bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The glass ceiling of corporate social responsibility
Authors: Nijhof André H.J. , Jeurissen Ronald J.M. 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to clarify that corporate social responsibility (CSR) has come a long way by the prevailing business case approach, but increasingly hits a glass ceiling. The glass ceiling metaphor refers to the inherent limitations created by a business case approach towards CSR.Design/methodology/approachThe main findings are based on an analysis of existing literature on strategies for CSR. The findings are illustrated with a case from the Dutch National Research Program on CSR.FindingsThe very term corporate socialresponsibilitysuggests that the debate about CSR is all about responsibilities of corporations. Maybe it once was, but nowadays it is much more about new market opportunities and a business‐wise approach to ecological and social problems. CSR has evolved into a marketable asset of companies, in which profit‐oriented managers and entrepreneurs are willing to invest. This “commodification” of CSR has helped to make it acceptable in the business world, but this comes at a considerable price from the perspective of the social responsibility of business. It is especially argued in the paper that a business case approach results in opportunism, leaves institutional blockades intact and drives out the intrinsic motivation for engaging in CSR.Research limitations/implicationsBecause of the chosen conceptual research approach, the propositions put forward in the paper need further grounding in empirical research.Practical implicationsIn order to shatter this glass ceiling, managers have to deal with a paradoxical situation. They should maintain their appreciation of economic constraints and at the same time combine this with a sincere recognition of moral values. This at least requires that managers should show commitment to certain social values, be able to defend it in good and bad times and prepare all employees to deal with the inherent dilemmas of bearing different responsibilities.Originality/valueAlthough the paper builds on earlier articles on limitations of a business case approach, it is the first paper to argue for a glass ceiling of CSR created by the inherent limitations of such an approach.
Giving with one hand
Authors: Coronado Gabriela , Fallon Wayne 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the political dimensions in the relationships between mining companies and their aboriginal stakeholders in Australia. Practical applications of stakeholder approaches to corporate social responsibility (CSR) can overlook indigenous people at the local level of those who are most affected by mining.Design/methodology/approachInformed by critical discourse analysis, the paper reports on a critical web‐based study that synthesises disparate community and business perspectives to explore the representations of CSR relationships between mining companies and aboriginal stakeholders.FindingsThrough their rhetorical manipulation of the CSR discourse, mining companies construct a homogeneous representation of aboriginal peoples, for strategic purposes. Companies maintain a public image as good corporate citizens, while using the rhetoric to divert their CSR activities to less problematic indigenous groups, thus ignoring the claims of stakeholders who are more directly affected by mining.Research limitations/implicationsWhile web‐based research of CSR relationships can incorporate disparate perspectives to reveal the critical complexities of the relationships, the resultant interpretations cannot be conclusive. Thus more comprehensive on‐site ethnographic fieldwork is required, and the web‐based studies can be used to identify issues and contradictions to be investigated in the field.Originality/valueThis critical evaluation of the CSR relationships between mining companies and their indigenous stakeholders offers an independent appreciation of those relationships and the political nuances in them. The paper provides evidence of the corporate appropriation of the CSR discourse for corporate image‐enhancing purposes and shows how the mining companies adopt this approach in their practice of the CSR rhetoric.
Outward FDI and economic growth
Authors: Herzer Dierk 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of outward foreign direct investment (FDI) on economic growth.Design/methodology/approachTwo econometric approaches are used: cross‐country regressions for a sample of 50 countries and time‐series estimators for the USA.FindingsBoth approaches tell the same story: outward FDI is positively associated with growth. This finding is robust to several model specifications, potential outliers, and different estimation techniques. In addition, Granger‐causality tests for the USA indicate that causality is bidirectional, suggesting that increased outward FDI is both a cause and a consequence of increased domestic output.Originality/valuePrevious studies have primarily examined the firm‐ and industry‐level effects of outward FDI – for example, on domestic investment, employment, and productivity. This paper, in contrast, deals with the effects of aggregate outward FDI on the economy as a whole.
Employment and unemployment duration in less developed regions
Authors: Theodossiou Ioannis , Zarotiadis Grigoris 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the distribution of labor market experience among the unemployed in a less developed area in Greece (the north‐western region of Epirus), where unemployment has severe detrimental repercussions on the local workforce.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a dataset, obtained through purpose built questionnaires used to assist the local authority in carrying out a regional, pilot, active labor market policy project financed by the European Commission and the Greek Government.FindingsAn ordinary least square regression was applied correcting for incidental truncation, in order to show that the duration of the prior unemployment spell negatively affects the duration of the current employment spell and vice versa, which highlights the phenomenon of an “unemployment trap”. Furthermore, those personal and socioeconomic characteristics which are responsible for causing jobless individuals to be “trapped” in the unemployment state are identified. Workers aged above 45, women, employees in sales and other service occupations, face significantly shorter complete spells of employment, along with longer duration of unemployment, hence suffering from self‐reinforcing unemployment.Originality/valueThe results show that a “scarring effect” appears to be in operation, as the duration of prior unemployment spell has deleterious effects on the duration of the subsequent employment and vice versa. This evidence provides additional insights for policymakers, who design measures for individuals vulnerable to unemployment in the less developed regions of the European Union.
Intellectual property rights and development: the spatial relationships
Authors: Briggs Kristie 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide evidence that the U‐shaped relationship between intellectual property rights (IPRs) and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) observed in the past literature using a panel of data is not a consequence of longitudinal forces, as has been previously postulated, but instead a consequence of cross‐sectional influences.Design/methodology/approachDifferences in the longitudinal and cross‐sectional relationship between IPRs and per capita GDP are analyzed through a variety of methods, including pooled regression analysis that isolates the regional differences that are critical in making an accurate longitudinal analysis from the panel data.FindingsAnalyzing the country data reveals that a longitudinal U‐shaped relationship is counterfactual, as countries generally do not weaken their IPRs once they are in place, barring a regime change or other alteration in their political economy. The significant U‐shape link between IPRs and per capita GDP empirically observed in preliminary analysis of the panel data is instead a result of cross‐sectional influences.Originality/valueMaking the distinction between the cross‐sectional and longitudinal relationship between IPRs and per capita GDP provides a more accurate insight about how IPRs change in a country as it develops.
Fifty years of the laser: its role in material processing
Authors: Bogue Robert 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to provide a review of the use of lasers in industry, with an emphasis on applications in manufacturing and material processing.Design/methodology/approachFollowing an introduction to lasers and their development, this paper considers a selection of key material processing applications.FindingsThis shows that, since their invention in 1960, lasers have emerged to play a vital role in numerous industrial processes. Gas (CO2), solid‐state, excimer, semiconductor and fibre lasers are used in welding, soldering, drilling, cutting, micromachining, marking, engraving, heat treatment, material deposition and adhesive curing.Originality/valueThe paper provides a detailed review of the uses of lasers in industrial material processing and also places these applications in an historical context.
Improving inventory accuracy using RFID technology: a case study
Authors: Hellström Daniel , Wiberg Mathias 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to explore and describe the impact of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology on inventory accuracy within a production and assembly plant, and to propose a model for assessing the impact of the technology on inventory accuracy.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical investigation, based on case study research, focuses on an RFID implementation at a supplier of injection‐moulded, surface‐treated plastic to the automotive industry. This implementation is one of the few item‐level, open‐loop RFID implementations in the automotive industry.FindingsThe empirical paper provides insights into, how inventory accuracy has been improved and made attainable in practice by implementing RFID, and indicates that the technology ensures inventory inaccuracy will be kept at a minimum. As a result, an analytical model is presented which identifies the impact of RFID technology on inventory accuracy.Research limitations/implicationsThe case study and context need to be considered when generalising upon the findings. Furthermore, it is hoped future research could further develop the model presented and test it against implementation practice.Practical implicationsRFID technology provides practitioners with the opportunity to eliminate waste, and improve production and assembly performance. The research provides practitioners with experience of, and insights into how a production and assembly plant has improved inventory accuracy by implementing RFID technology. In particular, practitioners are provided with a model which enables them to assess the impact of RFID on inventory accuracy.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the RFID community by providing empirical insights into the impact of RFID technology on inventory accuracy, but also more broadly into logistics and operations management research.
Grid‐enabled collaborative virtual assembly environment
Authors: Hu Yong , Wu Dianliang , Fan Xiumin , Zhen Xijin 
Published: October 2010

PurposeOwing to the numerous part models and massive datasets used in automobile assembly design, virtual assembly software cannot simulate a whole vehicle smoothly in real time. For this reason, implementing a new virtual assembly environment for massive complex datasets would be a significant achievement. The paper aims to focus on this problem.Design/methodology/approachA new system named “Grid‐enabled collaborative virtual assembly environment” (GCVAE) is proposed in the paper, and it comprises three parts: a private grid‐based support platform running on an inner network of enterprise; a service‐based parallel rendering framework with a sort‐last structure; and a multi‐user collaborative virtual assembly environment. These components would aggregate the idle resources in an enterprise to support assembly simulation with a large complex scene of whole vehicle.FindingsThe system prototype proposed in the paper has been implemented. The following simulations show that it can support a complex scene in a real‐time mode by using existing hardware and software, and can promote the efficient usage of enterprise resources.Practical implicationsUsing the GCVAE, it is possible to aggregate the idle resources in an enterprise to run assembly simulations of a whole automobile with massively complex scenes, thus observably reducing fault occurrence rates in future manufacturing.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a new grid‐enabled methodology into research on collaborative virtual assembly system which can make the best use of idle resources in the enterprise to support assembly simulations with massively complex product models. A video‐stream‐based method was used to implement the system; this enables designers to participate ubiquitously in the simulation to evaluate the assembly of the whole automobile without hardware limitations.
Key accounting value drivers that affect stock returns: evidence from Greece
Authors: Florou Christie , Chalevas Constantinos 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThis paper seeks to investigate the accounting factors that affect the value of a firm.Design/methodology/approachCross‐sectional analysis is employed to investigate the association between critical accounting ratios and stock returns.FindingsThis study finds that the operating performance of a company, its growth opportunities and its capability to generate profits from its sales affect stock returns.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights regarding the extent that policies concerning operating, investment and working capital management affect stock returns. The findings of this study can be helpful to managers for selecting and implementing the appropriate business policies. Besides, current shareholders and investors may find the results of this study useful in identifying the drivers of stock values.Originality/valueThe paper tests, empirically, the effect of the key value drivers on stock returns in a developing stock exchange.
The relevance of IFRS to an emerging market: evidence from Greece
Authors: Ballas Apostolos A. , Skoutela Despina , Tzovas Christos A. 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the relevance of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in emerging markets, with special reference to the case of Greece.Design/methodology/approachThis paper adopts a mixed methodology relying primarily on secondary sources such as the relevant legislation, published annual reports and reports on the effects of the application of IFRS by Greek firms as well as the results of a postal survey addressed to the finance managers of the top 100 Greek firms. For the postal survey, a modified version of the questionnaire used by Tyrall et al. was adopted.FindingsAlthough the Greek environment was not appropriate for IFRS application, participants in the survey believe that their adoption improved the quality of financial reporting. The introduction of IFRS increased the reliability, transparency and comparability of the financial statements.Practical implicationsThis study provides insights regarding the extent to which the introduction of IFRS influenced the accounting information supplied by firms operating within the European Union.Originality/valueThe paper empirically investigates the impact of the introduction of IFRS on the quality of financial statements within the context of emerging markets.
The persistence of earnings and earnings components after the adoption of IFRS
Authors: Doukakis Leonidas C. 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThis paper seeks to examine the persistence of earnings and earnings components after the adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS).Design/methodology/approachThe study analyses two years before and two years after the adoption of IFRS in order to examine whether the adoption of IFRS materially affects the persistence, as well as the explanatory power of earnings and earnings components.FindingsThe results confirm that disaggregating reported earnings into operating income, non‐operating income and extraordinary charge and credit, captures differences in the information content of the underlying events. Consequently, earnings disaggregation can be used to improve prediction of future profitability. The results suggest that IFRS measurement and reporting guidelines do not seem to improve the persistence of earnings and earnings components.Originality/valueThis is the first study that examines whether the mandatory adoption of IFRS has an impact on the information content of earnings components for future profitability.
E‐books in academic libraries: how does currency affect usage?
Authors: Herlihy Catherine S. , Yi Hua 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study model(s) of acquiring e‐books to support: effective support of learning and teaching; and efficient use of collection budget.Design/methodology/approachThe research was based on: five years of usage data from two e‐book packages: Net Library and Safari; two methods of acquisition: NetLibrary was a one‐time purchase; Safari was purchased on a subscription; usage difference or lack of difference over time between packages; and controlled for content subjects in both packages.FindingsThe research found that: Safari (with updates) showed increased usage over time; NetLibrary (without updates) showed generally declining usage over time; and controlling NetLibrary subject content showed that usage in the science and technology area declined noticeably over the years; while education, history, social sciences, literature and language usage decline was steady.Research limitations/implicationsTitle counts in both packages were similar; however, after isolating for matching subject areas the numbers of titles in NetLibrary were small. Therefore, one or two titles in a small population may have skewed the pattern, making the results less accurate.Practical implicationsUnderstanding whether and in which subject areas students and faculty use e‐books means effective selection decision and good use of shrinking budgets.Originality/valueUsage data over five years provided evidence on which to base subscription/purchase decisions to effectively support learning and teaching and use collection funds wisely. Analyzing the usage figures will inform selection of e‐books to support learning and teaching.
US academic librarians and community service: a case study
Authors: Wolverton Robert E. , Heiselt April K. 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of community service in academic librarianship in the USA and models for developing local community service programs that encourage participation from academic librarians.Design/methodology/approachAfter providing a review of literature related to academic librarianship and community service in the USA, a description of community service opportunities for librarians at Mississippi State University is presented. Suggestions are made regarding development of similar opportunities at other institutions.FindingsCommunity service is an important element of academic librarianship, and the service opportunities available to Mississippi State University librarians offer a variety of long‐ and short‐term projects that allow for active participation.Originality/valueIt is hoped that this case study – dealing with community service opportunities for academic librarians – will be used as a model by other librarians who wish to develop service options in their own communities.
Once you get them, how do you keep them? Millennial librarians at work
Authors: Gordon Shannon 
Published: October 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the unique characteristics of Millennial librarians. These characteristics are related to larger issues having current and future relevance to Millennial librarians, colleagues of other generations, as well as library administration.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explores training, leadership and work‐life balance in relation to Millennial librarians.FindingsCertain defining characteristics of the Millennial generation need to be recognized and discussed by library administration and librarians of all generations.Practical implicationsSurveying the literature related to Millennial librarians' possible implications can assist in creating increased awareness of this group.Originality/valueMuch research focuses on engaging and teaching Millennials as library users. Infrequently discussed, however, is the concept of Millennials as librarians and the paper attempts to fill this gap.
ICT‐supported communication of scientists and teaching staff at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb
Authors: Vrana Radovan 
Published: October 2010

PurposeInformation and communication technology (ICT) has a great influence on the global system of scientific communication. The existing system is changing towards a new communication paradigm based on the exchange of scientific information in electronic information environment. Scientists are already experiencing changes in the ways they create, find, share, process, store and use scientific information. The aim of this paper is to present results from the research among scientists and teaching staff at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb (Croatia), regarding changes they experienced during the use of ICT in scientific communication.Design/methodology/approachThe first part of the paper offers an introduction followed by a view on the impact of ICT on scientific communication in the second part. The third part presents the research among scientists and teaching staff at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, Croatia, and the findings of that research. An online survey consisting of 37 closed and open‐type questions was used as a method of research after an e‐mail invitation calling for participation was sent to scientists and teaching staff at the Faculty.FindingsParticipants in the research used ICT for the communication with their colleagues in Croatia and abroad and for the preparation of research, although much less for publishing of the results of their work.Practical implicationsThe outcome of the research will serve as an orientation for the planning of a future research on communication into the electronic information environment among the members of the Croatian academic community.Originality/valueThe paper aims to demonstrate the influence of ICT on scientists and teaching staff at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, Croatia. As ICT has become more prevalent at universities in Croatia, it is necessary to investigate how it really influences daily activities of academic community members. Each new research contributes to a better understanding of the change of the old communication paradigm based on paper publications under the influence of ICT.