bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An interview with Terry Hill, Emeritus Fellow at the University of Oxford, UK
Authors: Brown Steve 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe aim of this series of papers is to offer key insights from eminent professors or practitioners within the field of Operations Management. This is the first of a series of interviews with “Operations Masters” and future contributions will include a range of inputs from manufacturing and services, private and public sectors. This series will provide an important contribution to the strategic importance of operations management in a range of settings.Design/methodology/approachAn interview with Professor Terry Hill, Emeritus Fellow at the University of Oxford, UK and a leading international figure in the field of operations management and operations strategy, conducted by Professor Steve Brown, Editor‐in‐Chief of International Journal of Operations & Production Management.FindingsTerry Hill explains that his motive when writing his seminal book Manufacturing Strategy in 1985, which built on the work of Wickham Skinner, was to fill the gaps in both the language and concepts that comprise operations strategy, which would enable operations executives to exercise their strategic roles more fully. He goes on to describe the challenges that still exist in getting operations strategy onto the agenda in most companies and in the classroom. Finally Terry Hill makes recommendations for research which would help to elevate the strategic importance of operations.Originality/valueProfessor Terry Hill is a leading international figure in the field of operations management and operations strategy. In this interview he offers many insights into how this field has developed, both in business and in academia and highlights some of the challenges faced, particularly if research is to have real value in business.
A meta‐analysis of positive humor in the workplace
Authors: Mesmer‐Magnus Jessica , Glew David J. , Viswesvaran Chockalingam 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe benefits of humor for general well‐being have long been touted. Past empirical research has suggested that some of these benefits also exist in the work domain. However, there is little shared understanding as to the role of humor in the workplace. The purpose of this paper is to address two main gaps in the humor literature. First, the authors summarize several challenges researchers face in defining and operationalizing humor, and offer an integrative conceptualization which may be used to consolidate and interpret seemingly disparate research streams. Second, meta‐analysis is used to explore the possibility that positive humor is associated with: employee health (e.g. burnout, health) and work‐related outcomes (e.g. performance, job satisfaction, withdrawal); with perceived supervisor/leader effectiveness (e.g. perceived leader performance, follower approval); and may mitigate the deleterious effects of workplace stress on employee burnout.Design/methodology/approachThe authors examine the results of prior research using meta‐analysis (k=49,n=8,532) in order to explore humor's potential role in organizational and employee effectiveness.FindingsResults suggest employee humor is associated with enhanced work performance, satisfaction, workgroup cohesion, health, and coping effectiveness, as well as decreased burnout, stress, and work withdrawal. Supervisor use of humor is associated with enhanced subordinate work performance, satisfaction, perception of supervisor performance, satisfaction with supervisor, and workgroup cohesion, as well as reduced work withdrawal.Research limitations/implicationsProfitable avenues for future research include: clarifying the humor construct and determining how current humor scales tap this construct; exploring the role of negative forms of humor, as they likely have different workplace effects; the role of humor by coworkers; a number of potential moderators of the humor relationships, including type of humor, job level and industry type; and personality correlates of humor use and appreciation.Practical implicationsThe authors recommend caution be exercised when attempting to cultivate humor in the workplace, as this may raise legal concerns (e.g. derogatory or sexist humor), but efforts aimed at encouraging self‐directed/coping humor may have the potential to innocuously buffer negative effects of workplace stress.Originality/valueAlthough psychologists have long recognized the value of humor for general well‐being, organizational scholars have devoted comparatively little research to exploring benefits of workplace humor. Results underscore benefits of humor for work outcomes, encourage future research, and offer managerial insights on the value of creating a workplace context supportive of positive forms of humor.
Training of temporary workers and the social exchange process
Authors: José Chambel Maria , Castanheira Filipa 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of training to explain affective commitment and exhaustion of temporary agency workers (TAW). There is a general assumption that training relates with a social exchange relationship where employees exchange positive outcomes, not only with inducements received by training but also with the expectation of prospective inducements that will emerge from the fulfilment of promises made by the organization.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses were tested on a sample of 393 Portuguese blue‐collar TAW using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe hypotheses were supported. Training was positively related to workers' affective commitment and negatively to workers' exhaustion. Psychological contract fulfilment partially mediated these relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited due to the nature of the sample (TAW in industrial sector with similar training opportunities as permanent workers) and the lack of longitudinal design. Neither does it provide implications for other types of commitment that may be relevant for TAW (continuance commitment, for example).Practical implicationsAn important implication of this research is that employers should not assume that training is an investment without return from TAW. Developmental opportunities, while important to all employees, were positively related to TAW' affective commitment towards the organization and negatively to TAW' exhaustion.Originality/valueThe findings highlighted the importance of training in developing positive employment relationships with TAW and the role of psychological contract fulfilment as a mechanism that contributes to explain such relationship.
Socioeconomic determinants of poverty among urban households in South‐West Nigeria
Authors: Akerele Dare , Momoh Siaka , Adewuyi Samuel A. , Phillip Biola B. , Ashaolu Olumuyiwa F. 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe role of household socio‐economic factors towards achieving enduring poverty interventions especially among urban households of Nigeria cannot be overemphasized. Household socio‐economic factors, among others, have been identified by development practitioners in developing countries as variables which can easily be manipulated through policy levers to improve welfare of the poor. The purpose of this paper is to examine poverty situations among urban households in Ekiti State, Nigeria with emphasis on household socioeconomic characteristics and their associated influence on poverty.Design/methodology/approachA multistage sampling approach was used to select 80 households who were interviewed using a well structured questionnaire. Data collected were analyzed through Poverty index and Tobit regression model.FindingsThe study found that 41.0 percent of the households covered by the study were poor and would have to mobilize financial resources up to 45.0 percent of 1 US Dollar (N130) per day (for each household member) to be able to escape poverty. The incidence and depth of were higher among female headed households with values 0.26 and 0.43, respectively. The same pattern was also found among households with larger number of dependants with values ranging from 0.74 to 1.00 for incidence of poverty and from 0.70 to 0.77 for depth of poverty. Dependency ratio, household assets and educational status of household head, among others, are socio‐economic factors influencing the poverty.Originality/valueThe study recommends, among others, implementation of the new minimum wage scheme, encouragement of the universal basic education and adult education programmes, employment generations, family planning measures, and a well focused gender specific interventions for poverty reduction.
An analysis of the interdependence of demographic factors, labour effort and economic growth in Ireland
Authors: Doran Justin 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the effects of a declining birth rate and an increasing old age‐population ratio on Ireland's economic output.Design/methodology/approachThis paper utilises data on the birth rate, old‐age population ratio, economic output and labour effort of the Irish economy to estimate a vector‐autoregressive model. The results of this model are then analysed to test for the presence of Granger causality among these variables. In doing so it is possible to assess whether there are statistically significant causal relationships existing among these factors. Subsequently, impulse response functions are derived from this model in order to assess the magnitude of the causal relationships.FindingsThe results suggest that declining fertility rates and increases in the old‐age dependency ratio have a significant impact on labour effort and economic output. Labour effort is also found to explain variation in the fertility rate and economic output. Economic output is found to effect labour effort and the fertility rate.Social implicationsThe results derived in this paper raise interesting policy implications. It is evident that Ireland's declining birth rate and increasing old‐age population ratio are creating a demographic situation which will have implications for future economic growth. Policies need to be put in place to mitigate the negative effects these factors will have on Irish growth.Originality/valueThis paper adopts modern econometric techniques to assess the causal relationships which exist between the demographic and economic factors considered. These have not previously been applied to the Irish situation. In doing this, this paper provides an important insight into the changing dynamics of the Irish economy.
My years with B2B marketing in India: reflections and learnings from a journey of 40 years
Authors: Sarin Sharad 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to review the author's association with the discipline of business‐to‐business (B2B) marketing for nearly 40 years. Of these, 34 were spent teaching in a postgraduate institute, i.e. the Xavier Labour Relations Institute (XLRI), Jamshedpur, India.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is organized around nine lenses for reflection. These provide a comprehensive coverage of the author's experiences. The paper critically evaluates the author's performance as a B2B marketing instructor, researcher, trainer and consultant. It examines the evolution of B2B markets and marketing in India and traces the symbiotic relationship between academics and practice.FindingsThe reflection reveals that B2B marketing practices have benefited and improved a great deal in India due to interventions from academia. However, the most disturbing aspect of B2B marketing practices in India is all‐pervasive corruption. There seems to be no solution for it.Practical implicationsAn important audience for this paper is young faculty members. It is hoped the paper will be able to motivate them for more research and publications. The challenge for B2B marketing is to fuel the declining interest in the discipline. The B2B marketing discipline in India needs more faculty members, and substantial home‐grown research articles and cases.Originality/valueThe paper illustrates that the Indian B2B scenario has changed a great deal: the impact of competition and globalisation has transformed B2B marketing practices beyond recognition.
New service development in India's business‐to‐business financial services sector
Authors: Alam Intekhab (Ian) 
Published: February 2012

PurposeFew research studies have been done to investigate the issue of new service development (NSD) in an emerging market. To address this gap in the literature the aim of this paper is to document a study of the NSD process and the strategy of business‐to‐business financial service firms in India.Design/methodology/approachThe author conducted surveys of 148 multinational service firms operating in India and 126 local and indigenous Indian service firms belonging to the financial services industry.FindingsThe findings suggest that significant differences exist between multinational service firms operating in India and local/indigenous Indian firms. That is, service firms belonging to these two varied groups use different strategies to compete in the industry and emphasize different sets of development stages in service innovation.Research limitations/implicationsThe analysis has been restricted to one emerging market, i.e. India. This suggests the need for further studies of NSD in other emerging markets of the world.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research validate the initial contention that NSD practices vary from company to company, and thus there cannot be a “one size fits all” approach to service innovation. The insights from this study can help service managers to better understand and manage their NSD programs in an emerging market such as India.Originality/valueTo the best of the author's knowledge, this research represents the first attempt to investigate empirically the NSD practices of financial service firms in India.
It was 20 years ago today
Authors: Gray Rob , Laughlin Richard 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to revisit the special issue of Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal which was published in 1991 and which sought to stimulate the “green accounting” debate, to evaluate that issue and, in particular, to examine what we might learn about the development of the social and environmental accounting literature in the last 20 years.Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes the form of a discursive, polemical essay.FindingsThe special issue exhibited a wide range of approaches and possibilities; it also exhibited some theoretical naivety and a charming optimism and fetching trust in the power of reasonable argument. Retrospectively, the field has expanded considerably and has made many advances in theoretical and empirical understanding but researchers appear to be less willing to examine the fundamental issues that originally motivated the development of the field.Research limitations/implicationsThe implications and limitations stem from the ambitions of this discursive attempt to encourage debate of a more direct and confrontational nature – both within and at the margins of social, environmental and sustainability accounting.Originality/valueThe originality and value of the paper is in its critical engagement with the literature and ideas of social accounting, which is the generic descriptor used in the paper to include “green accounting”. It provides not only an analysis of the achievement of the work to date but some critical pointers to the work that still needs to be done.
We've come a long way! Maybe! Re‐imagining gender and accounting
Authors: Lehman Cheryl 
Published: February 2012

PurposeTransforming gender research in accounting is possible, desirable, and promising: the past few decades have included prescient work and expansive theories. The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the legacy of the 1992 special issue “Fe[men]ists' account” and urge new linkages and contexts for a continuation of visionary inquiries.Design/methodology/approachBy reviewing pioneering feminist research in various disciplines, the author opens the margins and boundaries of gender‐in‐accounting research. Innovative multidisciplinary works from different regions of the globe reveal methods for challenging entrenched premises and recasting new meanings.FindingsReflecting on our embedded ideas, expanding boundaries, and imagining new areas of inquiry are not only plausible, they are essential, for contesting repression and discrimination and advancing social justice.Research limitations/implicationsTying the current rhetoric of global neo‐liberalism to contemporary feminist struggles, the paper illustrates the significant consequences of economic globalization on women, and accounting's connection. As there is no single story regarding gender, research exploring the unexplored has precedent in accounting literature, providing a foundation for new insights and enhanced possibilities for advancing and transforming the field.Originality/valueThe paper re‐imagines the accounting‐gender dilemma, offering practical yet expansive research concepts regarding values, class, the construction of gender, and the impositions of economic structures.
Environmental performance accountability: planet, people, profits
Authors: Burritt Roger L. 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide comment on the contribution of the Environmental performance accountability special issue ofAccounting, Auditing & Accountability Journalpublished in 1997 towards the innovation through a personal reflection developed from the perceived need to move academics and practitioners into the same space on environmental improvement by organisations. In addition, the paper will offer future directions for environmental performance accountability research, including the potential for tools such as integrated reporting, the need for theoretical pragmatism and importance of a transdisciplinary approach to research.Design/methodology/approachThe diegetic method used for this article allowed for the provision of a narrative about actions, characters and events of interest to an audience. This method facilitated the intersection between the biographical and the historical content and context, and a hypodiegesis provided the ability for an embedded story within the larger history. The approach allowed for a hypodiegetic as the story within the story of developing the relationships between academic accountants and practitioners.FindingsContained in the special issue is a set of articles marking the extremes of academic and practitioner perspectives on what is broadly termed environmental performance and accountability. Review of the content of the special issue reveals that the bias is towards academic rather than practitioner appreciation. Review of the context providing the setting for the special issue shows the need for publishers to engage in the social media mechanisms needed to commence dialogue and convey the messages of academics to practitioners.Research limitations/implicationsSubjective assessment is overtly recognized rather than subsumed in the research methods adopted.Practical implicationsThe embedding of articles in special issues within a broader communications portfolio for practitioner understanding is suggested.Originality/valueThe nature of the personal reflection means that thoughts recorded are novel and unique.
Dialogue and deliberation as expressions of democratic leadership in participatory organizational change
Authors: Raelin Joseph A. 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to make the case, firstly, that democratic leadership, referred to as “leaderful practice,” should be the fundamental form of leadership that characterizes participatory organizational change. The parties affected by change are those engaged who seek to reflect upon their own tacit collective practices. Their mode of communication is a dialogue or deliberation that involves the responsible parties to decision making without privileging particular stakeholders because of their status or authority. Thus, it is purported, secondly, that the three practice elements of democratic leadership, dialogue, and deliberation should be included among the bedrock principles of participatory organizational change.Design/methodology/approachA critical conceptual examination is undertaken of the contribution of three alternative literature streams – leaderful practice, dialogue, deliberation – to participatory organizational change.FindingsDialogue, an authentic exchange between people, and its decision‐making cousin, deliberation, can become the communication modes associated with participatory organizational change. They are each characterized by equality of participation; thus they are inherently democratic processes that should substitute for top‐down or monologic discourses, which are inimical to participatory practice.Practical implicationsIf organization development and comparable participatory change processes claim at their core to be democratic processes, their exponents would endorse a leadership and communication that would preferably match their value system. There would be a shared communication by all those who are involved in the change activity, wherever they may sit within the organizational bureaucracy. The communication would become a multiple‐party reflective conversation that is captured in the mode called dialogue.Originality/valueBy focusing on critical reflection, the dialogic perspective with its emancipatory interest challenges common sense assumptions that are likely to be historical and cultural as psychological. Ultimately, dialogue supports democratic leadership at a core interpersonal level in which participants learn to engage through a reflective practice that allows them to observe and experiment with their own collective tacit processes in action.
Love Me Tender: new entry in popular music
Authors: Mol Joeri , Ming Chiu Ming , Wijnberg Nachoem 
Published: February 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate new entry as a process of organizational change against the background of the digital revolution in the music industry.Design/methodology/approachThe study analyzes questionnaire data gathered from 131 companies active in the Dutch music industry that collectively engaged in 215 new entries in the wake of the introduction of new information and communication technologies.FindingsThe most salient finding concerns a strong positive relationship between financial performance and having access to the dominant set of institutional gatekeepers, i.e. radio DJs.Originality/valueThis investigation prompts rethinking the concept of new entry, highlighting the importance of the institutional context in which it takes place. Beyond entry modes and new entry motivations, special consideration is given to specific resources that grant new entrants access to institutional gatekeepers because they are key predictors of performance upon new entry.