bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The banning of images: questions arising in the field of management
Authors: Colas Hervé , Laguecir Aziza 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study how representation is conceptualized in Jewish culture, and how this relates to management. More specifically, it seeks to discuss the banning of images and what can be learned from this in the field of management.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explores the meaning of the prohibition of images in the sacred texts. This serves as a starting point to discuss representation of the world and different forms of thought in the management field.FindingsA major element in the banning of images deals with the involvement of the manager in decision making. The authors argue that organisational images such as accounting numbers are oriented towards economising our attention and thereby allowing the relative absence of the decision maker. The authors suggest that the banning of images reminds us of the importance of the manager's presence and of active participation in decision making and organisational transformation.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contributes to the literature on the roles of managerial representation, notably accounting figures, and supports the idea that accountability should not be limited to reporting (be it numbers or qualitative elements). This paper argues for developing the density of the account, for instance by using narratives. This research echoes recent practice turn in management, as the authors’ findings can inform management teaching by providing students with dense case‐studies of management as actually practised, analysed using sociological or psychological theories. Such dense case‐studies do not aim to give students parsimonious models for analysis, or expose them to best practices: rather they seek to help them develop practical wisdom through a better understanding of management. This paper calls then for an increased presence rather than representation in management teaching classes, which is the main limitation of e‐learning.Originality/valueRather than exploring the mechanism of accounting figures in the behaviour of organizational actors or taking a political perspective, this paper focuses on a deep representation of the organization often rooted in magical thought. Relying on the practical wisdom of the Hebraic biblical banning of images, this paper aims to deconstruct organizational thought so as to highlight its contradictions.
Ethical leadership: lessons from Moses
Authors: Ben‐Hur Shlomo , Jonsen Karsten 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to outline a model of leadership based on the characteristics of the most highly acclaimed leader in Jewish history, Moses. The lessons from his leadership that are applicable to modern corporate leaders are identified and related to management development and education settings.Design/methodology/approachThis paper relies on a direct reading of books 2–5 of the Old Testament (see notes) to propose a model based on Moses’ leadership. Using Moses’ journey toward and during his leadership, a model for present‐day leadership is proposed. Examples are given to anchor this model in biblical texts and reference it to modern leadership thoughts, spirituality and practical wisdom.FindingsWhile the leadership of Moses is known and widely discussed within Jewish learning, it has not yet found a wider, secular audience. However, Moses’ leadership characteristics present an opportunity to reflect on how creative tensions between different leadership traits could be reconciled and an ethical model of leadership could be applied.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper does not look beyond books 2–5 of the Old Testament for further supporting evidence of the leadership of Moses. Future research could broaden the model through these sources. Moreover, research could test the four dimensions of leadership proposed in this paper in contemporary contexts, with performance as a dependent variable.Originality/valueMoses’ leadership has been discussed by theologists but this paper suggests drawing on it as part of the ongoing academic discourse on corporate leadership. The biography of Moses sheds a light on the formative experiences of an ethical leader and his actions demonstrate how such a leader can act under challenging circumstances. If further developed, this research promises to be a useful addition to current leadership thinking and management education.
A grounded investigation of Chinese employees' psychological capital
Authors: Han Yong , Brooks Ian , Kakabadse Nada K. , Peng Zhenglong , Zhu Yi 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThis paper explores the “Western” concept of psychological capital in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and highlights critical areas of divergence and notable dimensions of similarity.Design/methodology/approachThis is an empirical study conducted in a wide range of Chinese organisational forms, employing an inductive approach based on critical incident technique.FindingsThis research showed that the concept of psychological capital appears to have a degree of applicability and salience in China. A series of dimensions common in Western organisations were found in our research, including Optimism, Creativity, Resiliency, Self‐confidence, Forgiveness and Gratitude, Courage and Ambition (Hope). These were found to be common types of psychological capital both in China and in the West. However, the dimensions of Courtesy and Humility (Qian‐gong‐you‐liin Chinese), Self‐possession and Sincerity fell into the “different” category.Originality/valueThis paper is a first attempt to examine psychological capital in a range of organisational forms and industrial sectors in China using a grounded theory approach. It not only reports various dimensions of Chinese psychological capital, some unique to this research, but also compares and contrasts these dimensions between China and the West, highlighting further research opportunities.
A case study of the creative zone Scharloo and Pietermaai in Curaçao
Authors: Goede Miguel , Louisa Gunnar 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the development of a “Creative Zone” in the area of Scharloo and Pietermaai, two integral parts of Willemstad, UNESCO World Heritage Site (Curaçao), to gain insight into the dynamics and possibilities of the zone. This paper also serves to develop the concept of a creative zone with different stakeholders – including government – by creating synergy and momentum, giving the project or process a life of its own.Design/methodology/approachThe project of creating a creative zone is based on a theoretical framework used to assess the factors that create a creative zone. Using the framework, an assessment of the Scharloo and Pietermaai zone is made to frame discussion of the further development of the zone.FindingsThe area Scharloo and Pietermaai in Curaçao has all the ingredients to become a creative zone, especially in the context of further enhancing Curaçao's tourist product. This is the case for traditional tourists, but is also true for a large group of foreign students who serve their apprenticeship on the island. However, necessary efforts must be made – especially by the creative industries in the zone – to establish a forum, leadership and a network to develop the creative zone. The participation of the government has to be acknowledged, taking into consideration the role that government plays in creating the right conditions, for example by improving the infrastructure. Finally, there must be a mutual effort to assess and sustain the creative process on the part of all stakeholders. An important finding is that a part of the zone could be denominated by creative industry, because so many tour operators organize visits to the Scharloo area as a showcase for cultural heritage. The visitors can experience, taste and feel this creativity.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to a framework for analyzing the creative economy of Caribbean Small Islands Developing States and how continuous improvement can be achieved to create more added value in the economy.
Malaysian consumers' preferences for Islamic banking attributes
Authors: Echchabi Abdelghani , Nafiu Olaniyi Oladokun 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to shed light on the preferences of Malaysian banks' customers for Islamic banking attributes.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses mixed methodology. The quantitative approach consists of the collection of primary data through a self‐administered questionnaire distributed to 500 Islamic banks' customers in Malaysia. The data gathered were analysed using factor analysis as well as Friedman test. In parallel, qualitative approach was used, in forms of semi structured interviews with ten Islamic banks' customers. The results of both approaches were then reported accordingly.FindingsThe quantitative approach reveals that the preference for Islamic banking attributes in Malaysia is a combination of the quality of services offered by the Islamic banks, as well as the convenience associated with it. On the other hand, the qualitative approach revealed that choosing Islamic banks was mainly due to the religious motivation of the customers.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the few that has used a qualitative approach to study consumer preferences for Islamic banking attributes. Furthermore, the paper employs this methodology in the context of Malaysia, which enriches the studies done in this context and area.
Banker's lending decision making: a psychological approach
Authors: Trönnberg Carl‐Christian , Hemlin Sven 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze recent findings in the research on bankers' lending decision making, to merge relevant findings in psychology and economics and create a comprehensive review of the literature.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a systematic article search for empirical studies when conducting the research.FindingsThe findings are analyzed on the basis of human decision‐making research. The results of the review are three conclusions about loan officers' decision making: their dependency on bank characteristics, their decision‐making biases, and their deliberate and intuitive reasoning approaches.Originality/valueThe paper's findings are important, both as a summary of the literature on lending decision making and also as a foundation for future research.
Are hedge funds guilty of manipulative short‐selling?
Authors: Stephen Haggard K. , Qing Hao (Grace) , Jenny Zhang Ying 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate short‐selling around private investment in public equity (PIPE) issuances, for evidence of manipulative short‐selling by hedge funds.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the Regulation SHO short‐selling data in combination with information about hedge fund participation in traditional stock PIPE offerings from Sagient Research, and share price and trading volume data from the Center for Research in Security Prices (CRSP) to examine the relations among hedge fund participation, short‐selling levels and stock returns surrounding such offerings.FindingsIt is found that significantly less pre‐deal short‐selling occurs when hedge funds are included in the PIPE investor group, and adjusted returns for firms with hedge funds as investors are positive in the pre‐deal period and negative in the post‐deal period. Both of these findings are opposite of the patterns expected given manipulative short‐selling by hedge funds. Pre‐deal and post‐deal adjusted returns and PIPE discount are unrelated to pre‐deal short‐selling by hedge funds, findings inconsistent with manipulative short‐selling by these investors. The evidence suggests that most hedge funds that invest in traditional stock PIPEs do not engage in manipulative short‐selling around these deals.Originality/valueThis paper is the first, to the authors' knowledge, to examine hedge fund participation and daily short‐selling around traditional stock PIPE issuances. Previous studies focus on structured PIPE deals, which do not represent the majority of the PIPE market at present. The daily short selling data used in this study allow for detailed investigation of market behavior not afforded by monthly short interest data used in previous studies.
Destination discount: a sensible road for national brands?
Authors: Deleersnyder Barbara , Koll Oliver 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to study the consequences of listing national brands in discounters. Is the discount channel a promising outlet for manufacturer brands? Is it an effective means to attract new buyers? Which combination of brand and discount destination at which price is best suited for this strategic move?Design/methodology/approachBased on a unique dataset (tracking grocery purchase behavior for a representative sample of German households) and employing both descriptive and multivariate statistical techniques, the authors examine the outcome for 134 national brands introduced in six discount chains in Germany between January 2003 and July 2004.FindingsBoth the manufacturer and discounter are able to grow their total performance in excess of the market following the introduction for the majority of the brands. Hence, potential cannibalization is more than offset by incremental revenues. It is found that, on average, close to 80 per cent of national brands' sales at a discounter is from new brand buyers. Discounters typically benefit less, as only 29 percent of brand sales are from new category buyers at their store.Practical implicationsIncluding manufacturer brands into a discount assortment will benefit both the manufacturers and the discounters. Examination of the substantial cross‐brand differences reveals that manufacturers and discounters attract more new customers with brands for which market penetration is still modest. Also, discounters gain more from adding branded offerings in underperforming categories, and benefit from brands that enjoy higher customer loyalty. Finally, national‐brand prices should be set carefully at discounters. It is advised to maintain their price premium even at a discounter.Originality/valueDiscounters are the fastest growing grocery format in Europe. Lately, many discounters add national brands to their private‐label dominated assortment, a move widely discussed in media with substantial implications for grocery channel management. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of that trend.
The benefits of manufacturer brands to retailers
Authors: Glynn Mark S. , Brodie Roderick J. , Motion Judy 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how manufacturers' brands benefit retailers and how these benefits affect retailer evaluations of the brand.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers develop a conceptual framework, from a literature review and qualitative interviews, which outlines the benefits of manufacturers' brands for retailers. A series of hypotheses tests the effects of these brand benefits on retailer brand attitudes. Data are collected using a survey of supermarket category buyers and analysed with structural equation modelling in order to validate this framework.FindingsManufacturers' brands deliver four benefits to retailers: financial, manufacturer support, meeting customers' expectations and brand equity. Financial benefits and customer expectations have a stronger effect on retailer satisfaction with the brand compared to manufacturer support and brand equity. Retailer satisfaction with the brand is an antecedent to the retailer assessment of brand performance as well as trust and commitment of the brand. An alternative model shows that brand equity influences retailer commitment to the brand and that financial benefits affect retailer performance assessment of the brand.Practical implicationsManufacturers should think of their brands as channel resources when dealing with retail buyers, and need to consider how to best utilise these four brand benefits to encourage channel support.Originality/valueThis study proposes a conceptual model and measures the influence of manufacturer brand benefits on longer term retailer attitudes towards the brand, which research has not previously addressed.
Matching service recovery solutions to customer recovery preferences
Authors: Nguyen Doan T. , McColl‐Kennedy Janet R. , Dagger Tracey S. 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to argue that, traditionally, service recovery attempts have paid little attention to customer preferences. Despite attempts to recover the customer, firms generally do not know if the recovery solution is what the customer expects. Hence, the paper seeks to examine whether customer recovery preferences influence customers' evaluation of the recovery attempt in terms of recovery satisfaction and repurchase intentions.Design/methodology/approachFirst, a two‐stage qualitative study was conducted. Then the research model was tested empirically on a sample of 431 consumers using a multivariate analysis.FindingsThe findings support the argument that customers have distinct recovery preferences. Moreover, customers are satisfied with the service recovery solution only when it matches the most demanding recovery preference. Customers' recovery preferences have a significant impact on their satisfaction with recovery and their repurchase intentions.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the model developed is tested on a cross‐sectional sample. Second, the measure of recovery satisfaction and repurchase intentions used here was relatively simple. Third, the study relies on repurchase intentions instead of actual behavioural data.Practical limitations/implicationsThis research indicates that customers have a preference for how service recovery should be undertaken. Given these distinct recovery preferences, different recovery solutions should be applied to address each preference appropriately.Originality/valueIt is widely accepted in the service recovery literature that customers' perceptions of a service recovery attempt are often different to those of the service provider. However, this research suggests that customer recovery preferences need to be carefully considered given their effect on customer satisfaction and repurchase intentions.
Strategies used to defend pharmaceutical brands from generics
Authors: Wilkie Dean C.H. , Johnson Lester W. , White Lesley 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThis research aims to provide an empirical comparison of the results of three brands' marketing defence strategies used in advance of generic brands entering the market. By reviewing the effectiveness of these strategies, this research looks to extend the research on marketing defence strategies into the importance of anticipating competitor launches.Design/methodology/approachA data set containing 243 weeks of scanned sales for 21 generic brands was used in a regression model aimed at measuring the effectiveness of each brand's defence strategies in deterring entry and limiting the market share of these generic brands.FindingsThe analysis shows that several marketing mix components were effective in limiting the impact of generic brands. What was critical to each component's success was ensuring that they were implemented before the launch of the generic brands.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has the limitation of being confined to a category of pharmaceutical allergy brands, which limits generalisation of the findings.Practical implicationsThe managerial relevance of this research has two parts. First, it will encourage managers to move from implementing strategies in reaction to a competitor launch to implementing strategies in advance of their entry. Second, it provides insights into the effectiveness of several strategic options for brands facing the entry of generic brands.Originality/valueThis study brings together literature regarding entry deterrence and market share loss prevention to help highlight the importance of proactive marketing defence strategies in reducing both the number of entrants and the amount of market share lost. It uses a data set to provide an empirical review of a range of marketing mix components used by pharmaceutical brands against low‐price generic brands.
Outsourcing HR services: the role of human resource intermediaries
Authors: Kock Henrik , Wallo Andreas , Nilsson Barbro , Höglund Cecilia 
Published: September 2012

PurposeIn this article, the area of interest is an emerging type of organisation called human resource intermediaries (HRIs), which focus on delivering human resource (HR) services to public sector organisations and private companies. The purpose of this article is, thus, to explore HRIs as deliverers of HR services. More specifically, the article will seek to analyse and discuss how employees in HRIs understand their role as providers of HR services to their clients and what characterises the HRIs' work and the nature of their assignments.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical foundation of this article comprises a longitudinal case study of three Swedish HRI organisations. The data consist of interviews with 19 managers and consultants from the three HRIs.FindingsThe results indicate that HRIs want to take on a broad, strategic and proactive role in relation to their customers. However, due to external and internal constraints, such as the HRIs' internal work processes, the nature of their assignments and the client's HR competence level, the roles that HRIs play in practice tend to be more specific, operational and reactive.Practical implicationsAn important challenge for HRIs is to avoid being overwhelmed by short‐term and reactive assignments that deliver value to their clients through the use of standard solutions. Long‐term relationships, the structures of ownership and membership, and the availability of unique networks can also prove to be valuable for clients.Originality/valueThis study explores HRIs as an emerging type of organisation within the area of human resources. Compared with HR consultants who specialise in handling specific HR‐related problems, HRIs target the entire flow of human resources in, within, and out of client organisations.
A study of the impact of the first phase of the curriculum reform on student learning in Hong Kong
Authors: Yuen Timothy W.W. , Cheung Alan C.K. , Man Wong Ping 
Published: September 2012

PurposeTo prepare Hong Kong students to face a rapidly changing twenty‐first century, the Hong Kong Government implemented a major curriculum reform entitled Learning to Learn – The Way Forward in Curriculum Development. This reform has shaped the direction of Hong Kong's school education since 2001. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of the reform from the perspectives of the major stakeholders, namely principals, teachers, and students.Design/methodology/approachThe paper was written based on the data obtained from a large‐scale study that covered over 250 primary and secondary schools, or about 20 per cent of the total population in Hong Kong. Both qualitative (focus group interviews) and quantitative methods (questionnaire survey) were employed in the study.FindingsThe findings indicated that moderate progress has been made in students’ overall performance in generic skills, positive values and attitudes, language proficiency, and over the key learning areas. On the other hand, the progress made in secondary schools was perceived to be less than that made in primary schools. The views of frontline teachers could also be different from senior teachers and principals as to the degree of achievement. There also existed a gap as the progress reported for critical thinking and self learning abilities might be less favourable when compared to those reported for IT, reading habits and healthy lifestyle.Originality/valueThe original findings and policy suggestions of the paper are of reference value to curriculum policy planners, researchers and educators.