bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Succession planning and staff development – a winning combination
Authors: Hall-Ellis Sylvia D. 
Published: August 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this column is to explain the importance of succession planning. Departures of retiring employees and colleagues moving to another workplace can have significant consequences on the organization. A well-designed and coordinated succession plan that is integrated with leadership development can enable the library administrator to avoid reliance on a replacement process that is narrowly focused on finding a new version of the departed colleague. Selecting the most qualified and well-prepared candidate for a leadership position is a critical decision because of its paramount impact on current and future activities. The library or information center benefits when transitions and professional development become opportunities to embed succession planning into the organizational culture.

Design/methodology/approach
– The column is an opinion piece based on literature review.

Findings
– A well-designed and coordinated succession plan that is integrated with leadership development can enable the library administrator to avoid reliance on a replacement process that is narrowly focused on finding a new version of the departed colleague.

Originality/value
– This is an original article with perspectives not frequently found in library literature.
Transaction costs and performance variation of agricultural operators
Authors: Yu Kangkang , Zhu Xinkai , Chen Xuan 
Published: August 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between transaction costs and the performance variance of peasant households and specialized cooperatives, as well as to explore whether or not this relationship varies across different regions in China.Design/methodology/approach– Based on the transaction cost theory (TCT) and the contingency theory (CT), a survey was undertaken at county level to support the main effects and moderating effects and the results were analyzed using a general linear model. A complementary case study was also used to further discuss the results.Findings– It was found that the change rate of peasant households’ scope of operation is sensitive to inadequate market information, purchase and sales expense and resolving disputes expense. In terms of specialized cooperatives, the change rate of their scale of operations is sensitive to inadequate market information, the chances of violating an agreement and incomplete norms. The moderating effect of regional classification is supported in terms of purchase and sales expenses on the performance variance of peasant households, and in terms of inadequate market information on the performance variance of specialized cooperatives.Research limitations/implications– First, the data were collected at the county level, which could only reflect the conditions of the macro-environment. Second, many variables were designed as dummies for the sake of brevity and efficiency, because the respondents were officers in local agricultural departments. Third, transaction costs may not have a direct effect on the variance of productivity but indirect through many potential mediators.Practical implications– The results not only provide useful information for agricultural operators to analyze the transaction costs related to their forms of organization, but also impartial advice for policy makers to consider the form of agricultural operators in different regions.Originality/value– This study focusses on the role of the external environment by integrating the TCT and CT theory. Furthermore, it seeks to explore whether the relationship between transaction costs and the performance variance of peasant households and specialized cooperatives varies across different regions of China.
Social capital influences farmer participation in collective irrigation management in Shaanxi Province, China
Authors: Miao Shanshan , Heijman Wim , Zhu Xueqin , Lu Qian 
Published: August 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of four components of social capital on farmers’ participative behaviour in collective actions for constructing and operating small-scale groundwater irrigation systems on the Guanzhong Plain, Shaanxi Province, China.Design/methodology/approach– The four components (social networks, social trust, social reciprocity and social participation) were derived by employing exploratory factor analysis. Logistic model was used to estimate the influence of these components on farmers’ participative behaviour. Information was obtained from a field survey covering six counties in 2011 of Shaanxi Province, China.Findings– The findings indicate that considering different components of social capital allows for a better understanding of farmers’ participative behaviour. The authors find that higher levels of social trust and social participation lead to a higher propensity for collective action, while social reciprocity reduces the probability of participation. Other socio-economic factors and farming characteristics such as education levels, cultivated area, cropping patterns and grain subsidies also have a significant impact.Practical implications– The findings suggest creating favourable conditions for communication and information exchanges between households, which enhance their trust of each other, and encourage farmers to participate in collective affairs. Moreover, supportive rules are necessary for the future development of collective action. The results of this study also have implications for national irrigation plans for small-scale irrigation facilities in other developing countries.Originality/value– A consideration of the different components of social capital allows for a more precise understanding of farmers’ participative behaviour.
Is China the price taker in soybean futures?
Authors: Liu Bruce Jianhe , Wang Yubin , Wang Jingjing , Wu Xin , Zhang Shu 
Published: August 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether China is still a passive price taker from the US soybean futures, or instead domestic futures market has developed certain degrees of pricing power through time. The finding helps to identify the importance of China soybean futures in the perspective of portfolio selection for international futures traders. If China soybean futures market is no longer a price taker after the subprime crisis, traders need to include it as a separate category in their portfolio.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper uses exponential generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity-generalized error distribution (EGARCH-GED) and generalized autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity-generalized error distribution (GARCH-GED) models to test spillover effects between Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) and Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) soybean futures. The authors divide daily samples into three subperiods based on the subprime crisis. Three research questions – whether China is still the price taker, the importance of Chinese soybean futures in international futures portfolio selection, and the influences of subprime crisis on soybean futures volatility relationship – are examined by comparing estimation results through time and different contracts.

Findings
– The spillover effect from CBOT soybean futures to DCE No. 1 soybean futures becomes weaker through time. China is no longer a soybean futures price taker after the subprime crisis. The authors also find the shocks of bearish news on DCE soybeans are greater than those of bullish news. Potential volatility of DCE in long positions is bigger than that in short positions.

Practical implications
– China is the largest soybean importer. DCE is a very important futures market for non-genetically modified soybeans. It is necessary for both international and domestic futures traders to understand the changes in international soybean futures price relationship and take corresponding strategies. It is also important for market to realize that DCE soybean futures are to a less degree price taker after the subprime crisis.

Originality/value
– The paper applies EGARCH-GED and GARCH-GED models to identify changes in spillover effects before, during, and after the subprime crisis. Different from other studies, this paper finds after the subprime crisis, China is no longer the soybean futures price taker. This paper also compares the spillover effects of non-genetically modified soybean futures (No. 1 soybean futures) with genetically modified soybean futures (No. 2 soybean futures).
The effects of location-based-services on consumer purchase intention at point of purchase
Authors: Gazley Aaron , Hunt Adam , McLaren Lachlan 
Published: August 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to empirically test a conceptual model, analysing the effects that features of mobile phone location-based advertising (MLBA) services (customisation, permission and intrusiveness) have on attitudes and purchase intentions, using the theory of interactive advertising. In addition, the moderating effect of receiving such messages at point of purchase (POP) is assessed.

Design/methodology/approach
– Scenario-based online surveys were used, which manipulated the timing and levels of customisation of the message. Responses were received from 422 “net generation” consumers.

Findings
– Customisation, permission and intrusiveness all have a direct effect on consumer attitudes towards MLBA messages, and subsequently purchase intention. In addition, receiving such messages at POP strengthens the relationships between intrusiveness and attitudes, but surprisingly weakens the effect of customisation on attitudes.

Research limitations/implications
– Future research could consider more widespread product categories and try to measure actual behaviour. There is also potential to investigate mobile relationship marketing.

Practical implications
– Through permission, consumers can control the flow of messages and customise the messages they receive. While consumers benefit greatly, managers also gain opportunities through facilitating co-creative functions. These efforts will be in vain, however, if the consumer perceives the messages to be intrusive.

Originality/value
– While there is much research that looks at the impact of interactive advertising features on attitudes and behaviour, research has yet to consider these factors in an MLBA context. In addition, it has not considered how providing such messages at POP can influence these relationships.
How sales manager experience and historical data trends affect decision making
Authors: DeCarlo Thomas , Roy Tirthankar , Barone Michael 
Published: August 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to examine how trends in historical data influence two types of predictive judgments: territory selection and salesperson hiring. Sales managers are confronted frequently with decisions that explicitly or implicitly involve forecasting with limited information. In doing so, they conceptualize how the magnitude of these trend effects may be affected by the experience managers have in making these types of judgments. Study 1 provides evidence of a curvilinear relationship between experience and reliance on the trend data whereby the sales territory selections of novice sales managers exhibited greater susceptibility to informational trends than did the evaluations of naïve and expert decision-makers. A benchmark analysis in Study 2 further revealed that the salesperson selections made by novice and expert sales managers were equally biased, albeit in opposite directions, with novices overweighting and experts underweighting historical performance trends. Implications of these findings are discussed, as are avenues for future research.Design/methodology/approach– The authors employ an online experimental design methodology of practicing managers. For Study 1, they use regression, whereas Study 2 uses a deterministic process to develop a priori predictive benchmark forecasts. Ordinary least squares is then used to estimate manager’s decisions, which are then compared to the predictive forecasts to determine accuracy.Findings– Study 1 provides evidence of a curvilinear relationship between experience and reliance on the trend data whereby the sales territory selections of novice sales managers exhibited greater susceptibility to informational trends than did the evaluations of naïve and expert decision-makers. A benchmark analysis in Study 2 further revealed that the salesperson selections made by novice and expert sales managers were equally biased, albeit in opposite directions, with novices overweighting and experts underweighting historical performance trends.Originality/value– The present inquiry is the first to provide insights into an important issue that has been the subject of equivocal findings, namely, whether experience in a judgmental domain exerts a facilitating or debilitating effect on sales manager decision-making. In this regard, some research supports the intuition that experience in making a particular type of decision can insulate managers from judgmental bias and, in doing so, improve decision quality (see Shanteau, [1992a] for a summary). In contrast, other work provides a more pessimistic view by demonstrating that the quality of decision-making is either unaffected by or can erode with additional experience (Hutchinsonet al., 2010). To help reconcile these conflicting findings, the authors presented and tested a theoretical framework conceptualizing how trends may influence predictive judgments across three levels of decision-maker experience.
When James Bond shows off his Omega: does product placement affect its media host?
Authors: Marchand Andre , Hennig-Thurau Thorsten , Best Sabine 
Published: August 2015

Purpose– This paper aims to contribute to the marketing literature and practice by examining the effect of product placements on the host brand. The declining effectiveness of traditional advertising has prompted increasing interest in strategies for placing products in media programming. Most existing research adopt the perspective of the brands embedded in media products, with limited attention to the impact that product placement has on the media product that serves as a host brand for the embedded brands. The authors investigate this effect in the context of motion pictures and develop a theory-driven conceptual model.Design/methodology/approach– The authors test their hypotheses with two experiments in which randomly assigned participants view one of seven versions of a custom-made, seven-minute short film that differ in their level of placement prominence.Findings– The results from a mediation analysis indicate that, after controlling for audiences’ general attitudes toward the embedded brand, greater placement prominence heightens consumers’ reactance to persuasion attempts and negatively affects their evaluations of the host brand. Apost hocexperiment confirms that even very low levels of placement prominence can worsen host brand evaluations.Originality/value– This research is among the first to investigate the effects of product placement from a host brand perspective. It issues a warning to producers of entertainment content: a product placement strategy may generate additional earnings, but it also can lower audiences’ evaluations of the focal entertainment product.
Local revenue response to service quality: spatial effects in seasonal ticket revenue data
Authors: Müller Sven , Haase Knut 
Published: August 2015

Purpose– This paper aims to consider spatial effects in the analysis of the relationship of revenue and service quality. When firms’ customers are located in spatially dispersed areas, it can be difficult to manage service quality on a geographically small scale because the relative importance of service quality might vary spatially. Moreover, standard approaches discussed so far in the marketing science literature usually neglect spatial effects, such as spatial dependencies (e.g. spatial autocorrelation) and spatial drift (spatial non-stationarity).Design/methodology/approach– The authors propose a comprehensive but intelligible approach based on spatial econometric methods that cover spatial dependencies and spatial drift simultaneously. In particular, they incorporate the spatial expansion method (spatial drift) into spatial econometric models (e.g. spatial lag model).Findings– Using real company data on seasonal ticket revenue (dependent variable) and service quality (independent variables) of a regional public transport service provider, the authors find that the elasticity for the length of the public transport network is between 0.2 and 0.5, whereas the elasticity for the headway is between −0.2 and 0.6, for example. The authors control for several socio-economic, socio-demographic and land-use variables.Practical implications– Based on the empirical findings, the authors show that addressing spatial effects of service data can improve management’s ability to implement programs aimed at enhancing seasonal ticket revenue. Therefore, they derive a spatial revenue response function that enables managers to identify small-scale areas that are most efficient in terms of increasing revenue by service improvement.Originality/value– The paper addresses the need to account for spatial effects in revenue response functions of public transport companies.
“Obviously in the cool group they wear designer things”
Authors: Nairn Agnes , Spotswood Fiona 
Published: August 2015

Purpose– This paper aims to propose the lens of social practice theory (SPT) as a means of deepening insights into childhood consumer culture.Design/methodology/approach– The data comprise four qualitative interviews and ten focus groups with 58 8-13 year olds in six diverse schools across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Transcripts were coded with NVIVO10. Analysis was guided by the three elements of SPT: materials, meaning and competence.Findings– Branded technology products and clothes consistently combined with both the socially sanctioned objective of achieving and maintaining a place in the peer hierarchy and also the three skills the authors have labelled “social consumption recognition”, “social consumption performance” and “social consumption communication” in regular, predictable ways to produce an ordered and, thus, reproducible nexus of actions. Analysis of the inter-relationship between these elements showed that children’s consumption is a specific practice, embedded in their everyday routines. Consumption is also linked inextricably to social position; children’s variable performance of it links with their degree of social acceptance and popularity.Research limitations/implications– Although the study included a broad cross-section of school catchment areas, they cannot be said to represent all British children. Nonetheless, SPT provides an alternative theoretical perspective on children’s consumption by shifting the focus away from the child, the social context or even the products, thus ceasing to privilege the notion that consumption is something external to children that they learn to be socialised into; or to consciously use for their own symbolic or other purposes; or that they have to be protected from.Social implications– Consumption practice is deeply embedded in children’s relationships and is inextricably linked to their well-being. Policies seeking to tackle any single element of the practice, such as media literacy training, are only likely to have limited effectiveness. This research implies that responsible marketing measures need to concentrate on the links between all the elements.Originality/value– This SPT analysis of children’s consumption makes three contributions. First, it provides a much-needed new theoretical perspective beyond the dominant but limited “consumer socialisation” research paradigm that confines analysis of children’s consumption to the functioning of their individual cognitive capacity. Second, it suggests new research methodologies for understanding the interaction between children and the commercial world. Third, it offers a different approach to policymakers tasked with the controversial issue of regulating marketing to children.
Which workers are more vulnerable to work intensification? An analysis of two national surveys
Authors: Le Fevre Mark , Boxall Peter , Macky Keith 
Published: August 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to identify whether there are particular employee groups that are more vulnerable to work intensification and its outcomes for well-being.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper utilises data collected in two representative national surveys in 2005 (n=1,004) and 2009 (n=1,016), first to determine which employee groups are most vulnerable to work intensification and, second, to identify who is more vulnerable to the impacts of high work intensity on well-being, in terms of job (dis)satisfaction, stress, fatigue, and work-life imbalance.

Findings
– Professionals reported significantly higher levels of work intensity than all other occupational groups, and higher levels of stress and work-life imbalance. In addition, full-time employees experienced greater work intensity than part-timers, and union members than non-union members. Public-sector employees reported greater stress and work-life imbalance than those in the private sector. There was also a small, but significant and consistent, interaction effect that identified women as more negatively impacted by high work intensity than men.

Research limitations/implications
– Professionals have become vulnerable workers, in the sense of high levels of work demand, and the notion of worker vulnerability needs to recognise this. Future research on vulnerable employees would benefit from a broader conception of what constitutes vulnerability, exploring a wider range of employee groups who might be considered vulnerable, and including a wider range of potential outcomes for the lives and well-being of the individuals concerned. In particular, a more finely grained examination of the working conditions of professionals would be desirable, as would a more detailed examination of the reasons for the higher negative impact of work intensity on women.

Practical implications
– One way of improving the sustainability of professional working is to foster higher rates of part-time working, which brings better outcomes in terms of stress and work-life balance. This, however, is hardly a societal remedy and the question of how to reverse deteriorating job quality among professionals, particularly those struggling to balance work and family demands, is something that needs much greater attention.

Originality/value
– The paper expands the notion of “vulnerable workers” to recognise those groups most at risk of work intensification, and the outcomes of that intensification for satisfaction, stress, fatigue, and work-life balance. The authors add to the small group of studies highlighting the degradation of professional work, as well as identifying other types of employee who are more vulnerable to work intensification. The use of two large-scale surveys, with a four-year gap, has allowed a high degree of consistency in the patterns of vulnerability to be revealed.