bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cohort perception of luxury goods and services
Authors: Hauck William E. , Stanforth Nancy
Published: June 2007

Purpose

This research aims to investigate differences between cohorts and perceptions of luxury goods and services.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey asked participants to rate goods to determine their perceptions of luxury. Participants also provided information concerning elasticity and motivations for purchasing goods and services. A total of 347 participants in three age groups completed the questionnaire.

Findings

The study shows that there are significant differences between cohort groups in their perceptions of luxury goods and services, especially between the oldest and youngest cohorts. The elasticity measures showed that for all three cohorts, certain goods and services were inelastic and, therefore, were considered not to be luxury goods. The reasons why people buy goods they do not need varied between cohorts.

Research limitations/implications

The results of the study may not be generalizable to other groups of consumers because it was a convenience sample.

Practical implications

The results of this study show that marketers need to tailor messages to individual cohort groups. Consumers' experiences at their “coming of age” do influence perceptions of luxury. There are different motivations for buying among the cohort groups. Identifying and leveraging these motivators in marketing communication will help to target these groups with appropriate messages. Marketers need to understand those motivations and develop communication campaigns that target those groups.

Originality/value

Little research has focused on the cohort perception of luxury. Although there is evidence to suggest there will be differences between age groups, this study seeks to investigate those differences to help marketers to tailor their messages more effectively.
The operationalisation of international fashion retailer success
Authors: Wigley Stephen , Moore Christopher M.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The paper aims to define the components crucial to international fashion retailer success and to establish how these components may be practically managed by a firm in order to achieve success.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper employs a case study approach.

Findings

The paper proposes that there are three components crucial to international fashion retailer success – coherent international brand management, disciplined distribution control, and retail presentation consistent with the marketing image. This may be achieved via centralised control structures or via effective management of relationships with foreign agents.

Research limitations/implications

This is an exploratory study requiring further quantitative investigation.

Originality/value

The paper applies theoretical approaches to practical issues, and offers a practical account of how overseas fashion retailer success may be affected by firm management decisions and competencies.
Getting past platitudes: Factors limiting accommodation in public relations
Authors: Cameron Glen T. , Cropp Fritz , Reber Bryan H.
Published: June 2007

Prevailing thought in academia holds that the ideal model of public relations is two‐way symmetrical. In this model, communication flows both ways between an organisation and a public while both are prepared to change their own behaviour. The result is posited as the most professional, ethical and effective practice. Contingency theory offers qualifications and reservations of excellence theory. One qualification is that dialogue between an organisation and a public may not be allowed for a number of reasons, such as legal constraints or moral convictions against compromising with a public. To build the contingency theory from the ground up, top practitioners are interviewed to learn whether six such proscriptive factors ring true in their experience. The implications of the findings for practitioners, educators and those interested in theories that help define professional practice in public relations are discussed.
They’re talking about you: Some thoughts about managing online commentary affecting corporate reputation
Authors: Clark Alison
Published: June 2007

Corporate reputation managers need to put new systems in place to permit timely and appropriate response to the increased level of comment on significant issues that the Internet enables. Collecting the commentary is a preliminary step only. Most of public commentary is on the World Wide Web or in usenet. The originator’s choice of medium is revealing of their objectives and motivations. The management response may be pre‐emptive or consequential, but essentially it is limited to six options, which may be supported by protocols prepared for timely response. The key factors in protocol design are indicated. The need for systematic response mechanisms will increase in future, as the capacity of the Internet to foster debate and create issues is predicted to develop further.
Positive response action: The ultimate goal of website communication
Authors: Sharp Lyndsay
Published: June 2007

A vast array of communication and behavioural theories and models has long assisted the communication management industry in its quest for excellence. While relying upon and discussing many of these theories in relation to website communication, this paper explores the development of theoretical platforms which are unique to the website mode of communication. It asserts that investigating new and varied theoretical paradigms can assist the communication management industry in analysing, extending and optimising its efforts in cyberspace. This paper explores the potential of a generic, theoretical approach to desired behavioural response via the website. It provides a modular definition of desired behavioural response to websites. This definition comprises six potential positive outputs and has been called “positive response action”. The paper proves, via comparative analysis, that positive response action parallels established communication goals and objectives. This paper also explores the concept of any one website belonging to one of three sender motivated categories: individual, strategic stakeholder communication and non‐strategic stakeholder communication. Traditional communication and behavioural response theories are analysed in relation to positive response action as are the essential cognitive needs of a website visitor. These needs are contextualised in a critical path “user gratification” format in relation to the achievement of the goal of positive response action. Excellence in effective website communication has become a priority for the public relations profession worldwide. While exploring this quest for excellence and its relation to theoretical dynamics, this paper reinforces the universally accepted requirement of accurate audience definition in order to achieve communication success and behavioural response.
New approaches to communication management for transformation and change in organisations
Authors: Ströh Ursula , Jaatinen Miia
Published: June 2007

In the new millennium, organisations are going through rapid changes and the role of strategic management is challenged. When the organisation is threatened by environmental changes such as crises or competition as a result of information technology development or increased customer demands, the need for communication increases. During high change situations, when the publics of the organisation become involved in the change issues, they actively seek information about the issues. If the organisation could utilise communication management more effectively and in a twoway, participative way, they would build more positive relationships with the publics involved and reorganise themselves out of disorder. Strategic planning will become even more important, but will have to change to a contingency approach and emphasise flexibility and relationship building. This paper looks at organisational processes during change and how they can be managed by communication. Implications are drawn from chaos, postmodern and complexity theory as well as the contingency view of communication. The authors create a framework for scanning and analysing processes and settings, and suggest an alternative strategic, symmetrical and ethical communication approach to respond to problems. They present a new paradigm that emerges as a response to polarisation and treats communication as more receiver‐centred, stakeholder‐based, relationship‐building‐oriented and of strategic importance. This paper lays a foundation for an alternative perspective to the central problems of the communication discipline against the background of new emerging multidisciplinary approaches.
Public relations in Europe: A kaleidoscopic picture
Authors: van Ruler Betteke , Verčicč Dejan , Flodin Bertil , Buetschi Gerhard
Published: June 2007

This paper is a second report on a Delphi study, which is part of the European Public Relations Body of Knowledge project (EBOK; see also Vol. 4, No. 4 of this journal). The EBOK project is led by a European project team. The Delphi research project questions the existence of a European authenticity of public relations. The project suggests that the present state of public relations professionalisation in Europe is far from complete. Nevertheless, the study reviews an enormous diversity of “schools of thought” and possible dimensions of a European approach to public relations. The paper also stresses the need for a European research agenda to learn more about the European identity of the subject internationally known as public relations.
International media coverage of the Firestone tyre recall
Authors: Freitag Alan
Published: June 2007

The tendency for communication researchers in the area of crisis management to limit data collection and analysis by national borders consequently limits practitioner understanding of the dynamics of crisis planning and response. The Firestone/Ford tyre recall crisis of 2000‐2001 presents an opportunity to mine data on a massive, global scale in an effort to better understand and explain media and public response at that level. The author analyses media reports gleaned from around the world to suggest ways to incorporate potentially determining factors into crisis planning and response matrices. Those factors include media structure and function, as well as cultural syndromes.
Reputation and corporate responsibility
Authors: Lewis Stewart
Published: June 2007

In this paper the author tracks the rise of corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a concern and an ever‐growing factor in stakeholder expectations. Using MORI data from a range of stakeholder audiences, the author argues that CSR is now established as a fundamental addition to stakeholders’ criteria for judging companies, and calls for a reappraisal of companies’ brand and reputation management. As well as being a threat to companies’ reputation and prosperity, CSR also represents an opportunity, as a potential basis for renewed trust between business and its stakeholders.
Strategic alliances and knowledge sharing: synergies or silos?
Authors: Connell Julia , Voola Ranjit
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of a relationship marketing orientation within a strategic alliance (referred to as the Alliance) to determine whether those firms have achieved synergy in knowledge sharing or whether they operate as knowledge silos.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve this aim the paper takes a strategic perspective and proposes a model based on the resource‐based view of the firm (RBV) in order to discover whether member firms can move Alliance relationships towards knowledge sharing experienced within long‐term and continuing relationships.

Findings

The results of this study reveal that intangible assets, such as relationships and knowledge, should be managed by the Alliance with the same care as would be undertaken with tangible assets. Further, the development of a relationship market orientation (RMO) by the Alliance appears to be crucial.

Research limitations/implications

A key limitation of this paper could be considered the sample size (although the response rate was high) and geographical location.

Practical implications

Implications from the study were that, although information and knowledge were being shared, one area of improvement would be in relation to the depth of knowledge sharing that tended to occur on a superficial basis.

Originality/value

The findings are original in terms of knowledge sharing across organizational boundaries. There is currently very little research available that focuses on the influence of an RMO on knowledge sharing within network groups.
The underground banking systems and their impact on control of money laundering: with special reference to Islamic banking
Authors: El Rahman Fath , El Sheikh Abdalla
Published: June 2007

Notes that Islamic banking is gaining momentum, with over 200 Islamic financial institutions; money laundering is one of many threats to it. Indicates the principle in Islam of bank secrecy and confidentiality, listing the exceptions to this principle: the public interest, when individual rights have been denied, contractual provision, and mandatory disclosure. Describes the practice of Islamic banking, which is well established despite its short existence. Continues with violations of the principles of Islamic banking, with examples from Sudan and Dubai, and finally the BCCI. Concludes that, despite the control and ethical basis which Islamic law gives to banking activities, there are many loopholes in the system which allow money laundering.
The hiding of wealth: an Argentinian perspective
Authors: Ruiz Marcelo J.
Published: June 2007

Describes the recent increase in known money laundering activities in Argentina based on drug dealing, smuggling and false export transactions of precious metals etc, as a result of the country’s vulnerable borders. Outlines briefly the first Money Laundering Bill of 1996, and finally the Cover‐Up and Laundering of Criminal Assets Law of 2000, which penalises those who permit laundering activities because of negligence, as well as those engaging in them; it also set up the Financial Information Unit, and imposes the duty of reporting suspicious transactions, ie those that are unusual or unjustified. Continues with the rules against money laundering previously issued by the Argentine Central Bank and the National Securities Commission, and the investigative committee formed from the House of Deputies.
Repairing legitimacy after blacklisting by the Financial Action Task Force
Authors: Johnson Jackie
Published: June 2007

Describes how the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has blacklisted countries which it believes provide laws and practices conducive to money laundering; this blacklisting queries the legitimacy of the country or jurisdiction and its right to conduct financial business in the global environment. Shows how countries react to this challenge and regain legitimacy, and lists the countries concerned according to how quickly they were removed from the blacklist. Concludes that the countries which responded quickest to blacklisting were the wealthiest ones with large service and financial sectors; they were already more likely to be in an anti‐money laundering organisation and to be less corrupt than others in the blacklisted sector.
Money laundering – chapter five
Authors: Bosworth‐Davies Rowan
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this chapter is to look at the implications of the laws which are designed to prevent and forestall money laundering and how they impact upon relevant industry sectors.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper looks specifically at the implications of the word “suspicion” and what they really mean. It examines the context of “suspicious transaction disclosures” and reviews the ways in which the UK Government is seeking to change the terms of engagement into requiring “suspicious activity reporting”. The paper also looks at how potentially suspicious activities can be disguised by the professional money launderer, in ways which spell danger for financial institutions.

Findings

If government wishes to introduce regulatory change, then it should do so openly, transparently and in the full glare of publicity, and provide a full opportunity for the issues to be debated by parliament, and not seek to slide it onto the statute books using underhand methods.

Originality/value

The paper offers insights into the implications of global money laundering laws.
Collaborative business relationships
Authors: Palakshappa Nitha , Ellen Gordon Mary
Published: June 2007

Purpose

This paper aims to describe in depth case studies demonstrating that many small companies that participate in collaborative relationships are not realising the knowledge and skill acquisition benefits that policy makers envision when they formulate public policy that promotes creation of collaborative business relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Hamel's theory of inter‐partner learning is built upon to explain the possible reasons why firms fail to derive learning‐related benefits from participation in collaborative relationships, and the implications for public policy, for firms participating in collaborative relationships, and for future research are discussed.

Findings

Key findings reveal that small companies are not realising the intended benefits of collaboration. Many New Zealand firms that participate in alliances are not using them to develop new skills and competencies.

Research limitations/implications

Learning was neither an objective nor an outcome of most of the collaborative business relationships investigated in this research. The cases studied were selected from a large database of collaborative business relationships involving New Zealand firms, so there is no reason to believe that these findings are unique to the particular relationships examined; however, it would be useful to investigate the extent to which the findings generalise to other collaborative relationships in New Zealand and in other countries.

Practical implications

Policy makers should carefully consider the types of collaborative relationships that they promote as not all relationships generate public benefits. Firms should consider collaborative relationships as a possible option for acquiring new skills and, if they wish to learn through participation in such a relationship, then they should make this a specific objective.

Originality/value

The paper shows that the adoption of a qualitative approach allows a more insightful examination of collaborative relationships and learning.
Off balance sheet property ownership structures
Authors: Wainwright Simon
Published: June 2007

For many corporate occupiers, commercial property constitutes one of their largest operational assets. With a desire to improve shareholder value and efficiency and to refocus on core business, the continued necessity to retain such assets on the balance sheet is now under challenge. Changes in accountancy practice and a desire to maintain flexibility are, however making the choices ever more complicated. This paper examines the current options available for corporate users seeking to extract value from their property assets.
Productivity and employee satisfaction in flexible workplaces
Authors: van der Voordt Theo J.M.
Published: June 2007

In the early 1990s, a few organisations in the Netherlands began to experiment with flexible workplaces. Traditional cellular offices and the open‐plan offices or team‐oriented bullpen spaces in which everyone had their own fixed workplace were no longer a matter of course. Making use of modern information and communication technology, the pioneers redirected their attention towards the sharing of activity related workplaces in a combi‐office. Economic
considerations (eg low occupancy of expensive workplaces), organisational developments (network
organisations, teamwork, fast exchange of knowledge, part‐time work) and external developments (globalisation, strong competition) are important drivers for change. The aim is to stimulate new ways of working (dynamic, less closely linked to place and time), to improve labour productivity and to make major cost
savings (fewer workplaces, fewer square metres), without reducing employee satisfaction. Since then a number of new offices have been realised. Twelve per cent of organisations that have moved recently use flexible workspaces for the most part or exclusively. An important question now is whether the aims have been achieved. What are the actual benefits? What are the risks? How should consultants advise their clients? The field is dominated by the
opinions of those in favour and those against. Statements expressing the successes or failures of flexible offices contradict each other. Hard data are almost lacking. Due to the scarcity of empirically supported insights, the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands together with the Centre for People and Buildings and the Centre for Facility Management are carrying out investigations into the costs and benefits of workplace innovation. This paper reports on progress so far, with a focus on employee satisfaction and labour productivity.
Review of the UK corporate real estate market with regard to availability of environmentally and socially responsible
office buildings
Authors: St Lawrence Susan
Published: June 2007

If a company wishes to lease office space that reflects its corporate social responsibility (CSR)
and brand aspirations, is there property out there to match the demand? Are developers really resistant to building properties that are environmentally and socially responsible, or is that an outdated myth? If true, what are the
pressures driving change in the marketplace and who is applying them? Are the barriers hindering the uptake of sustainability in the corporate real estate market insurmountable? This paper summarises the findings from a stakeholder review carried out as part of the Cambridge University Programme for Industry, Sustainability Learning Network 2003 course, where key players in the corporate real estate arena were asked these questions. It identifies those sectors engaged in driving sustainability uptake and those resistant. It illustrates the level of activity through case studies.
Corporate real estate strategies: Managing the delivery of optimum solutions
Authors: White Alan D.
Published: June 2007

This paper examines the creation and delivery of real estate strategies in the corporate environment against the not unusual backdrop of management unwillingness to focus on non‐operational subjects, the problem of business inertia and the protection of old demarcations. While there are often barriers to delivering a co‐ordinated, business‐wide accommodation plan, this paper looks at one route to success:the marketing of the strategy and its delivery to internal customers emphasising the corporate, business division and staff benefits. The tangible proof of the strategy through new and flexible buildings, new ways of working, performance measurement and benchmarking gives the real estate team a powerful array of marketing material. The key is to communicate endlessly about the progress and the benefits that are brought to the business through this targeted approach to space management and delivery. This is an interesting facet of corporate real estate management and one which is essential to a more rapid and less stressful delivery of a programme to provide the optimum portfolio of space and, as a result, competitive advantage to the business.
The use of flexible working at PPP healthcare to increase productivity
Authors: de Lucy John
Published: June 2007

This paper describes the implementation of flexible working at PPP Healthcare to increase productivity. The author sets out suggestions put to PPP staff on new ways to consider the workplace. This is followed by a short case study showing how PPP implemented a new way of working project.
Construction delivery systems in the United States
Authors: Cantirino John , Fodor Susanna S.
Published: June 2007

Companies faced with the challenge of undertaking large or small‐scale development projects in the United States, be it in connection with the relocation of their headquarters or the upgrading and renovation of their existing facilities, may lack a true understanding of the many project delivery alternatives available, as well as the pros and cons associated with the various delivery methods from the perspective of quality, cost and schedule controls, risk management, legal liability and other similar criteria. This paper is written in the hope of enabling corporate real estate executives to make an informed decision.
An investigation of the relationships between organizational factors, business process improvement, and ERP success
Authors: Law Chuck C.H. , Ngai Eric W.T.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical investigation into the relationships between the selected organizational variables, business process improvement (BPI) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) success.

Design/methodology/approach

It is based on a sample of 96 firms operating in an Asian (Hong Kong) setting. Non‐parametric statistical tests are conducted on the sample.

Findings

It has found that the extent of BPI is positively related to ERP success, and senior management support of BPI (MSB), and senior management support of IT (MSI) and CEO‐IT distance are negatively related. However, it has also found that there exist no statistically significant relationships between approaches to business process changes and BPI, between MSI and ERP success, and between CEO‐IT distance and MSB. It has also yielded divergent findings for the impacts of CEO‐IT distance on the levels of senior MSI and MSB for the sub‐samples of firms of Western and Asian origin.

Research limitations/implications

This research has produced empirical evidence in an Asian setting for some of the hypothesized relationships and pointed out that the impacts of certain organizational variables may differ across firms of different geographic (cultural) background. However, it is primarily empirical in nature and is weak in its theoretic underpinning to explain why these organizational variables are adopted in the study.

Originality/value

The findings of this study in an Asian setting add to those conducted in the West, and thus help fill the lacuna of research involving the variables relevant to ERP adoption.
The e‐factor: the new rules of the tele‐economy
Authors: Forge Simon
Published: June 2007

Overall, public and private interactive networks could be a more powerful force for change than the computer, the railway, or the small electric motor, forming a “teleeconomy”, under a set of rules that form “electronic capitalism”. In this second of two articles (for the first see foresight, Vol 2, No 1, February 2000) consequences of the emerging economic behaviours laid out in the first article are examined. First, the new rules are explored in detail. They describe the dynamo of electronic trading and the characteristics of a specific form of capitalism. The article then considers impacts of the tele‐economy on sectoral balances, economic power and wealth distribution. Lastly, the new players – the electronic tiger – and the safeguards required are examined. The hub of the dynamo will be in the developing economies where some four billion new global consumers await economic enfranchisement via personal investment, as well as access to new consumer markets and electronic work channels.
The challenges of shared and sustainable development
Authors: Batisse Michel
Published: June 2007

This article identifies the major problems currently facing our world and raises pertinent questions. The issues discussed are population dynamics, urbanization and land occupancy, water and food, energy and climate, technology and society, info‐rich and info‐poor, unchecked or uncheckable markets, affluence and poverty, and world governance or domination. Because we live in a world system, these issues are all interconnected and cannot be tackled independently. The article suggests a systemic approach using prospective studies to anticipate the future more effectively than our natural inclination to extrapolate. One of the simplest methods for this is the trend scenario which leads from the past and present along logical paths throwing light on possible futures. However, this leads to unacceptable situations in a not too distant time frame, and so a shared and sustainable development scenario is proposed which would emphasize the non‐material aspects of economic growth in order to handle natural resources wisely and establish the stable and equitable wellbeing of the human race. The main conclusion is that a real paradigm shift in current economic, social and environmental practices is necessary both at the individual level in terms of the perception of the limits, constraints and values of the world system, and at the world level with respect to the political will to build consensus around the new goals, with the major powers taking the lead.
Forewarned is forearmed: futures research and military strategy
Authors: Vreÿ François
Published: June 2007

A century ago, military instruments were readily deployed in imperialistic adventures or the defence of national interests. Today the strategic environment is more complex and diplomatic protocols more established. The information revolution is meanwhile telescoping time frames and proliferating futures scenarios. But even if the politicians are driving the agenda, the security imperative remains the same. For defence planners that implies new models and mechanisms, and a closer nexus in the formulation of political and defence policy.
Roots regeneration: decentralized energy in a global marketplace
Authors: Isoard Stéphane , Soria Antonio
Published: June 2007

Even if they meet their energy needs in a multiplicity of ways, EU member states are united in their commitment to environmental technology. Europe is a leader in the research and development of new energy sources, as well as the refinement of existing ones. As energy supply becomes a global trade, Europe’s energy‐efficient technology is in tune with the new environmental consciousness. Now it is up to Europe’s politicians to support its energy industry in exporting green power where it is most urgently needed – the developing world.
Research agenda for SMEs in electronic platforms for the European food industry
Authors: Holt G.C. , Henchion M. , Reynolds C. , Baviera B. , Calabrese J. , Contini L. , Cowan C. , Dowgielwicz T. , Luscher C. , Maraglino A. , Prugger R. , Tononi R.
Published: June 2007

Purpose

This paper sets out to provide a consensus position on the potential for the inclusion of small businesses in electronic platforms in the food industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The consensus was derived through a Delphi‐type series of questions in an open forum of academics and industrialists across Europe.

Findings

The consensus reached was of the proven benefits of electronic platforms for small businesses and the need for further research to assess how small businesses can incorporate electronic traceability and supply chain management systems into their existing operations.

Practical implications

Electronic platforms are spreading rapidly in the food industry. However, there is some concern that small businesses are not aware of the potential for electronic supply chains such as the potential that electronic traceability offers smaller networks to supply highly demanded food quality attributes such as organic production and regional foods.

Originality/value

The paper addresses the highly topical issue of food origin with a new approach to the supply technologies behind the product.
Participatory scenarios for sustainable development
Authors: Khakee Abdul
Published: June 2007

In order to implement the sustainable development principles of Agenda 21 some municipalities in Sweden have developed scenarios for sustainable local societies. These scenarios differ from the two previous generations of scenarios in the sense that they require the participation of citizens in their preparation and implementation. This article discusses the premises of the three generations of scenarios: expert, hybrids and participatory. It describes the efforts to prepare a participatory scenario by the municipal government of Orebro (Sweden) in order to provide guidelines for a sustainable society. The article also discusses a method for preparing such a scenario.
The coming wave of urban villages?
Authors: Winger Alan R.
Published: June 2007

Our rapidly changing digital/information technologies are reckoned by some to be a force that will radically change settlement patterns. One scenario put forth is that of an era in which people work wherever they choose but live in small neighbourly and well‐thought‐out communities – urban villages. The argument made in this article is that this will not happen until we harness more effectively the potential of these technologies. Once this is accomplished, a wave of urban villages could happen. But if it comes, it will be more of a trickle than a wave, at least for a while, largely because of the continued importance of face‐to‐face contact in a good deal of business activity.
Food security in the 21st century and in the role of biotechnology
Authors: Pinstrup‐Andersen Per , Cohen Marc J.
Published: June 2007

Although global food production has consistently kept pace with population growth, the gap between food production and demand in certain parts of the world is likely to remain. More than 800 million people in developing countries lack access to a minimally adequate diet. Continued productivity gains are essential on the supply side, because global population will increase by 73 million people a year over the next two decades. In this article we assess the current global food situation, look at the prospects through to the year 2020, and outline the policies needed to achieve food security for all. Emphasis is on the role that agricultural biotechnology might play in reaching this goal.
Standing before the portals: non‐profit Websites in an age of commercial gatekeepers
Authors: Hargittai Eszter
Published: June 2007

Explores what the domination of commercial interests online means for the visibility of non‐profit content on the Web. Makes specific recommendations to site owners on ways of achieving greater popularity. Concludes with an old phrase by online media experts – If content is king, then distribution is King Kong!
Dances with wolves? China’s integration into digital capitalism
Authors: Zhao Yuezhi , Schiller Dan
Published: June 2007

Wonders whether, owing to severely restricted access, China’s government policy towards digital communications will remain in a constant state of flux – or will it gain economic benefits without a social penalty? Concludes that China has to link the forces of change to channel and deflect domestic resistance.
Communication and the end of sovereignty?
Authors: Calabrese Andrew
Published: June 2007

The prospect that technological and social innovation in the use of communication and information technologies are bringing about an end to sovereignty has been a source of optimism, pessimism and ambivalence. It has captured the popular imagination and it can be found in the anxieties of national leaders about the mingling and collision of cultures and cultural products within and across their borders, and about growing awareness that environmental threats bow to no flag. According to much of this discourse, national governments are becoming increasingly powerless in their battles against real or imagined plights of cultural imperialism (and sub‐imperialism, that is, cultural imperialism within states) and capital mobility, as well as in their efforts to effectively exercise political control through surveillance and censorship. The end of sovereignty is a theme in political discussions about new pressures brought on by global regimes of trade and investment, and by unprecedented levels of global criminal networks for drug trafficking, money laundering and trade in human flesh. Social movements and non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) have reflected this by recognizing the need to match the scale of the problems they confront with appropriately scaled collective action. This article examines the discourse about the end of sovereignty and therise of new institutions of global governance. Particular emphasis is given to how advancements in the means of communication have produced the ambivalent outcomes of threatening the democratic governance of sovereign states, and serving as foundations for the assertion of democratic rights and popular sovereignty on a global scale.
ERP for SMEs – is proprietary software an alternative?
Authors: Olsen Kai A. , Sætre Per
Published: June 2007

Purpose

To show that developing proprietary software is the best alternative for many small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Full control of the software makes it possible to remain flexible and dynamic, and to conform to the need of the customer at any time.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is case based.

Findings

Modern development tools make in‐house development feasible. Costs are often comparable to that of using standard ERP systems. In‐house development does not need to encompass all functions, as it is easy to integrate off‐the‐shelf systems with proprietary development. Being in control of core software is important for the day‐to‐day activities of a company, and also for gaining a strategic advantage.

Practical implications

In‐house development will be most useful for niche companies. Further, SMEs will have an advantage as they more easily can integrate standard systems with proprietary software.

Originality/value

Many managers have excluded the possibility of developing their own software, based on experience with time consuming and expensive projects in the past. Thus, implementing standard ERP systems is often viewed as the only solution. However, these systems may impose a rigid structure on a company, threatening the dynamic nature of many SMEs. We show that many companies have a better alternative.
Business process reengineering: critical success factors in higher education
Authors: Ahmad Hartini , Francis Arthur , Zairi Mohamed
Published: June 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the critical success factors of business process reengineering (BPR) in higher education (HE).

Design/methodology/approach

Empirical case studies collected from three private higher education institutions in Malaysia, which have embarked on BPR successfully.

Findings

Seven factors were found to be critical to BPR implementation success. The factors are teamwork and quality culture, quality management system and satisfactory rewards, effective change management, less bureaucratic and participative, information technology/information system, effective project management and adequate financial resources.

Research limitations/implications

The paper provides a framework for future research to explore organisational development in making BPR happen successfully.

Originality/value

This research contributes to studies of BPR in HE context, by considering the soft issues in its implementation.
Re‐engineering the construction delivery process: The Museum of Tropical Queensland, Townsville – A Case Study
Authors: Kennedy Rosemary , Sidwell Anthony Charles
Published: June 2007

The recently constructed Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville is reviewed as a case study in research into re‐engineering the construction delivery process. The project involved an innovative approach to the procurement of a public building and resulted in a highly successful outcome. Several key areas which were identified as contributing to the success of this project need to be investigated further to establish their role in contributing to the success of other construction industry projects.
ICTs, videoconferencing and the construction industry: opportunity or threat?
Authors: Bower D. Jane , Hinks John , Wright Howard , Hardcastle Cliff , Cuckow Heather
Published: June 2007

The paper discusses the potential impact of videoconferencing on practices and processes within the construction industry, based on analyses carried out on its use and impact in the healthcare sector – which like construction involves technology‐intensive processes which are dependent upon cross‐professional and cross‐disciplinary relationships and communications, operate within an increasingly regulatory and litigious climate, and involve organizationally fluid, virtual, teams spanning several subindustries. Recently published research evidence from the healthcare sector suggests that whilst videoconferencing and other advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs) have pervasive capabilities, successes in their application may be shortlived and modest in achievement. In use, their actual uptake and application have been found to be fundamentally affected by a range of social and operational issues, such as fears over a new formalization and trackability of previously informal conversations; a rebalancing of power relationships (between professionals using the ICTs as well as between doctor and patient); pressures on social/cultural and procedural alignment between participants; and personal and corporate attitudes to the technologies (including simply disliking the ICT). There is also evidence from the healthcare sector to suggest that ICTs increase the complexity of the delivering healthcare, and that the limitations of the technologies emphasise an existing dependency of communications and processes on tacit knowledge which is not readily formalized for communication via ICTs. However, the paper also notes an increasing pressure on the construction industry to respond to the globalizing potential that ICTs offer for the supply and delivery of knowledge‐based services, and discusses the implications of the issues found in the healthcare sector for the use and potential abuse of ICTs in the construction industry that will have to be successfully addressed in order to avoid ICTs being perceived as threatening and to allow their use to help organizations address the globalising marketplace.
A quantitative approach to construction pollution control based on resource levelling
Authors: Li Heng , Chen Zhen , Wong Conrad T.C. , Love Peter E.D.
Published: June 2007

A quantitative approach for construction pollution control that is based on construction resource levelling is presented. The parameters of construction pollution index (CPI) and hazard magnitude (hi) are treated as a pseudo resource and integrated with a project’s construction schedule. When the level of pollution for site operations exceeds the permissible limit identified by a regulatory body, a Genetic Algorithm (GA) enhanced levelling technique is used to re‐schedule project activities so that the level of pollution can be re‐distributed and thus reduced. The GA enhanced resource levelling technique is demonstrated using 20 on‐site construction activities in a project. Experimental results indicate that the proposed GA enhanced resource levelling method performs better than the traditional resource levelling method used in MS Project©. The proposed method is an effective tool that can be used by project managers to reduce the level of pollution at a particular period of time; when other control methods fail.
Web‐based application for managing change orders in construction projects
Authors: Charoenngam C. , Coquinco S.T. , Hadikusumo B.H.W.
Published: June 2007

A change order is an order from an employer authorizing a variation. Success in managing change orders results in uninterrupted construction operations and an agreed final project cost as well as duration. One of the methods to manage change orders is to establish good communication and cooperation among project team members. Success of this method can be enhanced by developing and utilizing a web‐based change order management system that supports documentation practice, communication and integration between different team members in the change order workflow. This paper discusses our web‐based project management system, change order management system (COMS), to manage change orders using the Internet. In order to show COMS’ potential benefits, a test case was conducted for comparing the COMS with the conventional practice of change order management.
Hybrid AI system for retaining wall selection
Authors: Yang J.B.
Published: June 2007

This paper presents a hybrid artificial intelligence (AI) system capable of integrating techniques of case‐based reasoning, rule induction and expert system, using them for knowledge acquisition and problem solving of selecting appropriate retaining wall systems at the project planning stage. The proposed hybrid system can eliminate the bottleneck of knowledge acquisition in developing a knowledge‐based system and improve the solution quality of the AI‐based system. Test results indicate that solutions generated by the proposed hybrid system are better than those generated by using a single technique.
Key influences on construction innovation
Authors: Blayse A.M. , Manley K.
Published: June 2007

The goal of this paper is to identify the main factors driving or hindering construction innovation. An analysis of the relevant literature indicates there are six primary influences: (1) clients and manufacturers; (2) the structure of production; (3) relationships between individuals and firms within the industry and between the industry and external
parties; (4) procurement systems; (5) regulations/standards; and (6) the nature and quality of organizational resources. Attention to these factors by businesses and public policy makers would be a key component of effective innovation strategy and policy. Further research is needed, however, to explore the relationships between innovation influences, and between innovation influences and other aspects of business strategy and environment, in the context of broader societal considerations. Further research should also identify quantitative estimates of the impact of innovation on the construction industry.
Factors hindering the performance of construction project managers
Authors: Powl Andrew , Skitmore Martin
Published: June 2007

It has been said that the effective performance of the Project Manager (PM) is the single most critical factor affecting successful project outcomes. Little is known, however, of the nature and extent of the hindrances to PM effectiveness in the Construction Industry (CI). This paper reports on the results of a worldwide survey of PMs concerning these issues and shows that they have the potential to be more effective and more productive in their working. Associated with this is a need to be more aware of progress and developments in the CI generally, more aware of progress and developments in their own organization, more delegation of contract administration tasks and more general administrative support. Also highlighted is the lengthy working hours of PMs.