bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Developing a competitive international service strategy: a case of international joint venture in the global service industry
Authors: Lee Kyuho , Madanoglu Melih , Ko Jae-Youn
Published: May 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how an international joint venture (IJV) company can efficiently develop a competitive international service strategy in the competitive global marketplace. Specifically, this study seeks to highlight the key antecedents related to the development of an international service strategy and its implementation through the case of the IJV of Starbucks Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

– The case study method is used. A series of in-depth personal interviews with the CEO of Starbucks Korea, a marketing manager at Starbucks Korea, and outlet managers of Starbucks Korea were conducted. Furthermore, an array of secondary data and company documentation was reviewed to triangulate the findings of the study.

Findings

– Several themes illuminating the development and implementation of a successful international service strategy in the case of an international joint venture are identified. It was found that one of the critical antecedents related to the successful international service strategy in the context of an IJV is the similarity of organizational values between the IJV partners. The similarity between the corporate values and missions of the two partners in Starbucks Korea has become a major impetus in the development of a competitive international service strategy for Starbucks Korea.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings of the study may not be applicable to other service firms since the study uses a single firm and a single country as its context.

Originality/value

– The results of the study should help international service firms understand the importance of a successful international service strategy in the case of an international joint venture. Furthermore, the findings of the study illustrate the importance of understanding the local culture to develop a successful international service strategy.
The practice turn in environmental reporting
Authors: Lodhia Sumit , Jacobs Kerry
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore environmental reporting in the Australian Commonwealth public sector through the focus on departments with a primary responsibility for social and environmental issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The research moves beyond the existing theorisation for environmental reporting through a legitimacy theory perspective and adopts Bourdieu's theory of practice. The practices of the two selected departments for this study are assessed through interviews and documentary data.

Findings

The findings suggest that the practice of environmental reporting in a research context moves beyond legitimacy considerations with the internal context being critical in explaining current practices. It is in this regard that the theoretical perspective provides useful insights in understanding environmental reporting in the Australian commonwealth public sector.

Research limitations/implications

The paper calls for further studies that go beyond desk‐based analysis of environmental disclosure and utilise field studies and varying theoretical perspectives which focus on the practices that lead to the production of environmental reporting via various media.

Practical implications

This paper provides insights into how internal actors influence the practice of public sector environmental reporting which has practical implications for the development and enhancement of environmental reporting in many jurisdictions.

Originality/value

The paper develops a theoretical perspective for environmental accounting that provides a comprehensive account of environmental reporting in a specific context. This approach could be utilised in different contexts and contributes towards extending the existing theorisation for environmental reporting.
Freedom and responsibility for French universities: from global steering to local management
Authors: Boitier Marie , Rivière Anne
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This paper seeks to extend the understanding of how formal management control systems (MCSs) contribute to the construction of performance management systems (PMSs) in the French higher education (HE) sector.

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical data are gathered both at the global level and at the local (university) level through an in‐depth case study. This allows a dynamic multi‐level analysis based on a neo‐institutional framework.

Findings

This article shows how formal MCSs contribute to the institutionalisation of a wider PMS at the global level of the HE sector. The social context then has a determining influence on universities, through the diffusion of values and norms drained by formal MCSs, calling into question the effectiveness of the autonomy supposed to be given to universities under the new PMS. Moreover, within universities, the complex interactions between MCS and PMS resulting from learning, political interactions and conflicts of values, lead to still uncertain outcomes.

Research limitations/implications

The paper focuses on one main case‐study, which is still undergoing change. Analysis could be reinforced by further longitudinal and comparative research.

Social implications

Steering organisations within a framework where the State defines strategic priorities requires both appropriate performance indicators and a dialogue allowing objectives to be shared at both the social and local levels.

Originality/value

Institutionalisation of MCSs and accountability are discussed in the specific French context of cultural centralisation.
Practices of management knowing in university research management
Authors: Hendriks Paul H.J. , Sousa Célio A.A.
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into how research managers and directors conceive, adopt and adapt organizational structures to regulate and stimulate academic research.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used principles of a grounded theory approach for collecting and analysing data in interviews with research directors and programme managers working at universities within the discipline of Business Administration in The Netherlands.

Findings

In total, four clusters of concepts emerged from the data, related to: the definition of organization structures; the effects and by‐products of providing structures; academic research as management object; and using organizational structures. The collected clusters show that research universities adopt all kinds of organization structures (formal, informal, narrow, broad, intentional, emergent) and that the perceptions and practices of research managers are crucial for deciding whether these structures may become “seeding” or “controlling”.

Originality/value

The “practice turn” in organization studies has highlighted how important work practices of individual knowledge workers are, but so far has not paid systematic attention to the role of management, or has even downplayed that role. Structuration, which is a key management domain, is not inherently “good” or “bad” (seeding vs controlling), nor is avoiding structuration. Research managers as quintessential knowledge managers appear centre stage in making structures work or not. What makes structures “seeding” (or not) is their selection, combination, adjustment and/or intentional ignoration in practices of management knowing. An important mechanism is that of negotiation in attempts to accommodate possibly divergent interpretations. The concept of management knowing introduced and elaborated claims that management knowledge and practices are intertwined and not independent management knowledge categories.
Initial outcomes of a therapeutic community‐based outpatient programme in the management of personality disorder
Authors: Jones Barry , Juett Georgia , Hill Nathan
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This study aims to describe the effectiveness of two arms of a personality disorder service: a modified mentalization based therapy (MBT) day programme and an open access service‐user network (SUN) support. Both arms utilised therapeutic community principles in service delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

Personality disorder subtypes for all patients entering the modified MBT programme were diagnosed at a clinical assessment interview and corroborated through use of a standardized semi‐structured interview (SCID II). All patients were also allowed open access to a service user network community support group (SUN Project). Outcome measures were applied at baseline, mid‐therapy and end of therapy and included self‐report measures of depression, anxiety, general symptom distress, interpersonal function, social adjustment and patient satisfaction. Clinician‐rated measures of general health and functioning were also used. Data analysis used paired sample T‐tests and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests, depending upon the assessment of parametric or nonparametric tests of trend. The open access nature of the SUN Project demanded a different data collection method. All members received a Standardized Assessment of Personality – abbreviated scale (SAPAS). Two validated empowerment questionnaires were sent to all SUN members that had achieved six months of membership: the first relating to the six‐month period before joining the SUN and the second to the six‐month period after joining the SUN Project. Paired sample T‐tests were used to compare sets of empowerment scores.

Findings

Patients who completed 18 months of MBT‐tc treatment showed a statistically significant improvement on the clinician‐administered measures relating to psychological, social and occupational functioning, compared to baseline. Patients also reported statistically significant improvement in using the brief symptom inventory. All SUN members perceived significant increases in empowerment across the five score subscales. No completed suicidal acts were recorded within the period of analysis within either arm of the service.

Originality/value

An integrated therapeutic community day service appears to afford improvements in perceived empowerment and symptom severity for patients. Further data collection with a larger sample is needed to clarify whether these outcomes support the development of a wider integration of the relatively low cost SUN Project model and MBT within therapeutic communities.
Analyzing the sourcing alternatives in an Indian manufacturing company
Authors: Routroy Srikanta , Pradhan Sudeep Kumar
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the sourcing alternatives (i.e. supplier development (SD), supplier switching (SS) and in‐house production (IP)) in an Indian manufacturing supply chain environment.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 14 attributes are identified through an extensive literature review and discussion held with managers/engineers of different Indian manufacturing companies for analyzing the sourcing alternatives. A systematic methodology is proposed and applied, comprising a fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) for analyzing the sourcing alternatives followed by the application of classical analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for result verification.

Findings

From the results obtained from both AHP and FAHP, it is established that the SD is the most preferred alternative in comparison to other two alternatives (i.e. SS and IP) for the considered Indian manufacturing environment.

Research limitations/implications

The same problem can be extended by incorporating the dynamic behavior of the attributes. The findings cannot be generalized for any other company as it is based on a single Indian manufacturing company.

Practical implications

The paper demonstrates a methodology to evaluate the sourcing alternatives considering judgment of multiple experts in a systematic way. It is believed that it will be quite useful for the supply chain manager to analyze sourcing alternatives by capturing his manufacturing environment into priority weights, which can reflect his priority considerations.

Originality/value

Although SD, SS and IP have been widely researched individually, no study has been reported in the literature to evaluate and rank these three alternatives in any specific Indian manufacturing environment.
Efficiency analysis of UAE banks using data envelopment analysis
Authors: Mohamed Shahwan Tamer , Mohammed Hassan Yousef
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The current study aims to explore and measure the profitability, marketability, and social disclosure efficiency of UAE banks using a nonparametric frontier method – data envelopment analysis (DEA).

Design/methodology/approach

In order to estimate the relative efficiency of the Emirati banks based on three different dimensions: profitability, marketability and social disclosure, a sample of 20 listed Emirati banks in 2009 is first selected. Second, a disclosure index to measure the extent of their social disclosure is developed and utilized. Third, the input‐oriented version of DEA model is deployed to estimate their technical and scale efficiency.

Findings

Based on nonparametric Wilcoxon signed rank test, paired‐difference t test and sign test, this study reports significant evidence that the UAE banks are performing much better in profitability and social disclosure activities than marketability activities. The results also provide additional evidence regarding the positive relation observed between the performance of social disclosure and profitability performance.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is small, although it includes all relevant Emirati banks. Moreover, follow‐up research using panel data derived from the UAE banking sector are required to test and generalize the current results.

Originality/value

The paper is original in its approach by introducing social disclosure as a new empirical dimension to the literatures of banking efficiency analysis using DEA.
An analysis of the telecommunication industry in the Sultanate of Oman using Michael Porter's competitive strategy model
Authors: Rajasekar James , Al Raee Mueid
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Michael Porter's Five Forces Model provides an ideal mechanism and framework to study the Oman telecommunications industry's competitive structure. The purpose of this paper is to use this model to identify the competitive forces that affect it the most.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on empirical research. The data were collected primarily from secondary sources such as published interviews of chief executive officers of the telecommunication companies in Oman, government reports, and Telecommunication Regulatory Authority of Oman (TRA). The authors then used Michael Porter's five forces model to investigate the competitiveness of the telecommunication industry in Oman.

Findings

The analysis shows that the strongest competitive forces in the industry are rivalry among competitors and threat of substitutes. While the threat of entry and power of buyers also having a significant impact, the power of suppliers is of very limited impact. Hence, the five forces model impacts uniformly on all the players in Oman's telecommunication market and have important strategy implications for them all. The results of this analysis are then used as a critical tool to formulate effective strategies for industry players in the face of the changing dynamics of telecommunication services industry in Oman.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few papers that attempted to study the telecommunication industry in Oman in depth. However, this is the first research study that investigated the competitive landscape of this industry using an established framework such as Michael Porter's five forces model. As such, the study brought to light new insights and paradigms in competing in the telecommunication industry in Oman. This study also suggests new strategic directives to the incumbents, new entrants, buyers and suppliers.
Mirror, indicate, maneuver: changing lanes in research and trying to avoid a crash
Authors: Yelland Nicola
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reflect on what it means to be an academic in contemporary times and particularly how the value associated with being a researcher has changed in currency over time.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on Cavarerro's work about stories of the narrated self, in which revealing self narratives are viewed as a vehicle for uncovering (self) identities, this paper reveals the pitfalls associated with trying to change focus and direction and attempts to reinvent oneself in times that are characterized by a return to the essentially conservative conventions of educational research. Neo‐liberal, market driven, utilitarian models of education dominate the contemporary research landscape. What constitutes evidence is under debate. How evidence is obtained and analysed is subject to traditional definitions which may not have direct relevance to contemporary phenomena in post‐modern times. Those in positions of power reduce performance to minutiae and constantly want prescriptive teaching to produce observable outcomes. Yet, is this possible in environs that are formed by individuals in a multiplicity of contexts, cultures and locations? What does this mean for research which focuses not only on the lived experiences in classroom but the recognition that no two classrooms are the same and the quest for the identification of a “good teacher” is like that of the holy grail?

Findings

This paper reveals the pitfalls associated with trying to change focus and direction in academic research. The author has reinterpreted the driving procedure – look in the mirror, indicate and then (if it is clear) move – in her career to being reflective and reflexive about where she has come from, signaling that she wants to change or shift her position and then attempting to make the move. This process of change is continuing and not always continuous.

Originality/value

The article reflects a personal story that is intended to resonate with audiences experiencing similar contexts in contemporary academic life.
E‐government adoption in Oman: motivating factors from a government perspective
Authors: Al‐Mamari Qasim , Corbitt Brian , Oyaro Gekara Victor
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Since little research has been done on e‐government initiatives in developing countries from a government perspective, this study aims to contribute towards filling this empirical gap. It also comes at a time when Oman, like many other countries in the region are tackling issues related to transformation of public services and transparent government. E‐government is one of the tools in the process of transition.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretically derived and empirically confirmed framework of government motives for implementing e‐government is proposed. This study used a qualitative case study approach with semi‐structured interviews as the main tool of data collection and hermeneutics as the technique for data analysis. Empirical investigation was preceded by a content analysis of research and public official artefacts relating to motivation for engagement with e‐government in 70 developing countries. Identified motives were categorised through the lenses of institutional theory, information quality, and quality of service models and incorporated in a single framework to guide the empirical investigation while keeping it flexible to accommodate for country‐specific factors specific to Oman.

Findings

Findings suggest that Oman is motivated by driving forces similar to other developing countries. Specifically, the Government of Oman implemented e‐government projects due to international coercive, mimetic, and normative dynamics of conformance to international standards. Similarly, the government employed e‐government to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of government operations by improving public service quality and quality of information shared between different agencies. Motivating factors were, first, the compelling need to effectively respond to a specific economic crisis of anticipated depletion of oil reserves and, second, institutional dynamics inflicted by the global discourse on e‐government and knowledge‐based economy.

Practical implications

The framework proposed in this paper represents a view of e‐government objectives conceptualised in a theoretical context. It can be used to assist policy‐makers in formulating successful e‐government implementation strategies. In addition, dimensions of service quality and information quality could form a systematic basis for successful provision of electronic public services.

Originality/value

The research in e‐government lacks a clear definition and theoretical linkage of the different adoption motives from a government perspective especially during the pre‐implementation stage. The proposed framework strives to be both comprehensive and integrative, based on interrelated theoretical elements, as compared to existing frameworks which mostly focus on the end‐user adoption of e‐government services.
Factors affecting e‐government adoption in Pakistan: a citizen's perspective
Authors: Ovais Ahmad Muhammad , Markkula Jouni , Oivo Markku
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that enable end‐user adoption of e‐government services in Pakistan, where these facilities are at a rudimentary stage.

Design/methodology/approach

Following previous research on e‐government services adoption, this study employs the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model to examine the influential factors of the adoption and use of e‐government services in Pakistan from a citizen perspective. An online survey was conducted and a statistical descriptive analysis was performed on the responses received from 115 Pakistani citizens.

Findings

In line with previous research, the findings show that performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and social influence are the factors that affect the user's adoption of e‐government services in Pakistan. Furthermore, the results show that lack of awareness, user data privacy, lack of appropriate support and assistance hamper the process.

Practical implications

The findings are useful for policy‐makers and decision‐makers to develop a better understanding of citizens' needs. The adopted model can be used as a guideline for the implementation of e‐government services in Pakistan. This study suggests that government should run extensive advertising campaigns to ensure that people are aware of the services and use them. This implies that government should place emphasis on increasing awareness of the services, show the benefits of citizens, and encouraging confidence in the system.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few to examine what influences citizens adoption of e‐government services in South Asia. This paper is the first step exploring end‐user adoption of the e‐government services of Pakistan using UTAUT model. Corresponding to previous research, this study enforces the significance of particular factors that need to be considered when the goal is to increase e‐government services adoption in developing countries, particularly South Asian.
Proposing a reference process model for the citizen‐centric evaluation of e‐government services
Authors: Tsohou Aggeliki , Lee Habin , Irani Zahir , Weerakkody Vishanth , Osman Ibrahim H. , Anouze Abdel L. , Medeni Tunc
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Evaluating and optimizing e‐government services is imperative for governments especially due to the capacity of e‐services to transform public administrations and assist the interactions of governments with citizens, businesses and other government agencies. Existing widely applied evaluation approaches neglect to incorporate citizens' satisfaction measures. The purpose of this paper is twofold: to contribute to the understanding of citizen‐centric e‐government evaluation and unify existing key performance indicators (KPIs); and to propose a reference process model of a novel evaluation approach that uses the unified KPIs to facilitate the creation of a “know‐how” repository.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors adopt a quantitative research approach for the evaluation of e‐government services that is based on data envelope analysis (DEA). A survey was conducted for the empirical investigation and data were collected from 13 e‐government services in Turkey. Based on the empirical application of the e‐government evaluation method, a reference process model is designed.

Findings

The proposed evaluation method was proved valid and able to provide assessment with richer explanations than traditional statistical measurements. DEA enabled the identification of insufficient e‐government services and the provision of suggested improvements.

Research limitations/implications

The reference process model is constructed based on the experience gained by applying the method to a sole cultural setting;, i.e. e‐government services in Turkey.

Practical implications

The proposed evaluation method, in comparison to other user‐oriented ones, provided assessments with richer explanations than traditional statistical measurements, such as structured equation modelling. The reference process model constructed based on the empirical research is expected to accelerate the citizen‐oriented evaluation of e‐government and promote impact‐oriented indicators.

Originality/value

This is the first application of DEA in the e‐government field, although it has been widely applied for performance measurement in other fields, especially operations research. The novelty of DEA is that the assessment results provide suggestions for strategic improvement of the e‐services.
Self‐directed career attitude and retirement intentions
Authors: De Vos Ans , Segers Jesse
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Career self‐directedness is a concept that has gained widespread attention in the literature on new careers and managerial thinking about contemporary career development. In a related sense, the topic of employee retirement has become popular in both the academic and managerial literature. However, to date, career self‐directedness has not been studied in relationship with older workers' retirement intentions. The purpose of this study is to test a model of the relationship between career self‐directedness and retirement intentions, mediated by career self‐management behaviors and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was completed by 271 employees older than 45 working in five organizations. The average age was 53, and 59 percent were female. Participants had been with their current employer for an average of 16 years, and 58 percent of them worked fulltime. The survey included measures of self‐directed career attitude, career self‐management behaviors, engagement and retirement intention.

Findings

Results indicate that engagement and career self‐management behaviors fully mediated the relationship between self‐directed career attitude and retirement intention.

Originality/value

This is the first study to address career self‐directedness in relationship with retirement intentions, thereby considering the mediating role of career self‐management behaviors and engagement. As a result, this study contributes to insights in the validity of career self‐directedness as a predictor of career development using a sample of employees different from the main body of studies using samples of employees in their early career stages. Moreover, it sheds further light on the retirement process by including an individual career attitude and intermediating variables viewed as important to understand contemporary organizational behavior.
Creative professional service firms: aligning strategy and talent
Authors: Canavan Deirdre , Sharkey Scott Pamela , Mangematin Vincent
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Reliance on individual talent and motivation renders creative professional service firms (PSFs) highly dependent on their ability to attract and mobilise the right individuals. This paper aims to build an integrated framework showing firstly how creative industry PSFs can differ in their strategy for growth, and secondly how these alternative strategies for growth can influence the firm's approach to organising and the type of talent required.

Design/methodology/approach

The findings are based on a series of interviews with managing directors, senior management and practitioners of architectural organisations in a single country, combined with an extensive literature review.

Findings

The authors' framework illustrates how the proposed growth strategies for creative PSFs are aligned to alternative professional talent profiles – a product portfolio strategy where the firm structures for efficiency aligned to a managerial talent profile, and an artistic competency strategy where the firm structures for creativity aligned to a technical talent profile.

Research limitations/implications

The usual limitations apply in terms of generalisability of findings from case studies.

Practical implications

The authors' proposed framework represents a novel attempt to help management of creative PSFs to align their growth strategies with human resource practice to achieve the firm's objectives, and provide valuable practical advice to managers on achieving this “fit”.

Originality/value

By linking the firm's strategy and structure to identify the organisation's human resource requirements, the authors provide a novel framework for how creative PSFs can attract and retain the type of talent profile and motivational characteristics best suited to perform consistently and contribute to achieving the firm objectives.
Gauging performance in the service industry
Authors: Tyagi Rajesh , Gupta Praveen
Published: May 2013

Purpose

Traditional performance measurement models and frameworks fail to take into account the intricacies and specificity of service businesses. The important characteristics of services, role of employees and partners, important of measures and concurrent production and delivery need to be incorporated into the framework. This paper seeks to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

The research followed a case‐based methodology using semi‐structured interviews. Literature review and case‐based methodology led to the conception of initial deployment framework.

Findings

Existing scorecards do not emphasize the deployment aspects of the scorecard and overlook trade‐offs and benchmarking decisions.

Practical implications

The scorecard provides guidance for successful deployment. The framework incorporates the importance of service innovation and role of employees and partners into the scorecard. Relative decision trade off and benchmarking are an integral part of the deployment process.

Originality/value

The two founding blocks of the scorecard are value maximization theory proposition and Six Sigma methodology. The service scorecard supports stakeholders that drive business performance thus ensuring accountability, innovation and collaboration. The scorecard offers a set of measures that builds upon existing measures.
Event‐aware FRBR and FRAD models: are they useful?
Authors: Taniguchi Shoichi
Published: May 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present functional requirements for bibliographic records (FRBR)‐based model and functional requirements for authority data (FRAD)‐based model; both of which incorporate an event concept that transforms FRBR and FRAD with minimal modification.

Design/methodology/approach

Relationships between the entities defined in FRBR/FRAD are transformed into event entities and relationships with other kinds of entities. The cardinality of those relationships is also examined. In addition, a comparison of the proposed FRBR‐based model with the object‐oriented FRBR (FRBROO) is conducted.

Findings

In the proposed event‐aware FRBR model, an event and its output resource are dependent on each other and necessary information about an event can be expressed with information about its output resource, and vice versa. Therefore, the usefulness and expressiveness of the proposed model is limited. In the FRBROO model, dependency between an event and its output resource is not observed, except in a few cases, since a different resource and event modeling was adopted there. The event‐aware FRAD model proposed is useful – but also the scope of its usefulness limited since dependency between an event and its input/output resource is not observed on some event entities.

Originality/value

The proposed models are meaningful in terms of understanding the basic structure and features of a model that incorporates an event concept. The usefulness and limitation of event modeling have been clarified through such model building. The proposed models provide a stable basis for examining FRBR/FRAD further.
Researchers' green open access practice: a cross‐disciplinary analysis
Authors: Spezi Valérie , Fry Jenny , Creaser Claire , Probets Steve , White Sonya
Published: May 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to report on the findings of the second phase of the Behavioural strand of the EC‐funded PEER project (http://www.peerproject.eu/). The paper seeks to explore authors' and readers' behaviours in relation to authors' peer‐reviewed accepted manuscripts in open access repositories.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was undertaken using a mixed‐method approach, involving the distribution of a survey by the 12 participating publishers to their authors in selected journal titles and a participatory workshop with European researchers from selected disciplinary areas.

Findings

Researchers' attitudes towards versions of published journal articles made open access via open access repositories may vary depending on whether researchers report behaviours from the perspective of an author or a reader. The research found that disciplinary cultures, norms and traditions shape authors' self‐archiving behaviour and readers' use of those versions of journal articles held in repositories.

Research limitations/implications

One of the limitations of the research is that it was impossible for the research team to gauge the representativeness of the survey compared to the actual disciplinary distribution of the population of EU researchers, as such population information is not available in an aggregated and consistent format.

Originality/value

The PEER Observatory is an unprecedented large‐scale collaboration between publishers, researchers and repositories to investigate the effects of self‐archiving at European level. The paper provides a disciplinary reading of the findings and augments the understanding of how disciplinary culture and norms shape authors' and readers' behaviours in relation to self‐archiving.
The Politics of Patronage and Coalition: How Parties Allocate Managerial Positions in State-Owned Enterprises
Authors: Ennser-Jedenastik Laurenz
Published: May 2013

While commonly regarded as a democratic pathology, party patronage can also be understood as an inherent feature of party government and thus as a linkage mechanism between political parties and the government executive. Therefore, theories of government formation, portfolio allocation and coalition governance can potentially add analytical leverage to the study of party patronage. Starting from this presumption, this article derives a number of hypotheses from the field of coalition theory and tests them on an original data set of over 2,000 appointments made to managerial boards in 92 Austrian state-owned enterprises between 1995 and 2010. The empirical analysis strongly supports the hypotheses, showing that patronage appointments vary with the partisan composition of government, the allocation of portfolios and junior ministers, as well as the importance of corporations.
Rethinking Populism: Politics, Mediatisation and Political Style
Authors: Moffitt Benjamin , Tormey Simon
Published: May 2013

As a key feature of the contemporary political landscape, populism stands as one of the most contentious concepts in political science. This article presents a critique of dominant conceptions of populism – as ideology, logic, discourse and strategy/organisation – and introduces the category of ‘political style’ as a new compelling way of thinking about the phenomenon. We argue that this new category captures an important dimension of contemporary populism that is missed by rival approaches. In doing so, we put forward an inductive model of populism as a political style and contextualise it within the increasingly stylised and mediatised milieu of contemporary politics by focusing on its performative features. We conclude by considering how this concept allows us to understand how populism appears across the political spectrum, how it translates into the political mainstream and its implications for democratic politics.
Report of the Editor‐in‐Chief
Authors: Harvey David
Published: May 2013

Submissions to the Journal continue to increase, with a strong international pattern, while our response times are also improving. The JAE's citation impact factor reached a record high in 2011 at 1.55, with data on 2012 citations suggesting a modest decline in 2012 (due to be published in June 2013). Wiley‐Blackwell continues to provide a strong publishing platform with our full archive generating rapidly increasing numbers of downloads.
ASEAN's New Frontiers: Integrating the Newest Members into theASEANEconomic Community
Authors: Pomfret Richard
Published: May 2013

SinceVietnam,Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR),Myanmar, andCambodia joined the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the 1990s, concerns have been raised over aDevelopmentDivide. The real division is betweenASEANmembers participating in the integratedEastAsian economy and those that do not. The olderASEANmembers have become more efficient traders, and Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam must reform faster if they are to catch up.Cambodia,LaoPDR, andMyanmar are not meeting the challenge, butVietnam may be leaving the laggards, and thePhilippines is lagging the leaders. The challenge is how to avoid a two‐tierASEANwith fast‐growing modern economies coexisting besides inward‐looking poor countries.
Cambodia: Rapid Growth with Weak Institutions
Authors: Hill Hal , Menon Jayant
Published: May 2013

This paper examines Cambodia's socioeconomic development since the early 1990s peace settlement. The country's economic growth has arguably been the fastest among post‐conflict societies, driven by the credible restoration of peace and security, large public and private capital inflows, economic openness, reasonably prudent macroeconomic management, and a dynamic, integrating neighborhood. A legacy of history and small size is that the government has limited policy space, although this has not necessarily retarded economic development. We also highlight some key challenges, including rising inequality, uneven spatial development, weak institutions, and high levels of corruption. Looking forward, we highlight the importance of strengthening supply side capabilities, broadening the benefits of growth, and developing stronger institutions and property rights.
Comparison of blind and electrically guided tracheal needle insertion in human cadavers
Authors: Tsui B. C. , Neufeld A. , Walji A. H.
Published: May 2013

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an electrically guided needle insertion technique would enable greater success at intratracheal needle tip insertion than the traditional, aspiration‐of‐air technique. Twenty‐seven anaesthesiology residents were assessed in their ability to place a needle tip in the trachea of cadavers using the two methods. Success of needle placement, time to placement and confidence in placement were recorded. Correct intratracheal needle placement was achieved by 22% of residents (6/27) using the aspiration‐of‐air method vs 82% (22/27) using the electrically guided method (p < 0.001). For the instances of success, there was no significant difference between the two methods in the median (IQR [range]) time taken (28 (24–49 [18–63]) s aspiration vs 32 (19–49 [15–84]) s electrical; p = 0.93). The electrically guided method provides an acceptably quick and accurate way of placing a needle tip into the tracheal lumen and can be learnt easily by anaesthesiology residents.
Copy number aberrations using multicolour fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for prognostication in non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NIMBC)
Authors: Matsuyama Hideyasu , Ikemoto Kenzo , Eguchi Satoshi , Oga Atsunori , Kawauchi Shigeto , Yamamoto Yoshiaki , Kawai Yoshihisa , Matsumoto Hiroaki , Hara Takahiko , Nagao Kazuhiro , Sakano Shigeru , Sasaki Kohsuke
Published: May 2013

Objective

To investigate if detection of copy number aberrations of chromosomes 3, 7, 9p21, and 17 using multicolour fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) predicts patient outcome in non‐muscle‐invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Patients and Methods

In all, 118 bladder wash samples were prospectively collected from patients who underwent transurethral resection of bladder tumour (median age 50.5 years, male/female: 91/27, tumour grade 1/2/3: 18/52/42, stage pTis/Ta/T1: 8/62/42) from 2007 to 2010.

The 118 samples were analysed using the UroVysion® kit to detect the copy numbers of chromosomes 3, 7, 9p21, and 17.

The variant fraction (VF; the sum of the non‐modal copy number fraction of each chromosome) was defined as abnormal when the percentage was ≥16%. The percentage deletion of 9p21 (fraction of null or one copy number of the 9p21 locus) was defined as abnormal when the percentage was ≥12%.

Maffezzini risk criteria were also analysed in our cohorts.

Results

There was recurrence in 57 (48.3%) patients and disease progression in 12 (10.1%), with a median follow‐up of 35.7 months.

Multivariate analysis showed that the percentage 9p21 loss (>12%) was an independent prognostic factor for recurrence (P < 0.001, odds ratio [OR] 3.24, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.85–5.62).

For disease progression, tumour grade, positive urine cytology, concurrent carcinoma in situ, and a mean VF of >16% were significant prognostic factors in univariate analysis. In multivariate analysis, a mean VF of >16% was a prognostic factor for disease progression (P = 0.048, OR 6.07, 95% CI 1.02–57.45).

Conclusions

Multicolour‐FISH analysis using a commercially available kit could be a powerful tool not only for diagnosis, but also for prognostication in patients with NMIBC.
Synthesis and Cytotoxicity Studies of Novel Triazolo‐Benzoxazepine as New Anticancer Agents
Authors: Banerji Biswadip , Pramanik Sumit Kumar , Sanphui Priyankar , Nikhar Sameer , Biswas Subhas C.
Published: May 2013

Cancer continues to be one of the biggest threats to the human civilization because there is no cure of it. Small heterocyclic molecule with low molecular weight and novel structural feature is therapeutically highly demanding. These molecules have the capability to disrupt signaling pathways leading to anticancer activities. Therefore, the search for new anticancer agents continues to draw attention to the research community. In this study, a small triazolo‐benzoxazepine scaffolds was synthesized using a one‐pot four‐step synthetic methodology involving click reaction. Small libraries of 12 compounds were successfully synthesized and screened them against different cancer cell lines. Low micromolar anticancer activity was recorded using MTT assay, and further confirmation of cell death was obtained by phase contrast, fluorescent, and confocal images.
Spatiotemporal patterns of the Huntingtin‐interacting protein 1‐related gene in the mouse head
Authors: Masuda Tomoyuki , Sakuma Chie , Ueno Takayuki , Yamada Yuriko , Ohmomo Hideki , Ueda Shuichi , Yamagishi Toshiyuki , Yaginuma Hiroyuki
Published: May 2013

Huntingtin‐interacting protein 1‐related (Hip1r) was originally identified due to its homology to Huntingtin‐interacting protein 1, which contributes to the development of Huntington's disease (HD). We studied the expression of the mouse Hip1r (mHip1r) gene in the mouse head by in situ hybridization. In early embryogenesis at embryonic day (E) 13, mHip1r expression was especially prominent in the olfactory epithelium, cerebral cortex layer 1, cortical plate, and dentate gyrus. During later development from E15 to E17, strong expression of mHip1r transcripts continued to be observed in the olfactory epithelium, cortical plate, and dentate gyrus. Furthermore, not only the subplate and subventricular zone of the cortex, but also secretory glands, such as the nasal gland and the submandibular gland, were mHip1r‐positive. Other positive tissues included the retinal ganglion cells, vomeronasal organ, trigeminal ganglion, and the developing molar tooth. In the adult mouse brain, similar expression patterns were observed in the cerebral cortex layers and other brain regions except the cerebellum. Additionally, by using an antibody against mHip1r, we confirmed these expression patterns at the protein level. Specific expression of mHip1r in the embryonic brain and secretory glands suggests a possible role for Hip1r in normal development and in the pathology of HD.
Vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap reconstruction of the perineal defect after abdominoperineal excision is associated with low morbidity
Authors: Barker T. , Branagan G. , Wright E. , Crick A. , McGuiness C. , Chave H.
Published: May 2013

Aim

To examine the short‐term outcomes of perineal reconstruction with a vertical rectus abdominis myocutaneous (VRAM) flap following abdominoperineal excision (APE).

Method

Retrospective case note review of all patients undergoing APE and primary VRAM reconstruction between July 2001 and February 2012 in a district general hospital tertiary referral centre for APE. Complications were categorized using the Clavien–Dindo classification, which grades complications from I to V in order of increasing severity.

Results

Fifty‐five consecutive patients (31 men, median age 65, range 38–84 years) underwent APE with VRAM flap reconstruction, 15 for anal cancer and 40 for rectal cancer. Median length of stay was 11 days but was significantly shorter in the laparoscopic group compared with the open group (8 vs 12 days; P < 0.01) and in patients who did not experience any complications (P < 0.05). Four patients (7%) had major complications (Grade 3 and above) directly related to the flap or donor site.

Conclusion

VRAM reconstruction of the perineum can be safely performed following APE with results that compare favourably with other techniques. Most flap complications are minor, although these are still associated with an increase in the length of hospital stay.
Effects of serum reduction and VEGF supplementation on angiogenic potential of human adipose stromal cells in vitro
Authors: Chua K. H. , Raduan F. , Wan Safwani W. K. Z. , Manzor N. F. M. , Pingguan‐Murphy B. , Sathapan S.
Published: May 2013

Objectives

This study investigated effects of reduced serum condition and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on angiogenic potential of adipose stromal cells (ASCs) in vitro.

Materials and methods

Adipose stromal cells were cultured in three different types of medium: (i) F12/DMEM (FD) supplemented with 10% FBS from passage 0 (P0) to P6; (ii) FD supplemented with 2% FBS at P6; and (iii) FD supplemented with 2% FBS plus 50 ng/ml of VEGF at P6. Morphological changes and growth rate of ASCs were recorded. Changes in stemness, angiogenic and endogenic genes’ expressions were analysed using Real‐Time PCR.

Results

Adipose stromal cells changed from fibroblast‐like shape when cultured in 10% FBS medium to polygonal when cultured in 2% FBS plus VEGF‐supplemented medium. Their growth rate was lower in 2% FBS medium, but increased with addition of VEGF. Real‐Time PCR showed that ASCs maintained most of their stemness and angiogenic genes’ expression in 10% FBS at P1, P5 and P6, but this increased significantly in 2% FBS at P6. Endogenic genes expression such as PECAM‐1, VE chaderin and VEGFR‐2 decreased after serial passage in 10% FBS, but increased significantly at P6 in 2% FBS. Addition of VEGF did not cause any significant change in gene expression level.

Conclusion

Adipose stromal cells had greater angiogenic potential when cultured in reduced serum conditions. VEGF did not enhance their angiogenic potential in 2% FBS‐supplemented medium.