bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Volumetric analysis of intravoxel incoherent motion imaging for assessment of solitary pulmonary lesions
Authors: Yuan Mei , Zhong Yan , Zhang Yu-Dong , Yu Tong-Fu , Li Hai , Wu Jiang-Fen
Published: March 2017

Background

Differentiating between malignant and benign solitary pulmonary lesions (SPLs) is challenging.

Purpose

To determine diagnostic performance of intravoxel incoherent motion-based diffusion-weighted imaging (DW-IVIM) in distinguishing malignant from benign SPLs, using histogram analysis derived whole-tumor and single-section region of interest (ROI).

Material and Methods

This retrospective study received institutional review board approval. A total of 129 patients with diagnosed SPLs underwent DW-IVIM and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC). ADC, slow diffusion coefficient (D), fast diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) were calculated separately by outlining whole-tumor and single-section ROI. Inter-observer reliability was assessed by inter-class correlation coefficient (ICC). ADC and DW-IVIM parameters were analyzed using independent-sample T-test. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was constructed to determine diagnostic performance. Multiple logistic regression was performed to identify independent factors associated with malignant SPLs.

Results

There were 48 benign SPLs found in 35 patients and 94 patients with lung cancer (LC). ICC for whole-tumor ROI (range, 0.89–0.95) was higher than that for single-section ROI (range, 0.61–0.71). Mean ADC and D were significantly lower in the malignant group. ADC and D 10th showed significantly higher AUC values than did mean ADC and D. D showed significantly higher diagnostic accuracy in mean, 10th, and 25th percentiles than ADC values (all Ps < 0.05). D 10th was found to be an independent factor in discriminating LCs with an odds ratio of –1.217.

Conclusion

Volumetric analysis had higher reproducibility and diagnostic accuracy than did single-section. Further, compared to ADC, D value differentiated benign SPLs from LCs more accurately.
Effective treatment of ketamine-associated cystitis with botulinum toxin type a injection combined with bladder hydrodistention
Authors: Zeng Jianfeng , Lai Haibiao , Zheng Dongxiang , Zhong Liang , Huang Zhifeng , Wang Shanyun , Zou Weiwei , Wei Lianbo
Published: March 2017

Objective

Ketamine-associated cystitis (KAC) has been described in a few case reports, but its treatment in a relatively large number of patients has not been documented. This study aimed to describe our experience of treatment of 36 patients with KAC.

Methods

Thirty-six patients (30 males and 6 females, aged 19–38 years) with KAC, who had previously taken a muscarinic receptor blocker and/or antibiotics, but without symptomatic relief, were treated with botulinum toxin A injection combined with bladder hydrodistention. Urodynamic testing, and the O’Leary–Sant interstitial cystitis symptom index (ICSI) and problem index (ICPI) were used to evaluate baseline values and improvement before and after the treatment.

Results

One month post-treatment, all patients achieved marked relief of symptoms. The nocturia time was markedly reduced, while bladder capacity, the interval between micturition, the void volume, and the maximum flow rate were remarkably increased at 1 month. Additionally, the ICSI and ICPI were significantly improved.

Conclusion

Botulinum toxin A injection along with bladder hydrodistention is effective for managing KAC.
Risk Management: The Five Pillars of Corporate Governance
Authors: Drew Stephen A. W. , Kendrick Terry
Published: March 2017

This article looks at challenges of risk management in modern firms. We review the different types of risk, the external and internal forces that shape risk exposures in firms, and the individual and group biases that confound decision making. Next we discuss the need for an enterprise-wide approach to risk management. The critical organisational factors for implementing an integrated approach to managing risk exposures are presented. These include the five pillars of ‘culture’, ‘leadership’, ‘alignment’, ‘structure’, and ‘systems’. We provide an overview of relevant tools and techniques for integrating risk management with business policy and governance. Finally, some implications for organisational change management are considered.
Concept and Evolution of Business Models
Authors: Schweizer Lars
Published: March 2017

Although the term ‘business model’ is widely used in the business world, the academic research on this issue is sparse. This paper tries to close that gap by developing a typology of different business models along three dimensions: value chain constellation, market power of innovators versus owners of complementary assets and total revenue potential. This typology consists of four different types of business model (Integrated, Layer Player, Market Maker and Orchestrator) and is built on the resource based view as a conceptual foundation. Moreover, this paper discusses how business models may change over time, due to a varying competitive landscape.
How Well are Business Schools Managing their Brands? A Research Note
Authors: Pitt Leyland F. , Berthon Pierre , Spyropoulou Stavroula , Page Michael J.
Published: March 2017

This research note reports on a study using a previously published checklist to assess the brand management practices of business schools. Indications are that the perceptions of a sample of senior administrators regarding how well their institutions manage their brands are not positive, and that there is much room for improvement. While the checklist used seems to possess the characteristic of reliability, further development needs to be done on aspects of its validity and underlying structure. Implications for managers and further avenues for research are identified and discussed.
Managing Change by Abandoning Planning and Embracing Improvisation
Authors: Leybourne Stephen A.
Published: March 2017

The management of change projects is accommodating a rise in improvisational working practices. A number of lessons are offered that assist in the stimulation of effective improvisational practices when implanting strategic change within organisations. Specific problems surround the tensions created when simultaneously controlling project team members whilst allowing them organisational space and the opportunity to work improvisationally. Reasons for the rise in improvisational working are also highlighted, together with the ways that a sample of organisations deals with the outcomes. A matrix is offered, which segregates case study organisations according to their cultural homogeneity and success in developing employee trust and motivation.
Using Scenario Thinking to Make Real Options Relevant to Managers: A Case Illustration
Authors: Mills Roger W. , Weinstein Bill , Favato Giampiero
Published: March 2017

This paper argues the advantages of Real Options thinking and by means of examples, exhibits the types of decision-making calculations that are distinctive to Real Options. However, in the process of clarifying the application of Real Options analysis to real decision making, a strong dependency upon scenario thinking is established. The value to decision makers of Real Options depends crucially on the substance and use of the scenarios on which it rests. The distinctive contribution of this paper consists in substantiating this view.

By forging a critical link between Real Options analysis and scenario thinking, this paper illustrates how the beneficial application of Real Options to decision making brings it down from the esoteric heights of mathematics, converts it into a technique readily accessible to managers and qualifies it for inclusion in the curriculum of management education. Two cases drawn from personal experience are used to illustrate the approach recommended by the authors.
The Keys to Successful Knowledge-Sharing
Authors: Cummings Jeffrey L. , Teng Bing-Sheng
Published: March 2017

A key source of competitive advantage stems from the possession and use of specialised knowledge. But to use such knowledge, firms must learn to share it both within and across appropriate departments and firm boundaries. Based on our empirical research on the key factors affecting knowledge-sharing success and our consulting work putting our findings into action, we develop a series of questions and guidelines designed to guide managers in their own knowledge-sharing efforts.
What Really Happens inside the Boardroom and how it may Shed Light on Corporate Success and Failure
Authors: Lockhart James
Published: March 2017

For the last two decades or more, agency theory has provided the dominant guiding framework for the research of governance. Despite the results of this effort being described as “remarkably inconsistent not only with the theory but with each other” (Daily, Dalton and Rajagopalan, 2003, p. 152) there have been few attempts to offer alternate paradigms for research. The result of this limitation is that several academics and commentators have had cause to publicly acknowledge that we actually know little about governance.

Our understanding of the relationship between governance and subsequent organisational performance is at best haphazard, at worst, little more than an assumption. One attempt at breaking this stalemate concerns venturing into the ‘black box’ (LeBlanc and Schwartz, 2004), an activity that requires a different battery of research skills including a range of qualitative research methods, direct observation of practice, oral histories, case studies, interventions, action research and the analysis of decision-making. Few of these practices sit comfortably within the normal science (Kuhn, 1970) practices of much governance research conducted to date. The aim of this paper is to discuss the attributes of such black box research, identify various approaches to its conduct and to present a brief summary of interim results from a range of research activities in progress in New Zealand.

The primary aim of the research ‘agenda’ informing these activities is firstly, to determine how a relationship between governance and subsequent organisational performance may operate given the complexities of such an approach and to identify whether specific attributes (either governance architecture or board capabilities) actually influence organisational outcomes. Results to date offer a tentative glimpse at what may be effective governance. In time, they may seriously challenge the relevance of much current research and what is increasingly being promoted by various agencies and accepted by practitioners as best practice.
Using Reputation Measurement to Create Value: An Analysis and Integration of Existing Measures
Authors: Money Kevin , Hillenbrand Carola
Published: March 2017

A large body of academic literature is concerned with the conceptualisation and measurement of Corporate Reputation. However, it is not clear how different conceptualisations interact, complement or conflict with each other. Moreover, the theoretical rigour of individual models of Reputation is not always clear. In recent years, there has been a call for a theoretical development to provide a framework that can be used to identify the scope and potential utility of different Reputation measures.

This paper answers this call by providing a theoretical framework that integrates literature analysing Reputation as a concept that resides in individuals' perceptions, cognitions and actions towards an organisation with literature that places Reputation as a key part of the strategic thinking of an organisation. Existing measures of Reputation are then placed within this theoretical framework and discussed at both the perceptual and strategic level. The results show that different measures seem complementary and based upon similar conceptual assumptions. The framework allows organisations to understand the utility of different Reputation measures and provides an approach by which reputation can be managed to create value.
Choosing the Best Business Improvement Strategy: The Effects of Organisational Size and Sector on Management Decision-Making
Authors: Anderson Karen , Mcadam Rodney
Published: March 2017

Managers in all sorts of organisations face difficult choices in choosing what, why and when different business improvement methodologies should be applied. Many approaches are available, which exhibit various degrees of overlap, reinvention and claims of universal application. Given the resources involved, especially in regard to time and costs, there is a need to provide some form of guidance in choosing a business improvement methodology or combination of approaches. The aim of this paper is to review the effects of organisational size and sector on management choice of business improvement methodology.

A multi-method approach is used in this research. Firstly, an empirical research methodology is used to survey 800 UK organisations, encompassing different sizes and sectors, in relation to their choice of business improvement methodology. The findings indicate that business improvement methodologies are not universal. Multiple case study analysis (still ongoing) was conducted within five large organisations. Reference is made to preliminary analysis carried out within one of the organisations under study. This case illustrates that executives will introduce business improvement methodologies based on the needs of the organisation, as well as facilitate the transfer of learning and knowledge from experts who are familiar with the application of these tools.
Leading Middle Management: Consequences of Organisational Changes for Tasks and Behaviours of Middle Managers
Authors: Stoker Janka I.
Published: March 2017

Over the last few years, middle management has been subject to a lot of criticism and theoretical debate. This was the reason for the Dutch employer's federation to obtain more insight in what is happening with middle management in practice. Consequences of organisational changes for the tasks and behaviours of middle management were investigated. Results indicate that middle managers experienced a major shift in tasks, with an increase in tasks that concern employees. Also, organisational changes have lead to a focus on ‘soft' leadership behaviour, such as coaching. In practice however, the actual behaviour of middle managers could not be characterised as such. Furthermore, there is little evidence for the proclaimed effectiveness of coaching by middle management. The main implications for general managers are given here.
Moving down the Line? The Shifting Boundary between Middle and First-Line Management
Authors: Hales Colin
Published: March 2017

Much of the recent debate about changes to middle and first-line management treats these changes in isolation, rather than as inter-connected aspects of wider changes to management as a whole. This paper reports evidence from a survey of the first-line manager role in 135 organisations in the UK which shows how first-line managers have acquired some business management responsibilities previously associated with middle managers, but that these have supplemented, rather than replaced, first-line managers' core responsibility for performance-oriented supervision. Consequently, as well as first-line managers who remain primarily supervisors, there are those who are, additionally, performance managers, customer/client service managers and budget holders.

On the basis of this evidence, it is argued that there has been re-distribution of managerial work and responsibilities, with a re-drawing of the traditional boundary between middle and first-line managers. Whilst some business management tasks are now shared between middle and first-line managers, routine operational supervision is increasingly concentrated in the first-line manager role. The implications for how organisations recruit, train, develop and reward first-line managers in this new, expanded role and how first-line managers themselves handle its demands and pressures are discussed.
Barriers to Proactive Environmental Management in the United Kingdom: Implications for Business and Public Policy
Authors: Dahlmann Frederik , Brammer Stephen , Millington Andrew
Published: March 2017

Existing conceptual and empirical contributions emphasise the significant payoffs available to companies who can manage the effect that they have on the environment (Porter and van der Linde, 1995; Christmann, 2000; Hart, 1997; Aragón-Correa et al., 2004). In spite of this, empirical evidence concerning the extent to which companies have embedded environmentally sensitive business practices within their different management functions remains very mixed (Hillary, 2000; Post and Altman; 1994; Ghobadian et al., 1995). In this study we explore this apparent puzzle by investigating corporate perceptions of the main barriers and obstacles to more effective management of their environmental impacts in the context of a sample of over 150 UK companies drawn from six industries. Using a mixed methodological approach incorporating both quantitative and qualitative methods, our findings suggest that both internal and external barriers play important roles in retarding the willingness and ability of British industry to become more proactive in managing its environmental impacts.
Formal Strategic Planning, Operating Environment, Size, Sector and Performance: Evidence from the UK's Manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Ghobadian Abby , O'regan Nicholas , Thomas Howard , Liu Jonathan
Published: March 2017

The relationship between strategic planning and firm performance has long interested strategic management researchers. In the past decade, this research effort has slowed down, while strategic planning has gained greater popularity among managers. However, some academics dispute the usefulness of strategic planning, particularly in turbulent environments. This paper examines the following key research questions that are relevant to both practice and theory. First, the relationship between the formality of strategic planning (conceptualised by considering whether firms have written strategic plans and the level of correspondence between the written strategic plan and the normative planning process) and a wide range of performance measures. Second, the relationship between three contingency factors – size, sector and environment, in addition to the incidence of formal planning and the level of formality. Of great interest are the effects of munificence and turbulence. The results suggest that the link between strategic planning formality and performance is tenuous. Nevertheless, managers tend to deploy strategic planning widely in difficult market environments. The conclusion is that strategic planning is perceived to enhance a firm's survival chances, but not necessarily its short-term performance.
Knowledge-Sharing in Cross-Functional Virtual Teams
Authors: Hong Jacky F. L , Vai Sara
Published: March 2017

The emergence of cross-functional virtual teams has presented both benefits and challenges to organisations. However, the unique characteristics of virtual teams make the sharing of knowledge among the geographically separated members difficult. This paper attempts to address this issue by looking at how the process of knowledge transfer cakes place in a cross-functional virtual team. A case study is conducted to interview various cross-functional virtual team members in one local subsidiary of a multinational telecommunication corporation as well as two of its hardware vendors. The findings indicate that four knowledge-sharing mechanisms are being employed, including shared understanding, learning climate, job rotation and coaching. Among them, shared understanding and learning climate are thought to be able to solve the challenge related to the unwillingness among the virtual team members to participate in the knowledge-sharing process, whereas coaching and job rotation are argued to be the solutions for the lack of collective competence required for performing the co-operative works. Some practical implications are also suggested for the effective management of cross-functional virtual teams.
Reducing Job-Irrelevant Bias in Performance Appraisals: Compliance and beyond
Authors: Wilson Kathlyn Y. , Jones Robert G.
Published: March 2017

Job-irrelevant discrimination seems as ubiquitous as the performance appraisals in which it is commonly detected. This paper explores both compliance-based and more proactive approaches that deal with the various possible sources of discrimination in performance appraisal ratings. The suggestions lead to a code of practice for performance management in firms across cultures and national boundaries.
Factors Influencing Job Satisfaction in Transitional Economies
Authors: Mihajlović Ivan , Živković Živan , Prvulović Slavica , Štrbac Nada , Živković Dragana
Published: March 2017

Job satisfaction is an historically popular variable in studies of vocational psychology. Employees' encounters with aspects of the work environment, such as work-related stressors and the nature of work tasks can influence their satisfaction. Research presented in this paper indicates the existence of a personal or dispositional component to job satisfaction, especially in a work environment that has been affected by the transition process in East Europe. During this time most public companies were privatised and as a result, have adopted downsizing strategies. In the post-downsizing era, applying appropriate human resource management practices to motivate employees and to regain their trust is a critical issue to increase job satisfaction that can lead to higher work performances. The findings of the research presented in this paper provide important implications for both the research field and practical management of human resource development, employee motivation and strategic HRM practices.
Beyond Talk: Creating Autonomous Motivation through Self-Determination Theory
Authors: Stone Dan N. , Deci Edward L , Ryan Richard M.
Published: March 2017

Many managers and academics have a passing familiarity with self-determination theory (SDT), which articulates the core principles that underlie the concept of sustainable motivation in organisations. But far fewer understand how to successfully implement a SDT intervention in the face of organisational pressure for short-term accountability and performance. We present the core principles of SDT, describe the principles that underlie successful SDT-based interventions, propose six steps (i.e. actions) that facilitate the creation of autonomous motivation, articulate the obstacles to successful implementation, and present two examples of successful organisational implementations.
How do Chinese Firms Sustain their Cost Advantage in Labour-Intensive Industries?
Authors: Li Lee , Qian Gongming
Published: March 2017

In the past decade, Chinese firms have been competing aggressively in the world labour-intensive industries and have substantially increased their market share. This study explores the mechanisms Chinese firms employ to develop and sustain their cost advantage in labour-intensive industries. The evidence shows that Chinese firms mainly rely on country-specific factors in the initial stage and cluster-specific factors in the growth stage. They integrate these country- and cluster-specific factors to develop firm-specific resources and capabilities in the mature stage. This integration and the dynamics of these resources and capabilities result in the sustainability of their cost advantage. The findings of this study have important managerial implications for those Western firms that wish to duplicate Chinese cost advantages by setting up manufacturing facilities in China and those that are competing against Chinese firms in the world market.
Factors Affecting Employees' Job Satisfaction in Public Hospitals: Implications for Recruitment and Retention
Authors: Rad Ali Mohammed Mosadegh , De Moraes Ailson
Published: March 2017

Job dissatisfaction is a major cause of absenteeism and turnover among healthcare employees, and as such, it affects employees' organisational commitment and the quality of healthcare services. However, little is known about which factors influence job satisfaction and dissatisfaction in hospital staff. The purpose of this study was to investigate specific factors associated with job satisfaction and dissatisfaction in employees at the Isfahan University Hospitals (IUHs) in Isfahan, Iran. This study also focuses on revealing homogeneous demographic characteristics that these employees exhibited, which affect their satisfaction level. Questionnaires were distributed among the 950 employees through a classified randomised sampling. Overall, employees were moderately satisfied with their jobs, and more satisfied with the following aspects of their current work situation: supervision, job identity and co-workers. The lowest satisfaction scores were found for benefits, contingent rewards, communication, salaries, work conditions and promotion. Motivating factors included loyalty to employees, job security, good pay, good working conditions, tactful discipline, involvement, recognition and promotion.
Product Deletion: A Critical Overview and Empirical Insight into this Process
Authors: Muir Jonathan , Reynolds Nina
Published: March 2017

With organisations as diverse as Heinz, Kraft, Polygram and Sony reducing the scope of their product portfolios, it appears that the issue of product deletion is currently exercising managerial minds. Those keen to pursue their interest in this area will find a concise body of work spanning nearly six decades. However, missing from this work is an understanding of the recurring tactical, strategic and cultural variables involved in deletion decision-making. This research sought to alleviate this shortcoming through conducting an in-depth literature review and considering the deletion experiences of three world-renowned organisations. The results of this exploratory study provide an initial insight into the core product deletion variables, providing managers and academics with valuable up-to-date information on this contemporary subject matter.
What's Important for Trustful Communication with Customers?: An Empirical Analysis
Authors: Nienaber Ann-Marie , Schewe Gerhard
Published: March 2017

Trust is very important and essential for relationships. Such statements can be observed in scientific as well as practically-oriented journals. But what is trust and how can it be developed or strengthened? To date, information on this is rather vague. Therefore, this study analyses the different characteristics of trust in a business relationship. In order to answer the research question, an empirical survey has been developed here. The Kano-analysis is used as the methodological approach. It can be shown that three different dimensions of trust can be identified: basic factors are a prerequisite of any relation and have a fundamental character in long-term relationships. The customers expect such factors to be an unquestionable part of any business relationship (e.g. honesty), while attractive factors always strengthen the stability of trust in the relationship (e.g. sympathy). One-dimensional factors not only stabilise trust if implemented, but can cause the relationship to deteriorate if ignored (e.g. timeliness).
Managing Disruptive Innovation: Entrepreneurial strategies and tournaments for corporate longevity
Authors: Chandra Yanto , Yang Shu-Jung Sunny
Published: March 2017

Extant research on disruptive innovation has implicitly incorporated entrepreneurship as the underlying driver of the disruptive phenomenon. This article integrates recent developments from entrepreneurship and innovation research streams to better understand the conditions and causal mechanisms that influence disruptive innovation. Drawing on effectuation, evolutionary entrepreneurship, lead-users, collective intelligence and opportunity tournament literature, a theoretical framework is developed that explains disruptive innovation as a co-evolutionary entrepreneurial process at the firm, product, and customer level. The framework offers a set of testable propositions to advance theory and practice in the field. The authors suggest avenues for future research and conclude with entrepreneurial strategies to help general managers create and cope with disruptive innovation.
An Empirical Exploration of Hospital Service Quality Assessment Criteria in China
Authors: Wang Chengbo , Yang Tong , Mao Zhaofang , Zhang Lixin , Vaughan John , Mercer John
Published: March 2017

This paper reports on a research project within the context of the Chinese healthcare sector. From a functional quality aspect, the research identifies, selects and confirms the service quality assessment criteria suitable for Chinese hospitals via literature search, focus group and survey investigation; the numbers of the criteria have also been reduced based on principal component analysis; then through importance-performance analysis, provides further understanding/prioritisation on the criteria and also groups them accordingly to reflect their influence on service quality. The research produces a set of appropriate service quality criteria suitable for evaluating hospitals' performance in a Chinese context. Meanwhile, the learning obtained from the research and the grouped criteria (quality performance indicators) can support consequential empirical research projects for obtaining more insights into running hospital businesses, and provide guidance to a wider range of Chinese hospitals on their business operations. They can also be used to guide foreign healthcare providers on developing/implementing their business management strategies while planning to enter the Chinese healthcare marketplace.
Employment Relationship in Context: Commitment-Based HR Practices in the UK and Thailand
Authors: Popaitoon Patchara , Rayton Bruce A.
Published: March 2017

This paper examines the role of institutional and cultural differences in the link between employees' satisfaction with HR practices and their affective commitment by focusing on counter clerks in financial services workplaces in the UK and Thailand. The results show that while the connection between satisfaction and commitment is of similar magnitude in the UK and Thailand, that level of commitment is linked with different HR practices. The results are consistent with cultural and institutional differences between the two countries and serve as a reminder that managers should consider the specific conditions in which they operate rather than simply adopting a best-practice approach to HRM.
HRM Practices in Chinese MNCs: Rhetoric and Reality
Authors: Warner Malcolm , Nankervis Alan
Published: March 2017

This article analyses the HRM systems of three of the best-known global Chinese MNCS – namely, Haier, Huawei and Lenovo – with a view to exploring their HRM practices, and understanding whether they demonstrate global convergence or divergence, and whether their rhetoric matches the reality of these practices. A qualitative comparative case study research design was used based upon an analysis of company documents, scholarly articles and internet sources. It concludes that the HRM systems of these companies are both similar and different from each other; that they represent both partial convergence and partial divergence depending on the activities studied, compared with Western HRM models, and that the rhetoric of such systems is sometimes at odds with the reality of their practices.
The Board's Strategic and Control Tasks; Family Firms and their Search for outside Directors to Support Growth: Empirical Evidence from Italian Publicly Listed Companies
Authors: Napoli Francesco
Published: March 2017

This article analyses the appointments of outside directors to family firm boards within a sample of 423 observations (year/firm) regarding Italian publicly listed companies. The aim is to test predictions which suggest that efficient performance of control and service tasks by outside directors has positive effects on a company's capacity to raise capital and to grow. Unlike agency theory, which affirms that independents are efficient when performing functions of control, this article suggests that the adoption of outside directors who are also independent has no effect. The results of this research demonstrate that outside directors who have close ties with banks maintain valuable social capital with bankers in periods when such social capital is threatened by large investment policies requiring a great amount of bank financing.
New Product Development Competencies and Capabilities: The Case of the Fashion SME
Authors: Lin Shuyu , Piercy Niall
Published: March 2017

Research on new product development (NPD) is long standing. However, several omissions in the extant knowledge base require renewed attention in this area. Three key shortcomings are apparent in existing research: it is dominated by a focus on large organisations; excludes creative sectors of the economy and, primarily uses functionally based investigations rather than integrative or strategic approaches. This article unifies the disparate threads of new product development research into an holistic, theoretical framework specifically focused on the small-medium fashion enterprise. Small businesses in the creative sector of the economy (fashion in particular), generate significant innovations. However, they often lack commercial business skills, leading to organisational failure. There is little in the existing research literature to guide them. This study is theoretically grounded with a competence-capability perspective and provides a framework that allows individuals or organisations to evaluate their performance (and therefore needs) on the skills required for commercial success, serves to aid the design of future training initiatives and provides an agenda for future research.
Starting and Growing a Venture at a Time of Economic Crisis – Practical Legal and Policy Considerations
Authors: Cheung Cherry Wun-Mei
Published: March 2017

Recession and subsequent recovery present great entrepreneurial opportunities for those intending to start and grow their business. However, despite numerous initiatives by the UK government offering substantial financial and technical supports, aspiring and entrepreneurial individuals continue to be put off by myths and shocking tales of business failures during such difficult times. This article re-examines some of the myths surrounding the development of a business venture under the current economic climate, and shows that many of these are in stark contrast to the facilitating legal and commercial realities. Having said that, this brief overview is not intended to replace formal legal and taxation advice, but to provide an overview of the relevant rules to the entrepreneurs.
Innovative Education and Business Engagement at the Heart of Entrepreneurial Business Schools: An interview with Dr Gwyn Jones, Director of Essex Business School, University of Essex
Authors: Cheung Cherry Wun-Mei
Published: March 2017

Dr Gwyn Jones is currently the Director of the Essex Business School (EBS), University of Essex. His first entrepreneurial venture involved successfully starting, growing and selling a software business. He became a serial entrepreneur, alongside his roles in the corporate environment as Chairperson, Director and Non-executive Director. Some of his high-profile posts include the Chairperson of the Welsh Development Agency, the North West Equity Fund, and training and consultancy firm RogenSi, a Non-Executive Director in Tesco and Apricot Computers, a Senior Independent Director at Invesco English and International Trust plc, a Governor of the BBC and a member of the S4C Authority. His career embraces technology, media, retail, consulting and investment.

He was appointed the EBS Director in 2013 to head up the management team and leads the review of the school's strategy for education, research and business engagement, a move that was intended to make the school more aligned with the opportunities that business engagement offers. Within a short year a number of agreements have been made with corporates and SMEs, and student numbers have escalated. In addition the school has developed a number of entrepreneurial initiatives, including the introduction of the internship option in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for undergraduate students and the delivery of the Postgraduate Certificate programme in Entrepreneurship Practices for Essex's graduates who are intending to start a business. Currently, he is involved in a number of exciting projects including the development of business incubation spaces for entrepreneurial students to conduct their business activities. He also works closely with other departments within the University, and is involved in the development and running of a number of entrepreneurial initiatives including the GameHub (a game design programme in partnership with Colchester Borough Council, Essex County Council and Shark Infected Custard) and the annual entrepreneurship boot camp held in Essex.

Prior to his role of EBS Director, Gwyn has taught in various higher institutions in the UK including Manchester, Strathclyde, Aberystwyth, and Leicester.
Knowledge Role and Subunit Characteristics in Multiunit Firms
Authors: Qiu Jane X. J. , Lui Steven S.
Published: March 2017

Effective knowledge flows among organisational subunits have the potential to increase subunit performance and innovation, and are thus an important concern for both domestic multiunit firms and multinational firms. In what ways do subunit characteristics of a multiunit firm vary to facilitate inter-unit knowledge flows? Based on information processing theory, this paper proposes that subunit characteristics, including formal structure, informal structure and human capital, are partly a response to the information processing requirement of a subunit's specific knowledge role. A contingency framework is developed to explain the alignment between knowledge role and subunit characteristics. An intensive case study of a Chinese multiunit firm is conducted to obtain more insights about the proposed framework, which provides a comprehensive tool for managers to understand the connection between knowledge flow and various aspects of their subunits in a more systematic and holistic manner.
Top Management Teams' Competencies for International Operations: Do they Influence a Firm's Result?
Authors: Latukha Marina O. , Panibratov Andrei Yu.
Published: March 2017

Firms currently face numerous challenges when they operate abroad. To overcome these challenges many researchers define a set of vital factors that influence companies' successful operations in international markets. Among others, an important factor is the competencies of the top management team (TMT), which significantly influence an organisation's results. Currently, there is a lack of studies either observing the role of TMTs' competencies when a company decides to operate internationally or proving that a top manager's competencies are related to a firm's performance. To fill that gap, this paper explores how a TMT's competencies are associated with the realisation of a firm's international operations. The findings indicate that there is a strong correlation between top management competencies and the successful realisation of a firm's operations in international markets. Moreover, the evidence suggests that the most significant competencies for this are superior cognitive and analytical capabilities, ability to create and to use foreign contacts, project aptitude, and ability to create multicultural interaction. The research is based on the evidence of Russian companies operating in foreign markets.
Financial Services - Every which Way but Quality?
Authors: Mccabe Darren , Knights David , Wilkinson Adrian
Published: March 2017

There have been many TQM initiaves in the financial services sector, but it seems that customers are not impressed.
Valuing Tactical and Strategic Flexibility
Authors: Buckley Adrian
Published: March 2017

How can investment appraisal techniques be adapted to take into account the need for flexibility?
Home, Sweet Work: Requirements for Effective Home Working
Authors: Baruch Yehuda , Nicholson Nigel
Published: March 2017

If homeworking becomes more common, there are dangers and benefits both for the organizations and the individuals involved.
Marketing-Orientated Pricing Strategies
Authors: Jobber David , Shipley David
Published: March 2017

Price is the only component of the marketing mix that directly generates revenue: all the others are sources of costs.
Perspectives on Performance Measurement Conflicts in Service Businesses
Authors: Wright Gordon
Published: March 2017

Performance targets relating to productivity and customer service can easily conflict with each other.
Muscle Degeneration Associated With Rotator Cuff Tendon Release and/or Denervation in Sheep
Authors: Gerber Christian , Meyer Dominik C. , Flück Martin , Valdivieso Paola , von Rechenberg Brigitte , Benn Mario C. , Wieser Karl
Published: March 2017

Background:

The effect of an additional neurological injury (suprascapular nerve traction injury) to a chronically retracted rotator cuff muscle is incompletely understood and warrants clarification.

Purpose:

To investigate the microscopic and macroscopic muscle degeneration patterns caused by tendon release and/or muscle denervation in a sheep rotator cuff model.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Infraspinatus muscle biopsy specimens (for histological analysis) were obtained from 18 Swiss alpine sheep before and 16 weeks after release of the infraspinatus tendon (tenotomy [T] group; n = 6), transection of the suprascapular nerve (neurectomy [N] group; n = 6), or tendon release plus nerve transection (tenotomy + neurectomy [T&N] group; n = 6). Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) were used to assess retraction (CT), muscle density (CT), volume (MRI T2), and fat fraction (MRI Dixon). Stiffness of the infraspinatus was measured with a spring scale.

Results:

At 16 weeks postoperatively, the mean infraspinatus muscle volume had decreased significantly more after neurectomy (to 47% ± 7% of the original volume; P = .001) and tenotomy plus neurectomy (48% ± 13%; P = .005) than after tenotomy alone (78% ± 11%). Conversely, the mean amount of intramuscular fat (CT/MRI Dixon) was not significantly different in the 3 groups (T group: 50% ± 9%; N group: 40% ± 11%; T&N group: 46% ± 10%) after 16 weeks. The mean myotendinous retraction (CT) was not significantly different in the T and T&N groups (5.8 ± 1.0 cm and 6.4 ± 0.4 cm, respectively; P = .26). Stiffness was, however, most increased after additional neurectomy. In contrast to muscle changes after tendon release, denervation of the muscle led to a decrease in the pennation angle of lengthened muscle fibers, with a reduced mean cross-sectional area of pooled muscle fibers, a slow- to fast-type transformation, and an increase in the area percentage of hybrid fibers, leading to overall significantly greater atrophy of the corresponding muscle.

Conclusion:

Although it is unclear which experimental group (T or T&N) most accurately reflects the clinical scenario in a given case, these findings provide baseline information for clinical differentiation between muscle changes caused by denervation or rotator cuff tendon lesions.

Clinical Relevance:

The findings of this study help to understand how and to which extent a neurological lesion of the supplying suprascapular nerve could influence the pattern of anatomic-physiological muscular changes after rotator cuff tendon tears.
Longitudinal Long-term Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Clinical Follow-up After Single-Row Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: Clinical Superiority of Structural Tendon Integrity
Authors: Heuberer Philipp R. , Smolen Daniel , Pauzenberger Leo , Plachel Fabian , Salem Sylvia , Laky Brenda , Kriegleder Bernhard , Anderl Werner
Published: March 2017

Background:

The number of arthroscopic rotator cuff surgeries is consistently increasing. Although generally considered successful, the reported number of retears after rotator cuff repair is substantial. Short-term clinical outcomes are reported to be rarely impaired by tendon retears, whereas to our knowledge, there is no study documenting long-term clinical outcomes and tendon integrity after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Purpose:

To investigate longitudinal long-term repair integrity and clinical outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff reconstruction.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

Thirty patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with suture anchors for a full-tendon full-thickness tear of the supraspinatus or a partial-tendon full-thickness tear of the infraspinatus were included. Two and 10 years after initial arthroscopic surgery, tendon integrity was analyzed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score and Constant score as well as subjective questions regarding satisfaction with the procedure and return to normal activity were used to evaluate short- and long-term outcomes.

Results:

At the early MRI follow-up, 42% of patients showed a full-thickness rerupture, while 25% had a partial rerupture, and 33% of tendons remained intact. The 10-year MRI follow-up (129 ± 11 months) showed 50% with a total rerupture, while the other half of the tendons were partially reruptured (25%) or intact (25%). The UCLA and Constant scores significantly improved from preoperatively (UCLA total: 50.6% ± 20.2%; Constant total: 44.7 ± 10.5 points) to 2 years (UCLA total: 91.4% ± 16.0% [ P < .001]; Constant total: 87.8 ± 15.3 points [ P < .001]) and remained significantly higher after 10 years (UCLA total: 89.7% ± 15.9% [ P < .001]; Constant total: 77.5 ± 15.6 points [ P < .001]). The Constant total score and Constant strength subscore, but not the UCLA score, were also significantly better at 10 years postoperatively in patients with intact tendons compared with patients with retorn tendons (Constant total: 89.0 ± 7.8 points vs 75.7 ± 14.1 points, respectively [ P = .034]; Constant strength: 18.0 ± 4.9 points vs 9.2 ± 5.2 points, respectively [ P = .006]). The majority of patients rated their satisfaction with the procedure as “excellent” (83.3%), and 87.5% returned to their normal daily activities.

Conclusion:

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair showed good clinical long-term results despite a high rate of retears. Nonetheless, intact tendons provided significantly superior clinical long-term outcomes, making the improvement of tendon healing and repair integrity important goals of future research efforts.
Malingered Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder on the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales: Do Reasons for Malingering Matter?
Authors: Cook Carolyn , Buelow Melissa T. , Lee Esther , Howell Ashley , Morgan Brittni , Patel Kruti , Bryant Andrew M. , Menatti Andrew , Suhr Julie
Published: March 2017

Malingering is a significant assessment concern in adults undergoing evaluations for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and may occur for a number of reasons, including access to medication and/or accommodations. Therefore, it is important to investigate ways to determine accuracy of self-reported ADHD symptoms. The present study used a simulation design to examine the impact of reasons for malingering on the Conners’ Adult ADHD Rating Scales (CAARS) Symptom subscales and the CAARS infrequency index (CII). Participants ( N = 157) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: best effort, malingering for stimulant medication, or malingering for extra time accommodations. The three groups were compared with 34 individuals reporting previous diagnosis of ADHD. Results showed that individuals in both malingering groups scored higher than controls on all CAARS subscales and CII. Individuals in the medication malingering group, but not the extra time malingering group, scored higher than the ADHD group on CII and several CAARS subscales whose content overtly reflects ADHD symptomatology. Findings emphasize the influence of malingering on self-reported ADHD symptoms and the need to assess for malingering in ADHD evaluation. Results also suggest that reason for malingering might differentially affect self-report of ADHD symptoms.