bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Causality between stock and foreign exchange markets in Bangladesh
Authors: Noman Abdullah M. , Humayun Kabir Sarkar , Bashar Omar K.M.R. 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to uncover the direction of causality between foreign exchange market and stock market in Bangladesh, where financial markets are yet in their early development stage.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs the Granger causality tests using monthly data spanning over two decades. In order to study possible existence of causality in the data, sub‐samples are constructed in addition to the full sample.FindingsThe overall results indicate absence of any causality running between foreign exchange market and stock market in the full sample and in the sub‐sample created around the stock market crash.Originality/valueThis study would be the first of its kind using Granger causality approach to test whether change in exchange rates lead to changes in the stock market in Bangladesh, and vice‐versa. The paper also offers some implications of the findings which could be of significant value to policy makers.
Stock market volatility and bank performance in China
Authors: Tan Yong , Floros Christos 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate the determinants of bank performance in China. In particular, the paper examines the effects of stock market volatility, competition and ownership on bank performance in China.Design/methodology/approachThe sample comprises a total of 11 banks (four state‐owned and seven joint‐stock commercial banks) listed in the Chinese Stock Exchanges. The period under consideration extends from 2003‐2009. The generalized methods of moments (GMM) difference and system estimators are applied.FindingsEmpirical results show that high level of stock market volatility can translate into higher return on equity (ROE) and excess return on equity (EROE). Rather than leading to improved profitability, the labour productivity has a negative impact on economic value added (EVA). Ownership does not have any effect on the profitability of Chinese banking industry. The bank profitability in terms of ROE and EROE is lower in the banking industry with higher competition. When using the GMM with ROE‐COC and ROE, the paper finds that high taxation has a negative impact on both state‐owned and joint‐stock banks, while the capital level is negatively related to joint‐stock commercial banks. With regards to the other two performance indicators (EVA and NIM), the result suggests that higher cost efficiency and labour productivity improve the performance of both state‐owned and joint‐stock commercial banks. Large volume of non‐traditional activity is the explanation of poor performance of state‐owned commercial banks, while higher credit risk, lower taxation and the mature banking industry are helpful in improving the performance of joint‐stock commercial banks.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research should examine other methods (e.g. the Rosse‐Panzar H statistic) to calculate the bank competition in China, and other determinants of bank performance in Asian countries and compare them with these results.Social implicationsThe current study has relevant policy implications. First, in order to increase the profit earned from the traditional loan‐deposit services, the Chinese banks should make loans to the high risk projects or companies, and control the expenses including both the operating and personnel expenses. Furthermore, the government and bank regulatory authority should make policy such as inject capital to SOCBs and write‐off NPLs for them to reduce the degree of competition in order to make banks have better performance.Originality/valueParticular emphasis is given on the investigation into the effects of stock market volatility, competition and ownership on bank performance in China while controlling for the most comprehensive bank‐specific, industry specific and macroeconomic variables.
The lattice structure configuration design for stereolithography investment casting pattern using topology optimization
Authors: Gu X.J. , Zhu J.H. , Zhang W.H. 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce, for the first time, the topology optimization method into the lattice structure configuration design for rapid casting patterns.Design/methodology/approachA structural topology optimization procedure in combination with thermo‐mechanical finite element analysis for the lattice structure configuration design has been developed.FindingsA new mixed stress‐compliance optimization model is proposed for the strength and rigidity design. Numerical modeling about the mathematical formulation of the objective function and design constraints is established and an optimal material layout inside a given domain of the stereolithography (SL) resin pattern is found.Originality/valueVarious optimal results of lattice structure configurations are obtained numerically. By comparing the optimal designs with the existing lattice structure configurations, the newly obtained designs have shown better performances both in reducing the stress in the ceramic shell and in maintaining the stiffness of the SL pattern.
Rapid prototyping of porcelain products by layer‐wise slurry deposition (LSD) and direct laser sintering
Authors: Tian Xiaoyong , Li Dichen , Heinrich Juergen G. 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the rapid prototyping of porcelain products by using layer‐wise slurry deposition (LSD), in order to reduce the time to market of new or customized porcelain products or artworks.Design/methodology/approachThe properties such as phase composition, microstructure, shrinkage, density, and mechanical strength, of laser sintered (LS) and biscuit fired (BF) samples, before and after post sintering in a furnace, were studied and compared with each other.FindingsThe laser sintered sample was comparable with the biscuit fired sample in porosity, but had just half the mechanical strength of the latter due to the layer‐wise fabrication process. The feasibility of rapid prototyping of porcelain products was validated by the successful fabrication of some porcelain samples, which showed that the relatively low mechanical strength of the laser sintered sample was still high enough for the following handling processes, such as surface glazing and glost firing.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates the possibility of rapid prototyping of porcelain components and the models produced by using LSD process.
Isostatic pressing assisted indirect selective laser sintering of alumina components
Authors: Deckers J. , Shahzad K. , Vleugels J. , Kruth J.P. 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess a new powder metallurgy process to make alumina parts through indirect selective laser sintering (SLS). Density measurements, some geometrical assessments and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) microstructural analyses are performed after each stage of the process, allowing an objective overview to be provided of the challenges and possibilities for the processing of high density technical ceramic parts through SLS of ball milled alumina/polyamide powder agglomerates.Design/methodology/approachThe powder production by ball milling, SLS, cold isostatic pressing (CIP) or quasi isostatic pressing (QIP), debinding and sintering (FS) stages of the powder metallurgy process were sequentially investigated.FindingsAlumina parts with a density up to 94.1 per cent could be produced by a powder metallurgy process containing an SLS step. Microstructural investigation of the sintered samples reveals an alumina matrix with a grain size of ∼5 μm and two different kinds of pore morphologies, i.e. long elongated pores, which stem from the intergranular spacings during SLS, and intermediate pores, which likely originate from larger polyamide agglomerates in the ball milled powder. Also, QIPing at elevated temperatures is found to be a promising alternative for CIPing at room temperature to increase the final part density.Research limitations/implicationsCracks, long elongated pores and intermediate pores remained in the sintered parts. Homogenizing the microstructure of the parts through optimizing the composite starting powder, the deposition during SLS, the SLS parameters and QIPing parameters is essential to overcome these limitations.Practical implicationsHomogenizing the starting powder mixture and the microstructure of the SLS material is the key issue for producing ceramic parts through indirect SLS.Originality/valueIndirect SLS of ceramics has hardly been reported and the combined use of SLS and QIPing is innovative in the field of indirect SLS of ceramics.
Amazon.com's Orwellian nightmare: exploring apology in an online environment
Authors: Timothy Coombs W. , Holladay Sherry J. 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to understanding of crisis communication application and theory by analyzing online reactions of discussion board participants to assess the effectiveness of an apology issued online.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a content analysis of naturally‐occurring online reactions to an apology issued as a crisis response strategy. The Janis‐Fadner Coefficient of Imbalance was used to quantify the magnitude of negative and positive reactions to the apology.FindingsMost posts indicated acceptance of the apology and positive purchase intentions, thus confirming its effectiveness in managing the crisis as prescribed in Situational Crisis Communication Theory. Analysis of rejection reactions provided insights into additional actions crisis managers might take in this situation and how organisations might make their crisis communication more interactive in an online environment.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited by the focus on people responding to the apology online. It does show the potential value of online responses as a data source for crisis communication research.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates the utility of the research method for future studies designed to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of crisis communication strategies. Real time monitoring may signal if the response strategy is effective and, if not, reveal stakeholder concerns that should be addressed in follow‐up responses.Originality/valueThe paper provides insight into how online comments can be used to evaluate reactions to apologies used in a crisis. The method can be helpful when crisis managers have access to online reactions to their crisis communication.
The “greening” of the annual letters published by Exxon, Chevron and BP between 2003 and 2009
Authors: Domenec Fanny 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the “green communication” of Exxon, Chevron and BP with a view to studying how they assert environmental values.Design/methodology/approachFrom a linguist's perspective, the paper examines how the climate change controversy has influenced corporate discourse in the annual letters to the stockholders and to the stakeholders published between 2003 and 2009. A modular approach was used to analyse three main aspects of organisational green communication: the references to environmental issues, the CEOs’ rhetorical strategies and their lexical choices.FindingsThe analysis has evidenced a gradual shift in annual letters towards a “re‐creation of meaning”: while environmental values were deemed a potential threat for company performance, they have become fully‐fledged valorisation tools. The annual letters are aimed to communicate a positive image of the companies, stressing a responsible and proactive behaviour regarding environmental issues.Research limitations/implicationsAs the analysis is based on a period of six years and restricted to three companies, the findings need to be checked against a broader sample of risk companies over a longer period of time. In order to assess the efficiency of corporate communication, researchers are encouraged to survey various stakeholder groups and analyse their reactions to the letters.Originality/valueThis paper argues that though financial indicators still play an eminent role in corporate reporting, green communication should not be overlooked by corporate communication managers, as discourse analysis evidences the role of efficient language and rhetoric in bolstering corporate performance.
Managing political crisis: an interactional approach to “image repair”
Authors: Eriksson Göran , Eriksson Mats 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the image repair theory by focusing on the largely ignored context of the face‐to‐face communication. The paper offers an exploratory study of how image repair work is carried out in interviews with politicians in the context of press conferences.Design/methodology/approachThe paper combines theoretical reflections with two qualitative case studies of press conferences of Swedish politicians. These press conferences were held to manage the challenge posed to the politicians’ public image by the media criticism. The analytical frame employed in this study is Conversation Analysis (CA).FindingsThe way journalists act during interviews and how they pose questions have noticeable consequences for the accused actor's image repair work. Image repair strategies like “apologizing” and “mortification” during the speech section of a press conference tend to be more effective as they give the accused greater opportunities to take control of the interaction.Research limitations/implicationsDue to the exploratory nature of this interactional approach and the fact that the analysis involves only two cases, the findings must be seen as provisional.Practical implicationsThe knowledge of how journalists construct a question is of high relevance for crisis communication and image repair work, and therefore of high value of public relations practitioners.Originality/valueThe interactional approach to image repair offers a new theoretical frame for the understanding of crisis management in interview situations. The approach especially highlights the importance of journalists’ questions in image repair work.
The need for all services to be psychologically informed
Authors: Walton Keith , Walton Ian 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThis paper seeks to offer a commentary on Psychologically Informed Services: A Good Practice Guide, a recently published operational guidance document on developing psychologically informed environments (PIEs) in services for homeless people.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is an invited opinion piece and comment, based on the specialist experience and viewpoint of the authors in education on mental health issues in primary care.FindingsThe new operational guidance is welcomed, with some provisos. Psychologically informed environments are needed not just in homelessness resettlement, but in all areas where services are commissioned; and all commissioned services should take particular care to collect suitable data on the outcomes they aim for and intend to achieve.Originality/valueThere is a great opportunity with GP commissioning to commission services that are psychologically informed and holistic, although it may be hard to ensure services remain user‐focused and not disjointed if split up for tendering. Public health leadership on the new Health and Wellbeing Boards will be crucial to integrate services so the new system will not make things worse. Given the need, hopefully a similar drive for PIEs everywhere – the criminal justice system, care homes and community wellbeing – will follow.
Psychologically informed services: a counsellor's response
Authors: Conolly John 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to offer a commentary on Psychologically Informed Services: A Good Practice Guide, a recently published operational guidance document on developing psychologically informed environments (PIEs) in services for homeless people.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is an invited opinion piece and comment based on the specialist experience and viewpoint of the author as lead counsellor in an inner‐city homelessness service.FindingsThe new operational guidance is welcomed as it describes the author's experience of working with individuals with complex needs. Nevertheless, the author is concerned that this development should be seen and presented as supporting staff, rather than as indicating their failings.Originality/valueFundamental to the successful implementation of PIEs will be the adoption of the concept by management teams, as it may require changes to current service policies and training of staff at all levels in an organisation.
Process improvement: the case of a drugs manufacturing company
Authors: Nwabueze Uche 
Published: July 2012

PurposeBased on a case study of a drugs manufacturing plant in the UK, the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how best to improve manufacturing processes using a hybrid model of Total Quality Management (TQM) and Business Process Reengineering (BPR). Insights are provided to a phased implementation of TQM at the strategic, organisational, and process levels of the organization.Design/methodology/approachThe case method was utilized to demonstrate the implementation of a theoretical concept.FindingsManagers naively agree that process improvement failures may be due to the absence of executive‐level commitment and poor execution; however, it is evident from the paper's findings that the poor performance of process‐related techniques is based on the fact that they are often applied organisationally rather taking an operations, strategy and people focused, approach, which would require the interdependence that must exist between strategy and people, people and strategy; and strategy and operations.Practical implicationsThe paper, based on extensive research and consultancy work, suggests that the most effective mechanics for enhanced and sustainable improvement of manufacturing processes is through the so‐called old, redundant technique – a hybrid of BPR and TQM. Evidence from practice and academic research demonstrates that the high failure rate of improvement programmes based on BPR, TQM, Quality Function Deployment (QFD) and more recently, Six Sigma, is because each of these models is not a stand alone operational tool, and thus a hybrid model, which encompasses two or more is usually the best approach to bring about dramatic improvement in operational quality, speed, cost and service and product reliability.Originality/valueThe paper shows that the high failure rate of improvement programs can be overcome through using a combination of models.
Integration of value stream mapping and agent‐based modeling for OR improvement
Authors: Xie Yikun , Peng Qingjin 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the research for improvement of the operating room in a hospital, to reduce patient waiting time and increase the resource utilization.Design/methodology/approachValue stream mapping (VSM) is used to represent the entire operating room (OR) process and patient flow to identify problems. Agent‐based simulation (ABS) is applied to model human behaviors in the OR operation. Agents perform human factors in the simulation model with autonomous and interactive functions actively.FindingsThe research outcomes prove the effectiveness of integrated VSM and ABS to improve decision making in human‐centred healthcare environments.Research limitations/implicationsBecause the state is dynamically changed, the task priority needs to be updated dynamically. The nurse schedule to transport patients between different units is to be detailed.Practical implicationsLong waiting lists in hospitals lead to patient dissatisfaction and care quality reduction. It is crucial to identify inefficiency and to improve the healthcare delivery effectively.Originality/valueThe paper shows how VSM and ABS are integrated in the modeling for the dynamic OR planning. It improves the simulation modeling of healthcare delivery.
A framework for the alignment of business model and business processes
Authors: Solaimani Sam , Bouwman Harry 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe creation of a service is enabled by a “strategic‐level” business model (BM), while the implementation or execution of the service is described by “operational‐level” business processes (BPs). In many innovation projects, especially trans‐sector projects, a lack of alignment between the strategic “what to do” and the operational “how to do it” is often a severe obstacle undermining BM viability and feasibility. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework that identifies the generic horizontal and vertical inter‐organizational and intra‐organizational interaction components to bridge BM with underlying BPs, with the aim of improving the alignment between the two levels.Design/methodology/approachThis conceptual paper identifies a theoretical gap between strategic BM and operational BPs. Building on existing literature the authors synthesize various theoretical concepts to create a generic framework to analyze the theoretical gap.FindingsThe proposed conceptual framework is useful in innovation projects, especially in complex scaled‐up trans‐sector innovation projects, where numerous BPs stemming from multiple actors from diverse industries should support a collective BM. This framework can be used as an analytical basis for further research into BM/BP alignment.Practical implicationsThere are many BM theories and concepts, and BP ontologies available. The proposed alignment framework can be used to bridge the gap between the BM theories and concepts such as BMO Canvas and BP tools and ontology's (e.g. ARIS, ArchiMate or BPMN).Originality/valueThrough a novel integration of a number of relevant theoretical concepts, a generic conceptual BM/BPs alignment framework is proposed and the practical implications and applications of the proposed framework are presented.
Towards a critical societal knowledge management
Authors: Käpylä Jonna 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to tackle the problem of societal knowledge management from the perspective of critical management research. The focus is on national intellectual capital analysis as part of societal knowledge management. First, the aim is to identify the dominant discourse that governs the discussion around national intellectual capital and its measurement. Second, the aim is to explore the prospects for an alternative conceptualisation and to propose a heuristic tool through which it is possible to approach national intellectual capital and its measurement in a critical, informed and analytic way.Design/methodology/approachThe study takes a critical standpoint and leans loosely on the methodology of critical discourse analysis by Norman Fairclough.FindingsThe paper argues for the emancipation of national intellectual capital from the orthodoxy that relates it to economic growth, quantitative measurement, objectivity and universality towards a discourse that regards the value of national intellectual capital and its analysis more broadly, recognising the contextual and subjective nature of national intellectual capital.Research limitations/implicationsThe conceptual analysis provides a basis for further empirical assessment of national intellectual capital.Societal implicationsThe paper offers a critical conceptual lens through which to approach societal knowledge management. The constructed heuristic tool for analysing national intellectual capital can serve as a basis for strategic knowledge‐based development.Originality/valueThe paper offers a critical reflection of intellectual capital on the national/societal level and a starting point for critical societal knowledge management.