bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of subjective norms in theory of planned behavior in the context of organic food consumption
Authors: Al-Swidi Abdullah , Mohammed Rafiul Huque Sheikh , Haroon Hafeez Muhammad , Noor Mohd Shariff Mohd 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the applicability of theory of planned behavior (TPB) with special emphasis on measuring the direct and moderating effects of subjective norms on attitude, perceived behavioral control and buying intention in context of buying organic food.

Design/methodology/approach
– Structured questionnaires were randomly distributed among academic staffs and students of two universities in southern Punjab, Pakistan. Structural equation modeling was employed to test the proposed model fit.

Findings
– Results of the study showed that subjective norms significantly moderate the relationship between attitudes and buying intention as well as between perceived behavior control and buying intention. Furthermore, subjective norms significantly influence attitude toward buying intention.

Practical implications
– The paper provides useful insights for the academics and marketers. Academics may further explore the role of subjective norms in order to have a better understanding of their effects on TPB components. Whereas, marketers can target the opinion leaders and reference groups to increase the demand of organic food.

Originality/value
– Majority of previous studies overlooked the role of subjective norms in determining the buying intentions with respect to organic food. The striking feature of this study is an in-depth emphasis on exploring the direct and moderating effects of subjective norms on the elements of TPB. Moreover, to the best of authors’ knowledge, this is a pioneer study that comprehensively examines the linkage of components of TPB with organic food purchasing in Pakistan.
E-commerce retail of extra virgin olive oil: an hedonic analysis of Italian SMEs supply
Authors: Carlucci Domenico , De Gennaro Bernardo , Roselli Luigi , Seccia Antonio 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the price of extra virgin olive (EVO) oil and its main quality attributes, in the specific case of business-to-consumers electronic commerce (B2C EC) channel. The final objective is to provide useful insights for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) interested in online selling of EVO.Design/methodology/approach– A hedonic price model was estimated considering the following attributes: packaging, cultivar composition, organic certification, oil extraction method, origin certification and localization of selling firms. A survey was performed in 2012 considering 169 virtual stores of SMEs (farms, mills and bottlers) located in all the main Italian olive-growing areas. A data set of 667 references was used to estimate the implicit prices of considered attributes.Findings– The EVOs sold through virtual stores are highly differentiated on the basis of several quality attributes among which the most important is the certification of origin (protected denominations of origin/protected geographical indication). Therefore the firm location could generate considerable advantages or disadvantages in adopting a B2C EC strategy.Research limitations/implications– Future researches should develop a comparison between the premium prices and costs associated to each attribute in order to find the best product differentiation strategy. An accurate analysis about the implementation and management costs of EC systems as well as an examination of interactions between online and offline sale channels is needed. It would be useful to compare the manufacturer direct sell business model with other business model.Originality/value– Few studies applied the hedonic price model to analyse the retail olive oil market. Nevertheless, no studies have analysed the market of EVO sold in virtual shops.
Are diets healthier when they contain branded foods?
Authors: E. Waterlander Wilma , van Kouwen Marita , H.M. Steenhuis Ingrid 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– Market trend data show a growing popularity of discount food stores and of cheaper food products as opposed to more expensive leading brands (LB). Unexpectedly little is known about how these economic food choices affect diet quality and/or health. The purpose of this paper is to examine differences in nutrient content and cost of daily food intake data modeled to contain food exclusively from either LB, generic brands (GB) or discount brands (DB).

Design/methodology/approach
– This study analyzed nutrition information of 430 food products that were selected based on dietary intake data from a sub-sample of the Amsterdam Growth and Health Longitudinal Study. Data were collected in Dutch supermarkets, where information was copied from back-of-pack nutrition tables.

Findings
– Results showed that there were no statistically significant differences between the LB, GB or DB daily intake models in energy (kJ), protein, carbohydrates, total fat, saturated fatty acids, fiber or added sugar contents. However, there were significant differences in sodium content where LB had significant less sodium compared to GB and DB. Also, there were significant price differences: LB vs GB+2.75/day; LB vs DB+7.17/day; GB vs DB+4.42/day.

Originality/value
– To the knowledge, this is the first study analyzing differences in nutrient content and price of leading, generic and discount food brand formats on a diet level. The analysis revealed that there is little reason to suggest that dietary nutrient quality is negatively affected by an increased consumption of DB products. Indeed, the substantial price difference between leading and DB suggests that discount products provide a reasonable alternative to LB.
The effects of food product types and affective states on consumers’ decision making
Authors: Lin Hung-Chou 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of food product types and affective states and on consumers’ variety seeking (VS) tendency.

Design/methodology/approach
– Two experiments are conducted in this paper to examine the influence of different food product types and the VS-mood state relationship.

Findings
– The results are consistent with the author's hypotheses and indicate that happy people incorporate more VS when healthful and unfamiliar food products are offered, while sad people incorporate more VS when hedonic and familiar food products are offered.

Practical implications
– Marketers of leading brands selling hedonic food products could cultivate positive emotions in their target consumers in order to prevent them from switching brands. Conversely, marketers of follower brands may find it appropriate to induce negative moods in their consumers to encourage brand switching. For those marketers who sell less hedonic, healthier food products, marketing strategies should be contrary to those for hedonic food products. In addition, marketers may conduct strategies to prevent consumers from feeling sad in the case of products with a low market profile and which are unfamiliar to their consumers. They could cultivate happy moods in consumers to encourage them to make more varied food product choices.

Originality/value
– Prior research has focussed mainly on hedonic and familiar products when explaining VS behavior, but the present research has demonstrated the need to discuss different product types, such as healthful and unfamiliar products, in order to obtain a broader understanding of affective states on VS.
Explaining the decline in fertility among citizens of the GCC countries: the case of the UAE
Authors: Al Awad Mouawiya , Chartouni Carole 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– This paper aims to examine certain factors that have contributed to the decline in fertility in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in recent years, taking the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as a case study.

Design/methodology/approach
– Using data from the 2008 UAE Household Expenditure Survey, this paper analyzes the determinants of fertility using a Poisson fertility count model.

Findings
– The results show that economic factors, in terms of the costs and benefits that families derive from children in the UAE, are not important determinants of fertility due to the large size of social insurance provided by the UAE Government. Moreover, labor market participation by either males or females does not play a critical role in determining fertility in the UAE. The two primary causes of decline in fertility are: late marriages or late first births; and higher levels of female education. Other contributors to drops in fertility are marriages between UAE national males and foreign females and increases in childbirth intervals. Conversely, the size of household residences and the number of domestic workers working in a households contribute positively to fertility.

Originality/value
– Little attention has been paid in the literature to explain the fast drop in fertility in the GCC countries. This may be due to the limited availability of data for this region. This paper, to the authors’ knowledge, is the first to shed some light on the effects of many socioeconomic factors on fertility in the GCC.
The Ministry of Higher Education’s role in private Jordanian universities and the hidden tool of the budget
Authors: Abdellateef Mah’d Osama 
Published: September 2014

Purpose– The aim of this research is to shed light on the role the Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research (MoHE) plays in private Jordanian universities (PJUs). Private universities in developing countries struggle with their financial resources. There is an argument that a decision to adopt a new approach for the financing and management of Jordanian higher education (HE) has been taken because both funding and ownership belong to private sources. However, the MoHE plays a role in the Jordanian context.Design/methodology/approach– This study explains the relations between the MoHE and PJUs and describes the PJUs’ managerial context. It is based on the prior research related to HE and budgeting. A total of 16 budget preparers at 11 universities and a further three in the MoHE were interviewed. The research also uses observation to obtain direct knowledge of the research phenomena. It uses archival documents, guidelines and reports to accomplish the study’s objective.Findings– This research presents an overview for private HE across the world with particular concentration being paid to the role of the MoHE in PJUs by presenting the regulations and laws related to HE in Jordan. It proves that the MoHE uses a budgeting formula to significantly increase its control over the private HE sector. Simultaneously, no government subsidies or tax exemptions (such as those given to public universities) have been made available to private universities. The results indicate that the MoHE controls the private universities by using accreditation tools, such as their budgets.Originality/value– Jordan has a unique situation in terms of the relationship between its MoHE and Jordanian universities.
Students’ acceptance and satisfaction of learning through course websites
Authors: Kumar Sharma Sujeet , Kumar Chandel Jyoti , Madhumohan Govindaluri Srikrishna 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– This paper aims to understand the interrelationships between the various factors that affect the use of course Web sites by university students in a developing country. The factors considered for the purpose of studying these interrelationships include perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived Web site credibility and Web site learning acceptance and satisfaction. Furthermore, a comparative study of the potential differences in perceptions between Indian and Omani students with respect to the aforementioned factors is also presented.

Design/methodology/approach
– A survey instrument was used to collect data from students. Based on an extensive literature review, this paper uses empirical research to analyze student satisfaction in relation to learning through course Websites. Data were analyzed using factor analysis, structural equation modeling and a t-test.

Findings
– Under the newly proposed construct, Web site credibility was found to be an important predictor of Web site learning acceptance and satisfaction, whereas perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use were mediating variables. In the extended study that compared the relative perceptions of Indian and Omani students, a statistically significant difference in Indian and Omani students was observed for Web site learning acceptance and satisfaction.

Practical implications
– This study can provide valuable insights for decision-makers that will aid the development of more user-friendly course Web sites for higher education institutions and also promote higher levels of learning, satisfaction and greater course web site usage.

Originality/value
– This study is probably the first attempt made to observe students’ perceptions of learning via course Web sites in Oman. Furthermore, the use of perceived Web site credibility as a factor in understanding perceptions regarding course Web site learning is a unique feature presented by this paper that is seldom seen in the existing research literature.
A conceptual framework to address barriers to knowledge management in project-based organizations
Authors: Akhavan Peyman , Reza Zahedi Mohammad , Hosein Hosein Seyed 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purposes of this study are to identify, classify and prioritize knowledge management (KM) barriers in an Iranian project-based organization (PBO) and to present a conceptual framework for improving attitudes to KM in the Iranian context.

Design/methodology/approach
– After studying previous literature on the topic, initial barriers of KM in PBOs were extracted. Then, a list of barriers of KM in the aforementioned organizations was finalized by interviewing experts in KM. After that, the barriers were prioritized using a questionnaire. Finally, a conceptual framework for successfully tackling KM barriers was presented.

Findings
– In this article, barriers of KM in PBOs have been divided into five categories: individual, organizational, technological, contextual, and inter-project. Then a three-layered conceptual framework has been presented which describes how the barriers of KM in PBOs may be removed progressively.

Practical implications
– The prepared and prioritized list of barriers of KM in PBOs is a stepping stone and a guideline for managers in PBOs which will enable them to identify barriers of KM in their own organizations and resolve them and improve KM in their organizations. It also serves as a useful base for researchers to expand further research concerning barriers of KM in PBOs.

Originality/value
– This article is probably the first article which has identified barriers of KM via interviews and questionnaires carried out in 50 active PBOs which had a KM section. The article also presents a three-layered framework for lowering barriers of KM, which can be applied step by step after considering the level of importance of each one identified.
Development of a cohesive zone model for three-dimensional simulation of joint de-bonding/delamination under mixed-mode I/II fatigue loading
Authors: Pirondi A. , Giuliese G. , Moroni F. 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– In this work, the cohesive zone model (CZM) developed by some of the authors to simulate the propagation of fatigue defects in two dimensions is extended in order to simulate the propagation of defects in 3D. The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach
– The procedure has been implemented in the finite element (FE) solver (Abaqus) by programming the appropriate software-embedded subroutines. Part of the procedure is devoted to the calculation of the rate of energy release per unit, G, necessary to know the growth of the defect.

Findings
– The model was tested on different joint geometries, with different load conditions (pure mode I, mode II pure, mixed mode I/II) and the results of the analysis were compared with analytical solutions or virtual crack closure technique (VCCT).

Originality/value
– The possibility to simulate the growth of a crack without any re-meshing requirements and the relatively easy possibility to manipulate the constitutive law of the cohesive elements makes the CZM attractive also for the fatigue crack growth simulation. However, differently from VCCT, three-dimensional fatigue de-bonding/delamination with CZM is not yet state-of-art in FE softwares.
A robot assisted assembly system for small components in aircraft assembly
Authors: Jin Zhangjun , Yu Cijun , Li Jiangxiong , Ke Yinglin 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to propose a robot-assisted assembly system (RAAS) for the installation of a variety of small components in the aircraft assembly system. The RAAS is designed to improve the assembly accuracy and increase the productive efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach
– The RAAS is a closed-loop feedback system, which is integrated with a laser tracking system and an industrial robot system. The laser tracking system is used to evaluate the deviations of the position and orientation of the small component and the industrial robot system is used to locate and re-align the small component according to the deviations.

Findings
– The RAAS has exhibited considerable accuracy improvement and acceptable assembly efficiency in aircraft assembly project. With the RAAS, the maximum position deviation of the component is reduced to 0.069 mm and the maximum orientation deviation is reduced to 0.013°.

Social implications
– The RAAS is applied successfully in one of the aircraft final assembly projects in southwest China.

Originality/value
– By integrating the laser tracking system, the RAAS is constructed as a closed-loop feedback system of both the position and orientation of the component. With the RAAS, the installation a variety of small components can be dealt with by a single industrial robot.
Design of a myoelectric prosthetic hand implementing postural synergy mechanically
Authors: Li Shunchong , Sheng Xinjun , Liu Honghai , Zhu Xiangyang 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– This paper aims to describe the design of a multi-degree of freedom (DOF) prosthetic hand prototype implementing postural synergy mechanically, which is actuated by two motors via a transmission unit, and is controlled using surface electromyography (sEMG) signal.

Design/methodology/approach
– First, an anthropomorphic robotic hand is designed to imitate the human hand. The robotic hand has 18 DOF, 12 of which are actively driven by Bowden cables. Next, a set of different grasp modes are performed on a “full actuation” robotic hand, and principal component analysis (PCA) method is used to extract the first two postural synergies. Then, they are used to design a differential pulley-based transmission unit using two independent inputs to drive 12 output tendons. Finally, two control signals extracted from six channels of sEMG signals are used to proportionally control the two motors for achieving hand posture synthesis.

Findings
– Using a differential pulley-based mechanical transmission unit to implement the synthesis of the first two postural synergies can make the prosthetic hand achieve different grasps by two motors, such as power, precision and lateral grasps. It is also feasible to control this “two actuation” prosthetic hand by relating the two-dimensional sEMG inputs with the first two postural synergies.

Originality/value
– Mechanical implantation of postural synergies reduces the number of independent actuators without sacrificing the prosthetic hand’s versatility and simplifies its controller. Two-dimensional control extracted from sEMG is mapped into the combination coefficients of postural synergy synthesis. It shows potential application in the practical prosthetic hand.
Robot ethics and law
Authors: Bogue Robert 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– This is the second part of a two-part paper which aims to provide an insight into the ethical and legal issues surrounding certain classes of robot. This part is concerned with law.

Design/methodology/approach
– Following an introduction, this paper first describes the European RoboLaw project and then considers legal issues and activities relating to civilian airborne drones, driverless road vehicles and assistive robots. It concludes with a short discussion.

Findings
– The legal issues associated with many classes of robot are the topic of much debate, and efforts are underway to create appropriate legislative frameworks. A project is presently seeking to create a framework for the development of a Europe-wide “Robolaw” and in certain cases, laws are already being formulated to accommodate recent robotic developments. These deliberations are rapidly gaining pace and are now also considering future generations of highly autonomous and intelligent robots.

Originality/value
– This paper provides an insight into the highly topical and complex issue of robot law.
Advanced swarm robots addressing innovative tasks such as assembly, search, rescue, mapping, communication, aerial and other original applications
Authors: Bloss Richard 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to review some of the various worldwide projects to develop and apply innovative swarm-type robots to many challenging applications.

Design/methodology/approach
– An in-depth review of published information and interviews with researchers and developers of swarm robot technology were conducted.

Findings
– Swarm robots continue to be developed to match an ever-increasing number of interesting and innovative applications.

Practical implications
– Readers may be very surprised at the tasks that autonomous swarm robots can address and the developments that are underway to further extend the abilities of swarm robots.

Originality/value
– This paper is a review of a wide range of the latest swarm robot developments, innovations and applications.
Public versus private broadcasters’ management
Authors: Vila Natalia , Küster Inés 
Published: September 2014

Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to prove the existence of significant differences between private and public corporate credibility antecedents and effects.

Design/methodology/approach
– Totally, 816 Spanish viewers’ valuations were obtained (408 for the public television network and 408 for four private first generation broadcasters). Results show that some corporate reputation antecedents (perceived quality) and effects (attitudes) are stronger when private broadcasters are considered.

Findings
– Result show that proposed credibility reputation antecedents and effects are significant and that some differences between private and public entities really do exist.

Research limitations/implications
– To enhance a television network's reputation managers can follow two different but related paths: improve the quality and improve the consistency of the network's visual identity. That is, they should act on both content and form. However, public or private commercial broadcasters should emphasize different ways.

Practical implications
– The general impressions subsumed under the concept of corporate credibility are used to easily and automatically evaluate particular offers.

Originality/value
– Show, in the broadcasting industry, that new challenges and responsibilities for public broadcasting services in this new digital era of liberalization do really exist compared to private companies.