bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
French public management reform: an evaluation
Authors: Jeannot Gilles , Guillemot Danièle 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to measure the dissemination of public management practices in French State administrations and to interpret results in the light of successive reform trends, in order to give an objective evaluation of French public management reform.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a survey on use of management instruments, targeting Heads of Ministry departments (n=298, response rate=80 per cent, use of rigorous sampling techniques). The survey measures actual practices rather than opinions through lists of use of “management instruments”. The method is adapted to evaluate a reform which has mainly been defined in a process of “modernization”.FindingsThe findings demonstrate the high level of dissemination of process innovations, even if as observed in many countries, human resource transformation is more challenging than change in quality methods or user's orientation implementation. The survey also points out major disparities between different Ministries and implies that two different models of reform have been progressively implemented during successive periods.Research limitations/implicationsThe survey was conducted in 2007.Originality/valueThe survey is the first attempt to measure public management practices in French State administration conducted by the French National Institute for Statistics (INSEE). The present article is one of the few quantitative appraisals of public management produced in Europe.
E‐governance success factors
Authors: Singh Kalsi Nirmaljeet , Kiran Ravi 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate e‐governance projects for the social and economic development and citizen services by ten major states of India: Haryana, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and West Bengal.Design/methodology/approachICT and e‐governance policy framework of these ten states was captured from their published policy documents/ literature, as well as through the in‐person interviews and discussions with the concerned Secretary/Director/Managing Director level officials at different forums on the basis of a structured questionnaire.FindingsThe results highlight the policy gaps and suggest that there is a need to look at improving such factors as capacity building, common standards, security guidelines, quality, completeness, depth and spread of services, coordination, mindset, etc. In terms of overall performance, four e‐governance projects, e‐Sewa in Andhra Pradesh, Bhoomi in Karnataka, Setu in Maharashtra and Suwidha in Punjab had higher scores than other projects.Originality/valueThe paper introduces the best e‐governance projects which can be role models for other states in improving e‐governance initiatives. This will help policy makers to understand the policy gaps and focus on those parameters which lead to good governance, not only in India but in other similar developing economies as well.
Capabilities, urban unrest and social enterprise
Authors: Cornelius Nelarine , Wallace James 
Published: June 2013

PurposeIn this article, the aim is to explore the rise of the role of the social enterprise as a “force for good” in the context of social and economic regeneration. Building on the growing importance of the third sector to central government as part of its agenda to diversify the delivery of public services, the paper seeks to question the veracity of the view that social enterprises invariably enable the communities in which they operate.Design/methodology/approachThe authors have developed this conceptual paper by building on the application of Amartya Sen's capabilities approach.FindingsIt is concluded that where social enterprises are contracted to provide services to communities, including those that would previously have been provided by the public sector (within a carefully crafted statutory framework), should have a demonstrable remit for community wide action, as this, it is argued, is more likely to facilitate community wide benefits. Part of any assessment should include, first, the sustainability of the contribution; and second, the extent to which they enable community members to exercise the choice to participate in the mainstream economy and society.Research limitations/implicationsThis theoretical account would benefit from empirical assessment.Practical implicationsThe article is of potential value to policy makers and researchers of social enterprise in urban, multicultural environments.Originality/valueThe article has attempted to use the capabilities approach to reconcile some of the tensions between the rhetoric and reality of social enterprise activity and its value in the context of the regeneration of communities.
Optimising workplace interventions for health and well‐being
Authors: Karanika‐Murray Maria , Weyman Andrew K. 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss contemporary approaches to workplace health and well‐being, articulating key differences in the intervention architecture between public and workplace health contexts and implications for intervention design.Design/methodology/approachContemporary practice is discussed in light of calls for a paradigm shift in occupational health from a treatment orientation to an holistic approach focused on mitigation of the causes of ill health and the promotion of well‐being. In practice, relatively few organizations have or seem able to engage with a broader perspective that encompasses challenges to health and well‐being associated with contextual organizational drivers, e.g. job design/role, workload, systems of reward, leadership style and the underpinning climate. Drawing upon insights from public health and the workplace safety tradition, the scope for broadening the perspective on intervention (in terms of vectors of harm addressed, theory of change and intervention logic) is discussed.FindingsThere are important differences in scope and options for intervention between public health and workplace health contexts. While there is scope to emulate public health practice, this should not constrain thinking over intervention opinions. Increased awareness of these key differences within work organizations, and an evidence‐based epidemiological approach to learning has the potential to strengthen and broaden the approach to workplace health and well‐being management.Originality/valueThe authors argue that approaches to workplace well‐being interventions that selectively cross‐fertilise and adapt elements of public health interventions offer promise for realising a broader change agenda and for building inherently healthy workplaces.
Entrepreneurship education: an insight from Malaysian polytechnics
Authors: Zahari Ismail Mohd , Zamberi Ahmad Syed 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe paper aims to empirically investigate the effectiveness of the entrepreneurship curriculum delivered in Malaysian polytechnics.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected through survey questionnaires, in‐depth interviews, document reviews and focus group discussions. The respondents were drawn from Malaysian polytechnics – training director, centre managers, entrepreneurship instructors in the centre, and polytechnic students who were purposively selected.FindingsThe study identifies that the entrepreneurship curriculum in polytechnics is not effective. Students are not imbued with entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and attributes during their study. Teaching approaches appear to be inappropriate and polytechnic lecturers do not appear to have relevant entrepreneurial skills, knowledge or training.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size was small to be wholly reliable for generalising the findings to a similar problem in other higher learning institutions. However, the insights gained are a crucial basis for further research and give some variables to be investigated on their significance in shaping entrepreneurship education, especially in a developing country like Malaysia.Practical implicationsThe findings provide valuable insights for institutional, educators, and policy makers. Stakeholders could use this study to revisit the existing education system and to improve the teaching methodologies in the area of entrepreneurship education in the higher learning institutions.Originality/valueThis is one of the first comprehensive studies to explore how entrepreneurship education is delivered within Malaysian polytechnics.
The Italian system of innovation: strengths and weaknesses
Authors: Caiazza Rosa 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe Italian system of innovation is an aware contest that needs to be developed. The aim of this study is to analyse the current situation and evidence future actions for developing it.Design/methodology/approachThrough desk analysis and face‐to‐face interview, the author evidences main characteristics and future actions for improving the Italian system of innovation.FindingsThe author identifies the main elements that affect spin‐off in Italy.Originality/valueThe author proposes a deep analysis of an aware contest and identifies some factors for improving it.
The financial performance of life insurance companies in Ghana
Authors: Oscar Akotey Joseph , Sackey Frank G. , Amoah Lordina , Frimpong Manso Richard 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe aim of this research is to assess the financial performance of the life insurance industry of an emerging economy. In particular the study delves into the major determinants of the profitability of the life insurance industry of Ghana. The study also examines the relationship among the three measures of insurers' profitability, which are investment income, underwriting profit and the overall (total) net profit.Design/methodology/approachThe annual financial statements of ten life insurance companies covering a period of 11 years (2000‐2010) were sampled and analyzed through panel regression.FindingsThe findings indicate that whereas gross written premiums have a positive relationship with insurers' sales profitability, its relationship with investment income is a negative one. Also, the results showed that life insurers have been incurring large underwriting losses due to overtrading and price undercutting. The results further revealed a setting‐off rather than a complementary relationship between underwriting profit and investment income towards the enhancement of the overall profitability of life insurers.Practical implicationsThe policy implications of this study for the stakeholders of the life insurance industry are enormous. For instance, insurers must have well‐resourced actuary departments to perform price validation of all policies in order to prevent over‐trading and price undercutting by insurance marketing agents. In addition, the intention of the NIC to adopt a risk‐based approach in its supervision is not only timely but a very significant move that will improve upon the accounting and records keeping standards of the industry as well as the governance and risk management structures of the sector.Social implicationsBeing too obsessed with premium growth without adequate price validation can lead to self‐destruction such as huge underwriting losses. Large underwriting losses can lead to insurance insolvency during periods of cluster claims.Originality/valueThis study fulfills an urgent need to investigate the things that are crucial for the survival, growth and profitability of life insurers in an emerging economy.
Accounting and incentives for sustainability in higher education: an interdisciplinary analysis of a needed revolution
Authors: Lange Elizabeth A. , Kerr Stephen G. 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this interdisciplinary paper is to explore the constraining role of accounting in the higher education pursuit of sustainability goals and to provide recommendations to transform accounting in ways that create incentives for sustainability and a dialogic reporting culture in higher education accounting.Design/methodology/approachCritical social theory and “strong” sustainability provide the theoretical framework for this interdisciplinary analysis. A literature review and collection of anecdotal evidence supports conceptual development of accounting technologies that provide incentives for sustainability practices in higher education.FindingsConventional accounting practices are founded on positivism, managerialism, and neo‐classical economics, creating a psychic prison for the accounting discipline that fails to recognize the socially constructed nature of accounting reports and their explicit valuation role. University rewards structures, reporting mechanisms, and curricular foci dictate against the transformation of accounting technologies toward sustainability. Other anecdotes illustrate how accounting processes hinder sustainability initiatives in higher education.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper recommends five changes that could be made to existing accounting reports for higher education institutions. It also proposes the adoption of both narrative reporting and a dialogic model of sustainability reporting and expansive learning in higher education organizations that would provide a transitional process for change.Originality/valueLittle literature has addressed the role of accounting in sustainability practices. This paper offers a sociological analysis of the assumptions built into the accounting profession and a reconceptualization of accounting practices that could be pioneered on the campuses of higher education institutions.
Corporate social and environmental reporting in the Caribbean
Authors: Bowrin Anthony R. 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the extent to which publicly‐listed Caribbean companies provide social and environmental disclosures (SED), and the factors related to their disclosure practices. It is motivated by the dearth of studies of SED among publicly listed Caribbean firms.Design/methodology/approachAll 55 companies with common shares listed on the main tier of one of the three major Caribbean stock exchanges in December 2010 were included in the study. The comprehensiveness of SED was measured using an unweighted 43‐item disclosure index. The research hypotheses were examined using multiple regression analysis.FindingsThe level of SED in the Caribbean was relatively low (M=33.7 per cent, SD=25.3 per cent). The amount of SED was positively related to firm size, industry affiliation, foreign influence and organizational culture. Firm profitability, national culture, importance of public equity financing, gender diversity, and director independence were not statistically related to SED comprehensiveness.Practical implicationsTo promote the consideration of sustainability issues in national, corporate and individual investment and administration decisions, Caribbean governments may need to implement incentives for public companies to participate in targeted development initiatives and to provide more comprehensive social and environmental disclosures.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the comprehensiveness and determinants of SED by publicly‐listed Caribbean companies.
How can effective university‐industry partnerships be developed?
Authors: Rawlinson Sarah , Dewhurst Peter 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the concept of a “university learning laboratory” as an example of providing experiential learning opportunities as part of a vocational degree programme. It presents a model of how to extend industry participation in degree programmes beyond internships and work placements and demonstrates the benefits of including knowledge transfer as part of the curriculum design of vocational degrees.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a qualitative case study approach to share experiences of a university based in the UK.FindingsVocational degrees that develop the concepts of the discipline within the context of where they are applied are providing “work ready” graduates for industry.Practical implicationsThis paper summarizes the key benefits of engaging industry more extensively in the design and delivery of vocational degree programmes. It highlights a new type of stakeholder partnership and a collective responsibility for vocational curricula in higher education.Originality/valueThis paper draws on Michael Eraut's work on the transfer of knowledge between education and the workplace.
Developing effective university‐industry partnerships: an introduction
Authors: Jauhari Vinnie , Thomas Rhodri 
Published: June 2013

PurposeThis paper aims to introduce the theme issue and the reasons for focusing on the strategic question: “How can effective university‐industry partnerships be developed?”Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides a broader perspective on university‐industry relationships and explores a variety of associated research themes.FindingsThe paper profiles the approach adopted by theme issue authors and their respective contributions to addressing the strategic question.Practical implicationsThe theme issue draws extensively on practitioners' perspectives from a number of different universities and countries.Originality/valueThis issue gives insights into several meaningful university‐industry collaborations.
Recolonizing wolves trigger a trophic cascade in Wisconsin (USA)
Authors: Callan Ramana , Nibbelink Nathan P. , Rooney Thomas P. , Wiedenhoeft Jane E. , Wydeven Adrian P. 
Published: June 2013

Summary

We tested the hypothesis that wolves are reducing local browse intensity by white‐tailed deer, thus indirectly mitigating the biotic impoverishment of understorey plant communities in northern Wisconsin.

To assess the potential for such a top‐down trophic cascade response, we developed a spatially and temporally explicit model of wolf territory occupancy based on three decades of wolf monitoring data. Using a nested multiscale vegetation survey protocol, we compared the understorey plant communities of northern white cedar wetlands found in high wolf areas with control sites found in low wolf areas.

We fit species–area curves for plant species grouped by vegetation growth form (based on their predicted response to release from herbivory, i.e. tree, seedling, shrub, forb, grass, sedge or fern) and duration of wolf territory occupancy.

As predicted for a trophic cascade response, forb species richness at local scales (10 m2) was significantly higher in high wolf areas (high wolf areas: 10.7 ± 0.9, N = 16, low wolf areas: 7.5 ± 0.9, N = 16, P < 0.001), as was shrub species richness (high wolf areas: 4.4 ± 0.4, N = 16, low wolf areas: 3.2 ± 0.5, N = 16, P < 0.001). Also as predicted, percentage cover of ferns was lower in high wolf areas (high wolf areas: 6.2 ± 2.1, N = 16, low wolf areas: 11.6 ± 5.3, N = 16, P < 0.05).

Beta richness was similar between high and low wolf areas, supporting earlier assumptions that deer herbivory impacts plant species richness primarily at local scales. Sampling at multiple spatial scales revealed that changes in species richness were not consistent across scales nor among vegetation growth forms: forbs showed a stronger response at finer scales (1–100 m2), while shrubs showed a response across relatively broader scales (10–1000 m2).

Synthesis. Our results are consistent with hypothesized trophic effects on understorey plant communities triggered by a keystone predator recovering from regional extinction. In addition, we identified the response variables and spatial scales appropriate for detecting such differences in plant species composition. This study represents the first published evidence of a trophic cascade triggered by wolf recovery in the Great Lakes region.
Effects of mammalian herbivore declines on plant communities: observations and experiments in an African savanna
Authors: Young Hillary S. , McCauley Douglas J. , Helgen Kristofer M. , Goheen Jacob R. , Otárola‐Castillo Erik , Palmer Todd M. , Pringle Robert M. , Young Truman P. , Dirzo Rodolfo 
Published: June 2013

Summary

Herbivores influence the structure and composition of terrestrial plant communities. However, responses of plant communities to herbivory are variable and depend on environmental conditions, herbivore identity and herbivore abundance. As anthropogenic impacts continue to drive large declines in wild herbivores, understanding the context dependence of herbivore impacts on plant communities becomes increasingly important.

Exclosure experiments are frequently used to assess how ecosystems reorganize in the face of large wild herbivore defaunation. Yet in many landscapes, declines in large wildlife are often accompanied by other anthropogenic activities, especially land conversion to livestock production. In such cases, exclosure experiments may not reflect typical outcomes of human‐driven extirpations of wild herbivores.

Here, we examine how plant community responses to changes in the identity and abundance of large herbivores interact with abiotic factors (rainfall and soil properties). We also explore how effects of wild herbivores on plant communities differ between large‐scale herbivore exclosures and landscape sites where anthropogenic activity has caused wildlife declines, often accompanied by livestock increases.

Abiotic context modulated the responses of plant communities to herbivore declines with stronger effect sizes in lower‐productivity environments. Also, shifts in plant community structure, composition and species richness following wildlife declines differed considerably between exclosure experiments and landscape sites in which wild herbivores had declined and were often replaced by livestock. Plant communities in low wildlife landscape sites were distinct in both composition and physical structure from both exclosure and control sites in experiments. The power of environmental (soil and rainfall) gradients in influencing plant response to herbivores was also greatly dampened or absent in the landscape sites. One likely explanation for these observed differences is the compensatory effect of livestock associated with the depression or extirpation of wildlife.

Synthesis. Our results emphasize the importance of abiotic environmental heterogeneity in modulating the effects of mammalian herbivory on plant communities and the importance of such covariation in understanding effects of wild herbivore declines. They also suggest caution when extrapolating results from exclosure experiments to predict the consequences of defaunation as it proceeds in the Anthropocene.
Detection of progesterone in bovine milk using an electrochemical immunosensor
Authors: Zhang Hong You , Du Xia Yan , Liu Qian , Xia Cheng , Sun Ling Wei 
Published: June 2013

To improve the detection of ovulation and early diagnosis of pregnancy on dairy farms, a disposable electrochemical immunosensor was developed using indirect competitive immunoassays and screen‐printed carbon electrodes. After optimisation of the assay conditions, the linear range was from 0.16 to 50 ng/mL. The limit of detection was 0.16 ng/mL. There was no cross‐reactivity with testosterone, 17‐β‐estradiol and estriol. The intra‐assay coefficient of variation was less than 13% and interassay coefficient of variation was < 9%. The percentage recovery was from 95.8% to 115.7%. Stability lasts 4 days at 4 °C. The results of preliminary application trials indicate that the method could have practical potential.