bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A numerical study on turbulent flow around a square cylinder with uniform injection or suction
Authors: Çuhadaroğlu Burhan
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to predict the effects of uniform injection or suction through a porous square cylinder on the flow field and on some aerodynamic parameters.

Design/methodology/approach

The finite volume method has been used for solving the ensemble averaged Navier–Stokes equations for incompressible flow in conjunction with the k‐ ε turbulence model equations including the Kato and Launder modification.

Findings

The parameters taken into account are injection or suction velocity, position of injection and suction surface, drag and lift coefficients and Strouhal number. The numerical results show that increasing suction velocity decreases the drag coefficient for all the suction configurations considered in the present study, except that of suction through rear surface. The vortex‐shedding motion gets weak by the suction application through top and bottom surfaces.

Research limitations/implications

The problem is restricted with a 2‐D simple geometry such as square cylinder due to the limited computer capability. Further extensions of the present study could include the more complex configurations and some other aspects such as heat transfer between porous cylinder and main flow.

Practical implications

The injection or suction application through a porous bluff body can be used as an efficient drag and vortex control method in aerodynamics.

Originality/value

This paper describes an attempt to simulate numerically the flow around square cylinder with uniform injection and suction in a manner different from what is given in the literature.
When match‐making forms part of the company agenda
Authors: Han Yong
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to examine, from an insider's perspective, the ways in which Chinese organizational play may develop employee creativity.

Design/methodology/approach

Presents concepts based on research.

Findings

Reports how Chinese organizational play may help employees to relax physically, develop informal social relationships and support guanxi – business networks based on connections made by individuals.

Practical implications

Advances the view that managers in China who want a creative workplace should be prepared to put in the time and effort to provide their employees with opportunities for play.

Originality/value

Presents ideas from China that could be applied in some western organizations.
Factors affecting quality enhancement procedures for e‐learning courses
Authors: Jara Magdalena , Mellar Harvey
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper reports on an empirical study exploring the way in which campus‐based higher education institutions (HEIs) in the UK apply their internal quality assurance and enhancement (QA/QE) procedures to their e‐learning courses. The purpose of this paper is to identify those characteristics of e‐learning courses which affected the capacity of these procedures to assure and enhance the quality of courses.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study approach is selected as most appropriate for an in‐depth examination of the features of the courses as well as the way in which the procedures are applied. Two sets of data are collected and analysed from each of four e‐learning courses: QA documentation and interviews with stakeholders.

Findings

It is found that the main factors impacting on the effectiveness of the QA procedures are: the organisational position that these courses had within their institutions; the distributed configuration of course, teams; the disaggregated processes that characterise e‐learning courses; and the distant location of students. These factors are found to be impacting on the potential of the QA/QE procedures to enhance the quality of the courses.

Practical implications

These case studies highlight the need for campus‐based universities to reassess their approach to the QA/QE of e‐learning courses, and identify the challenges that course teams face in moving on from the application of QA procedures to addressing the issues of QE.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies in its analysis of empirical data about the application of QA/QE procedures in e‐learning courses in higher education.
Professional development: assuring quality in e‐learning policy and practice
Authors: Mansvelt Juliana , Suddaby Gordon , O'Hara Duncan , Gilbert Amanda
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The paper reports on findings of research into the institutional and individual influences on engaging in professional development (PD), reflecting on how PD might be made available in ways which could support quality in e‐learning.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents findings of a research project exploring factors influencing engagement in e‐learning PD within New Zealand tertiary education institutions. The research comprised an online survey of 408 individuals in three polytechnics and two universities and 40 qualitative interviews ascertaining beliefs, experiences and practices of staff regarding e‐learning PD.

Findings

The survey and interviews suggest there are numerous factors which both help and hinder quality of engagement in e‐learning PD. Most PD engaged in by staff is informal. Engagement in formal PD is influenced by organisational structure, co‐ordination, poorly developed and/or implemented e‐learning policy, differences in managerial support, and individual beliefs and time allocation.

Research limitations/implications

The research is conducted in a small number of tertiary institutions and may not be applicable to private or work‐based training organisations.

Practical implications

Understanding impacts and influences on individual uptake and experiences of PD provides insights into the sorts of institutional practices and policies likely to improve quality in e‐learning and in e‐learning PD.

Originality/value

By focussing on staff experiences, this paper provides important insights into practical considerations informing the development of e‐learning quality enhancement and assurance strategies.
Quality management in course development and delivery at the University of the West Indies Distance Education Centre
Authors: Thurab‐Nkhosi Dianne , Marshall Stewart
Published: July 2009

Purpose

In 2004, the University of the West Indies Distance Education Centre (UWIDEC) began incorporating the use of new information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the delivery of its programmes and courses, taking a “blended learning” approach. There is a recognition, however, of the need to ensure the quality of the programme offerings particularly in light of the new move toward the use of ICT. Prior to 2004, UWIDEC had implemented a set of quality assurance procedures for the development of its print materials, however these procedures do not provide for quality in the use of the new ICT, including web‐based tools. The purpose of this paper is to describe practical mechanisms and tools used for quality assurance processes in an evolving, dual mode university, adopting ICTs in the provision of open and distance learning. The context and unit of analysis for the case is the UWIDEC.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper, using a descriptive, single‐case study approach, explores the processes adopted by UWIDEC as it integrated the use of ICTs in its programme delivery. The UWIDEC's application of quality assurance processes and procedures is analysed in relation to the processes and procedures outlined by the US Institute for Higher Education Policy and to a lesser extent other institutions and associations involved in quality assurance in higher education.

Findings

In order to provide online distance education that is “fit for purpose”, an organization must ensure: institutional support; effective course development; learner‐centred interactive delivery; support for students; support for faculty; and a system of evaluation. UWIDEC attempts to do this by developing a series of tools which are all based on guidelines provided by international organizations involved in quality assurance processes and procedures in higher education.

Originality/value

This paper expands on the discussion surrounding the difference between quality assurance for conventional modes of higher education versus distance modes. It also provides a description of a case study from a distributed, dual‐mode university in small‐island developing states, while highlighting the practical tools that can be implemented in these special circumstances.
Corporate brand reputation and the adoption of innovations
Authors: Corkindale David , Belder Marcus
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate how the strength of a corporate brand influences the adoption of an innovative service, and the main components of the construct: corporate brand (CB).

Design/methodology/approach

A real‐world, online, information acceleration experiment was conducted where the marketing mix and competitive environment was held constant for a new service from three different CBs. Respondents indicated their likelihood of buying from each of these and their perceptions of them.

Findings

The study finds that there was a significant relationship between CB strength and respondents' likelihood of adoption of the service. The CB construct was found to comprise two factors: conative and cognitive, where the former was more influential on adoption probability.

Research limitations/implications

A limited set of variables commonly associated with brands was taken to be representative of CB. Further research would be needed to more generalise the findings and more fully examine the CB construct for its components.

Practical implications

A competent marketing mix is not sufficient on its own to gain the adoption of an innovative service: a strong CB is influential. The emotive rather than factual associations with the CB may well be a more influential on adoption decisions.

Originality/value

An indication of the scale of the CB effect on innovation adoption is given. CB is indicated to have two components: emotive and factual. Those managing the potential launch of an innovative service and who may have several corporate brands to choose from to use would be aided by this research.
Perceptual categorization of private labels and national brands
Authors: Nenycz‐Thiel Magda , Romaniuk Jenni
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper seeks to compare how brand users and non‐brand users currently position private labels and national brands in three packaged goods categories. It aims to provide guidelines for positioning strategies for both private labels and national brands through the outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in a telephone survey of 600 randomly recruited primary shoppers. Binary logistic regression was used to examine the informational cues consumers use to categorize private labels and national brands. The memory structures of users and non‐users of private labels were then separately modelled.

Findings

Results suggest that the perceptual categorization into private label brands and national brands differs once private labels have been purchased. Users of private label brands did not see them as being any less trustworthy than national brands. However, non‐users of private labels did use trust to discriminate between the two types of brands, and tended to use negative attribute information to categorize the brands into groups. Regardless of experience, however, private labels form a subgroup in consumers' memory, with low price and low quality as the main drivers of this categorization.

Originality/value

This paper extends past studies by measuring the perceptions of private labels as individual brands within a market, which more closely represents actual consumer memory structures. It also uses both positive and negative product attributes, which has not featured in prior work on private labels perceptions. The findings have implications for retailers looking to launch and manage private labels and manufacturers who need to compete with them.
A mixed method approach to understanding brand personality
Authors: Arora Raj , Stoner Charles
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to use a mixed method (qualitative and quantitative) approach to exploring product personality. It also aims to focus on the personality dimensions of two retails stores (Target and Wal‐Mart) and two athletic brands (Adidas and Nike). While personality has been investigated in marketing settings, the focus has been limited to using quantitative scales. This approach has the potential of leaving out rich details of personality not captured by the scale, thereby offering little helpful information for advertising copy writers. While qualitative approaches may lack the formal test of hypotheses, they afford rich narrative that adds important insights about the products and practical help for advertising development.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is based on a concurrent, two‐studies design where qualitative and quantitative data are both collected and analyzed separately (concurrently or sequentially). A survey is used to measure the personality dimensions based on Aaker's five personality dimensions. In addition, various personality dimensions are explored using in‐depth, one‐to‐one interviews; grounded theory framework; and QDA software that is especially suitable for text analysis.

Findings

The findings reveal lack of convergence in personality dimensions. While full convergence is not expected due to method and sample characteristics, the findings revealed important dimensions that appeared only in either the qualitative or quantitative analysis. For example, the attributes of competence, sophistication, and ruggedness failed to emerge in the qualitative analyses.

Research limitations/ implications

Caution is advised in extrapolating the results beyond the issues investigated in the study.

Practical implications

The findings help marketers in formulating effective product design, positioning, and promotion strategies.

Originality/value

Most of the research on the subject of personality has been designed around Aaker's five dimensions of personality. There has been some variation to the instrument to capture dimensions such as nurturance, and integrity, ruggedness, and sophistication. However, there is a void in qualitative research that is oriented towards discovering (rather than testing) the dimensions of personality. This paper uses qualitative research methodology, specifically a grounded theory framework, to discover the personality of products, and to compare these outcomes with Aaker's five‐dimensional scale.
Does a brand have to be consistent?
Authors: Charters Steve
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This conceptual paper seeks to examine the issue of whether or not a brand needs to be consistent. Whilst this assumption often seems to be made within the marketing literature, it has not previously been examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses the example of wine to explore the consumer's desire for consistency. The paper is not based on a specific research project, but rather reflects the findings of a number of projects, and of an engagement with commentators on wine over a number of years.

Findings

The paper suggests that rather than wine invariably being the same it is necessary for it to offer a regular standard of quality within varying external constraints, and that consumers may actually search out such inconsistency. By extension, it is argued that this is relevant for other goods, such as a foods and fashions, and aesthetic and ludic products.

Practical implications

It may be relevant for managers to build inconsistency into product design in some cases to give consumers the chance of involvement in brand co‐creation.

Originality/value

The paper examines an aspect of brands (consistency) not previously considered, and moves on the current debate about consumer participation in the development of brand meaning.
The moderating role of price consciousness on the effectiveness of price discounts and premium promotions
Authors: Palazón Mariola , Delgado Elena
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This study aims to integrate price consciousness into the promotional effectiveness framework. Specifically, it aims to analyse whether price consciousness affects the evaluation of price discounts and premiums at two different benefit levels (moderate vs high).

Design/methodology/approach

An experiment was conducted with two promotional benefit level (moderate, high) × two promotion type (price discount, premium) between subjects design. A sample of 229 undergraduate students was randomly assigned to a specific product‐promotion combination.

Findings

The results obtained indicate that at moderate benefit level, price discounts and premiums are equally effective for high price conscious consumers. However, price discounts are more effective than premiums for low price conscious consumers. At high benefit level price discounts are more effective than premiums, but this effect is more apparent for high price conscious consumers.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations of the study are those typically applied to the experimental methodology. Specifically, only two product categories and two types of sales promotions were used which limits the generalization of the results. Another potential limitation is the use of students' respondents.

Practical implications

It is recommended that managers should know how price conscious their consumer segment is before taking any decisions regarding the promotional strategy. To be more effective, it is recommended to offer premiums instead of moderate price discounts if the target segment is high price conscious. However, such a recommendation should only be followed when the target is not low price conscious, because for this consumer segment a moderate discount is preferred.

Originality/value

To analyze the effectiveness of a promotion, most of the present research has focused on the benefit provided, and the promotional framework used. However, lacking in this research are insights into how consumer personal characteristics may affect that effectiveness. The current research is to fill this gap in knowledge about consumer responses to sales promotions incorporating price consciousness in the analysis.
Divergence of opinion and valuation in a mean‐variance framework
Authors: Schnabel Jacques A.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of heterogeneous expectations on the equilibrium value of a risky asset in a capital market populated by investors that choose mean‐variance efficient portfolios.

Design/methodology/approach

A single‐period, discrete‐time version of Williams' capital asset pricing model that incorporates heterogeneous beliefs regarding the mean vector of rates of return and homogeneous beliefs regarding the variance‐covariance matrix of rates of return is developed. It is then employed to gauge the impact of both divergence of opinion and increases thereof on the equilibrium price of a risky asset.

Findings

The value of a risky asset under heterogeneous beliefs differs from that under homogeneous beliefs as the former is biased towards the beliefs of wealthier and/or more risk tolerant investors. If the latter set of investors is optimistic (pessimistic), the value is higher (lower) than that which prevails in the absence of divergence of beliefs. Increasing divergence of opinion likewise affects the equilibrium price of a risky asset to accord more with the beliefs of wealthier and/or more risk tolerant investors. If the latter set of investors is optimistic (pessimistic), increasing dispersion of beliefs causes the value of a risky asset to rise (fall).

Originality/value

A novel simplification and application of Williams' model of capital asset pricing is presented. The findings differ from conclusions derived in previous theoretical treatments of divergence of opinions in capital markets.
Powder particle temperature distribution in laser deposition technologies
Authors: Giuliani Valerio , Hugo Ronald J. , Gu Peihua
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a flexible tool to predict the particle temperature distribution for traditional laser applications and for the most recent diode laser processes. In the past few years, surface processing and rapid prototyping applications have frequently implemented the use of powder delivery nozzles and high power fibre‐coupled diode lasers with highly convergent laser beams. Owing to the complexity and variety of the process parameters involved in this technology, mathematical models are necessary to understand and predict the deposition behaviour. Modeling the dynamics of the melting pool and the particle temperature distribution is critical for achieving a good deposition quality.

Design/methodology/approach

This study focuses on the development of mathematical models to predict the particle temperature distribution over the melting pool. An analytical and a numerical solution are proposed for two cases of laser intensity distribution: top hat and Gaussian.

Findings

The results show that a more vertical position of powder delivery nozzle will lead to a higher and more uniform particle temperature distribution, in particular for the top‐hat intensity distribution case.

Originality/value

Previous work has dealt only with Gaussian laser spatial distributions and collimated laser beams. Therefore, they were limited to a specific class of laser processes. This work provides a flexible tool to predict the particle temperature distribution for traditional laser applications (powder delivery nozzle and Gaussian laser profile) and for the most recent diode laser processes (powder delivery nozzle and top‐hat laser distribution with highly convergent laser beam). In addition, the results demonstrate that the particle temperature does not monotonically increase while increasing the nozzle inclination as in the case of a collimated laser beam, but some particles show a minimum temperature for intermediate values of the nozzle inclination angle.
Rapid prototyping – a technology transfer approach for development of rapid tooling
Authors: Sahebrao Ingole Dilip , Madhusudan Kuthe Abhay , Thakare Shashank B. , Talankar Amol S.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply rapid prototyping (RP) philosophy as a technology transfer in industries to take its time and cost‐effective advantages for development of rapid tooling (RT).

Design/methodology/approach

Experimentations are performed for development of RT for sand casting, investment casting and plastic moulding applications.

Findings

This paper reports the procedures developed for manufacture of production tooling using RP. A cost/benefit model is developed to justify implementation of RP as a technology transfer in industries.

Research limitations/implications

The examples are limited to parts build by fused deposition modelling RP process. However, the concepts experimented may be applied for other RP processes.

Practical implications

RP has proved to be a cost‐effective and time‐efficient approach for development of RT, thereby ensuring possibility for technology transfer in casting as well as plastic industries.

Originality/value

This is the pioneer attempt towards quantifying RP benefits, in view of technology transfer. This paper presents original case studies and findings on the basis of experimentations performed in foundries.
Proposed classification scheme for direct writing technologies
Authors: Mortara Letizia , Hughes Jonathan , Ramsundar Pallant S. , Livesey Finbarr , Probert David R.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose and discuss a definition and a classification scheme for direct writing (DW) technologies.

Design/methodology/approach

Both the definition and the classification are developed based on the perspectives of the growing DW community in the UK, through consultation with members, workshops and a survey across the community. In addition, current DW technologies and literature on classification techniques are reviewed.

Findings

The classification is structured in order to encompass current technologies, but also to be expandable to accommodate new ones that could be identified in the future as belonging to the DW remit. It is developed considering three dimensions related to DW: “Technology” to encompass all the processes, apparatuses, principles and tools which allow DW manufacturing; “Applications” to consider all the “types of manufactured goods” which could be produced with the DW technologies; and “Materials” which could be employed in DW manufacturing. The classification scheme is visualised into navigation maps and used as the basis of a software tool which can allow the community to exchange information on DW.

Research limitations/implications

The paper proposes a classification as a tool for knowledge exchange and to support knowledge organisation and retrieval. However, the classification proposed in this paper might not be the only possible solution.

Practical implications

The definitional framework is proposed to the DW community as a language tool to help communication among members with different perspectives and to be used to support the creation of information databases. It is embodied in a software tool through which they could file personal profiles (i.e. their expertise and interests) and hence map the community.

Originality/value

It is evident that, due to the heterogeneity of the community of scientists and practitioners interested in these technologies, many perspectives coexisted and that a communication platform is required. The authors decide to develop a classification which could be flexible enough to encompass new emerging technologies as the use of classifications as tools for supporting communication across the scientific community is well known and as the authors could not identify in literature any other DW technology classification which could satisfy these requirements.
The effects of regulatory focus and tie strength on word‐of‐mouth behaviour
Authors: Chung Cindy M.Y. , Tsai Qianyi
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of tie strength on word‐of‐mouth (WOM) amount and how regulatory focus moderates these effects.

Design/methodology/approach

Two studies were conducted with undergraduates of a top Asian university with sample sizes of 106 and 100 using experimental setups.

Findings

Replicating findings from existing research, a greater amount of WOM was shared between strong ties compared to weak ties. However, the main finding was that this tie strength effect only held for a prevention‐focused WOM giver but not for a promotion‐focused WOM giver. The latter was found instead giving a similar amount of WOM to strong and weak ties.

Research limitations/implications

The two experiments required subjects to write out their WOM. This may be a limitation since WOM is usually spoken instead of written. Future research can compare spoken and written WOM to evaluate the robustness of the current findings.

Practical implications

Findings from this paper can help companies solicit more WOM through priming the appropriate regulatory focus when consumers communicate with others that are of different social ties.

Originality/value

The current paper contributes to existing WOM literature by investigating the moderating effect of regulatory focus on the relationship between tie strength and WOM amount.
Cross‐cultural generalization of the effect of option choice framing on product option choices
Authors: Pornpitakpan Chanthika
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the cross‐cultural generalization of the effect of option choice framing on product option choices and other managerial and psychological variables.

Design/methodology/approach

The experiment employs 124 Singaporean and 96 Thai working adults, who add options to a base model or delete options from a full model in a condominium purchase scenario. Hypotheses are derived from the different weights for monetary losses and utility gains from adding options vs utility losses and monetary gains from deleting options.

Findings

For both Singaporeans and Thais, compared to additive framing, subtractive framing results in a higher number of options chosen, higher total option prices, higher expected product prices and higher perceived product prestige. For Thais, compared to additive framing, subtractive framing also results in lower perceived decision difficulty and shorter decision time. For Singaporeans, compared to additive framing, subtractive framing results in shorter decision time and higher perceived value.

Research limitations/implications

The option choice task is a scenario, not a real‐life choice task in which participants have to spend real money.

Practical implications

Subtractive option choice framing should be used rather than additive option choice framing. However, in recession time, the use of subtractive framing may backfire because consumers perceive the product as more expensive than its counterpart presented under additive framing, thus lowering their purchase intention of the product. In addition, whenever marketers want consumers to perceive the starting price as low, the price of a base model should be emphasized as opposed to the price of a full model.

Originality/value

This study examines an important issue – whether the superiority of subtractive framing over additive framing reported in past research is valid in other cultures that are very different from American and whether it is valid in another product category. The results qualify past findings that people give more weight to utility losses than monetary losses.
Fuzzy approach for the selection of third party reverse logistics provider
Authors: Kannan G.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a structured model for evaluating and selecting the best third party reverse logistics provider (3PRLP) under fuzzy environment for the battery industry.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the multi‐criteria decision‐making tools such as analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) are adopted to solve the problem of selection of 3PRLP.

Findings

In a real‐time situation, collecting the returned products from the customer end to the manufacturer end becomes more tedious, time consuming work and also it makes the information flow in the supply chain management more complex. A separate logistics system has to be developed in order to inspect and maintain the collected returned products in the down stream management. This current scenario encourages the top‐level management to seek for an alternative for collecting the returned products instead of making their supply chain structure to be complex. This gives rise to the term called 3PRLP. The 3PRLP will collect the returned products, inspect them and categorize them according to the various reverse logistics operations. A key finding of this work is a model to determine the best 3PRLP for the battery industry.

Practical implication

This work provides a useful decision model for practicing managers and researchers within this area, and also shows the various relationships, and processes the information required for the management involved in the selection of a reverse logistics provider under fuzzy environment.

Originality/value

In this research, seven attributes and 34 sub‐attributes are considered and an interpretation of reverse logistics attributes in terms of their pair‐wise comparisons has been carried out. Attributes possessing lower priorities in the AHP and FAHP need to be taken care on a selection of best 3PRLP.
Hybrid convenience stores – the changing role of convenience stores in Taiwan
Authors: Ming‐Sung Cheng Julian , Blankson Charles , Sutikno Bayu , Wang Michael C.‐H.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The hybrid convenience store, a convenient shopping as well as dining environment, is an innovative concept in both the convenience store sector and the food service industry in Taiwan. As Taiwan has taken the lead in the development of the convenience store sector, this phenomenon deserves further investigation so as to assist convenience store operators and restaurateurs in Taiwan in formulating strategies to cope with this trend. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the facilitators of the hybrid convenience store concept accepted by consumers within the framework of Rogers' diffusion of innovation (DOI) theory.

Design/methodology/approach

The data in the form of self‐completion survey are collected in MRT stations in Taipei. In total of 289 questionnaires are collected and used for data analysis.

Findings

It is found that the higher the levels of “compatibility”, “observability” and “trialability” are, the higher the likelihood that potential consumers will dine in hybrid convenience stores. It is also found that lower levels of “complexity” also increase the likelihood that potential consumers will dine in hybrid convenience stores. However, the findings do not support “relative advantage” as a facilitator.

Practical implications

The research findings reveal that consumers in urban areas of Taiwan have gradually accepted the innovative concept of dining in hybrid convenience stores. According to the findings, a number of strategies might be applied in order to facilitate the adoption of the dining concept in hybrid convenience stores by potential consumers in Taiwan. For example, the dining process of fast food restaurants can be possible to emulate; having meals on a trial basis can be applied; TV commercials and word of mouth marketing strategies can also be employed.

Originality/value

This paper extends/validates the DOI theory in the Taiwanese convenience store sector and as a consequence, this paper serves as a basic building block in the formulation of pertinent marketing strategies geared toward sustaining and/or increasing consumer patronage in hybrid convenience stores.
Marron growing: a Western Australian rural niche market?
Authors: Duarte Alonso Abel
Published: July 2009

Purpose

Marron growing is practiced in some regions of Western Australia where this crustacean is a native species, and offers potential opportunities to be marketed as a delicacy and also to blend with other industries, including tourism, contributing to the marketing of a region. While these opportunities exist, to date little is known about the extent to which marron growing is meaningful to local entrepreneurs in commercial terms, their level of involvement with this industry, or constraints they may face. This paper aims to examine these dimensions to illustrate marron's importance for the areas where they are grown.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 26 small marron growers accepted the invitation to participate in semi‐structured face‐to‐face and telephone interviews.

Findings

Operators' comments illustrate the significant potential for marron to become both a niche market product as well as a rural niche market that helps promote the area where they are grown. However, growing marron as a full‐time activity is still very limited; in fact, many respondents grow marron marginally and as an extra income stream because of the crustacean's current high commercial value, thus suggesting the industry's current developmental stage.

Research limitations/implications

With some 200 marron growers in Western Australia, the number of participating operations is limited to make generalisations of the industry.

Practical implications

With growing consumer sophistication, knowledge and interest in gourmet foods, the findings not only have implications for the marron growing industry, but also for hospitality and tourism, particularly in view of marron growing's potential to blend with these industries.

Originality/value

The study provides several insights into an unexplored area, marron growing and provides several areas for future research.
Novel layout technique for on‐chip inductance minimization
Authors: Dao V.T.S. , Etoh T.G. , Tanaka M. , Akino T.
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to minimize on‐chip inductance effect for modern very large‐scale integration (VLSI), ultra large‐scale integration (ULSI) systems.

Design/methodology/approach

As operating frequency increases, parasitic inductance has become a major concern for electronic design on both delay and coupling noises. The impacts of on‐chip inductance are strongly associated with higher frequency operation, denser interconnect geometry, reductions of resistance, and capacitance of interconnects. The paper presents a novel layout technique – opposing inter‐digitating routing, to generate magnetic fields in opposing directions; consequently, effective magnetic field is minimized, or inductance effect is reduced. To prove the effectiveness of these approaches, 3D field solver FastHenry is used to extract inductance data and verify the results.

Findings

Verification shows that this proposed method gives more than ten times reduction in self‐inductance while mutual inductance reduces even faster, without incurring any area and resource penalty.

Originality/value

The proposed technique can be used effectively to minimize inductance effects in the design of modern interconnect structures. This technique is shown to be highly effective for inductance reduction in wide signal buses which are used frequently in global buses, critical data path or clock distribution networks of VLSI and ULSI systems.
Exploiting narrow values for faster parity generation
Authors: Onur Koçberber Yusuf , Osmanlıoğlu Yusuf , Ergin Oğuz
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reduce parity generation latency if the input value is narrow.

Design/methodology/approach

Soft errors caused by cosmic particles and radiation emitted by the packaging are important problems in contemporary microprocessors. Parity bits are used to detect single bit errors that occur in the storage components. In order to implement parity logic, multiple levels of XOR gates are used and these XOR trees are known to have high delay. Many produced and consumed values inside a processor hold consecutive zeros and ones in their upper order bits. These values can be represented with less number of bits and hence are termed narrow. In this paper, a parity generator circuit design is proposed that is capable of generating parity if the input value is narrow. It is shown that the parity can be generated faster than a regular XOR tree implementation using this design for the values that can be represented using fewer bits.

Findings

The proposed technique reduces the parity generation latency of 64‐bit values by 50 percent for eight‐bit narrow values. Considering the fact that around 70 percent of the immediate values written to the immediate field of the issue queue and around 40 percent of the value written to the integer register file can be expressed with only eight bits, the coverage of the proposed scheme is quite high.

Originality/value

This paper shows the simulation results of fast parity generator circuit if the input value is narrow.
Micro‐flow sensor for water using NTC thick film segmented thermistors
Authors: Aleksic O.S. , Savic S.M. , Nikolic M.V. , Sibinoski L. , Lukovic
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to apply negative thermal coefficient (NTC) thick film segmented thermistors (TFSTs) in a micro‐flow sensor for water.

Design/methodology/approach

A TFST is printed using NTC paste based on nickel manganite. The resistance of this thermistor is measured in a climatic chamber and the resulting curves are calibrated. A micro‐flow sensor is designed using a self‐heated segmented thermistor. The sensing principle is based on heat loss depending on the water flow intensity through the capillary. Water flow calibration is performed. The sensor sensitivity, inertia, and stability are analyzed.

Findings

The micro‐flow sensor exhibits good stability, suitable sensitivity, and inertia for integral measurements of water flow.

Practical implications

Advantages of a micro‐flow sensor using a TFST include low energy consumption, simple measuring procedure, and passive electronics.

Originality/value

This paper describes initial work on a micro‐flow sensor for water using TFSTs.
Response of Ag thick film microstrip equilateral triangular patch antenna to overlay of moisture laden soybean
Authors: Mane Vaishali , Puri Vijaya
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on the Ku band microwave characteristics of moisture laden soya seeds using overlay technique.

Design/methodology/approach

Ku band (13‐18 GHz) moisture dependent microwave permittivity, conductivity, penetration depth of moisture laden soybean (Glycine Max) using overlay on Ag thick film equilateral triangular patch antenna are studied. The change in the frequency response of the patch antenna due to change in moisture content of the soybean overlay has been used to obtain the various microwave properties.

Findings

The permittivities obtained are in the range expected of moisture laden soybean. As moisture content increases microwave dielectric constant, dielectric loss, and conductivity of soybean increases. Only the amplitude data have been used here.

Originality/value

Ku band characterization of soybean has been done using overlay technique. The thick film patch antenna is sensitive even to ∼4 percent moisture content in the overlay material. This can be used for even moisture sensing at low moisture levels. This paper is believed to be an original research report.
Self‐planning functions within the Japanese apparel wholesale industry
Authors: Urakami Takuya , Komiya Kazutaka , Inoguchi Junji
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify what factors affect the recent trend of having self‐planning functions within Japanese apparel wholesalers.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey was conducted involving Japanese apparel wholesalers and applied the probit and multinomial Logit regression analyses.

Findings

The main findings are as follows: large‐scale wholesalers who are located in urban areas tend to have their own planning functions, whereas small‐scale wholesalers who are located in rural areas tend not to have self‐planning functions and handle goods planned by other suppliers; wholesalers who handle a wide range of apparel and conduct business with retailers located in the same area tend not to have their own planning functions; the apparel wholesalers who have business dealings with many suppliers have the ability to promote themselves to the retailers; and the apparel wholesalers who have self‐planning functions tend to obtain goods from within Japan and other countries and sell goods throughout Japan.

Practical implications

Small‐scale and rural apparel wholesalers face difficult circumstances due to their size, location and lack of self‐promotion ability. In contrast, large‐scale and urban wholesalers are able to ensure greater independence due to their size and location.

Originality/value

This paper focuses on the important role of wholesalers in the Japanese apparel industry and, by using the empirical approach, can clarify factors affecting the recent trend of having self‐planning functions within Japanese apparel wholesalers.
Benchmarking consumer perceptions of retail constructs for apparel merchandisers using magnitude estimation
Authors: Noël Noel Mark
Published: July 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish a measurement process for consumer perceptions and judgments of strategic importance to apparel retailers like hedonic and utilitarian shopping behavior, as well as internal process benchmarks such as apparel brands' names, store signage, and textile preferences. The paper aims to provide a simple, flexible and easy to use measurement technique that can be applied to small samples of respondents in order to capture their overall perceptions and judgments of key interest to management.

Design/methodology/approach

Magnitude estimation, along with a repeated measures design, was tested and evaluated based on the validation process put forth by Steven's power law. Data were collected from three focus groups whose respondents were selected based on their store loyalty and prior purchase of women's petit apparel in a discount outlet store. Their responses were benchmarked with those of other competitive discount retailers and with selected internal process measures.

Findings

All applications of the measurement technique were validated. Loyal shoppers for apparel purchased in a value store were found to have a preference to a competitive set of value stores but perceived all other discount stores as higher in store shopping experience. Findings were presented to articulate the resolution and clarity of the magnitude‐determined ratio scales versus those of typical interval scales and multi‐attribute measures.

Research limitations/implications

The comparisons provided here are for illustrative purposes only and are based on a selected group of one company's loyal customers during a defined shopping season.

Originality/value

Consumer perceptions of key interest to retail management are shown to be measured and benchmarked in a practical setting using this technique.
Predicting brand preferences
Authors: Casidy Mulyanegara Riza , Tsarenko Yelena
Published: July 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to examine and compare the strength of personality and values in predicting brand preferences. It seeks to accomplish three main objectives. First, it will evaluate the strength of personality and values in predicting consumers' brand preferences. Second, it will examine whether values exercise a mediating role between personality and brand preferences. Finally, it will examine the mediating role of prestige sensitivity in influencing brand preferences.

Design/methodology/approach

The study opted to use a quantitative approach involving 251 undergraduate students as the study participants. The constructs used in the study are taken from existing scales as well as self‐developed branding scales. Structural equation modeling technique is utilised for data analysis.

Findings

The paper provides empirical insights about how personality and values together affect brand preferences. It suggests that values are indeed better predictors of brand preferences and exercise both direct and indirect effects on brand preferences through the mediating role of prestige sensitivity.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the self‐report method used for personality assessment, there may be bias in terms of the nature of respondents' personality as expressed in the questionnaire.

Practical implications

The paper suggests implications for the development of a strong brand personality which can appeal to both consumer personality and values.

Originality/value

This paper poses interesting insights and empirical evidence with regard to the predictive power of personality and values on brand preferences within a fashion context.