bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The impact of network and environmental factors on service innovativeness
Authors: Lee Ruby P. , Ginn Gregory O. , Naylor Gillian 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to examine, specifically, how competition, networks (alliances) and both formal and informal institutional forces affect service innovativeness within the not‐for‐profit dominated industry.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing data from 1,428 acute healthcare hospitals in the USA OLS regression was used to examine the antecedents to service innovativeness.FindingsThe results reveal that organizations in large networks (alliances) limit providers' service innovation. Whereas competition increased service innovativeness, regulatory forces (formal institutional pressure) and informal regulatory forces stifled it.Practical implicationsIs regulation good for service innovativeness? The results suggest otherwise. It was found that regulation (formal institutional pressures) limited service innovativeness. Another important practical implication is the finding that large network (alliances) also limited service innovation. Any condition that limits service innovativeness is going to hurt the very people that were meant to be served. While the questions were answered within the context of the acute care hospital industry, the results may be relevant to both for‐profit and not‐for‐profits service providers operating within a competitive environment. Varying informal and formal institutional pressures affect a wide range of both for‐profit and not‐for‐profit service providers.Originality/valueThe research goes further than previous literature's study of antecedents of service innovativeness to examine how external factors influence service providers' innovativeness strategies. It also adds to the literature which examines how marketing strategies can aid not‐for‐profit marketers.
Educational decision making in a centralised system: the case of Greece
Authors: Saiti Anna , Eliophotou‐Menon Maria 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the decision‐making process in the Greek education system, as an indicator of the design and implementation of educational policy.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a case study approach to identify limitations in educational decision making in Greece. Specifically, it examines the case of the decision‐making process that led to the establishment of All‐Day primary schools in the country.FindingsThe decision to establish All‐Day schools was not based on collaboration among stakeholders. Due to the centralisation of the Greek educational system, important decisions are made at the level of the Ministry of Education. Moreover, it appears that the central educational administration did not follow a specific action programme for the establishment and operation of All‐Day schools.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate that policy proposals for educational reform in Greece are controlled by a small group of bureaucrats. This results in a decision‐making process that fails to take into account the interests of different stakeholders and broader societal needs.Originality/valueThis paper attempts to explore the limitations of a centralised education system in relation to decision making and the formulation of educational policy. It takes a critical approach to present practices in an attempt to improve educational decision making in Greece.
Implementing school performance index (SPIn) in Malaysian primary schools
Authors: Othman Radiah , Abd Rauf Fatimah 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the processes involved in implementing school performance index (SPIN) – a new key performance indicator – and the results of its application in Malaysian public schools.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 76 Malaysian schools from five districts was selected randomly. The analytical procedures such as documentary analysis, observation and interviews with 101 headmasters and principals, Parents‐Teachers Association representatives and brainstorming session with Schools Inspectors was used.FindingsSchools performed differently when evaluated using various criteria of their operational efficiency and effectiveness. The results show that schools, which have scored higher in examination results (test scores) do not necessarily perform in other categories. In fact, the overall SPIN scores indicated they are in the bottom list.Practical implicationsSPIN can help authorities to better monitor the operational performance of the schools in providing quality education to future generations of Malaysians.Originality/valueIn general, schools' performance is measured based on students' examination results (test scores). SPIN is introduced to propose that a school should be measured within its capability as different schools will have different capacity. It is argued that operational efficiency and effectiveness (by incorporating various elements such as leadership, measurement analysis and strategic planning), is a better measure on how the school performs.
Ethics in college and university admissions: a trilogy of concerns and arguments
Authors: McCuddy Michael K. , Nondorf James G. 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore ethical challenges and dilemmas that exist within admissions systems at colleges and universities in the USA.Design/methodology/approachAlthough the issues considered herein are examined primarily from the perspective of admissions officers, this paper also considers the viewpoint of prospective students (and their parents) who are seeking to gain entrance to specific institutions of higher education. The ethical concerns of admissions officers and prospective students within the admissions process is explored through conceptual analysis of a trilogy of ethical concerns and arguments regarding the higher education admissions process in the USA.FindingsPart I of the trilogy explores the admissions profession as a calling, discusses some of the ethical issues currently involved in the admissions field, and makes the argument that most of these ethical issues are rooted in a breakdown of the admissions system in two areas – access and trust. Part II of the trilogy focuses on the ethical pressures that are encountered by various types of post‐secondary educational institutions as the admissions process unfolds. These pressures are examined in the context of an ethical typology that describes the admissions practices of colleges and universities in terms of the congruency between their espoused and enacted values. The degree of congruency between espoused and enacted values defines whether the admissions process is viewed as immoral, pseudo‐moral, or moral – and each view has important implications for the efficacy and fairness of college and university admissions. Part III of the trilogy examines three categories of ethical dilemmas – recruiting, personal biases in admissions decisions, and conflicts between personal ethical standards and institutional directives – that confront admissions officers on a daily basis. The implications of these dilemmas are considered relative to three general types of schools: ultra selective colleges and universities, non‐selective private colleges and universities, and large state‐funded public colleges and universities.Originality/valueThe admission systems at colleges and universities in the USA provide fertile ground for the development of ethical challenges and dilemmas regarding which prospective students will gain entry into which academic institutions. Recognizing these ethical challenges and dilemmas and effectively dealing with them is a professional imperative for admissions officers and the academic institutions they represent. Conceptualizing the ethical challenges of admissions within the context of access and trust provides an innovative approach guiding admissions professionals toward moral decisions and actions regarding who is admitted to their respective institutions.
Developing “middle leaders” in the public services?
Authors: McGurk Patrick 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to assess the actual contribution to organisational change of management and leadership development (MLD) activity for middle managers (MMs) in public service organisations (PSOs).Design/methodology/approachUsing the case study approach, the paper compares the content and outcomes of management and leadership training interventions for MMs in two large PSOs. The organisations, a fire brigade and a train operating company, are leaders in their sectors with respect to management development and “modernisation” of their services.FindingsThe paper demonstrates how, in one case, MM development was largely an exercise in regulatory compliance, with little effect on individual MMs' performance or organisational outcomes. The second case demonstrates how MMs were effectively trained to enforce specific human resource policies which contributed to the successful implementation of top‐down strategy yet paid little attention to the potential leadership role of MMs.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper highlights the need for further contextualised research at organisational level into the outcomes of MLD, especially in terms of different public service contexts.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates the dangers of designing and implementing development programmes without sufficient regard to professional practice and the realities of managerial discretion in PSOs.Originality/valueThe paper provides an in‐depth and contextualised insight into the conditions for success and failure in management development interventions in PSOs.
Performance management in the public sector
Authors: Fryer Karen , Antony Jiju , Ogden Susan 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to assess the state of performance management within the public sector and suggest areas for further research.DesignThis is a theoretical paper based on a literature review.FindingsThe expected improvements in performance, accountability, transparency, quality of service and value for money have not yet materialised in the public sector. There are three classes of problems with performance management in the public sector – technical, systems and involvement. Externally imposed restructurings and reorganisations restrict the successful implementation of performance management.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is theoretical, and empirical research to test the results is required.Practical implicationsThe findings can be used to enhance performance management systems within both the public and private sectors.Originality/valueThe paper provides an overview of the state of performance management and measurement within public sector organisations and explains the possible unwelcome effects of performance management. It divides the problems into three categories and offers suggestions for improvement.
A construct of the “ethos of codes of ethics” (ECE): the case of private and public Sweden
Authors: Svensson Göran , Wood Greg , Callaghan Michael 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to develop and describe a construct of the “ethos of the codes of ethics” (i.e. an ECE construct) in the private and public sectors of Sweden.Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes a cross‐sector approach to codes of ethics amongst the top private sector companies and the top public sector organisations. The paper then examines the measures put in place by the dual sample in order to describe the ethos of their codes of ethics.FindingsThe multivariate techniques used in the statistical analysis indicated that the ECE‐construct consists of five dimensions: ethical bodies, ethical tools, ethical support procedures, internal ethics usage, and external ethics usage.Research limitations/implicationsIt should be noted that the ECE construct has been derived from large companies and organisations in private and public Sweden, which may indicate less applicability to smaller operations. Another limitation may be the validity and reliability across other cultural samples. The dual sample contains a variety of different types of operations, but it may not be transferable to other countries.Practical implicationsThe outcome is based on data from private companies and public organisations that indicated they had corporate codes of ethics. Therefore, a suggestion for further research is to examine the ECE construct in other countries/cultures that differ from the ones in this research effort performed in the private and public sectors of Sweden.Originality/valueThe ECE construct introduced makes a contribution to theory and practice in the field as it is based upon a dual sample. It makes a contribution to theory as it outlines a construct for the benefit of other researchers working in both the private and the public sectors. The authors also believe that it may be of managerial interest as it provides a grounded framework of areas to be considered in the implementation of the codes of ethics in both private companies and public organisations.
Adaptation of Indian public sector to market‐based economic reforms
Authors: Gurtoo Anjula 
Published: October 2009

PurposeEconomic policy reforms, characterised by a market‐driven, privatised policy regime, are being adopted as a strategy by India to promote economic development. As markets become liberalised, public sector organisations face extreme vulnerability unless they can identify and develop the competencies necessary to thrive in these competitive markets. This paper, drawing on the resource‐based view, aims to identify the pre‐reform capabilities of public sector organisations in India and similar developing country contexts that would be relevant even in the post‐reform context.Design/methodology/approachAn interpretative and theoretical approach is used to put forth the arguments and a framework is proposed to explain the possibility of deriving competitive advantages from pre‐reform capabilities in the post‐reform context.FindingsSeveral unique capabilities of Indian public sector organisations can be identified using the resource based perspective which can be leveraged in the post‐reform context. They have superior resource‐picking capacity compared to private firms, especially for government‐regulated resources, international financial assets and modern technologies. Their internal integrative managerial systems and structures offer them an advantage in meeting the competitive demands of speed and promptness. Under effective leadership, the loyalty of a large workforce and their number of years of experience gives them an advantage of effective coordination and knowledge sharing and flow. Also, their capability in delivering economies of scale and scope due to their size and supply chain integration gives them a cost advantage over others.Practical implicationsThis paper takes a practical approach. It accepts the existing organisational culture, processes and systems of public sector organisations as given and matters of long‐term change, and identifies existing capabilities in the current organisational context that could help them survive better.Originality/valueUnlike most papers that focus on how policy changes affect public sector organisations or those that conduct a comparative analysis with the private sector on various parameters, the main focus of this paper is to identify existing capabilities that can be leveraged by public sector organisations for effective adaptation in the new scenario.
Three patterns to understand e‐government: the case of Colombia
Authors: Córdoba‐Pachón José‐Rodrigo , Orr Kevin 
Published: October 2009

PurposeE‐government initiatives are becoming common worldwide, but conceptual elements to understand their development, implementation and consequences are still lacking. Drawing on a contextualisation of e‐government in the information society and traditions in public policy, the aim of this paper is to offer three different patterns for thinking about e‐government. The paper's inter‐disciplinary and reflexive approach, as well as referencing a particular case (Colombian e‐government initiativeGobierno en Línea), seeks to unsettle the taken‐for‐granted aspects of the policy discourse of e‐government in ways that can illuminate practice.Design/methodology/approachFrom policy‐making and information systems, the authors review two dominant views on the information society to contextualise three patterns to think about e‐government. The first pattern (idealist) focuses on adopting a “vision” or “best practice” for government's use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The second pattern (strategic) emphasises the shaping of designs and uses of such technologies by different stakeholder groups. The third pattern (power‐based) conceives of any e‐government initiative as being the by‐product of power relations in a context, leading to different ways of thinking about e‐government (traditions). Analysis can then generate opportunities for the use ofpowerby individuals and governments. The authors study these patterns in the Colombian e‐government initiative (Gobierno en Línea) by analysing relevant government policy strategic documents during the period 1997 to 2007 and validating these via a semi‐structured interview with the director of this initiative.FindingsBy using these patterns the authors are able to illuminate the complexity of e‐government initiatives, and how each pattern contributes a different way of understanding. In the Colombian case we find that these patterns are intertwined and require us to go deeper in thinking about the context of relations between individuals and their governments.Practical implicationsFor public sector managers (and in particular for those in developing countries), the definition of these patterns can help them to assess critically the opportunities and limitations of the projects on e‐government in which they are involved. The findings also raise issues that can inform implementation strategies.Originality/valueThe paper presents an alternative and inter‐disciplinary perspective to the study of e‐government that unsettles taken‐for‐granted assumptions about it. Rather than accepting its idealist rhetoric uncritically, the paper provides individuals (citizens, researchers, policy makers) with ways to identify assumptions, strengths and weaknesses of our ways of thinking about it. The paper also opens opportunities to investigate contextual traditions that shape e‐government policy, implementation and use.
Imag[in]ing accounting and accountability
Authors: Davison Jane , Warren Samantha 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to set out several of the key issues and areas of the inter‐disciplinary field of visual perspectives on accounting and accountability, and to introduce the papers that compose thisAAAJspecial issue.Design/methodology/approachThis takes the form of a discussion paper, exploring several key issues related to visual perspectives on accounting and accountability.FindingsThe paper suggests that there has been some myopia with regard to the importance of the visual in accounting and accountability, and introduces a variety of theoretical, methodological and empirical approaches.Research limitations/implicationsIt is hoped that the issues and approaches explored in this paper, together with those of the various papers of thisAAAJspecial issue, will stimulate increased research on visual perspectives on accounting and accountability.Practical implicationsThe analyses of the ways in which the visual is implicated in accounting are of interest to accounting researchers, practitioners, trainees and auditors.Originality/valueThe paper surveys past work on visual perspectives in accounting and organization studies, provides an overview of challenges in the area, and sets an agenda for future research.
The image of accountants: from bean counters to extreme accountants
Authors: Baldvinsdottir Gudrun , Burns John , Nørreklit Hanne , Scapens Robert W. 
Published: October 2009

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which a profound change in the image of accountants can be seen in the discourse used in accounting software adverts that have appeared in the professional publications of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants over the last four decades.Design/methodology/approachMethodologically, the paper draws from Barthes' work on the rhetoric of images and Giddens' work on modernity. By looking at accounting software adverts, an attempt is made to investigate the image of the accountant produced by the discourse of the adverts, and whether the image produced reflects a wide social change in society.FindingsIt was found that in the 1970s and the 1980s the accountant was constructed as a responsible and rational person. In the 1990s, the accountant was presented as an instructed action man. However, in a recent advert the accountant appeared as a more hedonistic person. Overall, the changes observed reflect changes in wider social practice from modernity, through high modernity, to hyper‐modernity.Research limitations/implicationsThe image of the accountants has implications for the development of the accounting profession. In particular, the move towards hyper‐modernity, where empathy towards others and the virtues of self‐discipline and fairness are not at stake, has implications for the trustworthiness of the accounting profession.Originality/valueAlthough there has been some research into the image of accountants, particularly in the media and popular movies, extant works have mostly investigated how others perceive accountants and how accountants are generally portrayed. The paper however, places more stress on the construction of the image of the accountants when appealing to the accountants.
Face work in annual reports
Authors: Campbell David , McPhail Ken , Slack Richard 
Published: October 2009

PurposeAnnual reporting has moved from the conveyance of “simple” accounting numbers and more towards narrative, graphical, pictorial and broader aesthetic content conveyance. At the same time, there has been a small but growing discussion of the work of Emmanuel Levinas and Zygmunt Bauman and in particular the ethic of the Other. The aim of this paper is to explore the presence of faces in annual reports.Design/methodology/approachBased on initial observations from the analysis of human representations in the annual reports of 14 companies for all years 1989 to 2003 (210 annual reports), the paper interprets the increase from a Levinasian perspective, drawing substantially from Bauman's articulation of Levinas' ethic of the Other. Particularly within the work of Levinas, this ethic is articulated through the nakedness of the face. Analysis is partly performed through illustration of the site of audiencing, a key visual methodology, in annual report images.FindingsA significant rise in total human representation over time is interpreted in Levinasian terms and the range of sites of audiencing is demonstrated. Arguments are discussed that suggest a counter‐hegemonic understanding of the corporations' responsibility to the Other.Originality/valueThe paper provides a critical analysis of what this kind of face work means within the context of Levinas' ethics of the Other. The paper explores what this kind of face work means for the possibility of Levinasian‐inspired moral development and the potential for a counter‐hegemonic face work that may promote accountability.