bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Implementing integrated marketing communications (IMC) through major event ambassadors
Authors: Turner Paul 
Published: April 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to identify how integrated marketing communications (IMC) was applied to a major multi-cultural sporting event, the Asian Cup 2015, through event ambassadors integrating the Kliatchko (2008) four-pillars model of IMC.

Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 people involved with the event, with questions designed to ascertain ways in which the multicultural communication occurred.

Findings
The four-pillars model is applicable in this case. Interviews identified that while the cultural and football issues being faced by the organisers introduced many challenges, ambassador communication proved to be an extremely effective process of IMC. The integration of ambassador communications overcame many cultural barriers with respect to language, ticketing and communication, enabling engagement of communication channels.

Research limitations/implications
This research addressed a specific multicultural event in one specific market. While providing insights into how this event managed its IMC programme, investigation into other events is required to identify whether similar results would apply.

Practical implications
The way in which the event incorporated community members into the IMC programme provides a strong opportunity to examine whether this approach could be applied by marketing managers more broadly.

Originality/value
An examination of the IMC conducted in conjunction with a major event has not featured previously, and the original way in which this event conducted its communications highlights aspects that are relevant to marketers in all organisations.
To leave or not? The impact of family support and cognitive appraisals on venture exit intention
Authors: Zhu Fei , Burmeister-Lamp Katrin , Hsu Dan Kai 
Published: April 2017

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how family support affects challenge and hindrance appraisals, which in turn, influence entrepreneurs’ venture exit intention drawing on the challenge-hindrance job stressor model, family support, and the venture exit literature.Design/methodology/approachAn experimental study (Study 1) was conducted to establish the relationships among family support, challenge and hindrance appraisals, and entrepreneurs’ venture exit intention. Two survey studies (Study 2 and Study 3) were conducted to extend the external validity of findings in Study 1 and to examine whether the theoretical framework holds in both the US and Chinese contexts.FindingsAll three studies demonstrate that family support decreases entrepreneurs’ venture exit intention by reducing hindrance appraisal. Study 3 also shows the mediating role of challenge appraisal in the family support – venture exit intention relationship.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the family embeddedness perspective not only by showing its relevance to the venture exit context but also by validating the relationship of family support with cognitive appraisals and venture exit intention in two cultural contexts. It also contributes to venture exit research by highlighting the unique role of cognitive appraisals in the formation of entrepreneurs’ venture exit intention.
Factors, criteria, and determinants of the increase in the effectiveness of university education in Russia
Authors: Gushchina Elena 
Published: April 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to view the actual problems of the Russian system of higher education: lack of connection between labor market and market of educational services, decline in the quality of higher education in the country, reduction of intellectual potential of the youth, commercialization of higher education, etc.

Design/methodology/approach
The author offers approaches to complex evaluation of university education from the positions of social and economic effectiveness on the basis of the matrix of criteria; modern tendencies and perspectives of the development of educational environment are determined, as well as factors facilitating the achievement of the maximum effectiveness of educational activities in Russian universities.

Findings
The author offers her own vision of the main determinants of the growth of the effectiveness of university education within the framework of Russia’s integration into the global educational space.

Originality/value
The paper views the actual problems of the Russian system of higher education: lack of connection between labor market and market of educational services, decline in the quality of higher education in the country, reduction of intellectual potential of the youth, commercialization of higher education, etc.
Adaptive admissions process for effective and fair graduate admission
Authors: Zimmermann Judith , von Davier Alina , Heinimann Hans Rudolf 
Published: April 2017

PurposeGraduate admission has become a critical process for quality assurance in tertiary education. Hitherto, most research has investigated the validity of admissions instruments. However, surprisingly little work has been conducted on the overall organization of admission, which often remains “informal, ad hoc, and lacking in continuity.” The purpose of this paper is to investigate how to systematically design an admissions process for effectiveness, fairness, and the ability to continually improve, and determine how to condense and analyze the massive amount of data available from student records to obtain high-value feedback for admissions decision making.Design/methodology/approachAn admissions process was systematically designed based on results from process management theory. Tenets of decision theory were applied to the organization of decision making and validity theory was utilized for validating admissions instruments. Performance of the implemented process was evaluated via student records covering a seven-year period.FindingsThe authors have designed a four-phase admissions process that ensures high quality through screening, scoping, selection, and evaluation/feedback. The last phase introduces closed-loop control and facilitates stabilization and continual improvement. Additionally, the authors have established a three-stage decision-making hierarchy that promotes consistency and equal treatment in admissions. The evaluations of undergraduate achievements and GRE® General Test scores indicate that both are valid admissions instruments in the European context. Finally, the evaluation of the implemented process provides evidence that decision making has effectively improved over the years and has become more consistent.Originality/valueThe systematic design of the admissions process presented generalizes well and is a significant contribution to the organization of decentralized graduate admission.
The long and winding road
Authors: Calma Angelito 
Published: April 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an analysis of specific learning outcomes in an undergraduate commerce degree in a large research-intensive university in Australia.

Design/methodology/approach
It uses data collected from assurance of learning activities as part of Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business accreditation. A total of 267 assessments were marked using nine different rubrics in nine different subjects. It assessed six learning outcomes.

Findings
Results indicate that a number of skills deficits exist among commerce students’ application of mathematical tools, analysis of business issues or problems, demonstration and application of theories, models or concepts, describing alternative methods of analysis, and generating supported conclusions or solutions, and analysing the research of others. These findings tell us that there are a number of higher order thinking skills that students need to develop when they pursue a commerce degree. It also creates a challenge for universities to foster an environment where these skills are developed in the curriculum.

Practical implications
The wider implications to higher education include a reconsideration of the purpose of the commerce degree, the importance of feedback from various stakeholders (e.g. alumni, employers) to inform the commerce curriculum, and the range of learning experiences that develop these skills. More importantly, this study has identified specific skills deficits across the broad generic skills embedded in the commerce degree. It can assist academic staff and program managers in planning for future curriculum improvements as they see fit in the context of their own commerce programs.

Originality/value
This is a novel contribution in that it provides specific assessment of skills deficits in business undergraduate education.
Stochastic analysis of two non-identical unit parallel system incorporating waiting time
Authors: Chopra Garima , Ram Mangey 
Published: April 2017

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate various reliability metrics such as transition state probabilities, availability, reliability, mean time to failure and expected profit of two non-identical unit parallel system incorporating waiting time.

Design/methodology/approach
The present paper investigates the reliability of two non-identical unit parallel system with two types of failures: common cause failure and partial failure. Moreover, waiting time to repair, a significant aspect of reliability analysis, has also been incorporated. The considered system is assumed to function properly if at least one of the units is in operative mode. The present system is examined by using the supplementary variable technique and Laplace transformation.

Findings
Numerical calculation shows that the availability and the reliability of the system is minimum when the system is without partial failure and is maximum when the system is free from common cause failure. Finally, the cost analysis of the system reveals that the expected profit decreases with increase in service cost.

Originality/value
This paper presents a mathematical model of two dissimilar unit parallel system, through which the performance of the considered system can be improved.
Human resources ranking in a cloud-based knowledge sharing framework using the quality control criteria
Authors: Fouladi Parisa , Jafari Navimipour Nima 
Published: April 2017

Purpose
This paper aims to propose a new method for evaluating the quality and prioritizing of the human resources (HRs) based on trust, reputation, agility, expertise and cost criteria in the expert cloud. To evaluate some quality control (QC) factors, a model based on the SERVQUAL is used.

Design/methodology/approach
The aim of this paper is to offer a fast and simple method for selecting the HRs by the customers. To achieve this goal, the ranking diagram of different HRs based on the different criteria of QC is provided. By means of this method, the customer can rapidly decide on the selection of the required HRs. By using the proposed method, the scores for various criteria are evaluated. These criteria are used in the ranking of each HR which is obtained based on the evaluation conducted by previous customers and their colleagues. First, customers were asked to select their needed criteria and then by constructing a hierarchical structure, the ranking diagram of different HRs is achieved. Using a ranking system based on evaluating the quality of the model, satisfy the customer needs to be based on the properties of HRs. Also, an analytical hierarchical process-based ranking mechanism is proposed to solve the problem of assigning weights to features for considering the interdependence between them to rank the HRs in the expert cloud.

Findings
The obtained results showed the applicability of the radar graph using a case study and also numerically obtained results showed that a hierarchical structure increases the quality and speed rating of HR ranking than the previous works.

Originality/value
The suggested ranking method in this paper allows the optimal selection due to the special needs of any given customer in the expert cloud.
An approach to the match between panels of experts and groups of demanders in fuzzy linguistic environments
Authors: Li Ming , Wang Jun , Xu Yingcheng 
Published: April 2017

Purpose
Consulting experts is an effective way to utilize tacit resource. The purpose of the paper is to optimize the matching between panels of experts and groups of demanders to improve the efficiency of tacit knowledge sharing.

Design/methodology/approach
Experts and demanders express preferences using linguistic terms. The estimate method based on trust is developed to get missing ratings. Weights of demanders are determined and knowledge needs are identified. Three kinds of satisfaction are measured based on grey relational analysis. To maximize satisfaction of experts and demanders and safeguard meetings of knowledge needs as well as the workload of experts, the optimization model is constructed and the solution is optimal matching results.

Findings
The presented approach not only optimizes the matching between demanders and experts but also sets up a panel of experts in case that knowledge needs exceed a single expert’s capacity.

Research limitations/implications
The approach expands research works of methods for tacit knowledge sharing. The continuous updating of matching results and the processing of the data with mixing formats need to be studied further.

Practical implications
The presented approach acts as a valuable reference for the development of knowledge management systems. It can be used in any scene that needs the match between experts and demanders.

Originality/value
The approach provides a new way of helping demanders to find appropriate experts. Both experts’ and demanders’ preferences are considered. A panel of experts is set up when needed. Expert resources are utilized more efficiently and knowledge needs are met more comprehensively.
Openness and information technology: a bibliometric analysis of literature production
Authors: Blažun Vošner Helena , Bobek Samo , Sternad Zabukovšek Simona , Kokol Peter 
Published: April 2017

PurposeResearch in the field of openness has become very broad and, unfortunately, also opaque. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to analyse and map the trends by applying bibliometric tools to the scientific literature published between 1990 and 2015, for descriptive bibliometric analysis, and 2011 to 2015, for content analysis.Design/methodology/approachA bibliometric analysis was used to identify document types, most prolific institutions, countries, source titles and Web of Science categories in the field of openness. Furthermore, bibliometric mapping was performed to discover country and institutional cooperation networks and to be able to understand funding opportunities for openness and information technology research. Additionally, with content analysis, scientific landscape was produced with most prolific terms and their chronological evolution through time.FindingsThe first information sources were published in 1990, and production was steady until 1998. After that period, the growth becomes exponential for the total number of information sources, as well as articles and proceedings papers, with a slight decrease in growth between 2009 and 2011. Descriptive bibliometric analysis showed that the most productive countries were the USA, the UK, Germany, China, Italy and Spain.Originality/valueThis paper presents the first holistic bibliometric analysis of the literature production concerning openness in relation to information and communication technology which helps researchers in the field to better understand the relations between themes and outsiders to get an overview of the openness scientific landscape.
Stakeholder perceptions of secondary education quality in Sokoto State, Nigeria
Authors: Ibrahim Yaro , Arshad Rozita , Salleh Dani 
Published: April 2017

Purpose
This study aims to obtain stakeholder perceptions of secondary education quality in Sokoto State, Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research approach was used by conducting interviews. Data were purposively collected from a sample of 15 education stakeholders in Sokoto State, and analyzed to extract major themes using the NVivo software program.

Findings
The results of the interviews suggested that high-quality education is defined by the following seven dimensions that fell under a systems-based framework: the provision of adequate instructional materials, the provision of educational infrastructure, imparting the “right” knowledge, meeting education “yardsticks”, provision of teacher support and welfare, creating a conducive learning atmosphere and availability of high-quality teachers.

Research limitations/implications
The research is confined to the Sokoto State only. Although the findings may be applicable to other states of the Nigerian federation, the qualitative research design limits generalization beyond the present data. The research has methodological limitations in that only a qualitative approach was used in obtaining and analyzing the data.

Practical implications
This study presents dimensions of, and a definition of, secondary education quality, as perceived by education stakeholders in Sokoto State, Nigeria. This systems-based definition could be useful to the government in re-designing its educational plans and ensuring quality in secondary education programs. Once fully applied in the educational system, issues of low-quality education and graduation of unprepared students can be addressed more systematically. The goal of admitting more competent school leavers into tertiary institutions could also be pursued actively. Other social challenges, such as juvenile delinquency, can likewise be addressed. The study draws attention of those responsible for education provision in Nigeria to look inward to focus on those dimensions that need prompt and urgent improvements so that education quality can be ensured for a better society.

Originality/value
This study provides a systems-based framework of educational quality to guide school improvement efforts in Nigerian secondary schools that reflect values of regional stakeholders. This study demonstrates an easy-to-apply method for deriving educational quality indicators with stakeholder involvement. The dimensions obtained are supported by theory and the literature discussed.
Plant traits of propagule banks and standing vegetation reveal flooding alleviates impacts of agriculture on wetland restoration
Authors: Dawson Samantha K. , Warton David I. , Kingsford Richard T. , Berney Peter , Keith David A. , Catford Jane A. 
Published: April 2017

Summary

Restoration of degraded plant communities requires understanding of community assembly processes. Human land use can influence plant community assembly by altering environmental conditions and species’ dispersal patterns. Flooding, including from environmental flows, may counteract land use effects on wetland vegetation. We examined the influence of land use history and flood frequency on the functional composition of wetland plant communities along a regulated river.

We applied fourth corner modelling to determine species’ trait‐based responses to flooding and land use by combining data on (i) the occupancy and abundance of species in propagule banks and standing vegetation, (ii) species traits, and (iii) environmental conditions of 22 standing vegetation and 108 soil propagule bank study sites. We used analysis of deviance to test how well each dataset characterised trait–environment interactions, and generalised linear models to identify traits related to species’ responses.

The occupancy and abundance of native species in the propagule bank and standing vegetation increased with flood frequency and decreased with duration of agricultural land use. Species in standing vegetation with water‐borne propagule dispersal (hydrochory) showed similar trends. In contrast, species with higher specific leaf area were associated with longer land use duration.

Identifying trait‐based differences in the propagule bank and standing vegetation can help disentangle effects of dispersal and environmental filters. The occupancy and abundance of hydrochorous species in standing vegetation were negatively related to land use duration, but hydrochorous species were positively related to land use duration based on their abundance in the propagule bank. This suggests that land use does not limit plant dispersal, but acts as an in situ abiotic filter, limiting species present in standing vegetation.

Synthesis and applications. Land use duration and flood frequency have opposite effects on plant community traits in floodplain wetlands of the Macquarie Marshes, Australia. Legacies of agriculture can impede restoration of plant communities. Environmental flows that increase flooding may alleviate these impacts, especially in areas that have been used for agriculture for over 20 years, by providing dispersal and environmental filters that favour native wetland species. More flooding will likely be required to restore floodplains with longer histories of agricultural land use compared to floodplains less impacted by agriculture.
Ergogenic properties of metformin in simulated high altitude
Authors: Scalzo Rebecca L. , Paris Hunter L. , Binns Scott E. , Davis Janelle L. , Beals Joseph W. , Melby Christopher L. , Luckasen Gary J. , Hickey Matthew S. , Miller Benjamin F. , Hamilton Karyn L. , Bell Christopher 
Published: April 2017

SummaryMetformin augments glucose/glycogen regulation and may acutely promote fatigue resistance during high‐intensity exercise. In hypobaric environments, such as high altitude, the important contribution of carbohydrates to physiological function is accentuated as glucose/glycogen dependence is increased. Because hypoxia/hypobaria decreases insulin sensitivity, replenishing skeletal muscle glycogen in high altitude becomes challenging and subsequent physical performance may be compromised. We hypothesized that in conditions where glycogen repletion was critical to physical outcomes, metformin would attenuate hypoxia‐mediated decrements in exercise performance. On three separate randomly ordered occasions, 13 healthy men performed glycogen‐depleting exercise and ingested a low‐carbohydrate dinner (1200 kcals, <10% carbohydrate). The next morning, in either normoxia or hypoxia (FiO2=0.15), they ingested a high‐carbohydrate breakfast (1225 kcals, 70% carbohydrate). Placebo (719 mg maltodextrin) or metformin (500 mg BID) was consumed 3 days prior to each hypoxia visit. Subjects completed a 12.5 km cycle ergometer time trial 3.5 hours following breakfast. Hypoxia decreased resting and exercise oxyhemoglobin saturation (P<.001). Neither hypoxia nor metformin affected the glucose response to breakfast (P=.977), however, compared with placebo, metformin lowered insulin concentration in hypoxia 45 minutes after breakfast (64.1±6.6 μU/mL vs 48.5±7.8 μU/mL; mean±SE; P<.001). Post‐breakfast, pre‐exercise vastus lateralis glycogen content increased in normoxia (+33%: P=.025) and in hypoxia with metformin (+81%; P=.006), but not in hypoxia with placebo (+27%; P=.167). Hypoxia decreased time trial performance compared with normoxia (P<.01). This decrement was similar with placebo (+2.6±0.8 minutes) and metformin (+1.6±0.3 minutes). These results indicate that metformin promotes glycogen synthesis but not endurance exercise performance in healthy men exposed to simulated high altitude.