bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Study on the corrosion behavior of Q235A carbon steel in RO product water of seawater
Authors: Hu Jiayuan , Cao Shunan , Yin Li , Liang Qinqin , Xie Jianli 
Published: November 2012

PurposeSome power plants in China that adopt reverse osmosis (RO) product water as their fresh water source face serious metal corrosion of their water distribution system. The corrosion process of carbon steel in RO product water is still not clear and there is no suitable anti‐corrosion method for the power plant to employ. The purpose of this paper is to study the corrosion behavior of carbon steel in RO product water, determine the factors leading to the high corrosion rate of carbon steel, and then suggest appropriate anti‐corrosion measures.Design/methodology/approachBy measuring polarization curves and AC impedance values of the corrosion system and analyzing corrosion products using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), infrared spectroscopy (IR) and X‐ray diffraction (XRD), the corrosion behavior of Q235A carbon steel in the RO product water derived from seawater was studied.FindingsThe experimental results showed that the corrosion process of carbon steel in RO product water is controlled by the diffusion process of oxygen, and the corrosion products contain γ‐FeOOH, Fe3O4 and small amounts of α‐FeOOH. Although rust formed had a double layer structure, the outer rust layer, which contained γ‐FeOOH and a little α‐FeOOH, was thin. The inner rust layer, containing Fe3O4, was the main component of the rust layer. Due to the weak acidity of RO product water, γ‐FeOOH can be transformed to Fe3O4 very quickly and Fe3O4 will accumulate on the metal surface. Because of the electrical conductivity and fractured surface of the Fe3O4 layer, the corrosion product layer cannot inhibit the corrosion process by hindering the diffusion process of oxygen, and hence the corrosion rate of carbon steel is always high.Originality/valueThe paper describes the first systematic research to be carried out on the corrosion behavior of carbon steel in RO product water. It was found that the generation and accumulation of Fe3O4 on the metal surface was the primary reason leading to the high corrosion rate of carbon steel, and anti‐corrosion measures can be chosen following the following rules: deoxygenation, raising of the pH of the solution, or addition of corrosion inhibitors to the solution.
Academic library liaison programs: four case studies
Authors: Henry Jo 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to compare and contrast four academic liaison programs.Design/methodology/approachAreas addressed include liaison subject specialization, communication methods, duties, and program evaluation.FindingsThis paper found similarities in areas of orientation meetings, library guides, and information literacy classes. Unique concepts among the four libraries studied include physical classroom embedment, use of specialized class web pages, faculty literacy classes, and concentrated faculty information literacy assistance.Originality/valueThe results presented provide insight into current academic library liaison practices and the faculty‐liaison relationship.
Mobile device ownership among international business students: a road to the ubiquitous library
Authors: Song Yoo‐Seong , Lee Jong‐Moon 
Published: November 2012

PurposeTechnology was once believed to be a barrier to international students in using library services in the USA. This paper seeks to investigate mobile device ownership among international students as many academic libraries are rapidly introducing mobile library services.Design/methodology/approachAn online survey was created to invite international students enrolled at the College of Business at the University of Illinois. In total, 101 valid responses were gathered. The survey asked ownership of three specific mobile devices among international students: smartphones, tablet PCs, and e‐readers.FindingsA surprisingly high percentage of international students (82 percent) owned smartphones. While ownership of tablet PCs was also high, international students did not seem too interested in e‐readers. While communication was their favorite activity using mobile devices, international students also frequently used mobile devices to access social networking sites and search for information.Practical implicationsThe results imply that international students may actually be more prepared than domestic students in terms of mobile device ownership. It is important for libraries to acknowledge this high ownership of mobile devices among international students and evaluate their mobile strategies accordingly.Originality/valueThe paper examines an important student population that has often exhibited different information seeking behavior from that of domestic students.
Minimum wage effects on employment and wages: dif‐in‐dif estimates from eastern China
Authors: Wang Jing , Gunderson Morley 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to estimate the impact of minimum wages on employment and wages in China.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the difference‐in‐difference methodology to estimate the employment and wage impacts of the minimum wage increase in 2003 – a year when substantial minimum wage increases occurred in some provinces (treatment provinces) but not in others (comparison provinces). The analysis is restricted to the eastern region so as to make comparisons across relatively homogeneous and contiguous provinces with large numbers of women and rural migrant workers in urban areas – the target groups for minimum wages.FindingsThe study finds that overall, minimum wages in China do have an adverse employment effect but the effect is statistically insignificant and quantitatively inconsequential. The adverse employment effects are generally larger in the more market‐driven sectors, in the low‐wage sector of retail and wholesale trade and restaurants, and for women; however even these effects are extremely small. Minimum wages also had no impact on aggregate wages. These estimates appear consistent with many of those based on this methodology which tends to find no substantial adverse employment effect from minimum wages.Practical implicationsGood news: minimum wages do not seem to have any substantial adverse employment effect in China. Bad news: this could simply reflect the fact that they are not enforced.Originality/valueThis is one of the few studies of effect of minimum wages in China in English, and using a difference‐in‐difference methodology as first employed by Card.
Resisting the crisis: short‐time work in Germany
Authors: Crimmann Andreas , Wießner Frank , Bellmann Lutz 
Published: November 2012

PurposeAfter a brief glance at the global labour market after the financial meltdown the paper aims to explain some general mechanisms of short‐time work in Germany. Furthermore it seeks to present an overview of the costs of short‐time work for the establishments with respect to the latest labour market reforms in Germany. In the multivariate analyses with the IAB Establishment Panel the paper aims to identify the determinants of short‐time work and its intensity in Germany. Thus it's goal is to contribute to the discussion of the modified and amended legislative framework for short‐time work.Design/methodology/approachThe microeconometric analysis is based on data from the IAB Establishment Panel, a representative survey of the labour demand in Germany. With data from the survey waves 2008‐2010 the probability of the use of short‐time work with probit regression models and its intensity with truncated regression models are explained.FindingsThe manufacturing industry as a German key industry was more affected than other sectors and suffered even harder. Despite the fact that the German labour administration has successfully reduced the bureaucracy of short‐time work, the programme is still rather adopted by bigger establishments. German establishments have utilized their flexibility reserves and complementary short‐time work to protect their core staff during the crisis. There is also some empirical evidence that the establishments tried to avoid brain drains. With the first signs of a recovery of the economy at the beginning of 2010 the establishments benefitted a lot from that strategy as they were instantly able to satisfy increasing demands in their markets again. Empirical evidence is also found that establishments made more intensive use of short‐time work the harder they were suffering from the crisis.Originality/valueFor the first time the latest data from the survey wave 2010 of the IAB Establishment Panel is used and compared with the 2009 survey wave. The structure of the panel questionnaire allows the implementation of some specific questions concerning the use of short‐time work. The IAB Establishment Panel has a sample size of approximately 16,000 cases.
Boundaries and knowledge in a Sufi Dhikr Circle
Authors: Aslan Guemuesay Ali 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to infer, from the mystical Islamic tradition, practical wisdom for management development on knowledge transfer and storage as well as organizational boundaries.Design/methodology/approachThis exploratory research uses an ethnographic approach. Deep immersion was sought through participant observation in a Sufi Dhikr Circle.FindingsKnowledge transfer and storage in the Sufi Dhikr Circle is a relational and collective endeavor. The Circle has fluid boundaries between the organization and the outside, as well as between intra‐organizational parts. Knowledge and boundary processes reflect that the human being is a complex actor of “body, mind and heart” with multiple senses.Practical implicationsManagement development theory and practice may benefit through reflecting on the practices of the Sufi Dhikr Circle with regard to its group‐collective, sense‐comprehensive and actor‐complex approach to knowledge storage and transfer, as well as the spatial, temporal and content fluidity both of intra‐organizational boundaries in the Circle andvis‐à‐visits environment. Conceptualizing the human as a complex actor with various senses may improve knowledge storage and transfer processes, as well as fluid de facto boundaries.Originality/valueThe observation of “different practice” which is shaped less by business discourse enables a critical reflection of “common practice” potentially leading to a new “best practice”. Reflecting on the practices of the Sufi Dhikr Circle and its conceptualization of human beings may contribute to the management development literature and practice on knowledge and boundary processes. Contemplating on what is different may help us to better comprehend what is common.
Employability, well‐being and job satisfaction following a job loss
Authors: Gowan Mary A. 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate changes in psychological well‐being over time for individuals who experienced a career disruption in the form of a company closing, and to examine the relationships between employability, well‐being, and job satisfaction. It seeks to expand on previous work of job loss relative to the long‐term impact of the experience and on Fugate et al.'s psycho‐social conceptualization of employability.Design/methodology/approachData were collected at the time of job loss (T1) and six years later (T2). The 73 respondents at T2 represent a stratified random sample of the T1 respondents. Hypotheses were tested with paired sample t‐tests and hierarchical multiple regression.FindingsResults indicate that the negative psychological impact of job loss diminishes over time. Additionally, employability predicted well‐being and job satisfaction.Practical implicationsThe results of the study provide guidance for the design and administration of outplacement and related programs that focus on increasing employability and psychological well‐being, and suggest ways that individuals can shield themselves from the negative consequences associated with a job loss.Social implicationsThe results have policy implications for the design of government funded outplacement and retraining programs.Originality/valueThe paper is the first to examine job loss over a six‐year period of time, and the first to examine the impact of employability attributes on multiple indicators of well‐being and on job satisfaction in the job loss context.
A close call: perceptions of alternative HR arrangements to layoffs
Authors: Parzefall Marjo‐Riitta 
Published: November 2012

PurposeDrawing on the concept of psychological contract and organizational justice, this exploratory case study seeks to examine how companies' attempts to handle layoff pressures with alternative HR arrangements are perceived and experienced by the affected employees.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on 19 interviews of employees affected by job loss. The interviewees were employees in a case organization that had implemented a HR practice called the “Competence pool” as an alternative to layoffs.FindingsAlthough contract breach occurs, alternative HR arrangements can mitigate the negative effects of job loss for the affected employees and help restore the psychological contract. Such arrangements have to be implemented with care in order to avoid injustice perceptions.Research limitations/implicationsAs HR arrangements are by nature unique and company‐specific, this study is limited by its focus on one organization and national context. It however provides future directions for research on layoffs and their consequences.Practical implicationsBy exploring how the affected employees perceive an alternative to layoffs, this study has several implications for organizations interested in managing layoff pressures with alternative HR arrangements.Originality/valueBy investigating the experiences and perceptions of employees whose jobs were terminated but whose employment relationship continued under specific conditions, this study provides new insights into layoff and HR literatures from psychological contract and justice perspectives.
Layoffs and unemployment discrimination: a new stigma
Authors: Karren Ronald , Sherman Kim 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to discuss and seek a better understanding of the stigmatization of unemployed workers who have been laid off.Design/methodology/approachThis is a conceptual paper which addresses the factors that affect stigmatization and resulting discrimination against laid‐off individuals such as minority status, age, labor markets, job level, and length of unemployment. Issues of categorization and stereotyping of laid‐off workers are explored.FindingsThe increased use of layoffs by organizations has created a large class of unemployed workers who, rather than being seen as victims, are perceived to be deficient in their skills and abilities. This stigmatization is seen as more detrimental to laid‐off minorities and older workers as well as those who have been unemployed for long periods of time. The amount of discrimination is likely to be affected by the job market and level of job.Research limitations/implicationsPropositions are developed to examine the factors affecting the stigma as well as moderators affecting the relationship between the unemployment stigma and discrimination.Practical implicationsOrganizations should examine their HR policies and practices regarding the unemployed seeking jobs. Discrimination against the unemployed may result in long‐term unemployment that may have enormous human costs.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the ways in which being laid off now stigmatizes an individual and may significantly limit his/her ability to secure future employment. Since there are no legal restrictions on discriminating against the unemployed, organizations may systematically screen out applicants who are not currently employed.
Income smoothing behaviour by Asian transportation firms
Authors: Rusmin Rusmin , Scully Glennda , Tower Greg 
Published: November 2012

PurposeManagers may “creatively” choose accounting methods in order to smooth income figures. Using a sample of 1,094 transportation firm‐year observations before and throughout the global financial crisis (GFC) period of 2006‐2009 in seven Asian countries, the purpose of this study is to investigate whether managers' smooth reported earnings to meet the benchmark target of last year's earnings figure.Design/methodology/approachFollowing previous research (e.g.,Burgstahler and Dichev; Degeorge, Patel, and Zeckhauser; Holland and Ramsay; Burgstahler and Eames; Daske, Gebhardt, and McLeay; Gore, Pope, and Singh; Charoenwong and Jiraporn), this study uses an earnings benchmark of sustaining last year's performance as the key indicator of earnings management.FindingsThe empirical evidence reveals that corporate managers seem to opportunistically smooth income to beat earnings targets. The results also show that the AuditQuality, EcoCrisis and Size are not explanatory for the smoothing behavior of the above target firms. However, the independent variables EcoCrisis and Size are predictors for the smoothing behavior of the sample firms that engage in income‐increasing earnings management. The coefficient on EcoCrisis is negative and significantly (at p=0.001) related to the earnings management measure, suggesting that during a period of economic stress, transportation firm managers engage in less aggressive income‐increasing discretionary accruals strategy. Furthermore, the findings confirm that large size firms exhibit less aggressive income‐increasing earnings management behavior. Specifically, the coefficient on Size is negative and moderately significant (p=0.056) associated with earnings management measure.Originality/valueThis study strongly supports the political costs hypothesis which argues that larger firms are subject to more public scrutiny and political actions therein exhibiting less aggressive income‐increasing earnings management behavior. The authors further note a “big bath” phenomenon during the GFC period suggesting that corporate managers manipulate their reported earnings downward to make poor results even worse in the current financial period, artificially enhancing future year's earnings.
Characteristics of audit committee financial experts: an empirical study
Authors: Iyer Venkataraman M. , Bamber E. Michael , Griffin Jeremy 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the characteristics and qualifications of audit committee financial experts. Specifically, the paper examines if the majority of the financial experts possess accounting or general management experience.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected the data through survey and use cross tabulation (univariate) and logistic regression to analyze the data.FindingsThe results show that accounting certification and audit committee experience are valued positively by the Board of Directors when designating an audit committee member as a financial expert. Prior experience as a CEO results in a lower probability of being designated as a financial expert.Research limitations/implicationsNon‐response bias may be a factor which should be considered. There are other factors such as stock exchange affiliation of the company that have not been included due to the anonymous nature of the survey.Practical implicationsIt provides useful information and benchmark to the Board of Directors with respect to the characteristics of designated audit committee financial experts.Originality/valueThis is the first paper to examine the characteristics of audit committee financial experts through survey. The paper presents a richer array of factors compared to what is available in proxy statements. Audit committees, financial statement users, policy makers, and researchers will find the results interesting and useful.
Towards an architecture of organizational learning
Authors: Godé Cécile , Barbaroux Pierre 
Published: November 2012

PurposeThis article aims to examine the nature and logics of organizational learning considered as a process by which organizations capitalize on the variety of experiences accumulated by their members.Design/methodology/approachComplementing the current literature on experiential learning, the authors build on a case study to investigate how organizations benefit from action learning and seek to identify the properties of the architecture supporting it. The case study focuses on how French Air Force fighter and airlift aircrews carry out debriefing sessions in their daily activities.FindingsWithin this framework, it can be observed that learning in debriefing sessions ultimately depends on the capacity of the learning agents to integrate individual and collective functions (namely, individual progression and collective performance).Originality/valueBuilding on the foregoing, the paper elaborates on a conceptual model of the debriefing procedure made up of three components: a learning mode, a learning structure and a learning culture. It follows that the organization is likely to capitalize on individual experiences to improve knowledge and action if it is capable of providing its members with a flexible learning architecture enabling individuals to combine distinctive learning modes along with heterogeneous structures and cultural values.
Diversity and knowledge sharing
Authors: Jacquier‐Roux Virginie , Paraponaris Claude 
Published: November 2012

PurposeCorporate R&D internationalization is today perceived as a strategy intended for enhancing the knowledge of large firms within a highly‐polarized global cognitive space. Two main questions arise and, as such, are incorporated as the two complementary themes of this paper: What are the risks of wasting resources used by multinational firms (MNFs) when they establish or take over laboratories abroad? What strategies do they apply to harmonize relations between their various R&D entities and, as such, help reduce these risks?Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is developed from a base comprising international cases, established within the R&D laboratories of multinational firms.FindingsR&D internationalization strategies generate a great diversity of knowledge. Consequently, these MNFs should develop inter‐entity management skills, for which the paper provides a few of the keys to success.Research limitations/implicationsThe factors determining the effectiveness of the articulation of knowledge sharing systems were not really part of any systematic analysis. Such an analysis would have been an opportunity to specifically appraise this.Originality/valueThe approach could indeed improve social interaction‐related issues. The results may greatly add to social interaction theories by attempting, above all, to enhance “sender ‐ receiver” type models, on a MNF network scale.
Knowledge communities: towards a re‐thinking of intergenerational knowledge transfer
Authors: Kuyken Kerstin 
Published: November 2012

PurposeKnowledge management (KM) has become a key concern for companies which nowadays are constantly looking for better ways to assure knowledge sharing between their employees. However, companies encounter several challenges arising from the fact that several generations share the same workplace and a big portion of today's employees are close to retirement. This article aims to focus on knowledge sharing between generations.Design/methodology/approachThe article reviews the “generation” concept and its limitations, and introduces a new view on generations as “communities of knowledge”.FindingsCompanies have to find ways not only to assure knowledge transfer between generations, but also knowledge retention of the workers that are retiring. This requires a deeper understanding of the generations and their differentiated knowledge. Yet, today's dominant descriptions of generations (“baby‐boomers”, “generation X”, “generation Y”), do not appear to adequately take into account cultural, socio‐professional and individual factors.Originality/valueThe proposed change of paradigm allows a deeper comprehension of nuances that may exist within the same age group. In doing so, the article makes a contribution to the understanding of knowledge sharing in organizations.