bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
How can a group of procurement experts select suppliers? An approach for group decision support
Authors: Kumar Kar Arpan , Kumar Pani Ashis 
Published: July 2014

Purpose
– The application of theories on group decision support is yet to be explored extensively in supplier selection literature, although the literature in both domains is extremely rich, in isolation. The purpose of this paper is to explore the application of group decision support theories for supplier selection.

Design/methodology/approach
– The row geometric mean method (RGMM) of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been used in this study for the prioritization of group preferences under consensus. A case study was conducted to test the theories of consensual group decision making and compare it with other approaches based on AHP.

Findings
– The study establishes that the application of decision support theories for group decision making can improve the supplier selection process. Findings further imply that RGMM is more effective than eigen value method, for group decision making under consensus.

Research limitations/implications
– Methodologically, the study highlights the greater regularity in outcome of group decision making, vis-à-vis individual decision making, for the same decision-making context. Also, it highlights how RGMM is more effective since it preserves reciprocal properties and diversity in preferences better.

Practical implications
– The study establishes that firms can improve supplier selection processes by leveraging on the collective expertise of a group rather than depending on individual decision-making expertise.

Originality/value
– This study explores the application of different theories based on AHP for consensual group decision making. It compares different approaches based on AHP and establishes that RGMM is a superior approach for supplier selection.
An integrated decision support system for ERP implementation in small and medium sized enterprises
Authors: Xie Ying , James Allen Colin , Ali Mahmood 
Published: July 2014

Purpose– Implementing enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a challenging task for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated decision support system (DSS) for ERP implementation (DSS_ERP) to facilitate resource allocations and risk analysis.Design/methodology/approach– Analytical regression models are developed using data collected through a survey conducted on 400 SMEs that have implemented ERP systems, and are validated by a simulation model. The validated analytical regression models are used to construct a nonlinear programming model that generates solutions for resource allocations, such as time and budget.Findings– ERP implementation cost increases along the time horizon, while performance level increases up to a point and remains unchanged. To maximise or achieve a certain level of performance within a budget limitation, CSFs are prioritised as: project management (highest), top management, information technology, users and vendor support (lowest). SMEs are recommended to concentrate effort and resources on CSFs that have a greater impact on achieving their desired goals while optimising utilisation of resources.Research limitations/implications– DSS_ERP proves to be beneficial to SMEs in identifying required resources and allocating resources, but could be further tested in case studies for its practical use and benefits.Practical implications– DSS_ERP serves as a useful tool for SMEs to predict required resources and allocate them prior to ERP implementation, which maximises the probability of achieving predetermined targets. It also enables SMEs to analyse risk caused by changes to resources during ERP implementation, and helps them to be better prepared for the risks.Originality/value– The research contributes to the scarce research on ERP implementation using scientific methods. A novel nonlinear programming model is constructed for ERP implementation under time and budget limitations, facilitating resource allocations in an ERP implementation, which has not been reported in any previous research. The research offers a theoretical basis for empirical studies of resource allocations in ERP implementation.
Consumer style inventory and intent to social shop online for apparel using social networking sites
Authors: M. Kang Ju-Young , K.P. Johnson Kim , Wu Juanjuan 
Published: July 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper are to examine: first, whether the consumer style inventory (CSI) consumer decision-making styles were related to opinion seeking using electronic word of mouth (eWOM) in social networking sites (SNSs) and attitudes toward online social shopping using SNSs; and second, whether opinion seeking in SNSs and attitudes mediated the links between decision-making styles and intent to social shop online for apparel using SNSs.

Design/methodology/approach
– The conceptual foundation was based on Engel, Kollat, and Blackwell's model. In total, 304 college students who are SNS users provided usable responses. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed model and research hypotheses.

Findings
– Among the CSI consumer decision-making styles, novelty/fashion consciousness decision-making style was the most important antecedent of opinion seeking using eWOM. The brand consciousness decision-making style was the most important antecedent of favorable attitudes. Novelty/fashion consciousness, brand consciousness, and price consciousness decision-making styles had indirect effects on intent to social shop online for apparel using SNS, mediated by both opinion seeking and favorable attitudes.

Originality/value
– This study contributes to further theoretical understanding of the types of consumers that are drawn to eWOM and their online social shopping behaviors for apparel using SNSs. By identifying individual consumer characteristics, this study can provide retailers with an initial profile of consumers who shop apparel using SNSs. Retailers can use this information to further develop the design of their social shopping sites using SNSs to meet the needs of their customers.
Attributes of apparel tablet catalogs: value proposition comparisons
Authors: (Tsun-Yin) Tung Tracie , (Catherine) Jai Tun-Min , Davis Burns Leslie 
Published: July 2014

Purpose– To comprehend tablet catalog marketing, the purpose of this paper is to obtain an integrated descriptive analysis of tablet catalogs and to compare the value propositions between retailers’ and aggregators’ applications (apps).Design/methodology/approach– A total of 28 tablet catalog apps were content analyzed in terms of interface attributes. Next, based on the results, aχ2 analysis was applied to compare the value proposition between retailers and aggregators.Findings– The result showed that the value propositions of retailers and aggregators were significantly different in the Context, Customization, and Communication dimensions. In addition, the incongruence of emphasized dimensions among retailers is larger than that among aggregators.Research limitations/implications– Because mobile commerce exhibits fast-changing dynamics, the results from collected data may vary in different periods. However, the present results may provide a baseline of longitudinal study. The 8Cs framework expanded from the 7Cs framework may be applied to other studies.Practical implications– Retailers who attempt to engage in tablet catalog marketing may use the information and findings to facilitate their decision making. The list of the attributes can be a benchmark for a retailer to evaluate its current tablet catalog app or be a reference for those retailers who are planning to develop one.Originality/value– This study identified and demonstrated a need of adding a new “C,” Control, in the previous framework and introduced the expanded framework. In addition, this study provided a set of findings for further research in the area.
The interaction between learning styles, ethics education, and ethical climate
Authors: Lawter Leanna , Rua Tuvana , Guo Chun 
Published: July 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate how learning styles and learning spaces interact to stimulate deep learning. Specifically the paper investigated the interaction of learning styles with ethics education and the ethical climate to influence the likelihood of engaging in ethical behavior.Design/methodology/approach– Data were collected from two groups of students – those who had completed a business ethics course and those who had not completed a business ethics course. The sample consisted of 180 undergraduate students at a private university in the USA. Data were analyzed using regression analysis to test the hypotheses. A scenario-based measure of the likelihood of engaging in ethical behavior was developed and implemented in the study.Findings– Both ethics education and ethical climate had a direct impact on a student ' s likelihood of engaging in ethical behavior. The interaction between learning style and business ethics class significantly impacted experiential learners’ likelihood of engaging in ethical behaviors. Results for non-experiential learners as relates to ethical climate were non-significant, but ad hoc analysis indicates ethical climate significantly impacted likelihood to engage in ethical behaviors.Practical implications– The findings have practical implications for how universities should utilize learning spaces both inside and outside the classroom to be stimulate deep learning and be more effective in sensitizing students to ethical behavior.Originality/value– The results support using formal and informal learning spaces to stimulate deep learning as it relates to ethics education in universities.
Comparative analysis of International Service Learning Programs
Authors: Pless Nicola M. , Borecká Markéta 
Published: July 2014

Purpose
– International service learning is a new trend in management development and a new field of research. International Service Learning Programs (ISLP) are experiential corporate volunteering initiatives designed to give employees the chance to work for a short spell abroad (often in a developing or emerging market) on a service assignment with a partner from the social sector (e.g. NGO, social enterprise). The service assignment is a project defined with a social-sector partner on which the corporate employee works full-time on a pro-bono basis and contributes his/her knowledge and expertise in exchange for a rich learning experience. The purpose of this paper is to focus on the use of ISLP in business firms and conducts a comparative analysis of six programs set up by multinational corporations from three industries (health, technology, and accounting and professional services). It identifies characteristics and similarities among programs, discusses differences, offers criteria for program classification and areas for future research. As such, it is an important starting point for quantitative studies.

Design/methodology/approach –
This is a qualitative study based on six ISLP. The data were gathered through desk research, interviews with program representatives and a structured questionnaire containing closed and open-ended questions.

Findings
– Regardless of the stated aims (which usually stress value for the participants, the company and the communities), most programs had one clear focus (two programs in the area of leadership development, two in the area of community development) while two showed closely linked foci (with slightly greater emphasis on organization development than on the other areas).

Research limitations/implications
– The authors suggest that the type of ISLP has an effect on the learning outcomes. Since companies are still testing usefulness and outcomes of these programs, academic research that provides comparative quantitative data on the outcomes of such programs is of great value for business practice.

Practical implications
– This systematic overview and classification of ISLP is a starting point for empirical program comparisons as well as for the evaluation of different service learning approaches. This could prove very useful for other companies planning to set up or refine their own ISLP to achieve certain outcomes.

Originality/value
– This is the first paper that compares ISLP run by multinational corporations. It identifies a number of category areas in which they differ (e.g. in placement length, nature of the assignment – individual or in teams, learning methods used) and provides a typology for program classification (leadership development, organization development or community development).
Student engagement and learning
Authors: Brown Ann , Rich Martin , Holtham Clive 
Published: July 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of a new undergraduate one-term double module called management practice and skills – which sought to change the learning environment for the new intake of undergraduate students based on constructivist ideas aimed at creating a high level of student engagement.

Design/methodology/approach
– Action research focusing on the evaluation stage of the first cycle of an intervention. The intervention is described in a case study explaining the features of the new module combined with the statistical analysis of the hard data collected on the first cohort of students taking the module using mainly correlation techniques.

Findings
– The module design did achieve to a great extent the objective of catering to all learning styles and personalities within the cohort. The results from the first cohort established the elusive nature of the concept of student engagement and the challenge in measuring it quantitatively.

Research limitations/implications
– This is an evaluation of one case example of the application of constructivist ideas in teaching and hence can make no claim to generalisability. The quantitative measure of student engagement was developed for this study – hence it needs to be applied in other situations and tested for credibility. The student data did not include any measures of their views on the module. The collection of their levels of satisfaction at the end of the module and again after two more years at university would offer a richer view of student engagement.

Practical implications
– This type of module makes high demands on the teaching staff. It requires, for example – design effort, tutors with both business and teaching experience, administration of the logistics, expertise in handling moodle. The role of the moodle virtual learning environment is key to delivering the module and to collecting much of the data.

Social implications
– The module design explicitly aims to foster students’ social interaction and create a community of learning among them. It supports students’ personal development, development of individual business and team working skills as well as relevant management theory.

Originality/value
– The paper describes an unusual application of constructivist concepts to teaching in a business degree and the development of an innovative and distinctive approach to the creation of a quantitative measure of student engagement.
The transformational triggers of international experiences
Authors: Clapp-Smith Rachel , Wernsing Tara 
Published: July 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to identify the antecedents of the transformational learning process associated with early international experiences. Secondarily, this research aimed to explain how the antecedent “transformational triggers” may contribute to developing intercultural competencies.Design/methodology/approach– A qualitative study was conducted using open-ended survey response data regarding the transformational triggers that occurred during a study abroad program. The data were collected from a sample of 82 participants from a Midwestern university in the USA.Findings– Four categories of transformational triggers were identified: immersing with local customs and people, experiencing the novelty of “normality,” communicating in a new language, and finding time for self-reflection.Research limitations/implications– For a qualitative study, the sample size was sufficient for exploring the types of transformational triggers associated with early international experiences. One limitation of this study is that the sample studied were undergraduate students, or young sojourners, experiencing early, and for some even their first, international experience. Future research can replicate the findings to confirm the same typology of transformational triggers exists for older managers during their early or first international assignment.Practical implications– The transformational triggers identified from this study provide managers with an understanding of the type of experiences that are important to developing intercultural competencies. With these triggers, they can design global leader development programs or expatriate assignments to include time and tools to reflect and provide support specific to each type of transformational trigger.Originality/value– This study offers the first field study of the transformational triggers associated with developing intercultural competencies from early international experiences.
Risk assessment and operational approaches to managing risk in global supply chains
Authors: Kumar Sameer , J. Himes Katie , P. Kritzer Collin 
Published: July 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to provide the organization with a process for assessing risk associated with their supply chain and a framework from which they can build their strategy to manage risk.

Design/methodology/approach
– The proposed process is based on a compilation of research and interactions with supply chain managers in various industries, and these sources provide a specific process to identify how critical the risk is, when to act upon it, and how to manage it. An adapted risk mitigation framework organizes strategies according to the likelihood of disruption and consequences. Included is an industry example used to demonstrate the framework.

Findings
– The variability and uncertainty associated with supply chain risks make disruption difficult to predict. Furthermore, getting information from suppliers about the amount of risk associated with their operation in an attempt to scope one's own risk can be a challenge. Management must consider the amount of risk the organization is going to accept and how much to invest to mitigate it.

Originality/value
– To manage the risk associated with supply chain disruption, an organization must deploy a strategy for assessing it. Once risk areas have been identified, the organization must design strategies which will mitigate the risk. The depth and degree to which risk is mitigated depends upon how risk-averse a company is and what they are willing to invest in this activity.
Energy efficiency in commercial buildings: capturing added-value of retrofit
Authors: Morrissey John , Dunphy Niall , MacSweeney Rosemarie 
Published: July 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to investigate, the functioning of value creating configurations and stakeholder interactions in networks of organisations of the retrofit industry for commercial buildings.Design/methodology/approach– A value approach was applied to develop a model of retrofit activities. A Europe wide stakeholder engagement, consisting of over 50 face-to-face interviews with key informants with energy efficiency retrofit (EER) knowledge and expertise, informed analyses on flows of both tangible and intangible value for commercial EER projects.Findings– Given the need to expand the EER marketplace, the sustainability of EER processes is as important as the sustainability of EER project outcomes. Understanding value creation in retrofit processes is crucial to successfully harnessing the available energy savings potential from the built environment.Practical implications– The increasing importance of externalities, such as carbon, means that previously unaccounted for costs are now being considered in business models. For EER projects, the challenge is to respond to this new business environment, while maintaining adequate value for stakeholders. For commercial property developers, this means a growing impetus to understand the value propositions of other EER stakeholders.Originality/value– The evaluation of value creation across business relationships such as those of the construction industry has not been conducted in a systematic manner to date. This paper provides a novel application of value analysis. Interrogating materials and monetary flows, value interactions between stakeholders and stakeholder perception of value are vital in fostering the long-term capacity of the EER sector.
Commercial property retrofitting
Authors: Dixon Tim 
Published: July 2014

Purpose
– Progress in retrofitting the UK's commercial properties continues to be slow and fragmented. New research from the UK and USA suggests that radical changes are needed to drive large-scale retrofitting, and that new and innovative models of financing can create new opportunities. The purpose of this paper is to offer insights into the terminology of retrofit and the changes in UK policy and practice that are needed to scale up activity in the sector.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper reviews and synthesises key published research into commercial property retrofitting in the UK and USA and also draws on policy and practice from the EU and Australia.

Findings
– The paper provides a definition of “retrofit”, and compares and contrasts this with “refurbishment” and “renovation” in an international context. The paper summarises key findings from recent research and suggests that there are a number of policy and practice measures which need to be implemented in the UK for commercial retrofitting to succeed at scale. These include improved funding vehicles for retrofit; better transparency in actual energy performance; and consistency in measurement, verification and assessment standards.

Practical implications
– Policy and practice in the UK needs to change if large-scale commercial property retrofit is to be rolled out successfully. This requires mandatory legislation underpinned by incentives and penalties for non-compliance.

Originality/value
– This paper synthesises recent research to provide a set of policy and practice recommendations which draw on international experience, and can assist on implementation in the UK.