bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Senior managers' perceptions of the HRM function during times of strategic organizational change
Authors: Rees Christopher J. , Johari Hasanah 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role played by the human resource management (HRM) function in strategic organizational change initiatives. The objectives of the paper are to assess the extent to which the HRM function is perceived by senior managers to have contributed to the strategic organizational change agenda during a period of rapid change, and identify major challenges HRM professionals face as facilitators of strategic change management initiatives in contexts of this nature.Design/methodology/approachThe research objectives were addressed using literature‐based evidence and primary interview data obtained from qualitative in‐depth interviews with the directors and deputy directors of a public sector banking institution in Malaysia.FindingsIn addition to identifying positive perceptions of the HRM function, the findings raise issues about the strategic focus, independence, credibility, and leadership strategies associated with the HR function's attempts to engage with strategic change initiatives. The findings also reveal the respondents' views about the extent to which HRM activities have or should have ethical, spiritual, and religious foci.Practical implicationsThe implications of the research findings for HRM are discussed with reference to issues such as: the transfer of Western‐originating change management approaches to non‐Western settings; the need for organizational change outcomes (including wider societal objectives) to be delineated clearly with reference to organizational change initiatives; and the close association between ethics, spirituality, and HRM in certain Asian contexts.Originality/valueThe paper offers a valuable insight into the role of the HRM function in organizational change interventions with specific reference to the context of Malaysia.
From “taking” network pictures to “making” network pictures
Authors: Purchase Sharon , Lowe Sid , Ellis Nick 
Published: September 2010

PurposeAn earlier researcher, Wood, proposed that cinema is the most appropriate metaphor for interpretation of contemporary life and organizations. The paper adopts the enthusiasm for the cinema metaphor and explores the implications for industrial marketing and business networks, with particular reference to the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) Group research.Design/methodology/approachThe paper outlines the Cartesian picture theory of the early Wittgenstein, the comparable “pictures agenda” within the IMP, then the post‐Cartesian “language gaming” approach adopted by the later Wittgenstein, and associates it with an agenda to introduce a more “cinematographic” approach, introducing issues within the “linguistic turn” to the study of business networks.FindingsThe transformation of the contemporary “post‐Cartesian” culture from “written” to “visual” was not fully appreciated until the invention and mass appeal of cinema and the concomitants of a visual culture became more apparent. In the notion of the “spectacle”, Debord was amongst the first to show that the postmodern visual culture was one where social relations are dominated by commodified images. The images that prevail, from this critical viewpoint, are “social opiates” masquerading as progress that control actors through addictive consumption and acquisition by spectator consumers. In this context, business to business relationships are about how these image‐based addictions are maintained within business cultures.Research limitations/implicationsThe adoption of a cinematographic metaphor would appear to be a pertinent development for understanding of business network relationships.Originality/valueThe advantage of a cinematographic metaphor over other, less visual, metaphors is that cinema is more visually sophisticated and entirely embedded in cultures dominated by commodified images. It is appropriate, therefore, that visual literacy, realities as increasingly “image‐dominated” and “virtual” business networks are better understood through the lens of a cinematographic metaphor.
Crafting sustainable work: development of personal resources
Authors: Kira Mari , van Eijnatten Frans M. , Balkin David B. 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to conceptualize employees' sustainable work abilities, or their long‐term adaptive and proactive abilities to work, farewell at work, and contribute through working. Sustainable work is defined as to promote the development in personal resources leading to sustainable work ability.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual paper distinguishes vital personal resources underlying an employee's sustainable work ability and categorizes these resources with the help of integral theory. Collaborative work crafting was outlined as a tool to promote the development of personal resources and sustainable work ability.FindingsSustainable work ability depends on personal resources relating to our human nature as both individual and communal beings with both interior and exterior worlds. Work crafting may create sustainable work in which existing personal resources are benefited from, developed further through learning, or translated into novel resources.Practical implicationsWhen formal job descriptions and preplanned job design do not work in post‐industrial work, traditional job design can be replaced by collaborative work crafting, which allows development in both work and employees.Originality/valueThe paper synthesizes different types of personal resources needed for sustainable working and outlines their development processes, rather than adds one more theory to explain some specific aspect of well‐being, development, and functioning. The paper offers one of the first definitions of sustainable work.
The social, physical and temporal characteristics of primary school dining halls and their implications for children's eating behaviours
Authors: Moore Sue N. , Murphy Simon , Tapper Katy , Moore Laurence 
Published: September 2010

PurposeSocial, physical and temporal characteristics are known to influence the eating experience and the effectiveness of nutritional policies. As the school meal service features prominently in UK nutritional and health promotion policy, the paper's aim is to investigate the characteristics of the primary school dining context and their implications for eating behaviours.Design/methodology/approachA case study of one local authority in Wales was conducted involving 11 primary schools stratified into socio‐economic quartiles. Focussed observations were carried out over two to three lunchtimes per school to explore their social, physical and temporal characteristics. These were supplemented by semi‐structured interviews with catering staff and midday supervisors.FindingsThe dining halls had numerous generic attributes (e.g. accommodation, equipment, length of lunchtime, social actors). These interacted to have a direct, but not necessarily positive, bearing on food choice and consumption. Overcrowded, multi‐purpose dining halls coupled with time pressures and dynamic social situations detracted from the eating experience and the ability of staff to encourage children to eat.Practical implicationsWithout addressing these underlying issues, school nutritional policy may only play a limited role in influencing what children eat. It is recommended that policy places a greater emphasis on factors such as the eating environment; the time available for eating; and the role of the midday supervisor.Originality/valuePrevious studies of dining halls have generally been part of process evaluations of nutritional interventions. This study adds value by conducting a focussed investigation into the relationship between the dining hall environment and eating behaviours.
Accounting: an un‐Australian activity?
Authors: Evans Steve , Jacobs Kerry 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand if accounting is an un‐Australian activity, contrasting the notion of the bush and bushman present in popular Australian poetry and cultural myth with the notion expressed by Maltby of the link between the soul of the middle class and the practice of bookkeeping. The paper aims to explore the notion of a tension between what might be seen as indigenous values and the values of Western capitalism.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents an analysis of Australian poetry to identify in this culturally significant media how the city and the technologies of accounting are negatively contrasted with the bush and the bushman. Since many Australians migrated from European countries, we might expect bookkeeping to claim a foundational place in the Australian soul.FindingsThis literature shows bush dwellers as being exploited by those from the city, and city professionals such as the accountant and the lawyer as having lost their sense of self and soul. The sense of “other” reflected by the concept of the bush in Australian literature represents a tension between a structured and ordered European sense of self expressed by Maltby and an archetypical sense of self implied by the character of the bushman and connected to the Australian landscape, with its inherent but little acknowledged debt to the Aboriginal. In this landscape the absence of both accounting and the associated rhetoric of economic rationality allow other forms of rationality to emerge.Originality/valueThis is the first time that poetry has been examined in relation to accounting. It shows a deep insight into the place of archetype of the accountant in Australian cultural identity. In addition it argues that responses to accounting can reflect underlying rhetorics of rationality.
A study on the customer satisfaction and customer loyalty of furniture purchaser in on‐line shop
Authors: Jeong Yongju , Lee Yongsung 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe paper intends to explore the influencing factors on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in the internet shopping mall through service quality based on the data obtained from furniture purchaser.Design/methodology/approachThe research model and the relevant research hypothesis were set up through the data derived from the existing researches, and then the relevant hypothesis was tested through regression analysis.FindingsAs result of analysis, the influencing factors on customer satisfaction of furniture purchaser in the internet shopping mall were proved to be product diversity of service quality, tangibles, responsiveness, interaction, stability, and customer satisfaction was found to be a significant influencing factor on customer loyalty in the internet shopping mall.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this study was carried out against actual furniture purchaser in selecting the samples, it reached the limit in considering the diversity of internet shopping mall, and sorting into on‐line and off‐line concurrent shopping mall and internet exclusive shopping mall.Originality/valueThe study reviews the service quality measure suggested in the existing literature on service quality, newly applying it to on‐line services environment, and then finding out the influence of service quality in internet shopping mall on customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and repurchase intention as well as in which dimension they are built up.
The development of an industrial air pollution monitoring system for safety and health enhancement and a sustainable work environment using QFD approach
Authors: Leman A.M. , Omar A.R. , Jung Won , Yusof M.Z.M. 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to develop of an industrial air pollution monitoring system (IAPMOS) as one of the target solutions for monitoring mechanisms in the workplace.Design/methodology/approachQuality function deployment approaches were used in this study. The process of getting data from workers was by using questionnaires. The questionnaire regarding the welding process work environment was given to two selected automotive industries located in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia.FindingsFrom the data, the system development was analysed in order to formalize the specific needs of workers and management. The preliminary data were discussed regarding the development process and reliability factors that influenced the IAPMOS. The voice of the customer was then input during the design stage of IAPMOS.Research limitations/implicationsThe monitoring of industrial air pollution which was done in the welding process used a direct reading method and the date was assigned as “base line” during system development. The standards International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001: 2008, ISO 14001: 2008, and the Malaysia Standard, MS 1722: 2003 were the major sources helping to improve the working environments. The working environment is important to productivity and has a direct impact on human intervention.Social implicationsPoor working environments will give a negative impact and an uncondusive work environment will create a potential health hazard and less productivity.Originality/valueThe paper provides information to aid in improving workplace environment.
Extracting content holes by comparing community‐type content with Wikipedia
Authors: Nadamoto Akiyo , Aramaki Eiji , Abekawa Takeshi , Murakami Yohei 
Published: September 2010

PurposeCommunity‐type content that are social network services and blogs are maintained by communities of people. Occasionally, community members do not understand the nature of the content from multiple perspectives, and so the volume of information is often inadequate. The authors thus consider it necessary to present users with missing information. The purpose of this paper is to search for the content “hole” where users of community‐type content missed information.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed content hole is defined as different information that is obtained by comparing community‐type content with other content, such as other community‐type content, other conventional web content, and real‐world content. The paper suggests multiple types of content holes and proposes a system that compares community‐type content with Wikipedia articles and identifies the content hole. The paper first identifies structured keywords from the community‐type content, and extracts target articles from Wikipedia using the keywords. It then extracts other related articles from Wikipedia using the link graph. Finally, it compares community‐type content with the articles in Wikipedia and extracts and presents content holes.FindingsInformation retrieval looks for similar data. In contrast, a content‐hole search looks for information that is different. This paper defines the type of content hole on the basis of viewpoints. The proposed viewpoints are coverage, detail, semantics, and reputation.Originality/valueThe paper proposes a system for extracting coverage content holes. The system compares community‐type content with Wikipedia and extracts content holes in the community‐type content.
The financial value of corporations in a cobweb economy
Authors: Declerck Francis , Cloutier L. Martin 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a model and simulation results for the corporate financial value of an industry in a cobweb economy. Production‐consumption cycles affect profit and financial needs in terms of equity and debt capital, and thus corporate value over time. The model is applied to the Champagne industry.Design/methodology/approachThe paper simulates the financial value of Champagne makers by taking into account developments on the Champagne market and the short‐ and long‐term responses by input suppliers and Champagne makers. Financial modeling is combined with a vertical coordination model of production and consumption in a cobweb economy.FindingsThis paper makes theoretical advances in modeling the impact of short‐ and long‐run temporal tensions in production decisions on the financial value of processors. Temporal tensions are central to the decisions made by input suppliers (grape growers) and processors (Champagne makers) as they negotiate in a context of vertical coordination in a cobweb economy. Financial aggregates are forecast by the model and used as market multiples for estimating corporate financial value. Furthermore, this research strengthens previously published simulation studies in agriculture and food markets since system dynamics (SD) is applied in modeling both input production and consumption and the processor's financial value. SD modeling is well suited to simulation in a critical context, and Champagne makers find themselves in such a context: the Champagne protected designation of origin (PDO) area has reached its legally authorized size limit, while world demand continues to grow.Practical implicationsThe market for corporate control of Champagne makers is active. The model presented is a useful guide for decision makers because it improves the anticipation of corporate value and improves understanding of the future of value creation in a legal framework currently considering revision of both authorized annual yield (short‐run decision) and the size of the appellation area (long‐run decision).Originality/valueTwo original features of this paper add specific value to the existing research: first, the theory is enlarged to capture the temporal tensions affecting decision making by input suppliers and processors operating in a cobweb economy, and deduce processors' financial value using financial aggregates forecast by the model. Second, the SD simulation method is applied in modeling input production and consumption and processors' financial value.
Strategic operations and concentration in the Bordeaux‐Aquitaine region
Authors: Pesme Jacques‐Olivier , Belis‐Bergouignan Marie‐Claude , Corade Nathalie 
Published: September 2010

PurposeWorking from the example of two of the main players in the Aquitaine wine sector; the co‐operatives and the wine merchants, the aim of this paper is to analyse the nature of strategic operations from the point of view of the concentration process taking place in the Bordeaux‐Aquitaine region.Design/methodology/approachAfter providing a theoretical framework about the industrial cluster and its strategic operations in the area of consolidation, the paper provides descriptive and quantitative data, collected from in‐depth interviews; surveys conducted by the authors; and secondary sources.FindingsThis paper provides both qualitative and quantitative evidence to prove that a number of collaborative approaches have been adopted in the region. It highlights the fact that these players are now more willing to respond to the conditions of a new competitive environment, and consequently to consider new strategic approaches.Originality/valueThe present paper, contrary to these received ideas, demonstrates that the Aquitaine wine value chain is undergoing deep restructuring process. With the spotlight focused on producing a size effect on the sector through concentration, the paper examines in greater detail what this process really is. It is not limited to size objectives as it commits the players to thorough production and market changes. This led to concentration operations being analysed in terms of strategic changes, notably with regard to the margin for manoeuvre that the players are meant to design and develop.
Hospital effectiveness from administrative data: the Lombardy case
Authors: Giorgio Lovaglio Pietro 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThe aim of this paper is the discussion and the dissemination of initiatives promoted by the Lombardy region for the construction of benchmarking systems between regional health structures of care utilizing administrative archives.Design/methodology/approachThe paper focuses on relative effectiveness (specific effect of care on patients) in a benchmarking framework, considering the dimension of sentinel outcomes. From Lombardy Hospital Discharge Cards proxies of sentinel outcomes are identified, defined as “context indicators” useful for a benchmarking analysis.FindingsFirst, the authors present outcomes and covariates at different levels (patient and healthcare structure) extracted from the Lombardy Hospital Discharge Cards for a benchmarking analysis. Second, empirical results show a consistent quota of outcome variability between structures of care and weak agreement between estimated rankings for context indicators. Finally, a slicing approach is suggested in order to apply an equitable comparison among healthcare structures.Practical implicationsThe paper provides regional stakeholders with practical implications regarding available strategies (outcomes, statistical methodology, risk adjustment) for consistent processes of evaluation, in a benchmarking framework, based on existing regional administrative data.Originality/valueAfter having presented available information contained in regional archives for a benchmark analysis, empirical results were discussed about context indicators, presenting indications and strategies for a refinement of the approach. From a methodological point of view, the utilization of multilevel models (improving methodological strategies adopted by international agencies) in large administrative databases is proposed.
Service quality gaps analysis based on Fuzzy linguistic SERVQUAL with a case study in hospital out‐patient services
Authors: Hu Hsiu‐Yuan , Lee Yu‐Cheng , Yen Tieh‐Min 
Published: September 2010

PurposeThis study seeks to propose a conceptual approach to assess the perceived service quality properly using Fuzzy logic. First, it aims to verify whether it is a better solution than the Likert scale. Second, it seeks to evaluate patients' feedback towards hospital service quality using Fuzzy linguistic analysis.Design/methodology/approachThe SERVQUAL questionnaire was developed according to the characteristics of each hospital's out‐patient service. Three regional hospitals in Hsin‐Chu, Taiwan were evaluated. After being completed and collected, first, the effectiveness of the Fuzzy linguistic scale and the Likert scale was compared. Second, gap values of each element were evaluated to find the core service quality attributes for continuous improvement. Finally, analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to segment markets using certain service quality attributes and different demographic variables.FindingsThe result indicated that the Fuzzy linguistic scale is higher than the Likert scale in terms of reliability in the measurement. Moreover, through gap analysis and ANOVA, a better focus was achieved on the 8th, 10th, 14th, 21st and 3rd service quality attributes from the SERVQUAL measurement on which management should concentrate and which they should endeavor to work out. The 1st, 2nd, 14th and 16th items from the SERVQUAL measurement can be market segment factors, respectively.Originality/valueThe study successfully introduced Fuzzy linguistic analysis into the Gap theory and SERVQUAL measurements, and provided more internal consistency and stability than the Likert scale. After discussing the findings of the gap analysis and ANOVA, the organization could find the critical service quality attributes and create a value for improving or enhancing them.