bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Marketing issues for business-to-business firms entering emerging markets
Authors: Cassia Fabio , Magno Francesca 
Published: January 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to comprehensively explore marketing issues for foreign industrial companies of large, small and medium size entering emerging markets (EMs), particularly transition economies in Eastern Europe. The vast majority of current studies about EMs focus only on defining suitable strategies related to large consumer goods corporations.Design/methodology/approach– The research adopted a multiple case study approach. Five Italian companies belonging to different business-to-business industries that have entered emerging countries in Eastern Europe were selected for investigation.Findings– Empirical analysis uncovered recurring issues related to: institutional factors causing market uncertainty and instability; difficulties in building a sales network; a need for product adaptation to guarantee satisfactory performance; choices related to communication, branding and trade fairs; and considerations about competition and first mover advantage. Results can be interpreted as an extension of the analysis of institutional voids by Khanna and Palepu (1997).Research limitations/implications– The study is based on the analysis of five case studies of companies operating in specific EMs, namely in Eastern Europe Countries (EEc) Further research based on different samples and different emerging countries is needed before generalizing results.Practical implications– The study shows that the main institutional void affecting business-to-business companies entering EMs is the lack of locally developed sales and after-sales networks. This institutional void slows the entry process of business-to-business companies in EMs. Given these constraints, from the perspective of business-to-business SMEs, it may be fruitful to pursue niche positioning in EMs.Originality/value– The study analyzes EMs opportunities and entry strategies from the business-to-business marketing perspective, uncovering the most critical issues.
Directors’ duties in the context of Confucianism
Authors: Lam Charles KN , Goo S.H. 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how Confucianism can be applied in the areas that are now governed by company law in the common law system and how it can play a role in improving corporate governance. A gentleman in the context of Confucianism tends to be inclusive and broad-minded in embracing the interest of different stakeholders. In fact, he will balance the interests of shareholders and other stakeholders if there is any inherent conflict and try to achieve a win-win situation. Ultimately, he will run the company not just for profit-making but for social justice and commitment.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors examine the leading cases in Hong Kong and the United Kingdom about the law of fiduciary duty and the duty of care and its relationship with Confucianism. In this respect, we review the teachings of the traditional Confucian texts and use Confucianism to fill in the gap where common law rules cannot reach. In addition, we adopt a comparative study approach in examining the law of directors’ duties in Hong Kong, China and the United Kingdom.

Findings
– It can be seen that the concept of fiduciary duty and duty of care is quite complicated and evolving and always subject to the interpretations of the court from time to time. For fiduciary duty, the term itself is quite conceptual and not immediately available to the general public. But loyalty in the context of Confucianism is a very lively and down-to-earth moral principle. Besides, fiduciary duty is imposed from outside, where directors had no choice but to accept. But loyalty in the context of Confucianism is something inherent and something from within. It is a moral principle that if you deeply understand the meaning of it, you will automatically accept it as a good virtue and your conduct will naturally be guided by such a principle. Confucianism can thereby be used to fill the gap where rules and regulations cannot reach. Confucian business ethics and common law rule should be complementary to each other in the development of a Chinese corporate governance system.

Originality/value
– This paper is the first of its kind in discussing the relationship between the law of directors’ duties and Confucianism. It argues that Confucianism plays a crucial role in guiding the behavior of the directors and can supplement the abstract principles of directors’ duties in the context of a Chinese corporate governance system.
British law on corporate bribery
Authors: Mukwiri Jonathan 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to assess the effectiveness of the Bribery Act 2010 in curbing corporate bribery.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper takes a doctrinal focus in assessing UK bribery law using both primary and secondary sources.

Findings
– This paper finds that the effectiveness of the Bribery Act 2010 in curbing bribery lies in its approach of changing the basis for corporate criminal liability from focusing on the guilt of personnel within the company to focusing on the quality of the system governing the activities of the company. Companies have to address the risks of bribery or risk facing liability for failure to prevent bribery. With its regulatory approach to corporate liability, coupled with its extraterritorial reach, the Bribery Act is likely to change business cultures that facilitate bribery, thereby proving an effective law to corporate bribes.

Originality/value
– This paper highlights the deficiency of earlier laws in tackling corporate bribery, examines the crime of bribery from a company law perspective and argues that the regulatory strategy in the Bribery Act is likely to be an effective tool against bribery.
Debt financing and firm performance: an empirical study based on Swedish data
Authors: Yazdanfar Darush , Öhman Peter 
Published: January 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between debt level and performance among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approach– Unlike the vast majority of previous research, this study uses three-stage least squares (3SLS) and fixed-effects models to analyse a comprehensive, cross-sectoral sample of 15,897 Swedish SMEs operating in five industry sectors during the 2009-2012 period.Findings– This study confirms that debt ratios, in terms of trade credit, short-term debt and long-term debt, negatively affect firm performance in terms of profitability. As a high debt ratio seems to increase the agency costs and the risk of losing control of the firm, SME owners and managers tend to finance their businesses with equity capital to a fairly high degree.Practical implications– As debt policy significantly influences firm performance, and thereby firm value and survival, SME owners and managers should focus on finding a satisfactory debt level.Originality/value– To the authors’ best knowledge, this study is among the first to use 3SLS and fixed-effects models to analyse the relationship between debt level and firm performance. Moreover, while most previous research has examined listed firms, this study highlights the issue among SMEs, which play a fundamental role in the economy.
Workplace spirituality and stress: evidence from Mexico and US
Authors: Daniel Jose Luis 
Published: January 2015

Purpose– The purpose of this article is to study the relationship between three dimensions of workplace spirituality (inner life, meaningful work and sense of community) and work stress in Mexico and the USA.Design/methodology/approach– Structural equation modeling was used as the statistical tool. The technique for conducting the analysis was partial least squared. The total sample size consisted of 304 individuals from both countries.Findings– Results show that for both countries, inner life and sense of community were found to be insignificant. However, meaningful work was found to be negatively and significantly correlated with work stress for both countries. Results suggest that in both countries, when employees conduct meaningful activities, they perceive less stress.Research limitations/implications– For the US sample, an important percentage of individuals were part-time workers. This could have an effect on the perception of workplace spirituality and work stress because the employees do no spend enough time in the workplace. Second, compared to Mexico, the majority of the US sample was collected in the southern part of the country.Practical implications– Results can provide guidance for human resources managers and business specialists to understand the importance of conducting meaningful activities at work to control, manage and prevent stress at work. For instance, rotation at work of employees could be a potential technique for stress reduction.Originality/value– This study contributes by studying samples from two different countries. In addition, it seeks to understand the relationship between workplace spirituality and work stress.
The mediating role of burnout on the relationship of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy with OCB and performance
Authors: Cohen Aaron , Abedallah Mohamed 
Published: January 2015

Purpose– This study aims to examined the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), self-efficacy and two outcome variables: in-role performance and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). The study also examined whether burnout mediates this relationship. The target population included Arab teachers in Israel.Design/methodology/approach– A survey was performed. Usable questionnaires were returned by 221 teachers; therefore, the response rate was 88 per cent.Findings– Hierarchical linear models and mediation analyses showed that EI and self-efficacy are related to OCB, and in-role performance and burnout have a strong and negative relationship with the outcome variables. Mediation analysis using Preacher and Hayes’s (2004, 2008) approach showed that burnout mediates the relationship of EI and self-efficacy with the three outcome variables.Practical implications– The findings emphasize the role of the two personal variables examined here as important determinants of job performance and OCB, and demonstrate the importance of burnout in understanding OCB.Originality/value– This study will contribute to the literature on OCB and work performance by examining the rarely researched relationships between EI and self-efficacy, on the one hand, and between OCB and in-role performance, on the other. Further, this study will argue that burnout mediates the relationship between these personal and outcome variables.
Consumer attitude towards service failure and recovery in higher education
Authors: Chahal Hardeep , Devi Pinkey 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This paper aims to explore consumer attitude towards service failure and recovery in the higher education in general and with respect to teaching, examination, library, computer lab, administration and infrastructure in particular.

Design/methodology/approach
– The data are collected from 120 students of three undergraduate colleges of University of Jammu using purposive sampling.

Findings
– The findings reveal that all recovery efforts pertaining to teaching, examination, library, computer lab, administration and infrastructure are significant in overcoming the respective service failures.

Research limitations/implications
– The present study is limited to address service failure and service recovery relationship with respect to teaching, examination, library, computer lab, administration and infrastructure and limited to three undergraduate colleges operating in Jammu city only. The sample of the study is small which needs to be considered before generalizing the results.

Originality/value
– This study makes a maiden attempt to identify service failure issues with respect to teaching, examination, library, computer lab, administration and infrastructure using quantitative methodology in higher education and role of service recovery strategies in monitoring and reducing service failure.
Dimensions driving business student satisfaction in higher education
Authors: Yusoff Mazirah , McLeay Fraser , Woodruffe-Burton Helen 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– This study aims to identify the dimensions of business student satisfaction in the Malaysian private higher educational environment and evaluate the influence that demographic factors have on satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach
– A questionnaire was developed and distributed to 1,200 undergraduate business students at four private higher educational (PHE) institutions in Malaysia. Exploratory factor analysis was used to identify the underlying dimensions that drive student satisfaction. ANOVA and t-tests were conducted to evaluate the influence that demographic factors have on the results.

Findings
– Factor analysis resulted in the adoption of a 12-factor solution from an original set of 53 satisfaction items. The results also indicated the influence of demographic factors on the level of business student satisfaction.

Originality/value
– This study identified 12 factors or the underlying dimensions that drive business student satisfaction in the Malaysian PHE. The 12 factors are: professional comfortable environment; student assessments and learning experiences; classroom environment; lecture and tutorial facilitating goods; textbook and tuition fees; student support facilities; business procedures; relationship with teaching staff; knowledgeable and responsive faculty; staff helpfulness; feedback; and class sizes. Understanding these factors could help educational institutions to better plan their strategies and inform academics interested in studying student satisfaction.
Benchmarking for the effective use of student evaluation data
Authors: Smithson John , Birks Melanie , Harrison Glenn , Nair Chenicheri Sid , Hitchins Marnie 
Published: January 2015

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine current approaches to interpretation of student evaluation data and present an innovative approach to developing benchmark targets for the effective and efficient use of these data.

Design/methodology/approach
– This article discusses traditional approaches to gathering and using student feedback across the tertiary sector. The limitations of the customary use of the statistical mean as a quality measure of performance are presented and examined. An alternative method of interpreting student evaluation data is proposed and examples given.

Findings
– The traditional use of the statistical mean to interpret student evaluation data has limitations. Focusing on data at the macro level provides subject teaching staff and managers with a clearer indication of student satisfaction. The use of a percentage satisfied and percentage dissatisfied metric to classify and rank subjects is presented as an efficient alternative to the traditional approach, while recognising the value of the statistical mean to interpret data at the micro level.

Originality/value
– In light of the important role student feedback plays in determining university ranking, prioritising staff development and its potential function as an academic performance indicator, the effective interpretation of student evaluation data is critical. As economic factors become increasingly important to higher education providers, the role of evaluation data obtained from students will continue to gain traction. The identification of methods to fully capitalise on the value of these data, such as the one proposed in this article, is therefore crucial.
Larval melanism in a geometrid moth: promoted neither by a thermal nor seasonal adaptation but desiccating environments
Authors: Välimäki Panu , Kivelä Sami M. , Raitanen Jani , Pakanen Veli‐Matti , Vatka Emma , Mäenpää Maarit I. , Keret Netta , Tammaru Toomas 
Published: January 2015

SummarySpatiotemporal variation in the degree of melanism is often considered in the context of thermal adaptation, melanism being advantageous under suboptimal thermal conditions. Yet, other mutually nonexclusive explanations exist. Analysis of geographical patterns combined with laboratory experiments on the mechanisms of morph induction helps to unveil the adaptive value of particular cases of polyphenism.In the context of the thermal melanism hypothesis and seasonal adaptations, we explored an array of environmental factors that may affect the expression and performance of nonmelanic vs. melanic larval morphs in different latitudinal populations of the facultatively bivoltine mothChiasmia clathrata(Lepidoptera: Geometridae).Geographical variation in larval coloration was independent of average temperatures experienced by the populations in the wild. The melanic morph was, however, more abundant in dry than in mesic habitats. In the laboratory, the melanic morph was induced especially under a high level of incident radiation but also at relatively high temperatures, but independently of photoperiod. Melanic larvae had higher growth rates and shorter development times than the nonmelanic ones when both temperature and the level of incident radiation were high.Our results that melanism is induced and advantageous in warm desiccating conditions contradict the thermal melanism hypothesis for this species. Neither has melanism evolved to compensate time constraints due to forthcoming autumn. Instead, larvae solve seasonal variation in the time available for growth by an elevated growth rate and a shortened larval period in the face of autumnal photoperiods. The phenotypic response to the level of incident radiation and a lack of adaptive adjustment of larval growth trajectories in univoltine populations underpin the role of deterministic environmental variation in the evolution of irreversible adaptive plasticity and seasonal polyphenism.
Depth shapes α‐ and β‐diversities of microbial eukaryotes in surficial sediments of coastal ecosystems
Authors: Gong Jun , Shi Fei , Ma Bin , Dong Jun , Pachiadaki Maria , Zhang Xiaoli , Edgcomb Virginia P. 
Published: January 2015

SummaryLittle is known about the relative influence of historic processes and environmental gradients on shaping the diversity of single‐celled eukaryotes in marine benthos. By combining pyrosequencing of 18S ribosomal RNA genes with data on multiple environmental factors, we investigated the diversity of microeukaryotes in surficial sediments of three basins of the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem. A considerable proportion (about 20%) of reads was affiliated with known parasitoid protists. Dinophyta and Ciliophora appeared dominant in terms of relative proportion of reads and operational taxonomic unit (OTU) richness. Overall, OTU richness of benthic microeukaryotes decreased with increasing water depth and decreasing pH. While community composition was significantly different among basins, partial Mantel tests indicated a depth–decay pattern of community similarity, whereby water depth, rather than geographic distance or environment, shaped β‐diversity of benthic microeukaryotes (including both the abundant and the rare biosphere) on a regional scale. Similar hydrographic and mineralogical factors contributed to the biogeography of both the abundant and the rare OTUs. The trace metal vanadium had a significant effect on the biogeography of the rare biosphere. Our study sheds new light on the composition, diversity patterns and underlying mechanisms of single‐celled eukaryote distribution in surficial sediments of coastal oceans.
Leptospira and paramyxovirus infection dynamics in a bat maternity enlightens pathogen maintenance in wildlife
Authors: Dietrich Muriel , Wilkinson David A. , Benlali Aude , Lagadec Erwan , Ramasindrazana Beza , Dellagi Koussay , Tortosa Pablo 
Published: January 2015

SummaryBats are reservoirs for several zoonotic pathogens of medical importance; however, infection dynamics of pathogens in wild bat populations remain poorly understood. Here, we examine the influence of host crowding and population age structure on pathogen transmission and diversity in bat populations. Focusing on two pathogen taxa of medical importance, Leptospira bacteria and paramyxoviruses, we monitored host population and pathogen shedding dynamics within a maternity colony of the tropical bat species Mormopterus francoismoutoui, endemic to Réunion Island. Our data reveal astonishingly similar infection dynamics for Leptospira and paramyxoviruses, with infection peaks during late pregnancy and 2 months after the initial birth pulse. Furthermore, although co‐infection occurs frequently during the peaks of transmission, the patterns do not suggest any interaction between the two pathogens. Partial sequencing reveals a unique bat‐specific Leptospira strain contrasting with the co‐circulation of four separate paramyxovirus lineages along the whole breeding period. Patterns of infection highlight the importance of host crowding in pathogen transmission and suggest that most bats developed immune response and stop excreting pathogens. Our results support that bat maternity colonies may represent hot spots of transmission for bacterial and viral infectious agents, and highlight how seasonality can be an important determinant of host–parasite interactions and disease emergence.
Uranium phosphate biomineralization by fungi
Authors: Liang Xinjin , Hillier Stephen , Pendlowski Helen , Gray Nia , Ceci Andrea , Gadd Geoffrey Michael 
Published: January 2015

SummaryGeoactive soil fungi were investigated for phosphatase‐mediated uranium precipitation during growth on an organic phosphorus source. Aspergillus niger and Paecilomyces javanicus were grown on modified Czapek–Dox medium amended with glycerol 2‐phosphate (G2P) as sole P source and uranium nitrate. Both organisms showed reduced growth on uranium‐containing media but were able to extensively precipitate uranium and phosphorus‐containing minerals on hyphal surfaces, and these were identified by X‐ray powder diffraction as uranyl phosphate species, including potassium uranyl phosphate hydrate (KPUO6.3H2O), meta‐ankoleite [(K1.7Ba0.2)(UO2)2(PO4)2.6H2O], uranyl phosphate hydrate [(UO2)3(PO4)2.4H2O], meta‐ankoleite (K(UO2)(PO4).3H2O), uramphite (NH4UO2PO4.3H2O) and chernikovite [(H3O)2(UO2)2(PO4)2.6H2O]. Some minerals with a morphology similar to bacterial hydrogen uranyl phosphate were detected on A. niger biomass. Geochemical modelling confirmed the complexity of uranium speciation, and the presence of meta‐ankoleite, uramphite and uranyl phosphate hydrate between pH 3 and 8 closely matched the experimental data, with potassium as the dominant cation. We have therefore demonstrated that fungi can precipitate U‐containing phosphate biominerals when grown with an organic source of P, with the hyphal matrix serving to localize the resultant uranium minerals. The findings throw further light on potential fungal roles in U and P biogeochemistry as well as the application of these mechanisms for element recovery or bioremediation.