bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sex, relationships and mental health
Authors: Pacitti Richard , Thornicroft Graham
Published: July 2011

Although the sexuality of people with mental health problems raises important clinical, social and legal concerns, there is relatively little written about the subject, and it is clear that staff often feel confused and embarrassed when discussing these issues with colleagues, carers and service users. Staff are often unsure about how to balance service users' rights to live a full life (including the right to express themselves sexually) with the need to protect people considered to be vulnerable. Here, Richard Pacitti and Graham Thornicroft describe how Mind in Croydon made a film about sex, relationships and mental health to help explore these issues further.‘Those of us who have been diagnosed with major mental illness do not cease to be human beings by virtue of that diagnosis. Like all people we experience the need for love, companionship, solitude, and intimacy. Like all people we want to feel loved, valued, and desired by others.’ (Patricia E Deegan, 1999).‘Not having a relationship if you want one can be like that constant feeling of being hungry and not being fed.’ (Bill, contributor to Unspoken)
Validation of Davenport's classification structure of knowledge‐intensive processes
Authors: Margaryan Anoush , Milligan Colin , Littlejohn Allison
Published: July 2011

Purpose

This study aims to test the validity of a knowledge work typology proposed by Davenport. Although this typology has been referenced extensively in the literature, it does not appear to have been empirically validated.

Design/methodology/approach

The typology was tested through a questionnaire survey among knowledge workers (n=459) in a multinational company. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to determine the knowledge work groupings arising from the survey.

Findings

The vast majority of the respondents could not be grouped into any one of Davenport's four knowledge work types. Furthermore, PCA revealed four groupings: low‐agency collaboration; low‐ agency routine work; rule‐based work; and high‐agency expert work. The results confirm only one of Davenport's typology models, the Expert model. Davenport's Collaboration model was found to have elements of the Transaction model. The Transaction and the Integration typology models were not confirmed. Instead, two further models incorporating elements of both Transaction and Integration models emerged. Finally, in contrast to Davenport's typology, the clusters that emerged from this study do not fit a matrix structure.

Research limitations

A follow‐up qualitative study would be required to better understand the four models that emerged from the data and to elucidate organisational factors that underpin the models.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical study testing the validity of Davenport's typology.
University‐industry collaboration: a CoPs approach to KTPs
Authors: Gertner Drew , Roberts Joanne , Charles David
Published: July 2011

Purpose

This article seeks to explore the micro‐dimensions of knowledge transfer partnerships (KTPs) with the aim of developing an appreciation of the personal interactions that facilitate the success of these university‐industry collaborations.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical evidence concerning the operation of three KTPs, collected through interviews with the key partners and the review of relevant documentary material, is analysed through the lens of the communities of practice approach to situated learning.

Findings

The analysis of three case studies provides evidence to support the value of conceptualising the process of knowledge transfer between universities and industry as one of learning taking place within communities in which the development of mutual engagement, joint enterprise and shared repertoires play important roles facilitating successful collaborations. Moreover, the analysis highlights the significance of the boundary spanning roles of the KTP partners in facilitating the knowledge transfer process through engagement in both the university and industry communities.

Research limitations/implications

By illuminating the dimensions of the inter‐personal interactions involved in the knowledge transfer process the CoPs analysis provides the foundations for recommendations to improve university‐industry KTPs, in particular, and, inter‐organisational knowledge transfer initiatives in general. A limitation of this research is its focus on the UK context. Moreover, given the exploratory nature of this study further research is required to verify the findings reported here.

Originality/value

The article makes an original empirical and conceptual contribution to understandings of university‐industry knowledge transfer collaborations.
Integrating talent and knowledge management: where are the benefits?
Authors: Whelan Eoin , Carcary Marian
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the principles of talent management (TM) can be leveraged to enhance an organization's knowledge management (KM) initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper critically reviews the literature pertaining to the emerging concept of TM and specifically that which focuses on “smart talent management” i.e. the fusion of TM and KM concepts. The authors offer insights as to how TM can benefit KM and then discuss these insights with a focus group of KM practitioners.

Findings

The fusion of the two concepts has so far only been considered by human resource scholars who have tended to examine how learnings from the field of KM can be leveraged to advance TM. The authors confront the issue in reverse and identify five KM concerns – identifying key knowledge workers, knowledge creation, knowledge sharing, developing knowledge competencies, and knowledge retention – which they argue can be advanced through the application of TM principles. Their focus group confirms that these KM concerns can benefit from the integration of TM principles, but some more than others.

Originality/value

The fusion of TM and KM has so far only been considered from a HR perspective. This paper examines the fusion of the two concepts from a KM perspective. Five specific KM concerns which can benefit from the integration of a TM approach are detailed and then validated by a focus group of KM practitioners.
Expert evaluation study of an autopoietic model of knowledge
Authors: Parboteeah Paul , Jackson Thomas W.
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The aim of the autopoietic model of knowledge is to act as a common foundation for KM to overcome the numerous knowledge management failures highlighted by the literature attributed to inaccurate or constantly debated definitions of knowledge. This paper seeks to evaluate such a model.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants for this interpretivist evaluation study were selected by convenience sampling. Experts known to the authors were asked to participate, and 12 took part. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted and lasted between 45 to 60 minutes. Member checking was used during the interviews. The data was analysed using the recursive abstraction method.

Findings

The study highlighted the complexities of conducting an expert evaluation of a model that was deemed both too high level and too low level by the experts. The study highlighted the challenge of evaluating a model that is theoretically correct, but required acceptance in the knowledge management discipline. The study also showed that the application of autopoiesis to knowledge management has potential, but is still in its infancy.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation of this study came from the initial autopoietic model of knowledge: most experts found it too difficult to engage with in the time available. The knowledge management foundation aspired to by applying autopoiesis to the domain is hard to achieve as little value was placed on models by some experts.

Originality/value

The evaluation of the autopoietic model of knowledge presented in this paper represents the first expert evaluation of an autopoietic epistemology. The study is an incremental step towards providing a sound conceptual foundation for knowledge management.
Anti‐money laundering law of Turkey and the EU: an example of convergence?
Authors: Türkşen Umut , Ufuk Mısırlıoğlu İsmail , Yükseltürk Osman
Published: July 2011

Purpose

This paper critiques the recent anti‐money laundering (AML) legislation in Turkey and the European Union (EU) in order to determine whether there is convergence between them. Given the fact that Turkey is a candidate country for the EU membership, harmonisation of Turkish and the EU AML frameworks has become increasingly important. These AML laws pose important responsibilities for the financial and legal sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to facilitate the evaluation process, the AML regimes examined are compared in regards to various aspects, such as criminalisation of money laundering, recording and reporting obligations, enforcement and sanctions mechanisms. Findings from activity reports from the regulatory bodies as well as semi‐structured interviews conducted with relevant professionals are incorporated into the discussion.

Findings

It can be argued that the Turkish AML regime is in line with the EU AML framework. However, there is a need for government authorities to coordinate their efforts with the relevant independent regulatory professional bodies that represent the liable professionals in Turkey. While it is evident that each national regime in the EU has adopted a unique AML framework, minimum standards provided by international (e.g. the Financial Action Task Force) and regional (e.g. EU) instruments have been the main driving force behind all national laws.

Practical implications

The involvement of professional regulatory bodies will enhance competence to monitor compliance and provide training mechanisms and guidance for liable professionals pertaining to AML regulations.

Social implications

Effectiveness of AML initiatives will enhance with improved cooperation and communication between the executive, law enforcement agencies and businesses. This will improve the reporting of suspicious financial activities and subsequent enforcement.

Originality/value

The paper provides an up‐to‐date account of the Turkish legal regime pertaining to AML and demonstrates its shortcomings whilst assessing it against the EU AML framework. The findings of the study contribute to the existing literature and shed light on areas for reform.
Ethno‐cultural diversity and multidimensional poverty differential in Cameroon
Authors: Ningaye Paul
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reconcile the multidimensional nature of poverty with a population's cultural conditioning for the purpose of policy evaluation.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modeling is the strategy used to compare nested models.

Findings

The results show that the observed differences in the dimensions of poverty significantly, but not exclusively, result from differences in cultural valuation systems between groups. Culture influences poverty in two ways: differences in perceptions and differences in the poverty determinants.

Practical implications

In consideration of these results, we propose a participatory, decentralized and cautious approach in developing credible poverty‐alleviation strategies which respond to the needs expressed by the relevant populations.

Originality/value

In this research, the authors adopt a quantitative approach which applies some statistical tests to analyze the effects of cultural values on poverty.
The linkage between relative population growth and purchasing power parity
Authors: Hassan Kamrul , Salim Ruhul
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to examine the relationship between relative population growth and purchasing power parity (PPP) exchange rate for a panel of 80 countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Panel unit root and panel cointegration tests have been used to investigate the above relationship over the period of 1951‐2000.

Findings

The empirical results show that there is stable relationship between PPP exchange rate and relative population growth in these selected countries in the long run. The results also show that this long‐run relationship remains valid when the sample is divided on the basis of their stage of development.

Practical implications

These empirical findings suggest that population growth has an important role in exchange rate determination through PPP.

Originality/value

Thus, relative population growth could invalidate the PPP hypothesis in the long run. PPP is the main edifice of most of the monetary exchange rate models. Hence, the role of relative population growth should be taken into account in dealing with issues in international macroeconomics and renewed attention should be given in the theory of exchange rate determination in terms of relative population growth instead of relative price level.
Voluntary web‐based disclosures by Moroccan and Tunisian companies
Authors: Henchiri Jamel E.
Published: July 2011

Purpose

Company disclosures on the web are a useful tool to promote the efficiency of financial markets. Moreover, they can be a source of strategic financial communication. The objective of the study reported in this paper is to make an inventory of the information published on the web sites of companies listed in the Moroccan and Tunisian stock exchanges, and to compare the practices of those companies with those of their European counterparts. The study also seeks to identify the determinants of these disclosures.

Design/methodology/approach

The study develops a composite scale to measure the quality of web site disclosures. This scale is used to score the web sites of the top 91 companies listed on the Casablanca and Tunis stock exchanges in 2007. The quality of those web sites is compared with the quality of some web sites of European companies. A number of hypotheses relating to the determinants of web site quality are then tested using linear modeling techniques.

Findings

Two thirds of the firms listed in the Casablanca and Tunis stock exchanges have a web site (www.casablanca‐bourse.com). An average of 39.7 percent of Moroccan web sites and 19.4 percent of those from Tunisia meet the benchmark quality criteria used by this study, compared with between 48 percent and 61 percent for European firms. The average extended score is 32.80 percent; Moroccan firms score 38.34 percent on average, while Tunisian firms score 28.12 percent. The determinants of this information level are found to be accounting performance and the proportion of shares held by foreigners. Web site quality is also linked to firm size. Apart from those characteristics, no effect of the economic sector, the country or market performance could be detected.

Originality/value

The study presents an international comparison (north/south) and builds a novel scale in order to explain web disclosures. This is an area that has not previously been explored, and includes some financial markets that are under‐researched.
Bank bailouts: lessons to learn when patience is a virtue
Authors: Mihai Yiannaki Simona
Published: July 2011

Purpose

Most recent bank bailouts, from a financial and economic perspective, turn political. This paper seeks to frame ten effective implications/lessons of the most recent bank bailouts of 2007‐2009 in the Western economy model when analyzing actual shareholders' value retrenchment or growth opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses a literature review and a re‐conceptualized framework of event study methodology, secondary data analysis of qualitative and quantitative information.

Findings

Recent bank bailouts relate to: global bailout interconnections, economic downturn and liquidity boost, abnormal returns, efficiency recovery, evasion of social costs, new opportunities for M&A, new risk management applications, opportunistic investors and eventually patience. Most important, findings recommend shareholders to grasp opportunities for bargains from bailout banks as well as to harvest their existing investments. At the same time, economic education and control become another important solution.

Research limitations/implications

Consequently, as the paper targets most recent bailouts, a still ongoing event, there is a need for extended financial data that could enhance some cause‐related solutions after economic recovery.

Practical implications

The practicality of the paper refers to guiding management of both government and financial institutions on the choice for reasoning bank bailouts, providing some critical thinking views to investors as well as academics.

Originality/value

Research or studies on the most recent financial crises bailouts have not yet been written, due to the process continuation. The novelty of the paper resides not in calculating ratios and interpreting them, but rather in looking more into some interesting strategic moves used to boost shareholders' value.
Industry clockspeed's impact on business innovation success factors
Authors: Guimaraes Tor
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The literature prescribing important determinants of innovation success is grouped into four main areas encompassing strategic leadership, competitive intelligence, management of technology, and specific characteristics of the company's innovation process. Further, industry clockspeed has been considered to be a possible moderator for these determinants of innovation success. While these major areas of study may indeed be important to enhance company innovation and competitiveness, the existing literature on each area is not being shared by researchers in the other areas. That has led until now to the study of models relatively narrow in scope and primarily focused on the particular research area. This study aims to test these constructs as a set of determinants of innovation success and the possible moderating effect of industry clockspeed.

Design/methodology/approach

A field test using a mailed questionnaire to collect a relatively large sample has been used to test the proposed model. To eliminate possible multicollinearity among the independent variables, a multivariate regression analysis was used.

Findings

The results provide clear evidence about the importance of industry clockspeed as a moderator of the relationships between strategic leadership, competitive intelligence, management of technology, and specific characteristics of the company's innovation process with company success in business innovation. Also, the company's change process as defined here is equally important to low and high clockspeed industries for successfully implementing business innovations.

Research limitation/implications

Despite the relatively broad scope of the proposed model, other factors may also be important and should be included in future studies.

Practical implications

The items used for measuring the main constructs provide further and more specific insights into how managers should go about developing these areas within their organizations.

Originality/value

While the study is grounded in the literature of what until now have been four separate areas of knowledge, it proposed an integrated model for these areas important to business innovation, and empirically tested the model.
An end‐user's perspective on activity‐based office concepts
Authors: Appel‐Meulenbroek Rianne , Groenen Peter , Janssen Ingrid
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The activity‐based office concept of the modern office is set to increase productivity through the stimulation of interaction and communication while retaining employee satisfaction and reducing the accommodation costs. Although some research has gone into understanding the added value, there is still a need for sound data on the relationship between office design, its intentions and the actual use after implementation. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

An evaluative study on the effectiveness of activity‐based office concepts was carried out to gain more insight in their use. The study included relevant literature on workplace design, combined with an observation and a survey of 182 end‐users from four different service organizations in The Netherlands.

Findings

The findings from these case studies underline some known benefits and disadvantages of activity‐based office concepts, and provide insight in the importance of several physical, social and mental aspects of the office environment in employee choice behavior. This study shows that the office concept is not always used as intended what could result in a loss in productivity, illness and dissatisfaction. People's personal preferences seem to have a bigger effect on the use of certain types of workplaces than some workstation facilities, although ergonomics and IT equipment and systems are expected to be satisfactory everywhere. Misusage of the concept is often the consequence of critical design (process) failures.

Originality/value

The originality of this research lies in the combination of studying the program of requirements, a questionnaire and most of all the observation in a quiet period, providing new information on choice behavior.
Construction plant breakdown criticality analysis – part 1:UAE perspective
Authors: Ahamed Mohideen P.B. , Ramachandran M. , Ramasamy Narasimmalu Rajam
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper to develop a novel strategic approach to handle corrective maintenance procedure in the event of a breakdown/disruption of service. A proposal to minimize the recovery time and the breakdown cost in the system in construction plant is presented.

Design/methodology/approach

The past plant breakdown records of a construction organization are considered for the analysis. From the previous breakdown records, a high level metric using Pareto analysis and the cause effect analysis is used to identify the main breakdown main codes (BMC) and the subsequent breakdown sub codes (BSC). Prioritized BMC and BSCs are used to formulate dedicated breakdown maintenance teams, which act swiftly in the event of the breakdown with the modified methods.

Findings

The study was conducted, on four different types of heavy lifting/earth moving/material handling system equipment, which are used to load/unload/haul and transport construction materials. Failure due to tyre puncture and allied problems contribute to maximum failure. A strategy plan to minimize this type of failure is proposed. With the identification of the most contributing BMCs and BSCs, it is further proposed to develop an “overall breakdown maintenance management”.

Research limitations/implications

The collected data pertains to the construction plant located in a particular region, namely the Middle East, and hence the proposed solution is dedicated/relatively applicable to similar plant from the same region. A more robust model can be suggested considering the work environment in the other regions.

Practical implications

The proposed methodology is highly adaptable by similar industries operating in the Middle East region.

Social implications

Construction plant and equipment contribute to the success of construction organizations, by providing enhanced output, reduced manpower requirement, ease of work and timely completion of the project. Delays in completion of projects generally have both social and economical impact on the contractors and the buyers. The proposed model will bring down the lead‐time of the project and enable the contractors to crash down their project completion time.

Originality/value

Numerous studies on preventive maintenance models and procedures are available for a system and in particular to construction plant maintenance in the literature. This model attempts to handle the issues of unpredictable breakdowns in the construction plant to minimise the breakdown time. The proposed model is a novel approach which enables a quick recovery of the construction plant, attributed from the breakdown parameters derived from the previous history of the work records/environment.
Benchmarking with data envelopment analysis: a return on asset perspective
Authors: Joo Seong‐Jong , Nixon Don , Stoeberl Philipp A.
Published: July 2011

Purpose

Selecting appropriate variables for analytical studies is critical for the validity of analysis. It is the same with data envelopment analysis (DEA) studies. In this study, for benchmarking using DEA, the paper seeks to suggest a novel framework based on return on assets (ROA), which is popular and user‐friendly to managers, and demonstrate it by use of an example.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper demonstrates the selection of variables using the elements of ROA and applies DEA for measuring and benchmarking the comparative efficiency of companies in the same industry.

Findings

It is frequently impossible to obtain internal data for benchmarking from competitors in the same industry. In this case, annual reports may be the only source of data for publicly traded companies. The framework demonstrated with an example is a practical approach for benchmarking with limited data.

Research limitations/implications

This study employs financial data and is subject to the limitations of accounting practices.

Originality/value

The approach is applicable to various studies for performance measurement and benchmarking with minor modifications. Contributions of the study are twofold: first, a framework for selecting variables for DEA studies is suggested; second, the applicability of the framework with a real‐world example is demonstrated.
Analysis of interaction among the barriers to total quality management implementation using interpretive structural modeling approach
Authors: Talib Faisal , Rahman Zillur , Qureshi M.N.
Published: July 2011

Purpose

Previous research showed that there are some barriers which hinder the implementation of total quality management (TQM) in organizations. But no study has been undertaken to understand the interaction among these barriers and to develop a hierarchy of TQM barriers model. There is an urgent need to analyze the behavior of these barriers so that TQM may be successfully implemented. This paper therefore, aims to understand the mutual interaction of these barriers and identify the “driving barriers” (i.e. which influence the other barriers) and the “dependent barriers” (i.e. which are influenced by others).

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, an interpretive structural modeling (ISM) based approach has been utilized to understand the mutual influences among the barriers of TQM.

Findings

In the present research work, 12 TQM barriers are identified through the literature review and expert opinion. The research shows that there exist two groups of barriers, one having high driving power and low dependency requiring maximum attention and of strategic importance (such as lack of top‐management commitment, lack of coordination between departments) and the other having high dependence and low driving power and are resultant effects (such as high turnover at management level, lack of continuous improvement culture, employees' resistance to change).

Practical implications

The adoption of such an ISM‐based model on TQM barriers in service organizations would help managers, decision makers, and practitioners of TQM in better understanding of these barriers and to focus on major barriers while implementing TQM in their organizations.

Originality/value

Presentation of TQM barriers in the form of an ISM‐based model and the categorization into driver and dependent clusters is a new effort in the area of TQM.
The Mediterranean Union: what fate's in store?
Authors: Richardson Jacques
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The aim of this editorial is to update an earlier paper published in foresight concerning the status and likely evolution of the proposed Union for the Mediterranean.

Design/methodology/approach

The critique reviews a series of pitfalls delaying or otherwise obstructing strategic planners and negotiators.

Findings

The paper analyzes briefly the status of the proposed alliance and what could retard, seriously alter, or preclude completion of a meaningful treaty.

Research limitations/implications

A principal hindrance to full scenario development by the European powers concerned is lagging unanimity and therefore enthusiasm, and among African/Near Eastern nations an atmosphere of exclusion, hostilities or terrorism.

Practical implications

The proposed agreement may be delayed in both the short and medium terms or else die a‐borning.

Originality/value

Examples of earlier international understandings provide minimal guidance to otherwise ambitious planners. Given the disruptions now affecting Arab States, entirely novel strategies may now be required.
Using Futures 2.0 to manage intractable futures: the case of weight loss
Authors: Soojung‐Kim Pang Alex
Published: July 2011

Purpose

Futurists have tended to take little interest in the hard work of implementing changes necessary to reach particular futures. This paper aims to argue that the field should pay more attention to these issues, and to use the challenge of weight loss to illustrate how tools can be developed to help both individuals and organizations deal with futures. It also aims to argue for the importance of mindfulness in managing long‐term futures challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes how the author applied concepts outlined in Futures 2.0 to his own program of weight loss, and lost 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms).

Findings

The paper shows how futurists could use concepts from behavioral economics and design in personal futures and futures work more generally. It also suggests that mindfulness – a concept borrowed from Buddhism and other contemplative practices – can give perspective necessary see the long‐term consequences of decisions they face in the present, and the self‐discipline necessary to make good choices.

Research limitations/implications

The paper argues that futurists should not just focus on helping clients see unexpected trends or wild cards, or thinking about the future in new ways, or reframing their underlying strategic assumptions. Complex, intractable futures subvert the best efforts of rational actors; clients are most interested in getting help on the problems they are least likely to solve.

Practical implications

More value for clients can be delivered by helping them understand common roadblocks and designing the means to reach long‐term future goals.

Social implications

For a profession accustomed to thinking about big issues and megatrends like nanotechnology and global warming, losing weight may seem trivial and beneath its interest. But by any objective measure, in much of the developed world obesity is a substantial public health problem: it affects the lives of tens of millions of people, increases chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes, and costs governments hundreds of billions of dollars. More generally, weight loss is a microcosm of the kinds of problems that can only be managed through the collective action of large numbers of people.

Originality/value

The paper is a contribution to the literature on personal futures, and to the ongoing discussion of the scope and methods of futures.
An analysis of switching behavior in the Thai cellular market
Authors: Srinuan Pratompong , Tsani Annafari Mohammad , Bohlin Erik
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the determinant factors of switching behavior in the Thai cellular market before the Mobile Number Portability (MNP) policy is implemented.

Design/methodology/approach

A binary logit model and individual survey data from the National Telecommunications Commission 2009 are used to estimate the intention of mobile phone consumers to switch.

Findings

The results show that subscriber characteristics, including age, government officer, self‐employed, internet use, central region, and southern region, are significant in explaining the switching behavior of Thai mobile subscribers. They also indicate that the mobile operators' customers are confronted with different switching costs. The subscribers of the largest mobile operator have the highest switching costs. This study also shows that the largest mobile operators will gain more switching subscribers than smaller operators. The implementation of MNP will help to lower the switching costs of smaller mobile operators rather than of larger operators, as the subscribers of smaller operators are more likely to switch and move to larger mobile operators, as the larger operators provide better quality network coverage. The study shows that the expected impact of implementing MNP without national mobile roaming regulations would be worse for smaller mobile operators. The smaller operators need to compete on both price and quality improvement. In the short run, it would not be possible for the smaller operators to compete with the larger operators due to the inequality in the quality of network coverage.

Originality/value

The result is useful to developing countries considering implementing MNP regulation.
Developing the framework for coordination in supply chain of SMEs
Authors: Singh Rajesh K.
Published: July 2011

Purpose

Supply chain management is one of the most important areas for competitiveness and growth of industries. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India and other developing countries face problems in coordinating their supply chain due to lack of resources and improper directions. The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for improving the coordination in supply chain and development of an index for coordination.

Design/methodology/approach

The interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach has been employed to develop the structural relationship among different factors of coordination and responsiveness in supply chain to take strategic decisions. This framework is also used to evaluate coordination index for an organization. It has been further illustrated with the help of a case study.

Findings

In total, 32 enablers for coordination in a supply chain have been identified based on literature review. These are further grouped into six categories such as top management commitment, organizational factors, mutual understanding, flow of information, relationship and decision making and responsiveness. It is observed that all of these factors have strong mutual linkage and top management commitment is a major driver for improving the coordination among these factors.

Research limitations/implications

As ISM methodology is based on experts' opinion, this framework needs further validation with empirical data and detailed case studies.

Originality/value

This paper has explored major factors for coordination in supply chain. It will be of great value for SMEs in developing their strategies for coordination in supply chain. The coordination index evaluated in this paper will also help them in benchmarking their performance in terms of different attributes of supply chain.
Integrating sustainable development into operations management courses
Authors: Fredriksson Peter , Persson Magnus
Published: July 2011

Purpose

It is widely acknowledged that aspects of sustainable development (SD) should be integrated into higher level operations management (OM) education. The aim of the paper is to outline the experiences gained at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden from integrating aspects of SD into OM courses.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on the authors' experiences from teaching at Chalmers University of Technology, and the integration of SD into OM courses. The paper thus relies on an action research approach, similar in many ways to other papers in the field.

Findings

The paper outlines several similarities between the fields of SD and OM. Although the results show that several challenges must be overcome when integrating the fields in courses. The challenges – that are scrutinized through the use of existing literature – relate to the scope differences between the fields, lack of SD aspects in OM text books, and misfit between needs and teacher competence, support, and course structures.

Originality/value

The paper adds understanding by specifically addressing the integration of SD into OM courses. Universities and teachers within the field can consider the challenges outlined when integrating the two fields in courses.
Sustainability in Brazilian federal universities
Authors: Celia Palma Lisiane , de Oliveira Lessandra M. , Viacava Keitiline R.
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the number of courses related to sustainability offered in bachelor degree programs of business administration in Brazilian federal universities.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory research was carried out based on a descriptive scope. The process of mapping federal universities in Brazil was carried out using data available in the Cadastro das Instituições de Educação Superior (General Register of Undergraduate Institutions), on the Instituto Nacional de Estudos e Pesquisas Educacionais – INEPE (National Institute for Educational Studies and Research) web site. Then, researchers collected business administration curricula from the universities' web sites. The present study was based on 40 of the 45 universities first considered, which represents 89 percent of the programs offered in Brazil. After data collection – performed from July to August 2009 – a qualitative analysis of the curriculum was carried out.

Findings

The inclusion of new courses that involve sustainability in business administration programs is still irregular and slow. Of the 40 universities investigated, only 13 (around 33 percent) offered courses related to the topic.

Research limitations/implications

The nature of the research does not allow generalizations regarding other public or private undergraduate institutions.

Practical implications

Results denote a deficiency in relation to the adoption of required courses on sustainability. This gap in the curriculum may compromise the ability of business administration students – who are the future managers and strategists – to reflect on the role of organizations in society.

Originality/value

The present study is the first to examine the teaching of sustainability in Brazilian business education. It also contributes to monitoring the performance of Brazilian federal universities in the teaching of sustainability in business administration programs.
Campus sustainability: climate change, transport and paper reduction
Authors: Atherton Alison , Giurco Damien
Published: July 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to detail the design of a campus climate change strategy, transport strategy and paper reduction strategy at the University of Technology, Sydney (Australia).

Design/methodology/approach

The approach to strategy development used desktop research and staff/student consultation to inform the development of objectives, targets and actions for each strategy. The strengths and weaknesses of the governance structures for strategy design and implementation are also discussed.

Findings

A selection of targets are given here, with further details of objectives and actions in the main text. Climate change: reduce emissions by 11 percent by 2012/2013, 30 percent by 2020. Transport: double the proportion of staff/student commuting trips by walking and cycling to 35 percent by 2011. Paper reduction: by 2011, decrease paper purchased by 20 percent and increasing recycled paper use to 30 percent. The momentum generated by the strategy development shows that it can play a significant role in creating a more sustainable university.

Practical implications

Practical guidance for universities and organisations undergoing organisational change for sustainability is given with a focus on: how to engage with staff and students to develop shared aspirations and reflect these in tangible objectives, targets and actions; and, how to evolve organisational structures to implement strategies and create a sustainable higher education institution.

Originality/value

The value of this work lies in the frank reflections on the processes used to engage stakeholders and develop the strategies as well as with the tangible targets and actions presented which will be of interest for other universities seeking to benchmark their own activities.
Measuring the quality, value and impact of academic libraries: the role of external standards
Authors: Broady‐Preston Judith , Lobo Alison
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the role and relevance of external standards in demonstrating the value and impact of academic library services to their stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

Two UK standards, Charter Mark and Customer Service Excellence, are evaluated via an exploratory case study, employing multiple data collection techniques. Methods and results of phases 1‐2 of a three phase research project are outlined.

Findings

Despite some limitations, standards may assist the manager in demonstrating the value, impact and quality of academic libraries in a recessional environment. Active engagement and partnership with customers is imperative if academic libraries are to be viewed as vital to their parent organisations and thus survive.

Originality/value

This paper provides a systematic evaluation of the role of external accreditation standards in measuring academic library service value and impact.
Measuring the visibility of the university's scientific production through scientometric methods
Authors: Repanovici Angela
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define the scientific production and productivity, and to present the main indicators for the measurement of the scientific activity. The impact of the research is to be measured and analyzed through citation analysis.

Design/methodology

This is an exploratory study made at the Transilvania University of Brasov to evaluate the research output of the faculty. The author analyzed the 2008 research performance as documented in its annual evaluation that states the number of papers, books, and research contracts. Using Publish or Perish, the author calculated the H‐index, G‐index, HC‐index and HI norm, of the 60 more‐productive professors. Correlation indicators are presented and the importance of open access tools and repositories for increasing the impact of scientific research is discussed.

Findings

The Publish or Perish software is an easy to use instrument for analyzing the impact of research. It calculates the impact of the researchers using the very visible resource, Google Scholar. Google Scholar has better indexing of proceedings and non‐English language material than ISI Web of Science but does not perform so well tracking citations from books and chapters of books.

Research limitations/implications

Authors' impact analysis and citations are not an assessment tool in Romanian universities, but it is commonly accepted that increasing research impact through more citations is one qualitative indicator.

Practical implications

It was suggested to the faculty that all professors have to be analysed with the same indicator. Further, Google Scholar and the H‐index obtained using Publish or Perish offer tools for assessing scientific research in a university and for evaluating professors.

Social implications

The results showed that an open access institutional repository would significantly add to the visibility of the university's scientific production.

Originality/value

The paper presents the methodology and the results of an exploratory study made at the Transilvania University of Brasov regarding the H‐Index of the academic staff. It analyzes the research performances achieved by Brasov academic community in 2008, as realised in its annual evaluation – number of papers, books, research contracts, etc. – by comparing the four indexes of those 60 professors with the best results.
The moderating effect of customer perceived value on online shopping behaviour
Authors: Hsin Chang Hsin , Wang Hsin‐Wei
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of e‐service quality, customer perceived value, and customer satisfaction on customer loyalty in an online shopping environment.

Design/methodology/approach

There were two studies performed in this research. Study 1 validated the self‐regulating processes; Study 2 tested the moderating effects of customer perceived value between satisfaction and loyalty. Structural equation modelling techniques and linear hierarchical regression models were used to test the causal model.

Findings

The study demonstrated that e‐service quality and customer perceived value influence customer satisfaction, and then influence customer loyalty. In addition this study found that customers with a high perceived value have a stronger relationship between satisfaction and customer loyalty than customers with a low perceived value.

Research limitations/implications

We found that there are emotional and rational routes influencing customer loyalty in the online shopping process. This will contribute to other research that clarifies the influencing process of online shoppers' motivation and behaviour.

Practical implications

In the pre‐purchase stage, online retailers should focus on attracting consumers by the quality of e‐service. In the purchase stage, online retailers should address the emotional factors, such as customer satisfaction. In the post‐purchase stage, rational factors – such as customer perceived value – play important roles because they can strengthen the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty.

Originality/value

This study viewed the purchase process as a different stage as consumers may make a choice at each of the purchase stages. Moreover this study found a way to examine the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty by exploring the moderating effects of customer perceived value.
Information disclosed online by Spanish universities: content and explanatory factors
Authors: Gallego‐Álvarez Isabel , Rodríguez‐Domínguez Luis , García‐Sánchez Isabel‐María
Published: July 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how several variables, such as universities' profitability, growth‐reduction of student numbers, age/tradition, type of university and internationality, among others, influence the transparency practices of Spanish universities as well as the technology, interactivity, structure and navigability of their webpages.

Design/methodology/approach

First a content analysis of the Spanish universities' websites is carried out. To do this a disclosure index is created and applied. This index is more complex than those in previous papers, focusing on several issues, such as financial information, corporate governance, social responsibility, research, teaching activities, strategic information, timeliness, contact information, technology, interactivity with users, navigability and web structure. Then an empirical model is estimated by applying a linear regression, taking several factors into consideration.

Findings

Three of the independent variables proposed to test the hypotheses – complexity, internationality and profitability – were statistically significant. Moreover, our findings emphasise prioritising use of the internet as a way to disclose teaching and research activities, as well as to monitor university bodies.

Originality/value

The most valuable output from this paper has to do with the content of the information disclosed online by Spanish universities and with the analysis of the factors that explain the disclosure of information through Spanish universities' websites.