bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic Semantics, Identity and Belief
Authors: Seager William 
Published: November 2014

The goal of standard semantics is to provide truth conditions for the sentences of a given language. Probabilistic Semantics does not share this aim; it might be said instead, if rather cryptically, that Probabilistic Semantics aims to provide belief conditions.The central and guiding idea of Probabilistic Semantics is that each rational individual has ‘within’ him or her a personal subjective probability function. The output of the function when given a certain sentence as input represents the degree of likelihood which the individual would assign to that sentence. One can characterize these functions via a set of axioms, and in the terms of this defined structure develop probabilistic analogues of all important semantical notions (e.g. validity, entailment). Then, dealing with ‘being given probability 1’ instead of ‘truth,’ one can proceed to give a completely adequate semantics for the particular language under consideration. The axioms delimiting the class of probability functions are, in fact, chosen with this goal and language in mind.
Sorting Out Sorites
Authors: March Peter 
Published: November 2014

Let Hn stand for an assembly of n grains of salt. Then the paradox of Sorites may be presented this way:H10,000 is a heap. pIf H10,000 is a heap then H10,000-1 is a heap. pH9,999 is a heap. MPH9,999 is a heap then H9,999-1 is a heap. P19998. If H2 is a heap then H2-1 is a heap. P19999. H1 is a heap. MP20000. H1 is not a heap. P20001. H1 is and is not a heap. ConA more significant example of the argument results where Ht stands for a human being (h.b.) at time t (in seconds) where t=O is the present and the human being is one year old.
Impact of financial capability on firms’ competitiveness and sustainability
Authors: Fonseka M.M. , Tian Gao-liang , Li Liu-chuang 
Published: November 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of different sources of external financing and internal financial capabilities on competitiveness and sustainability. This paper also studies the nature of their relationships related to regulations on external financing in Chinese capital market.Design/methodology/approach– Resource- and industry-based views provide a theoretical background. Based on balanced panel of 4,530 firm-year observations, hierarchical regressions were used to examine the research model.Findings– Results support the idea that the strict Chinese regulatory regime allows some firms to access capital and debt markets for financing more than others. It was found that firms’ internal financing abilities do not offer a significant advantage compared to external financing abilities; firms’ abilities to raise capital from existing shareholders, the public and easy access to bank financing are related positively for an advantage on firm’s competitiveness within a industry. Firms with the ability to offer shares to existing shareholders, issue non-convertible and convertible bonds and access to bank financing are sustainable in long-run.Research limitations/implications– This study focuses on sources of financial capability of Chinese listed firm impact on competitiveness and sustainability. It is context specific to a regulated market. Hence, it is necessary to replicate this study in other contexts.Practical implications– Implications include the need to mobilize external financial resources for small and privately-owned firms and to further reform security regulations to ensure fair competition and sustainability.Originality/value– The authors originally investigate the effect of sources of financial capability impact on firms’ competitiveness and sustainability in a regulated market. The paper explains the relationships, and enhances the understanding of regulated capital market and existing literature.
National Palace Museum and service innovations
Authors: Tsaih Rua-Huan , Lin James Quo-Ping , Chang Yu-Chien 
Published: November 2014

Subject area
Service innovation, ICT-enabled services, museum, cultural and creative industries.

Study level/applicability
Graduate-level courses of “Innovation Management,” “Service Innovation,” or “Cultural and Creative Industries”.

Case overview
In 2006, the National Palace Museum (NPM) in Taipei, Taiwan, announced its new vision “Reviving the Charm of an Ancient Collection and Creating New values for Generations to Come”. In recent years, the NPM has been shifting its operational focus from being object-oriented to being public-centered, and the museum has held not only the physical forms of artifacts and documents but also their digital images and metadata. These changes would inject new life into historical artifacts. In addition, archives as its collections would be given a refreshingly new image to the public and become connected with people's daily lives. Among these endeavors for displaying historical artifacts online and prevailing Chinese culture in the modern age, the key issues are related to digital technology applications and service innovations. The service innovations would be further divided into information and communication technologies (ICT)-enabled ones and non-ICT-enabled ones. These shifts clearly claim that adopting digital technologies and innovative services can bring positive impacts to the museum. The NPM administrative team wants to keep infusing life into ancient artifacts and texts, sustaining curiosities of the public for Chinese culture and history, and invoking their interests to visit the NPM in person. However, to develop for the future while reviewing the past, the NPM administrative team has to meditate on the next steps in terms of implementation of service innovations.

Expected learning outcomes
Students will learn motivations of digital establishment and service innovations from the organization perspective and the necessities of technological implementation. Students will understand the difference in innovations between ICT-enabled services and non-ICT-enabled services. Students would be able to understand the process of developing a new service. Students will be aware of challenges the organization would face in developing a new service.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Flipkart: journey of an Indian e-commerce start-up
Authors: Dutta Nirankush , Bhat Anil K. 
Published: November 2014

Subject area
Principles of management, Marketing, Finance, Strategy, Supply Chain Management, Entrepreneurship.

Study level/applicability
Master's Degree level courses, after students have been taught most of the basics related to management, marketing, finance, strategy, supply chain management and entrepreneurship.

Case overview
Founded in 2007 with an initial investment of less than USA $10,000, Flipkart has come a long way to become the largest E-commerce player in India with a registered user base of 9.6 million and valued at USA $1.6 billion. Efficient use of various marketing strategies has catapulted the company to its success. Till now, they have overcome most of the hurdles successfully. However, a lot needs to be discussed to find out ways to meet the challenges thrown by its competitors, to maintain its supremacy over other online e-retailers and continue its exponential growth to meet USA $1 billion sales by 2015.

Expected learning outcomes
After discussion of the case study, the student should be able to appreciate general business processes and develop basic analytical skills to resolve challenges faced by a fast-growing online start-up company in an emerging country like India. At the end, the students should be able to prepare a marketing plan for their own business within a stipulated budget.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Achieving E-commerce benefits in a garment manufacturing firm
Authors: Boateng Richard 
Published: November 2014

Subject area
Enterprise, Strategy

Study level/applicability
This case study documents the history of e-commerce adoption and usage in a fabric and garment manufacturing firm operating in an African country. Lessons drawn from the case could be applied to understanding the achievement of e-commerce benefits through the complex interrelationships between firm-level, national and global resources.

Case overview
The case study presents a summary of e-commerce capabilities in the firm, the key resources developed and actions taken to deploy e-commerce capabilities and the notable benefits obtained through these e-commerce capabilities. The study shows that, first, the ability to access information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure matters in developing countries, but managerial capabilities matter more. Managerial capabilities enable firms to find external resources (both in-country and globally) to substitute for internal resource deficiencies. Second, intangible social resources – trust, reputation and credibility – play a critical role in determining whether the e-commerce strategies of firms are successful or not.

Expected learning outcomes
An understanding of how managerial capabilities influence the creation of e-commerce capabilities and the achievement of e-commerce benefits, especially in an African or Ghanaian context. Learners can also draw lessons that could be applicable to understanding how a firm's strategic orientation, resource portfolio and the nature of its target market differentiate the extent of integration or adoption and usage of e-commerce in the firm.

Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Nuru International: empowering farmers to fight extreme poverty
Authors: Dzharova Hristina Kostadinova , Gupta Sudheer 
Published: November 2014

Subject area
Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Study level/applicability
The case is suitable for graduate (MSc, MBA) and advanced undergraduate (BSc, BAs) students and applicable for course material focusing on social entrepreneurship, social ventures, strategic management, sustainable development and emerging markets.

Case overview
This case explores Nuru International, a non-profit enterprise established in 2008 with the mission to “end extreme poverty throughout the world”. Jake Harriman, the founder and CEO of NURU, together with his team are on the onset of diversifying crop offerings among Kenyan farmers in an attempt to alleviate challenges stemming from severe climatic changes and low-crop quality. As 2014 is the first year for Kenyan farmers to grow alternative crops, the Nuru team faces the challenging task of convincing farmers to embrace diversification. Additionally, as part of its proof of concept philosophy, Nuru is establishing operations in Ethiopia. There, Nuru has to identify best marketable crops and promote these among Ethiopian farmers while empowering and engaging local leaders in the process. Finally, the team is looking for financing opportunities for Nuru's entrepreneurial mission. Their funding opportunities come from the private markets, the philanthropic market and the impact investing space. They are carefully analyzing these options and looking for alternatives in capital markets. Pondering on Nuru's rewarding experience with KIVA, a Web-based lending platform, the team wonders if crowdfunding may be a viable option to finance Nuru's operations in Ethiopia. They are interested in equity crowdfunding but are not sure what might be the associated opportunities and risks. They, therefore, need to assess the merits of the practice and decide on how compelling it is for Nuru's expansion plans to Ethiopia.

Expected learning outcomes
The case aims to help students comprehend the role of hybrid organizational designs in meeting broad societal issues such as extreme poverty; evaluate collective impact initiatives in addressing strategic and behavioral changes for organizations operating in contexts of extreme poverty where partnerships are the key for success; assess diverse capital steams for social entrepreneurs and understand how these relate to the stages of evolution of a social venture; and elaborate on crowdfunding as a nascent source of capital for social enterprises.

Supplementary materials
Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Body image and body work among older women: a review
Authors: E. Marshall Catherine , O. Lengyel Christina , H. Menec Verena 
Published: November 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on body image and aging among older women. Using existing qualitative research, this paper explores how aging affects body image and how women respond to body image issues as they age.Design/methodology/approach– Multiple databases were used to locate original and review articles on the topics of body image and aging, with a target population of women ages 60 years and older. The findings of the literature search were compiled, summarized and sorted to create themes.Findings– Women struggle with body image issues throughout their lives. Women tend to perceive age-related changes in appearance negatively, as a threat to their identity and social value. This is due, in part, to the sociocultural environment, which pressures women to “fight” aging and maintain an ideal (young and thin) image at all costs. Some women do come to terms with their aging body and report increased self-acceptance with age. However, others turn to various forms of body work (e.g. dieting, hair dye, makeup) in order to maintain their value in an appearance-based society.Practical implications– Poor body image can affect older women's emotional, psychological and physical health and overall well-being. Health care professionals, community workers and policy makers need to be made aware of these issues so that they can respond appropriately.Originality/value– There has been limited research exploring body image among older women. This paper identifies gaps in the literature and suggests avenues for future research in this area.
Freeing the slaves from our supply chains
Authors: Pollitt Michael 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– This paper aims to ask how much forced labor and trafficking have changed since the abolition of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and whether businesses and governments are taking adequate measures to remove slavery from international supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach
– It looks at three of the most high-profile slavery cases in the past four years and asks whether modern manifestations of slavery are any different from the traditional forms we associate with the colonial governments of the eighteenth century. It sets out the latest theories behind the unexpected increase in forced labor. It also addresses the scope, successes and shortfalls of three anti-slavery enactments proposed in the past four years, to ask how much is being done to fully update international labor laws and why certain efforts could prove insufficient.

Practical implications
– It points out that the government of California and the International Labor Organization have successfully implemented rigorous and savvy anti-slavery laws, but the UK has yet to produce a draft Bill that would put British anti-slavery efforts in the appropriate international context.

Social implications
– It argues that international corporations must acknowledge that many of the countries in which they operate lack the institutional capacity to enforce the rule of law, so the responsibility to uphold modern-day standards often rests with the businesses themselves.

Originality/value
– It argues that existing international anti-slavery conventions have failed to suppress the slave-trade boom because they do not reflect the shift in economic control from governments to the private sector and its trans-national network of supply chains.
Toyota falls foul of caste system
Authors: Pollitt David 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– The paper aims to analyze the cross-cultural reasons underlying the extreme industrial unrest experienced during the first seven years of Toyota’s operations in India.

Design/methodology/approach
– It draws on information obtained from 30 personal interviews, field notes, observations and Internet media sources.

Findings
– It reports how Toyotism shares three common features with Brahminism – renunciation, performance and perfection – and how antipathy toward the manner in which these features were implemented in India caused significant resistance among the production workforce.

Practical implications
– It suggests that management seeking to implement lean manufacturing in India should concentrate on minimizing the antipathy by production workers.

Social implications
– It helps to show how employee relations, unrest and antagonism toward lean-manufacturing practices are closely related to cross-cultural issues prevalent in host countries.

Originality/value
– It considers that the concept of Brahmanism in Indian employee relations is under-researched in comparison with other aspects of Indian culture, and antipathy toward the concept as a source of resistance to the implementation of lean systems needs to be better understood.
Micron trust is like strawberry pie
Authors: Pollitt David 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– The paper aims to investigate the relationship between employees’ trust toward a company and their commitment to it. It questions if certain levels of trust presented in each department at Micron Technology, Italy, are interrelated with the levels of commitment.

Design/methodology/approach
– It reveals that a survey at Micron Technology Italy was conducted. Of the 1,580 employees who received the questionnaire, 892 responses were collected, resulting in a 56.46 per cent response rate.

Findings
– It shows that for departments where trust values are below 6.8, the commitment level follows the trust value: there is a positive relation between these two factors. However, departments where employee trust reaches values higher than 6.8 are not reciprocated by a proportional commitment level that tends to reach a’satisfaction point’.

Practical implications
– Advances the view that, since commitment does not seem to continuously increase, after a certain point, it is not cost-effective for a company to implement communication strategies aimed at increasing employee trust in a non-targeted way. The need for customized communication strategies emerges as does the importance of understanding internal communication as integrated with other human-resource management levers.

Social implications
– It argues that managers must communicate with their employees as honestly and directly as possible, particularly during uncertain times, and should encourage the employees’ participation in the decision-making process.

Originality/value
– It offers an original contribution to the ongoing discussion concerning employee engagement. Employees’ trust does not always lead to employee commitment behaviors inside the organization.
Websters wins gold for its people practices
Authors: Pollitt David 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– This paper aims to chart the journey to Investors in People gold of Cambridge-based tax, legal and accountancy company, Websters.

Design/methodology/approach
– It examines the firm’s policies and approaches, in particular, in the areas of training, teamwork, empowerment and flexible working.

Findings
– It emphasizes the importance of openness, mutual respect and shared values at the company.

Practical implications
– It reveals that employees set their own development programs, which need not be directly related to their role in the company, although they must benefit the business.

Social implications
– It explains how flexible working has been built into the structure of the company from the start.

Originality/value
– It describes how a successful business develops, supports and motivates its team.
The art and science of job satisfaction
Authors: Bandura Randall P , Lyons Paul R 
Published: November 2014

Purpose
– This paper aims to review current information and research concerning job satisfaction in the workplace. It also provides a brief overview of what is generally and currently known about job satisfaction, personality and job satisfaction and workplace influences on job satisfaction and offers suggestions for practitioners.

Design/methodology/approach
– It examines a large sample of research and opinion from the past several years.

Findings
– It reveals that there is much empirical research about individual job satisfaction, a considerable amount of which is situation-specific. Generalizations concerning research findings are difficult. There is, however, much reported data and statistics that give indications of why employees find satisfaction with work, colleagues and the organization. This information may provide some practical guidance for practitioners.

Practical implications
– It gives a broad overview and summary of recent research and opinion on job satisfaction that is not readily available in other sources.

Social implications
– It advises that, other things being equal, organizations should aim to recruit employees who are somewhat extraverted, conscientious, expressive of a belief in their skills and who demonstrate a positive disposition.

Originality/value
– It provides current information that may guide practice and policy development.
Polyphonous leadership and middle managers
Authors: Petri Stenvall Jari , Nyholm Inga , Rannisto Pasi-Heikki 
Published: November 2014

Purpose– The middle manager's role in an organization is important. The purpose of this paper is to determine how middle managers understand their roles in managing changes from the perspective of polyphonous leadership. Polyphonous leadership can be described as something that inspires decisions by listening to multiple voices within the organization.Design/methodology/approach– The empirical data were collected from focus groups in the City of Tampere. Participants were middle managers (n=5) at an organization providing services for young narcotic/alcoholic families and pregnant mothers. The interviewees were selected due to their assumed ability to discuss management issues and their awareness concerning the factors affecting their workers’ capacities. The second focus group was organized for May 2010 (n=5) and the third later on in May 2010 (n=7).Findings– In the Finnish context, middle managers understand polyphonous leadership as a process with a beginning and an end. The authors call this process the dominant narrative of polyphonous leadership, because there is a strong consensus amongst middle managers regarding it. In the first step, middle managers have to work as leaders of interaction. Second, they work as utilizers of diversity. In the third step, they act as decision makers and interpreters of polyphony. The final step gives them a role as conciliators of operating plans and personnel operations.Originality/value– There is not much discussion in the extant literature of how middle managers try to act as linking persons in public services infrastructures. The model of the dominant narrative on polyphonous leadership is new in the literature.