bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Construction and validation of an e‐lifestyle instrument
Authors: Yu Chian‐Son 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to construct and validate an e‐lifestyle scale.Design/methodology/approachThrough a two‐step approach of exploratory factor analysis (EFA), the generated two EFA solutions reveal the adequacy of the generated seven components underlying the 1,135 responses. By using the other 793 respondents sampling from the same population, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) examines and supports the fitness of the overall structure.FindingsThe empirical results show that the 39 items of the e‐lifestyle scale were grouped into seven distinct components. These components represented seven principal factors that significantly influence and shape individual e‐lifestyles.Research limitations/implicationsThis investigation merely represents a starting point in e‐lifestyle research. To enhance the validity and generalization of the scale proposed in this study, further cross‐cultural validation is necessary.Practical implicationsBeyond constructing and validating an e‐lifestyle instrument, this study could provide marketers with insights about how to integrate e‐lifestyles into marketing strategies.Originality/valueThis research contributes to advance current knowledge on what factors influence e‐lifestyle and relative influences of main factors shaping e‐lifestyle, and pave a way for marketers to execute more elaborate marketing research with the proposed e‐lifestyle scale.
Internet/e‐business technologies acceptance in Canada's SMEs: an exploratory investigation
Authors: Ifinedo Princely 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis study aims at contributing to the discussion related to what causes Canadian small and medium‐size enterprises (SMEs) to be reticent about accepting internet and e‐business technologies (IEBT) in their operations. The research also seeks to gain an understanding of the relative importance of each of the selected factors in the research setting.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted in the Atlantic region of Canada. Questionnaires were mailed to key SMEs' informants. Data analysis was performed using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. A research framework based on the technology‐organization‐environment (TOE) frameworks was used to guide the research effort. Such contingent factors as perceived benefits, management commitment/support, organizational IT competence, external pressure, information systems (IS) vendor support, and availability of financial support, were used to develop relevant hypotheses.FindingsThe study's findings indicated that perceived benefits, management commitment/support, and external pressure are significant predictors of IEBT acceptance in the sampled SMEs; the results did not show that organizational IT competence, IS vendor support, and availability of financial support positively influence IEBT acceptance in the sampled SMEs.Practical implicationsPolicy makers, industry leaders, and small business operators wishing to understand some of the reasons why certain SMEs in the country lag in the adoption of IEBT and related technologies can benefit from the information provided in this study. The study also alerted the attention of local IS vendors and financial institutions to what can be done to strengthen IS adoption in Canadian small businesses.Originality/valueA handful of previous research in Canada has researched IEBT adoption; however, some of these studies are dated. A such, this current investigation of IEBT acceptance in a less endowed part of the country is timely and welcoming; it also serves to complement other prior studies in the country and elsewhere. A scan of the extant literature indicates that no previous study in the country has modeled some of the factors (e.g. the availability of financial support) as were used herein. The inclusion of such a factor enriches insight in this area of study.
Developing a B2B web site effectiveness model for SMEs
Authors: Lin Chad , Huang Yu‐An , Stockdale Rosemary 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe study examines SMEs' investment in B2B web sites and the relationship between organizational drivers such as adoption readiness and constraints and evaluation of investments. We investigate how these drivers influence the perception of B2B web site benefits and the effect a great understanding of issues has on stakeholder satisfaction in the investment.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative approach is used to test the hypotheses, which are developed from the literature. Following a pilot study, a survey of 1,000 Australian SMEs with B2B web sites is used to collect the data, which is analyzed using structural equation modeling techniques.FindingsFindings reveal the mediating relationships between organizational drivers and their influence on SMEs' perceptions of benefits and stakeholder satisfaction and support the B2B web site evaluation effectiveness model. Further insights show that SMEs do not understand the complementary nature of the organizational drivers that support strategic alignment and therefore fail to realize benefits from their web sites.Research limitationsLimitations of the research are noted and discussed with regard to constructs and the views of survey respondents.Practical implicationsResults suggest that SMEs consider reallocation and/or prioritization of resources and business objectives in order to improve their IT investment evaluation practices. This would have a direct impact on the level of IT benefits realized, and ultimately affect the degree of stakeholder satisfaction with B2B web site adoption.Originality/valueA key contribution is the development of a B2B web site evaluation effectiveness model that supports greater understanding of how SMEs can gain more value from their B2B web sites.
Linking generativity and disruptive innovation to conceptualize ICTs
Authors: Menon Siddhartha 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper focuses on two prominent theoretically grounded approaches to this subject matter, namely disruptive innovations and generativity of the internet. This paper seeks to explicitly link these conceptual approaches in order to contribute to the epistemology on the development of ICTs.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is structured in three primary and functional sections. The first section provides a theoretically grounded literature review on the research on the generativity of the internet and on disruptive innovation as well as the research base and links and forwards these two lines of discourse. The second section describes how the conceptual foundations and assumptions of Zittrain's generativity of the internet and Christensen's disruptive innovation share common precepts and conceptual assumptions. The third section suggests that the discourse for each of the two approaches could be furthered by more deliberately and concretely drawing on the value of complementarities.FindingsThis paper offers argumentation suggesting that the theoretical concepts of hierarchies and markets are also useful in drawing conceptual linkages between the disruptive innovations and generativity of the internet approaches.Research limitationsSince this paper is intended to focus on conceptual issues a possible limitation is that an empirical discussion of this subject matter lies outside the scope of this paper's thesis.Practical implicationsThis conceptual paper has practical implications for academics, executives in the private sector and policy officials who are interested in conceptually grounded implications of ICTs and attended issues of innovation and technological change.Social implicationsThe implications mainly pertain to how the process of innovation and technological change impacts the interactions among these firms both in terms of competition and collaboration.Originality/valueThis paper seeks to explicitly link conceptual approaches in order to contribute to the epistemology on the development of ICTs. The conceptual contribution of this paper goes one step further by suggesting how the discourse for each of the two approaches could be furthered by more deliberately and concretely drawing on the value of complementarities.
Does infrequent trading make a difference on stock market efficiency?
Authors: AlKhazali Osamah 
Published: July 2011

PurposeAfter adjusting for thin trading, this study seeks to examine the market efficiency for six emerging stock markets in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses the LOMAC single variance ratio (VR) test and the Wright's rank and sign VR tests to examine informational efficiency after correcting the data for thin trading that typically characterizes these indexes.FindingsAs the observed indexes in thinly traded markets may not represent the true underlying index value, there is a systematic bias toward rejecting the efficient market hypothesis. The results of this study show that after removing the effect of infrequent trading the random walk hypothesis was not rejected in all GCC equity markets.Originality/valueTo the best of the author's knowledge this is the first study that applies the Wright's rank and sign VR tests after adjusting for thin trading in GCC equity market.
Contra Eichengreen and Mitchener on ABCT
Authors: Block Walter , Barnett William 
Published: July 2011

PurposeAustrian Business Cycle Theory (ABCT) is a rare and precious flower. As adherents of this perspective, the present authors wish to share it with as many scholars as possible. They thus welcome criticisms of it, particularly emanating from neoclassical economists, who have for far too long ignored ABCT. However, at least in the case of the mainstream critics Eichengreen and Mitchener, a more accurate assessment of that which they were criticizing would have gone a long way in the direction of achieving real disagreement. To wit, they have misunderstood ABCT, and thus their criticisms fail to come to grips with this mode of analysis. The purpose of this paper is to correct the misunderstandings of Eichengreen and Mitchener regarding ABCT.Design/methodology/approachThe paper's objectives are achieved by quoting heavily from Eichengreen, and Mitchener, and contrasting their erroneous understanding of ABCT with its actual tenets. In this way the authors hope to improve their criticism. If they could be direct their attention to the actual ABCT, instead of a straw man version of it, real understanding, and progress in economic theory, might well be the result.FindingsThe findings are, unfortunately, that there still remains a lot of work to be done if real disagreement between Austrian and neoclassical economists is to be achieved, let alone where a state of affairs is achieved where real learning can occur. A minimal necessary condition for such an eventuality is accurate understanding of the position of the other must be attained. Eichengreen, and Mitchener show little evidence of this accomplishment.Originality/valueThis paper provides a useful explanation of the ABCT.
The essential metric of customer capitalism is customer outcomes
Authors: Denning Stephen 
Published: July 2011

PurposeToo often top management focuses primarily on inputs and outputs of the firm, but has little daily information about whether customers are being frustrated, satisfied or delighted. However, one of the most critical pieces of information about the future health of an organization concerns the results of what the firm does for its customers, are they delighted or frustrated? This paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses six tools that can measure how well the firm is delivering customer value and satisfaction.FindingsThe measurement of outcomes and customer delight thus requires more than the adoption of a new set of terminologies and tools. It is a different way of thinking, speaking and acting in the workplace.Practical implicationsUltimately the tools and the methodologies are less important than the internal conversations surrounding them. This dialog enables the managers and the people doing the work to get inside the mind of customers and focus on what might delight them, and to track whether that is being accomplished.Originality/valueFor those organizations that are learning to thrive in the new era of customer capitalism and have committed themselves to delighting their customers, tools like Net Promoter Score, user stories, value stream and cycle time measurement and social media offer the possibility of seeing what is happening to customer outcomes in real time.
Roger Martin explores three big ideas: customer capitalism, integrative thinking and design thinking
Authors: Leavy Brian 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an interview with professor and noted author Roger Martin discussing three major topics— the future of capitalism, better executive decision making and innovations that boost customer value – all at the heart of current executive concerns.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents Martin's view, – that modern capitalism has come through two major eras over the last century, managerial capitalism (1930s to 1970s) and shareholder capitalism (1980s to 2000s). He argues that the time has come to embark on a new era, the era of “customer capitalism” and explains why.FindingsIn answer to another set of questions, Martin provides his own insight into one of the management field's most elusive and intriguing questions: what is the essence of outstanding leadership, particularly at the CEO level? His research has led him to the finding that exceptional leaders are distinguished most by the way they think, by their capacity for what he calls “integrative thinking.”Practical implicationsTo a third set of questions, Martin offers his own solution to one of the major challenges facing senior executives today, how to become more innovative, not only in products and process, but also in the area of business management itself. His answer – executives should look to the concept of “design thinking” and learn how to apply it more widely to processes like strategy development and business model innovation.Originality/valueRoger Martin believes that the shareholder value system has been rigged to the detriment of stockholders, that great managers are distinguished by how they think before they decide what to do and that design thinking is a key competitive competency. Martin offers groundbreaking ways to think about leading and management.
Disruptive innovation: the Southwest Airlines case revisited
Authors: Raynor Michael E. 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe standard explanation of Southwest's success is that it applied a low‐cost competitive strategy. This paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe paper argues that Southwest was actually employing a disruptive strategy. Financial data show that Southwest's results were highly variable during the time it was growing into a national carrier.FindingsThe paper finds that Southwest's disruptive strategy of innovative operational cost reduction did not produce striking financial returns until it adopted more efficient aircraft, which made its fuel costs competitive.Practical implicationsCost efficiencies alone do not make a firm a disruptor. What is required is the combination of a low‐cost business model and enabling technologies.Originality/valueThis paper points out that managers should learn to see operational innovations and cost savings in the context of disruption, not just price advantage.
Mobile phones as an extension of the participant observer's self
Authors: Hein Wendy , O'Donohoe Stephanie , Ryan Annmarie 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper examines the value of mobile phones in ethnographic research, and seeks to demonstrate how this particular technology can support and enhance participant observation.Design/methodology/approachReflecting in detail on one researcher's experience of incorporating this technological device into an ethnographic study, the paper considers how new observational tools can contribute to research beyond data generation.FindingsThe study suggests that the mobile phone can be an extension of the ethnographer and act as a powerful prosthetic, allowing the researcher to translate ethnographic principles into practice.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper reflects on the uses of a mobile phone in an ethnographic study of young men's consumer experiences. Thus, the discussion focuses on a research site where the mobile phone holds a ubiquitous position. However, there are now more than four billion mobile phones in circulation worldwide, so whilst acknowledging important differences in research sites, this research can be seen to have wide implications beyond the study of young consumers.Practical implicationsThe paper argues that mobile phones allow researchers to record their observations, co‐create data and share experiences with their participants in ways that enhance the quality of ethnographic interpretations and understanding.Originality/valueLittle research attention has been paid to how emerging technologies support the more traditional participant observer, or how researchers actually embed them within their fieldwork. This paper addresses this gap and considers the wide‐ranging role that technology can have throughout this research process.
Proposal and evaluation of a KBE‐RM selection system
Authors: Munguia Javier , Bernard Alain , Erdal Merve 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose and evaluate a novel tool for the assessment and selection of rapid prototyping (RP)/manufacturing (RM) systems as alternative processes for low‐volume production in the machinery and equipment design sector. By analysing previous RP/RM selectors, this research addresses the necessary factors that a knowledge‐based engineering (KBE) system must include for the analysis, comparison and ranking of candidate technologies.Design/methodology/approachThis research starts with the analysis of previous KBE solutions for RP/RM process selection, then a new KBE tool is proposed through the integration of artificial intelligence tools such as fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks (ANNs) and relational databases. Three case studies, provided by a Spanish machinery design centre, are used in order to measure the suitability of the proposed system for the assessment of real designs of special purpose mechanical parts.FindingsThe paper reports several improvements based on case studies which include a more suitable logic for process selection according to the designer's criteria and improvements in the overall parts cost estimation when compared to conventional parametric methods.Practical implicationsThe newly proposed KBE system has proven useful especially in cases where non‐experts or students need to select a RP/RM process according to an initial product design specification. The cost estimation module based on ANNs provides a practical tool which may be used by academics but also practitioners who wish to automate product costing calculations.Originality/valueUnlike previous solutions, the proposed system provides a straightforward means for RP/RM selection by an overall ranking of candidate processes, part cost estimation and materials selection. The main contribution is the modular design and logical planning, that overcomes the dilemma: material‐or‐process first.
A CAD/CAM system for fabrication of facial prostheses
Authors: Sun Jin , Xi Juntong , Chen Xiaobo , Xiong Yaoyang 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe a computer‐aided design/manufacturing (CAD/CAM) system for fabricating facial prostheses.Design/methodology/approachThe CAD/CAM system can be used for fabricating custom‐made facial prostheses with symmetrical or asymmetrical features. This system integrates non‐contact structured light scanning, reverse engineering and rapid prototyping manufacturing technology. Fringe projection based on the combination of the phase‐shift and grey‐code methods is used for data collection. A robust approach is proposed to calculate the mid‐plane of the human face without any knowledge of the centroid position or the principal axis in data processing.FindingsResults show that the proposed method increases the fabrication accuracy and reduces the operating time. Patients were satisfied with the rehabilitation results as the custom‐made facial prostheses fitted them well.Practical implicationsThis study improves the fabrication accuracy of facial prostheses. Three‐dimensional data of the facial surface of a patient needing a facial prosthesis were obtained with almost no harm to his body; after a series of robust processes, a precise and suitable aesthetic facial prosthesis was fabricated.Originality/valueThis system has bright prospects for clinical application because of its advantages over other methods in terms of speed, accuracy, safety, cost, etc.
Service worker behaviours and service setting facets – consumers' perspective
Authors: Paninchukunnath Ajith , Goyal Anita 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to uncover service worker behaviours and service setting facets contributing to satisfaction/dissatisfaction during critical service encounters in the context of interpersonal services in elaborate servicescape from consumers' perspectives.Design/methodology/approachThe study used the method of critical incident technique (CIT). In total, 371 critical service encounters were investigated. Actual service experience, with any one of the eight prominent interpersonal services, was collected from adult service consumers living in the national capital region of India.FindingsDominant worker behaviours and setting facets contributing to satisfaction/dissatisfaction in critical service encounters are identified. Analysis of behaviours confirms behavioural categories suggested by previous research, i.e. recovery, adaptability, spontaneity, courteous, information sharing, connecting and identified one additional category, namely professional behaviour. Service setting facets are ambient condition, interior, exterior and other tangibles.Research limitations/implicationsData were collected only from adult service consumers living in the national capital region of India (urban area) with a minimum education qualification of graduation. Initial encounters are not treated separately.Practical implicationsThe identification of dominant behaviours and service setting facets in this research will help the managers to better manage and monitor service encounters leading to more satisfied customers.Originality/valueThis is a pioneer empirical work which investigated the various employee behaviours and service setting facets that have resulted in consumers' satisfying/dissatisfying service experiences in the context of interpersonal services with elaborate servicescapes. This study has also identified one additional category of service worker behaviour and developed a reliable classification scheme, to analyze critical service encounters, which may be of use to future researchers.