bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A customer‐dominant logic of service
Authors: Heinonen Kristina , Strandvik Tore , Mickelsson Karl‐Jacob , Edvardsson Bo , Sundström Erik , Andersson Per 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe paper seeks to introduce to a new perspective on the roles of customers and companies in creating value by outlining a customer‐based approach to service. The customer's logic is examined in‐depth as being the foundation of a customer‐dominant (CD) marketing and business logic.Design/methodology/approachThe authors argue that both the goods‐ and service‐dominant logic are provider‐dominant. Contrasting the provider‐dominant logic with CD logic, the paper examines the creation of service value from the perspectives of value‐in‐use, the customer's own context, and the customer's experience of service.FindingsMoving from a provider‐dominant logic to a CD logic uncovered five major challenges to service marketers: company involvement, company control in co‐creation, visibility of value creation, scope of customer experience, and character of customer experience.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is exploratory. It presents and discusses a new perspective and suggests implications for research and practice.Practical implicationsAwareness of the mechanisms of customer logic will provide businesses with new perspectives on the role of the company in their customers' lives. It is proposed that understanding the customer's logic should represent the starting‐point for the company's marketing and business logic.Originality/valueThe paper increases the understanding of how the customer's logic underpins the CD business logic. By exploring consequences of applying a CD logic, further directions for theoretical and empirical research are suggested.
Communicating corporate image into existence: the case of the Saudi banking industry
Authors: Yeo Roland K. , Youssef Mohamed A. 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe paper seeks to explore the factors that would make an impact on the corporate image of large commercial banks in Saudi Arabia through the perceptions of direct customers. It proposes an appropriate way of measuring corporate image in the Saudi banking industry through the development of a questionnaire.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire, presented in English and Arabic, was piloted and tested to a group of banking customers in three major cities of Saudi Arabia.FindingsResults indicate that three factors significantly influence perception: “financial prospects”, “corporate management” and “corporate communication”. These explain 67.7 per cent of the total variance. The notion of “market presence” was not strongly felt in the Saudi banking industry despite the growing trend of internationalization of large commercial banks in the country.Research limitations/implicationsCorporate image is regarded as a critical, strategic and enduring intangible asset for an organization. A favorable corporate image can be an effective form of differentiation and a source of competitive advantage ensuring long‐term success.Practical implicationsManaging complex customer relationships is a first step in creating better corporate image. Publicity tools need to be strategically deployed to create a stronger market presence. Financial performance should be appropriately communicated to instill confidence and loyalty in customers.Originality/valueThis is the first of such research conducted in Saudi Arabia. Customers' interpretation and perception of corporate image in the Saudi banking industry suggests that corporate branding is as important as corporate identity. As such, this paper reveals that complacency in corporate communication practices is the very reason why market presence fails to endure the test of time.
Museums' communication in small‐ and medium‐sized cities
Authors: Capriotti Paul 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study how museums in a medium‐sized city (Tarragona, Spain) communicate with their local community, analysing how people evaluate and inform themselves about the museums in their city, and studying how museums identify their specific publics within the local community and communicate with them.Design/methodology/approachThe author has designed a dual methodological approach, using qualitative and quantitative research methods. Qualitative research was conducted using in‐depth interviews with communication managers of the museums. Also, quantitative research was employed, designing a questionnaire directed at the local community in Tarragona (Spain).FindingsThe results show that museums have a narrow view of their publics, which is focused basically on their visitors, and that they are familiar with and use communication tools and techniques, although with a tactical perspective.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper was focused on all the museums in Tarragona, but it is a small number of organisations, and therefore, the results are not necessarily representative of all Catalan or Spanish museums.Originality/valueThe paper presents a specific methodology for analysing the communication of museums of any kind. From an academic perspective, this paper can improve our understanding of how museums communicate with their publics. It can be used by other researchers to analyse these types of organisations, and to promote the comparison of results. From a practitioner perspective, the results can contribute towards identifying some of the strengths and weaknesses of communication policies and activities of the museums and help to improve their communication management.
Effective internal environment‐related communication
Authors: Uusi‐Rauva Christa , Nurkka Johanna 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to understand what kinds of internal messages concerning a company's environment‐related corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities would be most effective in engaging employees in implementing an organization's environmental strategy. Furthermore, the paper explores how environmentally active employees could be utilized as internal communicators to spread environmental activity internally.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reports on findings from interviews (n=12) conducted within a multinational case company that has recently adopted an active approach to communicating its environmental policy internally.FindingsEmployees whose work does not have a clear environmental impact can find corporate environmental policies distant, and would rather see simple, practical messages about what they can do for the environment in their jobs. Furthermore, employees might ignore environmental considerations if they are too busy at work. To encourage environmentally active employees to share their ideas, it might be useful to assign clear environmental contact persons to each department, because employees may be unwilling to approach colleagues directly with environment‐related suggestions.Practical implicationsAt a time when most companies are striving to be greener, the findings help organizations understand how they can communicate effectively to encourage all employees to consider the environment in their jobs. In addition, the results point to how organizations can better utilize environmentally active employees for internal promotion of environmental strategies.Originality/valueThe paper extends research on CSR communication to consider internal communication within an organization. In addition, it adopts the perspective of employees to bring new insight into their role in CSR‐related activities.
Determinants of construction companies' use of web‐based interorganizational information systems
Authors: Hadaya Pierre , Pellerin Robert 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to measure the influence of two categories of determinants – those tied to the characteristics of the organization and those tied to the characteristics of its supply chain relationships – on construction firms' use of web‐based interorganizational information systems (IOISs) to support interorganizational processes with their key suppliers.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical evidence is gathered through an electronic survey conducted with 67 senior managers of Canadian construction companies.FindingsFindings indicate that both categories of determinants strongly influence each of the facets of construction firms' use of web‐based IOISs to support interorganizational processes with their key suppliers. Findings also indicate that the two facets of the use of web‐based IOISs to support collaborative processes are influenced by the same characteristics of supply chain relationships while the use of both types of web‐based IOISs are not influenced by the same characteristics of the supply chain relationships.Practical implicationsThis study shows construction managers that a supply chain approach may facilitate firms' adoption of IT to support their interorganizational processes with their suppliers. This research also exposes practitioners to the different ways web‐based IOISs can be used by construction firms to support their relationship with suppliers and emphasizes the need for managers to consider the characteristics of their supply chain relationships and not only technological factors while developing and implementing their web‐based IOISs strategy.Originality/valueThis study is amongst the few empirical studies on the use of information technology to support supply chain processes between construction companies and their suppliers. By proposing an approach to web‐based IOISs measurement comprising five facets, this research also makes a theoretical contribution to the field of IOISs.
Improving construction supply chain collaboration and performance: a lean construction pilot project
Authors: Erik Eriksson Per 
Published: August 2010

PurposeImproving construction supply chain collaboration and performance is central for achieving short‐term business objectives as well as long‐term competitive advantage. Lean thinking is an approach that has been adopted in many different industrial settings as a means for improving supply chain performance. In the project‐based construction industry, lean thinking has, however, not yet been widely adopted. The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of how various aspects of lean thinking can be implemented in a construction project and how they affect supply chain actors and their performance.Design/methodology/approachAction research was performed in a case study of a lean construction pilot project. Empirical data were collected through three surveys and follow‐up workshops, document studies, and interviews of 12 project participants.FindingsThe findings show that many of the lean‐related aspects identified in the literature review were utilized in the pilot project. These aspects have mostly focused on increasing the cooperation among supply chain actors, for which reason the pilot project is very similar to a partnering project. Hence, much work remains in order to obtain full‐fledged lean construction, but the pilot project may serve as a starting point for continuous improvements and development of lean construction in future projects.Research limitations/implicationsThe research results are based on one empirical case study for which reasonable generalisations could be made, albeit cautiously.Practical implicationsThe frame of reference can serve as an illustration of important aspects and core elements of lean construction and the case study findings show how various lean related aspects can be implemented and how they affect supply chain actors and their performance in a construction project context.Originality/valueThe action research approach based on both qualitative and quantitative data collection in a lean construction pilot project provides a valuable opportunity to study both the process of implementing lean construction and its outcomes.
Propensity for self‐employment: contrasting the USA and Mexico
Authors: Prieto Leonel , Wang Lei , Hinrichs Kim T. , Aguirre ‐Milling Homero 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to test the direct and mediating effects of a set of environmental (family self‐employment background, social networks, legal system support, governmental support, and social norms) and individual (entrepreneurial self‐efficacy and risk propensity) factors on the propensity for self‐employment in the USA and Mexico.Design/methodology/approachA survey was administrated among students in three universities in the USA and in two universities in Mexico. Factor, reliability, t‐tests, and regression analyses were carried out. Mediation was assessed following Baron and Kenny.FindingsMost direct and mediating effects were higher for the USA than for Mexico. Entrepreneurial self‐efficacy fully mediated several factor relationships in both countries. Results suggest a pattern of a strong formal institutions‐individual nexus in the USA, and a strong informal institutions‐individual nexus as well as a significant impact of the individual in Mexico.Research limitations/implicationsThe main weaknesses of this paper are the simple linear relationships used and the student sample. Nonetheless, the efforts carried out to develop this research and the set of factors considered point in the direction of the type of studies needed to further understanding of the phenomenon.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests that effectiveness of self‐employment policy may improve by better matching knowledge about mental schemata, perceived resources, and perceived contexts by the target population with the incentive infrastructure supplied.Originality/valueThe value of this paper is that it studies, using an eclectic theoretical framework, a relatively large set of individual and environmental factors impacting the propensity for self‐employment in two different national contexts.
Entrepreneurial growth expectations and information flows in networks
Authors: Daskalopoulou Irene , Petrou Anastasia 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to analyse entrepreneurs' expectations regarding future growth by analysing the relationship between information flows from networks and the perceived risk of decisions associated with the future size of a firm.Design/methodology/approachThe paper's main proposition is that growth expectations might be the outcome of superior judgment stemming from the privileged information derived from networks. To provide evidence in support of this hypothesis, a sample selection model was estimated using a two‐step estimation procedure. Cross‐section questionnaire data were used in the empirical analysis.FindingsAnalysis indicates that networks are indeed information mechanisms; however, such information should be specific to problem‐solving firm processes. Better‐informed entrepreneurs are those that foresee higher growth in the future; yet, they are not blocked in only local networking.Research limitations/implicationsThe small sample size might be viewed as a limitation; yet, the very satisfactory fit of the estimated model allows empirical findings to be a useful comparison with future evidence in the field.Practical implicationsEvidence is provided on the role of inter‐firm contacts and relationships as a mechanism able to assist entrepreneurs in better assessing and even reduce the risk and uncertainty associated with their present and future decisions regarding firm growth.Originality/valueThe paper provides evidence on the factors affecting expected growth rates, while it explicitly formulates and tests the hypothesis that expectations regarding growth might be the outcome of superior judgment stemming from the privileged information derived from networks.
Business support for farmers: an evaluation of the Farm Cornwall project
Authors: McElwee Gerard , Annibal Ivan 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an account of a Farm Support Project in Cornwall which provides support, advice and an outreach facility for farmers in the Penwith district of Cornwall. It also discusses how effective such schemes are, particularly in an external environment which poses threats to the farm sector in the UK. Three kinds of questions about the nature of farming and the status of farmers are posed. The first set of questions includes polarisations about the hegemonic position of farmers. Second, macro‐economic, and thus policy, questions concerning the economic “footprint” of the farmer and the farm's relationship with the economy are posed in Cornwall. The third set of questions concerns the economic role and entrepreneurial capability of the farmer in Cornwall.Design/methodology/approachA desk study of the scheme's objectives, a literature review, and interviews with 27 stakeholders were reported on specifically the results of the interviews.FindingsThe Penwith Scheme encompasses an integrated approach to providing business support to farmers including: sign‐posting specialist advisers, the facilitation of training assistance with major grant applications, the development of “social capital” through to help in accessing sources of social support.Research limitations/implicationsFarm Cornwall is a unique example of support to farmers. Replication of such a scheme across other rural regions and indeed other business sectors is possible and desirable but would require a full appraisal of the efficacy of regional and local business support to rural business.Practical implicationsPolicy and practical implications for this scheme and others are described.Originality/valueThe novel aspect of the paper is that it describes a useful business support mechanism which has utility for a range of stakeholders involved in supporting the development of rural enterprises.
Analysis of the convergence degree between the accounting and the valuation standards concerning fair value
Authors: Deaconu Adela , Buiga Anuta 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe study aims to measure the fair value (FV) regulation convergence and to present its determinant factors and effects.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical approach is used based on the content analysis of the accounting and valuation referentials, and of the similarity and dissimilarity measures.FindingsThe study attests the materialisation of the IASB and FASB objective regarding the FV accounting convergence and underlines certain dissimilarities concerning the guidance quality and the application extent of FV. In comparison with some theses in the literature on the quality of the fair value measurement, it states that certain measurement solutions, especially the focus on exit value and the preference for the seller's perspective, cannot cover all the situations that imply FV accounting and discriminate the users of accounts in favour of the financial statement providers. As to the relation between accounting standards and valuation standards, a smaller convergence degree was determined, namely in the case of IASB FV exposure draft. The main causes of this dissimilarity are related to the insufficient adaptation of IVS to the financial reporting requirements for measurement details and for FV disclosure.Practical implicationsIn addition to some recommendations for the accounting standard setters, the paper draws attention to the need to improve the collaboration between IASB and IVSC by developing a joint document regarding technical guidance.Originality/valueThe study undertakes a comparative analysis of the accounting and valuation standards on fair value, based on an empirical approach, discusses the causes and suggests improvement measures for referentials including the atypical cases concerning elements of the financial statements, the market and the economies.
Value analysis of centralized and distributed communications and video streaming
Authors: Heikkinen Mikko V.J. , Casey Thomas , Hecht Fabio 
Published: August 2010

PurposeWhen comparing novel centralized and distributed communications and video streaming services, the authors identified a need for a theoretic framework to position a multitude of ICT services and technologies according to their value proposition. Literature does not integrate existing value analysis concepts into a holistic theoretical framework. This paper aims to address this shortcoming by proposing a value analysis framework for ICT services capable of describing the value exchanges between different actors and their role constellations based on technological componentizations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper evaluates a representative selection of communications and video streaming services and an extensive literature study on existing value analysis research was conducted to develop the framework and to verify it.FindingsThe paper demonstrates the applicability of the value analysis framework in communications and video streaming case studies, which are technically very different from each other but, at the abstraction level the framework provides, display very similar characteristics in value flows and role constellations.Research limitations/implicationsThe value analysis framework could be extended and verified with other case studies and complemented with quantitative modeling and system dynamics.Originality/valueThe authors combine existing literature into a proposal of a holistic value analysis framework and apply it to novel centralized and distributed communications and video streaming services. Both academics and practitioners can use the framework to evaluate the value proposition of ICT services and technologies.
Comparison of journal impact rankings in the SCImago Journal & Country Rank and the Journal Citation Reports databases
Authors: Jacsó Péter 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare the journal impact rankings of the open access SCImago Journal & Country Rank (SJR) database and the subscription‐based Journal Citation Reports (JCR).Design/methodology/approachThe paper looks at the SJR database which offers essential scientometric information for more than 17,000 scholarly and professional journals based on data licensed from Elsevier's Scopus database and compares this with the JCR database.FindingsThe open access SJR database offers very informative new insights to complement those that have been provided by the JCR for more than three decades by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) and its successor, the Thomson (later Thomson‐Reuters) company. Especially valuable are its features of weighting the citations received based on the prestige of the citing journals, the (partial) exclusion of journal self‐citations, and the broader base of source journals. They provide new opportunities to analyse and understand their effects on the ranking of journals.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful information on the open access SJR and JCR databases and their effects on the ranking of journals.
Pervasive computing and an aging populace
Authors: Shankar Kalpana 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe some of the methodological challenges of investigating privacy and ubiquitous computing in the home, particularly among the healthy elderly.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on focus groups with 60 senior citizens either living independently or in an assisted living facility. Prototypes of home‐based ubiquitous computing devices were created and deployed in a home‐like living lab setting; elders were brought to the lab to interact with the prototypes, then brought together in focus groups to discuss their insights and concerns.FindingsInitial analyses suggest that extant metaphors of privacy may be inadequate for understanding pervasive computing in the home. Concepts of data, affective concerns, and the creation of appropriate prototypes for eliciting privacy are considered. Considerations for future studies of the elderly and privacy are made.Research limitations/implicationsThe homogeneity of the study population in terms of socioeconomic status, location, and community networks suggests that the study needs to be repeated with wider populations.Originality/valueAlthough a number of projects and studies have examined the usability of home‐based ubiquitous computing and design for aging, there has been little integration of privacy and ethical concerns into general research discourse.