bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The “transition cliff” in the administrative prevalence of learning disabilities in England
Authors: Emerson Eric , Glover Gyles
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to report on the age‐specific administrative prevalence of learning disabilities in England.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper's approach is secondary analysis of data from national education, health and social care agencies.

Findings

There is an abrupt decline in the age‐specific administrative prevalence of learning disabilities at the point of transition to adult services.

Research limitations/implications

The results highlight the existence of a “hidden majority” of adults with learning disabilities.

Originality/value

The data in this paper have implications for commissioning better health services for people with learning disabilities. First, health information systems should incorporate better ways of identifying patients with mild and moderate learning disabilities. Second, consideration should be given to the extension of annual health checks to include all young people who have had a Statement of Special Educational Needs.
Insights into willingness to pay for organic cotton apparel
Authors: Ellis Joan L. , McCracken Vicki A. , Skuza Nathan
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine consumers’ willingness to pay (WTP) for organic versus conventionally produced cotton apparel, and to explore the role of purchase behaviors, apparel attributes and consumer beliefs about organics in purchase decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2nd priced auction was used to estimate WTP, along with a follow‐up survey to collect information on participants’ demographics, attitudes and behavior.

Findings

On average, participants were willing to pay a 25 percent premium for an organic cotton t‐shirt over the visibly similar t‐shirt made from conventionally produced cotton. Participants who pay for their own clothing or make purchase decisions alone were not willing to pay a premium. Previous history of purchasing organic foods, perceived product quality, fit and the participant's race were also significant predictors of WTP.

Research limitations/implications

A more representative sample and the inclusion of other product categories are necessary to generalize the relationships found in this study.

Practical implications

This research helps to profile the organic cotton consumer. Findings suggest that retailers need to consider the income of target consumers when making decisions about carrying organic apparel products. Further, consumers with a history of purchasing organic products appear to carry that purchase behavior across product categories. When marketing organic apparel products, the perception of a higher quality product may yield a higher WTP.

Originality/value

The paper is one of the first to use an experimental auction in estimating WTP for apparel. Relevant consumer beliefs about organics, purchase behaviors and apparel product attributes are also explored.
Designing office shirt: an integrated approach
Authors: Saha Goutam , Roy Dilip
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Grounded theory, supported by leading designers, argues for an integrated approach covering end users and designers. However, no substantial work on apparel design has been done so far where a balance is maintained by combining the opinions of consumers and the designers. The purpose of this paper is to provide an analytical framework for designing apparel considering both consumers’ opinions and fashion designers’ views.

Design/methodology/approach

An algorithm is proposed for reducing attributes and their levels to carry out conjoint analysis and assign utilities to different attributes and their levels. After selecting the best three design combinations based on their utilities, the authors have arrived at optimum design combinations. Through Delphi method, the opinions of a few fashion designers about these selected design combinations have been collected for matching with optimum design.

Findings

An optimum design is suggested for a formal office shirt, for North Indian women, by integrating opinions of designers and consumers.

Originality/value

Attribute and level reduction technique is an original contribution to the literature. Further, the authors’ approach to apparel design may provide a guideline to apparel manufacturers when designing their products. Knowledge of optimum design combinations gained through this approach may help apparel manufacturers and retailers in bringing efficiency in stock keeping unit management by keeping more stocks of apparel with optimum design combinations and thus ensuring a better return on investment made on their stocks.
Predicting purchase intention for private sale sites
Authors: Martinez Briana , Kim Soyoung
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the impacts of several consumer characteristics (fashion leadership, impulse buying, bargain shopping), web site attitude, and visit frequency on intention to purchase from a private sale site.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 164 female respondents who were members of at least one private sale site. The sample was selected mainly by using a snowball sampling technique which relied on chain referrals to recruit eligible participants. Factor analysis results suggested that fashion leadership consisted of two dimensions: fashion opinion leadership and fashion innovativeness. Regression analysis was conducted to determine how strongly purchase intention for private sale sites was predicted by fashion opinion leadership, fashion innovativeness, impulse buying, bargain shopping, web site attitude, and visit frequency.

Findings

Regression results showed that ease of use was the only dimension of web site attitude that significantly predicted purchase intention. Impulse buying and bargain shopping also significantly influenced purchase intention. Implications for future research and limitations were also discussed.

Originality/value

As private sale sites continue to grow in popularity, insight into the psychology and behaviors of shoppers at these sites has become more important. There has been, however, no published research that examines what motivates consumers to purchase from private sale sites.
Key challenges in tackling economic and cyber crimes
Authors: Menon Sundaresh , Guan Siew Teo
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the key challenges in tackling modern economic and cyber crimes, evaluate the existing legal and enforcement mechanisms in place, and propose a way forward to address these challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyses the main difficulties posed by the borderless, complex and rapidly evolving nature of modern economic and cyber crimes. This allows the key shortcomings of the present legal and enforcement infrastructure to be identified. By examining different models, ranging from vertical supranational structures such as the International Criminal Court and the proposed European Public Prosecutor, to soft‐law regimes such as the intergovernmental network the Financial Action Task Force, as well as intermediate approaches like Eurojust, a hybrid model incorporating elements from these various regimes is proposed.

Findings

A transnational approach must be adopted to address the phenomenon of modern economic and cyber crimes which are cross‐border, complex, profit‐driven and rapidly evolving. A suitable multilateral platform needs to be created to facilitate international co‐operation in a more coordinated and sustained fashion, and for the development of a set of common standards and principles to be enforced through a process of mutual assessments and periodic peer review.

Originality/value

The paper advocates the establishment of a hybrid multilateral regime which incorporates both elements of a “vertical” supranational structure as well as a “horizontal” state‐centric framework. This will inject the institutional focus to facilitate international co‐operation and also provide the platform for the promulgation of common standards and principles in fighting cross‐border economic and cyber crimes. The paper will be of interest to law enforcement agencies, prosecutorial authorities and national policy makers.
Financial facilitators: an important component of terror networks
Authors: Raghavan S.V. , Balasubramaniyan V.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the financial facilitators who provide financial muscle to terrorists.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology adopted is based on the available materials on two major terrorists groups: Al Qaeda and LTTE, who have terrorized the global community in the last two decades.

Findings

The key findings are that most financial facilitators are knowledgeable, literate and suave and who are kin of the top leadership or part of the clan/sect. Kinship is an important factor for trust worthiness, which leads to their association with the top level leadership for a decade or so, to handle aspects related to a terror group. Also, illegal fund raising/moving aspects are controlled by financial/operational heads of groups, while legal fund raising methods are handled by sympathizers.

Research limitations/implications

The methodology is based on descriptive analysis of existing materials gathered from different writings of different persons in different places, as none of the traditional approaches to the study is possible. The only possible method for analysis is a behavioural approach, and that too on a selective basis, not in total.

Practical implications

Government intelligence agencies need to strive to identify such facilitators, who in turn may lead them to the top leadership, as happened in the cases of Osama bin laden and Hambali.

Originality/value

There is no previous systematic approach which has attempted to study the financial facilitators who provide financial muscle to terrorists. The value of this paper lies in its originality of presentation of facts in a systematic fashion.
Online gambling and money laundering: “views from the inside”
Authors: Brooks Graham
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the “relationship” between the regulated online gambling sector in Great Britain and potential for money laundering.

Design/methodology/approach

Direct “negotiated” access and a snowball sample were used to secure five interviews with gambling personnel.

Findings

The paper shows that respected online gambling sites in highly regulated jurisdictions are helping in tackling money laundering.

Research limitations/implications

Only a limited number of people were interviewed.

Originality/value

The paper presents interviews with key personnel in the gambling industry, in anti‐money laundering, fraud and integrity units.
Modelling of money laundering and terrorism financing typologies
Authors: Samantha Maitland Irwin Angela , Raymond Choo Kim‐Kwang , Liu Lin
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show how modelling can be used to provide an easy‐to‐follow, visual representation of the important characteristics and aspects of money laundering behaviours extracted from real‐world money laundering and terrorism financing typologies.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 184 typologies were obtained from a number of anti‐money laundering and counter‐terrorism financing (AML/CTF) bodies to determine the common patterns and themes present in the cases involved. Financial flows, transactions and interactions between entities were extracted from each of the typologies and modelled using the Unified Modelling Language (UML) features within Microsoft Visio.

Findings

The paper demonstrates how complex transactional flows and interactions between the different entities involved in a money laundering and terrorism financing case can be shown in an easy‐to‐follow graphical representation, allowing practitioners to more easily and quickly extract the relevant information from the typology, as opposed to reading a full text‐based description. In addition, these models make it easier to discover trends and patterns present within and across Types and allow money laundering and terrorism financing typologies to be updated and published to the wider international AML/CTF community, as and when new trends and behaviours become apparent.

Originality/value

A set of models have been produced that can be extended every time a new scenario, typology or Type arises. These models can be held in a central repository that can be added to and updated by AML/CTF practitioners and can be referred to by practitioners to help them identify whether the case that they are dealing with fits already predefined money laundering and terrorism financing behaviours, or whether a new behaviour has been discovered. These models may also be useful for the development of money laundering and terrorism financing detection tools and the training of new analysts or practitioners. The authors believe that their work goes some way to addressing the current lack of formal methods and techniques for identifying and developing uniform procedures for describing, classifying and sharing new money laundering and terrorism financing with the international AML/CTF community, as and when they happen, in a simple but effective manner.
Climate change adaptation
Authors: Ireland Philip
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Climate change adaptation (CCA) has emerged as a significant new theme in development and many large development agencies, including bilateral, multilateral or non‐government, are embarking on new programs focusing on CCA. However, the development sector has witnessed the rise and fall of many new development themes over the past 60 years around which funding has coalesced, only to see them fade away. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the new concept of CCA is being conceptualised and utilised by aid workers in order to shed light on challenges and opportunities for effective CCA and development practices.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper has emerged from a broader study that involved 35 semi‐structured interviews, focus groups and participant observation with various stakeholders engaged in development and CCA. The research sought to understand how development actors defined CCA, what activities they associated with it, and how they were using the concept in their work.

Findings

This paper finds that there is a range of different, and at points contradictory, conceptualisations of CCA within the field of development. CCA discourses are being used in at least two different ways: to enable the re‐legitimisation and repetition of old development practices as well as to open a space for new practices and imagining of alternatives.

Originality/value

This paper offers a unique perspective of how a set of development actors are conceptualising and utilising the concept of climate change adaptation in their work. This timely contribution builds on a long history of critical development theory, which has interrogated development discourses, by investigating original data that explores this increasingly prominent theme in aid and development.
Economic impacts of international migration and remittances on household welfare in Vietnam
Authors: Viet Cuong Nguyen , Mont Daniel
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of international remittances on different household welfare indicators including child education, assets, durable goods, and reservation wages of other working age household members. It examines how international remittances are spent for production and consumption by receiving households.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses fixed‐effect regressions to estimate the impact of international remittances on household spending in Vietnam using Vietnam Household Living Standard Surveys 2006 and 2008.

Findings

It is found that most of international remittances are spent on housing and land, debt repayment and saving. A small proportion of remittances are used to buy durable goods. Remittances are not spent in production as well as living consumptions. The effect of international remittances on consumption‐based poverty is very limited.

Originality/value

The findings from this paper suggest that current international remittances are not an effective measure for poverty reduction in the short‐run in Vietnam.
The mobile termination rate debate in Africa
Authors: Stork Christoph
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to demonstrate that call termination is not one side of a two‐sided market and that a “waterbed effect” does not exist for calling‐party's‐network‐pays (CPNP) markets where mobile termination rates are being reduced towards the cost of an efficient operator.

Design/methodology/approach

The cases of Namibia, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Botswana are investigated and the impact of cost‐based termination rates on subscriber numbers, investment and profits of dominant operators is analysed.

Findings

In Kenya, the reduction in mobile termination rates in August 2010 led to an immediate reduction in retail prices, allowing smaller operators to compete with dominant operators. In Namibia, lower retail prices led to an expansion of the market, which, in turn, led to higher investment and profits for the dominant operator. On the strength of the most recent empirical evidence from Africa, the paper shows that cost‐based mobile termination rates increase competition between operators and lead to lower prices, more subscribers and more investment in networks and services.

Originality/value

The paper provides empirical evidence for five African countries on impact on regulatory interventions.
Investment models and regulatory constraints for broadband backbone roll‐out in selected African countries
Authors: Calandro Enrico , Moyo Mpho
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This paper seeks to identify policy and regulatory bottlenecks that need to be overcome in order to stimulate private sector investment in backbone networks in selected African countries (Côte d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa and Uganda).

Design/methodology/approach

It does so by exploring policy and regulatory frameworks and market structures that influence investment decisions on backbone infrastructure roll‐out; it investigates models and strategies adopted by the public sector to finance national backbone infrastructure; and it provides recommendations on how to stimulate private investment in backbone roll‐out by creating an enabling policy and regulatory environment.

Findings

Research findings show that the telecommunications sector in the selected African countries has witnessed the return of state‐led investment in the roll‐out of fibre backbones. The rationale for state‐led intervention has often been cited as market failure regarding investment in broadband backbone roll‐out. However, many of the policy and regulatory barriers to market entry remain, including protectionist legislation, which has limited private sector participation in investing in backbone.

Practical implications

The reality is that African governments are maintaining control over national backbones and, in some markets where the telecommunications infrastructure sector has been liberalised, the state‐owned operators may enter into direct competition with the private sector or may delay delivery by the private sector.

Originality/value

The value of the paper is that it provides evidence on how to improve the roll‐out and extension of national broadband backbone networks through the development of a policy and regulatory framework which facilitates private sector investment in this sector. The paper also makes recommendations to governments for the facilitation of private investment in backbone networks through the development of an enabling policy and regulatory environment.
Will telecommunications development improve the quality of life in African countries?
Authors: Kholilul Rohman Ibrahim
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This study aims to measure quality of life (QOL) at the individual level in African countries in relation to the accessibility of mobile phones and the internet. QOL is proxied by self‐reported data on household income, participation in decision‐making and productivity, which is measured in additional working hours.

Design/methodology/approach

The main methodology is a descriptive analysis that presents a cross‐tabulation of the QOL indicators before and after access to mobile phones and the internet. A specific index of the Gini coefficient and Lorenz curve is also presented in relation to income distribution.

Findings

The study found that access to telecommunication devices has contributed very little to closing the income gap in places where the mobile phone has had a slightly higher impact than internet access. The impact on self‐reported participation and productivity is also similar in places where there is no strong evidence that access to both devices is sufficient to motivate users to become more involved and productive.

Research limitations/implications

The choice of the QOL variables is still under discussion. It also has to be said that the proxies for QOL are still very raw, as is the way of measuring it. The descriptive analysis does not provide the causality between the variables, and is rather an indication of the phenomenon – whether access to telecommunication devices leads to a better QOL index.

Practical implications

This paper indicates a need to design policies for the telecommunications sector in African countries with a stronger connection between access to and use of the devices and economic activities. The policy should also aim to reduce the polarisation of access and use by providing a telecommunications infrastructure in all the countries, thereby decreasing the cost of access and usage. Such policies require close collaboration between the governments and the private sector.

Originality/value

This paper attempts to answer the research question of whether access to telecommunication devices, particularly mobile phones and the internet, has led to a better QOL in African countries. It indicates a need for telecommunications policies and infrastructure to reduce the polarisation of access and use.
Factors influencing usage of new technologies in low‐income households in Kenya: the case of Nairobi
Authors: Nyambura Ndung'u Margaret , Mwololo Waema Timothy , Mitullah Winnie V.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Use of e‐mail, the internet and mobile phones, collectively referred to as the “new technologies” in this paper, is influenced by various factors in low‐income households. These factors, which range between individual, social, economic, environmental, cultural and knowledge, have not been explored fully, particularly in low‐income households in Kenya. This paper aims to argue that access to the new technologies does not lead automatically to use thereof, since a combination of the factors determines if (and how) the technologies are used.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses data collected through a survey conducted in 2010, which complemented the 2007 Research ICT Africa (RIA) data. The 2010 survey focused on three clusters based in Nairobi, a subset of RIA (2007). The three clusters are Ofafa 1 (A), Umoja II (B) and Riruta Satellite (C). Data from 40 households are used. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected from the households.

Findings

Age, income, gender, education level, skills and marital status influenced usage of the new technologies in diverse ways. With innovations such as M‐Pesa, the respondents who used the technology and were confident with the usage cut across education levels. Males used the new technologies more than females did. A possible reason for this may be found in a further finding which shows that males had acquired more years of education than had females. The implication of this is that if equal education opportunities were available for all, then the usage differences would be addressed across the gender divide.

Originality/value

The paper uses the capability approach developed by Nobel laureate, Amartya Sen as the theoretical framework. A rigorous research design and methodology was used to collect and analyse the data.
How to educate engineers for/in sustainable development
Authors: Mulder Karel F. , Segalàs Jordi , Ferrer‐Balas Didac
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the process of changing engineering universities towards sustainable development (SD). It outlines the types of changes needed, both in respect of approaches, visions, philosophies and cultural change, which are crucial for engineering universities which want to implement sustainable development as part of their progammes.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes various experiences which show how SD education programmes can be implemented at universities, and some of the challenges faced in efforts towards achieving such a goal. It considers the various processes involved and raises some questions which can help to understand how universities, as learning organisations, can engage in the implementation of SD programmes.

Findings

The paper has established that engineers have to learn to think long term and position their activities in a pathway towards long‐term sustainable solutions. This requires insight into the social environment of engineering as a technology, and the extent to which engineers should know about the intricacies of SD problems.

Originality/value

The paper shows that engineers should understand the complexities of the societal setting in which they are developing solutions, and the complexities of making short‐term improvements that fit into a long‐term SD.
The university and transformation towards sustainability
Authors: Holmberg John , Lundqvist Ulrika , Svanström Magdalena , Arehag Marie
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the strategy used for achieving change towards sustainability at Chalmers University of Technology (Chalmers). Examples of how this strategy has been used are described and discussed, and exemplified with different lines of activities in a project on Education for Sustainable Development, the ESD project.

Design/methodology/approach

The strategy consists of three important building blocks: Create a neutral arena; Build on individual engagement and involvement; and Communicate a clear commitment from the management team. The analysis is made along three different lines of activities in the ESD project: The work to improve the quality of the compulsory courses on sustainable development; The efforts to integrate ESD into educational programmes; and The work to collect and spread information on good teaching practices within ESD. Some other related examples where the strategy has been applied are also presented.

Findings

The ESD project functioned as a neutral arena since it was not placed at any specific department but rather engaged participants from many departments. This neutral arena has been important, for example, to increase the willingness of teachers to share their good teaching examples. The process was successful in creating a shared responsibility and for starting learning processes in many individuals by the involvement of a broad range of educational actors at Chalmers. The strong and clear commitment from the management team has worked as a driving force.

Originality/value

This paper can provide valuable input to universities that struggle with change processes.
Teaching engineering ethics with sustainability as context
Authors: Byrne Edmond P.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the engagement and response of students to the teaching of engineering ethics incorporating a macro ethical framework whereby sustainability is viewed as context to professional practice. This involves incorporating a broader conception of engineering than is typically applied in conventional teaching of engineering ethics.

Design/methodology/approach

A real life wicked problem case study assignment was developed. Students' understanding and practical application of the concepts were considered. A survey was conducted to gauge students' appreciation of the professional importance and their enjoyment of the subject matter.

Findings

It was found that students appreciate and enjoy a macro ethical sustainability informed approach, but find it more challenging to apply in practice.

Practical implications

The paper demonstrates an approach to the teaching of engineering ethics using a practical example, which can help broaden engineers' self‐perceived role towards one where sustainability is context. It also shows how students can find such an approach to teaching ethics to be both enjoyable and relevant.

Social implications

Engineers educated to perceive the importance of engaging with macro ethical issues as part of professional practice will be significantly better placed to inform public and industry policy towards greater good and engage with other professional and expert groups.

Originality/value

In this paper, an approach to engineering ethics which diverges from the traditional is proposed. This can be of value to those involved in the teaching of engineering ethics, particularly those seeking to incorporate sustainability and other macro ethical issues.
Exploring key sustainable development themes through learning activities
Authors: Cruickshank Heather , Fenner Richard
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to examine how a number of key themes are introduced in the Master's programme in Engineering for Sustainable Development, at Cambridge University, through student‐centred activities. These themes include dealing with complexity, uncertainty, change, other disciplines, people, environmental limits, whole life costs, and trade‐offs.

Design/methodology/approach

The range of exercises and assignments designed to encourage students to test their own assumptions and abilities to develop competencies in these areas are analysed by mapping the key themes onto the formal activities which all students undertake throughout the core MPhil programme. The paper reviews the range of these activities that are designed to help support the formal delivery of the taught programme. These include residential field courses, role plays, change challenges, games, systems thinking, multi criteria decision making, awareness of literature from other disciplines and consultancy projects. An axial coding approach to the analysis of routine feedback questionnaires drawn from recent years has been used to identify how a student's own awareness develops. Also results of two surveys are presented which test the students' perceptions about whether or not the course is providing learning environments to develop awareness and skills in these areas.

Findings

Students generally perform well against these tasks with a significant feature being the mutual support they give to each other in their learning. The paper concludes that for students from an engineering background it is an holistic approach to delivering a new way of thinking through a combination of lectures, class activities, assignments, interactions between class members, and access to material elsewhere in the University that enables participants to develop their skills in each of the key themes.

Originality/value

The paper provides a reflection on different pedagogical approaches to exploring key sustainable themes and reports students' own perceptions of the value of these kinds of activities. Experiences are shared of running a range of diverse learning activities within a professional practice Master's programme.
Creating sustainable development change agents through problem‐based learning
Authors: Dobson Helen E. , Bland Tomkinson C.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the issues involved in designing appropriate problems or scenarios suitable for sustainable development (SD) education, in the context of problem‐based learning (PBL) and experiential learning. Manchester's PBL approach to interdisciplinary Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been well reported, for example, in papers at the Educating Engineers in Sustainable Development conference in 2008. This paper poses the question: to achieve transformational education, is design of student problems for ESD itself a wicked problem? The design process that has been used to generate ESD projects for one PBL unit is reflected upon, to share good practices and highlight points of ongoing contention.

Design/methodology/approach

Working from the background to the original pilot project to develop an inter‐disciplinary course to heighten student skills in sustainability and change management, the paper looks at some of the theoretical approaches taken to the design of PBL scenarios and tries to place these in the context of education for SD.

Findings

The initial project found that using inter‐disciplinary, problem‐based approaches to embedding SD in the curriculum is not only practicable but also desirable. However, the approach to design of problem scenarios has to be adjusted to the nature of the “wickedness” of sustainability issues and be appropriate to the student cohort and institution.

Research limitations/implications

The approaches are felt to be applicable to a much wider range of situations than is demonstrated in the paper but, clearly, the findings can only be grounded on the particular situation of the project.

Originality/value

The 2006 curriculum development action research project was intended to help other institutions to replicate the process but, much of the external attention since that time has focussed, inappropriately, on simply re‐using the scenarios that were described in the initial project rather than applying the design process that has been developed in order to devise new scenarios more appropriate to another course or institution.
Embedding of ESD in engineering education
Authors: Svanström Magdalena , Palme Ulrika , Knutson Wedel Maria , Carlson Ola , Nyström Thomas , Edén Michael
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on methods developed, within a three‐year Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) project at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, to achieve a higher degree of embedding of ESD in engineering programmes. The major emphasis is on methods used, results achieved and lessons learned from the work.

Design/methodology/approach

The basic idea that methods and activities were built on was that the only way to achieve long‐term changes is to increase the motivation and capacity of lecturers and program directors to perform the required changes.

Findings

Activities that were developed and tested focused on coaching discussions and on workshops for teachers, gathering teachers from one programme at a time. These activities aimed at starting learning processes in individuals. Special care was taken into keeping the feeling of responsibility and initiative in the faculty members within the programmes. A special “resource group” of experienced ESD teachers was available as support for programme directors and lecturers.

Originality/value

The methods reported on are further developments of a method that has been used in Delft University of Technology (the Individual Interaction Method) in the Netherlands. The experiences from Chalmers are discussed in such a way that they provide useful insights for others aiming at similar changes at university.
Are we educating engineers for sustainability?
Authors: Hanning Andreas , Priem Abelsson Anna , Lundqvist Ulrika , Svanström Magdalena
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The aim of this study is to contribute to the quality improvement and long‐term strategic development of education for sustainable development (ESD) in engineering education curricula.

Design/methodology/approach

The content in 70 courses in environment and SD were characterized and quantified using course document text analysis. Additionally, two questionnaires were sent to students and alumni at Chalmers, and interviews and focus group discussions were conducted with representatives from 16 Swedish companies and five organizations.

Findings

It was found that industry demands a broader range of competences in SD amongst engineers in general than what is currently provided. In total, 35 per cent of alumni claim they encounter sustainability issues from sometimes to daily in their work. However, only half of them believe they possess enough competences to make decisions from a sustainability perspective. Quantity, coverage and the level of integration in the educational programme all appear to be important for the students' perceived competences on SD and for the importance that they put on achieving SD.

Originality/value

Earlier research has reported on how to further develop the idea and design of ESD and on competence needs in general. Few attempts have been made to assess industry's needs of competences in SD. This paper sheds light on how engineering universities educate for SD and benchmarks this to industry's needs in an exploratory case study, using Chalmers as an example.
Performance measurement in a changing environment
Authors: Barclay Pat , Conyers Angela , Creaser Claire , White Sonya
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Increased use and changes in the way e‐resources are delivered led some libraries to question the detail of some of the definitions used and particularly to suggest that statistics required by SCONUL did not always match the requirements or practice of the libraries themselves. The purpose of this paper is to explore a set of e‐measures.

Design/methodology/approach

A pilot project was set up to test a set of e‐measures, sufficiently robust to give confidence in their use in a national/international context and in benchmarking individual libraries. A total of 20 SCONUL members made quarterly returns during 2009‐10. During the year, categories and definitions were adjusted in the light of comments received. A workshop was held to exchange views and inform the decision on what went into the new return.

Findings

It was clear from the start that practice varied, and compromise would be required. Foremost among the changes are: inclusion of e‐resources held within databases in the count of titles; count of free titles or titles purchased in previous years; inclusion of database searches; separation of costs of different types of e‐resource.

Originality/value

The SCONUL statistics are a tool and servant of the members, helping libraries to run more effectively, and at the same time providing valuable evidence on UK academic libraries and their activities to the wider world. The new e‐measures questions will provide a reliable picture of the use of e‐resources across the sector and be useful to libraries individually or in benchmarking groups in assessing their own usage.
What business are we in? Value added services, core business and national library performance
Authors: Broady‐Preston Judith , Swain Wendy
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report results of a research project which investigated how two UK National libraries categorise their core business purpose together with an assessment of the role and relevance of additional (or value‐added) services in their strategic thinking, future planning and performance measurement.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a qualitative interpretive study, using a collective case study methodology, with the National Libraries of Wales and Scotland as the core cases. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with senior managers in both institutions, together with focus groups with librarians and library assistants, selected using purposive sampling. All instruments were piloted; data from the respondents were recorded, coded, classified and cross‐checked to ensure validity and rigour, using themed interview schedules to facilitate analysis.

Findings

It is difficult to be definitive as to core and additional services as individuals have differing interpretations of the terms. Changing customer demands and expectations, technological developments and the impact of a dynamic and complex economic environment suggest it is more meaningful to reconceptualise services according to the extent to which they contribute to achieving basic business purpose at any one time.

Originality/value

Libraries must demonstrate efficiency and effectiveness in service provision, and in relation to achieving primary purpose and resource priorities in order to survive. Examining the relevance of defining and distinguishing core and added‐value services in relation to performance assessment and strategic vision addresses a gap in existing knowledge.
Comparing China Mainland and China Hong Kong contractors' productive efficiency
Authors: Hung Chiang Yat , Li Jing , Choi Tracy N.Y. , Fai Man King
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to present and compare the productive efficiency of China Mainland and China Hong Kong contractors, and to identify and investigate the components and sources of their efficiency under different economic and institutional environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a non‐parametric approach to examine the relative efficiency among different firms. This study employs DEA based Malmquist Productivity Index (MPI) to compile the efficiency scores of 20 construction companies listed in the Hong Kong Exchange and Clearing Limited (HKEx) from 2004 to 2010.

Findings

A decomposition of MPI suggests that catch‐up effect has contributed more to contractor's efficiency than frontier‐shift effect. Compared to their Mainland counterparts, Hong Kong contractors have higher MPI mainly due to higher efficiency scores in catch‐up effect.

Practical implications

Hong Kong contractors have advantage over Mainland contractors in their managerial and strategic capabilities. Hence Hong Kong contractors should lever on their managerial expertise in accounting, financing and legal services when exporting their services. Meanwhile, Mainland contractors should improve their efficiency by making the most use of their technological and human resources, thus improving upon their international entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

This study is the first attempt to apply MPI to compare the productive efficiency of listed contractors in China Mainland and China Hong Kong. The findings contribute to the body of knowledge for productive efficiency measurement.
Managerial perception of service innovation in facility management organizations
Authors: Scupola Ada
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate innovation in the facilities management sector by conducting an empirical study.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a qualitative research approach to investigate the research question. Data collection includes qualitative semi‐structured interviews with key facility management managers and directors, secondary material such as company brochures and reports and participation to workshops and conferences on facility management.

Findings

The main results are that big service providers perceive innovation as a strategic activity and see themselves as innovative companies. Facilities management (FM) service customers with their own FM department present mixed results. Some perceive innovation as a strategic priority and have clear innovation strategies. Others perceive themselves as not being innovative, even though they might be. The organizations belonging to the category “ICT Supplier/consultants” perceive themselves as innovative organizations and their innovations are both driven by the user needs and by the desire to improve their competitiveness. The types of perceived FM innovations found in the study can be mainly categorized as service, contract, process and business model innovations. Finally, the study shows that ICT is perceived to be a driver of FM innovations and that FM organizations use both closed and open innovation strategies.

Practical implications

These results can be used by FM managers, innovation researchers and FM researchers alike. For FM managers the results provide some useful information about how innovation is addressed in FM provider and customer companies. FM researchers can get a picture of what is going on in the FM innovation landscape in Denmark. Finally, service researchers can get some insights about service innovation in a specific and under‐researched service field: facility management services.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the understanding of innovation and innovation types in facility management companies.
The economic theory of international business: a supply chain perspective
Authors: Casson Mark , Wadeson Nigel
Published: June 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a way of addressing unresolved issues in international business theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A new model of the multinational enterprise as a coordinator of supply chains is presented.

Findings

This paper identifies a new market‐seeking strategy that is an alternative to conventional strategies, such as exporting, licensing and foreign direct investment, and analyses the conditions under which it will be adopted by firms. The new strategy involves the offshoring of production and the out‐sourcing of research and development, and is implemented through co‐operation between a source country firm and a host country firm.

Originality/value

This paper presents a new way of modelling international business as a supply chain system, which can be easily extended in various ways.
Antecedents of MNE performance: blinded by the obvious in 35 years of literature
Authors: Matysiak Lars , Bausch Andreas
Published: June 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarize theoretical insights about key antecedents of multinational enterprise (MNE) performance and to review and synthesize empirically researched antecedents of MNE performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Dominant strategic management approaches to explaining the performance of firms in general are the market‐based view and the resource‐based view. The dominant theory of the MNE from the field of international business is internalization theory. Integrating these three perspectives, this paper elaborates where key antecedents of MNE performance can be expected. Furthermore, this paper reviews empirical research on antecedents of MNE performance published in three top business journals of major importance to the field of international business between 1976 and 2010, thereby synthesizing the most widely accepted knowledge about antecedents of MNE performance.

Findings

The paper reveals that theory suggests that key antecedents of MNE performance can be expected at the industry, country, and firm levels. Empirical research, however, hardly offers insights concerning antecedents at these three levels of analysis. Instead, empirical studies have predominantly focused on the intermediate variable of multinationality.

Originality/value

Previous research on antecedents of MNE performance has, by and large, been blinded by the obvious: multinationality has been researched innumerable times, without considering essential theories regarding performance and the MNE. This paper points out that there is much promise in going back to fundamental theories regarding performance and the MNE in order to advance our understanding of key antecedents of MNE performance.