bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Giving sense and changing perceptions in the implementation of the performance management system in public sector organisations in developing countries
Authors: Ohemeng Frank Louis Kwaku , Amoako Asiedu Emelia , Obuobisa-Darko Theresa 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
Change in public organisations has become inevitable in modern times. Yet, implementing change continues to be problematic, especially the attempt to introduce performance management (PM) in the sector. The purpose of this paper is to examine how HR managers are using sensegiving processes to attempt to institutionalise PM in public organisations in Ghana PM in public organisations in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilises the mixed methods approach to examine the process of sensegiving. In using this method, the authors used focus group, as well as individual interview techniques and a quantitative survey of some selected organisations in the public sector.

Findings
The results of the study show that, four main activities, i.e. workshops, seminars and training, one-on-one communication, and unit meetings are employed in the process. The analysis indicates that these activities have become quite effective in the quest to change perceptions about PM in the sector.

Research limitations/implications
The research was limited to a few organisations. Hence, it will be necessary to expand it, if possible to the entire public sector to see if the same results will be obtained.

Practical implications
It shows that reformers must be cognisant of the views of employees in developing and implementing reforms that focus on changing both individual orientations and organisational and culture.

Originality/value
This is the first time such a study has been done in Ghana. Furthermore, studies on PM institutionalisation and implementation have either been qualitative or quantitative in nature. Studies using the mixed methods approach are rare, with those we know coming mostly from the Western World. Thus, this paper is one of the few to examine this issue using the mixed methods approach and more so from a developing country’s perspective.
Dynamic transmission of oil film in soft-start process of HVD considering surface roughness
Authors: Xie Fangwei , Zhu Jie , Cui Jianzhong , Zheng Xudong , Guo Xinjian , Wang Yun , Agarwal Ramesh K. 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the dynamic transmission of the oil film in soft start process of hydro-viscous drive (HVD) between the friction pairs with consideration of surface roughness, and obtain the distribution law of temperature, velocity, pressure, shear stress and viscous torque of the oil film.

Design/methodology/approach
The revised soft-start models of HVD were derived and calculated, including average Reynolds equation, asperity contact model, load force model and total torque model. Meanwhile, a 2D model of the oil film between friction pair was built and solved numerically using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique in FLUENT.

Findings
The results show that the maximum temperature gradually reduces from the intermediate range (z = 0.5 h) to the inner side of the friction pair along the direction of oil film thickness. As the soft-start process continues, pressure gradient along the direction of the oil film thickness gradually changes to zero. In addition, tangential velocity increases and yet radial velocity decreases with the increase of the radius.

Originality/value
In this paper, it was found that the viscous torque calculated by the numerical method is smaller than that by the CFD model, but their overall trend is almost the same. This also demonstrates the effectiveness of the numerical simulation.
Evaluation of tribological properties of Ceiba pentandra (kapok) seed oil as an alternative lubricant
Authors: Shankar S. , Manikandan M. , Raja G. 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The decrease in availability of mineral oils and their environmental hazards created the need to search for alternate bio-based oils. The aim of this study is to investigate the friction and wear characteristics of kapok (Ceiba pentandra) oil as a bio-lubricant.

Design/methodology/approach
The wear and friction characteristics between steel-steel contact under lubrication were found using a pin-on-disk tribometer under different loads and sliding speeds, respectively. The corrosion and oxidation stability of the test lubricants were also analyzed. The worn surfaces of the specimen are analyzed with the help of an optical microscope. The obtained results were compared with palm oil and mineral oil (SAE20W 40).

Findings
From the investigation, it is found that the kapok oil possess a lower coefficient of friction and wear rate than palm and mineral oil. It is also found that the coefficient of friction varies proportionally and the wear rate varies inversely with the sliding speed as expected.

Originality/value
The present results confirm that the kapok oil can be used as an alternative lubricant to reduce the demand for mineral-based oil lubricants.
Study on the tribological behaviors of copper nanoparticles in three kinds of commercially available lubricants
Authors: Li Yanhong , Liu TianTian , Zhang Yujuan , Zhang Pingyu , Zhang Shengmao 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the tribological properties of Cu nanoparticles (NPs) as lubricant additives in three kinds of commercially available lubricants.

Design/methodology/approach
A four-ball machine is used to estimate the tribological properties of Cu NPs as lubricant additives in three kinds of commercially available lubricants. Three-dimensional optical profiler and electrical contact resistance are evaluated to investigate the morphology of the worn surfaces and the influence of Cu NPs on tribofilms.

Findings
Wear tests show that the addition of Cu NPs as lubricant additives could reduce wear and increase load-carrying capacity of commercially available lubricants remarkably, indicating that Cu NPs have a good compatibility with the existing lubricant additives in commercially available lubricants.

Originality/value
The tribological properties of Cu NPs as lubricant additives in three kinds of commercially available lubricants were investigated in this paper. These results are reliable and can be very helpful for application of Cu NPs as lubricant additives in industry.
Study on the relationship between extreme pressure properties and component contents of high pressured sulfurized isobutylene
Authors: Shen Jiawei , Cheng Jia , Jiang Haizhen , Li Jiusheng 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
Compared with traditional industrial processing technologies of sulfurized isobutylene, the one-step synthesis method involving high pressure is more environment-friendly and leads to better product performance. However, products from various sources perform differently because of the difference in the contents of their components. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between sulfide components of high-pressure sulfurized isobutylene and load carrying capacities.

Design/methodology/approach
A typical high-pressure sulfurized isobutylene was chosen, and the structure and contents of its sulfide components were characterized using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and gas chromatography (GC). Extreme-pressure properties of the sample at different concentrations were evaluated using a four-ball tribometer.

Findings
A multiple regression equation model was established, and tert-butyl trisulfide made the greatest contribution to the extreme-pressure properties according to the equation coefficient, while tert-butyl tetrasulfide had no effect. The results can be attributed to the fact that the structure of a sulfurized additive having an impact is application-specific.

Originality/value
A precise and fast way to predict weld load values of high-pressure sulfurized isobutylene by using GC and the established equation model were successfully developed. Moreover, the empirical equation shows the relationships between sulfide component concentrations and load carrying capacities.
With a little help from the miners: distributed ledger technology and market disintermediation
Authors: Zamani Efpraxia D. , Giaglis George M. 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to argue for the role of the blockchain, i.e., distributed ledger technology, in building innovative business models, including machine money, autonomous economic agents and decentralised organisations.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper is conceptual/argumentative. As such, it draws on research on (e-)commerce, theories of markets, disruptive innovation and extant studies and conceptual work at the intersection of cryptocurrencies, machine-to-machine commerce and the Internet of Things.

Findings
The authors highlight three application areas for blockchains, whereby they can function as applications, can help develop autonomous economic agents and can lead the development of decentralised autonomous organisations. With regards to the question of market disintermediation, the authors suggest that, rather than complete disintermediation, the most probable scenario is that of new types of intermediaries finding previously unthinkable roles to play in mediating blockchain-based economic transactions. With regards to the inhibitors that slow down the technology’s adoption and, therefore, the development of new business applications, the authors posit that these relate mainly to the inherent risk of the technology, infrastructure requirements, scepticism of early decision makers and the lack of required new skills and competencies.

Originality/value
The authors examine how new forms of digital money and technologies embedding trust in decentralised networks will alter markets and commerce, at a time when many regulatory issues remain unresolved; in doing so, the authors focus on how blockchain-enabled technologies can be used to enable and further develop decentralised trusted peer-to-peer transaction ledger systems and applications and lead to sustainable business models.
Institutional interactions and foreign firms’ strategies under tribal rule complexities in emerging markets
Authors: Oyedele Adesegun , Firat Fuat 
Published: February 2018

PurposeInternational marketing (IM) researchers have underscored the need for scholars to develop more studies to investigate institutional interactions (II) and sources of complexities in emerging markets (EMs). In response to these calls, the purpose of this paper is to propose a framework that classifies the dominant conditions firms are likely to confront as they enter EMs. Further, using exploratory data, the study evaluates potential strategies that foreign firms can follow when they encounter one of the most challenging condition (tribal rule (TR)) identified in the framework. The primary research question explored is: what strategies do foreign firms adopt to succeed under conditions of TR in EMs?Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is exploratory qualitative research. The authors conducted extended interviews to produce rich case study data from CEOs and executives who have experience doing business in countries with strong TR conditions, such as Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. The interview data/transcripts were evaluated using open, axial, and selective coding (Strauss and Corbin, 1998) to discover macro-narratives that guide entry strategies in EMs.FindingsOverall, foreign firms successful strategies under TR conditions revolve around knowledge of tribal networks, understanding of their common interests, co-creation of commonality of interests and goals and internal assimilation of tribal leaders. Based on the findings, the authors argue strategies emphasizing co-creation of commonality of interest and goals and absorption of political risk environment perspective will outperform traditional standardization and relational trust approaches.Practical implicationsThe findings from the study provided preliminary insights about relevant managerial strategic choices under conditions of tribal complexities.Originality/valueThis study is the first known study to expand the recent IM debate on II and sources of complexities to TR context. The recognition of a co-creation of commonality of interest dimension is an important contribution. The strategy of co-creation of commonality of interests is unique to this study.
What is in a name? Cross-national distances and subsidiary’s corporate visual identity change in emerging-market firms’ cross-border acquisitions
Authors: Liou Ru-Shiun , Rao-Nicholson Rekha , Sarpong David 
Published: February 2018

PurposeAddressing the unique challenge facing emerging-market firms (EMFs) of branding and marketing in their foreign subsidiaries, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the foreign subsidiary’s corporate visual identity (CVI) transitions during the post-acquisition period.Design/methodology/approachData on 330 cross-border acquisitions from five emerging markets, namely, Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) are used. The cross-sectional multivariate analyses are used to test the hypotheses.FindingsUtilizing a sample of worldwide acquisitions conducted by EMFs originated from BRICS, this study establishes that various cross-national distances do not consistently cause the targets to take on the parent’s CVI. While economic distance and formal institutional distance increase the likelihood of an acquired subsidiary’s CVI change, cultural distance decreases the likelihood of CVI change.Practical implicationsLacking international experience and shaped by national differences between the host and home markets, EMFs often grant foreign subsidiaries substantial autonomy to respond to diverse stakeholder demands in subsidiary branding. Contrary to extant literature, the findings show that some distances are more pertinent to CVI transformation in the subsidiaries than others in the context of the EMFs.Originality/valueThis research shows that the formal institutional distance and economic distance will increase the likelihood of CVI changes in the subsidiaries, whereas, the cultural distance requiring soft skills like the cultural adaptability from the EMFs will decrease the CVI change possibility. The findings presented in the paper have significant implications for future research and strategic application.
Emerging market multinationals’ international equity-based entry mode strategies
Authors: Surdu Irina , Mellahi Kamel , Glaister Keith 
Published: February 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the theories used to study the international equity-based entry mode strategies of emerging market multinationals (EMMs) and the contribution of these studies to extant literature.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a systematic review of the literature. A total of 73 articles were identiﬁed from key management, international business and international marketing journals published between 2000 and June 2015. Articles were analysed according to the theory(ies) used, thematic area, methodology, home/host countries studied and findings.FindingsDespite the great interest around the topic of how the antecedents and outcomes of EMMs’ international entry mode strategies may challenge and amend existing theories, the findings that come out of this research mirror patterns observed in the entry mode literature in general. Whilst traditional perspectives such as internalisation theory and the OLI paradigm remain prevalent, a growing number of studies draw on institutional theory and combine multiple theoretical perspectives. Newer theories developed specifically to study EMMs (e.g., the springboard perspective) are used in only five studies and challenged to differentiate their theoretical underpinnings from extant literature. Overall, the theoretical contribution of EMM studies is simply a change in emphasis from the role of firm-specific factors towards the influence of home country institutions on entry mode strategies. The authors conclude that the literature has only made tweaks at the edge of theories with no significant changes to extant theorisations.Originality/valueThis is the first systematic review of the literature focusing specifically on the international equity-based entry mode strategies of EMMs.
SME international innovation and strategic adaptiveness
Authors: Nyuur Richard B. , Brecic Ružica , Debrah Yaw A. 
Published: February 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the role of small- and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) domestic network structural attributes on theirex postinternationalisation strategic innovation and adaptiveness in the host country.Design/methodology/approachThe model fit of SME domestic network structural attributes and theirex postinternational performance was examined using structural equation modelling on data gathered from a sample of 263 SMEs from Croatia, a transition and emerging economy. Hierarchical regression analysis was further performed to test both the direct and moderating effects.FindingsThe study revealed that domestic network informality (DNF) moderates the link between SME domestic network centrality and their international innovation. Similarly, the findings show that DNF strengthens the negative association between domestic network density and SME international innovation and strategic adaptiveness. Moreover, the study did not find any direct impact of these domestic networks’ structural attributes (density and centrality) on SME international innovation and strategic adaptiveness.Originality/valueScholars have emphasised the importance and urgency for further research attention on the role of networks on SMEs’ internationalisation activities from emerging economies. This study responds to this call, and to the knowledge of the authors, is the first to examine the role of domestic network attributes on SME international performance in emerging economies. The findings provide new insightful contributions to the social network perspective and the international entrepreneurship literatures.
Operational capabilities and entrepreneurial opportunities in emerging market firms
Authors: Miocevic Dario , Morgan Robert E. 
Published: February 2018

PurposeThe academic inquiry of operational capabilities (OCs) has claimed focal interest in mainstream strategy research. Recent theoretical advances suggest these capabilities are a fundamental trigger to the identification and exploitation of entrepreneurial opportunities. However, the extant literature has been, at best, partial with regard to empirical insights that integrate OCs with entrepreneurial opportunities. Addressing this theoretical lacuna from the standpoint of organisational learning theory, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the interplay between OCs and entrepreneurial opportunities and their overall impact on exporting SME’s growth.Design/methodology/approachTo realise the empirical aims a descriptive research design employing a survey methodology was used. The authors are generated data from a sample of 117 exporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in Croatia. Ordinary least squares regression was employed to test the conceptual model and five derived hypotheses.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that market-sensing capabilities are vital in enhancing exporting SME’s opportunity recognition capacity and the rate of international opportunity exploitation that leads to increased firm growth. Also, study findings show that the link between the increased rate of international opportunity exploitation contributes more to the growth when exporting SMEs have highly developed adaptive and innovation capabilities.Research limitations/implicationsThis study brings to surface some novel insights about how exporting SMEs can better design their export marketing strategy. The results suggest, OCs occupy key role in the exporting SMEs international venturing efforts by delivering higher growth.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the export marketing strategy field by offering empirical evidence that both capability and opportunity-based views should be assessed simultaneously in explaining exporting SME’s competitiveness. Finally, we offer valuable theoretical and practical implications as well as avenues for further research that should extend our knowledge in the field.
Board diversity and total directors’ remuneration: evidence from an emerging market
Authors: Effiezal Aswadi Abdul Wahab , Madah Marzuki Marziana , Jaafar Syaiful Baharee , Masron Tajul Ariffin 
Published: February 2018

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the relationship between board diversity and total directors’ remuneration in Malaysia. The authors have operationalised two variables to represent board diversity: the proportion of women directors on the board, to present gender diversity and the proportion of Bumiputras directors, to represent ethnic diversity.Design/methodology/approachThis study has used a panel least squares to test the relationship between board diversity and total directors’ remuneration.FindingsBased on a 1,094 firm-year sample from 2007 to 2009, the authors found a positive and significant relationship between gender-diverse boards and remuneration, but a negative and significant relationship between ethnically diverse boards and remuneration. The interaction between gender and ethnically diverse boards results in a weaker negative relationship between ethnically diverse boards and remuneration with an increased presence of women directors. Finally, the authors found a positive and significant impact on remuneration when there are at least three women and three Bumiputras directors. The findings are robust after controlling for corporate governance variables, institutional variables and firm characteristics.Research limitations/implicationsThe main implication of this finding is the positive effect of firms hiring more women in top management roles on remuneration. In addition, the negative effect of Bumiputras suggests that their role is to offer political expedience to the board and thus provide economies of scale through their status to the country.Originality/valueThis study tests the effect of both gender and ethnicity simultaneously on directors’ remuneration.
Commentary on “Fall prevention for people with learning disabilities: key points and recommendations for practitioners and researchers”
Authors: Freiberger Ellen 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
Age-related processes are marked by physiological, psychological and social decline, threatening health, quality of life, functional status and the mobility of individuals. As the impact of demographic change also begins to affect persons with intellectual disabilities (ID), issues and needs regarding the aging process are slowly entering the field of ID research. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
In the population of older people with ID, important, age-related events such as falls have prompted increasing research. Falls may lead to several negative health outcomes, require that an individual receives higher levels of care sometimes including hospitalisation and, in the worst case, hasten death. Falls also lead to psychological consequences such as fear of falling which fuels a vicious circle in which older persons afraid of falling reduce their physical activity, in turn hastening their functional decline.

Findings
Fall prevention in persons with ID is just evolving and further research is clearly necessary. This research can draw on the existing evidence from other fall prevention areas, especially the work carried out with the general older population.

Originality/value
As stated by Finlayson, a useful next step would be the development of a consensus on the definitions and methodology that should underpin future fall prevention research with persons with ID.