bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
β‐caryophyllinic acid: An atmospheric tracer for β‐caryophyllene secondary organic aerosol
Authors: Jaoui Mohammed , Lewandowski Michael , Kleindienst Tadeusz E. , Offenberg John H. , Edney Edward O.
Published: March 2007

The chemical compositions of ambient PM2.5 samples, collected in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA, and a sample of secondary organic aerosol, formed by irradiating a mixture of the sesquiterpene (SQT), β‐caryophyllene, and oxides of nitrogen in a smog chamber, were chemically analyzed using derivative‐based GC‐MS methods. The analyses showed the presence of an oxidized compound, tentatively identified as β‐caryophyllinic acid, in both the ambient PM2.5 field samples and in the smog chamber sample. The seasonal concentrations of β‐caryophyllinic acid in the ambient PM2.5 samples were 0.5, 0.9, 7.0, and 0.5 ng m−3 during the winter, spring, summer and fall respectively. To our knowledge, this is the first time that an oxidation product of a sesquiterpene, a hydrocarbon with high secondary organic aerosol yields and emitted from plants and trees in significant quantities, has been detected in ambient PM2.5 samples.
Modeling the shortening history of a fault tip fold using structural and geomorphic records of deformation
Authors: Daëron Mathieu , Avouac Jean‐Philippe , Charreau Julien
Published: March 2007

We present a methodology to derive the growth history of a fault tip fold above a basal detachment. Our approach is based on modeling the stratigraphic and geomorphic records of deformation, as well as the finite structure of the fold constrained from seismic profiles. We parameterize the spatial deformation pattern using a simple formulation of the displacement field derived from sandbox experiments. Assuming a stationary spatial pattern of deformation, we simulate the gradual warping and uplift of stratigraphic and geomorphic markers, which provides an estimate of the cumulative amounts of shortening they have recorded. This approach allows modeling of isolated terraces or growth strata. We apply this method to the study of two fault tip folds in the Tien Shan, the Yakeng and Anjihai anticlines, documenting their deformation history over the past 6–7 Myr. We show that the modern shortening rates can be estimated from the width of the fold topography provided that the sedimentation rate is known, yielding respective rates of 2.15 and 1.12 mm/yr across Yakeng and Anjihai, consistent with the deformation recorded by fluvial and alluvial terraces. This study demonstrates that the shortening rates across both folds accelerated significantly since the onset of folding. It also illustrates the usefulness of a simple geometric folding model and highlights the importance of considering local interactions between tectonic deformation, sedimentation, and erosion.
Oblique indentation in the Eastern Alps: Insights from laboratory experiments
Authors: Rosenberg C. L. , Brun J.‐P. , Cagnard F. , Gapais D.
Published: March 2007

Experimental models scaled for density and viscosity were performed to investigate the effects of indentation obliquity and rheological stratification on the deformation patterns caused by continental indentation. The shape and orientation of the indenter were inspired by the Dolomites indenter of the southern Europeans Alps. The results of our experimental models showed that small changes in the angle of convergence induce marked differences in the patterns of deformation. The only models whose fault patterns satisfyingly reproduced that of the Eastern Alps were characterized by NNE directed motion of the indenter. In these models, E‐W extension formed in front of the leading edge of the indenter, as observed in the Eastern Alps along the Brenner extensional fault. Extensional deformation of the models maintained compatibility between the areas located on both sides of the indenter edge, which shortened at different rates and in different directions. Therefore extension was not caused by gravitational instabilities but by the kinematic and geometrical boundary conditions imposed by the indenter shape and the convergence direction. Lateral escape was always modest in our models, reaching a maximum of 20%. This value is much smaller than previous estimates of lateral escape in the Eastern Alps but very close to the amount inferred by our reassessment of Tertiary E‐W extension in the Eastern Alps.
Dual role for Saccharomyces cerevisiae Tel1 in the checkpoint response to double‐strand breaks
Authors: Mantiero Davide , Clerici Michela , Lucchini Giovanna , Longhese Maria Pia
Published: March 2007

The main responder to DNA double‐strand breaks (DSBs) in mammals is ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM), whereas DSB‐induced checkpoint activation in budding yeast seems to depend primarily on the ATM and Rad‐3‐related (ATR) orthologue Mec1. Here, we show that Saccharomyces cerevisiae Tel1, the ATM orthologue, has two functions in checkpoint response to DSBs. First, Tel1 participates, together with the MRX complex, in Mec1‐dependent DSB‐induced checkpoint activation by increasing the efficiency of single‐stranded DNA accumulation at the ends of DSBs, and this checkpoint function can be overcome by overproducing the exonuclease Exo1. Second, Tel1 can activate the checkpoint response to DSBs independently of Mec1, although its signalling activity only becomes apparent when several DSBs are generated. Furthermore, we provide evidence that the kinetics of DSB resection can influence Tel1 activation, indicating that processing of the DSB termini might influence the transition from Tel1/ATM‐ to Mec1/ATR‐dependent checkpoint.
Spliced‐leader RNA silencing: a novel stress‐induced mechanism in Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Lustig Yaniv , Sheiner Lilach , Vagima Yaron , Goldshmidt Hanoch , Das Anish , Bellofatto Vivian , Michaeli Shulamit
Published: March 2007

The signal‐recognition particle (SRP) mediates the translocation of membrane and secretory proteins across the endoplasmic reticulum upon interaction with the SRP receptor. In trypanosomes, the main RNA molecule is the spliced‐leader (SL) RNA, which donates the SL sequence to all messenger RNA through trans‐splicing. Here, we show that RNA interference silencing of the SRP receptor (SRα) in Trypanosoma brucei caused the accumulation of SRP on ribosomes and triggered silencing of SL RNA (SLS). SLS was elicited due to the failure of the SL RNA‐specific transcription factor tSNAP42 to bind to its promoter. SL RNA reduction, in turn, eliminated mRNA processing and resulted in a significant reduction of all mRNA tested. SLS was also induced under pH stress and might function as a master regulator in trypanosomes. SLS is reminiscent of, but distinct from, the unfolded protein response and can potentially act as a new target for parasite eradication.
Does Religion Belong in Population Studies?
Authors: Voas David
Published: March 2007

Religion has survived a period of comparative neglect in social science to become a topic of keen interest. Questions on religion are now often included in censuses and surveys. It does not follow from the perceived importance of the topic, however, that these questions yield useful data. The difficulties and limitations of using survey responses on religion, and the purposes that such information might nevertheless serve, are examined in this paper. The effects of religion may relate either to religious identity or to the degree of religious commitment (religiosity). Neither of these characteristics is easy to measure. The potential importance of religion means that demand for data on the topic is unlikely to disappear, however. Religion can affect age at marriage, marital stability, attitudes to family planning and desired family size, health and morbidity, and propensity to move, that is, fertility, mortality, and migration, the main topics of formal demography. It can also be relevant in various areas of applied population studies, including education, economic activity, social equality, crime, alcohol use, social attitudes, and social capital, making it a factor in public-policy debates.
Pasture and grazing land: assessment of sustainability using invertebrate bioindicators
Authors: King K. L. , Hutchinson K. J.
Published: March 2007

Impacts of practices frequently used to manage Australian pastures are reviewed with the aim of determining which groups are responsive to changes in grazing regime, fertiliser use, pasture types, tree clearing, pesticide use, liming and irrigation. Invertebrate groups sensitive to pasture management regimes may be potential candidates for use as bioindicators of ecological sustainability of these pasture types. This review concentrates on the more intensively utilised temperate pastures of southern Australia, as very little work has been done on the impact of the grazing animal and pasture management on invertebrate fauna on the extensive rangelands of the arid and semiarid zones. Background to the relative importance of invertebrates in the functioning of the pasture ecosystem is given. This has culminated in the construction of food webs for two temperate perennial pastures (an unfertilised, native and a fertilised, sown pasture) at Armidale, NSW, for which there is comprehensive data available. Invertebrate bioindicators of pasture sustainability emerged from the consideration of grazing lands and invertebrate responses. Currently, only four groups would seem to be likely candidates as bioindicators of sustainability of pastures. These are soil nematodes, earthworms, protozoa and Collembola. The main difficulty in monitoring these groups is that it requires specialist expertise, and services provided by commercial laboratories for routine biological soil tests are still in their infancy. There are gaps in our knowledge of how invertebrate fauna react to the pressing issues of soil acidity and salinity.
Detritivores as indicators of landscape stress and soil degradation
Authors: Paoletti Maurizio G. , Osler Graham H. R. , Kinnear Adrianne , Black Dennis G. , Thomson Linda J. , Tsitsilas Angelos , Sharley David , Judd Simon , Neville Peter , D'Inca Alessandra
Published: March 2007

Detritivores are small- to medium-sized invertebrates that comminute and break down organic materials such as leaves, twigs and roots, especially within or upon the soil surface, or nearby. Detritivores constitute the majority of the invertebrate biomass pyramid in most environments and provide a key role in organic matter turnover; they also provide alternative food for polyphagous predators that can be active in pest control on crops. Many arthropod taxa are detritivores in soil and litter layers. Here, we focus on the bioindicator potential of three key detritivore groups: slaters, millipedes and oribatid mites. There are possibly 300 species of slaters (terrestrial isopods or Oniscidea) in Australia with 13 of these being introduced, mostly from north-western Europe. These non-native species are the dominant species in disturbed environments such as intensively managed forests and agricultural fields. Slaters are promising indicators of landscape disturbance, soil contamination and tillage. Millipedes are potentially important indicators of stress in agricultural landscapes, given their sensitivity to litter and soil moisture gradients and to physical and chemical perturbations. However, because there is a close association between the millipede fauna and moist plant communities in Australia, they are generally absent from drier landscapes and, therefore, their use as bioindicators in agricultural environments here is problematic. An exception to this association is the increasingly ubiquitous introduced Black Portuguese millipede. This species is tolerant of much drier conditions than most natives, and is likely to change the nature of nutrient cycling processes in pastures and native grasslands in much of southern Australia. Oribatid mites are present in all Australian terrestrial ecosystems. The few studies that have examined their response to disturbance and land use in Australia are consistent with the body of work conducted outside Australia. This consistent response means that the oribatids may be developed as indicators in agricultural, pasture and forested environments. However, the paucity of information on oribatids over appropriate spatial scales in Australia makes the use of this group extremely difficult at this time.
Using staphylinid and tenebrionid beetles as indicators of sustainable landscape management in Australia: a review
Authors: Michaels K. F.
Published: March 2007

The review examines a range of global literature concerning the beetle families Staphylinidae and Tenebrionidae, to evaluate their potential as indicators of sustainable landscape management in the Australian context. Both beetle families are diverse, widespread, easily collected and functionally important in a wide range of habitats in Australia. Both families are responsive to changes in environmental conditions, although the nature of the response depends on the environmental condition and often on the individual species. The response of staphylinids and tenebrionids to environmental change has reflected that of other invertebrate species or groups in some instances. Sustainability indicators need to be linked to management objectives and land managers need to be involved in the indicator selection process. Sampling, identification and assessment methods designed to match land managers’ capabilities should result in an increase in the use of staphylinids and tenebrionids as sustainability indicators.
Absence of the proapoptotic Bax protein extends fertility and alleviates age-related health complications in female mice
Authors: Perez Gloria I. , Jurisicova Andrea , Wise Lisa , Lipina Tatiana , Kanisek Marijana , Bechard Allison , Takai Yasushi , Hunt Patricia , Roder John , Grynpas Marc , Tilly Jonathan L.
Published: March 2007

The menopausal transition in human females, which is driven by a loss of cyclic ovarian function, occurs around age 50 and is thought to underlie the emergence of an array of health problems in aging women. Although mice do not undergo a true menopause, female mice exhibit ovarian failure long before death because of chronological age and subsequently develop many of the same age-associated health complications observed in postmenopausal women. Here we show in mice that inactivation of the proapoptotic
Bax
gene, which sustains ovarian lifespan into advanced age, extends fertile potential and minimizes many age-related health problems, including bone and muscle loss, excess fat deposition, alopecia, cataracts, deafness, increased anxiety, and selective attention deficit. Further, ovariectomy studies show that the health benefits gained by aged females from Bax deficiency reflect a complex interplay between ovary-dependent and -independent pathways. Importantly, and contrary to popular belief, prolongation of ovarian function into advanced age by Bax deficiency did not lead to an increase in tumor incidence. Thus, the development of methods for postponing ovarian failure at menopause may represent an attractive option for improving the quality of life in aging females.
Convergent chemical synthesis and high-resolution x-ray structure of human lysozyme
Authors: Durek Thomas , Torbeev Vladimir Yu. , Kent Stephen B. H.
Published: March 2007

In this article, we report the total chemical synthesis of human lysozyme. Lysozyme serves as a widespread model system in various fields of biochemical research, including protein folding, enzyme catalysis, and amyloidogenesis. The 130-aa wild-type polypeptide chain of the human enzyme was assembled from four polypeptide segments by using native chemical ligation in a fully convergent fashion. Key to the assembly strategy is the application of the recently developed kinetically controlled ligation methodology, which provides efficient control over the ligation of two peptide
α
thioesters to yield a unique product. This result enables the facile preparation of a 64-residue peptide
α
thioester; this segment is joined by native chemical ligation to a 66-aa Cys peptide, to yield the target 130-aa polypeptide chain. The synthetic polypeptide chain was folded
in vitro
into a defined tertiary structure with concomitant formation of four disulfides, as shown by 2D TOCSY NMR spectroscopy. The structure of the synthetic human lysozyme was confirmed by high-resolution x-ray diffraction, giving the highest-resolution structure (1.04 Å) observed to date for this enzyme. Synthetic lysozyme was obtained in good yield and excellent purity and had full enzymatic activity. This facile and efficient convergent synthesis scheme will enable preparation of unique chemical analogs of the lysozyme molecule and will prove useful in numerous areas of lysozyme research in the future.
Corrosion resistance of stainless steel joints bonded with a Ni‐based amorphous interlayer
Authors: González‐Sánchez J. , Verduzco J.A. , Lemus‐Ruiz José , T éllez A. M.G. , Torres R.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

To study the metallurgical characteristics obtained from the process of diffusion bonding of 316L stainless steel (SS) using a commercial Ni‐based amorphous alloy interlayer and its effect on the corrosion resistance of the self‐joined SS‐amorphous alloy‐SS junction zone.

Design/methodology/approach

Squared samples of austenitic SS were joined using a brazing metallic foil BMF‐15® in a sandwich‐like arrangement. The samples were then placed into a resistance furnace with a controlled N2 atmosphere. The joining process was carried out at 1105 and 1170°C holding the samples in the furnace for periods of 5, 10, 15, 20 and 40 min. The junction zone was evaluated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to determine the metallurgical structure induced during the process. The corrosion resistance of the SS/BMF‐15®/SS joints were evaluated using DC electrochemical methods on joined samples immersed in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution.

Findings

The samples of 316L SS showed self‐diffusion bonding at both temperatures which are quality depended upon the holding times. A concentration of second phases was observed by SEM at the BMF‐15®. The joints developed crevice corrosion at open circuit potential due to a galvanic couple formed between the SS and the amorphous alloy, and presented preferential dissolution of the Ni‐amorphous alloy under anodic polarization in 3.5 per cent NaCl solution at room temperature.

Originality/value

This work presents a systematic study of the self‐diffusion bonding process of SS pieces jointed with an amorphous alloy interlayer and the metallurgical effects on its corrosion resistance of in a 3.5 wt% NaCl solution.
The change in corporate environmental strategies: a longitudinal empirical study
Authors: Yol Lee Su , Rhee Seung‐Kyu
Published: March 2007

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a research framework to explore the change in corporate environmental strategy based on the resource‐based view of the firm and institutionalization theory and to present empirical evidence that illustrates how environmental strategy has changed.

Design/methodology/approach

The framework and propositions are examined by using a longitudinal empirical analysis using mail surveys conducted in South Korea in 2001 and 2004.

Findings

This paper shows that there is a trend in the change of environmental strategies, with companies shifting their environmental stance along the nonlinear and evolutive paths. In addition, top management attitude towards the environment and a firm's slack resources are found to be significantly related to environmental strategic change.

Research limitations/implications

The research well reflects the changing social concern for environmental issues in Korea. This model can be applied to explain the change of corporate environmental strategy in other Asian countries, such as China and India. This paper has limitations, including a survey based on recall of the respondents and a relatively low response rate, which should be taken into consideration for further studies.

Practical implications

This paper enables corporate managers and practitioners to better understand the trend in environmental strategic change and suggests that managers should first consider top management's commitment and slack resources when the change of environmental strategy is planned.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the knowledge in the research area where research efforts, both theoretical and empirical, dealing with environmental strategic change are beginning to emerge, and also provides the empirical evidences from a longitudinal analysis.
Why do some UK SMEs still find the implementation of a new product development process problematical?
Authors: Owens Jonathan D.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The long‐term survival of a business often hinges on its ability to successfully introduce new products into the marketplace. These new products and their successful development can be the lifeblood of a company. This paper aims to examine why product development delays occur in SMEs, the nature of these delays, and what can be done in order to avoid them.

Design/methodology/approach

This research is exploratory in nature and provides empirical support to several propositions found in the innovation management literature on the development of new products.

Findings

Various reasons for delays in new product development are found, including poor definition of product requirements, technological uncertainties, senior management support, lack of resources, and poor project management. Major concerns raised included management and organisational style, lack of attention to detail, limited support for innovation, lack of strategic thinking, and poor manufacturing capabilities.

Originality/value

The consistent development and introduction of new products that customers value can be an important criterion for business growth and prosperity. Suggestions to help accelerate the NPD process in SMEs are presented, including active and visible senior management commitment, early involvement of functional groups, the introduction of new work methods, early market/technical testing, and effective new product organisations.
The role of human resource management in information systems development
Authors: Maguire Stuart , Redman Tom
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the inherent weaknesses in the approaches that most organizations use to develop and implement information systems. It examines the role of human resource management practices in information system development.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reports a case study of IS implementation in a major public sector organization. It draws on data from multiple sources.

Findings

The research finds that IS failure is often associated with a lack of attention to “softer” management practices such as culture change, organization development and user involvement. The findings of the case study research suggest that HR has a key but neglected potential role to play in successful IS implementation, particularly in relation to the change management process.

Originality/value

There is a research gap in the literature on the role of HR in information systems development.
Broadening participation – the future of resource discovery
Authors: White Grant
Published: March 2007

Purpose

This article seeks to describe the new service offered by Talis.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach suggested in this article will not only promote the library and the value that it provides to the community as a whole, but suggests how it will increase the efficiency of library staff.

Findings

The emergence of new and innovative sites such as Google and Amazon do not threaten many responsive and adaptable libraries. Instead, they validate much that libraries have always done, bringing their expertise to the fore to a wider audience.

Originality/value

The article provides a view and explanation of Talis from the company itself illustrated with examples.
Reaction kinetics of toluene diisocynate and propanol by in situ FTIR
Authors: Gao Z.H. , Gu J.Y. , Bai X.D.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

To evaluate the effect of the concentrations of isocyanate group and hydroxyl group and hydroxyl group species on the rate constants of isocyanate‐propanol reaction, and to reveal the kinetics of isocyanate‐hydroxyl reaction.

Design/methodology/approach

The in situ FTIR technique was employed to measure the group concentration evolutions, by which the rate constants were determined. Besides, the FTIR was used to detect the OH absorbance shifts during reaction and the OH absorbance at different concentrations. The kinetic mechanism of isocyanate‐propanol reaction was discussed with the combination of rate constants and FTIR spectra.

Findings

A new reaction mechanism, alcohol association mechanism, was proposed that could explain many phenomena. It was revealed that the rate constant was independent of the isocyanate concentration, while the concentration and species of hydroxyl groups had apparent effects on the rate constants. It was possible to calculate the number averaged degree of association of propanol with alcohol association mechanism.

Research limitations/implications

The associated n‐propanol molecules that reacted with isocyanate to form urethane were the associated dimer and trimer predominately, while the iso‐propanol was the dimer.

Practical implications

The kinetics of isocyanate‐hydroxyl reaction and the alcohol association mechanism will be helpful to understand the preparation and curing of polyurethane, and their controls.

Originality/value

A new reaction mechanism, alcohol association mechanism, was proposed that could explain many phenomena that might not be interpreted by other mechanisms. The mechanism could be employed to calculate the number averaged degree of association of alcohols.
Edward Sherwood Mead (1874‐1956): a pioneer in finance education
Authors: McLean Paula A. , Brian Jones D.G.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

Mead was one of the first university professors of Finance in North America. The purpose of this article ia to document his career at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania from 1900 to 1944.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used traditional historical interpretation of rare archival documents, drew from the autobiography of Mead's more famous daughter, Margaret Mead, and includes an analysis of Mead's published work in Finance.

Findings

The findings are reported as an intellectual biography. The paper reports on Mead's life and career as a pioneer Finance scholar.

Originality/value

There has been almost nothing published about the history of the Finance discipline and nothing published about the contributions of Edward Sherwood Mead.
Theodore N. Beckman (1895‐1973): external manifestations of the man
Authors: Brian Jones D.G.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to describe the life and contributions to the marketing discipline of Theodore N. Beckman whose academic career at the Ohio State University spanned some 50 years.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used traditional historical interpretation of rare archival documents, depth interviews of two of Beckman's former students, and analysis of Beckman's published work.

Findings

The findings are reported as an intellectual biography. The paper reports on Beckman's life and career as an eminent marketing scholar.

Originality/value

Little biographical research has been published in the marketing discipline and to date only a brief sketch of Beckman was published in the Journal of Marketing in 1965.
S. Ramani (1939‐present): India's information technology education pioneer
Authors: Subramanian Ramesh
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a biographical sketch of Srinivasan Ramani (1939‐present) whose career as India's pioneer IT researcher and IT educator has spanned over four decades.

Design/methodology/approach

Literature review and interviews with the subject.

Findings

Ramani has contributed significantly to the development of India's information technology with seminal work in IT networking, IT software and IT education. During his career Ramani has guided several doctoral graduates in computer science and information technology, many of whom have gone on to pursue distinguished careers in education, governmental policy and industry.

Originality/value

The paper gives an account of the historical circumstances that led to Ramani's gradual rise and traces the important milestones in India's information technology development.
The importance of power and ideology in communities of practice
Authors: Veenswijk Marcel , Chisalita Cristina M.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss some underdeveloped issues in Community of Practice theory and their practical implications for the study of the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper shows that, in order to achieve this goal, first the blind spots are identified (such as power issues and the relation of the community with its environment) based on a literature review. Then, a case study is presented, carried out in a large Dutch organization (referred to as the Design Company), which designs and produces complex technology. The focus is on one community of practice (The User Interface Design Team) and the process of its development (internal and external) within a particular environment. The consequences of this development on the environment are examined. The methodology employed is mainly ethnographical observation and qualitative interviews.

Findings

The paper finds that the case study demonstrates the relevance of considering such concepts as power, conflict, and ideology in CoP theory. Enriched in this way, CoP theory can account for both the internal and external development of communities (in terms of empowerment), as well as the conditions that constitute a favorable context for such development. It can also explain how the bottom‐up process of change that was induced by the User Interface Design community takes place within the organizational life‐world.

Originality/value

The paper reveals that the insights provided by this research have the potential to enrich the body of knowledge surrounding CoP theory. The results of this research are considered to be useful for organizations that present similar conditions to the one presented in this case study.
Educating international hospitality students and managers: the role of culture
Authors: Charlesworth Zarina
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The paper aims to present and discuss research findings on the relationship between culture and learning styles, as defined by Honey and Mumford, and the potential implications for both hospitality management education as well as for the training and career development of international hospitality managers.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary research was undertaken at an institute of hospitality management in Switzerland to investigate whether a relationship between culture and learning style preference would be found. The research, carried out with a paired sample of hospitality management students (n=55) at a one‐and‐a‐half‐year interval, was quantitative in nature.

Findings

The data support a link between culture and preferred learning style at the outset of the students' higher education programme, which seems to become less marked over time showing a certain convergence amongst all the students in their preferred learning styles.

Research limitations/implications

At this stage in the research the results are only available for one paired sample. From 2007 onwards, however, it is planned that bi‐annual sets of paired sample results will be available for several years to come.

Practical implications

As management and career development take on increasing importance, on the job educators need to look not only to industry for guidance but also to educational institutions for advice on how to optimise their courses and the attainment of learning outcomes by their employees.

Originality/value

These findings have relevance for both hospitality educators as well as industry looking at how to best develop international managers at both junior as well as senior levels.
The influence of price fairness on customer satisfaction: an empirical test in the context of automobile purchases
Authors: Herrmann Andreas , Xia Lan , Monroe Kent B. , Huber Frank
Published: March 2007

Purpose

This paper aims to link conceptually the concepts of price fairness and customer satisfaction and empirically demonstrate the influence of perceived price fairness on satisfaction judgments. Further, it seeks to examine specific factors that influence fairness perceptions including price perception and consumer vulnerability.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is conducted in the context of automobile purchases in major German car dealerships. Based on a theoretical conceptualization of the constructs and an empirical pretest, 246 car buyers were surveyed and their fairness perceptions and satisfaction judgments with the car buying process measured.

Findings

The research shows that price perceptions directly influence satisfaction judgments as well as indirectly through perceptions of price fairness. Results also indicated that consumers' vulnerability, which is induced by a perceived demand‐supply relationship and the urgency of need from the consumers' side, had a negative effect on perceived price offer fairness.

Research limitations/implications

The research demonstrated the influence of perceived price fairness on satisfaction judgments empirically. The study was conducted in the context of car purchases and the generalizability of the model should be further tested.

Practical implications

The effect of consumer vulnerability implies that sellers should not only avoid exploiting their customers but should also anticipate consumers' potential feelings of being exploited. Being sensitive to the buyers’ psychological state and assuring buyers of fair treatment will enhance perceptions of price fairness without changing the price offer.

Originality/value

Both the direct and indirect effects of price perception on satisfaction judgment were examined in the paper. Specifically, the influences of consumer vulnerability and price procedure fairness on satisfaction judgments are new and contribute to the dual‐entitlement principle and our existing knowledge in price fairness.
Investors' behaviour in the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE)
Authors: Maditinos Dimitrios I. , Šević Željko , Theriou Nikolaos G.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the various methods and techniques used by Greek investors (both professional and individuals) when evaluating potential additions to their investment portfolios.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses both a questionnaire survey and a series of interviews to examine the practice of investment management in terms of stock market forecasting and stock valuation. The respondents consist of six different groups of investors, drawn from across Greece, namely: official members of the Athens Stock Exchange, mutual fund management companies, portfolio investment companies, listed companies, brokers and individual investors (ININ).

Findings

The results indicate that ININ rely more on newspapers/media and noise in the market when making their investment decisions, while professional investors rely more on fundamental and technical analysis and less on portfolio analysis. The investment horizon seems to have a direct association with the relative importance of the techniques that professionals use for stock analysis. Also, the use of specific techniques seems to have a different impact on the performance of professionals.

Practical implications

The results highlight the practical methods and techniques used by various Greek investors when making their stock investment decisions as well as analysing the consequences of these methods on their performance.

Originality/value

This paper is the first study of the methods used by different classes of investor in the relatively underdeveloped capital market of Greece.
Using a Lean Six Sigma approach to drive innovation
Authors: Byrne George , Lubowe Dave , Blitz Amy
Published: March 2007

Purpose

This article describes the five‐year success of a lean Six Sigma approach to improving operations that is also a way of doing better things – innovating in products, services, markets and even a company's underlying business model.

Design/methodology/approach

Consultants from IBM's Operations Strategy group and from the Institute for Business Value analyzed the innovation records of several leading companies that have implemented operations strategies based on Lean Six Sigma management techniques.

Findings

They found that lean Six Sigma initiatives also led to product innovations, such as Caterpillar's phenomenally successful low‐emissions diesel engine, and also to redesigned processes, including a streamlined supply chain. After five years, by 2005, revenues at Caterpillar had grown by 80 percent.

Research limitations/implications

A case study of Caterpillar illustrates the points of the lean sigma six approach.

Practical implications

For more than five years, industry leaders have used company‐wide lean Six Sigma programs to create an organizational climate in which innovation becomes instinctive, and, consequently, they have surfaced major innovation opportunities that have revitalized their businesses.

Originality/value

Identifies several distinguishing characteristics that set successful approaches apart from those with a traditional operational improvement mindset. Successful innovators have: an innovation vision based on factual customer and market insights; leadership committed to perpetual innovation; alignment across the extended enterprise; organizational capabilities that made innovation habitual.
Discovering new business models for knowledge intensive organizations
Authors: Sheehan Norman T. , Stabell Charles B.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

Assists senior managers with generating new business models by mapping the competitive space occupied by knowledge intensive organizations and outlining strategic positioning options.

Design/methodology/approach

Provides a conceptual paper based on studies of knowledge intensive organizations.

Findings

Based on four strategic positioning characteristics, the authors identify three types of knowledge intensive organizations; diagnosis, search, and design shops. All knowledge intensive organizations are either pure types or combinations of these types.

Practical implications

While mapping the competitive space lets managers of knowledge intensive organizations pinpoint where they are relative to their rivals, strategy involves finding unique, profitable business models. To help managers detect potential opportunities, the paper outlines a full menu of competitive positioning options. Generating new business models in this manner should allow managers to enter existing, profitable niches or establish new, potentially profitable niches.

Originality/value

Few studies delineate the competitive terrain occupied by knowledge intensive organizations and then outline competitive positioning options for knowledge intensive organizations.
Exploring the benefits and use of flexitime: similarities and differences
Authors: Haar Jarrod M.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the benefits of flexitime amongst users and non‐users, and determine what flexitime is used for by employees using a gender perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The study consisted of interviews of 30 employees of a New Zealand local‐government organisation, including 22 users and eight non‐users of flexitime. Social exchange theory was used to test the benefits of flexitime towards job attitudes and work‐family balance, while the socialisation perspective was used to explore flexitime usage divided into use by gender and parental status.

Findings

Employees were highly positive of flexitime, including the eight non‐users. Further, many positive comments were made regarding the important role that flexitime plays in allowing employees to balance their work and family commitments. Analysis showed that while there were no differences between males and females who had no dependants, there were major differences between parents. Mothers, exclusively used their flexitime to support their mothering role like attending school events, while fathers used flexitime for personal activities such as exercise.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of this research is the small sample of employees interviewed. Implications are that flexitime is a very positive work‐family practice with universal appeal to all employees including non‐users. However, this may come at the expense of reinforcing gendered roles for working mothers and fathers. Future research is needed to determine whether the flexitime usage by gender is universal, and whether working parents see the reinforcing of gender roles as a negative.

Originality/value

This paper undertakes one of the few examinations of employee usage of flexitime by gender and parental status, and clearly provides insights that can aid the work‐family and gender literature. It also reinforces the value of a work‐family practice to users and non‐users alike.
An empirical analysis of the relationship between adult attention deficit and efficacy for working in teams
Authors: Coetzer Graeme H. , Richmond Lynn
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to investigate the relationship between adult attention deficit and efficacy for working in teams.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 181 management students working in short term project teams (13 weeks) completed established assessments of efficacy for working in teams and a multi‐dimensional measure of adult attention deficit. The hypotheses were tested using product moment correlations and multiple regression.

Findings

Multiple regression provided support for the general hypothesis that adult attention deficit predicts lower efficacy for working in teams (F(5, 176) = 7.31,p=0.00). All dimensions of adult attention deficit were significantly correlated with efficacy for teamwork (r= −0.20 to −0.41), and the hypothesis that difficulty managing emotional interference uniquely predicts efficacy for teamwork was supported (β:p=0.000).

Research limitations/implications

Future research needs to include a variety of workplace teams.

Practical implications

The strength of the results suggests that organizations implementing work teams need to be more aware of the effect of adult attention deficit on team member confidence and ability. Organizational development practices need to include interventions that assist the members with adult attention deficit.

Originality/value

This research helps to raise awareness of the relationship between adult attention deficit and key organizational behaviors. This research is of value to researchers, managers, organizational development specialists and employees who are trying to develop effective ways of supporting employees who are struggling with adult attention deficit.
Police detectives' perceptions of giving evidence in court
Authors: Kebbell Mark R. , O'Kelly Caitriona M.E.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to review common methods used by English lawyers when questioning police witnesses, and to identify training issues for preparing officers for giving evidence in court.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire was administered to 48 police detectives concerning the last time they gave evidence in court, the types of questions they were asked during cross‐examination, lawyers' tactics, and what they believed to be personal attacks.

Findings

The findings indicated that detectives perceived they were questioned in a consistent manner, and asked questions that they felt at times were difficult to understand, difficult to answer, upsetting, and distorted their evidence. Nevertheless, they were generally satisfied with their experiences in court.

Research limitations/implications

The current study in this paper uses self‐report methodology that may be less objective than independent observation. A potentially fruitful avenue of research might be the study of court cases where police officers give evidence to measure the influence of lawyers' questions directly.

Practical implications

The results indicate a number of training issues for preparing police officers to give evidence in court. Officers should be trained to deal with confusing or constraining questioning, and to thoroughly prepare. Officers should also be trained concerning how to deal with inconsistencies in evidence, mistakes, and having their character attacked.

Originality/value

This is the first survey, to the authors' knowledge, of police officers' experiences of giving evidence in court and suggests some ways of improving the overall accuracy of police witnesses' accounts in court.
The structure of informal communication between police agencies
Authors: Roberts Aki , Roberts John M.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

Police agency networks are likely to be important for the adoption of policing innovations and the visibility of demonstration projects. This study of police network data has four main goals: to use multivariate models for the influence of agency characteristics on the sort of agency it contacted; to investigate the extent of symmetry of ties in the police network; to examine models for the specific departments chosen as agencies' network contacts; and to identify, through network data, agencies as “relative experts” in several different policing domains.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses Weiss agency survey data to conduct a variety of analyses of agencies' choices of informal communication partners.

Findings

The analysis showed regularities in agencies' choices of contacts. Whether a contact was of the same type or from the same state as the respondent was influenced by the respondent's population and type. There was some evidence of size‐based asymmetry in contacts. The choice of a particular contact was influenced by agency type, population and geographic distance. There appeared to be “relative experts” in specific policing domains.

Originality/value

The results increase understanding of the structure of the agency network. By describing the nature of communication ties on planning issues, the results give essential background for any efforts to encourage the diffusion of policing innovations (or successful practices) by inducing ties between particular agencies. Results can also help predict the potential visibility of demonstration projects if placed in particular agencies.
Areal policing and public perceptions in a non‐urban setting: one size fits one
Authors: Crank John P. , Giacomazzi Andrew L.
Published: March 2007

Purpose

A neighborhood‐based notion of the distribution of policing services is a hallmark of community policing philosophy. The purpose of this research is to focus on two policy issues: are there significant differences in important policing issues among the different communities, and what factors within the Sheriff's control might account for these differences?

Design/methodology/approach

In 2002, the Ada County Sheriff's Office (ACSO), servicing the area around Boise, Idaho, carried out a survey of citizens stratified across four areas: two contract communities, one non‐contract community, and the unincorporated remainder of the county.

Findings

The survey found significant variation in perceptions of crime and disorder, in perceptions of safety, in social cohesion, and in attitudes toward deputies and to the sheriffs office. Findings suggested the importance of local policy through the tailoring of services to local needs. However, some community factors appeared to provide limits on the extent to which the police could respond to dissatisfaction with their services, regardless of adaptive strategy.

Originality/value

Only limited empirical research has studied neighborhood variation in citizens' perceptions of differences pertinent to policing services, and virtually no such research has been carried out outside urban areas. This research fills this gap.