bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of approximations and arbitrary choices on geophysical images
Authors: Valentine Andrew P. , Trampert Jeannot
Published: November 2015

Whenever a geophysical image is to be constructed, a variety of choices must be made. Some, such as those governing data selection and processing, or model parametrization, are somewhat arbitrary: there may be little reason to prefer one choice over another. Others, such as defining the theoretical framework within which the data are to be explained, may be more straightforward: typically, an ‘exact’ theory exists, but various approximations may need to be adopted in order to make the imaging problem computationally tractable. Differences between any two images of the same system can be explained in terms of differences between these choices. Understanding the impact of each particular decision is essential if images are to be interpreted properly—but little progress has been made towards a quantitative treatment of this effect. In this paper, we consider a general linearized inverse problem, applicable to a wide range of imaging situations. We write down an expression for the difference between two images produced using similar inversion strategies, but where different choices have been made. This provides a framework within which inversion algorithms may be analysed, and allows us to consider how image effects may arise. In this paper, we take a general view, and do not specialize our discussion to any specific imaging problem or setup (beyond the restrictions implied by the use of linearized inversion techniques). In particular, we look at the concept of ‘hybrid inversion’, in which highly accurate synthetic data (typically the result of an expensive numerical simulation) is combined with an inverse operator constructed based on theoretical approximations. It is generally supposed that this offers the benefits of using the more complete theory, without the full computational costs. We argue that the inverse operator is as important as the forward calculation in determining the accuracy of results. We illustrate this using a simple example, based on imaging the density structure of a vibrating string.
The Impact of Direct-Acting Antivirals in the Hepatitis C-Sustained Viral Response in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Patients With Ongoing Barriers to Care
Authors: Cachay Edward R. , Wyles David , Hill Lucas , Ballard Craig , Torriani Francesca , Colwell Bradford , Kuo Alexander , Schooley Robert , Mathews Christopher W.
Published: November 2015

Background.  Access to hepatitis C virus (HCV) medications for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients with ongoing barriers to care is restricted by healthcare payers in the absence of HCV treatment outcomes data in the era of direct-acting antivirals (DAA).

Methods.  Retrospective analysis of HCV treatment outcomes using interferon (IFN)-free DAA regimens and an inclusive treatment protocol in an urban HIV clinic where ongoing barriers to care (drug or alcohol use, psychiatric disease, and/or unstable housing) are common. Then, using logistic regression analysis, we compared the proportion of HIV-infected patients who achieved HCV sustained viral response (SVR) in the pegylated-IFN plus ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV, 2008–2011), pegylated-IFN plus ribavirin and telaprevir (PEG-IFN/RBV/PI, 2011–2013), and IFN-free DAA therapy eras (2014). Results are displayed using forest plots.

Results.  The proportion of patients who achieved HCV SVR in the PEG-IFN/RBV, PEG-IFN/RBV/PI, and IFN-free DAA therapy eras increased from 38.4% (95% confidence interval [CI], 23.2–53.7) and 48% (95% CI, 28.4–67.6) to 83.3% (95% CI, 70.0–96.7), respectively. Similar proportions of patients with ongoing barriers to care were treated during the PEG-IFN/RBV (25 of 39 [64%]), PEG-IFN/RBV/PI (14 of 25 [56%]), and IFN-free DAA (16 of 30 [53%]) eras. Hepatitis C virus SVR among patients with ongoing barriers to care improved from 40% (95% CI, 21–59) to 76.5% (95% CI, 56–97) in the PEG-IFN/RBV and IFN-free DAA eras, respectively. After stratification for factors associated with HCV SVR such as HCV genotype and cirrhosis, HCV SVR were similar in patients regardless of the presence of ongoing barriers to care.

Conclusions.  Using IFN-free DAA and an inclusive HCV treatment protocol, 76.5% of HIV/HCV-treated patients with ongoing barriers to care achieved HCV SVR.
Artemisinin-Based Combination Therapy Versus Quinine or Other Combinations for Treatment of Uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum Malaria in the Second and Third Trimester of Pregnancy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Burger Renée J. , van Eijk Anna M. , Bussink Milena , Hill Jenny , ter Kuile Feiko O.
Published: November 2015

The World Health Organization recommends artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) for the treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy. We conducted a meta-analysis to compare efficacy, safety and tolerability of ACTs versus quinine and other non-ACT antimalarials. The median PCR-adjusted failure rate by days 28 to 63 in the non-ACT group was 6 (range 0–37) per 100 women, lower in the ACT group overall (pooled risk ratio [PRR] random effects, 0.41; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.16–1.05; 6 trials), and significantly lower compared with oral quinine (PRR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.08–0.49; 4 trials). There were no differences in fetal deaths and congenital abnormalities. Compared with quinine, artemisinin-based combinations therapies were associated with less tinnitus (PRR, 0.19; 95% CI, 0.03–1.11; 4 studies), dizziness (PRR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.44–0.93; 3 trials), and vomiting (PRR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.15–0.73; 3 trials). Artemisinin-based combination therapies are better than quinine in the second and third trimesters; their use should be encouraged among health workers.
Influence of FcγRIIa-Expressing Cells on the Assessment of Neutralizing and Enhancing Serum Antibodies Elicited by a Live-Attenuated Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine
Authors: Byers Anthony M. , Broder Ryan , Haupfear Kelly , Timiryasova Tatyana M. , Hu Branda T. , Boaz Mark , Warren William L. , Jackson Nicholas , Moser Janice M. , Guy Bruno
Published: November 2015

Background.  Recent trials of recombinant, live-attenuated chimeric yellow fever-dengue tetravalent dengue vaccine (CYD-TDV) demonstrated efficacy against symptomatic, virologically confirmed dengue disease with higher point estimates of efficacy toward dengue virus (DENV)3 and DENV4 and moderate levels toward DENV1 and DENV2. It is interesting to note that serotype-specific efficacy did not correlate with absolute neutralizing antibody (nAb) geometric mean titer (GMT) values measured in a Vero-based plaque reduction neutralization test assay. The absence of Fcγ receptors on Vero cells may explain this observation.

Methods.  We performed parallel seroneutralization assays in Vero cells and CV-1 cells that express FcγRIIa (CV-1-Fc) to determine the neutralizing and enhancing capacity of serotype-specific DENV Abs present in CYD-TDV clinical trial sera.

Results.  Enhancement of DENV infection was observed in CV-1-Fc cells in naturally exposed nonvaccine sera, mostly for DENV3 and DENV4, at high dilutions. The CYD-TDV-vaccinated sera showed similar enhancement patterns. The CV-1-Fc nAb GMT values were 2- to 9-fold lower than Vero for all serotypes in both naturally infected individuals and CYD-TDV-vaccinated subjects with and without previous dengue immunity. The relative (CV-1-Fc/Vero) GMT decrease for anti-DENV1 and anti-DENV2 responses was not greater than for the other serotypes.

Conclusions.  In vitro neutralization assays utilizing FcγRIIa-expressing cells provide evidence that serotype-specific Ab enhancement may not be a primary factor in the serotype-specific efficacy differences exhibited in the CYD-TDV trials.
“Gentlemen! This Is No Humbug”
Authors: Haridas Rajesh P.
Published: November 2015

AbstractAbstract

The proclamation, “Gentlemen! this is no humbug,” attributed to John Collins Warren, M.D., was not identified in any contemporaneous eyewitness report of William T. G. Morton’s October 16, 1846, demonstration of ether at Massachusetts General Hospital. The earliest known documentation of the proclamation is in Nathan P. Rice’s biography of Morton, first published in 1859. Only three eyewitnesses, Washington Ayer, M.D., Robert Thompson Davis, M.D., and Isaac Francis Galloupe, M.D., reported Warren’s alleged proclamation. However, their accounts first appeared in 1896, 50 yr after Morton’s demonstration of etherization. Although Warren’s alleged proclamation appears plausible, the overall impression from eyewitness statements and publications relating to the October 16, 1846, demonstration of etherization is that it may not have been made.

The proclamation, “Gentlemen! This is no humbug,” was not identified in any contemporaneous eyewitness report of William T. G. Morton’s October 16, 1846, demonstration of ether at Massachusetts General Hospital.
A High Rate of Alternative Diagnoses in Patients Referred for Presumed Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Jackson Melissa , Olefson Sidney , Machan Jason T. , Kelly Colleen R.
Published: November 2015

Goals:

We evaluated a cohort of patients referred to our center for presumed recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) to determine final diagnoses and outcomes.

Background:

As rates of CDI have increased, more patients are diagnosed with recurrent CDI and other sequelae of the infection. Distinguishing symptomatic patients with CDI from those who are colonized with an alternative etiology of diarrheal symptoms may be challenging.

Materials and Methods:

We performed a retrospective review of 117 patients referred to our center for recurrent CDI between January 2013 and June 2014. Data collected included demographics, the referring provider, previous anti-CDI treatment, and significant medical conditions. In addition, we gathered data on atypical features of CDI and investigations obtained to investigate the etiology of symptoms. Outcomes included rates of alternative diagnoses and the accuracy of CDI diagnosis by the referral source.

Results:

The mean age was 61 years, and 70% were female. About 29 patients (25%) were determined to have a non-CDI diagnosis. Most common alternative diagnoses included irritable bowel syndrome (18 patients: 62%) and inflammatory bowel disease (3 patients:10%). The age was inversely correlated with the rate of non-CDI diagnosis (P=0.016). Of the remaining 88 (75%) patients with a confirmed diagnosis of CDI, 25 (28%) received medical therapy alone and 63 (72%) underwent fecal microbiota transplantation.

Conclusions:

Among patients referred to our center for recurrent CDI, a considerable percentage did not have CDI, but rather an alternative diagnosis, most commonly irritable bowel syndrome. The rate of alternative diagnosis correlated inversely with age. Providers should consider other etiologies of diarrhea in patients presenting with features atypical of recurrent CDI.
An evaluation of transcriptome-based exon capture for frog phylogenomics across multiple scales of divergence (Class: Amphibia, Order: Anura)
Authors: Portik Daniel , Smith Lydia , Bi Ke
Published: November 2015

Custom sequence capture experiments are becoming an efficient approach for gathering large sets of orthologous markers with targeted levels of informativeness in non-model organisms. Transcriptome-based exon capture utilizes transcript sequences to design capture probes, often with the aid of a reference genome to identify intron-exon boundaries and exclude shorter exons (< 200 bp). Here, we test an alternative approach that directly uses transcript sequences for probe design, which are often composed of multiple exons of varying lengths. Based on a selection of 1,260 orthologous transcripts, we conducted sequence captures across multiple phylogenetic scales for frogs, including species up to ~100 million years divergent from the focal group. After several conservative filtering steps, we recovered a large phylogenomic data set consisting of sequence alignments for 1,047 of the 1,260 transcriptome-based loci (~630,000 bp) and a large quantity of highly variable regions flanking the exons in transcripts (~70,000 bp). We recovered high numbers of both shorter (< 100 bp) and longer exons (> 200 bp), with no major reduction in coverage towards the ends of exons. We observed significant differences in the performance of blocking oligos for target enrichment and non-target depletion during captures, and observed differences in PCR duplication rates that can be attributed to the number of individuals pooled for capture reactions. We explicitly tested the effects of phylogenetic distance on capture sensitivity, specificity, and missing data, and provide a baseline estimate of expectations for these metrics based on nuclear pairwise differences among samples. We provide recommendations for transcriptome-based exon capture design based on our results, and describe multiple pipelines for data assembly and analysis.
Peptide binding to a bacterial signal peptidase visualized by peptide tethering and carrier-driven crystallization
Authors: Ting Yi Tian , Harris Paul W. R. , Batot Gaelle , Brimble Margaret A. , Baker Edward N. , Young Paul G.
Published: November 2015

Bacterial type I signal peptidases (SPases) are membrane-anchored serine proteases that process the signal peptides of proteins exportedviathe Sec and Tat secretion systems. Despite their crucial importance for bacterial virulence and their attractiveness as drug targets, only one such enzyme, LepB fromEscherichia coli, has been structurally characterized, and the transient nature of peptide binding has stymied attempts to directly visualize SPase–substrate complexes. Here, the crystal structure of SpsB, the type I signal peptidase from the Gram-positive pathogenStaphylococcus aureus, is reported, and a peptide-tethering strategy that exploits the use of carrier-driven crystallization is described. This enabled the determination of the crystal structures of three SpsB–peptide complexes, both with cleavable substrates and with an inhibitory peptide. SpsB–peptide interactions in these complexes are almost exclusively limited to the canonical signal-peptide motif Ala-X-Ala, for which clear specificity pockets are found. Minimal contacts are made outside this core, with the variable side chains of the peptides accommodated in shallow grooves or exposed faces. These results illustrate how high fidelity is retained despite broad sequence diversity, in a process that is vital for cell survival.
Crystal structure of 1,1′-[selanediylbis(4,1-phenylene)]bis(2-chloroethan-1-one)
Authors: Bouraoui Hazem , Boudjada Ali , Hamdouni Noudjoud , Mechehoud Youcef , Meinnel Jean
Published: November 2015

In the title molecule, C16H12Cl2O2Se, the C—Se—C angle is 100.05 (14)°, with the dihedral angle between the planes of the benzene rings being 69.92 (17)°. The average endocyclic angles (Se—Car—Car; ar = aromatic) facing the Se atom are 120.0 (3) and 119.4 (3)°. The Se atom is essentially coplanar with the benzene rings, with Se—Car—Car—Cartorsion angles of −179.2 (3) and −179.7 (3)°. In the crystal, molecules are linkedviaC—H...O hydrogen bonds forming chains propagating along thea-axis direction. The chains are linkedviaC—H...π interactions, forming a three-dimensional network.
Crystal structure of 4-formyl-2-nitrophenyl 4-chloro-2-nitrobenzoate
Authors: Moreno-Fuquen Rodolfo , Hernández Geraldine , Ellena Javier , De Simone Carlos A. , Tenorio Juan C.
Published: November 2015

In the title compound, C14H7ClN2O7, the central ester moiety is essentially planar, with an r.m.s. deviation of 0.0113 Å. The ester group is twisted away from the chloro- and formyl-substituted rings by 84.60 (9) and 88.55 (9)°, respectively. The crystal packing shows intermolecular C—H...O interactions. These interactions generateR22(20) andR44(22) edge-fused rings parallel to (20-2).
Crystal structure of the borabenzene–2,6-lutidine adduct
Authors: Kivijärvi Lauri , Haukka Matti
Published: November 2015

In the title compound, C12H14BN, the complete molecule is generated by a crystallographic twofold axis, with two C atoms, the B atom and the N atom lying on the rotation axis. The dihedral angle between the borabenzene and pyridine rings is 81.20 (6)°. As well as dative electron donation from the N atom to the B atom [B—N = 1.5659 (18) Å], the methyl substituents on the lutidine ring shield the B atom, which further stabilizes the molecule. In the crystal, weak aromatic π–π stacking between the pyridine rings [centroid–centroid separation = 3.6268 (9) Å] is observed, which generates [001] columns of molecules.
Crystal structure of (2E)-1-(5-bromothiophen-2-yl)-3-(2-chlorophenyl)prop-2-en-1-one
Authors: Anitha B. R. , Vinduvahini M. , Ravi A. J. , Devarajegowda H. C.
Published: November 2015

In the title compound, C13H8BrClOS, the thienyl ring is not coplanar with the benzene ring, their planes forming a dihedral angle of 13.2 (4)°. In the crystal, molecules stack along theaaxis, with the interplanar separation between thienyl rings and between benzene rings being 3.925 (6) Å. The sample is an inversion twin.
Crystal structure of bis{μ2-[(2-iminocyclopentylidene)methylidene]azanido-κ2N:N′}bis[(η5-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)zirconium(IV)] hexane monosolvate
Authors: Becker Lisanne , Spannenberg Anke , Arndt Perdita , Rosenthal Uwe
Published: November 2015

The title compound, [Zr2(C10H15)4(C6H6N2)2]·C6H14, was obtained by the stoichiometric reaction of adiponitrile with [Zr(C10H15)2(η2-Me3SiC2SiMe3)]. Intramolecular nitrile–nitrile couplings and deprotonation of the substrate produced the (1-imino-2-enimino)cyclopentane ligand, which functions as a five-membered bridge between the two metal atoms. The ZrIVatom exhibits a distorted tetrahedral coordination sphere defined by two pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligands, by the imino unit of one (1-imino-2-enimino)cyclopentane and by the enimino unit of the second (1-imino-2-enimino)cyclopentane. The cyclopentane ring of the ligand shows an envelope conformation. The asymmetric unit contains one half of the complex and one half of the hexane solvent molecule, both being completed by the application of inversion symmetry. One of the pentamethylcyclopentadienyl ligands is disordered over two sets of sites with a refined occupancy ratio of 0.8111 (3):0.189 (3). In the crystal, the complex molecules are packed into rods extending along [100], with the solvent molecules located in between. The rods are arranged in a distorted hexagonal packing.
Crystal structure of 1-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)-3,5-diphenyl-1H-pyrazole
Authors: Mohamed Shaaban K. , Mague Joel T. , Akkurt Mehmet , Albayati Mustafa R. , Mohamed Alaa F.
Published: November 2015

In the title molecule, C21H14N4O4, the phenyl rings make dihedral angles of 39.61 (8) and 9.4 (1)°, respectively, with the central pyrazole ring. The dihedral angle between the pyrazole and dinitrophenyl rings is 46.95 (5)°. In the crystal, molecules pack in helical stacks parallel to theaaxis aided by weak C—H...O interactions.
Are you a protean talent? The influence of protean career attitude, learning-goal orientation and perceived internal and external employability
Authors: Lin Yi-chun
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between protean career attitude and perceived internal and external employability, along with the mediating effect of learning-goal orientation.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected by distributing paper-based questionnaires to 527 workers in private banking sectors in Taiwan. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to examine the results of the relationships.

Findings

– The results supported the idea that protean career attitude is a significant antecedent of perceived internal and external employability. Protean talents with a higher degree of protean attitude toward value-driven career orientation and self-directed career management have an external employability that is greater than their internal employability. Learning-goal orientation fully mediated the effect of protean career attitude on perceived internal employability, but only partially mediated external employability.

Practical implications

– The findings can help human resource managers gain a better understanding of the use of an appropriate strategy to influence an employee’s perceived internal and external employability, which can increase the motivation and improve employer-employee relationships that contribute to organizational success and performance. Employees should recognize the increased importance of continuous learning with goal-setting in order to deal with changes at work.

Originality/value

– This paper empirically establishes the association between protean career attitude and perceived internal and external employability. The protean career concept may provide organizations with a valuable perspective in the evolution of careers. Valuable and protean talents place an emphasis on individuals’ core values, and while learning goals are meant to suit employer organizations, they may also establish opportunities that could cross-organizational boundaries.
Processing different degrees of logo change
Authors: van Grinsven Bo , Das Enny
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– This paper aims to develop an experimental paradigm to assess effects of degrees of logo change on logo processing speed to provide rigid tests of the effects of objectified degrees of logo changes and to understand how degrees of logo change interact with consumer and market conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

– Experiment 1 (N = 120) used a 3 (degree of change: no vs small vs substantial change) unifactorial between-subjects design to develop the experimental paradigm for the effects of degrees of logo change. Experiment 2 (N = 148) examined effects of brand consciousness and exposure in a 3 (degree of change: original vs small vs substantial change) × 2 (exposure: 1 vs 3 exposures) between-subjects design with brand consciousness as a continuous moderator to extend the paradigm to a more naturalistic marketing communication setting.

Findings

– Substantial logo changes harmed processing speed of highly brand conscious consumers in particular. Furthermore, substantial logo changes decreased processing speed, which was compensated by repeated exposure to the redesigned brand logo.

Practical implications

– The findings suggest that brand consciousness creates a tunnel vision, which impairs openness to changes in brand image. Furthermore, the findings imply that brand logos can be (substantially) changed without hurting logo processing speed: only a few exposures are needed to neutralize these effects.

Originality/value

– This is the first study that provides rigid tests of objectified degrees of logo changes, extended to a more naturalistic marketing communication setting, by examining brand consciousness and exposure effects.
Should consumers request cost transparency?
Authors: Simintiras Antonis C. , Dwivedi Yogesh K , Kaushik Geetanjali , Rana Nripendra P.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to propose that consumer choice be guided by price fairness judgements to increase consumer satisfaction and subsequently enhance market efficiency. Consumers en masse lack the information to judge price fairness, thereby causing their ability to influence the economy to be overlooked.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is an argumentative and conceptual work that aims to initiate a debate on this important yet unexplored issue. The arguments presented in the paper are based on economic and technological considerations.

Findings

– The measure for enabling a consumer price fairness judgement is unit cost information – the cost incurred by a firm to produce a product and/or service. The benefits and challenges stemming from the availability of unit cost information (i.e. cost transparency) to consumers and companies are presented and the likely impact of cost transparency on addressing information asymmetries between buyers and sellers are discussed.

Originality/value

– Although a significant body of knowledge exists on issues such as price transparency and how it is driven and enabled by the growth of the Internet, there is little or no evidence of research yet on issues related to cost transparency. The authors believe this work would create a new line of research for scholarly community leading to an impact on practice.
What we know, don’t know, and should know about confusion marketing
Authors: Kasabov Edward
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of the paper is to bring to the attention of academics the innovations which have rapidly been developed to sell goods and services across sectors using what the authors describe as “confusion marketing”.

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a conceptual, integrative, critical assessment of a number of marketing disciplines addressing aspects of confusion marketing. Confusion practices are evolving rapidly, with little theoretical explanation of why many of them are successful. This paper seeks to answer such questions by examining a wide range of sectors and confusion practices.

Findings

– Patterns are identified across sectors, companies and business practices, providing the basis for this holistic assessment of marketing research on confusion since its inception and the design of a systemic framework of confusion.

Research limitations/implications

– The study attempts to bring all marketing schools and traditions of confusion together and presents a synthesis of scholarly accomplishments in the area by matching them, where possible, to current practices. It advances extant literature by designing a systemic framework which has, so far, been absent in marketing and by identifying avenues for future research maturation.

Practical implications

– This discussion challenges assumptions regarding the ethicality, sustainability and profitability of confusion practices. Businesses practicing confusion are successful, suggesting that such practices may be economically sustainable. Contrary to expectations in marketing, confusion seems to benefit some consumers; confusion practices are not necessarily unethical or detrimental.

Originality/value

– Confusion is a controversial area in marketing. Although the literature on confusion has grown, extant research continues to concentrate on consumers’ perceptions of confusion and tends to assume that confusion practices are undesirable, unethical and unsustainable. This paper provides a first integrative critical analysis of marketing thinking and challenges the aforementioned literature assumptions, demonstrating that past research has not sufficiently explained the nature, consequences and success of confusion marketing.
Commentary: is cost transparency necessarily good for consumers?
Authors: Kuah Adrian T.H. , Weerakkody Vishanth
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present a critical viewpoint on the negative aspects of market, price and cost transparencies to consumers in terms of its costs.

Design/methodology/approach

– It adopts an inter-disciplinary approach from the marketing, economics and accounting literature. The paper explores market transparency in the ever-changing world and uses brand names like Starbucks and iPhone to illuminate instances where imperfect markets are supported by consumers.

Findings

– Recognizing the role that the Internet plays in promoting price transparency, it espouses how extant information can add costs and risks to the consumer’s value judgement. Finally, the paper advocates that arbitrary judgements existing in cost accounting make it difficult to compare unit cost. This could result in consumers paying extra money to benefit from cost transparency.

Practical implications

– This paper argues that three main issues may arise in providing unit cost to the consumers. First, transparency entails built-in costs, whether they are in taxes or product prices. Second, in accounting, unit cost information is currently not equitable between businesses. Finally, the paper argues that extra time and effort in making sense of unit cost information lead to questions about the viability of transparent costing.

Originality/value

– The arguments for transparency have been widely discussed, supported and promoted by many. While negative aspects are known to businesses, few consider the consumer’s perspective. By amalgamating evidence and arguments from different disciplines, this paper lends value, providing a critical perspective where transparent unit cost revelation can be more costly and less viable than what is assumed.
Rejoinder: a reply to comments on “should consumers request cost transparency?”
Authors: Simintiras Antonis C. , Dwivedi Yogesh K , Kaushik Geetanjali , Rana Nripendra P.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide response around three commentaries: Lowe’s view on key mechanisms through which greater transparency could influence consumer product evaluations (Lowe, 2015); Kuah and Weerakkody’s critical assessment on whether cost transparency is good for consumers (Kuah and Weerakkody, 2015); and Singh’s perspective on what is behind the price tag and why companies should embrace cost transparency (Singh, 2015).

Design/methodology/approach

– This is a response to the aforementioned commentaries, from the authors of “Should Consumers Request Cost Transparency?”.

Findings

– The authors call for empirical studies to shed light on issues, including, but not limited to, drivers and challenges/barriers of making unit cost available; appropriateness of unit cost information for different category of products; information overload caused by cost transparency; effect of availability of unit cost on the consumer decision-making; empowerment of consumers through unit cost information; impact of cost transparency on realisation of fairness, differentiation, competitive advantage and sustainability for businesses; and impact of cost transparency on market dynamics and consumer behaviour.

Originality/value

– Given its potential impact on both theory and practice, the arguments presented for and against provisioning of unit cost information to consumers is an issue worthy of further debate and empirical investigation.
The impact of motivation on customer satisfaction formation: a self-determination perspective
Authors: White Christopher
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of the study is to examine the way different motivational types from Self-Determination Theory (SDT) influence antecedents of customer satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

– The findings in this study were generated with a quantitative design using path analysis on data collected at two stages during an extended service encounter.

Findings

– Each motivation type played a unique and important role in influencing the antecedents of satisfaction, namely, positive and negative emotions and perceptions of service quality. As hypothesised, motives associated with higher levels of autonomy were consistently stronger predictors of positive emotions and service quality. The influence of motives on the antecedents did not change significantly over time, whereas significant differences were noted between all antecedents and satisfaction. The model explained 54 and 63 per cent of the variance in satisfaction in times one and two, respectively.

Originality/value

– This is the first time that motivation as conceptualised from an SDT perspective has been applied to understanding the dynamic nature of customer satisfaction. The findings offer considerable opportunities for follow-up studies and the motivation types can provide practitioners with a stable and efficient segmentation option.
Untangling the brand name from the branded entity
Authors: Round Griff , Roper Stuart
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to investigate the value to consumers of the brand name element for established brands, given that the focus in the literature has been on new brands. To accomplish this, conceptual development was initially undertaken to illuminate the links between the brand name element and the brand entity and to provide a theoretical framework for looking at changes in value of the brand name element to consumers over time.

Design/methodology/approach

– A conjoint analysis experimental approach was used. This involved consumers making trade-off decisions between changes in brand name and changes in price for established brands, where they were active purchasers. This approach enabled isolation of the brand name element and obtained the relative value of the brand name element for each participant.

Findings

– The mean value obtained for the importance of the brand name element for established products appeared to show substantial importance to consumers. However, further analysis identified a position where the majority of participants placed little value on the brand name element and a smaller but material group perceived its value as of overwhelming importance.

Originality/value

– This paper advances branding theory through clarification of the relationship between the brand name element and the brand entity. It provides theoretical argument and empirical data for the value of the brand name element to the consumer differing between established and new brands.
Optimizing health promotion among ethnocultural minority older adults (EMOA)
Authors: Khan Mushira Mohsin , Kobayashi Karen
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the salient barriers in the uptake and effective utilization of health promotion interventions among ethnocultural minority older adults (EMOA).

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper opted for a literature review of 25 sources (peer-reviewed articles as well as documents from the grey literature). The search was primarily conducted in a database developed during a scoping review on the health and health care access and utilization of EMOA. Emphasis was placed on older ethnocultural minorities in Canada; however examples from the UK (which has a comparable health care system) and the USA and Australia (which have large, ethnically diverse populations) were also selected. The Candidacy framework was used as an analytical lens in the review.

Findings

– Findings indicate that health promotion needs to be understood as comprehensive care, involving not only the provision of health care services, but also knowledge dissemination and the facilitation of access to these services. Limited health literacy, low levels of self-efficacy and autonomy, and diverse life course experiences, particularly in the case of immigrant older adults, give rise to issues around the identification of need and system navigation. Cultural beliefs on health and illness, particularly around diet and exercise, and a lack of trust in formal systems of health care, are barriers to the uptake of interventions. Similarly, service permeability is low when cultural competency is lacking.

Practical implications

– The recommendations include the need for collaborative engagement with stakeholders, including family, peers, community partners and health practitioners, and the development of concise, culturally, and linguistically appropriate tools of health promotion that are targeted toward the intersecting needs of individuals in this diverse population of older adults.

Originality/value

– Given the increasingly diverse nature of the older adult population in Canada over the past four decades, this paper makes an important contribution toward understanding the social, cultural, structural, biographical, and geographical factors that may optimize the effective dissemination and uptake of health promotion interventions among EMOA.
Good governance, institutions and performance of public private partnerships
Authors: Sabry Mohamed Ismail
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore theoretically and empirically which institutional factors (including good governance ones) help public-private partnerships (PPP) in providing better infrastructural services, which would then in their turn lead to attracting more private investment for the whole economy.

Design/methodology/approach

– On the theoretical level, while a focus is put on discussing the institutions that should be responsible for PPP success, reconciliation is being attempted between institutional economics from one side and the new public management and networks management perspectives from the other. Empirically, OLS multivariate panel regressions test the suggestions of the theoretical discussion with emphasis on interaction terms between PPP and the studied institutions.

Findings

– Evidence is found that good governance institutions, and specifically good regulatory quality, bureaucratic efficiency and independence, help PPP in performing well as evident from their positive effect on investment growth.

Research limitations/implications

– The limitations of this paper are mainly empirical. Further results with great policy implications could have been obtained if better proxies were developed for a number of variables. Certainly this is the case for the proxies used for cronyism and public-private dialogues (PPD).

Practical implications

– Tackling bureaucratic efficiency and independence and higher regulatory quality should be a top priority if the great positive externalities resulting from PPP in infrastructure are to be realized.

Originality/value

– The novelty of this research is attributed to constructing a proxy for PPP, as well as testing empirically the effect of the interactions of PPP with other institutional variables on the performance of infrastructural services (as evident from attracting more investment). The synthesis between the literature on PPP, new public management, networks, good governance, and institutional economics is another aspect of this work. The obtained results suggest important policy recommendations, and, the author hopes to, add to the literature on PPP.
Learning to co-produce? The perspective of public service professionals
Authors: Tuurnas Sanna
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report on how public service professionals cope with co-production as a way to produce and develop public services.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws on the literature of co-production and collaborative public service innovation. The research approach was an explorative case study, presenting a pilot neighbourhood co-production project.

Findings

– Conflicting approaches to co-production with various implications are used simultaneously, causing uncertainly among the professional co-producers. When moving from rhetoric to practice there seems to be a lack of tools and methods for applying and utilising the possibilities of co-production. The processes of co-production and their implications should be thoroughly understood and managed throughout public service organisations, from politicians to frontline workers.

Practical implications

– The paper demonstrates that co-production calls for renewed organisational structures and managerial tools, especially concerning the evaluation of co-production. Focal managerial, organisational, cultural and processual notions for supporting professional co-production are provided.

Originality/value

– This paper makes an important contribution to the discussion of co-production, examining an important, yet understudied, perspective on public service professionals as co-producers.
Building trust through public service co-production
Authors: Fledderus Joost
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– Co-production of public service delivery is believed to foster trust among users, but little empirical work is devoted to this assumption. Public sector organizations have therefore little knowledge about the conditions that determine whether co-production leads to trust. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– A longitudinal mixed method is used, following participants of a co-produced activation programme over time (n=60). Quantitative methods are employed to investigate changes in trust levels, whereas qualitative methods are used to explain these changes and explore conditions for trust-building.

Findings

– After a half year, trust in the service provider, trust in local government and generalized trust decreased significantly among co-producing participants. Particularly, a decrease in trust in fellow participants strongly related to decreases in trust in the service provider and generalized trust. Qualitative evidence indicate that motivation during the co-production decreased, as well as personal control. Organizational support and user commitment show to be important conditions for building trust.

Research limitations/implications

– The study draws upon a small sample, limiting possibilities for statistical analysis. Also, comparison with other types of service delivery is required to safely assign the effects to co-production.

Originality/value

– Longitudinal studies on co-production are rarely performed. Additionally, the findings indicate a more critical approach to the effects of co-production, which are often assumed to be positive for the public sector and citizens.
Impact of transformational leadership on team performance: an empirical study in UAE
Authors: Rao A. Srinivasa , Kareem Abdul Waheed
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to empirically investigate impact of transformational leadership on team performance and the effects of support for innovation and psychological empowerment in this association. Over the past many decades, teams have become an increasingly popular way of organizing and coordinating work. This trend creates new challenges for leaders, as they are expected to motivate individual employees and to improve team performance simultaneously.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study proposes a conceptual framework for understanding motivation and support extended to individual employees which would influence team performance. The conceptual framework includes psychological empowerment and support for innovation as mediating variables in the effect of transformational leadership on team performance. The study also validates the proposed conceptual framework using a second-order confirmatory factor analysis technique, namely, partial least squares-structural equations modeling, with the data collected from 182 followers from 10 service organizations in the UAE.

Findings

– The findings suggest that transformational leadership has significant positive impact on team performance and, on the contrary, transactional leadership has significant negative effect on team performance. Two dimensions of psychological empowerment such as meaning and self-determination have partial mediation effect in the relationship between transformational leadership and team performance.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the research that identifies team mechanisms influenced by transformational leadership that can affect team success and performance, particularly in the context of UAE-based organizations. Managerial implications and future research areas are further discussed.
A review and comparative analysis of the Russian Federation Government Quality Award
Authors: Garza-Reyes Jose Arturo , Visnevskis Fred , Kumar Vikas , Antony Jiju
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The paper aims to present a review and comparison of the Russian Federation Government Quality Award (RFGQA) with the three major business excellence models, Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA), European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Award and Deming Prize.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper briefly reviews the RFGQA through a desk-top research method. Then, it adapts the comparative approach used in a similar study by Vokurka et al. (2000). Thus, the comparative analysis consisted in contrasting two characteristics of the RFGQA with those of the MBNQA, EFQM Award and Deming Prize, namely, award descriptors (i.e. objectives and criteria) and emphasis placed on excellence criteria (i.e. weighting). The study also includes a mapping assessment to explore up to what extent the RFGQA addresses the criteria of the major models.

Findings

– Although the RFGQA was designed based on the concept and structure of the EFQM model, the results of the study indicate that there are still differences among them, especially in terms of internal business processes. RFGQA finds more differences with the MBNQA and Deming Prize excellence models than with the EFQM.

Practical implications

– This research would benefit organisations and managers in Russia, as they will be able to acquire a deeper knowledge on the RFGQA. This may facilitate its awareness and implementation.

Originality/value

– The paper expands the current knowledge in the area of quality management and models for business excellence, as it is among the very first investigations to have studied the RFGQA model.
Strategic orientation and business performance
Authors: Al-Ansaari Yahya , Bederr Hakim , Chen Chuanhai
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of strategic orientations (technology, alliance, and market orientations) of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in an emerging market, namely Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

Design/methodology/approach

– Drawing upon data from 200 Dubai SMEs, this study uses a structured survey that was developed from a methodical literature review. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to evaluate the findings.

Findings

– The findings revealed that market orientation has a positive effect on business performance compared to technology and alliance orientations within SMEs in the Dubai marketplace.

Research limitations/implications

– This study offers SMEs a better understanding of their strategic orientations to enhance business performance. However, this study is limited to only SMEs operating in the Dubai marketplace. Future research could also look at other markets and use qualitative research methods.

Originality/value

– This study provides important insights that could guide SMEs in their understanding of strategic orientations and the benefits for business performance. These findings reinforce the growing empirical evidence of the positive effect of market orientation, as being a strategic direction for SMEs, on business performance.
An empirical investigation of the relationship between workload and performance
Authors: Bruggen Alexander
Published: November 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of workload on quantitative and qualitative job performance. Different levels of workload can affect performance of employees, and it is important for firms to assess the effect of this in order to improve capacity decisions. The literature is not entirely clear on the relationship and calls for further empirical evidence on that matter.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses field data from a mid-sized grocery supplier. In total, 9,210 observations of 27 employees over three years and eight months are analyzed with different statistical models. Employees all work in the same department so that it is a very homogenous data set.

Findings

– Results show that there is an inverted U-shape relationship between workload and performance. Output of employees increases up to a certain point after which it decreases. Similarly, the quality of performance is highest under moderate levels of workload, which provides evidence against a tradeoff between quantity and quality.

Research limitations/implications

– The study uses a unique set of data from one firm, which limits generalizability, but adds to an important stream of literature.

Practical implications

– Results show how workload has a direct effect on performance. Consequently, firms need to balance the workload in order to be able to maximize the performance of their employees.

Originality/value

– Despite the relevance of the topic, there is hardly any empirical evidence on the relationship between workload and performance. This study thus contributes to the management literature and provides significant evidence on an inverted U-shape between workload and quantitative performance.