bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Reclaiming rare listening as a means of organizational re‐enchantment
Authors: Tyler Jo A. 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to a reclaiming of the potency of Rogerian listening in organizations. The paper views listening after Rogers, the father of active listening, as a process with potential to re‐enchant organizations and the people who comprise them, in a move away from the popular view and professional training that fosters instrumentalized listening that deadens organizations and crushes the spirit of individuals.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs a text analysis using iterative coding processes and constant comparison. A total of 12 web sites focused on “active listening” in business contexts were analyzed for overlap and divergence with Rogers' descriptors and essential conditions for active listening.FindingsRogers is almost completely disassociated from his original multi‐sensory conception of listening, which is now reduced to a set of instrumental tips and techniques that help the listener gather data in the interest of achieving preconceived goals. Rarely was Rogers' intention invoked – of understanding in the context of growing a relationship between speaker and listener that was grounded in unconditional positive regard, care, and love.Research limitations/implicationsThough the sample size is limited, it suggests a particular zeitgeist in organizations that inhibits the possibilities of re‐enchantment by shutting down a principle of channel for developing understanding and making connections that can foster novelty and increase collaboration. An awareness of the current reduction of listening being taught in organizations, and the particular ways in which it varies from the richness of Rogers' powerful conception is the first step toward identifying and overcoming the barriers to re‐enchantment at individual and organizational levels.Originality/valueThe prevailing efforts in the literature include listening as one dimension in the broader field of communication skills, and tend to result in recommendations that deepen the instrumental nature of listening in business. This study focuses on listening exclusively, beginning with the origins of Rogers' “active listening,” examining the ways it has been conceptually co‐opted and distorted, as a first step in the process of reclaiming it from the territory of calculated and observable skill.
Cultural influence on loyalty tendency and evaluation of retail store attributes
Authors: Seock Yoo‐Kyoung , Lin Chen 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the cultural influences on young consumers' loyalty tendency and evaluations of the relative importance of apparel retail store attributes in Taiwan and the USA.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was developed to collect the data. Factor analysis was employed to identify dimensions of apparel retail store image attributes. Pillai's Trace multivariate analysis of variance and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were used to examine the hypotheses.FindingsResults of the study showed that American consumers have significantly greater collectivistic characteristics than Taiwanese. The paper also found that country of residence is a significant and stronger indicator in predicting loyalty tendency than individualism and collectivism dimensions. The results of the study showed that evaluation of the relative importance of retail store attributes was influenced by culture. Among the five apparel retail store attribute dimensions identified in the study, Taiwanese and US respondents' evaluation of the importance of “convenience”, “product” and “information communication” factors of retail store image attributes differed significantly.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper may contribute to international retailers' understanding of the similarities and differences between Taiwanese and US markets and in determining the ideal components for these retailers to create an optimized apparel retail store image in two different countries' markets. The findings from the study could serve as an important benchmark for retailing strategy, helping retailers to effectively redesign their apparel stores to attract consumers in different markets and foster consumers' loyal to the company.Originality/valueDespite the growing internationalization of fashion retailing, this particular sector has attracted little research attention, and no research has been done to investigate the cultural differences of consumers' evaluations of apparel retail store image attributes.
Settling for second best?
Authors: Sparks Leigh 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe paper seeks evaluate to the comparative progress of Asda in the UK since its surprise takeover by Wal‐Mart in 1999. Wal‐Mart expected to become the number 1 retailer in the UK and many commentators saw massive problems ahead for local retailers. These expectations were not met; this paper investigates why.Design/methodology/approachAsda's progress is considered through a brief discussion of the company's history to 1999, an investigation of the changes Wal‐Mart subsequently made to Asda's operations, the comparative impact of these changes and then a consideration of the restrictions on impact deriving from organisational, competitive and environmental factors.FindingsDespite the strong rhetoric on entry, the commercial reality has seen only moderate success for Asda and a widening gap to the market leader, Tesco. Explanation for this includes competitive strategy and reactions, market restrictions particularly in land‐use planning and unwillingness by Asda (Wal‐Mart) to alter their focused store format strategy in line with competitor actions and market directions.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis is at a macro corporate and national level, drawing mainly on published data. Research implications include the rebalancing of considerations of organisational competence and market environment factors on international success. A focus on political and non‐market activities is suggested, though an unwillingness of companies to reconsider strategic directions is also indicted as a key factor.Practical implicationsImplications for national and international strategic decision making at the corporate and governmental levels are identified. Businesses can use the findings to re‐consider their positioning and actions. Reflections on hyperbolic reactions to takeovers might also be provoked.Originality/valueNo other paper has considered the market level changes in connection with Asda since its take‐over by Wal‐Mart and sought explanations for the relative (lack of) performance. The conclusion, that Asda has not been as successful as reported in the literature and the media, is original.
Where did all the benches go? The effects of mall kiosks on perceived retail crowding
Authors: Kim Jung‐Hwan , Runyan Rodney 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how density conditions caused by multiple kiosks in shopping mall walkways affect shoppers' shopping outcomes based on psychological reactance theory and behavioural constraint theory.Design/methodology/approachThe experiment uses a one‐factor between‐subjects design with two levels of density conditions (high vs low). A total of 382 respondents participated.FindingsThe findings of this paper indicate that respondents perceive the environment with kiosks as crowded and this perception of crowdedness negatively affects their approach behaviour, leading to lower intentions to patronise.Practical implicationsFindings provide practical information to mall managers by indicating that kiosks within a shopping mall negatively affect shopper patronage and approach intentions. Thus, mall managers need to pay more attention to the environmental atmospherics of the mall itself.Originality/valueThe paper is the first empirical research which examines how kiosks within a mall affect shopper shopping responses. The findings of this study add to the existing literature by examining how kiosks within a mall impact shoppers' psychological states and subsequently their approach/avoidance behaviours towards the shopping mall and patronage intention.
Heuristics for retail shelf space allocation problem with linear profit function
Authors: Gajjar Hasmukh K. , Adil Gajendra K. 
Published: February 2011

PurposeShelf space is often retailer's critical resource. Growing number of products has posed a challenge to the retailers for efficient allocation of available shelf space to them. The paper aims to consider a retail shelf space allocation problem with linear profit function and aims to develop efficient heuristics to solve this problem.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops three heuristics to solve a shelf space allocation problem. It compares three heuristics with existing heuristic using empirical study.FindingsIn an empirical study of 320 randomly generated instances of problems with size (products, shelves) varying from (25, 5) to (200, 50), it was found that all three new heuristics are competitive with existing heuristic. The best amongst three heuristics found solution with average objective value of 99.59 percent of upper bound in a reasonable central processing unit time.Research limitations/implicationsThe linearity assumption of the profit function is based on earlier findings that marginal returns to space first increase and then decrease in an S‐shaped curve. Hence, linearity assumption for profit function is justified by the fact that retails would want to operate on linear (or approximately linear) and more strongly increasing part of the curve.Practical implicationsThe proposed heuristics are applied to a case of existing retail store which gave more profit than the current allocation scheme.Originality/valueThe paper proposes new initial constructor and neighbourhood move strategy to develop efficient heuristic. Heuristics proposed in this paper are competitive with existing heuristics.
Managing ethnic conflicts
Authors: Posthuma Richard A. 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis themed issue seeks to gather together several papers on the topic of managing ethnic conflicts. This introduction summarizes these papers.Design/methodology/approachThis introduction gives an overview of the purpose of the themed issue and then summarizes each of the articles. It also provides recommendations for future research.FindingsThe papers and research recommendations involve theoretical, methodological, and statistical issues. A key to understanding success in publishing research in this area is that researchers should use theories, methods, and statistics that match.Originality/valueThis unique themed issue illustrates how ethnic issues are important in understanding conflict management. These articles illustrate how it is particularly important to understand the differences in conflict styles and also the means and methods of participation of constituents and third parties in the field of ethnic conflict management.
An examination of conflict style preferences in India
Authors: Croucher Stephen M. , Holody Kyle J. , Hicks Manda V. , Oommen Deepa , DeMaris Alfred 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis study sets out to examine conflict style preferences in India and the predictive effects of various demographic variables on conflict style preference.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered in India (n=827) among Muslims and Hindus. Conflict was measured using Oetzel's Conflict Style Measure. To answer the research questions, repeated measures ANOVA and multiple regressions were conducted.FindingsThe findings reveal that conflict style preference among Hindus in India differs significantly and that Hindus prefer the integrating and dominating styles, whilst showing the least inclination towards the avoiding and obliging styles. Muslims prefer the integrating and compromising styles and least prefer the dominating and avoiding styles. Analyses of the demographic variables' predictive influence reveal that age and sex are significant predictors for all five conflict styles for both Muslims and Hindus. Education has a mixed predictive influence on conflict style among Hindus and Muslims.Research limitations/implicationsUse of self‐report instruments and the majority of the participants coming from middle‐class backgrounds could limit the generalizability of the study.Practical implicationsThe study calls for conflict mediators to consider the influence of group membership and educational level on conflict management/resolution. The research also discusses national/international conflict intervention.Social implicationsThis paper informs individuals regarding the way in which two large religious and cultural groups differ in their approaches to conflict. For a nation that has experienced a history of conflict between these two cultural/religious groups, this paper can help shed light on how to bridge the conflict between them.Originality/valueThere are no studies directly comparing the conflict styles of Muslims and Hindus.
Political information and emotions in ethnic conflict interventions
Authors: Sirin Cigdem V. , Villalobos José D. , Geva Nehemia 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis study aims to explore the effects of political information and anger on the public's cognitive processing and foreign policy preferences concerning third‐party interventions in ethnic conflict.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs an experimental design, wherein the authors manipulate policy‐specific information by generatingad hocpolitical information related to ethnic conflict. The statistical methods of analysis are logistic regression and analysis of covariance.FindingsThe results demonstrate that both political information and anger have a significant impact on an individual's cognitive processing and policy preferences regarding ethnic conflict interventions. Specifically, political information increases one's proclivity to choose non‐military policy options, whereas anger instigates support for aggressive policies. Both factors result in faster decision making with lower amounts of information accessed. However, the interaction of political information and anger is not significant. The study also finds that policy‐specific information – rather than general political information – influences the public's policy preferences.Originality/valueThis study confronts and advances the debate over whether political information is significant in influencing the public's foreign policy preferences and, if so, whether such an effect is the product of general or domain‐specific information. It also addresses an under‐studied topic – the emotive repercussions of ethnic conflicts among potential third‐party interveners. In addition, it tackles the argument over whether political information immunizes people against (or sensitizes them to) the effects of anger on their cognitive processing and foreign policy preferences. The study also introduces a novel approach for examining political information through an experimental manipulation of policy‐specific information.
The Bangladesh approach to the Palestinian‐Israeli struggle
Authors: Handelman Sapir 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to propose a strategy to promote the culture of peace in the Palestinian‐Israeli struggle. The Bangladesh approach to peacemaking offers a dual strategy: conflict management in the Israeli‐Gaza situation and conflict resolution in the Israeli‐West Bank case. The first is designed to reduce the level of violence in intensified conflict. The second intends to build the foundations of a peaceful social order.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops and elaborates the second part of the Bangladesh approach. It offers a strategy to build the foundations for a peaceful social order in the Israeli West‐Bank situation. The paper includes theoretical background, examples from other cases of intractable conflict, and lessons from the “Minds of Peace Experiment” – a simulation of a potential Palestinian‐Israeli public negotiating congress – which was conducted at the University of Missouri‐St Louis.FindingsThe paper presents two competitive models of peacemaking and proclaims them complementary: the political élite and the public assembly. The first intends to reach a peace pact through interactions between political élites. The second intends to prepare the people for a reasonable peace process through the establishment of a major institution for conflict resolution – a public negotiating congress.Originality/valueThe public‐assembly model is new in the Palestinian‐Israeli experience. The paper offers a program to create the conditions for establishing a major Palestinian‐Israeli public assembly: a public negotiating congress. It is the first time in the history of the struggle where ordinary people are intended to be substantially involved in the negotiating and the peacemaking process.
Women inSulha– excluded yet influential
Authors: Pely Doron 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to locate, describe and analyze the mechanism and impact of women's informal role within the formally male‐onlySulha– a prevalent, inter/intra‐communal dispute resolution process practiced by Muslim, Christian and Druze Arabs in Israel and in many other regions of the Middle East and the Muslim world. Furthermore, this paper seeks to explore the way men's formal roles and women's informal roles interact within theSulha's strict patriarchal settings.Design/methodology/approachThe first section of this paper uses interviews, participant observation and existing literature to locate, describe and analyze the specific ways in which women informally participate in and impact on theSulhaprocess. The second section uses a questionnaire, interviews, existing literature and analysis to examine the attitudes of men and women regarding women's current and future roles inSulha.FindingsThe paper demonstrates that the formal (male‐only) visible part of theSulhaprocess coexists alongside a significant, yet mostly invisible, informal contribution of women – at each stage of the process. Furthermore, the paper shows that both men and women are cognizant of the informal role women play inSulha, and that both men and women are open to a possible future expansion of the role of women inSulha, including into formal roles.Originality/valueThe paper highlights the need to seek and evaluate informal, sometimes invisible, yet significant contributions of women to traditional dispute resolution processes in strict patriarchal cultures.
Transformation: next generation technical services at the University of California Libraries
Authors: Medeiros Norm 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis paper seeks to feature an interview with Brad Eden, Associate University Librarian for Technical Services and Scholarly Communication at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Eden discusses the University of California Libraries' Next Generation Technical Services initiative.Design/methodology/approachThe paper notes changes necessary to transform technical services for the new digital realm.FindingsThe task force chaired by Eden recommends several changes to traditional processes, three of which are central to achieving transformative change.Originality/valueThe paper offers readers insights into the means by which a large consortium under severe financial constraints is attempting to achieve cost‐savings and value‐added services through system‐wised collaboration.
The golden mean
Authors: Fox Robert 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis column aims to explore the consequences of making uninformed technology decisions in the context of strategic planning for digital library environments.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explores the consequences of making uninformed technology decisions.FindingsThis column recommends a balanced approach for funding digital library initiatives.Practical implicationsGiven the rapidly changing landscape of the information highway, it is difficult especially for decision makers in library organizations to plan well for digital initiatives. Cutting edge services such as cloud‐based computing offer a mirage of hope in many instances and need to be carefully scrutinized before the first penny has been allocated from a library budget.Originality/valueThis column prescribes a cautionary note for digital libraries of the twenty‐first century. While many vendor‐based services (such as “software as a service”) are initially attractive, vendor lock‐in and lack of control over critical library services can prove fatal.
Understanding agile project management methods using Scrum
Authors: Cervone H. Frank 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis paper seeks to define and describe agile project management using the Scrum methodology as a method for more effectively managing and completing projects.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a general overview and introduction to the concepts of agile project management and the Scrum methodology in particular.FindingsAgile project management using the Scrum methodology allows project teams to manage digital library projects more effectively by decreasing the amount of overhead dedicated to managing the project. Using an iterative process of continuous review and short‐design time frames, the project team is better able to quickly adapt projects to rapidly evolving environments in which systems will be used.Originality/valueThis paper fills a gap in the digital library project management literature by providing an overview of agile project management methods.
A survey of Koha in Australian special libraries
Authors: Keast Don 
Published: February 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the adoption of the open source library management system, Koha, amongst Australian special libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe spread of Koha in Australian special libraries and the opinions of Koha users on the system have been examined by a survey distributed to all known Australian Koha users. A case study of the Greater Western Area Health Service (GWAHS) library network is also presented, demonstrating many of the practical issues involved in the decision to convert to an open source system.FindingsThe main reasons given for conversion to Koha were practical economic grounds, coupled with dissatisfaction with conventional library systems. Libraries found the conversion to Koha reasonably trouble‐free. Satisfaction ratings on most aspects of Koha performance were “above average” to “good”. Library expectations of value for money and overall cost savings appear to have been realised.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample of responding libraries (46.67 per cent of all Koha libraries found) included hosted and non‐hosted installations, and a representative mix of health and non‐health libraries, including three from the tertiary sector. Results were consistent across all groups. Many Koha installations have commenced operation since 2008, and a more comprehensive survey should be undertaken in the future, when the long‐term effects of open source adoption are more evident.Practical implicationsKoha has proved well suited to small health libraries, and the GWAHS experience has been successfully replicated amongst many other Australian special libraries.Social implicationsThe switch to open source has enabled many libraries to greatly enhance services to remote users. Financial restrictions which prevented many libraries establishing a web presence have been overcome by open source, resulting in greatly increased contact with library clientsOriginality/valueResults of the first survey of Australian Koha users are presented. A case study of the first Australian health library network installation of Koha is also included.