bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Hard debt, soft CEOs, and union rents
Authors: Wilson Linus 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to derive insights about optimal managerial compensation and firm capital structure in unionized firms.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses applied game theory to address problems of CEO motivation in companies with unionized workforces.FindingsManagers can use high levels of debt and costly bankruptcy to win wage concessions from workers. Alternatively, workers can obstruct management in the detection of poor work. CEO compensation that encourages rent sharing may reduce union hostility and associated deadweight losses. Shareholder value may be maximized by CEO incentive contracts with limited upsides, lower levels of pay, and some entrenchment protections.Originality/valueThis is the only study to use applied game theory to look at how CEO pay and capital structure affects the productivity of a unionized workforce.
Capital structure: professional management guidance
Authors: Stretcher Robert , Johnson Steve 
Published: July 2011

PurposeCapital structure decisions rely on a complex array of theoretical foundations and practical considerations. At the managerial level, it is impractical to base decisions purely on theory. While one can develop a perception of an optimal capital structure, the decision is often obscured by practical limitations to the theoretical base. In order to be useful to practicing managers, policies and decision techniques need to be efficiently accomplished and based on available information. This paper seeks to provide that practical framework.Design/methodology/approachThis paper recounts the simple theoretical base for capital structure, highlights some of the problems encountered when applying the theory to reality, and suggests a framework for practical managerial decisions about capital structure. This exposition is especially useful in undergraduate business curricula, in particular for finance majors considering professional management as a career.FindingsWhile application of traditional capital structure theory is often impractical, numerous tools are available for use by professional managers to make informed decisions about capital structure.Practical implicationsThe conclusions from this paper provide a framework for current and prospective professional managers for making appropriate capital structure decisions in their management careers.Social implicationsProper managerial techniques and considerations for leverage and capital structure can potentially benefit society through more prudent use of debt, based on the variety of measures presented in this paper.Originality/valueTopics discussed in this paper have been in development since the 1950s. The contribution of this paper is the creation of a framework for understanding and applying these topics, for pedagogical and management training purposes.
Aspects of representation of library and information science
Authors: Badovinac Branka , Južnič Primož 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper seeks to deal with the “image problem” in the library and information science (LIS) profession from the cultural studies viewpoint. It aims to explore representations of LIS in LIS itself and to research the representation practices of LIS in the social and cultural environment.Design/methodology/approachAfter identifying some main features of professional discourse on the LIS image, the empirical part of the research particularly explored two questions: how LIS is constituted and how it is embedded in broader social practices. More than 300 articles were collected from the Slovenian daily newspaper with the largest circulation. The sample was analyzed quantitatively and two‐fold qualitatively.FindingsThe results of quantitative analysis outline the formation of LIS's community nature. The results of qualitative analysis mostly show the signifying practices in differentiating between the “old” and the “modern” and representing practices in creating “zealous” librarians and “suspicious” users. The results also point to librarians as “organic intellectuals”.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is exploratory and at this point the thesis on “organic intellectuals” cannot be confirmed; in addition to the limits in the analysis methods, the theoretical background needs to be further explored. The findings cannot be generalized due to social and cultural differences.Practical implicationsThe methodology can be applied to other research subjects. The results may be helpful for library managers and library public relations work.Originality/valueThere are only a few studies of such theoretical and methodological design that have researched the role of the LIS in society. The paper also analyzes the “image problem” in the daily newspapers.
Planning for the acquisition of information resources management core competencies
Authors: Martin Jim , Zaghloul Raik 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to discuss the development of a core set of information resources management (IRM) competencies and to detail a plan for their acquisition by IRM librarians of a large academic university library.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines the work of librarians who manage information resources at the University of Arizona Libraries to inform the development of a set of core competencies. The planned implementation and assessment of a series of training sessions for developing these competencies is also discussed, as is the role of individual librarians who have been assigned specific tasks related to broader issues not easily addressed by a training session. Finally, a prioritized list of mastery‐level competencies for future development is defined.FindingsBy defining in detail the information resource‐related tasks for which IRM members are responsible, the authors were able to develop a plan for training modules that are designed to ensure core competencies for all team members.Originality/valueThis paper is a detailed plan for developing competencies needed to manage information resources at an academic library.
From personal values to creativity: evidence from frontline service employees
Authors: Sousa Carlos M.P. , Coelho Filipe 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine how personal values and the way employees respond to the organization and the job impact on employee creativity. Specifically, the paper proposes a framework that argues that creativity is a function of the employee's personal values, of organizational commitment and customer orientation. Moreover, it also aims to investigate the moderating effects of commitment and customer orientation on the relationship between personal values and employee creativity.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual model was tested empirically using data collected by questionnaire in a sample of 266 bank employees. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis is relied on to test the hypothesized model.FindingsThe empirical results indicate that personal values, organizational commitment, and customer orientation are important drivers of the creativity of frontline employees. In addition, the paper also detected some moderating and mediating effects.Originality/valueThe contribution of this paper is fourfold. First, the influence that personal values might have on an employee's creativity is studied. Second, a conceptual model that incorporates variables concerning how employees respond to the context in which they work is developed: organizational commitment and customer orientation. The simultaneous effects of the organizational commitment and customer orientation of frontline employees on creativity are examined, to the best of the paper's knowledge, for the first time in the literature. Third, the interaction effect between personal characteristics and commitment and customer orientation on creativity is investigated. Finally, the study also contributes to current literature by examining these issues in the context of frontline service jobs.
Modeling regret effects on consumer post‐purchase decisions
Authors: Bui My , Krishen Anjala S. , Bates Kenneth 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess how regret affects consumer satisfaction levels, extent of rumination, and brand‐switching intention. The paper also seeks to examine any mediating effects between regret and rumination that can be found due to consumers' negative emotions.Design/methodology/approachA purchase‐decision scenario was presented to 125 undergraduate students. A between‐subjects experimental design was conducted and structural equation modelling was utilized to evaluate the model fit.FindingsThe results indicate that regret decreases consumer satisfaction level and increases brand‐switching intention. Negative emotion was found to demonstrate an indirect effect between regret and extent of rumination. The findings also suggest that negative emotion acts as a partially mediating variable between the effect of satisfaction levels on extent of rumination and the effect of regret on satisfaction levels.Practical implicationsThis study emphasizes the importance of post‐purchase consumer satisfaction. Marketers must pay particular attention to both regret and negative emotion toward purchase decisions. By understanding how specific recourse can be taken to mitigate regret, negative emotions, and ruminative thinking, firms can potentially enhance a brand's image and instil brand loyalty.Originality/valueThis research further validates existing research regarding regret and consumption, while introducing the concept of rumination into the marketing literature. Marketers will have a better understanding of how regret, negative emotions, and rumination can play a role in post‐purchase consumption behaviours.
Measuring internet product purchase risk
Authors: Lynn Selby Coker Brent , Jeremy Ashill Nicholas , Hope Beverley 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a scale to reliably capture the variance of perceived risk towards purchasing on the internet at the product level.Design/methodology/approachA two‐dimensional scale to measure internet Product Purchase Risk (IPPR) was developed and tested in three studies. In the first study a preliminary pool of items was generated with evidence of content validity. In the second study the IPPR scale was purified using principal axis factor analysis. In the third study evidence of criterion‐related, known‐group, nomological, and discriminant validity was demonstrated.FindingsThe IPPR scale was found to successfully capture the variance of evaluation judgement and internet security risk. IPPR was also found to have a quadratic relationship with experience purchasing a product category from the internet.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough strong evidence to suggest construct validity was demonstrated, it is understood that efforts to establish the validity of new measures should be ongoing. Specifically, although the IPPR scale was shown to produce reliable‐measurements for seven different products, the measurement of IPPR across more product categories would strengthen evidence of generalizability.Practical implicationsGiven that risk is strongly dependent on the type of product, the procedure to develop the IPPR scale demonstrates the importance of measuring risk at the product category level.Originality/valueThis is the first study to develop and rigorously validate a multi‐item measure of purchase risk at the product level. Given the importance of risk in understanding online consumer behaviour, the IPPR scale will be useful for future studies in this domain, especially for comparing findings.
Strategic relationship management and service brand marketing
Authors: Tsai Shu‐pei 
Published: July 2011

PurposeIn recent years, the notion of consumer‐brand relationships has drawn increasing attention from both researchers and practitioners in the field of service brand marketing. However, different paradigms conceptualize and measure this notion from diversified perspectives. The current study, integrating and modifying the main concepts of different consumer‐brand relationships paradigms, proposes to test an integrative‐model.Design/methodology/approachThe paper conducts an exploratory investigation and a cross‐regional survey, alongside the statistical technique of structural equation modeling, confirms the appropriateness of the entire model structure as well as the causal path pattern explicated by the proposed Strategic Management of Service Brand Relationships model.FindingsAccording to the Strategic Management of Service Brand Relationships model, service brand commitment and service brand love partially mediate the effects of eight relationship components on service brand loyalty. Moreover, amid the eight relationship components, there are three components (satisfaction of affective attributes, trust, and self‐concept connection) also exercising a direct positive influence on service brand loyalty.Originality/valueThe Strategic Management of Service Brand Relationships model delineates the antecedents and consequence of positive service brand relationships. Specific indicators of the latent constructs as well as the causal pathways among these constructs provide strategic principles for fostering strong and durable brand loyalty through consumer‐brand relationships in the context of service brand marketing.
Selecting a female athlete endorser in China
Authors: Tingchi Liu Matthew , Brock James L. 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis study seeks to investigate the relationship among attractiveness of female athlete endorsers, product/service match‐up, and consumers' purchase intention within the context of China.Design/methodology/approachA 3×2×2 between‐subject experimental design enabled a 12‐scenario study depicting a purchase experience manipulated by endorser attractiveness levels (high/middle/low), endorser‐product match‐up (high/low), and two different product types (to prevent single‐product bias). Differences between female and male samples are also compared.FindingsIn terms of the generation of purchase intent, there is no difference between a middle attractive female athlete endorser and a low‐attractive one when both are in a low match‐up condition. While the use of middle attractive female athlete endorsers works only in a high match‐up condition with female consumers, it is certain that high attractiveness always works better than low attractiveness. In total, the results suggest that female athlete endorsers' attractiveness affects Chinese consumers' purchase intention more than match‐up.Originality/valueThe results not only compare the relationships between attractiveness and match‐up, but also push traditional endorser theories one step farther by examining the concept of middle level attractiveness and by probing the effect of a middle‐attractive female endorser. The cultural influence of Chinese traditional philosophy, The Doctrine of the Mean, on Chinese consumers is discussed and considered. The influence of middle attractiveness endorsers on study subjects of different genders is also discussed.
Service‐dominant logic: a rejoinder to Lusch and Vargo's reply
Authors: O'Shaughnessy John , Jackson O'Shaughnessy Nicholas 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper is a rejoinder to Lusch and Vargo's defense of their service‐dominant logic paper against criticism.Design/methodology/approachThe paper responds to Lusch and Vargo's defense and criticism of the initial article primarily through examining the logic of their case.FindingsThe paper finds that both the charges and the arguments against the criticism have no merit.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper offers guidance as to the approach needed to advance the study of service marketing. This rejects the notion that viewing all businesses as service entities is a progressive approach but recommends a disjunctive definition of service, which would throw up service‐categories that needed to be studied in their own right if progress is to be made.Originality/valueThe paper suggests that Lusch and Vargo's S‐D‐dominant logic is unlikely to be practically fruitful while remaining theoretically limited.
Stepping aside and moving on: a rejoinder to a rejoinder
Authors: Vargo Stephen L. , Lusch Robert F. 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper proposes a rejoinder to the O'Shaughnessy and O'Shaughnessy rejoinder to “Service dominant logic: a necessary step”, the commentary on their previous criticism of service‐dominant logic.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a critical analysis of O'Shaughnessy and O'Shaughnessy's comments.FindingsThe paper finds that O'Shaughnessy and O'Shaughnessy's comments are, according to their own admission, contrived, without regard to or familiarity with the body of work they criticise. The work they disparage includes not only its own but, by implication, that contributed by a large and growing number of scholars worldwide who find service‐dominant logic a useful, informed and informing orientation to the market and marketing.Research limitations/implicationsScholars are encouraged to continue to collaborate and contribute to the development and advancement of service‐dominant logic as an ongoing, open‐source endeavour.Originality/valueThis paper suggests that, whereas serious debate and dialogue about service‐dominant logic, including that which is critical, are encouraged and are essential to meaningful advancement, it is probably best to disregard the less useful criticism contained in O'Shaughnessy and O'Shaughnessy's rejoinder, and move on to more serious work.
Human resource development in the knowledge based and services driven economy
Authors: Tomé Eduardo 
Published: July 2011

PurposeIn July 2009 the Universidade Lusíada de Famalicão organized the International Conference on Managing Services in the Knowledge Economy 2009 (MSKE 2009).http://clegi.fam.ulusiada.pt/MSKE2009/. MSKE 2009 was an interesting forum which gathered 60 specialists from 20 countries in different areas such as knowledge management, intellectual capital, human resource development, social policy, law and international economics. In the human resource development field, five relevant contributions were selected to compose the current issue. The purpose of this introductory paper is to review the literature on the role of human resource development (HRD) in the current knowledge based and services driven economy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the importance of knowledge as a crucial economic factor and the importance of services as the main area of economic business. It shows how HRD relates to services and knowledge.FindingsStarting at the time of the Agricultural Revolution when human resources (HR) were marginally considered, the paper ends in the globalized and technologic advanced world of 2010 in which HR are a decisive production factor and are analyzed by different very important scientific perspectives. Crucially, in the present new order of the world, services are the main economic sector in advanced countries. The important role of HRD as a factor of success in a world dominated by services and knowledge is explained. The major open questions and controversies related to HRD are enumerated.Research limitations/implicationsQuite a number of open questions remain in the HRD field. Those questions relate to individuals, educational system, organizations, and to society as a whole. Those questions are analyzed in detail in this introduction. The current special issue includes papers dealing with five separate topics related to the open questions: academic curricula needed for the service sector; role of universities and workplace work‐related arrangements of the educational system; intellectual capital management; career advancement; career aspirations.Originality/valueThe paper introduces the special issue of theJournal of European Industrial Trainingon “HRD in the knowledge based and services driven economy”.
Appreciating the complexity of organizational processes
Authors: Espejo Raul , Kuropatwa Daniel 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of a company in Argentina with the support of the viable system model (VSM) and the Viplan method. This company had had a cybernetic intervention in the 1980s and in 2002 went out of business. The authors' purpose was revisiting the company with the lenses of current organizational cybernetics to find new insights from its history.Design/methodology/approachThe history was constructed by one of the authors, who was a key player in the company. He also obtained the views of other people who had worked in the company. These data were assessed interactively by the two authors using the VSM and the Viplan method.FindingsThough a functional application of the VSM may be helpful to highlight communication and information requirements, it yields limited insights about viability. It is the assessment of relationships within the organization and with environmental agents that offers more valuable results.Research limitations/implicationsOften retrospective studies have limited value; it is easy to construct history to fit particular interests. However, the authors had very different backgrounds, one highly involved with the company's history, the other interested in clarifying the use of the VSM. The first wanted to provide an accurate history and the second insights to improve the application of the VSM.Originality/valueThe approach of the paper is focused on a particular and unique situation. Also the paper goes beyond the more traditional functional applications of the VSM. It is an application focused on people's relations and performance.
An argument for active citizenship and organisational transparency
Authors: Espejo Raul , Mendiwelso Bendek Zoraida 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue that active citizenship and organisational transparency are necessary to increase stakeholders' influence in policy processes. Active citizenship is necessary to involve stakeholders in policy processes and organisational transparency is necessary to improve communications between them and policy makers.Design/methodology/approachFirst, this paper explains a conceptual framework to understand communications in social systems. Second, it illustrates its application with reference to concrete policies in England.FindingsIt is found that for active citizenship it is necessary not only to increase stakeholders' competencies but also make effective those organisational structures relevant to the policy issues of concern. However, and this is a key reason to increase people's competencies, these structures are the outcome of self‐organising processes shaped by those who are better organised, with more resources and in positions of power.Research limitations/implicationsBeyond informed and well‐grounded dialogues, communications between citizens and policy makers happen through organisation structures that activate some resources at the expense of others and involve some stakeholders at the expense of others. Unless these structures make possible balanced communications between them, citizens will find it difficult to influence policy makers.Originality/valueThe paper sees the policy for active citizenship and community empowerment in England under the lens of a cybernetic framework.