bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
“Discussion‐less” discussion databases
Authors: Surendra Nanda , Denton James W. 
Published: May 2009

PurposeThis paper has two purposes. The first purpose is to study how groups and members of an organization use collaborative technology in accomplishing their everyday work. The second purpose is to study how interpretive researchers can use an ethnographic research approach, called the strip resolution process (SRP), to make explicit the process by which they achieve their interpretation, rather than provide just their interpretation leaving the process as a black box.Design/methodology/approachInterpretive case study using interviews, observation, participant‐observation, and study of documents.FindingsFor IS researchers, a key finding is that the SRP facilitates both an understanding of research phenomena from the members’ perspective and a means of explaining how that understanding was achieved. For IS practitioners, a key finding is that organizational work practices and reward structures should be “co‐designed” with the collaborative technology's functionalities to accomplish organizational objectives.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used ethnographically informed approaches, including the SRP, to collect and interpret data. However, the duration spent at the organizational site, 25 days spread over eight months, would not qualify this study as an ethnography based on the recommended duration of 12 months of sustained fieldwork.Practical implicationsThis study's findings have two implications for IS practice. The first implication is that practitioners planning to deploy collaborative technology in an organization should not focus primarily, or even mainly, on the technology's functionalities. Instead, they should pay most attention to the organization's work practices and reward structures. Work practices and reward structures should be “co‐designed” with the technology's functionalities to accomplish organizational objectives. The second implication is that the SRP could help close the “understanding gap” between IS practitioners and system stakeholders. Hence, a practitioner can use the SRP as a supplement to any systems development methodology for analyzing system requirements.Originality/valueThe value of this paper for IS interpretive researchers is that it explains and illustrates how an ethnographic research approach called the SRP can be used by a researcher to understand research phenomena from the members’ perspective, test and validate his interpretation, and reveal how he reached his interpretation and not just provide his interpretation leaving the process of achieving it a black box. The value of this paper for IS practitioners is that it emphasizes the importance of “co‐designing” work practices and reward structures with a collaborative system's functionalities and provides them specific questions to ask, and reflect upon, before designing and deploying a collaborative system. In addition, practitioners can use the SRP as a tool to supplement any systems development methodology to help reduce the understanding gap between themselves and the system stakeholders.
How small are the banking sectors in central and Eastern European countries really?
Authors: Dinger Valeriya , von Hagen Jürgen 
Published: May 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of the size of the banking sectors in central and Eastern European (CEE) countries. The banking sectors' ability is focused to provide financial intermediation between savers and investors in the economy.Design/methodology/approachThe existing literature on banking in transition economies argues in unison that banking sectors in CEE countries are too small and do not provide sufficient levels of financial intermediation. In this paper, a common drawback of the existing measures used to indicate the size of CEE banking sectors is detected: they all relate the volume of bank intermediation to gross domestic product (GDP). It is argued that since transition economies have a low stock of financial wealth relative to economic activity, a more objective measure of the size of the banking sector is the ratio of bank assets to a proxy of the stock of financial wealth rather than to GDP.FindingsThere is evidence that the estimation of the size of the banking sectors relative to GDP produce downward biased measures for the ability of CEE banks to intermediate available financial resources. When the size of the banking sector is measured relative to financial wealth, the gap between the developed European Union banking systems and those of the CEE countries is not as severe as argued in studies based on the traditional approach of measuring the size of the banking system with respect to GDP.Practical implicationsUsing the downward biased measure of financial system development to stress the underdevelopment of the financial intermediation in CEE may produce misleading policy recommendations, e.g. recommendations in the direction of rapid financial system expansion by lowering barriers of entry for new banks. The authors' new measure presents an alternative that should be considered by policy makers in the design of measures promoting financial system development.Originality/valueThe paper challenges the existing consensus on severe underdevelopment of the CEE banking sectors. It presents a new approach of accessing financial system development in emerging economies.
Competition issues in European banking
Authors: Casu Barbara , Girardone Claudia 
Published: May 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the outcome of European Union (EU) deregulation and competition policies on the competitive conditions of the main EU banking markets.Design/methodology/approachAfter a review of deregulation and competitition policies in the EU banking industry, the degree of competition in the largest five EU banking markets using is tessted both structural (concentration ratios and Herfindahl‐Hirshman indices) and non‐structural (H‐statistics and Lerner index) approaches.FindingsResults indicate that EU banking markets are becoming progressively more concentrated and that there is no evidence of an increase in competitive pressure. Country differences are also apparent thereby indicating that despite the sustained regulatory interventions, significant barriers to the integration of EU retail banking markets remain. In line with recent literature, the analysis also seems to provide further evidence that concentration is not necessarily a good proxy for competition.Originality/valueIncreased market concentration and its effects on competition are of relevance in a period of renewed EU regulatory efforts to remove the remaining barriers to the integration of financial markets. The evaluation of competitive conditions and market power in EU banking are therefore of interest to policy‐makers and regulators.
Specialization versus diversification in venture capital investing
Authors: Bartkus James R. , Kabir Hassan M. 
Published: May 2009

PurposeModern portfolio theory demonstrates that a well‐diversified portfolio will minimize unsystematic risk. It may be impractical to achieve a well‐diversified portfolio of venture capital (VC) investments due to market imperfections, leading to the decision to specialize. The purpose of this paper is to determine the implications of choosing a strategy of specialization versus diversification in venture investing.Design/methodology/approachUsing a dataset of US VC funds across a 20‐year time period, this paper verifies that there has been a tendency for venture capitalists to pursue a specialization strategy in both industry and stage of development of portfolio firms. A multivariate two‐limit tobit model is constructed to determine the effects of these decisions on venture success rates.FindingsIt is found that venture capitalists that diversify across portfolio company stage of development have greater success in bringing companies public and exiting their investments via acquisition. Industry specialization has no significant impact on venture fund success rates.Research limitations/implicationsSuccess rates may be less important than returns to investors in VC. Future research should examine the effects of specialization on investor returns.Practical implicationsIt may be beneficial to increase the level of diversification of VC investments across portfolio company stage of development. The lack of diversification across industry has not significantly affected success rates across funds, thus the tendency to specialize in particular industries over the sample period is not necessarily a poor decision.Originality/valuePrior research demonstrates a tendency for specialization in VC investing. This paper examines the implications of adopting this strategy.
Bundling vertically differentiated communications services to leverage market power
Authors: Krämer Jan 
Published: May 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate whether and how bundling services may achieve leverage of market power from the telco's home to a secondary service market (e.g. video broadcasting). Despite digital convergence, in many countries the former telco monopolist remains to hold significant market power in its home market for telecommunication services.Design/methodology/approachTo this extent the author considers a formal game‐theoretic model where the telco firm holds a monopoly in the market for telecommunications services, while competing with a cable firm in the market for video broadcasting services. Services may differ in quality. For the firms, the provision of high‐quality services is more costly than the provision of low‐quality services. Conversely, consumers have a greater reservation price for higher service qualities. Therefore firms face a trade off between revenues and cost when selecting the optimal service quality.FindingsThe model shows that the telco firm can achieve market power leverage by bundling its services, which therefore is more profitable than offering each service separately. In particular, the quality leverage mechanism is highlighted, which reveals that bundling alters the optimal service quality choice of the competitors favorably.Research limitations/implicationsLike every game‐theoretic model, the present model rests on formal assumptions representing stylized facts. Future research should determine these by empirical evidence.Practical implicationsThe paper reveals how bundling may be employed as a strategic weapon in order to increase profits in the converging communications market.Originality/valueThe paper shows that bundling communications services can not only have significant ramifications for the quality of these services, but also for the competition in industry.
The call center couple: India's new middle class
Authors: Sheth Jagdish 
Published: May 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain the concept of the “call center couple” (CCC) as a symbol of the new middle class (NMC) and how it will influence markets, work, and family in India.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on the demographic shifts taking place in India's urban centres.FindingsThe rise of the NMC will forever democratize the family and employment markets.Originality/valueThe paper provides insights into the emerging middle class through the experiences of “CCCs”.
Growth and productivity performance of small manufacturing enterprises (SMEs)
Authors: Rajesh Raj S.N. , Mahapatra Mihir K. 
Published: May 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of small manufacturing enterprises (SMEs) in India during the pre‐reforms (prior to 1991) and reforms period (1991 onwards) with focus on 15 major states from different levels of development.Design/methodology/approachIn order to capture variation across different categories of states, 15 major states in India have been classified into high‐, middle‐ and low‐income states. Further, to capture productivity growth in the sector during the pre‐reforms and reforms period, both partial factor productivity and total factor productivity method (growth accounting approach) have been adopted. The analysis is based on different rounds of nationwide survey conducted by the National Sample Survey Organization (NSSO) of the Government of India during 1978‐2001.FindingsThe findings of the study reveal erosion in growth of output in the SMEs during the reforms period as compared to the pre‐reforms period with variation across different categories of states. The decline in growth of output during the reforms period can be primarily on account of fall in growth of employment and investment. The total factor productivity growth has also declined during the reforms period suggesting the need to enhance the level of technical efficiency and skills of the labour force in the sector. This is noticed in spite of major role played by the SMEs in providing employment (80 per cent of the total manufacturing sector employment) opportunities and in generating output (contributes 60 per cent of net domestic product) in the country.Research limitations/implicationsOn account of non‐availability of annual data, the study relied on data collected by the NSSO of the Government of India periodically. In addition, the study did not examine the factors that explain decline in productivity growth in the sector.Originality/valueThere is a large body of literature on regional growth and productivity in the Indian manufacturing sector but most of the studies have considered only the organized manufacturing sector. This study contributes to the literature by analyzing the inter‐state variation in growth and productivity performance of SMEs in the pre‐reforms and reforms periods.
Are we ignoring the early warning signs in our corporate governance system?
Authors: Angur Madhukar 
Published: May 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the aspects of the corporate governance system and suggest ways to foresee a corporate fraud in the offing. It aims to explore ways by which key stakeholders may view “early warning signs” in their assessments of an inefficient corporate governance system.Design/methodology/approachSecondary method was used to collect data from several corporations that failed or faltered over the past decade due to poor corporate governance.FindingsFindings suggest that corporate governance system failures of most corporations could have been foreseen before they became public if the five key early warning signs described in the paper were closely monitored.Practical implicationsPaying closer attention to the early warning signs mentioned here may help identify lacunas in the corporate governance system and may avert corporate debacles.Originality/valueThe key early warning signs identified here appear to address most aspects of failure in corporate governance system.
Genome‐wide identification of small RNA targets based on target enrichment and microarray hybridizations
Authors: Franco‐Zorrilla José M. , Del Toro Francisco J. , Godoy Marta , Pérez‐Pérez Julián , López‐Vidriero Irene , Oliveros Juan C. , García‐Casado Gloria , Llave César , Solano Roberto 
Published: May 2009

SummaryMicroRNAs (miRNAs) and small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) are two classes of abundant 21–24 nucleotide small RNAs (smRNAs) that control gene expression in plants, mainly by guiding cleavage and degradation of target transcripts. Target identification based on predictive algorithms for base‐paired complementarity requires further experimental validation and often fails to recognize miRNA::target pairs that escape from stringent complementarity rules. Here, we report on a microarray‐based methodology to identify target mRNAs of miRNAs and siRNAs at a genomic scale. This strategy takes advantage of the RNA ligase‐mediated amplification of 5′ cDNA ends (RLM‐RACE) to isolate miRNA or siRNA cleavage products from biological samples. Cleaved transcripts are then subjected to T7 RNA polymerase‐mediated amplification and microarray hybridizations. The use of suitable hybridization controls is what makes our strategy outperform previous analyses. We applied this method and identified more than 100 putative novel miRNA or siRNA target mRNAs that had not been previously predicted by computational or microarray‐based methods. Our data expand the regulatory role of endogenous smRNAs to a wide range of cellular processes, with prevalence in the regulation of cellular solute homeostasis. The methodology described here is straightforward, avoids extensive computational analysis and allows simultaneous analyses of several biological replicates, thus reducing the biological variability inherent in genomic analysis. The application of this simple methodology offers a framework for systematic analysis of smRNA‐guided cleaved transcriptomes in different plant tissues, genotypes or stress conditions, and should contribute to understanding of the physiological role of smRNAs in plants.
PARC6, a novel chloroplast division factor, influences FtsZ assembly and is required for recruitment of PDV1 during chloroplast division in Arabidopsis
Authors: Glynn Jonathan M. , Yang Yue , Vitha Stanislav , Schmitz Aaron J. , Hemmes Mia , Miyagishima Shin‐ya , Osteryoung Katherine W. 
Published: May 2009

SummaryChloroplast division in plant cells is accomplished through the coordinated action of the tubulin‐like FtsZ ring inside the organelle and the dynamin‐like ARC5 ring outside the organelle. This coordination is facilitated by ARC6, an inner envelope protein required for both assembly of FtsZ and recruitment of ARC5. Recently, we showed that ARC6 specifies the mid‐plastid positioning of the outer envelope proteins PDV1 and PDV2, which have parallel functions in dynamin recruitment. PDV2 positioning involves direct ARC6–PDV2 interaction, but PDV1 and ARC6 do not interact indicating that an additional factor functions downstream of ARC6 to position PDV1. Here, we show that PARC6 (paralog of ARC6), an ARC6‐like protein unique to vascular plants, fulfills this role. Like ARC6, PARC6 is an inner envelope protein with its N‐terminus exposed to the stroma and Arabidopsis parc6 mutants exhibit defects of chloroplast and FtsZ filament morphology. However, whereas ARC6 promotes FtsZ assembly, PARC6 appears to inhibit FtsZ assembly, suggesting that ARC6 and PARC6 function as antagonistic regulators of FtsZ dynamics. The FtsZ inhibitory activity of PARC6 may involve its interaction with the FtsZ‐positioning factor ARC3. A PARC6–GFP fusion protein localizes both to the mid‐plastid and to a single spot at one pole, reminiscent of the localization of ARC3, PDV1 and ARC5. Although PARC6 localizes PDV1, it is not required for PDV2 localization or ARC5 recruitment. Our findings indicate that PARC6, like ARC6, plays a role in coordinating the internal and external components of the chloroplast division complex, but that PARC6 has evolved distinct functions in the division process.
Understanding and beliefs of diabetes in the UK Bangladeshi population
Authors: Choudhury S. M. , Brophy S. , Williams R. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractAims  To examine the understanding and beliefs of people with diabetes from the Bangladeshi community living in the UK.Methods  Structured interviews were carried out with 14 people invited to a peer educational programme. All interviews were on a one‐to‐one basis and were in Sylheti or in English. Interviews were transcribed and analysed by two independent researchers.Results  The majority of participants did not know what caused diabetes. Knowledge of the management of diabetes was linked to controlling sugar intake and a number of participants reported eating bitter foods such as bitter gourd to control their diabetes. There was little access to information as many participants did not speak English and did not have a Bengali‐speaking doctor. The majority of participants felt that education classes should teach them what the doctor thought was important and that these classes would best be advertised by word of mouth. Therefore, participants were quite passive about their own self management and relied very strongly on the doctor’s views and recommendations.Conclusions  Findings from this study can be used to help health professionals working with Bangladeshi people. There is a need for improved information for Bangladeshi people and much of this information might need to come from health professionals. In addition, there is a need for increased awareness by health professionals of practices used by Bangladeshi people, such as eating bitter gourd (which may enhance the effects of rosiglitazone), and the influence these practices could have on the individual’s diabetes management.
Seasonal variation of diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes mellitus in children worldwide
Authors: Moltchanova E. V. , Schreier N. , Lammi N. , Karvonen M. 
Published: May 2009

AbstractAims  To determine if there is a worldwide seasonal pattern in the clinical onset of Type 1 diabetes.Methods  Analysis of the seasonality in diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was based on the incidence data in 0‐ to 14‐year‐old children collected by the World Health Organization Diabetes Mondiale (WHO DiaMond) Project over the period 1990–1999. One hundred and five centres from 53 countries worldwide provided enough data for the seasonality analysis. The incidence seasonality patterns were also determined for age‐ and sex‐specific groups.Results  Forty‐two out of 105 centres exhibited significant seasonality in the incidence of Type 1 diabetes (P < 0.05). The existence of significant seasonal patterns correlated with higher level of incidence and of the average yearly counts. The correlation disappeared after adjustment for latitude. Twenty‐eight of those centres had peaks in October to January and 33 had troughs in June to August. Two out of the four centres with significant seasonality in the southern hemisphere demonstrated a different pattern with a peak in July to September and a trough in January to March.Conclusions  The seasonality of the incidence of Type 1 diabetes mellitus in children under 15 years of age is a real phenomenon, as was reported previously and as is now demonstrated by this large standardized study. The seasonality pattern appears to be dependent on the geographical position, at least as far as the northern/southern hemisphere dichotomy is concerned. However, more data are needed on the populations living below the 30th parallel north in order to complete the picture.