bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The critical consequences of project drift – a case study in the UK banking sector
Authors: Hedley Julie , Ojiako Udechukwu , Johansen Eric , Maguire Stuart 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to identify the change model being used by a UK bank to implement and embed a major regulatory‐driven initiative (the Basle Capital Accord) into it is business operations.Design/methodology/approachA naturalistic paradigm was adopted for this research although an element of triangulation was incorporated.FindingsThis critical change management initiative was started at a relatively benign time in the business world. The consequences are a warning to current organisations that if they do not address basic project and change management principles, these issues will not have any chance of assimilation within their firms.Research limitations/implicationsThe key limitations of the paper are that it focused on one particular change initiative within a single organisation, driven by one particular senior management team. As a result, the informal change model identified will not necessarily reflect the informal change model being used in other functional areas of Bank “A”.Originality/valueAlthough this paper was undertaken at an organisation at the centre of the banking crisis in the UK, it is important to highlight that the study commenced prior to the evolution of the current UK banking crisis.
Importance and contribution of intangible assets: SME managers' perceptions
Authors: Steenkamp Natasja , Kashyap Varsha 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in an attempt to cover the gap in research on intellectual capital (IC) applied to SMEs. The paper informs the debate on the importance of IC by providing empirical evidence of SME managers' perceptions about the importance and contribution of intangible assets to their businesses.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were sent to New Zealand SMEs investigating managers' perceptions about the importance of and the contributions that intangible asset components make to their businesses, and to assess their familiarity with the term intellectual capital (IC) and their preferences in using the term IC versus intangible assets. The results pertaining to the importance of intangible assets were statistically analysed.FindingsThis paper informs that the broad assumption that intangible assets are important and are value drivers of business' success is valid for small and medium enterprises. The majority of respondents perceive intangible asset components to be essential, very important and important to the success of their business and that these components collectively make several contributions to their businesses. Based on average rating, customer satisfaction ranked as the most important and thereafter customer loyalty, corporate reputation, product reputation and employee know‐how. A minority of respondents indicated that only a few components are not very important and not important at all, the least important component being distribution agreements, followed by employee education and relationships with investors. The majority of respondents are familiar with the term IC, and the same number prefer to use the term “intangible assets” as those preferring to use the term IC.Practical implicationsProviding evidence of SME managers' perceptions of the importance and contributions of intangible assets is essential to raise awareness among SME managers in understanding, identifying and managing intangible assets that are important value drivers for their businesses. Such awareness is essential in particular in countries where SMEs make up a significant proportion of business and employment. The results of this study may be a benchmark for SME managers unfamiliar and ignorant about the topic of this research.Originality/valueThis paper is the first providing empirical evidence as to SME managers' perceptions about the importance of and the contributions of intangible assets to their businesses, as well as about their familiarity with the IC concept and preference in using IC terminology.
Leadership development in crisis: leadership development hasn't made much difference to organizations
Authors: Cunningham Ian 
Published: August 2010

PurposeReviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsLeaders have to work to develop their own models of leadership and their own agendas for development. If a person can't do this they can't be expected to play a leadership role in an organization.Practical implicationsProvides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.Social implicationsProvides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.
Barriers to managerial learning: lessons for rapidly changing organizations
Authors: Longenecker Clinton O. 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the barriers to managerial learning in rapidly changing organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe material presented in this paper is based on a focus group methodology designed to solicit the input of managers operating in dynamic organizations on the subject of factors that influence their ability to learn and develop.FindingsThe study identified ten recurring barriers that prevent managers from learning and developing that included such factors as time pressure, lack of awareness, little or no performance feedback, lack of self‐reflection, and egos, among others.Research limitations/implicationsLearning is difficult for most managers in normal times, let alone when their organizations are changing at a previously unseen pace. This study identified factors that damage the ability of managers to learn. This subject matter warrants further exploration as organizational structures, levels, and industries may influence the outcome of the findings.Practical implicationsKey implications of these findings include: individual managers must take more responsibility for their own learning; superiors must play a larger role in management development; and senior leaders must create systems to support learning.Social implicationsWhen organizations and societies change, people at all levels must learn and develop to operate in these new environments. Without this learning and alignment, performance will suffer.Originality/valueOrganizations, in many cases, wrongly assume that their leaders will acquire the new skill‐sets necessary to perform in an optimal fashion. The very factors that drive organizational change are the same factors that create barriers to managerial learning.
A history of shopping: the missing link between retail and consumer revolutions
Authors: Stobart Jon 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to reconsider and reframe the relationship between retail and consumer revolutions, arguing that the two have too often been separated empirically and conceptually.Design/methodology/approachReviewing a broad range of literature, the paper discussed the ways in which the historiography of retailing and consumption might be brought together by a greater focus on and theorisation of shopping.FindingsThe paper highlights equivocation in the literature about the extent to which retailing was transformed during the eighteenth century in response to consumer changes. Whilst some aspects were dramatically transformed, others remained largely unchanged. It draws on a rather smaller body of work to illustrate the ways in which shopping practices were instrumental in connecting shops and consumers, linking the cultural world of consumption to the economic realm of retailing.Originality/valueThe key argument is that, if studies of shopping are to be useful in furthering the understanding of retailing and consumption, then the paper must theorise shopping more fully. In particular, the paper emphasises the insights afforded by notions of performance and identity, and by analyses of consumer motivation; arguing that these offer the opportunity to link shopping to wider debates over politeness, gender roles and even modernity.
The role of information technology in relationships between travel agencies and their suppliers
Authors: Ruiz‐Molina Maria‐Eugenia , Gil‐Saura Irene , Moliner‐Velázquez Beatriz 
Published: August 2010

PurposeIn the context of relationship marketing, it is highly important for providers to identify the main buyer relational benefits influencing satisfaction and loyalty so that a continuous and satisfactory business relationship is guaranteed. Since it has been reported that information technology (IT) might constitute a source of satisfaction or dissatisfaction, this paper aims to test the moderating role of IT in the relationships between perceived benefits, satisfaction and loyalty in a business‐to‐business (B2B) setting.Design/methodology/approachA structural equations model was empirically tested. Additionally, the moderating role of IT in the relationships between perceived relational benefits, buyer satisfaction and loyalty towards the main supplier was tested through a multi‐sample analysis.FindingsThe results show that IT contributes to strengthen the link between satisfaction and loyalty. In contrast, the relationship between social benefits and buyer satisfaction is only observed for suppliers with low technological intensity.Practical implicationsWhile IT helps suppliers to turn satisfied customers into loyal customers, it hinders the relationship between social benefits and buyer satisfaction. Therefore, a series of recommendations on the use of IT solutions by service providers are proposed.Originality/valueAlthough relational benefits have been studied in the scope of tourism companies in their relationships with end customers, there is still little evidence in the context of B2B relationships. This paper sheds additional light on this issue as well as analyzing the impact of IT on these relationships.
Greenhouse gas accounting: global problem, national policy, local fugitives
Authors: Young Anna 
Published: August 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to raise a selection of issues and questions that have begun to face academics and business professionals in the technically complex field of greenhouse gas accounting.Design/methodology/approachThis paper drew on accounting, audit and assurance‐based field work whilst the author was employed with a “Big 4” accounting firm and undertaken with a range of Australian companies preparing to report greenhouse gas emissions to the Australian Government for the first time during June‐October 2009. The issues discussed in this paper include: determination of organisational boundaries and ownership of greenhouse emissions; determination of operational boundaries and how to account for the greenhouse emissions of contractors; and challenges of measuring and accounting for greenhouse gas emissions in the underground coal mining industry.FindingsThis paper highlights the need for further research into greenhouse gas accounting methodologies.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is primarily a news piece with a focus on three of a possible multitude of issues. The intention is not to provide a complete review of the growing academic literature in the greenhouse gas accounting field, nor to elaborate on the entire array of challenges presented by greenhouse gas accounting for a range of industries. Further, the paper does not intend to discuss climate change science or emissions trading in any detail.Originality/valueWhilst the focus is on the Australian experience, the questions raised may be of interest to a more international audience as attempts are made to put a national framework using local measures on a global problem are commonplace.
Predicting Oscinella frit population densities from suction trap catches and weather data
Authors: LINDBLAD M. , SOLBRECK C. 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY

With the aim of developing a model for prediction of Oscinella frit (L.) population levels, migrating adults were sampled by suction traps at two locations in Sweden for 10 and 14 years, respectively. Catches were separated into two periods: spring migration, representing the size of the overwintering generation; and summer migration, representing the total size of one or two progeny generations.
The temperature threshold for sustained flight of O. frit was estimated to be 14 °C, measured as daily maximum temperature. Current weather conditions during the migration periods had weak effects on the seasonal progress of migration. There was, however, a lagged weather effect: spring migration ceased earlier in years following a warm autumn.
Although the number of spring migrants could not be predicted from suction trap catches in the previous year, the number was correlated with weather factors in the previous summer. Sunshine conditions early in summer, i.e. from May to July, seemed to be most important. The long time lag between this period and migration in the following spring implies that weather affects O. frit population dynamics indirectly, possibly by influencing the amount of food resources available in the autumn
The number of summer migrants was correlated with the number of spring migrants, except for three observations with very small summer catches due to extremely cold and cloudy weather in early summer.
The number of migrants of O. frit varied up to 100‐fold among years, a fact that needs to be accounted for in damage forecasts. The number of spring migrants can be predicted fairly well from weather conditions in the previous and current year, whereas the number of summer migrants can, in most years, be predicted from spring catches in suction traps.
Quantifying and optimizing grazing regimes in Greek mountain systems
Authors: ZERVAS GEORGE 
Published: August 2010

SUMMARY

From an ecological and environmental point of view, livestock husbandry plays a very important role as there is a valuable interaction between livestock and natural resources. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the implications of livestock production systems of mountain areas of Greece for conservation ecology and pasture‐land biodiversity.
Overgrazing of some mountain pastures and undergrazing of others, due to the depopulation of these environmentally difficult areas, have resulted in degradation of these areas. The relationship between livestock production and nature conservation is, by its nature, complex, delicate and sensitive to local conditions. The particular combination of farming practices used can be crucial in determining the biological richness of different sites. Low‐intensity livestock systems ‐ with low use of nutrient and agrochemical inputs, relative abundance of semi‐natural vegetation and relative stability of good management practices ‐ can make a positive contribution to the nature resource base by enhancing soil quality and increasing biodiversity. Ecological studies to determine optimum stocking densities in each region should be carried out with parallel adjustment in pastureland management regulations and in incentives given to farmers, in order to facilitate sustainability, biodiversity and nature conservation.
New or little‐known species of exotic Tipulidae (Diptera). XIV
Authors: Alexander CharlesP. 
Published: August 2010

SynopsisDescriptions are given of eight new species, belonging to the tribe Pediciini, and all from Assam. Three new species of Malaisemyia are described, one being subapterous and representing the first such instance in the genus. The remaining novelties include one species of Nipponomyia, and two each of Pedicia (Tricyphona) and Dicranota.
ON SOME PHYSICO‐CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF DIKETOPIPERAZINES IN WATER
Authors: Crescenzi V. , Cesaro A. , Russo E. 
Published: August 2010

Data useful for a characterization of the thermodynamic behaviour of a few nonionic aminoacid anhydrides (diketopiperazines) in water are reported.In particular, results of heat of dilution, heat of solution and osmotic coefficient measurements (the latter two only for sarcosine anhydride) are illustrated.As an interesting extension of our study, the likelihood that the compounds considered might exhibit a denaturant action on globular proteins has been tested using ribonuclease. Our results clearly point out that the diketopiperazines are strong denaturants indeed.A few results of spectral measurements of the monomer‐dimer equilibrium of acridine orange in aqueous diketopiperazines solutions are also reported, as they appear to pertain to the mechanism of ribonuclease unfolding promoted by the diketopiperazines.
CONFORMATIONAL ANALYSIS OF CIRCULAR DICHROISM SPECTRA OF INSULIN, PROINSULIN AND C‐PEPTIDES BY NON‐LINEAR REGRESSION
Authors: Markussen Jan , Vølund Aage 
Published: August 2010

A method of resolving CD spectra in α‐helix, β‐structure and random coil conformations is described. The residue ellipticities for α‐helix and β‐structure given by Greenfield & Fasman or by Chen, Yang & Martinez are used together with CD spectra from at least two similar peptides to determine, by an iterative least‐squares method, the number of amino acids in the three reference conformations as well as a set of residue ellipticities characteristic of the random coils of the family of peptides in question, but not necessarily of other peptides. The fits between computed and experimental spectra improve significantly and systematic deviations disappear by allowing the random coil coefficients to vary from one family of proteins to another, a liberty justified by the different types of random coils that have been encountered.The method of analysis showed that 5 M urea did not change the conformations of C‐peptides of proinsulin from ox, pig and duck, all being mainly in the random coil conformation and all having 3–4 amino acids in β‐structure. Bovine insulin and proinsulin showed a transfer of amino acids from α‐helix to β‐structure with increasing concentrations of urea, the latter at a higher concentration, indicating a stabilizing effect of the connecting peptide. The numbers of amino acids found in the α‐helical conformation in insulin and proinsulin were equal and in agreement with the X‐ray crystallographic data for insulin when the Greenfield & Fasman coefficients for α‐helix and β‐structure were employed, whereas the Chen, Yang & Martinez coefficients yielded too few amino acids in α‐helix in proinsulin. Both sets of coefficients estimate more β‐structure in proinsulin than in insulin.
CONFORMATIONAL STUDIES ON SEQUENTIAL POLYPEPTIDES.
Authors: Scatturin A. , Tamburro A. M. , Vidali G. , Bordignon E. 
Published: August 2010

Syntheses of (Pro‐Leu‐Gly)n and (Leu‐Pro‐Gly)n, two synthetic polytripeptide analogues of the non‐polar regions of collagen, via the corresponding tripeptide p‐nitrophenyl‐esters are described.The sequential polypeptide (Pro‐Leu‐Gly)10 was also obtained by solid‐phase synthesis.In the following paper, conformational investigations on these polymers, both in solution and in solid state, will be described.
ON THE 3α‐HYDROXYSTEROID DEHYDROGENASE FROM PSEUDOMONAS TESTOSTERONI. The effect of denaturing agents
Authors: Skålhegg Bjørn A. 
Published: August 2010

Highly purified preparations of the 3α‐hydroxysteroid:NAD‐ oxidoreductase (E.C.1.1.1.50) from Pseudomonas testosteroni (ATCC 11996) which consist of two major isoenzymes, with traces of a third, have been split into two enzymatically inactive polypeptides A and B by the use of sodium dodecylsulphate, urea and guanidinium hydrochloride. Both polypeptides have a molecular weight of 25,000 ± 2,500 as shown by thin‐layer gel chromatography and ultracentrifugations. They differ, however, in charge as shown by electrophoresis on cellulose acetate strips in the presence of 8 M urea. Each of the isoenzymes, have molecular weight of about 50,000 and thus consist of two subunits. The presence of the three isoenzymes may be explained by the following combinations of the subunits AA, AB and BB.Close to 100% of the original activity towards the three substrates, androsterone, tetrahydrocortisone and desoxycholate could be restored within 24 h when the inactivated enzyme was diluted in order to remove the effect of the denaturant.
DEAMIDATED ACTIVE INTERMEDIATES IN THE IRREVERSIBLE ACID DENATURATION OF RIBONUCLEASE‐A
Authors: Manjula B. N. , Acharya A. Seetharama , Vithayathil Paul J. 
Published: August 2010

A study has been made on the changes in the enzymatic activity of Ribonuclease‐A**‐(RNase‐A) exposed to highly acidic (pH < 1) aqueous environment. Irreversible alterations of activity were observed when the protein was exposed to an acidic medium for a long period (20 to 60 h). Even prior to these changes in activity RNase‐A was found to form intermediates which had very nearly the same activity as the native protein.The primary process in the acid denaturation of RNase‐A was observed to be deamidation of the protein leading to the formation of active chromatographically distinct derivatives. The initial product of deamidation, a monodeamidated derivative, has been isolated by chromatography on Amberlite XE‐64. This initial deamidation reaction proceeded with very high specificity. The subsequent deamidation reaction is comparatively slower, so that nearly 50% of the native protein could be converted to this derivative before any subsequent deamidation took place. This monodeamidated derivative has been designated RNase‐Aa1. The conversion of RNase‐A to RNase‐Aa1 was not accompanied by any changes in the primary structure other than the observed deamidation. Apart from the differences in chromatographic and electrophoretic mobilities, RNase‐Aa1 was found to have very nearly the same activity and physico‐chemical properties as the native enzyme. Significance of this specific and faster deamidation of RNase‐A in this denaturing medium as well as the biological significance of such deamidation reactions of proteins are discussed.
LASER RAMAN SPECTROSCOPY OF SNAKE VENOM NEUROTOXINS: CONFORMATION
Authors: Tu Anthony T. , Jo B. H. , Yu Nai‐Teng 
Published: August 2010

Laser Raman spectra of neurotoxins of Pelamis platurus (yellow‐bellied sea snake) and Laticauda semifasciata (broad‐banded blue sea snake) were investigated. The amide I band appeared at 1672 cm‐1for both toxins, which presents an indication of anti‐parallel β structure. Since this agrees well with the result from the CD‐ORD studies of snake neurotoxin, it was concluded that snake neurotoxins mainly consist of β structure. The amide III band appeared at 1245 cm‐1for P. platurus toxin and 1248 cm‐1for L. semifasciata toxin.The four disulfide bonds present in the toxin have a very similar geometry. After vigorous heat treatment, the backbone configuration of the toxin molecule basically remained the same although it was partially denatured. The major peak at 512 cm‐1was not altered by the heat treatment but a new shoulder appeared at 546 cm‐1. This suggests that a new type of S‐S stretching vibration (trans‐gauche‐trans) was produced as a result of heat treatment. However, the majority of the S‐S vibrations remained in the gauche‐gauche‐gauche orientation. A substantial change in the interactions between a tyrosine aromatic ring and neighboring residues was apparently the alteration caused by the heat treatment.
STUDIES ON POLYPEPTIDES:
Authors: Voskuyl‐Holtkamp Ingrid , Schattenkerk Cecile 
Published: August 2010

Syntheses of derivatives of the peptide sequences required for the synthesis of the N‐terminal 1–17 part of rat pancreatic ribonuclease are described. These protected peptides are:OBut But OBut But But OButBoc‐Gly‐Glu‐Ser‐Arg‐OH (sequence 1–4); Nps‐Glu‐Ser‐Ser‐Ala‐Asp‐OHBoc Boc(sequence 5–9); Nps‐Lys‐Phe‐Lys‐Agr‐OH (sequence 10–13) andOButNps‐Gln‐His‐Met‐Asp‐OBut (sequence 14–17).