bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of internal marketing on commercial banks' market orientation
Authors: Suleiman Awwad Mohammad , Mohammad Agti Djouhara Ali
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of internal marketing, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviors on commercial banks' market orientation.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative survey methodology was adopted to collect data from commercial (non‐state owned) banks' employees in Jordan. A sample of 365 employees within seven of 13 Jordanian commercial banks was used. Data were analyzed using AMOS 16.0 to determine the interactions between the various factors.

Findings

Empirical findings confirmed that internal marketing, organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behaviors had a positive direct effect on banks' market orientation. In addition, organizational commitment had a positive direct effect on organizational citizenship behaviors.

Practical implications

Jordanian commercial banks should convert internal marketing as a strategy into their core operations and systems to meet employees' demands and the bank goals. This conversion shall make employees show their sincere organizational commitment so that they can express the attitude of organizational citizenship behaviors that are beneficial for the banks' operations and survival.

Originality/value

The paper introduces a new perspective of the associations and interactions that take place between marketing and organizational behavior concepts which affect organizations' market orientation endeavors. While such perspective is considerably new and relevant to general marketing literature, the fact that this paper is one of few papers that focus on internal marketing in Jordan adds to its originality.
Wicksell and the Scandinavian and public choice traditions
Authors: Johnson Marianne
Published: June 2011

Purpose

Wicksell's contributions to welfare economics are viewed as largely aligned with Pareto efficiency and James Buchanan's work in public choice. This conflicts with the Scandinavian representation of Wicksell as the forefather of the modern Swedish socialist economy. The purpose of this paper is to examine Wicksell's approach to economics, particularly his understanding of “justice” as a way to understanding the evolution of two such divergent traditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Original academic and popular press writings, as well as archival materials, are used to examine Wicksell's economic philosophy and his position on key aspects of welfare economics, including the relative importance of allocation versus distribution in policy decision making. His influence on the American public choice tradition and Swedish welfare economics is examined.

Findings

Both the public choice and Swedish welfare traditions based on Wicksell's justice represent overly simplistic interpretations and fail to explain how Wicksell could have such a significant impact on the development of two such divergent approaches to public economics.

Originality/value

Wicksell's strong association with Pareto efficiency and the public choice school is unfortunate because de‐emphasizes the importance Wicksell placed on distributional considerations and overly simplifies his use of the term “justice.” Similarly, the Swedish economists failed to appreciate efficiency arguments and chose instead to emphasize Wicksell's distributional concerns. This paper sheds light on where the misapprehension arose and how it can be better understood.
Exploring the sources and benefits of cooperation
Authors: Lopes Helena , Calapez Teresa
Published: June 2011

Purpose

Attempts by mainstream economics to account for cooperative behavior expand the utility‐maximizing framework without questioning the individualistic set‐up on which it is grounded. This paper aims to develop a theory of cooperation that departs from the individualistic framework. “Communal principles” must be introduced in the analysis to account for cooperation and the relational, as opposed to atomistic, nature of individuals must be acknowledged.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical study, based on data from the European Working Conditions and European Social Surveys, aims at illustrating the social benefits of cooperation. A categorical components analysis was carried out to build indicators for the notions of relational and moral goods and civic participation. Regression models were subsequently estimated to study the association between relational/moral goods at work and civic participation.

Findings

The empirical results show that high levels of relational and moral goods at work are associated with high levels of civic participation. However, substantial differences are observed between countries. Nordic countries exhibit high levels of both indicators while some Eastern and Southern European countries perform much more poorly. The study illustrates interaction between certain features of working life and civic behavior.

Originality/value

The theoretical contribution of the paper lies in the proposal of a new account of the sources of cooperative behavior at work. It argues that cooperation within work organizations is supported by three common goods – a common goal, relational goods and moral goods. The “goodness” of these goods does not derive simply from their generating utility but from their being commonly shared.
Does motivation matter?
Authors: Dahl Darren W. , Smimou Kamal
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the perceptions that undergraduate students formed and provides further insight into the relationship between perceived teaching quality (with its descriptors) and student motivation.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports the findings from a survey of student perceptions of quality teaching and its interaction with various motivational orientations that students exhibit in higher education. The proposed hypotheses and conceptual model were tested using regression and correlation analyses, as well as analysis of variance from a survey of 271 undergraduate students in programs at two different universities.

Findings

The findings document the explanatory role of various motivations in students' perceptions of teaching quality: correlation analysis found intrinsic motivation to be positively correlated with the perceived teaching quality, while extrinsic motivation was found to be moderately correlated, suggesting that motivational orientation dimensions are influential in students' assessments of their teaching experience in school. Intrinsic motivation with its possible states and factor loadings showed strong positive impact on the teaching quality and students' evaluation, even after accounting for the reputation (general opinion) of the educational institution (or program). Thus, we cannot ignore the value‐added nature of various motivational orientations and their influence upon the perceptions of students. Surprisingly, few differences in perception based on gender, age, and country of birth (ethnicity) were found. Young students (less than 25‐year old) and Canadian‐ and American‐born students exhibited significant negative reactions (difference) to perceived teaching quality; in contrast, female students exhibited positive reactions towards it.

Practical implications

The results presented here will assist researchers, professors, and higher‐education administrators by capitalizing on students' existing intrinsic motivation and understanding the relationship between student perceptions of teaching quality and their degree of motivation to further expand and implement a better quality‐assurance educational system. A viable strategy to enhance and further motivate students extrinsically and intrinsically in their learning will significantly enhance their perceptions.

Originality/value

The article explores for the first time the link between students' motivational orientations and their perceptions about teaching quality.
An analysis of the research productivity of authors appearing in financial education journals
Authors: Danielson Morris G. , Heck Jean L.
Published: June 2011

Purpose

This paper seeks to evaluate the research records of scholars contributing articles to the two premier financial education journals – Journal of Financial Education (JFED) and Financial Practice and Education (FPE) – as a means by which to obtain indirect evidence about the quality of the articles appearing in these education journals. The implicit assumption is that authors who publish in the best finance research journals will apply the same standards of excellence and rigor when preparing manuscripts for financial education journals.

Design/methodology/approach

The names of all authors appearing in the JFED and FPE during the 1972‐2010 period – and the number of such appearances – were summarized directly from the journals' table of contents. The number of appearances by each author in a set of 23 high‐impact finance journals was identified by reference to the table of contents of these journals.

Findings

The majority of the authors appearing in the two education journals have also penned one or more high‐impact article, with an average of over three high‐impact appearances.

Research limitations/implications

The identification of a unique set of the 23 “best” journals in any academic field is an inherently subjective task. The exclusion of additional high‐quality journals from this list (especially those from the related fields of accounting and economics) might short change the research records of some education authors.

Originality/value

Evidence about the average quality of articles appearing in education journals could be useful to university administrators when evaluating faculty research records for purposes of tenure, promotion, and merit awards.
Student evaluation web sites as potential sources of consumer information in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Wilkins Stephen , Epps Alun
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the attitudes of students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) towards non‐institutionally sanctioned student evaluation web sites, and to consider how educational institutions might respond to the demands of students for specific information.

Design/methodology/approach

The study involved a self‐completed questionnaire administered to 118 undergraduate students at a single university in the UAE.

Findings

Even though there exists no UAE‐based web site that carries student evaluations of faculty/teaching, 13 per cent of the survey participants had previously visited a site that held student ratings, 85 per cent said they would consider posting on one if it existed in the country, and just over a half of the students were in favour of such web sites being established in the UAE.

Research limitations/implications

Despite limitations, such as the sample size and convenience sampling strategy, it is clear that students appreciate information about course evaluations and that educational institutions should consider how students obtain this information.

Practical implications

The advent of student evaluation web sites in the UAE could bring a set of challenges and opportunities to educational institutions, but, whether they are established or not, institutions might benefit from developing effective strategies for the dissemination of course evaluation and other student‐related data in the near future.

Originality/value

Student evaluation web sites, such as RateMyProfessors.com, are popular in the USA, Canada and the UK, but it was unknown how students in a relatively conservative country such as the UAE would react to such web sites. Educational institutions can use the findings of this study to develop suitable policies and strategies that address the issues discussed herein.
Effects of school heads' and teachers' agreement with the curriculum reform on curriculum development progress and student learning in Hong Kong
Authors: Cheung Alan C.K. , Man Wong Ping
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the progress of the curriculum reform in Hong Kong in the implementation phase from 2001‐2006, with the agreement and support of heads and teachers on the reform.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey questionnaires and focus group interviews were used to collect data from various stakeholders. A stratified random sampling method was employed to select 150 primary schools and 120 secondary schools to participate in the study.

Findings

It is found that with the agreement and support of school heads and teachers, there is good progress in the reform items on teaching and learning. Findings of this paper also suggest that teachers who agreed with the reform items made changes with their practices in terms of learning and teaching strategies, catering to learner diversity, assessment for learning, developing students' language proficiency, cross‐curricula learning, playing multiple teachers' roles and preparation for the new senior secondary curriculum. This study thus supports most findings from the change literature with its empirical data that educational changes and innovations with the agreement and support of school heads and teachers tend to have a greater chance of succeeding.

Originality/value

The paper contributes by examining to what extent findings and views established in change literature elsewhere can be justified and enriched with the case of Hong Kong.
Does participative decision making affect lecturer performance in higher education?
Authors: Sukirno D.S. , Siengthai Sununta
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The relationship between participation and job performance has captured the interest of not only business researchers but also education researchers. However, the topic has not gained significant attention in the educational management research arena. The purpose of this paper is to empirically examine the impact of participation in decision making on lecturer performance in higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

Mail survey was used to collect the data. Open‐ended questionnaires were distributed to the lecturers in Yogyakarta Province in Indonesia. A total of 347 usable questionnaires were obtained which is about 46.3 percent rate of return. Factor analysis was used to identify the constructs. All Cronbach's alpha values are more than 0.7 and factor loading is more than 0.50. Regression analysis was employed to test research hypotheses. In addition, t‐test and ANOVA test were also conducted to investigate the different impact of demographic data on the job performance of the lecturers.

Findings

This study finds that participative decision making and academic rank have significant effect on lecturer performance. This finding implies that involving lecturers in educational decision making would be useful to improve not only lecturer performance but also organizational performance. In addition, among all demographic variables taken into account, only academic rank significantly affects lecturer performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study assumes constant the reward system and performance appraisal factors that might affect the relationship between participation and lecturer performance. The research findings urge the Indonesian government to immediately set an order of a participative decision making system to facilitate the realization of a better quality of Indonesian higher education performance.

Originality/value

Participative decision making is a tool to align an organization's vision and a lecturer's objectives. The higher the level of lecturer's participation in decision making the higher the lecturer's commitment to the organization's vision and the higher the lecturer's performance will be.
Examining quality and efficiency of the US healthcare system
Authors: Kumar Sameer , Ghildayal Neha S. , Shah Ronak N.
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The fundamental concern of this research study is to learn the quality and efficiency of US healthcare services. It seeks to examine the impact of quality and efficiency on various stakeholders to achieve the best value for each dollar spent for healthcare. The study aims to offer insights on quality reformation efforts, contemporary healthcare policy and a forthcoming change shaped by the Federal healthcare fiscal policy and to recommend the improvement objective by comparing the US healthcare system with those of other developed nations.

Design/methodology/approach

The US healthcare system is examined utilizing various data on recent trends in: spending, budgetary implications, economic indicators, i.e. GDP, inflation, wage and population growth. Process maps, cause and effect diagrams and descriptive data statistics are utilized to understand the various drivers that influence the rising healthcare cost. A proposed cause and effect diagram is presented to offer potential solutions, for significant improvement in US healthcare.

Findings

At present, the US healthcare system is of vital interest to the nation's economy and government policy (spending). The US healthcare system is characterized as the world's most expensive yet least effective compared with other nations. Growing healthcare costs have made millions of citizens vulnerable. Major drivers of the healthcare costs are institutionalized medical practices and reimbursement policies, technology‐induced costs and consumer behavior.

Practical implications

Reviewing many articles, congressional reports, internet websites and related material, a simplified process map of the US healthcare system is presented. The financial process map is also created to further understand the overall process that connects the stakeholders in the healthcare system. Factors impacting healthcare are presented by a cause and effect diagram to further simplify the complexities of healthcare. This tool can also be used as a guide to improve efficiency by removing the “waste” from the system. Trend analyses are presented that display the crucial relationship between economic growth and healthcare spending.

Originality/value

There are many articles and reports published on the US healthcare system. However, very few articles have explored, in a comprehensive manner, the links between the economic indicators and measures of the healthcare system and how to reform this system. As a result of the US healthcare system's complex structure, process map and cause‐effect diagrams are utilized to simplify, address and understand. This study linked top‐level factors, i.e. the societal, government policies, healthcare system comparison, potential reformation solutions and the enormity of the recent trends by presenting serious issues associated with US healthcare.
Failure to attend out‐patient clinics: is it in our DNA?
Authors: Roberts Kinley , Callanan Ian , Tubridy Niall
Published: June 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to determine the reasons why patients miss clinic appointments and to ascertain patients' views on the implementation of reminder systems and penalty fees to reduce the rates of did not attend (DNAs). Overall, the paper seeks to establish novel ways to run a more efficient out‐patient department (OPD) service to improve waiting times and access for patients to limited neurology resources.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire‐based study was approved by the audit committee and was offered to 204 out‐patients attending the neurology clinics over a three‐month period (July to September 2009). The patients' demographic details and non‐attendance records were reviewed. The paper aimed to ascertain, from the patients' perspective, why people failed to attend clinic appointments. Each participant was asked their views on how they felt their public hospital service might reduce the number of DNAs at their neurology OPD.

Findings

A total of 204 patients took part. Participants had a mean age of 31 years (range 25‐75 years) with a modal peak in the 26 to 35 age bracket. Almost 10 per cent of those surveyed admitted to missing a hospital out‐patient appointment in the past. The most common reason was that they simply “forgot” (28 per cent). DNA rates by age range were proportionally similar to the overall age profile of attenders. Over 55 per cent said they would like a pre‐appointment reminder via a mobile telephone text message, 19 per cent preferred a pre‐appointment telephone call, and 19 per cent an e‐mail. Of those surveyed, 47 per cent said they would be willing to pay a fee on booking that could be refunded on attending for their appointment. The majority of these felt €20 was the most appropriate amount (39 per cent). The rate of acceptance for various fee amounts was uniform across age ranges. Over half (52 per cent) said that they would agree to a “buddy” system whereby the appointment reminder was sent to the patient but also a nominated friend or relative.

Originality/value

Non‐attendance rates at the neurology clinics in our institution are high with almost 10 per cent of attendees admitting to missing an appointment. One of the main reasons why people did not attend was because they simply “forgot” that they had an appointment and the patients favoured a text messaging reminder system to help reduce non‐attendance. Almost half of the respondents said that they would be willing to pay a refundable booking fee.
Top management team diversity and strategic change
Authors: Wu Yong , Wei Zelong , Liang Qiaozhuan
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the building of a theoretical model to explore how team pay disparity and resource slack moderate the effects of top management team (TMT) diversity on strategic change and if the moderating effects of resource slack differ in firms with a low or high level of pay disparity.

Design/methodology/approach

Nine hypotheses are proposed and tested with a sample from 391 listed Chinese firms. Archival data are collected from annual reports to form the sample. The hypothesized model relationships are tested through regression analysis.

Findings

The findings show that pay imparity negatively moderates the effects of TMT diversity and resource slack also has important moderating effects. Furthermore, the moderating effects of resource slack differ in firms with low and high team pay imparity.

Originality/value

TMT demography diversity has an important effect on strategic change. However, two conflicting views exist on the relationship. Although some literature suggests that diversity may be sources of explorative activities such as strategic change, others suggest that diversity may cause integration difficulty and thus has a negative effect on strategic change. This paper contributes to extant debate regarding the effects of TMT diversity on strategic change by including TMT pay imparity and resource slack to explain that the effect of diversity on strategic change is contingent on the level of pay imparity, resources slack, and their interactive effects. This research also contributes to understanding organization slack by reasoning that the moderating effect is contingent on pay imparity level.
Charismatic leadership and self‐leadership
Authors: Chung Anyi , Chen I‐Heng , Yun‐Ping Lee Amber , Chun Chen Hsien , Lin Yingtzu
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose that self‐leadership has a complementary relationship with charismatic leadership, thus not substituting for the influence of charismatic leadership in the contexts of internalization and identification.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 991 employees of 20 organizations. The research hypotheses were tested using regression analysis.

Findings

The results demonstrated that many self‐leadership skills acted as supplement/enhancer of charismatic leadership behaviors, except for self‐talk. The authors' interpretation was that self‐talk had a very different functional quality from the other self‐leadership skills, such as visualizing successful performance and evaluating beliefs and assumptions.

Research limitations/implications

The authors recommend that the self‐talk scale should be modified by specifying a constructive content to make it compatible with the other self‐leadership subscales. Finally, more research should be devoted to determining whether leaders' unconventional behavior becomes dysfunctional in the presence of employees' self‐leadership, especially in Confucian countries that place emphasis on tradition and harmony.

Practical implications

The neutralizing effects of self‐talk point to the fact that past bad experience counts. Thus, the authors suggest that management takes responsibility for explaining change failure and seeking employees' feedback to prevent employees from developing negative self‐talk.

Originality/value

Based on self‐concept theory, the paper parallels self‐leadership to charismatic leadership in terms of their influence on the individual's value and identity and proposes and tests for a complementary relationship between both leadership capabilities.
Having your cake and eating it too
Authors: Abdallah Chahrazad , Denis Jean‐Louis , Langley Ann
Published: June 2011

Purpose

Previous work on paradox and contradiction has argued for management approaches that transcend dilemmas through a kind of creative synthesis. The purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically how change leaders' efforts to transcend contradictions emerge, evolve and contribute to organizational change.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyses three case studies in different sectors drawing on interviews, documents and observations.

Findings

It is found that discourses of transcendence emerge as leaders bring new elements to the debate and supply a rationale that creatively bridges opposite poles of a dilemma. The credibility of the discourse is enhanced when it is embedded in extant institutional ideas, when stakeholders' interests and values appear to be accommodated and when leaders are viewed as legitimate. However, inherent contradictions tend to resurface over time, suggesting that while transcendence offers a powerful stimulus for change, its range and lifetime may be transitory. Three mechanisms associated with the acceptance of transcendent ideas (quasi‐resolution of conflict, strategic ambiguity and groupthink) may sow the seeds of their eventual re‐evaluation and dissolution.

Originality/value

By examining the antecedents and consequences of transcendent discourses over time, the paper provides a nuanced view of their potential and limitations.
Managing organizational change: paradoxical problems, solutions, and consequences
Authors: Stoltzfus Kimberly , Stohl Cynthia , Seibold David R.
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how paradox emerges during a planned change initiative to improve and dramatically transform inter‐agency information sharing. Based on interviews with key decision makers, the authors interrogate the relationships among institutional contradictions, emergent dualities, the communicative management of related organizational stakeholder paradoxes, and the consequences of enacted solutions.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews with government leaders serve as the data source. These decision makers are from justice agencies participating in planning an information‐sharing program to better protect citizens and their agencies' workforce.

Findings

The data suggests that Seo and Creed's institutional contradiction “isomorphism conflicting with divergent interests” gave rise to three interdependent dualities: stakeholder self‐interest/collective good, stakeholder inclusion/exclusion, and emergent stakeholder consensus/leader driven decision making. These dualities were implicated in the enactment of paradox and its management. No matter what strategy the managers used, the consequences themselves were paradoxical, rooted in the same dualities that were originally present.

Research limitations/implications

The authors sought to trace the outcomes of how leaders managed the poles of dualities, and found evidence of unintended consequences that were intriguing in their own right and were linked to stakeholder considerations. The paper underscores the importance of communication in the representation of paradoxes and how they were managed, and the unintended consequences of the solutions.

Practical implications

Leaders' articulations of paradox can be tapped for improving change efforts.

Originality/value

Whereas, institutional contradictions have been examined in reference to emerging paradox, and while paradoxical solutions have been studied widely, little research has investigated how institutional contradictions become simultaneously embedded in the process and the outcomes of organizational change.
Caught between a rock and a hard place
Authors: Kerosuo Hannele
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to research a critical transition from individually‐experienced double binds to collaborative change. To this end an early phase of a change process in a central surgical unit is studied in detail.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses an interventionist and ethnographic methodology to research the shift from individual to collective during organizational change. Organizational change is studied as a resolution of evolving contradictions. In this early phase, contradictions can emerge as individually‐experienced double binds and crisis.

Findings

The findings of the study describe a transition in which individually‐experienced double binds and crisis become a driving force for organizational change. The dissolution of contradictions as double binds and crisis is strongly connected to emotions. When emotions are unveiled and collectively worked out, they become shared and can be understood critically. A change process is usually conceptualized as proceeding through sequential phases. This study demonstrates, however, that some phases can emerge almost coincidently in organizational change. Researchers can accelerate change with interventionist and ethnographic methodology.

Research limitations/implications

A challenge for change management is how to manage contradictions and emotions to enable change to happen. Emotions have an important role in change processes, which is also a challenge for further research.

Originality/value

An alternative and complementary approach to studying the process of change as a transition from the individual experience of contradictions to collaboratively created change is introduced in the paper.
An exploratory investigation of Black Friday consumption rituals
Authors: Boyd Thomas Jane , Peters Cara
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of the present study is to explore the collective consumption rituals associated with Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and one of the largest shopping days in the USA.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design for this study followed the approach of psychological phenomenological interviewing. Over a two‐year period, the authors, along with trained research assistants, conducted interviews with experienced female Black Friday shoppers.

Findings

Qualitative data from 38 interviews indicated that Black Friday shopping activities constitute a collective consumption ritual that is practiced and shared by multiple generations of female family members and close friends. Four themes emerged from the data: familial bonding, strategic planning, the great race, and mission accomplished. The themes coalesced around a military metaphor.

Practical implications

The findings of this study indicate that Black Friday shoppers plan for the ritual by examining advertisements and strategically mapping out their plans for the day. Recommendations for retailers are presented.

Originality/value

This exploratory investigation of Black Friday as a consumption ritual offers new insight into the planning and shopping associated with this well‐known American pseudo‐holiday. Findings also extend theory and research on collective consumption rituals.
Retailing in post‐apartheid South Africa: the strategic positioning of Boardmans
Authors: de Bruyn Paul , Freathy Paul
Published: June 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to detail the strategic repositioning of a retail organisation in South Africa. It seeks to describe the social and political transformations that have occurred since the ending of the apartheid regime and discuss the implications of these changes for the retail sector. In particular, the emergence of a new middle class has required many organisations to reconfigure their business processes and operations. The paper focuses upon one company (Boardmans) to illustrate many of these changes.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in this paper are primarily secondary in nature. One of the authors was also incumbent within the organisation and had direct experience of many of the issues that are described.

Findings

Many retail organisations initially found it difficult to cope with the needs of non‐white customers and were forced to make changes to the way in which they operated their businesses. Boardmans, whilst initially coping in the post‐apartheid period, over time, lost touch with its customer base. The paper details how the company's position was re‐established after its acquisition by the Edcon Group. This required an holistic approach that sought to engender change throughout the whole of the organisation.

Originality/value

There is only limited research on the South African retail market. This paper provides a detailed insight into the issues surrounding market positioning and makes an original contribution to this literature.
Consumer‐driven retail operations
Authors: Eroglu Cuneyt , Williams Brent D. , Waller Matthew A.
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the direct and interaction effects of shelf space, case pack quantity, and consumer demand on shelf stockouts, i.e. stockouts at the shelf level when inventory is available in the backroom of a retail store.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses discrete‐event simulation based on data collected from the ready‐to‐eat breakfast cereal category with multiple stockkeeping units (SKUs) to model a retail supply chain consisting of a supplier, a retailer, and consumers.

Findings

The results indicate that shelf space and case pack quantity have direct effects on shelf stockouts. Furthermore, evidence is found for interactions among shelf space, case pack quantity and consumer demand. Though many retailers adopt simple heuristics for shelf space allocation, such as a multiple of case pack quantity, this study suggests that such heuristics tend to over‐ or underestimate shelf space requirements when consumer demand is ignored.

Originality/value

This study suggests that managers should allocate shelf space for SKUs on the basis of not only case pack quantity but also consumer demand.
The impact of decentralised control on firm‐level inventory
Authors: de Leeuw Sander , Holweg Matthias , Williams Geoff
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of decentralised control on finished goods inventory levels in a distribution system, and to identify the factors that determine the overall inventory level.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors' study is based on a mixed method approach using both a survey and semi‐structured interviews to assess inventory management practices and firm performance.

Findings

It was found that the common assumptions that distribution outlets or dealers are homogenous and that their behaviour is uniform in response to central control, such as the manufacturer's strategy, do not hold in practice. In fact, the authors show that under conditions of decentralised control, the inventories held at outlet level vary greatly around the aggregate inventory at overall manufacturer level and in this sense bear little resemblance to it. Amongst other conclusions, these findings provide a possible explanation for previous studies' inconclusive evidence on inventory reduction.

Research limitations/implications

The authors' research is based on evidence from the automotive industry in the USA; future research may include a wider industry analysis and geographical scope.

Practical implications

The paper identifies how incentives and decision‐making structures at the outlet level need to be considered in order to derive decisions that are optimal at the supply chain level.

Originality/value

The paper extends the current literature on the determinants of inventory levels by using dealer‐level data, as opposed to manufacturer or firm‐level data in previous studies, thereby identifying possible causes for the previously inconclusive evidence on inventory levels in distribution systems.
Relationships between company size, production system and supply chain
Authors: Lopes de Sousa Jabbour Ana Beatriz , Gomes Alves Filho Alceu , Backx Noronha Viana Adriana , José Chiappetta Jabbour Charbel
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how company size and the type of production system affect the adoption of supply chain management (SCM) practices in companies in the electro‐electronics sector in Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

An e‐mail survey of 107 companies associated with the Brazilian Electrical and Electronics Industry Association (ABINEE) was conducted. Statistical techniques were employed to verify the adoption of SCM practices according to the size of the company and its production system.

Findings

The major results indicate that the larger the size of the company, the higher the level of adoption of SCM practices, and that the choice of SCM practices depends upon the type of production system implemented.

Practical implications

The implications of this study are useful to top management leaders of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises since the findings enable them to identify the most common practices adopted by either large‐, medium‐ or small‐sized companies in order to benchmark the level of adoption of SCM practices. Production managers can also benefit from this study by identifying the SCM practices that may support certain production systems.

Originality/value

The paper deals with the reality of companies in the electro‐electronics sector in Brazil, which is part of a global supply chain; therefore, the results obtained can be useful to foreign companies in this sector. This is the first known research that integrates such concepts in Brazil.
Interaction challenges in leadership and performance management in developing a network environment
Authors: Hyypiä Mirva , Pekkola Sanna
Published: June 2011

Purpose – Network‐level collaboration between different organisations is acknowledged to be one of the success factors in achieving a competitive advantage in business. However, contemporary business environments demand more suitable managerial tools and practices at both organisational and network levels. The purpose of this paper is to summarize approaches to managing and developing network‐level processes. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical evidence is based on a multiple case study on leadership and performance management in a network environment. The empirical data were gathered in 18 semi‐structured interviews at the case companies. The cases were chosen because they represent different types of networks, which make it possible to identify common factors in leadership and performance management regardless of the specific characteristics of any certain type of network. Findings – The findings of this study support the assumption that the networked way of doing business needs a shared management perspective that discusses and leads operations of the network. Furthermore, there is little point in designing measurements and other managerial tools in the organisations, if the culture and leadership behaviour are not committed to changes and collaboration. Research limitations/implications – Future studies will include in a wider way the roles of networking when more individuals are engaged in the action and the objectives of the participants are achieved. Although the creation of the network is an on‐going process, the preliminary results are promising. Practical implications – The study reveals significant requirements that contribute to successfully establishing collaborative networking, and the development of knowledge sharing, leadership and managerial procedures and systems. Originality/value – The potential value of this research paper is in its function as a summary for organisation scholars looking for approaches to manage and develop network‐level processes. Even though the networking trend itself has received a lot of researcher attention, collaboration between different organisations influenced by a combination of transformational leadership and performance management has not been much noticed.
Short‐term momentum patterns in stock and sectoral returns: evidence from India
Authors: Sehgal Sanjay , Jain Sakshi
Published: June 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate if there are any momentum patterns in stock and sectoral returns and if they can be explained by the risk factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology involves portfolio generation based on company characteristics and short‐term prior return (six to 12 months). The characteristic‐sorted portfolios are then regressed on risk factors using one‐factor (CAPM) and multi‐factor model (Fama French model and four‐factor model involving three Fama French factors and an additional sectoral momentum factor).

Findings

The authors find momentum profits in Indian context for prior return portfolios which are stronger for 6‐6 compared to 12‐12 strategies. These momentum profits are larger for some characteristic‐sorted portfolios. Risk models such as CAPM and Fama French model fail to capture momentum profits. In fact, winner portfolios generally comprise large firm and high P/B stocks, thus defying the risk story. Some zero investment momentum‐based trading strategies do provide significant payoffs. The authors also observe momentum profits in sectoral returns. A part of stock momentum profits is captured by sectoral factor, thus implying that it may mainly be an outcome of sectoral momentum.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are pertinent for portfolio managers and investment analysts who are continuously in pursuit of trading strategies that provide extra normal returns. From an academic point of view, the authors suggest that sectoral factor should be used in the multi‐factor framework for explaining asset returns.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the asset pricing and behavioral literature from emerging markets.
Development of analytic network process for the selection of material handling systems in the design of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS)
Authors: Anand G. , Kodali Rambabu , Santosh Kumar B.
Published: June 2011

Purpose

Selection of material handling systems (MHS) is an important decision to be taken during the design of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS) as it affects the layout of FMS. Many researchers have addressed this issue of MHS selection in the domain of operations management, while a few of them have addressed this issue in the domain of FMS. However, none of them have modelled this problem by incorporating the relationship/dependencies that exist between various factors/attributes/criteria/elements (in short, it will be called “factors” for the sake of simplicity). The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the development of the analytic network process (ANP) for the selection of MHS in the design of FMS for a hypothetical case organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

As mentioned above, selection of MHS in design of FMS is a complex decision‐making problem, as it is dependent on many factors. Hence, one of the recently developed multi‐attribute decision‐making (MADM) models – namely the ANP — is utilised as it has the capability to incorporate the relationship that exists between and within different factors. To demonstrate the application of ANP, a hypothetical case situation is presented.

Findings

The results obtained from ANP revealed that conveyor is a better alternative for the FMS under the given case situation. Furthermore, this study also revealed the computational complexity of the ANP, albeit it is successful implementation of dependency/relationships between the factors within the decision‐making process.

Practical implications

It is believed that this paper will enable the practitioners to appreciate the role of ANP in the strategic decision‐making process, apart from helping them understand how decisions can be made in a structured manner. However, it should be understood that although ANP can provide adequate support to the decisions being made, it requires the experience and judgements of the decision makers to arrive at a particular decision. Originality/value – According to the authors' knowledge, no paper exists in the literature that demonstrates the application of ANP, specifically for selecting a MHS during the design of FMS by considering 35 or more factors. Furthermore, the paper attempts to model this problem by incorporating the relationship/dependency that exist between these factors, which is unique when compared to those papers that have already dealt with this problem.
Productivity‐based hybrid model: learning from the Indo‐Japanese and Indian auto sector
Authors: Gupta Shruti , Prasad Asha
Published: June 2011

Purpose

In the rapidly changing market and environment, companies need to employ highly competitive human resources for sustaining a competitive advantage. Human resource management (HRM) practices have a significant impact on firm performance. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key HRM factors from a survey of 41 Indo‐Japanese and 35 Indian firms operating in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) (India) in the automobile sector that affect the productivity and overall performance of firms.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is largely based on secondary data combined with an analysis of primary data. It includes primary data collection and the usage of quantitative research tools. A comparative analysis of the Indian and Indo‐Japanese firms operating in Delhi and the NCR has also been made. Factor analysis has been undertaken to examine the various HRM factors that affect the productivity of a firm.

Findings

A factor analysis of nine items revealed four underlying dimensions in the instrument. In the case of Indo‐Japanese firms, the factors concerned are: talent planning and engagement; talent motivation; in‐service training; and assessment of training needs. For Indian firms, the factors concerned are: talent acquisition and engagement; talent motivation and need assessment; talent planning; and talent training.

Research limitations/implications

A hybrid model has been developed that combines the relatively important HR variables on the basis of the results of the survey of Indo‐Japanese and Indian firms.

Originality/value

Hitherto, no study has been undertaken to compare the HRM factors of Indian and Indo‐Japanese firms and to subsequently develop a hybrid model. This model blends the features of both types of firms.