bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of country-level factors on export competitiveness of agriculture industry from emerging markets
Authors: Huo Da 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the impact of country-level factors and aim to find out how the factors affect the export competitiveness of agricultural industries from emerging markets. Agricultural industries have been traditionally one of the important contributors to the increased exports from emerging markets.

Design/methodology/approach
– The revealed comparative advantage (RCA) approach is used to define the export competitiveness of agricultural industries in emerging markets. Regression and factor analysis are used to find out the relationship between export competitiveness and important country-level factors, such as wage cost, irrigated land area, food price index, export of agriculture products, domestic consumption demand and exchange rate, against US dollars of different countries from emerging markets.

Findings
– Export of agriculture products, irrigated land area and exchange rate against US dollars were found to have positive relationship with export competitiveness of agriculture industry. On the other hand, labor cost and domestic consumption demand were found to have a negative relationship with the export competitiveness.

Practical implications
– In transformation of emerging economies, a higher level of export, larger area of irrigated land and stable exchange rate of US dollars will benefit the agriculture export of emerging markets. The rising wage cost and domestic consumption need can restrain the export competitiveness of emerging markets.

Originality/value
– The research offers important hints for emerging markets to find their own ways to maintain a sustainable competitive advantage in export market by controlling the country-level factors. Also, it revealed the future problems that can appear in the transformation, with practical suggestions following. This research will be helpful to both policy-makers and global managers.
E-commerce strategies and corporate performance: an empirical investigation
Authors: Marcelo Torres Pedro , Veríssimo Lisboa João , M. Yasin Mahmoud 
Published: November 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this study is twofold. First, the relevant literature is reviewed briefly to provide a strategic context of the different views on strategy development. In the process, the linkages between the e-commerce view of strategy and previous views are explored. As such, the perspectives of different schools of thought on strategy are briefly highlighted. Second, the different dimensions of the e-commerce strategy and their impact on organizational performance are investigated.Design/methodology/approach– A survey integrating different theoretical views of value creation was developed and sent to Portuguese e-commerce firms to assess the underlying dimensions of their strategies through factorial analysis. Then, a clustering analysis was performed to determine strategic groups to compare corporate performance.Findings– Three e-commerce dimensions were identified: marketing, innovation and efficiency. Results of data analysis suggest that differentiation factors have impact on corporate performance in the context of virtual markets.Research limitations/implications– Although the Portuguese specific nature of the study could be seen as a limitation of the generalization of the findings, in the authors’ view, it is not truly a limitation because Portuguese executives face the same challenges that other countries counterparts, due to the universal application of e-commerce. Moreover, the use of a Portuguese sample validates findings from other cultural settings, contributing toward a unified theory and testing its applicability. In this way, it is an opportunity rather then a limitation.Practical implications– The research identifies what is strategic and highlights the competitive methods that enhance differentiation in virtual markets, which could be useful as a framework for strategic formulation. Moreover, it provides a theoretical rational for investments in intangible assets.Originality/value– The development of a survey to assess e-commerce strategies and the identification of the e-commerce strategic dimensions are the main contributions of this research, which highlights the importance of differentiation factors in virtual markets.
Improving the American health system: moving from inglorious socialism to the free market
Authors: Aggarwal Raj , Bohinc Jerry 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present the three critical changes needed to reform the US health care system – these changes will drive cascades of other beneficial changes. These three changes include the use of transparent market prices, alignment of incentives and systematic assessment and ratings of quality.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper used an analysis based on the literature on the comparison between non-market and market systems. The current US health care system is similar to the Soviet economic system, and the paper proposes moving it gradually to where it can respond to market-based signals.

Findings
– The US health care system needs to adopt transparent and real pricing, independent quality assessment of health provider organizations and portable electronic patient records. These changes will lead to continuing cascades of innovation and improvement.

Research limitations/implications
– The recommended changes will be opposed by vested interest groups, and so will be easier with regulatory guidance and encouragement. It would also be useful to protect against “regulatory capture” by interested parties during the change process.

Practical implications
– Health care in the USA will gradually become better and cheaper. Health organizations will become more transparent. Regulators would have to set up and supervise private quality ratings agencies.

Social implications
– Social implications of this paper include greater labor mobility and higher productivity, as well as increased competitiveness of the USA.

Originality/value
– In spite of numerous writings on the subject, this issue has not been analyzed in this way. This paper is unique in the way in which it layouts the process of movement to a market-based system for the US health care system.
The yin and yang of introducing a sales culture: the Amalgam Bank Case
Authors: Fortado Bruce , A. Fadil Paul 
Published: November 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this study was to explore the introduction of a “sales culture” at one of the ten largest US banks. Identifying and analyzing the existing human relations problems should enable constructive competitive improvements to be made in the future.Design/methodology/approach– The major findings of our interviews with tellers and customer service representatives are compared to how the managers presented the sales culture, as well as the relevant cultural literature. The metaphor of the yin and the yang will be used to shed light on the tense and fluctuating interconnection of certain phenomenon.Findings– Amalgam Bank’s sales did increase, but unanticipated problems also surfaced. The new sales duties slowed service and irritated customers. The teller referral quota proved unrealistic. The sales incentive point system provided little motivation. The negative tended to be stressed in sales meetings. When employees raised concerns, their managers replied with silencing behaviors. Further, there were double standards, lessened career opportunities and some inconsistent managerial practices. Increased turnover and resistance ensued. Addressing these problems should bring the parties’ interests into better balance and produce a more stable and competitive culture.Research limitations/implications– Doing a comparative analysis can confirm what aspects of the sales culture literature are relevant and where inductive modifications might be called for. Consideration needs to be given to what results might be due to a poor managerial implementation, and what results can be attributed to the conflicting aspects of the original service-oriented culture and the new sales culture. More fieldwork needs to be done to provide confirmation for these findings and expand upon them.Practical implications– Both theory and practice could be improved by integrating material from anthropology, sociology, human relations, organization culture and marketing.Social implications– This paper focused on the social issue of culture change. Utilizing competitiveness as an outcome variable, the social implications of this study are tremendous.Originality/value– This study goes back to the roots of the Human Relations movement: fieldwork. In an era where most scholars hand out surveys and analyze corresponding numbers, the current authors actually went out in the field and meticulously interviewed the subjects. This increased the quality and depth of the survey, while providing a true barometer of the reaction to the proposed culture change. Although this method of study is not original, it is hardly ever done anymore in a “survey-driven” research environment. This fieldwork methodology is one of the most important contributions of this paper.
Direct printing and assembly of FM radio at the user end via liquid metal printer
Authors: Yang Jun , Liu Jing 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– This paper aims to demonstrate the practicability of the liquid metal printer, developed in the authors’ laboratory, in the direct manufacture and assembly of circuit boards at the end customer side using GaIn24.5 alloy as printing ink at room temperature.

Design/methodology/approach
– A practical procedure for printing a real designed frequency modulation (FM) radio circuit on flexible and transparent substrate using liquid metal printer was established. Necessary electronic components are then assembled on this circuit board. To enhance the mechanical stability of the FM radio circuit board, we further package the circuit board using room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber. Finally, an efficient way to recycle the liquid metal ink and electronic components is presented at the end of circuit board’s life cycle.

Findings
– Methods of designing the circuit patterns that are applicable to liquid metal printer are similar to the conventional printed circuit board (PCB) designing strategies. The procedure of applying liquid metal printer for printing the circuits is entirely automatic, cost-effective and highly time-saving, which allows the user to print out desired device in a moment. Through appropriate packaging, the FM radio circuit board can be flexibly used. These PCBs own many outstanding merits including easy modification and stretchability. Nearly all liquid metal ink and components can be recycled.

Originality/value
– The present end-customer-oriented liquid metal printing opens the way for large-scale personal electronics manufacture which is expected to initiate many emerging applications in education, design, industry, entertainment and more maker targets.
Assessing the effects of audio-visual stimulation on the prefrontal EEG of good & poor sleepers
Authors: Lee Yi-Yeh , Raymond See Aaron , Chen Shih-Chung , Liang Chih-Kuo 
Published: November 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper was to investigate the response of good and poor sleepers toward audio-visual stimulation via prefrontal theta EEG measurement.Design/methodology/approach– The experiment included ten healthy subjects that were chosen after going through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). They were divided into two groups that include five good and five poor sleepers. Next, in order to clarify the effects of audio-visual biofeedback during daytime, each subject was asked to go through six two-minute tasks that include: pre-baseline, eyes open at rest, eyes closed at rest, audio biofeedback with eyes open, video biofeedback also with eyes open, and post-baseline.Findings– In Task 4, the audio stimulation task, both types of sleepers elicited higher theta waves due to demand in mental activity and also a meditation state. It was significantly higher in poor sleeper that demonstrated a peak difference of 25 percent compared to its good sleeper counterpart. In Task 5, the visual stimulation task, through the use of random numbers having blue and red color background, the theta amplitudes of good and poor sleepers drop together, due to beta waves becoming dominant, as the task required attention and focussed accounting for reduced theta amplitudes. The study was able to prove the use of prefrontal EEG in measuring and evaluating sleep quality by examining theta variation.Originality/value– This paper proposed a novel and convenient method for evaluating sleep quality by utilizing only a single channel prefrontal EEG measurement.
Optimal high-rigidity structure design for CNC machine tools using CAE technique
Authors: Wang Kun-Chieh 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– For machine tools, the machining performance is mainly determined by the rigidity of the machine structure. How to design a machine tool with high rigidity is always a challenge issue. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– In this paper, the Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) technique is used to analyze the structure rigidity of a Computer-Numerical Control (CNC) turn-mill machining center. The considered structure parameters include static rigidity and vibration mode. Through the integral analyses of these two structure parameters in conjunction with the practical design experiences, an optimal structure is obtained.

Findings
– Comparisons between the original prototype and the suggested new design structure via CAE technique under the guide of these two stiffness parameters show a great improvement on the maximal deformation of the machine structure under the action of cutting forces.

Originality/value
– Through the proposed integrative examination of two structural parameters and the CAE technique, together with design experiences, an optimal CNC machine structure can be obtained.
The application of Lean Six Sigma to the configuration control in Intel’s manufacturing R&D environment
Authors: Panat* Rahul , Dimitrova Valentina , Selvy Selvamuniandy Tamil , Ishiko Kazuhiko , Sun Dennis 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to provide an example of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) application in research and development (R&D) organizations to eliminate waste and improve systems based on available data that in turn improves the innovative environment. Manufacturing R&D involves designing and testing innovative concepts and taking them into high-volume manufacturing. The infrastructure associated with such organizations involves experimental manufacturing lines with the ability to evaluate the result under statistical process control and configuration control. The integration of LSS process improvement methodology into the R&D organization infrastructure and operations can have a dramatic effect on reducing cost and time related to the development and delivery of new technologies and products.

Design/methodology/approach
– The LSS methodology was systematically implemented to eliminate waste and improve the existing process of Intel’s configuration control during the development and ramp phases. The steps included an assessment of the current state through walking the process and collecting baseline data, preparing the process map to quantify waste and inefficiencies, defining the ideal state along with a realistic target, selecting and implementing the improvement actions together with realizing and documenting the improvements and finally developing and putting into place a control plan to ensure the new process is sustained. The LSS approach resulted in an efficiency improvement exceeding the target, i.e. 60 per cent reduction in idle time and waste (non-value-added activities) versus a target of 40 per cent reduction. The results also showed an increase in the stakeholder satisfaction without compromising the technical rigor of the manufacturing configuration control.

Findings
– The LSS case study presented in this paper provides experiences to LSS practitioners in manufacturing R&D environment where the operational excellence is to be sought in new technology and product development.

Originality/value
– Project leaders can use the study to help formulate strategies to cater to customer/stakeholder satisfaction and eliminate waste while maintaining the technical rigor of the R&D environment.
Age segregation and hiring of older employees: low mobility revisited
Authors: Ilmakunnas Pekka , Ilmakunnas Seija 
Published: November 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the determinants of hiring and exit rates by age at the firm level and firm-level age segregation in hirings and separations in Finland.Design/methodology/approach– The use Finnish linked employer-employee data from 1990 to 2004. The authors present a decomposition of employment change by age group to disentangle the roles of hirings and exits from factors related to demographics effects. Firm-level analysis is conducted using regression models for the hiring rates and shares of different age groups and for the probability of hiring older employees. Similar models are estimated for the exits of older employees. Segregation is analysed using age segregation curves and Gini indices calculated from them.Findings– The hirings of older (50+) employees have clearly been more segregated at the firm level than the exits or the stock of old employees. Larger firms are more likely to hire older employees, but their hiring rates are lower. However, the probability of having hires or exits of older workers are much higher in large firms. The results are relatively similar for men and women.Research limitations/implications– The determinants of the probability of hiring older workers and the rate of hiring them, given that the rate is positive, are different and these two processes should be modelled separately. The Gini index of segregation may be misleading when the number of employees per firm is small. Therefore it is useful to compare segregation to a random reshuffle of employees to firms.Practical implications– Older worker who have become unemployed or who want to change their job need to have more employment opportunities. Labour and pension policies need to be monitored and designed so that there are more incentives for the individual to search for a new job and for the firms to hire older employees.Originality/value– The authors provide new empirical evidence of age segregation and hiring prospects of older employees. Age segregation has previously been examined in occupations, but the authors extend the analysis to firm-level segregation. The authors suggest a new decomposition of the rate of employment change to the hiring and exit rates and to a cohort effect.
Characteristics of peer models at a summer camp for children with autism
Authors: L. Bobzien Jonna , Judge Sharon 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this study was to examine the openness, growth and loneliness of typical peers volunteering at a summer day camp for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

Design/methodology/approach
– In this study, the authors obtained descriptive data on the attitudes and behaviors of 38 adolescent peer buddies without disabilities volunteering at a summer camp for children with ASD using four short surveys. Surveys were given prior to the start of camp in an attempt to capture the attitudes and perspectives of the participants before they became more familiar with the characteristics of the children with ASD who were attending the camp. The authors examined if there were group differences on attitudes and behaviors based on age, gender and first-time volunteer versus returning volunteer peer buddy.

Findings
– The analysis showed that all volunteer peer buddies appeared open to interacting, playing and developing friendships with the child represented in the vignette with ASD. Participants indicated increased feelings of independence, ample ability to establish friendships and a desire for adventurous and explorative activities. Significant differences were found based on age and gender on openness to a peer with ASD characteristics.

Originality/value
– The results of this study have the potential to serve a broader purpose by demonstrating the types of children and adolescents that may be optimal choices to serve as peer mentors or buddies for peers with ASD attending summer camps or other community-based programs, as well as in classroom settings.
Characteristics of financial crime investigation reports by fraud examiners
Authors: Gottschalk Petter 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present results from an exploratory study of private investigations by fraud examiners in Norway. The activity of private investigations by fraud examiners is a business of lawyers, auditors and other professionals who investigate suspicions of financial crime by white-collar criminals.

Design/methodology/approach
– This article presents results from an empirical study of investigation reports.

Findings
– The available sample consists of 21 reports produced mostly by auditing firms such as PwC. Suspicion of financial crime led to police investigation, public prosecution and jail sentence in two cases.

Originality/value
– Empirical studies of private investigations are rare.
Supreme Court reaffirms “fraud-on-the-market” presumption in securities fraud class actions
Authors: Rendon Veronica , Freedman John , Reinhardt Adam 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– To explain the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Halliburton Co. v. Erica P. John Fund, Inc. and its implications for private class action litigation under the federal securities laws.

Design/methodology/approach
– Explains the background on the Halliburton decision, including the prior case history and key precedents, analyzes the key reasoning and holdings of the decision, and discusses the implications of the decision and how it will impact private class actions brought under the securities laws.

Findings
– While there was considerable pontification in the bar that the Halliburton case might provide a vehicle to curtail many class actions brought under the securities laws, the Halliburton decision left prior law and practice largely intact, but provides defendants in such cases a tool to challenge viability of lawsuits in certain circumstances.

Originality/value
– Practical guidance from experienced securities litigators.