bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A challenge to Marshallian orthodoxy on industrial clustering
Authors: Akoorie Michèle E.M. 
Published: October 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents (the medieval guild) of modern day industrial clustering. The paper challenges the notion that work of Alfred Marshall provides the intellectual underpinning of cluster thinking.Design/methodology/approachThe source material uses archival research on medieval guilds and historical texts. In tracing the development of forms of co‐operative association this paper employs the technique of genealogical spanning. The prism of forms of co‐operative association is used to examine the rise and fall of the medieval guild.FindingsMedieval guilds have been largely ignored by modern proponents of cluster theory and Italianate industrial districts. Guild activity in technological invention and innovation, in skills transfer and knowledge (both codified and tacit) had many of the same positive attributes that are found in neo‐Marshallian industrial districts. The long history of cooperative behaviour in geographically concentrated firms in industrial districts had its genesis in the medieval guild.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper suggests that collaboration (in craft guilds) and clusters (cooperation and relationships) have been a dominant paradigm since the Middle Ages; a viewpoint which is commonly ignored by the dominant US‐centric view of individualism, competition and arms lengths relationships in business. Cooperation and relationships have attracted significant scholarly attention and most recently the studies in the cluster literature have tended to favour the social and knowledge‐based approach. This phenomenon suggests that the future social, political and economic dynamics in Europe will remain firmly rooted in the creation of areas of regional specialization, as has been the case in the past.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to our understanding of the embeddedness of cooperation by comparing the characteristics of the medieval guild with the characteristics of modern day (Porterian clusters). Cooperation rather than competition is the dominant paradigm of industrial activity. The competitive divide between employers and employees was an aberration of the Industrial Revolution and promoted by political economists as a means of facilitating the mobility of labour by diffusion.
Human capital, migration and rural entrepreneurship in China
Authors: Liu Jialu 
Published: October 2011

PurposeMany countries have experienced, or are experiencing, urbanization. One such example is China. Even though the large‐scale rural‐urban migration seems chaotic on the surface, there are certain underlying forces driving individual decisions. The purpose of this paper is to provide some understanding of the relationship between human capital, migration, and occupational choices.Design/methodology/approachThe paper starts with an overlapping generations model. Human capital plays various roles across different occupations – it does not affect the income of farmers, it affects income of workers linearly, and it has increasing returns in rural non‐farm business. The paper then derives income profiles for individuals with heterogeneous human capital, and finds the human capital thresholds of occupations. The paper calibrates the model to China, and simulates the model to answer two questions: how does an improving human capital distribution affect rural wages, quantities of migrants and return migrants? How does a fast‐growing urban wage rate affect rural wages, quantities of migrants and return migrants?FindingsFirst, depending on the initial human capital level, policies aiming to enhance human capital may have different impacts on migration. If the initial human capital level is low, these policies will yield more permanent migrants; on the contrary, if the initial human capital is at a relatively high level, then a shrinking permanent migrant class with a growing entrepreneur class can be expected. This results in an inverted U‐shaped relation between the initial human capital level and the size of the permanent migrant class. Second, even though the non‐farm business of return migrants helps raise rural wages, the income inequality between rural and urban areas is not eliminated and migration is persistent. Third, borrowing constraints limit the size of rural non‐farm businesses and slow down the development of rural industry. The fourth and final point is that, migration costs discourage labor mobility and reduce the quantities of both permanent migrants and entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThis is an original paper on this subject.
The distributional impact of common‐pool resource regulations
Authors: Ambec Stefan , Sebi Carine 
Published: October 2011

PurposeRegulating common‐pool resources is welfare enhancing for society but not necessarily for all users who may therefore oppose regulations. The purpose of this paper is to examine the short‐term impact of common‐pool resource regulations on welfare distribution.Design/methodology/approachThe authors model a game of common‐pool resource extraction among heterogeneous users.FindingsIt was found that market‐based regulations such as fees and subsidies or tradable quotas achieve a higher reduction of extraction from free‐access than individual quotas with the same proportion of better‐off users. Also, they make more users better‐off for the same resource preservation.Originality/valueThe quota regulation has attractive fairness properties: it reduces inequality while still rewarding the more efficient users.
Interest rate discrimination, tenancy and cost sharing
Authors: Saha Bibhas , Sharma Tridib 
Published: October 2011

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to develop a theory of sharecropping with cost sharing after allowing for an explicit role of a creditor. In the tenancy literature, the prevalence of sharecropping has remained an important issue. While most contributions have focussed only on output sharing, very few have studied the issue of cost sharing. Besides, the existing models have considered interactions only between a landowner and a tenant. The purpose of this paper is to extend this setup to a third player – creditor.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt a static contract approach with full information and no uncertainty and model possible credit‐cum‐tenancy arrangements among a money‐lender, a landowner and a tenant under the restrictions that the money‐lender cannot charge a lump‐sum fee and the input choices are left with the tenant.FindingsIt is shown that all Pareto optimal arrangements between a creditor, a landowner and a tenant must involve interest rate discrimination between the tenant and the landowner and a share tenancy with cost sharing, or a fixed rent tenancy with cost sharing, or a mixture of the two. None of the polar contracts – wage or rent – is possible. Lending schemes that feature credit rationing or credit delegation can implement some Pareto efficient outcomes.Originality/valueThe model developed in the paper presents a framework for studying various tripartite arrangements observed in rural economies of developing countries. Also, it provides a benchmark for studying contracts under asymmetric information and uncertainty.
Monetary policy in India: is something amiss?
Authors: Cristadoro Riccardo , Veronese Giovanni 
Published: October 2011

PurposeIndian monetary policy performed reasonably well in the past, while both strategy and operational framework were evolving on par with domestic financial and monetary markets. The purpose of this paper is to document how this good track record came to an abrupt stop in recent years as inflation rose sharply and, more worryingly, expected inflation followed suit.Design/methodology/approachThis paper has analytical, empirical and policy dimensions. Given the recent surge in inflation in India, as well as in inflation expectations, a discussion of the role of monetary policy is needed. This is presented by resorting to survey evidence on expectations as well as to indirect evidence inferred from the market reactions to macroeconomic news.FindingsThe authors documented the unhinging of inflation expectations in India in the aftermath of the financial crisis. The evidence gathered leads to the conclusion that both the monetary policy strategy and framework of the Reserve Bank of India would benefit from further evolution in the direction of a precisely defined and overarching objective (price stability), instead of the present multiplicity of goals, and of a well‐defined operating target, enhancing the transparency, communication and signalling effect of policy moves. The authors suggest that embracing a flexible inflation targeting approach is a possible solution.Originality/valueThis is a highly topical issue that has attracted a great deal of attention in policy discussions, both in India and in the region. Very few papers combine the analytical and empirical considerations in this topic.
Sickness presence, sickness absence, and self‐reported health and symptoms
Authors: Aronsson Gunnar , Gustafsson Klas , Mellner Christin 
Published: October 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare sickness presence (SP) and sickness absence (SA) regarding the strength of their relationship to health/ill‐health. In a previous Canadian study a stronger association between SP and health/ill‐health than between SA and health/ill‐health was shown.Design/methodology/approachFive Swedish data sets from the years 1992 to 2005 provided the study populations, including both representative samples and specific occupational groups (n=425‐3,622). Univariate correlations and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. The data sets contained questions on SP and SA as well as on various health complaints and, in some cases, self‐rated health (SRH).FindingsThe general trend was that correlations and odds ratios increased regularly for both SP and SA, with SP showing the highest values. In one data set, SRH was predicted by a combination of the two measures, with an explained variance of 25 percent. Stratified analyses showed that the more irreplaceable an individual is at work, the larger is the difference in correlation size between SP and SA with regard to SRH. SP also showed an accentuated and stronger association with SRH than SA among individuals reporting poor economic circumstances.Practical implicationsThe results support the notion that SA is an insufficient, and even misleading, measure of health status for certain groups in the labor market, which seem to have poorer health than the measure of SA would indicate.Orginality/valueA combined measure of sickness presence and absence may be worth considering as an indicator of both individual and organizational health status.
Working hours and personal preference among Taiwanese employees
Authors: Lu Luo 
Published: October 2011

PurposeThe aim of this research is to explore effects of hours of work and the role of personal preference on job satisfaction, work‐to‐family conflict (WFC) and overall life satisfaction among Taiwanese employees.Design/methodology/approachData from a nationwide survey in Taiwan were used. A total of 1,122 full‐time employees were surveyed using structured questionnaires.FindingsIt was found that working hours were negatively related to job satisfaction and overall life satisfaction, and positively related to WFC, after effects of demographical and job‐related factors were partialled out. More importantly, it was found that the “fit” between preferred and actual hours of work had an effect upon the above strain variables. Specifically, people who had a fit between preferred and actual hours of work reported lower levels of WFC and higher overall life satisfaction, compared to those who had a misfit in working hours.Research limitations/implicationsUsing single‐item measures is a major limitation, though it is a common practice in large‐scale social surveys due to constraints on length and time. However, these results have both theoretical and practical implications. It is recommended that both the actual and individual's preference for hours of work should be taken into consideration in any attempt to improve employees' quality of work and quality of life in general.Originality/valueThe use of a national representative sample is a major thrust of the present study. This study also fills the gap left by the scarcity of research on working hours and strain from a Chinese perspective.
Effects of a mail‐based intervention to improve knowledge of blood pressure and cholesterol values
Authors: Lu Chi‐Fung , Schultz Alyssa B. , Jenny Mary , Edington Dee W. 
Published: October 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate a mail‐based educational intervention to improve knowledge of blood pressure and cholesterol values among members of a large insurance population.Design/methodology/approachAs part of the 2004 health risk appraisal (HRA) follow‐up program, 48,429 members of WEA Trust received at least two mailings for the mail‐based blood pressure and cholesterol intervention. These members then completed a follow‐up HRA in 2006. Change in the knowledge and risks of blood pressure and cholesterol values were analyzed among two‐time participants. A survey was also completed six to nine months after the first mailing to study participants' awareness and perception of the program.FindingsThe 2004 and 2006 two‐time HRA participants showed a 13.9 percentage point gain (p<0.05) and 12.2 percentage point gain (p<0.05) in people who knew their blood pressure and cholesterol values, respectively, as well as a significant increase in the percent of people taking medication or under medical care for their blood pressure (+2.9 for overall and +11.3 for BP≥140/90 population; p<0.05) or cholesterol conditions (+3.8 for overall and +11.4 for cholesterol≥240 population; p<0.05). Among those who knew their values (BP or cholesterol) in both 2004 and 2006, there was a 3.9 percentage point increase (p<0.05) in the number of people with normal BP (BP<120/80 mmHg) and a 4.8 percentage point increase (p<0.05) in the number of people with normal cholesterol (cholesterol <200 mg/dL) in 2006. The majority (83 percent) of survey respondents found the materials useful for improving health and 22 percent contacted a physician because of the information they received.Practical implicationsThis relatively low‐cost and easily implemented educational intervention was successful in increasing knowledge of blood pressure and cholesterol values, taking control of blood pressure and cholesterol risks and in encouraging appropriate follow‐up with a physician.Originality/valueKnowledge of blood pressure and cholesterol numbers are an important first step in raising awareness of a person's health risks and disease status.
Gender influences on mental models of firm strategies
Authors: Xu Yang 
Published: October 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate gender differences in the formation of mental models of firm strategies.Design/methodology/approachThe specific research question is how gender, social interaction, team psychological safety and synergistic knowledge development influence certain characteristics – complexity and centrality – of an individual's mental model of firm strategies. A survey was conducted on a sample of US business students enrolled in strategic management courses. Social interaction, team psychological safety and synergistic knowledge development were measured by use of multiple‐item seven‐point Likert scales. Mental models were constructed by the causal mapping method. Hierarchical regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe regression analyses of the survey data support most of the hypotheses. Gender directly influences complexity and centrality in mental models of firm strategies and moderates the predictive influence of social interaction on synergistic knowledge development.Research limitations/implicationsPossible limitations are the use of a student sample and of respondents as the sole data source. Future research could use managers as research subjects and multiple data sources and explore other determinants of the mental model of firm strategies.Practical implicationsThe findings alert university educators about the importance of helping women develop high‐order knowledge and problem‐solving skills by understanding various business functions and synthesizing diverse perspectives. Corporate managers need to design and implement special mentoring and training programs for women with the aim of enriching their specific management knowledge. This study also suggests that women may increase their chance of developing strategic knowledge by proactively networking with senior managers.Originality/valueThis study on gender differences in accumulating management knowledge and skills helps us better understand the roots of and solutions to the gender gap in management and leadership positions. The most intriguing result is the demonstration of gender differences in the development of specific management knowledge. Biases against women not only contribute directly to the “glass ceiling”; more disturbingly, they negatively influence women's internal development of knowledge structures.
Sensory articulation speech system: SASSy – a 3D animation based therapeutic application for motor speech disorders
Authors: Cornelius Pip , Higgett Nick , Kaleem Rehan 
Published: October 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the development of a multimedia 3D animation based resource for speech sound training.Design/methodology/approachSpeech sound training is historically auditory in nature and speech sound disorders often prove intractable. Sensory articulation speech system (SASSy) combines auditory and visual stimuli as a novel multimedia resource to enhance learning.FindingsThe advantages of the visual presentation of information have been described by the authors of various studies using instrumental analysis of speech as a training resource. With the further integration of a speech analysis and biofeedback mechanism, SASSy is designed to be used as a non‐invasive diagnostic and therapeutic tool.Practical implicationsIntended users are speech and language therapy clients with motor speech sound disorders (MSDs). At any one time, up to 20 per cent of the population – adults and children – have a speech disorder arising from a difficulty in producing perceptually acceptable speech sounds. Therapy is very time and resource intensive and the consultative role that speech and language therapists are now assuming means they have less capacity to deliver and assess traditional articulation therapy. Training and feedback can only be on a 1:1 basis and relies on the therapist providing an explanation and description of the speech mechanism to facilitate correct speech.Originality/valueMSDs often prove resistant to change which is frustrating for clients and therapists alike. It is anticipated that a new, non‐intrusive instrumental analytic and therapeutic tool will improve the treatment and management of motor speech disorders. Animations of speech sounds were derived from the instrumental analysis of real speech to provide a real‐time visual sequence for users to match.
Changing the state of mind of postgraduate students about technology, disability and inclusive education: theory or practice?
Authors: Mavrou Katerina 
Published: October 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to briefly describe the experiences from the design, development and implementation of a(n) (assistive) technology course in a postgraduate programme for a Master's in special/inclusive education.Design/methodology/approachData presented in the paper are collected documents' study, and specifically from students' assignments and final exams, with the consent of the students involved. Considerations and thoughts of the paper are based on students' work, feedback and expectations as well as the expectations of the university with respect to the programme's aims.FindingsFindings of this review suggest that, even though the programme described does not yet have a long history in inclusive technology, it offers the potential for considerable benefits for the change in the state of mind of postgraduate students in relation to technology and disability. Theoretical background is vital in order to re‐form students' thinking, but at the same time, it seems that there is a need to provide students with opportunities to apply their knowledge in real settings, with responsibilities for technology applications for all learners.Originality/valueThe paper offers an important insight into the considerations and progress in designing a new course related to technology and disability with an emphasis on inclusive education and not technology per se.
Joint programmes – give them a second thought: the value of programmes leading to dual nursing and social work qualifications
Authors: Weinstein Jenny , Boudioni Markella 
Published: October 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the need for a more holistic approach to mental health training that brings together the medical and the social knowledge and skills required by today's practitioners.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on the authors' experience of developing, delivering and evaluating a joint mental health programme at London South Bank University between 2004 and 2008.FindingsThe authors suggest some advantages of the model as indicated by the scant literature, the findings of a small pilot evaluation study and from information recorded and shared by other university providers of joint programmes – the Joint Programmes Forum. Further investigation is recommended.Research limitations/implicationsThe absence of systematic evaluation of joint programmes over the 20 years of their existence and the limitations of the evaluation undertaken by the authors is acknowledged.Originality/valueIt is suggested in the paper that a specialist holistic training that incorporates nursing, social work (and in the future possibly occupational therapy and psychology) knowledge and skills would create well‐prepared professionals to work with mental health and learning disability service user groups (and a similar model could equally be explored for older people and people with physical disabilities or long‐term health conditions). This may be considered as a more successful solution to the effective integration of interprofessional education than the current struggles to superimpose it on uni‐professional courses.