bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Business incubation as strategy
Authors: Eshun Joseph P. 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose that an unprecedented revolutionary change in the structure of the US economy warrants attention to the internal structures, cultures and strategies. Consequently, it is argued that for businesses, especially large industrial establishments (LIEs), to survive and prosper in the new and emerging economic order, they must aggressively redesign their organizational environments as a business incubator to leverage new and emerging social and economic opportunities in the development and commercialization of new products, new processes, and new business models, among others. These strategic goals and objectives require firms to pursue leverage creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship as well as embrace and adopt business incubation as strategy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper attempts to make business incubation a strategy not only for new and emerging technology‐driven firms but also for large industrialized corporations. In addition, it argues that, in the new economy, creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship should not be the exclusive routine or practice of only small firms but should also be a part of large corporations if they are to survive and prosper in the new economy.FindingsFuture research may develop testable hypotheses to validate claims and assertions. The last couple of decades have witnessed unprecedented revolutionary change in the structure of the US economy. Whether it is called the “entrepreneurial economy” or the “new economy”, entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity have become the hallmark of economic and business prosperity.Practical implicationsThese concepts should hopefully encourage managers to view their organizations as business incubators on the basis of certain enabling structures, cultures (values, beliefs, norms, etc.) and policies and strategies that may either unleash and leverage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship or inhibit them. After thinking about their organizations in terms of a business incubator, managers, hopefully, will craft business incubation strategies – programs, activities, and events that will bring a community orientation and collective action to existing product improvements, new product developments and the commercialization agenda via creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship.Originality/valueBusiness incubators have traditionally been recognized as new organizational forms for promoting entrepreneurship and stimulating new business formation. Similarly, business incubation programs, activities, and events have routinely been perceived as being beneficial to entrepreneurs, start‐ups, and small business. It is possible that no one so far has conceptualized and endogenized the firm as a business incubator and business incubation as strategy.
Six necessary mind shifts for implementing strategy
Authors: Speculand Robin 
Published: April 2009

PurposeIn the last few years the field of strategy implementation has been growing. Much of the current literature explains the “why”. This paper aims to shift the thinking from the “why” to the “how”. Leaders are now beginning to state that they understand that it is important to implement as well as design the strategy and are asking “What do I need to do differently” so as not to repeat the mistakes of the past and avoid being a casualty of the “9 out of 10 failure rate”.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on the findings from eight years of interviewing over 300 leaders about the implementation of their strategy. It is also based on the research the author has done for his new book Beyond Strategy, to be published shortly.FindingsThe key finding is that leaders must adopt six mind shifts.Research limitations/implicationsThere is very little research in the field of strategy implementation. Bridges (the company run by the author) is one of the few to have been researching the field for eight years.Practical implicationsThe paper targets the six mind shifts leaders must have in order to implement their strategy.Originality/valueThe value of the paper is that there is very little published writing on the field of strategy implementation and even less on how to implement it. There are few tools and techniques available in the field, especially when compared with how you create a strategy.
How to ensure your recession‐fighting game plan gets implemented
Authors: Myrna John W. 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to inform the readers and the leaders and managers of industry, that a major reason why companies fail to meet their objectives is poor implementation. This article sets out to talk about what to do to fully implement plans and achieve desired goals.Design/methodology/approachThe author uncovered the main implementation pitfalls during his 30 years of experience as a manager and consultant working with hundreds of organizations on developing and implementing their strategic plans.FindingsThere are ten major reasons why companies fail to implement their strategic plans.Practical implicationsMissing goals and milestones is tough enough on the bottom line in the good times, but it could be deadly for companies during depressed economic conditions.Originality/valueThis information is unique in its comprehensiveness and crucial for executives and owners of industry in both emerging and mature markets.
Maternal autonomy and child nutrition
Authors: Dancer Diane , Rammohan Anu 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the main determinants of child nutrition in rural Nepal, focusing on the influential role of maternal autonomy.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses data from the 2006 Nepal Demographic Health Survey (NDHS) to estimate econometric models using OLS and logit techniques. The dependent variables are the two anthropometric measures of child weight‐for‐height (a measure of wasting) and height‐for‐age (a measure of stunting).FindingsNo evidence was found of gender discrimination against the girl child in either of our nutritional measures. However, our results show that the explanatory variables have differential effects on male and female children. Estimation results show that maternal autonomy variables have a limited influence on child nutrition measures, but household wealth has a large positive impact on child nutrition, both short‐term and long term.Originality/valueThe large sample size and the range of questions available in our nationally representative dataset, allows us to explore the influence of household level social and economic factors on child nutrition. A study of the role of maternal decision‐making power and control over assets on the nutritional status of children is an important issue in a developing country like Nepal, where health and education outcomes remain poor for large segments of the population.
Finding a way forward
Authors: Howes Stephen 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the (three) critical issues that will need to be addressed in a post‐2012 (post‐Kyoto) global agreement on climate change, sets out the options and difficulties in relation to them, and outlines a way forward on each.Design/methodology/approachThe paper assesses proposals for national and international mitigation already put forward both by negotiating countries and by academics.FindingsGlobal mitigation efforts have so far achieved little and negotiations are currently deadlocked. This lack of progress has led to an proliferation of alternative policy proposals for an international agreement, but only those proposals which build on international agreements to date have at the current time any reasonable prospect of guiding global mitigation effort post‐2012. There are three main issues that will need to be addressed within that framework: emission reduction targets for developed countries; the nature and extent of actions to limit emissions growth in developing countries; and the funding of emission reduction efforts in developing countries. Using a number of explicit assumptions, the paper identifies likely ranges for emission reduction targets for developed countries and emission growth limits for developing countries. The best (worst) case involves developed countries as a group reducing 2020 emissions by 20 per cent (10 per cent) over 1990 levels, and developing countries limiting annual average emissions growth between 2012 and 2020 to 1.5 per cent (3.5 per cent) a year. This is estimated to give global emissions in 2020 in the range of 47‐53 Gt CO2‐e. The bottom end of this range is consistent with the long‐term goal of stabilizing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the range of 550 CO2‐e ppm, provided there is rapid adjustment post‐2020. Crucial to reaching a deal at the ambitious end of this range will be reform of the clean development mechanism, and a commitment by developed countries to large public funding in support of developing country mitigation.Originality/valueThe paper accepts the current negotiating framework, and provides a systematic and quantified treatment of the critical issues which arise within it.
Managing organizational change by using soft systems thinking in action research projects
Authors: Sankaran Shankar , Hou Tay Boon , Orr Martin 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to show how systems thinking can be incorporated in action research (AR) interventions to successfully implement organizational change. The two case studies described in this paper would be useful to managers who want to implement change in their own organizations.Design/methodology/approachBoth projects used AR as the methodology due to its flexible, responsive and emergent nature. In one project, there was a deliberate attempt to incorporate soft systems thinking whereas in the other project soft systems thinking was used as a sense‐making process while carrying out AR. As an added benefit both approaches have resulted in successful completion of doctoral research.FindingsSoft systems methodology (SSM) and AR can both help in addressing ill‐structured problems faced by managers, in collaboration with stakeholders using questioning and reflection. Both lead to an increased understanding about the problem situation. The difference is that SSM uses a more structured approach while AR is emergent in its application. SSM practitioners advocate that action researchers would benefit by declaring in advance an intellectual framework to guide their research. This has the additional benefit of overcoming obstacles in an academic environment where research processes are still governed based on traditional research methods.Practical implicationsThe ideas presented in the paper could be particularly useful to a practice‐based discipline such as project management where research into its practice is in demand.Originality/valueThis paper would be useful to managers interested in a rigorous methodology to implement organizational change in addressing business problems. It demonstrates ways of combining SSM and AR, resulting in a powerful research tool to carry out rigorous research.
Project management in small to medium‐sized enterprises
Authors: Rodney Turner J. , Ledwith Ann , Kelly John 
Published: April 2009

PurposeSmall to medium enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the economy, in terms of employment and their contribution to national wealth. A significant proportion of that contribution comes from innovation. SMEs are also the engine for future growth in the economy. Project management has a role to play in managing that innovation and growth. The purpose of this paper is to find the extent to which SMEs use projects, project management and the tools of project management, and to determine what differences there are by size of company and industry.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was developed to examine the extent to which small firms carry out projects, the resources they employ, the way they measure project success and the tools and techniques that they use. The questionnaire was answered by 280 companies from a range of industries and sizes.FindingsIt is found that companies of all sizes spend roughly the same proportion of turnover on projects, but the smaller the company, the smaller their projects, the less they use project management and its tools. Surprisingly, hi‐tech companies spend less on projects than lo‐tech or service companies, but have larger projects and use project management to a greater extent. They also use the gadgets of project management to a greater extent.Research limitations/implicationsIt is concluded that SMEs do require less‐bureaucratic versions of project management, perhaps with different tool sets than the more traditional versions designed for medium‐sized or large projects, and with different versions for medium, small and micro projects. For all firms, the important success factors are client consultation; planning, monitoring and control; and resource allocation are also identified.Originality/valueThe findings suggest the need for further research into the nature of those “lite” versions of project management designed for SMEs.
A knowledge management approach to innovation and learning in the construction industry
Authors: Maqsood Tayyab , Finegan Andrew D. 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to summarise a Doctor of Philosophy research study. The purpose is to provide a summary of the scope, literature review, main issues raised in the thesis, the application of a two phase action research methodology, key research findings and potential areas for future research.Design/methodology/approachThe research investigates the role of knowledge management (KM) in supporting innovation and learning in the construction industry. The research is carried out in two phases. Phase 1 employs a grounded theory methodology to develop and map out the current state of knowledge‐related activities being undertaken in two leading Australian construction organisations. This is developed into a model that shows that the segregation between three crucial components – people, process and technology – of an organisation is required to successfully carry out construction work. Phase 2 utilises soft system methodology (SSM) as a KM tool to identify the gap between organisations' internal and external knowledge sources. This gap is significant as it restricts the pull of knowledge from external knowledge sources.FindingsThis investigation provides a model to achieve KM initiatives through adoption of SSM. This results in an improvement in the integration of people, process and technology within an organisation, an increase in the capacity of the organisation to pull external knowledge, and thereby improve its own internal knowledge bank. All these improvements help an organisation to transform itself into a learning organisation that can continually adapt and innovate.Practical implicationsKM research is relatively new in the construction industry. This research has significantly added to the existing body of knowledge in the domain of KM by effectively linking KM with innovation and learning. This provides a strong case for employing KM in order to make innovation a regular phenomenon within the construction industry and encouraging organisations to transform themselves into learning organisations.Originality/valueThis paper provides practitioners with an insight into how KM can be applied in project management (PM)‐oriented organisations. Also the research explores an identified gap between PM research and practice, and argues that industry needs to effectively work in collaboration with knowledge sources found in academia. The paper also demonstrates that SSM can be used to create artefacts of knowledge.
A survey of management views on dividend policy in Iranian firms
Authors: Pourheydari Omid 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the views of chief financial officers (CFOs) of Iranian firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange about the factors influencing dividend policy in 2006. The paper aims to update and extend previous research on dividend policy to capture the determinants of the dividend policy of Iranian firms.Design/methodology/approachSurvey instruments were used to identify the factors that CFOs consider in formulating dividend policy, based on both theoretical and empirical works on dividends, to identify the factors that are most important in dividend policy of firms.FindingsThe findings show that the most important determinants of a firm's dividend policies are the stability of cash flow, the availability of profitable investment opportunities, and stability of profitability. Also, industry type appeared to influence the importance that respondents placed on one determinant of dividend policy.Research limitations/implicationsIt is likely that the firms that did not respond on time may show a non‐response bias. Despite lacking normal precautionary steps to increase the response rate, non‐response bias may affect the findings. Another limitation of the survey methodology was that it measures beliefs and not necessarily actions. Therefore, caution should be taken in generalizing the findings.Practical implicationsThe findings have implications for CFOs in formulating dividend policy.Originality/valueThe paper updates and extends previous research on dividend policy to capture the determinants of the dividend policy of Iranian firms.
Accounting treatment for corporate zakat: a critical review
Authors: Akhyar Adnan Muhammad , Barizah Abu Bakar Nur 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the accounting treatments for corporate zakat, as advocated by accounting standards and guidelines, as well as those been practised by relevant corporations. The aim is to determine their appropriateness and adherence to both the Islamic as well as the accounting theoretical perspectives.Design/methodology/approachAccounting standards and guidelines related to zakat, including the Financial Accounting Standard No. 9 and the Technical Release i‐1, are examined. Additionally, analyses are made on the practices of Islamic financial institutions to determine their compliance with both standards and ontological aspects of zakat.FindingsThe study reveals that there is a general misconception of zakat, as indicated in several standards and guidelines, which has consequently resulted in inappropriateness in their proposed corporate zakat recognition and measurement and hence presentations. These inaccuracies, in one way or another, have not been in line with the true spirit of zakat in Islam. More worryingly, some unfavorable consequences may and in fact have already been implicated on the larger Muslim community as a result.Research limitations/implicationsAn alternative view on the accounting treatment of corporate zakat is offered in this paper with the aim to provide a fair and proper assessment of zakat on corporate wealth, which is more parallel to the true spirit of zakat.Originality/valueThe paper integrates both the revealed and the contemporary accounting knowledge in scrutinizing the standards and practices as well as in recommending an improved and meaningful alternative.
Sustainable tourism in India
Authors: Kaul Himani , Gupta Shivangi 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThe paper aims to provide a holistic perspective on various dimensions of sustainable tourism. The discussion with key practitioners authenticates the issues that have already been identified.Design/methodology/approachThe paper combines analysis of government documents as well as insights from practitioners. The paper discusses issues of sustainable tourism, strengths of the industry, challenges faced and policy implications for the government.FindingsThe paper explores the economic importance of sustainable tourism by outlining the strengths and challenges of the Indian tourism industry. The paper has implications for the government and firms in terms of investment in hospitality education, infrastructure and better employment practices.Practical implicationsThe paper provides a road map for some of the initiatives that government and industry could adopt.Originality/valueIt combines a policy perspective for government and industry stakeholders.
Managing workforce issues in the hospitality industry in India
Authors: Jauhari Vinnie , Manaktola Kamal 
Published: April 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the workforce issues as they relate to the hospitality industry which if managed well, could lead to higher growth for the firm and consequently the industry.Design/methodology/approachThe perspectives have been drawn from the hospitality industry and academia in India.FindingsThe key workforce issues that need to be addressed in the hospitality industry are: perceptions about the industry; levels of manpower attrition; education; competencies and skill development; work environment and compensation; opening up of diverse opportunities for the workforce. These have a strong bearing on the firm's growth and consequently industry's growth and contribution to the economy.Originality/valueThe paper integrates viewpoints from industry and academia and specific suggestions are made to address the listed issues.
The online destination image of Goa
Authors: Dwivedi Mridula , Yadav Anil , Raghavjibhai Patel Viral 
Published: April 2009

PurposeIndia considers tourism a high‐potential sector in terms of its contribution to employment generation and economic growth. A positive destination image has a direct bearing on the tourist arrivals and hence economic growth of that region. The purpose of this paper is to explore the online destination image of Goa, an important tourist destination in India and draw lessons for successful image management in the age of the internet.Design/methodology/approachQualitative information was downloaded from multiple travel agent web sites, newspaper articles and “threads” on one travel message board. The information is further categorized into suitable destination image attributes to study their impact on the destination image of Goa.FindingsManaging the communication to create positive experiences is important. There is similarity in coverage on some aspects among the three sources such as beach destination, tourist infrastructure, and attractive night life. However, important differences emerge around the issues of culture, social factors, political factors and the overall atmosphere of Goa.Research limitations/implicationsGovernment and industry should assess as to how a particular destination is viewed by people at large. There could be inefficiencies which could be dealt with proactively. The paper also has lessons for travellers seeking information about destinations and sites supplying such information.Practical implicationsConsumers are increasingly going to balance out the overly marketing‐oriented information coming from more traditional sources with more realistic travel accounts. Feedback for a destination is easily available online – particularly through consumer generated data. If harnessed properly, it can provide a valuable guide to the better management of a destination and its continued economic success.Originality/valueOnline destination image research is still in its nascent stage. The paper contributes to a better understanding of online sources of information of a destination. Government and the industry are no longer the only providers of information about a destination. Consumer viewpoints can provide low‐cost feedback about the challenges a destination faces and possible solutions to it.