bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Graph theory‐based approach for energy corridors network to Greece
Authors: Doukas Haris , Karakosta Charikleia , Flamos Alexandros , Flouri Maria , Psarras John
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The European Union (EU) energy supply environment is changing significantly and in a dynamic way, establishing the issue of safe energy imports as main priority. Greece relies heavily on energy imports. Furthermore, Greece aims to be elevated into an energy cross road for the energy supply to the EU. In this respect, the aim of this paper is the investigation of the suitability of graph theory concepts on energy supply networks and its application to represent energy corridors to Greece.

Design/methodology/approach

Supporting frameworks to represent and assess the vulnerability of the corridors satisfying the Greek demand in oil and gas are considered a crucial issue and are presented in this paper, based on the graph theory approach. In addition, a pilot application of the shortest path algorithm and the maximum flow at minimum risk algorithm for the oil and gas corridors to Greece is presented and discussed.

Findings

This paper introduces the application of graph theory to energy policy analysis. Indeed, the pilot application in oil and gas supply corridors to Greece, although quite simplified, has indicated the applicability of graph theory concepts in such problems and is considered a step forward of the existing studies, supporting the design efforts towards the development of a more reliable energy supply system.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, graph theory's application to energy corridors is not available in the international literature. In this respect, the added value of the paper is the provision of a sufficient decision support framework for the representation and assessment of the energy corridors' risk of energy availability, through the application of graph theory.
Technological risk: a criterion for the optimisation of future EU energy supply scenarios
Authors: Carpignano Andrea , Nironi Chiara , Ganci Francesco
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The research activity presented in this paper has the objective of developing models for the evaluation of technological risk and loss of production due to failures, which are among the criterions that enable the choice of optimal scenarios for energy supply. This activity is based on the European Project “Risk of Energy Availability: Common Corridors for Europe Supply Security” (REACCESS), which aims to develop an analytical tool to analyse scenarios for future secure European Union (EU) energy supply.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper proposes an innovative approach, since nowadays a generalised analytic model for risk assessment in large‐scale energetic systems does not exist. In particular, the methodology adopted includes models to assess risk for people safety, risk for the environment and availability for corridors and the related infrastructures. As regards technological risk, accidents producing loss of lives in the population and environmental damage are taken into account; while for the loss of production primary attention is paid to technical failures and maintenance.

Findings

Since the analytic models developed perform a large‐scale assessment, they must be flexible and simplified to adapt to different situations and to be easily updated when different future scenarios are investigated. Details of the analysis depend on the precision of data collected and inserted in the models. The damage assessment is affected by deficiency and uncertainties related to territorial and statistical data. Nevertheless, the outcomes obtained for each energy commodity are reasonable and often comparable to literature data.

Originality/value

Based on this study output, technological risk can be considered, more systematically than in the past, in the selection of EU strategies for future energy supply. The corridors social cost is included in future strategies selection, in addition to purely economical and environmental evaluations.
A study of oil and natural gas resources and production
Authors: Seljom Pernille , Rosenberg Eva
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to provide a general overview of the global oil and natural gas resources, production, technology development, energy use, emissions and costs. The activity is based on the European project “Risk of Energy Availability: Common Corridors for Europe Supply Security” (REACCESS) and the data collected was used in this project as an input to evaluate the technical, economical and environmental characteristics of the energy corridors to European Union (EU).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on literature reviews and data collection from national authorities, oil companies, international associations and international organisations.

Findings

The work provides a general overview of oil and natural gas resources, production rates, recent technology developments, costs, losses, energy consumption and emissions on a world regional level. Main issues related to the role of conventional oil and natural gas in the energy import framework are summarised in this paper.

Research limitations/implications

The present study provides information on conventional oil and natural gas resources and it is limited to primary production technologies.

Originality/value

An outline of oil and natural gas on a regional level is presented. The paper provides general introduction to the subject and it is a valuable input for modelling and analyses of conventional oil and natural gas in the present and in the future energy system.
Douglas McGregor: theoretician, moral philosopher or behaviorist?
Authors: Schein Edgar
Published: May 2011

Purpose

McGregor was the consummate process consultant, but his behavior was derived not from his philosophy of participation but from his theory of human behavior. He was a Theory Y person who found in an academic setting that the managerial style resulting from this set of assumptions was ideally suited to what an academic environment needed. Douglas McGregor was a theoretician, moral philosopher or behaviorist. This reflection aims to provide an analysis of the interconnections between assumptions, values and behavior and an analysis of how his behavior impacted both his theory and value system.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper provides an analysis of the interconnections between assumptions, values and behavior.

Findings

Some of the misunderstanding of McGregor's views is based on the failure to see him above all as a theoretician.

Originality/value

McGregor displayed the patience to wait for the right time, to lead by asking the gentle questions, to focus on small changes in process rather than pushing content. For us, it is time to take McGregor's theory seriously and do a great deal more research on managerial assumptions. We have pretty good measures of performance but we must put more effort into studying the assumptions underlying managerial behavior.
On the legacy of Theory Y
Authors: Warner Burke W.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief history and perspective on the influence of McGregor's Theory Y on research about and practice of management and leadership. Although best known for Theory X and Y, Douglas McGregor involved himself in more than theory. He was for a time President of Antioch College, a builder of a strong academic program of management and organizational behavior in the Sloan School of Management at Massachusetts Institute of Technology , and a pioneer in the origination of organization development.

Design/methodology/approach

The legacy of Theory Y can be characterized as a set of beliefs that are antecedents to participative and involvement modes of management, that these modes are associated with success backed by considerable evidence, yet are not practiced by the majority of people in management and leadership positions. Moreover, the track record of management and leadership in the USA is not exactly exemplary, for example, at least half of those in management fail, and more than 70 percent of employees surveyed in a variety of contexts state that the main cause of stress for them at work is their boss.

Findings

With respect to Theory Y, McGregor's intent was to show the relativity of authority, and that participative management was consistent with Y, but these assumptions did not necessarily lead to a specific style of management.

Originality/value

This apparent paradox of evidence that involvement forms of management pays off yet few practice participation begs the question of why. Among many reasons the following stand out: executives do not trust the evidence at least not for their levels (It is okay for first line supervisors), and besides participative forms of management require a particular set of skills and competence time (too much one suspects), and patience. Many executives do not have the requisite skills nor do they have the patience to take the time that such forms of management and leadership require.
How satisfaction modifies the strength of the influence of perceived service quality on behavioral intentions
Authors: Li Shyh‐Jane , Huang Yu‐Ying , Yang Miles M.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The existence and form of interaction effects between service quality and satisfaction are still uncertain. The main purpose of this study is to examine whether satisfaction moderates the relationship between service quality and behavioral intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was distributed to the out‐patients of 12 regional hospitals (the middle level) in Taiwan.

Findings

The findings show that the forms of moderators played by satisfaction are not always the same under different dimensions of service quality (i.e. reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy). Satisfaction positively moderates the influence of reliability/empathy on behavioral intentions, but negatively moderates the relationships between responsiveness/assurance and behavioral intentions.

Originality/value

This study reveals the moderating role of satisfaction in the translation from service quality to behavioral intentions in health care services. Moreover, the natures of the moderating effects are not the same for different service quality dimensions.
Health beliefs of midwives about HIV/AIDS protection and the barriers to reducing risk of infection
Authors: Simbar Masoumeh , Shayan‐Menesh Marzieh , Nahidi Fatemeh , Akbar‐Zadeh Ali‐Reza
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Using a health belief model (HBM), this study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes and practices of Iranian midwives in relation to HIV/AIDS protection behavior and to determine the needs of interventional programs for promotion of the behavior among midwives of maternity care units.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a cross‐sectional study in five selected hospitals in Isfahan. All 58 midwifery personnel of maternity wards of these hospitals participated in the study. Tools for data collection were a checklist to assess midwives' practice and a questionnaire to assess knowledge, attitude, and the HBM of midwives about HIV/AIDS‐protection methods.

Findings

A total of 58 midwifery personnel with average working experience of 10.92±7.98 years were assessed in the study and with a high knowledge, positive attitude and moderate practice about HIV/AIDS protection methods. The midwives perceived two main barriers, which impacted on their self‐efficacy and their protection behavior. These barriers were the emergency conditions of the work and the low availability of protective equipment.

Originality/value

HIV/AIDS protection behavior and HBM of midwives can be promoted by overcoming management barriers such as inadequate midwifery personnel in emergency conditions and insufficient protective equipment. The behavior also needs to be promoted by educational interventions which focus on improving midwives' perceived risk of HIV/AIDS infection.
SME competitive strategy: learning from Taiwan's ODM industry
Authors: Luo Chih‐Ming , Chang Hung‐Fan
Published: May 2011

Purpose

From 2002 to 2005, Taiwan's ODMs concentrated on PCs and consumer electronics. Even though they lacked any well‐known brand names, they managed to develop an outstanding 34 percent compound annual growth. The purpose of this study is providing a viewpoint of SMEs competitive strategy from Taiwan's ODM industry.

Design/methodology/approach

In this article, we first examine the SMEs Transition of ODMs in Taiwan, highlighting the challenges executive face between Taiwan and Mainland China for better competitive strategy. Next, we introduce some of the ODM strategies using the innovative division of labor from the SEM in Taiwan and describe how they can play a role in overcoming the challenge in the global market.

Findings

In the traditional closed business models, the operating efficiency of the ODM industry has been impacted by both the rise of innovative R&D costs and shortening of the revenue period. The new open business model (OBM) strategy can overcome the shortcomings of costly R&D in the traditional business models. The case study in this paper shows that there are four new profit sources in the OBM using the innovative division of labor.

Originality/value

The study is the first to shed light on the role of the OBM using the innovative division of labor for the SMEs. The findings may have noteworthy implications for the SMEs. From this article, managers may gain insights into the innovative division of labor for the SMEs ways to integrate these insights into their managing.
A ratings‐based stakeholder analysis for a food production company, including trust and risk implications
Authors: Harvey Joan
Published: May 2011

Purpose

To show how an ratings‐based approach to stakeholder analysis may be applied using an example in the food production industry

Design/methodology/approach

An approach developed in an earlier paper, applying various dimensions and an “affect criterion” in the waste management industry is tested out in the food production domain using expert judgment to see how well it can work.

Findings

The approach is shown to work but is not static and would need re‐consideration at least biennially.

Research limitations/implications

Future research might be conducted on comparable companies in the same sector to ascertain the extent to which stakeholders have common influences

Practical implications

This is a useful tool for senior managers and strategists but is likely to require an “outside” expert in order to generate unbiased assessments

Originality/value

The originality lies in the use of new dimensions to rate stakeholders
Ex ante strategy evaluation: the case for business wargaming
Authors: Oliver Schwarz Jan
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The aim of this article is to introduce business wargaming as a tool for ex ante strategy evaluation. Reviewing criticism of other approaches, such as scenarios and computer‐based simulations, this article explores whether business wargaming is a suitable response to this criticism.

Design/methodology/approach

This article reviews and discusses the literature on strategy testing and business wargaming.

Findings

Business wargaming is capable of responding to criticism of scenarios and computer‐based simulations when applied to the ex ante evaluation of strategy. Business wargaming, which arose from military wargaming, is a strategic simulation that is dynamic and participative, allowing managers to experience how their strategy will compete and endure in their business environment.

Research limitations/implications

Additional research is needed to explore the application of business wargaming in practice as a tool for the testing of strategy.

Practical implications

The article suggests that business wargaming is a valuable tool for testing strategies in a simulation, which is participative and dynamic.

Originality/value

This article fills the research gap on strategy testing and points to a tool – business wargaming – that has been applied intensively in the military field.
Organizational politics on employee performance: an exploratory study on readymade garments employees in Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Sabbir , Hussain Bashir , Haque Ahasanul
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of organizational politics on the performance of readymade garments employees in Bangladesh. The other purpose is to empirically test the hypothesized relationship of the research framework. This study also highlighted some propositions to guide future empirical research.

Design/methodology/approach

The survey instrument was administered on 250 employees. This paper develops a measure for exploring the organizational politics on employees' performances included with employees' commitment as a mediating variable. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used to extract and test the key influential attributes on the basis of data of total samples respectively. Structural equation model was also used to define the structure of influencing attributes and to measure the degree of impact for each attribute on the employees' performances.

Findings

The result shows that the organizational politics affect most significantly towards employees' commitment and as a consequence affect on employees' performances as well. On the other hand organizational politics does not have any significant impact on employees' performance.

Research limitations/implications

This research used convenience sampling procedure which is the main limitation of this study. Future studies could use stratified random sampling procedure with more samples. On the other hand the EFA is difficult to generalize to a larger audience, and there was a lack of experimental control for the questionnaire investigation, so the quality of questionnaire cannot be ensured.

Practical implications

It is hoped that the findings of this study will assist the government, NGO and garment industry owners to better understand their employees.

Originality/value

The added value of this paper is to link theory and practice, and explore the organizational politics and employees' performance. Few studies have conducted over the years under this perspective in the Bangladeshi environment. Moreover, this is a relatively new issue that remains largely under researched given the developing country perspective.
A simple model of the financial crisis of 2007‐2009, with implications for the design of a stimulus package
Authors: Basu Kaushik
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to provide a grammar for dissecting the financial crisis that began in the housing finance market of industrialized nations in 2007, rapidly becoming a general credit crisis and spreading to all parts of the world and causing a global recession of gigantic proportions. The unexpectedness and force of the crisis has had experts floundering for an explanation and the policy response has been anad hoccollection of stimulus interventions by governments and central banks around the world, akin to scatter shots in the hope that some will hit the target whatever it be.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based essentially on a static equilibrium model. The author chose the assumptions carefully to capture some of the features of dynamics in this static model. Also, a static model does not have to mean one period but the infinite repetition of the same kind of world. The aim here is to draw on some existing ideas concerning equilibria where group behavior influences individual preferences, and which give rise to multiple equilibria. Unlike several other works, the model in this paper does not try to explain the collapse in terms of the bursting of a bubble.

Findings

As more and more lenders indulged in sub‐prime lending, the share of risky borrowers rose. With a little lag, defaults rose. More and more houses came back on the market, and the value of houses declined. So the value ofF(value of the mortgaged property), with which individual lenders had begun their calculations, declined. Clearly, the value ofFdepends on how many others were indulging in sub‐prime lending. If this aggregate supply was forecast wrongly, some firms would end up discovering that their asset position had weakened since the foreclosed property did not have the value originally calculated.

Originality/value

The model developed is a new frame for conceptualizing the crisis. While there has already been some theorizing on this, the model has the advantage of novelty and simplicity. It provides a stark characterization of how a small credit correction can escalate into a major equilibrium shift with large changes in behavior, in this case, a sudden collapse in the supply of and demand for loans. It is distinct from existing models of collapse in lending, which are based on the idea of bubbles bursting. Despite the model's simplicity, it turns out to be a useful structure addressing policy questions.
Self‐selection vs learning: evidence from Indian exporting firms
Authors: Ranjan Priya , Raychaudhuri Jibonayan
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study whether exporting firms outperform non‐exporting firms along a number of performance characteristics. It also examines whether the differences in performance characteristics are due to the self‐selection of better firms into exporting or because the firms that start exporting for some unknown reason experience productivity growth.

Design/methodology/approach

The dataset comprised a panel of Indian manufacturing firms for a period of 17 years from 1990 to 2006.

Findings

Exporters were found to systematically outperform non‐exporters over a number of characteristics. Also, evidence was found of “self‐selection”, that is, firms that are more productive enter the export market. There was some evidence of learning, that is exporting firms experience an increase in productivity.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to look at the issue of self‐selection vs learning for exporting firms using a dataset from India.
Rising food inflation and India's monetary policy
Authors: Moorthy Vivek , Kolhar Shrikant
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the implications of sharply rising food prices for monetary policy in India and similar emerging economies at present.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses analytical arguments from relevant macroeconomic literature and evidence from late 1960s US data to examine whether the 1970s stagflation was due to the OPEC price hike. It develops a two person (rich and poor), two commodity (food and non‐food) model to examine the impact of rising food prices on GDP, on measures of inflation, and on welfare, in the model.

Findings

Previously neglected evidence indicates that stagflation (simultaneously rising unemployment and inflation) preceded the OPEC price hike. The model results indicate that when food prices rise, the GDP deflator falls relative to the consumer price index (CPI).

Research limitations/implications

The impact of supply shocks should be investigated by carefully examining links between abnormal rainfall and weather and output and prices on commodity by commodity basis. Further, technical issues pertaining to construction of a composite CPI representative of the population need to be explored.

Practical implications

Monetary policy in India (and similar emerging economies) should focus upon a population weighted CPI or some variant thereof.

Social implications

High GDP growth should not lead to complacency, since when food prices are rising, the overall welfare impact may be negative.

Originality/value

The model presented in this paper explains the sustained divergence in India, in recent years, between the CPI versus the GDP deflator measures of inflation. It also highlights a possible similar divergence between GDP and overall welfare.
Benchmarking and valuation issues in measuring depreciation for European office markets
Authors: Crosby Neil , Devaney Steven , Law Vicki
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The paper addresses the practical problems which emerge when attempting to apply longitudinal approaches to the assessment of property depreciation using valuation‐based data. These problems relate to inconsistent valuation regimes and the difficulties in finding appropriate benchmarks.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper adopts a case study of seven major office locations around Europe and attempts to determine ten‐year rental value depreciation rates based on a longitudinal approach using IPD, CBRE and BNP Paribas datasets.

Findings

The depreciation rates range from a 5 per cent PA depreciation rate in Frankfurt to a 2 per cent appreciation rate in Stockholm. The results are discussed in the context of the difficulties in applying this method with inconsistent data.

Research limitations/implications

The paper has methodological implications for measuring property investment depreciation and provides an example of the problems in adopting theoretically sound approaches with inconsistent information.

Practical implications

Valuations play an important role in performance measurement and cross border investment decision making and, therefore, knowledge of inconsistency of valuation practice aids decision making and informs any application of valuation‐based data in the attainment of depreciation rates.

Originality/value

The paper provides new insights into the use of property market valuation data in a cross‐border context, insights that previously had been anecdotal and unproven in nature.
Setting an agenda for women entrepreneurship in Nigeria
Authors: Madichie Nnamdi O.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to bring the Nigerian woman from the margins of international obscurity by acknowledging the contributions of reputable academics from an emerging market context on a subject that has pervaded the global podium in recent years – i.e. women in management.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper's approach is strictly qualitative in nature – a narrative analysis of a single book on women written by “a woman of status” – Dr (Mrs) Faseke, a graduate of the University of Ibadan and one time Head of the Department of History at the Lagos State University (Nigeria).

Findings

This paper acknowledges the “silent voices” of African women, drawing upon a publication that was encountered purely by chance – Modupe Faseke's The Nigerian Woman published by Agape Publications (Ibadan, Nigeria) in 2001.

Research limitations/implications

Although this paper reads very much like an extended book review, it does offer some critical theoretical and practical insight coming from a book published by a local and largely obscure publishing house – Agape Publishers based in the remote city of Ibadan in Southwestern Nigeria.

Originality/value

It is envisaged that after reading this paper, scholars of gender‐themed studies may begin probing a bit deeper into the roots of the Nigerian woman and especially in situations where their voices have been muffled.
How women entrepreneurs lead and why they manage that way
Authors: Perrin Moore Dorothy , Moore Jamie L. , Moore Jamie W.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present six testable propositions to guide future research on the power of the trust building, interactive transformational leadership style women employ to succeed in corporate environments and which they further refine as entrepreneurs.

Design/methodology/approach

The propositions are drawn from findings in the fields of management, entrepreneurship, organizational behavior, leadership, teamwork and trust.

Findings

In organizational life, to move beyond outsider stereotypes, women employ collaborative behaviors to create a climate of trust in work teams. As managers and later as entrepreneurs, their leadership style yields a number of performance enhancing outcomes.

Originality/value

Little research links the leadership style of women in organizations to their later entrepreneurial ventures. The propositions and recommendations for testing offered here provide several methods to carry out empirical and theoretical studies.
Sovereign default restructuring options and challenges in the European Monetary Union (EMU)
Authors: Yeoh Peter
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss and evaluate the sovereign default restructuring options in the European Monetary Union (EMU).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines financial policy options from a politico‐economic‐legal perspective. It relies primarily on secondary data analysis.

Findings

Sovereign default restructuring an unthinkable phenomenon in the hitherto affluent EMU could now be a possibility because of the lack of political cohesion and the realities of two‐speed European Union.

Research limitations/implications

The paper relies extensively on secondary data. Future research through empirical multiple case studies would enrich the insights of this paper.

Practical implications

Insights from the paper would be of benefit to lawmakers, financial supervisors, financial institutions and investors in general.

Originality/value

The paper's main value lies in its use of multiple lenses to evaluate a serious financial issue in the EMU.
The rules of federal budget and final accounts in United Arab Emirates
Authors: Ibrahim Mukdad
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to provide a detailed review on the issues that cover the Budget Law No. 23 of 2005 regarding rules of the general budget and the final accounts preparation in United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Design/methodology/approach

The discussion revolved around different issues covered by the above law; those issues include fundamentals, general budget classification, preparation of the budget, budget approval, and issuance, budget implementation, monitoring, final accounts, autonomous agencies budget, and general and final terms.

Findings

From this review, one can say that this law covers all stages of the budgetary process, planning, implementing, controlling, and preparing the final account. Moreover, the budgetary system is more compatible with performance‐based budgeting as it holds up appropriate policies in its strategy to budget programs in the medium term rather than in short‐term cash management.

Originality/value

This research studies, the budget process, and final accounts preparation throughout reviewing the rules enforced by UAE Federal Law No. 23 of 2005.
No panaceas for organizational diseases, but better knowledge and systems thinking
Authors: Conti Tito
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper aims at contributing to a better knowledge of organizations' nature, physiology and pathologies, in order to improve their fitness for purpose. The mechanistic view of organizations has in fact delayed that. Systems thinking is needed to bring average organizational fitness to the levels needed by a global and closely interconnected world.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a synthesis of the author's experience as manager, consultant and teacher. By thinking back to the last 30 years of history of managing for quality and excellence, failures and successes, the causes of delay and even regression are explored. Borrowing from the systems view of organizations, a parallel is made between history of human beings' and organizations' healthcare.

Findings

Knowledge of the factors that make organizations fit for their purpose is still scarce, absolutely unfit for the challenges of an uncertain future. That is particularly true for those large organizations that govern globalization. Risks for humanity increase. It is no longer time to fiddle with management fads or panaceas for all diseases. It is time to use the modern approaches to complexity that systems thinking offers, overcoming the resistance of traditional thinking. Analytical thinking alone, in fact, may lead to squeeze the planet resources dry, neglecting the risks of long‐term negative impacts.

Originality/value

Conformism in managing for quality is still high. Rare are the papers that discuss the evolution of TQM/excellence models towards systemic models, where the system is socio‐cultural and the model covers doing the right things, not just doing things right.
Application of fuzzy QFD for enabling agility in a manufacturing organization
Authors: Vinodh S. , Chintha Suresh Kumar
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on research in which a fuzzy quality function deployment (QFD) approach has been used for enhancing agility improvement of a traditional manufacturing organization.

Design/methodology/approach

QFD approach incorporated with fuzzy logic was used for scientific prioritization of agile decision domains, agile attributes and agile enablers. Data were gathered from a traditional manufacturing organization and the prioritization was carried out.

Findings

The implementation experience indicated that fuzzy QFD approach could be used for enabling agility improvement.

Research limitations/implications

The implementation study was carried out by substituting the data gathered from only one manufacturing organization. Yet the findings and contribution of this research work would be useful to the captains of the majority of the manufacturing companies situated in the world.

Practical implications

The approach used in this paper will indicate the vital agile decision domains, agile attributes and agile enablers. This process will enable the organizations to compete in the global market.

Originality/value

A case study has been reported to indicate the feasibility of deploying fuzzy QFD approach in the industrial scenario for enabling agility improvement. Hence, the findings are original.
Shareholder and stakeholder theory: after the financial crisis
Authors: Tse Terence
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The recent financial crisis has restarted the debate of the value of both shareholder and stakeholder theories. This paper aims to continue this discussion.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews existing literature and examines the benefits and problems associated with these frameworks through the lens of the recent events which have taken place during the financial crisis.

Findings

The main assertion of this paper is that shareholder theory is in itself a sound theory. Yet, some executives following this theory could have brought disrepute to it. In contrast, the stakeholder theoretical framework has yet to assert its influence because the concept is not yet unambiguously defined, which makes it difficult for the framework to become operational in practical business settings.

Research limitations/implications

Future research should seek consensus on the scope and definition of the stakeholder model, as well as who the stakeholders should include. It should also focus on developing the tools and techniques necessary for the incorporation of stakeholder theory into business operations.

Social implications

Policy makers could work with industry bodies and business leaders to encourage them to place greater emphasis on the interests of non‐shareholders and encourage collaboration between various groups of stakeholders to achieve corporate goals.

Originality/value

The paper continues the shareholder and stakeholder theory debate in light of the recent economic crisis.
How can the film‐induced tourism phenomenon be sustainably managed?
Authors: O'Connor Noëlle
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain why the film‐induced tourism sector is growing and outline the key questions that are likely to affect the future development of this sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The theme issue is profiled and the purpose and approach of each article explained in the context of the overall strategic question: how can the film‐inducted tourism phenomenon be sustainably managed?

Findings

The paper concludes that there is both a need and an opportunity for dialogue and interchange between practitioners and academics.

Practical implications

The paper explores the key issues affecting the growth of film‐induced tourism around the globe.

Originality/value

The paper identifies and explores facets of the relatively new film‐induced tourism phenomenon.
It's only make believe: the implications of fictional and authentic locations in films
Authors: Butler Richard
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the extent to which film locations affect the decision making of tourists and overall attractiveness of film locations as tourist destinations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explores the relative appeal of fictional and authentic film locations with reference to the literature and film case study examples.

Findings

Arguably, the attractiveness of an actual location shown in a film is greater than a location portrayed by a film, and when tourists do visit film locations in considerable numbers, the impacts are not always beneficial.

Practical implications

The paper uses examples to explore the scope and related impacts of film‐induced tourism.

Originality/value

The paper draws on a wide range of examples to highlight the implications of fictional and authentic locations in films.
“We've seen it in the movies, let's see if it's true”
Authors: Bolan Peter , Boy Stephen , Bell Jim
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate what the authors have termed displacement theory (grounded in aspects of authenticity) within the larger phenomenon of film‐induced tourism and to present a clearer understanding of the inherent implications and opportunities for economic development this may bring.

Design/methodology/approach

The objectives are achieved through critical review of previous film tourism literature combined with use of blog and key‐informant interview research. The research follows an interpretive paradigm and address a gap in the film‐induced tourism literature on the area of authenticity and displacement.

Findings

Key research findings revealed that “3” distinct tourist types exist in film tourism which gives rise to “3” distinct markets. Authenticity is important to film tourists, especially when displacement occurs. There is a lack of industry understanding and recognition which ignores film locations when displacement occurs.

Practical implications

There needs to be greater recognition and acceptance of film‐induced tourism, closer collaboration between tourist authorities and film bodies, greater efforts to develop and promote the film locations as opposed to the story settings/places depicted, retention or re‐creation of film sets – building simulacra if necessary to retain more essence of film authenticity and greater use of qualitative research, especially through new and innovative means such as the blog techniques used in this study.

Originality/value

This paper addresses a gap in previous film tourism literature regarding authenticity and displacement and as such makes an original contribution to this field. New innovative methods (using blog research) also bring a fresh approach. This paper will be of value to academics and industry practitioners interested in film‐induced tourism and indeed tourism in general, as well as students studying/researching this important field.
Celebrity‐spotting: a new dynamic in Italian tourism
Authors: Ricci Oscar
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Celebrity‐spotters actively pursue celebrities in order to take photographs of them. This often involves extensive travelling, sometimes to remote destinations. The purpose of this paper is to analyse this new type of tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to understand this new type of tourism, the authors used a textual analysis of Italian celebrity‐spotting web sites and 31 in‐depth interviews with celebrity‐spotters.

Findings

The main characteristics of the celebrity‐spotters can be outlined: they practise a sort of “precision tourism”, characterised by close attention to the news in order to know where to go, flexibility for changing locations at the last moment, and a natural predisposition for new technologies. Celebrity‐spotting is not just an observational tourism, but rather a performing one; they must take photographs, gain access to the right places and ambush their targets.

Practical implications

Knowing the characteristics of celebrity‐spotters can help to better understand this new type of tourism, which has yet to be exploited by the tourism industry.

Originality/value

The paper presents an in‐depth analysis of a rather unknown and unexplored type of tourist.
The impact of technology on evolving roles of salespeople
Authors: Christ Paul , Anderson Rolph
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to bridge the glaring gap in the sales literature due to the deficiency of historical research on the adoption of technology in personal selling and the resultant impacts on sales roles.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper traces the early adoption of technology by the sales force through information obtained from an extensive review of published works covering a nearly 130‐year timeframe. Where possible, efforts are made to chronicle the early use of these technologies by citing examples from historical publications of applications in selling situations.

Findings

In the exciting internet era, it is often unrecognized that adopting the latest technology in selling is a long, ongoing process which can be traced back at least to the beginning of professional personal selling in the mid‐1800s when the industrial revolution enabled dramatic increases in manufactured products. A review of the literature suggests that sales forces were often early adopters of new technologies that laid the groundwork for taking on new or expanded sales roles. With each new invention and its creative adoption and adaption to selling, new sales roles have been created or ongoing ones expanded or significantly modified. Many of the roles still entrusted to today's sales force are arguably linked to a succession of technological adoptions that occurred between the 1850s and 1980s.

Originality/value

From a historical perspective, this paper examines sales force technology development from the 1850s through the 1980s and the resultant impacts on sales force roles. To date, this historic technology‐sales force role relationship has not been adequately recognized or addressed in the sale literature. The analyses presented in the present study should prove useful for academics, students, and practitioners in the sales and marketing fields as well as researchers examining business history.
Marketing: is management all that there is?
Authors: Layton Roger A.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Dixon recently commented that 50 years ago “marketing management and planning was part of marketing theory, today it seems to be all there is.” There is now a growing fragmentation of marketing thought, and a lack of marketing relevance to critical social and economic questions, that is of increasing concern to both internal and external critics. The purpose of this paper is to explore briefly the evolution of marketing thought over the last 100 years and to suggest a better response to the critics.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper comprises an historical review of the development of marketing as a discipline that could lead to a reconceptualization of the field.

Findings

Adam Smith emphasised both scale and diversity in markets. However, it was the economics of scale that caught the attention of economists and then of marketing specialists. This incomplete view of Smith limited the scope of marketing thought to single or related products. However, Smith's emphasis on diversity leads, logically and inevitably, to the development of the concept of a marketing system. A set of propositions are then suggested that lead to a generalised theory of marketing based on the marketing system concept.

Originality/value

This approach holds promise of resolving the concerns of both the internal and external critics of marketing, opening the door to a fresh, relevant interpretation of marketing thought that might address the concerns expressed by Dixon.
A life course perspective of family meals via the life grid method
Authors: Harrison Robert L. , Veeck Ann , Gentry James W.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to describe and evaluate the life grid as a methodology for historical research; and to provide an example application investigating the dynamics of family meals over a lifetime by pairing life course theory with the life grid method of obtaining oral histories.

Design/methodology/approach

To explore how the meanings and processes of meals change, the authors conducted interviews with 15 respondents aged 80 years old and over, on the topic of family meals.

Findings

The paper discusses the merits of using the life grid method to analyze lifetime family consumption behavior. The findings of this example study provide insight as to how the roles, responsibilities, and loyalties of our participants had changed through births, deaths, marriages, wars, economic periods, illnesses, and the process of aging, leading to changes in dining.

Originality/value

The benefit of the life grid method described in this paper is its ability to minimize recall bias. In addition, the overt process of cross‐referencing events throughout the course of the interviews via the life grid method proved to be a helpful aid in identifying patterns and symmetries during the interpretation stage.
Wal‐Mart and the historians: a review
Authors: Wellum Caleb
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to critically review the scholarly historical literature about Wal‐Mart and its relationship to the emergence of a retail service economy in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

The review examines book‐length studies or collections of essays on Wal‐Mart. It highlights the developments that historians have linked to Wal‐Mart, and seeks to demonstrate both the progression of this historiography and the value of studying Wal‐Mart.

Findings

This young and relatively small historiography has developed quickly in recent years. Work in the last five years suggests that when historians use Wal‐Mart as a case study or template corporation, they can learn much about the development, nature, and trajectory of the postindustrial service economy and American political culture.

Originality/value

This is the first review essay of historical writing about Wal‐Mart. It will be useful to scholars curious about what has been written and what remains to be written about America's largest private employer and retailer, and the potential of such analysis for further insight into post‐1945 American society, economy, and culture.