bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Meeting needs: value chain collaboration in stabilisation and reconstruction operations
Authors: Rietjens Sebastiaan , Goedee John , Van Sommeren Stijn , Soeters Joseph 
Published: May 2014

Purpose– From the perspective of value chains, the purpose of this paper is to analyse the organization of stabilization and reconstruction operations, most notably in Afghanistan, with the intention to improve the way the beneficiaries are involved.Design/methodology/approach– Case study: the paper first develops a theoretical framework that draws upon value chain literature. To gather empirical data fieldwork was done within the Dutch provincial reconstruction team (PRT) in Afghanistan. Methods that were used include interviews, participatory observation and desk study.Findings– In the value chain process six steps are identified: early warning, file and analysis, appraisal/qualification, assignment/management, execution and evaluation. Different categories of personnel (military, reservists, civilians) bring with them different backgrounds. This led to different opinions on who can be considered as the customer of the value chain. Moreover, personnel received different signals in the early warning step as to what needed to be done. From there on, different values and perspectives developed during the sequence of the various stages in the value chain that were not easily aligned. The formal structure of the work activities in the PRT was clear but did not match with the everyday reality. This showed another, much more fuzzy picture. Many mutual contacts were needed to overcome the coordination problems, but that required considerable additional efforts.Originality/value– The paper applies value chain literature to stabilization and reconstruction operations and focuses on the customers. It uses unique data and demonstrates the usefulness of a multidisciplinary approach.
Queuing network-based methodology for designing and assessing performance of centralized maintenance workshops
Authors: Simeu-Abazi Zineb , Di Mascolo Maria , Gascard Eric 
Published: May 2014

Purpose
– In this paper, the authors are concerned with a maintenance workshop (MW) centralizing all corrective maintenance activities. The purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology for designing a central maintenance workshop, enabling the evaluation of performance in terms of cost and sojourn time, for a given budget.

Design/methodology/approach
– The authors propose a modeling framework based on queuing networks. The aim is to maximize operational availability of the production workshop, by reducing the sojourn time of failed equipment in the MW.

Findings
– The proposed methodology leads to a maintenance decision support tool enabling to give the structure of the MW, performing at a higher level, but at a reasonable configuration cost. Simulation results illustrate the influence of different parameters, such as the number of stations and the level of spare parts in the MW, on the sojourn time of the equipment.

Research limitations/implications
– Only corrective maintenance is taken into account and only equipment that can be taken out of the production workshop are considered. The preventive replacement of some equipment items can be taken into account by the repair process by considering them as failed.

Originality/value
– The work falls within a more general framework for optimizing maintenance costs, in the context of integration of multi-site services in a distributed context. The paper is concerned with centralized maintenance, and proposes to integrate the so-called repair by replacement technique in a MW, used for a multi-site production workshop.
Complex maintenance programs quantification (CMPQ) to better control production systems
Authors: Ruin Thomas , Levrat Eric , Iung Benoît , Despujols Antoine 
Published: May 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to develop a methodology for supporting complex maintenance programs quantification (CMPQ) for industrial systems. The methodology is based on a generic formalization of static and behavioral expert knowledge both on the target system and on the maintenance one. The formalization is carried out first by means of system modelling language (SysML) diagrams to model knowledge concepts and second by the transformation of these concepts into Altarica data flow (ADF) language for developing stochastic simulation.

Design/methodology/approach
– An industrial case study (ARE system) proposed by the electricite de France (EDF) company is used initially to show a real problem statement on CMPQ. It allows highlighting key scientific issues considered as the basis for methodology development. Main issues are related to static and dynamic knowledge formalization justifying the choice of SysML and ADF languages. The added value of this methodology is finally shown on the same case study serving as benchmark.

Findings
– This paper demonstrates the suitability of using of SysML language for modelling the CMPQ knowledge and then of ADF language in building executable model implementing simulation as needed for assessing key performance indicators of CMPQ. ADF is based on formal mode automaton. Mapping rules are developed to ensure correspondence between the concepts of these two languages.

Research limitations/implications
– Additional industrial validations of the methodology should be performed to really evaluate its benefits.

Practical implications
– This work was made possible thanks to a partnership with the EDF Company (French energy supplier). The results are therefore directly usable at practical industrial levels.

Originality/value
– The CMPQ methodology proposed is fully generic leading to offering a library of atomic ADF components (COTS) which can be instantiated to develop executable model with regards to each specific application. It allows to favor reusability and makes easier the model development above all for a user who knows nothing about the language.
Coloured stochastic Petri nets modelling for the reliability and maintenance analysis of multi-state multi-unit systems
Authors: Wang Zhouhang , Atli Maen , Kondo Adjallah H. 
Published: May 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to introduce a method for modelling the multi-state repairable systems subject to stochastic degradation processes by using the coloured stochastic Petri nets (CSPN). The method is a compact and flexible Petri nets model for multi-state repairable systems and offers an alternative to the combinatory of Markov graphs.

Design/methodology/approach
– The method is grounded on specific theorems used to design an algorithm for systematic construction of multi-state repairable systems models, whatever is their size.

Findings
– Stop and constraint functions were derived from these theorems and allow to considering k-out-of-n structure systems and to identifying the minimal cut sets, useful to monitoring the states evolution of the system.

Research limitations/implications
– The properties of this model will be studied, and new investigations will help to demonstrate the feasibility of the approach in real world, and more complex structure will be considered.

Practical implications
– The simulation models based on CSPN can be used as a tool by maintenance decision makers, for prediction of the effectiveness of maintenance strategies.

Originality/value
– The proposed approach and model provide an efficient tool for advanced investigations on the development and implementation of maintenance policies and strategies in real life.
Building institutional capacity: more accountability than autonomy?
Authors: Mertkan Sefika , Sugrue Ciaran 
Published: May 2014

Purpose– The purpose of the paper is to explore the strategies schools use to build capacity in English secondary schools where they operate under strong pressures to improve continuously and failure to do so carries severe penalties.Design/methodology/approach– The approach involved in-depth case studies of six schools that utilized multiple sources of evidence. These include policy documents, interviews with multiple actors and observations of key management meetings.Findings– Findings suggest travelling strategies used by schools, but these are implemented with varying intensity, hybridity and creativity. The common travelling strategies re-contextualized in organizational fields are data workmanship, multi-level monitoring, and performance development. For participating schools, successfully replicating these three pillars through identity cloning, an attempt to establish institutional identities identical to that of the “performing schools”, helps lift schools in different contexts.Originality/value– There has been ample discussion on organizational capacity building, but the evidence on the actual strategies schools use is thin. This paper contributes to knowledge generation and understanding by providing as complete a picture as possible of the strategies schools use while remaining skeptical regarding the long-term consequences of short term “gains”.
How do I know I am valued?
Authors: Claxton Julia 
Published: May 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to understand the phenomena of an employee “being valued” in the context of a manufacturing SME.Design/methodology/approach– A qualitative study using rich data from in-depth interviews following a classical (Glaserian) grounded theory.Findings– A three dimensional concept of authentic pride enablement, altruistically-orientated shared-purpose and servant leadership explained the reasons people felt valued.Research limitations/implications– The limitations were that this study was in one contextPractical implications– The implications are that if organisations consider a servant leadership approach, enabling of authentic pride and fostering of altruistically-orientated shared-purpose, this may help employees feel valued.Social implications– This has implications for how organisations can show their employees that they are valued.Originality/value– “Being valued” is a concept/construct that is widely quoted as a driver for employee engagement and yet rarely unpacked.
Does corporate social responsibility impact on employee engagement?
Authors: Ferreira Pedro , Real de Oliveira Elizabeth 
Published: May 2014

Purpose– Despite the claim that internal corporate social responsibility plays an important role, the understanding of this phenomenon has been neglected. This paper intends to contribute to fill this gap by looking into the relation between CSR and employee engagement.Design/methodology/approach– A survey research was conducted and three different groups of respondents were faced with three different CSR scenarios (general, internal, external) and respondents' employee engagement was measured.Findings– The results show that there are no statistically significant differences in levels of engagement between employees exposed to external and internal CSR practices. Nevertheless, employees exposed to internal CSR are more engaged than those exposed only to external CSR practices.Research limitations/implications– The use of scenarios, although a grounded approach, involves risks, including the difficulty of participants to put themselves in a fictional situation. Also, the scale used to measure employee engagement puts the emphasis on work rather than on the organisation.Practical implications– Although this study is not conclusive it raises the need for companies to look at their CSR strategy in a holistic approach, i.e. internal and external.Originality/value– This paper represents a contribution to understand CSR strategic status and the need to enlighten the impact that social responsible practices can have on employees' engagement.
Employee engagement and autoethnography: being and studying self
Authors: Anne Sambrook Sally , Jones Natalie , Doloriert Clair 
Published: May 2014

Purpose– Employee engagement (EE) is a highly popular topic within workplace research, but has been studied almost exclusively from a quantitative, survey based approach, both in academic and consultancy led research. Yet, employee engagement is essentially an individual concept, concerning self, and this highly personal dimension fails to be captured in positivistic surveys. This paper offers a novel methodology in an attempt to address this deficit.Design/methodology/approach– This complex concept needs to be studied from a more interpretivist and ethnographic angle, acknowledging that EE exists within a cultural context. The paper proposes the use of a contemporary, and somewhat contentious, form of ethnography, autoethnography (AE) that weaves together the researcher's personal and participants' experiences to illuminate the phenomenon.Findings– This paper briefly reviews extant literature on employee engagement, explains autoethnography and argues that AE is a highly suitable method to capture both the individual and social nature of self in employee engagement.Research limitations/implications– To understand how employee engagement works, we need to get at the depth of the concept, and the paper offers an innovative methodological contribution to achieve this. To date, this approach has received limited attention and only minimal anecdotal evidence is presented to support the argument for AE. However, there is substantial scope for further research adopting this novel, collaborative approach.Practical implications– An autoethnographic approach provides both emic (insider) and etic (outsider) perspectives on the phenomenon, thus harnessing both the experiences of those involved in AE initiatives (e.g. HR practitioners managing EE and employees being engaged) but also the researcher's experiences and interpretations of being engaged in their work, to elicit more rich, layered insights. Such nuanced understanding can help facilitate more appropriate, authentic and realistic interventions to harness employees' whole self and engagement.Originality/value– Autoethnography provides an innovative approach to studying employee engagement, offering an appropriate alternative to quantitative, snap-shot studies and is more in keeping with the founding scholar's intentions for research on this topic.
Sources of funding for decentralized R&D activity: effects of MNE subsidiaries' entry choice and laboratory roles
Authors: Manolopoulos Dimitris 
Published: May 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the link between R&D internationalization and finance decisions by providing survey evidence on the funding sources of R&D in light of recent perceptions of MNEs' decentralized knowledge-related competitiveness.Design/methodology/approach– The study draws upon a survey of 83 decentralized R&D units located in countries outside the EU core of mature economies. Funding sources are classified as MNE-internal and external. Using simulation-based models, six ordered probit regression models were run with each funding source forming the dependent variable.Findings– There are three significant findings. First, decentralized R&D funding relies mainly on MNE-internal sources. Second, decentralized R&D funding patterns reflect on the interdependencies within an overall MNE R&D strategy that is articulated through varied laboratory roles. Third, while the strategy-finance interaction is confirmed, the prevalence of parent funding is challenged. Instead, evidence recorded here suggests support for the decentralized, “subsidiary-focused” perspective that has recently regained a considerable momentum in the literature.Research limitations/implications– Notwithstanding that this study reinforces the interaction between strategic decisions and funding patterns, more work is required to identify the effects of other aspects of strategy on the funding sources of decentralized R&D activity. However, it is seemingly the first study that investigates MNEs' R&D financial decisions in economies outside the EU core, incorporating also a wide array of external funding sources.Practical implications– Funding choices for decentralized R&D labs should be contingent upon their unique contribution to the competitive evolution of the MNE group. Further, R&D activity seems to leverage the autonomy of subsidiary managers.Originality/value– This research is one of the very few empirical studies providing evidence on the funding sources of decentralized R&D laboratories, and suggests possible predictors that have not been put forward hitherto.
How much does region affect performance?
Authors: Elango B. , R. Wieland Jamie 
Published: May 2014

Purpose
– The importance of regional strategy as a separate paradigm in the international business literature has grown in recent years, and the initial connections between regionalization and firm performance appear promising. What is lacking, however, is an empirical analysis quantifying the impact of regional effects on firm profitability. This topic is an important one for the field of international business, as drivers of firm profitability are some of the key motivators of research in international strategy. The aim of this paper is to empirically quantify the role of regional effects on the performance of service firms in a manner such that regional effects can be directly compared with country and firm effects on firm profitability.

Design/methodology/approach
– Using a hierarchical linear model (HLM) with four levels, the proportion of variation driven by regional effects is estimated. These estimates are obtained from a data panel of 48,083 units from 7,129 service firms across the three triad regions (North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific) over a ten-year time-frame (1999-2008).

Findings
– It was found that regional effects, in terms of relative importance, explain approximately 9 percent of the variance in firm performance. This pattern of results is consistent when the analysis was conducted during periods of increasing or decreasing profits, firm type, and ownership structure.

Originality/value
– Within the context of international business, work on regional strategy/regionalization has emerged as a separate stream of literature. This study is one of the first to quantify the influence of regional effects on performance using a 4-level HLM model. Additionally, this paper demonstrates the application of a 4-level model, potentially increasing awareness of this technique and usage in other multilevel topics in the IB literature, which offers several avenues for future research.
Fast fashion and the future
Authors: P. Abeles Tom 
Published: May 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to suggest that all of the systems, education, economic and social, are caught in an ever-increasing pace, tied in large part to a set of beliefs, largely economic, that resemble a religion and for which there appears to not be a rational option to escape.

Design/methodology/approach
– A study of systems.

Findings
– It is argued that we are at a tipping point where there are too many holes in the intellectual dike, that a shift in many dimensions may not be preventable.

Practical implications
– While “techno-futurists” are promoting this increasing evolution pace towards a transformational singularity, there appears to be no serious consideration that humanity may get its “wish” as did King Midas.

Social implications
– There is a serious question as to whether there can be, and should be, alternatives not cast into the frame of the Neo-Luddites.

Originality/value
– This is a contrarian view of the current effort to promote the educational focus on STEM, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, almost as a pre-cursor to being able to participate in a technology-driven societal model of the future.
Academic freedom in the digital age
Authors: B. McCluskey Frank , L. Winter Melanie 
Published: May 2014

Purpose–This paper aims to discuss current thinking about academic freedom in the digital age. Digital technology makes the classroom more transparent to administrators. This raises new questions about academic freedom that institutions must consider going forward.Design/methodology/approach–The paper begins with a historical survey to define academic freedom. We then look at how new technologies have changed the classroom. The transparency and access of the digital classroom is new and wholly unprecedented in the history of the university.Findings–Academic freedom is undergoing a great change. Literature and policies have not kept up with this change. Colleges need to rethink academic freedom in light of these new technologies.Practical implications–This article is meant to assist universities in making policies for the digital age. How faculty are observed, who can observe the classroom, and the privacy of data are policy areas that must be codified by universities.Social implications–Many faculty are feeling more vulnerable in the digital age. General concerns about privacy can translate into privacy issues for the entire university. Policies need to evolve to be more relevant for the digital age.Originality/value–A Google search found only seven articles on academic freedom in the digital age, and two were by the authors. This paucity of literature shows that more thought and attention needs to be paid to this important subject.
Exploring stress management training provision for students in the context of post-secondary education: evidence from Greece
Authors: Panagiotakopoulos Antonios 
Published: May 2014

Purpose–The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which post-secondary educational institutions in Greece have incorporated into their curriculum modules related to occupational stress management in order to equip graduates with the required knowledge to cope with the stress caused by the precarious and intensified nature of contemporary jobs.Design/methodology/approach–In the present study, extensive secondary data analysis was undertaken, which was complemented by an empirical quantitative survey. Regarding the secondary data analysis, an in-depth examination of all the available core and elective modules was undertaken in 150 programs of 35 Greek post-secondary educational institutions. The analysis involved the detailed examination of the curriculum content across 20 disciplines. As for the empirical part of the study, a self-administered questionnaire survey was used involving 100 students across the 20 selected disciplines.Findings–The findings revealed that in Greek post-secondary education there is minimal systematic training provision for students around work-related stress management. The results show that stress management education is not incorporated in the curriculum as part of a key skills development scheme (either in the form of stand-alone modules or embedded in the curriculum) in most disciplines, which raises questions on the contribution of educational institutions in developing graduate employability.Research limitations/implications–The study argues that there is an immediate need for post-secondary educational institutions across the country to develop relevant modules around managing occupational stress in order to respond to society's contemporary needs. To this end, the study argues that stress management training should be introduced in all VET and HEIs in Greece in the form of compulsory, stand-alone modules across all disciplines. The module should cover at least three main thematic areas: symptoms of work-related stress; impact of stress on individuals and organizations; and ways to cope with occupational stress.Practical implications–The present study is particularly relevant to education policy makers throughout the world, due to the high levels of organizational change and uncertainty generated by the present global financial crisis and recession. Stress at work is likely to remain a “hot” topic in the agenda of government officials across the world, and finding ways to cope with occupational stress is likely to become a key challenge of post-secondary education.Originality/value–Despite the importance of stress management training for graduate employability, very few studies have been conducted around that topic. This work comes to fill a significant knowledge gap in relation to the nature and extent of occupational stress management training provision for students in the context of post-secondary education.