bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Detection of novel divergent arenaviruses in boid snakes with inclusion body disease in The Netherlands
Authors: Bodewes R. , Kik M. J. L. , Raj V. Stalin , Schapendonk C. M. E. , Haagmans B. L. , Smits S. L. , Osterhaus A. D. M. E.
Published: March 2013

Arenaviruses are bi-segmented negative-stranded RNA viruses, which were until recently only detected in rodents and humans. Now highly divergent arenaviruses have been identified in boid snakes with inclusion body disease (IBD). Here, we describe the identification of a new species and variants of the highly divergent arenaviruses, which were detected in tissues of captive boid snakes with IBD in The Netherlands by next-generation sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis of the complete sequence of the open reading frames of the four predicted proteins of one of the detected viruses revealed that this virus was most closely related to the recently identified Golden Gate virus, while considerable sequence differences were observed between the highly divergent arenaviruses detected in this study. These findings add to the recent identification of the highly divergent arenaviruses in boid snakes with IBD in the United States and indicate that these viruses also circulate among boid snakes in Europe.
The interpenetrated three-dimensional framework of a new mixed lithium/ammonium perchlorate grown in a gel medium
Authors: Walha Siwar , Bouchaala Mahmoud , Ben Salah Abdelhamid
Published: March 2013

Mixed lithium/ammonium perchlorate, Li0.41(NH4)0.59ClO4, has been prepared by gel diffusion using agar agar gel as the medium of growth at ambient temperature. The Cl and mixed Li/N atoms are located on the 4a({1 \over 2}, {1 \over 2}, {1 \over 2}) and 4b({1 \over 2}, 0, {1 \over 4}) special positions, respectively, in the space groupI\overline 42d. The structure features a twofold interpenetrated three-dimensional entanglement architecture, in which single three-dimensional networks are constructed from tetrahedral coordination based on [–(ClO4)–(Li/NH4)–(ClO4)–]∞diamondoid arrays. A comparison of the crystal structures of Li0.41(NH4)0.59ClO4, LiClO4·3H2O, LiClO4and NH4ClO4is given.
A one-dimensional silver(I) coordination polymer based on the 2-[2-(pyridin-4-yl)-1H-benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl]phenol ligand exhibiting photoluminescence
Authors: Hu Dong-Cheng , Xiao Chao-Hu , Guo Guo-Zhe , Yang Yun-Xia , Liu Jia-Cheng
Published: March 2013

A one-dimensional AgIcoordination complex,catena-poly[[silver(I)-μ-{2-[2-(pyridin-4-yl)-1H-benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl]phenol-κ2N2:N3}] perchlorate monohydrate], {[Ag(C19H15N3O)]ClO4·H2O}n, was synthesized by the reaction of 2-[2-(pyridin-4-yl)-1H-benzimidazol-1-ylmethyl]phenol (L) with silver perchlorate. In the complex, theLligands are arranged alternately and link AgIcations through one benzimidazole N atom and the N atom of the pyridine ring, leading to an extended zigzag chain structure. In addition, the one-dimensional chains are extended into a three-dimensional supramolecular architectureviaO—H...O hydrogen-bond interactions and π–π stacking interactions. The complex exhibits photoluminescence in acetonitrile solution, with an emission maximum at 390 nm, and investigation of the thermal stability reveals that the network structure is stable up to 650 K.
A memo of qualitative research for information science: toward theory construction
Authors: Cibangu Sylvain K.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to advocate for a clearer and less fragmentary use of qualitative research in the increasingly interdisciplinary research setting of information science.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper performs a textual analysis of more than 500 peer‐reviewed articles to assess information science's involvement with qualitative research. The paper undertakes historical criticism to trace qualitative research in the reviews of information science for the last three decades.

Findings

Authors are unclear and lax in their uses of basic research terms. Authors do not account for qualitative research's characteristics, methods, and contributions to information science's bodies of knowledge. Only 4.3 percent of published articles mention their contributions to information science's literature whereas 5.6 percent mention qualitative method(s) in their abstracts. Publications do not show (intra‐)collaboration between areas of information science. Information science's contributions to the theoretical discussions of the wider scientific community are lacking.

Originality/value

The paper discusses afresh information science's qualitative research. The paper suggests a tighter and long‐term investment of information science in qualitative research and the formation of the information science's own theorists and theory‐illumined practitioners. The paper puts forth some practical recommendations.
Social media for international students – it's not all about Facebook
Authors: Saw Grace , Abbott Wendy , Donaghey Jessie , McDonald Carolyn
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discover which social networking sites international students prefer for information dissemination activities. As more libraries experiment with social networking to inform and connect with students, there is a need to determine the effectiveness of this strategy for reaching international students. The paper seeks to address three questions: what social networking sites do international students prefer and why? Which sites do they use to socialise and which do they use to gather and distribute information? How can libraries leverage this information to enhance the international student experience?

Design/methodology/approach

Information on social networking preferences and usage was gathered from 13 per cent of students at Bond University via an online survey.

Findings

The findings confirm that for some international student populations, social networking preferences differentiated between the domestic students' preferences. In addition to social activities, international and domestic students are using particular social networking sites for a wide range of educational purposes, including group work and sharing and gathering information. Although Facebook is still the predominant choice for the majority of students, the findings suggest particular sites such as Twitter and YouTube should be considered by libraries as a means to engage both international and domestic students. Institutions with large Chinese student populations should consider the use of Renren.

Originality/value

As of yet there have been no studies that have investigated and compared international students' social networking preferences to domestic students. The study connects the findings to practical implications for academic library use of social networking sites.
Fostering a sticky relationship with academic library users
Authors: Wilcox Emma , Boon Chia Yew
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify strategies to help academic libraries to be more useful and present to users in the context of the plethora of information made available by the online revolution.

Design/methodology/approach

Professors Davenport and Beck's stickiness model, comprising convenience, relevance, engagement and community, outlined in The Attention Economy: Understanding the New Currency of Business, is first identified as a framework to examine how to improve stickiness between the library and its users. Each factor is investigated in the context of an academic library and then specifically, in the Humanities and Social Sciences Library, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. A survey is then conducted to establish the relative importance of the factors to users. Priority areas where application of the factors could be strengthened are then identified. Finally, an assessment of the usefulness and comprehensiveness of the model is made.

Findings

The stickiness model has some limitations; library roles such as preservation and data curation are not examined. Beyond this, the model is a very useful practical tool to evaluate the library's strengths and weaknesses, identify growth areas, and formulate a strategy to improve stickiness.

Practical implications

Convenience and relevance are currently key areas, while engagement and community offer great potential to cement stickiness.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the issue of attention deficit and identifies strategies to improve the library's stickiness, change traditional mindsets about its roles and usefulness and enable it to be more present in the lives of its users.
Business process improvement in services: case studies of financial institutions in Thailand
Authors: Buavaraporn Nattapan , Tannock James
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how financial institutions adopt business process improvement (BPI) for improving service quality, to enhance customer satisfaction. To explain this adoption, it was necessary to develop a theory to explain the linkages between BPI initiatives and customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study was used as the research strategy, following the theory‐building process suggested by Eisenhardt. In total, three phases of data collection were employed, with expert interviews for theory enhancement and validation.

Findings

The authors identified three main stages of BPI adoption. A theory model was developed and refined using the empirical findings, to provide understanding of the outcomes of BPI initiatives. This model is compared with existing service quality models.

Research limitations/implications

The research outcomes represent an extension of existing service quality approaches, to consider the BPI adoption process as well as broader organisational issues. However, data were collected only from Thai financial institutions, which might impact the generalisation of the results.

Practical implications

The proposed theory model is developed at an operational level, and specifically aims to provide managers with adoption guidance and a practical foundation for further development of operational‐level assessment, assisting a more systematic evaluation of the outcomes of specific BPI initiatives at the project level.

Originality/value

The paper provides empirical evidence of BPI adoption in a financial services context. A theory model is presented based on service quality principles, to help explain BPI adoption outcomes at an operational (e.g. project) level, which provides a different perspective to that of existing service quality models.
Ethical climate, goal interdependence, and commitment among Asian auditors
Authors: Shafer William E. , Poon Margaret C.C. , Tjosvold Dean
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this study is to examine the relations among organizational ethical climate, goal interdependence (cooperative vs competitive goals), and organizational and professional commitment among auditors in Asia.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a field survey of 293 auditors employed in two offices of an international accounting firm: one in Hong Kong and one in Singapore.

Findings

Structural equation analyses indicate that instrumental ethical climates that focus on the pursuit of self‐interest and firm profitability promote more competitive and less cooperative goals among auditors. Benevolent/cosmopolitan (public interest) climates appear to enhance cooperative goals among employees. Cooperative goals in turn were associated with increased affective and normative organizational and professional commitments. Competitive environments significantly reduced affective and normative organizational commitment as well as affective professional commitment. Compared with their Hong Kong counterparts, Singaporean auditors perceived the ethical climate in their firm to be more positive or supportive of ethical values, and also felt the work environment in the firm was more cooperative and less competitive. In addition, the Singaporean auditors exhibited somewhat higher levels of emotional attachment to both their firm and the public accounting profession.

Originality/value

No prior accounting study has examined the influence of cooperative/competitive goals on work outcomes in a public accounting setting, or the role of ethical climates as potential antecedents of such goals. The results of the current study indicate that the development of cooperative and competitive goals is significantly related to the perceived ethical climate in public accounting firms, and that such goals may have significant effects on employee commitment not only to their organization but also to their profession. The significant differences between auditors in Hong Kong and Singapore have not previously been documented, and raise questions for future research.
The distribution of full income in Greece
Authors: Koutsampelas Christos , Tsakloglou Panos
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the distributional implications of using full income instead of disposable income in the analysis of economic inequality. For that purpose the authors employ a very extensive list of noncash incomes with the aim of examining the distributional effects of noncash incomes and reassessing the level and structure of inequality under a comprehensive definition of income.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs the microdata of the 2004/2005 Greek Household Budget Survey. The value of non‐monetary components was estimated using the appropriate statistical methods and econometric techniques. Tools of income distribution analysis were utilized for assessing the distributional consequences of adopting an extended definition of income.

Findings

The results indicate that both private and public noncash incomes are far more equally distributed than monetary income, but the inequality‐reducing effect of publicly‐provided services is stronger. Noncash incomes appear to accrue more heavily to younger and older individuals.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis uses the same equivalence scales for the analysis of both monetary income and full income. This treatment may be open to criticism in the case of in‐kind public transfers. Due to data limitations the authors do not take into account home‐produced services, as well as several in‐kind transfers such as the provision of elderly care.

Practical implications

The study argues in favor of moving beyond disposable income for measuring inequality and for the purposes of social policy design.

Originality/value

Even if several studies take into account particular noncash items, there is an important void in the distributional analysis of full income.
Multidimensional poverty assessment: applying the capability approach
Authors: Ele‐Ojo Ataguba John , Eme Ichoku Hyacinth , Fonta William M.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compare the assessment of poverty/deprivation using different conceptions of this phenomenon including the traditional money‐metric measure and different forms of multidimensional constructs.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were drawn from a household survey conducted in Nsukka, Nigeria. Interviewer‐administered questionnaires were used in data collection from about 410 households across urban and rural localities. The counting and FGT methodologies were used to assess impoverishment, while regression analyses were used to assess the determinants of deprivation across different constructs.

Findings

Between 70 per cent and 78 per cent of the study population were identified as poor/deprived. However, more than 11 per cent of those living on less than USD1.25/day were classified as non‐poor using different measures of multidimensional poverty. Similarly, more than 62 per cent of individuals who live on more than 1.25USD/day (i.e. non‐poor) are classified as poor using different measures of multidimensional deprivation. There is some level of correlation between measures, some inevitably stronger than others. The major determinants of deprivation across the various constructs of deprivation include large family size, low level of education, poor employment, rural location, and poor health.

Originality/value

This paper uses novel datasets that incorporate variables relating to the capability approach in understanding deprivation. Specifically, it analyses the so‐called missing dimensions of poverty. It also applies a new methodology for the assessment of impoverishment and deprivation. It highlights the importance of the capability approach in explaining poverty.
Economic clustering of countries in the Asia‐Pacific region
Authors: Mimis Angelos , Georgiadis Thomas
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the possibility of using non‐income indicators and the self‐organizing map (SOM) approach as an alternative analytical tool to map countries' welfare status.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from 27 countries of the East Asia‐Pacific region, a welfare analysis based on non‐income indicators is implemented. The set of the selected indicators employed includes measures of social indicators as well as indicators related to the overall development framework. The empirical approach of the present paper can be described as a two‐stage procedure. In the first stage, the standard incremental SOM algorithm has been used and the two‐dimensional map produced in a hexagonal grid is presented together with the weight maps. In the second stage, the k‐means methodology has been used to cluster the prototypes produced by the SOM.

Findings

The classification produced by the two‐stage approach of the empirical analysis is compared with the baseline World Bank's income categories (based on Gross National Income per capita) offering an opportunity to assess the usefulness of non‐parametric approaches that are based on non‐income indicators vis‐à‐vis World Bank's approach in analysing welfare outcomes. The emerging picture of the empirical analysis supports the potential of the SOM as a useful and prolific analytical tool in mapping welfare outcomes.

Originality/value

This study proposes a methodology beyond the conventional ordinal rankings of the welfare of the countries based on non‐income indicators and the SOM.
Strength and adhesion properties of acrylic polyol‐epoxy polyol resin protective coating on mild steel substrate
Authors: Ramis Rau S. , Vengadaesvaran B. , Naziron N.N. , Arof A.K.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to improve the strength and adhesion properties of modified acrylic polyol resin using epoxy polyol resin (DEGBA).

Design/methodology/approach

The hybrid systems were prepared by blending acrylic resin with epoxy polyol resin (Diglycidyl Ether of Bisphenol‐A, DGEBA) and polyisocyanate resin as hardener in various weight ratios with xylene as a solvent. The samples were applied on the pre‐treated cold rolled mild steel panels. The mechanical property of the blend has been evaluated using rapid impact tester (Sheen 806/40) and adhesion tester (Sheen Cross‐Hatch 750). Intended panels were checked for cracks using Dino‐Lite and Pinhole detectors (Elcometer 270/4). Crossed panels were observed for damages using digital polarized microscope (Dino‐Lite, AM413ZT). The thermal properties were studied using thermal analysis system (TGA TA‐Q500, DSC TA‐Q200).

Findings

The modification of acrylic polyol resins using DGEBA showed significant improvement of toughness compared to pure acrylic polyol resins. The blending systems with 10 wt percent of DGEBA and 90 wt percent of acrylic resin showed good adhesion and impact resistance properties on mild steel substrate.

Research limitations/implications

The hybrid coating system has contributed to the basic conceptual understanding of the corrosion protection property, focusing mainly on recent research available.

Practical implications

The blending method provided a simple and practical solution to improve the toughness of acrylic polyol resins.

Originality/value

The method for enhanced toughness of cured acrylic was novel and functionality of coating critically depends on adhesion between the coatings and underlying metal substrate.
Unbranding: threat to brands, opportunity for generics and store brands
Authors: Mayer Peter , Vambery Robert G.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Marketers devote great efforts to maintaining brand value. However, brand value can come under attack in the absence of sufficient product performance and image differentiation in a process called unbranding. This paper aims to provide insights and guidelines that will give marketing managers tools to deal with variables that impact consumer decisions on whether to buy a national brand or a store brand product.

Design/methodology/approach

A consumer research study was based on a random, mall intercept with 188 respondents consisting of seven questions scored on a ten‐point scale. The results are presented on a set of graphs accompanied with some analysis of means (ANOM) applications.

Findings

Results indicated that a significant portion of consumers (from over 40 percent to a high of 85 percent) feel that the quality differences between branded and generic products have diminished and the price premiums charged by branded products are often no longer justifiable.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study imply that in branded product premium image must be maintained and enhanced, otherwise it will be lost. In addition, the trend of brand value loss referred to as unbranding will vary significantly by and within a product category.

Practical implications

Branded products must maintain their superior consumer perception and product performance. Store or generic brand marketers should exploit the favorable price‐value relationship gained because of the loss of brand value through a process of store branding.

Originality/value

The new concept of unbranding is introduced together with research‐based recommendations for brand value protection strategies.
Why so many structural changes in schools and so little reform in teaching practice?
Authors: Cuban Larry
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to explain how errors in policymaking contribute to the minimal impact that structural, curricular and cultural changes have made on teaching practice in American schools.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the author's research legacy, the paper extends an historical analysis to explore and explain current dilemmas of change in schools and schooling.

Findings

Over the last century, educational reforms have most often led to first order classroom change, represented by the development of hybrids of old and new teaching practices. Second order change at the classroom level has proven elusive. Factors at the policymaking level that explain the minimal impact on classroom practice include a misplaced trust in structural reform, an understanding of schools as complicated rather than complex systems, and the tendency not to distinguish teacher quality from the quality of teaching.

Originality/value

The paper proposes that the lack of impact of reform on classroom practice is explained in large part by errors in assumptions and thinking that policymakers commit, a focus seldom explored in research.
Enabling school structure, collective responsibility, and a culture of academic optimism
Authors: Wu Jason H. , Hoy Wayne K. , Tarter C. John
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this research is twofold: to test a theory of academic optimism in Taiwan elementary schools and to expand the theory by adding new variables, collective responsibility and enabling school structure, to the model.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling was used to test, refine, and expand an organizational path model of student achievement first developed in the USA.

Findings

The proposed organizational model was supported in Taiwan and was consistent with the initial studies done in the USA. Further, two concepts were added to the model, enabling structure and collective responsibility, both of which had significant indirect effects on student achievement through academic optimism. Moreover, the theoretical foundations (efficacy, trust, and academic emphasis) of the latent construct of academic optimism were confirmed again in this sample of schools in Taiwan.

Originality/value

The findings support an organizational model of student achievement, which has application in both the USA and Taiwan. The original model was supported, refined, and extended. Academic optimism is at the center of the model and explains student achievement for all students. Collective responsibility and enabling school structure both predict academic optimism directly and student achievement indirectly.
Investigating effects of relationship marketing types in life insurers in Taiwan
Authors: Yu Tsu‐Wei , Tung Feng‐Cheng
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish a model that identifies the causal relationship among relationship marketing types, service quality and relationship quality on customer loyalty.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this study were collected using in‐depth interviews and surveys from the clients of policyholder service centres of life insurers in Taiwan. A structural equation modelling approach is employed to examine the relationship posited in this study.

Findings

The findings are generally consistent with the literature. This study supports all hypotheses. Finally, the article concludes with theoretical and managerial implications of the research findings.

Originality/value

This study attempts to focus on policyholder service centres in the life insurance industry, which have been increasingly emphasized in Taiwan, to examine the impacts that different relationship marketing methods have on service quality, relationship quality and customer loyalty. Based on the results of in‐depth interviews and surveys, this study also attempts to propose a set of references to aid the development and implementation of relationship marketing campaigns and to make further contributions to both the academic and empirical literature.
The impact of ISO 9001 effectiveness on the performance of service companies
Authors: Psomas Evangelos L. , Pantouvakis Angelos , Kafetzopoulos Dimitrios P.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define and subjectively measure ISO 9001 effectiveness as the achievement of the standard's objectives and determine its impact on the performance dimensions of service companies related to product/service quality, operational and financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical study was carried out using a sample of 100 ISO 9001:2008 certified service companies. Data were obtained from the quality managers of the companies through a structured questionnaire. Exploratory factor analyses are applied to extract the latent factors of the indicators of ISO 9001 objectives and performance dimensions. Multiple linear regression analyses are also applied in order to determine the impact of ISO 9001 effectiveness on the performance dimensions of service companies.

Findings

The findings of the present study confirm the dimensionality of the ISO 9001 effectiveness (evaluated by the degree of achievement of the standard's objectives, namely prevention of nonconformities, continuous improvement and customer satisfaction focus) and reveal its significant contribution to the performance of the service companies. The product/service quality and operational performance of the service companies are directly and significantly influenced by ISO 9001 effectiveness. However, the financial performance is directly influenced only by operational performance, while the impact of ISO 9001 effectiveness is indirect through its significant correlation with operational performance.

Research limitations/implications

The sample of the responding ISO 9001 certified service companies is limited to small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) from one country (Greece). Moreover, the introduced instrument is of subjective nature as the data collected through quality managers may be biased regarding ISO 9001 effectiveness and company performance. Furthermore, the influence of ISO 9001 effectiveness on service company performance with regard to market share and customer satisfaction has not been determined. The above limitations suggest future research recommendations.

Practical implications

By defining ISO 9001 effectiveness based on its objectives, managers may be aware of what to improve to increase the standard's effectiveness and therefore directly improve service company performance in terms of quality and operative results and indirectly in terms of financial results.

Originality/value

Based on the core issues of ISO 9001 effectiveness this empirical study confirms its multi‐dimensional structure and determines the contribution of ISO 9001 effectiveness to specific performance dimensions of service companies.
Cross‐functional team effectiveness
Authors: Daspit Josh , Justice Tillman C. , Boyd Nancy G. , Mckee Victoria
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Current research remains unclear on what factors contribute to cross‐functional team (CFT) success. Thus, the primary purpose of this investigation is to examine internal factors of the team (namely internal team environment, shared leadership, and cohesion) and the influence of each factor on CFT effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling is used to empirically examine the data collected from an undergraduate student sample. Teams worked competitively on a complex task requiring functional area expertise.

Findings

Results from the study indicate internal team environment influences effectiveness through shared leadership and cohesion as found in other forms of teams. However, unique to CFTs, internal team environment is not directly related to effectiveness, and shared leadership does not directly influence cohesion. The findings suggest that in CFTs, internal team environment indirectly influences effectiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this study can be used to expand current models of CFT effectiveness. Additionally, by examining the internal dynamics of the team (e.g. internal team environment) researchers will be better able to account for the previous vast differences found in CFT outcomes.

Practical implications

Managers interested in influencing team effectiveness are encouraged to focus on the internal dynamics of CFTs. To indirectly influence team effectiveness managers should insure teams establish a clear purpose and that members support one another and feel comfortable making contributions to the team.

Originality/value

This investigation offers understanding of how CFTs can be structured to influence effectiveness and provides insight into previously inconsistent findings. Both researchers and managers will benefit from an enhanced understanding of how internal factors uniquely influence CFT effectiveness.
Do behaviors of string quartet ensembles represent self‐managed teams?
Authors: Tal‐Shmotkin Malka , Gilboa Avi
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to explore whether string quartets (SQs) adopt self‐managed‐team (SMT) principles in line with organizational models of team work. This exploration is significant in face of the status of the SQ as one of the leading and prototypical ensembles in Western music.

Design/methodology/approach

Members of 22 leading SQs around the world were contacted and asked to fill out a questionnaire which measures SMT characteristics in managerial teams while referring to their own SQ ensemble.

Findings

Results showed that SMT levels of all SQs were extremely high (M=4.39, SD =0.39, on a 1 to 5 scale). In addition, four factors were revealed in this questionnaire: Interpersonal relations and shared monitoring, Leadership, Management style, and Resources explaining 18.4, 15.9, 14.2, and 11.9 percent of the variance, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The current sample is limited in size and may not adequately represent professional SQs worldwide. Nevertheless, this study demonstrates that SQs actually work as SMTs. Additionally, the SMT frame of SQs is expressed in distinct factors of characteristics.

Originality/value

The current study is one of a few investigations that examined descriptions of SQ members about behaviors in their own musical ensembles. This study suggests that successful SQs may serve as a benchmark for various SMTs in organizational settings.
Airline downsizing and its impact on team performance
Authors: Fraher Amy L.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The article draws on a mixed method study of US airline pilots in order to examine the impact of corporate downsizing on pilots' trust, morale, and organizational commitment. The aim of the paper is to review current literature on downsizing and high‐risk teams and to identify gaps in the understanding of how external influences like downsizing can impact high‐risk team's operational performance through an increase in mistakes, distraction, and stress.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained from 127 in depth pilot survey responses from captains and first officers from major US airlines and 43 semi‐structured interviews of one to two hours in length.

Findings

Commercial pilots working in downsized airlines reported increased stress, distraction, and suspicion with a corresponding reduction in trust, morale, and organizational commitment.

Research limitations/implications

The article contributes to the literature in corporate downsizing and high‐risk team performance. Insights from these areas provide a lens by which to evaluate post‐9/11 managerial decision‐making in one high‐risk field, aviation, with implications for leadership in other fields of risky work.

Originality/value

Although research examining leadership and teamwork in high‐risk fields has been growing, few studies consider managerial decisions and the resultant organizational climate within which these teams must operate, particularly in the post‐9/11 period. Findings suggest that this is a unique, emerging area that warrants further research.
Prioritizing the factors for coordinated supply chain using analytic hierarchy process (AHP)
Authors: Singh Rajesh K.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Coordinated supply chain is concerned with managing dependencies between various members and joint efforts of all members to achieve mutually defined goals. The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize the factors for a coordinated supply chain.

Design/methodology/approach

Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to prioritize the factors for a coordinated supply chain. By using AHP global desirability index of five strategic factors for coordinated supply chain their 23 sub‐factors have been calculated and compared.

Findings

In this study 23 factors affecting coordination in a supply chain are considered. These factors are grouped under five strategic factors such as top management commitment, mutual understanding, relationship and decision‐making, flow of information and organizational factors. It is observed that the global weightage of top management commitment is highest among strategic factors and agreed vision and goal of supply chain members among sub factors.

Research limitations/implications

AHP has some limitations. A major limitation is that the rating scale used in the AHP analysis is conceptual and there are chances of bias while giving relative weightage to different factors.

Practical implications

Top management should strive for an agreed vision and a common goal among all members of the supply chain to have effective coordination.

Originality/value

This study prioritizes factors for a coordinated supply chain in the Indian context and the findings will be significant while formulating strategies.
Supportive housing best practices in a mid‐sized US urban community
Authors: Greenberg Brian , Korb Sophia , Cronon Kristen , Anderson Robert
Published: March 2013

Purpose

Housing First has been upheld as an evidence‐based best practice for transitioning homeless individuals into permanent housing in a maximally cost‐effective and humane manner. However, there is much variance in the implementation and structure of Housing First programming in the USA. This paper aims to focus on a collaborative, interdisciplinary Housing First effort to house and provide case management and ancillary services to chronically homeless individuals in The City of San Mateo, California.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a case study in which the philosophy, structure, and impact of San Mateo's outreach and housing team are discussed. To explore the project's impact, data concerning arrests and other criminal justice contacts, as well as health costs associated with these clients, both prior to and post housing and services, were collected and analyzed. These are corroborated with qualitative data on client outcomes.

Findings

After participants received housing and wrap‐around supportive services provided through the collaboration of police, local stakeholders, and non‐profits, the cost of medical care and criminal justice interventions were dramatically reduced. While challenges such as the availability of housing units remain, the findings of this study strongly support the interdisciplinary outreach team as a model for Housing First programming.

Research limitations/implications

This is an in‐depth study, derived from a particularly innovative project; and therefore the sample size is limited by the size of the project.

Originality/value

The originality of this study lies in its analysis of a Housing First model which incorporates an interdisciplinary outreach team designed to provide highly individualized care for clients. The San Mateo permanent supportive housing pilot project is itself unique in that it incorporates a Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) comprised of the police, other government entities, local stakeholders, and other non‐profits engaged with homelessness.
The ideological drug problem
Authors: Edman Johan
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This article seeks to investigate the ideological visions embedded in the political formulation of the Swedish drug problem and in the bureaucratic management of the Swedish drug treatment services during the years 1960‐2000.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical basis for the analysis consists mainly of parliamentary material from the Swedish Parliament (403 parliamentary bills, 66 government bills, 198 parliamentary records, 14 government letters and 159 standing committee statements) as well as archival materials produced in the application process of 73 aspiring treatment homes from the years 1960‐2001. The empirical material is partly analyzed from a theoretical understanding of political consensus as a doxa and political debate as permeated by naturalizing ideologies.

Findings

The article examines drug consumption as a political problem and its ideological undertones. It shows how drugs and drug consumption often have been subordinate in problem descriptions that have fulfilled other political purposes. Worries about politically radical youth, foreign religions or incomprehensible music have been understood as a drug problem. In the Swedish parliament the drug problem has been described in terms of capitalist class oppression, Americanism or cultural superficiality. Modernity, urbanization and industrialization have also been criticized in the name of the drug problem. In the treatment centres and within the ruling bureaucracy it was also elucidated that the drug problem was an ideological problem. The effective treatment method has been elusive, but the effective method has also played second fiddle in the choice of treatment solutions. Other values have been awarded, such as rural romanticism, Swedishness, solidarity and diligence. Individualism, Americanism and profit making have also been opposed within the ideological treatment sector. At the end of the research period such assessments however became subordinate to an overarching ideological quest to make substance abuse treatment a market among others.

Social implications

A focus on the ideological content both in political discussions and bureaucratic management might enrich the understanding of both politics and bureaucracy as well as the formulation of the drug problem and the suggested solutions. Ideology is not the opposite of facts or evidence‐based solutions; ideology permeates every aspect of problem formulations and solutions. To recognize the drug issue's ideological disposition should therefore not be seen as way of avoiding discussions about the actual dilemma with drugs, it is rather an opportunity to seriously start a discussion on how to solve the problem.

Originality/value

The analyzing of naturalized and apparently self‐evident ideology as part of the rational argument rather than its very opposite would be useful both for further research on the topic as well as for deepening the democratic discussions on, for instance, evidence‐based methods within the drug treatment services.
Brief alcohol interventions in Norwegian natal care: a neoliberal mode of governing and social consequences
Authors: Irmgard Snertingdal Mette
Published: March 2013

Purpose

In this paper the aim is to explore what modes of governance, brief alcohol interventions in natal care, such as screening and motivational interviewing (MI) represent, and what social consequences this mode of governance might lead to. Traditionally the Nordic public health research on alcohol control policies gives priority to general control measures aimed at the population. However, the paper seeks to argue the relevance of a governmentality perspective to analyze the mode of governance in brief alcohol interventions which aims at individual level of control.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical base of the paper rests on the contents of a brief intervention educational program aimed at midwifes and medical doctors in natal care in Norway. In light of the governmentality perspective the author analyzes screening and MI used in natal care as a mode of governance which fosters the process of responsibilization and the creation of the “irresponsible other”.

Findings

It is argued that brief alcohol intervention in natal care is a perfect example of a neoliberal mode of governance, because it is an indirect way of governance, which casts healthcare workers as a part of the state that wants to make pregnant woman self‐governing and responsible. Further this neoliberal mode of governance might lead to four different social consequences: blurring the line between the power of the state and the power of the self, which blurs the distinction between objective health hazards and moral judgment; spreading of powerful therapeutic‐tools to non‐therapeutic professions further neutralizes the moral dimensions; individualization of responsibilities for fetal health decontextualizes females' drinking habits; and drawing the attention of the healthcare worker towards regulations of normality and away from helping females with severe drinking problems.

Originality/value

Traditionally the Nordic public health research on alcohol control policies gives priority to general control measures aimed at the population. However, this paper shows the relevance of a governmentality perspective to analyze the mode of governance inherent in brief alcohol interventions which aims at an individual level of control. Alongside the general control measures in Norwegian alcohol policies, the state engages women at an individual level, through brief and early interventions. Hence the state has double targets of governance; first the general risk‐avoidance regulations directed at the population, and then the state also facilitating the targeting of individuals.
Implications of interface management for modularity degree
Authors: Shamsuzzoha A.H.M. , Kristianto Yohanes , Helo Petri
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate modularity degree in terms of interfaces and innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

The research objective is achieved through a modeling approach for deciding modular architecture and its implementation regarding unique components and product innovation. A case example is presented to elaborate on the concept of modularity degree and provide an option for choosing the best module from different alternatives.

Findings

The presented approach can be considered a product design strategy, in which loose coupling is achieved through standardized component interfaces. Loosely coupled component interfacing is a prerequisite for developing mass customized products. There needs to be a decision support system to formulate the interfacing in order to achieve maximum benefits. This is illustrated in this paper.

Research limitations/implications

The modeling strategy for measuring the modularity level is formulated theoretically. This approach needs to be validated through an empirical study in order to generalize its findings.

Practical implications

In the industrial arena there is a research gap in identifying and measuring the modularity level, which is formulated in the presented approach. It is hoped that this approach will contribute to filling this research gap in the business environment, which would further benefit managers of firms in their corresponding production processes.

Originality/value

The unique contribution of this modeling approach is articulated through analyzing product architecture, with a view to interpreting the component interfaces in a more productive way. This formulation triggers the decision‐making process in complex product development processes.
An investigation of the range sensitivity of attribute weight in the analytic hierarchy process
Authors: Lin Shi‐Woei
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the range sensitivity of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and evaluate the effectiveness of using a bottom‐up approach to mitigate the possible range insensitivity bias in the AHP.

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment was conducted to test the normative range‐sensitivity of four different methods: the AHP with bottom‐up evaluation; direct ratio weights; swing weights; and trade‐off weights. Also, the significance of the range‐sensitivity effects and the differences among weighting approaches were rigorously tested using various statistical models.

Findings

Results show that the range sensitivities of AHP and direct ratio weights are significantly less than the range sensitivities of swing weights and tradeoff weights, suggesting that the bottom‐up evaluation approach might not be a feasible solution for the range‐insensitivity problem. This finding is consistent with the value‐comparison hypothesis proposed in an earlier study, and is partially supported by the theory of the multi‐dimensionality of attribute importance.

Research limitations/implications

It is concluded that treating the attribute weights and performance scoring scales separately in the AHP or other multi‐attribute decision analysis models might lead to an arbitrary final ranking of alternatives. Therefore, it may be necessary to incorporate better elicitation procedures into the AHP models to ensure that attribute weights properly reflect the range or scale of measurement.

Originality/value

This study provides new evidence and issues words of warning of the range‐sensitivity effects in the multi‐attribute decision analysis.