bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring internal mechanisms forming customer servicescape experiences
Authors: Pareigis Jörg , Echeverri Per , Edvardsson Bo 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore customer interactions with servicescapes and to explain in more depth the internal mechanisms that form the customer service experience.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on an empirical study of customers using Swedish public transport systems. Data collection is based on a microethnographic approach, using think‐aloud protocols and video documentation.FindingsThe results from the empirical study contribute with a framework of three constellations of activities and interactions: namely, identifying, sense‐making, and using, which, depending on the empirical context, form two main customer process practices – navigating and ticketing. These constructs are theoretical and have implications for service research in the sense that they explain how customer experiences are formed.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the conceptual framework is arguably applicable also to other servicescape processes and thus has the capacity to explain how a wide range of customer experiences are formed, the study is based on one industry. Consequently, it would be worthwhile to verify this framework in different service settings.Practical implicationsManagers should focus on making the servicescape design intuitive, meaningful and easy to use for their customers and, depending on the empirical context, support the customer processes of finding one's way and ticketing.Originality/valueThe study is novel by applying a microethnographic research approach in order to provide a systematic empirical analysis of how constellations of activities and interactions in servicescape processes create customer responses and thus form the customer's service experience.
Shaping, organizing, and rethinking service innovation: a multidimensional framework
Authors: Rubalcaba Luis , Michel Stefan , Sundbo Jon , Brown Stephen W. , Reynoso Javier 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review key research contributions that may be useful for rethinking service innovation. Service innovation is not a monolithic construct; therefore, the opportunities for further research are multidimensional and interdisciplinary.Design/methodology/approachA summary analysis of extant literature identifies valuable contributions and fundamental methodological issues from various perspectives. The proposed directions for future research entail where to innovate, how to innovate, and what to innovate in services.FindingsThe analysis and discussion lead to a multidimensional framework of service innovation, with a particular emphasis on organizational and customer cocreation perspectives.Practical implicationsThis article contains guidelines and real‐world examples to help practitioners and policy makers develop service innovation strategies through the consideration of different levels, organizations, and perspectives.Originality/valueThis article offers a relevant source of ideas and guidance for anyone interested in research and practice related to rethinking service innovation.
A profile of accounting research in South African accounting journals
Authors: Coetsee Daniël , Stegmann Nerine 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the profile of accounting research in the two academic accounting research journals in South Africa (Meditari Accountancy Research and SA Journal of Accounting Research) during the ten‐year period from 2000 to 2009.Design/methodology/approachThe archival research method is applied, which analyses existing data (in this case the articles published in the South African (SA) accounting research journals) to come to research conclusions. The research method used to analyse the related articles in the SA accounting research journals is based on various international studies. The following dimensions are assessed: authorship; research field; the nature of the research; and research methods. Authorship is classified by institution, and the top seven authors by relative contribution are also identified. Both empirical and theoretical work are classified separately in different research methods.FindingsThese different dimensions provide a broad‐based review of the current profile of accounting research in South Africa.Research limitations/implicationsOther refereed academic articles in the field of accounting have been published in non‐accounting specific SAPSE‐approved journals. These articles are also excluded from the scope of this research since the journals in which they are published have not been established by accounting academics specifically.Practical implicationsThe motivation for doing this research is to identify the current profile of accounting research in South Africa that could be used as a basis for future research‐related development.Originality/valueKnowledge of the profile of accounting research in South Africa could provide opportunities for scholars to expand identified research areas and explore methods that are currently under‐developed in the South African accountancy research field. The paper also acknowledges the contributions by the most prolific authors in the identified journals.
Almost invisible – providing subtle support in community settings
Authors: Bates Peter , Hardwick Kathy , Sanderson Katie , Sanghera Raschel , Clough Jeannie 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThis article aims to investigate some of the pitfalls and potential of supporting people on a one‐to‐one basis in their community in order to stimulate improvements in practice.Design/methodology/approachThe article discusses a range of situations via several vignettes and draws advice out of these for support workers and their managers. Staff are encouraged to reflect on their approach to providing support in community settings in the context of person‐centred planning and Wolfensberger's theories.FindingsStaff are encouraged to plan carefully so that they can hold back from doing too much for the person, engage as full participants rather than passive bystanders, and seek opportunities for the person to develop informal connections in the community. Managers are encouraged to develop risk management systems that promote contact with ordinary citizens and a culture of community participation through training and mentoring support staff.Originality/valueWhilst most support staff willingly recount stories that illustrate the complexity of providing 1:1 support in the community, they have minimal access to publications, training or supervision on this topic. The article will stimulate further reflection by managers and front line staff so that people are supported more effectively in the community of their choice.
Is Chinese software engineering professionalizing or not?
Authors: Yang Yan 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the challenge for the classical idea of professionalism in understanding the Chinese software engineering industry after giving a close insight into the development of this industry as well as individual engineers with a psycho‐societal perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe study starts with the general review of the sociological concept of profession, professional and specialization of knowledge. Together with revealing the critical challenge from the empirical field of software engineering industry regarding its professionalization, a critique of the neglect of subjective agency in classical conception of professionalism in sociology theory and methodology is set out.FindingsA case study with interpretation of the subject's continuously developing identification with their specialization in knowledge and occupation from their narration of career experience reveals the dynamics in this development process relating to individual, social practice and societal factors.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to empirical research of analyzing the professionalization process of software engineering and software engineers in relation to the concept of professionalism, and it contributes theoretically by discussing the challenge of this process to the development of professionalism within this highly knowledge‐based industry in a Chinese societal context.
Learning and propensity for changing the job situation during downsizing
Authors: Gustavsson Maria 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate individuals' learning and propensity for changing their job situation during downsizing in a company.Design/methodology/approachA case study was carried out in an industrial company that had undergone major downsizing to adapt to changes in production. Approximately 100 employees retrained at the company's training program and 350 employees received notice to quit their jobs. Data for this study consisted of qualitative interviews with 20 workers who faced different transition situations.FindingsThree general learning trajectories labeled stayers, leavers and reemployed leavers emerged as a consequence of the downsizing. The stayers were the individuals who remained at the company and later retrained to new jobs. The leavers were the individuals who more or less voluntarily left the company to start a new career. The reemployed leavers were dismissed and left involuntarily but were later reemployed at the company.Practical implicationsIn cases of downsizing it is important that the organization meets latent wishes for change and considers differentiated reactions connected to age, length of employment, former education, etc., among workers who face different transition situations.Originality/valueThe results imply that the learning trajectories were shaped through participation, thus learning, in the transition program and workplace activities. Each worker has a specific history of experience that shapes their disposition to learning and in which way they are able to adjust to a new job situation.
Pedagogy of solidarity: educating for an interracial working class movement
Authors: Ng Winnie 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to report on the author's recent research examining the meaning and practices of educating for solidarity, specifically from anti‐racism and decolonizing perspective. The research is part of the critical exploration on new educational approaches on solidarity building among workers and trade union members in the broader political and economic context of neoliberalism.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing the research methodologies of participatory action research, arts‐informed research and critical autobiography, the research draws on the words and visual images made by the participants who are labour educators and activists from Aboriginal and racialized communities. In‐depth interview and the Aboriginal talking circle method were used to deepen the dialogue among this group of activists. By focusing on their authentic voices and lived experiences, the research is grounded in Dei's stance on the importance of the embodied knowledge as part of the necessary conditions for anti‐racism education work and political action.FindingsThe findings reveal a sense of profound gap between what participants experience as daily practices of solidarity and what they envisioned. Through the research process, the study explores and demonstrates the importance and potential of a more holistic and integrative critical labour education approach on anti‐racism and decolonization. The study proposes a pedagogical framework on solidarity building with four interlinking components – rediscovering, restoring, reimagining and reclaiming – as a way to make whole.Research limitations/implicationsA further research implication will be to explore the possibility and application of this proposed pedagogical framework with a group of trade union activists from racialized and non‐racialized backgrounds.Social implicationsThe pedagogy of solidarity offers a transformative process for activists to engage in critical dialogue on how to build solidarity across constituencies. The solidarity circle dialogue process provides a space for critical reflection.Originality/valueThis is an original research integrating Aboriginal worldview and arts‐informed research, to explore the potential of a new pedagogy that is grounded in restoring people's spirit, recovering their voices so they can have the courage to reimagine; and reclaim in order to make whole. The value of the research lies in its hopefulness as a tool of countering the politics of division and fear.
Emergent learning practices in globalizing work
Authors: Toiviainen Hanna , Lallimo Jiri , Hong Jianzhong 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThis article aims to analyze emergent learning practices for globalizing work through two research questions: “What are the conceptualizations of work represented by the Virtual Factory and how do they mediate globalizing work?” and “What is the potential of expansive learning efforts to expand conceptualizations towards the emergent learning practices of globalizing work?”.Design/methodology/approachCultural‐historical activity theory is applied, specifically the historical tool‐mediated activity, concept formation and the zone of proximal development. A dynamic hierarchy of conceptualizations forms the framework for expansive learning efforts. Data were gathered by ethnographic and development interventionist methods from a distributed engineering design project.FindingsThe paper finds that, historically, multi‐layered conceptualizations of work face developmental challenges in globalizing work. Expansive learning efforts enhance the emergent learning practices when orienting global participants to motivating “why” and “where‐to” conceptualizations. In order to turn emergent practices into sustainable learning practices, material representations need to be created to mediate the bottom‐up and top‐down conceptualizations at the interfaces of distributed work.Research limitations/implicationsEmergent learning practices are studied longitudinally through concrete work in transformation. The learning approach emphasizes developmental interventions at global workplaces.Practical implicationsExpansive learning efforts at different levels of conceptualization, may be supported by tools that mediate and sustain emergent learning practices.Social implicationsGlobal workplace learning should be a concern of those involved with corporate social responsibility.Originality/valueEmergent learning practices offers a new approach for studies of globalizing work through its multi‐layered conceptualizations of work.
Learning patterns of teams at the workplace
Authors: Baert Herman , Govaerts Natalie 
Published: September 2012

PurposeWith the intention of detecting and describing a series of team learning patterns within a selection of organisations, an extensive exploratory and qualitative research project was conducted in seven phases. The study at hand aims to report on the most recent phase, namely eight case studies in the public employment service of Flanders (Belgium) and aims to expand the provisional typology of learning patterns and to explore the strategic relevance of these learning patterns in the light of a strategic human resource development (HRD) policy.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach with a multiple case study design served as the methodological base. A total of 22 interviews in eight cases were conducted in the competence centres of the Flemish employment service, what brings the total to 40 cases and 150 interviews.FindingsHitherto, five basic learning patterns and 16 variations make up the provisional typology of learning patterns. The strategic relevance of the learning patterns varies with respect to the scope of the developed competences and the degree of orientation to future of the organisation and the career expectations of the employees.Originality/valueThe provisional typology of learning patterns has proven to be useful as a tool for the identification of configurations of workplace learning in teams. The exploration of the strategic relevance provides clues for the alignment of the HRD with the organisational strategy.
Sustaining inertia?
Authors: Engström Susanne , Hedgren Erika 
Published: September 2012

PurposeHumans tend to rely on beliefs, assumptions and cognitive rules‐of‐thumb for making judgments and are biased against taking more uncertain alternatives. Such inertia has implications for client organizations' decision making about innovations, which are inherently more uncertain than conventional alternatives. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to furthering the understanding of barriers to overcoming inertia in client decision making in new‐build.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive behavioural decision‐making perspective is combined with an organizational information‐processing perspective. To identify and discuss individual and organizational barriers that potentially distort clients' decision making on innovation, the analysis addresses aggregated data from four studies. The analysis focuses on inferences and interpretations made by decision makers in Swedish client organizations, their information‐processing practices and the subsequent impacts on perceived meanings and judgments about industrialized multi‐storey, timber‐framed building innovations, which are perceived by Swedish clients as new and different building alternatives.FindingsCognitive and organizational barriers maintain status‐quo decisions. Clients are inclined to make biased judgments about industrialized‐building alternatives because non‐applicable cognitive rules‐of‐thumb, based on their experiences of conventional‐building alternatives, are used. Furthermore, client organizations' information‐processing practices do not allow different meanings to surface, interact and potentially suggest different conclusions, at odds with established beliefs.Originality/valueThe paper's conclusions highlight how inertia is sustained in client decision making in new‐build. They illustrate the limitations of a common engineering approach, i.e. supporting decision making about innovations by focusing on providing more information to the decision maker in order to reduce uncertainty, as well as managing multiple meanings by reductionism.
Entrepreneurial marketing and accommodation businesses in East Peninsular Malaysia
Authors: Jaafar Mastura 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe development of tourism and the hospitality industry has facilitated the proliferation of many small and medium accommodation businesses in this region. These usually depend on the attractiveness of tourism products offered in each destination. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the entrepreneurial marketing aspect of accommodation businesses in three urban cities and islands in East Peninsular Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachMixed‐method research was conducted on 64 urban hotels and 52 island chalet operators in East Peninsular Malaysia. The results indicate that urban operators are more entrepreneurial than island operators.FindingsTo ensure their continued existence in the industry, these operators have adopted different marketing practices. Each tourist destination attracts a different set of tourist profiles and features varying marketing practices. The significant differences in the types of entrepreneurial marketing practiced by urban and island operators are explored in detail in this study.Originality/valueIn implementing a new economic model towards being a high income‐generating country, the tourism sector has become a main driver contributing to the Malaysian economy. With the main objective of maximizing the advantages of a strategic location, together with the comparative advantages arising from its natural resources, the findings are rather fit to the tourism industry.
Entrepreneurial groups in Ireland and Wales
Authors: Dowell David John , Dawson Chris , Fuller‐Love Nerys , Hopkins Benjamin 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use a marketing segmentation approach based upon attitudes and perceptions of centrality, trust, communication, conflict resolution, benefits and satisfaction to create a typology of network members specifically for entrepreneurs as actors in entrepreneurial business networks.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a survey of individuals drawn from six entrepreneurial networks located within West Wales and South‐East Ireland. Initial analysis utilised exploratory factor analysis, which was then used as a base for cluster analysis. Validity was established using ANOVA (continuous data) and Chi‐square (categorical data) tests, while reliability was examined through Cronbach alphas.FindingsThe findings indicate that a four segment structure existed. Each of the four segments were found to be significantly different regarding attitudes towards centrality, trust, communication, conflict resolution, benefits and satisfaction. The four network member segments are: Benefiters, Doubters, Shadows and Leaders.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this research is the sample size. Consequently, the implications are somewhat limited and more work is required to validate these findings. Further research is needed to test if the segments are generalisable.Originality/valueThe research is an initial attempt to segment actors in entrepreneurial networks through the use of market segmentation. The work creates a pathway for further investigations into this area using the segmentation framework.
Measuring brand social responsibility: a new scale
Authors: Dincer Banu , Dincer Caner 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the brand social responsibility (BSR) construct, and to develop a scale to measure this construct.Design/methodology/approachUsing corporate social responsibility scales and the existing literature, a pre‐test to establish an initial list of items is followed by exploratory factor analysis in order to obtain a list of descriptors and statements to measure brand social responsibility. Then, the retained items of the BSR scale and existing CSR scales are tested on a panel of 248 participants.FindingsThe brand social responsibility scale tested in this research was more focused on a brand's trustworthiness, awareness, and the brand's philanthropic activities from a consumer's perspective. The descriptors used in the scale more accurately measure consumers' perceptions of a brand's social responsibility than CSR scales, and also take into consideration the possible differences between a parent brand's SR and its subsidiary's SR.Research limitations/implicationsThis study, while investigating the brand social responsibility construct and developing a scale to measure it, compares existing CSR scales and emphasizes the possible differences between a parent brand's SR and its subsidiary's SR.Originality/valueThe brand social responsibility scale in this study is important as it is one of the few scales in the field that takes into consideration the consumer's perspective as well as the possible effects of a parent brand and its subsidiaries.