bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Agility evaluation in fuzzy context: influence of decision-makers’ risk bearing attitude
Authors: Mishra Swagatika , Sankar Mahapatra Siba , Datta Saurav 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of decision-makers’ (DM) risk bearing attitudes and the effect of the decision-making environment on estimating the overall degree of agility of an organization. The present study explores an extended agility model in a specific organization's hierarchy and reflects how decision-making attitudes alter an organizational agility scenario.

Design/methodology/approach
– The concept of fuzzy logic has been explored in this paper. Based on DMs’ linguistic judgments, a fuzzy appropriateness rating as well as fuzzy priority weights have been determined for different levels of agile system hierarchy. Using a multi-grade fuzzy approach the overall agility index has been determined. The concept of fuzzy numbers ranking has been explored to show the effect of decision-making attitudes on agility estimations.

Findings
– Decision-making attributes, e.g. the category of DM (neutral, risk-averse and risk-taking), affect the quantitative evaluation of the overall agility degree, which is correlated with a predefined agility measurement scale.

Research limitations/implications
– This study explores a triangular fuzzy membership function to express DMs’ linguistic judgments as fuzzy representations. Apart from triangular fuzzy numbers, trapezoidal and Gaussian fuzzy numbers may also be used for agility evaluation. The model may be used in other agile industries for benchmarking and selection of the best approach.

Practical implications
– Selecting the right decision-making group to compute and analyze the agility level for a particular organization is an important managerial decision. In the case of benchmarking of various agile enterprises the decision-making group bearing the same attitude should be utilized.

Originality/value
– Agile system modeling and development of agility appraisement platforms have been attempted by previous researchers while the influence of DMs’ risk bearing attitudes, and the effect of the decision-making environment on estimating the overall degree of agility, have rarely been studied. In this context, the authors explore an exhaustive agility model for implementing in a case study and reveal how decision-making attitudes alter organizational agility scenarios.
Analysis of BSC perspectives as related to the alignment of environmental uncertainty and supply chain strategy
Authors: Rahimnia Fariborz , Keyvanipoor Samira , Moghadasian Mahdi 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– Selecting the right supply chain (SC) strategy which is aligned with environmental uncertainty will definitely improve SC performance. Lee (2002) proposed a framework to consider the impact of alignment between SC strategy and environmental uncertainty and its impact on SC performance. The purpose of this paper is to apply this framework in Iran and extend it using balanced scorecard (BSC) approach.

Design/methodology/approach
– A research survey was completed to consider the aim of this research. A total of 124 questionnaires were returned.

Findings
– The alignment between SC strategy and environmental uncertainty and its positive impact on SC performance has been proven (except for risk-hedging strategy). Efficient strategy enhances all the four BSC perspectives, while agile strategy only improves learning and growth perspective.

Originality/value
– This research extends the work of Lee (2002) and Sun et al. (2009) by emphasizing the impact of SC strategy on each of the four perspectives of BSC.
Benchmarking operational efficiency in the integrated water service provision
Authors: lo Storto Corrado 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– This is a benchmarking study and the purpose of this paper is to investigate if there is any association between operational efficiency in the integrated water management industry in Italy and the typology of service providers, and as a consequence, the nature of concession contract.Design/methodology/approach– The study is focussed on 38 optimal territorial areas (ATOs), e.g. a circumscribed geographical area where the provision of integrated water services is considered efficient. It uses Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to calculate ATO efficiency and a stepwise regression procedure performed to investigate the effect of contract type on the operational efficiency rate of the ATO.Findings– This study shows that there are some inefficiencies in the water service supply industry in Italy. The estimated average pure technical and scale efficiency of ATOs are 92.62 and 93.91 percent, respectively, while the average technical efficiency is 87.61 percent and the lowest is slightly higher than 13 percent. Operational inefficiencies might not be determined by size only. In fact, results show that the water service provider and contract agreement typologies are associated with efficiency. In particular, operational efficiency is higher in those ATOs where the water service supply concession contracts that fit the schemes of the new legislative framework prevail or where the service is mostly provided by a private equity owned or by mixed public-private companies.Research limitations/implications– It was assumed that any incremental level of water quality beyond the minimum acceptable threshold as required by law is not important to increase the operation efficiency score; henceforth, no variables measuring the water quality were introduced in the DEA model. The result of the study may be not fully representative of the Italian water service sector, because the unavailability of accurate and consistent public databank in Italy did not allowed to have a larger sample.Practical implications– This paper is one of the first in Italy to investigate the association between the operational efficiency of the ATOs and the nature of water service providers and contract agreements used.Originality/value– This paper is one of the first in Italy to investigate the association between the operational efficiency of the ATOs and the nature of water service providers and contract agreements used.
Defined benefit pension decline: the consequences for organizations and employees
Authors: de Thierry Ebony , Lam Helen , Harcourt Mark , Flynn Matt , Wood Geoff 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to use the theoretical and empirical pension literatures to question whether employers are likely to gain any competitive advantage from degrading or eliminating their employees’ defined benefit (DB) pensions.Design/methodology/approach– Critical literature review, bringing together and synthesizing the industrial relations, economics, social policy, and applied pensions literature.Findings– DB pension plans do deliver a number of potential performance benefits, most notably a decrease in turnover and establishment of longer-term employment relationships. However, benefits are more pronounced in some conditions than others, which are identified.Research limitations/implications– Most of the analysis of pension effects to date focuses primarily on DB plans. Yet, these are declining in significance. In the years ahead, more attention needs to be paid to the potential consequences of defined contribution plans and other types of pension.Practical implications– In re-evaluating DB pensions, firms have tended to focus on savings made through cost cutting. Yet, this approach tends to view a firm's people as an expense rather a potential asset. Attempts to abandon, modify, or otherwise reduce such schemes has the potential to save money in the short term, but the negative long-term consequences may be considerable, even if they are not yet obvious.Originality/value– This paper is topical in that it consolidates existing research evidence from a number of different bodies of literature to make a case for the retention of DB pension plans, when, in many contexts, they are being scaled back or discarded. It raises a number of important issues for reflection by practitioners, and highlights key agendas for future scholarly research.
Determinants of innovative behavior of employees: evidence from Spanish firms
Authors: Teresa Ortega-Egea M. , Ruiz Moreno Antonia , Carmen Haro Domínguez M. 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the presence of communication and knowledge flows influences the creation of a work context that supports innovation, and how this relationship is moderated by labor externalization.Design/methodology/approach– To study these relationships, the authors use a sample of 249 workers from five organizations. The different hypotheses proposed are contrasted using hierarchical regression analysis.Findings– The results obtained show the authors that, when communication flows exist, workers’ orientation to innovation is greater; likewise, knowledge transfer influences workers’ innovative attitude positively. However, the results are different when externalization of workers acts as a moderating variable.Practical implications– The firm's management should make decisions and foster the production of information flows between employees, as the results obtained indicate that communication and knowledge transfer encourage employee attitudes and behavior favorable to innovation.Originality/value– The main contribution of this study is to provide new empirical evidence on the influence of communication and knowledge flows on workers’ orientation to innovation. The authors also analyze how these relationships are affected by the presence of externalization. The evidence obtained in this study permits to deduce what actions foster or inhibit organizations in creating a work context that supports innovation and thus encourages the generation of innovation.
Preschool teachers’ resilience and their readiness for building children's resilience
Authors: Bouillet Dejana , Pavin Ivanec Tea , Miljević-Riđički Renata 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the resilience of preschool teachers, aspects of teachers’ readiness to develop children's resilience and the relationship between the two constructs of resilience and readiness.

Design/methodology/approach
– Two instruments (the “Resilience Scale For Adults” and the “Questionnaire on the Readiness of Preschool Teachers for Developing Children's Resilience”) were used to collect data on resilience and readiness for developing children's resilience from 191 female preschool teachers enrolled in a graduate education programme in the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Croatia. Data were analysed by factor analyses and a two-way analyses of variance.

Findings
– Results indicate that preschool teachers achieve high results on resilience measures, and that they have supportive attitudes towards programmes for building children's resilience and are willing to implement such programmes in their everyday practice. Those preschool teachers who perceived themselves as more resilient also considered that they were more competent in developing resilience in children. Additionally, preschool teachers who perceived their kindergarten's institutional climate as supportive, felt that they are more competent for fostering resilience in children, and were at the same time more willing to implement programmes for building children's resilience.

Research limitations/implications
– The findings suggest that the level of institutional supportiveness is related to preschool teachers’ competence and willingness to foster resilience in children. Those preschool teachers who perceive their institutional climate as supportive feel more willing and competent to implement programmes for developing children's resilience. Additionally, teachers’ competence for developing resilience in children is related to their own resilience: more resilient preschool teachers feel more competent to foster children's resilience. These results suggest that general institutional climate and resilience of those adults who work with preschool children are important aspects of early educational environment, and should be taken into consideration when planning the implementation of programmes for building children's resilience.

Originality/value
– This research is the first Croatian research on resilience in the context of early childhood education. It also represents a contribution to a relatively small number of studies that link preschool teachers’ resilience with their readiness to foster resilience in children.
Off-price versus price-off
Authors: L. Hess Jr Ronald , Ring Lawrence 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to better understand the unique competitive positioning characteristics of off-price retailers and how they compare to other types of retailers. The authors compare off-price and upscale off-price retailers with four major formats of retailers: first, discount department store/warehouse club retailers; second, moderate department store retailers; third, department store retailers; and finally, specialty department store retailers.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper employs a representative sample that was randomly drawn from four primary metropolitan cities in the USA. The data were collected using telephone interviews by a prominent, marketing research firm. A series of discriminant analyses were conducted to examine the data.

Findings
– The findings of the paper indicate that the off-price formats were consistently positioned at extreme points along the price/value continuum, signifying the strongest value-orientation among the other retail formats. The authors also found that while the upscale off-price format followed the specialty department stores in terms of fashion. The results point to an important disadvantage of the off-price format – although strong on price/value, they often fall short on fashion and many other store attributes that may be important to luxury-oriented customers.

Research limitations/implications
– The paper employed a sample from several cities collected using a telephone interview methodology within the US. Due to these limitations, the findings of this paper may be hampered by this methodology and not generalize to regions outside of the US. Future research should examine how the demise of most of the upscale off-price retailers and growth of flash web sites have changed the competitive structure of retailing.

Practical implications
– The results demonstrate that the positioning of the off-price retail format is unique from other formats. The retail formats occupy distinct positions. The off-price retail format is strongly associated with the price/value position but only moderately fashionable to customers, especially when compared with the department and specialty department store formats. In contrast, the upscale off-price format, while also strongly positioned along the price/value continuum, is considered much more fashionable than the off-price retail format. In fact, the upscale off-price retail format only trails the specialty department store format in terms of fashion.

Originality/value
– The unique characteristics of the off-price retail format and growing interest from upscale department stores underscores the need for a comprehensive understanding of the motives of the off-price shopper. This paper provides retailers with a more complete understanding of the store attributes that differentiate the off-price retail format from other major retail store formats. The overall objective of this study is to offer a comprehensive view of the positioning of off-price retailers compared with many alternative retail formats.
Network uniformity and risk of reclassification of the franchise contract
Authors: Perrigot Rozenn , Basset Guy , Briand Danièle , Cliquet Gérard 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– Network uniformity is crucial in franchising, but an excessive number of imposed constraints to maintain this uniformity jeopardizes a franchisee’s independence and too much independence given to franchisees jeopardizes franchise network uniformity. So, how to find an equilibrium and avoid the reclassification of a franchise contract as a branch manager contract or as an employment contract with all its related consequences? The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– The research is based on a multiple cases approach. The four complementary cases deal with Yves Rocher (cosmetics and body/face care), Bata (shoes), Fiventis (real estate, life insurance and tax-sheltered savings products), and France Acheminement (express transportation), all analyzed in the French context.

Findings
– A franchise contract can be reclassified as a branch manager contract if there is economic dependence or as an employment contract if there is a legal subordination relationship. These reclassifications have not only financial consequences, but also an impact in terms of image.

Research limitations/implications
– The research is based on secondary data. Collecting data along with interviews of franchisors and franchisees would be beneficial.

Practical implications
– The research is of specific interest to franchisors, franchise experts and lawyers in terms of minimizing the possible risks of facing such types of reclassification of franchise contracts. It can also inform franchisees who may be running their businesses under such conditions.

Originality/value
– This paper uses a business and law approach in order to analyze the paradox of network uniformity and franchisee autonomy and raises the question of “how to find equilibrium?”
Examining retail customer experience and the moderation effect of loyalty programmes
Authors: Lin Zhibin , Bennett Dag 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine the construct of retail customer experience (CE) and its links to satisfaction and loyalty; and to test whether loyalty programmes perform a moderating effect on those links.Design/methodology/approach– A variety of retail attributes are integrated to develop a holistic CE construct using formative measures, with four in-built, differentiated replication studies conducted in the supermarket and department store sectors in China.Findings– The empirical results confirm the model of CE’s impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty; but reveal that loyalty programmes perform an insignificant moderating role in enhancing the linkages in the model.Research limitations/implications– Further studies may examine whether our findings hold true for each individual loyalty programme. The paper calls for more studies based on multiple, in-built, differentiated replication studies and measures to encourage publication of negative empirical results so as to ensure empirical generalization and self-correction in the literature.Practical implications– Retail managers should focus attention on the design and delivery of great CE, without placing great reliance on loyalty programmes. Both cognitive and emotional attributes of retailing services should be considered for managing a holistic CE.Originality/value– The paper examines a model of CE with loyalty programme as a possible moderator; it uses formative measures of CE, multiple in-built replications and reports negative empirical results, which are critical to the development of scientific progress in retail management research.
Digital TV innovations: industry and user perspective
Authors: Jennes Iris , Van den Broeck Wendy 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– This paper aims to focus on how innovative strategies take users into account. On the one hand, it will look at how the different stakeholders in the TV value network implement user behaviour. On the other hand, it will focus on how users perceive traditional advertising and new advertising formats (e.g. personalised advertising, interactive advertising).

Design/methodology/approach
– The applied research method is a combination of expert interviews with different actors in the TV sector and qualitative user research on viewers’ expectations towards advertising and new advertising formats in a digital era.

Findings
– This paper looks at customer ownership, (inter-media) audience fragmentation and audience autonomy as important concepts in understanding innovation and strategies within the Flemish commercial TV sector and how user behaviour is implemented.

Originality/value
– More specifically, ad skipping (zipping) and second-screen applications are studied. To conclude, the findings of the research are linked to relevant policy questions and challenges for audience members and actors within the television industry.
Designing for participatory governance: assessing capabilities and toolkits in public service delivery
Authors: van der Graaf Shenja , Veeckman Carina 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this study is yield insight into how cities can optimize citizen involvement in the co-development of citizen services by providing the rights tools, knowledge and resources.

Design/methodology/approach
– By conducting a case study analysis of the city of Ghent, this study investigates how users are engaged in the development of mobile applications on a city-hosted platform.

Findings
– Findings show that public service delivery, related to the urban space, can be co-designed between the city and its citizens, if different toolkits aligned with the specific capacities and skills of the citizens are provided.

Research limitations/implications
– Data were collected between August 2012 and December 2013. Some preliminary findings are presented on the (design of the) dynamic co-creation ecosystem and the citizens’ capacities to participate on the city-hosted platform. In addition, while the examination is still ongoing some insights can be offered in the learning dynamics underpinning how the cities are setting up such a bottom-up process and how local participation for different citizen groups can be optimized in the context of design capabilities and the design space.

Originality/value
– This study yields relevant insights for policymakers, city administrations, as well as Living Lab practitioners into how public service delivery, supported by an inclusive participatory governance by design framework at the local level, can be co-designed between the city and citizens, if different toolkits aligned with the specific capacities and skills of the users are provided. By providing tailored tools, even ordinary citizens can take a much more active role in the development and appropriation of their urban space and generate solutions from which both the city and citizens’ everyday life can possibly benefit.