bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Measurement of enterprise architecture readiness within organizations
Authors: Jahani Bahman , Reza Seyyed Javadein Seyyed , Abedi Jafari Hassan 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a model for measuring enterprise architecture (EA) readiness in organizations.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews the literature of enterprise architecture, defines and extracts factors and indicators of enterprise architecture readiness with factor weighting and indicators. Thereafter the authors propose a model to measure organization EA readiness in practice.FindingsIn this paper nine factors and 34 indicators that affect enterprise architecture are defined and an enterprise architecture readiness model is constructed. The model of research is practical, because it specifies readiness of organization in enterprise architecture and helps to define current state of organization via factors and indicators, and from priorities of factors and indicators, alerts organization of an optimization strategy.Research limitations/implicationsIn order to increase the utility of the model for use in other organizations, further studies can help to refine the model.Originality/valueThe essence of extracting and choosing factors and indicators in this study is from enterprise architecture processes and key success and failure factors of enterprise architecture in organizations. In addition selected factors and indicators related to organization infrastructure not related only to enterprise architecture project planning and executing are examined through the use of a questionnaire. The model derived from this study can be utilized as a multi‐dimensional and practical model because of its complexity and examination of organizational infrastructures.
Funding of human service sector nonprofit organizations (HSNPs)
Authors: Kelly Deborah , Lewis Alfred 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis article aims to examine the dynamic nature of the sources of funding for not‐for‐profit (NPs) organizations with particular reference to NPs in the human service sector NPs in the US.Design/methodology/approachThe universe of NPs include government and so‐called third sector organizations which such as charities, healthcare organizations, educational institutions and disaster relief organizations. Specifically the authors examined the human service sector of NPs with the aim of analyzing the relationships between government subsidy and the level of commercial activities of NPs.FindingsThe expectation is that NPs with greater level of commercial of for‐profit type activities are better managed than NPs that are solely reliant on government subsidies.Originality/valueThis article examines the dynamic nature of the sources of funding for not‐for‐profit (NPs) organizations with particular reference to NPs in the human service sector NPs in the US.
Blood diamonds: international policy options for conflict resolution
Authors: Lahiri Sajal 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of four policy options for the international community to help resolve conflicts involving black diamonds: foreign aid, a tax arms exports, a tax on blood diamond and a tax on diamond exports in general from the war zones.Design/methodology/approachA trade‐theoretic model of two open economies which are in conflict with each other was constructed. War efforts, which involve the use of soldiers and arms, are determined endogenously. The purpose of war is the capture of land containing a natural resource like diamond, but the costs are that lives are lost and production sacrificed. The capture of mining land helps to reinforce the war by using profits from the sale of the natural resource to purchase arms.FindingsThe paper identifies the role of the “protective” nature of arms, and of income effects of the policy instruments, on the results. For example, foreign aid is found, unambiguously, to increase war when the entire profit from the sale of blood diamond is used to buy arms. But, when the proportion of profits from blood diamond used to buy arms is chosen optimally, foreign aid increases war efforts when arms are significantly protective of soldiers' lives.Social implicationsThis paper helps to understand conflicts, the resolutions of which have serious social implications for the conflict‐torn areas of the world.Originality/valueThis paper provides the international community with an analysis of policy options for dealing with blood diamond. It shows, for example, that controlling supply of arms can be as effective as discouraging the consumption of blood diamond.
Is the downturn in maquiladora employment cyclical or structural?
Authors: Mundra Kusum , Gerber Jim 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of cyclical and structural factors on the decline of maquiladora employment. In addition to the US industrial production, the cyclical factors examined are relative Mexican US wages, the Mexican exchange rate relative to the US, and US foreign direct investment (FDI). The paper also explores the effect of competition from China, a structural effect, on the decline of maquiladora employment.Design/methodology/approachA vector error correction (VEC) model of maquila employment for the period 1980‐2002 is estimated and controlled for US industrial production, FDI flows, relative wage rates of Mexico and USA. To empirically investigate the structural differences of lower costs in Mexico vs China a seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) is estimated across three sectors: apparel and textile, electronic, and transportation.FindingsFrom the VEC maquila employment model it is found that, in addition to the strong effect of US industrial production on the maquila employment, there exist significant short‐ and long‐run effects of Mexico US exchange rate and Mexican wages relative to USA on maquila employment. The sectoral (SUR) model shows that competition from China has a bigger adverse effect on relatively labor‐intensive good and commodities which are cheaper to transport (such as textiles) over more bulky transportation goods. The transportation sector has a location advantage, though is more sensitive to the cyclical fluctuations in the US industrial production.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research should investigate the role of USA and world FDI exclusively into Mexico and maquiladora sector.Practical implicationsWell designed controls, output choice, and location advantage are important for the growth and viability of small scale manufacturing industries.Originality/valueThe VEC model for maquila employment and the SUR framework across main maquila sectors is the first to account for wages, exchange rate, and FDI in addition to the US industrial production in understanding the decline in maquiladora employment.
Inflation convergence and currency unions: the case of the East African community
Authors: Kishor Narayan , Ssozi John 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate inflation convergence within the East African Community (EAC) as it aspires to become a currency union.Design/methodology/approachAn unobserved dynamic factor model was used to decompose the variation in inflation into a component that is common across the countries in the EAC region and a component that is country specific. Convergence was measured by the percentage of variation in inflation that is common across countries.FindingsThe estimated results from the dynamic factor model for the pre‐EAC Treaty (1981:3 to 2000:2) period and post‐EAC Treaty (2000:3 to 2009:1) period suggest that the percentage variation in inflation in the EAC that is explained by the common regional component increased significantly during the post‐Treaty period.Research limitations/implicationsOne of the limitations of this paper is that it does not address the mechanism through which the convergence in a currency union is achieved. Future research should try to examine the link between convergence and different macroeconomic policies.Practical implicationsThis paper suggests that the push towards forming a currency union in East Africa has led to a greater degree of inflation synchronization across different countries in the region.Originality/valueThe main contribution of this paper is to use an unobserved component model to estimate the degree of inflation synchronization in East African countries.
Price discovery and convergence in the Indian commodities market
Authors: Iyer Vishwanathan , Pillai Archana 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine whether futures markets play a dominant role in the price discovery process. The rate of convergence of information from one market to another is analyzed to infer the efficiency of futures as an effective hedging tool.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a two‐regime threshold vector autoregression (TVAR) and a two‐regime threshold autoregression for six commodities. The regimes (or states) are defined around the expiration week of the futures contract.FindingsThis paper finds evidence for price discovery process happening in the futures market in five out of six commodities. However, the rate of convergence of information is slow, particularly in the non‐expiration weeks. For copper, gold and silver, the rate of convergence is almost instantaneous during the expiration week of the futures contract affirming the utility of futures contracts as an effective hedging tool. In case of chickpeas, nickel and rubber the convergence worsens during the expiration week indicating the non‐usability of futures contract for hedging.Originality/valueThis paper extends the framework developed by Garbade et al. by superimposing a two‐regime TVAR model to quantify the price discovery process. It is the first paper to analyze the differential impact of price discovery and convergence during expiration week (compared to non‐expiration weeks) for the Indian commodities market.
Networks, middlemen and other (urban) labour market mysteries
Authors: Iversen Vegard , Torsvik Gaute 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the roles of social networks and intermediares in recruitment and as instruments to control the workforce in lower end urban labour markets in developing countries. The existing literature favours explanations where networks and middlemen are vehicles to disburse information about vacant jobs or screening mechanisms that improve worker‐job matches. Intermediaries may also enable employers to evade labour regulations. This paper highlights instead their roles as incentive providers or mechanisms that alleviate behavioural risks in work relations. A novel aspect of this approach is that behavioural risks on both sides of the work relation are considered.Design/methodology/approachAfter reviewing the literature, a simple agency model is introduced to suggest new ways to identify whether networks and middlemen alleviate incentive problems in labour relations.FindingsStudies of disparities in labour market access and outcomes are usually anchored in ideas of discrimination. A key insight is that the access to and performance of urban labour markets depend critically on the specific “services” networks and intermediaries extend to workers and employers. This adds an important complication to the evaluation of opportunities for income diversification through rural‐urban migration. Under some circumstances, both “institutions” may give rise to strong and persistent exclusion that is likely to vary systematically across sectors of the urban economy. In other circumstances, access restrictions can be remedied through simple policy interventions.Originality/valueThis paper introduces a new and important dimension to the study of urban labour markets as level playing fields.
Women partners leaving the firm: choice, what choice?
Authors: Anderson Deirdre , Vinnicombe Susan , Singh Val 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper is based on the experiences of 31 women who have recently left partner roles within an international management consultancy firm. The purpose of this paper is to explore discursively their perceptions of choice within their decisions to leave.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 31 women using semi‐structured telephone interviews, a 66 per cent response rate. A discursive approach to analysis was adopted.FindingsThe decision to leave is the culmination of many interacting factors at a time when a financial incentive for resignation is available. Findings present here focus on discourses of loyalty to and affection for the company and work‐life integration.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations include access only to women who have left the firm, allowing for no comparison with those who were still partners. Additionally, we were unable to speak to any of the male partners who have left the firm in the same timescales, although in smaller proportions.Practical implicationsThe findings indicate the need to review the excessive time demands placed on partners and provide further support for policies, which enable greater flexibility.Originality/valueThis paper uses data from a rare sample of women, those who have actually left senior roles within one organization.
Changing perceptions of meritocracy in senior women's careers
Authors: Sealy Ruth 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore how an elite group of senior women in banking represent and describe their understanding and experience of the role of meritocracy, within the context of their own career.Design/methodology/approachSemi‐structured interviews were conducted with 33 senior female directors from six global investment banks. Template analysis was used in the qualitative analysis of the coding.FindingsThe paper found that the women's adherence to the notion of meritocracy diminished over time, as merit appeared to be less defined by human capital (ability and experience) and more by social capital (seen as political behaviour). The paper also reveals how the concept is construed on two levels: first, on a symbolic level, demonstrating how the organization defines and rewards success; second, on a personal level, how it affects the individual's cognitions, emotions and self‐belief.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the small literature on the concept of meritocracy in the management field, with an emphasis on the experiences of successful female directors in global investment banks.
Merit, special contribution and choice
Authors: Simpson Ruth , Ross‐Smith Anne , Lewis Patricia 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how women in senior management draw on discourses of merit and special contribution in making sense of the contradictions and tensions they experience in their working lives. It has a particular focus on how women explain possible experiences of disadvantage and the extent to which they see such experiences as gendered.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on an Australian study of women leaders in the private and tertiary sectors. Data are drawn from in‐depth interviews with 14 women.FindingsFindings suggest that women draw on discourses of meritocracy and of “special contribution” in discussing their experiences at work. Inconsistencies between these competing discourses are mediated through notions of choice.Research limitations/implicationsThe research has implications for the understanding of how women at senior levels make sense of their experiences in organizations. A wider sample may give further corroboration to these results.Originality/valueThe paper highlights the significance of the discourse of choice in aligning discourses of “special contribution” with the reality of their lives whilst keeping intact the concepts of equality and meritocracy to which they strongly adhere.
Who rules the game? An investigation of sex‐work, gender, agency and the body
Authors: Gatrell Caroline 
Published: April 2010

PurposeDrawing upon notions of agency and the body, the purpose of this paper is to examine the nature of agency as a gendered concept through a consideration of women sex‐workers. Specifically, the paper analyses how far women sex‐workers may be regarded as social agents. It then considers how far notions of agency, in relation to sex‐workers' embodied boundaries, may be gendered.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews existing literature on sex‐workers and sex‐work practices, looking at indoor sex‐work (massage parlours), outdoor sex‐work (street sex‐work) and trafficking. It considers these types of sex‐work in relation to agency, gender and the body.FindingsThe paper acknowledges the diversity of women's experience within different aspects of the sex trade. The paper recognizes claims that treating sex‐workers as “victims” could further jeopardize their social position. However, the paper finds that the “options” available to sex‐workers are severely constrained. Specifically, the lack of capacity among sex‐workers to set embodied “rules of engagement” with clients makes the notion of agency problematic. The paper contends that “agency” is itself a gendered concept not only in relation to sex‐work, but also in the context of women's work more broadly.Practical implicationsThrough the idea of agency as a gendered concept, the paper offers alternative ways of exploring agency, the body and women's work.Originality/valueThe paper puts forward the notion of agency as a gendered concept. This opens up possibilities for further research on women's “choices”, and who “makes the rules” within different labour markets.
Exploring career “choices” of work‐centred women in a professional service firm
Authors: Kumra Savita 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to challenge Hakim's work‐centred category and empirically tests its applicability in a professional service firm.Design/methodology/approachThe information was gathered through 19 in‐depth interviews with women in an international consulting firm. The analysis was conducted using Nvivo software.FindingsThe paper shows that contrary to the contentions of preference theory, work‐centred women do not face unfettered choice in their career advancement. Findings reveal a number of structural constraints within the firm – namely the prevailing model of success, the need for high‐level sponsorship and the need to network, which impact their choices. The findings also problematise the nature and formulation of the work‐centred category itself.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper surfaces a number of contradictions in the work‐centred category and calls for further work in this area. The paper also surfaces the presence of structural constraints which impact on women's career choices. Further research to develop these themes and provide broader contextual analysis is called for.Practical implicationsHakim's preference theory has taken responsibility for women's career advancement away from society and organisations and placed it on individual women. The paper challenges this positioning and calls for organisations to audit their policies and processes to ensure they are not “gender oppressive”.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the debate on the applicability of preference theory through empirical evaluation of the one of the three categories at its heart – that of work‐centred women. The theory is found to be wanting on a number of issues and problematises not just the category but key tenets of the theory itself.
Choice or constraint? Tensions in female retail executives' career narratives
Authors: Broadbridge Adelina 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the usefulness of Hakim's preference theory in the understanding of the attitudes of women retail senior managers and directors towards their career and non‐work lives. It provides a critical analysis of the main tenets of preference theory and evaluates the extent to which women have “free choice” in their careers.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative methodology consisting of 13 in‐depth interviews with women at senior executive and director levels in retailing was adopted. The interviews examined women's career paths and uncovered the choices and constraints impacting on their career progress and other aspects of their lives.FindingsThe findings demonstrate the complexity of careers and choices. While several women talk about the choices they have made, it is apparent that these choices have been constrained by extraneous variables, both at an individual and organisational level.Practical implicationsThe findings from the paper can enhance practitioners' understanding of some of the choices and constraints women make in their working lives, which in turn might lead to improved organisational policies for women to better accommodate work‐life balance issues.Originality/valueThe paper questions whether choice equates to preference and assesses the usefulness of Hakim's preference theory as a means of understanding the careers of women in contemporary organizations.
Adoption of ISO‐oriented quality management system in Greek universities
Authors: Papadimitriou Antigoni , Westerheijden Don F. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeQuality management in Greek higher education at least until 2006 was in an early and debated stage. The intent of this paper is to present the extent of use of the ISO standards in Greek universities till 2006 and simultaneously to evaluate whether adoption of ISO‐oriented quality management tools is consistent with DiMaggio and Powell's notions of isomorphism (coercive, normative, and mimetic).Design/methodology/approachThe authors employed a mixed‐methods approach with sequential data collection with several alternations between quantitative and qualitative methods.FindingsIt is found that ISO‐oriented quality management system is fruitfully adopted in units only if all three types of neo‐institutional pressures (coercive, normative and mimetic) are present. These results and the high response rate suggest that there is a quality movement at the micro level in Greek higher education.Research limitations/implicationsQuality management (QM) research within the relatively uncharted Greek universities poses multiple challenges, e.g. in handling politically sensitive subjects, which may benefit readers in overcoming theirs.Originality/valueThe significance of the paper lies in the fact that no existing studies have investigated the adoption of ISO‐oriented quality management system in Greek universities, utilizing neo‐institutional theory and a mixed method research design. Especially relevant is that the study focuses on quality management at the micro level of units within higher education institutions. The study demonstrates how to distinguish different isomorphic pressures empirically.