bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Paradigms in service research
Authors: Tronvoll Bård , Brown Stephen W. , Gremler Dwayne D. , Edvardsson Bo
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Recent discussions of the service‐dominant logic (S‐D logic) and the creation of a multidisciplinary service science highlight the need for a paradigmatic discussion that provides directions for ongoing service research. This article aims to examine different epistemological foundations and proposes a framework to describe and better understand the development and future of service research.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the proposed framework, an assessment of 60 selected award‐winning and most cited articles is categorized using the paradigmatic framework.

Findings

Four paradigms are found to be prominent in service research: positivistic, hermeneutic, dialogic, and monologic. The positivistic option has been the dominant paradigm employed by service scholars, suggesting service scholars need to apply the three alternative paradigms more as a means to enrich and extend the service research discipline.

Research limitations/implications

There is a need to discuss the fundamental beliefs and worldviews (ontological and epistemological positions) guiding service research. Paradigms are critical determinants and drivers of good research.

Originality/value

A new framework for analyzing paradigmatic foundations in service research and directions for the future design of service research studies is proposed. The suggested framework could inspire scholars to reflect on their ontological and epistemological foundations and provide paradigmatic guidance within service research. This provides a basis for continuous expansion of the service research field.
Organizational pride and its positive effects on employee behavior
Authors: Gouthier Matthias H.J. , Rhein Miriam
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Organizational pride of service employees presents a vital, but mostly unexplored, factor for business success. In detail, two kinds of organizational pride exist. First, service employees can experience short, persistent affective emotions of pride based on the perception of a successful event related to the organization. Second, employees can have a cognitive and durable attitude of pride resulting from the general perception of the organization. Prior research neglects not only to analyze empirically the relationship between emotional organizational pride and attitudinal organizational pride, but also to examine positive effects from them. The objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship and the effects of the two kinds of organizational pride with commitment to customer service, creativity and turnover intention.

Design/methodology/approach

The first study is an exploratory pre‐study and deals with spontaneous impressions of 53 customer consultants regarding their emotional and attitudinal organizational pride. Data used for the main study were collected through an online panel provider. A sample of 733 service employees was generated and structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypotheses.

Findings

Results from the main study suggest that there is a strong relationship between emotional organizational pride and attitudinal organizational pride. Whereas the former has a direct, positive effect on commitment to customer service and creativity, the latter directly influences commitment to customer service and turnover intention. An indirect effect on creativity was also found.

Research limitations/implications

To reduce the complexity of the model, no moderating variables were integrated. In a subsequent step, it is important to analyze empirically the drivers and conduct a longitudinal analysis to test the relationship between the two kinds of organizational pride and their effects over time.

Practical implications

The measurement and management of organizational pride are vital sources for improving service behaviors; they represent new challenges for service‐oriented human resource management.

Originality/value

The paper is novel for three reasons. First, the affective events theory (AET) is advanced by additional substantial relationships. Second, links between the two kinds of organizational pride are analyzed for the first time. Finally, the paper suggests empirical evidence for the positive effects of the two kinds of organizational pride.
Modelling customer process activities in interactive value creation
Authors: Eichentopf Thomas , Kleinaltenkamp Michael , van Stiphout Janine
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Customers' role in value creation has changed dramatically over the past few years. Today, many firms view customers as co‐creators of value. Until recently, however, attention to customer integration was mainly directed toward customers' role in a firm's given supply processes. The goal of this paper is to show that processes on the customer side are equally important for the overall success of value creation.

Design/methodology/approach

The reasoning for the role of customers is based on a theoretical discussion of customer integration, blueprints and customer scripts. Relating this work to the general problem of transaction costs from information asymmetries, the paper develops a typology of how customer scripts can be applied in various situations.

Findings

It is found that customer scripts can have a positive effect on interactive value creation because they enable companies to build a holistic process image for all process participants.

Research limitations/implications

Marketing must rethink its role as an agent of companies. Indeed, in interactive value creation, boundaries blur. However, the results lack broad empirical confirmation.

Practical implications

It is argued that firms must adopt a customer perspective and provide an approach of how to achieve this.

Originality/value

The paper reintroduces scripts in the marketing discussion. In addition, it provides a new typology of situations in interactive value creation.
When supermarket consumers get stocked in the middle
Authors: Hansen Torben , Møller Jensen Jan , Stubbe Solgaard Hans
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether consumer supermarket satisfaction is influenced by the mere composition of consumers' preference structure, as opposed to more widespread approaches where consumer satisfaction is regarded as the degree to which consumer expectations and/or preferences are met.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 130 consumers using self‐administered questionnaires. Structural equation modelling was used to test the authors' proposed hypotheses.

Findings

According to consumers, not many supermarkets offer high quality at low prices, suggesting that consumers with a high‐quality/low‐price preference structure should be disconfirmed and thus dissatisfied. However, this study finds that – when patronising discount stores and upscale stores – consumers who attach high weight to quality and price are likely to become more satisfied than consumers who attach only medium weight to both parameters. For traditional supermarkets (i.e. supermarkets offering medium quality at medium prices) satisfaction occurs equally for both groups of consumers.

Practical implications

Consumers' level of satisfaction with various retailers may not solely be determined by matching preferences with retail offerings, but may also be based on considerations of possibilities for mental justification within a certain preference structure. It is therefore important that managers seek to understand the process of mental justification that may be associated with their offerings, and also the various possibilities for offering mental markers (i.e. anything the consumer can use for the purpose of gaining mental justification of her/his supermarket choices) to be used by consumers.

Originality/value

The authors' results suggest that retailers providing medium quality at medium prices are “stocked in the middle” even though their value package may seem fair when calculated as value=quality/price. Specifically, consumers with a high‐quality/low‐price preference structure can more easily justify visits to retailers providing either high quality at high prices or low quality at low prices; this being the case even though their value preference is only partially served.
Baby boomers' reasons for choosing specific food shops
Authors: Worsley Tony , Chun Wang Wei , Hunter Wendy
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) are approaching retirement and there is concern about their preparation for their future health and wellbeing. Food shopping is likely to play a major role in their future lives. The purpose of this paper is to examine their reasons for choosing to buy food from particular shops and whether demographic characteristics and health status were associated with them.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was conducted among a random sample of 1,037 people aged between 40 and 71 years in Victoria, Australia. Respondents were asked to indicate, from a list, their reasons for choosing to shop at particular food outlets. Regression analysis was used to examine the relationships between respondents' demographics and health status and their reasons for shopping at the food stores.

Findings

Multivariate analysis showed that the reasons the respondents reported in choosing shops fell into four groups: saving, convenience, quality and healthy foods, and user‐friendly environment. Saving was negatively related to income, age, level of education and also linked with country of birth, religious affiliation, and marital status. Convenience was negatively associated with age and also related to health status and religious affiliation. Quality/healthy food products were positively related to age but negatively associated with body mass index, and also linked to country of birth. User‐friendly environment was negatively associated with income and education and related to gender and religious affiliation.

Originality/value

The paper's results show that stores could provide more information, perhaps as signage, to their recycling and health information facilities, particularly in low socio‐economic status areas. Furthermore, the social status and religious associations confirm the view that shopping reflects broad societal affiliations among baby boomers. Shopping centres can be used to provide support for health and environmental sustainability promotions.
The changing face of competencies for club managers
Authors: Paul Koenigsfeld Jason , Perdue Joe , Youn Hyewon , Woods Robert H.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to update previous studies conducted on important managerial competencies used by private club managers by examining the importance and frequency of use of management competencies applied to the private club industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 800 randomly selected private club managers was used for this study. The study included only active members of the Club Managers Association of America (CMAA).

Findings

The results indicate a change in what club managers do between 2002 and today. Except the added competency domains, results are very similar to previous studies. Accounting and finance, human resources and food and beverage competencies remain highly important as well as the most frequently used. The overall importance rating of the leadership domain was categorized as an essential competency with a mean score over 4.50. The other competency domains/clusters overall ratings were categorized as considerably important managerial competencies with mean scores between 3.50 and 4.50.

Practical implications

This paper will help clubs provide appropriate training programs for management staff and also provide a basis for CMAA to develop new professional development programs that would meet manager needs for developing competencies needed for the future.

Originality/value

Managerial competencies are viewed as a snapshot in time in a sense that these studies must be updated over time to incorporate new roles and trends within the industry. The results of this study were compared to previous studies conducted on club manager competencies to see if important managerial competencies changed over time.
Understanding restaurant tipping systems: a human resources perspective
Authors: Lin Ingrid Y. , Namasivayam Karthik
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The present study aims to examine the different restaurant tipping systems on perceived fairness, distributive justice, and control from employees' perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Five different written scenarios of tipping systems were depicted in the present study. A total of 205 restaurant employees were assigned to each of the five groups and responded to a written scenario. Data were collected during the restaurants' briefings. Participants were asked to read the scenario and to fill out a survey instrument. Researchers administered surveys to 12 different casual‐dining, full‐service restaurants.

Findings

Results indicate that when the service charge is added onto customers' bill and onto all tips collected for equal distribution among servers, this enhanced the employees' perception of fairness and distributive justice. Further, the traditional (non‐equal sharing) tipping system of keeping tips all to oneself is perceived as most fair and just to participants. However, in terms of equal sharing of tips, employees perceived sharing among all servers as more fair than the other tipping systems that include back‐of‐the‐house employees.

Research limitations/implications

The current study has a number of limitations. First, researchers had very little control with regard to the accuracy of the procedure due to the use of professional‐oriented sample versus student‐oriented sample. Consequently, some demographic data were missing. Second, as much as the authors would like more back‐of‐the‐house participants, the majority of the participants (94 percent) were front‐line servers of the restaurants. Third, the results of this study can only be generalized to restaurant employees in casual full‐service dining restaurants. Finally, there is limited literature available specifically focusing on employees' preferences of different restaurant tipping systems; as a result consider this study as exploratory research.

Practical implications

In order to satisfy FOH employees, restaurant managers should consider implementing tipping systems that permit front‐line servers to keep all the tips they earn to themselves. In some conditions, it is appropriate to include a service charge – the sample indicated this system as the next best choice.

Originality/value

No research has been done investigating the different restaurant tipping systems and on perceived fairness, distributive justice, and control from employees' perspective in actual restaurant settings using professional‐oriented sample, and including front‐ and back‐of‐the‐house employees.
Recent research in hospitality financial management
Authors: Tsai Henry , Pan Steve , Lee Jinsoo
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize published contemporary hospitality financial management research from 1998 through 2009 and provide future research directions.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors began their initial literature search by entering into the ABI/INFORM database via ProQuest 19 pre‐identified keywords (i.e. debt, financing, ownership) related to the major functions of financial management, namely investing, financing, and dividend decisions, as well as commonly indexed keywords in hospitality finance research. The paper then expanded the authors' literature list through the reference lists of the studies that they initially identified. The authors limited their search to published studies between 1998 and 2009 and within hospitality journals written in English.

Findings

The paper identifies 98 published papers that represented the major work and efforts in expanding the body of knowledge in both the theoretical and practical perspectives of hospitality financial management. The major categories of papers include hospitality financing, investing, dividend policy, financial condition, and performance. Areas that warrant further investigation are noted throughout the paper.

Research limitations/implications

The papers review provides academics and practitioners an overview of the updated body of knowledge in the field and suggests the need for further in‐depth research to extend the literature and prompt better financial decision making for practitioners.

Originality/value

Since Harris and Brown's and Atkinson and Jones's reviews of past hospitality accounting and finance studies which mostly focused on the former, hospitality financial management research alone has grown noticeably in terms of diverse topics and sophistication of methodologies. To the authors' knowledge, no updated reviews that focus solely on hospitality finance research have been published in the last 12 years, and the need for such a task motivated them to conduct a review of recent research on this topic.
Investigating the key factors affecting behavioral intentions
Authors: Jani Dev , Han Heesup
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This study aimed at investigating factors that contribute to increasing full‐service restaurant customers' behavioral intentions. Unlike previous research, this study integrated both affective and cognitive contributors to customer satisfaction and relationship quality in explaining customers' behavioral intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained through a questionnaire survey of full‐service restaurant customers in a selected US metropolitan area. The data were subjected to structural equation modeling through the AMOS 5 program.

Findings

Among the nine hypothesized paths, six were supported and three new paths were included to improve the model fit. Affect is noted to be a major contributor to both customer satisfaction and behavioral intentions. Customer satisfaction is a direct antecedent to trust but indirect to commitment. Noteworthy is the direct impact of service encounter performance on customer satisfaction.

Research limitations/implications

Despite making use of a sample drawn from only a few selected areas and employing some constructs that are liable to expansion, the study has implications for the hospitality industry from both the theoretical and practical points of view.

Originality/value

This study reappraises the contributors to behavioral intentions in restaurant settings, providing valuable insight to managers on attracting and satisfying their customers.
A longitudinal analysis of data breaches
Authors: Posey Garrison Chlotia , Ncube Matoteng
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to provide companies and consumers with information about the potential connections between data breach types and institutions. This study also aims to add to the body of knowledge about data breaches.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzes a chronology of five years of data breaches. The data were classified and analyzed by breach and institution type, record size, and state. Multiple statistical tests were performed.

Findings

Breach types stolen and exposed are statistically more likely to occur. Educational institutions are more likely to have a breach and it is more probable that educational breaches will be of type hacker or exposed. The proportion of insider incidents is smaller than the other breach types. The number of records breached is independent of institution and breach type.

Research limitations/implications

Only those breaches with a specified number of records are included. The information used may have been updated after our analysis, usually a change in the number of records identified.

Practical implications

Additional knowledge about characteristics of data breaches and the relationship between breach types and institution types will enable both businesses and consumers to be more effective in protecting sensitive information. Businesses will be able to create security budgets based on risk factors and consumers will be more aware of the risks of providing sensitive information.

Originality/value

This study provides a longitudinal analysis covering five years of data breaches and analyzes the relationship between five breach types and six types of institutions.
Enhancing SSADM with disaster recovery plan activities
Authors: Aggelinos George , Katsikas Sokratis K.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose the integration of disaster recovery plan (DRP) objects development activities with the activities of the structured system analysis and design method (SSADM) methodology for developing an information system.

Design/methodology/approach

A step‐by‐step correlation of the SSADM methodology with DRP development activities is performed. By following this approach, a smaller system for emergency operations (DRP) can be designed in parallel with that for normal operations. Furthermore, the implementation of a normal operations system based on the requirements analysis and of an emergency operations system based on the critical business functions may follow the same line of reasoning.

Findings

The proposed enhancement brings benefits to both the organization and the system developer in terms of expenditure, self‐knowledge, personnel experience, reaction time, time and capability management and increase of competitiveness.

Practical implications

The practical acceptance of the proposed approach can drastically reduce the time elapsing between the completion of the normal operations system and the design of the emergency operations system. Moreover, the needs of the emergency operations system can be forecasted during the design of the normal operations system.

Originality/value

The paper extends the SSADM methodology by incorporating DRP development.
Shaping security behaviour through discipline and agility
Authors: Harnesk Dan , Lindström John
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to broaden the understanding about security behaviour by developing a security behaviour typology based on the concepts of discipline and agility.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study was designed to analyze security behaviours in one public nursing centre. The inquiry was organized around the themes discipline and agility, culture, and security processes in order to get an in‐depth understanding of the complex relationship between security management, referred to as discipline, and security in use, referred to as agility.

Findings

The paper shows that security behaviour can be shaped by discipline and agility and that both can exist collectively if organizations consider the constitutional and existential aspects of information security (IS) management.

Practical implications

This research makes a pivotal stand for the issue how security behaviours narrate a broad picture to enhance IS management. In particular, this will improve design of IS training and awareness programs.

Originality/value

This research is relevant to IS management in organizations, particularly as behavioural and cultural aspects are becoming increasingly significant for maintaining and also designing systemic IS management.
Leaders' fairness and followers' conflict handling style
Authors: Giacomantonio Mauro , Pierro Antonio , Kruglanski Arie W.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The present paper aims to identify an important moderator of the effect of leader's fairness on the conflict handling style adopted by followers. Based on the uncertainty management model the authors hypothesize that the motivation to reduce uncertainty, reflected by individual differences in need for cognitive closure, moderates the use of constructive conflict handling style as a response to variation in leader's perceived procedural fairness.

Design/methodology/approach

A correlational study was conducted on a sample of 175 Italian public employees. Each participant filled out a questionnaire. Data analysis was carried out performing a series of multiple regression analyses.

Findings

Consistent with previous research, regression analysis showed that perceived leader's fairness promoted a more constructive approach to manage conflict with leaders. More importantly this relationship was stronger under high rather than low need for cognitive closure.

Practical implications

Present results suggest that in order to favor a solution‐oriented conflict handling style, leaders should promote perceptions of procedural fairness, especially among those with high need for closure.

Originality/value

This is one of the first studies that looks at a moderator of the relationship between leader's fairness and constructive conflict management. It integrates literature on procedural fairness and cooperation. Furthermore, as the current research focuses on need for closure, it has important implications with regard to the uncertainty management model.
Intra‐role conflict and the selling decision
Authors: Tseng Lu‐Ming
Published: October 2011

Purpose

In the personal selling industry, it is particularly difficult for salespeople to manage a conflict of interest that exists between the company and customers. The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of time based compensation on salespeople's selling decisions when the conflict occurs.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire surveys were collected from 361 full‐time life insurance salespeople in Taiwan.

Findings

The results indicate that compensation, training, and marketing policy may affect salespeople's selling decisions.

Originality/value

Very little research addresses what salespeople would do when a conflict of interest occurs between the company and customers. Also, how time based compensation would affect salespeople's selling decisions in company‐customer conflict is unknown. Furthermore, training and marketing policy may affect salespeople's selling decisions in the conflict. This paper relates to these issues and provides some discussions of them.
The evaporating cloud: a tool for resolving workplace conflict
Authors: Gupta Mahesh , Boyd Lynn , Kuzmits Frank
Published: October 2011

Purpose

This article has two purposes. The first is to synthesize the important current concepts, definitions, and styles of resolving and/or managing workplace conflicts. The second is to introduce a systematic approach to resolving workplace conflicts.

Design/methodology/approach

Historical approaches to conflict management are briefly reviewed and Goldratt's evaporating cloud is introduced as a structured approach to achieving win‐win solutions to workplace conflicts. A comprehensive case is used to demonstrate the application of the suggested approach.

Findings

Goldratt's evaporating cloud provides a systematic approach to identifying the conflicting needs or interests of the parties to a conflict, and a process for making explicit the assumptions underlying the conflict and challenging their validity, leading to win‐win solutions to workplace conflicts. The evaporating cloud incorporates well‐accepted principles of achieving win‐win solutions and complements existing approaches.

Research limitations/implications

Although there is a growing community of users of the evaporating cloud, it is still a relatively new approach. Although anecdotal examples of applications of the cloud have been published in trade journals, web sites and conference proceedings, additional empirical research should be done to evaluate the usefulness of the cloud in resolving workplace conflicts once a critical mass of users exists.

Practical implications

The evaporating cloud is a practical and intuitive tool that can be used by employees at all levels of an organization to understand and resolve conflicts.

Originality/value

The paper identifies the shortcomings of existing conflict management approaches and shows how the evaporating cloud complements existing approaches. In addition, the applicability of the cloud to a wide range of workplace conflicts, from intra‐personal to inter‐organizational, is demonstrated.
Caribbean terror
Authors: Jeremie John S.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain why, as a matter of law and policy, loss suffered as a consequence of terrorism, insurrection and/or civil uprising is not generally compensable in insurance law. The paper postulates that it is the duty of the state, particularly in small states, to compensate loss of this type.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper achieves this objective by studying the attempted coup d'état by Muslim fundamentalists in Trinidad and Tobago in 1990 and the devastating property losses suffered during the attempted coup as a consequence of looting and arson. The standard terms of two main policies then in use are meticulously set out and examined in the context of the relevant case law and textbook learning on the subject of losses of this type.

Findings

The paper demonstrates that losses occasioned as a consequence of activity of the type under reference – that is terrorist activity, insurrection and civil uprising – cannot be dealt with by insurance companies and that it falls to the state as the guardian of national security and as an honest broker in the development of the economy to ensure even development by compensating losses occasioned as a consequence of terrorist activity, insurrection and/or civil uprising.

Originality/value

The paper for the first time puts in context losses of the type now being experienced in many parts of the world and explains the limitations of the traditional insurance law principles to treat with these losses. The solution of state compensation as a last resort to compensate innocent victims in these circumstances is advanced as a possible solution.
Fraud guidance for corporate counsel reviewing financial statements and reports
Authors: Crawford Rodney L. , Weirich Thomas R.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

With the passage of the Sarbanes‐Oxley Act of 2002, corporate legal counsel has an increasing responsibility related to fraud. The purpose of this paper is to focus on financial reporting fraud resulting in the false presentation of operating results and financial position to the public, lenders, taxing authorities or other corporate stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews cases with a focus on financial reporting fraud as identified by corporate counsel.

Findings

The ways in which corporations can utilise corporate counsel to protect themselves from financial statement and other reporting frauds.

Practical implications

This paper provides guidance to corporate counsel as to some of the common forms of financial statement fraud and the risk factors (red flags) that may indicate the presence of fraud.

Originality/value

Corporate counsel, by virtue of their natural involvement in the negotiation of contracts and customer/vendor disputes, as well as their consulting role to top management in many types of business transactions and problems, are uniquely positioned to identify financial statement fraud issues and other financial disclosure problems.
How to protect and minimize consumer risk to identity theft
Authors: Albrecht Chad , Albrecht Conan , Tzafrir Shay
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present and explain the identity theft cycle. The identity theft cycle explains how a perpetrator goes through various stages of confidence and experimentation when stealing an individual's identity.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper takes a conceptual approach by first describing identity theft in detail and then discussing the seriousness of identity theft for consumers today. The paper then presents and explains the identity theft cycle in greater detail including the stages of discovery, action, and trial.

Findings

The paper provides evidence to suggest that if identity theft is detected early, consumers can protect themselves from the vast and difficult consequences of identity theft.

Originality/value

This paper fulfills an important area of research by providing basic information about the nature of identity theft. This paper also discusses the various ways that perpetrators steal consumers' information, as well as teaches consumers how to proactively protect themselves from identity theft.
Client's championing characteristics that promote construction innovation
Authors: Kulatunga Kushan , Kulatunga Udayangani , Amaratunga Dilanthi , Haigh Richard
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Clients or users of products, processes or services are currently being identified as potential sources of innovation in construction. There are concerns about the degree of innovation within the construction industry, despite having potential to be innovative. The role that can be played by the construction client to promote innovation in the industry is well documented. However, lack of knowledge on the desirable characteristics of the construction client was identified as one of the barriers for the construction client to be an effective innovation promoter. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the characteristics of the construction client that promote innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple holistic case studies were used as the research strategy and semi‐structured interviews were used as the principal data collection technique. Code‐based content analysis and cognitive mapping were used to analyse the interviews. Data analysis was supported by two computer‐aided softwares, NVivo and Decision Explorer.

Findings

Clients can increase the efficiency of work carried out towards the construction process, stimulate team dynamics, and team action through the championing characteristics, which in turn can strengthen the innovation process that lead to the innovative product. Being a team player, promoting respect for people, and knowledge and information dissemination are identified as constituents of the championing characteristics of clients that promote innovation in construction projects. The personal skills of clients such as competence, value judgement, flexibility, and self‐motivation will energise the success of the championing characteristics.

Originality/value

The client characteristics identified from the study widen the knowledge base of the client to successfully engage in construction innovation.
A methodology for evaluating construction innovation constraints through project stakeholder competencies and FMEA
Authors: Murphy Martina , Heaney George , Perera Srinath
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology for extracting innovation constraints from building projects through stakeholder management competencies and failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA).

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology was an iterative grounded theory process using case studies. A literature‐based concept model was generated which mapped project procurement stages against the innovation process. Constraints and stakeholder management strategies were extracted from 30 case studies using content analysis and mapped against the procurement stages. FMEA was used to evaluate the criticality of the constraints. For the purposes of this paper, a sample case study was detailed and referred to as the pilot study. The m\ethodology was applied to all the case studies and a schedule of constraints (SoC) extracted.

Findings

This paper evidenced that it is not project constraints which require management to sustain innovation but rather failures in stakeholder competency. This study established the benefits of FMEA as a risk assessment tool for construction innovation research and generated a database of innovation constraints which can be used as a benchmarking framework for future research.

Originality/value

Previous construction innovation research has focused on established project management techniques to manage innovation. This study identified that rather than a process‐driven approach, a stakeholder‐centred approach is required, where successful innovation delivery is incumbent on the right stakeholder competencies being in place at the appropriate stages of the procurement process. The benefit of this contribution is an established risk assessment methodology which can be used by project stakeholders when adopting innovation into construction projects.
Colleges as agents for construction innovation
Authors: Morledge Roy
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the low level of adoption of innovative products in the UK. The paper presents a case study conducted for investigating the potential for UK further education colleges (FECs), in order to extend their existing activity and develop a role as independent centres for specialist knowledge of innovative products.

Design/methodology/approach

To test assumptions which had been previously published by government departments (Departments of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Trade and Industry), two surveys were conducted, focusing on the level of knowledge and experience of construction small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) regarding innovative products and processes. In total, six colleges collaborated and successfully bid for funding to test their ability to deliver a wider role in the construction community. Each appointed a fully funded full‐time adviser to research, collect, and diffuse information about a specific specialist area.

Findings

The results indicate that there is evidence of the need for independent sources of information about innovative products. The colleges have shown their ability to build knowledge and capacity to offer independent advice. The outcome however indicates that the sustainability of the role is unlikely without an effective business case and the commitment of senior college management teams.

Research limitations/implications

A unique agreement to collaborate was an important factor throughout this project and would be a pre‐requisite to any generalisation of the model.

Practical implications

The provision of independent advice of this nature is not otherwise readily available in the UK for key SME suppliers (including designers, specifiers, clients, and builders). In the absence of such facilities, the barriers to innovation identified are less likely to be reduced.

Originality/value

The originality of the research lies in determining a new role for locally accessible FECs and a new resource for SMEs engaged in designing and delivering construction projects.
Innovations in domotics: fulfilling potential or hampered by prevailing technological regime?
Authors: van Egmond‐de Wilde de Ligny Emilia L.C. , Mohammadi Masi
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the meaning, as well as the drivers, of innovation in theory and practice for gaining insight into the reasons why the diffusion of innovative technologies fails; even though they promise a superior performance compared to incumbent technologies. The paper describes an explorative study of the diffusion of domotics technologies in residential construction.

Design/methodology/approach

Innovation systems theory, which points to the “technological regime” in the actor network as a key element in the diffusion, acceptance, and application of new technologies was used to analyse the diffusion of domotics technologies in residential construction.

Findings

The results underscored the expected “bottlenecks” in the technological regime of the innovation system that curtailed the diffusion of domotics technologies in construction.

Originality/value

The novelty of the paper is in the approach of the research and the collected data on the technological regime amongst the stakeholders. These stakeholders were principally involved in development and implementation of the domotics technologies in residential construction; these observations provided useful insights into the diffusion of domotics technologies.
Partnership for integrating the corporate social responsibility of project stakeholders towards affordable housing development
Authors: Othman Ayman , Abdellatif Mahmoud
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of partnership in integrating the corporate social responsibility (CSR) of project stakeholders towards better housing affordability.

Design/methodology/approach

A research methodology, consisted of literature review and field studies, is designed to accomplish four objectives. First, to provide a comprehensive literature review of the concepts of affordable housing, project stakeholders, CSR and partnership; second, to present and synthesis the results of relevant field studies examined the experiences of CSR and partnership among selected construction firms and the Government of South Africa (SA) in affordable housing projects; third, to develop a CSR‐partnership model (and its action plan) that integrates the CSR of project stakeholders to achieve greater housing affordability; finally, to draw some conclusions and recommendations to improve the practice of CSR and partnership among government authorities and construction professionals.

Findings

Affordable housing is one of the greatest challenges that face countries around the globe, especially developing countries. The complexity of the problem hinders governments, alone, from achieving their plans for sustainable development. Project stakeholders must have social responsibilities towards supporting government initiatives for affordable housing development. The five‐domain CSR‐partnership model developed by the authors will help integrating the CSR of project stakeholders as an approach for developing affordable housing project.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the conceptual nature of the proposed model, it has to be tested and validated to ensure its capability to integrate the CSR of project stakeholders as an innovative approach for overcoming the difficulties facing governments in providing housing for the poor.

Originality/value

The conducted review provides better understanding of the issue related to the practice of social responsibilities and partnership of project stakeholders, both worldwide and in SA. Through its five domains (government, society, economy, law, and technology), the proposed CSR‐partnership model and its action plan are expected to serve as a foundation for optimising the partnership of project stakeholders with government authorities towards better housing affordability. This ideology has received scant attention in construction literature. The developed model represents a synthesis that is novel and creative in thought and adds value to the knowledge in a manner that has not previously occurred.
Operationalising CMMI: integrating CMMI and CoBIT perspective
Authors: Alfaraj Hussain M. , Qin Shaowen
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The use of capability maturity model integration (CMMI) on its own can be problematic for the organisation because it does not provide a roadmap to implementation or identification of key process improvement areas, but instead only provides the goals for each level of implementation. Addition of another framework such as control objectives for information and related technology (CoBIT) can add the required operational data, but poses some unique challenges for implementation. However, the integration of Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL), CoBIT, and ISO/IEC 22007 provides a roadmap to the integration of CMMI and CoBIT. The purpose of this paper is to discuss this co‐implementation and integration of the two frameworks, as well as the underlying framework of a new proposed integration model.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature review approach is used to address issues that have evolved from the empirical literature regarding the integration of CMMI and ITIL with other standards and determining whether this approach can be applied to the integration of CMMI and CoBIT as well. This literature review also provides insight into roadblocks to the implementation and structural improvements for CMMI.

Findings

The literature review demonstrated that the integration of CMMI and CoBIT could potentially be performed using the same techniques used in integrating ITIL and CoBIT, which provides a valuable guideline for further research into this area. However, further work will be required in order to determine the specifics of integration.

Originality/value

The paper adds to the existing literature by discussing the integration of CMMI and CoBIT and examining how these two frameworks can work together in order to create the basis for a new integration model.
Analytical analysis of long‐haul DWDM optical transmission systems in the presence of fiber nonlinearities
Authors: Kaur Gurmeet , Singh M.L. , Patterh M.S.
Published: October 2011

Purpose

Fiber nonlinearities are anticipated to impose transmission limitations due to the enhanced total interaction length in long‐haul dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) optical transmission systems. The purpose of this paper is to analytically study the combined effect of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and four‐wave mixing (FWM) in the presence of amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) noise generated by erbium‐doped fiber amplifiers (EDFAs).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents analytical analysis of DWDM optical transmission systems in the presence of two significant fiber nonlinearities (SRS and FWM).

Findings

Simple expressions are derived to study the dependence of signal‐to‐noise ratio (SNR) on the amplifier spacing between two consecutive amplifiers.

Originality/value

The authors have analytically studied the combined effect of SRS and FWM in the presence of ASE noise generated by EDFAs. The novelty of the work is that it has considered all the three factors simultaneously and the expressions are derived for calculation of SNR.
Tourist photographs: signs of self
Authors: Belk Russell , Hsiu‐yen Yeh Joyce
Published: October 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reasons that tourists capture images of their trips on cameras or camcorders.

Design/methodology/approach

Over a period of approximately five years, the authors observed, photographed and interviewed tourists taking photos or videos in diverse international locations. Upon returning home, informants e‐mailed their trip photos together with descriptions of what the images meant and what they had done with them when at home. These data were archived and interpreted in line with the central research questions.

Findings

Why does almost every tourist carry a camera or camcorder? What are they doing making these images? And what do they do with them once they return home? The accompanying video conveys most of the findings, while the manuscript elaborates on certain theoretical points and provides contextualizing and supportive evidence from the literatures dealing with tourism and photography.

Originality/value

The paper suggests that the images form part of an identity project, serving as a means of conveying internal tales to the self rather than as a means of, beyond the immediate family, communicating with others. The images act as tools for displacing meanings that are too fragile and tenuous to be contained in the fragile present as Grant McCracken describes more generally with regard to tying hopes and dreams to places and times of the past and future.