bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Capacity building through investment in people: key to Africa
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s development
Authors: M. Nafukho Fredrick 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to provide a prologue to the issue of development in Africa and the critical need to build capacity through investment in people.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper reviews relevant literature on the seminal issues of defining human development, promoting human development in Africa, new development deal for Africa and investment in human capital as key to human development. In addition, the paper provides a brief overview of the articles focusing on capacity building in Africa. Literature pertinent to the topic of development in Africa is provided.

Findings
– Understanding the meaning of development and human development in particular is not only a necessary but a sufficient condition to designing strategies and policies aimed at promoting human development in Africa. As established in this guest editorial, Knowledge, entrepreneurship and the mastery of information and communication technologies in this century should become Africa
'
s best competitive advantage. Instead of people in Africa being consumers of knowledge they should strive to produce knowledge based on their indigenous, cultural, political and socioeconomic perspectives. To do this, African governments must be willing and able to invest in quality education.

Originality/value
– This paper introduces this special issue on capacity building for Africa
'
s development. It reviews the literature on the meaning of development and human development, promoting development in Africa, new development deal for Africa and investment in human capital as key to human development and it gives an overview of the five papers included in this special issue.
Forums for dialogue between university and industry
Authors: Nyerere Jackline , Friso Valeria 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– This paper aims to analyse comparatively the existing partnerships between the University of Padua and the enterprises in Veneto region, Italy, on one hand and Kenyatta University and industries in Kenya on the other.

Design/methodology/approach
– This was a case study of the University of Padua in Veneto Region, Italy, and Kenyatta University in Kenya. Data were collected through interviews with university leaders, a questionnaire with both close and open-ended questions for Heads and Department and Deans of Faculty as well as a close and open ended questionnaire for industry representatives.

Findings
– In comparison, the University of Padua has more forums and platforms through which dialogue with the industry stakeholders is enhanced, with associations like confindustria, the PARIMUN project, the Master association in addition to the alumni association, regular students
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attachments and the distance learning programme. In Kenya on the other hand, Kenyatta University has partnerships through the provision of distance learning programmes, alumni associations, consultancies, incubation units and undergraduate course placements for select faculties.

Practical implications
– The main implication of the study is that there are many avenues through which university industry partnerships can be enhanced. These range from joint research projects between university and industry, industry input in university course implementations and feedback the supply and demand of graduates in the job market.

Originality/value
– The findings of this study are important to the government, university and industry stakeholders in Kenya in that they provide information on the possible forums for collaborations and the importance of these forums in provision of relevant higher education that can aid sustainable development.
The ten characteristics of world‐class learning and development
Authors: Mustafa Engin 
Published: September 2013

PurposeThe paper aims to put forward ten ways in which learning and development can become more effective.Design/methodology/approachIt explains how each of the ten characteristics – align learning and development with strategic direction, control learning and development activity, develop the learning and development team, quantify learning and development, seek external accreditation and recognition, involve senior leadership, establish a heightened profile, integrate technology in learning, model best practice and move the function outside its comfort zone – helps to ensure that learning and development will become more effective.FindingsIt reveals that showing how learning and development provides a return on investment is only part of demonstrating its success.Practical implicationsThe paper emphasizes the importance of learning and development aligning its activities with organizational strategic direction.Social implicationsIt highlights the importance of an effective learning and development function to the success of individual organizations and, through that, to society as a whole.Originality/valueThe paper gives easy‐to‐understand advice to learning and development specialists.
Characteristics of established kaizen event programs: an empirical study
Authors: Glover Wiljeana J. , Liu Wen‐Hsing , Farris Jennifer A. , Van Aken Eileen M. 
Published: September 2013

PurposeDespite the increased adoption and reported benefits of kaizen event (KE) programs, there is a lack of empirical research documenting their design, implementation and outcomes, as well as what designs may be more vs less effective. This paper aims to present an empirical study describing the characteristics, including outcomes achieved, program attributes, and implementation problems, of 16 established KE programs. Although this study is primarily exploratory and descriptive, the goal is to identify areas for future research, including attributes that appear to support or detract from program success, and the outcomes and implementation problems experienced.Design/methodology/approachUsing semi‐structured interviews, qualitative data were collected to characterize established KE programs in 16 manufacturing, service, and government organizations. The data were examined using content analysis to identify the most frequent codes for each characteristic, which were then compared to KE program characteristics synthesized from a systematic review of published KE sources. Based on this, a set of propositions were identified to guide future research on KE programs.FindingsThe majority of the 16 organizations reported successful programs, although there was noted variation in organization success. The organizations also neglected to measure many aspects of program success which they considered to be highly important, in particular, human resource outcomes. In addition, the organizations appeared to struggle with sustainability and believe that sustainability problems could threaten long‐term KE program viability. Other potentially influential factors include the types of processes targeted, event types, catalysts for events, and KE resources. The findings were used to develop propositions for future research in these and other specific areas.Practical implicationsThe study provides a better understanding of the characteristics of established KE programs, as well as common areas in need of improvement even in these programs, and can be used by practitioners in establishing or improving their KE programs.Originality/valueBy documenting established KE programs across organizations and comparing actual practices to published sources, this study contributes to the development of KE theory and also provides direction for future empirical research.
An instrument for assessing lean service adoption
Authors: Malmbrandt Malin , Åhlström Pär 
Published: September 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically validate an instrument containing operational measures of lean service. The instrument is intended for use by both researchers and practitioners.Design/methodology/approachThe instrument was developed and validated in an iterative process between theoretical and empirical insights. Drawing on a wide selection of frequently cited papers on lean service, a preliminary list of items was generated. These items were then vetted through four steps in order to achieve high validity. Empirical refinement and validation included workshops and semi‐structured interviews with expert practitioners, as well as testing the instrument's ability to discriminate between high and low adoption of lean and portray changes during lean service adoption.FindingsThe instrument contains 34 items that assess enablers of lean adoption, lean practices, and operational performance. Empirical validation suggested the instrument was able to discriminate between high and low adoption of lean service, as well as portray changes over time during lean adoption.Practical implicationsPracticing managers will be able to use the instrument in order to track progress during lean service adoption, thereby identifying and acting upon deviations from planned progress.Originality/valueThe paper represents the first comprehensive attempt to develop an instrument for assessing lean service adoption. Through this instrument, operational definitions of lean service will allow researchers to measure the level of lean service adoption, and using this information, to develop knowledge of for instance the contingencies to lean service adoption, the problems and pitfalls in lean service adoption and the feasibility of transferring practices to various service settings.
The impact of organization ownership structure on JIT implementation and production operations performance
Authors: Chen Zhixiang , Hua Tan Kim 
Published: September 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically explore the relationships among organization ownership structure, implementation of just‐in‐time (JIT), and production operations performance.Design/methodology/approachA theory model for explaining the relationships among ownership, manufacturing strategy and performance was constructed, and then several hypotheses were tested using statistical analysis models based on questionnaire responses from Chinese manufacturing firms.FindingsThe results show that organization ownership not only impacts the implementation of JIT and operations performance, but also impacts the relationship between JIT implementation and operations performance. Moreover, the results show that, for firms operated in China, the implementation frequency of JIT practices varies with organization ownerships; the foreign and joint venture firms (JVFs) were found to have a higher level of JIT implementation and can also achieve better performance from JIT implementation than state‐owned and private‐owned firms (POF). Also, JIT implementation was found to have a significantly positive relationship with operations performance in all types of ownership firms, with the exception of private ownership firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe research only covers manufacturing firms in China. Further research is needed to test the wide implications of this research in other countries or industries.Practical implicationsThis paper provides insights into how to improve JIT implementation performances, especially in various organization ownership structures.Originality/valueThe paper appears to be one of the first studies of relationship between ownership structure and JIT implementation in China manufacturing environment.
Organizing warehouse management
Authors: Faber N. , de Koster M.B.M. , Smidts A. 
Published: September 2013

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how warehouse management, understood as a cluster of planning and control decisions and procedures, is organized and driven by task complexity (TC) and market dynamics (MD).Design/methodology/approachA multi‐variable conceptual model is developed based on the literature and tested among 215 warehouses using a survey.FindingsThe results suggest that TC and MD are the main drivers of warehouse management, measured by planning extensiveness (PE), decision rules complexity, and control sophistication. Differences between production and distribution warehouses are found with respect to the relationship between assortment changes and PE. Furthermore, TC appears to be a main driver of the specificity of the warehouse management (information) system (WMS).Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is based on 215 warehouses in The Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium); future research may test the model on a different sample. More research should be conducted to further validate the measures of the core dimensions of warehouse management.Practical implicationsDifferent levels of TC and MD characterize warehouses. Such a characterization is a first step in determining generic warehouse functionalities and helping managers to decide on the best software for their warehouse operations.Originality/valueThe paper defines the core dimensions of warehouse management, makes them measurable, tests them and assesses how these drivers impact specificity of WMS. The paper shows that PE in production warehouses is driven by different variables than in distribution centers.
A systems approach to education for sustainability in higher education
Authors: Littledyke Michael , Manolas Evangelos , Littledyke Ros Ann 
Published: September 2013

PurposeThe purpose of the research is to investigate education for sustainability (EfS) practice and perceptions in three university contexts in England, Australia and Greece with a view to identify a suitable systems model for effective EfS across the university.Design/methodology/approachResearch tools involved interviews of key people engaged in EfS (n=25) supported by observations plus appropriate documentary analysis as a basis to establish perceived good practice, barriers and ways to improve EfS.FindingsClear vision, leadership and support for EfS were considered vital, while agreed understanding about the importance, purpose and nature of EfS was necessary to achieve effective EfS across the university. Wide consultation, consensual agreement and collaborative practice were viewed as important to achieve collective views and coordinated action. A distributed model of leadership in which individuals are responsible and collectively empowered to action is relevant to a systems model for EfS. A systems model for coordination of EfS integrates approaches to governance, curriculum and infrastructure management. Details of examples of good practice and ways to improve practice are discussed.Research limitations/implicationsAs the research was qualitative in design and focussed on three universities, the sample size is restricted and there are limitations in the generalisability of specific results outside of their contexts. However, the overall results have some broadly significant implications and trends that have relevance for the university sector.Practical implicationsThe structure and processes for an approach to systems organisation and identified good practice, barriers and perceived ways to improve practice have relevance for coordination of EfS across the university sector.Social implicationsThe findings have significant social implications, as EfS has urgent and important international priority, while universities have important functions in educating the next generation of professionals across a wide range of contexts.Originality/valueThe paper is an original contribution to establishing an effective systems model for EfS coordination; hence it is of significant educational and social value.
Intellectual capital disclosure and accounting standards
Authors: Liao P.C. , Ling‐Ching Chan Ann , Seng Jia‐Lang 
Published: September 2013

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the association between the intellectual capital disclosure level and the mandatory adoption of international financial reporting standards (IFRS). This paper reports an empirical evidence for the impact of the mandatory adoption of IFRS on the disclosure level of intellectual capital, intangible and knowledge assets. Intellectual capital is categorized into process focus, customer focus, human focus, research and development focus. The linkages between intellectual capital and IFRS adoption are investigated in companies of high technology sector in the UK. A novel approach to measure the effect of the IFRS adoption on intellectual capital disclosure level is presented.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed measure was adopted from the information retrieval algorithm and intellectual capital framework. The empirical model was expanded from the econometric model. The primary data for investigating the interrelationships between intellectual capital and IFRS adopting were hand collected from London Stock Exchange and listed firms' web sites. A comprehensive intellectual capital, intangible assets, and knowledge assets' dictionary were built based on related literature.FindingsThis study reports that the overall accuracy of information retrieval application is up to 78.2 percent. The disclosures of intellectual capital items are closely associated with the IFRS adoption. The results suggest that in older or larger companies, the intellectual capital disclosures increase in the post‐adoption period. Overall, the results confirm that companies in the high‐tech industry are associated with a higher disclosure level following the mandatory adoption of IFRS.Originality/valueThe adaption of information retrieval technique and intellectual capital framework enhances the understanding of the usefulness and readability of annual reports in the post‐adoption period of IFRS in high‐tech industry. This study corroborates and complements those of extant research and sheds light on the effect of IFRS adoption on voluntary disclosures. These findings will enable top management around the world to realize the impact of the IFRS adoption on intellectual capital elements so that long‐term strategic knowledge assets management may be emphasized for sustainable competitive edge.
Creating value through wholesaler and retailer interface
Authors: Eriksson David , Hilletofth Per , Hilmola Olli‐Pekka 
Published: September 2013

PurposeIn the premium price range, retailer collaboration and showroom decoration as well as information dissemination play an important role in the consumer sector, particularly in furniture sales. The purpose of this research is to report findings from Swedish wholesaler and its process to improve sales of order driven furniture business.Design/methodology/approachA large case study including 26 companies follows in longitudinal manner the retailers' contribution to value creation based on a value gaps model. Both qualitative and quantitative data are used. Approach was chosen as wholesaler needed to change its business strategy due to high competition.FindingsInnovative products may lose consumer perceived value, if information of the product is distorted by the retailers. It is of course so that the number of display pieces in retailer outlets play important role, but actually the way these are presented is most critical. Only one retailer in this study followed wholesaler's guidance, but again this retailer was able to show best sales. In turn, some retailers performed much lower than expected, as they were not interested from new sales concept implemented due to strategy change at wholesaler.Research limitations/implicationsThe service quality gaps model has been adjusted and is presented as a value gaps model that may be used to understand, how value creation is not limited to a single company in a supply chain. However, the authors would like to emphasize that the observations are not necessarily enough as only one wholesale company and its retailer network in Sweden was followed.Practical implicationsThe common practice for wholesalers to focus on display pieces is not sufficient. The retailers' ability to contribute to value creation needs to be considered, and this starts from collaboration at showroom level. This particularly concerns items in other than low cost product groups.Originality/valueThe research introduces information distortion as a concept to understand, how consumer perceived value might be reduced by value gaps in a supply chain. Research is also unique in a way that it reports business strategy in other than low end segment (lowest costs), but still wholesaler procures products from Asia (China), and develops models in Sweden.
How social-media enhanced learning platforms support students in taking responsibility for their own learning
Authors: Pals Svendsen Lisbet , Smedegaard Mondahl Margrethe 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– The paper is based on the chapter “How Social Media Enhanced Learning Platforms Challenge and Motivate Students to Take Charge of Their Own Learning Processes – A Few Examples” from the publication Increasing Student Engagement and Retention using Social Technologies: Facebook, e-Portfolios and other Social Networking Services and on the authors’ research on ICT and social media enhanced learning in the foreign language/intercultural learning high school and university environment.

Design/methodology/approach
– The paper discusses learning in general and didactic practices in the two sectors and how social media enhanced learning platforms challenge and motivate students in their learning processes.

Findings
– The paper provides examples from didactic experiments carried out at the Copenhagen Business School and in Danish high schools. The authors focus on the changing role of teachers from the traditional role of (almost) full teacher responsibility for classroom action to a coaching and facilitating role where students assume increasing responsibility for their learning and for classroom activities. The paper also discusses the transfer and application of experiences made on the basis of changing didactic practices and views the positive and less positive experiences.

Originality/value
– The paper shares work-in-progress experience in regard to the growing body of knowledge about the use of ICT in the twenty-first century classroom.
Creating a virtual academic community for STEM students
Authors: B. Elliot Lisa , Rubin Benjamin , J. DeCaro James , William Clymer E. , Earp Kathy , D. Fish Michele 
Published: September 2013

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to describe synchronous, remote tutoring for the Deaf STEM Community Alliance's virtual academic community (VAC). The alliance addresses critical barriers for students who are deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH) in postsecondary science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors.

Design/methodology/approach
– A mixed-method approach (qualitative content analysis and descriptive statistics) documents project activities.

Findings
– Google+ Hangouts was used for remote tutoring. Participants completed 57 tutoring sessions. Participants found tutoring beneficial, especially for its convenience. Technical assistance and feedback systems were created to support participants. Grade point averages (GPA) and retention remained stable.

Research limitations/implications
– Research on this project continues. Small sample size is a limitation of the study. Ongoing research investigates how remote technology and social media impact learning for students who are D/HH.

Practical implications
– Scholarship on social media for educational purposes is minimal. While specifics of particular social media platforms vary, recruitment, technical assistance, and establishing feedback mechanisms are common issues for VACs. Outcomes from this study will be used to improve this VAC and create documentation for replication.

Social implications
– The Deaf STEM Community Alliance provides supportive resources to underrepresented students in STEM majors. Improved GPA and retention in STEM majors will generate more individuals qualified for STEM careers. Research on VACs creates opportunities to understand how technology and networked communities change knowledge and learning.

Originality/value
– The Deaf STEM Community Alliance is a unique project for postsecondary students in STEM fields who are D/HH. The information is valuable to educators interested in using social media for instruction.