bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Business service market share, international operation strategy and performance
Authors: Lee Chia-Chi 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– This paper aims to explore the relationship between market share and performance of large accounting firms. It also investigates whether the performance of international accounting firms is better than that of non-international accounting firms.

Design/methodology/approach
– This paper divides the empirical analysis into two stages. The first stage constructs a multiple regression model to explore the relationship between market share, international operations and the performance of large accounting firms. The second stage uses the Tobit regression model to identify the determinants of market share of international accounting firms.

Findings
– Empirical results show that there is a significant, positive relationship between market share and performance, and that the performance of international accounting firms is better than that of non-international accounting firms. Second, from the perspective of business characteristics, the scope of the most international accounting firms is traditional auditing services; namely financial attestation and tax business services.

Practical implications
– From the clients' viewpoint, market share is one of the key indices in determining the quality of the accounting firms' service.

Originality/value
– As the market for auditing services in Taiwan is saturated, in the future, the accounting industry will be concerned with non-auditing services. It is suggested that the large accounting firms could follow the demand changes of their clients: employ professionals in various fields to provide specialized services, adjust the range of transnational and management consultant services, and operate management consultant services more aggressively. These measures would have advantages in a fiercely competitive market.
Human resource management practices and the HRM-performance link in public and private sector organizations in three Western societal clusters
Authors: Vanhala Sinikka , Stavrou Eleni 
Published: October 2013

Purpose– The purpose of the paper is to explore HRM practices and HRM-performance (HRM-P) link in public and private sector organizations across three societal clusters: the Anglo, the Germanic, and the Nordic European.Design/methodology/approach– The article is based on international Cranet HRM survey data collected from large private and public organizations.Findings– According to results, HRM is more advanced in private companies than in public sector organizations, even across three societal clusters. Instead, the analyses related to HRM-P link in private and public organizations refer to interesting similarities but also differences between organizational sectors (public versus private) and societal clusters.Research limitations/implications– The main limitation is retaining in those performance indicators that are applicable in both private and public organizations: subjective measures of productivity and service quality, only. Performance measures relevant especially in the public sector (e.g. qualitative targets, attaining budget frames) were not available, and the operationalization of HRM as an index covering the main areas of HRM may have reduced differences between public and private organizations. More in-depth research designs are needed in public sector HRM-P research.Originality/value– The paper contributes to HRM-P research by showing that the level of HRM and the HRM-P relationship varies to some extent according to sector and across Western societal clusters.
Transnational corporations, socio-economic change and recurrent crisis
Authors: Ackroyd Stephen , Murphy Jonathan 
Published: October 2013

Purpose– The paper's aim is to consider the effects of recurrent economic crisis on the management and organisational structures of transnational companies based in the UK by considering contemporary evidence and scholarly views of the processes involved, and especially to consider the contributions of the papers that follow in this special issue of the journal.Design/methodology/approach– The paper provides a summary overview of some of the key evidence and arguments concerning the origin of recent continuing crises in Western capitalism. The paper places in context and assesses the contribution of five papers especially selected by the editors to be included in this special issue which bear on different aspects.Findings– The paper suggests several key processes are at work in contemporary capitalism, which can be summed up as increasing financialisation. This is the process by which businesses are increasingly orientated to the extraction of value, and success is primarily assessed in terms of the rate of return to capital employed. In their different ways the papers in the special issue illustrate aspects of the process of financialisation, including: the operation of a new set of financial institutions including private equity and hedge funds, and the effects of these on the various policies and priorities of the executive leaders of large businesses in such areas as human resource management and the adoption of new organisational forms. The discussion extends to the consideration of the effects of change on international finance and argues for the origins of changes in changed class relations.Research limitations/implications– The implications of this work are that the character and reach of current economic change are further illuminated – including especially the underlying causes of the present economic crisis.Social implications– Financialisation represents both a reorganisation of the processes of capitalist production and a class strategy of international elites to entrench their advantages in the new conditions of international political economy opened through the intellectual and policy triumph of neoliberal thinking.Originality/value– The work brings together scattered insights and viewpoints and builds them into a coherent synthesis. It thus moves beyond limited conceptions and insights.
Towards a disaster risk assessment methodology for communities underlain by dolomite
Authors: Coetzee Christo , Van Niekerk Dewald 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of the paper is to provide a robust and simple methodology for disaster risk management officials to assess the total disaster risk posed by dolomite in urban areas of South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach
– In order to develop the methodology the basic principles of disaster risk assessment, incapsulated in the notation R=H×V, was applied to provide a vehicle to quantify hazard and vulnerability aspects related to dolomite risk. Specifically existing knowledge on inherent dolomite risk classes (hazard component) was aligned to issues of vulnerability (in this case ageing water infrastructure) to attain a total dolomite disaster risk score for a specific area.

Findings
– The results from the practical application of the method indicated that the proposed dolomite risk assessment methodology is not only robust but easy to comprehend and to apply. The simplicity of the method also allows for easy integration into existing urban planning and integrated development planning process.

Originality/value
– The creation of the method not only provides a much-needed tool for assessing the total disaster risk posed by dolomite in urban areas but also adds value to the entire urban and community development process.
Promoting earthquake disaster mitigation in Lebanon through civic engagement
Authors: Baytiyeh Hoda , Naja Mohamad 
Published: October 2013

Purpose– Civil society organizations (CSOs) in Lebanon are among the most active groups supporting community welfare and advocating for human rights and policy reform. However, these organizations still lack the basic awareness and commitment needed to expand their role in earthquake disaster risk reduction. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on the exposure of Lebanon to destructive earthquakes and to address the urgent need for CSOs to expand its contribution in earthquake disaster risk reduction supporting public awareness programs and strategic mitigation plans.Design/methodology/approach– The paper sets out to alert CSOs about the seismic hazards of Lebanon and offers a discussion for an active engagement role of Lebanese CSOs in future earthquake disaster risk reduction. The focus is to outline a strategy that may facilitate the engagement of CSOs in building the resilience of Lebanese community against destructive earthquakes.Findings– The proposed strategic plan suggests a leading role of Lebanese universities that call for the establishment of a disaster mitigation coalition leading to CSOs active involvement and effective contribution in collaborating with government and private sector to enhance the resilience capacity of the Lebanese community against future earthquake events.Originality/value– The implication of the paper is beneficial to community leaders of Lebanon because it highlights the importance of direct engagement of CSOs in earthquake disaster risk reduction which has never been previously emphasized, evaluated or even discussed in the Lebanese studies.
Disaster preparedness and humanitarian response in flood and landslide-affected communities in Eastern Uganda
Authors: Doocy Shannon , Russell Evan , Gorokhovich Yuri , Kirsch Thomas 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to characterize and investigate relationships between disaster preparedness, impacts, and humanitarian response among Eastern Uganda populations affected by the 2010 landslides and floods.

Design/methodology/approach
– A stratified cluster survey of the disaster-affected populations was conducted five months after the onset of the disasters. Probability proportional to size sampling was used to sample 800 households, including 400 affected by floods in Butaleja District and 400 affected by landslides in Bududa District.

Findings
– Mortality was significantly higher in the landslide-affected populations as compared to flood-affected populations (deaths reported: 4.5 vs 1.6 percent, p<0.01) whereas injuries were more common in the flood-affected areas (injuries reported: 3.1 vs 1.1 percent, p<0.01). Livelihoods impacts were widespread and reported in more than 95 percent of households. Respondents indicated that the community and government were unprepared to respond in both flood (90.5 and 77.8 percent, respectively) and landslide (95.3 and 74.9 percent) affected areas.

Practical implications
– The majority of households felt that both their communities and the government were unprepared to respond to disasters. Given the likelihood for recurrence of natural disasters in these communities, expansion of both community-based disaster preparedness (CBDP) programs and their evidence base should be prioritized.

Originality/value
– There is a paucity of evidence on community perceptions of disaster preparedness and on CBDP programs. The paper highlights these issues in the context of two disasters in Uganda and calls for expansion of the evidence based to inform risk reduction strategies in low-income settings.
Diversity perspectives and minority nonprofit board member inclusion
Authors: Sessler Bernstein Ruth , Bilimoria Diana 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– Using survey data of nonprofit board members from racial/ethnic minority groups, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how the three work group perspectives toward diversity theorized by Ely and Thomas (2001) – discrimination-and-fairness (P1), access-and-legitimacy (P2), and integration-and-learning (P3) – are associated with minority group members’ inclusion experiences.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper investigates how an organization's motivations for board diversity, as perceived by racial/ethnic minority board members, drive various organizational- and board-level practices and behaviors, and ultimately impact their experience of inclusion. The paper uses two different operationalizations of the diversity perspectives to assess their impact on minority board members’ inclusion experiences. The hypothesized model was tested using partial least squares analyses on the responses of 403 racial/ethnic minority nonprofit board members.

Findings
– Regardless of the measure used, racial/ethnic minority board members experienced increased feelings of inclusion as the perceived operating perspective for board diversity changed from P1 to P2 to P3, while concurrently the mediating factors influencing inclusion experiences changed in significance. Findings support the importance of the integration-and-learning perspective for the experience of inclusion by racial/ethnic minority board members.

Practical implications
– Findings indicate that organizations that employ an integration-and-learning approach to diversity and focus on encouraging their majority group members to engage in inclusive behaviors, rather than on policies and procedures, will engender the racial/ethnic minorities’ experience of inclusion.

Originality/value
– The paper quantitatively investigated how three organizational diversity paradigms are associated with the individual inclusion experiences of minority nonprofit board members.
The practice of intersectionality: the amateur elite sport development game
Authors: Ryan Irene , Martin Simon 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to seek the potential of an intersectional methodology to scholars interested in processes of exclusion and subordination in organizations in particular the sport sector. The amateur sport sector in New Zealand is used as a case to address the theme: intersectional practices of organizing and their consequences.

Design/methodology/approach
– The conceptual paper brings together strands of interdisciplinary research to model an intersectional framework for future research development. In the paper, the interplay of shifting forms of inequality, inclusion and exclusion that are implicit in processes of elite amateur sport management, are made visible.

Findings
– The paper argues for an intersectional framework to understand the complex processes of inclusion, exclusion and subordination in the elite amateur sport sector. Institutionalized change is a process that can have negative or positive consequences; it depends on perceptions of those affected by it. Sport in the wider environment is portrayed as intrinsically a “good” thing, yet the paper argues that sport reflects and reinforces social inequalities. There is a clear need for intersectional analysis of the work-life experiences of unpaid athletes involved in elite sport development processes.

Originality/value
– The paper argues for the use of intersectionality as a multi-level methodological approach for scholars to understand the complex processes of inclusion, exclusion and subordination in organizations, including those involved in the delivery of elite amateur sport. The authors anticipate this methodological approach will contribute a valuable insight to understanding institutional power dynamics.
Understanding consumer responses to retailers' cause related voucher schemes
Authors: Gorton Matthew , Angell Robert , White John , Tseng Yu-Shan 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to present and test a conceptual model for understanding consumer responses to cause related voucher schemes (CRVS), considering the initiatives of two UK-based grocery retailers (Tesco and Morrisons).

Design/methodology/approach
– The conceptual model incorporates six theoretically derived exogenous constructs, i.e. status of the cause, company-cause fit, personal involvement with the cause, attitudes to the company, perceived sincerity of the company and perceived ubiquity. These are hypothesized to influence consumer responses to three primary endogenous variables: interest in the company, favourability of attitudes to the company and use (impact on purchasing intentions). The model is tested using survey data (n=401) collected in two UK cities.

Findings
– All but two of the hypothesized path relationships were confirmed and the percentage of explained variance for the primary endogenous variables compares well against previous models. Attitudes to the company, perceived ubiquity and favourability were identified as significant predictors of behavioural intentions (use).

Practical implications
– In selecting a cause, managers need to think carefully about the status of the cause, its degree of fit with the company and how to build personal involvement. CRVS initiatives should be focused, with consistency in communication. If a company suffers from negative consumer attitudes, a CRVS alone is unlikely to turn around their business performance.

Originality/value
– The paper represents the first academic assessment of consumer responses to CRVS, introducing and validating a conceptual model.
Socio-economic impacts of climate change on subsistence communities
Authors: H. Matarira Caxton , Pullanikkatil Deepa , Kaseke Tawanda , Shava Everness , Manatsa Desmond 
Published: October 2013

Purpose– This study was conducted to assess the socio-economic implications of climate change on the three ecological regions of Lesotho. In the view that climate change is affecting agriculture, subsistence communities are at risk. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approach– Two villages were randomly selected from three regions of Lesotho and at least 40 households in each region. The full range of economic activities undertaken was covered to understand how climate affects the communities, and how they are. A livelihood sensitivity matrix was used to determine which resources and livelihoods are most vulnerable to different types of climatic hazards and how the different livelihood activities are impacted by different climate hazards.Findings– A large percentage of the community (>95 percent) was aware of the changing climate and the effects on land productivity. Food crops are the most vulnerable to weather, followed by soil and livestock. Climate variables of major concern were hail, drought and dry spells which reduced crop yields.Originality/value– This research is important especially to policy makers to make informed decisions in as far as climate change response strategies in Lesotho are concerned. This research thus gives a baseline on these climate change impacts on subsistence communities.
Challenges of agricultural adaptation to climate change
Authors: Anibueze Enete Anselm 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– Climate change is perhaps the most serious environmental threat to agriculture in Africa, because of its impact on pre- and post-harvest agricultural productivity. The purpose of this study is to provide empirical information on the challenges of cassava post-harvest adaptation to climate change.

Design/methodology/approach
– The study was conducted in two randomly selected states of southeast Nigeria. Data collection was done in two phases; first, there was a rapid rural appraisal and then a detailed survey using a questionnaire administered to 320 randomly selected cassava processors, 40 from each of eight randomly selected cassava farming communities.

Findings
– The respondents were predominantly women, who process, and grow cassava. The factors affecting their level of vulnerability were gender, household size and farm size. While women were more vulnerable than men, households with greater number of persons and/or larger farm size were less vulnerable. Women's vulnerability declined from the 25th income quantile through the 50th to the 75th while the positive effect of farm and household size increased through the same trend. Education was only positively important for the 75th income quantile. The factors constraining adaptation were scarcity of processing inputs, institutional, water and poverty constraints.

Originality/value
– Available literature show that most of the recent studies on climate change and agriculture have tended to concentrate on pre-harvest. Ozor et al. studied barriers to climate change adaptation among farm households of southern Nigeria. Enete and Onyekuru studied empirical evidence of challenges of agricultural adaptation to climate change, also among farmers of southeast Nigeria. Enete and Amusa presented a literature survey of challenges of agricultural adaptation to climate change. This study is, not only commodity specific, but also focused on post-harvest.
Mexican cross-border shoppers' motivations to the USA
Authors: (Jessica) Yuan Jingxue , C. Fowler Deborah , K. Goh Ben , K. Lauderdale Mitzi 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– This study aims to examine the patterns of cross-border consumption of Mexican tourist-shoppers to the USA. More specifically, integrating literature from two ends – retail studies on shopping motivations and tourism research viewing cross-border shopping as leisure activities, this study aims to investigate the motivations of Mexican travelers as cross-border shoppers.

Design/methodology/approach
– A survey instrument was developed incorporating a set of 30 shopping motivation questions. Data were collected using the intercept survey methodology from 92 Mexican visitors who shopped at a major outlet shopping center in Central Texas in 2007. The motivational items were subsequently factor analyzed for possible underlying dimensions.

Findings
– Motivations of cross-border shopping by Mexicans in Texas demonstrated a combination of two aspects, the utilitarian and pleasurable shopping experiences. The cross-border consumption and shopping by Mexican residents in Texas, therefore, were both functional and recreational.

Originality/value
– With a better understanding of the pattern and motivations of cross-border shopping, this study developed a model to capture the stimulating influence of the retail environment as well as a framework to illustrate the integrated role of shopping and tourism in the process of developing a “must visit” destination.
Improving a patient appointment call center at Mayo Clinic
Authors: Rohleder Thomas , Bailey Brian , Crum Brian , Faber Timothy , Johnson Brandon , Montgomery LeTesha , Pringnitz Rachel 
Published: October 2013

Purpose
– Contact centers for patient and referring physician are important to large medical-centers such as the Mayo Clinic's Central Appointment Office (CAO). The aim of this case study is to report the process and results of a major process improvement effort, designed to simultaneously improve service quality and efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach
– Discrete-event simulation and optimization are used and linked to significant service improvements.

Findings
– The process improvement efforts led to about a 70 percent improvement in patient service performance as measured by average answering-speed (ASA) and average abandonment rate (AAR). This was achieved without adding additional staff, despite call volume increasing by 12 percent. Evaluating process improvement projects is difficult owing to the “phased” implementation of changes. Thus, there is no true control against which to compare. Additionally, the results are based on a single case study.

Research limitations/implications
– Evaluation of process improvement projects is difficult due to the “phased” implementation of changes. Thus, there is no true control to compare against.

Practical implications
– Contact center data and operations research methods, such as discrete-event simulation and optimization, can be integrated with change management, which results in significant process improvements in medical call-centers.

Originality/value
– Structured quantitative modeling of contact centers can be an important extension to traditional quality and process improvement techniques.