bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The onset of bio‐thermal convection in a suspension of gyrotactic microorganisms in a fluid layer with an inclined temperature gradient
Authors: Avramenko A.A. , Kuznetsov A.V. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate a combined bioconvection and thermal instability problem in a horizontal layer of finite depth with a basic temperature gradient inclined to the vertical. The basic flow, driven by the horizontal component of temperature gradient, is the Hadley circulation, which becomes unstable when the vertical temperature difference and density stratification induced by upswimming of microorganisms that are heavier than water become sufficiently large.Design/methodology/approachLinear stability analysis of the basic state is performed; the numerical problem is solved using the collocation method.FindingsThe steady‐state solution of this problem is obtained. Linear stability analysis of this steady‐state solution for the case of three‐dimensional disturbances is performed; the numerical problem is solved using the collocation method. The stability problem is governed by three Rayleigh numbers: the bioconvection Rayleigh number and two thermal Rayleigh numbers characterizing temperature gradients in the vertical and horizontal directions, respectively.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research should address the application of weakly non‐linear analysis to this problem.Practical implicationsThe dependence of the critical bioconvection Rayleigh number on the two thermal Rayleigh numbers and other relevant parameters is investigated.Originality/valueThis paper presents what is believed to be the first research dealing with the effect of inclined temperature gradient on the stability of bioconvection in a suspension of gyrotactic microorganisms.
Simulation of mixed convection in slender rectangular cavity with lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: Guo Y. , Bennacer R. , Shen S. , Ameziani D.E. , Bouzidi M. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to apply the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to simulate mixed flow, which combines natural convection for temperature difference and forced convection for lid driven, in a two‐dimensional rectangular cavity over a wide range of aspect ratios (A), Rayleigh numbers (Ra) and Reynolds numbers (Re).Design/methodology/approachThe LBM is applied to simulate the mixed flow. A multi‐relaxation technique was used successfully. A scale order analysis helped the understanding and predicting the overall heat transfer.FindingsIn the considered lid driven cavity, the Richardson number emerges as a measure of relative importance of natural and forced convection modes on the heat transfer. An expression of the overall heat transfer depending on the cavity slender (A) is deduced. The validity of the obtained expression was checked in mixed convection under the condition of low Richardson number (Ri) and the limitation condition was deduced.Practical implicationsThis paper has implications for cooling system optimization and LBM technique development.Originality/valueThis paper presents a new cooling configuration, avoiding critical situation where the opposing effect induce weak heat transfer; and a stable and fast LBM approach allowing complex geometry treatment.
Quality, semantics and the two cultures
Authors: Poole Brian 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe aims of this paper are twofold: first, to engage with the definition of quality as “excellence” and to show why this could be regarded as unhelpful and misleading; and, second, to suggest some factors which contribute to a “cultural divide” between quality assurance specialists in universities and their colleagues who are full‐time academics. In both cases the paper seeks to raise and explore these issues because their resolution may suggest ways forward for quality assurance in higher education.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is generally based on consideration and critical evaluation of published work relevant to the two issues mentioned previously. However, other forms of evidence are drawn into the argument. Notably, lexical data from the British National Corpus are examined in order to substantiate points about the semantics of the word “quality”.FindingsThe paper finds, on the grounds of both lexical semantics and consideration of scholarly literature on quality assurance in higher education, that it is unhelpful to understand the term “quality” as equivalent to “excellence”. It also identifies possible reasons why a “cultural divide” exists between university lecturers and quality assurance specialists.Originality/valueThe paper should be of interest to both quality assurance specialists and lecturers in universities. It offers logical, language‐based reasons why “quality” should not be regarded as “excellence” and goes on to relate this to the notion of “quality enhancement”. Preliminary suggestions are also made about means through which the “cultural divide” between academics and quality assurance specialists might be narrowed, to the potential benefit of universities seen as both complex entrepreneurial organizations, and academic communities.
Self‐assessment processes: the importance of follow‐up for success
Authors: José Tarí Juan 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the literature on self‐assessment processes and to identify the difficulties, benefits and success factors of the European Foundation for Quality Management self‐assessment model, analysing the importance of follow‐up.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the paper carries out a literature review on self‐assessment, and then it uses the case study methodology based on ten services provided by a public university in Spain to identify difficulties, benefits and success factors of self‐assessment.FindingsThe findings show, first, what the literature suggests on self‐assessment in general and for higher education, and second, the difficulties, benefits and success factors and the importance of follow‐up for successful self‐assessment.Originality/valueThe paper provides a literature review on self‐assessment and lessons for managers from other universities, or other public sector organisations, who wish to know the difficulties, benefits and success factors, and the characteristics of follow‐up.
Cross‐evaluation of degree programmes in higher education
Authors: Kettunen Juha 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThis study seeks to develop and describe the benchmarking approach of enhancement‐led evaluation in higher education and to present a cross‐evaluation process for degree programmes.Design/methodology/approachThe benchmarking approach produces useful information for the development of degree programmes based on self‐evaluation, evaluation visits and analyses.FindingsThe cross‐evaluation of degree programmes can result in recommendations not only for the improvement of the degree programme, but also for that of the whole institution and the evaluation process.Originality/valueThe results of the study are useful for those who want to improve the quality culture of higher education institutions.
An evaluation of an internal audit on student feedback within a British university
Authors: Reid Ken 
Published: January 2010

PurposeFinal year students attending British universities now complete an annual questionnaire to assess their views on their learning experiences of higher education (HE) from a variety of perspectives. They undertake this process as part of the National Student Survey (NSS). These data are then collated and an annual report with associated league tables is produced. Swansea Metropolitan University (SMU) decided to undertake an internal audit to contrast their own results against the national review in order to better understand and improve their own quality enhancement and student feedback processes. The purpose of this study is to examine this issue.Design/methodology/approachA three‐tier methodology approach was utilised involving both qualitative and quantitative methods, staff and student involvement and interview and questionnaire techniques.FindingsThe findings are presented by faculty and overall indicate that, while most students are satisfied with existing feedback schemes, some variations in practice occur. Students value some feedback approaches more highly than others.Practical implicationsThe SMU internal audit results closely match those obtained by the NSS for both the University and sector‐wide and the implications of these findings and the internal results are discussed and considered. These findings may point the way forward for other fields of future research, especially those involving students within universities.Originality/valueThe paper has two clear benefits. First, it shows the clear relationship between the NSS results in the UK with those undertaken independently. Second, it provides one of the most comprehensive analyses of student feedback. The paper is particularly relevant for all those engaged in quality assurance and enhancement processes.
Quality assurance in post‐secondary education
Authors: Chung Sea Law Dennis 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe common approaches to quality assurance (QA), as practiced by most post‐secondary education institutions for internal quality monitoring and most QA authorities for external quality monitoring (EQM), have been considered by many researchers as having largely failed to address the essence of educational quality. The purpose of this paper, although not meant to be exhaustive, is to review some of these approaches.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the relevant issues concerning total quality management, performance indicators and EQM, the three common approaches to the QA of post‐secondary education have been reviewed.FindingsWhile from a pragmatic perspective these approaches have their respective reasons for existence, they can all be criticized as lacking rigorous theoretical foundations and being mainly driven by demands of satisfying external agendas (e.g. to enforce institutional accountability or compliance) instead of academic considerations (e.g. to facilitate student learning). As a result, a mismatch between the rhetoric and reality of educational quality has become a common experience of most practitioners, not only in western contexts from which these approaches were originated, but also in other cultural contexts that have adopted them uncritically. It is undeniable that the overall quality culture within most post‐secondary education systems worldwide, as currently manifested, tends to favor the institutional aspects rather than the student aspects of the quality issues, and tends to lean more on the accountability‐led view rather than the improvement‐led view of quality assurance.Originality/valueThe paper sheds some light on the quality debate in post‐secondary education.
Dimensionality of business ethics in China
Authors: Sardy Marc , Munoz J. Mark , Jianmin Sun James , Alon Ilan 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the ethical dimensions in China. It reviews the extant business ethics literature on China, collects data on ethical conduct from a large Chinese university, and analyzes the data to examine emerging trends.Design/methodology/approachFactor analysis and multidimensional scaling (MDS) are applied to an established survey instrument after reliability is confirmed.FindingsPrincipal‐components factor analysis uncovers six main factors. MDS further reduces the explanatory variables into four ethical dimensions, while increasing the number of useable observations. These four dimensions are then correlated with some demographic and psychographic variables. Results reveal four quadrants with different characteristics: Quadrant I “Unsympathetic, ethically challenged, self centered” have lower grade‐point index (GPA); Quadrant II “Ethically challenged, other directed” have higher GPA, watch more TV, and are more likely to be female; Quadrant III “Community orientation, ethically centered” are more likely to be female with higher class ranking and Quadrant IV “Challenge avoidance, controlling, religious” are more likely to have a lower GPA and lower level of religiosity.Research limitations/implicationsInferences from this paper may be limited to the sample group. Further expansion of the paper may suggest additional insights.Originality/valueEthics is often ignored in China's business education. While well researched in the USA, this topic is rarely studied in China. This is of concern to businesses looking for managers in the Chinese market and for individuals and researchers who want a framework to better understand ethical dimensions of Chinese management.
The application of the standardized IT deployment strategy
Authors: Bin Ahmad Alserhan Bakr 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which the standardized IT deployment strategy is employed within the manufacturing‐exporting firms in Jordan.Design/methodology/approachA total of 500 self‐administered questionnaires are delivered to a random sample selected from a sample frame comprising the Jordanian manufacturing‐exporting firms. A research assistant is hired and trained to handle questionnaire distribution and collection as well as answer basic inquiries. The researcher deals with the more difficult inquiries.FindingsThe study concludes that there is greater reliance on standardization and less acknowledgement of users and that IT deployment decisions remain technical and functional; only system requirements and functionality are taken into consideration; other factors including users are largely discarded.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is explorative in nature and therefore its focus is broad; subsector differences of the manufacturing/exporting firms are not studied.Practical implicationsTo maximize deployment outcome, firms need to place more emphasis on users, provide better training, and localize training materials. User feedback and participation should be encouraged and incorporated in all IT‐related decisions.Originality/valueThis study reports results of the last of a series of several studies investigating deployment in Jordan, a country in the Middle East with a steep IT deployment learning curve, virtually no previous studies, and an academic field of IT deployment that remains largely unexplored.
A trade dispute between the USA and Canada
Authors: Abboushi Suhail 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the issues in the US‐Canada trade dispute over lumber trade, to analyze the US and Canada's claims and positions in this dispute, and make projections of future possibilities regarding this dispute.Design/methodology/approachThe research method is to review published studies dealing with this dispute and gather public and private data pertaining to issues involved in this dispute.FindingsThe paper finds that the US lumber industry's claims of unfair trade by Canada's lumber industry are not supported. Canada is in compliance with World Trade Organization policies and North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)'s agreement. US antidumping and countervailing tariffs on imported Canadian lumber violate NAFTA's rules. Past and current resolutions to this dispute are temporary.Originality/valueThis paper explores the real reasons behind the dispute and evaluates the merits of the interim solutions.
Assessing the use of Bourdieu's key concepts in the strategy‐as‐practice field
Authors: Hurtado Pedro S. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to contribute to the elucidation of key concepts in the new field of strategy‐as‐practice, in order to clarify the proper object of inquiry/unit of analysis. It does so by evaluating the degree of incorporation of Pierre Bourdieu's “theory of practice” in the literature. Bourdieu is one of the pioneers of the “practice turn” in sociology.Design/methodology/approachA summary and graphical framework of the key concepts of Bourdieu's “theory of practice” are developed. A small “theoretical sample” (in the sense used in “grounded theory” methodology) of representative authors and articles in the new field of strategy‐as‐practice is analyzed vis‐à‐vis the developed framework to probe and evaluate the degree of inclusion of Bourdieu's key concepts in the literature.FindingsThe incorporation of Bourdieu's key concepts is very limited and sometimes misinterpreted. His concept of “habitus” is generally cited, but its collective implications are not emphasized and neither is its connection to social structures and power. There is significant debate around the proper unit of analysis for the new field of strategy‐as‐practice, as well as issues of the relation between micro and macro approaches to strategy.Originality/valueThe paper opens up new conceptual possibilities for the understanding and possible application of Bourdieu's “theory of practice.”
The green MBA: a competing values matrix
Authors: Page Robert A. , Collins Kirsten A. 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review and categorize the different strategies Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs have adopted towards incorporating environmental sustainability into business administration.Design/methodology/approachThrough extensive internet research looking at colleges and universities, data are collected from primary source web sites and administrative school contacts. There are 35 institutions whose MBA programs address sustainability in some way. Each of these institutions is then organized by location, tuition cost, enrollment, year founded, accreditation, and curriculum.FindingsGreen educational strategies differentiate themselves by the size and maturity of the program. Larger, established institutions typically opt for the green major, or a dual degree, and tend to leave systematic integration of sustainability to the individual student. Newer and smaller entrants tend to either dabble in green with a few sustainability courses, or completely embrace and systemically integrate sustainability throughout the program.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample focuses on US institutions and treats sustainability as an externally validated curricular choice when it may merely be an educational fad. The sample excludes potential green MBA programs that lack a strong internet presence.Practical implicationsFour archetypes are identified: dual degree, all‐green, green major, and green coursework. Institutions can analyze their performances and see where they fall on the two major continua – integration and maturity/size.Originality/valueGreen MBA programs are relatively new on the academic landscape, and this research paper is one of the first to systematically analyze and categorize them.
Comparative ethical analysis of educational competition in academia
Authors: Dean Parhizgar Kamal 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the validity of equitable, equal, and merit equity of social and economic privileges for both gifted intellectual people and laypeople in higher educational systems.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a conceptual comparative analysis of mass education and elitist education within the context of academic justice and academic ethical fairness. This paper is based on a review of the literature pertinent to justice and fairness in designing and implementing higher educational systems.FindingsThe research undertaken reveals that there are significant fundamental differences between academic justice and academic fairness. An analysis of perceptual similarities and differences, however, reveals that more variable perceptions exist between mass education and elitist educational systems. Although both sets of models consistently place great emphasis on the issue of competitive meritocracy among students, academic justice is based on a conventional idealistic system in terms of equality, whereas academic fairness is founded on a type of holistic judgment free from bias, prejudice, dishonesty, or illegitimacy that pursues ethical and moral considerations in regards to decisions and actions. Academic massification, however, shows tendencies to emphasize bureaucratic cost‐benefits in order to implement justice for all, while academic elitism places more emphasis on meritocratic cost‐effectiveness analysis.Research limitations/implicationsSince this paper is based on an ethical conceptual deductive analysis of two major systems of higher education, it has pros and cons concerning each system. Ethics is a relative conceptual reasoning; therefore, there could be other types of reasoning that could be followed by other researchers.Originality/valueThis paper opens arguments concerning how to respond to the needs of students with a consideration of cost‐benefit analysis and cost‐effectiveness analysis.
A study of hoarding behavior and attachment to material possessions
Authors: Cherrier Hélène , Ponnor Tresa 
Published: January 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate consumers' motivation to accumulate obsolete items and their reluctance to dispose of material possessions.Design/methodology/approachThe role of attachment to material possession in the construction of consumer identity provides a conceptual framework for the research. A video‐ethnography with eight individuals, who classify themselves as functional hoarders, individuals who accumulate objects privately and are unable to dispose without clear conscious motivation or control, constitute the primary data for this paper.FindingsIn investigating the underlying reasons for accumulating objects and resisting dispossession, informants show evidence of being reflective consumers who perceive throwing away as a threat to memory, to security, and to historical and ecological preservation. First, this paper confirms current literature regarding the role of possessions as symbols of interpersonal ties with others and as a cue to past experiences. Second, the paper supports that possessions provide a sense of security to the owner. Finally, this paper reinforces that preserving material objects cultivate a vision for the future. Ultimately, informants' motivations to accumulate, to keep, and to not‐dispose of objects reflects a desire to reassemble the fragments of their temporal experience into a unique space where memories, present, and life projects join together.Originality/valueThe accompanying film gives an opportunity for audience members to personally evaluate hoarding practices and to draw their own conclusion on the dynamic nature of material attachment and consumer identity in terms of past experiences, present orientation, and responsibility for the future.