bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Creating new market for industrial services in nascent fields
Authors: Hu Yansong , McLoughlin Damien 
Published: July 2012

PurposeIn recent years, industrial firms have been moving from selling pure products to selling smart services. Yet limited empirical evidence exists about how the new markets for these novel services are created. This paper seeks to extend current theory and create new insights by studying the new services market creation process in nascent industrial fields.Design/methodology/approachThe authors' research design is a multiple‐case, inductive study that uses in‐depth archival and field data to track closely how five industrial firms created new market for new types of services.FindingsThe authors find that firms adopt a holistic initiative to address the challenges in new services market creation. In particular, they use three interrelated strategies to create a new market: co‐creating with customers, innovating in different ways and exploiting institutional forces.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focused only on life science research services. Moreover, in‐depth field interviews were used only in a small number of firms.Practical implicationsTo successfully develop a new market for an industrial service innovation, a firm should innovate within and outside the firm, win over customers for adopting, adapting the service innovation and identifying its new uses, and utilize institutional mechanisms to legitimatize, claim and control the emerging market.Originality/valueThis paper's central contribution is a holistic framework of the longitudinal processes by which successful firms develop new services and construct new markets.
Viable service systems and decision making in service management
Authors: Badinelli Ralph , Barile Sergio , Ng Irene , Polese Francesco , Saviano Marialuisa , Di Nauta Primiano 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to highlight how systems thinking contributes to decision making in uncertain contexts that are characteristic of service systems. Based on the assumption that service systems face complex conditions, the paper posits that systems thinking may support the understanding of key issues in service management.Design/methodology/approachThis paper proposes an interpretation of complexity in the context of service systems, which highlights the perspective change that occurs when a systems approach is adopted. The offered conceptual perspective is then brought to an operational level, in spite of the complexity of the decisions driving a viable system, by modelling a service system as a network of agents, resources, processes and decisions through the use of fuzzy logic. The paper reviews service management research streams, and takes a deeper look at the concepts of service systems and complex service systems. The paper then proceeds to discuss how systems thinking contributes to service management by proposing a systems interpretation of complexity.FindingsService management theories and models may be enhanced by integrating prevailing approaches, based on a quantitative and mechanistic view of service systems dynamics, with systems thinking‐based meta‐models that can be used in better understanding service exchanges. The findings of the paper also show how the integration of an engineering approach can be insightful to the understanding of service systems; adopting a Viable Systems Approach (VSA) as a meta‐model can be useful in fully comprehending market behaviour in uncertain conditions.Originality/valueThe originality of this paper lies in exploring the contribution of systems thinking, in particular of the Viable Systems Approach (VSA), to service management and decision making.
Market orientation, innovation and corporate social responsibility practices in Ghana's telecommunication sector
Authors: Abdulai Mahmoud Mohammed , Hinson Robert E. 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe aim of this study is to examine how market orientation, innovation, and corporate social responsibility (CSR) jointly impact business performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a quantitative research design. Research evidence was collected via a questionnaire‐based survey of marketing managers and executives of telecommunication companies in Ghana. The hypotheses developed following a review of scholarship on marketing, strategy and corporate citizenship were tested through regression analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that firms' degree of market orientation and CSR have significant impact on innovation, which then influences business performance. Furthermore, market orientation has direct significant effect on CSR, which tends to mediate the influence of market orientation on business performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe use of longitudinal research that combines managers' evaluation with a survey of consumers, employees, and other relevant stakeholders is suggested to confirm the results of this study.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that innovation and CSR are two key ingredients for transforming market orientation into a successful business strategy. Managers are to note that even “doing good” (a CSR initiative) requires a sense of innovation for it to trigger any significant financial performance for the business.Originality/valueThis study introduces a model in which the relationship between CSR, market orientation, and performance is mediated by innovation. The empirical evidence enhances the existing literature on marketing, corporate citizenship, and strategy.
Altruism in business – an empirical study of philanthropy in the small business context
Authors: Lähdesmäki Merja , Takala Tuomo 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine corporate philanthropy from the perspective of small business owner‐managers to find out whether there is room for altruism in business life.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on 25 thematic interviews with small business owner‐managers. The data analysis is based on a method of qualitative content analysis.FindingsBased on the analysis, it is shown that reactivity, an emphasis on personal interests, the willingness to utilize philanthropy as part of marketing and lack of planning are typical of philanthropy in the small business context. Small businesses often emphasize strategic business reasons as the main motive for their philanthropic engagements. Nevertheless, in some cases the philanthropic decisions are based on mere willingness to contribute to the welfare of others. Thus, the paper suggests that there is room for altruism in the small business context. The existence of altruism in the context of small business philanthropy is closely related to owner‐managers' values and business ambitions. Indeed, the organizational context does not usually hinder the existence of altruism to any great extent among small businesses, as it might do in the large business context. Similarly, based on the results of this study, the authors suggest that close relationships between a small business and its stakeholders increase the probability of altruism in business.Research limitations/implicationsIt is acknowledged that corporate philanthropy is but one possible context in which to study altruism.Originality/valueThe study provides useful information on whether there is room for altruism in business life from the perspective of small business owner‐managers.
Mission, purpose, and ambition: redefining the mission statement
Authors: Salem Khalifa Azaddin 
Published: July 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue for the need to redefine a mission statement, to develop a clearer definition and show its advantages and limitations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper shows the literature's lack of agreement on the definition of the mission statement and whether it should be defined as a stand‐alone statement or as a broader model. It then demonstrates the discrepancy between these definitions and the actual mission statements of exemplary organizations. This is followed by proposing a new definition of a mission, demonstrating how it is rooted in good practice, and presenting its benefits and limitations.FindingsThere are found to be widely varied definitions and models of the mission statement. These are typically complex (composed of many parts) and are not reflected in the mission statements of many exemplary organizations. The need is clear for a more focused definition.Research limitations/implicationsThe basic argument is mainly built on conceptual discussions and unsystematic evidence. Therefore, there is a need for more empirical studies to substantiate that argument. The paper discusses the research implications of the proposed definition.Practical implicationsThe proposed definition of the mission statement may prove helpful both conceptually and practically. This definition focuses the attention of practitioners on purpose and commitment independent from other related concepts. The paper shows the impact of the proposed definition on the process, participants, and outcome of developing a mission statement.Originality/valueThe paper offers a focused definition of mission statement and shows its relevance to both theory and practice.
Air the anger: investigating online complaints on luxury hotels
Authors: Ekiz Erdogan , Khoo‐Lattimore Catheryn , Memarzadeh Faranak 
Published: July 2012

PurposeGiven the importance of negative word of mouth and growing number of hotel customers who leave their complaints on the web, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the complaints posted by guests who have stayed at luxury hotels in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachThe dataset for this paper is a compilation of hotel reviews collected from TripAdvisor between November 2010 and January 2011. A thematic analysis was used in order to identify emergent themes from the dataset, which were explored and discussed in relation to the existing literature on complaining behavior as well as the aims of the study. The six phases of analysis outlined in the relevant literature was used to guide data analysis.FindingsAnalysis of the 320 scripts produced a total of 1,453 different incidents. Results of the analysis produced 54 different themes. A frequency analysis conducted to rank these 54 themes in terms of how frequently they are stated. Some of the extracted themes and their frequency from the most significant to least are as follows; “rooms”, “arrogant and/or clueless staff” and “failure to respond”.Practical implicationsRooms as the setting of the accommodation services, received the highest number of complaints from the luxury hotel guests, and suggest that Malaysian hoteliers should focus on the basics of accommodation and provide tangible quality factors. Moreover, the findings of the analysis suggest that the luxury hotels are suffering from service failures caused by inexperienced, unprofessional, misbehaving staff, which calls for strong recruitment, training and continuous improvement on the hoteliers' part. The findings highlight some important measures that hoteliers can use as guidelines to further improve their service offerings.Originality/valueCustomers who share dissatisfying experiences and disseminate negative word‐of‐mouth have been a significant challenge for companies who under‐deliver. This problem is more of a major concern today with the aid of technology and the speed of internet. Despite the increasing importance, comparatively little has been written on how guests use the internet to share their experiences.
Vegetation's importance in regulating surface elevation in a coastal salt marsh facing elevated rates of sea level rise
Authors: Baustian Joseph J. , Mendelssohn Irving A. , Hester Mark W. 
Published: July 2012

AbstractRising sea levels threaten the sustainability of coastal wetlands around the globe, thus understanding how increased inundation alters the elevation change mechanisms in these systems is increasingly important. Typically, the ability of coastal marshes to maintain their position in the intertidal zone depends on the accumulation of both organic and inorganic materials, so one, if not both, of these processes must increase to keep pace with rising seas, assuming all else constant. To determine the importance of vegetation in these processes, we measured elevation change and surface accretion over a 4‐year period in recently subsided, unvegetated marshes, resulting from drought‐induced marsh dieback, in paired planted and unplanted plots. We compared soil and vegetation responses in these plots with paired reference plots that had neither experienced dieback nor subsidence. All treatments (unvegetated, planted, and reference) were replicated six times. The recently subsided areas were 6–10 cm lower in elevation than the reference marshes at the beginning of the study; thus, mean water levels were 6–10 cm higher in these areas vs. the reference sites. Surface accretion rates were lowest in the unplanted plots at 2.3 mm yr−1, but increased in the presence of vegetation to 16.4 mm yr−1 in the reference marsh and 26.1 mm yr−1 in the planted plots. The rates of elevation change were also bolstered by the presence of vegetation. The unplanted areas decreased in elevation by 9.4 mm yr−1; whereas the planted areas increased in elevation by 13.3 mm yr−1, and the reference marshes increased by 3.5 mm yr−1. These results highlight the importance of vegetation in the accretionary processes that maintain marsh surface elevation within the intertidal zone, and provide evidence that coastal wetlands may be able to keep pace with a rising sea in certain situations.
Acidity controls on dissolved organic carbon mobility in organic soils
Authors: Evans Chris D. , Jones Tim G. , Burden Annette , Ostle Nick , Zieliński Piotr , Cooper Mark D. A. , Peacock Mike , Clark Joanna M. , Oulehle Filip , Cooper David , Freeman Chris 
Published: July 2012

AbstractDissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in surface waters have increased across much of Europe and North America, with implications for the terrestrial carbon balance, aquatic ecosystem functioning, water treatment costs and human health. Over the past decade, many hypotheses have been put forward to explain this phenomenon, from changing climate and land management to eutrophication and acid deposition. Resolution of this debate has been hindered by a reliance on correlative analyses of time series data, and a lack of robust experimental testing of proposed mechanisms. In a 4 year, four‐site replicated field experiment involving both acidifying and deacidifying treatments, we tested the hypothesis that DOC leaching was previously suppressed by high levels of soil acidity in peat and organo‐mineral soils, and therefore that observed DOC increases a consequence of decreasing soil acidity. We observed a consistent, positive relationship between DOC and acidity change at all sites. Responses were described by similar hyperbolic relationships between standardized changes in DOC and hydrogen ion concentrations at all sites, suggesting potentially general applicability. These relationships explained a substantial proportion of observed changes in peak DOC concentrations in nearby monitoring streams, and application to a UK‐wide upland soil pH dataset suggests that recovery from acidification alone could have led to soil solution DOC increases in the range 46–126% by habitat type since 1978. Our findings raise the possibility that changing soil acidity may have wider impacts on ecosystem carbon balances. Decreasing sulphur deposition may be accelerating terrestrial carbon loss, and returning surface waters to a natural, high‐DOC condition.
Plant respiration and photosynthesis in global‐scale models: incorporating acclimation to temperature and CO2
Authors: Smith Nicholas G , Dukes Jeffrey S 
Published: July 2012

AbstractTo realistically simulate climate feedbacks from the land surface to the atmosphere, models must replicate the responses of plants to environmental changes. Several processes, operating at various scales, cause the responses of photosynthesis and plant respiration to temperature and CO2 to change over time of exposure to new or changing environmental conditions. Here, we review the latest empirical evidence that short‐term responses of plant carbon exchange rates to temperature and CO2 are modified by plant photosynthetic and respiratory acclimation as well as biogeochemical feedbacks. We assess the frequency with which these responses have been incorporated into vegetation models, and highlight recently designed algorithms that can facilitate their incorporation. Few models currently include representations of the long‐term plant responses that have been recorded by empirical studies, likely because these responses are still poorly understood at scales relevant for models. Studies show that, at a regional scale, simulated carbon flux between the atmosphere and vegetation can dramatically differ between versions of models that do and do not include acclimation. However, the realism of these results is difficult to evaluate, as algorithm development is still in an early stage, and a limited number of data are available. We provide a series of recommendations that suggest how a combination of empirical and modeling studies can produce mechanistic algorithms that will realistically simulate longer term responses within global‐scale models.
Experiments with Methods to Reduce Attrition in Longitudinal Surveys
Authors: Fumagalli Laura , Laurie Heather , Lynn Peter 
Published: July 2012

SummaryWe report findings from two large-scale randomized experiments, carried out on the British Household Panel Survey, with survey features designed to reduce sample attrition. The first experiment compares strategies for obtaining updated contact information from sample members. We find that the propensity to locate a sample member at wave t successfully is maximized by a between-wave mailing of a change-of-address card, rather than an address confirmation card or no card. The second experiment compares standardized and tailored respondent reports for young people and busy people. We find that tailored reports have a modest positive effect on rates of co-operation for both groups, though the effect for busy people depends on providing the option of a shorter telephone interview instead of the full face-to-face interview.
Endothelial Japanese encephalitis virus infection enhances migration and adhesion of leukocytes to brain microvascular endothelia via MEK‐dependent expression of ICAM1 and the CINC and RANTES chemokines
Authors: Lai Ching‐Yi , Ou Yen‐Chuan , Chang Cheng‐Yi , Pan Hung‐Chuan , Chang Chen‐Jung , Liao Su‐Lan , Su Hong‐Lin , Chen Chun‐Jung 
Published: July 2012

AbstractCurrently, the underlying mechanisms and the specific cell types associated with Japanese encephalitis‐associated leukocyte trafficking are not understood. Brain microvascular endothelial cells represent a functional barrier and could play key roles in leukocyte central nervous system trafficking. We found that cultured brain microvascular endothelial cells were susceptible to Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) infection with limited amplification. This type of JEV infection had negligible effects on cell viability and barrier integrity. Instead, JEV‐infected endothelial cells attracted more leukocytes adhesion onto surfaces and the supernatants promoted chemotaxis of leukocytes. Infection with JEV was found to elicit the elevated production of intercellular adhesion molecule‐1, cytokine‐induced neutrophil chemoattractant‐1, and regulated‐upon‐activation normal T‐cell expressed and secreted, contributing to the aforementioned leukocyte adhesion and chemotaxis. We further demonstrated that extracellular signal‐regulated kinase was a key upstream regulator which stimulated extensive endothelial gene induction by up‐regulating cytosolic phospholipase A2, NF‐κB, and cAMP response element‐binding protein via signals involving phosphorylation. These data suggest that JEV infection could activate brain microvascular endothelial cells and modify their characteristics without compromising the barrier integrity, making them favorable for the recruitment and adhesion of circulating leukocytes, thereby together with other unidentified barrier‐disrupting mechanisms contributing to Japanese encephalitis and associated neuroinflammation.
Low Extra-articular (Transcondylar) Fractures of the Distal Humerus
Authors: Weening Alexander A. , Brouwer Kim M. , Adams Margaritha , Ring David 
Published: July 2012

Background We reviewed our experience with low transcondylar, extra-articular distal humerus fractures to determine the prevalence of extra-articular distal humerus fractures, the percentage that are low transcondylar fractures, and the results of treatment. Material and methods One hundred seventy-four fractures of the distal humerus in adult patients were identified. Patients with at least 1-year of follow-up were evaluated based on the medical record according to the system described by Broberg and Morrey. Results Twenty-six fractures (15%) were extra-articular (AO Type A), 15 involved both the medial and lateral columns (8.6%), nine of which were low transcondylar fractures representing 5% of all fractures and 60% of the extra-articular bicolumnar fractures. Among the nine patients with low transcondylar fractures, two had non-union and three died within 3 months of injury. Among the eight patients with healed fractures after sufficient follow-up, patients with higher extra-articular distal humerus fractures had better motion and function than patients with low transcondylar fractures. Conclusions Transcondylar fractures are the most common type of extra-articular bicolumnar fracture and may be more common than previously recognized. Mortality within 3 months and non-union appear common with this fracture type.
Geothrix fermentans Secretes Two Different Redox-Active Compounds To Utilize Electron Acceptors across a Wide Range of Redox Potentials
Authors: Mehta-Kolte Misha G. , Bond Daniel R. 
Published: July 2012

ABSTRACT

The current understanding of dissimilatory metal reduction is based primarily on isolates from the proteobacterial genera
Geobacter
and
Shewanella
. However, environments undergoing active Fe(III) reduction often harbor less-well-studied phyla that are equally abundant. In this work, electrochemical techniques were used to analyze respiratory electron transfer by the only known Fe(III)-reducing representative of the
Acidobacteria
,
Geothrix fermentans
. In contrast to previously characterized metal-reducing bacteria, which typically reach maximal rates of respiration at electron acceptor potentials of 0 V versus standard hydrogen electrode (SHE),
G. fermentans
required potentials as high as 0.55 V to respire at its maximum rate. In addition,
G. fermentans
secreted two different soluble redox-active electron shuttles with separate redox potentials (−0.2 V and 0.3 V). The compound with the lower midpoint potential, responsible for 20 to 30% of electron transfer activity, was riboflavin. The behavior of the higher-potential compound was consistent with hydrophilic UV-fluorescent molecules previously found in
G. fermentans
supernatants. Both electron shuttles were also produced when cultures were grown with Fe(III), but not when fumarate was the electron acceptor. This study reveals that
Geothrix
is able to take advantage of higher-redox-potential environments, demonstrates that secretion of flavin-based shuttles is not confined to
Shewanella
, and points to the existence of high-potential-redox-active compounds involved in extracellular electron transfer. Based on differences between the respiratory strategies of
Geothrix
and
Geobacter
, these two groups of bacteria could exist in distinctive environmental niches defined by redox potential.