bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
It's (already) beginning to look a bit like Christmas
Authors: Adams Roger 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to identify changes in regulatory requirements that will lead to improved transparency on sustainability and corporate responsibility issues and the impact this may have for stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachThis paper explored the relationship between new regulations governing the types of sustainability information this is likely to generate and whose interests this will favour.FindingsThe new regulations are likely to enhance short‐term, narrow focus solutions but provide less support longer standing, broader brush sustainability reporting initiatives.Originality/valueThis paper summarises the current regulatory environment of sustainability reporting and identifies avenues for further research and improvement of carbon reporting and its impact on sustainability.
Determinants of outward foreign direct investment by Chinese enterprises
Authors: Yan Daying , Hong Junjie , Ren Bing 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate the determinants of outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) by Chinese enterprises during China's institutional and economic transition, specifically from the institutional perspective.Design/methodology/approachAn analytical framework was conceptualized by introducing several institutional‐based advantages peculiar to Chinese firms and a series of hypotheses developed regarding the influences of these advantages on the OFDI strategies of Chinese enterprises.FindingsThe findings confirm the specific institutional‐based advantages in terms of home government support, investor's financing capacity and host ethnic Chinese resources have salient impacts on OFDI behavior of Chinese firms, as predicted by initial hypotheses. Evidence from sub‐samples tests indicates there are varied determinant mechanisms for trade‐oriented, produce‐oriented, and other types of OFDI, respectively.Originality/valueThe paper offers two primary contributions. On one hand, by integrating conventional eclectic theory and Chinese institutional context, a series of novel hypotheses is proposed that highlights some specific institutional advantages Chinese outward investors could exploit. In this way, the paper provides an analytical framework useful for better understanding of internationalization of enterprises from other emerging and transitional economies.
Bidirectional capital impropriation and capital investment of listed companies
Authors: Zhu Song , Chen Chao , Ma Yuan 
Published: August 2010

PurposeIn recent decades, related party transactions have been assailed by scholars and regulation authorities since related parties of a listed company may “tunnel” its resources, damaging the interests of other stakeholders. One kind of “tunneling” is capital impropriation, which is common but harmful in an emerging market where investor protection is weak. In contrast, a listed company may also impropriate capitals from its controlling business group or related parties reported as accrued liabilities in the financial statement of the listed company, which can be regarded as the “supporting hand” from related parties. Thus, the capital impropriation may be bidirectional. In fact, the capital impropriation is a financing behavior with low cost, and it can provide necessary working capital for some firms and reduce that for the other. Since the working capital is an important part of the firm's stock of capital, which can relax firms' short‐run financing constraints, it may significantly influence firms' capital investment behaviors. Therefore, how does the bilateral capital impropriation influences the capital investment of listed firms?Design/methodology/approachUsing the data of Chinese listed firms in 2005 and 2006, this paper empirically investigates the effect of bidirectional capital impropriation on listed firms' capital investment efficiency.FindingsReceivable items like accounting receivable or other accruals that related parties owe to the listed firms will reduce the capital expenditure of listed companies and reduce the sensitivity of investment‐cash flow relation. Actually, capital impropriation by listed firms may stimulate their capital investments and increase the sensitivity of investment‐cash since listed firms obtain capitals for future investments at a lower cost. In all, the bidirectional capital impropriation significantly affects the capital investment and sensitivity of investment‐cash flow of listed firms, and different direction of capital impropriation will lead to different investment efficiency. It should also be noted that capital impropriation is not necessarily something negative since it may sometimes reduce the overinvestment.Originality/valueThe paper provides more evidence to the capital investment of listed companies and identifies the factors influencing its efficiency from the perspective of bidirectional capital impropriation.
An empirical study on the effect of e‐service quality on online customer satisfaction and loyalty
Authors: Sheng Tianxiang , Liu Chunlin 
Published: August 2010

PurposeOver the past few years, e‐commerce has become increasingly popular in China. Recent research has shown that it is widely accepted that customer satisfaction and loyalty for online purchases is lower than that for shopping in more traditional ways. How to maintain and increase the satisfaction and loyalty of online customers is a challenging issue for online retailers. The purpose of this paper is to try to understand what affects customer satisfaction and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachA new conceptual model of customer satisfaction and loyalty in online purchases is developed, where four dimensions of e‐service quality – efficiency, requirement fulfillment, system accessibility, and privacy – are the four predictors from Parasuraman's E‐S‐QUAL. A partial least square estimation algorithm was then applied to analyze data from a sample of 164 online buyers from a range of backgrounds. Goods purchased include furniture, books, clothes, software, and digital products.FindingsThe results indicate that efficiency and fulfillment have positive effects on customer satisfaction, and fulfillment and privacy have positive effects on customer loyalty. However, the remaining factors have no significant effect on either customer satisfaction or customer loyalty. In addition, customer loyalty is positively affected by customer satisfaction.Originality/valueThe paper finds that the service quality must be analyzed from different aspects only to find that the requirement fulfillment has relatively great effect on customers' satisfaction and loyalty, the system accessibility has no effect on both, the efficiency has positive effect on customers' satisfaction and the privacy has positive effect on customers' loyalty. As these results are inconsistent with previous research achievements to some extent, this paper tends to provide some explanation.
Pre‐entry expectations and turnover
Authors: Yao Qi , Ma Huawei , Yue Guo‐An 
Published: August 2010

PurposeMet‐expectation hypothesis has been well accepted in traditional industrial and organizational psychology and organizational behavior research, but there are inconsistent findings in recent years because of problems on definition, manipulation and statistical methods. This paper aims to examine met‐expectation hypothesis in Chinese organizational context.Design/methodology/approachUsing longitudinal research design and employing 336 newcomers within a big‐size joint stock company as participants, the authors measured pre‐entry expectations and post‐entry experiences at four time points during half a year and collected turnover information from the company at the end of the second year.FindingsThe results of survival analysis and hierarchical regression revealed that: met‐expectation hypothesis is not supported in Chinese organizational context – employees' recent experiences have significant predictive effect for voluntary turnover, whereas neither pre‐entry expectations nor early experiences during organizational entry can predict voluntary turnover; and team expectations moderate the relationships between team experiences and turnover.Originality/valueThis is the first study to explore met‐expectation hypothesis in Chinese organizational context and the first to use survival analysis to test it. It will deepen understanding of the effect of met expectations by treating pre‐entry expectations as multi‐dimension construct and as time‐varying variables.
A research on the psychological contract structure between service enterprises and customers
Authors: Li Yang , Lin Yang 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper, taking banking as the research object, is to build up a psychology covenant model for service enterprises and customers and to seek the form of the construction dimension in the psychology covenant between the service enterprise and the customer.Design/methodology/approachSPSS16.0 was used for the exploratory factor analysis and AMOS7.0 for the confirmatory factor analysis.FindingsThe psychological contract between service enterprises and customers is composed of two‐dimensional structures: the transactional psychological contract and the relational psychological contract.Research limitations/implicationsThe biggest limitation of this paper is the research region being limited to banking. Future research can extend to other industries.Originality/valueThe result has the theoretic reference to the tactic establishment for customer relationship management in China's service industry against the background of a transfer economy.
Evaluation of closed areas for fish stock conservation
Authors: HORWOOD J.W. , NICHOLS J.H. , MILLIGAN S. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY

The much needed protection of European commercial fish, and their fisheries, cannot in general be achieved through technical measures, such as closed areas and mesh sizes, alone. Their conservation requires permanent reductions in fishing mortality, which means that less fish must be killed.
Models have been developed that allow the quantitative evaluation of the long‐term effects of closing areas to fishing on mature biomass and yields of exploited fish populations. The models need information on the demographic biology of the fish, the behaviour of the fishermen and the management system. They assume a quality of data that are available from European marine fisheries.
A ‘rule of thumb’ is given to indicate the relative effects on mature biomass of reductions in juvenile and adult fishing mortality. For most exploited fish populations the mature stock would benefit more from proportional reductions in juvenile mortality.
Permanent closures of nursery areas, in which there are high discards of juvenile fish, will assist in increasing the size of the mature stock, and will often increase yields to the fishery. In contrast, the closures of spawning grounds can be counterproductive.
For fisheries managed by quotas, a displacement of the fleet from one locality to another, where the same population is fished, will generally have little effect if the same quota is taken.
Closed areas may also be beneficial to unregulated fisheries, or those managed by effort, if fishing is displaced from areas of high catch rates causing less fish to be killed. Benefits are also likely where closed areas can supply a significant recruitment to adjacent areas, or where they can give protection to vulnerable species or habitats.
3More generally, it is possible to evaluate the short‐ and long‐term effects on fish yield and mature biomass of closed areas. The results will be sensitive to the biology of the fish, particularly its population identity, distribution, migration and recruitment, the intensity of fishing, the behaviour of the fisherman, and the other management systems in place. Specific analyses are needed in most cases.8. Many commercial and non‐commercial fish spawn on the Trevose fishing grounds off north Cornwall. New material shows the time and location of spawning. Closure of the commercial fishery over spring will not benefit the species regulated by quota if the fish are caught elsewhere. However, a closure is likely to benefit the many other non‐commercial and unregulated species that are caught in the area.
Predicting the determinants of weed abundance: a model for the population dynamics of Chenopodium album in sugar beet
Authors: FRECKLETON R.P. , WATKINSON A.R. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY

Previously published literature on the population dynamics of a common arable weed, Chenopodium album, and its interactions with an arable crop, sugar beet, is reviewed with a view to (i) assessing the degree of variability in life‐history traits, and (ii) parameterizing simple models of population dynamics to explore the factors determining weed abundance.
Comparison of previously published data sets indicates that (i) the yield‐density responses of C. album in monoculture are remarkably consistent across sites and years; (ii) the per plant interspecific competitive effect of sugar beet on C. album is roughly the same as the per plant intraspecific effect of C. album; (iii) the allometric relationship between the seed production of C. album and plant biomass is invariant; and (iv) there is considerable variation in published estimates of rates of seed emergence, mortality and seedbank decay.
These data are used to parameterize a simple analytical model for the population dynamics of C. album in a rotation containing sugar beet. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the key parameters in determining changes in population size are the rates of emergence and mortality of seeds, as well as the rate of mortality of plants through control.
Using inferred levels of variability to compare deterministic and stochastic implementations of the model indicates that population sizes, and variability in population sizes, will be dominated by environmentally driven variations in the rate of seed germination and the rate of control.
From a practical perspective, these results indicate that (i) further information on the effects of control on plant numbers, and (ii) monitoring and prediction of emergence rates is likely to be the most successful approach to predicting weed numbers and levels of infestation.
The modelling shows how it is possible to use existing published data to parameterize simple analytical models, as well as to use information on scales of parameter variability with sensitivity analysis of such models to explore population dynamics. This provides an effective basis for exploring the impact of changing management on weed numbers in variable environments.
Modification of the triangle method of degree‐day accumulation to allow for behavioural thermoregulation in insects
Authors: BRYANT SIMON R. , BALE JEFFREY S. , THOMAS CHRIS D. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY

The ability to predict insect development in field situations is fundamental to pest management programmes and in the understanding of insect phenology. Basic modelling techniques, however, fail to take into account behavioural thermoregulation by larval or nymphal insects, which has been shown to result in substantial increases in body temperature relative to ambient, particularly in species which bask.
2. The triangle method of degree‐day accumulation formulated by Sevacherian, Stern & Mueller (1977), which incorporates daily maximum and minimum air temperatures, is modified here to include thermoregulation data in the form of a linear body/ambient temperature relationship and daily sunshine hours.
Using developmental and larval thermoregulatory data for the nymphalid butterfly Aglais urticae (small tortoiseshell), it was calculated that there was a mean increase of 75% in the availability of degree‐days for larval development, for the period April to September inclusive (using 10 years of meteorological data for Birmingham, UK).
4. Implications for this species' phenology was demonstrated by constructing a simple model. By taking larval thermoregulation into account, the modified method performed better than the original triangle method in predicting patterns of adult emergence: it is suggested that without larval thermoregulation, A. urticae would typically be univoltine in central England, whereas it actually achieves two generations per year.
Simulation and jack‐knifing assessment of home‐range indices based on underlying trajectories
Authors: ROBERTSON PETER A. , AEBISCHER NICHOLAS J. , KENWARDS ROBERT E. , HANSKI ILPO K. , WILLIAMS NICK P. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY

Home‐range indices, describing the area over which an animal moves or within which it concentrates its activity, are widely used in the analysis of animal movement, habitat selection, interaction and survival, the basic topics of applied animal ecology. However, the wide range of available indices and a poor understanding of their statistical properties limits their applicability, their interpretation and the ease by which comparisons can be made. These restrict many analyses to qualitative rather than quantitative assessments of home‐range. We present an analysis of home‐range indices under different conditions to assess their relative performance quantitatively, and we suggest a method of correcting for biases to allow quantitative comparisons between studies and techniques.
2. We compared the performance of a range of current home‐range indices against the underlying animal trajectory. A moving animal describes a trajectory, a continuous line of movement through space and time. Home‐range is redefined as an outline enclosing a specified proportion of the trajectory over a specified period. This definition allows the performance of different home‐range indices to be compared quantitatively.
Detailed radiotracking data from a chaffinch Friagilla coelebs L. and a goshawk Accipiter gentilis L. were used to reconstruct trajectories. Intermittent radiotracking was simulated by randomly extracting 200 sets, each of 30, 100 and 500 fixes for each animal. Seven home‐range indices were used to generate home‐range outlines at nominal 20%, 30%, do%, 50%, 60%, 70%, SO%, 85%, 90%, 95% and 100% cores.
The area estimates, mean/variance ratio of area, overlap, percentage inclusion of trajectory, and trajectory density within each outline were used to compare the effectiveness of techniques and their ability to provide quantitative measures of animal use.
No technique performed well under all criteria. There was a spectrum of performance from techniques producing outlines with high trajectory density, low spatial stability and high sensitivity to sample size; to low trajectory density, high spatial stability and low sensitivity to sample size.
The nominal percentage cores produced by the techniques did not reflect accurately the true percentage time spent within that outline. A jack‐knifing technique was evaluated that calibrates the true percentage cores at each nominal level for any home‐range index. Suggestions are made for the quantitative interpretation of current indices, the use of different indices for specific analyses, and the development of new fix‐ and trajectory‐based indices.
Evaluation of aerial surveys of ptarmigan Lagopus species
Authors: PELLETIER LUC , KREBS CHARLES J. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY

We evaluated the reliability of aerial surveys to monitor trends in breeding population density of ptarmigan Lagopus spp. in south‐western Yukon, Canada.
2. Aerial surveys provided repeatable indices of density.
3. Aerial indices of density were positively and linearly related to density between areas within the same year.
However, aerial indices of density were not positively related to density between years because the aerial index was lower in 1996 than in 1995, while in fact the density of ptarmigan increased. This could be explained by a reduction in the flushing response of ptarmigan in 1996.
We caution wildlife managers against a possible inter‐year variation in the number of animals that can be seen from the air when conducting aerial surveys.
Using an ecological understanding of farmland to reconcile nature conservation requirements, EU agriculture policy and world trade agreements
Authors: BIGNAL ERIC M. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYThe recent trend in the European Union for environmental objectives to be incorporated into agriculture policy is not simply because policy‐makers in Brussels have been convinced of the important biological value of farmland. Environmental payments to farmers have become a mechanism for supporting farmers whilst at the same time not generating increased production. There are two important reasons why production must be controlled: (i) because former production policies have been so successful, many sectors have over‐produced (for example, there are currently 700 000 tons of beef held in EU intervention stores) and this cannot continue; (ii) because the EU has agreed with its world trading partners (through GATT) virtually to remove production subsidies to farmers by the turn of the century. The danger, already apparent, is that environmental objectives will be misused to provide financial support to farms that are of intrinsically low biodiversity and nature conservation value. This will not be admissible under GATT and there is a danger that the misuse of environmental payments will cause major problems in the next round of GATT negotiations. There are therefore good political as well as ecological reasons for much better targeting of environmental support for farmland. Ecological studies that help us to understand the biological processes on farmland may therefore have to be used, not only for developing a more targeted environmental policy but also in the GATT negotiations.
The EU Habitats Directive in Spain: can it contribute effectively to the conservation of extensive agro‐ecosystems?
Authors: BEAUFOY GUY 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY

By adopting the Habitats Directive (Directive 92/43 of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora) in 1992, the governments of the European Community committed themselves to the creation of the Natura 2000 ecological network, with the aim of conserving an extensive range of European habitat types and wildlife species. In doing so, they set in motion the most significant initiative for nature conservation in the history of Europe.
In Spain, Natura 2000 will have a considerable impact on the conservation of habitats and species, potentially increasing the percentage of national territory within protected areas from 6% to as much as 20%.
This paper aims to illustrate the importance of extensive farming systems to the maintenance of habitats within Natura 2000, and vice versa.
The traditional management of European heathlands
Authors: WEBB N.R. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARYThroughout western Europe heathlands dominated by ericaceous subshrubs occur on poor soils. Mostly, these heaths have developed and have been maintained by human activities. Traditional management has perpetuated ecosystems of a low nutrient status in which plant succession is arrested. Traditional management has involved a complex interaction between grazing, arable cultivation and the use of turf and plant material from the heaths. This basic system occurs throughout the European heathlands but with local variants. This paper reviews and compares the various systems of heathland use and management with the aim of developing new methods to maintain these cultural landscapes.