bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
More unintended consequences of use restrictions in confidentiality agreements
Authors: Caplan Gordon , Korn Jeffrey , Langdon Robert T. , Stebbins Robert B. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of careful review and negotiation of confidentiality agreements in corporate transactions and to discuss certain issues that arose out of a recent confidentiality agreement.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explores the factual background of the dispute and analyzes the court's decision.FindingsThis court decision and the recent decision of the Delaware Chancery Court in Martin Marietta Materials, Inc. v. Vulcan Materials Company highlight the importance of careful attention to the use restrictions when negotiating confidentiality agreements in corporate transactions.Practical implicationsThe decision highlights the need for careful negotiation and consideration of the terms of confidentiality agreements in the context of corporate transactions, especially use restrictions and exceptions thereto.Originality/valueThe paper provides guidance by lawyers experienced in the negotiation of standstill and use provisions in confidentiality agreements.
Application of Six Sigma at cell site construction: a case study
Authors: Ur Rehman Hakeem , Asif Muhammad , Aamir Saeed Muhammad , Asim Akbar Muhammad , Usman Awan Muhammad 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe aim of this case study‐based paper is to study the application of Six Sigma, a breakthrough improvement strategy in the field of cell site construction of a telecom company.Design/methodology/approachThis research provides action research of a Six Sigma project using DMAIC methodology carried out in cell site construction function of a telecom company. The research illustrates how the various Six Sigma tools and techniques were applied in a mutually inclusive manner in one project. The infrastructure department of the company had constructed 900 cell sites last year, out of which 150 were not according to standards and were either disapproved by the operations department or underwent maintenance soon after their use. In 2010, the company spent US$ 0.5 million on rework and maintenance at these sites, thus highlighting the urgency of the problem.FindingsThe paper shows how, after the implementation of the Six Sigma project, the company made savings worth US$ 0.45 million.Originality/valueSix Sigma as a means of waste reduction has gained popularity among researchers and practitioners. The literature on the methodology of Six Sigma and the management approach towards Six Sigma is burgeoning. While various Six Sigma tools and techniques and their application are discussed in literature independent of each other, the need has arisen to observe their systematic application as they apply in a project; every company can use this breakthrough improvement strategy to improve its processes by reducing waste and deriving the financial benefits.
Achieving customer service excellence using Lean Pull Replenishment
Authors: Kumar Sameer , Choe David , Venkataramani Shiv 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to highlight a key strategic initiative within the former ADC Company (now part of TE Connectivity) called “Lean Pull Replenishment”, designed and implemented to achieve Six Sigma customer service excellence. This case study would also help facilitate problem‐based learning pedagogy.Design/methodology/approachThe study showcases implementation of the Lean Pull Replenishment approach using the define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) framework. Key input variables were analyzed that contributed to historically inconsistent and unsatisfactory customer delivery performance. Analysis resulted in improving the allocative efficiency of critical input variables through pilot programs on strategic value streams by deploying dozens of kaizen events, and sustaining the gains through leveraging best practices and effective change management principles.FindingsThe study presents a strong case for the team work and the cultural transformation that occurred during the course of implementing this initiative across ADC supply chain. The paper also summarizes the improvement in customer service metrics and financials of the company.Originality/valueThrough this study, it has been established that with consistency of purpose, using the right tools for solving problems and through teaching Lean principles, remarkable results can be achieved, which can be sustained for the long‐term and become a self‐sustaining business philosophy.
Fair enough? Women and Fair Trade
Authors: McArdle Louise , Thomas Pete 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to consider the impact of Fair Trade on producers with particular reference to women involved in Fair Trade production.Design/methodology/approachThe paper considers Fair Trade as an alternative to rational economic models of free trade and as a tool for development. A gender and development (GAD) perspective is used to assess whether Fair Trade empowers women in developing nations.FindingsFair Trade offers an alternative to free trade within capitalist production and has a positive impact for producers. The impact on gender relations within producer communities is limited although there are benefits for some women involved in Fair Trade production.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is based on secondary data and highlights the need for more focused research, which explores the links between gender, cultural relations and Fair Trade.Originality/valueUnderstanding that while Fair Trade is usually considered as a positive developmental tool, its impacts are not homogeneous and are subject to the cultural gender relations that exist in producer communities. The paper highlights the need for a more systematic and longitudinal analysis of the impact of Fair Trade for women.
Social entrepreneurship in South Africa: a different narrative for a different context
Authors: Karanda Crispen , Toledano Nuria 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the phenomenon of social entrepreneurship, paying special attention to the new narratives that are emerging about this phenomenon in the context of Africa.Design/methodology/approachThe paper addresses this issue, by comparing the meanings of what is called “social” in this context and in developed areas. The paper's particular interest in the use of language and narratives is grounded in the experience of how narratives and stories are genuinely constitutive and perfomative of people's actions.FindingsThis paper reveals that “social” in the social entrepreneurship narratives does not necessarily have the same meaning in different contexts. Specifically, when the phenomenon is re‐interpreted in the context of the discourses that come from a developing area such as South Africa, it adds flexibility and a more local sense to the entrepreneurs' social missions.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was affected by the limited availability of published data on social entrepreneurship in Africa. Economic challenges and failures by governments to access donor funds have resulted in militant governance thereby reducing the role of social entrepreneurship to negligible levels.Originality/valueThe study provides a narrative lens of looking at the challenges that social entrepreneurship is facing in Africa.
The influence of herding behaviour on house prices
Authors: Hott Christian 
Published: November 2012

PurposeA comparison of fundamental house prices with actual prices indicates that house prices fluctuate more than fundamentally justified, a fact difficult to explain with standard rational agent models. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate to what extent herding behaviour among investors can be seen as an explanation for deviations of house prices from their fundamental value.Design/methodology/approachTo see whether house prices fluctuate more than fundamentally justified, the paper calculates a fundamental house price and compares it to the actual price for seven European and three non‐European OECD countries. Then the paper incorporates herding behaviour into the house‐price model and examines its influence on the development of prices.FindingsA comparison of the fundamental house prices with actual prices indicates that house prices fluctuate more than fundamentally justified. The calibration of the herding model indicates that it can help to explain fluctuations of actual house prices.Originality/valueThe incorporation of herding behaviour into a housing model and the calibration of its impact are the main innovations of this paper.
Risk identification and analysis in the hospitality industry
Authors: Bharwani Sonia , Mathews David 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the key risks which are endemic to the hospitality industry and considered as important by hoteliers in today's growing global context, with particular reference to the Indian context. It also seeks to propose a generic model for risk management.Design/methodology/approachPrimary data collection using questionnaires and semi‐structured qualitative interviews with hospitality professionals was supplemented by secondary research in the field of risk and uncertainty management.FindingsTo secure competitive advantage and develop business resilience, it is becoming increasingly important for hospitality organisations to shift their focus from merely responding and reacting to crises and emergency situations, to proactively identifying, analysing and assessing risks while formulating their business strategies. The paper identifies the most commonly addressed areas of risk in the Indian hospitality industry, which include competition, seasonality of business and changes in customer preferences and demand.Practical implicationsPractitioners, researchers and educationists in the hospitality industry will find the implications of this study useful in the context of the present complex business environment which is fraught with risks.Originality/valueGiven the dearth of research in the field of risk and uncertainty management in the hospitality industry, especially in the Indian context, the paper explores various aspects of hospitality operations prone to risk and proposes a framework for identifying the key risks in hospitality organisations. It also puts forward a generic model of the process of risk management.
Household Engel curve analysis for food, Beijing, China
Authors: Seale James L. , Bai Junfei , Wahl Thomas I. , Lohmar Bryan T. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the income sensitivity of food consumption in Beijing, China, using an original household survey data set collected by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.Design/methodology/approachAn Engel curve model is fit to the household data of nine food categories and 35 food items, and both conditional and unconditional expenditure elasticities of demand are calculated and reported for the nine food groups and the 35 food items.FindingsWorking's model fits the data well, and the elasticity estimates are all reasonable in terms of economic theory, size and signs. The results indicate a relative large range in income sensitivity among the nine food groups and 35 food items in response to changes in household food expenditure levels.Originality/valueThe research analyzes unique and rich urban household survey data collected by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and is the most comprehensive analysis to date in terms of the number of food items studied for which expenditure elasticities are calculated. These elasticities may be used to study household food consumption patterns, to calculate caloric or nutrient elasticities, to study obesity in China, to study policy prescriptions in terms of taxes and subsidies on food, to infer welfare and affluence, and may be used as inputs into econometric models such as those used by the World Bank, IFPRI, and others.
Measuring intellectual capital in the light of the EFQM Excellence Model: evidence from Hungary
Authors: Eszter Tóth Zsuzsanna , Jónás Tamás 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to ask how the EFQM Excellence Model and organizations' self‐assessment practice could contribute to the managerial and quantification efforts of intellectual capital (IC) and how indicators and measures applied during self‐assessment can be connected to well‐known intellectual capital measuring models such as Sveiby's Intangible Asset Monitor.Design/methodology/approachThe method applied highlights the potentials in the EFQM Excellence Model's criteria system to measure specific IC elements by studying the self‐assessment practice of 31 Hungarian National Quality Award (NQA) winners.FindingsThe EFQM Excellence Model is a suitable approach for characterizing the management and measurement of human, customer and structural capital within the organization.Research limitations/implicationsCorporations following regular self‐assessment practice have the ability to measure most of their intangibles, at least those which serve the traceability of strategic purposes and internal measuring objectives. IC measurement can be regarded as part of organizational excellence.Originality/valueThe criteria system of the EFQM Model makes synergic effects between single IC elements visible. Due to regular and systematic self‐assessments those IC elements are highlighted which support the execution of current strategic purposes. These fortify the contribution of IC management to strategy deployment.
Governance issues in BOT based PPP infrastructure projects in India
Authors: Santosh Kumar Delhi Venkata , Mahalingam Ashwin , Palukuri Seshanka 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to identify the combinations of economic, normative, reputational and cognitive mechanisms that can prevent post‐award governance challenges on build‐operate‐transfer (BOT) projects in India.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses an empirical, case‐study based methodology to collect data and analyzes the cases through the use of the qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) technique. The paper first identifies and classifies the various kinds of governance challenges and preventive mechanisms in BOT projects based on the extant literature. Empirical evidence on 11 BOT projects in India is gathered and QCA is employed to unearth the linkages between specific governance mechanisms and post‐award challenges on these projects.FindingsProject governance issues were identified across two dominant interfaces – one between the public and private sector and the other between the project and the societal stakeholders. Governance mechanisms based on providing shared incentives combined with the capacity to administer projects are effective in combating governance challenges across the public‐private sector interface. Cognitive mechanisms which make the project more accountable to the societal stakeholders are most effective across the project‐stakeholder interface.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings can be validated on larger data sets, across geographies, sectors and variety of PPP projects – currently the authors have only studied the BOT variant of PPPs.Practical implicationsThe authors’ “contingency” approach to governance can help decision makers select specific governance mechanisms based on a project's structure and risk profile to better ensure successful delivery of a BOT project's objectives.Originality/valuePost‐award governance of PPP projects is a theme that has received comparatively little attention in the extant literature. Further, while post‐award issues as well as governance mechanisms have been separately identified, very little work exists that links these two sets of constructs. This paper seeks to contribute to knowledge in this area by proposing some preliminary findings on the link between post‐award issues and governance mechanisms. In addition, the paper employs an innovative technique called QCA to analyze the case‐study data.
Quantitative analysis of defects in university buildings: user perspective
Authors: Abdul Lateef Olanrewaju A. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeDefect management is an important segment in building maintenance management. Although defect management requires systemic approach, the purpose of this paper is to focus on the measurement of defects in university buildings based on user perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews related literature and presents the outcome of a survey of 550 university buildings users, derived from a convenience sample from five universities.FindingsA total of 20 defects were found to be very critical to the building users. Faulty electrical systems, faulty air conditioning system and roof damages were the defects requiring urgent maintenance. Based on the findings, it was concluded that resources be directed towards defects that affect security, safety and comfort.Research limitations/implicationsThe list of 32 defects may not be exhaustive, but are indicative of defects that affect university building performance. Because the buildings are not prototypes, some of the findings required adaptation. The conclusions were based on data from five universities.Practical implicationsThis study is useful to maintenance organizations in efforts to increase users’ satisfaction, productivity and building performance by guiding resources allocation and at the same time reducing rework, dissatisfaction and waste. The findings would provide feedback and feed forward information and knowledge to the design and construction teams. The study provides a platform to integrate maintenance issues into the design and construction phases of building projects.Originality/valueThere is no such conclusive study on the maintenance of university buildings. Both academics and practitioners can apply the findings to their respective maintenance management scenarios.
Assessing risk in services for people with intellectual disability
Authors: Yacoub Evan , Latham Richard 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to make recommendations for practitioners on risk assessment in relation to people with intellectual disability.Design/methodology/approachThe authors summarise research in the area of risk assessment in order to recommend a practical approach for practitioners working in the field of intellectual disability psychiatry.FindingsRisk assessment for the purpose of predicting risk in an individual is not likely to be of value in clinical settings. The use of structured clinical judgement does however provide a comprehensive structure for considering relevant risk factors, developing an overall formulation relating to a specific risk and devising a risk management plan.Research limitations/implicationsMuch of the evidence is extrapolated from research with people without an intellectual disability.Practical implicationsThe use of structured clinical judgement is advocated as a useful tool for developing a risk management plan for practitioners working with people with intellectual disability in secure and community settings. The issues of training and the interface between community and security settings are explored.Originality/valueThe paper provides more clarity about the use of such tools in this population.
Sustainable refurbishment in building technology
Authors: Gohardani Navid , Björk Folke 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe aim of this review article is to identify a number of key research efforts related to decision making tools in building refurbishment projects and selected energy efficiency efforts in the built environment. Following these findings a proposed research area with focus on energy in the building environment will be suggested for further investigation.Design/methodology/approachThrough a multilateral review study, a number of major research efforts in sustainable refurbishment are highlighted. The necessity of directing future research towards energy conservation is illustrated for a specific approach to developing the built environment.FindingsThe findings of this article identify high performance thermal insulation solutions as one of the promising approaches to significant energy consumption reductions in buildings.Research limitations/implicationsThis review study is solely limited to the revisited research directions.Originality/valueThis study successfully identifies a number of decision making tools related to building refurbishment and an initial research path in favor of building energy consumption reductions.
Larval density dependence inAnopheles gambiaes.s., the major African vector of malaria
Authors: Muriu Simon M. , Coulson Tim , Mbogo Charles M. , Godfray H. Charles J. 
Published: November 2012

SummaryAnopheles gambiaesensu stricto is the most important vector of malaria inAfrica although relatively little is known about the density‐dependent processes determining its population size.Mosquito larval density was manipulated under semi‐natural conditions using artificial larval breeding sites placed in the field in coastalKenya; two experiments were conducted: one manipulating the density of a single cohort of larvae across a range of densities and the other employing fewer densities but with the treatments crossed with four treatments manipulating predator access.In the first experiment, larval survival, development rate and the size of the adult mosquito all decreased with larval density (controlling for block effects between 23% and 31% of the variance in the data could be explained by density).In the second experiment, the effects of predator manipulation were not significant, but again we observed strong density dependence in larval survival (explaining 30% of the variance).The results are compared with laboratory studies ofA. gambiaelarval competition and the few other studies conducted in the field, and the consequences for malaria control are discussed
Semantic Development in Spanish–English Bilingual Children: Effects of Age and Language Experience
Authors: Sheng Li , Bedore Lisa M. , Peña Elizabeth D. , Fiestas Christine 
Published: November 2012

This study examines semantic development in 60 Spanish–English bilingual children, ages 7 years 3 months to 9 years 11 months, who differed orthogonally in age (younger, older) and language experience (higher English experience [HEE], higher Spanish experience [HSE]). Children produced 3 associations to 12 pairs of translation equivalents. Older children produced more semantic responses and code switched more often from Spanish to English than younger children. Within each group, children demonstrated better performance in the more frequently used than the less used language. The HEE children outperformed the HSE children in English and the HSE children outperformed the HEE children in Spanish. These effects of age and language experience are consistent with predictions of the revised hierarchical model of bilingual lexical organization.