bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantifying household energy performance using annual community baselines
Authors: Jones Pierce H. , Taylor Nicholas W. , Jennison Kipp M. , Knowles Harold S. 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThis paper seeks to describe a protocol to estimate annual community energy consumption baselines for single‐family detached homes in the Gainesville Regional Utility service area of Alachua County, Florida, USA. Further, it details methods using these baselines to make direct comparisons of individual households' energy consumption and evaluate the energy impacts of three prescriptive demand side management (DSM) programs.Design/methodology/approachTo improve estimates of energy savings, the paper proposes using a “micro” scale multivariate regression methodology based on a census of utility and property appraiser household data.FindingsResults suggest that traditional analysis approaches are likely to overestimate savings significantly and that the annual community baseline technique provides more consistent estimates of energy savings than most commonly used methods.Practical implicationsThis type of analysis could provide a tool that utilities can use to more accurately and cost effectively measure DSM savings. This could result in reduced energy demand related to streamlined program setup and management.Originality/valueThe proposed methodology is unique in that it defines a new household‐level energy consumption baseline measure that we think is a more appropriate performance measure, uses a census of publicly available data for the population of interest, merging metered utility data with property appraiser data, and works upward to construct a simple model for evaluating household‐level energy consumption. The critical element that distinguishes our proposed energy performance measures is that they are calculated and interpreted using annual, population‐level, comparison‐group baselines that effectively normalize for community energy consumption patterns in any given year.
Field of dreams: building IT capabilities in rural America
Authors: Lacity Mary , Rottman Joseph , Khan Shaji 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide industry insights on the business models, practices, and capabilities that suppliers need to deliver cost‐effective information technology (IT) outsourcing services from rural locations within the USA. As rural outsourcing has not yet been studied by academics, many questions have not yet been answered. How can suppliers attract enough talent to rural areas to make rural outsourcing viable? How can suppliers scale operations? Will the value proposition attract serious clients? An ongoing research project was launched to answer these and other questions about rural outsourcing. This paper aims to report on the first set of findings based on four case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reports on the results from four case studies of rural outsourcing suppliers. In total, 35 semi‐structured interviews were conducted with founders, executives, delivery center managers, and delivery team members and a visit was made to a rural delivery center owned and operated by each of the four suppliers.FindingsAfter comparing and contrasting the value propositions, location strategies, human capital development, and scalability of operations across the cases, in general, it was found that rural outsourcing suppliers position their value proposition as lower in price than urban outsourcing but higher in value than offshore outsourcing. Rural outsourcing suppliers achieve this value proposition by locating delivery centers in low‐cost areas and by recruiting, developing, and retaining a high‐performing workforce. Rural suppliers scale operations either by building multiple, small‐sized delivery centers or by building one large delivery center.Research limitations/implicationsThere are still many aspects of this phenomenon that warrant additional study. The paper identifies areas of future research pertaining to client experiences, competition from large suppliers, government support, and rural outsourcing in countries outside the USA.Practical implicationsThe paper identifies five lessons for practice: rural outsourcing works best when clients engage a team to deliver a service; rural outsourcing is not freelance outsourcing or staff augmentation; rural outsourcing addresses an unfilled gap in a client's sourcing portfolio; rural outsourcing suppliers will continue to move up the value chain; and most rural outsourcing suppliers operate best on a sell‐build sequence, so clients should plan ahead.Originality/valueThis paper reports on industry insights from one of the first known, ongoing academic studies of rural outsourcing.
Offshore supplier relations: knowledge integration among small businesses
Authors: Jørgensen Claus 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the area of knowledge integration between relations based upon the assumption that if you do not integrate knowledge between the different relations, the possibility of maintaining, improving or adjusting your product portfolio through your offshore working relationships will either disappear or be severely reduced.Design/methodology/approachThe experienced journey of four small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) within the textile and wood industries are presented regarding how they change their direction and organisational routines due to challenges concerning knowledge integration within their respective supply relations.FindingsDifferent approaches are shown of how to combine different knowledge dimensions within the supply chain and how the demands towards relations management capabilities are affected by the challenges of mainly knowledge transfer and translation created by the strategic offshore sourcing decisions.Research limitations/implicationsAs the conclusions are based upon a limited number of cases studied within a limited time frame, further investigations to confirm the findings, especially with case companies that integrate more complex knowledge types, would be interesting.Practical implicationsThe paper proposes that when making strategic offshore sourcing decisions, companies should consider more classic variables like cost, quality and flexibility in much more detail and the different knowledge dimensions (knowledge characteristics, learning capability, knowledge flow, cultural characteristics and stickiness) identified in the paper and thereby the longer‐term demands regarding knowledge integration in offshore supply relations.Originality/valueThe paper identifies different approaches of how to combine different knowledge dimensions within the supply chain and how relations management capabilities are affected by the knowledge integration challenges of mainly knowledge transfer and translation created by the strategic offshore sourcing decisions in SMEs in the manufacturing industry.
Short‐run vs long‐run trade‐offs in outsourcing relationships
Authors: Juntunen Jouni , Grant David B. , Juga Jari 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on a study of a shipper's dilemma as a customer. Shippers desire both lower costs and good service levels, and this dilemma may lead in the long run to a trade‐off consideration between staying loyal to existing service providers and seeking cost reductions from competing providers.Design/methodology/approachA model was devised from the literature exploring how a shipper's propensity to switch logistics service providers may be affected by perceptions of service elements and logistics cost reductions. The model was tested with survey data from 235 Finnish industrial firms and analysed using structural equation modelling.FindingsFindings indicate that in the short‐run trade‐offs do not exist, but there may be a propensity to trade‐off in the long run. Further, quality of service is a more important factor for customers than participating in tight price competition.Research limitations/implicationsThe data were collected from one country and further studies are required to test these research propositions in other countries and contexts.Practical implicationsLogistics service providers should concentrate more on service quality and refrain from tight price competition to gain and reinforce customer loyalty. Further, shippers should also adopt a long perspective regarding strategy and refrain from short‐run, cost reduction seeking behaviour.Originality/valueThis study integrates several factors as drivers of outsourcing relationship continuity and/or change and presents a fresh collection of data for analysis.
Accounting outsourcing turnback: process and issues
Authors: Maelah Ruhanita , Aman Aini , Hamzah Noradiva , Amiruddin Rozita , Sofiah  
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide understanding on the process of accounting outsourcing turnback from the client's perspective. The aim is to understand the issues faced by clients during turnback process, and provide recommendations to resolve them.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a qualitative interpretive case study approach. Data were collected based on documentation, archival records, direct observation, and interviews to allow for triangulation.FindingsThis study provides empirical evidence of accounting outsourcing turnback process. Some of the issues faced by clients include lack of management support, limited financial and human resources, and uncooperative vendors.Research limitations/implicationsTheoretically, this study extends Elliot's model by providing empirical evidence on process, identifying issues, and discussing recommendations on accounting outsourcing turnback. The limitation is the use of a single case study of a small company in Malaysia.Practical implicationsPractically, this study enhances understanding on accounting outsourcing turnback process and issues. The recommendations provided can serve as guidelines for clients who are considering outsourcing turnback as a strategic move.Originality/valueThere has been limited research in the area of accounting outsourcing focusing on turnback process. This study contributes to the field of accounting outsourcing by describing an accounting turnback process and issues faced by clients. The study recommends communication, financial support, top management support, back‐up exit plan, and vendor management throughout the turnback period. Finally, gradual reduction of accounting outsourced works rather than immediate termination is favored to reduce the risk in accounting outsourcing turnback.
Impact of time demands of work on job satisfaction and turnover intention
Authors: Wickramasinghe Vathsala 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between time demands of work and turnover intention of software developers in offshore outsourced software development firms (OOSDF) in Sri Lanka.Design/methodology/approachSurvey research methodology was used and 232 software developers attached to OOSDF responded.FindingsIt was found that job satisfaction partially mediates the relationship between time demands of work and turnover intention.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of the questionnaire survey provided access to breadth of experience. If qualitative data were also obtained those could have provided depth by adding insight and substance to the questionnaire survey.Practical implicationsThe findings imply that a greater understanding of employee turnover intentions might be gained by investigating the time demands of work.Originality/valueIt is expected that the paper's findings will provide useful information for both practitioners and academics to better understand the nature of strategies to be adopted in Asian OOSDF.
Impact of financial shocks on Islamic banks
Authors: Kassim Salina H. , Shabri Abd. Majid M. 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide empirical evidences on the impact of financial shocks on the Islamic banks vis‐a‐vis the conventional banks. Based on the Malaysian experience over two major financial crises, namely the 1997 Asian financial crisis and 2007 financial crisis, the study aims to test the validity of the proposition that the Islamic banks are more resilient to the financial shocks compared to the conventional banks.Design/methodology/approachFocusing on the Malaysian data covering three sub‐periods, namely, the 1997 Asian financial crisis period (July 1997‐September 1999), the non‐crisis period (October 1999‐June 2007) and the 2007 financial crisis period (July 2007‐September 2009), the study employs the impulse response functions and variance decomposition analysis based on the vector auto‐regression (VAR) method.FindingsThe results indicate that both the Islamic and conventional banking systems are vulnerable to financial shocks. This is contrary to the popular belief that the Islamic financial system is sheltered from the financial shocks due to its interest‐free nature.Research limitations/implicationsThe results of this study have important implications for the risk management practices of both the Islamic and conventional banks.Originality/valueThis paper contributes in providing the empirical evidence on the impact of financial shocks on the Islamic banks. To the authors' knowledge, there have been no studies comparing of the impacts of the two major financial crises on the Islamic banking sector.
Global financial crisis: an Islamic finance perspective
Authors: Ahmed Adel 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to initially contribute the literature linking the global financial crisis and the Islamic finance model which is competent of playing down the severity and frequency of financial crises, by introducing the financial system based on sharing in the risk. It links credit expansion to the growth of the real economy by allowing credit primarily for the purchase of real goods and services which the seller owns and possesses, and the buyer wishes to take delivery. It also requires the creditor to bear the risk of default by prohibiting the sale of debt, thereby ensuring that he evaluates the risk more carefully. It is important for everyone's future that we study the current crisis in order to develop sustainable financial practices and in quest of a new business model based on sharing the profit and loss.Design/methodology/approachThe divergence approach is used for exploring possibilities and constraints of inherited situations by applying critical thinking and analysis through the published literature in Islamic finance. This is to create new understandings of international finance and using new banking business model towards better design solutions for the current global financial crisis and preventing more collapse in the future.FindingsA new business model for the banking system based on non‐interest‐based transactions but profit and loss sharing should be in practice at the financial system. The financial institutions should encourage business and trade activities that generate fair and legitimate profit. In Islamic finance, there is always a close link between financial flow and productivity. This intrinsic property of Islamic finance contributes towards insulating it from the potential risks resulting from excess leverage and speculative financial activities which are part of the root causes of the current financial crisis.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is based on published research papers but does not include empirical investigation.Practical implicationsThe new business model based on Islamic finance principles will help in financing businesses by using alternative methods to the banking systems or as a different way to run our banking system. The Islamic finance system with proper checks and controls introduces greater discipline into the economy and links credit expansion to the growth of the real economy.Originality/valueThe paper sheds new light on the relationship between the Islamic finance model and a new business model for the financial institutions to be used in order to think through how to prevent future financial collapses and make capital markets work more effectively.
Risk exposure during the global financial crisis: the case of Islamic banks
Authors: Chazi Abdelaziz , Syed Lateef A.M. 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the way Islamic financial institutions dealt with the recent financial problems in terms of risk management.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 27 Islamic banks and the same number of conventional banks selected from a wide range of countries around the world were analyzed. The capital ratios, based on the Basel Committee, are the primary tools used to analyze the riskiness of the Islamic and conventional banks. The focus on capital ratios is relevant in light of changes in banks' balance sheets due to significant write offs that caused a huge credit crunch in the western world. Capital ratios are considered as a reliable source in predicting potential bankruptcies.FindingsThe paper shows that Islamic banks are maintaining better capital ratios than to their conventional counterparts.Originality/valueThe paper presents a new approach to the comparative performance of Islamic and conventional banks in terms of risk management. The research design as well as the findings can be very useful to academicians and banking professionals alike.
The financial Tower of Babel: roots of crisis
Authors: Matthews Robin , Tlemsani Issam 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore and discuss the causative factors of the current financial crisis from an Islamic perspective. This paper also examines Islamic finance as an alternative financial system and a potential long‐term solution to financial instability.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides descriptive, analytical and comparative analyses.FindingsThe paper offers insights into the causes of the current international financial crisis. It highlights an alternative and a solution to this dilemma in the form of Islamic finance and stresses the stability of the Islamic finance system.Practical implicationsThe findings presented in this paper can be used by policy makers, regulators and practitioners in both the Islamic and conventional financial sector as they provides insights into factors that can insulate the market from future crisis. However, to expect a wholesale transformation to an Islamic financial system is idealistic.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the understanding of Islamic finance principles and its value as a solution to the current and any future financial crises. A highly original conceptual idea is used in the metaphorical comparison to the Tower of Babel. The findings of this research will be of interest to western and Islamic financial practitioners, policy makers and academicians.
Turkish banking system in the face of the global crisis
Authors: Sükrü Erdem M. 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe 2008‐2009 crisis had no significant impact on the Turkish banking system (TBS), with the TBS achieving a record level of profitability in 2009. The strong position of Turkish banks against the global crisis is attributed generally to the good regulation and risk management in the TBS. The measures implemented by The Turkish Central Bank, and The Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency, e.g. high capital adequacy ratio, played a significant role. But, this judgment does not take into consideration the high profitability and some inefficiency of TBS in his role of financial intermediation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the TBS's performance in the face of the global crisis.Design/methodology/approachThe paper compare the measures against the global crisis and the performances of banking systems by public supports to financial sector, measures taken vis‐à‐vis the crisis, ratios as deposits/loans, loans to non‐financial sector and return to assets.FindingsThe paper explains that the performance of TBS against the crisis is, to some extent, due to the high profitability and low efficiency in financial intermediation.Practical implicationsFinancial regulation and policy particularly in emerging or underdeveloped economies should find equilibrium between the soundness and efficiency of banking system.Originality/valueIn full financial crisis the majority of scientific work focuses on the prudential regulation of the banking system and the problem of moral hazard. In fact, countries such as Turkey are still far from having the same problems and concerns. The paper shows that in spite of the global crisis, the TBS continued to obtain very raised profits: it can be said that the banking system soundness improved with the detriment the non‐financial sector.
The subprime crisis and Islamic stock markets integration
Authors: Abdul Karim Bakri , Akila Mohd. Kassim Nor , Affendy Arip Mohammad 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the current global crisis on the integration and co‐movements of selected Islamic stock markets.Design/methodology/approachTime series techniques of cointegration were used over the period spanning from February 15, 2006 to December 31, 2008. In order to explore changes in the stock market integration and co‐movement, following Majid and Kassim, we divide the period of analysis into two periods, namely the pre‐crisis period (February 15, 2006‐July 25, 2007) and during crisis period (July 26, 2007‐December 31, 2008).FindingsNo evidence was found of cointegration among the Islamic stock markets in both periods. Accordingly, the 2007 subprime crisis does not seem to affect the long‐run co‐movements among the Islamic stock markets.Practical implicationsThe Islamic stock markets provide opportunity for the potential benefits from international portfolio diversification, even after the subprime crisis. The prohibition of riba, gharar and maysir is one of the plausible reasons of no cointegration in the Islamic stock markets.Originality/valueUsing the Islamic stock indices, to the best of the authors' knowledge, goes clearly beyond the existing literature on the subject matter.
The global financial crisis and its implications for the Islamic financial industry
Authors: Smolo Edib , Mirakhor Abbas 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the evolution of the global financial crisis, draw lessons from it, and analyse its effect(s) on the Islamic financial industry (IFI).Design/methodology/approachBased on an extensive literature review, this paper aims to highlight, explain, and discuss the implications of the global financial crisis for IFI and suggest necessary steps for the future development of the industry.FindingsThe findings show that although the crisis had limited impact on IFI the major flaws of the capitalist financial system are relevant to the development of IFI. Without learning and applying the lessons from the crisis, IFI runs a risk of committing the same mistakes. Finally, greater attention should be given to the fundamental principles of Islamic finance in order to ensure the future development of industry.Research limitation/implicationsThe effects of the global financial crisis are still being felt all over the world, and its implications on IFI have yet to be fully understood. Owing to unavailability of relevant data, an empirical study is needed to show the real effects of the crisis on IFI.Originality/valueThe lessons drawn in this paper will raise awareness among both academicians and practitioners about the inherent weaknesses of current financial practices. Furthermore, the paper highlights the major areas that need to be improved for the future development and success of IFI.