bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The taboo question
Authors: Hong Hai Nguyen Dang , Parker Lukas , Brennan Linda , Clements Alice
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to illustrate the need for both upstream and downstream social marketing in relation to condom merchandising in the Vietnamese context.

Design/methodology/approach

– A mystery shopper audit of condom merchandising practices and retail outlets was undertaken in a number of locations throughout Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. In addition to the audits, a series of depth interviews with retailers of condoms on barriers and facilitators for purchase was undertaken.

Findings

– The research highlighted some very interesting dynamics in relation to condom retailing in Vietnam. Condoms are not always made easy to purchase, through both the merchandising and other choices made by the retailers. While accessibility to condoms is no longer an issue in urban Vietnam considering the increase of condom retailing outlets, lack of easy access is highly problematic and may interfere with actual condom obtainment. As sex is still a taboo topic in Vietnam, this is a serious concern for social marketing in the sexual and reproductive health domain.

Practical implications

– Given the capacity to portray taboo topics in Vietnamese media context, social marketing will be challenging. The development of a social marketing strategy for macro-, meso- and microlevels will be necessary for successful social marketing. Stigma associated with safe-sex practices and condom use may require a consideration of a social norms social marketing campaign.

Originality/value

– This research is the first of its kind in the Vietnamese context. While there are a large number of non-governmental organisations campaigning in the region, safe-sex practices and condom use within the general population remains a concern. This research demonstrates that access and availability are key components of the social marketing mix.
Best practices in social marketing among Aboriginal people
Authors: Madill Judith , Wallace Libbie , Goneau-Lessard Karine , Stuart MacDonald Robb , Dion Celine
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify, summarize and assess literature focused on developing social marketing programs for Aboriginal people.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors conducted a literature search and review of research papers concerning social marketing and Aboriginal populations over the period 2003-2013.

Findings

– The research reveals very little published research (N = 16). The literature points to a wide range of findings including the importance of segmenting/targeting and avoiding pan-Aboriginal campaigns; cultural importance of family and community; the importance of multi-channels; universal value of mainstream and Aboriginal media outlets, use of print media, value of elders and story-telling for message dissemination; increasingly important role of Internet-based technology; need for campaign development to reflect Aboriginal culture; and importance of formative research to inform campaign development.

Social implications

– Considerable research is warranted to better develop more effective social marketing campaigns targeted to Aboriginal audiences to improve health outcomes for such groups across the globe.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a baseline foundation upon which future social marketing research can be built. It also acts as a call to action for future research and theory in this important field.
Cultural capital and strategic social marketing orientations
Authors: Kamin Tanja , Anker Thomas
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The article aims to illuminate this issue by applying the cultural capital theory to the processes of health production and distribution. It questions social marketing’s role in addressing cultural resources as barriers to and/or facilitators of behavioural change. Social marketing is often criticized for its limited ability to enhance social goals and for aiding the reproduction of social inequalities.

Design/methodology/approach

– The theoretical framework of this conceptual paper is based on the French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of human capital forms. It establishes an association between cultural capital and social marketing in solving social problems.

Findings

– All social marketing interventions affect cultural resources that people might use in the field of health. The findings endorse the utilization of cultural capital as a strategic analytical tool in social marketing.

Practical implications

– The article demonstrates how Bourdieu’s capital theory can be applied to help social marketers make important strategic decisions. In particular, it argues that using specific notions of embodied cultural capital and objectified cultural capital can inform decisions on adopting a downstream, midstream or upstream approach.

Originality/value

– A relatively neglected concept in the social marketing field is introduced: cultural capital. It aims to contribute to the theoretical debate with regard to strategic social marketing orientations.
Do trainer style and learner orientation predict training outcomes?
Authors: Brad Harris T. , Chung Wonjoon , M. Hutchins Holly , S. Chiaburu Dan
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper was to examine the additive and joint effects of trainer directiveness and trainees’ learning goal orientation on training satisfaction and transfer.

Design/methodology/approach

– Survey responses from a sample (N = 243) of undergraduate business students enrolled at a large US university were examined.

Findings

– Trainer directiveness and trainee learning goal orientations each additively predicted training satisfaction and transfer over and above one another and study controls. Further, trainer directiveness and trainee learning goal orientation jointly predicted satisfaction and transfer, such that the positive relationship between trainer directiveness and both outcomes was accentuated (more positive) when learning goal orientations were high (compared to low).

Practical implications

– This study suggests that scholars and practitioners need to be mindful of both trainer and trainee characteristics when evaluating potential training programs. In addition to selecting competent trainers, organizations might be well-served to encourage trainers to use a directive style. Further, organizations might be able to boost the positive effects of trainer directiveness on trainee satisfaction and transfer by priming (or selecting on) trainee learning goal orientations.

Originality/value

– With few exceptions, prior research has devoted comparatively little attention toward understanding how trainer characteristics influence training outcomes. Of this research, even less considers possible interactions between trainer and trainee characteristics. The present study provides an initial step toward addressing these gaps by examining the additive and joint influences of trainer directiveness and trainee learning goal orientations. Results support that additional variance in training satisfaction and transfer can be explained by considering both trainer and trainee characteristics in tandem.
Public administration approach
Authors: Rudžionienė Jurgita , Dvorak Jaroslav
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to define the problem and to initiate discussion on library evaluation as significant part of institutional evidence-based management from public administration approach.

Design/methodology/approach

– In order to fulfilling the purpose, special attention to present the concepts of valuing information, library performance evaluation, measurement, etc. is drawn, main evaluation functions are analysed. Economic aspects of information services vs intellectual ones are discussed. Consistent patterns and principles of public administration as well as possibilities of public administration influence in creation of systematic base of library performance evaluation as well as of information services impact to the user are analysed.

Findings

– The paper provides insights about different aspects of information services evaluation. Results of analysis of economic aspects of information services vs intellectual ones are presented, consistent patterns and principles of public administration, possibilities of public administration influence in creation of systematic base of library performance evaluation as well as of information services impact to the user possibilities are presented.

Originality/value

– The paper fulfills need to study how public administration could involve library evaluation as tool for evidence-based decision making.
Developing, evaluating and managing library with agile methods
Authors: Niemi-Grundström Minna
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– Agile methods often refer to software development methodology and practices used in software industry but the elements and principles of agile methods have been used also for operational development in various organizations. In general, the agile development process means an incremental work process that promotes the importance of customer satisfaction, collaboration, communication, teamwork, good quality and planned follow-up practices. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper first presents an overview of agile methods after which it addresses the most relevant ones for developing, evaluating and managing the academic library. The paper discusses the utilization of these methods in the context of an academic library presenting the case of Tampere University of Technology Library.

Findings

– After a short practical experience of implementing agility into development processes, the following elements of agility can be considered the most effective and relevant: appreciating the needs of the customers, eliminating the waste, quality assurance, ability to redesign and make decisions fast and empowering the team.

Practical implications

– The library of Tampere Univeristy of Technology made an early adoption of the methods in its development projects during 2012. The paper refers to concrete initiatives that have already been taken to improve development processes as well as discuss the challenges when applying agile methods in order to change quite traditional working culture.

Originality/value

– The paper discusses what the library can achieve by adapting a fresh approach for developing, evaluating and managing its operations and how the library staff can benefit from the agile way of working.
Auditor industry specialization and corporate risk-taking
Authors: L. Hoelscher Jamie , E. Seavey Scott
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of higher-quality auditors on corporate risk-taking.

Design/methodology/approach

– Agency theory suggests that managers have incentives to avoid risk in the interests of perquisite consumption and self-preservation, while investors prefer that managers invest in all projects with a positive net present value, i.e. projects that generally increase corporate risk. Empirical literature finds that managerial risk-aversion is mitigated (and firm value enhanced) when investor protection is higher. The authors examine whether higher-quality auditing is one such mechanism to encourage shareholder-focused corporate risk-taking. They model measures of corporate risk as a function of whether a firm is audited by an industry specialist or not, controlling specifically for accounting quality. They then examine the incremental effect of higher-quality audits on other forms of external monitoring (analyst coverage and institutional holdings) for corporate risk.

Findings

– Using a sample from 2003 to 2007, the authors document a positive relationship between local-level audit industry specialization and both the standard deviation of annual stock returns and research and development expenditures (their measures of corporate risk-taking). They then find the effect is mitigated when firms have alternative external monitoring, in the form of either higher analyst coverage or greater institutional holdings.

Research limitations/implications

– Given the nature of the question the authors ask, particularly in the context of the auditor–client relationship, a potential limitation is the difficulty in assigning causation. Nonetheless, this study underscores the importance of auditors as an effective mechanism for monitoring corporate managers.

Originality/value

– This study provides novel evidence that auditors affect managerial decision making beyond a simple effect on financial statements, and should be of interest to boards of directors, regulators and investors.
Dielectric properties of high-permittivity A2/3CuTa4O12 ceramics
Authors: Szwagierczak Dorota
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present the comparative study on the composition, microstructure and dielectric behavior of a group of new nonferroelectric high-permittivity A2/3CuTa4O12 (A = Y, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy or Bi) ceramics.

Design/methodology/approach

– The materials under investigation were synthesized by solid-state reaction method and sintered at 1,120-1,230°C. Dielectric properties were investigated in the temperature range from −55 to 740°C at frequencies 10 Hz to 2 MHz. Microstructure, elemental composition and phase composition of the ceramics were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) methods. DC conductivity was studied in the temperature range 20-740°C.

Findings

– XRD analysis revealed peaks corresponding to Cu2Ta4O12 along with small amounts of secondary phases based on tantalum oxides. Impedance spectroscopic data and the results of SEM and EDS studies imply the spontaneous formation of internal barrier layer capacitors in the investigated materials. Two steps can be distinguished in the dielectric permittivity versus frequency plots. The low-frequency step of 1,000-100,000 is assigned to grain boundary barrier layer effect, while the high-frequency one of 34-46 is related to intrinsic properties of grains.

Originality/value

– Search for new high-permittivity capacitor materials is important for the progress in miniaturization and integration scale of electronic passive components. The paper reports on processing, microstructure, microanalysis studies and dielectric properties of a group of novel nonferroelectric materials with the perovskite structure of CaCu3Ti4O12 and the general formula A2/3CuTa4O12, being spontaneously formed internal barrier layer capacitors.
An interactive system for remote modelling and design validation of hybrid photovoltaic systems
Authors: Grzesiak Wojciech , Witek Krzysztof , Klugmann-Radziemska Ewa , Grzesiak Paweł
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report the system solution expressed in the form of a block diagram. In this paper, a multi-functional demonstrator of the interactive system designed to modelling, monitoring and validation of hybrid photovoltaic (PV) systems assisted by fuel cells and thermoelectric generators is presented. Technical parameters of demonstrator components such as: silicon PV modules, fuel cells, thermoelectric generators, gel batteries, control and monitoring systems are described.

Design/methodology/approach

– The design shows the implementation of PV system modelling by four universal PV module simulators supported by two 65 W fuel cell and 12 modules, 6 W thermoelectric generators battery.

Findings

– The paper provides practical proof that the combination of PV technology with both thermoelecric generators and fuel cells technologies shows promising results for the development of hybrid PV systems with increased effectiveness and efficiency.

Research limitations/implications

– The design idea can be developed for many applications gaining electricity from many distributed sources of wasted energy.

Practical implications

– In practice, hybrid systems can be used to support the operation of classic PV systems, for example, working in various climatic conditions.

Originality/value

– The proposed model demonstrates new technical solution leading to the enlargement of the PV systems application.
Electronic measurement system of foot plantar pressure
Authors: Klimiec Ewa , Piekarski Jacek , Zaraska Wiesław , Jasiewicz Barabara
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present a prototype of the diagnostic system for the examination of the distribution of the force applied by foot to substrate during usual human moving. Presented system is competitive to other currently available devices, thanks to sensors reliability, user-friendly operation manner and design based on cheap parts. The results of examinations are transmitted by radiomodem. Its recording and visualization are possible on either personal or mobile computers.

Design/methodology/approach

– During selection of the sensors substrate, many polymeric electrets were examined. Polyvinylidene fluoride films were selected, because they have good charge uniformity across the surface, wide range of acceptable temperatures, linear relation between mechanical stress and output signal and high resistance for squeezing. The system measures the charge generated in film.

Findings

– The pressures are recorded in relation to maximum value; therefore, measuring system does not require calibration. The simultaneous recording of data from all eight sensors allows tracking the signal without distortion.

Originality/value

– An array of sensors is installed in the shoe insole. The measuring device is fixed to the outer surface of the shoe. Its weight is 75 g. The range of transmission is suitable for examination in the natural environment, outside traditional consulting room. Software is dedicated for analysis of the pressure distribution in every moment of the foot movement. The system is suitable for examination of flat feet, diabetic foot and recovery progress after injures.
In situ polymerised polypyrrole films for sensors application
Authors: Zawadzka Monika , Kulawik Jan , Szwagierczak Dorota , Zaraska Krzysztof
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present fabrication process of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensors based on polypyrrole material deposited on different substrates and to show and compare the responses of the produced sensors to different VOCs.

Design/methodology/approach

– Polypyrrole sensing layers were prepared by in situ chemical polymerisation on two different substrates: alumina and poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET). The time of the polymerisation was varied. After film deposition, an interdigitated electrode was screen-printed on the material deposited on the substrate.

Findings

– It was demonstrated that both polymerisation time and substrate type provide means to vary the sensitivity of polypyrrole-based sensors to VOCs.

Practical implications

– VOCs, which are released in manufacturing or use of various products and materials, pose a threat to the environment and human health. Therefore, measures must be taken to control their concentration both in indoor and outdoor air.

Originality/value

– Deposition of a conductive polymer film on the substrate via in situ chemical polymerisation followed by screen-printing of an interdigitated electrode on the polymer surface offers a fast and an effective method of chemiresistor-type sensor fabrication.
Thermoelectric energy harvester fabricated in thick-film/LTCC technology
Authors: Markowski Piotr
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this work was fabrication of a small energy harvester.

Design/methodology/approach

– The multilayer thermoelectric power generator based on thick-film and low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology was fabricated. Precise paths printing method was used to fabricate Ag/Ni and Ag/PdAg thermocouples on a number of unfired LTCC tapes. The tapes were put together to form a multilayer stack. The via holes were used to make the electrical connections between adjacent layers. Finally, the multilayer stack was fired in the appropriate thermal profile.

Findings

– It consists of 450 thermocouples and generates output voltage of about 0.45 V and output electrical power of about 0.13 mW when a temperature difference along the structure is 135°C. In the paper, individual stages of energy harvester fabrication process as well as its output parameters are presented.

Originality/value

– Miniaturized thermoelectric energy harvester based on thick-film and LTCC technology was fabricated. As materials, metal-based pastes were used. This is the first paper where multilayer thermoelectric harvester, fabricated with the aid of LTCC technology, was described.
Employment of new modified ferrite pigments in anticorrosive alkyd-based paints
Authors: M. Ahmed Nivin , M. Abd El-Gawad Walaa , A. Youssef Elham , M. Souaya Eglal
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this work is to prepare new core-shell pigments based on silca fume waste as core and ferrite pigments in the shell. Silica fume is a byproduct of the smelting process in the ferrosilicon industry. The reduction of high-purity quartz to silicon at temperatures up to 2,000°C produces SiO2 vapours which then oxidize and condense at low-temperature zones to tonnage amounts of tiny particles consisting of non-crystalline silica that is collected and sold rather than being land-filled because nowadays there is increasing environmental concern with regard to excessive volumes of solid waste hazards accumulation. Silica has no direct effect in protecting metals from corrosion, but on precipitating an effective anticorrosive pigment like ferrite on its surface with low concentrations, this can bring out new core-shell pigment with good anticorrosive performance and low cost. The new pigments will be constructed on a waste silica fume core comprising 80-85 per cent of its chemical structure and the ferrite shell that will be only about 20-15 per cent. These pigments are represented as efficient, economically feasible and eco-friendly.

Design/methodology/approach

– The different ferrites and ferrites/SiO2 pigments were characterized using different analytical and spectro-photometric techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy/energy-dispersive X-ray and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Evaluation of these pigments was done using international standard testing methods american standard testing methods (ASTM). After evaluation, the pigments were incorporated in solvent-based paint formulations based on medium oil-modified soya-bean-dehydrated castor oil alkyd resin. The physico-mechanical properties of dry films and their corrosion properties using accelerated laboratory test in 3.5 per cent sodium chloride for 28 days were determined.

Findings

– The results of this work revealed that ferrite/SiO2 core-shell pigments were close in their performance to that of the ferrite pigments in protection of steel, and at the same time, they verified good physico-mechanical properties.

Practical implications

– As silica fume has a large array of uses, these pigments can be applied in various industries such as painting, wooding coating, anti-corruption coating, powder coating, architectural paint and waterproof paints.

Originality/value

– Ferrite, ferrite/SiO2 are environmentally friendly pigments which can impart high anticorrosive behaviour to paint films with concomitant cost savings.
Beyond the business/society dichotomy
Authors: Jardat Rémi
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to look at three management research papers, which are placed in dialogue with Gilbert Simondon’s philosophy.

Design/methodology/approach

– Notable research articles are subjected to a thorough de-construction and re-construction process, as they are examined through the lens of Gilbert Simondon’s ontological and epistemological perspectives.

Findings

– Some solutions to epistemological antinomies underpinning management science are proposed, by relying on Simondonian paradigms.

Research limitations/implications

– This paper involved no direct field study. The transcendental status of Simondon’s propositions is briefly called into question but is not addressedper se.

Social implications

– Showing the fuzziness, not to say irrelevance, of efforts to make a strict demarcation between business and society, as illustrated by qualitative meta-analyses of management science cases.

Originality/value

– Simondon’s importance is barely beginning to be acknowledged in the field of Social and Management Science. This paper takes a step toward rectifying this oversight by providing scholars with an introduction to his main concepts and illustrates how they might be transposed into management science by subjecting management scholarly papers to his “experiments of thought” approach.
Ethics of social innovation
Authors: J. Ims Knut , Zsolnai Laszlo
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the main reasons for social innovations to be successful in developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, four famous cases of social innovation are studied and contrasted in the following dimensions: goals, means and skills/resources needed by the user.

Findings

– Exemplary social innovations do not have profit as their primary objective but emphasize social, spiritual and humanitarian goals such as minimizing suffering, empowering people and strengthening local communities.

Originality/value

– The paper shows that sensitivity to local culture and an ethos for serving the common good are preconditions of successful and lasting social innovations by business.
Religious organisations as investors: a Christian perspective on shareholder engagement
Authors: Van Cranenburgh Katinka , Arenas Daniel , Goodman Jennifer , Louche Céline
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to deepen the discussion about religious organisations’ (ROs) potential to practise their faith by means of their investments, rather than keeping both issues separate.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors adopted a qualitative exploratory approach using seven cases of social shareholder engagement (SSE) by Christian organisations. It focused on creating knowledge from best practices.

Findings

– Within the three Christian organisations studied, the authors identified three significant features that relate to their religious nature and affect their SSE: having a structured belief system, a grassroots network and a long-term perspective. These features can be instrumental in impacting company behaviour and society at large.

Research limitations/implications

– The authors chose three ROs for their relevance and comparative features, but this limited sample size makes it hard to generalise the research findings.

Practical implications

– This paper invites ROs to review their potential for actively owning their shares to be consistent with their faith and create change in business and society at large. Besides, ROs, with their unwavering belief system, extensive grassroots networks and long-term approach, are a force in the shareholder engagement field to be reckoned with by business.

Originality/value

– The paper presents multi cases of ROs active in using their investments to create change in companies and society at large.
The cultural production of commodities
Authors: Brøgger Benedicte , Helene Jevnaker Birgit
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to shed light on the particular organizing design practices behind making items exchangeable into commodities. It is a constructive contribution to establish more critical studies of merchandizing.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study included several longitudinal projects in retail chains in Scandinavia. The research was based on anthropological and participatory research methods. We introduce the term “waremaking” as a term for the work to make items exchangeable and expand on a distinction between silent and seen design (Gorb and Dumas, 1987).

Findings

– Waremaking is business, but includes giving form to relations between business and society to make exchanges at all possible. We found considerable silent design work that is not commonly acknowledged in economic and social theory.

Research limitations/implications

– There is a need for comparative and aggregate studies. We deconstruct the conventional categories “commodities” and “merchandizing” and a study of the contingent effects on the meaning of other constructs is needed.

Practical implications

– Introducing the notion of waremaking yields important insights for organizations and managers. We offer a new framework of waremaking that crosses existing boundaries and helps construct new interfaces between designers, traders and consumers in society.

Social implications

– The papers reveal merchandizing as a culturally complex and nuanced form of work and a crucial field of practice.

Originality/value

– Scholars have denoted little attention to the cultural work of merchandizing. By delineating a new practice-based framework encompassing both ordinary and extraordinary work, we can address the cultural production of commodities.
Towards a philosophy of organisation sciences
Authors: Lamy Erwan , Bazin Yoann , Magne Laurent , Rappin Baptiste
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to investigate a declaration of the principles of the Société de Philosophie des Sciences de Gestion/Society for the Philosophy of Organisation sciences (SPSG). Organisation sciences still need to be questioned and rendered more complex, even mistreated, and the concepts they apply have yet to be clarified, mastered and organised to go beyond management ideologies that obscure the project to develop a genuine science, with pseudo-rationalisation replacing real thought.

Design/methodology/approach

– This task could be accorded to a philosophy of organisation sciences that should be understood as a “philosophy of science of organisation sciences”.

Findings

– The aim of such a philosophical programme is twofold: to expose the presuppositions and predispositions of organisation scholars and to analyse and clarify their scientific theories and concepts.

Originality/value

– The ambition of the SPSG is to contribute to the development of that philosophical programme.
Acquisition returns: does industry matter?
Authors: Yaghoubi Reza , Locke Stuart , Gibb Jenny
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to illuminate the issue of whether there is a significant difference between long-term abnormal return of acquirers across industries, and which industries achieve better returns.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper investigates whether there is a significant difference between abnormal return of acquirers across industries. The impact of timing of the deal on the acquirer returns is also studied in this paper. In the regression analysis, we control for acquirer’s size along with a number of deal characteristics, such as method of payment, the mode of the acquisition, the diversifying nature of the deal and value of the deal, to examine whether the differences in acquirer returns across industries persist when these factors are taken into account.

Findings

– The results of the study propose discrepancy in acquirers’ long-term abnormal returns across industries. While a number of industries, such as petroleum and natural gas, insurance and machinery, experienced significantly positive abnormal performance, others like business services and medical equipment have demonstrated significantly negative long-term returns.

Originality/value

– This paper investigates the industry impact on performance of acquirers. The results of this research provide more comprehensive evidence from all of the industries that have been involved in mergers and acquisition deals during the period 1981-2007 so that the returns of different industries can be compared. Most importantly, the evidence rejects the equality of mean abnormal returns across industries at significant levels.
The Eurozone crisis and its contagion effects on the European stock markets
Authors: Ahmad Wasim , Bhanumurthy N.R. , Sehgal Sanjay
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the contagion effects of Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy (GIPSI) and US stock markets on seven Eurozone and six non-Eurozone stock markets.

Design/methodology/approach

– In this paper, a dynamic conditional correlation (DCC) model popularly known as DCC-GARCH (Generalized Autoregressive Conditional Heteroscedasticity) model given by Engle (2002) is applied to estimate the DCCs across sample markets.

Findings

– Analyzing the Eurozone crisis period, the empirical results suggest that among GIPSI stock markets, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Ireland appear to be most contagious for Eurozone and non-Eurozone markets. The study finds that France, Belgium, Austria and Germany in Eurozone and UK, Sweden and Denmark in non-Eurozone are strongly hit by the contagion shock.

Practical implications

– The findings of the study have significant implications for the concerned regulatory authorities, as it may provide an important direction for further policy research with regard to financial integration in the European Union (EU). From global investors’ perspective, the EU-based diversification strategies seem to be inefficient especially during Eurozone crisis.

Originality/value

– To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that examines the issue of financial contagion of Eurozone crisis for a large basket of stock markets of European countries comprising seven Eurozone and six non-Eurozone markets for the period 2009-2012. The study uses the Markov regime switching model to identify crisis period and utilizes the DCC estimates of DCC-GARCH to examine the patterns of financial contagion. The finding of this study is quite interesting and is different in several ways than existing studies in the literature.
Social capital and the target population
Authors: Scheiber Laura Ann
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this article is to shed light on opportunities for social capital during the conceptualization and initial implementation of innovative social enterprises dedicated to violence prevention and youth empowerment in Brazil.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a two-tiered interview process over a nine-month period with 27 social entrepreneurs in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, attention is given to with whom, where and in what ways these innovators accessed and utilized the skills and knowledge necessary to develop and administer social entrepreneurial programs.

Findings

– The findings reveal more than any other social actor the target population featured most frequently in interviews with social entrepreneurs.

Research limitations/implications

– Because of the small scale of the study and the specific focus of the social entrepreneurs, the implications of the study are not generalizable to social entrepreneurs across fields.

Practical implications

– The findings are valuable because they can inform future social entrepreneurs dedicated to violence prevention and youth empowerment about social relations they may wish to cultivate to access relevant social resources during the initial stages of social entrepreneurship.

Social implications

– Among other benefits, investing in social relations with the target population could help minimize top-down models, which have been a common criticism among third-sector social enterprises.

Originality/value

– The value of this study is that it adds insight into how the social entrepreneurs built trust among this critical group of actors as well as an analysis of the outcome of the social capital embedded in relations with the target population during the initial stages of social entrepreneurship.
Cooperatives: an alternative to water privatization in Greece
Authors: Douvitsa Ifigeneia , Kassavetis Demosthenis
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this article is to investigate the organization of water cooperatives in Greece for the first time, as promoted by a spontaneous social mobilization called Initiative 136. The above attempt appears as an alternative proposition as opposed to the state-driven full privatization of EYATH S.A.

Design/methodology/approach

– This article presents previous work on water cooperatives and the negative effects of water privatization worldwide, relating it to water privatization in Greek reality through the prism of the current recession.

Findings

– While full privatization under the pressure of the economic crisis is very likely to yield significantly negative results, a transformation into a water cooperative might provide a viable solution.

Research limitations/implications

– Water cooperatives provide a solution for water distribution that is friendly for the consumer, the society and the environment.

Practical implications

– Application of a cooperative method of water provision in Greece could be a springboard for the use of the model in other areas.

Originality/value

– The article evaluates the privatization and cooperativization attempt of EYATH S.A. based on previous related research and considering Greece ' s current conditions.
Market segmentation by expenditure: an underutilized methodology in tourism research
Authors: Vinnciombe Thea , (Joey) Sou P.U.
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to identify best practices in the implementation of market segmentation via expenditure in tourism research so that the practical potential of this technique can be realized. Market segmentation on the basis of expenditure has tremendous practical potential for tourism destinations, yet the volume of research remains slim. This article examines 20 studies of market segmentation based on expenditure in tourism research in order to identify issues and challenges which currently impede the growth of this area and its translation to policy.

Design/methodology/approach

– The studies reviewed are analyzed on four dimensions, namely, the tourism market context, the specification of the expenditure variable, data source and sample size and the methodological approach.

Findings

– To identify commonalities across big spending tourists, tourism markets should be categorized and the expenditure variable clearly specified. Studies using a relatively simple bivariate statistical analysis have more practical usefulness than those using a slightly more complex multivariate approach.

Research limitations/implications

– While the articles studied have been selected to include seminal and widely cited early studies and to provide a broad overview, no other selection criteria were established. The study is not exhaustive, and further research could be more broadly inclusive.

Practical implications

– Expenditure segmentation if utilized by tourism planners can help maximize revenue from smaller tourism numbers. The results of this article show the most useful research path for practical application.

Originality/value

– There is no prior study reviewing the literature using expenditure segmentation in the tourism context. Providing such an overview will facilitate further use of this research tool.
Challenges in achieving leadership structures for repositioning the destination Cyprus
Authors: Kagermeier Andreas
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The aim of this contribution is to present the structural constraints faced by the Cypriot tourism industry on its path to changing its product portfolio, previously dominated by the beach-tourism segment.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a heuristic approach, the current processes are viewed from the angle of the change from a Fordist to a post-Fordist production scheme.

Findings

– The persistence of traditional governance and power structures hinder the transition and the emergence of new leadership structures and stakeholder interaction patterns.

Research limitations/implications

– The limitations of this paper are that the findings are only preliminary because they result from a research project that is about to commence.

Originality/value

– The paper is based on a fact-finding mission and deals with a topic that has transfer potential for other Mediterranean destinations.
Do hotel companies communicate their environmental policies and practices more than independent hotels in Dubai, UAE?
Authors: Rosalind Jenkins Nina , Karanikola Ioanna
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to ascertain how hotels in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), engage in environmental sustainability and what benefits and negativities can be incurred from such activity, and to determine the extent to which hotels use their own corporate websites to disseminate information pertaining to their environmental sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

– The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in business has infiltrated since the latter half of the twentieth century. The hotel industry claims to engage in environmental sustainability due to the impact hotels have on the environment and considering the benefits that can arise from being environmentally friendly, such as positive corporate image and awareness of company’s stakeholders regarding company’s policies, practices and initiatives. A literature review regarding the current, most commonly used environmental practices and policies of hotels was conducted and content analysis was carried out in websites of companies and independent hotels in Dubai, UAE.

Findings

– Key findings showed that the environmental practices and policies which were the cheapest and easiest to implement were the most commonly used among hotels, and that hotel companies provided more corporate online environmental information than independent hotels. Overall, currently, hotels in Dubai do not effectively use online environmental reporting to their stakeholders, which should be an area of improvement by 2020.

Research limitations/implications

– Further research should be conducted in small and medium enterprises to identify benefits and challenges of and create awareness of the importance of online environmental reporting preparing for Expo2020.

Originality/value

– The analysis presented aims to highlight the importance of online environmental reporting by hotels and to compare and contrast ways of communicating CSR activities between hotel companies and independent hotels in Dubai, UAE.
Expo 2020: What must Dubai’s hospitality and tourism industry do to be ready pre- and post-event?
Authors: Jauncey Stuart , Nadkarni Sanjay
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight and summarize the main findings of the theme issue: “Expo 2020: How is Dubai’s hospitality and tourism industry preparing?” by drawing on the discussion and recommendations across the collection of articles to identify the key success factors associated with hosting Expo 2020 in Dubai.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper profiles the key methodological elements in developing the research agenda for the theme issue “Expo 2020: How is Dubai’s hospitality and tourism industry preparing?”

Findings

– The paper provides a concise summary of recommendations for the various stakeholder groups involved in hosting Dubai’s Expo 2020 mega event.

Originality/value

– Dubai’s successful bid to host Expo 2020 was announced in early 2014. Written by industry practitioners, analysts and educators with local knowledge and experience of Dubai’s tourism and hospitality industry, the theme issue provides an authoritative review of the main opportunities and challenges facing the industry in Dubai as it prepares to host Expo 2020.
Segmenting the teen girl apparel market: differences in fashion involvement, materialism and social responsibility
Authors: Ogle Jennifer , H. Hyllegard Karen , Yan Ruoh-Nan , A. Littrell Mary
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this work was to identify segments of the US teen girl market based on the importance that these consumers assign to various product attributes in the apparel purchase decision process and to characterize these consumer segments in relation to their engagement in fashion and social responsibility.

Design/methodology/approach

– An online survey was administered to 157 teen girls (14-18 years). The questionnaire included demographic items and measures of the importance of product attributes in the apparel purchase decision, fashion involvement, materialism, charitable/social cause involvement and past socially responsible apparel purchasing behavior. A two-step cluster analysis, employing Ward’s method and k-means clustering, was conducted on each participant’s factor scores on the four dimensions of the product attributes scale.

Findings

– Three clusters were identified: the Conventionalists (n = 50, 31.8 per cent), the Self-Satisfiers (n = 34, 21.7 per cent) and the Embracers (n = 73, 46.5 per cent). MANOVA revealed differences among the clusters related to fashion involvement, social cause involvement, materialism and past socially responsible apparel purchasing behavior.

Practical implications

– Results suggest that teen girls may respond positively to trendy apparel products designed with attention to issues of the environment, labor and/or charitable/social causes, particularly if the products are perceived as esthetically appealing and provide utilitarian value.

Originality/value

– This work offers unique insights into teen girls’ apparel consumption behaviors by employing a benefit segmentation approach to explore the role that issues of social responsibility may play in teen girls’ apparel purchase decisions.
Content validity of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for multiple sclerosis from the perspective of speech and language therapists
Authors: Renom Marta , Conrad Andrea , Bascuñana Helena , Cieza Alarcos , Galán Ingrid , Kesselring Jürg , Coenen Michaela
Published: August 2014

Background

The Comprehensive International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) Core Set for Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a comprehensive framework to structure the information obtained in multidisciplinary clinical settings according to the biopsychosocial perspective of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and to guide the treatment and rehabilitation process accordingly. It is now undergoing validation from the user perspective for which it has been developed in the first place.

Aims

To validate the content of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for MS from the perspective of speech and language therapists (SLTs) involved in the treatment of persons with MS (PwMS).

Methods & Procedures

Within a three‐round e‐mail‐based Delphi Study 34 SLTs were asked about PwMS’ problems, resources and aspects of the environment treated by SLTs. Responses were linked to ICF categories. Identified ICF categories were compared with those included in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for MS to examine its content validity.

Outcomes & Results

Thirty‐four SLTs named 524 problems and resources, as well as aspects of environment. Statements were linked to 129 ICF categories (60 Body‐functions categories, two Body‐structures categories, 42 Activities‐&‐participation categories, and 25 Environmental‐factors categories). SLTs confirmed 46 categories in the Comprehensive ICF Core Set. Twenty‐one ICF categories were identified as not‐yet‐included categories.

Conclusions & Implications

This study contributes to the content validity of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set for MS from the perspective of SLTs. Study participants agreed on a few not‐yet‐included categories that should be further discussed for inclusion in a revised version of the Comprehensive ICF Core Set to strengthen SLTs’ perspective in PwMS’ neurorehabilitation.