bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determinants of the adjustment speed of capital structure
Authors: T. Lemma Tesfaye , Negash Minga
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of institutional, macroeconomic, industry, and firm characteristics on the adjustment speed of corporate capital structure within the context of developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors considers a sample of 986 firms drawn from nine developing countries in Africa over a period of ten years (1999-2008). The study develops dynamic partial adjustment models that link capital structure adjustment speed and institutional, macroeconomic, and firm characteristics. The analysis is carried out using system Generalized Method of Moments procedure which is robust to data heterogeneity and endogeneity problems.

Findings

– The paper finds that firms in developing countries do temporarily deviate from (and partially adjust to) their target capital structures. Our results also indicate that: more profitable firms tend to rapidly adjust their capital structures than less profitable firms; the effects of firm size, growth opportunities, and the gap between observed and target leverage ratios on adjustment speed are functions of how one measures capital structure; and adjustment speed tends to be faster for firms in industries that have relatively higher risk and countries with common law tradition, less developed stock markets, lower income, and weaker creditor rights protection.

Research limitations/implications

– Future research should focus on examination of the adjustment speed of debt maturity structure. Identification of industry-specific characteristics that affect the pace with which firms adjust their capital structure to the optimum is another possible avenue for future research.

Practical implications

– Our findings have practical implications for corporate managers, governments, legislators, and policymakers.

Originality/value

– The study focuses on firms in developing countries for which the literature on adjustment speed of capital structure is virtually non-existent. Furthermore, unlike previous works on capital structure, it explicitly models industry variable as one of the determinants of adjustment speed. Therefore, it contributes to the literature on capital structure and adjustment speed in general and to the literature on developing countries in particular.
Unfruitful cooperative purchasing
Authors: Pazirandeh Ala , Herlin Heidi
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to understand the impact of cooperative purchasing on buyers’ purchasing power. Purchasing in the humanitarian sector has traditionally been characterized by a low level of coordination due to inter-agency competition for funding, diverging mandates and other organizational differences. Relationships with commercial suppliers have also remained arm's-length and often dormant due to high levels of uncertainty and strict public procurement rules and regulations. However, recent pushes for increased efficiency and effectiveness are driving humanitarian agencies toward cooperative purchasing – a purchasing strategy that is claimed to be highly beneficial for members of the purchasing consortium not least for its ability to increase buyers’ purchasing power. In reality, the effectiveness of the strategy in increasing purchasing power is unclear.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors study a single case of several humanitarian organizations aiming to increase their leverage in buying freight forwarding services by joining forces.

Findings

– Following several incidents during the process, the cooperative purchasing initiative did not contribute to increased power in the case. It was found that in addition to increased volumes, the effect of the strategy on other sources of power such as interconnections is also of importance.

Research limitations/implications

– The research is limited to the boundaries of a single case study including the perceptive view of respondents interviewed.

Practical implications

– The findings of the study provide insights for organizations aiming to practice cooperative purchasing.

Originality/value

– The findings of the study provide insights for organizations aiming to practice cooperative purchasing.
Dynamic analytic hierarchy process: AHP method adapted to a changing environment
Authors: González-Prida Vicente , Viveros Pablo , Barberá Luis , Crespo Márquez Adolfo
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Actual situations evidence how adopted decisions can change the decision constraints of the system where the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is being applied. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to provide a dynamic view of the AHP method, considering the criteria and alternatives as temporary variables and finally obtaining not only one good choice for a specific moment but a more comprehensive picture of those alternatives resulting more important for the business, according to strategy and over time.

Design/methodology/approach

– With this purpose this paper starts with a short literature review and the general characteristics of the AHP method. Afterwards, the paper presents the problem that appears frequently in actual situations which justify the development of this research. Once described, the uncertainty appeared after the AHP implementation, the proposed methodology called dynamic analytic hierarchy process (DAHP) is presented.

Findings

– Finally, this paper shows a case study and concludes with the main points of the research suggesting applications and further extensions.

Originality/value

– The value of this paper is the description of a DAHP as a tool that can facilitate decision making related to some of the critical aspects in maintenance or post-sales area, permitting the alignment of actions with the business’ objectives.
The role of maintenance in improving company's competitiveness and profitability
Authors: Maletič Damjan , Maletič Matjaž , Al-Najjar Basim , Gomišček Boštjan
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of maintenance in improving company's competitiveness and profitability. In the first part the paper aims to discuss the potential improvement areas from the company perspective. Second part of this paper examines maintenance impact on company's business.

Design/methodology/approach

– An empirical case study was utilized aiming to provide an understanding of the role of maintenance in improving company's business. The empirical data for this study were collected from a Slovenian textile company. A gap analysis was used in order to address the research problem and to identify potential improvement areas.

Findings

– Based on the gap analysis, the results suggest that from respondents’ points of view, maintenance practices related to condition-based maintenance approach represent the highest opportunity for improvement. The most notable empirical results of the case study showed that around 3 per cent of additional profit could be generated at weaving machine, especially if all unplanned stoppages and loss of quality due to decrease in the productivity would be prevented.

Practical implications

– This paper demonstrates to managers the potential benefits of maintenance policy in terms of productivity, quality and profitability. In this regard, this paper builds on a premise that company can gain higher performance benefits using more effective maintenance policy.

Originality/value –

The proposed conceptual model contributes to the existing literature by showing the interactions between maintenance and company's competitiveness and profitability. Empirical findings of this study therefore, acknowledge maintenance's potential of increasing the overall profit. In addition this study advances prior studies by utilizing a gap analysis which is rare in this type of research.
A review of multi-criteria classification of spare parts
Authors: Roda Irene , Macchi Marco , Fumagalli Luca , Viveros Pablo
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Spare parts management plays a relevant role for equipment-intensive companies. An important step of such process is the spare parts classification, enabling properly managing different items by taking into account their peculiarities. The purpose of this paper is to review the state of the art of classification of spare parts for manufacturing equipment by presenting an extensive literature analysis followed by an industrial assessment, with the final aim to identify eventual discrepancies.

Design/methodology/approach

– Not only is the attention put on the literature about the subject, but also on an on-field analysis, that is presented comprehending an extensive survey and two in-depth exploratory case studies. The copper mining sector was chosen being representative for the case of capital intensive plants where the cost of maintenance has relevant weight on the total operating cost.

Findings

– The paper highlights the status of the scientific literature on spare parts classification by showing the current situation in the real industrial world. The paper depicts the existing barriers that leave gaps between theory and real practice for the application of an effective multi-criteria spare parts classification.

Originality/value

– The paper provides a review of the theory on spare parts classification methods and criteria, as well as empirical evidences especially for what concern current situation and barriers for an effective implementation in the industrial environment. The paper should be of interest to both academics and practitioners, since it provides original insights on the discrepancies between scientific and industrial world.
Institutional theory and change: the deinstitutionalisation of sports science at Club X
Authors: Gilmore Sarah , Sillince John
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate how sports science was institutionalised and rapidly deinstitutionalised within a Premier League football club. Institutional theory has been critiqued for its lack of responsiveness to change, but recent developments within institutional theory such as the focus on deinstitutionalisation as an explanation of change, the role of institutional entrepreneurs and the increasing interest in institutional work facilitate exploration of change within institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors deploy a longitudinal case study which ran from 2003-2011. Data was collected via observations, semi-structured interviews and through extensive literature reviews.

Findings

– Via this longitudinal case study, the authors illustrate that the antecedents of deinstitution can lie in the ways by which an institution is established. In doing so, they highlight the paradoxical role potentially played by institutional entrepreneurs in that they can (unwittingly) operate as agents of institutionalisation and deinstitutionalisation. Their study suggests that the higher the performance imperative within a field, the more likely the institution as a generic concept will be deinstitutionalised and the more likely to be appropriated and customised in order to gain inimitability and thus competitive advantage. Finally, the authors make an additional contribution by integrating the affective aspects of institutional work to their analyses; stressing the role played by emotions.

Research limitations/implications

– As with many case studies, the ability to generalise from one case, however detailed, is limited. However, it provides evidence as to the paradoxical role that can be played by institutional entrepreneurs – especially in highly competitive environments.

Practical implications

– The study suggests that the HR function has a potential role to play with regards to institutional continuity through a focus on leader and institutional entrepreneur succession planning.

Originality/value

– The paper makes an original contribution by highlighting both institutional and deinstitutional work within a single case. It highlights the paradoxical nature of institutional entrepreneurs in highly competitive environments and illustrates the importance of emotion to institutional maintenance and deinstitution.
The specificity and typology of dynamic management studies
Authors: Nicolescu Ovidiu , Nicolescu Ciprian
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The paper aims to analyse typology of dynamic management studies and their specificity.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study analyses more than 200 studies published in English, French and Romanian management literature in the last 15 years. The data analysis follows a qualitative methodology.

Findings

– The study provides: four classifications of the dynamic managerial approach and their specificity; and the main advantages and limits of dynamic management analysis.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research should use the classifications, advantages and limits identified to investigate certain dynamic management analyses and formulate conclusions and recommendations for better dynamic managerial analysis.

Practical implications

– The paper highlights the specificity of different types of dynamic management analyses, that are often underestimated by researchers, professors, managers, students etc. The findings could be used by management practitioners to better understand the management evolution and performance of different organizations, to elaborate company strategy and policy, to change organizational culture a.s.o.

Social implications

– The increasement of social evaluation and prognosis quality.

Originality/value

– In the international management literature, the paper provides the first classification of dynamic management studies and their specificity and the synthesis of the main advantages and limits of dynamic management studies for both management theoreticians and practitioners. These elements are useful to increase the value of dynamic management studies and to improve management practices in organizations.
The incidence and diffusion of teamwork in manufacturing – evidences from a Pan-European survey
Authors: Bikfalvi Andrea , Jäger Angela , Lay Gunter
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to map the incidence of teamwork in European manufacturing industries and describe the process of teamwork diffusion over time. The impact of country, company size, manufacturing sector and other factors on teamwork diffusion is identified.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study is based on data from 3,522 companies gathered by the European Manufacturing Survey covering ten European countries with a common survey tool.

Findings

– Overall, six out of ten manufacturers with more than 20 employees have implemented teamwork in production. Furthermore, the authors show that implementation rates vary significantly by country, firm size and, to a lesser extent, sector of the company's activity. R&D expenditure, product complexity, innovation capability, strategy and to a lesser extent international competition and supply chain position create significant differences between firms opting for teamwork as a work organization practice and companies neglecting it.

Research limitations/implications

– The main limitations of the paper derive from the concept of EMS as a multi-purpose survey and the lack of adequate representation across European countries.

Originality/value

– The value of this research is the ability to offer recent, international and relevant figures about teamwork implementation and diffusion. Furthermore the data set makes it possible for the first time to describe the process of teamwork diffusion over time.
Looking at the gap between social psychological and psychodynamic perspectives on group dynamics historically
Authors: G.L. Schruijer Sandra , L. Curseu Petru
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The paper aims to describe and understand the gap between the psychodynamic literature on groups and the social psychological perspective on group dynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

– As Wilfred Bion is the most influential group dynamics representative of the psychodynamic tradition the authors performed a citation analysis of Bion's work to find out whether it influenced the social psychological research on group dynamics. They compared three domains of literature: therapy/clinical, management/organization studies and social psychology. Moreover, they depict (by drawing on interviews with European pioneers in social psychology) the historical context in which European social psychology developed to explain the gap between the psychodynamic and social psychological approaches in the study of group dynamics.

Findings

– The results clearly indicate the existence of a gap between the social psychological and psychodynamic perspectives on group dynamics. Moreover, the authors show that Bion did influence scholars studying or working with real-life groups and is cited more by American than European scholars. The attempt to build a legitimate scientific identity for social psychology provides a context for understanding of the neglect of the psychodynamic tradition.

Research limitations/implications

– The authors conclude by exploring ways in which the psychodynamic tradition may fertilize the social psychological tradition in studying groups.

Originality/value

– The paper is one of the first to address the discrepancy between the social psychological and psychodynamic perspectives in the study of group dynamics.
Group leaders and teamwork in the over-lean production system
Authors: Inamizu Nobuyuki , Fukuzawa Mitsuhiro , Fujimoto Takahiro , Shintaku Junjiro , Suzuki Nobutaka
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to describe how a work team adapted to its fluctuated and severe environment by changing from “lean” to “over-lean” mode. To do this, the author investigated the relations among productivity, the vertical division of labor, and group leaders' behavior in a Japanese automobile assembly plant.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted field study at an assembly plant for five months. They collected three plant-level data to investigate the capability of its shop floor: transition of production volume; transition of the number of workers; and productivity. And they collected two types of workforce data: skill map and work shift. Moreover, they videotaped the behavior of group leaders on several days and analyzed them through a time study.

Findings

– The work team of this study achieved high productivity even in its tough environment. However, the authors' time study of group leaders showed that the group leaders, who usually engage in some management activities outside of the production line, did many tasks within the line. This indicates the team had a weakness toward the change of team members. Changing to this over-lean mode enabled the team to survive in a short-run, but maintaining the mode has a weakness in enhancing long-term competitiveness.

Originality/value

– This study proposes a balance between the two modes is required for organizations if they are to survive their severe and fluctuating environments.
The silent practice: sustainable self-managing teams in a Norwegian context
Authors: Rolfsen Monica , Strand Johansen Tobias
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose is to provide explanations for why some self-managing teams survive and develop over a long period of time.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research design is longitudinal, having worked with several research projects over a period of 20 years. Interviews, observation, field notes have been widely used, and also participative methods while one of the authors has worked on the shop floor for six weeks.

Findings

– The authors offer several explanations: the maturity of teams; the process of institutionalization and creation of strong normative values; practices being “infused with meaning” and decoupling of practice from official policy.

Research limitations/implications

– The weakness is that the research presented is from one company, and within a Norwegian context which has certain characteristics. The contribution is the emphasis on institutional elements and the methodological implications regarding informal practice where explicit information is incomplete.

Practical implications

– By offering an explanation for why self-managing teams can survive, one can also prescribe some important learning. Mutual cooperation and high level of autonomy prove to be important.

Originality/value

– The main contribution is the authors' access to unique empirical data, and that they show and explain the social mechanisms for institutionalization of teamwork through participative observation.
Dancing in the dark: creativity, knowledge creation and (emergent) organizational change
Authors: Maimone Fabrizio , Sinclair Marta
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this paper is threefold: to provide a framework for a better understanding of the relationship between creativity, knowledge creation/sharing, and organizational change; to define the key elements at individual and collective level that may contribute to the development of organizational spaces that favour a climate for creativity and knowledge creation as precondition of “emergent change”; and to contribute to the development of a multi-perspective approach to creativity and knowledge creation in twenty-first century organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper begins with a review of the emergent non-linear change theories and the change-related processes of knowledge creation. It uses the metaphor of dance to explore the relationship between emergent change and knowledge creation and sharing, and identifies the main factors that may impact this relationship.

Findings

– The authors' framework suggests that the identified factors act as precondition to emergent change. These factors are critical for change management in organizations operating in today's chaotic environment.

Practical implications

– The authors' framework suggests that the identified factors act as precondition to emergent change. These factors are critical for change management in modern organizations. The authors propose guidelines and provide examples how to manage work spaces and facilitate the organizational dance.

Originality/value

– Even though the academic literature already offers some evidence about the role and the centrality of spontaneous change, this paper provides a systematic, multi-perspective approach to the understanding and management of social, cultural and individual characteristics of bottom-up organizational change, focusing on its fundamental aspects of creativity and knowledge creation.
Examining the influence of strategic profit emphases on employee engagement and service climate
Authors: (“Casey”) Findley Musgrove Carolyn , E. Ellinger Alexander , D. Ellinger Andrea
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Research suggests that employee engagement favorably influences the provision of customer service, that high levels of service employee engagement are rare, and that firms' strategic profit emphases affect engagement and service climate. This study responds to calls for research that identifies drivers of employee engagement and foundational issues that promote effective service climates within service organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

– A survey method is utilized to assess data from 502 key informant service employees from multiple service industries.

Findings

– The findings indicate that service organizations' revenue enhancement and cost containment strategic profit emphases differentially influence employee engagement, and that organizational and job engagement differentially influence service climate.

Research limitations/implications

– Data comprised of individual service employees' perceptions of their firms' strategic profit emphases and service climates are utilized. Although it is conceivable that some respondents' perceptions of these variables may be misguided, the study findings are based on a large sample of experienced service employees from multiple service industries.

Practical implications

– The findings suggest that the most effective approach for promoting effective service climate is to hire service employees with a track record of job engagement and then focus on encouraging organizational engagement by creating working environments that support, value, and reward service quality.

Originality/value

– Managers increasingly realize that how firms treat service employees critically affects customer service quality. However, relatively few studies examine service employees' perceptions of their own engagement and their organizations' working environments. This research incorporates social exchange theory and concepts from the fields of strategy and organizational behavior to assess service employees' perceptions of their organizations' strategic profit emphasis and its influence on engagement and service climate.
Augmented reality, the Murabbi and the democratization of higher education: alternative futures of higher education in Malaysia
Authors: Inayatullah Sohail , Milojević Ivana
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present the scenarios, visions and strategies that resulted from a five-day foresight workshop for AKEPT (Higher Education Leadership Academy), the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

– An anticipatory action-learning course/workshop with over 50 lecturers and deans framed by the “six pillars” futures approach. Methods given the most attention were: the futures triangle; causal layered analysis; and scenario planning. Lecturers deliberated for the first three days, and deans for the last two. After their debates, the lecturers and deans presented their findings and recommendations to each other, and to the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia. As well, they considered how they as individual scholars can also pursue specific actionable steps towards their preferred futures visions.

Findings

– The recommendations by lecturers and deans can be systematized in the following categories: establishment of a pilot project; enhancement of digital teaching and learning processes; customization of degrees; changing of the culture in higher education; enhancing collaboration; supporting research activities; rethinking of dominant frames of reference; and anticipating upcoming futures trends.

Research limitations/implications

– As the process included lecturers and deans as key participants, and not, for example, students or the community, stakeholder perspectives are limited. Specific actionable steps, as per recommendations, are being pursued by the Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, as well as by individual participants.

Originality/value

– Description of an action learning process in its second year. Year three will continue with a different group of participants who will reflect on the initial findings presented here. Description of the foresight process and findings of this case study may be of value to other ministries of higher education in the region and elsewhere.
Developing a human capital strategy in today's changing environment: eight forces shaping HC strategy
Authors: J. Phillips Jack , P. Phillips Patti
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– Internal and external forces are part of a changing environment affecting organizational performance. As a result, human capital strategies must adapt. The aim of this article is to identity the forces that have the most impact and should be addressed by the HR team through specific human capital strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

– It identifies global shifts and trends that are occurring that must be included in the HC strategy of organizations.

Findings

– This article details eight forces that have a tremendous influence on the effectiveness and efficiency of organizations. They are: accountability and expectations, energy and environment, globalization and the global economy, societal changes, shifting demographics, empowerment and engagement, technology and social media, and work/life balance.

Practical implications

– If these specific forces are not addressed, organizations will be less effective, efficient and profitable. The challenge is to address these forces in specific human capital strategies so that the proper attention, focus and resources are applied to make the organization successful.

Originality/value

– This is original work and research performed through the ROI Institute, Inc., and has not been published previously.
Living the future: a strengths-based example of restructure and culture at Boehringer Ingelheim
Authors: Garcea Nicky , Harrison Rebecca , Linley Alex
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to set out the ways in which pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim embedded a strengths-based approach to the assessment and development of field-based staff during a period of structural and culture change. It provides an overview of how strengths-based methodologies were implemented and embedded through this period. It offers a case study example of how Capp partnered with Boehringer Ingelheim to deliver and cascade its assessment and development solutions. It also provides early evaluation data.

Design/methodology/approach

– Boehringer Ingelheim introduced strengths through recruitment and development. It built on Capp's strengths methodology and Realise2 tool and model. To aid implementation, cross functional teams were also set up to cascade knowledge and skills across the organizational system.

Findings

– The initial findings from this program include quantitative and qualitative data from candidates and assessors demonstrating their positive perception of the assessment and development process.

Practical implications

– This article provides case study material, client learning and tips for how other organizations could introduce strengths-based solutions into similar culture change, team and personal development projects.

Originality/value

– Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the first UK based organizations explicitly to take a strengths-based approach to aid culture change.
Transformative evaluation: organisational learning through participative practice
Authors: Cooper Sue
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– This research paper presents an innovative evaluation methodology which was developed as part of a doctoral research study in a voluntary sector youth organisation in England.

Design/methodology/approach

– The transformative methodology synthesises aspects of appreciative inquiry, participatory evaluation and transformative learning and engages the whole organisation in evaluating impact. Using an interpretive paradigm, data were collected from youth workers via semi-structured interviews prior and post implementation of the transformative evaluation methodology.

Findings

– Drawing on thematic analysis of the youth workers' experiences, it is argued that the illuminative and transformative nature of the methodology enabled the learning and development functions of evaluation to be realised. Further, it is argued that this form of evaluation not only supports the collection of evidence to demonstrate impact externally, but that the process itself has the potential to enhance practice, improve outcomes “in the moment” and promotes organisational learning.

Research limitations/implications

– The research findings are limited by the small-scale nature of the project. Further research is needed to investigate the supporting and enabling factors that underpin participatory practices in organisation evaluation; and in particular to investigate the experience of the managers and trustees as these were not the focus of this research.

Originality/value

– This article makes a significant contribution to knowledge in regard to the design and use of participatory evaluation. It evidences the benefits in relation to generating practice improvements and for practitioners themselves in terms of countering the negatives effects of performativity. Transformative evaluation offers an innovative structure and process through which organisational learning can be realised.
The translocation of organizational practices – knowledge creation in Greenfield Plants
Authors: Lindseth Bygdås Arne
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The literature on knowledge transfer is dominated by a one-way transmission model logic where knowledge is captured and transferred from one source to another, assuming the source and receiver resemble each other and have some common knowledge. The social learning processes, what is learned and the phases and sequences of the developmental processes by which learning take place are more or less black boxed in the literature. This paper investigates the social dynamics of the formation and shaping of organizational practice from scratch in a greenfield organizational setting where no prior organizational practice exist.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper builds on a case study approach applied in two greenfield organizational settings. A descriptive process model is developed to analyze the translocation and sociogenesis of organizational practices.

Findings

– A transfer-approach provides a too simplistic and narrow understanding of the process of “moving” organizational practices. Establishing an organizational practice can be described as a community of knowing “in the making” following various modes of cultural learning characterised by mutual adjustments, joint interactions, and alignment of shared understandings, and as such is more learned than transferred.

Practical implications

– The process model developed in the paper provides a platform for better understanding, planning and execution of intra-firm knowledge transfer and regeneration.

Originality/value

– The paper provides an in-depth empirical analysis of organizational practice generation from scratch emphasizing the social dynamics and co-construction of meaning when a collective capability is being acquired and built up.
An inward look using backward economic linkages in a developing country
Authors: J. Semrad Kelly , Bartels Villanueva Jorge
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to explore potential reasons that might explain why locally owned tourism firms cheat the use of backward economic linkages that (when used) might otherwise maximize the economic benefits of the tourism industry for locals.

Design/methodology/approach

– For this exploratory qualitative case study research design, 25 face-to-face interviews were conducted with various tourism business owners and managers in Puntarenas, Costa Rica.

Findings

– The findings indicate that while the participants felt that tourism business' economies of scale could be improved if all locally owned businesses purchased within the tourism supply chain they themselves were purchasing outside of the supply chain. This behavior was characterized as a result of a non-cooperative market.

Research limitations/implications

– The major implication from the study is a trend that emerged from the data that seems to detect a tragedy of the commons scenario that is rooted in game theory. This scenario provides insight into a problem where tourism business owners and managers indicate an understanding of the value of using local network linkages, but instead cheat the system. A limitation of the study is that case studies may only be generalized to theoretical propositions and not to similar contextual situations.

Originality/value

– Mainstream tourism literature has provided quantitative assessments that determine the direct, indirect, induced, and multiplier effects of local links between industries, sectors, and different producers that are used in the tourism supply chain. Findings from these studies indicate that local areas economically benefit when these links are actively used. However, not extensively addressed is identification of why (when most individuals know they may all benefit from the use of said linkages) cheat the system.
Rise and fall of community-based tourism – facilitators, inhibitors and outcomes
Authors: D.A. Tasci Asli , Croes Robertico , Bartels Villanueva Jorge
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– The aim of the current study is to use a city case study from Costa Rica to evaluate the Nash equilibrium point and Anna Karenina Principle in relation to community-based tourism (CBT), collaborative destination marketing (CDM) and strategic destination branding (SDB) – all of which require similar facilitators and suffer from similar inhibitors.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study combines a case study approach with in-depth interviewing of local business stakeholders as the aim is to reveal a specific event in a specific setting.

Findings

– In-depth interviews with local tourism product and service suppliers provided evidence that numerous deficiencies stem from the lack of collaborative destination marketing and branding in Costa Rica. This undermines the Nash equilibrium, namely successful CBT marketing and branding.

Research limitations/implications

– The results support the theory that the success (i.e. Nash equilibrium) or the failure situation (i.e. Anna Karenina Principle) in CBT – similar to CDM and SDB – depend on similar critical factors, including a shared vision, all-inclusive stakeholder involvement and participation; and cooperation and collaboration.

Practical implications

– Results indicated an urgent need for governments, donor organizations, universities and NGOs to partner to collectively develop campaigns and educational and training programs for human and social capital development.

Originality/value

– This study integrates sustainable tourism, tourism development, poverty alleviation, community-based tourism (CBT), collaborative destination marketing, strategic destination branding (SDB), Nash equilibrium and Anna Karenina Principle to explain the successful application of community-based tourism, which has not been previously reported.
Cultural heritage tourism on Peru's north coast
Authors: M. Underberg-Goode Natalie
Published: May 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to focus on the impact of cultural heritage tourism in North Coast Peru on local communities and artists, in particular, on efforts to use the burgeoning interest in pre-Inca cultures to involve local communities in the development of tourism. A number of studies have explored the connection between archaeology, cultural heritage, and tourist development in Peru and Latin America. While North Coast Peru is an area rich in pre-Inca cultural heritage, many residents near the impressive archaeological sites are in need of an improved quality of life and more economic development opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper draws on ethnographic fieldwork, including interviews with site directors, local development personnel, government officials, and artists as well as observations of relevant tourist-related sites and events, conducted by the author during 2011-2012 in the North Coast cities of Trujillo and Chiclayo.

Findings

– The so-called “new archaeology” plays an important role in the region by using archaeology, in a sense, as a pretext for community development, while exploiting the historical ties between ancient and modern cultures in the area has provided economic development opportunities for local residents. Projects such as those developed in Chotuna, the Pomac Zone, and Túcume provide opportunities for community participation and development at multiple levels. Further, the historical ties posited between ancient and modern local communities in the area have led to successful projects that recuperate artisan techniques and indigenous crops.

Originality/value

– As the North Coast undergoes a larger process of re-imagining its historical past and cultural heritage, a focus is needed on efforts to involve local communities in the development of tourism in ways that empower local people and have the potential to lift them out of poverty. In part, then, this project is intended to connect the growing concern for a more nuanced understanding of the non-Quechua [Inca] indigenous cultural heritage of Peru with cultural heritage preservation and tourism studies.
Validity and sensitivity of the phonics screening check: implications for practice
Authors: Duff Fiona J. , Mengoni Silvana E. , Bailey Alison M. , Snowling Margaret J.
Published: May 2014

Background

Introduced in June 2012, the phonics screening check aims to assess whether 6‐year‐old children are meeting an appropriate standard in phonic decoding and to identify children struggling with phonic skills.

Aims

We investigated whether the check is a valid measure of phonic skill and is sensitive in identifying children at risk of reading difficulties.

Sample

We obtained teacher assessments of phonic skills for 292 six‐year‐old children and additional psychometric data for 160 of these children.

Methods

Teacher assessment data were accessed from schools via the local authority; psychometric tests were administered by researchers shortly after the phonics screening check.

Results

The check was strongly correlated with other literacy skills and was sensitive in identifying at‐risk readers. So too were teacher judgements of phonics.

Conclusions

Although the check fulfils its aims, we argue that resources might be better focused on training and supporting teachers in their ongoing monitoring of phonics.
Writing history backwards or sideways: towards a consensus on African population, 1850–2010
Authors: Frankema Ewout , Jerven Morten
Published: May 2014

This article aims to make an empirical and theoretical contribution towards the creation of a continent‐wide dataset on African population extending into the pre‐1950 era. We investigate the reliability and the validity of the current population databases with the aim of working towards a consensus on the long‐term series of African total population with a reliable 1950 benchmark. The cases of Kenya, Nigeria, and Ghana are explored to show the uneven coverage of census taking in colonial and post‐colonial Africa and to demonstrate the need for an upward adjustment of the conventional 1950 benchmark. In addition, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of Manning's approach of projecting population growth estimates backwards in time by adopting the available Indian census data as African ‘default growth rates’, and we propose an alternative approach by incorporating the demographic experiences of tropical land‐abundant countries in South‐East Asia.
TheEU'sCommunityMechanism forCivilProtection: Analysing Its Development
Authors: Morsut Claudia
Published: May 2014

Since the 1980s, theEuropeanUnion (EU) has sought to develop civil protection tools to improve the cooperation among member states in response to natural and man‐made disasters. TheCommunityMechanism forCivilProtection, established in 2001, has gradually become the most used instrument in this field and has undergone a series of changes and improvements. In this paper, I seek to analyse the Mechanism using principal–agent theory in order to understand the rationales behind delegation and the control mechanisms that characterise the interaction between theEuropeanCommission (the agent) and theEuropeanCouncil (the principal) in the development of this tool.
Adverse effects of maternal lead levels on birth outcomes in the ALSPAC study: a prospective birth cohort study
Authors: Taylor CM , Golding J , Emond AM
Published: May 2014

Objective

To study the associations of prenatal blood lead levels (B‐Pb) with pregnancy outcomes in a large cohort of mother–child pairs in the UK.

Design

Prospective birth cohort study.

Setting

Avon area of Bristol, UK.

Population

Pregnant women enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

Methods

Whole blood samples were collected and analysed by inductively coupled plasma dynamic reaction cell mass spectrometry (n = 4285). Data collected on the infants included anthropometric variables and gestational age at delivery. Linear regression models for continuous outcomes and logistic regression models for categorical outcomes were adjusted for covariates including maternal height, smoking, parity, sex of the baby and gestational age.

Main outcome measures

Birthweight, head circumference and crown–heel length, preterm delivery and low birthweight.

Results

The mean blood lead level (B‐Pb) was 3.67 ± 1.47 μg/dl. B‐Pb ≥ 5 μg/dl significantly increased the risk of preterm delivery (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 2.00 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 1.35–3.00) but not of having a low birthweight baby (adjusted OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.86–2.18) in multivariable binary logistic models. Increasing B‐Pb was significantly associated with reductions in birth weight (β −13.23, 95% CI −23.75 to −2.70), head circumference (β −0.04, 95% CI −0.07 to −0.06) and crown–heel length (β −0.05, 95% CI −0.10 to −0.00) in multivariable linear regression models.

Conclusions

There was evidence for adverse effects of maternal B‐Pb on the incidence of preterm delivery, birthweight, head circumference and crown–heel length, but not on the incidence of low birthweight, in this group of women.
Food‐Based Science Curriculum Increases 4th Graders Multidisciplinary Science Knowledge
Authors: Hovland Jana A. , Carraway‐Stage Virginia G. , Cela Artenida , Collins Caitlin , Díaz Sebastián R. , Collins Angelo , Duffrin Melani W.
Published: May 2014

Health professionals and policymakers are asking educators to place more emphasis on food and nutrition education. Integrating these topics into science curricula using hand‐on, food‐based activities may strengthen students’ understanding of science concepts. The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. Previous studies have shown that students experiencing the FoodMASTER curriculum were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations. The purpose of this study was to: (1) assess 4th graders food‐related multidisciplinary science knowledge, and (2) compare gains in food‐related science knowledge after implementation of an integrated, food‐based curriculum. During the 2009–2010 school year, FoodMASTER researchers implemented a hands‐on, food‐based intermediate curriculum in eighteen 4th grade classrooms in Ohio (n = 9) and North Carolina (n = 9). Sixteen classrooms in Ohio (n = 8) and North Carolina (n = 8), following their standard science curricula, served as comparison classrooms. Students completed a researcher‐developed science knowledge exam, consisting of 13 multiple‐choice questions administered pre‐ and post‐test. Only subjects with pre‐ and post‐test scores were entered into the sample (Intervention n = 343; Control n = 237). No significant differences were observed between groups at pre‐test. At post‐test, the intervention group scored (9.95 ± 2.00) significantly higher (p = 0.000) than the control group (8.84 ± 2.37) on a 13‐point scale. These findings suggest the FoodMASTER intermediate curriculum is more effective than a standard science curriculum in increasing students’ multidisciplinary science knowledge related to food.
Mental Illness and Legal Fitness (Competence) to Stand Trial in New York State: Expert Opinion and Criminal Defendants' Psychiatric Symptoms,
Authors: Lee Eugene , Rosner Richard , Harmon Ronnie
Published: May 2014

Fitness to Stand Trial is a critical concept in the adjudication of justice‐involved persons. A retrospective study was conducted to examine criminal defendants' specific psychiatric symptoms and those symptoms' associations with expert opinions on Competence to Stand Trial. One hundred charts were reviewed: 50 Cases (opined as Not Fit) were compared against 50 Controls (opined as Fit) with respect to ratings on the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). A significance level of 0.001 was selected a priori. Statistically significant differences were found in seven of the eighteen BPRS symptom constructs (with the highest differences in Conceptual Disorganization and Unusual Thought Content) and two of the four BPRS higher‐order syndrome factors (Thinking Disorder and Hostile‐Suspiciousness). Consistent with previous reports, psychotic symptoms are found in this study to be inversely associated with Fitness. Validity, reliability, and limitations of this study, as well as directions for future research, are discussed herein.