bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Justification and accounting: applying sociology of worth to accounting research
Authors: Annisette Marcia , Richardson Alan J. 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce and illustrate the insights of the sociology of worth as advanced by sociologist Luc Boltanski and his collaborator economist/statistician Laurent Thévenot in their works, including their path‐breaking book De la justification published in 1991.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explores the basic tenets of this “new sociology” and draws on it to render a reinterpretation of Ansari and Euske's study of cost accounting in a military depot.FindingsThe sociology of worth complements extant sociological approaches to accounting by providing a language and a conceptual tool‐box for understanding the multiple rationalities in which accounting is implicated. In addition, given its pragmatic micro level approach to accounting, it has the potential to act as a bridge between institutional theory and practice theory.Originality/valueThis paper is the first known to render an extensive discussion of Boltanski and Thévenot's work in the accounting literature and to apply insights from this work to accounting research.
Swedish healthcare management practices and quality improvement work: development trends
Authors: Elg Mattias , Stenberg Jesper , Kammerlind Peter , Tullberg Sofia , Olsson Jesper 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically examine developmental trends in healthcare organisation management practice and improvement work.Design/methodology/approachPrimary healthcare centre (n=1,031) and clinical hospital department (n=1,542) managers were surveyed in spring 2007 (response rate 46 per cent). This article compares results from this survey with a study in 2003. A theoretical framework based on organisational inner context, organisational outer context, external environment and outcomes form the analytical base. Comparisons were made using independent two‐samplet‐tests.FindingsA general aspect, identified empirically, is the tendency toward increased external pressure on leaders in their improvement work. Higher management decisions, patient pressure and decisions made by policymakers increasingly influence and shape the choices made by healthcare managers about where to focus improvement efforts. Three different trends are empirically identified and elaborated: take‐control logic; practice‐based improvement; and patient‐centeredness.Research limitations/implicationsHealthcare leaders should carefully design new management control systems that support healthcare micro systems. Findings support the general assumption that staff increasingly tend to focus organisational changes on management control.Originality/valueThis study extends management research with a unique survey. Through two measurements made in 2003 and 2007, several important trends about how healthcare organisations are managed and developed are identified.
Service quality in alcohol treatment
Authors: Resnick Sheilagh M. , Griffiths Mark D. 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate service quality in a UK privately funded alcohol treatment clinic.Design/methodology/approachData were gathered via interviews with two groups of participants using the SERVQUAL questionnaire. The first group comprised 32 patients and the second 15 clinic staff. The SERVQUAL instrument measures service quality expectations and perceptions across five service dimensions and identifies gaps between service expectations and perceptions of what was delivered.FindingsPatients' service quality expectations were exceeded on four of five dimensions. However, staff members felt services fell below expectations on four of five dimensions with the “reliability” service dimension emerging as the common service element falling below expectations for both participant groups. It was concluded that achieving consistent service delivery and increasing empathy between staff and patients improves overall service quality perceptions.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper relies on self‐report methods from a relatively small number of individuals.Originality/valueThere have been limited research studies measuring alcohol treatment service quality in the private sector.
Guests' perceptions on factors influencing customer loyalty
Authors: Ramanathan Usha , Ramanathan Ramakrishnan 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThis paper seeks to explore the performance of UK hotels, in terms of various service attributes, and whether it influences customers' intention to stay again.Design/methodology/approachData are used from online customer ratings of 664 hotels in the UK for the purpose. The approach is based on an interesting use of statistical regression reported in the literature that attempted to classify different cues in hotels as critical, satisfier, dissatisfier, etc. In this study, six prominent attributes are considered, namely: customer service, cleanliness, room quality, value for money, quality of food, and family friendliness, rated by guests, based on their experiences of staying in hotels.FindingsThe findings reveal that “Value for money” is a critical attribute, while “Customer service”, “Room quality” and “Quality of food” are dissatisfiers. Business guests, and guests of independent hotels, exhibit similar behavior, but for leisure guests, and guests of chain hotels, “Value for money” is a dissatisfier.Practical implications“Value for money” is a critical attribute, in that good performance, in terms of this attribute, is critical for positively influencing guests' intention to stay again; however, failures in terms of this attribute cannot be compensated by improving service in terms of other attributes. There are three dissatisfier attributes (“Customer service”, “Room quality”, and “Quality of food”), implying that an inadequate performance in terms of these attributes could significantly adversely impact guests' intention to stay again.Originality/valueThis study would appear to be the first to use the extensive data available on the internet on guest ratings of hotels.
Improving efficiency in international tourist hotels in Taipei using a non‐radial DEA model
Authors: Wu Jie , Tsai Henry , Zhou Zhixiang 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to evaluate the operational efficiency of 23 four‐ and five‐plum international tourist hotels (ITHs) in Taipei in 2006, paying attention to efficiency improvement using a non‐radial data envelopment analysis (DEA) model.Design/methodology/approachA non‐radial DEA model is proposed to improve the efficiency of inefficient hotels focusing on the output side by allowing for non‐proportional reductions in each positive input or augmentations in each positive output. The model considers four inputs (total number of rooms, total number of employees, food and beverage (F&B) capacity, and total operating cost) and three outputs (guest room revenues, F&B revenues, and other revenues); variable returns to scale are assumed.FindingsThe empirical results show that the radial and non‐radial DEA models provide not only different performance measurements for the corresponding hotels but also different benchmarks from different angles for improving efficiency.Practical implicationsHoteliers or other service providers should find this alternative DEA model helpful and more flexible in re‐examining their resource utilization and possibly reshuffling their resource pool.Originality/valueUnlike traditional DEA studies, which focus on measuring efficiency while ignoring differences among input or output variables, this study pays attention to efficiency improvement by considering changes in output with non‐proportional augmentations to improve efficiency.
Young adult interaction with wine in the UK
Authors: Ritchie Caroline 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate how the 18‐ to 30‐age group currently interacts with wine in a variety of settings. It seeks to establish how young adults in the UK currently perceive, use, purchase and consume wine. This is the next generation of UK wine consumers.Design/methodology/approachA total of seven focus groups were held throughout England and Wales. Participants were between the ages of 18‐30 and consumed wine. A gender balance reflecting UK wine consumption patterns was maintained. One focus group was run to incorporate atypical young wine consumers.FindingsWine is for sharing but a bottle is too big for one person. This key result influences behaviours; younger adults may not buy wine, especially in the on‐trade, but with age this inclusivity increased consumption with partners and friends. Paradoxically, whilst the public image of wine remains as a civilised cultured beverage, it is often consumed during heavy drinking sessions in private situations. In addition, young adult consumers may not actually know how much they spend on wine, but use media to suggest suitable prices in public forums.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample population used was small and may not be representative quantitatively. However, the use of focus groups enabled the gathering of significant qualitative data.Practical implicationsThe 18‐ to 30‐age cohort is smaller than the 45 to 64s, who currently consume the most wine. Understanding how this population interacts with wine, identifying potential new markets, may enable the wine and hospitality industries to react effectively to their needs.Originality/valueUnderstanding how young adults interact with wine rather than their parents will increase understanding of changing behaviours in relation to the social usage of wine.
ISO certification in the tour operator sector
Authors: Mak Barry L.M. 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThe objectives of this study are to find out why tour operators implement quality assurance, and what problems and challenges they face in doing so.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilized a multiple‐case study approach, interviewing the senior managers of three accredited tour operators using formally structured questions.FindingsThe purposes for which the tour operators attained ISO 9000 certification were image building, promotion and advertising; to rectify the varying standards amongst different departments; to build an understanding of the operations; to review the operation procedures and system, and the management of the tour operators; as well as to legitimize the senior management's action to make changes. A number of negative aspects to the ISO 9000 certification were found, including the high cost of implementation, lukewarm reception by staff, reduced effectiveness over time and that consistency of procedures did not equate to good or improving quality.Research limitations/implicationsAs the current research used a very small sample, only limited generalizations can be made.Practical implicationsTour operation is a service‐based business in which it is difficult to standardize service quality – but, where an attempt is made, there does seem to be a significant reduction in human error.Originality/valueA body of literature exists in which arguments for and against the use and practices of the ISO 9000 certification in different sectors are presented, but the tour operator industry is neglected. This paper examined the value of quality assurance certification in the tour operators sector to fill the void.
University challenge: sharing some experiences of engaging with industry
Authors: Lashley Conrad 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to share the experiences of one team working in management education for hospitality practitioners in a UK context, a setting in which the primacy of employers – as the key stakeholder in education provision – has been articulated for three decades.Design/methodology/approachThe paper undertakes a literature review exploring practitioner education and the stakeholders in the UK settings, and presents a study of the approach taken at one university.FindingsDespite being the dominant factor in this mono‐stakeholder approach in training policy provision and delivery employers continue to complain of skill shortage and difficulties when recruiting for skilled hospitality jobs. At heart, the problem rests with the assumption that skill needs are the same for all employers and that all employers know what skills they need and will need in the future. The paper also provides insights into one team's experiences of working exclusively with commercial clients.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is limited to the exploration of a case study, though it does provide some interesting insights into management development and research with a totally commercial client base.Originality/valueThe study provides fresh ideas and perspectives on issues related to hospitality management education. The insights and discussions promote critical thinking on hospitality industry management development and the relationships between educators and industry practitioners.
Configurations of entrepreneurial‐ customer‐ and technology orientation
Authors: Hakala Henri , Kohtamäki Marko 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify groups of companies using different configurations of orientations, and compare the groups for differences in their performance and organizational learning capability. The paper proposes that organizational learning capability enables firms to utilize several strategic orientations simultaneously.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 164 Finnish software companies is clustered on the basis of their mix of customer (CO), technology (TO) and entrepreneurial orientation (EO). After validating the clusters, an analysis of variance is performed to detect differences in measures of performance and learning capability.FindingsThe paper provides evidence that firms combining several strategic orientations perform better than those focusing solely on customer orientation. The paper finds support for a proposal that software companies can be divided into three groups featuring different configurations of customer, technology and entrepreneurial orientation. The groups are termed: servants (high CO, low TO and low EO), players (intermediate levels of CO, TO and EO) and integrators (high levels of CO, TO and EO). Furthermore, the paper shows that these groups demonstrate differences in their organizational learning capability and performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper refers to an empirical study of software companies in Finland. Further research in other countries and industry settings is needed to confirm and extend the results.Practical implicationsThe identification of a successful mix of strategic orientations is a major challenge to management. The results urge software company managers to develop a culture that nurtures organizational learning. The paper suggests that managers should utilize aspects from several strategic orientations and create an appropriate mix of orientations that enables adaptation to dynamic business environments.Originality/valueThe paper provides insights into viable combinations of strategic orientations in the software industry and provides evidence for the differences in learning and performance for software company groups classified on the basis of their mix of orientations.
Personal characteristics and strategic orientation: entrepreneurs in Canadian manufacturing companies
Authors: Di Zhang David , Bruning Edward 
Published: January 2011

PurposeExtant theories suggest that entrepreneurs' personal characteristics have substantial impacts on their firm's performance. From a resource‐based view, the paper considers an entrepreneur's personal characteristics to be a unique resource endowment to their firm. The paper seeks to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a national survey of owners and senior managers of small‐ to medium‐sized Canadian manufacturing companies. Mediation relationships were tested with hierarchical regression analyses.FindingsConsistent with the authors' hypotheses, it is found that entrepreneurs' personal characteristics, such as need for achievement, need for cognition, and internal locus of control, have positive influences on firm performance. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that their strategic orientations mediated these influences. The data indicate that entrepreneurs with higher levels of internal locus of control are more likely to adopt an entrepreneurial orientation than a market orientation.Originality/valueThis paper helps to better understand why entrepreneurs make different strategic decisions under seemingly similar competitive environments. The findings suggest that entrepreneurs do not simply react mechanically to external environmental changes. Instead, how they seek and interpret information and formulate organizational strategies is partially influenced by their personal characteristics. Entrepreneurs develop their own ways of utilizing the human capital that they bring to their firms.
Business process re‐engineering in healthcare management: a case study
Authors: Bertolini Massimo , Bevilacqua M. , Ciarapica F.E. , Giacchetta G. 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to carry out the business process re‐engineering (BPR) of a surgical ward in a hospital in order to improve the efficiency of the ward.Design/methodology/approachThis work was developed using a case study on a surgical ward. In this type of ward, in which scheduled and unscheduled operations often have to coexist and be managed, ways to minimise patient inconvenience need to be studied. A framework based on event‐driven process chains (EPCs) methodology, the entity‐relationship model and discrete event simulation is presented to define and analyse the current state of a surgical ward and design a future system. The modelling of the processes, activities and sub‐activities, which took up a great amount of ward resources, allowed a what‐if analysis to be developed which simulates various scenarios and assesses their performance.FindingsUsing Delphi methodology, it was possible to identify a number of areas for improvement: number of operating sessions, preparation of the operating rooms for each operation, availability of specific surgical instruments. Moreover, the discrete event simulation approach led to an understanding of the most efficient management choices.Originality/valueThe decision to use Delphi methodology for the information collection stage before starting the BPR process is not found in other studies in the literature. Moreover, the use of models based on EPCs methodology allowed the panel of experts to develop models to examine and understand the resource requirements of medical assessment units and to provide a framework or develop standards that hospital developers and clinical managers can consult.
SERVQUAL in Malaysian universities: perspectives of international students
Authors: Shekarchizadeh Ahmadreza , Rasli Amran , Hon‐Tat Huam 
Published: January 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the service quality perceptions and expectations of international postgraduate students studying in selected Malaysian universities.Design/methodology/approachA gap analysis based on a modified SERVQUAL instrument was used on 522 international postgraduate students who were selected based on stratified sampling of the top five public universities. The analysis started with descriptive analysis followed by factor and reliability analyses. Single mean t‐tests were conducted to assess the significance of the gap analysis based on three methods: item‐by‐item analysis; construct‐by‐construct analysis; and computation of a single measure of service quality.FindingsFive factors in the form of professionalism, reliability, hospitality, tangibles, and commitment were uncovered. The single mean t‐tests for the three methods of gap analysis indicated that all the items of perception were perceived as significantly negative as compared to expectations.Practical implicationsThe university senior management would benefit by knowing which gaps should receive the greatest attention in order to gain competitive and comparative advantages. Also, the findings from the study will assist in designing a quality system that involves not just the employees, but also the students.Originality/valueIronically, most studies on service quality at institutions of higher education tend to concentrate on the undergraduate students and/or the education providers. As the international postgraduate segment is more lucrative, this research is timely and is expected to present significantly different results from those found in most literature.
Distributed leadership, knowledge and information management and team performance in Chinese and Western groups
Authors: Iles P. , Feng Y. 
Published: January 2011

PurposeMore studies are beginning to support the role of distributed, as opposed to solo, leadership in team performance, but distributed leadership (DL) has not always been linked to higher performance. It may need to be co‐ordinated, rather than misaligned or fragmented, and may be most effective in teams performing interdependent tasks. DL has not often been linked to team information processing, however; viewing leadership as involving information management, it is proposed that DL may be linked to higher levels of information exchange and information integration, of both shared and unshared information. A series of research propositions are then developed with the purpose of exploring further the role of DL in team decision making, especially in terms of information exchange and information integration processes in Chinese and Western groups.Design/methodology/approachThe paper derives a number of research propositions from the literature on DL and information processing and applies them to decision making by Chinese and Western teams.FindingsThe paper presents a series of propositions on the factors affecting the effectiveness of DL and possible differences between Chinese and Western teams.Originality/valueThe paper presents a series of propositions about DL and relates the literature on DL to the literature on information processing in an original way.
The patient satisfaction study in a multispecialty tertiary level hospital, PGIMER, Chandigarh, India
Authors: Sharma Raman , Sharma Meenakshi , Sharma R.K. 
Published: January 2011

PurposeAgainst a background of growing consumerism, satisfying patients has become a key task for all healthcare activities. Satisfaction in service provision is increasingly being used as a measure of health system performance. Satisfaction manifests itself in the distribution, access and utilization of health services. This paper aims to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachA cross sectional study was conducted to assess the patient satisfaction level visiting the hospital with the objectives to know the behavior and clinical care by the clinicians and para‐medical staff and in terms of amenities available. A pre‐designed and pre‐tested structured questionnaire was given to the respondents after the patients had undergone consultation with the doctor. A proportionate random sampling was done to select the subjects.FindingsIt was found that average time spent by respondents for registration was 33.20 minutes. The overall satisfaction regarding the doctor‐patient professional and behavioral communication was more than 80 per cent at almost all the levels of health care facilities. In total, 55 per cent of respondents opined that doctors have shown little interest to listen to their problem while 2/3 opined that doctors used medical and technical terms to explain their illness and its consequences. More than 70 per cent satisfaction level was observed with staff of laboratories and security personnel with their cooperation and sympathetic nature. More than 80.0 per cent were satisfied with basic amenities. Of these, 40.0 per cent were of the view that services were costlier than their affordability.Originality/valueThis is the first ever study conducted to assess the patient satisfaction level in a premier multi‐specialty hospital of North India.