bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Product‐level carbon auditing of supply chains
Authors: McKinnon Alan C. 
Published: March 2010

PurposeInterest in product‐level carbon auditing and labelling has been growing in both business and government circles. The purpose of this paper is to examine the practical problems and costs associated with highly disaggregated analyses of greenhouse gas emissions from supply chains. It then weighs these problems and costs against the potential benefits of the carbon labelling of products.Design/methodology/approachThe views expressed in this paper are based on a review of relevant literature, informal discussions with senior managers and personal experience with the practices being investigated.FindingsStock‐keeping unit‐level carbon auditing of supply chains and the related carbon labelling of products will be fraught with difficulty and very costly. While simplification of the auditing process, the use of data inventories and software support may assist these processes, the practicality of applying them to all consumer products seems very doubtful. The resulting benefits to companies and consumers are also highly questionable. The main conclusion, therefore, is that product‐level carbon auditing and labelling is a “wasteful distraction” and that it would be better to devote management time and resources to other decarbonisation initiatives.Research limitations/implicationsTo date relatively few firms have carbon audited their supply chains at a product level and so industrial experience is limited. Market research on the likely behavioural response to carbon labelling is also at an early stage. There is sufficient evidence available, however, to conduct an initial critique of product level carbon auditing and labelling.Practical implicationsSome companies and government agencies should reconsider their plans for the carbon labelling of products.Originality/valueThis is the first paper in the logistics/supply chain literature to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new form of carbon footprinting and labelling. It is intended to stimulate debate among logistics academics and practitioners.
Comparative analysis of the carbon footprints of conventional and online retailing
Authors: Edwards Julia B. , McKinnon Alan C. , Cullinane Sharon L. 
Published: March 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the carbon intensity of “last mile” deliveries (i.e. deliveries of goods from local depots to the home) and personal shopping trips.Design/methodology/approachSeveral last mile scenarios are constructed for the purchase of small, non‐food items, such as books, CDs, clothing, cameras and household items. Official government data, operational data from a large logistics service provider, face‐to‐face and telephone interviews with company managers and realistic assumptions derived from the literature form the basis of the calculations. Allowance has been made for home delivery failures, “browsing” trips to the shops and the return of unwanted goods.FindingsOverall, the research suggests that, while neither home delivery nor conventional shopping has an absolute CO2 advantage, on average, the home delivery operation is likely to generate less CO2 than the typical shopping trip. Nevertheless, CO2 emissions per item for intensive/infrequent shopping trips by bus could match online shopping/home delivery.Research limitations/implicationsThe number of items purchased per shopping trip, the choice of travel mode and the willingness to combine shopping with other activities and to group purchases into as few shopping trips or online transactions as possible are shown to be critical factors. Online retailers and home delivery companies could also apply measures (e.g. maximising drop densities and increasing the use of electric vehicles) to enhance the CO2 efficiency of their logistical operations and gain a clearer environmental advantage.Practical implicationsBoth consumers and suppliers need to be made more aware of the environmental implications of their respective purchasing behaviour and distribution methods so that potential CO2 savings can be made.Originality/valueThe paper offers insights into the carbon footprints of conventional and online retailing from a “last mile” perspective.
Incorporating impoverished communities in sustainable supply chains
Authors: Hall Jeremy , Matos Stelvia 
Published: March 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore recent calls to include social and environmental considerations in supply chains by analyzing the sourcing of raw materials from impoverished communities to reduce environmental impacts and social exclusion in biofuels production.Design/methodology/approachA case study methodology based on interviews and focus groups with supply chain members and other stakeholders is conducted in Brazil, a major biofuels producer and user. Two supply chain cases, fuel ethanol and biodiesel, illustrate the challenges of recent government policies and industry attempts to improve sustainability within the supply chain.FindingsAlthough government and industry recognize the importance of providing opportunities for impoverished communities in biofuels supply chains, there remain considerable pressures to economize at the expense of sustainable supply chain policies. Sourcing from impoverished farmers who lack basic business knowledge, and distrust industry and government policy, compound these challenges.Research limitations/implicationsWhile sustainability research now emphasizes the importance of considering interactions among economic, environmental, and social parameters, little is known about integrating poorly educated, impoverished farmers within supply chains. Basic business education is needed, and further research should explore entrepreneurial dynamics within impoverished communities.Practical implicationsSupply chain managers should acquire skills for engaging with impoverished farmers lacking formal education. Cooperatives can bridge knowledge asymmetries between buyers and suppliers, but will require support from industry if sustainable supply chain policies are to succeed.Originality/valueMost sustainable supply chain scholars acknowledge the importance providing opportunities for impoverished communities, but few have explored how potential entrepreneurs from impoverished communities can participate as productive supply chain members.
The burdens of ownership: reasons for preferring renting
Authors: Moeller Sabine , Wittkowski Kristina 
Published: March 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify and assess the importance of proposed determinants of the growing consumer preference for renting consumer goods, as opposed to the actual transfer of ownership.Design/methodology/approachFollowing a qualitative preliminary study and a literature review, six factors are identified as possible determinants of a preference for non‐ownership modes of consumption. These are examined in a quantitative study using a sample of 461 members of a German online peer‐to‐peer sharing network. Hypotheses regarding the proposed determinants are tested using factor analysis and structural equation modelling.FindingsThe results show that the demand for non‐ownership services is negatively influenced by “possession importance” (the importance that a consumer attaches to full ownership) and positively influenced by “trend orientation” and “convenience orientation”. The other proposed determinants – “experience orientation”, “price consciousness”, and “environmentalism” do not appear to influence a preference for non‐ownership modes of consumption.Practical implicationsAlthough the renting of goods is an increasingly popular form of consumption, consumers still value ownership. Suppliers should therefore consider offering a mixture of “ownership” and “non‐ownership” modes of consumption to their customers.Originality/valueThis study complements existing research in this area, which has largely been conceptual in nature, by undertaking an empirical evaluation of the importance of several proposed determinants for non‐ownership preference.
Making the most of a workforce on the move
Authors: Short Tom 
Published: March 2010

PurposeConsiders the training and development challenges surrounding people who have elected to seek work in a country other than their own.Design/methodology/approachDraws on case‐study research conducted in New Zealand, together with relevant literature and focus‐group findings.FindingsArgues that more should be done to recognize the prior learning of workers who have voluntarily moved from their previous job and seek to integrate into a new environment.Practical implicationsSuggests that HR specialists need to get better at recognizing and evaluating the training needs and skills of voluntarily displaced people.Social implicationsArgues that the extent to which people feel “in place” with their work environment has profound implications for engagement and well‐being; gaining full recognition for prior learning may be especially important to voluntarily displaced workers.Originality/valueHelps HR specialists and managers to think differently about dealing with displaced workers.
In search of excellence: spiritual training program and junior managers' counterproductive work behavior in China
Authors: Han Yong , Lu Xiaozhi , Li Zhaozhong 
Published: March 2010

PurposeDescribes an organizational spiritual‐development program run for junior managers at the giant Guangxi State Farm Agriculture Group (SFAG).Design/methodology/approachDraws on the inside information of the author, who is a course tutor, and some of his trainees.FindingsReports how the program can help junior managers to avoid “counterproductive workplace behaviour” and find greater meaning in their work.Practical implicationsReveals how the course can help to promote: honest, warm and harmonious relationships in the workplace; loyalty to the company and social sanctions against employees who try to undermine their colleagues and sabotage production; participation in the cultural life of the organization; and a more unified enterprise spirit.Social implicationsDetails how the tenets of the course chime with the wider objectives of Chinese society.Originality/valueContains a particularly interesting section about two volunteers who, having practised counterproductive workplace behaviors the past (one served a prison sentence for it), now lead discussion groups on the program.
Understanding and transforming organizational security culture
Authors: Lacey David 
Published: March 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the practical issues, techniques and learning points associated with information security awareness and organizational change programmes.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on the findings and conclusions of research, observations and projects carried out in large organizations over the last two decades. It highlights failings and critical success factors in contemporary approaches to transform organizational culture. It draws on theory and research from the industrial safety field, and discusses its relevance in the information security field.FindingsThe paper identifies the primary reasons why many contemporary enterprise security awareness programmes are ineffective. It discusses the nature of the problem and solution space, identifying the practical issues and opportunities, and gives recommendations on how future programmes can be improved.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper identifies gaps in current research, including the need to confirm whether or not certain findings about incidents in safety field might be applicable to security incidents. It calls for a new approach to information security management that incorporates theory and techniques drawn from psychology and marketing.Practical implicationsThe paper is intended to educate students and researchers working in the information security field on issues and techniques associated with information security awareness and organizational change programmes. It also provides practical advice for business organizations on how to design and implement such programmes.Originality/valueThe paper takes a fresh approach to the subject, examining the relevance of theory and techniques adapted from other fields and drawing new conclusions about the requirements and approach for effective information security awareness and organizational change programmes.
Watching the watchers: “voluntary monitoring” of infosec employees
Authors: Whalen Tara , Gates Carrie 
Published: March 2010

PurposeWhile many papers discuss the privacy implications of workplace monitoring, the purpose of this paper is to describe the positive aspects to voluntary monitoring in the workplace.Design/methodology/approachThese aspects were identified through in‐depth qualitative interviews with employees of various organizations chosen for the invasiveness of their monitoring procedures. Specifically, the authors worked with individuals who had high‐level government clearances, working in information security (infosec), who were subjected to comprehensive monitoring both before being employed and during the term of their employment.FindingsThrough these interviews, the paper identifies four positive results of employee monitoring, four procedural issues that affected employee perception of the monitoring, and two secondary aspects that are specific benefits of holding a clearance, as opposed to benefits from the monitoring itself.Research limitations/implicationsThe research reported here is gathered from a specific sample: eight participants working at American infosec organizations. Thus, the results may not be widely generalizable to work environments, particularly for employees working in other countries where different monitoring requirements exist.Originality/valueThe contribution of this paper is the identification of positive aspects to voluntary monitoring as a condition of employment, the implication of which is that workplace monitoring can be deployed with positive results. The paper also identifies procedural aspects that organizations can address in order to improve employees' experience of being monitored. While preliminary, these results can be used to guide future research directions. Additionally, organizations that require employee monitoring can use these results to strengthen benefits to employees in compensation for their voluntary cooperation.
eBusiness as a driver for regional development
Authors: Beynon‐Davies Paul 
Published: March 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the case of a major knowledge transfer project conducted over seven years within a region of the UK.Design/approachAs part of this project a large survey is conducted on an annual basis which aims to track eBusiness adoption amongst small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the region and the effects of such adoption upon regional development.FindingsThe paper presents findings from this longitudinal study and discusses these findings in terms of conceptions of eBusiness and the importance of developing more sophisticated instruments for assessing eBusiness maturity amongst SMEs. From the research there is clear evidence of the role of eBusiness adoption as a driver of regional development. The benefits from the initial Opportunity Wales programme are still materializing several years after the completion of the first three years of the seven year project.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a study of one region in Europe. Further regional cases are required to support the findings.Practical implicationsThe findings should help regional planners and national governments assess the value of eBusiness initiatives.Originality/valueThis paper describes the case of a programme funded by the European Union involved with the transfer of eBusiness knowledge to SMEs conducted over the period April 2001 to September 2007 within a major region of the UK. The scope of the research project and its longitudinal nature make the study original.
Improving ASR performance using context‐dependent phoneme models
Authors: Husni Husniza , Jamaludin Zulikha 
Published: March 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present evidence of the need to have a carefully designed lexical model for speech recognition for dyslexic children reading in Bahasa Melayu (BM).Design/methodology/approachData collection is performed to obtain the most frequent reading error patterns and the reading recordings. Design and development of the lexical model considers the errors for better recognition accuracy.FindingsIt is found that the recognition accuracy is increased to 75 percent when using context‐dependent (CD) phoneme model and phoneme refinement rule. Comparison between context‐independent phoneme models and CD phoneme model is also presented.Research limitations/implicationsThe most frequent errors recognized and obtained from data collection and analysis illustrate and support that phonological deficit is the major factor for reading disabilities in dyslexics.Practical implicationsThis paper provides the first step towards materializing an automated speech recognition (ASR)‐based application to support reading for BM, which is the first language in Malaysia.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the knowledge of the most frequent error patterns for dyslexic children's reading in BM and to the knowledge that a CD phoneme model together with the phoneme refinement rule can built up a more fine‐tuned lexical model for an ASR specifically for dyslexic children's reading isolated words in BM.
Performance measurement and management: a literature review and a research agenda
Authors: Taticchi Paolo , Tonelli Flavio , Cagnazzo Luca 
Published: March 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the literature in the field of performance measurement and management (PMM) for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and large companies and propose a research agenda for the future.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides an update of Neely's work “The evolution of performance measurement research” The literature review has been carried out by using two different methodologies. Citation/co‐citation analysis has been used to explore “performance measurement” (PM) literature, while a chronological review of main frameworks/models developed both for large and small companies is presented in order to highlight “PMM” literature.FindingsThe paper analyzes the literature on the field and carries out the most cited works and the common characteristics of them based on the key words used. The results of the literature review reveal a certain maturity of the literature related to large companies and a significant lack of PMM literature for SMEs. Finally the paper argues the development and evolution of the research field that is now entering a phase of new directions. These new directions can be conceptualized in three ways – by context, by theme and by challenge.Research limitations/implicationsThe research presented in the paper is limited to work that is referred directly with performance measurement and management. Related research – such as literature on management control and accounting – has not been considered, even if future researches could include it.Originality/valueThe paper extends Neely's work under two dimensions: the research field evolution from 2005 to 2008 and the investigation of the “performance management” dimension. The paper will be valuable to scholars working in the field of business performance measurement and management, interested in the literature evolution and in identifying future areas of research.
Managing without measuring: a study of an electricity distribution company
Authors: Sobótka M. , Platts K.W. 
Published: March 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an exception to the common belief “If you can't measure it, you can't manage it”. It aims to show how in certain situations particular practices, attitudes and cultures can remove the need for individual performance measurement.Design/methodology/approachFirst, the paper identifies the usual roles of performance measurement in managing individual employees as described by control and motivation theorists. Second, it identifies a market‐leading organisation where managers deliberately refuse to use their top‐level performance measurement system to manage the performance of individual employees. A case study is carried out to test what non‐measurement mechanisms fulfil the roles of individual performance measurement in this organisation.FindingsBuilding on situations observed at this company, a set of possible characteristics of companies that do not require formalised individual performance measurement systems in order to achieve high performance standards is put forward.Practical implicationsManagers should not always assume that individual performance measurement is the only way to achieve excellent performance. This study shows that, by granting responsibilities and providing appropriate support, managers can channel workers' enhanced motivation towards meeting wider organisational goals.Originality/valueThis work broadens the understanding of how excellent performance can be achieved. It shows that excellence can be achieved through practices based on shared values linked to motivation, trust, and a common sense of mission, without the need to install individual performance measurement systems based on cybernetic principles.
Parent‐adolescent interaction and the family's effect on adolescent TV skepticism: an empirical analysis with Turkish consumers
Authors: Bahar Ozdogan F. , Hakan Altintas M. 
Published: March 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the moderating effects of parent‐child co‐viewing of TV and parents' discussion of content with children in the context of the family's effect on children's skepticism towards TV advertising.Design/methodology/approachA survey of 296 consumers aged 12 to 16 in Ankara was conducted using a structured questionnaire. Constructs were measured using established scales.FindingsIt was observed that the co‐viewing of advertisements with parents increased the family effect. On the other hand, discussion of advertising with parents reduced the family effect. The conclusion was that parent‐child co‐viewing of advertisements can alter the children's perceptions of advertisements through personal assessments.Research limitations/implicationsThis is an exploratory study and has limited generalizability as it has been conducted solely in one city, Ankara, Turkey. Any further research should include perspectives from other cities in Turkey and from other countries. In addition, frequency of TV viewing has not been taken into account. Further research could investigate gender differences and cohort effects on the issues investigated in this study.Practical implicationsThe design of advertisements should include perceptions of both parents and children in order to convey meaningful messages in advertising. Furthermore, advertisers should take into account the ecology of viewing in the household where Turkish people in extended families view TV commercials.Originality/valueAlthough the issue of adolescents and advertising is widely explored in the USA, there has been limited investigation on adolescents' receptivity to advertising in other cultures. Although it is likely that some aspects of adolescent consumer behavior are universal across cultures, studies such as that documented in this paper provide opportunities to investigate what is happening in different settings.