bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Green community entrepreneurship 2.0
Authors: Gliedt Travis , Parker Paul
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate a second round of intensive green community entrepreneurship, a form of social entrepreneurship, by a set of environmental service organizations (ESOs) facing the loss of their largest revenue source (the ecoENERGY program), to see if it differed from responses to a similar funding cut five years earlier. In particular, the study compared green community entrepreneurship rates and types to those of the previous program (EnerGuide for Houses) cancellation and examined the perceived importance of various factors, including a social entrepreneurship training program offered by the national association.

Design/methodology/approach

– Interviews were held with executive directors who had led their organization through both periods of financial crisis. Information was collected on changes in revenue, staffing, residential energy evaluations conducted, service creation, and the perceived importance of organizational factors. The adaptation strategy undertaken by each ESO was classified as resilience, transition, or transformation focussed.

Findings

– First, green community entrepreneurship is accelerated when needs are heightened, such as when ESOs face funding cuts. Second, only some of the new services or activities launched were financially successful and remained viable over a five-year period. Third, green community entrepreneurship is an important initiative for ESOs to implement their adaptation strategy (resilient, transition, or transformation strategy). Fourth, a higher perceived difficulty of adaptation to funding cuts is associated with the launch of more new services by the ESO.

Originality/value

– The original contributions of the paper include the verification of repeated increases to the rate of entrepreneurship undertaken in response to sudden funding cuts, as compared to the rate of entrepreneurship during a stable funding period. This accelerated creation of new services can be directed to achieve various adaptation strategies from creating new services in the established area of energy expertise, to initiatives in new areas of sustainability services, such as water, food, or finance. The importance of collective innovation is highlighted with the use of both local and national networks.
The effect of ISO 14001 on equity structure
Authors: M. Lee Sang , Noh Yonghwi , Choi Donghyun , Sung Rha Jin
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of ISO 14001 certification on US public firms’ equity structure regarding whether the typical heavy investment required for environmental management system is justified in terms of equity risk.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study employs the event study methodology and examines the pre- and post-movements of firms’ equity structure around the ISO 14001 certification date. This study investigated 5,189 listed firms in the New York Stock Exchange and National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation and the abnormal performance of firms’ equity structure was measured by using four dependent variables (assets, liabilities, debt ratio (liabilities/equity), and market-to-book ratio of equity).

Findings

– The results showed that the adoption of ISO 14001 increased a firm's total assets, liabilities, and debt ratio in the long run, implying that pursuing the certification entails the increase in a firm's size and equity risk. The long-term movement of the market-to-book ratio of equity showed no abnormal performance, while it fluctuated in the short term.

Practical implications

– This study suggests that managers should consider the potential risk from a firm's equity structure when they decide to pursue the ISO 14001 certification.

Originality/value

– This study is the first effort to investigate the long-term effect of ISO 14001 certification on the firm's equity structure using the event study methodology in the USA.
Understanding the determinants of mobile payment continuance usage
Authors: Zhou Tao
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors affecting continuance usage of mobile payment.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on the valid responses collected from a survey questionnaire, structural equation modeling (SEM) technology was employed to examine the research model.

Findings

– The results indicated that performance expectancy, trust in mobile payment and flow affect continuance usage. Among them, flow has a relatively larger effect. In addition, system quality has strong effects on performance expectancy and flow.

Research limitations/implications

– This research is conducted in China, where mobile internet is still in its early stage. Thus, the results need to be generalized to other countries that have developed mobile internet.

Originality/value

– Extant research has mainly focussed on the effects of instrumental beliefs such as perceived usefulness on mobile payment user behavior, and has seldom considered the effect of flow experience. This research tries to fill the gap.
Lean Six Sigma strategy in telecom manufacturing
Authors: Andersson Roy , Hilletofth Per , Manfredsson Peter , Hilmola Olli-Pekka
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to elaborate, how the use of a joint-use strategy of Lean and Six Sigma can improve flexibility, robustness, and agility. Telecom manufacturing has been under tremendous change after dot.com bubble burst in the early 2000, and new competition has originated from Asia. Being successful requires now more than before, and joint-use of strategies is one option to survive.

Design/methodology/approach

– A single case study from a Swedish company operating in the telecom manufacturing was conducted. In particular, a Six Sigma project was followed and analyzed during 2002. However, the outcome of the Six Sigma project has been studied in longitudinal manner until 2014.

Findings

– The Lean Six Sigma strategy ensures flexible, robust, and efficient processes. However, to make them more agile in order to sustain in today's highly competitive environment, something more is required. This could include staff training, strengthening company culture and collaborating with key partners in the supply chain.

Research limitations/implications

– This study is limited to large company that usually has a lot of resources and choices where to put the strategic emphasis as well as has level of control of the supply chain operations. The situation could be very different in small and medium-sized companies and thus it may be more difficult to realize the Lean Six Sigma strategy in such environment. On the other hand, the processes in these companies are often less complex.

Practical implications

– This research provides guidance on how to manage the Lean Six Sigma strategy in order to ensure more flexible, robust, and efficient processes as well as how to perform a Six Sigma project in Lean environment, in a proper manner.

Originality/value

– This research provides guidance to companies regarding the applicability and properties of the Lean Six Sigma strategy. The paper will also serve as a basis for other companies and industries, on how to survive in difficult times.
Ownership structure and financial performance in Islamic banks
Authors: Ben Slama Zouari Sarra , Boulila Taktak Neila
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to investigate empirically the relationship between ownership structure (concentration and mix) and Islamic bank performance, with a special attention to the identity of the block investor (foreign, family, institutional and state).

Design/methodology/approach

– Regression analyses are conducted to test the impact of the identity of the first shareholders and the degree of concentration on Islamic bank performance, using a panel data sample of 53 Islamic banks scattered over > 15 countries from 2005 to 2009.

Findings

– Results suggest that ownership is concentrated at 49 per cent, and for 41 banks from the full sample, the ultimate owner is institutional. State investors come in second place, followed by family ultimate shareholders. Using return on assets and return on equity as performance measures, empirical evidence highlights the absence of correlation between ownership concentration and Islamic bank performance. It also reveals that the combined effort of family and state investors is beneficial to bank performance. Results also indicate that banks with institutional and foreign shareholders do not perform better. Empirical findings suggest that the financial crisis impacts negatively Islamic bank performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The use of dummy variables to measure the nature of the largest owner represents the main limitation of this study. This is due to the lack of information, as the percentage of the largest capital held referring to owner category was available only for some banks.

Practical implications

– This research has given a brighter insight into corporate governance and bank performance in selected Islamic banking institutions. Findings provided useful information to bank managers, investors and policy makers. Financial performance can be improved by identifying practices associated with ownership structure. So, it will have policy implications for Islamic banks as to how to improve their performance. Finally, different types of bank ownership have had different concerns about implementing corporate governance practices among Islamic banks.

Originality/value

– This work is the first of its kind for Islamic banks. It extends previous research by examining whether ownership structure (concentration and mix) affects performance. It also fills the gap in the literature by providing empirical evidence on a large sample involving data from 15 countries. Finally, manual data collection on ownership structure constitutes a large part of the research for this paper.
The “knowledge economy”–finance nexus in SSA and MENA countries
Authors: A. Asongu Simplice
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to assess dynamics of the knowledge economy (KE)–finance nexus using the four variables identified under the World Bank’s (WB’s) Knowledge Economy Index (KEI) and seven financial intermediary dynamics of depth, efficiency, activity and size.

Design/methodology/approach

– Principal component analysis is used to reduce the dimensions of KE components before dynamic panel generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation techniques are employed to examine the nexus.

Findings

– Four main findings are established. First, education improves financial depth and financial efficiency but mitigates financial size. Second, apart from a thin exception (trade’s incidence on money supply), economic incentives (credit facilities and trade) are not consistently favorable to financial development. Third, information and communications technology improves only financial size and has a negative effect on other financial dynamics. Finally, proxies for innovation (journals and foreign direct investment [FDI]) have a positive effect on financial activity; journals (FDI) have (has) a negative (positive) effect on liquid liabilities, and journals and FDI both have negative incidences on money supply and banking system efficiency, respectively.

Practical implications

– As a policy implication, the KE–finance nexus is a complex and multidimensional relationship. Hence, blind and blanket policy formulation to achieve positive linkages may not be successful unless policy-making strategy is contingent on the prevailing “KE-specific component” trends and dynamics of financial development. Policy makers should improve the economic incentive dimension of KE that, overwhelmingly and consistently, deters financial development, owing to surplus liquidity issues.

Originality/value

– As far as we have reviewed, this is the first paper to examine the KE–finance nexus with the plethora of KE dimensions defined by the WB’s KEI and all the dynamics identified by the Financial Development and Structure Database.
The Islamic work ethic among employees in Egypt
Authors: A. El-Kot Ghada , J. Burke Ronald
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to examine the relationship of the Islamic work ethic (IWE) and individualism among a large sample of supervisors working in Egypt, replicating earlier work by Ali (2005, 1987).

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected from 484 male and female supervisors working in manufacturing organizations using anonymously completed questionnaires, 48 per cent response rate.

Findings

– Measures of IWE and individualism were highly reliable and significantly and positively correlated (0.39, p < 0.001), replicating Ali’s work. Males and females scored similarly on both measures. Younger mangers were more individualistic, again supporting Ali’s findings. The Egyptian sample also scored very high on both measures, as do samples from other countries. Factor analysis of the IWE suggested two interpretable factors and the possibility of creating a shorter version of the IWE.

Research limitations/implications

– An interesting question becomes why are levels of economic performance in these countries relatively low despite very high levels of commitment to the IWE? This raised the issue of potential social desirability in the measure of IWE. Future research must include indicators of both individual and work unit performance to examine this further.

Practical implications

– Suggestions are offered on ways that organizations can develop reliable and valid measures of the IWE and examine their relationships with actual job and work group performance.

Originality/value

– Supports continuing research on the usefulness of the IWE concept and measures in management research.
Islamic bank rent
Authors: Suzuki Yasushi , Sohrab Uddin S.M.
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to draw on the bank rent approach to evaluate the existing pattern of financing of Islamic banks and to propose a fairly new conceptualization of Islamic bank rent.

Design/methodology/approach

– The bank rent theory is adopted to generate the theoretical underpinnings of the issue. After that, empirical evidence from the banking sector of Bangladesh is used to support the arguments.

Findings

– Repeated transactions under murabaha are observed in the Islamic banking sector of Bangladesh. The asset-based financing gives the Bangladeshi Islamic banks relatively higher Islamic bank rent opportunity for protecting their “franchise value” as Shari’ah-compliant lenders, while responding to the periodic volatility in transaction costs of profit-and-loss sharing.

Research limitations/implications

– The bank rent approach suggests that the murabaha syndrome can be ironically justifiable. On the other hand, the current profit-and-loss sharing risk provides an idea of the difficulty in assuming the participatory financing with higher credit risk in practice. Islamic scholars and the regulatory authority need to design an appropriate financial architecture which can create different levels of rent opportunities for Islamic banks to avail the benefit from the variety of Islamic financing as declared by Islamic Shari’ah.

Originality/value

– This paper introduces a fairly new concept of “Islamic bank rent” to make sense of the murabaha syndrome. This approach also contributes to clarifying the unique risk and cost to be compensated with the spreads that Islamic banks are expected to earn. To draw empirical evidence, as far as it could be ascertained, the data of both Islamic banks and conventional banks with Islamic banking windows/branches are used for the first time.
Deflection model for robotic friction stir welding
Authors: De Backer Jeroen , Bolmsjö Gunnar
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present a deflection model to improve positional accuracy of industrial robots. Earlier studies have demonstrated the lack of accuracy of heavy-duty robots when exposed to high external forces. One application where the robot is pushed to its limits in terms of forces is friction stir welding (FSW). This process requires the robot to deliver forces of several kilonewtons causing deflections in the robot joints. Especially for robots with serial kinematics, these deflections will result in significant tool deviations, leading to inferior weld quality.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper presents a kinematic deflection model, assuming a rigid link and flexible joint serial kinematics robot. As robotic FSW is a process which involves high external loads and a constant welding speed of usually below 50 mm/s, many of the dynamic effects are negligible. The model uses force feedback from a force sensor, embedded on the robot, and predicts the tool deviation, based on the measured external forces. The deviation is fed back to the robot controller and used for online path compensation.

Findings

– The model is verified by subjecting an FSW tool to an external load and moving it along a path, with and without deviation compensation. The measured tool deviation with compensation was within the allowable tolerance for FSW.

Practical implications

– The model can be applied to other robots with a force sensor.

Originality/value

– The presented deflection model is based on force feedback and can predict and compensate tool deviations online.
Robot ethics and law
Authors: Bogue Robert
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– This first part of a two-part paper aims to provide an insight into the ethical and legal issues associated with certain classes of robot. This part is concerned with ethics.

Design/methodology/approach

– Following an introduction, this paper first considers the ethical deliberations surrounding robots used in warfare and healthcare. It then addresses the issue of robot truth and deception and subsequently discusses some on-going deliberations and possible ways forward. Finally, brief conclusions are drawn.

Findings

– Robot ethics are the topic of wide-ranging debate and encompass such diverse applications as military drones and robotic carers. Many ethical considerations have been raised including philosophical issues such as moral behaviour and truth and deception. Preliminary research suggests that some of these concerns may be ameliorated through the use of software which encompasses ethical principles. It is widely recognised that a multidisciplinary approach is required and there is growing evidence of this.

Originality/value

– This paper provides an insight into the highly topical and complex issue of robot ethics.
An empirical analysis of the determinants of the cash conversion cycle in Kenyan listed non-financial firms
Authors: Mutua Mathuva David
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether non-financial firms listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) exhibit a target cash conversion cycle (CCC). The study also examines the speed of adjustment to the target CCC and the factors that influence corporate decisions on the optimum length of the CCC.

Design/methodology/approach

– Based on a sample of 33 publicly traded firms on the NSE for the period between 1993 and 2008, cross-sectional and time series analyses were carried out on the data comprising 468 firm-years. A target adjustment model was developed to examine the significant determinants of the CCC. Various regression approaches including ordinary least squares, fixed effects and two-stage least squares estimation models were used in data analysis.

Findings

– The results, which are robust for endogeneity, show that non-financial firms listed on the NSE maintain a target CCC. Further analysis reveals that these firms adjust to the target CCC at a slower rate. The results show that the determinants of the CCC include both firm-specific and economy-wide factors. Specifically, the study establishes that older firms and firms with more internal resources maintain longer CCC. Moreover higher return on assets, investment in capital expenditure and growth opportunities have a significant negative association with the CCC. The results also show a significant positive relation between inflation and the CCC.

Practical implications

– The study establishes that other than internal firm-specific factors, the CCC is also influenced by inflation, which is an external, economy-wide factor.

Originality/value

– To the best of the author's knowledge, this is the first study to examine whether listed non-financial firms in a frontier market maintain a target CCC.
Interpreting the world across a boundary
Authors: David Madden Andrew
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between information and boundaries. Life depends on boundaries; but in order to survive an organism needs to make decisions based on an interpretation of the environment beyond its boundaries: it therefore needs information.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper explores the evolution of physical, social and cultural boundaries and considers how they have shaped ways in which information is gathered and used.

Findings

– Several evolutionary developments are reviewed. The paper argues that each one has generated an additional boundary and that each new boundary has affected the information needs within it. The paper argues that all living things use information to help address three fundamental concerns: “Where can the energy needed to stay alive be found?”, “How can it be stored?”, and “How can use of energy be reduced?” Because these questions are fundamental at a biological level they are also fundamental at a societal level. One way to increase energy efficiency was for organisms to grow larger. This brought risks which were alleviated by the evolution of better information gathering and processing tools. Amongst these tools were the means to communicate, which afforded the evolution of social boundaries.

Originality/value

– This is a new perspective on a topic of growing interest in information science and demonstrates further the significance of information as a factor in the shaping of life.
Factors affecting citizen adoption of transactional electronic government
Authors: Akhtar Shareef Mahmud , Kumar Vinod , Kumar Uma , Dwivedi Yogesh
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify and model adoption criteria of citizens for electronic-government (eGov) service at the transaction maturity stage.

Design/methodology/approach

– The empirical study was conducted among the citizens of Ontario, Canada who have experience of using Canadian e-Gov system.

Findings

– From statistical analysis through LISREL, this study revealed that ability to use and assurance to use are the critical factors for adoption of eGov at the transaction phase (GAM-T).

Originality/value

– The findings of this research can be considered as original as this paper concludes that eGov functional characteristics are not only different at different levels of service maturity, but adoption factors at different levels of service maturity are also potentially different. From static to interaction to transaction, citizens perceive different factors to be important for creating the behavioral attitude and intention to accept the eGov system and to use it.
Personal values and ethical fashion consumption
Authors: Manchiraju Srikant , Sadachar Amrut
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The role of personal values in consumer behavior is well documented; however, in the context of fashion consumption, the role of personal values’ influence on consumers’ ethical behavior has not been studied. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to seek to explore whether consumers’ personal values predict consumers’ behavioral intentions to engage in ethical fashion consumption.

Design/methodology/approach

– The present study employed the Fritzsche model, which states that an individual's personal values are related to his/her intentions to engage in ethical behavior. The present study examined the causal relationship between the personal values and behavioral intentions to engage in ethical fashion consumption. Data collected from the US national sample were subjected to structural equation modeling.

Findings

– The proposed model explained 42 percent of variance in consumer's behavioral intentions toward ethical fashion consumption. Furthermore, a significant negative relationship between self-enhancement personal values and behavioral intention toward ethical fashion consumption was found. Several theoretical and practical implications related to the present study were discussed.

Originality/value

– To the authors’ knowledge, the study is first of its kind in several aspects: first, ethical fashion consumption has been conceptualized in the broadest definition possible, as oppose to focussing on a particular facet of fashion consumption (e.g. organic products or counterfeit fashion); second, linking consumer personal values as a predictor of his/her ethical fashion consumption behavioral intentions; and third, employing the Fritzsche model in fashion behavior context.
College students’ responses to prosocial marketing claims on apparel hang tags
Authors: H. Hyllegard Karen , Paff Ogle Jennifer , Yan Ruoh-Nan
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore consumers’ responses to prosocial marketing claims presented on apparel hang tags. Guided by the theory of reasoned of action, this study examined the impact of varied prosocial claims (environment, labor, cancer charity) upon college students’ evaluations of hang tags used to promote university-branded apparel (i.e. t-shirts) as well as their attitudes and patronage intentions toward the apparel.

Design/methodology/approach

– An intercept survey approach, with an experimental design component, was used to administer a written questionnaire to 262 college students. The experimental design component required participants to examine a university-branded t-shirt and to read the information provided on the product hang tag attached to the t-shirt.

Findings

– In total, 60 percent of college students read apparel hang tags on a very frequent or frequent basis to gain information about brand name, care instructions, and fiber content. Further, college students evaluated apparel hang tags featuring prosocial marketing claims more positively than they evaluated hang tags with no prosocial marketing claim. In turn, these evaluations positively predicted the amount of money students were willing to pay for a university-branded t-shirt as well as their attitudes and purchase intentions toward university-branded apparel.

Research limitations/implications

– Findings suggest that apparel companies engaged in socially responsible business practices may wish to develop hang tags that address both desired product attributes as well as company engagement in prosocial initiatives.

Originality/value

– This study extends the understanding of the role that prosocial marketing claims play in informing consumer's attitudes and behaviors relative to apparel.
When the shoe doesn’t fit: female consumers’ negative emotions
Authors: G. Curwen Lisa , Park Juyeon
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify and map out consumer emotions and their triggers and coping strategies practiced when the consumer has a dissatisfactory footwear product experience.

Design/methodology/approach

– A content analysis approach was employed to determine various types of consumer emotions and coping strategies and organize them into content categories in a systematic fashion. In-depth interviews were conducted with 13 female consumers.

Findings

– The researchers propose a typology of emotional triggers in the pre- and post-purchase stages which describe consumers’ dissatisfactory purchase experiences with footwear products. Three negative emotional triggers in the pre-purchase stage were identified, including the act of shoe shopping itself, poor availability of products, and unfair return on investment. Negative emotional triggers that caused consumers’ stresses in the post-purchase stage included uncertainty in outcome and unmet expectation. Problem- and emotion-focussed coping strategies were also identified.

Research limitations/implications

– This study used snowball sampling for locating a hidden consumer population that was dissatisfied with footwear products. Although the number of interviewees was appropriate for a qualitative study, the size limits generalization of study findings.

Practical implications

– Implications of this study for the footwear industry are to provide better products for the consumer to reduce her emotional stress and increase satisfaction. The industry may consider restructuring size assortments, evaluating users’ experiences, improving product quality, performance, and service, and providing customization.

Originality/value

– Literature is lacking on the ways in which consumers manage stressful emotional experiences of footwear purchase-related situations. This research is the first to identify valuable information on the mechanism of female consumers’ negotiation process of pre- and post-purchase footwear experiences. It is of value to researchers, designers, manufacturers, and retailers.
“Rules of engagement”
Authors: Mouraviev Nikolai , Kakabadse Nada K.
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate to what extent one can apply experiential learning theory (ELT) to the public-private partnership (PPP) setting in Russia and to draw insights regarding the learning cycle ' s nature. Additionally, the paper assesses whether the PPP case confirms Kolb ' s ELT.

Design/methodology/approach

– The case study draws upon primary data which the authors collected by interviewing informants including a PPP operator ' s managers, lawyers from Russian law firms and an expert from the National PPP Centre. The authors accomplished data source triangulation in order to ensure a high degree of research validity.

Findings

– Experiential learning has resulted in a successful and a relatively fast PPP project launch without the concessionary framework. The lessons learned include the need for effective stakeholder engagement; avoiding being stuck in bureaucracy such as collaboration with Federal Ministries and anti-trust agency; avoiding application for government funding as the approval process is tangled and lengthy; attracting strategic private investors; shaping positive public perception of a PPP project; and making continuous efforts in order to effectively mitigate the public acceptance risk.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to ELT by incorporating the impact of social environment in the learning model. Additionally, the paper tests the applicability of ELT to learning in the complex organisational setting, i.e., a PPP.
Application of the experiential simulation learning approach (ELSA) model to teach sustainability to international business management undergraduate students
Authors: Canto de Loura Isabel
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to contribute an illustrative case study on the application of participatory and learner-centred model, using a highly international cohort of students’ tacit knowledge and shared experiential learning in the context of integrating mainstreaming sustainability-focused topics in business education at undergraduate level.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is about the development of a participative experiential learning pedagogical framework which the authors named “experiential simulation learning approach”, with the acronym ELSA, designed to meet the specific needs of a highly international cohort of rather sustainability-reluctant undergraduate management students.

Findings

– Using students’ diverse tacit knowledge and developing a relevant experiential active learning (EAL) model stood out as being a most powerful teaching-and-learning tool. It seemed to help to enhance critical thinking and trigger cohesiveness in class; this favoured a collaborative learning climate which in turn might lead to the tacit acquisition of life-long skills.

Research limitations/implications

– The main limitations to the development of this approach were: the lack of context-specific updated and academically reliable bibliography; the undergraduate students’ widespread tendency to refer mainly to “digests” of information (preferably online), rather than engaging in critical analysis of contents in academically acknowledged books and journals; the international undergraduate students’ personal challenges as “foreigners” which may affect them mainly in relation to: group work, independent learning, confidence and communication.

Practical implications

– It seems that integrating EAL is quite effective in the context of undergraduate management students, particularly in view of leading rather reluctant students to understand and be willing to positively apply sustainability-based principles to their own change management process and to become active leaders of organisational change.

Originality/value

– The methodological framework hereby presented is quite innovative, as it seems to be among the very first to be implemented in view of enhancing undergraduate students’ learning experience, instead of targeting post-graduate students. This is extremely relevant in regards to embedding sustainability concepts, frameworks and tools, as they prove to be much more significant and long-lasting if integrated in the early stages of training of future business management professionals.
Dilemmas in sustainability
Authors: Canto de Loura Isabel
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to contextualize the potential contribution that experiential learning and a learner-centred pedagogical approach may have when aiming to embed sustainability-focused and corporate social responsibility issues in businesses throughout the core curriculum targetted at international cohorts of undergraduate management students.

Design/methodology/approach

– A new conceptual framework for experiential learning that draws on both scholarly and experimental learning. Using learner-centred learning, the approach aims to engage each student to act both as a learner and a mentor, thus empowering them into enhancing their own and the overall class’ learning experience.

Findings

– Applying the diversity of students’ individual cultural mindsets to analyse and critically evaluate some of the current most pressing organizational and national/international dilemmas in sustainability. The preliminary outcomes seem to indicate that this approach enriches the students’ learning experience and motivates them to become reflective practitioners and sustainability-focused leaders in their future organizational roles.

Research limitations/implications

– A framework for an empirical mapping of this important area of teaching and learning (T
&
L) aimed at a highly international body of undergraduate management students. This is currently under-represented in academic writing and practice, as most of the comparable situations so far mainly address post-graduate cases and do not reflect on the international diversity of the student body.

Practical implications

– This research reflects on the importance of embedding diverse views on the same issues based on different cultural and socio-economic perspectives, and therefore it brings value to the students’ experience in view of enhancing their global and international human relations awareness and negotiation skills in view of more meaningful sustainability-focused plans and actions.

Social implications

– Students become aware of differences in needs, resources, cultural perceptions, business standards, practices and policies in place in different countries, and they will be committed to embedding sustainability issues in their future life as business practitioners and will be able to ensure the most appropriate business responses to a planet and humanity under pressure.

Originality/value

– A rather innovative T
&
L approach to embed sustainability issues in undergraduate management students training in a highly international context. This is currently under-represented in academic writing and practice, in spite of the numerous programmes that nowadays bring students from all over the world to study together at higher education/university undergraduate level.
Time-to-need: a portfolio tool to balance the time-to-market
Authors: Ferrarese Andre , Monteiro de Carvalho Marly
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide a management tool to maximise the effective time-to-market of a portfolio given the competitive monitoring activities.

Design/methodology/approach

– From the constant monitoring of competition and market needs, it is proposed to define a time-to-need, time when the market may consume the product under development and competitor will not provide a solution before. This time-to-need is proposed to be defined by an expert committee in a periodical meeting of the portfolio. Once it is identified the time-to-need and the time-to-market (project management), it is possible to manage resources in order to maximise the portfolio outputs.

Findings

– The application of the mentioned approach in an automotive industry showed improvements on number of launched new products per year (double) and on number of patented product launched (four times more).

Research limitations/implications

– This approach applies on projects of medium to long term (more than two years) because the resource management can consume set up time. The presented results in this work were based in a single case, which can limit the expected results of the application of this methodology.

Practical implications

– This approach enables a constant alignment among experts and a better deployment of resources.

Originality/value

– This work provides a practical tool to promote better resource allocation in a portfolio. It can also be an enabler of innovation projects once it finds resources potential to fund the more front end work.
The effects of production outsourcing on factory cost performance: an empirical study
Authors: J. Meixell Mary , N. Kenyon George , Westfall Peter
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance implications associated with production outsourcing. Specifically, the paper analyzes the cost of goods sold for firms who outsource core manufacturing processes, using empirical data from a variety of industries. The paper seeks to better understand the influence of outsourcing on factory cost by looking at these in the context of related strategies, such as supplier integration, information technology (IT) implementation, and manufacturing process decisions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws on transaction cost economics, manufacturing strategy, and supply chain management literature to aid in predicting the performance to be expected when outsourcing production activities. Furthermore, the paper investigates the moderating effects of manufacturing strategies, supplier integration, and IT expenditures on outsourcing. The primary model is a two-way panel model for the cross-sectional and longitudinal data drawn from the MPI Census of Manufacturers Survey of US manufacturing plants.

Findings

– The analysis indicates that production outsourcing tends to shift costs among cost of goods sold (COGS) categories, but does not consistently reduce them as measured by overall COGS. The effects of production outsourcing on both the cost of labor and the cost of materials are strong, tending to decrease labor, and increase materials. Additionally, this study shows that a high level of supplier integration has a notable moderating influence on overall COGS, but that process strategies do not. Finally, this analysis indicates that IT expenditures were not influential as a moderator variable when outsourcing, but did have a marked influence on overall COGS, as well as on labor and materials costs.

Originality/value

– This research investigates the effects of outsourcing on the components of COGS, a level of analysis that is typically not looked at relative to outsourcing. This research also provides methodological contributions with the development of a nested random effects structural model for use with a secondary data source.
Learning from the “data poor”: energy management in understudied organizations
Authors: B. Janda Kathryn , Bottrill Catherine , Layberry Russell
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present new empirical data on leases, energy management, and energy meters in the UK, with a particular focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and other “minor” players. The paper develops a new segmentation model that identifies six different combinations of energy and organizational conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors surveyed participants in an online energy management and data analytics service. A 30-question online survey gathered data from 31 respondents on three kinds of infrastructure – legal, organizational, and technical.

Findings

– SMEs and other minor players are generally “data poor,” lack energy managers, and have legacy meters that are read only annually or quarterly; some rent via leases that inhibit permanent alterations to the premises, including the meter.

Research limitations/implications

– The research is exploratory and subject to self-selection bias. Further research is needed into: lease language, governance structures, social practices to facilitate cooperation between tenants and landlords; the scope for energy management positions in small organizations; low-cost “smart-er” meters that can be reversibly retrofitted onto existing energy meters; and the combination of these areas.

Practical implications

– Organizations may need to augment a combination of legal, organizational, and technical infrastructures to enable better energy management.

Social implications

– SMEs and other “minor” energy users are important to society and the economy, yet they are often overlooked by government programs. This developing data set can help policymakers include these groups in their programs.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a new conceptual framework for future research and new empirical data on understudied groups.
Leadership and innovation capability development in strategic alliances
Authors: Schweitzer Jochen
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether heterogeneity in alliance capability development can be attributed to the use of certain intra-firm leadership behaviors. The author suggests that transformational leadership behaviors have a stronger influence on the development of innovation (dynamic) capabilities of a strategic alliance than on the development of operational (substantive) capabilities, and that transactional leadership behaviors mainly preserve operational capabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

– The author used in-depth expert interviews and a questionnaire survey comprising 369 strategic business alliances to develop and test the theoretical framework.

Findings

– The data confirm the positive relationship between transformational leadership and the development of innovation and operational capabilities. Yet, transactional leadership behaviors are not only associated with operational capability development, but notably contribute to the development of innovation capabilities.

Research limitations/implications

– While the study focusses on leadership, there are many more factors that impact on the strategic ability of alliances to deliver innovation outcomes. Other limitations are the multiple levels of analysis in the theoretical model, newly developed measurement scales and that responses for the empirical study only come from one partner of the alliance.

Practical implications

– The study suggests advantages of exercising the full range of leadership behaviors when seeking innovation alliance outcomes.

Originality/value

– This research contributes to the strategic management, innovation, leadership, and alliances literature by providing new and empirical validation of the effectiveness of particular leadership behaviors in collaborative settings.
The relationships amongst leader-member exchange, perceived organizational support, affective commitment, and in-role performance
Authors: Casimir Gian , Ngee Keith Ng Yong , Yuan Wang Karen , Ooi Gavin
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether leader-member exchange (LMX) and perceived organizational support (POS) have interactive effects on affective commitment to the organization. The utility of Social Exchange Theory for explaining workplace attitudes and behaviors in non-Western settings has been questioned. Another objective is to test the hypotheses, which are based on Social Exchange Theory, within a Chinese context.

Design/methodology/approach

– Cross-sectional, self-report data on LMX, POS and affective commitment were obtained from 428 full-time employees in China. In-role performance ratings were provided by immediate supervisors.

Findings

– LMX and POS have synergistic effects on affective commitment. Affective commitment mediates both the relationship between LMX and in-role performance and the relationship between POS and in-role performance.

Research limitations/implications

– The limitations include using a cross-sectional, self-report design for LMX, POS and affective commitment, and only sampling employees in organizations in China. The findings support an explanation of workplace attitudes and behaviors in a non-Western setting based on social exchange. The effects of a proximate source of social exchange (i.e. LMX) on affective commitment depend on the level of a remote source of social exchange (i.e. POS), and vice versa.

Practical implications

– Organizations need to improve the quality of their leader-follower relationships and support their members. Organizations need to increase affective commitment because it appears to drive in-role performance.

Originality/value

– The authors show that LMX and POS from the same source (i.e. followers) may have interactive effects on affective organizational commitment as well as that social exchange may explain workplace attitudes and behaviors in China.
Do my staff trust me?
Authors: Krasman Joe
Published: July 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of organizational structure on the degree to which supervisors are perceived to be trustworthy by their subordinates. The manner in which subordinates’ personality traits interact with and moderate these relationships is also examined.

Design/methodology/approach

– A three-part survey was completed by 137 full-time workers from various industries.

Findings

– Formalization was positively related to subordinates’ perceptions of their supervisors’ trustworthiness and more strongly for subordinates who ranked higher on straightforwardness. Routinization was also positively related but only for subordinates who ranked low on excitement-seeking. Centralization in the form of hierarchy of authority was negatively related and more strongly for subordinates who ranked higher on competence. Routinization for subordinates who ranked high on excitement-seeking, centralization in the form of participation in decision-making, and span of control were not related.

Practical implications

– Before pursuing trust-building efforts, supervisors should consider whether and in what way they may already be perceived to be trustworthy by their subordinates based on the structure of their organization and the personality traits of their subordinates.

Originality/value

– This study is the first to examine the main effects of organizational structure on subordinates’ perceptions of their supervisors’ trustworthiness.