to recognize and address World 2.0 information issues to enhance their ability to develop management plans for the future.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper explores what World 2.0 means to library managers in three ways. Three information dimensions are identified using models to examine World 2.0 in a historical context. An analysis is conducted of the different generations of users in World 2.0 including their diverse attitudes, beliefs, experiences and skills and how these influence their engagement with the information environment. Four key characteristics of Web 2.0 are identified through an analysis of Web 2.0 in relation to World 2.0.

Findings

Key findings in this paper are that: three dimensions of information in World 2.0 exist and can be used by library managers to help them understand the challenges and to facilitate the construction of strategic management plans that address them. Generational and organizational perspectives of World 2.0 can influence how libraries engage Web 2.0, and should be considered when library managers make strategic management plans for the future. The four characteristics of Web 2.0 create considerations for library managers during their planning processes.

Originality/value

This paper is of interest because it provides library managers with a thorough understanding of World 2.0 and how it may influence their libraries and their users so they can make more informed, more successful planning choices.
Libraries' role in equalizing access to information
Authors: Russell Susan E. , Huang Jie
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the question of what libraries can do to help narrow the digital divide that causes unequal access to information.

Design/methodology/approach

This study examines the continuing problem of digital divide in the United States based on data collected from several national and organizational reports along with our own survey.

Findings

The findings show that the problem of digital divide, which is specifically affected by various demographic factors, still exists despite the rapid uptake of new technologies, which is occurring among a majority of groups of Americans in the United States.

Originality/value

The study focuses on the important roles of libraries in today's society by looking at ways libraries can actively utilize and expand upon their work toward equalizing access to information for the future benefit of those who remain disenfranchised by the digital divide.
Performance evaluation
Authors: Mui Law Lin , Xiaohang Gao Vicky , Ling Ng Hui
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The paper aims to introduce and examine certain performance indicators and result areas used by the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library to evaluate its services and staff performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper lists out the measures in place and looks for justification for each in terms of their relevance to library work and value to stakeholders.

Findings

It is shown how the measures in place enable services and staff to effectively support the library's mission and vision.

Originality/value

The paper provides insight for those interested in performance evaluation for library staff and services in the National Library Board, Singapore.
Internationalization in higher education and global access in a digital age
Authors: Hammond Ellen H.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

This article seeks to propose that – as university faculty and students increasingly engage in research, teaching, and learning in international locations – librarians at the home campus need to expand the geographic range of their public services planning. Specifically, it aims to suggest that written agreements with university library partners in other countries can be used to provide patrons with access to collections, expertise, and study space during their residence abroad.

Design/methodology/approach

The article provides an overview of agreements (the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)) concluded by East Asia Library staff at Yale University to secure access for Yale affiliates to the University of Tokyo and Waseda University Libraries, both in Tokyo, Japan. These institutional arrangements facilitated a level of access not possible for an individual researcher or student.

Findings

The agreement with the University of Tokyo is an example of a detailed reciprocal arrangement providing both library use and borrowing privileges. The agreement with Waseda is also reciprocal, but the written language is much less specific; nevertheless, the framework provided by this general MOU now allows enhanced access services for patrons.

Originality/value

Unlike most of the international library exchanges and partnerships described in library literature to date, this case study developed from the idea that agreements be strategic and designed to serve user needs. While there is an extensive literature about serving international students and researchers, this article provides a shift in perspective by focusing on what the “sending institution” can do through strategic agreements to enhance library services for patrons abroad.
Information and digital literacy: a stumbling block to development?
Authors: Ameen Kanwal , Gorman G.E.
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The paper aims to explore the overall state of information and digital illiteracy (IDL) in developing countries and how it hampers the growth of individuals and nations. The case of Pakistan is to be used as an example to illustrate the endemic state of poor information and digital literacy. It also aims to discuss the general drawbacks to effective IDL in developing Asian countries.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objectives of the study, the literature review and result of Pakistan‐based surveys are used to indicate the state of IDL among university students and faculty in one country while integrating these findings with discussion.

Findings

It was found that in Pakistan, as elsewhere, IL/IDL practice and training are not the norm in libraries or in education; they are not operational priorities. The low level of IL/IDL among the educated classes contributes to the status quo of information illiterate citizens. It also establishes that becoming “critical consumers” of information is essential for personal and national empowerment.

Originality/value

The study explores the overall status of IDL in the developing countries using case of Pakistan as example. It suggests conducting local research on contextually relevant literacies and IL/IDL. The paper invokes the appreciation for making IL/IDL an integral part of learning programmes at all levels.
Finishing robots: a review of technologies and applications
Authors: Bogue Robert
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of finishing robot technology and its applications.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper initially considers the development of automated finishing technologies and then discusses robotic systems. The uses of robotic finishing are illustrated through reference to a range of applications and case histories and a final section summarises the key benefits of the technology.

Findings

The paper shows that robotic finishing is being adopted by a range of industries including the aerospace, automotive, medical and household goods sectors. The technology has been shown to yield significant benefits, notably improved productivity, cost reductions, more consistent quality and reduced reject levels.

Originality/value

The paper provides a useful insight into robotic finishing and illustrates the key applications and benefits of the technology.
Latest unmanned vehicle show features both innovative new vehicles and miniaturization
Authors: Bloss Richard
Published: January 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review the 2008 AUVSI Conference and Show held in San Diego, California with emphasis on unmanned vehicles or service robots, their application on the ground, in the air and in the water.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach takes the form of in‐depth interviews with exhibitors of unmanned vehicles and the providers of the technologies which are fundamental to their design and deployment.

Findings

The unmanned robotic vehicle industry is largely driven by government requirements, both military and civilian. Unmanned service robots are also found in commercial applications such as pipeline surveillance, crop monitoring and fish school location at sea.

Practical implications

Developers will be challenged to meet the need for improvements in speed, payload, sensor capabilities, autonomous operation and command and control of fleets of unmanned vehicles.

Originality/value

The paper offers insights into trends and new products in the unmanned robotic vehicle industry.