bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Black entrepreneurship: a case study on entrepreneurial activities and ambitions in a South African township
Authors: Preisendoerfer Peter , Bitz Ansgar , J. Bezuidenhout Frans 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this article is to investigate the current self-employment rate as well as entrepreneurial intentions of the township’s population on the basis of an empirical case study of a single township. It is often assumed that the black population of South Africa (mostly living in townships) has a low participation rate in entrepreneurial activities and a low level of entrepreneurial ambitions. Besides the level of entrepreneurship, personal and socio-economic factors affecting participation in entrepreneurship are explored.

Design/methodology/approach
– The article uses a face-to-face survey of about 350 adult residents of the township under investigation.

Findings
– Contrary to the common assumption, entrepreneurial activity, which also includes all kinds of informal business ventures, cannot be qualified as low in the township under investigation. The same holds true for entrepreneurial ambitions, that is, people’s intentions to start their own business in the near future. The factors influencing the probability of self-employment are similar to what we know from many other studies in the field of entrepreneurship. Socio-demographic attributes (gender, age), human capital factors (schooling, health) and social network resources (membership of organizations, self-employed friends) are significant predictors of entrepreneurial activity. It proves to be difficult, however, to explain who, in fact, articulates entrepreneurial ambitions.

Practical implications
– The findings show that the basic prerequisites for expanding black entrepreneurship in South Africa are in place. Politically, it seems appropriate to initiate more public support programs for black entrepreneurship, as such programs can help to translate entrepreneurial ambitions into action. However, to stay realistic, the contribution of entrepreneurship to overcome the structural problems of deprivation and poverty of the black population of South Africa should not be overestimated.

Originality/value
– The article is based on a careful survey in a township using a random sample. Given the rare access to a disadvantaged township community, the result that there is no evidence of “lack of entrepreneurial impetus” deserves scientific and political attention.
Entrepreneurial processes in new company creation
Authors: Gawel Aleksandra , Toikko Timo 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– This paper aims to verify the positive impact of legislative changes aimed at decontrolling the market on the entrepreneurial process of new companies’ creation. The entrepreneurial process has been analysed in the context of innovation, risk and market opportunities, which represent the three main approaches to entrepreneurship theories. The analysis is focussed on the social service sector in Finland.Design/methodology/approach– The study is based on anex post factoresearch design. The data are based on official statistics and the data bank of legislation. The case of Finland is used as an example for explaining the determinants of new company creation.Findings– Legislative changes aimed at decontrolling the market seem to have a positive impact on the entrepreneurial process of new company creation. This influence is manifested in the form of market opportunities, risk bearing and the introduction of innovation. Of these three factors influencing the start-up process, the opportunities for market exploitation seem to have the greatest impact. In the Finnish social service sector, entrepreneurial opportunities are based on changes in the political structures that influence the market conditions. Entrepreneurs have also contributed to the opportunities by being active and innovative in filling any new gap in the market structures.Practical implications– These results might be useful in the debate on policies supporting entrepreneurship. The example of the Finnish social service sector indicates that political changes in market regulations are a very effective method of supporting the process of entrepreneurship.Originality/value– The paper is among the first to analyse both legislative changes and market changes affecting the entrepreneurial process, which indicates that the research is comprehensive. Second, legislative political actions to decontrol the market are a starting point in the discussion on the determinants of the entrepreneurial process. Third, the contribution of legislative changes in terms of market opportunities, innovation and risk bearing as avenues of influence on the entrepreneurial process is analysed.
Managing protection in high reliability organisations in an emerging country context
Authors: Hipkin Ian 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– Catastrophic failures in high-reliability installations result from technical and human factors. The purpose of this paper is to use reports of the BP Texas refinery accident and the UK Buncefield oil storage explosions as the basis for exploring how protection and safety are managed in high-reliability manufacturing organisations in South Africa.Design/methodology/approach– A survey of 21 high-reliability firms was undertaken to establish how firms perceived their safety and protection systems in relation to the findings of the Buncefield and BP Texas accidents. Interviews were held with staff in two firms.Findings– The study identifies technical and behavioural shortcomings in managing safety and protective systems in manufacturing organisations. There are profound differences in perceptions of managers, supervisors and operators regarding a number of safety-related factors. Firms fail to identify all protective systems. Essential failure data for determining appropriate policies for failure finding are not collected.Research limitations/implications– Quantitative results are based on a relatively small sample and qualitative perspectives derive from two case studies.Practical implications– Managers are unsure how protective devices should be managed. The paper highlights areas where significant improvements are essential if the South African firms are to meet developed world standards.Social implications– High-reliability organisations are obliged to minimise the possibility of serious incidents whose consequences may extend far beyond the physical bounds of the organisation.Originality/value– Limited research has been published on the management of protective systems. This paper highlights a number of technical and behavioural issues that should be addressed for safe operation of high-reliability manufacturing organisations.
A framework for the quality-oriented design of micro manufacturing process chains
Authors: Rippel Daniel , Lütjen Michael , Scholz-Reiter Bernd 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– In micro cold forming, the high degree of technological dependencies between manufacturing, quality inspection and handling technologies leads to an extremely complex planning of process chains. In addition, the lack of standardised processes and interfaces further complicates the planning. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach
– In order to provide consistent and comprehensive planning of micro manufacturing processes, this paper discusses a method, which integrates the planning of process flows, the planning of technological dependencies and capabilities, as well as of the corresponding material flow.

Findings
– The paper presents the micro-process chain planning and analysis (μ-ProPlAn) framework. It consists of a specific modelling method, a simultaneous engineering procedure model for the model creation, as well as of methods for the analysis of technological dependencies and logistic key values along the modelled process chains.

Research limitations/implications
– As the results presented in this paper originate from an on-going research project, the paper focuses on a detailed presentation of the modelling methodology and the procedure model.

Practical implications
– In practice, the μ-ProPlAn framework provides process designers in the field of micro manufacturing with tools and methods to clearly depict the interdependencies between and within a product's different manufacturing stages.

Originality/value
– By following a simultaneous engineering approach, μ-ProPlAn aims to reduce the efforts in process design by supporting the design of manufacturing processes in the early stages of the product design and by providing suitable methods for the analysis of these process chains.
Leader personality and employees’ experience of workplace stressors
Authors: Robertson Ivan , P. Healey Mark , P. Hodgkinson Gerard , Flint-Taylor Jill , Jones Fiona 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore relationships between leader personality traits (neuroticism and conscientiousness) and four specific workplace stressors (control; work overload; work-life balance and managerial relationships) experienced by work group members.Design/methodology/approach– The authors accessed personality data fromN=84 leaders and surveyed members of their respective work groups (N=928) to measure established workplace stressors. Multi-level modelling analyses were conducted to explore relationships between leader neuroticism and conscientiousness and work group members’ perceptions of sources of pressure.Findings– The results relate to the general problem of how, and to what extent leaders have an impact on the well-being of members of their workgroups. Although previous research has generally associated conscientiousness with effective leadership, the results suggest that some facets of conscientiousness may be less useful for leadership effectiveness than others. In particular, the results show that leaders’ levels of achievement striving are linked to poor work life balance scores for their workgroups. The results also show that leader neuroticism is not related to work group members’ perceptions of sources of pressure.Practical implications– The findings showed that leader personality influences three out of the four employee stressors hypothesized. The idea that the influence of leader personality may be relatively indirect via employee working conditions is potentially important and suggests implications for practice. To the extent that the negative effects of leader personality are mediated via working conditions, it may be feasible to counter, or at least assuage such effects by implementing appropriate regulations or working practices that mitigate leaders’ ability to influence the specific conditions in question.Originality/value– Most studies have focused on how employee well-being outcomes are influenced through the direct impacts of leadership styles and behaviours, or contagious emotions. The authors explore an alternative and untested proposition that the leaders’ personality influences the working conditions that are afforded to subordinates. No empirical research to date have examined the relationships between leader personality and workplace stressors. The research also demonstrates the importance of using facet-level personality measures, compared with measures at the broad domain level.
Enhancing mental health literacy in India to reduce stigma: the fountainhead to improve help-seeking behaviour
Authors: Mathur Gaiha Shivani , Ann Sunil Greeshma , Kumar Rajeev , Menon Subhadra 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– Lack of understanding around mental illness and stigma are an overwhelming barrier in help-seeking behaviour for mental health concerns. The purpose of this paper is to examine mental health literacy and social attitudes as instrumental factors in building capacity of the demand-side to support and access mental health care at the community level in India.

Design/methodology/approach
– Knowledge, Attitude and Practice surveys were administered to 521 persons from the general population, distributed equally in the age range of 15-60 years. The study included 52 respondents per district from ten districts across five states in India, namely Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Delhi, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. The responses were collected and analysed thematically, keeping in mind the relevance of these findings as contributors to knowledge of mental health and to the construct of stigma.

Findings
– Pervasive socio-cultural factors, especially stigma inhibit access to basic mental health information and care, despite knowledge that mental illness is treatable. Degrading treatment, loss of personal liberty and social exclusion, i.e. compromised human rights at the community level are widespread. Self-reported attitudes when encountering a person with mental illness show that respondents act out of fear and are guided by misinformation and myths. Extant knowledge on mental health is attributed predominantly to informal networks, as a potential resource to be strengthened.

Practical implications
– Realising mental health care, including help-seeking behaviour calls for greater knowledge-sharing, sensitisation and community engagement.

Originality/value
– This paper fulfils an identified need to study current levels of mental health literacy and underlying perceptions that contribute to the persistent treatment gap.
Skimming comprehension in two online document presentation environments
Authors: Lowrance Nathan , Lea Moulaison Heather 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– Readability applications are the software products designed to make online text more readable. Using information foraging theory as a framework, the purpose of this paper is to study the extent, if at all, using a readability application improves skimming comprehension in a low-clutter online environment. It also seeks to identify the perceived benefits or effects of using a readability application for skimming comprehension.

Design/methodology/approach
– Ten participants skimmed two articles each, one in a low-clutter online document presentation environment, the other using an online readability application, as a timed, information foraging exercise. After reading each article, respondents answered true/false comprehension questions and follow up questions.

Findings
– There was little difference in the comprehension of respondents after skimming in the two online documentation presentation environments. The readability environment was the preferred environment.

Practical implications
– This study suggests that since participants claimed to prefer the text presentation of the readability application interface, interface designers may wish to create library interfaces for information seeking that follow the readability application format. Because some of the participants found themselves reading rather than skimming when using the readability application, readability for tasks other than skimming may be enhanced.

Originality/value
– This is a practical study investigating an existing online readability application and its effects on an existing online reading environment as they pertain to information seeking behavior in general and to information foraging in particular.
Community information portals: content and design issues for information access
Authors: Hider Philip , M. Given Lisa , Scifleet Paul 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to report on the findings of an audit of community information (CI) portals to provide an overview of how CI is being organised and presented on the web by aggregating services, and how CI is being shaped and shared in community networks. It also investigates the role that public libraries play in online CI provision.

Design/methodology/approach
– The research sampled CI portals online within the Australian web domain (.au). An audit of 88 portals was undertaken to establish the scope, role and usefulness of the portals. The audit included a comprehensive usability analysis of a sub set of 20 portals evaluated for 20 different heuristics based on Nielsen's heuristic model.

Findings
– The research finds that the challenge facing portals is not a lack of information, it is the need to improve the mediation between the community services and people that CI portals promise useful and usable information for. While public libraries remain integral to the provision of CI in their geographical area, they now form part of a larger online network for CI provision, involving a wide range of organisations.

Originality/value
– The paper discusses the ways CI portals contribute to the provision of information about community services and identifies areas where improvements are needed. In particular, it discusses how these sites function as part of larger CI networks and where more innovative, and more standardised, design could lead to greater levels of engagement and utility.
An integrated-process model of service quality, institutional brand and behavioural intentions
Authors: Sultan Parves , Yin Wong Ho 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to develop and test an integrated-process model/an index model by incorporating the antecedents and consequences of service quality in a higher education context.Design/methodology/approach– This research employed both qualitative and quantitative research methods. The data from three focus groups, conducted at an Australian University, generated key themes and their interrelationships. The theoretical model was then tested using the structural equation modelling (SEM) technique on a sample of 528 University students.Findings– The findings show that information (or marketing communications) and past experience are the antecedents of perceived service quality (PSQ). PSQ is a second order construct and has three dimensions: academic, administrative and facilities. The consequences of PSQ include trust, satisfaction, university-brand (UniBrand) performance and behavioural intentions. Overall, the results suggest a good validity of the model, and the nine path coefficients are found statistically significant.Originality/value– The model explains how service quality is formed, and how PSQ affects UniBrand and positive behavioural intentions overtime. This paper develops and validates three new constructs including information, past experience and UniBrand performance. In addition, it improves and validates other constructs including service quality, satisfaction, trust and behavioural intention. The paper also advances service quality literature and validates five hypothesised relationships between constructs that are relatively new in the service quality literature. Finally, this study validates a comprehensive three-tiered “integrated-process” model/an index model that includes antecedents, dimensions and consequences of service quality taking a University as a case. Universities aiming for a sustainable presence in a competitive global market and intending to enhance brand performance and attract and retain students are encouraged to consider this model and its implications.
Transaction convenience in the payment stage: the retailers’ perspective
Authors: Lundberg Heléne , Öhman Peter , Sjödin Ulrika 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to shed light upon how retailers view alternative payment forms and to what extent they are willing to risk offending their customers by imposing payment restrictions.Design/methodology/approach– This exploratory study consists of three consecutive parts: first, 100 situations of paying for goods or services; second, interviews with 25 of these 100 retailers; and third, observations at a meeting between retailers and bank representatives on various aspects of card and cash payments.Findings– Retailers are unwilling to risk offending their customers and do not normally undertake any actions to affect the customers’ choice of payment form, except for proactively or reactively excluding the use of certain expensive credit cards, and card payments for small amounts. The retailers only take the risk of causing customer dissatisfaction when they feel that the sacrifice for not doing so is too costly, and in these cases the salespersons act very late in the purchase process. Other aspects than payment costs (such as safety, time and environment) seem to have little impact on individual retailers’ actions at the payment stage.Research limitations/implications– The present study focuses solely on the retailers’ point of view on the payment stage, implying a need for additional research on customers’ and bank representatives’ views on the same matter.Practical implications– Retailers try to nurture their customer relationships also when they are proactive or reactive, i.e. by pointing to the high cost of a particular payment form and/or asking customers to help with small change. Sending signals that invite customers to assist may not only be a way to affect how customers pay, but also foster relationship development.Social implications– It seems that environmental costs have not filtered down to the firm level, at least not in an observable way. Any further move towards a “cashless society” has to emanate from other sources.Originality/value– No previous study has focused on the way selling companies approach their customers at the payment stage in terms of proactive, reactive and inactive behaviour.