bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Decomposing the (seafood versus meat) evening meal decision‐making sequence
Authors: Perrea Toula , Brunsø Karen , Altintzoglou Themistoklis , Einarsdóttir Gunnþórunn , Luten Joop 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe evening meal is an important, regular event in the lives of many people and its daily practices lead consumers to develop habits that determine their food choices. The objective of the present work is to further investigate how consumers make choices by determining the stages as well as the content of the family's daily food (i.e. seafood and meat‐related) decision‐making process.Design/methodology/approachTwenty‐four families in Denmark, Norway and Iceland were asked to fill in a one‐to‐two‐week semi‐structured diary regarding any thoughts they had about the decision‐making sequence regarding their evening meals. Data were analysed by means of content analysis so as to gain insight into the main themes and distinctive patterns with respect to the four stages of the decision‐making sequence by identifying a number of codes and sub‐codes of high and lower abstraction level.FindingsThe main results were similar across the three countries. Planning was the most important phase of the evening meal decision‐making sequence, where Nordic respondents considered practical issues, and engaged in a more rational type of thinking, allowing cognitive aspects to prevail at this particular stage. The presence of rational thoughts was repeated in the successive stages of purchasing, whereas affective thoughts were elicited mainly during the later stages of preparation and consumption. Furthermore, the comparison of seafood and meat as choices that complied with respondents' demands and expectations revealed that the two food types were perceived as substitutes for each other; however, meat was considered a choice that respondents felt more confident with in terms of pre‐ and post‐purchasing experience.Originality/valueThis paper offers substantial insights into the factors that influence the decision making process, as well as the importance that consumers assign to those factors across most stages of the decision making process. This valuable, in‐depth information can only be collected by using qualitative methods such as the present diaries. Gaining insights into the factors that influence various stages of the evening meal decision‐making process enables researchers to identify the importance that consumers assign to cognitive and affective factors across the food provisioning stages for a variety of food products (including seafood).
Consumers' perceptions of quality and safety for grape products
Authors: Feng Huiru , Feng Jianying , Tian Dong , Mu Weisong 
Published: October 2012

PurposeChinese consumers have increased their consumption of grape products in recent years due to recognition of the nutritional value of grapes. At the same time, consumers are paying more attention to food safety because of the occasional occurrence of food safety scares. Based on a survey of consumers in Zhejiang, China, this paper aims to understand and provide information on consumers' perceptions of quality and safety for grape products, purchasing behavior, and willingness to pay (WTP) for grape products.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents the results of empirical research. The survey method was a direct (face‐to‐face) interview based on a standardized questionnaire. Consumers' perceptions of the quality and safety of grape products were examined, together with consumers' demographic characteristics.FindingsThe results indicate that quality and safety, rather than price, are considered the most important factors that affect consumers' purchasing decisions for grape products. Consumer's educational level, the average price of grapes and the perception of safety are the main factors that determine consumers' WTP for grape products. As price increases, the consumer's WTP for safe and high quality grapes decreases.Originality/valueThis research provides a chance to understand consumers' demand and WTP for the quality and safety of grape products in Zhejiang, China. Further understanding was gained regarding factors affecting consumers judging grape products, which in turn may influence their purchase decisions. The results also could guide grape growers to supply products that better meet consumers' needs. It is proposed that the Chinese government pay more attention to taking measures to improve the quality and safety of grape products.
Records and information management practices among SMEs in Tororo district, Uganda
Authors: Okello‐Obura Constant 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe realization of the significant roles played by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in economic development and the crucial values attached to efficient and effective records and information management in decision making, and the fact that little seems to be done to improve on the management of records and information among the SMES in Uganda, necessitated this study. The study therefore aims to investigate the management of records and information among the SMEs in Tororo district in Uganda.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a quantitative approach in which a structured questionnaire was used as the main data collection method and supplemented with a telephone interview. Snowball sampling strategy was applied in identifying the respondents. A total of 61 SMEs could be identified. Off this 61, 42 (69 percent) participated in the study. Data were analysed using the Excel program.FindingsThe findings indicate that the SMEs have many issues and challenges related to records and information management. The paper concludes that a concerted effort should be made and proposes that SMEs managers be trained on key skills for records and information management.Originality/valueThe Government of Uganda, in a bid to improve on the SMEs sector, have mainly focused on provision of advice on business practices and counseling for entrepreneurs who seek to access credit and new markets ignoring the crucial component of records and information management. This study thus closes this gap and makes key recommendations regarding improvement of records and information management among SMEs.
Exploring the applicability of construction partnering in Mainland China
Authors: Hong Yuming , Chan Daniel W.M. , Chan Albert P.C. 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the applicability of construction partnering in Mainland China, and to provide useful suggestions and possible implications for decision‐makers to adopt this collaborative approach to project procurement.Design/methodology/approachDocument analysis was first employed to identify the favourable conditions and potential difficulties in the application of partnering in Mainland China. A series of face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews targeting academic experts and industrial practitioners was undertaken to solicit their perceptions of the benefits and difficulties of implementing partnering in Mainland China, coupled with their overall assessment of the applicability of, and suggestions for, the implementation of partnering in the region.FindingsThe results of document analysis indicated that the cultural roots of co‐operation and mutual trust, together with the increasing need to improve the current state of project performance in Mainland China, underpin the application of partnering in the construction market, although its application and generalisation still encounter some significant difficulties. The perceived benefits, potential barriers and effective strategies for partnering application in Mainland China were determined from the interviewees. The interview results further supported the applicability of construction partnering and provided constructive and practical suggestions for possible implementation in the Mainland Chinese construction industry. The partnering approach is evaluated as being practicable and appropriate in this study for the construction industry in Mainland China.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough it is essential to base the analysis of partnering applicability on a qualitative study, an empirical quantitative investigation of the benefits and difficulties of partnering application could further reinforce the quality of analysis. Future research could look into the project‐based assessment of partnering application in terms of the perceived benefits and potential difficulties of, and success factors for, partnering implementation in Mainland China.Practical implicationsPolicy‐makers aiming for the introduction of the partnering approach could be equipped with stronger confidence from favourable cultural environment and industrial needs. Restrictions to the application of partnering underlying in the current working culture could be mitigated when appropriate strategies are taken by the initiators of the partnering approach.Originality/valueIncreased worldwide attention on construction partnering has shed light on the construction industry in Mainland China to achieve better value for money in project procurement and management. This paper provides valuable reference for decision‐makers to consider the adoption of partnering based on the qualitative analysis of the applicability of partnering in the construction industry in Mainland China.
A comparative study of critical success factors for public private partnerships (PPP) between Mainland China and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Authors: Cheung Esther , Chan Albert P.C. , Lam Patrick T.I. , Chan Daniel W.M. , Ke Yongjian 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the critical success factors (CSFs) necessary for adopting public private partnerships (PPPs) in both Mainland China and Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical questionnaire survey was conducted with relevant experienced practitioners in Mainland China and Hong Kong.FindingsBoth Mainland China and Hong Kong have been keen to deliver more infrastructure service projects through PPP mode, with the former aiming to meet its rapidly growing infrastructure demand and the latter uplifting its efficiency further. The results indicate that Hong Kong does not regard multi‐benefit objectives as importantly as Mainland China. Mainland China on the contrary felt more concerned with an equitable risk sharing mechanism, which is understandable given the problems affecting the financial market in Mainland China.Originality/valueIt is anticipated that the results presented in this paper will assist both the public and private sectors to deliver PPP projects more successfully.
Condition based maintenance: a survey
Authors: Prajapati Ashok , Bechtel James , Ganesan Subramaniam 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a brief overview of condition based maintenance (CBM) with definitions of various terms, overview of some history, recent developments, applications, and research challenges in the CBM domain.Design/methodology/approachThe article presents the insight into various maintenance strategies and provides their respective merits and demerits in various aspects. It then provides the detailed discussion of CBM that includes applications of various methodologies and technologies that are being implemented in the field. Finally, it ends with open challenges in implementing condition based maintenance systems.FindingsThis paper surveys research articles and describes how CBM can be used to optimize maintenance strategies and increase the feasibility and practicality of a CBM system.Practical implicationsCBM systems are completely practical to implement and applicable to various domains including automotive, manufacturing, aviation, medical, etc. This paper presents a brief overview of literature on CBM and an insight into CBM as a maintenance strategy. CBM has wide applications in automotive, aviation, manufacturing, defense, and other industries. It involves various disciplines like data mining, artificial intelligence, and statistics to enable the systems to be maintenance intelligent. These disciplines help in predicting the future consequences based on the past and current system conditions. Based on the authors’ studies, implementation of such a system is easy and cost effective because it uses existing subsystems to collect statistical data. On top of that it requires building a software layer to process the data and to implement the prognosis techniques in the form of algorithms.Social implicationsThe design of CBM systems highly impact the society in terms of maintenance cost (i.e. reduces the maintenance cost of automobiles, safety by providing real time reporting of the fault using prognosis).Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is first of its kind in the literature which presents several maintenance strategies and provides a number of possible research directions listed in open research challenges.
A risk based approach to asset integrity management
Authors: Bharadwaj Ujjwal R. , Silberschmidt Vadim V. , Wintle John B. 
Published: October 2012

PurposeInspection and maintenance of plant and machinery has traditionally been based on prescriptive industry practices. However, increased experience and a greater understanding of operational hazards is leading sections of industry to take a more informed approach to planning inspection and maintenance, targeting resources to reduce the risk to as low as reasonably practicable. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to asset management to minimize risks in the most cost effective way.Design/methodology/approachThe approach shown optimizes run‐repair‐replace decision‐making in the integrity management of assets with the ultimate aim of maximising the impact of money spent on risk mitigation actions. The risk‐based approach, as opposed to the more conventional approaches, assesses failure in its wider context by considering not just the likelihood of failure, but also the consequences should the failure event occur.FindingsThe risk‐based methodology presents a cost‐effective way to minimise life cycle costs in the management of assets whilst maintaining reliability or availability targets, and operating within safety and environmental regulation.Practical implicationsIn this paper, for demonstration, a wind turbine system consisting of a number of components including structural components is used. However, the methodology can be extended to any system in which components can be analyzed to provide the required inputs to the risk model.Originality/valueAt a time when competitive pressures force asset managers to prioritize their maintenance, the risk‐based methodology presented here is a rational, efficient and somewhat flexible way to asset integrity management.
TQM implementation: a case of a mining company in Ghana
Authors: Boateng‐Okrah Ernest , Appiah Fening Fred 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to ascertain the level at which total quality management (TQM) practices have been implemented in a mining company in Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe study was undertaken over a six month period and the questionnaire was administered to a sample of 60 employees. The topics for the questions were on senior management commitment to quality, total quality training, customer driven information, and availability of quality data, TQM methods, and supplier involvement. Statistical analyses were conducted to calculate percentage distributions and to determine the level of TQM implementation.FindingsThe paper reveals that the company has passed through the introductory stage of the TQM training of top and middle level management and is now at the point of transferring the knowledge to the rest of the employees in the company.Originality/valueThe findings present for the first time TQM implementation in the mining industry in Ghana. The study should be of value to managers who are interested in a comprehensive approach to achieving organizational excellence.
Combining value and momentum indicators in varying stock market conditions
Authors: Leivo Timo H. 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the added value of combining a momentum indicator with a value indicator in varying stock market conditions.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive sample of Finnish non‐financial stocks is first divided into three‐quantile portfolios based on valuation multiples and composite value measures. The value and glamour portfolios are divided further into two‐sextile portfolios based on the price momentum indicator. The performance of portfolios is evaluated on the basis of their raw and risk‐adjusted returns. Moreover, the impact of the stock market cycle on relative performance of quantile portfolios is examined.FindingsTaking account of price momentum beside relative valuation criteria enhances the performance of most of the value‐only portfolios during the full sample period (1993‐2009). During bullish conditions, the inclusion of a momentum criterion somewhat adds value to an investor, but during bearish conditions this added value is negative.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample of stocks is not large in spite of its comprehensiveness from the local stock market aspect. Future studies can apply the approach to other stock markets.Practical implicationsThe paper provides useful implications in portfolio management. The combination of the value and momentum criteria has paid off to the investor, despite the fact that its added value during bearish periods is negative, on an average.Originality/valueThis is the first time that the impact of the stock market cycle on the added value of combining price momentum with composite value measures as a portfolio‐formation criterion is examined.
Impact of cash holdings and ownership concentration on firm valuation
Authors: Ameer Rashid 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of firms' cash holdings and ownership concentration on the firms' valuation using an unbalanced panel dataset of non‐financial listed firms in Australia.Design/methodology/approachThe author used a generalized method of moments approach suitable for unbalanced panel dataset to examine the impact of firms' cash holdings and ownership concentration on firms' q‐ratios after controlling for the impact of financing, dividend and investment decisions, respectively.FindingsThe paper finds a positive relationship between cash holdings and q‐ratio of Australian firms. The ownership structure moderates the effect of cash holdings on q‐ratio in asymmetric fashion, i.e. for widely held firms, there is a positive relationship between cash holdings and q‐ratio; while for closely held firms, there is significant negative relationship between cash holdings and q‐ratio. Furthermore, changes associated with corporate governance reforms, also effect q‐ratio besides ownership structure. The paper also examined the impact of cash holdings on the market value of the firms over time. As the author predicted, increase in the cash holdings has a negative effect on the firms' market valuation, and this effect slows down over time. Overall, the empirical analysis finds support for similar findings documented for the developed countries in the literature.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample consists of non‐financial listed firms over the period of 1995 to 2010.Practical implicationsThe results imply that widely‐owned firms have lower cash holdings because managers are able to access capital market easily compared to firms with concentrated ownership, which might have complex agency and information asymmetry problems. These findings are consistent with the agency costs. Managers in less widely‐held firms have more discretion over cash holding policies, and the value reduction imposed on these firms may reflect shareholders' recognition of the possibility of managerial expropriations.Originality/valueThis is believed to be the first paper to explore agency costs of cash holdings for Australian firms.
Performance appraisal based on a forced distribution system: its drawbacks and remedies
Authors: Chattopadhayay Rachana , Ghosh Anil Kumar 
Published: October 2012

PurposePerformance appraisal based on a forced distribution system (FDS) is widely used in large corporate sectors around the globe. Though many researchers have pointed out several drawbacks in FDS, due to the absence of any suitable alternative, it has been (and continues to be) adopted by many industries over a long period of time. The purpose of this paper is to point out some serious limitations of this system and propose a simple modification to overcome these limitations.Design/methodology/approachFDS determines the relative positions of the employees involved in similar work by comparing them against one another, and based on their performance, the employees receive different grades. Here the authors use the Likert's scaling method to convert these grades into numerical scores, then these scores are used to estimate the average performance of each group of employees, which is referred to as the group index. Taking these group indices into consideration, the authors propose a modified performance score of each employee for their final evaluation. Efficiencies of the existing FDS and the proposed modified version are compared using a simple measure of rank correlation known as the Kendall's tau‐statistic.FindingsExtensive simulation studies show that the modified algorithm is uniformly better than the existing one over different schemes for allocations of employees to different projects, and depending on the allocation scheme, it can lead to substantial improvement.Originality/valueThis paper can be considered as the first to mathematically demonstrate the problems lying in the appraisal system based on a forced distribution and the first that provides a simple but effective solution which can be adopted by the organizations using FDS for performance appraisal.
The implementation of the balanced scorecard in a school district
Authors: Pereira Maria Manuela , Filipe Melão Nuno 
Published: October 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the benefits, obstacles and challenges in implementing the balanced scorecard (BSC) in non‐higher education public schools, more specifically, in a Portuguese school district.Design/methodology/approachAn action research approach was used to develop a BSC, help to implement changes and reflect about the outcomes.FindingsThe paper presents the BSC for the school district and discusses five benefits, two obstacles and three challenges that emerged from the study. While some findings are in line with those found in other levels of education, others seem to be context‐specific.Research limitations/implicationsThe results refer to a single intervention in Portugal and the methodology used precludes any generalization attempts.Practical implicationsThe findings are particularly relevant to the Portuguese context, providing evidence that the BSC can overcome some weaknesses of schools in the area of strategic management, as identified by the literature. They also raise implications for the wider field of the BSC's use in non‐higher education public schools, suggesting reasons why things may go wrong. The results may be of value to practitioners wishing to make the implementation of the BSC more effective.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the scarce body of literature on the application of the BSC to non‐profit organizations by providing an understanding of its possible benefits, obstacles and challenges in non‐higher education public schools. It shows how the BSC methodology can be adapted to fit the specific requirements of a school district. This is one of the first papers to discuss an application of the BSC to non‐higher education public schools.