bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Profession, race and empire: keeping the centre pure, 1921‐1927
Authors: Poullaos Chris 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the social construction of the racialised, colonial subaltern accountant in the British imperial centre in the early twentieth century..Design/methodology/approachPrimary sources are used to provide an historical analysis of the British accountancy arena in the 1920s, this being the period when “race thinking” first became explicit. Secondary histories of race and empire are used to contextualise this analysis by highlighting: the growth of “race thinking” in the latter part of the nineteenth and the early decades of the twentieth centuries; and the American challenge to British imperial hegemony after the First World War.FindingsThis paper tracks the struggles of British accountants in the imperial centre in the 1920s to find a path between racialist attitudes in the imperial centre, their own included and countervailing discourses of non‐discrimination. For the Scottish chartered bodies, this involved the development of a de facto barrier to entry when a proposed de jure one aroused, surprisingly enough, the prospect of retaliation from American accountants.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations in the primary sources preclude detailed examination of the attitudes of individuals or for all variations in the positions adopted by particular bodies.Practical implicationsThe troubling thing about the demise of explicit race talk by the end of the 1920s is that de facto barriers to the entry of the racialised, subordinated Other remained in place.Originality/valueThis paper shows that the rise of race thinking in Britain did not leave British accountancy untouched; largely through the pressure it placed upon the identity of British accountants qua Britons and the consequential issue of inclusion/exclusion of non‐Britons.
Management accounting in less developed countries: what is known and needs knowing
Authors: Hopper Trevor , Tsamenyi Mathew , Uddin Shahzad , Wickramasinghe Danture 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate management accounting research in developing countries and formulate suggestions for its progression.Design/methodology/approachThis is a desk based study of existing literature analysed through a framework of management control transformation in developing countries derived from the authors' research.FindingsResearch is growing, especially on accounting in state‐owned and privatised enterprises but more is needed on small and micro enterprises, agriculture, non‐governmental organisations, and transnational institutions.Originality/valueThis is the first review of this area and thus should help intending and existing scholars.
To seek or not to seek professional help? School leaders' dilemma
Authors: Nir Adam E. 
Published: March 2009

PurposeSchool leaders are professionals who need professional help to enable them better to cope with the ever‐changing challenges characteristic to their daily routine. Yet, in considering their hierarchical position in schools, they may be reluctant to ask for professional assistance even when help is available and needed, attempting to maintain their power and firm image. The purpose of this study, therefore, is to explore how school leaders cope with this assumed dilemma.Design/methodology/approachIn‐depth open interviews were conducted with Israeli school principals. These interviews were structured around a set of key issues that the literature identified as being related to help‐seeking behavior.FindingsData indicate principals' loneliness on the job and need for professional help. Yet it appears that the threat implied in exposing one's weaknesses, lack of reliable sources of help within the formal system, personal inhibitions and fears of damaging self‐image and losing capacity to influence are barriers undermining their inclination to formally seek help. Therefore, they prefer to informally ask the assistance of lay individuals, but even then adopt various strategies such as avoidance, buffering and differentiation, attempting to prevent the assumed negative consequences associated with help‐seeking behaviors.Originality/valueTheoretically, it is possible to conclude that those who are most in need due to their hierarchical position and role complexity are least likely to become involved in help‐seeking behaviors. Creating an organizational culture that will encourage school principals to ask for help and establishing a discreet channel within the formal system that will provide professional advice are further discussed.
The vice‐principal experience as a preparation for the principalship
Authors: Kwan Paula 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine first the job responsibilities undertaken by vice‐principals and second to investigate the respective contribution of each job responsibility in preparing them for the principalship. Because new principals are drawn predominantly from the ranks of vice‐principals in Hong Kong, it is important to examine whether their current experience adequately prepares vice‐principals to take up this senior position.Design/methodology/approachAll vice‐principals in Hong Kong secondary schools were sent a questionnaire that asked for the extent of their involvement in various activities and their adequacy of preparation for the principalship. A sequential regression analysis was used to examine the effect of various job dimensions on the vice‐principals' perceived preparedness, over and above the effect of their demographic variables.FindingsSeven job responsibility dimensions pertaining to the role of vice‐principals were identified. It was found that respondents spend most of their time on staff management and the least on resource management. Among the seven job dimensions, only strategic direction and policy environment were found to have an effect on their perceived preparation for the principalship.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings reflect that vice‐principals take their staff management and resource management responsibilities lightly as they do not perceive their extensive experience gained in staff management as an asset or their inadequate experience in resource management as a deficiency in preparing them for the principalship. As these two dimensions are the core elements of school‐based management, they deserve the attention of policy‐makers. In addition, policy‐makers should address the development of vice‐principals in the dimension of strategic direction and policy environment.Originality/valueThe paper, using a quantitative methodology, is the first to investigate the link between job responsibility dimensions and preparation for the principalship as perceived by vice‐principals.
Resolving leadership dilemmas in New Zealand kindergartens: an action research study
Authors: Cardno Carol , Reynolds Bronwyn 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine dilemmas encountered by kindergarten head teachers with the further aim of developing their capability to recognise and resolve “leadership dilemmas”.Design/methodology/approachAction research was used to conduct a three‐phase study involving 16 kindergarten head teachers and six system managers (within the Auckland region). A reconnaissance phase investigated the nature of perceived dilemmas and typical responses. In the second phase, an intervention that provided participants with both the theory and practice skills was implemented. A third phase of research evaluated the extent to which change had occurred.FindingsThe reconnaissance phase findings (pre‐learning questionnaire) confirm the incidence of dilemmas in kindergarten settings. The data show that, while leaders could identify issues that signalled the presence of dilemmas, they were unable to articulate leadership dilemmas clearly or confront them successfully. A professional development intervention was evaluated using a post‐learning questionnaire. There is evidence that these leaders were better able to recognise and articulate the leadership dilemmas they encountered in performance management settings. The findings show that participants are able to analyse their responses to these dilemmas by relating these to the theory base and indicating where they believe there is need for further learning. In summary, the intervention did change participants' practice but the study is limited by its inability to gauge internalisation of learning and study its implementation. For this to occur another cycle of action research is required.Originality/valueThe paper is original in that it studies the practices of leaders in relation to resolving dilemmas which arise when leaders manage the performance of staff. If leaders have an understanding of the theory and skills they need to address these tension‐laden problems, they could positively influence the quality of teaching and learning through leadership practices.
Teacher effectiveness and student achievement
Authors: Heck Ronald H. 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how increasing teacher effectiveness is central to school efforts to improve student outcomes. This study aims to examine successive teachers' effects on student achievement. The premise advanced is that teacher effectiveness is an individual resource that varies across classrooms within schools, as well as a collective resource that varies across schools.Design/methodology/approachThe methods used represent an attempt to expand the scope of previous studies about ways in which schools affect student learning by examining a multilevel constellation of teacher‐related effects (e.g. classroom effectiveness, collective teaching quality, school academic organization) that can be changed to increase educational effectiveness. The sample consisted of 9,196 students, cross‐classified in 511 and 527 classrooms, and nested in 156 elementary schools.FindingsFirst, the effectiveness of successive teachers was related to student achievement in reading and math. Second, collective teacher effectiveness, as an organizational property of schools, was positively associated with achievement levels. Third, the stability of the school's teaching staff and the quality of its academic organization and teaching processes were positively related to achievement levels.Originality/valueFindings are consistent with studies that have found that differences in teacher effectiveness matter in explaining student achievement. They also suggest that teacher effects tend to accumulate within and between schools to provide noticeable academic advantage or disadvantage. The results imply promising avenues through which a leadership focus on hiring and retaining high‐quality teachers and facilitating improved academic processes can yield increased school effectiveness.
The citation indexes and the quantification of knowledge
Authors: Rodríguez‐Ruiz Óscar 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThis paper seeks to show the limitations of citation analysis to measure the quality of scientific contributions, also exploring the consequences of the assessment of research performance for educational institutions.Design/methodology/approachThe study reviews the literature about citation and assessment of the research endeavour to identify problems that clearly affect the administration of the institutions of higher educationFindingsCitation and other metrics are being used increasingly by the educational administration. Citation indexes can be considered as useful indicators, but they do not represent the quality of research. For this reason, bibliometric measurement cannot be the essential part of academic appraisal.Originality/valueThe paper highlights the fact that administrators in higher education institutions and academic authorities need to be conscious of the essential role of peer review.
The impact of RFID on service organizations: a service profit chain perspective
Authors: Smith Jeffery S. , Lee Lorraine , Gleim Mark 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of radio frequency identification (RFID) implementation on service performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes a case study methodology to explain the impact of RFID on performance. The service profit chain is used as the overarching framework to facilitate the discussion. Qualitative methods in the form of in‐depth interviews, observation, and participation are employed for the collection of data.FindingsThe results in the paper indicate that RFID implementation has a significant impact on the consumer components (quality, value, satisfaction, and financials) of the service profit chain. The implementation also has an effect on the technical aspects of internal operations (internal quality and productivity) but is limited in how it affects the employee components (satisfaction, capability, and loyalty).Research limitations/implicationsThe paper denotes the potential impact on performance of RFID implementation through the utilization of a qualitative research approach, which limits the scope of the findings. Also, the focal organizations are non‐profits, which can also hinder generalizability.Originality/valueThis research is one of the first to empirically examine the way in which RFID implementation can affect operational and financial performance. In doing so, valuable insights are gained as to how RFID can be used to improve existing performance. Additionally, areas are identified that can be investigated to further benefit from the implementation.
Determining the relative importance of critical factors in delivering service quality of banks
Authors: Kumar Mukesh , Tat Kee Fong , Taap Manshor Amat 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine the critical factors to accessing the level of service quality of banks by re‐examining the SERVQUAL model, originally pioneered by Parasuraman. Further, the technique of dominance analysis is used to measure the relative importance of each critical factor in closing up overall service quality gap of banks.Design/methodology/approachThe sample consists of 308 bank customers from different parts of Malaysia. The data were collected by using a structured questionnaire, which consists of three parts. Part 1 deals with consumers' usage of banking channels and their banking behavior. Part 2 contains 26 statements related to service quality dimensions based on past literatures. Finally, Part 3 contains the questions related to the socio‐demographic profiles of respondents.FindingsThe modified SERVQUAL model consists of four critical factors (dimensions) as detected by factor analysis. They are: tangibility, reliability, competence and convenience. The results reveal that there are significant differences between the respondents' expectation and their perceptions. Among the four dimensions tested, tangibility has the smallest gap whereas convenience has the largest gap. The application of dominance analysis indicates that competence and convenience together can help to reduce the SERVQUAL gap as much as 76 per cent. The banking sector needs to become more competent by being more responsive and fulfilling the assurance of the customers and providing the banking facilities more conveniently.Originality/valueThe paper shows that hardly any work has been conducted which applies the dominance analysis approach in SERVQUAL dimensions to determine the relative importance of the critical factors in closing the overall service quality gap. Measuring the relative importance of service quality dimensions consistently will provide insights to the banks as to what areas need to be emphasized in order to retain their customers and attract new ones. It provides the guidelines for the banks to develop proper strategies and react faster to the changes of customers' banking behavior.
Developing laminar mixed convection of nanofluids in an inclined tube with uniform wall heat flux
Authors: Ben Mansour R. , Galanis N. , Nguyen C.T. 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe aim is to study the conjugate problem of developing laminar mixed convection flow and heat transfer of water‐Al2O3 nanofluid inside an inclined tube submitted to a uniform wall heat flux.Design/methodology/approachThe set of non‐linear, coupled and fully elliptic governing equations has been solved using a “finite‐control‐volume” numerical method, the classical power‐law scheme for computing heat and momentum fluxes staggered and non uniform grids for spatial discretization of various regions of the tube.FindingsNumerical results have shown that the presence of nanoparticles slightly intensifies the secondary flow due to buoyancy, in particular in the developing region. It also increases the average Nusselt number and decreases slightly the product ReCf with respect to those of water. For the horizontal inclination, two new correlations have been proposed to calculate these two variables in the fully developed region, for Grashof number ranging from 103 to 105 and particle volume concentrations up to 7 per cent.Practical implicationsThe results of this study can be employed for various practical heat transfer and thermal applications using nanofluids.Originality/valueThe present study constitutes an original contribution to the knowledge of nanofluid thermal behaviour.
Analysis of conduction‐radiation problem in absorbing and emitting nongray materials
Authors: Marques Severino P.C. , Barbero Ever J. , Murillo John S.R. 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a computationally efficient model to solve combined conduction/radiation heat transfer problems in absorbing, emitting, non‐scattering, non‐gray materials.Design/methodology/approachThe model is formulated for steady‐state condition and based on an iterative approach where the medium is discretized into finite strips and the extinction spectrum is divided into finite bands to consider the extinction coefficient variation with the wavelength.FindingsTemperature fields and heat flux distributions are presented to demonstrate the capability of the formulation. It is shown that the model is quite accurate and efficient even for the cases of pure radiation. Differently from other models, the number of iterations required by the model for convergence is very low, even in the cases dominated by radiation.Originality/valueThe model has great potential to contribute with the evaluation and design of materials for thermal insulation, where radiation heat transfer can be the dominant mechanism, such as aerogel materials which are recognized as the solids with the lowest thermal conductivity and are intended to be used in building and construction, aerospace, transportation and other applications.
Jet impingement onto a cylindrical cavity
Authors: Yilbas B.S. , Shuja S.Z. 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe paper's aim is to provide information on heat transfer and flow characteristics for a jet emerging from a conical nozzle and impinging onto the cylindrical, which resembles the laser heating process, for researchers and graduate students working in the laser processing area, which can help them to improve the understanding of the laser machining process.Design/methodology/approachA numerical scheme employing the control volume approach is introduced to model the flow and heating situations. The effect of jet velocity on the heat transfer rates and skin friction around the cylindrical cavity subjected to the jet impingement was investigated.FindingsIncreasing jet velocity at nozzle exit enhances the heat transfer rates from the cavity wall and modifies the skin friction at cavity wall, which is more pronounced as the cavity depth increases to 1 mm.Research limitations/implicationsThe effects of nozzle cone angle on the flow structure and heat transfer characteristics were not examined, which perhaps limits the general usefulness of the findings.Practical implicationsVery useful information are provided for the laser gas assisted processing, which has a practical importance in machining industry.Originality/valueThis paper provides original information for the effects of the gas jet velocity on the cooling rates of the laser produced cavity.
Shape modification of an axial flow turbine nozzle to reduce erosion
Authors: Mazur Zdzislaw , Campos‐Amezcua Rafael , Campos‐Amezcua Alfonso 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to validate an axial turbine modified nozzle design, looking for a reduction of the nozzle erosion process during operation in power plants.Design/methodology/approachThe approach taken is numerical simulation using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tool, comparing original and proposed/modified nozzle designs.FindingsThe paper provides information about how to achieve a solution of the turbine operational problem (abrasive wear) by an analysis of flow patterns under a variety of conditions.Research limitations/implicationsIt does not give a detailed interpretation of flow behaviour due to the lack of validation data.Practical implicationsA very useful flow simulation methodology that can be used in industry is provided.Originality/valueThe proposed design modification of an axial turbine nozzle with the aid of CFD simulation has not been performed yet. This paper investigates the possibility of nozzle erosion reduction by modifying local flow patterns.
Distance education in China: the current state of e‐learning
Authors: Chen Li , Chen Huina , Wang Nan 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the current trends in and future prospects for distance education in primary, secondary, and higher education in China.Design/methodology/approachThis article reviews relevant literature and cases, and explores the current situation of distance education in China.FindingsThe use of information and communication technologies (ICT) in education is at different stages in China. There are three main forms of distance education practice in China based on executing agencies, target students, and goals.Practical implicationsThe paper summarizes characteristics of each e‐learning form in China. This information is useful for policy makers, administrators and teachers.Originality/valueThis paper classifies major practice models of e‐learning in China and defines different forms according to their own characters definitely.
Teachers' conceptions of e‐learning in Chinese higher education
Authors: Zhao Jianhua , McConnell David , Jiang Yinjian 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to first, examine teachers' conception of e‐learning and second, is to reveal how e‐learning is applied in teaching and learning in the field of Chinese higher education.Design/methodology/approachVarious issues are reviewed in the instruction part, i.e. e‐learning applications in China, research and practices of e‐learning. The methodology applied in this study is phenomenography. Twenty‐four Chinese participants were interviewed in‐depth based on a protocol developed in the planning stage. The interviews are analysed from a grounded theory perspective and a set of conceptual categories are proposed.FindingsFive categories, i.e. the centrality of the lecture, online cooperation learning, network learning, student learning, and infrastructure and access are identified in terms of the phenomenographic study. The findings demonstrate that the traditional teaching methods that dominate in China are unlikely to present conditions for mainstreaming e‐learning in the near future.Practical implicationsTraditional Chinese teaching culture still dominates in higher education, and teachers' conceptions do influence their teaching behaviours. Therefore, a training programme could be developed based on the categories of teachers' conceptions of e‐learning.Originality/valueThis study helps us to understand how Chinese teachers understand e‐learning and how they utilise e‐learning in their teaching and learning.