bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Participative decision making and organizational commitment
Authors: Elele Joyce , Fields Dail 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between participation in decision making (PDM) and the organizational commitment of Nigerian and American employees working in the public sector environment. A focal concern of this study is the extent to which cultural differences or similarities between Nigeria and the USA impact this relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe study first examined the measurement equivalence across both American and Nigerian sub‐samples for scales assessing levels of PDM and organizational commitment. While the item weights for measures of actual and desired PDM were invariant, the weights for items measuring organizational commitment differed between Nigerians and Americans. These weights were subsequently used to calculate affective, normative, and continuance commitment for the Nigerian and American sub‐samples and to test three hypotheses derived from the theoretical implications of cultural differences between Nigerians and Americans.FindingsTaking into account measurement differences, both actual PDM and actual vs desired levels of PDM were related differently to the affective, normative, and continuance commitment of Nigerian employees compared to US employees. For Nigerian employees, both actual levels of participation and actual vs desired participation are related to affective and normative commitment. Neither measure of participation is related to continuance commitment. For Americans, only actual vs desired levels of participation were positively related with affective and normative organizational commitment. Actual levels of participation were negatively related to continuance commitment.Research limitations/implicationsFuture work should expand the sampling to compare employees working in Nigerian owned and managed organizations with American employees of organizations in similar industries and of comparable size.Practical implicationsIn addition to its theoretical value, this paper also has substantial practical value. Staff commitment is an organizational outcome variable critical to the success of international development agencies and implementing partners. For example, anti‐US sentiment has increased in the recent years up in the Islamic northern sections of Nigeria. Employee organizational commitment is critical in such challenging terrains, as employees who are more committed are more likely to help their organization weather such negative conditions.Originality/valueThere have been very few previous studies on how Western management practices such as employee participation play out within the African context and how cultural differences affect the relationships between management practices and employee outcomes in Nigeria. Findings in this study may provide public sector managers in these contexts with an understanding of the possible impact of organizational cultures which include PDM.
The meaning of job performance in collectivistic and high power distance cultures
Authors: Varela Otmar E. , Salgado Elvira I. , Lasio Maria V. 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThree broad behavioral categories have been related to organizational goals: task (in‐role), citizenship (extra‐role), and counterproductive behaviors. Because most studies modeling these behaviors have been conducted in culturally similar contexts (individualistic and relatively low power distance settings), the purpose of this paper is to test the invariance of such a triad categorization of performance in collectivistic and high power distance contexts.Design/methodology/approachData of employees' proficiencies (n = 1,022) in 34 work activities representing the three behavioral performance categories were factor analyzed. Data were collected by adapting existing behavioral‐based instruments exhibiting strong psychometric properties.FindingsAlthough results corroborate the existence of a triad categorization of employee behaviors, culture‐specific variations attesting to the partitioning of in‐role behaviors according to the distribution of power in organizations were found. Results also suggest that collectivistic individuals narrowly conceptualize extra‐role behaviors by excluding discretionary interpersonal actions.Practical implicationsThe paper's findings contribute to our understanding of how job performance varies in a global economy. These variations must be considered in appraisal instruments, especially in organizations operating across cultural contexts.Originality/valueThis paper is believed to be the first to test the cultural invariance of a triad categorization of relevant employee behaviors.
Foreword: investigating the role of intellectual capital in today's business landscape
Authors: Carlucci Daniela , Lerro Antonio 
Published: November 2010

PurposeOrganizations are increasingly aware that to face complexity and uncertainty in today's business landscape, it is important to properly exploit, combine, and continuously develop their intellectual capital (IC). In this introduction to the special issue the aim is to develop some theoretical and managerial reasons explaining the importance of IC to achieve business excellence; then, to call for renewed analysis in the IC research stream aimed to investigate what are the new key intellectual capital dimensions and traits to be better developed and managed in order to deal with the fluidity of business, uncertainty, crisis, change, turbulence and high competitive pressure.Design/methodology/approachThe approaches, evidences and insights discussed in this introduction are largely based on the discussion of the topics of the conference “International forum on knowledge assets dynamics” organized in June 2010 in Matera, Italy. At this conference, leading experts discussed the importance of intellectual capital for organizational business excellence in the twenty‐first century, the new IC key‐value drivers to manage in order to face emergent competitive scenarios, and research and management practices for addressing complexity, uncertainty and changes of today's business landscape.FindingsThe outcomes of this introduction and the contributions to the special issue reflect the emerging discussion about the role of IC management constructs. This discussion is largely focused on the importance of translating IC management within organizational components for achieving business excellence, highlighting approaches and tools in different contexts of analysis.Originality/valueThis introduction as well as all the contributions to the special issue deal with different aspects, which are important in the discussion of the role played by IC in achieving organizational business excellence as well as the approaches, tools, methods and techniques to better disentangle the mechanisms by which IC dimensions, separately or interdependently, contribute to improve companies' organizational performance.
Entrepreneurship education: revisiting our role and its purpose
Authors: Jones Colin 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThis paper seeks to focus on two questions. First, what value is created by entrepreneurship education? Second, how could any such value be created? The aim therefore is to go beyond any assumed notion that entrepreneurship education is beneficial to students in higher education, to question its underlying value.Design/methodology/approachA critical realist approach is used to discuss the ontological nature of entrepreneurship education. Specifically, the process through which enterprise knowledge is developed and used by students in higher education. This research is based on a single‐site case study at UTAS with the data collected by the author and complemented by other recent work that sought to empirically consider the notion of student value from entrepreneurship education within the same (UTAS) context.FindingsThe paper argues that students in higher education understand quite well the limitations of the knowledge they develop about entrepreneurship. That they (the educators) need to better understand the students' journeys so that they can better develop learning environments within which the students' personal development can be advanced.Practical implicationsThe degree to which educators understand their limitations and the limitations of their students as potential entrepreneurs is critical to maximizing the likely value of entrepreneurship education in higher education.Originality/valueThe paper provides a unique way of understanding the process of learning to be entrepreneurial in higher education. As such it offers an alternative way to understand how educators can redefine their importance in the provision of entrepreneurship education. It also highlights the likely limitations of student advancement in the domain of entrepreneurship education in higher education.
Relevance of education for potential entrepreneurs: an international investigation
Authors: Varadarajan Sowmya Damodharan , Majumdar Sudipa , Gallant Monica 
Published: November 2010

PurposePreparing today's students for success and eventual leadership in the new global marketplace is one of the most important responsibilities in education today. This study seeks to represent the first, in‐depth analysis of future entrepreneurs and to show that its results indicate that the investment in entrepreneurship education is valuable.Design/methodology/approachA primary survey was conducted among first‐year Business Studies students from Australia, Portugal, Finland, Germany, Slovenia, Poland, the UK and the UAE. There were a total of 860 students, of whom 510 were female respondents. A five‐point Likert scale was used for each question and mean scores were generated from the ranks.FindingsResults indicated that the majority of students possessed entrepreneurial attitudes. Furthermore, both student characteristics and entrepreneurial experience were found to be associated with certain entrepreneurial attitudes. The results show that the young female students in Dubai are positive regarding the role that universities can play in fostering their interest towards entrepreneurship, for their education and as the incubator for their new venture.Practical implicationsSignificant scope was found for promotion of entrepreneurship in the education system in the United Arab Emirates. Emirati female students showed a high inclination to become entrepreneurs, provided that they undertook a specialized entrepreneurial Business Program. This research shows that students have a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship and it provides evidence, which urges action to advance entrepreneurship education globally.Originality/valueBoth academia and practitioners have increased their efforts in promoting an entrepreneurial mindset within society. However, only a few studies have investigated entrepreneurial attitudes among students. This research shows that students have a positive attitude towards entrepreneurship and it provides evidence which urges action to advance entrepreneurship education globally.
Understanding data volume problems of RFID‐enabled supply chains
Authors: Ilic Alexander , Grössbauer Andrea , Michahelles Florian , Fleisch Elgar 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe widespread application of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags in supply chains is said to cause enormous data volume problems that could render RFID event‐driven supply chains unmanageable. An unbiased and quantitative understanding of the characteristics and extent of these data volume problems is necessary to identify and remove adoption barriers. This paper aims to address the issues.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a simulation study based on a real‐world scenario that reveals quantitative characteristics of the data volumes problem in an RFID‐enabled supply chain and discusses its implications.FindingsThe results suggest that data volumes will be much lower than currently assumed by practitioners. Thus, this work can be seen as a first basis for eliminating unjustified adoption concerns regarding data volumes complexity. However, it finds that the data volume problems bear still significant challenges for researchers and developers of RFID infrastructures with real‐time decision‐making applications.Research limitations/implicationsThe simulation study is based on a single product case study of a retail supply chain in Europe. Since a simulation is always a simplification of the real world, the results need to be interpreted carefully in different contexts. The nature and extent of the problem might vary across different products, industries and geographic regions.Practical implicationsResearchers, end‐users and solution providers might use our paper as a guideline how to approach and quantify the data volume problem in their particular case. Moreover, the result data can be used to benchmark and optimize RFID applications.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first scholarly works that analyze RFID data volume problems in supply chains with a quantitative methodology.
Redesigning the replenishment process of medical supplies in hospitals with RFID
Authors: Bendavid Ygal , Boeck Harold , Philippe Richard 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a case study of a hospital nursing unit that has evaluated and approved a two‐bin “e‐kanban” replenishment system based on passive high frequency radio‐frequency identification (RFID) technology.Design/methodology/approachThe case study analysis is based on both qualitative and quantitative data that were collected using semi‐structured interviews, on‐site observations and experience from previous implementations. The data and simulation analysis presented in this paper were validated by key respondents thereby increasing their reliability.FindingsResults indicate that implementing the e‐kanban RFID solution in conjunction with the redesign of the ward floor and of the roles and functions can substantially improve business and operational performance. The most important benefits for the hospital are derived from the time saved from non‐value‐added activities that can be transferred to patient care activities and the significant reduction of on‐hand inventory at distributed storage locations. The solution is considered an alternative that requires less initial investment than RFID‐enabled cabinets used in the replenishment of consignment and high‐value supplies in operating rooms and cardiac catheterization laboratories.Research limitations/implicationsThere is a need to conduct further research on RFID supply chain management (SCM) applications in the healthcare sector as this area holds a great potential for performance improvements. Additionally, there is a need to conduct more in‐depth research into the isolated impact of RFID technology in comparison to the change management and process redesign that it generates. One key limitation of this research is the case study approach based on a single case. This paper, therefore provides direction for practitioners on how to assess RFID's potential impact in the healthcare supply chain.Originality/valueWhile most of the research on RFID in healthcare sector focuses on active RFID technology for asset management, this research presents a novel RFID application and contributes to our understanding of RFID's potential in intra‐organizational SCM processes.
The influence of board size on intellectual capital disclosure by Kenyan listed firms
Authors: Abeysekera Indra 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of board size on firms disclosing more, rather than less, strategic and tactical intellectual capital resources using the top 26 of the 52 firms ranked by the Nairobi Stock Exchange for market capitalization in 2002 and in 2003. This study identifies intellectual capital disclosure by three separate categories: internal capital, external capital, and human capital. Hence, this study examines the influence of board size on six disclosure outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study develops hypotheses using the resource dependency theory. Using content analysis for data generation, this study classifies firms that disclose more versus those that disclose less, using the mean for all firms for each disclosure outcome.FindingsUsing logistic regression, the study examines the influence of board size on each disclosure outcome and finds that firms disclosing more tactical internal capital and more strategic human capital have larger boards.Practical implicationsThe findings provide insights into how a larger board size can help boards to overcome skill deficiencies in making more discretionary disclosure related to future earnings.Originality/valueThis study analyses the influence of the board size on six aspects of intellectual capital disclosure.
Intellectual capital in the quoted Turkish ITC sector
Authors: Calisir Fethi , Altin Gumussoy Cigdem , Elvan Bayraktaroğlu A. , Deniz Ece 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to apply Value Added Intellectual Coefficient (VAIC™) of Pulic to compare quoted information technology and communication companies on the Istanbul Stock Exchange (ISE), in terms of intellectual capital efficiency. This study also examines VAIC™, and its components' impact on company performance.Design/methodology/approachMultiple regression analysis was employed to identify the variables that significantly contribute to the company performance. Data required to calculate VAIC™ and its components were obtained from the 2005‐2007 annual reports and balance sheets of the companies.FindingsAs a whole, all the companies had a relatively higher human capital efficiency than structural and capital efficiencies. In 2007, Turkcell was the most efficient company based on VAIC™ assessment, while Link Bilgisayar and Plastikkart were the least efficient companies. Additionally, the results of the study revealed that factors such as human capital efficiency, firm leverage, and firm size, predicted profitability well. Among them, human capital efficiency had the highest impact. In addition, capital employed efficiency was found to be a significant predictor of both productivity and return on equity, and the only determinant of market valuation was the firm size.Practical implicationsThis study allowed ITC companies to benchmark themselves according to the intellectual capital efficiencies and develop strategies to enhance their company's performance.Originality/valueThis study is the first that measures intellectual capital performance and its impact on the company performance of the quoted information technology and communication companies on the ISE.
Lean six sigma in a call centre: a case study
Authors: Laureani Alessandro , Antony Jiju , Douglas Alex 
Published: November 2010

PurposeThis paper, a case study, aims to illustrate the application of lean six sigma in a call centre of a service industry corporation.Design/methodology/approachThe study draws on process information and primary data from a real project.FindingsThe study describes improvements in the operation of the call centre attributable to lean six sigma: increase in first‐call resolution ratio, reduction in operator turnover and streamlining of processes.Practical implicationsThe introduction of lean six sigma into the call centre daily operations' management may have organizational benefits.Originality/valueAlthough lean six sigma has been extremely successful in the last two decades in the manufacturing sector, its applicability to the service sector has been a controversial topic. This study illustrates its application to a fast‐growing area of the service sector, assisting companies in identifying areas of development for their call centres.
Crossing gradients of consumer pressure and physical stress on shallow rocky reefs: a test of the stress‐gradient hypothesis
Authors: Bulleri Fabio , Cristaudo Cristina , Alestra Tommaso , Benedetti‐Cecchi Lisandro 
Published: November 2010

Summary 1. The stress‐gradient hypothesis predicts an increase in the importance and intensity of positive species interactions towards extreme ends of gradients generated by either physical stress or consumer pressure. However, little attention has been devoted to assessing how the co‐occurrence of different gradients of stress and variations in the abundance of the benefactor can influence switches in species interactions. 2. On shallow rocky reefs, we assessed shifts in the effects of different covers of Vermetid tube‐building gastropods (benefactor) on macroalgae (beneficiary), under experimental conditions generated by crossing a gradient of consumer pressure (sea urchin density) and a gradient of physical stress (sediment deposition). 3. Negative effects of Vermetids on macroalgae in the absence of herbivores switched to positive at intermediate grazing pressure, but sedimentation and benefactor cover determined their intensity. Thus, association with Vermetids provides macroalgae with a refuge from herbivores. When consumer pressure was the greatest, facilitation persisted both at natural and moderately enhanced sedimentation if the benefactor cover was reduced. When the benefactor monopolized space, facilitation was only observed at natural levels of sedimentation. Thus, the relationship between the outcome of the benefactor–beneficiary interaction (expressed as the Relative Interaction Index) and consumer pressure varied from linear to asymptotic or quadratic, according to sedimentation levels and benefactor abundance. 4.
Synthesis. These results show that shifts in the direction and intensity of species interactions are regulated by the interplay of biological and physical factors. In addition, they suggest that density‐dependent processes are more likely to shape species interactions at extreme ends of gradients of stress.
Nucleoid‐associated PhaF phasin drives intracellular location and segregation of polyhydroxyalkanoate granules in Pseudomonas putida KT2442
Authors: Galán B. , Dinjaski N. , Maestro B. , de Eugenio L. I. , Escapa I. F. , Sanz J. M. , García J. L. , Prieto M. A. 
Published: November 2010

SummaryThe PhaF is a nucleoid‐associated like protein of Pseudomonas putida KT2442 involved in the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) metabolism. Its primary structure shows two modular domains; the N‐terminal PHA granule‐binding domain (phasin domain) and the C‐terminal half containing AAKP‐like tandem repeats characteristic of the histone H1 family. Although the PhaF binding to PHA granules and its role as transcriptional regulator have been previously demonstrated, the cell physiology meaning of these properties remains unknown. This work demonstrates that PhaF plays a crucial role in granule localization within the cell. TEM and flow cytometry studies of cells producing granules at early growth stage demonstrated that PhaF directs the PHA granules to the centre of the cells, forming a characteristic needle array. Our studies demonstrated the existence of two markedly different cell populations in the strain lacking PhaF protein, i.e. cells with and without PHA. Complementation studies definitively demonstrated a key role of PhaF in granule segregation during the cell division ensuring the equal distribution of granules between daughter cells. In vitro studies showed that PhaF binds DNA through its C‐terminal domain in a non‐specific manner. All these findings suggested a main role of PhaF in PHA apparatus through interactions with the segregating chromosome.