bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Corporate strategy development via numerical situation analysis
Authors: Davies Alan , John Elwyn , Thomas Andrew 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– Using the numerical situation analysis (NSA) technique in the development of corporate strategy provides senior managers with a suitable methodology for the creation of alternative strategic options. Subsequently, it may be used to evaluate those options for possible selection and implementation by the company concerned. In addition, the technique provides a graphic temporal point description of an organisation's strategic situation. Consequently, the aim of this paper is to outline the technique of NSA via a hypothetical example and thereby illustrate its use in practice.

Design/methodology/approach
– By using a paradigm approach, the paper indicates the correct application of the NSA technique as a means of defining and evaluating alternative strategic options within a manufacturing company. As proposed, the methodology also permits several graphic illustrations of the strategic situation to be drawn, along with a scheme for monitoring the effectiveness of an adopted strategy.

Findings
– The evolution of the suggested NSA technique and its application to the formulation of strategic options for a manufacturing company are outlined in the paper. In practice, its application in four differing industries has resulted in some caveats regarding its use, and to some provisional conclusions being drawn in respect of its usefulness to senior management. These are recorded in the concluding section of the paper.

Research limitations/implications
– The design, development and application of NSA proposed in this paper together with the experience of its implementation and use, in practice, highlight a potentially useful extension to existing methods of strategy formulation. The methodology offers senior management a technique, whereby alternative strategic options may be defined and evaluated for possible adoption along with diagrammatic illustrations of an organisation's strategic situation. In addition, the approach allows a selected strategy to be monitored over time for effectiveness, thus providing an early warning mechanism in respect of strategic inutility.

Originality/value
– The paper contributes to the existing knowledge based on strategy development, evaluation and selection. It also provides a mechanism for monitoring a selected strategy for effectiveness over time and a structured framework for senior management to undertake the strategic planning process. It may when used in practice achieve an improved level of strategic understanding on the part of senior management and thereby stimulate improved corporate performance.
A frontier-based hierarchical clustering for airport efficiency benchmarking
Authors: Rodríguez-Déniz Héctor , Voltes-Dorta Augusto 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– When large samples are used to estimate airport efficiency, clustering is a necessary step before carrying out any benchmarking analysis. However, the existing literature has paid little attention to developing a robust methodology for airport classification, instead relying on ad hoc techniques. In order to address this issue, this paper aims to develop a new airport clustering procedure.

Design/methodology/approach
– A frontier-based hierarchical clustering procedure is developed. An application to cost-efficiency benchmarking is presented using the cost function parameters available in the literature. A cross-section of worldwide airports is clustered according to the relevant outputs and input prices, with cost elasticities and factor shares serving as optimal variable weights.

Findings
– The authors found 17 distinct airport clusters without any ad hoc input. Factors like the use of larger aircraft or the dominance of low-cost carriers are shown to improve cost performance in the airport industry.

Practical implications
– The proposed method allows for a more precise identification of the efficiency benchmarks, which are characterized by a set of cophenetic distances to their “peers”. Furthermore, the resulting classification can also be used to benchmark other indicators linked to airport costs, such as aeronautical charges or service quality.

Originality/value
– This paper contributed to airport clustering by providing the first discussion and application of optimal variable weighting. In regard to efficiency benchmarking, the paper aims to overcome the limitations of previous papers by defining a method that is not dependent on performance, but on technology, and that can be easily adapted to large airport datasets.
Competence development and work-family conflict
Authors: Roseli Wünsch Takahashi Adriana , Lemos Lourenço Mariane , Alexandre Sander Josué , Patricia da Silva Souza Carla 
Published: June 2014

Purpose– This study aims to understand how the development of teaching and research competencies affects graduate (MS and PhD level – calledstricto sensucourses in Brazil) management professors' work-family relations.Design/methodology/approach– This research is a case study about work-family conflicts in academic careers. The data collection and analysis occurred during the period between June 2009 and January 2012. The population is composed of 45 professors: 33 men and 12 women, corresponding, respectively, to 73 and 27 per cent of the professors in the programs. Eleven female professors and 26 male professors were interviewed in this research. Analysis of work-family conflicts was performed by means of open questions based on three conflict dimensions: time, strain and behavior.Findings– Investment in the development of teaching competencies brings conflicts into work-family relations. Among the three conflict dimensions considered, time stood out. When the conflict dimension was analyzed, more specifically in terms of behavior, it was evident that men perceive the effects of work-family conflicts to a lesser extent, as women suffer more from the triple impact (work, family and studies).Research limitations/implications– Context of a sector within a determined place.Practical implications– This text highlights the importance and current theme of gender and career for researchers and academy. Thus, this paper contributes so society can reflect on the roles men and women hold in the distribution of the responsibilities, highlighting the importance of balancing their division between couples, in family routines and in childcare. Such balance can improve a family's life, providing better conditions so women can manage their careers.Social implications– Likewise, this paper supports public policies that improve the life quality of women or those who will adopt children, such as policies that incentive public and private organizations to extend maternity leave for mothers and adoptive couples, and public policies that contribute so women can proceed in their careers and therefore can contribute to the advancement of society and their own bio-psycho-social development. This text also brings implications in order that organizations design policies that allow all employees to better balance work-time and other life activities in general.Originality/value– By selecting the graduate MS/PhD (stricto sensu) educational sector in particular, it was possible to learn the challenges, difficulties, achievements and limits inherent to the profession (professors), just as it was possible to verify existing conflicts, many times experienced and debated in organizational routines but not identified and shown by academic research in this sector.
Chaotic artificial bee colony approach to step planning of maintaining balance for quadruped robot
Authors: Luo Qinan , Duan Haibin 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– Artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm is a relatively new optimization method inspired by the herd behavior of honey bees, which shows quite intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to propose an improved ABC optimization algorithm based on chaos theory for solving the push recovery problem of a quadruped robot, which can tune the controller parameters based on its search mechanism. ADAMS simulation environment is adopted to implement the proposed scheme for the quadruped robot.

Design/methodology/approach
– Maintaining balance is a rather complicated global optimum problem for a quadruped robot which is about seeking a foot contact point prevents itself from falling down. To ensure the stability of the intelligent robot control system, the intelligent optimization method is employed. The proposed chaotic artificial bee colony (CABC) algorithm is based on basic ABC, and a chaotic mechanism is used to help the algorithm to jump out of the local optimum as well as finding the optimal parameters. The implementation procedure of our proposed chaotic ABC approach is described in detail.

Findings
– The proposed CABC method is applied to a quadruped robot in ADAMS simulator. Using the CABC to implement, the quadruped robot can work smoothly under the interference. A comparison among the basic ABC and CABC is made. Experimental results verify a better trajectory tracking response can be achieved by the proposed CABC method after control parameters training.

Practical implications
– The proposed CABC algorithm can be easily applied to practice and can steer the robot during walking, which will considerably increase the autonomy of the robot.

Originality/value
– The proposed CABC approach is interesting for the optimization of a control scheme for quadruped robot. A parameter training methodology, using the presented intelligent algorithm is proposed to increase the learning capability. The experimental results verify the system stabilization, favorable performance and no chattering phenomena can be achieved by using the proposed CABC algorithm. And, the proposed CABC methodology can be easily extended to other applications.
Drivers of return migration of Ghanaian health professionals: perspectives from doctors and nurses in urban Ghana
Authors: A. Adzei Francis , K. Sakyi Emmanuel , Amonoo-Harrison Jennifer 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to examine the trend of return migration of health professionals to Ghana and how it is impacting the delivery of health services in the country. It also highlights the challenges facing returnees to the country.

Design/methodology/approach
– A qualitative exploratory case study approach was employed in the study. Data gathered were analysed using the sequential model of qualitative content analysis.

Findings
– It was found that while push factors dominantly influence out-migration, pull factors rather dominated reasons for return migration. Other determinants of return migration include social and financial benefits to the home country, achieving goals for travelling, skills’ improvement and spousal consideration. The paper also highlights some of the challenges returnees usually encounter in the home country.

Social implications
– This paper makes reasonable recommendations regarding how return migration of Ghanaian health professionals might be smoother.

Originality/value
– The study brings to the fore, the necessity for the government to plan for health professionals, who returned to Ghana to contribute to the health system.
Factors affecting spin-off creation
Authors: Caiazza Rosa 
Published: June 2014

Purpose– The aim of the paper is to present a theoretical approach and an empirical analysis of factors affecting the spin-off creation, as although research on spin-off has increasingly received attention in recent years, few studies have focused on the main factors of the spin-off creation.Design/methodology/approach– Considering the exploratory nature of our research objectives, the Université Libre de Bruxelles cases were chosen to evidence macro-, meso- and microfactors that affect the university's ability to create a spin-off.Findings– Many factors that affect the spin-off creation were evidenced.Originality/value– A multilevel perspective for the spin-off analysis was offered.
The effect of tax amnesty on anti-money laundering in Bangladesh
Authors: Waris Attiya , Abdul Latif Laila 
Published: June 2014

Purpose– The article aims to rely on the global wealth chains theory to study the effect of tax amnesty on anti-money laundering (AML) in Bangladesh. This theory is an analytical framework intended to identify how wealth is repackaged and disguised to move it out of spheres of state oversight, regulation and taxation. It introduces the law on AML in Bangladesh, pointing out the revised Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendation that has expanded the scope of money laundering predicate offences to cover both indirect and direct tax crimes and smuggling in relation to customs and excise duties and taxes.Design/methodology/approach– Interviews in Bangladesh and desk research.Findings– There are some gaps in the scope of the offence, the coverage of predicate offences and the types of property covered by the money laundering offence. There is also an absence of financial penalties available to effectively sanction legal persons. The current money laundering offences are derived from the ordinance issued in 2008 by the caretaker government (2006-2008). The current act contains detailed definitions of money laundering and property and a list of predicate offences and sanctions for the offence. However, there are some gaps in the physical elements of the offence, and the range of its predicate offences remains too narrow. Adding tax evasion to its list of predicate offences will, given the history of money laundering in Bangladesh, aid in combating illegal transfer of assets abroad and recovery of the same and abolish tax amnesty.Originality/value– There is no paper that has analysed the linkages between money laundering and taxation in developing countries, especially Bangladesh.
Aspiration to implementation: building an enterprise digitization capability at the University of Melbourne
Authors: McRostie Donna 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– The aim of this study is to use the guiding strategy, Melbourneâ™’s Scholarly Information Future, which is a ten-year strategy that identifies in its aspirations the importance of building effective access to the rich cultural, scholarly and research collections of the University of Melbourne and acknowledges the critical role that digitization plays in achieving this vision. The University of Melbourne has a rich, complex and ultimately voluminous array of cultural, scholarly and research material that is of great interest and value to the its community, scholarly researchers and the global community. Since the strategy endorsement in 2008, the authors have progressively moved from a digitization environment that was uncoordinated, ad hoc and lacked centralized expertise that led to a proliferation of isolated, under-resourced areas producing inconsistent and indifferent quality images to our goal of an exemplar digitization framework, program and enterprise capability for the University to leverage.

Design/methodology/approach
– Case study of the journey taken by the University of Melbourne in building an enterprise digitization capability.

Findings
– This article outlines the journey and the approach in building this capability in a challenging economic environment, the engagement strategies to gain support and funding, skills and equipment and the unique challenges of the digitization of a diverse array of University collections. Second, it also explores digitization as transformation and outlines some of the infinite and extraordinary possibilities created from digitized content of library collections.

Originality/value
– This article will be of value to institutions that are considering taking similar steps.
A study of blog networks to determine online social network properties from the tie strength perspective
Authors: Hui-Ye Chiu Terry , Chen Chien-Chou , Joung Yuh-Jzer , Chen Shymin 
Published: June 2014

Purpose– Most studies on tie strength have focused on its definition, calculation and applications, but have not paid much attention to how tie strength can help analyse online social networks. Because ties play different roles in a network depending on their strength, the purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between tie strength and network behaviours.Design/methodology/approach– The authors propose a simple metric for tie strength measurement and then apply it to an online social network extracted from a blog network. These networks are massive in size and have technology for efficient data collection, thereby presenting the possibility of measuring tie strength objectively. From the results several key social network properties are studied to see how tie strength may be used as a metric to explain certain characteristics in social networks.Findings– The online networks exhibit all the structural properties of an actual social network, not only in following the power law but also with regard to the distribution of tie strength. The authors noted a strong association between tie strength and reciprocity, and tie strength and transitivity in online social networks.Originality/value– This paper highlights the importance of analysing online social networks from a tie strength perspective. The results have important implications for the development of efficient search mechanisms and appropriate group leaders in virtual communities.
Key drivers of consumer loyalty to Facebook fan pages
Authors: Ruiz-Mafe Carla , Martí-Parreño Jose , Sanz-Blas Silvia 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– With the rapid expansion of social networking sites, researchers and practitioners are challenged to understand drivers of customer loyalty in fan pages. The purpose of this paper is to identify the main drivers of Facebook fan page loyalty in order to promote the creation of affective links and long-term relationships with users.

Design/methodology/approach
– The impact of trust, fan page content dependency, attitude and consumer beliefs on loyalty to fan pages was tested through structural equation modelling techniques. The sample consisted of 691 Spanish Facebook users.

Findings
– Data analysis shows that attitude appears as a key variable in increasing loyalty to fan pages. The empirical study also found a significant positive influence of perceived usefulness, attitude, trust and dependency on loyalty in fan pages, and an indirect influence of perceived ease of use mediated by perceived usefulness and attitude.

Practical implications
– This research enables managers to know what aspects to highlight in their communication strategies to increase fan page use and positive word-of-mouth. Research findings show managers that Facebook fan page content should provide valuable information, be fun and foster user interactions in order to improve user attitude and loyalty. Practical recommendations to reinforce consumer trust on Facebook fan pages are also provided.

Originality/value
– There are still too few studies that analyse the effects of trust and fan page dependency on fan page users’ loyalty. This work aims to combine the influence of dependency on fan pages, trust, attitude and Technology Acceptance Model beliefs in order to construct an improved model for fan page loyalty formation.
Fixed-bed study of ammonia removal from aqueous solutions using natural zeolite
Authors: Mashal Ahmad , Abu-Dahrieh Jehad , A. Ahmed Ashraf , Oyedele Lukumon , Haimour No’man , Al-Haj-Ali Ahmad , Rooney David 
Published: June 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performance of natural Jordanian zeolite tuff to remove ammonia from aqueous solutions using a laboratory batch method and fixed-bed column apparatus. Equilibrium data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich models.

Design/methodology/approach
– Column experiments were conducted in packed bed column. The used apparatus consisted of a bench-mounted glass column of 2.5 cm inside diameter and 100 cm height (column volume = 490 cm3). The column was packed with a certain amount of zeolite to give the desired bed height. The feeding solution was supplied from a 30 liter plastic container at the beginning of each experiment and fed to the column down-flow through a glass flow meter having a working range of 10-280ml/min.

Findings
– Ammonium ion exchange by natural Jordanian zeolite data were fitted by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Continuous sorption of ammonium ions by natural Jordanian zeolite tuff has proven to be effective in decreasing concentrations ranging from 15-50 mg NH4-N/L down to levels below 1 mg/l. Breakthrough time increased by increasing the bed depth as well as decreasing zeolite particle size, solution flow-rate, initial NH4+ concentration and pH. Sorption of ammonium by the zeolite under the tested conditions gave the sorption capacity of 28 mg NH4-N/L at 20°C, and 32 mg NH4-N/L at 30°C.

Originality/value
– This research investigates the performance of natural Jordanian zeolite tuff to remove ammonia from aqueous solutions using a laboratory batch method and fixed-bed column apparatus. The equilibrium data of the sorption of Ammonia were plotted by using the Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms, then the experimental data were compared to the predictions of the above equilibrium isotherm models. It is clear that the NH4+ ion exchange data fitted better with Langmuir isotherm than with Freundlich model and gave an adequate correlation coefficient value.
B‐cell‐activating factor code and human cytomegalovirus infection in renal transplant recipients
Authors: Xu Haiyan , Dong Panpan , He Xiaozhou , Ma Xuyi , Xue Dong , Zhang Yanyun , Zhang Xueguang 
Published: June 2014

AbstractThe objective of the present study was to explore the correlation between the BAFF signal and HCMV‐TLR activation in RTx recipients complicated by HCMV. Peripheral blood (anticoagulated by EDTA‐Na2) and urine of 113 RTx recipients were collected; healthy volunteers were controlled. Urine HCMV‐DNA was detected by real‐time PCR. Recipients were classified into a positive group (>10,000 copies/mL urine) and a negative group (<10,000 copies/mL urine). ELISA results showed that sBAFF, sera anti‐HCMV pp65 immunoglobulin (Ig)G antibody, and total IgG all significantly increased in recipients with positive HCMV‐DNA (>10,000 copies/mL urine) (P < 0.05) compared with negative recipients (<10,000 copies/mL urine). In the positive group, HCMV‐DNA copies and total IgG positively correlated with sBAFF (r = 0.988 and 0.625, respectively) (P < 0.05). Luminex assay results suggested that the incidence of anti‐HLA I and II and MICA antibody obviously increased in positive recipients. The expression level of BAFF and BAFF‐R increased in positive recipients. A total of 88 particular genes—involved in TLR signaling pathways, NF‐κB signaling pathways, and cytokine‐cytokine receptor signaling pathways—were detected in real‐time PCR chip assay. A total of 46 genes were differentially expressed greater than two‐fold, and the expression characteristic of BAFF‐R was concordant with FACS results. Our findings are that activation of HCMV would induce or enhance the activation of BAFF code in RTx recipients, which may independently or cooperatively participate in renal allograft injury and decrease the long‐term outcome of renal allografts.