bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interview with Loren C. Steffy
Authors: by Juliet Harrison Interview 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to provide an interview with Loren C. Steffy, business columnist for the Houston Chronicle. Loren has been recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, and the Associated Press Managing Editors, and has recently published Drowning in Oil: BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer.FindingsLoren's recent publication: Drowning in Oil: BP and the Reckless Pursuit of Profit, provides an in‐depth examination of how a lack of corporate responsibility and government oversight led to the biggest offshore oil spill in US history, explaining that that the Deepwater Horizon disaster was only part of a larger pattern of cost‐cutting, image‐making, and winner‐take‐all corporate culture that compromised safety across BP's operations for years.Practical implicationsThe paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.Social implicationsThe paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.Originality/valueThere is a lesson for all companies in the case of the Deepwater Horizon disaster: vigilance matters. When companies have complex and potentially dangerous operations, they cannot afford to get complacent. Years of safe operations does not mean you are not moments away from disaster. Human error is always a factor, but companies need processes that account for it.
Young people's experiences of personal advisors and the Connexions service
Authors: Sheehy Kieron , Kumrai Rajni , Woodhead Martin 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe paper aims to explore young people's experiences of having access to personal advisors (PAs), from Connexions, a support and guidance service.Design/methodology/approachSemi‐structured interviews were conducted, in two phases, with young people in a large new town. Thematic analysis highlighted significant issues and suggested factors that might differentiate between those in employment, education and training and those not in this position.FindingsYoung people's relationship with their Connexions PA emerged as a significant factor in mediating the extent to which they used the service as a “portal” to opportunities and resources. For some young people faced with complex and challenging circumstances, the relationship with their PA provided a uniquely stable and valued source of support.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough drawn from a small and focused sample, the results suggests that the large‐scale cuts to the service, currently underway, could have a significant impact on young people in difficult circumstances.Practical implicationsThe identity of the Connexions service creates issues of access for potential service users.Originality/valueThe research illustrates the positive impact that PAs can have in the complex and challenging situations which some young people encounter. It highlights the nature of the relationship developed with PA as a key issue in facilitating positive changes in the lives of young people. It also suggest that the categories of not in education, employment and training and education, employment and training are too simplistic as descriptors of the young peoples lives or the work undertaken with them by PAs.
Representing diversity on UK company web sites
Authors: Guerrier Yvonne , Wilson Cornelia 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the way in which diversity policies are represented to prospective employees on UK company web sites.Design/methodology/approachAn analysis was conducted of the diversity pages and careers pages of the web sites of companies in theTimesTop 20 Big Employers (2009) andTimesTop 25 Big Employers (2010) lists; 28 web sites were studied. The analysis focused on the language that was used to describe diversity, the diversity strands that were represented and the images used.FindingsThe paper shows how most of these companies have sophisticated and comprehensive web sites that use the language of diversity and of the business case. Messages about diversity are embedded not just in the diversity pages but also reflected across the careers pages. Young women are used as the “face” of the company while older men are less visible. The message conveyed on many web sites is of the importance of shared values and acceptance of superficial differences.Originality/valueThe paper adds to research on discourses of diversity and the limitations of the business case, showing how diversity is valued, provided it can be accommodated within existing company culture.
The impact of gender culture on women's career trajectories: an Australian case study
Authors: North‐Samardzic Andrea , Taksa Lucy 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to examine the influence of gender culture and gender subtext on the career trajectories of women. It examines the organization as an arena in which underlying cultural processes maintain gender distinctions and barriers, thereby limiting the efficacy of policies specifically designed to increase the number of women at senior levels.Design/methodology/approachThis paper draws on the findings of a qualitative case study of the perceptions of women's career trajectories in an Australian financial services organization. by examining the gender subtexts of organizational documentation we analyse the impact of gender culture, specifically the gender structure of the organization, gender identities of women managers and gender symbolism in organizational texts.FindingsThe findings highlight the way an organization's gender culture legitimate continuing gender distinctions and impose pressure on women to comply with masculine behavioral norms, while accepting gender distinctions and arrangements that reproduce inequalities.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings illustrate that despite the case study organization being awarded for “best practice” in gender equity, the masculine gender culture of the organization indicates that systemic change to support the advancement of women is still strongly needed. Given that this case study is used as an illustrative example, future research should be mindful of the uniqueness of this particular context.Originality/valueThese findings provide insights into the way the goals of equity legislation, policies and programs can be undermined by the distinct gender culture of an organization.
Gender pay gap and its perceptions
Authors: Khoreva Violetta 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to broaden the domain of the gender pay gap research by exploring individuals' perceptions of it. Examining the factors that have an impact on the way individuals perceive the gender pay gap helps answering the question of why it persists and how to overcome it.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides a conceptual model of the factors proposed to influence individuals' perceptions of the gender pay gap by adopting social comparison, equity, occupational socialization, relative deprivation, expectancy and social dominance theories as well gender socialization perspective.FindingsAccording to the conceptual framework, such individual factors as pay expectations, gender role orientation, perceived pay fairness, gender, age, marital status and education facilitate the perceived gender pay gap. Furthermore, gender composition of employment sector and occupational status predict individuals' perceptions of the gender pay gap. Finally, welfare state regime and the degree of public awareness constitute the perceived gender pay gap.Practical implicationsBesides, the obvious suggestion of eliminating the gender pay gap, the paper suggests that more efforts should be made by media and governments to discuss the concept of the gender pay gap and make women aware of their rights and opportunities.Originality/valueThe main of this paper is that it draws together different theoretical perspectives into the model of the perceived gender pay gap.
Using data mining techniques for exploring learning object repositories
Authors: Segura Alejandra , Vidal‐Castro Christian , Menéndez‐Domínguez Víctor , Campos Pedro G. , Prieto Manuel 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to show the results obtained from the data mining techniques application to learning objects (LO) metadata.Design/methodology/approachA general review of the literature was carried out. The authors gathered and pre‐processed the data, and then analyzed the results of data mining techniques applied upon the LO metadata.FindingsIt is possible to extract new knowledge based on learning objects stored in repositories. For example it is possible to identify distinctive features and group learning objects according to them. Semantic relationships can also be found among the attributes that describe learning objects.Research limitations/implicationsIn the first section, four test repositories are included for case study. In the second section, the analysis is focused on the most complete repository from the pedagogical point of view.Originality/valueMany publications report results of analysis on repositories mainly focused on the number, evolution and growth of the learning objects. But, there is a shortage of research using data mining techniques oriented to extract new semantic knowledge based on learning objects metadata.
A water conservation digital library using ontologies
Authors: Ziemba Lukasz , Cornejo Camilo , Beck Howard W. 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe paper's aims is to present research that evaluates a technology that assists in organizing and retrieving knowledge stored in a variety of forms (books, papers, models, decision support systems, databases) through a real world application.Design/methodology/approachOntology has been used to manage the Water Conservation Digital Library in Florida, USA, which holds a dynamic collection of various types of digital resources in the domain of urban water conservation. The ontology based back‐end powers a fully operational web interface, available at: http://library.conservefloridawater.org Findings – The system has demonstrated numerous benefits of the ontology application, including easier and more precise finding of resources, information sharing and reuse, and has proved to effectively facilitate information management.Research limitations/implicationsA large and dynamic number of concepts makes it difficult to keep the ontology consistent and to accurately manually catalog resources. To address these issues, ongoing research focuses on the area of information extraction with the aid of natural language processing techniques.Originality/valueThe paper presents a real‐world‐verified application of ontology to a digital library. It may be of potential interest for anyone who needs to effectively manage a collection of digital resources.
Cloud computing
Authors: Thomas P.Y. 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the educational potential of “cloud computing” (CC), and how it could be exploited in enhancing engagement among educational researchers and educators to better understand and improve their practice, in increasing the quality of their students' learning outcomes, and, thus, in advancing the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in a higher education context.Design/methodology/approachAdoption of the ideals of SoTL is considered an important approach for salvaging the higher education landscape around the world that is currently in a state of flux and evolution as a result of rapid advances in information and communications technology, and the subsequent changing needs of the digital natives. The study is based on ideas conceptualised from reading several editorials and articles on server virtualisation technology and cloud computing in several journals, with theeSchool Newsas the most important one. The paper identifies two cloud computing tools, their salient features and describes how cloud computing can be used to achieve the ideals of SoTL.FindingsThe study reports that the cloud as a ubiquitous computing tool and a powerful platform can enable educators to practise the ideals of SoTL. Two of the most useful free “cloud computing” applications are the Google Apps for Education which is a free online suite of tools that includes Gmail for e‐mail and Google Docs for documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, and Microsoft's cloud service (Live@edu) including the SkyDrive. Using the cloud approach, everybody can work on the same document at the same time to make corrections as well as improve it dynamically in a collaborative manner.Practical implicationsCloud computing has a significant place in higher education in that the appropriate use of cloud computing tools can enhance engagement among students, educators, and researchers in a cost effective manner. There are security concerns but they do not overshadow the benefits.Originality/valueThe paper provides insights into the possibility of using cloud computing delivery for originating a new instructional paradigm that makes a shift possible from the traditional practice of teaching as a private affair to a peer‐reviewed transparent process, and makes it known how student learning can be improved generally, not only in one's own classroom but also beyond it.
The use of metadata and preservation methods for continuous access to digital data
Authors: Groenewald Ria , Breytenbach Amelia 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the awareness about digital preservation and what must be done towards preserving valuable original digital material. The paper also aims to discuss the use of metadata principles and the implementation of tools for the preservation of documents stored on personal computers.Design/methodology/approachData loss prevention starts with the creation of a digital object. However, methods to minimize the loss of digital data are often ignored, the use of metadata structures embedded in digital objects from the outset thereof are recommended as a starting point towards good preservation principles. The need to create awareness on the issue of digital preservation was promoted by the authors at various occasions during 2008, as the number of incidents of data loss and costs involved continue to be of concern to all involved. Whether the loss occurs by a malicious attempt, or an inadvertent mistake, it can be diminishing either personally or to the institute/company where it occurs. Data were collected through a digital questionnaire and literature studies were done on several strategies, policies and best practices. Personal visits to libraries actively working on digital preservation and curation formed a basis for conducting the study. The implementation of tools that can be used to preserve and retrieve digital content by individuals was also investigated.FindingsDigital objects should be archived with metadata about the object and the creation thereof. Metadata need not necessarily be structured and controlled when used by individuals or small groups for preservation of self owned data. The metadata content, however, should describe the object, the method of creation and technologies used in the creation. All changes to the document should be captured in the preservation metadata. Future access to digital content does not only depend on one preservation method but on a sequence of strategies and methods applied to the digital content.Originality/valueThe paper provides a broad overview of certain aspects that must be considered when implementing digital preservation strategies. The value of metadata needs to be widely accepted and implemented and the use thereof promoted to creators of personal digital objects.
DRIVER: building a sustainable infrastructure for global repositories
Authors: Peters Dale , Lossau Norbert 
Published: April 2011

PurposeDRIVER embodies a bold vision – that of worldwide networks of scientific data repositories. This paper seeks to examine the aims of the European Union funded project, to explore the development of a distributed infrastructure that enables enhanced interoperability of data, resulting in a global knowledge infrastructure supporting the scholarly communication of the future.Design/methodology/approachThe primary objective of DRIVER was to establish a flexible, robust, and scalable infrastructure for all European and world‐wide digital repositories, managing scientific information in an open access model increasingly demanded by researchers, funding organisations and other stakeholders. Adopting a result‐driven approach, activities focused on the expansion of the content base with high quality research outputs, including textual research papers, data sets and other scholarly publications.FindingsThe release of the D‐NET v1.0 open source software proved a successful basis for a distributed service‐oriented architecture, enabling enhanced interoperability of data and service‐providers, and offering wide‐ranging functionality including search; recommendation; collection building, and personal profiling as innovative tools for repository managers. In addition, it was found that in building a robust network of voluntary content providers, known as the DRIVER Confederation, the infrastructure came to support a durable organisational structure, now formally constituted as the Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR). The international repository organisation enables further collaboration between research communities in a co‐ordinated network comprising a growing number of institutional repositories, national federations and research institutions and data aggregators.Practical implicationsThe development of COAR is the extension of the EU‐based infrastructure to global research communities in China, India, Africa and Latin America, deploying a vigorous awareness and advocacy programme. Evolving from the DRIVER Confederation, COAR aims to provide an ongoing support service for repository managers, in a dynamic set of guidelines aimed at data interoperability, and to provide the strategic support required to implement new forms of scholarly communication. These issues are addressed in terms of technical infrastructure developments but will focus on strategic issues of policy development, improved services and additional functionality offered to the scholarly community.Originality/valueThis paper outlines DRIVER's unique response to the changing global information environment. Concepts of strategic international collaboration are pursued in COAR, based on the scientific and technical collaboration achieved in DRIVER. The paper addresses significant repository development goals that currently challenge repository managers, librarians, scholars and funders and that indicate the future of Open Access publication – in the ultimate goal of a global and interactive representation of human knowledge.
Improving operational and business performance in the petroleum industry through quality management
Authors: Mellat Parast Mahour , Adams Stephanie G. , Jones Erick C. 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate empirically the effects of quality management practices on operational and business performance.Design/methodology/approachA reliable and valid survey instrument was used for data gathering from managers in the petroleum industry. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine the effect of quality management practices on operational and business performance.FindingsThe results indicate that top management support, employee training, and employee involvement are significant variables explaining the variability of operational performance. Furthermore, a multiple regression analysis on business performance indicated the significance of top management support on business performance. The study also shows that customer orientation is not a significant predictor of business performance in the petroleum industry. In addition, focus on practices associated with human resource management (employee training and employee involvement) is critical in improving operational performance.Research limitations/implicationsManagers in the oil and gas industry need to emphasize practices associated with human resource management. Future studies should replicate this study with a larger sample size.Originality/valueThe study contributes to theory validation and development in quality management by investigating the effects of quality management practices on operational and business performance. The paper adds to the body of knowledge in quality management in the international context, specifically in the Middle East. In addition, it advances the literature on the practice of quality management in process industries, such as the petroleum industry.
Client‐specific litigation risk and audit quality differentiation
Authors: Sun Jerry , Liu Guoping 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether client‐specific litigation risk affects the audit quality differentiation between Big N and non‐Big N auditors. Specifically, the authors examine whether higher quality audits of Big N auditors relative to non‐Big auditors is more pronounced for clients with high litigation risk than for clients with low litigation risk.Design/methodology/approachThe authors develop the hypothesis based on auditors' potential monetary and reputational losses, collect the data of US listed companies from the Compustat and CRSP databases, and conduct regression analyses.FindingsThe authors find that the higher effectiveness of Big N auditors over non‐Big N auditors in constraining earning management is greater for high litigation risk clients than for low litigation risk clients, suggesting that clients' high litigation risk can force big auditors to perform more effectively.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by providing novel evidence on the effect of client‐specific litigation risk on the audit quality differentiation between Big N and non‐Big N auditors. The authors' findings complement the extant research on the relationship between the audit quality differentiation and country‐level litigation risk.
The riskiness of audit firm continuing clients' portfolio
Authors: Khalil Samer 
Published: April 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test whether firms audited by the same Big 4 audit firm (Big 4 continuing clients) are more/less likely to report material weaknesses (systemic material weaknesses) in internal controls over a financial reporting than those audited by the same Non‐Big 4 audit firm (Non‐Big 4 continuing clients) over the period 2005‐2008. It also investigates whether the number of material weaknesses and that of systemic material weaknesses varies among the two groups.Design/methodology/approachLogistic regression and count regression analysis for panel data tests the hypotheses using all firms that had SOX 404 filings and that were audited by the same auditor over the period 2005‐2008 (1,668 firms; 6,672 firm‐year observations).FindingsFindings document that Big 4 continuing clients are less likely to report material weaknesses and systemic material weaknesses than Non‐Big 4 continuing clients, especially during the first two years of investigation. Results also demonstrate that the number of material weaknesses and that of systemic material weaknesses reported by Big 4 continuing clients is significantly lower than that reported by Non‐Big 4 continuing clients, primarily for the years 2005 and 2006.Originality/valueFindings support the risk avoidance perspective where large audit firms avoid riskier clients due to potential litigation costs and/or due to potential sanctions by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Results also suggest that smaller audit firms did not extensively test the quality of internal controls prior to the year 2004. They highlight that the enactment of SOX 404 and the establishment of the PCAOB heightened audit firms focus on internal controls and raised their sensitivity to audit risk arising from weaknesses in internal controls over financial reporting.