bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Micropositioning control of smart shape‐memory alloy‐based actuators
Authors: Asua E. , Etxebarria V. , Garcia A. , Feuchtwange J. 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the use of a nickel‐titanium (nitinol) shape memory alloy (SMA) wire (capable of showing strains of up to 8 per cent) as the active element that drives a flexible and lightweight micropositioning actuator. The purpose of this paper is to finely control the wire contraction, and as a result, the deflection of the actuator, with micrometric accuracies.Design/methodology/approachDifferent experimental platforms are built, all of them using the same nitinol wire as the active element. In all cases a current is applied to the wire to heat it up using the Joule effect, and in doing so cause the wire to transform from the martensite into the austenite. This phase transition has a non‐linear and hysteretic nature, so, finely controling wire's position requires a non trivial control strategy. A neural network used to compensate the hysteretic behaviour of the wire combined with proportional‐integral with antiwindup control strategy is implemented. Control experiments are carried out on a light robot gripper and on a single‐fingered experimental device.FindingsIt is found that the single‐fingered device could be used to better analyze the behaviour of the gripper. It is also found that the accuracy obtainable strongly depended on the position sensor used for the feedback, ranging from 3 μm for an linear variable differential transformer sensor to 30 μm for strain gauges mounted on the “fingers” of the grip.Originality/valueThis paper shows the viability of using SMA‐based actuators for lightweight applications, controllable with micrometric accuracies, without the need to place an extraordinarily large burden on the control system.
Electronic women's grey literature in academic libraries
Authors: Magnuson Marta L. 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand how electronic grey literature is being incorporated into Women's Studies collections at academic libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe electronic grey literature holdings of four American academic libraries at universities with graduate Women's Studies programs were collected and analyzed. This included: databases; digital special collections; web sites; and online course guides that the library had created for Women's Studies courses.FindingsWomen's Studies International and GenderWatch were the two most popular databases, being available at three of the four libraries studied. The most popular web sites were University of Wisconsin – Women's Studies Librarian (www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/) and WSSLinks: Women and Gender Studies web sites (http://libr.org/wss/wsslinks/index.html). Recommended web sites were overwhelmingly multidisciplinary in nature and covered a variety of topics related to Women's Studies such as business, art, health, music, and philosophy. The digital collections with women's grey literature all dealt with historical topics and were either about a specific group of people or a specific person or place that had a tie to the university where it was housed.Originality/valueGrey literature is becoming an increasing popular topic in collection development and document preservation. However, there is little research on grey literature created by women. Specific databases and web sites that were found in the collections studied are mentioned so that other libraries may use the information to enhance their own collections.
Digital heritage material preservation in Botswana: problems and prospects
Authors: Kalusopa Trywell , Zulu Saul 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the findings of the baseline study on the state of digital heritage material preservation in Botswana.Design/methodology/approachThe study was part of a three‐country United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Digital Heritage Preservation Project on the state of digital material preservation in Africa involving Botswana, Ethiopia and South Africa. The study uses the survey method consisting of various components data collection strategies including field work, document research, observations and the holding of a national consultative seminar an additional data input tool. The field study involved visiting 26 institutions that were identified as having the actual or potential of managing heritage materials in the country. Two other categories of institutions that were surveyed included the service providers of digitisation systems in the country.FindingsFindings revealed weak policy formulation on digitization both at the institutional and national levels; weak legislative framework for digital preservation; ill‐defined national digitisation co‐ordination for digitisation activities at institutional, national and regional levels; lack of awareness about the potential of digital preservation by national heritage institutions; a dearth of human resources for digitization; and lack of common standards on digital heritage materials preservation in Botswana.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the study was limited to institutions dealing with digital heritage materials preservation, the outcome of the study sheds more light on the challenges of preservation of digital materials in most of the institutions in Botswana.Practical implicationsThe results of this study presents useful strategic policy options for the management and preservation of digital materials in Botswana and other countries of Africa facing a similar environment.Originality/valueThere is a dearth of literature on preservation of digital heritage materials in Africa, and this study provides useful insights that are unique and comparative experiences that exist on this subject.
Art history: a guide to basic research resources
Authors: Chen Ching‐Jung 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present basic resources and practical strategies for undergraduate art history research.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on the author's experience as both an art librarian and instructor for a core requirement art history course.FindingsThe plan detailed in this paper covers every step of the research process, from exploring the topic to citing the sources. The resources listed, which include subscription databases as well as public web sites, are deliberately limited to a manageable number. Additional topics include defining the scope of inquiry and making appropriate use of internet resources such as Wikipedia.Originality/valueThe paper provides the academic librarian with clear guidance on basic research resources in art history.
Maintenance for historic buildings: a current perspective
Authors: Forster Alan M. , Kayan Brit 
Published: July 2009

PurposeIt is well understood that maintenance is critical to the survival and in‐service use of any building. Despite recognition that the best way of protecting and maintaining historic buildings is to undertake a combination of proactive and reactive maintenance, it is rarely adopted or implemented, and when it is undertaken it often results in varying degrees of success. Maintenance theory currently exists, but fails to be realised in practical application and implementation. It is the purpose of this paper to ask why this failure is occurring.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is composed of a critical review of existing literature, highlighting some of the major issues affecting maintenance implementation. It also reports the early stages of proposed research ongoing at Heriot‐Watt University.FindingsDespite recognition in the literature of the need to maintain historic buildings, this review suggests that the ways in which maintenance is organised and financed often mitigates against its implementation. In addition, advice to owners of historic buildings could be improved and there is a shortage of skilled operatives.Originality/valueUnless this situation is improved, much of our culturally significant buildings will be lost to future generations.
Recurring quality issues in the UK private house building industry
Authors: Auchterlounie Tony 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThis paper seeks to provide an examination of the UK private house building industry and its record of delivering to customers a quality end product.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the literature regarding quality and the perception of quality along with the problem of defining quality in relation to new private houses, and also includes the results from both qualitative and quantitative data collection from interviews and questionnaires with new home owners, showing the scope of the problem in the Northwest of England. The literature examines not only the private house building industry, but also other industries and their quality procedures. The paper then goes on to identify and analyse some of the possible reasons for the apparent lack of customer satisfaction with current UK private house builders and their products.FindingsThe industry must either find out for itself what it is that its customers want or take note of the current research. The author is of the opinion that it is not a major task to significantly improve the current customer satisfaction ratings and frequency of defects reported in new houses. The house builders need to establish a set of quality criteria that they can deliver to their customers on a consistent basis, they need to establish a robust management system that ensures that the tradespeople on site are aware of the quality criteria and that the company will accept no deviation from the agreed criteria. This would then ensure that the customer has a set of criteria on which to judge the level of quality delivered in the end product and not be allowed to make subjective assessments on non‐existing criteria. In short, the builder would then only have to work towards delivering one set of criteria instead of multiple criteria depending on the number of customers on each site.Originality/valueThis is currently an area that is under‐researched and thus this is original research.
Toward the sustainable adaptation of existing facilities
Authors: Love Peter , Arthur Bullen Peter 
Published: July 2009

PurposeMuch of the existing commercial building stock in Western Australia has the ability to adapt to varying conditions such as climate change, which provides some potential for reusability and sustainability. Current sustainability assessment systems tend to be relevant only for new construction. The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of the National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) to address this gap by considering the influence of occupant behaviour on performance.Design/methodology/approachFeedback provided from 39 stakeholders during a public review of NABERS and a subsequent trial of NABERS on nine office buildings in Sydney and Victoria are examined. The data are obtained from the Department of Environment and Heritage and NSW Department of Energy, Utilities and Sustainability (now the Department of Environment and Climate Change).FindingsAssessment of the environment performance of existing facilities is needed to improve their energy efficiency. These findings need to be given serious thought when considering an adaptation strategy or the construction of a new facility. From a sustainability perspective, it will almost always be a more viable option to use an adaptive re‐use strategy. The use of adaptation will require clients and designers to re‐examine how their facilities are to be used and require them to embrace whole‐life costing and the use of innovative materials and technologies.Originality/valueAdaptive re‐use has received limited attention in Australia, as there has been a tendency to demolish or construct new buildings in response to client demands. However, adaptation is proving to be an effective strategy in ensuring a sustainable built environment. This research provides the impetus and foundations for exploring the invaluable role of adaptation and energy efficiency of existing facilities.
Value, satisfaction, loyalty and retention in professional services
Authors: Trasorras Rene , Weinstein Art , Abratt Russell 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess customers' perceived value of professional services and how this influences satisfaction, loyalty and ultimately retention.Design/methodology/approachA survey is conducted among professional service providers in the Tampa Bay, Florida (USA) Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes attorneys, financial professionals, physicians, dentists and private investigators.FindingsThere is a highly significant relationship between service and customer retention, quality and customer retention, image and customer retention, price and customer retention, and value and customer retention. There is a significant relationship between value and satisfaction on customer retention; between value and loyalty's effect on customer retention; and among value, satisfaction and loyalty on customer retention.Research limitations/implicationsStatistically, the findings cannot be generalized beyond the scope of this study and the Tampa area. However, this can be tested in further research.Practical implicationsThe service, quality, image and price model had a significant correlation to customer retention. The four components of value – service, quality, image and price – are each directly related to customer retention and therefore should be used by service professionals and managers as an important strategy to retain their clients.Originality/valueProfessional services is an under researched area in the value, satisfaction and customer retention area and this study fills this gap.
Modeling strategic management for cause‐related marketing
Authors: Tsai Shu‐Pei 
Published: July 2009

PurposeA number of research findings point to positive motivational attribution about the donor brand as an essential element of cause‐related marketing (CRM) effectiveness. However, there still lacks sophisticated delineation to explicate the antecedents and consequences of positive motivational attribution. The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a strategic management model to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe current study, integrating pertinent theories, develops the conceptual CRM strategic management model. A multi‐phase investigation, alongside statistical technique of structural equation modelling, is used to estimate the causal path relationships among the latent constructs as hypothesised in the model.FindingsPositive motivational attribution about the donor brand refers to the target consumer's perception that the donor brand is motivated with more altruism than egotism. Only when the consumer's prior experience of the donor brand reaches an acceptable level, such perception becomes possible to emerge. Then, the consumer feels stronger moral pleasure for participating or stronger moral displeasure for not participating in the campaign. Eventually, moral pleasure and moral displeasure exert immediate impact on purchase intention.Originality/valueThe empirically validated CRM strategic management model contributes to brand‐marketing research and practice by providing more strategic clues for maximising CRM effectiveness.
“Both sides now”: aligning external and internal branding for a socially responsible era
Authors: Aydon Simmons John 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a rationale and a method for aligning external and internal brands within an integrated marketing strategy that recognises stakeholder expectations of a more socially responsible approach. It demonstrates the benefits of viewing external and internal brands synergistically in relation to the value propositions offered to stakeholder groups and the beneficial outcomes that can result from this.Design/methodology/approachStakeholder constituencies that can facilitate or constrain marketing effectiveness are identified. The analysis underpins a model that shows links and feedback mechanisms between corporate, external and internal brands; stakeholder evaluation of these; and the implications for stakeholder contribution, loyalty and advocacy.FindingsThe paper demonstrates the significance and application potential of a conceptual framework that analyses the relationship between the brand benefits and values that an organisation espouses, how these are experienced by customers and employees, and the implications for marketing and human resource management. Its conclusions have particular significance for services brands where successful customer‐organisation relations are dependant on staff commitment that is itself predicated on organisation concern for employee well being.Research limitations/implicationsThe model provides a framework for further empirical testing of the relationships shown that includes their operation in particular organisation, industry and sector contexts.Practical implicationsThe paper presents a business based rationale for the marketing function to recognise greater stakeholder concern – especially that of customers and employees – for ethical marketing and sustainability; and the financial, social and ethical capital benefits that can accrue from responding to this.Originality/valueThe perspective on branding in the paper recognises the stakeholder management implications of the new marketing paradigm by proposing a holistic approach whereby external and internal brands are viewed synergistically within an integrated marketing strategy. The paper responds to calls for a new philosophy of marketing in which integrated brand architecture demonstrates organisation recognition of a more stakeholder accountable and socially responsible era.
Consumer's online purchase cost and firm profits in a dual‐channel competitive market
Authors: Yan Ruiliang , Yeh Robert 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThe main purpose of this paper is to provide an analytical conceptual framework to help business marketers to identify the effect of consumer's online purchase cost on a firm's performance in a dual‐channel competitive market.Design/methodology/approachA structural model using game theory is developed to search the optimal strategies for both online and traditional channel retailers.FindingsOur model results show that consumer's online purchase cost consistently has a valuable impact on a firm's profit, and consumer's online purchase cost shows a much more valuable impact on firm's profit when the traditional retail transaction cost and the product web‐fit change. We also find that consumer's online purchase cost has a greater impact on the firm's profit in a Stackelberg competition than in a Bertrand competition.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study holds the assumption that all information is known to the online retailers and the traditional retailers. However, information could be incomplete and asymmetric. It is recommended that future research explores the value of consumer's online purchase cost under information asymmetry.Practical implicationsOur paper provides a comprehensive model framework for business managers who currently use or plan to use internet channel to sell their products.Originality/valueOur research model fills a conceptual and practical gap with a structured analysis of the current state of knowledge about consumer's online purchase cost. The paper provides practical and solid advice and examples demonstrating the application of the different types of optimal marketing strategies for business managers.
Welcome to World 2.0: the new digital ecosystem
Authors: Karakas Fahri 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce and describe World 2.0; the interactive, hyper‐connected, immersive, collaborative online ecosystem.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews paradigm shifts in technology and the internet that transform the world of business and innovation.FindingsThe author proposes five shifts that characterize and describe World 2.0: creativity, connectivity, collaboration, convergence, and community. These shifts define the new global landscape of business, technology, and innovation.Practical implicationsThe article provides managers and professionals strategies for innovation in the World 2.0 ecosystem.Originality/valueThe concept of World 2.0 provides managers and professionals a fresh perspective and an integrative vision of the twenty‐first century business and innovation landscape.
Uncertainty cubed
Authors: Marren Patrick 
Published: July 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the vast variety of economists' opinions out there about the recession, the bailout, the bank rescue plan, and prospects for the future.Design/methodology/approachOpinion column.FindingsThis column lays out a wide variety of predictive statements about the economy by economists, in order to show that no matter what sort of strategy you pursue in this economy, you will have a lot of award‐winning economists throwing rocks at you (and some supporting you). So you need to use a framework for decision making that takes all plausible possibilities into account.Originality/valueA cross‐section of mutually exclusive economic opinion, showing how profound uncertainty truly is, and how people can actually learn to use it to their advantage.
The value of a dollar
Authors: Jackson Stuart E. 
Published: July 2009

PurposeMost business executives understand the importance of offering good value for money to their customers. But sometimes they do not put enough thought into how customers perceive value. This is particularly true in today's recessionary environment. Executives need to communicate clearly how and why their offerings are good value for customers. In doing so, they can help customers overcome resistance to discretionary spending and improve perceptions of value versus alternatives.Design/methodology/approachIn this article, Jackson considers a number of case examples of businesses that have improved their price‐value perceptions by adjusting their product offerings in subtle ways that help communicate value. Examples industries cited in the article include food service, retailing and the auto industry. The author then draws lessons that can be applied broadly across any business considering strategies to communicate the value of their offering.FindingsCompanies should proactively communicate the value of their products or services, particularly during recessionary periods when customers are more wary of discretionary spending. This involves developing innovative programs change how the purchase occasion is perceived, providing rational arguments for why the purchase makes sense and addressing customer concerns. The companies that do the best job of communicating the value of their offering will be rewarded by retaining customers during downturns and will reap the benefits of even higher spending when the economy recovers.Originality/valueBusiness managers have always recognized how price and value are critical considerations in purchasing behavior. This article extends that thinking to reinforce how small changes in how a product is configured or positioned to consumers can lead to big differences in value perception. Executives who recognize this can manage effectively through recessionary periods and help build long‐term shareholder value.