bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A hybrid framework based on SIPOC and Six Sigma DMAIC for improving process dimensions in supply chain network
Authors: Mishra Pratima , Kumar Sharma Rajiv
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a hybrid framework (suppliers, inputs, process, output and customers+define, measure, analyze, improve and control (SIPOC+DMAIC)) aimed at improving supply chain management (SCM) process dimensions in a supply chain (SC) network.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based upon the critical review of literature, process dimensions (average outgoing quality limit (AOQL), average outgoing quality (AOQ), processZ, defect per million opportunity) critical to SCM performance were identified. A framework consisting of three phases, i.e., design, implementation and results has been conceptualized and a case from paint industry is investigated. Implementation framework makes use of SIPOC model and Six Sigma DMAIC methodology. The goals of the study were achieved by using Six Sigma tools such as brainstorming sessions; root cause analysis, histograms, statistical tools such as control charts and process capability analysis.

Findings

– Authors made an attempt to propose a conceptual framework for improving process dimensions in a SC network. It is observed from the results that selection of appropriate strategies for improving process performance based upon experiences, and use of statistical tools by cross-functional teams with an effective coordination, guarantees success. Metrics such as AOQL shows the maximum worst possible defective or defect rate for the AOQ. ProcessZhelps to know about sigma capability of the process.

Research limitations/implications

– The framework so developed is tested in a single company manufacturing batches of paint. The study has important implications for the industry since it tries to integrate SCM process dimensions which would help in successful implementation of SCM practices in firm by following the DMAIC process. The framework enables the practitioners to investigate the process and demonstrate improvements using DMAIC which makes use of statistical tools.

Originality/value

– Although process dimensions related to SCM are critical to organization competitiveness, research so far has tended to focus on supply chain operations and reference model, balanced scorecard, total quality management, activity-based costing, just in time, etc., but in literature hardly any description of the SIPOC-DMAIC model to improve SCM process performance is provided. The use of statistics in DMAIC provides better insight into the process performance, and process control.
Review of threats on trust and reputation models
Authors: Sun Po-Ling , Ku Cheng-Yuan
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– As the number of available services increases on the web, it becomes greatly vital in service-oriented computing to discover a trustworthy service for a service composition so as to best-fit business requirements. However, some dishonest service providers may advertise more than what they can offer and cause a great loss to users. In the last few years, trust and reputation management over web service selection mechanism becomes an emerging way of dealing with security deficiencies which are inherent in web services environment. The purpose of this paper is to review the security threats carefully and expect that the results serve as a reference guide for designing the robust trust and reputation management mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the published literature, the paper reviews and categorizes the most critical and important security threats that apply to trust and reputation models.

Findings

– A detailed review and a dedicated taxonomy table are derived. As emphasized earlier, they could serve as the most important guideline for design of trust and reputation mechanisms.

Originality/value

– The papers work contributes to: first, understand in details what kind of security threats may cause damage to trust and reputation management mechanisms for web services selection; and second, categorize these complex security threats and then assist in planning the defense mechanisms.
Green supply chain management
Authors: Luthra Sunil , Garg Dixit , Haleem Abid
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce and provide an overview of the various issues related to Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) and suggest further scope and direction of research in this emerging field.

Design/methodology/approach

– The work relies on experiences, case studies and other literature related to GSCM. Literature has been segregated to understand various GSCM issues. A detailed review is used to sort out the literature and develop the research direction of the study. The review is focussed on development of GSCM including all those researchers which is relevant to environmental and social sustainability toward operation management and the supply chain. A literature review seems to be a valid approach, as a necessary step in structuring a research field.

Findings

– The objectives of this paper are to identify major research work conducted on GSCM and to classify them to identify gaps in literature and opportunities for future research. The paper has provided an integrative framework for study, design, implementation and GSCM performance. The findings also identify a number of issues that need to be addressed.

Research limitations/implications

– Implication of the work is that the knowledge of the research gap can be used to focus efforts on key areas so as to ensure speedy and comprehensive implementation of GSCM practices.

Practical implications

– The paper may prove to be a very useful source of information to practitioners and regulators in their green practices implementation programs.

Originality/value

– This paper provides some of the very first insights into development of GSCM theories. The methodological review will provide better understanding of the current state of research in the discipline.
A DEA-investigation of efficiency of the Indian general insurance during recession
Authors: Mandal Santanu , Ghosh Dastidar Surajit
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the efficiency analysis of the Indian general insurance sector using data envelopment analysis (DEA) and subsequently assess the impact (if any) of the global slowdown on the performance of the allied sector.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper aims to analyze the operating performance of 12 general insurance companies in India between 2006-2007 and 2009-2010 using DEA based on secondary data collected from Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Annual Reports.

Findings

– Findings clearly indicate that the global economic slowdown has severely affected the performance of the private sector companies; while the public sector companies exhibited relatively lesser variation in performance levels.

Research limitations/implications

– The methodology employed in the study estimates relative efficiencies without assuming any functional form; as a result the proper comparison of input utilized with the output produced is not possible. Several other tools like Malmquist Index and two-stage procedure have not been used.

Originality/value

– The study brings into light the operating characteristics and efficiencies of the Indian general insurance sector during the global slowdown and therefore holds practical value for policy makers and practitioners as well as for the decision makers of the firms employed in the study.
Antecedents and anticipated outcomes of superstitious behavior among professional salespeople
Authors: Mayo Michael , Mallin Michael
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The present study is a “first look” at sales superstitions with the purpose of establishing its prevalence among professional salespeople and examining the subsequent effects on sales person expected confidence, motivation, sales call behavioral intentions, and anticipated performance outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data was collected from 234 industrial (business to business) salespeople. SmartPLS path modeling was used to test a model consisting of three antecedents and three outcomes of salesperson superstitious behavior intensity.

Findings

– The findings reveal that salespeople are more likely to behave superstitiously when they believe in personal good luck and experience higher levels of role ambiguity. For these salespeople, outcomes such as expected increase in confidence and motivation, positive sales behavioral intentions, and performance outcomes were anticipated as a result of their superstitions.

Research limitations/implications

– Social cognitive theory is used as an organizing framework to guide this review as well as to develop a model that describes the conditions that give rise to sales superstitions and its potential impact on expected sales confidence, motivation, call behavioral intentions, and anticipated performance outcomes.

Originality/value

– Given the paucity of reports on sales superstitions, the present study extrapolates from other allied literatures to identify antecedents and consequences associated with engaging in superstitious behavior.
Value antecedents in relationship between tourism companies
Authors: Moliner-Velazquez Beatriz , Fuentes-Blasco María , Gil-Saura Irene
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– In the context of relationship marketing, identifying the elements that contribute to creating value for companies has become essential for managing customer satisfaction and retention. The literature has focused on business-to-end consumer relationships and there are few contributions in the business-to-business context, especially in the tourism industry. The aim of this study is to analyze the process of relationship value creation between tourism companies from the more relevant antecedents proposed in the literature: relationship benefits, long-term orientation and attitude towards the main provider.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey was conducted with 309 travel agency managers who assessed the relationship with their main provider. All constructs were measured with multiple-item scales adapted from the literature. The proposed relationships were tested with a causal model estimated by robust maximum likelihood algorithm showing adequate fix indices.

Findings

– The results show that attitude toward the service provider, long-term relationship and relational benefits – multi-dimensional construct formed by confidence, social and special treatment benefits – make a significant contribution to the value formation in the relationship with the main provider. Furthermore, relationship benefits exert the greatest effect on relationship value.

Practical implications

– Based on the authors findings, practical suggestions for developing and maintaining successful long-term relations between tourism companies are proposed. To avoid the characteristic disintermediation of the travel industry, both providers and client agencies must be aware of the importance of perceived relationship value. Interpersonal elements such as trust, affective ties and preferential treatment are important aspects in the creation of that value. Service differentiation strategies are also the key to improving supplier image and perceived value in relation to the competition. Finally, the appropriate combination of ICT investment and customized service can provide major opportunities for reinforcing relations between tourism companies.

Originality/value

– The paper provides empirical evidence of the impact of relationship benefits, attitude and long-term orientation on relationship value in the business-to-business tourism context.
Rethinking conceptions of educational leadership within a First Nations setting in Canada
Authors: Fallon Gerald , Paquette Jerald
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide to First and non-First Nation educators, scholars, and policy makers alternative perspectives that can reshape research on educational leadership in First Nation education with new imaginings that question fundamentally the cultural-political-economic-space defined by Euro-centred notion of modernity.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper addresses two questions in dealing with issues of conceptions of educational leadership in a First Nations setting: first, in what socio-cultural paradigm and epistemic framework, should the paper ground the view of relations among persons and between them and their environment, in a way that opens up spaces for prospects for action of those located outside a Euro-centric epistemic and ontological field; second, how could this paradigm assist us in formulating a conception of educational leadership that increases the leverage of First Nations education in constructing alternative sociocultural and educational worlds not grounded in the Eurocentric modernity?

Findings

– For non-First Nation educators, power brokers, and policy makers who want to create alliances with First Nation people, this paper outlines the necessity to consider cross-cultural dialogue about conceptions of educational leadership as an “opportunity to challenge conventional assumptions about knowledge, power, and a sense of place” (Marker, 2006, p. 21).

Originality/value

– The originality of this paper resides in its presentation of alternative conceptual horizons for educational leadership, horizons that acknowledge power inequities between mainstream societies and institutions on the one hand and First Nations peoples and their institutions on the other.
Ripple effects on family firms from an externally induced crisis
Authors: James Cater III John , Beal Brent
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences of family business owners in an externally induced crisis from a resource-based perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper employs a qualitative case study approach involving 22 firms.

Findings

– In the aftermath of the BP oil spill, a series of ripple effects impacted family firms both negatively and positively. The paper outlines five ways that family firms may improve company performance in crisis situations.

Research limitations/implications

– Although our study is rich in qualitative detail, it is important to recognize that the BP oil spill represents a unique crisis context and caution should be exercised in generalizing the study's findings.

Practical implications

– While ripple effects may be powerful at the industry and industry sub-group level, the paper provides evidence that family firms may overcome these external effects using one or more of five strategic initiatives: strong networking relationships, idiosyncratic local knowledge, flexibility, rapid response, and exercising trust with caution.

Originality/value

– The study validates the potential utility of a ripple effect model in the study of family businesses and externally induced crises. It has the potential to contribute to improving management response.
Conserving cultural values of heritage buildings from the facilities management perspective in Malaysia
Authors: Rafidee Bin Hasbollah Hasif , Baldry David
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The paper describes how expert views were elicited in developing a conceptual framework of conserving cultural values of heritage buildings (CVHB) from the facilities management perspective (fm). It proposes the manifestation offmperspective ofpeople,place,process, andtechnologyas a tool to sustain the physical condition and integrity of a HB and its CV according tofmdimension before a HB is endorsed as a heritage. The linkages betweenfmand CVHB will help to produce a guideline for conserving CVHB fromfmperspective (CVHBfm) at the initial phase of conservation in Malaysia. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study opted for an exploratory approach; three expert interviews were conducted from three levels of conservation practitioners drawn fromstrategic,tactical, andoperationallevels. A matrix thematic was used to manifest the qualitative variables in mapping the conceptual framework. The respondents will provide views and linkages between eight criteria of CVHB (social,economic,political,historic,aesthetical,scientific,age, andecological) andfmdimension (people,place,process, andtechnology) in conserving a HB at the preliminary phase of conservation. The responses from these respondents will provide insights into howfmperspective manifest and epistemological construct with CVHB variables that will be integrated in a case study method for further investigation inquiry.

Findings

– In this paper, the study indicates anfmperspective ofpeople,place,process, andtechnology, associates and epistemological constructed with CVHB criteria ofsocial,historic,aesthetical, andscientificin sustaining the physical condition and integrity of CVHB fromfmdimension in Malaysia. The respondents from three levels of conservation practitioners (strategic,tactical, andoperational) have explained and elaborated briefly the connotation between CVHB andfmin mapping the framework. It also provides insights into howfmdimension manifests with those CVHB variables in conserving a HB before it is endorsed as aheritageat the initial stage of conservation.

Originality/value

– Moving from this exploratory study, further research will be undertaken. In-depth interviews will be carried out with a rigorous emphasis onfmand eight criteria of CVHB with a greater number of experts on HB conservation fromstrategic,tactical, andoperationallevels in Malaysia. Documents suggested during the initial study such as The National Heritage Act 2005 (Malaysia) and UNESCO's outstanding universal values (OUV) will be analysed and framed in mapping the conceptual framework. Further investigation will assist Malaysia in advancing the application offmperspective to enhance the conservation of HB and its CV by highlighting the role offmas a robust tool in sustaining the integrity HB in Malaysia.
Competitive conditions and market power of Islamic and conventional commercial banks
Authors: Hamza Hichem , Kachtouli Safa
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The expansion of the Islamic banking industry seems to accentuate the banking competition in MENA and Southeast Asia where conventional and Islamic banks coexist. In this context, the research aims\ to examine the competitive conditions and the market power of the conventional and Islamic banks during the period 2004-2009 in MENA and Southeast Asia region.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors use a variety of structural and non-structural measures related to the traditional approach and the new empirical approach of the industrial organization. The methodology is based on set of measures of the competition and market power. The first measure is a set of concentration ratios (C3, C5) and Herfindahl-Hirschman index (HHI). The second measures are the Panzar and Ross H statistic and the Lerner index based on econometric estimations with the aim of evaluating the structure of market and measuring its power in terms of price setting.

Findings

– The results indicate that under the HHI index, both markets are low concentrated, while according to the concentration ratios, the Islamic market is considered as moderately concentrated. The estimations results, through the H-PR-statistic of Panzar and Ross related to degree of competition and the Lerner index of market power, indicate that both markets are characterized by a monopolistic competition and the Islamic banking expressed a high degree of market power.

Research limitations/implications

– The research focuses exclusively on the countries where the data are available and excludes the other countries where competition and market power might have different forms.

Practical implications

– In a competitive environment, each bank is required to analyze the structure of its market and competitive conditions, in order to develop a business strategy and effective action plans. In the context of the multiplication of the Islamic banks in the MENA and Southeast Asia, the enhancement of Islamic bank competitiveness by offering new products is determinant for their success.

Originality/value

– To the best of the authors' knowledge few studies have examined this subject in a comparative analysis between the Islamic and conventional banks. So the authors contribute to the literature on Islamic banking by considering a sample of Islamic and conventional banks operating in the same countries in order to examine the existence or not of difference between them.
Islamic banks-Sukuk markets relationships and economic development
Authors: Ben Jedidia Khoutem Daoud
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the opportunities of Islamic finance in spurring economic development in Tunisia after the revolution of 2011. Precisely, this paper seeks to explore whether the Islamic banks-Sukuk markets relationships are more conducive of economic growth.

Design/methodology/approach

– This work reviews the role of Islamic finance in economic development, examines the current dominance of Islamic banks on the saving-investment process and compares it with a situation characterized by a more important implication of banks in the Sukuk markets both as issuers and buyers.

Findings

– This paper finds that the “marketable Islamic intermediation” provides easily more funds to finance the economic development and solve the problems of poverty and unemployment. It also reveals that Islamic intermediation can be improved by a more important implication of banks in the Sukuk markets. This permits to overcome many problems related to saving mobilization, bank liquidity management, risk taking and long-run investment.

Social implications

– The author's recommendations related to the economic policy suggest strict rules to establish accountability, disclosure laws and transparency in Tunisia.

Originality/value

– This paper is a first attempt to study the role of the relationships between Islamic banks and Sukuk markets in the economic development process. It stresses the importance of these relationships to better meet the requirements of development financing in Tunisia.
Measuring the variance of customer waiting time in service operations
Authors: Zhao Xiaofeng , Hou Jianrong , Gilbert Kenneth
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Waiting lines and delays have become commonplace in service operations. As a result, customer waiting time guarantee is a widely used competition strategy in service industries. To implement waiting time guarantee strategy, managers need to not only know the average of waiting time, but also the variance around average waiting time. This paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This research provides a mathematically exact expression for the coefficient of variation of waiting time for Markov queues. It then applies the concept of isomorphism to approximate the variance of customer waiting time in a general queue. Simulation experiments are conducted to verify the accurate approximations.

Findings

– A significant feature of the approximation method is that it is mathematically tractable and can be implemented in a spreadsheet format. It provides a practical way to estimate the variance of customer waiting time in practice. The results demonstrate the usefulness of the queuing models in providing guidance on implementing appointment scheduling and waiting time guarantee strategy. Also, the spreadsheet can be used to conduct what-if analysis by inputting different parameters.

Originality/value

– This paper develops a simple, easy-to-use spreadsheet model to estimate the standard deviation of waiting time. The approximation requires only the mean and standard deviation or the coefficient of variation of the inter-arrival and service time distributions, and the number of servers. A spreadsheet model is specifically designed to analyze the variance of waiting time.
Sense-making's role in creating alliance supportive organizational cultures
Authors: de Man Ard-Pieter , Luvison Dave
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to analyze the way in which organizational culture affects alliance performance. The literature has begun to focus on intra-firm antecedents of alliance success, but so far has mainly focused on structural aspects like the presence of an alliance department. This paper proposes that interrelated processes of sense-making in alliances and sense-making about alliances shape organizational culture to make it more supportive of alliances.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey was developed to operationalize an alliance supportive culture construct. Results from 179 alliance managers were analyzed to investigate the inter-relationship of alliance experience, alliance supportive culture and alliance performance.

Findings

– Alliance supportive culture was found to fully mediate the relationship between alliance experience and performance. This finding suggests that experience with alliances leads to better alliance performance when this experience is translated into the organizational culture.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research may explore how alliance culture interacts with structural elements of alliance management as identified in the alliance capability literature. The interaction between alliance culture and alliance capability is as yet unexplored. In addition, research may take place to explore which elements determine sense-making about alliances.

Practical implications

– Managers should not only focus on tools and processes to improve their alliance success. They should also augment the sense-making process about alliances and remove cultural impediments to working with alliances.

Originality/value

– Many studies have found a relationship between alliance experience and success. This paper shows this is not a direct relationship, but that it operates via cultural change based on sense-making about alliance experience. This mediation effect has not been established before.
Knowledge sharing, intellectual capital and firm performance
Authors: Wang Zhining , Wang Nianxin , Liang Huigang
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of knowledge sharing (KS) on firm performance and the mediating role of intellectual capital (IC).

Design/methodology/approach

– A research model was developed based on prior KS and IC studies. A survey was administered to a sample of high technology firms in China and 228 usable responses were collected. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to test the research model.

Findings

– Tacit KS significantly was found to contribute to all three components of IC, namely human, structural and relational capital, while explicit KS only has a significant influence on human and structural capital. Human, structural and relational capital, enhance both operational and financial performance of firms. The effect of KS on firm performance is mediated by IC. Explicit KS has a greater effect on financial performance than operational performance, whereas tacit KS has a greater impact on operational performance than financial performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The sample of high technology firms in China might limit the generalization of the findings. Nonetheless, this study takes its lead from and extends prior research, thus providing a deepened understanding of the role of KS in organizational settings.

Practical implications

– The paper suggests that managers can enhance firm performance by enhancing their KS and IC. Managers can develop corresponding strategies based on the findings to achieve their specific performance goals.

Originality/value

– This is one of the first papers to examine how KS contributes to firm performance through the mediation of IC. It will add significant value for organizations trying to enhance their performance though KS practices.
Human capital, social capital and organizational performance
Authors: Augusto Felício J. , Couto Eduardo , Caiado Jorge
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is to evaluate the human capital and social capital of managers and the influence of these attributes on the performance of small and medium-sized Portuguese companies.

Design/methodology/approach

– The structural modeling approach was applied to a sample of 199 small and medium-sized companies aged between 3 and 15 years, from five different sectors of activity.

Findings

– It was found that human capital affects social capital, and that experience and cognitive ability influence personal relations and complicity. Organizational performance is strongly influenced by human capital through the cognitive ability of the manager.

Practical implications

– Based on these findings managers can gain a better knowledge about how to improve the performance of their firms, for example through adjustments in communication methods or strategic decision capacities.

Originality/value

– This work is innovative in the sense that it confirms the influence of human capital on social capital, and shows that it is cognitive ability that affects organizational performance.
The uneasy transition from supply chains to ecosystems
Authors: Ben Letaifa Soumaya
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– This paper uses the multidimensional definition of value – ecosystemic value – and employs lifecycle theory to identify the different stages of evolution of value-creation and -capture processes in an ecosystem. Specifically, the aim of this paper is to show the uneasy transition from supply chains to ecosystems.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a field study of a Canadian ICT ecosystem, this paper adopts a multilevel perspective on value-creation and value-capture processes and illustrates how these processes need to move from a dyadic economic focus to a network socioeconomic one.

Findings

– The findings pinpoint the uneasy transition from supply-chains management to ecosystems management and provide a framework for understanding how value creation and value capture should be coupled throughout the ecosystem lifecycle. Finally, five theoretical and managerial propositions are suggested to better leverage ecosystemic capabilities and better manage value creation and value capture in ecosystems.

Practical implications

– Five theoretical and managerial propositions are suggested to better leverage ecosystemic capabilities and better manage value creation and value capture in ecosystems.

Originality/value

– Many marketing and management scholars discuss the limitations of unbalanced perspectives (customer- or seller-centric) in building a comprehensive view of how value is created and captured. This multi-actors case study highlights how ecosystemic value creation may be obstructed by a firm's focus on value capture.
The condition of smallness: how what it means to be small deters firms from getting bigger
Authors: R. Anderson Alistair , Ullah Farid
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine and explain why most small firms remain small. A new conceptual framework – the condition of smallness – is proposed.

Design/methodology/approach

– A critical examination of the literature about the nature of being a small firm is first conducted. Employing an inductive analysis of responses from a survey of 2,521 small business owners about employment regulation, the nature and effects of smallness is examined.

Findings

– It was found that owners' choice making combines with perceptions about their resources to produce a condition of smallness. The condition of smallness is conceptualised as the circularity perceptions, attitudes and consequent practices that reflect lack of knowledge, time and capability. It is argued that this condition of smallness inhibits growth to create a wicked problem that explains why most small firms don't grow.

Research limitations/implications

– This work is largely conceptual, albeit the argument is grounded in, and illustrated by, empirical data. The findings may not be generalisable beyond this paper's data sets, but may be generalisable conceptually.

Originality/value

– The focus of much scholarly work has been on growth firms. Yet the typical small firm is excluded so that the issues of smallness are often overlooked. This paper, therefore contributes to understanding why small firms don't grow.
Reasons for choosing mechanisms to protect knowledge and innovations
Authors: Olander Heidi , Vanhala Mika , Hurmelinna-Laukkanen Pia
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Prior research has confirmed the usefulness of both formal and informal protection mechanisms for governing knowledge flows. However, there is lack of research on the motivation and needs driving firms in their choice of mechanisms for each situation. The aim of this paper is to examine the reasons for choosing formal or informal mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach

– The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 209 companies engaged in R&D. A Partial Least Squares was used for the analyses.

Findings

– This study identifies statistically significant relationships between the protection need and the firm's strategy. The results indicate that there is variance in the use of mechanisms when there is a specific motivation for seeking protection, and when the firm faces difficulties related to protection issues.

Research limitations/implications

– The data were gathered in a single country. The results may be different if practices in a culture based more on informal relations, with less efficient patent system, were investigated.

Practical implications

– The study provides managers with useful information on the informal protection of knowledge and innovations when resources are limited. In particular, it helps them to identify situations in which informal mechanisms are potentially more useful.

Originality/value

– This study adds to the literature by studying quantitatively the relationship between the recognised need for protection and the choice of formal and/or informal protection as a strategy. It combines both formal and informal mechanisms. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is one of the few studies examining HRM-related protection mechanisms.
An overview of environmental policies of local government organizations in the Republic of Serbia
Authors: Beke-Trivunac Jozefina , Jovanovic Larisa , Radosavljevic Života , Radosavljevic Milan
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the structure of local government environmental expenditures by purpose, term and economic type, as well as the sources of their financing.

Design/methodology/approach

– Research and data analysis were carried out on the basis of relevant sources of data gathered from the publicly available decisions on annual statements of accounts for 2011, published on local governments’ internet pages.

Findings

– The main domains of expenditures are pollution abatement, waste and wastewater management and protection of biodiversity. The most of expenditure relates to operating expenses, while only a few percent relates to long-term investments. The most of environmental protection expenditures are financed from the local government organization's (LGO) general budget.

Practical implications

– In the field of environmental protection, the most significant direct responsibility lies with local governments. On the other hand, information on the structure of environmental protection income and expenditures at the local government level is very limited and highly defragmented. The study may represent a starting point for further research in this field.

Originality/value

– The methodology and the results reported in this research could be used for exploring environmental policy of LGOs in other European countries.
Urban vulnerability assessment in South Asia: challenges and lessons learnt
Authors: Matiur Rahman Md.
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a solid understanding, policy and action recommendations to motivate and capacitate more cities to start such urban vulnerability processes and to guide them in their first steps in a direction which will more easily allow the direct use of vulnerability assessments for subsequent adaptation and resilience planning.

Design/methodology/approach

– The methodology adopted for this assessment builds on several years of ICLEI's international experience in climate change adaptation work. It specifically draws on the urban vulnerability component of the ICLEI ACCCRN process, a toolkit developed with support from Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network program, by ICLEI South Asia in partnership with ICLEI Oceania. A participatory approach that includes all key stakeholders and builds on past or ongoing relevant work in the city, as well as draws on existing data sources were adopted in view of the limited timeframe of this study (five months). A stakeholder consultation methodology referred to as Shared Learning Dialogues (SLDs) was adopted to engage not only various departments within the city government but also other local stakeholders. SLDs facilitate multi dimensional information sharing with everyone contributing information and experiences, and everyone learning from the exchanges as well.

Findings

– The critical impacts have been identified through a series of participatory learning processes which were corroborated with existing secondary data and baseline studies, where available. During SLD process, a timeline exercise was carried out and the consequences of those climatic hazards were also chalked out. Subsequently, these identified impacts were justified broadly with the available data and studies. These are saline water intrusion, loss of assets and infrastructure, health impacts – increased morbidity, water supply contaminated, sanitation and drainage systems disrupted, heightened threat situation (fear of embankment breach), in-migration, increasing siltation in the canals, river bank encroachment, livelihood change, biodiversity loss.

Practical implications

– The resilience interventions identified by the stakeholders can be assessed for potential linkages with existing or planned schemes, followed by supporting sectoral and pre-feasibility studies, resulting finally in the identification of financing options. These actions can be focussed on the vulnerable areas within the cities, especially hotspots, and social groups identified and their adaptive capacities were assessed.

Originality/value

– The resilience interventions identified by the stakeholders provides a focussed starting point for further discussion in terms of refinement of these actions as well their prioritization according to resilience and feasibility (economic, social, environmental) criteria.
The Nature of Cities: The Scope and Limits of Urban Theory
Authors: Scott Allen J. , Storper Michael
Published: March 2014

There has been a growing debate in recent decades about the range and substance of urban theory. The debate has been marked by many different claims about the nature of cities, including declarations that the urban is an incoherent concept, that urban society is nothing less than modern society as a whole, that the urban scale can no longer be separated from the global scale, and that urban theory hitherto has been deeply vitiated by its almost exclusive concentration on the cities of the global North. This article offers some points of clarification of claims like these. All cities can be understood in terms of a theoretical framework that combines two main processes, namely, the dynamics of agglomeration/polarization, and the unfolding of an associated nexus of locations, land uses and human interactions. This same framework can be used to identify many different varieties of cities, and to distinguish intrinsically urban phenomena from the rest of social reality. The discussion thus identifies the common dimensions of all cities without, on the one hand, exaggerating the scope of urban theory, or on the other hand, asserting that every individual city is an irreducible special case.
Accounting Variables, Deception, and a Bag of Words: Assessing the Tools of Fraud Detection
Authors: Purda Lynnette , Skillicorn David
Published: March 2014

We develop a data‐generated tool for distinguishing between fraudulent and truthful reports based on the language used in the management discussion and analysis section of annual and interim reports. Using this method, we are able to assign a probability of truth to each report which is then shown to be an effective indicator of fraud. Our work goes beyond the development of a tool alone, however, by conducting an extensive comparison of our probability‐of‐truth measure with eight alternative detection tools representing both quantitative and language‐based approaches. Comparisons are made across a variety of samples and show that our language‐based approach can be effective in both cross‐sectional and time‐series settings. It is useful both in distinguishing between fraudulent and truthful firms and in identifying fraudulent reports from a series of reports issued by a single firm. This second setting is one in which accounting‐based detection tools have frequently struggled. We establish that, not only is our probability‐of‐truth measure significantly associated with fraud, so too is the change in this measure from a firm's previous reports. Prior reports may serve an important benchmarking role in using language‐based tools to identify fraud.
The Impact of Payment Source and Hospital Type on Rising Cesarean Section Rates in Brazil, 1998 to 2008
Authors: Hopkins Kristine , de Lima Amaral Ernesto Friedrich , Mourão Aline Nogueira Menezes
Published: March 2014

Background

High cesarean section rates in Brazilian public hospitals and higher rates in private hospitals are well established. Less is known about the relationship between payment source and cesarean section rates within public and private hospitals.

Methods

We analyzed the 1998, 2003, and 2008 rounds of a nationally representative household survey (PNAD), which includes type of delivery, where it took place, and who paid for it. We construct cesarean section rates for various categories, and perform logistic regression to determine the relative importance of independent variables on cesarean section rates for all births and first births only.

Results

Brazilian cesarean section rates were 42 percent in 1998 and 53 percent in 2008. Women who delivered publicly funded births in either public or private hospitals had lower cesarean section rates than those who delivered privately financed deliveries in public or private hospitals. Multivariate models suggest that older age, higher education, and living outside the Northeast region all positively affect the odds of delivering by cesarean section; effects are attenuated by the payment source–hospital type variable for all women and even more so among first births.

Conclusions

Cesarean section rates have risen substantially in Brazil. It is important to distinguish payment source for the delivery to have a better understanding of those rates.
Impact of the International Continence Society (ICS) report on the standardisation of terminology in nocturia on the quality of reports on nocturia and nocturnal polyuria: a systematic review
Authors: Hofmeester Ilse , Kollen Boudewijn J. , Steffens Martijn G. , Bosch J.L.H.Ruud , Drake Marcus J. , Weiss Jeffrey P. , Blanker Marco H.
Published: March 2014

Objective

To systematically review and evaluate the impact of the International Continence Society (ICS)‐2002 report on standardisation of terminology in nocturia, on publications reporting on nocturia and nocturnal polyuria (NP). In 2002, the ICS defined NP as a Nocturnal Polyuria Index (nocturnal urine volume/total 24‐h urine volume) of >0.2–0.33, depending on age.

Materials and Methods

In April 2013 the PubMed and Embase databases were searched for studies (in English, German, French or Dutch) based on original data and adult participants, investigating the relationship between nocturia and NP. A methodological quality assessment was performed, including scores on external validity, internal validity and informativeness. Quality scores of items were compared between studies published before and after the ICS‐2002 report.

Results

The search yielded 78 publications based on 66 studies. Quality scores of studies were generally high for internal validity (median 5, interquartile range [IQR] 4–6) but low for external validity. After publication of the ICS‐2002 report, external validity showed a significant change from 1 (IQR 1–2) to 2 (IQR 1–2.5; P = 0.019). Nocturia remained undefined in 12 studies. In all, 19 different definitions were used for NP, most often being the ICS (or similar) definition: this covered 52% (n = 11) of studies before and 66% (n = 27) after the ICS‐2002 report. Clear definitions of both nocturia and NP were identified in 67% and 76% before, and in 88% and 88% of the studies after the ICS‐2002 report, respectively.

Conclusion

The ICS‐2002 report on standardisation of terminology in nocturia appears to have had a beneficial impact on reporting definitions of nocturia and NP, enabling better interpretation of results and comparisons between research projects. Because the external validity of most of the 66 studies is considered a problem, the results of these studies may not be validly extrapolated to other populations. The ICS definition of NP is used most often. However, its discriminative value seems limited due to the estimated difference of 0.6 nocturnal voids between individuals with and without NP. Refinement of current definitions based on robust research is required. Based on pathophysiological reasoning, we argue that it may be more appropriate to define NP based on nocturnal urine production or nocturnal voided volumes, rather than on a diurnal urine production pattern.