bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Cost and benefit analysis for a distribution management system in electricity distribution networks
Authors: Tanskanen Anna , Raussi Tommi , Partanen Jarmo , Lohjala Juha 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the key outage‐cost‐influencing applications (fault location and network restoration, fault reporting, field crew management, and reconfiguration) of the distribution management system (DMS) and analyzes the benefits provided by them. The objective of the study is an evaluation of their influence on outage costs deriving from the adoption of automatic equipment in managing distribution systems.Design/methodology/approachCost and benefit calculations in this paper are made for a typical North European rural medium‐voltage network. The benefits are calculated in terms of outage costs for each of the above‐presented applications and compared with the investment cost, including the annual cost of maintenance, of the DMS. The empirical results and validation of the theoretical calculations are performed by an electric utility, where the DMS benefit evaluation is taking place.FindingsBy capitalizing the applications of the DMS, it is possible to acquire considerable benefits in outage costs. It is shown that the greatest cost‐based benefits are obtained from the fault location and field crew management applications. The case study further shows that the DMS can reduce the operation costs of utilities.Research limitations/implicationsThe calculations are based on network expert assumptions about System Average Interruption Duration (SAIDI), carried out for a specific overhead‐line network operating in a specific European rural medium‐voltage environment. Sharing of utilities' de facto SAIDI results as a basis for calculations would decrease the need for subjective expert assumptions in the future analyses.Practical implicationsApplication of the proposed framework for decision making and lessons learned can support electric utilities when planning for unbundling and strategic target‐setting in the unbundled business model.Originality/valueThere are few reports available on similar actual DMS‐application‐based cost benefits due to the nature of private utility information that is preferably not disclosed.
Enterprise diversity in the business of wine: what is a business case study?
Authors: Benson‐Rea Maureen , Little Victoria , Dufour Yvon 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue of case studies in the enterprise diversity of wine business and to situate the wine business cases selected for this special issue, which feature a diversity of formats and approaches.Design/methodology/approachRigour and relevance underpinned the choice of case studies for this special issue. All of the cases are informed by theory, and all share a common concern with the understanding of wine business phenomena and origins in or links to practice.FindingsThere is no consensus view on what a case is and what it is for in business research and teaching generally, and that this is appropriate given pluralistic approaches to teaching and research in the various business disciplines. Supporting this argument, the various types of cases encountered in the business literature are considered and an overview offered based on purpose, motivation, similarities and differences and common themes.Originality/valueEach of the wine business cases presented in this special issue is situated within a typology, in which each offers a different approach to providing insight into the business of wine. The paper concludes with a discussion of current and future directions for business case studies and methods.
The demand for wine in the USA
Authors: Cuellar Steven S. , Colgan Tim , Hunnicutt Heather , Ransom Gabriel 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the demand for wine and provide insight into the behavior of USA wine consumers.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses a fixed effect, instrumental variable approach to estimate the demand for wine in the USA, correcting for endogeneity inherent in demand estimation by using grape prices as the instrument.FindingsDemand for the six top selling red wines and six top selling white wines was estimated. While the law of demand is confirmed, differences were found in the price elasticity of demand by varietal and price point. Also, these wines are found to be normal good as defined by economic theory and the results generally hold across color, varietal and price segment. There was a greater willingness of red wine drinkers to switch to white wines than white wine drinkers to switch to red wines.Practical implicationsNo statistically significant cross price effects were found.Originality/valueThis paper provides an important contribution to the current literature by disaggregating the demand for wine by color, major varietal and price segment to analyze cross price effects.
Meaning and interpretation: insights and discourse
Authors: Kakabadse Nada K. , Steane Peter 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe paper seeks to analyze the discourse of meaning and interpretation in the social sciences. It aims to provide a historical overview of the hermeneutics and the need for scientific as well as general understanding, and to emphasize the importance of the interpretive approach in management history.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides an in‐depth literature review of interpretation.FindingsInterpretative approach is a basic building block of all science and management praxis.Research limitations/implicationsLiterature is limited to social science.Practical implicationsThe paper highlights the importance of interpretation in management dialogue and praxis,vis‐à‐visa sole reliance on rationalistic methods.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper lies in the scope of its literature review and the broad understanding it provides for management praxis.
Ending the denial of slavery in management history
Authors: Hayek Mario , Novicevic Milorad M. , Humphreys John H. , Jones Nicole 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to further fill the void of American slavery within management history and leadership studies by presenting the unique case of Joseph E. Davis's paternalistic leadership.Design/methodology/approachThis case was selected because of Davis's attempt to transplant Robert Owen's utopian practices of social harmony in an industrial, textile‐mill setting to the backdrop of his slavery plantation. The method used is the historical method of analyzing both primary and secondary sources of data about Joseph E. Davis, a Mississippi planter, during the time periods of antebellum and reconstruction.FindingsThis analysis indicates that Joseph E. Davis exhibited benevolence, authoritarianism, and, to a degree, moral paternalistic leadership with his slaves. Yet, due to his ideology and the context, he still defended slavery and Southern rights.Research limitations/implicationsHistorical knowledge about paternalistic leadership during the antebellum slavery and reconstruction time period will help to end the denial of slavery in management studies, as well as contribute to the understanding of paternalism in many contemporary cultures.Originality/valueThis is the first article to provide primary evidence of paternalistic leadership in management history studies within this erroneously disregarded period.
Re‐considering managerial use of child labor
Authors: Bowden Bradley , Stevenson‐Clarke Peta 
Published: July 2010

PurposeMuch research has focused on the reasons for child labor. This paper, in examining the experiences of late nineteenth century Australia seeks to ask the alternate research question: “What are the factors that cause managers to desist from the use of child labor during periods of initial industrialization, even where the society is characterized by a youthful demography and low levels of manufacturing productivity?”.Design/methodology/approachThis study measures the incidence of child labor in Queensland, Australia's third largest state, through an examination of the censuses for 1891 and 1901. It then locates the results of this analysis in the nineteenth century Australian peculiar pattern of economic investment.FindingsIt is found that industrializing Australia had an extremely low incidence of child labor. This is attributed to the highly capitalized nature of the Australian rural and mining sectors, and the linkages between these sectors and the wider economy. This suggests that counties, or regions, with a highly commercialized primary sector, and with manufacturing establishments with high skill requirements (even if characterized by low productivity), will have a low incidence of child labor.Practical implicationsThe most effective policy for reducing the incidence of child labor is to enhance capital investment in the primary sector and enhance the need for workplace skills in the secondary sector.Originality/valueThe International Labor Organisation suggests that there is currently a revival in child labor. This paper suggests that the most effective policies for reducing the incidence of child labor are ones that seek to foster increased levels of capital investment in the primary sector, rather than ones directed towards legal restriction or poverty alleviation.
Building a sense of home in rented spaces
Authors: Fowler Aubrey R. , Lipscomb Clifford A. 
Published: July 2010

PurposeMuch of the research into the development of home within the business literature has looked at home as a setting or a construct instead of as a process. Additionally, extant research has explored the process of homebuilding within the context of homeownership, often defining home in terms of a place that is owned by the individual living in it. However, nearly 30 percent of all housing units in which people live are rented spaces that are owned by others not living there. The purpose of this paper is to examine homebuilding as a process that can and often does occur in properties that the individual does not own.Design/methodology/approachUsing a phenomenological approach, in‐depth interviews with renters lead to the development of a conceptual model of how renters build a sense of “home.”FindingsThe paper finds that though ownership does play a part in some individuals' sense of home, apartment dwellers often are able to build a “home” within an apartment context.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the research include the small sample size; however, the process resulting from a small size may be used to develop hypotheses for future quantitative research.Practical implicationsThe process outlined here may provide apartment communities and managers with insight into how they may retain tenants.Originality/valueThis paper focuses on an understanding of home that removes the notion of ownership from its definition, providing insight into how consumers build a sense of home in places they may not be able to physically alter.
Long‐term return on investment of an employee health enhancement program at a Midwest utility company from 1999 to 2007
Authors: Yen Louis , Schultz Alyssa B. , Schaefer Cindy , Bloomberg Susan , Edington Dee W. 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to document the total return on investment (ROI) of a comprehensive worksite health program from 1999 to 2007 through two different analytic approaches.Design/methodology/approachTwo analytical techniques were used: time period analysis and historical trend analysis of the entire study period. The time‐period analysis of ROI was performed among employees in four time periods: 1999‐2001; 2002‐2003, 2004‐2005; and 2006‐2007. The historical trend analysis on participation‐related savings was used to compare the financial trend differences between participants and non‐participants as well as the three different participation levels of continuous, sporadic, and non‐participants since the year 2000 among 2,753 employees who worked for and were covered by the company‐sponsored health plans for the entire study period.FindingsThe ROI from health care costs and time away from work ranged from 1.29 to 2.07 for the four time periods with a cumulative ROI of 1.66 over nine years. The historical trend analysis of 2,753 long‐term employees resulted in a 1.57 ROI for 2,036 program participants (t‐test: p<0.005) with statistically significant annual saving of $180 per participant per year.Originality/valueThe returns on comprehensive worksite health program were greater than the program investment as documented by both time‐period and historical trend analyses. Organizations seeking ways to manage the increases in health care and absenteeism costs of employees will be encouraged to see that positive returns can be generated by investments in employee health and wellness and steady or consistent participation is one key to generating success.
Determinants of employee participation in workplace health promotion
Authors: Nöhammer Elisabeth , Schusterschitz Claudia , Stummer Harald 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of the present paper is to gain a first insight into the determinants of employee acceptance of, and participation in, workplace health promotion (WHP) in the German speaking part of Europe with a focus on Austria.Design/methodology/approachBeing a neglected field of research so far, a qualitative approach using problem‐centred interviews was chosen. These were conducted with 19 employees in three different organizations, the four people there responsible for WHP as well as with nine health experts. These interviews form the basis for preliminary propositions.FindingsDeterminants of employee acceptance of, and participation in, WHP are shown to concern information plus offer design. As for information, crucial factors are its flow, how it is presented and how it is received by the individual. Criteria regarding offer design are found on the individual and interpersonal level as well as referring to general environmental and organizational conditions.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research on a broad quantitative level is required to test the propositions developed on the basis of the present qualitative study.Practical implicationsWith their implications regarding information and offer design, the findings of the study can serve as a guideline for employee‐centred WHP and are of interest to practitioners as well as academics in the field.Originality/valueGiving first insights into the employees' perspective regarding determinants of acceptance of, and participation in, WHP, this paper offers valuable suggestions for a target‐group oriented design of WHP.
Coverage by smoke‐free workplace policies by race/ethnicity and health outcomes
Authors: Halbesleben Jonathon R.B. , Wheeler Anthony R. 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe present research has three goals: to examine the prevalence of smoke‐free workplace policies; to examine how coverage by a smoke‐free workplace policy differs among racial/ethnic groups; and to examine the impact of smoke‐free workplace policy (SFWP) coverage on health outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe research uses secondary analysis of data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) from 1998‐2006.FindingsIt was found that SFWP coverage is below government goals – especially for Hispanic workers and that SFWP coverage was associated with health outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsThe relatively slow progress in coverage by smoke‐free workplace policies during the last eight years suggests the possibility that a ceiling has been reached in smoke‐free workplace policy coverage. Limitations include factors that might negatively influence SFWP reporting (e.g. lack of knowledge about SFWP; language barriers), availability of data after 2006, and a cross‐sectional design for health outcomes.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest that there is health value in SFWP, but that coverage is not at 100 percent and a federal‐level mandate might be necessary to reach that level. In situations where customers are allowed to smoke, it may be more difficult to justify and enforce a smoke‐free workplace policy.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine SFWP coverage by race over time. This study allows for examination of progress toward published SFWP goals.
Loss and grief in the workplace
Authors: O'Connor Margaret , Watts Jennifer , Bloomer Melissa , Larkins Kevin 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine how Australian workplaces, their managers and employees respond to those who are grieving at work, as a result of chronic or terminal illness, or caring for those with chronic or terminal illness. The review draws on Australian and relevant international literature and seeks to answer this question.Design/methodology/approachA literature review was undertaken in preparation for an Australian study examining workplace supports for people who are grieving – because they are carers, have experienced a death, or are balancing their own illness with their work. Using a range of search terms, the literature was searched for relevant work between 1980 and 2010. The search found examples of workplace supports throughout the world and some developing Australian literature.FindingsDespite illness and death occurring at any stage of a person's life, there is little research that identifies workplace issues associated with grief and loss. And while workplace legislation allows for minimal supports, there was evidence that some workplaces have begun to offer flexibility for work life balance.Practical implicationsEffective workplace supports will involve individual and workplace responses, but also require legislative approaches in order to effect broad‐based system change.Originality/valueThe paper compares Australian and international literature about workplace supports and provides an overview of the issues arising.
The organizational benefits of investing in workplace health
Authors: Zwetsloot Gerard I.J.M. , van Scheppingen Arjella R. , Dijkman Anja J. , Heinrich Judith , den Besten Heleen 
Published: July 2010

PurposeA healthy and vital workforce is an asset to any organization. Workplace health management and health promotion are therefore increasingly relevant for organizations. This paper aims to identify the organizational benefits companies strive for, and analyzes the ways companies use and manage data in order to monitor, evaluate and improve the achievement of organizational benefits through workplace health management.Design/methodology/approachA case study was carried out in four frontrunner organizations in health management in The Netherlands. The benefits the companies strived for were systematically investigated, as were the ways in which the companies used and managed their relevant data.FindingsThe organizations had many data that were potentially useful for managing and evaluating the realization of the intended health and business benefits. However, these data were only available and usable in a fragmented manner. As a result, the business impact of health interventions was neither properly evaluated nor consistently managed.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was limited to four frontrunner companies in The Netherlands. The results presented are predominantly qualitative.Practical implicationsSuggestions for improving the management of organizational benefits from workplace health interventions are given here; they were formulated though an iterative process with the companies involved.Originality/valueResearch on the combination of health and business benefits of workplace health management has been rather limited thus far. The present paper provides a complete picture of the benefits strived for by four Dutch frontrunner organizations, as well as the data available to them, which are or could be used for guiding and improving workplace health management.
Designing a new rental housing law for Romania
Authors: Amann Wolfgang , Mundt Alexis 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the outcome of a research program carried out by the Austrian IIBW to support the Romanian Government in redesigning its national housing law in order to cope with specific problems on the Romanian housing market, such as the absence of tenure choice and affordable and tenure‐secure rental housing.Design/methodology/approachSpecific housing problems and requirements of legal changes were identified by policy makers and in previous studies. Solutions are provided by an international team of experts with the target to include European best practice concerning rental and limited‐profit rental law.FindingsThis paper concentrates on three major topics within the restructuring of the Romanian housing law that permit integrating European best practice in the field of housing policy. First, Romanian rental housing legislation is reconsidered and a market‐based relative price control based on the German experience and on written contracts is proposed. Second, a new public‐private‐partnership (PPP) housing law, building on the framework of PPP social housing providers in Europe, and especially Austria, is considered. A rigid frame of checks and balances and public compensation of social service obligations are core elements. Third, special attention is paid to the compliance of proposed measures with European Union legislation on competition, which is of major importance for any legal recommendations to be applicable.Practical implicationsThe proposed legal changes are designed to foster the development of a functional long‐term private and social rental market in order to meet the housing needs of the Romanian population.Originality/valueThe overarching research program this paper builds on was commissioned by the Romanian Government and was intended to address specific and current problems on the Romanian housing market.
Legal challenges in ensuring regular maintenance and repairs of owner‐occupied apartment blocks
Authors: Lujanen Martti 
Published: July 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare different apartment ownership systems and analyze how to enhance the regular maintenance and repair of owner‐occupied apartment buildings. The dwellings themselves are often in fairly good condition, but the common parts (e.g. walls, roofs, stairwells, and technical installations) are often poorly maintained.Design/methodology/approachApartment ownership systems in ten European countries (Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland) are analyzed, along with Canada, China, Russia, and the USA, and some of the main findings from each country are presented. The material studied is primary legal sources together with the relevant literature.FindingsIt seems that there are severe obstacles in the legislation of many countries. Some of these obstacles are: the non‐existence of a proper decision‐making body (e.g. homeowners' association); the wide use of a qualified majority, or even the use of consensus, which makes it difficult to reach decisions; serious difficulties in getting loan financing for major repairs because of a lack of collateral and means to enforce the collection of payments; a lack of transparency and insufficient auditing procedures. Overall, it can be concluded that there are great variations between different countries. At the same time, many legal solutions are similar across certain groups of countries.Social implicationsWeaknesses in the legislation is one of the main reasons for the continuous deterioration of an important part of the housing stock in many countries. If this deterioration continues, the quality of life of millions of occupants will gradually worsen.Originality/valueThe paper provides a theoretical well‐based analysis, combined with concrete suggestions.