bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Active ageing in organisations: a case study approach
Authors: Frerichs Frerich , Lindley Robert , Aleksandrowicz Paula , Baldauf Beate , Galloway Sheila 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review good practice examples which promote recruitment and retention of older workers and/or the employability of workers as they age and to examine pathways of practice.Design/methodology/approachAnalysis of qualitative data, drawing on a cross‐section selection of 83 good practice case studies in labour organisations in eight European countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden and the UK.FindingsThe study presented good practice examples and pathways of practice for the four most frequently found dimensions in the sample (training, lifelong learning and knowledge transfer; flexible working; health protection and promotion and job design; career development and mobility management) as well as examples from small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) (construction) and the public sector (transport) adopting strategies that fall within these dimensions. These examples show that innovative solutions to the challenge of an ageing workforce have been developed with good outcomes, often combining a number of measures, e.g. mobility management, health promotion and knowledge transfer. However, there is an uneven profile of age management debates and company strategies across Europe (with countries such as Germany and the Netherlands being more advanced). There is also some evidence of a standstill or roll‐back of measures during an economic crisis.Originality/valueThe paper reviews organisational measures facilitating the extension of working lives, of which many are longstanding and include sectors previously underrepresented in good practice databases (SMEs, public sector).
Active ageing in Europe: the role of organisations
Authors: Henkens Kène , Schippers Joop 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper (overview) is to provide a brief introduction to the topic of active ageing and summarise the seven studies included in this special issue. The authors also acknowledge those who were instrumental in bringing this issue to fruition.Design/methodology/approachThe International Journal of Manpower's usual double‐blind review process was used to select the seven papers included in this special issue. The papers themselves all have a cross‐national perspective using data from eight European countries. These papers represent a wide variety of designs, methodologies and analytic strategies used to study active ageing in the paid labour force as well as in civil society. The papers make use of large‐scale surveys among employers and volunteers, case studies in organisations, and vital statistics.FindingsThe findings of the studies included in this special issue provide insights into the factors and mechanisms that hamper higher participation levels of older adults in paid employment and civil society, and give suggestions on how to improve their inclusion and how to deal with an ageing workforce.Originality/valueTaken as a collective, the papers in this special issue help propel forward in significant ways the study of active ageing from an international and interdisciplinary perspective.
Women's employment in the institutional and cultural context
Authors: Pfau‐Effinger Birgit 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how cross‐national differences in the employment rates of women with children under age three can be explained. It argues that not only differences in welfare‐state family policies, but also differences in the gender culture contribute to the explanation of such differences.Design/methodology/approachThe paper outlines the theoretical approach of the “gender arrangement” which conceptualizes the ways in which family policies and culture interact, together with social and economic factors, in their impact on gendered social practices. It then analyses the differences in the employment rates of women with children under age three in six European countries, and how these are influenced by family policies, the gender culture and the labour‐market situation in the specific country, using data from international surveys as well as country case studies from an international EU‐Project.FindingsThe findings show that differences in family policies alone do not explain cross‐national differences in the employment rates of mothers with children below age three. They support the argument that an explanation requires consideration of a more complex framework of factors, to which culture certainly contributes substantially.Originality/valueThe role that culture may have in the explanation of the employment of mothers with children in contrast to the role of family policies is still a contested issue. Empirical studies which support the assumption that culture matters in this explanation are still rare. This relates particularly also to the employment of women with children below age three. In this group, cross‐national differences in these women's employment rates are particularly high. The paper introduces theoretical and methodological elaborations in this regard.
Trends and social divisions in maternal employment patterns following maternity leave in the UK
Authors: Fagan Colette , Norman Helen 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether the social divisions in maternal employment patterns post‐childbirth, recorded by earlier studies have persisted for a later cohort of mothers that had a pregnancy in the early 2000s, in the context of an expansion of childcare and other improvements in reconciliation measures.Design/methodology/approachLongitudinal data from the UK's Millennium Cohort Study are analysed using logistic regression.FindingsIt was found that mothers are more likely to be employed, and employed full‐time, when their child is aged three if they were employed during the pregnancy and resumed employment within nine months of the birth. The mothers' occupational class, ethnicity, household composition and the working hours of a partner also have independent associations with the probability of maternal employment once the child is aged three.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors would expect these results to be modified – but not overturned – in a different national setting, for example where childcare services are more extensive or part‐time employment is less common.Originality/valueThese new longitudinal survey results for a recent cohort of mothers in the UK demonstrate that resumption of employment following maternity leave is pivotal for women's subsequent employment integration. Yet maternal employment trajectories remain shaped by social inequalities. Both results are important for informing debates about reconciliation policy for the pre‐school years, including monitoring the impact of the recession on the employment integration of women following childbirth.
Strategies to promote lesson study in developing countries
Authors: Saito Eisuke 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the developmental stages of lesson study for learning community (LSLC) and to clarify the measures necessary for promoting the progress of LSLC, targeting consultants working on educational development projects for developing countries.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is organised as a conceptual paper. First, LSLC is positioned in the context of literature on school reform, then an explanation of the LSLC framework and the LSLC developmental stages is offered.FindingsLSLC is a systemic school reform activity based on lesson study. However, unlike lesson study models in international literature, the entire school is involved from the very beginning and observation and joint reflection are focused upon across subject boundaries. There are five stages in LSLC development, from confusion at the initial stage to sustainment.Practical implicationsUsing LSLC, teachers learn how to respond to children and how to enhance the quality of students’ learning through mutual observation and reflection. Because of the tendency for teachers to focus on teaching methods and techniques, consultants first have to allow teachers to pay more attention to children. As they become able to describe children and their learning in lessons, it becomes important to let them discuss enhancing the quality of learning.Originality/valueLSLC is a very new approach to school reform and lesson study. Thus, despite the existing literature on LSLC cases in developing countries, few theoretical explanations have been undertaken. This paper targets professional consultants in developing countries and aims to provide a detailed explanation from a conceptual perspective.
Human resource management and total quality management linkage – rhetoric and reality
Authors: Daoud Abu‐Doleh Jamal 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of human resource management (HRM) practices on the implementation of total quality management (TQM) practices, on the one hand, and to investigate the impacts of HRM and TQM practices on the organizational quality performance, on the other.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a survey designed to be answered by human resource managers and quality managers. Data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics and correlation analysis.FindingsHRM practices such as training and development, employee career planning, and recruiting and selection had the greatest significant influences on the implementation of TQM. The results of the study also reveal that HRM practices and TQM practices have a significant effect on organizational quality performance, especially employee quality awareness, customer satisfaction, and company image.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample of the study was not large enough to permit the use of any sophisticated statistical analysis. Further research should be considered in order to gather more information about HRM and TQM linkages in different business industries.Practical implicationsThe HRM system and TQM system should be aligned with corporate strategy to ensure that HRM and TQM practices are in congruence with each other. Also, there should be evidence of existence of an integrated system for assessing the success of these practices.Originality/valueThe paper offers insights into the linkage between HRM and TQM practices, focusing on Jordan. Therefore, this paper offers some useful suggestions that may lead to translating quality rhetoric into concrete business practice.
On the operation and maintenance practices of wind power asset
Authors: El‐Thalji Idriss , Liyanage Jayantha P. 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the operation and maintenance practices within wind power applications and to clarify practical needs as gaps between researchers and practitioners.Design/methodology/approachThe paper collects, categorizes, and analyzes the published literature of both researchers and practitioners systematically.FindingsThe paper defines significant issues in operation and maintenance of wind energy related to: site and seasonal asset disturbances; stakeholders’ requirements trade‐off; dependability and asset deterioration challenges; diagnostic, prognostic and information and communication technologies (ICTs) applications; and maintenance optimization models. Within each category, the gaps and further research needs have been extracted with respect to both an academic and industrial perspective.Practical implicationsThe use of wind energy is growing rapidly and the associated practices related to maintenance and asset management are still lacking. Therefore, the literature review of operation and maintenance is a necessity to uncover the holistic issues and interrelationships of what has so far been published as detailed and fragmented topics to specific issues. Wind energy assets represent modern renewable energy assets which are affected by environmental disturbances, rapid technological development, rapid scaling‐up processes, the stochastic and dynamic nature of operations and degradation, the integrity and interoperability of system‐to‐support.Originality/valueThe paper provides a comprehensive review of research contributions and industrial development efforts. That will be useful to the life cycle stakeholders in both academia and industry in understanding the maintenance problem and solution space within the wind energy context.
Measuring employee readiness for knowledge management using intention to be involved with KM SECI processes
Authors: Shahriza Abdul Karim Nor , Jalaldeen Mohamed Razi Mohamed , Mohamed Norshidah 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the concept of knowledge management (KM) readiness using intention to be involved in the KM processes concept. These processes comprised of socialisation, externalisation, combination, and internalisation (SECI processes). The research also attempts to measure and validate the concept using data collected from the Sri Lankan telecommunication industry.Design/methodology/approachBased on the established KM SECI process measures adopted and adapted, instruments were administered using a survey research methodology approach on 313 executives working in the selected organizations in the Sri Lankan telecommunication industry. A confirmatory factor analysis technique was performed to verify and validate the measurement model of the intention to be involved in KM processes model. Based on the revised measurement model, the level of intention to be involved in the KM SECI processes within the industry was then reported.FindingsThe research finding provides the revised measurement model for employees' intention to be involved in KM SECI processes. All four variables of the intention to be involved in KM SECI processes emerged as significant and reliable measures for KM readiness. The finding also indicates the positive level of intention among the employees in the Sri Lankan telecommunication industry to be involved in KM processes.Originality/valueThe research provides a unique perspective of KM readiness, which is not much covered in the KM literature. The measurement produced can be used as a research tool for more exploratory and explanatory research in KM and, as an evaluative tool for employee readiness in ensuring the success of KM initiatives in organizations. The confirmed and validated set of measurement items can be used to measure the extent to which employees are ready to be involved with KM processes. Through the validated tool, more research can be conducted to explore the antecedents of such readiness perception.
Common European Sales Law
Authors: DiMatteo Larry A. 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThis article seeks to take a critical look at the proposed Common European Sales Law (CESL).Design/methodology/approachThe article looks at the rationales given to support the enactment of the CESL. The approach is critical in nature seeking to vet the plausibility of the rationales given for a new regulation The article also takes a critical look at the CESL's structure and trilogy of coverage – sale of goods, supply of digital content, and supply of services.FindingsThe article exposes some of the shortcomings of the CESL and the dangers to substantive private law of crafting a regulation based on political feasibility.Research limitations/implicationsThe CESL as proposed offers some innovative ideas in areas of the bifurcation of businesses into large and small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as rules covering digital content and the supply of trade‐related services. In the end, the analysis suggests a more thorough review is needed to better understand the CESL's interrelationship with the Convention on Contracts for the International Sales Law (CISG) and EU consumer protection law.Practical implicationsFurther analysis is needed and unanswered questions need to be answered prior to the enactment of the CESL into law. A practical first step would to begin with a more targeted law focused on internet trading and licensing contracts.Originality/valueThis article questions the rationales given for the enactment of an ambitious new regulation covering disparate areas of sale of goods, supplying (licensing) of digital content, trade‐related services, and consumer protection. It further questions the rationality and practicality of the creation of the designation of SMEs as types of businesses in need of extra protections not currently provided by contract law's general policing doctrines.
The legitimacy of foreign investors
Authors: Kaya Ayse , Walker James T. 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThis article aims to analyze individual attitudes toward the impact of multinational enterprises (MNEs) on local businesses. These individual attitudes are important in understanding voters' preferences, which studies show to affect governmental policies. MNEs' market entry location decisions are conditioned by the host's political environment. Moreover, MNEs' attempts to attain legitimacy in their host contexts ultimately affect their bottom line, so how the public perceive MNEs matters.Design/methodology/approachUsing a large‐scale data set, the paper carefully delineates between a set of potential mechanisms influencing individual attitudes to globalization in the context of individuals' attitudes toward the impact of MNEs on local businesses.FindingsThe article demonstrates that there is remarkable heterogeneity and complexity in individual attitudes toward the impact of MNEs on local businesses and that these attitudes differ across regions and across countries. It is found that better educated individuals, those employed in the private sector, and those who do not have nationalistic tendencies are more likely to consider that MNEs are not harming local firms, while the opposite holds for those who are employed in “less skilled” occupations, such as those working in plants or in elementary occupations. The article also provides evidence that individuals' attitudes are determined by more than the labor market calculations these individuals might have. In fact, the socializing influence of education and the socializing impact of the individuals' type/sector of occupation also significantly determine the individual attitudes under study.Originality/valueThis area of research remains substantially under‐developed in the literature that analyzes individual attitudes toward globalization, which focuses on individual attitudes toward trade and immigration. Thus, the article not only aims to broaden the work on individual attitudes toward globalization, but it also aims to facilitate further discussion on the specific topic of individual attitudes toward MNEs.
Assessment of effective factors in ERP acceptance
Authors: Allahyari Akbar , Ramazani Morteza 
Published: August 2012

PurposeEmployment and performance of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems process is a technical‐social change affecting strategic and operational levels of a company and therefore its performance will fulfil expected productivity of the organization using these systems. Therefore, it is necessary to examine effective factors in ERP acceptance before its performance. This study aims to investigate the effective factors in ERP acceptance.Design/methodology/approachThis research considered 14 key effective factors in ERP acceptance in LME companies. The research method was descriptive and a survey was carried out. In order to obtain the research goals statistical methods, descriptive‐deductive, have been utilized in this study. The author used the Friedman test to score research variables and the Mann‐Whitney test to examine the current gap between manufacturing‐service companies.FindingsThe results of the research indicate the acceptance of ERP in the integration of applications, integration of information systems, increase in demands for real and on‐time information, information generation for decision‐making and ultimately for costs.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful information on employment and performance of ERP systems.
Effects of fuel efficiency improvements in personal transportation
Authors: Menon Balagopal G. , Mahanty Biswajit 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an assessment of the effects of fuel efficiency improvements on four‐wheeler ownership, fuel consumption, fuel imports and emissions for personal transportation in the context of India. The paper also aims to measure the rebound effect induced by this policy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper relies on a system dynamics model to analyse the problem. A causal loop model was developed initially, which was transformed to a stock and flow diagram. Simulation was carried out to capture the effects of fuel efficiency improvements in the four‐wheeler sector of India.FindingsThe study has revealed that a policy of fuel efficiency improvements is favourable to the Indian four‐wheeler sector growth, but this policy could result in an increase in fuel consumption and therefore a corresponding increase in the fuel imports and emissions in the country. This policy also induces direct rebound effect that adds up to the already alarming fuel consumption levels.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to four‐wheeler passenger cars in India and gasoline as the transport fuel.Originality/valueThe paper offers a system dynamics model that can aid the government, vehicle manufacturers, and environment protection groups to further analyse policies regarding fuel efficiency improvements, fuel price adjustments, four‐wheeler ownership, energy consumption and emission, and to obtain some useful policy insights before those policies are implemented.
Interventions for mitigating indoor‐air pollution in Nigeria: a cost‐benefit analysis
Authors: Isihak Salisu , Akpan Uduak , Adeleye Monsuru 
Published: August 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the costs and benefits of interventions to reduce indoor‐air pollution arising from the use of solid biomass fuels for cooking and heating in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use cost‐benefit analysis and assess two intervention scenarios: providing access to improved stoves; and providing access to cleaner fuels (liquefied petroleum gas – LPG – burners). Both intervention scenarios are compared with the current situation, i.e. the “business as usual” scenario where there is no attempt to reduce the present level of exposure to indoor‐air pollution from solid fuel use.FindingsThe result shows that the cost‐benefit ratio of the stove intervention is 0.388 while that of LPG is 0.371.Practical implicationsWhile providing access to cleaner fuels (LPG) has a larger health impact on the population than improved stoves, the low income level of the participants will favor the stove option because of the lower recurrent cost which is usually borne by the participants. From a public health point of view, there is need for a continued emphasis on the promotion of improved stoves to reduce exposure in households using solid fuels until everyone can have access to cleaner fuels. Furthermore, since choice of cooking technologies is influenced by income level, the intervention policy should be implemented alongside other socio‐economic development programmes.Originality/valueThe paper bridges the knowledge gap with respect to the indoor‐air pollution issue in Nigeria. It offers policy makers an insight into the potential net benefit of intervening to reduce indoor‐air pollution arising from the use of solid biomass fuels in Nigeria.