bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The “X files”: managing unwanted staff behaviours and attitudes
Authors: Jillins Bob
Published: November 2002

Highlights the viewpoint that managers have the “right” to request individuals within their team to modify or change behaviours that may fall outside organisational or desirable team norms and adversely affect individual or team work performance. Empirical and experiential evidence suggest that managers and team leaders, have difficulty in managing such behaviours because they are perceived as personality driven (and largely unchangeable), as opposed to mainly learned – and therefore have the potential to be changed or “unlearned”. Similarly, the fact that behaviours are personal attributes rather than task or technical ones – makes confronting them a contentious and potentially, painful process for all concerned. The application of acute interpersonal skills, together with a structured methodology for formulating and agreeing behavioural performance objectives, can eradicate the more destructive behavioural elements within their team in a constructive way.
The key to promoting and retaining female executives
Authors: Carr Tracey
Published: November 2002

It has long been acknowledged that women at work face a unique set of challenges in balancing career with the responsibility of running an effective home life and the solution has, traditionally, been sought through the advancement of flexible working practices. The pressure on companies to acknowledge the importance of a balanced workforce has, indeed, brought about change in this area and yet the figures still indicate a low percentage of women at senior management level in almost all industries. Nearly half the UK’s top 100 companies have no women on their boards and the FTSE Female Index shows that women make up just 5 per cent of board members. Forward thinking companies are now searching for alternative options. The “top down” approach of changing the working environment has been welcomed and continues to evolve. The move is now toward a “bottom‐up” approach. In other words companies are beginning to ask how they can support individual women in coping with the many demands on their time. This article explores the unique approach of teaching the importance of personal development as well as professional development in ensuring the key female staff are motivated to succeed.
Inner leadership – personal transformation
Authors: England David
Published: November 2002

Describes a new approach to leadership development, “Inner Leadership”. Whilst there are many who can tell us the qualities required of a business leader, Inner Leadership provides a systematic method whereby these qualities can be realised. The way we think and act can become a habit, and acting from habit limits our response to the issues we face in our personal and business lives. Nevertheless, we retain the potentiality to think and act in ways which better suit the real needs of the situations we encounter. Inner Leadership helps us to bring our hidden qualities of leadership into reality and to apply them in our lives. Inner Leadership provides a practical process for: increasing self awareness; uncovering assumptions and beliefs which limit our effectiveness; becoming integrated, autonomous individuals acting from our values and purpose; using our awareness and inner will to realise our deepest resources and self‐leading potentiality.
Realising potential: the new motivation game
Authors: Gee Chris , Burke Maria E.
Published: November 2002

This article establishes the role played by the manager in motivating his or her employees on a consistent basis. The restructuring of the economy in the 1980s and 1990s directly challenged the manager’s task in motivating employees by increasing the sense of job insecurity and eroding the concept of company loyalty. Two methods of realising employees’ potential are examined – that of teamworking and that of teleworking.
A group decision support system for strategic alternatives selection
Authors: Carneiro Alberto
Published: November 2002

This article is concerned with the decision process and examines the relationships among information attributes, strategic alternatives’ evaluation and group decision support systems (GDSS) in the context of database management. The evaluation of strategic alternatives with multiple criteria is very useful for the management of enterprises and business organisations. The whole evaluation and comparison process includes two phases: the establishment and selection of basic strategic evaluation criteria and the appreciation of the ranking of the strategic alternatives. A GDSS has been developed and used to support the evaluation of strategic alternatives. The experimental results show that the proposed GDSS produces better results in evaluating strategic alternatives with multicriteria methods. The major findings are discussed and directions for future research are suggested according to the proposed model.
B2C data privacy policies: current trends
Authors: Johnson‐Page Grace F. , Thatcher R. Scott
Published: November 2002

Reviews 149 business‐to‐consumer (B2C) Web sites in nine countries and across five industries. One wanted to identify patterns that would allow one to draw conclusions about why companies chose to display data privacy policies on their Web sites. Presents an overview of the impact of business forces, telecommunications infrastructure, and culture on B2C Web site development. Having examined these sites, it is believed that the level of sophistication and development of a company’s Web site plays a role in whether a data privacy policy is displayed on the site. It was concluded that data privacy policies are more commonly found on B2C Web sites in countries where: consumers have greater access to and experience of using the Web, and there is an established market economy with clear business laws. These sites have a greater tendency to disclose detailed and conspicuously positioned policies to consumers about how their personal data will be used.
An exploratory study of the smoking issue in restaurants
Authors: Aung May , Zhang Meng , Farhat Hala , Gan Wen , Salameh Maya , Wu Lijuan , Yang Qun
Published: November 2002

The purpose of this study is to identify attitude differences between smokers and non‐smokers regarding smoking in restaurants and existing smoking by‐laws. The findings can assist restaurant managers to resolve the dilemma of in‐restaurant smoking. Qualitative research methods were used to capture the holistic and meaningful characteristics of real‐life events. Three different data collection techniques were employed for methodological triangulation. Content analysis was applied to the data, collected through participant observations, focus group interviews, and in‐depth interviews. To account for the relationship between a theoretical perspective and certain messages, the categories used in the content analysis were determined by both induction and deduction. The findings enhance the understanding smoking and non‐smoking customers’ thoughts, feelings, and actions in restaurants, and clarifying the resulting challenges for restaurant managers.
Corporate governance in microfinance organizations: along and winding road
Authors: Labie Marc
Published: November 2002

Over the last few years, more and more attention has been devoted to microfinance by academics and practitioners interested in development issues. This paper is part of this trend, as it tries to identify to what extent the corporate governance framework can be applied to microfinance organizations. Therefore, after considering some of the key issues, it tries to show how relevant these issues are to the microfinance industry.
Small group communication and performance: do cognitive flexibility and context matter?
Authors: Roy Matthew H.
Published: November 2002

Global competition and its resultant product proliferation have left a multitude of organizations scrambling to deal with their oft‐chaotic environment. Many organizations have responded to the changing nature of international business by developing new cooperative forms (joint ventures, self‐managed work teams, virtual corporations, etc.). The success of these relatively new organizational forms depends on clear communication between co‐workers. However, business practitioners and theoreticians have insufficiently researched the question “How do we group people to improve communication and performance?” This study seeks to fill that void by analyzing therelationship between individual cognitive flexibility, cooperative context, and communication competence. Results show that groups comprising individuals with similar cognitive processes outperform diverse thinking groups. Additionally, collaborative exercises appear to be an important precursor to the establishment of perceptions of communication competence. Recommendations for managers include front loading activities with collaborative exercises and evaluating cognitive flexibility prior to assigning individuals to groups.
Strategic innovation in traditional big business: case study of communications business in Japan
Authors: Kodama Mitsuru
Published: November 2002

This paper presents a case study of how, over the last six years a large, a traditional corporation simultaneously created new service markets and established a dominant position in the competitive information and communication technology field in Japan. The corporation accepted a new organizational body that has an entrepreneurial spirit and consists of different types of personnel, then the company continuously promoted entrepreneurial strategies based on time pacing. At the same time, in an attempt to implement strategic innovation, the company integrated the above strategies with deliberate strategies based on event‐based pacing practiced by the existing line organizational body. Through a case study, this paper discusses the factors for success and the problems encountered in the course of achieving strategic innovation in the communications field, i.e. the creation of a new market, through intentionally and strategically having, and furthermore integrating, paradoxical organizations and strategies under a single corporate umbrella.
Entrepreneurial firms as suppliers in business‐to‐business e‐commerce
Authors: Mullane John V. , Peters Michael H. , Bullington Kimball E.
Published: November 2002

Business‐to‐business (B2B) e‐commerce activity provides many growth opportunities for firms willing to explore this new approach. While B2B is often considered the domain of larger firms, the potential benefits of access to new clients, access to new global markets, and product line expansion are of particular importance to entrepreneurial suppliers. This article examines these benefits, as well as various mistakes an entrepreneurial firm may make in pursuing B2B e‐commerce. From this discussion, we recommend five action steps a firm should take to reap the tremendous benefits of supplying through a B2B network.
Application of even swaps for strategy selection in a rural enterprise
Authors: Kajanus Miika , Ahola Jyrki , Kurttila Mikko , Pesonen Mauno
Published: November 2002

Selecting the best strategy from among a number of identified alternatives is an important part of any strategy process. Often this involves a difficult choice between the values to set and the trade‐offs to be made. Even swaps is a rational and simple method for making trade‐offs that help the decision maker in considering the value of one objective in terms of another. In this study, the principles of even swaps method are presented and its use is illustrated by applying it to a case of strategy selection in a rural enterprise in Finland. The strategy was chosen from among identified alternatives and it was evaluated with respect to the defined objectives and taking a number of possible future scenarios into account. According to the experiences gained from the case study, the decision makers found the trade‐offs difficult to make. However, they noted that the even swaps method made this difficult task more understandable by indicating the concrete changes in the objectives, allowing them to focus their mental energy on deciding the real value of the alternatives. As the swapping process is transparent, the method also supported communication and learning.
Extending trust and mutual trust in business relationships towards a synchronised trust chain in marketing channels
Authors: Svensson Göran
Published: November 2002

Although trust is discussed widely in the literature, there are still discrepancies in the existing conceptualisations of the trust concept. These are usually either unidirectional or bi‐directional, and a limited or narrow approach is usually applied or taken into consideration. There is an apparent lack of mutual and simultaneous considerations beyond the dyadic business relationship. It is argued that an approach beyond dyadic business relationships is necessary to truly understand the trust between two actors in a marketing channel. In the first place, the trust in other upstream and downstream dyadic business relationships affects the trust in the dyad at focus. At the same time, the dyadic business relationship at focus is affected by upstream and downstream trust in other dyadic business relationships. Therefore, a generic model of the synchronised trust chain concept is introduced, as well as managerial implications and research proposals in the area.
The strategic states model: optimum strategies to reach high performance
Authors: Pehrsson Anders
Published: November 2002

Argues that there exists no universal business strategy such as the constant building of larger volumes. Instead the article advocates that any business strategy needs to rely on a deeper understanding of the freedom of action.Thus, the article presents the strategic states model and proposes that there is an optimum business strategy in each state to reach high performance, and this strategy emphasizes a specific combination of competitive edges. In the model, the environment of a company is reflected in the dimension of the number of market segments that are being focused on, while the other dimension concerns the adaptation of the offer to customers’ requirements. The freedom of action and optimum strategies to reach high performance vary within the frame given by the two dimensions.
Decision making in the fragmented organisation: a utility perspective
Authors: Henderson Joan , McAdam Rodney
Published: November 2002

Organisations are responding to the deeper structural changes taking place in the underlying system of commercial competition by becoming agile and fragmented. In the emergence of such network organisational structures it must be clear how each unit is performing relative to each other and relative to the key market players. To manage such fragmented specialised business units, executives need effective decision making processes that are capable of measuring key indices quickly, accurately and effectively. The aim of this article is to conduct exploratory research into management decision making in the context of change evaluation for a structurally fragmented electrical utility organisation. The case study research highlights the benefits and shortcomings of the change evaluation approach as part of the management decision making process and shows how the findings from the study inform strategic and operational decision making within the case study organisation.
A mathematical logic approach to the shareholder vs stakeholder debate
Authors: Emiliani M.L.
Published: November 2002

Uses an innovative approach to analyze the long‐standing claim that companies exist to maximize shareholder value. Five statements supporting this claim are tested using mathematical logic. Each one is found to be false. The community of business theorists, consultants, academics, and management practitioners that espouse shareholder value as the singular purpose of business are thus shown, from this perspective, to be wrong.
Escape from politics: philosophic foundations of public administration
Authors: Johnson Bagby Laurie M. , Franke James L.
Published: November 2002

In order to appreciate recent practical and theoretical changes in the field of public administration, this article contrasts the ancient to the modern view of “politics”. These contrasting views of politics are used to explain and evaluate the ongoing debate in public administration scholarship between what the authors call the contemporary “communitarian” school and the new public management school. By placing these competing schools of thought in public administration in the larger context of the history of political thought, the authors reveal some of the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. They argue that in fact these two competing schools of thought capture the tension between the ancient and the modern views as they have developed in the history of Western political thought.
Decision support system for risk management: a case study
Authors: Dey Prasanta Kumar
Published: November 2002

This study demonstrates a quantitative approach to construction risk management through analytic hierarchy process and decision tree analysis. All the risk factors are identified, their effects are quantified by determining probability and severity, and various alternative responses are generated with cost implication for mitigating the quantified risks. The expected monetary values are then derived for each alternative in a decision tree framework and subsequent probability analysis aids the decision process in managing risks. The entire methodology is explained through a case application of a cross‐country petroleum pipeline project in India and its effectiveness in project management is demonstrated.
Friedrich Hegel and the structure of consumer response
Authors: Walle Alf H.
Published: November 2002

Friedrich Hegel, building upon the foundation of Immanuel Kant, focused upon the “cultural tradition” as a structured entity that operates according to its own rules and priorities. In doing so he crafted the concept that has come down to us as “national character”, an idea that has immense value to much marketing research, especially in the international realm. Beyond this circumscribed accomplishment, Hegel’s view of society was ultimately transformed into the social structural model that has long been a dominant paradigm of social thought. Whenever marketing researchers seek to discover the recurring patterns of social life, they work in Hegel’s shadow. By being more aware of Hegel’s accomplishments and how they intersect with the priorities of marketing, we can more effectively conduct research in ways that are relevant and appropriate.
Fear of the future – a new management approach
Authors: Mercer David
Published: November 2002

This article addresses the question of what new planning paradigms are emerging to help take control of the future despite the many uncertainties which still remain. Also suggests that there are a number of quite different categories of uncertainty, which each demand different approaches: hidden certainties, expected outcomes and random uncertainties. For each of these categories, suggests a range of new approaches, suitable, at one extreme, for smaller organisations to ensure their long‐term survival and, at the other, for governments to intervene more effectively. Suggests also that by using these new approaches and by deliberately separating long‐range planning from the production of short‐term corporate strategy, managing uncertainty need not be anywhere near as difficult as managers fear. As with most fears, once managers understand what is happening, the forebodings disappear.
Understanding consumer requirements for fruit and vegetable texture
Authors: Kilcast David , Fillion Laurence
Published: November 2002

Fruit and vegetables are important components of a healthy diet, and their textural characteristics are important in determining consumer choice. The food industry needs reliable instrumental methods to measure the textural quality of fresh produce, but also needs to ensure that the instruments measure characteristics important to consumers. A study was carried out to probe consumer understanding of textural characteristics, and to relate their perceptions to sensory profiles developed by trained panels. The results were correlated with instrumental texture measurements, and included sound emitted during fracture. Consumers had a clearer understanding of the nature of crunchiness, in contrast with crispness, and good correlations were found with the instrumental parameter, fracture toughness.
The use of models in the maintenance of the hygienic quality of foods
Authors: Adams Alan
Published: November 2002

Examines the hazard analysis critical control point system (HACCP) for maintaining the microbiological quality of foods. In particular, it deals with the cooling of foods and uses the Heisler model to predict the cooling effects of various types of cooling equipment on different types of food.
Investigation of dietary fibre in some edible mushrooms from Macedonia
Authors: Bauer Petrovska B. , Kulevanova S. , Jordanoski B. , Stefov V.
Published: November 2002

Analyzes seven kinds of edible wild Macedonian mushrooms for their total dietary fibre (TDF) content, according to the official Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) method for plants as well as according to Hackman’s method for material of animal origin. Elemental analysis (C, H, N) of TDF procedures was performed in order to confirm the uniformity of the isolated products. The TDF contents of the mushrooms as measured by the AOAC method (8.71 per cent dry wt.) were considerably greater than those determined using the Hackman method (5.53 per cent dry wt.). Two products were isolated, both with C and H contents very similar to chitin and cellulose. These products differ from cellulose as they contain N. The infra‐red (IR) spectra of the TDF isolates obtained according to both the applied methods were very similar to the IR spectrum of chitin. In all spectra cellulose is missing.
A computational estimation of the critical rotational speed for finite hydrodynamically lubricated journal bearings
Authors: Pandazaras C.N. , Petropoulos G.P.
Published: November 2002

Presents theoretical results regarding the computational estimation of the critical rotational speed in smooth or of negligible roughness and waviness hydrodynamically lubricated journal bearings. Results were provided using a developed calculational simulation code adapted to modelling of hydrodynamic lubrication regime encountered in the operation of various conventional or unconventional configuration finite journal bearings (j‐b). It is concluded that empirical formulae of general character used to determine j‐b rotational speed critical domain may either considerably underestimate or overestimate operational magnitudes. This fact leads to the necessity of use of high values for rotational speed safety factors in order to assure liquid lubrication and to avoid j‐b contacts during operation. Relevant diagrams resulting from the present investigation show a direct estimation of critical j‐b operational magnitudes.
Research on purifying emulsion using electromagnetic technique and its control system
Authors: Wang Dong , Li Zhuangyun , Zhu Yuquan , He Lijun
Published: November 2002

The dynamic process of purifying emulsion using electromagnetic technique has been analyzed and studied via dynamics principles in this paper. Based on results, the purification equipment has been developed and installed in a cold rolling mill. The basic structure characteristics of the purification equipment were described in detail. The equipment of purifying emulsion using electromagnetic technique is of excellent characteristics, which has a strong magnetic field, low flow velocity and multi‐pass of emulsion. Emulsion purified in this way can be recycled and used again with cost reduction. The equipment can be used in many fields such as cold rolling mill and machinery.
Elastohydrodynamic lubrication study of hard rolling contact using boundary element method
Authors: Onsa M.H. , Sapuan S.M. , Basri S. , Megat Ahmad M.M.H. , Maleque M.A.
Published: November 2002

Presents a study on the application of boundary element method (BEM) to the solution of elastohydrodynamic lubricated hard rolling contacts in comparison with a solution using finite difference method (FDM). The developed program for the solution of Reynolds equation and the elasticity equation give results of pressure distribution and the lubricant film thickness for steady state, isothermal Newtonian lubricant behavior. Compares the BEM results and the computer effort with the solution using FDM. Uses an iterative Newton‐Raphson method to solve the non‐linearity of the problem. Discusses the effects of Hertzian pressure and rolling speeds on film thickness and pressure distribution. The numerical scheme of BEM has proved to have the advantage of being very effective and optimum in terms of accuracy, less computational effort and good constancy compared to other applied numerical techniques.
Friction and wear property improvement by surface modification: effect of electroless plating film and DLC coating
Authors: Marui Etsuo , Endo Hiroki
Published: November 2002

In this study, we examined the improvements in friction and wear properties between steels for aircraft parts, resulting from the surface modifications with electroless plating film and amorphous carbon coating or diamond‐like carbon (DLC) coating. Friction and wear properties are measured using a pin‐on‐flat wear‐testing machine with reciprocating sliding. From measurements of the coefficient of friction and wear amount, observations during sliding motion and visual inspection of wear traces, the following was clarified. A remarkable improvement of friction and wear properties is realized by DLC coating. Electroless plating increased the hardness of the plated surface considerably. However, it does not contribute to improved friction and wear properties.
Non‐linear solution of Reynolds equation for thermo‐elastohydrodynamic analysis of thrust pad bearing
Authors: Sinha A.N. , Athre K. , Biswas S.
Published: November 2002

The treatment of Reynolds equation when the film thickness is unknown and the center of pressure is known, together with the energy and the bending equation, allows a realistic simulation of the performance of large thrust bearing. In a spring‐supported thrust‐pad bearing the distortion caused by the generated pressure thermal gradient yields a surface profile of opposite shapes. The thermoelastic analysis performed here makes it possible to determine the resultant film shape of the thrust pad.
The impact of crankcase oil containing phosphorus on catalytic converters and engine exhaust emissions
Authors: Kaleli Hakan
Published: November 2002

Two 10W30 mineral‐base phosphorus containing (commercial) and phosphorus‐free (P‐Free) crankcase oils were tested in the engine dynamometer for the poisoning effects on a catalytic converter and emission‐engine’s performance. The emission results of the two oils were compared with and without a catalytic converter, including the light‐off temperature of the catalyst. Surface characterisation was used to determine accumulated catalyst poisoning from the oil additives. The performance analysis shows that the catalytic converter lowers the torque and power for the commercial and P‐Free oils, whereas the specific fuel consumption increases for both oils in the presence of the catalytic converter. In both cases of the presence and the absence of catalytic converter the torque, power and specific fuel consumption remain the same for phosphorus containing and P‐Free oils. The presence of the catalytic converter shows lower HC and CO and higher CO2 emissions for both P‐Free and commercial oils. Surface characterisation using x‐ray microanalysis techniques of Scanning Electron Microscopy and indicated residual amounts of poisons, predominantly P, Ca, S and Zn deposited on the catalyst.
Personal and social education: perspective and practice
Authors: Murray Chris
Published: November 2002

An article which draws on the author’s experience working as a consultant chartered psychologist in Manchester action zone schools. The article seeks, initially, to clarify what is meant by personal and social education. Locating early implementation of such practice in the work of the Manpower Services Commission and “youth training” it develops a three‐stage model viewed from a perspective of organisational analysis. The article proceeds to address current and future practice and suggests a relatively inexpensive action programme for addressing the transition from school at Year 11 and beyond.
Young people in transition: factors influencing the educational‐vocational pathways of Australian school‐leavers
Authors: Athanasou James A.
Published: November 2002

The educational achievements of a representative national sample of Australian school‐leavers were examined after leaving school. The study was part of the longitudinal Youth in Transition study – a national probability sample of Australian youth. There was sufficient evidence to argue that the educational and occupational achievements were related to gender, socio‐economic status, ethnicity, geographical location (rurality), completion of the highest level of secondary schooling, vocational interests in high school and even levels of literacy and numeracy in primary school. A tentative model of educational‐vocational achievement is outlined.
Approaches to learning of management accounting students
Authors: Hassall Trevor , Joyce John
Published: November 2002

Explores whether professional management accounting students adopt deep or surface Approaches to Learning. Using methodologies developed for research into higher education, suggests a model that focuses on students’ approaches to learning. It is important to stress that the concern of the model is with students’ perceptions, because it is these perceptions that will decide how the students approach their learning. The model is explored by using an Approaches to Studying Inventory questionnaire. Previous research in this area has largely been in the area of higher education. This empirical study is based on the students of a professional accounting body. The findings are presented in total and are then further analysed by gender, domicile and study method.
The knowledge economy
Authors: Clarke Thomas
Published: November 2002

Highlights the emergence of the knowledge‐based economies reliant on their effectiveness in developing and utilising knowledge. Knowledge embodied in new products and services has become the primary source of wealth creation. Digital networks provide access to vast amounts of data and information, but knowledge management is required to translate data and information in a meaningful way. Knowledge management initiatives are unlikely to be successful unless they are integrated with business strategy, and related to the development of the core capabilities of the organisation. Sharing the discovery and synthesis of intellectual activity involves the creation of knowledge communities of practice.
Corporate initiatives in knowledge management
Authors: Clarke Thomas , Rollo Christine
Published: November 2002

Knowledge is a social construct and cannot be managed as physical assets. The distinction between data, information and knowledge is made. The transformation of raw data and information into useful knowledge requires a sense of trust and reciprocity on the part of people. Knowledge flows involve the translation of tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge in a process of codification. Knowledge produced by individuals reaches its full potential to create economic value when it becomes embedded in organisational routines. It is important to focus upon flows of knowledge, and not simply measure stocks of knowledge. Examples are given of successful corporate initiatives in knowledge management.
The knowledge supply model: a framework for developing education and training in the new economy
Authors: Burton‐Jones Alan
Published: November 2002

The increasing economic importance of knowledge is redefining firm‐market boundaries, work arrangements and the links between education work and learning. This article proposes a new framework: the knowledge supply model, which helps individuals, firms and learning institutions understand the dynamics of change and emerging patterns of knowledge demand and supply in different sectors of the economy. It also assists learning institutions to tailor their products and services to the needs of knowledge consumers. As working and learning become synonymous, firms, workers, educators and intermediaries will have to adopt new roles and develop new strategies. Understanding the dynamics of knowledge demand and supply should assist all actors in navigating knowledge markets of the new economy.
E‐learning developments and experiences
Authors: Alexander Shirley
Published: November 2002

The focus of much e‐learning activity is upon the development of courses and their resources. Successful e‐learning takes place within a complex system involving the student experience of learning, teachers’ strategies, teachers’ planning and thinking, and the teaching/learning context. Staff development for e‐learning focuses around the level of technological delivery strategies when other issues such as the teachers’ conception of learning has a major influence on the planning of courses, development of teaching strategies and what students learn. This article proposes a more comprehensive framework for the design, development and implementation of e‐learning systems in higher education.
Building a knowledge‐based business school
Authors: Ow Chee Keong Frankie , Willett Roger J. , Len Yap Kim
Published: November 2002

This is a case study of Taylor’s Business School, Taylor’s College in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which is a pioneer in developing a business school as a knowledge organisation following the principles of knowledge management in the context of a developing knowledge economy. Describes the management structure and processes adopted by the college to deliver a curriculum educating students in knowledge management for a knowledge economy. This reflects a policy initiative of the Malaysian government which has embraced a knowledge economy in which soft technology and knowledge replace capital and energy. The philosophy of Taylor’s Business School is to produce graduates with professional and industry relevant skills to meet the demands of the knowledge economy.
Corporate developments and strategic alliances in e‐learning
Authors: Clarke Thomas , Hermens Antoine
Published: November 2002

The combination of the demand for access to continuous, flexible education and training, and the arrival of the increased bandwidth of more powerful information and communication technologies is stimulating extensive corporate developments in the e‐learning industry. Strategic alliances of leading universities, e‐learning and technology companies are forming to provide online delivery of sophisticated, media rich, interactive education and training on a global basis. Hundreds of e‐learning companies are competing in this new marketspace with content, technology and services. Major companies are establishing their own corporate universities. The question is whether the potential for interactive online knowledge communities is achieved, or if this new technology is primarily employed in relatively routine skills training.
Using telementoring to deliver training to SMEs: a pilot study
Authors: Stokes Andrea
Published: November 2002

This paper reports on the transference to the UK of an online advisory service, developed and piloted in The Netherlands, targeted at small firms. The initiative is part of an ADAPT project funded by the European Social Fund. A pilot study was undertaken as a preliminary step to assess the compatibility of The Netherlands model with a UK market. Focus groups were used to explore the training and advice needs of owner‐managers’ in West London. An analysis is presented of the likely impact of such a service in the UK. The paper examines a number of common themes and issues concerned with training provision and SMEs, and assesses the potential of interactive distance learning, or “telementoring” to break down the barriers that owner‐managers may have towards formal training.
An investigation into the relationship between selected economic variables and diploma and degree uptake
Authors: Cotton Jon
Published: November 2002

There are varying intuitive theories amongst industry participants about what contributes to the consumption levels of the educational product. In this article empirical evidence was sought to explore and validate the factors that influence that uptake, with the emphasis being on monetary factors. A model was created using economic variables in a New Zealand setting. The assumption was made that in today’s user pays environment, the business reality for education is that individual product demand is largely price driven and the overall market is one governed by commercial instincts, rather than by a variety of other altruistic imperatives, e.g. cognitive pleasure. On that basis the variables in the model were chosen. Data were considered for the uptake of both degree and diploma studies and it was concluded that the types of students enrolling for degree courses are different to those enrolling for diplomas. The signs of the explanatory variables, with the exception of the consumer price index, were as expected.
Industrial engineering in the Czech Republic
Authors: Masin I. , Vytlacil M.
Published: November 2002

The Czech Republic, like many countries in Central and Eastern Europe, has a tremendous task ahead in transforming its economy, and the individual enterprises that contribute to it, into a competitive, modern, economy. This requires a major attitude change for most organisations and requires skills and experience which are significantly under‐developed. Change is starting to happen and the techniques of industrial engineering are being harnessed to facilitate organisational change. Outlines the transformation required, the approach and the steps being taken, and the supporting and facilitating processes providing the necessary knowledge and expertise.
Waste management: a missing element in strategic planning
Authors: Cardinali Richard
Published: November 2002

The USA generates hundreds of million tons of solid waste per year. Solid waste has become a major problem – it is a potential threat to public health, it scars the environment, and it can be a block to the economic development of an area because of the negative image it presents. Many simple solutions are proposed: waste reduction being the obvious one, yet it appears that increasing waste generation is unavoidable. This article examines a number of environments in which strategic planning models, sometimes with associated regulatory intervention, have been suggested to counter the growing problem of waste and its effects on the environment.
An exploration of communication channel usage by gender
Authors: Lind Mary R.
Published: November 2002

This paper investigates the proposition that communication channel usage differs by gender. First the results of a communication channel exploratory analysis are reported which examined perceptions of communication channel usage in a group of office workers. These results are then examined in light of existing information processing theory. While these findings are limited in generalizability, this study shows the lack of gender specific information processing research. Researchers may find it useful when examining information processing and communication channel usage, in particular, to control for gender differences.
Tunnel vision: non‐union employee representation at Eurotunnel
Authors: Gollan Paul J.
Published: November 2002

It is apparent from existing research in the UK that little is known about how forms ofnon‐union employee representation (NER) are composed, their independence from managerial influence, the “representativeness” of such bodies, and their accountability. In addition, little has been documented about the impact of such structures on either the managerial objective of securing consent to organisational change or the employee objective of influencing managerial decisions. This research will attempt to address these issues by examining NER structures in the UK and, in particular, assessing their effectiveness in representing the needs of employees through an examination of representative arrangements at Eurotunnel. Overall, the evidence suggests that most NER structures are used as devices for consultation and communication rather than as bargaining agents. While it can be argued that consultation, not bargaining, may indeed be their objective, it nevertheless questions the legitimacy of such bodies as true alternatives to unions. This presents the issue of whether state‐sponsored NER forms with provisions for resources and training could improve the effectiveness of NER forms in representing employees’ interests at the workplace. As the Eurotunnel example and previous evidence have indicated, while NER structures can be used as mechanisms for more effective means of communication and consultation, their effectiveness as bodies representing the interests of employees in filling the lack of representation is questionable.
Culturally coded? The enigma of flexible labour markets
Authors: Black Boyd
Published: November 2002

This paper investigates the relationship between national culture and the main dimensions of employment flexibility. A cultural model of comparative labour market flexibility is developed. Using Hofstede’s indices for measuring national culture, hypotheses concerning the association between a range of variables measuring employment flexibility (such as employment patterns, working time, unemployment and labour mobility) are regressed on Hofstede’s four cultural variables. The results suggest a strong association between Hofstede’s masculinity versus femininity index and employment patterns, working timeand unemployment. Employment “inflexibility” is linked to cultural values reflecting feminine gender structuring of society. A strong relationship between Hofstede’s individualism versus collectivism variable and labour mobility is also established, which suggests that labour mobility is less, and job tenure longer in countries where there is greater cultural loyalty to the group. The results are supportive of a cultural model and have implications for both comparative labour market theory and policy.
Edging towards managing diversity in practice
Authors: Maxwell Gillian A. , Blair Sharon , McDougall Marilyn
Published: November 2002

Analyses the notion and value of managing diversity to establish its current theoretical positioning and potential organisational significance. Focuses on a recent case study examination of equality at work in a major, national public sector organisation. Affords an insight into an organisational shift towards managing diversity, through the lens of key organisational stakeholders. Within this case, proposes three emergent practical implications of managing diversity which may have resonance for other public sector organisations.
Employee consultation
Authors: Sargeant Malcolm
Published: November 2002

Concerns the current and proposed mandatory requirements for employers to collectively consult those who work for them. Shows that the rhetoric in favour of consultation as a process of co‐operation in the mutual interests of both employers and employees can lead to weak and ineffective legislation. Rather than having a model of mutuality of interests, it might be necessary to adopt a conflictual model, where mandatory consultation is seen as imposing obligations on employers and giving rights to employees.
Shades of green: the greenfield concept in HRM
Authors: Richbell Suzanne , Doug Watts H.
Published: November 2002

Reviews the concept of a “greenfield site” within human resource management (HRM) and shows that the ways in which distance is conceptualised or measured in describing greenfield sites needs to be made explicit. This is particularly important when comparing different studies and in attempting generalisations about the introduction of new HRM practices on greenfield sites. The distance factors which may impose a constraint on the introduction of new HRM practices at a greenfield site are the site’s distance from a firm’s existing operations, its distance from geographical concentrations of similar economic activities and its distance from regions with traditional patterns of management‐employee relations. Concludes by arguing that it is inappropriate to treat the greenfield factor as a dichotomous variable and that there are various shades of green.
Norwegian workforce involvement in safety offshore
Authors: Hart Susan M.
Published: November 2002

Highlights Norwegian regulatory framework with its employee participation tradition. Posits a response of the UK government was the introduction of new offshore regulations with a required need for safety meetings and elected safety representatives. Recognizes, in Canada, that moving into the production phase of the offshore oil industry triggered a renewed interest in offshore safety. Concludes Norway’s amended offshore oil and gas regulations of 1998 placed heavy emphasis on workers’ input to enable all the changes to take place in a correct manner.
The legality of key word search as a personnel selection tool
Authors: Amin Mohamed A. , Orife John N. , Wibowo Kustim
Published: November 2002

One of the most difficult problems that companies face when they use Internet recruiting is the volume of résumés that they may receive. This large volume of résumés along with the pressures to identify the best applicants have caused companies to use electronic scanning to sift through the résumés and identify those key words that may relate to the qualifications required for the job. Résumés that contain the desired words are selected for further evaluation while those that do not have these words are removed from the selection pool. As such, key word search (KWS) performs as a selection tool. This paper examines KWS as a selection tool and the strategies that can be used to improve its validity.
Assessing the maturity and alignment of organisational cultures in partnership arrangements
Authors: Fuller C.W. , Vassie L.H.
Published: November 2002

Partnerships have assumed greater importance since organisations began to downsize and concentrate their resources on core activities. Effective partnerships depend on establishing adequate levels of trust and commitment between the partners in order for each partner to achieve complementary but different objectives. The success of partnerships is dependent on the alignment and maturity of the organisations’ cultures and it has been suggested, therefore, that potential partners should assess and take account of their organisational cultures before committing to partnership arrangements. An assessment framework has been proposed that provides a measure of the maturity and alignment of organisational cultures in partnership arrangements. The utility of the framework was assessed using organisational safety cultures within three organisational settings and using employee‐employee, employee‐contractor and company‐company partnership arrangements.
Where now for the UK public library service?
Authors: Muir Lindsey , Douglas Alex
Published: November 2002

The UK Public Library Service has been in the news lately, but for all the wrong reasons. The service offered to customers/users has been steadily declining in recent years as local politicians view libraries as a "soft" option as regards budget cuts. This decline in funding is seen as being responsible for poor service levels and declining book stocks. Central Government aims to halt this decline by introducing another set of performance indicators against which libraries will be judged. However, their success will depend on what is happening at local level. This paper examines the decline in library services and its impact on users. It looks at the role of libraries in the community and offers ways for libraries to improve their product‐service bundle. It further highlights the need for library services to be fairly and properly funded if their role in the community is to be maintained and service levels improved.