bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Business coaching for Tunisian entrepreneurs: features and success factors
Authors: Ben-Ahmed Kais 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
Little is known about the relationship between an entrepreneur and his business coach, as very few studies have examined this question, in Tunisia or internationally. The purpose of this paper is to develop a better understanding of the relationship that Tunisian entrepreneur has with his business coach, through the study of factors, which are decisive in the success of this relationship, especially trust, communication and commitment.

Design/methodology/approach
This study used a questionnaire to gather information about entrepreneurs who created their small businesses between 2015 and 2018. First, factor analysis was conducted on several variables to extract the underlying dimensions. Then, a bivariate analysis was performed to identify and analyse which factors are responsible for the success of the relationship between the entrepreneur and his business coach.

Findings
The findings of the study showed that the factors identified as being critical to the success of the relationship between Tunisian entrepreneur and his business coach, include know-how, the give-and-take strategy, meeting needs of the entrepreneur, sharing knowledge and the involvement of the coach in the project during the business creation process. However, limited trust, comprehensive listening and mutuality of relationships were not statistically significant.

Research limitations/implications
Whilst study results are partially consistent with the literature, it is surprising that some factors as comprehensive listening, knowledge sharing and relationship mutuality do not really consolidate the entrepreneur's relationship with his coach. By harnessing this result, it is desirable that a more in-depth examination of success factors be carried out to allow more accurate inference to be drawn from the survey.

Practical implications
Whilst study results are partially consistent with findings from the literature, it is surprising that some factors, as comprehensive listening, knowledge sharing and relationship mutuality does not significantly contribute to the success of the relationship between Tunisian entrepreneur and his business coach. Taking this into account, it would be desirable that a more in-depth examination of success factors be carried out to allow more accurate inference to be drawn from the survey.

Originality/value
The paper contributes by analysing critical success factors of the relationship between an entrepreneur and his business coach in a less well-researched area since very few studies have examined this question, in Tunisia or internationally. Conceptually, it offers a better understanding of how the entrepreneur and his coach behave during the business creation process.
Informal and socially situated learning: gendered practices and becoming women church leaders
Authors: Grandy Gina , Mavin Sharon 
Published: February 2020

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how informal and socially situated learning and gendered practices impact the experiences of women learning to lead and the gendered dynamics inherent in women’s lived experiences of learning.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt a becoming ontology and a social constructionist perspective. A qualitative approach guided by feminist principles facilitated the surfacing of rich and reflective accounts from women leaders. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 18 women leader priests in Canada.FindingsThe authors highlight how gendered practices are concealed and revealed through informal learning processes and illustrate this through two themes, informal and socially situated learning as inductive and gendered, and the jolt of gender discrimination in informal learning.Research limitations/implicationsWhile each account from the women church leaders is highly valued in its own right and the women’s stories have generated new insights, the overall data set is small and not generalizable. Future research should explore further the types of informal learning initiatives and systems, which acknowledge and best support women learning to lead in (gendered) organizations. It should also explore how informal learning informs leadership styles in this and other contexts.Originality/valueThe research demonstrates how informal learning experiences can serve as a site for invisible and unaccounted for gender bias and inform the becoming of women leaders. The research also advances the limited body of work that seeks to better understand the gender dynamics of women’s leadership in faith-based organizations.
Knowledge sharing in multicultural organizations: evidence from Pakistan
Authors: Raza Irfan , Awang Zainudin 
Published: February 2020

PurposeTaking higher educational institutes (HEIs) operating in Islamabad metropolitan, and Pakistan as research context, the purpose of this paper is to identify the antecedents of knowledge sharing behavior (KSB) and to check their causal effect in perspective of culturally diverse academic staff. In addition, the authors suggest certain policies for HEIs that can raise knowledge sharing practices in multicultural environment.Design/methodology/approachIt is a cross-sectional study, quantitative in nature, and has used a self-administered questionnaire for data collection. With proportionate stratified random sampling technique, 278 academic employees working in three faculties from six public sector universities operating in Islamabad metropolitan have recorded their responses. This research also applied confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to examine the proposed hypothesis of this inquiry.FindingsThe empirical results indicate significant and positive effect of cultural diversity management, interpersonal trust, and leader-empowering behavior on KSB, whereas knowledge technology has insignificant effect on KSB of culturally diverse academic staff. Moreover, proposed model has explained 54 percent variation in endogenous construct.Practical implicationsThe present research aids academic leadership in designing policies and strategies to enhance knowledge sharing among faculty members and to create a supportive knowledge sharing culture.Originality/valueThis study fills the empirical gap that exists in literature by exploring the antecedents and their effect on KSB of multicultural academic staff associated in public sector HEIs in Islamabad metropolitan, Pakistan.
Participation of students in the project Valorbio
Authors: Mateus Dina M.R. , Pinho Henrique J.O. , Nogueira Isabel M.D.P. , Rosa Manuel A.N.H. , Cartaxo Marco A.M. , Nunes Valentim M.B. 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the case of the Valorbio research project, in which students of different high-level programs were involved in the experimental work and in the dissemination of results in collaboration with the research team.

Design/methodology/approach
The inclusion in higher education curricula of content related to the sustainable development should be a preferred mechanism for the dissemination of good practices of sustainability. Another equally important way to achieve this is to involve students in research projects that seek solutions to the societal challenges related to sustainable growth. The Valorbio project aims to meet the needs for treating and reusing wastewater and solid waste. Its main goal was the development of modular systems for wastewater treatment based on constructed wetlands, exploring the possibility of the treatment systems being composed of solid waste and by-products from significant industrial sectors.

Findings
The students’ contribution to the research work was relevant and simultaneously allowed them to acquire skills on sustainable development. Additionally, the students contributed to the dissemination of the results. The Valorbio project can thus be considered a successful application of the concept of project-based learning (PBL), as a way to include sustainability issues content in the higher education curricula.

Originality/value
The applied experimental work had an original approach regarding the equipment design, the waste materials valuation, as well as the integration of waste treatment processes in the circular economy paradigm. This paper is the first reported PBL experience involving students of short-cycle technical–professional programs in partnership with first and second-level students and a research team.
Concept evaluation in new product development
Authors: Blindheim Jørgen , Elverum Christer W. , Welo Torgeir , Steinert Martin 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
This paper proposes the combination of rapid prototyping and physical modelling as a set-based concept evaluation method in the early stage of new product development.

Design/methodology/approach
The concept evaluation method is applied in a case study of a new metal additive manufacturing process for aluminium, where a set of four extruder concepts has been modelled and evaluated. Rapid prototyping was used to produce plastic models of the different designs, and plasticine feedstock material was used to physically model the metal flow during operation. Finally, the selected concept has been verified in full-scale for processing of aluminium feedstock material.

Findings
The proposed method led to several valuable insights on critical factors that were unknown at the outset of the development project. Overall, these insights enabled concept exploration and concept selection that led to a substantially better solution than the original design.

Research limitations/implications
This method can be applied for other projects where numerical approaches are not applicable or capable, and where the costs or time required for producing full-scale prototypes are high.

Practical implications
Employing this method can enable a more thorough exploration of the design space, allowing new solutions to be discovered.

Originality/value
The proposed method allows a design team to test and evaluate multiple concepts at lower cost and time than what is usually required to produce full-scale prototypes. It is, therefore, concluded to be a valuable design strategy for the early development stages of complex products or technologies.
Assessment of early warning signs predisposing building projects to failure in Nigeria
Authors: Adebisi Emmanuel Oluwatobi , Alao Oluwaseyi Olalekan , Ojo Stephen Okunlola 
Published: February 2020

PurposeThe continuous failure of construction projects notwithstanding appreciable increase in project management knowledge has necessitated a proactive approach of assessing early warning signs (EWS) of building projects failure. Building projects are expected to show warning signs before experiencing crises, comparable to a patient displaying symptoms of a disease. Thus, this study aims to examine the EWS that predisposed building projects to failure in Nigeria to provide empirical data for enhancing projects delivery.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data were used for the study. Structured questionnaire was administered to consultants and contractors’ personnel within Lagos State, Nigeria. A total of 180 copies of questionnaire were administered and 134 copies (combined response rate of 74.44 per cent) were retrieved. Frequency distribution, percentages, mean item score and Mann–Whitney test were used to analyse the data.FindingsMost construction professionals applied the EWS approach from project planning and early construction phase. The most significant EWS predisposing building projects to failure were “Management inability and incompetence to proactively detect and manage problems at early project stages”, “Actual expenditure is constantly shooting beyond cost estimates” and “Incurred costs already getting higher than the anticipated benefits”. Project/construction management-related symptoms are most significant to predisposing building projects to failure.Practical implicationsThe study provided implications for effective project management of building projects through proactive approach which is very paramount to improving the delivery of building projects in Nigeria.Originality/valueThe study provides implications for proactive management of building projects, thereby enhancing the delivery of building projects.
Investigating conflicts of expert contractors using the last planner system in building information modeling process
Authors: Amany Adib , Taghizade Katayoon , Noorzai Esmatullah 
Published: February 2020

PurposeThis paper aims to increase the integrity of the planning process with the executive process by simulating the Last Planner System (LPS) technique using building information modeling.Design/methodology/approachA five-dimensional model was prepared, and after specifying the number of physical conflicts on the plans, all the scenarios of the starting points in the expert contractors’ plans were analyzed. Accordingly, the best scenario was determined by LPS technique. To assess the performance of the study, it was implemented on several tasks of a construction project.FindingsThe results of this research indicate that if this method is used in the planning process, the time conflicts between the expert contractors who are in the critical path are reduced, and the total delay of the scheduled time reaches zero. In addition, the conflicts between contractors whose suspension will cause no incentive and increase the daily cost overruns will reduce to the lowest point.Originality/valueBy simulating LPS in the planning process, time-physical conflicts are considered at the lowest point. Using this approach, conflicts are detected before the execution process, resulting in a significant reduction in the delays and cost overruns in construction projects.
Elderly and care personnel’s user experiences of a robotic shower
Authors: Bäccman Charlotte , Bergkvist Linda , Kristensson Per 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the expectations and experiences regarding a robotic shower, from a dual user perspective.

Design/methodology/approach
This was an explorative qualitative study in which elderly and personnel were interviewed before the robotic shower was installed and again after four or five months of usage.

Findings
The elderly participants found the robotic shower empowering. The personnel’s experiences encompassed their own work conditions, as well as the user value for the elderly. A shared experience for both user groups was a more independent shower situation for the elderly.

Research limitations/implications
Low user frequency among the elderly may have affected the results; more frequent use may lead to different user experiences. Understanding whether and to what extent long-term use affects user experience is important for future adoption and implementation.

Practical implications
Implementation of digital assistive technology (DAT) should focus on the user value of the DAT for all possible user groups, as the different users may experience different values over time. In addition, approaching adoption and acceptance issues of DAT from a learned helplessness perspective may help users find value in the DAT and the independence these aim to provide, helping users maintain or increase quality of life.

Originality/value
This study presents a dual user experience of a DAT in an intimate care situation and shows the importance of including both elderly and personnel to fully understand the value of DATs.
Tax avoidance: do board gender diversity and sustainability performance make a difference?
Authors: Jarboui Anis , Kachouri Ben Saad Maali , Riguen Rakia 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
This study aims to investigate whether board gender diversity and sustainability performance influence tax avoidance.

Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a sample consisting of 300 UK firms over the 2005-2017 period. This study is motivated by structural equations and system models that specify both a direct and an indirect link between board gender diversity and tax avoidance.

Findings
The results show that the level of tax avoidance decrease when the level of women on the board increase. Therefore, we find that sustainability performance is generally associated with greater tax avoidance. In combination, the results suggest that board gender diversity and sustainability performance play a significant role in corporate tax avoidance.

Practical implications
The findings may be of interest to the academic researchers, investors and regulators. For academic researchers, it is interested in discovering board gender diversity, sustainability performance and tax avoidance. For investors, the results show that the existence of female directors on the board reduces the tax avoidance. For regulators, the results advise the worldwide policy makers to give the importance of female roles to improve the engagement firms in sustainability reporting.

Originality/value
This study extends the existing literature by examining the mediating effect of sustainability performance on the relationship between board gender and tax avoidance in the UK context.
Rethinking political warfare in Italy: a bottom-up approach
Authors: Arcobasso Alessandro 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief answer to the following questions: in the arena for State and non-State actors, who and how may guarantee the balance between democracy, State and market? How can the citizens’ economic well-being be prioritized, in terms of national security?

Design/methodology/approach
Adapting both the link analysis approach and the order of Pierce’s inference stages, the author illustrates the state of the art, some economic indices and Italy’s need for countermeasures.

Findings
Starting from the notion of “social sustainability of the political decisions,” given by the author, the paper highlights the opportunity to rethink the concept of political warfare, in view of a productive fabric characterized by both a high number of small and medium-sized enterprises and the pervasiveness of mafia-type organizations. At the end, the author shares some proposal in the fields of Public Law and Social Marketing and a broader definition of the above-mentioned concept.

Originality/value
This study shows the link between security studies, people’s perception of grey areas and polarization of opinions and wealth, giving the reader a bottom-up input to the comprehension of the contemporary complexity.
The need of international Islamic standards for medical tourism providers: a Malaysian experience
Authors: Kamassi Ahmed , Abdul Manaf Noor Hazilah , Omar Azura 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to confirm that there is a great need for international Islamic accreditation body as a response of the growing number of the Islamic-friendly hospitals and Islamic practices among medical tourism providers across the globe, with a specific focus on the Malaysian industry.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper systematically reviews the content of medical tourism studies and international accreditation organizations for health-care providers from literature to meet its objective.

Findings
The establishment of international Islamic accreditation body becomes necessary nowadays as the response of the growing of Islamic medical tourism market. Creating standards based on Islamic laws and ethics may assess medical tourism providers when dealing with Muslim medical tourists. Furthermore, the most important benefit of Islamic accreditation is the development of uniform standards for Islamic medical tourism practices that combines health care and tourism services together.

Practical implications
An international Islamic accreditation body should be developed to assist practitioners and policymakers to use standards to select policies to improve Islamic medical tourism practices, which in turn may facilitate the identification of effective services that can meet Muslim medical tourists’ needs and expectations.

Originality/value
This study is the first that suggests the need to establish an international Islamic accreditation organization that assesses hospitals to offer Islamic medical tourism practices for Muslim medical tourists. It may contribute and add value to the body of Islamic medical tourism.
Determinants of attitudes towards Halal products
Authors: Ahmadova Emiliya , Aliyev Khatai 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze the customer attitude on Halal food products and determine major factors that affect the attitudes towards Halal food products in Azerbaijan. Within the framework of this research, theory of planned behavior was applied and influence of subjective norms, religiosity level, availability of Halal certification and health considerations on attitude toward Halal food products was measured.

Design/methodology/approach
Random sampling technique was used during these studies. Within the framework of current research, the local Muslim population was surveyed. The sample size for current research was 636, and specified models were estimated using Eview by applying a robust least squares method.

Findings
The impact of subjective norms, religiosity level and availability of Halal certification and health considerations upon consumer’s attitude is economically and statistically significant. Empirical findings show that the strength of the association between religiosity level and attitude toward Halal food products is dependent on the level of religiosity and some other factors such as age category, gender status and existence of halal certification.

Practical implications
As a predominantly Muslim country, exploring attitudes toward Halal food products in Azerbaijan can serve as a valuable source of information while developing Halal branding strategy in this market, i.e. insights gaining from this research will guide marketers while tailoring their marketing strategy for efficiently targeting this market.

Originality/value
This is the first empirical research in Azerbaijani market devoted to understanding factors that influence Halal food purchase attitude.
A new weighted fuzzy programming model for supplier selection and order allocation in the food industry
Authors: Kaviani Mohamad Amin , Peykam Alireza , Khan Sharfuddin Ahmed , Brahimi Nadjib , Niknam Raziyeh 
Published: February 2020

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a combined intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (IFAHP) and fuzzy multi-objective optimization approach to select suppliers and allocate the orders to them in the bottled water production context.

Design/methodology/approach
First, the primary weights of criteria associated with the supplier selection problem are calculated using the IFAHP technique. Then a fuzzy multi-objective optimization model is developed to allocate the appropriate amount of orders to each supplier.

Findings
The proposed methodology has been successfully implemented in the case of an Iranian food company in its bottled water factory. Results demonstrate our model is capable of practically handling the uncertainty in DMs’ preference that leads to effective and efficient supplier selection and order allocation decisions.

Originality/value
The authors develop a novel hybrid decision-making tool to tackle the uncertainty in decision-makers’ opinions with a demonstrated applicability and some promising outcomes in efficiently allocating the order quantity to suppliers in the area of bottled water production.