bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The asymmetric impact of price‐attribute performance on overall price evaluation
Authors: Padula Giovanna , Busacca Bruno
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To investigate the theoretical foundations of price as a multi‐dimensional component of value and to examine the nature of the relationship between price‐attribute perception and overall price evaluation.

Design/methodology/approach

The economic theory of the distribution of surplus across customers and the equity theory are used to develop the hypotheses about the multi‐dimensional nature of the price construct. Prospect theory is used to predict the relationship between price‐attribute performance and overall price evaluation. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire regarding mobile communications operators in Italy. After carrying out a principal factor analysis, several regression models were run to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results confirm that price is a multi‐dimensional construct (i.e. made up of cheapness, fairness and variety), yet they do not fully support the prospect theory predictions.

Research limitations/implications

Multi‐item price measurement scales need to be further developed and validated. The theoretical framework needs to be further validated in other industries to assess the external validity of these findings.

Practical implications

Different dimensions of price represent different “evaluation categories”, all related to importance, yet vastly different in how one ought to respond to each of them. For price dimensions showing an asymmetric relationship with overall price evaluation, relative importance is a function of performance.

Originality/value

This paper extends the price conceptualization from a uni‐dimensional to a multi‐dimensional construct and suggests an integration of prospect theory. It offers a contribution for research on evaluation measurement procedures as well as on price and value management.
Relationship quality, relationship marketing, and client perceptions of the levels of service quality of charitable organisations
Authors: Bennett Roger , Barkensjo Anna
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To investigate possible linkages between the relationship marketing activities of charitable organisations and the calibres of the relationships that charities establish with their beneficiaries. Also to identify the specific relationship marketing functions that contribute most to the development of good relationships between charities and their beneficiary clients.

Design/methodology/approach

One hundred beneficiaries of UK “helping and caring” charities were questioned about their perceptions of the service quality of the organisations that had given them assistance, their satisfaction with a charity's services, the character of their relationship with the charity, and the calibres of five different forms of relationship marketing (e.g. advertising, database marketing) employed by the charity. A model was constructed and estimated using the method of partial least squares. Perceived service quality was measured via adaptations of the SERVQUAL instrument but without any assessments of the respondents' prior expectations concerning the services they would receive from an organisation.

Findings

Relationship marketing was found to represent an effective weapon for improving both relationship quality and beneficiaries' satisfaction with service provision. Charities that “listened” to their beneficiary clients (e.g. by encouraging feedback) and which interacted with them on a regular basis were regarded as being exceptionally good at relationship marketing. Relationship quality as well as actual service quality induced beneficiaries to want to recommend a charity to other people and to engage in positive word‐of‐mouth.

Research limitations/implications

The configuration of the model meant that it was not possible to examine the consequences of reversing the assumption that satisfaction was the cause of perceived service quality and not vice versa.

Practical implications

The outcomes offer practical advice to charity managers regarding the manners in which they should pursue their relationship marketing activities. Charity managers need to be trained and competent in the techniques of relationship marketing. A genuine concern for building relationships should suffuse the entire organisation.

Originality/value

This is the first published study to explore the use of relationship marketing by charities in respect of their beneficiaries rather than their donors.
Service portraits in service research: a critical review
Authors: Edvardsson Bo , Gustafsson Anders , Roos Inger
Published: March 2005

Purpose

Focusing on one main research question: how is the phenomenon “service” portrayed within service research?, the aim is to describe and analyze how the concept of service is defined, how service characteristics express the concept, the relevance of the existing “service portraits”, and to suggest a new way of portraying service.

Design/methodology/approach

A literature search was carried out in order to find definitions of the service concept and expressions about the service characteristics. Databases were searched and 34 articles were used for further analysis. The same procedure was carried out for service characteristics. The articles that were chosen by the databases were reviewed thoroughly and those most relevant to the search topic were chosen. Sixteen leading scholars who had been shaping the service research field were also asked two basic questions.

Findings

The analysis of the concept of service and service characteristics shows that the definitions are too narrow and the characteristics are outdated as generic service characteristics. It is suggested that service is used as a perspective. When service is portrayed as a perspective, the approach is clear: it depends on who is portraying the service and on the purpose. If service characteristics are outdated, when will they stop being used in teaching? It is no longer necessary to defend services as being different from goods. Service is a research area in its own right.

Research limitations/implications

The number of articles and books used in the analysis can be criticized for not including enough relevant literature. The keywords used when searching in databases should also have included other words to capture the concept of service and service characteristics.

Practical implications

The practical implications are not so clear since this article is a contribution to the ongoing discussion about future directions of service research. However, it is suggested that service is a perspective on value creation and that value creation is best understood from the lens of the customer based on value in use.

Originality/value

This paper contributes with a literature review, a discussion on what service portraits are, and describes service as a perspective on value creation through the lens of the customer.
On extending social informatics from a rich legacy of networks and conceptual resources
Authors: Lamb Roberta , Sawyer Steve
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To extend the work of Rob Kling, whose research interests, and advocacy were at the center of a movement in analytical inquiry and empirical research now known as “social informatics”.

Design/methodology/approach

Reviews the work of those who engage in social informatics research to strengthen and further the conceptual perspective, analytical approaches, and intellectual contributions of social informatics.

Findings

The vibrant and growing international community of active social informatics scholars has assembled a social informatics resource kit that includes: perspective lenses through which research data can be viewed critically; techniques for building theory and developing models from socially rich empirical data; and a common body of knowledge regarding the uses and effects of ICTs.

Originality/value

The paper identifies opportunities to engage new scholars in social informatics discussions, and suggests new venues for promoting and extending the work of scholars already enrolled in the social informatics movement.
Social informatics and the political economy of communications
Authors: Mansell Robin
Published: March 2005

Purpose

There is a need to understand both theoretically and empirically the dominant guiding principles that are becoming embedded in people's technologically mediated interactions and what the alternatives may be. Aims to provide an evaluation of the work of Rob Kling in helping to find guidance on these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper combines narrative with argument and analysis.

Findings

How people communicate in different organisational contexts is informed by the way meanings are created (in this study, contractual understandings to supply material goods) and how various processes can be made to work in both offline and online environments. The results of this study illustrate one of Rob Kling's dictums: the social context of information and communication technologies (ICT) development matters.

Originality/value

Provides a contribution to the literature on Kling's work on social informatics.
Value conflicts in enterprise systems
Authors: Allen Jonathan P.
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To identify, classify, and propose a preliminary theory of the value conflicts and social choices that arise in enterprise system use.

Design/methodology/approach

Ethnographic case study of a medium‐sized manufacturing firm, using a participant‐observer approach.

Findings

Three areas of value conflict are identified between functional areas: conflicts over work priorities, conflicts over dependency on the commitments of others, and conflicts over evaluation fairness. When participants perceived that the value conflicts were accommodated in a balanced and legitimate way, they chose to use information resources within the enterprise system. When the conflicts were perceived as too great, participants chose to ignore the enterprise system, or develop their own competing information resources.

Research limitations/implications

This paper reports on theory building from one intensive case study. It implies, however, that previous attempts to account for the difficulty of enterprise resource planning (ERP) use have not focused enough on the social relationships between the functional areas that are tightly integrated through enterprise systems.

Practical implications

The three value conflict questions (work priorities, dependency on commitments, and evaluation fairness) can be used to identify potential ERP problem areas, and to clarify the costs and benefits of different ERP choices for various functional areas.

Originality/value

For information systems researchers and practitioners, this paper offers another means for identifying value conflicts and social choices in computerization, hopefully bringing us closer to Rob Kling's dream that computerization choices be made in a more socially benign way.
Multiview as social informatics in action: past, present and future
Authors: Wood‐Harper Trevor , Wood Bob
Published: March 2005

Purpose

This paper is intended to pay tribute to the inspiration provided by Rob Kling by showing how his ideas about social informatics in general and the use of web models in particular, have helped us to formulate and develop our own work in the field of information systems development methods.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual discussion and approach are taken.

Findings

Illustrates how Kling's advocacy of the need for a more holistic form of explanation of the behaviour of what he (and Walt Scacchi) termed “computer resources” gave shape to ideas emerging from others' action research studies at that time, and how his attempts to set the agenda for the emerging field of Social Informatics have informed subsequent developments in work in the area of methodological inquiry.

Originality/value

Provides an evaluation of Kling's pioneering and inspirational work on information and communication technologies.
Service quality: beyond cognitive assessment
Authors: Edvardsson Bo
Published: March 2005

Purpose

The aim of this article is to contribute to widening the scope of service quality by focusing on dimensions beyond cognitive assessment. The focus is on the role of customers’ emotions in service experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

The article first discusses the service concept and implications for service quality. It then focuses on the role of customer experiences, and then discusses the role of emotions in service quality.

Findings

The paper presents six propositions related to service experiences when consuming services and the role of emotions in customer‐perceived service quality.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to widening the scope of service quality by focusing on dimensions beyond cognitive assessment.
A manufacturer becoming service provider – challenges and a paradox
Authors: Brax Saara
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To provide a perspective on the nature of service infusion in manufacturing companies based on a case analysis in the context of a maintenance management solution for industrial production equipment.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper first discusses how manufacturers becoming service providers is treated in the literature. Next, a qualitative single‐case study is reported, in which a troublesome business concept was surveyed through 35 thematic focus group interviews. The analysis revealed a set of challenges that were compared to arrive at a conclusion, the paradox.

Findings

The findings suggest that many challenges stemmed from the manufacturing‐oriented way of doing business. This further indicates that the common implicit view, that manufacturers can shift to service provision steadily, by adding service offerings to their total offering one by one, may actually be hazardous.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations are based on the methodology. First, the case study focuses on only one manufacturing company, and therefore the aim of the paper is not to generalize the findings. On the other hand, the data collected for the case are rich and in‐depth in nature, and the brief reporting can only cover the tip of the iceberg. Yet, even one divergent case yields for questioning the existing beliefs, which is the aim of this study.

Originality/value

The paper provides an original perspective to this topical, but under‐studied, phenomenon of manufacturers increasingly providing service offerings, and brings into daylight the implicit tone of the existing research.
Fading customer relationships in professional services
Authors: Åkerlund Helena
Published: March 2005

Purpose

Fading customer relationships are important phenomena to understand for companies to prevent a future relationship termination, manage a desired relationship termination, or manage the situation where the relationship strength temporarily or permanently has weakened. It is assumed that fading could take different forms and develop through a range of different processes. The purpose of this study is therefore to reveal different types of possible fading customer relationship processes.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 42 semi‐structured qualitative interviews have been made looking at 21 fading relationship dyads. The interviews focused on understanding the development of the relationship process emphasising the weakening of relationship strength. The data were analysed using ideal type analysis.

Findings

Different aspects of the fading process resulted in a model for analysing fading relationships, and four types of fading processes were revealed: the crash landing process, the altitude drop process, the fizzle‐out process, and the try‐out process.

Research limitations/implications

The article contributes to a broadened understanding of different types of fading processes within the research area of ending relationships emphasising the dynamic aspects of the phenomenon.

Practical implications

Managerial implications include the management of different types of fading processes making it possible to create strategies focusing on the specific characteristics of the outlined types.

Originality/value

There is a lack of research in the services literature focusing on relationship dynamics in general and the weakening of customer relationships in particular; also very few business‐to‐consumer studies take a dyadic approach. This paper explores the unknown territories of relationship fading.
Does customer satisfaction lead to profitability?
Authors: Keiningham Timothy L. , Perkins‐Munn Tiffany , Aksoy Lerzan , Estrin Demitry
Published: March 2005

Purpose

Many researches have proposed a virtuous chain of effects from improved customer satisfaction to profits. In particular, satisfaction is thought to improve share‐of‐spending, which in turn leads to higher customer revenue and customer profitability. This paper aims to examine these proposed linkages using data from the institutional securities industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used in the analyses were collected as part of an ongoing telephone satisfaction survey of 81 clients of an institutional securities firm across two continents (North America and Europe). Mediation analysis was used to test the hypothesized effects.

Findings

Customer revenue was found to correlate negatively with customer profitability for unprofitable customers, and positively for profitable customers.

Research limitations/implications

One of the limitations of this research is that it tests the propositions within a single industry. Future research should attempt to replicate these findings in other contexts.

Practical implications

A simplistic focus on improving customer satisfaction for all customers in order to improve share‐of‐wallet and customer revenue does not seem to represent the best management approach to maximize overall firm profitability. In fact, it could actually result in a negative return on investment. Therefore, customers should first be segmented by their profitability to the firm before expending resources to improve customer satisfaction and share‐of‐wallet.

Originality/value

The results of this paper challenge the conventional belief that customer satisfaction should lead to customer retention in turn, resulting in customer revenue and ultimately customer profitability. The findings indicate that this may not always be true.
E‐services and offline fulfilment: how e‐loyalty is created
Authors: Semeijn Janjaap , van Riel Allard C.R. , van Birgelen Marcel J.H. , Streukens Sandra
Published: March 2005

Purpose

Most transactions initiated online are completed by some form of offline fulfilment, i.e. the delivery of the goods to the customer's doorstep. In previous studies, web site performance or e‐service quality was found to be an important antecedent of customer satisfaction and loyalty. In traditional settings, physical fulfilment is considered an important driver of customers’ behavioral intentions. This study models and tests the combined effects of online and offline service components on customer responses.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an empirical, cross‐sectional study across four online industries.

Findings

In the surveyed industries offline fulfilment appears to be at least as important as web site performance.

Research limitations/implications

Further research is needed on how value and joy are created as part of the total e‐experience. Furthermore, the importance of offline fulfilment in effecting customer satisfaction and loyalty levels for different online services needs further investigation.

Practical implications

Online retailers must ensure offline quality to at least the same level as online quality.

Originality/value

Important insights into the absolute and relative importance of online and offline fulfilment dimensions have been generated in a broader e‐commerce context.
The importance of attitude and appearance in the service encounter in retail and hospitality
Authors: Nickson Dennis , Warhurst Chris , Dutton Eli
Published: March 2005

Purpose

For service organisations the interaction between front‐line personnel and the customer is crucial as they aim to create high quality service encounters. Much research has focused on attempts by organisations to inculcate the “right” kind of attitude in their front‐line employees. This paper seeks to extend this analysis by pointing to the increasing importance not just of having employees with the “right” attitudes, but also possessing aesthetic skills. The emergence of aesthetic skills reflects the growing importance of aesthetic labour in interactive services. That is, employers' increasingly desire that employees should have the “right” appearance in that they “look good” and “sound right” in the service encounter in retail and hospitality.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper mainly utilises responses to a structured questionnaire from employers in the retail and hospitality industries in Glasgow, although reference is also made to a similar employees' questionnaire.

Findings

The evidence from the questionnaires suggests that employers in the retail and hospitality industries are not generally looking for “hard” technical skills in their front‐line personnel, but rather “soft” skills. Such “soft” skills encompass attitude and, importantly, appearance – what we term “aesthetic skills” – and the latter is often underappreciated in academic and policy‐making debates.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of the survey suggest that academics and policy‐makers need to expand the way they think about “soft” skills. Specifically, they need to be aware of the extent of employers’ needs for both social and aesthetic skills.

Originality/value

The findings of the survey have implications from a policy perspective and policy‐makers may need to think about if and how these needs can be incorporated into education and training provision.
Steps towards personalised learner management system (LMS): SCORM implementation
Authors: Watson Jason , Hardaker Glenn
Published: March 2005

Purpose

Seeks to show that the software development process is based on the premise to provide an enhanced e‐learning environment by supporting individual learning styles and preferences through the use of emerging adaptive technologies that also enable performance evaluation in the context of meeting agreed learning outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The design methodology adopts a case study approach that follows the design and implementation of a learner management system.

Findings

Web‐based intelligent tutoring systems, aimed at compensating for the absence of a real world tutor have to date mostly concentrated on providing assistance in a particular subject domain and not focused on the problem of utilising content represented as learning objects across multi‐subject domains. This paper describes the creation of a non‐dictatorial tutoring system that has been developed at NTP Information Solutions Ltd. A visualisation tool has bee4n created called “learning navigator” to help learners to visualise the best path through assignable units extracted from a learning repository.

Practical implications

The system is currently able to suggest new paths that take into account learning styles through learner performance, learner previous experience and learning objectives. Future work will include extending this criterion to take into account further individual learning preferences.

Originality/value

The sharable content objects (SCOs) approach to the software solution extends the internationally recognised SCORM development standards. As a consequence the paper contributes to international e‐learning standards development but also extends current knowledge of the role of adaptive technologies in supporting learning styles and preferences.
A tool for the administration and management of university profile information
Authors: Bulchand Jacques , Rodríguez Jorge , Chattah Ana C.
Published: March 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a management tool that helps to achieve the objectives of the plan for info‐tech systems and communications of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria for the 2003‐2006 period.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology used in this case is nothing if not practical. The chosen tool involved university members who put it into practice and the results were observed.

Findings

Finds that a practical instrument, which appeals to the users' real needs, can overcome their objections to change and their apprehension of technological innovation.

Research limitations/implications

As in all individual case studies – and this is no exception – the methodology chosen circumscribes to some extent the research and its results, which therefore cannot be automatically applied generally elsewhere.

Practical implications

Users' interests are paramount and preparation of the technology involved must be given the utmost attention over a considerable period of time.

Originality/value

University members have here a user‐friendly means of effecting e‐administration simply and easily.
Does online participation matter? A case study of a hybrid theatre arts course
Authors: Marcus Sara
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To examine whether students have higher retention rates of material when they participate in online quizzes or online alternative student‐centered assignments on the material presented in the F2F class.

Design/methodology/approach

Reviews the literature; and analyzes data from the implementation of both types of assessment for the online sessions of the course (student‐centered and faculty‐centered) as correlated with mid‐term and final examination scores.

Findings

A significant difference was found on both mid‐term and final examination scores by participants and non‐participants in the assessments. A significant difference was not found in the participation levels in the various assessment types. In addition, a minimal relationship was found between the assessment type and the act of participating in the assessment. The assessment type was not found to have a significant effect, though the participation in the assessment type did have an effect.

Research limitations/implications

Only two terms' worth of students, in one course, were examined. The assessments were not analyzed for equivalence in their coverage of the materials. Further research is needed on types of activities and level of participation, types of participation and level of learning, and participation scale grade rather than a yes/no method, are correlated.

Practical implications

Provides a very useful source of information, guidance, and support for instructors considering the use of online assessments in their hybrid courses.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified need in the usage of alternative assessments and offers practical help to faculty teaching a theatre arts hybrid class.
Online learning design that fosters student support, self‐regulation, and retention
Authors: Fisher Mercedes , Baird Derek E.
Published: March 2005

Purpose

Investigating the social structure in online courses helps in designing for and facilitating student support and retention. Aims to provide data showing how course design and use of social software technologies provided social and collaborative learning opportunities for online students.

Design/methodology/approach

A study of computer‐mediated groups that utilized social media technologies and a web‐based collaborative model in an online program. Participants were put into groups and observed as they constructed knowledge using both online dialogue (synchronous and asynchronous) and social media technologies as tools to support their learning.

Findings

The integration of web‐based learning communities and collaborative group assignments into the course design has a positive influence on student retention in online courses.

Research limitations/implications

The research was limited to the online student population at Pepperdine University, and did not include data or research from similar online programs at other universities. Future research should include data collected from students outside the USA to find out what role cultural mores, attitudes, and gender play.

Practical implications

Provides curriculum design strategies that foster community, utilize social/ participatory media, and support online student learning and retention through effective course design.

Originality/value

Current research on distance learning curriculum has focused on the instructor's perspective. It is felt that research from the student's perspective can also yield some valuable insights for online course design.
ELCAT: an e‐learning content adaptation toolkit
Authors: Clements Iain , Xu Zhijie
Published: March 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an e‐learning content adaptation toolkit – ELCAT – that helps to achieve the objectives of the KTP project No. 3509.

Design/methodology/approach

The chosen methodology is absolutely practical. The tool was put into motion and results were observed as university and the collaborating company members started using it and getting results out of it.

Findings

The methodology and the practical approach developed in the research facilitate e‐learning practices and the developed software enables the utilisation of legacy e‐learning material on the internet and world wide web. It also helps to break the resistance to change and the fears stemming from new technologies when a useful tool taught with the idea of what users really need is given to users.

Research limitations/implications

As usual in all case studies, the results of this research are limited by the methodology, since results have to be reviewed carefully before applying them to other tools or universities.

Practical implications

It is absolutely fundamental to take users' needs into account and implementation of technology tools should be properly planned across time.

Originality/value

The paper presents an easy‐to‐use tool that allows university community members to carry out e‐administration processes in a very simple and easy manner.
Leadership in high‐performance teams: a model for superior team performance
Authors: Wing Linda S.
Published: March 2005

Purpose

Aims to explore how high performing teams create exponential growth.

Design/methodology/approach

Characteristics of the market within which the high‐performance team operated are described as accelerated change (high velocity) and knowledge creation (innovation and research). These characteristics more often than not describe characteristics of firms operating in the global enterprise system. The opinions and experiences expressed are articulated so that others who wish to emulate significant levels of performance have a roadmap to such success.

Findings

Conditions for success across a wide range of organizational principles, actions and philosophies are articulated and highlight the systems orientation of high performance. Organizations who wish for accelerated growth, resilience and change will be introduced to a series of techniques which, when applied, create understanding required for swift action in high velocity, global markets. The viewpoint is grounded in actual experience and the understanding of a leader who led through team leaders for superior outcomes. A model of leadership activities, actions, principles and philosophies required to gain this superior performance is shared.

Practical implications

The article is particularly relevant to practicing leaders in knowledge industries characterized by transaction and innovation speed, as well as the accompanying change that often follows innovation. Application will also be highly relevant to those leaders who lead highly proficient knowledge workers, as the model creates understanding of the organizational conditions necessary to unleash the full potential of these employees.

Originality/value

Practitioners will find the information in the article very useful in helping to focus on day to day operations and the relevant view things which create dynamic results.
Team building in small businesses owned by women
Authors: Cantzler Ingmari , Leijon Svante
Published: March 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to see how women who run their own businesses create and hold together teams within their companies.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study was conducted and interviews were carried out with four female owners of small‐businesses. Interviews were also conducted with their employees and their customers. The field research resulted in a categorization of the four businesses we studied.

Findings

Only one of the companies succeeded in creating a genuine team, the category that we call the “friends”. It took them a long time to achieve, which is rarely mentioned in literature on this topic. Creating mutual concepts is a complicated process. The other categories are called “circle of acquaintances”, the “family” and the “colleagues”. The circle of acquaintances had not succeeded in creating a team amid the turbulence they work within, while the family is not prepared to take the time that is needed to create a team. A process has been started for the staff in the colleagues category aimed at creating a team once they have understood the importance of good internal relations.

Practical implications

In practice it takes time to build team‐based working methods in small businesses. Employees require training but many small business owners don't think they have time for it.

Originality/value

The more collective methods that characterize the friends category are not normally the subject of research into small businesses where focus is usually on the owner of the company. The working methods at this company were more collective than usual and this is not commonly seen in research into this area.
Organizational contextual determinants of cross‐functional NPD team support
Authors: Boyle Todd A. , Kumar Uma , Kumar Vinod
Published: March 2005

Purpose – This research aims to identify various organizational‐level factors influencing support for cross‐functional new product development (NPD) teams. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 2,500 questionnaires where mailed in 2003 to managers of product development from Canadian and US manufacturing organizations operating in the machinery, computer, electronic product, electrical equipment, and transportation equipment manufacturing industrial sectors. A total of 269 usable questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 11.1 percent. Findings – Results of performing regression analysis indicate that the quality of communication between the functional disciplines involved in NPD activities, perceived risks and complexity of using cross‐functional NPD teams, and the complexity of the organization's NPD activities all influence organizational support for cross‐functional NPD teams. Based on the qualitative data, additional reasons why cross‐functional NPD teams may not be supported in organizations are identified and discussed. Research limitations/implications – The major limitation of this study is that the respondents are NPD managers. These managers commented on the extent that support for cross‐functional NPD teams exists at the team, departmental, and senior management levels. Future research should focus on gauging organizational support for cross‐functional NPD teams by directly surveying team members, functional managers, and senior managers. Practical implications – This study identifies various organizational‐level factors influencing support for cross‐functional NPD teams. Originality/value – This research is of value to managers using or implementing cross‐functional teams, as it indicates potential organizational‐level factors that may facilitate or hamper the usage of such teams. To researchers, it provides a starting point in studying the determinants of support for cross‐functional NPD teams, and cross‐functional teams in general.
Improving team decision‐making performance with collaborative modeling
Authors: Jeffery Arthur B. , Maes Jeanne D. , Bratton‐Jeffery Mary F.
Published: March 2005

Purpose

This article aims to examine considerations and strategies for improving team performance in decision‐making by teaching teams to use collaborative modeling based on team mental models.

Design/methodology/approach

The article describes the nature of shared mental models and collaborative modeling, the potential effects of collaborative modeling on team performance, and a perspective on communication imperatives that facilitate collaborative modeling. The articles builds upon this information to suggest five imperatives for teams to help them develop collaborative modeling skills

Findings

The article offers strategies in the form of five imperatives for teams to observe in order to build skills in collaborative modeling and improve team performance by improving team members’ ability to effect collaborative modeling to accomplish team tasks and goals.

Originality/value

Research over the years in mental modeling and communication has created a powerful argument that effective communication and shared mental models improves team performance. However there is little about application of this concept in the literature. The next step for researchers is to develop application models for collaborative modeling and test those models through empirical research. This paper offers an application model based on imperatives to be observed by decision‐making teams in order to facilitate the creation of shared mental models of team tasks and processes.
The role of concrescent conversation in the performing stage of work groups
Authors: Haki Akan Obasi
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To provide an alternative paradigm to traditional group development research in understanding how group performance is constructed through conversation by its members.

Design/methodology/approach

In this qualitative field study, empirical data was collected on the performing stage of two work groups. Searle's speech act categories were used to analyze the conversation of group members. Using grounded theory a model is inductively constructed by examining the individual communication pieces (i.e. speech acts) and putting those pieces back together into a coherent frame.

Findings

This study proposes that during the performing stage of work group talk, a unique type of describable verbal behavior, termed concrescent conversation, is present which enables group member's ability to “contribute to task success” – being a more productive group.

Practical implications

How productive groups are is a highly relevant issue to managers in complex organizations. In the new workplace, groups are the primary work unit used to achieve business goals. Understanding how groups develop and how to improve their performance is of primary interest to managers and leaders of successful organizations.

Originality/value

What is required to make groups productive? Taking a social constructionist's perspective to this question means acknowledging the social constructionist's view that conversation helps produce reality and that group productivity is a communication‐driven phenomenon. The study explores conversation's role in one phase of Tuckman's group development model – the performing stage. The goal is to extend the understanding of group performance and to be better able to create and sustain productive groups
ABC/ABM – activity‐based costing and activity‐based management
Authors: Hughes Andrew
Published: March 2005

Purpose

There is the potential to improve the competitive performance of small to medium‐sized companies (SMEs) particularly in the UK clothing and textile industry, a sector of the economy that has had little exposure to activity‐based costing and activity‐based management (ABC/ABM).

Design/methodology/approach

A review of the current literature relating to ABC/ABM was made, with reference to its poor take up amongst SMEs and those in the clothing and textile manufacturing sector particularly. A case study was undertaken to test the theories and assumptions in the context of SMEs in the clothing and textile industry.

Findings

The case study showed that there are opportunities to improve the profitability of SMEs if the findings were transposed to other similar businesses willing to invest the time and effort into setting up an ABC/ABM system.

Research limitations/implications

There is the opportunity for further research in other areas of business activity in the fashion industry.

Practical implications

This is a practical application of a financial management tool that would be useful to academia, managers in SMEs in the clothing and textile industry, government planners looking for ways to increase profitability for UK firms.

Originality/value

The paper takes an existing well‐known financial tool and examines its use in an area of the economy with little or no previous exposure to its benefits.
Drivers of new product success in the Italian sport shoe cluster of Montebelluna
Authors: Ciappei Cristiano , Simoni Christian
Published: March 2005

Purpose

The purpose of this empirical research is to identify the key success factors engrained in the new product development (NPD) practices of companies that belong to the Italian sport shoe cluster of Montebelluna.

Design/methodology/approach

Statistical analyses were undertaken on data collected through a questionnaire submitted to a conveniently selected group of the population of firms localized in Montebelluna. A series of one‐way ANOVAs was run on the NPD performance metric. We then measured the Pearson correlation between the degree of new product success and the factors that were found to be statistically significant. We converted the response variable into a dummy and then we tested the hypotheses with the normalized Cramer's V‐square to discriminate between the best performers and the rest. Finally, we performed a regression analysis to build a model that explains a large part of the variation in new product success.

Findings

Three macro factors have a positive influence on new product success: extended team approach (also cross‐company); customer orientation; and the use of advanced ICTs for new product development.

Research limitations/implications

Further investigation is needed on the role of networking with suppliers in new product development.

Practical implications

Sport shoe manufacturers should: proactively develop close relationships with their customers aimed at NPD; integrate lead users in the NPD process; and implement strategies to overcome their inhibition from investing in advanced ICTs for NPD.

Originality/value

Some factors that have been found as being important drivers of new product success in other researches do not seem to play a relevant role in the companies we analyzed. The study highlights the strategic role of lead users in contributing to the enhanced performance of successful companies.
Consumer shopping value for retail brands
Authors: Carpenter Jason M. , Moore Marguerite , Fairhurst Ann E.
Published: March 2005

Purpose

To examine whether consumers value the in‐store experience that retailers provide as part of the store as brand concept.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of young adult consumers (N=188) was surveyed using a self‐administered questionnaire. Statistical techniques (MANOVA, post hoc tests) were used to evaluate the data.

Findings

Statistical models indicate that consumers expect both hedonic and utilitarian value to be present when shopping in the store as brand context.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are useful because they confirm significant differences in consumer perceptions of hedonic shopping value across several retail brands. Therefore, customers appear to recognize the uniqueness among the in‐store experience that retailers are working hard to achieve. This delivery of value, then, seems to be an effective source of differentiation.

Practical implications

The results of this study indicate that retailers using a “store as the brand” strategy should continue to invest in creating a specific, unique shopping experience for their target customer. However, retailers should always be mindful that regardless of the excitement and fun delivered in the shopping experience, consumers appear to expect utility including the right merchandise, in the right place, at the right time, and at the right price.

Originality/value

This paper undertakes an empirical examination of consumer value for the broader concept of the retail brand (apparel) that encompasses the entire consumer shopping experience associated with the context.
Instrument development and evaluation for measuring USA apparel product design attributes
Authors: Miller Nancy J. , Campbell J.R. , Littrell Mary A. , Travnicek Daryl
Published: March 2005

Purpose

The research goal is to develop, analyze, and evaluate an instrument measuring perceptions and preferences of garment design characteristics, and to evaluate interpretability of results for ease of use by scientists and industry practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach

This study focused on female garment attributes that were culturally inspired by Indonesia. A sample of 115 US college‐age females was targeted to test 18 garments varying in attributes of three styles, three fabric prints, and two fabric colorways. Attributes were used as stimuli in generating evaluations of garment similarities and acceptance.

Findings

Stimuli and questions performed well in collecting data, and convergence validity for the instrument was demonstrated through hierarchical cluster analyses and multidimensional scaling analysis. Findings from this initial testing determined that consumers can differentiate similarity and evaluate levels of acceptance for garment style, fabric print, and color.

Research limitations/implications

The small segment of US consumers involved in this initial exploration and the need for further study is acknowledged. Research‐generated analytic information summarizing targeted consumers' responses can be used in industry and in future product development research.

Practical implications

Findings, generated from consumer input, provide diagnostic information for the product development process including market positioning strategy decisions for enhanced product adoption. Understanding which product attributes should remain similar to existing or competing products and which attributes can uniquely deviate from those currently accepted in the consumer culture is also clarified.

Originality/value

Research instruments are needed that advance measurement of consumer responses in evaluating apparel design characteristics for national or international product development and market positioning.