bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Islamic banking and economic growth in GCC & East Asia countries
Authors: Mohd. Yusof Rosylin , Bahlous Mejda 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to assess the contribution of Islamic finance to economic growth in countries that were early adopters of Islamic banking: Malaysia, Indonesia and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Design/methodology/approach
– Through panel cointegration analysis, variance decompositions (VDCs) and impulse response functions, this study investigates the Islamic finance and growth nexus.

Findings
– Islamic banking is found to contribute to economic growth both in the long run and the short run for both GCC countries and the selected East Asia (EA) countries. In the short run however, Islamic banking contributes more to economic growth in Malaysia and Indonesia compared to the GCC countries.

Practical implications
– The results lend support to the view that Islamic intermediation not only leads to economic benefits but also; increases managers' entrepreneurial skills through the involvement of the lender in the decision making and the partnership like relationship between the fund provider and the entrepreneur and also; reduces agency costs which produces positive impact on both the economy and the development of the society. This serves as a motivation for other countries to continuously promote Islamic finance.

Originality/value
– To assess the importance of Islamic finance to economic growth, this study compares two main regional Islamic financial hubs, the GCC and EA countries. Another novel aspect of this study is in the methodology; it employs panel cointegration analysis, VDCs and impulse response functions on the set of annual data for period of 2000-2009.
University students' needs and satisfaction with their host city
Authors: Insch Andrea , Sun Benjamin 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this study was threefold: to identify which attributes of the host university city are important to students; to assess students' satisfaction with the key attributes of their host university city; and to determine the drivers of students' overall satisfaction with their host university city.

Design/methodology/approach
– A two stage, mixed methods research design was selected for this study. Focus groups comprised the first stage and a survey of 159 full time university students attending the university of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand, comprised the second stage.

Findings
– The survey findings indicate that students at the university of Otago perceive accommodation, socialising and sense of community, safety and cultural scene as the most important attributes of their host university city. Alternatively, the results of the regression analysis which assessed the relative strength of city attributes in explaining their overall satisfaction with Dunedin, demonstrated that shopping and dining, appeal and vibrancy, socialising and sense of community and public transport were the key drivers of their overall satisfaction with the city.

Research limitations/implications
– Students' overall satisfaction with the city is relatively positive and they are most satisfied with socialising and sense of community, community assets, and the city's natural environment. Overall, students' expectations of the city's attributes were reached and exceeded. However, their satisfaction with accommodation, the attribute that they ranked as the most important, was unmet. This shortfall in expectations has the potential to negatively impact the university's image and encourage students to transfer somewhere else for further study if their most important need is not addressed.

Practical implications
– As an important city stakeholder for university cities, students' perceptions and satisfaction with their host city need to be given priority. University administrators in collaboration with city place managers should put effort into maintaining the city attributes which are important to students and which drive their satisfaction with the city experience, since they represent a large proportion of residents in university host cities. The consequences of their inattention to students' needs could be harmful in the long-term.

Originality/value
– Tertiary student perceptions and satisfaction with their host cities have been largely ignored. This study addresses this gap by identifying which attributes of cities are important to students, gauging students' perception of their host city according to these attributes, and identifying the city attributes driving their satisfaction with their host city.
Investigating work engagement in the service environment
Authors: C. Barnes Donald , E. Collier Joel 
Published: September 2013

Purpose– Frontline employees (FLEs) represent a major source of value creation for the modern firm. As such, firms are constantly evaluating different attributes of potential and current employees in the hopes of attracting, retaining, and rewarding key employees. Recently, the construct of work engagement has garnered interest as an important indicator of employee performance. However, much is unknown about this construct with regards to antecedents, outcomes and measurement. Thus, the purpose of the current research is to contribute to the developing literature on work engagement.Design/methodology/approach– Data were collected from FLEs across high and low customer contact service contexts. The hypothesized relationships in the model were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM).Findings– This research provides empirical evidence that service climate, job satisfaction and affective commitment influence work engagement. Employee's work engagement subsequently impacts constructs such as career commitment and adaptability. Furthermore, the authors conceptualize work engagement as a multidimensional higher order construct that exhibits a superior fit compared to a simple first order conceptualization.Research limitations/implications– This research provides guidance on how to measure work engagement as well as identifying both antecedent and outcomes variables associated with the construct.Practical implications– Results suggest that the service firm has some impact on the level of work engagement FLEs exhibit. Furthermore, this research highlights the importance of the link between positive emotions and FLE performance.Originality/value– By utilizing the contemporary broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, this research makes contributions in the developing understanding of the impact of positive emotions on FLEs.
The effect of implicit service guarantees on business performance
Authors: Shin Hyunju , E. Ellinger Alexander 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– Although service guarantees are generally believed to give firms a competitive edge, much remains to be learned about the value of, and return on, this customer relationship management strategy. This study aims to examine the influence of implicit service guarantees on two important aspects of business performance: customer satisfaction and return on investment.

Design/methodology/approach
– The study hypotheses are tested utilizing three different sources of secondary data to assess the study variables.

Findings
– Over a four-year period, top implicit service guarantee provider firms generated superior market and financial performance in terms of customer satisfaction and return on investment than their industry peers

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Research limitations/implications

Research limitations/implications
– The number of top implicit service guarantee provider firms used to test the study hypotheses is relatively small due to inherent constraints associated with using secondary data. Testing more exemplar firms against their respective industry averages would have been preferable and may have yielded even more robust findings.

Practical implications
– Firms recognized for leveraging customer service skills and resources to “make right” any sources of customer dissatisfaction may achieve positional advantages associated with superior business performance. Therefore, focusing on building a firm's reputation for exceptional customer service provision may be a more effective approach than offering an explicit service guarantee.

Originality/value
– This research offers support for contentions that customers value the implicit service guarantees associated with firms recognized for outstanding customer service and responds to calls for research that evaluates the specific information that must be communicated to customers to enhance the credibility and effectiveness of service guarantees.
Effect of guanxi and ethical orientations on Chinese auditors' ethical reasoning
Authors: Liu Mingzhi 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Chinese auditors' personal values (guanxi and ethical orientations) on their ethical reasoning (ethical judgments and behavioral intentions). In addition, this study aims to explore the joint effect of guanxi and ethical orientation on auditors' ethical reasoning.

Design/methodology/approach
– This study is based on a field survey of 191 auditors working in Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firms that operate in the People's Republic of China (China).

Findings
– The main findings indicate that guanxi and relativism orientations negatively associate with, while idealism orientation positively associates with, auditors' ethical judgments and behavioral intentions. However, when decomposing the overall ethical judgment into three judgment groups, the main effects of guanxi and ethical orientations on auditors' ethical judgments become marginal and those effects fully hold only when using acceptability as criteria to judge questionable behavior in the vignettes. In addition, the results of the joint effect of guanxi and ethical orientations indicate that guanxi orientation weakens both the positive effect of idealism and the negative effect of relativism orientations on auditors' ethical reasoning.

Originality/value
– This study contributes the literature by investigating the ethical reasoning of auditors in a country with a relatively weak legal system that relies on guanxi (literally, interpersonal relationships and connections) culture to operate business. Furthermore, this study extends the literature by documenting the moderating effect of guanxi orientation on the relation between auditors' ethical orientation and their ethical reasoning.
What does the future hold for quality professionals in organisations of the twenty-first century?
Authors: Antony Jiju 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to provide various perspectives on the future of quality professionals from a number of leading academics and practitioners around the world.

Design/methodology/approach
– The approach taken was to collate opinions from a number of leading academics and practitioners from different countries. It was also important to ensure that all participants in the study had a good knowledge and expertise in the field of quality and operations management. Most of the participants had over 30 years of experience in quality and related disciplines and some of them are pioneers in their respective fields of quality management/engineering.

Findings
– As the global economic forces were radically changing, it is essential that quality managers face the future with quality-based integrated management programmes that fit the new business era rather than continuing with systems that may have worked in the past.

Research limitations/implications
– Due to time constraints, the number of people participated in the study was relatively small. However, the author is currently pursuing a larger study looking into the future of quality professionals within the context of Scottish Manufacturing and Service companies.

Originality/value
– The paper provides an excellent resource for many researchers and practitioners equally who are engaged in research and applications on this topic. Moreover it was observed during the review of current literature that very few studies are related to the topic on the future of quality professionals and their future roles in modern organisations.
Business excellence through sustainable change management
Authors: K. Vora Manu 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of the paper is to make a case for achieving business excellence through sustainable change management. Business excellence is defined through the Baldrige Performance Excellence Criteria. Sustainable change management has three pillars: enlightened leadership to provide change direction, great project management to manage technical aspects of change, and excellent talent management for implementing the change. All three pillars will be discussed in this paper along with successful examples of sustainable change management practices from various sectors.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper is a synopsis of professional work done by the author over 38 years in achieving business excellence and managing sustainable change in professional and personal arena.

Findings
– The paper provides insights about how sustainable change is achieved to propel an entity toward business excellence. It suggests that leadership is central in initiating the change for the benefit of the enterprise. To successfully manage change, strong project management skills are crucial. Without proper talent management, change initiatives will falter.

Originality/value
– This paper fulfills a global need on how to achieve business excellence through sustainable change management.
Landscape and environmental controls over leaf and ecosystem carbon dioxide fluxes under woody plant expansion
Authors: Barron‐Gafford Greg A. , Scott Russell L. , Jenerette G. Darrel , Hamerlynck Erik P. , Huxman Travis E. 
Published: September 2013

Summary

Many regions of the globe are experiencing a simultaneous change in the dominant plant functional type and regional climatology. We explored how atmospheric temperature and precipitation control leaf‐ and ecosystem‐scale carbon fluxes within a pair of semi‐arid shrublands, one upland and one riparian, that have undergone woody plant expansion.

Through a combination of leaf‐level measurements on individual bunchgrasses and mesquites shrubs and ecosystem‐scale monitoring using eddy covariance techniques, we sought to quantify rates of net carbon dioxide (CO2) flux, CO2 flux temperature sensitivity and the responsiveness of these parameters to seasonal rains and periods of soil dry‐down.

We found significant differences in physiological acclimation between the two plant functional types, in that the shrubs consistently conducted photosynthesis across a broader temperature range than co‐occurring grasses during dry periods, yet maximum photosynthetic rates in grasses were twice that of mesquites during the wetter monsoon season. Landscape position modulated these temperature sensitivities, as the range of functional temperatures and maximum rates of photosynthesis were two to three times greater within the riparian shrubland in dry times.

Also, it was unexpected that ecosystem‐scale CO2 uptake within both shrublands would become most temperature sensitive within the monsoon, when mesquites and grasses had their broadest range of function. This is probably explained by the changing contributions of component photosynthetic fluxes, in that the more temperature sensitive grasses, which had higher maximal rates of photosynthesis, became a larger component of the ecosystem flux.

Synthesis: Given projections of more variable precipitation and increased temperatures, it is important to understand differences in physiological activity between growth forms, as they are likely to drive patterns of ecosystem‐scale CO2 flux. As access to stable subsurface water declines with decreased precipitation, these differential patterns of temperature sensitivity among growth forms, which are dependent on connectivity to groundwater, will only become more important in determining ecosystem carbon source/sink status.
Outpatient calcium‐channel blockers and the risk of postpartum haemorrhage: a cohort study
Authors: Bateman BT , Hernandez‐Diaz S , Huybrechts KF , Palmsten K , Mogun H , Ecker JL , Seely EW , Fischer MA 
Published: September 2013

ObjectiveTo determine whether outpatient exposure to calcium‐channel blockers (CCBs) at the time of delivery is associated with an increased risk for postpartum haemorrhage (PPH).DesignCohort study.SettingUnited States of America.Population or sampleMedicaid beneficiaries.MethodsWe identified a cohort of 9750 patients with outpatient prescriptions for CCBs, methyldopa, or labetalol for pre‐existing or gestational hypertension whose days of supply overlapped with delivery; 1226 were exposed to CCBs. The risk of PPH was compared in those exposed to CCBs to those exposed to methyldopa or labetalol. Propensity score matching and stratification were used to address potential confounding.Main outcome measuresThe occurrence of PPH during the delivery hospitalisation.ResultsThere were 27 patients exposed to CCBs (2.2%) and 232 patients exposed to methyldopa or labetalol (2.7%) who experienced PPH. After accounting for confounders, there was no meaningful association between CCB exposure and PPH in the propensity score matched (odds ratio 0.77, 95% CI 0.50–1.18) or stratified (odds ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.53–1.19) analyses. Similar results were obtained across multiple sensitivity analyses.ConclusionsThe outpatient use of CCBs in late pregnancy for the treatment of hypertension does not increase the risk of PPH.
Optimizing Experimental Design Using the House Mouse (Mus musculus L.) as a Model for Determining Grain Feeding Preferences
Authors: Fuerst E. Patrick , Morris Craig F. , Dasgupta Nairanjana , McLean Derek J. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractThere is little research evaluating flavor preferences among wheat varieties. We previously demonstrated that mice exert very strong preferences when given binary mixtures of wheat varieties. We plan to utilize mice to identify wheat genes associated with flavor, and then relate this back to human preferences. Here we explore the effects of experimental design including the number of days (from 1 to 4) and number of mice (from 2 to 15) in order to identify designs that provide significant statistical inferences while minimizing requirements for labor and animals. When mice expressed a significant preference between 2 wheat varieties, increasing the number of days (for a given number of mice) increased the significance level (decreased P‐values) for their preference, as expected, but with diminishing benefit as more days were added. However, increasing the number of mice (for a given number of days) provided a more dramatic log‐linear decrease in P‐values and thus increased statistical power. In conclusion, when evaluating mouse feeding preferences in binary mixtures of grain, an efficient experimental design would emphasize fewer days rather than fewer animals thus shortening the experiment duration and reducing the overall requirement for labor and animals.
Sequencing‐based gene network analysis provides a core set of gene resource for understanding thermal adaptation in Zhikong scallop Chlamys farreri
Authors: Fu X. , Sun Y. , Wang J. , Xing Q. , Zou J. , Li R. , Wang Z. , Wang S. , Hu X. , Zhang L. , Bao Z. 
Published: September 2013

AbstractMarine organisms are commonly exposed to variable environmental conditions, and many of them are under threat from increased sea temperatures caused by global climate change. Generating transcriptomic resources under different stress conditions are crucial for understanding molecular mechanisms underlying thermal adaptation. In this study, we conducted transcriptome‐wide gene expression profiling of the scallop Chlamys farreri challenged by acute and chronic heat stress. Of the 13 953 unique tags, more than 850 were significantly differentially expressed at each time point after acute heat stress, which was more than the number of tags differentially expressed (320–350) under chronic heat stress. To obtain a systemic view of gene expression alterations during thermal stress, a weighted gene coexpression network was constructed. Six modules were identified as acute heat stress‐responsive modules. Among them, four modules involved in apoptosis regulation, mRNA binding, mitochondrial envelope formation and oxidation reduction were downregulated. The remaining two modules were upregulated. One was enriched with chaperone and the other with microsatellite sequences, whose coexpression may originate from a transcription factor binding site. These results indicated that C. farreri triggered several cellular processes to acclimate to elevated temperature. No modules responded to chronic heat stress, suggesting that the scallops might have acclimated to elevated temperature within 3 days. This study represents the first sequencing‐based gene network analysis in a nonmodel aquatic species and provides valuable gene resources for the study of thermal adaptation, which should assist in the development of heat‐tolerant scallop lines for aquaculture.
The management of secondary pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction – a comparison of pyeloplasty and endopyelotomy
Authors: Vannahme Milena , Mathur Sunil , Davenport Kim , Timoney Anthony G. , Keeley Francis X. 
Published: September 2013

Objective
To review our experience in the management of secondary pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) comparing endopyelotomy with pyeloplasty.
Patients and Methods
We retrospectively analysed our database of 58 patients having undergone operative management of PUJO after failed primary management, including 41 with failed pyeloplasty and 17 failed endopyelotomy.
Outcomes included mercapto‐acetyltriglycine (MAG3) drainage capacity, symptomatic control and need for further intervention. Success was defined as freedom from failure in all three.
Results
Patients undergoing secondary pyeloplasty had better outcomes than endopyelotomy for symptomatic success (87.5% vs 74%), resolution of obstruction on MAG3 renography (96% vs 74%), and no need for further intervention (96% vs 71%).
Overall success was 87.5% for pyeloplasty compared with 44% after secondary endopyelotomy.
Conclusion
Outcomes of pyelopasty for secondary PUJO were superior when compared with endopyelotomy.
Myopia and the long‐term incidence of cataract and cataract surgery: the Blue Mountains Eye Study
Authors: Kanthan Gowri L , Mitchell Paul , Rochtchina Elena , Cumming Robert G , Wang Jie Jin 
Published: September 2013

AbstractBackgroundTo assess the association between refractive errors and the 10‐year incidence of cataract and cataract surgery.DesignPopulation‐based prospective study.ParticipantsThree thousand six hundred fifty‐four persons aged 49+ years living in a well‐defined geographical region were examined at baseline; 2564 were re‐examined after 5 and/or 10 years.MethodsBaseline refractive error was measured using autorefraction with subjective refinement. Lens photographs were taken at each visit and assessed using the Wisconsin Cataract Grading System.Main Outcome MeasuresLong‐term incidence of cataract and cataract surgery.ResultsCompared with emmetropia, high myopia was associated with increased incidence of nuclear cataract (adjusted odds ratio 3.01, 95% confidence intervals 1.35–6.71). Low (odds ratio 1.86, confidence interval 1.03–3.35) and high myopia (odds ratio 7.80, confidence interval 3.51–17.35) were significantly associated with higher incidence of posterior subcapsular cataract. Low, moderate and high myopia were associated with increased incidence of cataract surgery (odds ratio 2.54, confidence interval 1.76–3.68; odds ratio 2.61, confidence interval 1.45–4.69; and odds ratio 4.81, confidence interval 2.33–9.93, respectively). Either any (odds ratio 1.35, confidence interval 1.08–1.69) or moderate hyperopia (odds ratio 1.76, confidence interval 1.32–2.34) was associated with increased incidence of nuclear cataract.ConclusionOur longitudinal study confirms the association between myopia and an increased risk of nuclear and posterior subcapsular cataract. It also suggests that hyperopia may increase the risk of nuclear cataract.