bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An exploration of logistics-related customer service provision on Twitter
Authors: Bhattacharjya Jyotirmoyee , Ellison Adrian , Tripathi Sonali 
Published: June 2016

Purpose
– The success of e-retailers is intrinsically linked to the effectiveness of their logistics processes which, inevitably, involve third party service providers. As the most tangible representative of the e-retailers it is inevitable that customers expect the e-retailer to resolve delivery queries, including on social media platforms. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of e-retailers’ logistics-related customer service interactions on Twitter with a view towards identifying effective and ineffective social media customer service strategies.

Design/methodology/approach
– The design and public nature of Twitter encourages organic conversations between e-retailers and customers as well as between customers and other customers. The methodology applied here accounts for this by collecting and analysing interactions within and as part of conversations, not as independent observations. In total, 203,349 tweets were collected from 22 of the most popular e-retailers. A random sample of 5,000 logistics-related conversations (16,998 tweets) is used for the analysis presented here and forms a foundation for future research.

Findings
– Conversations are initiated by customers on the basis of 24 event triggers which can be categorised as occurring either before or after an order is delivered. These can be general queries or related to a specific order or delivery issue. The paper identifies a number of significant findings such as the extent to which e-retailers and logistics providers redirect customers to other channels to resolve queries, ignoring the implicit preference by customers to use Twitter to resolve their problem. Similarly, the lack of interactions between e-retailers and their logistics providers within the Twitter platform to help resolve customer queries results in ineffective customer service.

Practical implications
– The study identifies the way in which e-retailers can substantially improve the effectiveness of the customer service they provide on Twitter by ensuring that customer queries can be resolved within the platform and by working with their logistics partners to do the same. This is critical since problems may be directed to the e-retailer or the logistics provider but both companies jointly suffer the consequences of poor customer service.

Originality/value
– The study examines a hitherto underexplored aspect of retail logistics – the social media-based customer service activities of e-retailers. Methodologically, the study is rooted in the acknowledgement that interactions on Twitter form conversations and analyses should take this into account. This is a distinctly different approach from existing Twitter-related studies which conduct an automated sentiment analysis of tweets. This approach reveals a rich picture of interactions and, importantly, identifies where conversations between e-retailers begin, how they develop and how they conclude.
An investigation into critical service determinants of customer to business (C2B) type product returns in retail firms
Authors: Ahsan Kamrul , Rahman Shams 
Published: June 2016

Purpose
– In spite of regular occurrence of product returns, research into determinants of returns services in retail businesses is still limited. To fill the gap, the purpose of this paper is to investigate critical determinants of customer to business type product returns services in the retail industry.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors develop a framework of product returns services that consists of three major service categories and 16 returns service determinants. The criticality of the determinants of product returns management are assessed employing the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) based multi-criteria decision-making approach. Under AHP set up the authors interview retail operations managers of major retail firms in Australia to identify critical determinants of product returns services.

Findings
– Results indicate that the most important returns services dimensions are the way in which returns services are handled through interaction, and the outcome of service delivery. The top five critical service determinants of product returns are related to: communication support service for customer, money back for any type of returns, customer support access, user-friendly interaction, and product replacement.

Originality/value
– The findings of the study can be considered by senior managers of retail firms as a reference guide for designing efficient and effective returns service systems and developing strategies for competitive advantage through product returns, namely, customer retention.
Training needs of early career researchers in research-intensive universities
Authors: Bhakta Debasrita , Boeren Ellen 
Published: June 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the training needs of early career researchers (ECRs) in British research-intensive universities. This paper presents a new measurement scale constructed based on the Vitae Researcher Development Framework (a national framework in the UK to help researchers plan their training and development pathways) that disseminates ECRs’ training needs according to the four vitae development domains.

Design/methodology/approach
This paper discusses the result of a survey organised among ECRs who were asked to fill-in an online questionnaire, which included a newly developed measurement scale. Training needs are analysed based on 57 respondents working in British research-intensive universities and having obtained their PhDs not more than five years prior to the survey.

Findings
This paper offers an insight into the experiences of ECRs in research-intensive universities in relation to their training needs, which are very much centred around the notion of becoming a subject-specific expert, who is able to attract research funding and lead and manage these projects, including the successful supervision of students.

Originality/value
The current academic environment is extremely competitive, and as in other segments of the labour market, it is vital that ECRs recognise the need of continuous training to maintain their competitive status in the knowledge-based economy. This paper is original, as it disseminates a new measurement scale and provides fresh empirical results on the training needs of ECRs in British research-intensive universities.
Using an aesthetics and ontology framework to investigate consumers’ attitudes toward luxury wine brands as a product category
Authors: Stiehler Beate E. , Caruana Albert , Vella Joseph 
Published: June 2016

PurposeThis paper aims to classify and investigate customer attitudes toward luxury wine brands in the USA (a developed market) and South Africa (a developing market) by using an aesthetic and ontological framework.Design/methodology/approachUsing recognized scales, consumers’ ontological and aesthetic orientation and attitudes toward luxury wine brands as part of a product category are measured. Data for the USA sample were collected using Amazon’s Mechanical Turk platform, whereas the South African sample data were collected from a sample of Generation Y consumers. Using the two orientation scores, it was possible to create a 2 × 2 matrix with low and high scores for the two countries investigated. To determine the relationship between the resultant groups and attitude toward wine, ANOVA was performed. Differences among the groups were identified via a comparison of means.FindingsThe results suggest that the use of aesthetics and ontological orientations enables the identification of different luxury wine consumer modes in the two countries studied. In addition, these demonstrate significantly different attitudes toward luxury wine brands as part of a product category.Research limitations/implicationsThe samples for both countries were collected using a non-probability sampling method, and any generalization to the greater populations must be undertaken with caution.Practical implicationsThe findings demonstrate a unique approach that provides an alternative form of segmentation for luxury wine brands. Recommendations to target the different identified modes and how these impact attitudes toward luxury wine brands as a product category in the two countries are made.Originality/valueThe study contributes to the literature by providing a unique and alternative method of market segmentation and shows how this affect attitudes toward luxury wine brands as a product category.
Can the negative binomial distribution predict industrial purchases?
Authors: Wilkinson John W. , Trinh Giang , Lee Richard , Brown Neil 
Published: June 2016

PurposeThis paper aims to extend the known boundary conditions of the negative binomial distribution (NBD) model, and to test the applicability of conditional trend analysis (CTA) – a key method to identify whether changes in overall sales are accounted for by previous non-buyers, light buyers or heavy buyers – in industrial purchasing situations.Design/methodology/approachThe study tested the NBD model and CTA in an industrial marketing context using a 12-month data set of purchases from an Australian supplier of a range of industrial plastic resins.FindingsThe purchase data displayed a good NBD fit; the study therefore extends the known boundary conditions of the model. The application of CTA provided second-period purchasing frequency estimates showing no significant difference from actual data, indicating the applicability of this method to industrial purchasing.Research limitations/implicationsData relate to just one supplier. Further research across several industries is required to confirm the generalizability and robustness of NBD and CTA to industrial markets.Practical implicationsMarketing decisions can be improved through appropriate analysis of customer purchasing data. However, without access to equivalent competitor data, industrial marketers are constrained in benchmarking the purchasing patterns of their own customers. The results indicate that use of the NBD model enables valid benchmarking for industrial products, while CTA would enable appropriate analysis of purchases by different classes of customer.Originality/valueThis paper extends the known boundary conditions of the NBD model and provides the first published results, indicating the appropriateness of CTA to predict purchasing frequencies of different industrial customer classes.
Understanding structures and practices of meaning-making in industrial networks
Authors: Lowe Sid , Rod Michel , Hwang Ki-Soon 
Published: June 2016

Purpose
This paper aims to propose an approach for exploring industrial marketing network environments through a social semiotic lens.

Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual paper introduces social semiotic perspectives to the study of business/industrial network interaction.

Findings
This paper describes how structures of meaning derived from a cultural history of signification and interpretive processes of meaning in action are co-determined in social semiosis. The meaning of environments using this social semiotic approach is emphasised, leading us to explore the idea of the “atmosemiosphere” – the most highly complex business network level, in illustrating how meaning is made through structuration between structures of meaning and their enactments in interactions between actors within living business networks.

Practical Implications
Figurative language plays an important role in the structuration of meaning. This facilitates establishing plots and, therefore, in the actors’ capability to tell a story, which starts with knowing what kind of story can be told. By implication, the effective networker must be a consummate moving “picture maker” and, to do so, she must have competence in narrative, emplotment, myth-making, storytelling and figuration in more than one discursive repertoire.

Originality/value
In using a structurational discourse perspective informed by social semiotics, our original contribution is a “business networks as discursive constructions” approach, in that discursive nets, webs of narratives and stories and labyrinths of tropes are considered just as important in constituting networks as networks of actor relationships and patterns of other activities and resources.
Workplace spirituality governance: impact on customer orientation and salesperson performance
Authors: Chawla Vaibhav 
Published: June 2016

Purpose
Many sales organizations use traditional control systems such as agency theory, which entails motivating salespeople using rewards and punishments, as if they are mechanical beings that are devoid of emotions and spirit. Research shows that such control leads to dissatisfied customers, disengaged salespeople and poor organizational reputation. The purpose of this study is to present governance based on workplace spirituality as an alternative approach, wherein salespeople’s emotional and spiritual development is given primary importance. This is proposed to result in favorable performance and behaviors in alignment with organizational and customer goals.

Design/methodology/approach
The study builds a conceptual model from an extended literature review.

Findings
The developed conceptual model for workplace spirituality-based governance in sales organization consists of organizational structural factors, such as control and reward systems, as antecedents of psychological experiences of workplace spirituality in salespeople. These experiences are then proposed to result in salespeople’s increased customer orientation and objective performance, with organizational commitment as a mediator.

Practical Implications
The study has implications for organizations that govern salespeople by fiddling constantly with their salespeople’s incentive plans but find that most of these changes have little effect. The study proposes that companies will have more satisfied customers and successful salespeople, if they manage their salespeople’s emotional and spiritual side.

Originality/value
This study is the first to devise a governance system in selling organizations that is based on workplace spirituality.
Does brand orientation help B2B SMEs in gaining business growth?
Authors: Hirvonen Saku , Laukkanen Tommi , Salo Jari 
Published: June 2016

Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between brand orientation and business growth in business-to-business (B2B) small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The authors also explore whether this relationship is moderated by internal firm-related factors (firm age, firm size) and/or external market-related factors (market life cycle, industry type).

Design/methodology/approach
The authors develop and empirically test a conceptual model using data from 396 B2B SMEs operating in Finland. Structural equation modeling is used for testing the research hypotheses.

Findings
Brand orientation contributes to business growth via two indirect paths, the first one going through brand performance and the second one going through brand performance and customer relationship performance. However, although the effects are positive, the results reveal that the regression coefficients are relatively small, implying only a limited impact of brand orientation on growth among B2B SMEs. The results further suggest that firm age, firm size and industry type moderate the brand performance–business growth relationship, whereas market life cycle moderates the effect of brand orientation on brand performance.

Research limitations/implications
Future research could extend this study by examining brand orientation in industrial markets simultaneously with alternative strategic orientations, such as market, technology and innovation orientation. New moderator variables should also be considered, such as market or technological turbulence. Furthermore, given that this study uses a cross-sectional data set, it is recommended that future research should attempt to test the model using longitudinal data sets.

Practical implications
B2B SMEs are able to gain business growth through developing a strong brand. However, brand orientation per se appears to be of limited relevance for such an endeavor. Consequently, managers of small industrial firms should consider brand orientation only with, and in comparison to, alternative strategic orientations.

Originality/value
Brand orientation has been very rarely examined from the perspective of B2B firms or that of SMEs. Interestingly, the findings indicate that the performance benefits of brand orientation seem to be smaller among B2B SMEs than what earlier research would imply. The analysis of moderation effects offers additional insights into whether there are differences between industrial SMEs as to the relevance of brand orientation.
Innovation from emerging market firms: what happens when market ambitions meet technology challenges?
Authors: Sharma Arun , Jha Subhash 
Published: June 2016

PurposeWestern business-to-business firms are under increasing competition from firms in emerging nations. As examples, Mindray in medical devices, LiuGong in earth moving equipment, Tata motors in Buses and Suzlon in Wind turbines are emerging as strong competitors in their industries. Yet despite increased competition from emerging nation firms, insufficient research has examined the growth of these firms, specifically in the areas of technology and innovation development processes. The purpose of this study is to examine how emerging nation business-to-business firms that have global ambitions achieve technology competence.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examined several case studies on emerging market business-to-business firms that have moved to global markets and highlight the following five: LiuGong China (excavating products), Mindray China (medical equipment), Suzlon Energy India (wind generators), Tata Motors Buses India and BYD Auto China (batteries to electric cars). The firms are in business-to-business markets, except for BYD China that emerged as a business-to-business battery supplier but is currently in both business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets.FindingsThe authors find that firms in emerging markets that have global ambitions follow different approaches to innovation development processes from conventional theories and assumptions held by scholars and practitioners in Western developed countries. Our cases suggest that firms follow the proposed progression: domestic markets – internally developed technology; domestic markets –acquired technology; and finally to, global markets – acquired technology.Researchlimitations/implicationsThe authors contribute to research in three areas. First, they suggest that the innovation development process for emerging market firms is different from the Western world. Second, they provide a framework of innovation development process that can be tested in multiple environments. Third, this study suggests a deeper examination of the longitudinal development of business-to-business firms, an area that has received less attention.PracticalimplicationsThe authors suggest that firms need to better track their competition from emerging nations because emerging nation firms can quickly acquire technology to become strong competitors.Originality/valueExtant research has not examined these issues.
The importance, challenges and prospects of taking work practices into account for healthcare quality improvement
Authors: Allen Davina 
Published: June 2016

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to underline the importance of taking work practices into account for quality improvement (QI) purposes, highlight some of the challenges of doing so, and suggest strategies for future research and practice. Patient status at a glance, a Lean-inspired QI intervention designed to alleviate nurses of their knowledge mobilisation function, is deployed as an illustrative case.Design/methodology/approach– Ethnographic data and practice-based theories are utilised to describe nurses’ knowledge mobilisation work. The assumptions about knowledge sharing embedded in patient status at a glance white boards (PSAGWBs) are analysed drawing on actor network theory.Findings– There is a disparity between nurses’ knowledge mobilisation practices and the scripts that inform the design of PSAGWBs. PSAGWBs are designed to be intermediaries and to transport meaning without transformation. When nurses circulate knowledge for patient management purposes, they operate as mediators, translating diverse information sources and modifying meaning for different audiences. PSAGWBs are unlikely to relieve nurses of their knowledge mobilisation function and may actually add to the burdens of this work. Despite this nurses have readily embraced this QI intervention.Research limitations/implications– The study is limited by its focus on a single case and by the inferential (rather than the empirical) nature of its conclusions.Originality/value– This paper illustrates the importance of taking practice into account in healthcare QI, points to some of the challenges of doing so and highlights the potential of practice-based approaches in supporting progress in this field.
The mutuality metaphor: understanding healthcare provision in NHS Scotland
Authors: Howieson Brian 
Published: June 2016

Purpose
– Better Health, Better Care Action Plan (Scottish Government, 2007) sets out how the Scottish Government intends to strengthen public ownership of the National Health Service in Scotland. The purpose of this paper is to advance extant knowledge by understanding how a state-led mutual health policy may be interpreted, and importantly, communicated.

Design/methodology/approach
– The definitional problem of mutuality will be discussed and analysed in terms of how it is (or perhaps should be) communicated? will be offered.

Findings
– It actually may be more instructive to think of, and communicate, mutuality as a metaphor to aid understanding of the openness and fluidity found in NHS Scotland.

Research limitations/implications
– The existence of paradox and ambiguity does not, however, negate the usefulness of the term “mutuality”. Quite the opposite in fact: it is precisely by examining healthcare and its delivery through the lens of mutuality (rather than rejecting its complexity as a failure) that this amorphousness can be better appreciated.

Practical implications
– There is a need for more public, professional, and academic debate to explore and clarify its implementation, and how it is to be led. This must be provided whilst recognising the daily imperatives that NHS leaders must face. This would suggest, therefore, that a dual development path may help.

Originality/value
– Although Better Health, Better Care Action Plan was published in 2007, some eight years on there is still confusion and misunderstanding as to what mutuality in healthcare is, not only in policy and theory, but also in practice. It is hoped that this analysis will help address, in part, some of this confusion and misunderstanding.