bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Linking turnover reasons to family profiles for IT/BPO employees in India
Authors: Boyar Scott L. , Valk Reimara , Maertz Carl P. , Sinha Ranjan 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop turnover reasons and assess their importance for various family role configurations. Specifically, the authors were interested in whether high levels of family financial obligation related to family‐related turnover reasons and whether low levels of family financial obligation related to job‐related turnover reasons.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used both qualitative and quantitative methods to develop and test the turnover reasons; this involved conducting interviews and pilot testing the turnover items, which were evaluated with factor analysis. The main study was analyzed using MANOVA.FindingsThe authors developed six turnover reasons that help explain why individuals were leaving their jobs. It was also found that employees with relatively low financial obligation were more likely to leave the organization because of lack of managerial support, job content and high levels of work‐related stress.Research limitations/implicationsThe measures in this study were cross‐sectional, participants were employees in the information technology/business process outsourcing (IT/BPO) sector, and the study included a single‐country. Future studies can focus on multiple industries and countries and use objective variables in determining key relationships.Practical implicationsThe study's results show the major reasons for turnover, both at an individual and organizational level, which include managerial support, job content and work‐related stress; each was particularly significant for those married without children in a dual‐earner situation.Originality/valueThe paper contributes by examining, for the first time, the relationships between family demographic profiles and turnover reasons for Indian IT/BPO workers.
Role of affect and cognition in consumer brand relationship: exploring gender differences
Authors: Sahay Arvind , Sharma Nivedita , Mehta Krishnesh 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore gender differences in consumer brand relationships with respect to affect and cognition, also to examine the difference between genders with respect to the impact of variables such as age and influence of peers and family on consumer brand relationshipsDesign/methodology/approachFor this study, a field experiment approach was used, combined with depth interviews. The experiment was a three‐step process where respondents were first taken through a Resonant Field Imaging (RFI™) in order to identify the types and function of all bio‐energies present in the specific regions of the human brain. In the second step, this was followed by a conversation of about 30 minutes about the respondent's most preferred brand. As the final step, a brain scan was again taken to access the bio‐energies in the brain of the respondent subsequent to the conversation about the most preferred brand.FindingsThe authors find that while both men and women form relationships with brands, these relationships are more affect based for women and more cognition based for men; this finding holds for respondents at a younger age. As time passes, this difference between men and women narrows. By the age of 35, women's brand relationships tend to become relatively less affect based and more functional. The authors provide insights into the effect of family and peers on brand relationships.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is conducted in the age group of 18 to 35 years across SEC A and B as they have greater exposure to brands in order to form relationships. Hence, it would be difficult to generalize this study across all the socio‐economic classes.Practical implicationsThe study would help managers devise strategies for both the genders and across different age groups, in order to establish relationships with their brands.Social implicationsThe study provides insights into the psychological behavior of men and women with respect to their interactions with brands. It throws light on the change in behavior with increasing age and how the basis for relationships formation varies.Originality/valueThe paper combines gender differences and the role of affect and cognition in the marketing context.
Putting appreciative design into practice
Authors: Lilja Johan , Richardsson Daniel 
Published: March 2012

PurposeAppreciative inquiry (AI) is an inquiry into the “best of” what already exists in a system. Applying AI at the start of a design process gives a process that is very different from traditional design approaches, in other words “appreciative design” is achieved. The overall purpose of this paper is to explore and contribute to a process of putting appreciative design into practice.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers have, in their role as educational leaders, developed and applied a process for appreciative design within the context of the entrepreneurial educational program “Skarp Åre, Business and product development” at Mid Sweden University.FindingsThe process introduced is referred to as Appreciative Course Evaluation and Design (ACED). The benefits of ACED, found in comparison to conventional practice, include higher commitment by the course participants, lower risk in the design process, and increased student involvement in the evaluation and design process.Originality/valueThe paper contributes in general to increasing the understanding of how the strengths and principles of appreciative inquiry can be incorporated into design processes. It is hoped that the insights presented will inspire future research and application of appreciative design, not only to the evaluation and design of higher education, but also to the evaluation and design of products, services, organizations and society.
Applying Gemba‐Kaizen in a multinational food company: a process innovation framework
Authors: Suárez‐Barraza Manuel F. , Ramis‐Pujol Juan , Estrada‐Robles Mariana 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe Gemba‐Kaizen approach is a key business process strategy employed by companies (multinationals also) to enhance their manufacturing performance. However, whilst there is significant research information available on implementing management systems in a sequential manner, there is little information available relating to the application of this approach to provide a single and highly effective methodology for process innovation in the context of the Gemba‐Kaizen approach in multinational companies. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop and apply a process innovation framework in terms of methodology for multinational companies. The research question that governs the study is: How is the Gemba‐Kaizen approach applied in an organisational context such as that of a multinational food company in Mexico?Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory case study was conducted. One multinational food company (chocolate) which has been established in Mexico for at least 19 years was selected. The paper chronicles the design and application of a process innovation framework in the context of the Gemba‐Kaizen approach. In total, four methods were used to gather data: direct observation; participative observation; documentary analysis; and semi‐structured interviews.FindingsThis paper proposes a process innovation framework using the Gemba‐Kaizen approach. The development, refinement and implementation of a process innovation framework in the context of the Gemba‐Kaizen approach has been achieved, working closely with a multinational food company. Consequently, as a result of the application, a conceptual framework was established, based on the results of comparing theory and fieldwork: this provides a glimpse into the relationship of the Gemba‐Kaizen approach with other improvement methodologies, known as Process Redesign, in the organisation analysed.Practical implicationsDerived to describe the case study on how to apply the Gemba‐Kaizen approach through process innovation methodology, the paper may prove to be of value to practitioners and managers involved in the field. Similarly, a section on managerial implications has also been included.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the limited existing literature on the Gemba‐Kaizen system and subsequently disseminates this information in order to provide impetus, guidance and support towards increasing the development of companies, in an attempt to move the Mexico manufacturing (food) sector towards world‐class manufacturing performance.
The sustainable management vision for excellence: implications for business education
Authors: Anninos Loukas N. , Chytiris Leonidas S. 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to: analyze the meaning of sustainability and its relation to excellence, in an era of management transformation, integration and evolution; to present the global challenges for sustainable management of the future; and to examine how sustainability should be approached by business schools.Design/methodology/approachThe approach of this paper is theoretical and has been based on scholarly literature regarding sustainability and its integration in business education, for which critical issues are presented.FindingsThe findings of the paper suggest that sustainability and excellence are two interrelated concepts (under certain conditions). The post crisis management vision includes the refinement of management practice through the integration of specific factors in business strategy, which allows sustainable corporate growth. Hence, the role of business education becomes crucial. While a steady progress regarding the incorporation of the sustainability concept in business education is being made, further improvements can be achieved. Business education should be considered as an odyssey towards personal advancement that will allow systemic, multidisciplinary and innovative business thinking for sustainable management and excellence.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests some critical issues for business education, so that future managers have a wider and diversified knowledge repository that will allow them to practise management in ways which are scientifically and ethically correct.Originality/valueThe paper presents the relation of sustainability to excellence and emphasizes certain future sustainable management challenges. In addition, it gives an overview of how sustainability in business education should be approached.
A health‐related quality management approach to evaluating health promotion activities
Authors: Bäckström Ingela , Eriksson Lina , Lagrosen Yvonne 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe health promotion activities accomplished within a project and to measure the conditions for sustainable health within the case organizations. Also, the purpose is to test a previously developed measurement approach, which measures health‐related quality management.Design/methodology/approachA health promotion project currently being carried out at eight Swedish elementary schools has been studied. In earlier research a measurement approach was developed to measure health‐related quality management. The approach was handed out to the co‐workers at the eight different schools in the initial stage of the project. The leaders at the schools were informed of the results of their own school and the mean value of all the eight schools. The consistency and reliability of the statements within the approach was tested.FindingsA description of health promotion activities accomplished and planned within the project can be found. The results from the measurement of the health‐related quality management in the eight schools are presented, together with the mean score of all schools. The test of the measurement approach is presented and discussed.Originality/valueA description of health promotion activities can help managers and project leaders to plan and carry out valuable health promotion activities in their striving for both sustainable health among the co‐workers and efficient organizations. This measurement approach can help managers and project leaders to measure the effects of the health promotion activities.
Using E‐S‐QUAL to measure internet service quality of e‐commerce web sites in Greece
Authors: Santouridis Ilias , Trivellas Panagiotis , Tsimonis Georgios 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the applicability of the electronic service quality measurement instrument E‐S‐QUAL and its factor structure in the context of e‐commerce in Greece. Also, to investigates the effects of E‐S‐QUAL factors on customer perceived overall quality, value and loyalty.Design/methodology/approachField research was conducted by using a structured questionnaire, utilizing the E‐S‐QUAL model and replicating the work of the model's developers. Principal component analysis, reliability tests and multiple regression analyses were performed to both confirm the scale factor structure and answer the research questions.FindingsThe analysis of the research data confirmed the four factor structure of E‐S‐QUAL in the context of e‐commerce in Greece and produced similar results to those of the initial research. Efficiency was proved to be the highest ranked dimension since it has a significant positive effect on all three dependent variables, namely perceived overall quality, value and loyalty. Privacy has a positive significant effect on both perceived overall quality and value. Fulfillment was found to have a significant positive effect only on perceived overall quality, while service availability affects positively only perceived value.Originality/valueThe present study contributes to the examination of E‐S‐QUAL's applicability in different settings and to the verification of its factor structure. Moreover, the study provides useful insight into the effect of electronic service quality on customer perceived value and loyalty.
A study of accepted pricing points for in‐room entertainment technology amenities by guests
Authors: Bilgihan Anil 
Published: March 2012

PurposeIn‐room entertainment technology continues to evolve in the hotel industry. However, given the multitude of entertainment products available in the market place today, hoteliers have little clarity of guests' willingness to pay for those in‐room entertainment technology amenities. In this highly competitive environment for travelers, lodging managers should better understand what in‐room entertainment technology amenities their guests will purchase. The purpose of this study is to explore accepted pricing levels for in‐room entertainment technology amenities by hotel guests.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 2,500 US travelers was drawn randomly from a national database by rent‐a‐list.com for this study. An online survey was distributed. The response rate was 16.32 percent with 408 respondents.FindingsFindings showed that guests want most of the in‐room entertainment technology amenities as complimentary. However, they are willing to pay for gaming consoles in their guest rooms.Originality/valueThis is the first paper that investigates the phenomenon of in‐room entertainment technology amenities. Implications are vital for hotel firms that aim to install the amenities.
Perceived importance of ICT‐based feature and services on conference center selection and differences among meeting planners
Authors: “Shawn” Lee Seungwon , Park Kunsoon , Khan Mahmood A. 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the relative importance of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) based features and services at conference centers and underlying dimensions which could impact their selection by meeting planners. Further, it tests the relationship between types of meeting planners and their perceived importance of ICT‐based features.Design/methodology/approachA total of 17 ICT‐based features and services were identified through extensive literature content analysis. Meeting planners were asked to rate the importance of each item when they select a conference center. Factor analysis was then performed to identify underlying dimension of the items and ANOVA was used to test any difference of perceived importance by the type of meeting planners.FindingsMeeting planners consider “availability of technical support”, “high‐speed internet”, “wireless connectivity”, and ”e‐mail station” as important features/service when they select a conference center. However, they show significant lack of knowledge in terms related to network infrastructure that are used in meeting venue marketing materials. The results show that there is no significant difference in their perceived importance of ICT‐based feature/service by the type of meeting planner.Originality/valueThis study provides meaningful new dimensions of important ICT‐based features and services in site selection by both researchers and meeting facility professionals. In addition, this study compared three types of meeting planners including rarely studied corporate and government meeting planners regarding their perceived importance of ICT‐based features and services in their site selection.
Social network for the choice of tourist destination: attitude and behavioural intention
Authors: Di Pietro Loredana , Di Virgilio Francesca , Pantano Eleonora 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate how social networks can become the main tool for achieving fast and detailed information for the choice of tourism destination, in order to deeply understand the benefits of these media for promoting tourism destinations in a global perspective, reaching a wider range of potential visitors, and developing ad hoc and marketing strategies with benefits for competitive advantage on the market.Design/methodology/approachThe research focuses on an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) which also integrates the constructs e‐word‐of‐mouth communication and enjoyment. In particular, 1,397 experience users have been involved.FindingsThe main findings are related to the key role of e‐word of mouth communication on both the perception of usefulness and the attitude towards the use of social network as powerful tool for the choice of tourism destinations; as well as to enjoyment which underlines the role of the fun provided by the social network and represents a stronger predictor for consumer attitude and tourism behavior intention.Research limitations/implicationsThis research does not focus on a specific tourists' destinations, thus the presence of different destinations may affect consumers in different ways, according to their involvement towards to a particular destination. This study contributes to deepening the scientific debate on the tourist's destinations.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research support the development of tourism marketing and communication strategies focused on the online contexts as factors capable of influencing tourists' behaviour in a more efficient way.Originality/valueThis paper focuses on the web‐based technologies, like social media, in order to deeply understand to what extend tourists accept the usage of these technologies for the choice of destination, by providing issues for researchers and practitioners. The present research is of a multidisciplinary value, by linking business science, psychology and social science.
Events and festivals in Asia and the Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region
Authors: Weber Karin , Ali‐Knight Jane 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThis editorial aims to provide a brief overview of recent developments in the events industry in general, and in Asia and the MENA region in particular. The discussion forms a prelude for the individual contributions of this special issue.Design/methodology/approachThe papers cover a variety of different research methods and methodologies including both quantitative and qualitative approaches.FindingsSetting the stage for the selection of papers is a thought‐provoking introduction, followed by six papers that aim to provide insights into key issues by examining pertinent literature, addressing relevant research questions, and providing applied and theoretical outcomes relevant to both academics and practitioners in the event and festival fields. These papers cover the variety, scope and diversity of events in Asia and MENA region, with a mixture of papers that examine event‐specific aspects and those that approach the subject from a broader destination/policy perspective.Originality/valueThe selection of papers are unique as they provide a thorough and extensive insight into the opportunities and challenges facing emergent festival and event destinations in Asia and the MENA region.
Festivals and events in emergent economies
Authors: Jones Calvin 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to briefly consider the socio‐political and economic ramifications of mega event hosting in emergent economies.Design/methodology/approachConceptual.FindingsThe mega event landscape is undergoing significant change over the medium term. However, current trends suggest little of the dysfunction of prior mega event hosting will automatically disappear with a change of geographic focus to emergent economies. Indeed, whilst location may change, cultural content, organisation and, critically, uneven socio‐economic outcomes appear depressingly resistant to change. There is, therefore, an opportunity to refashion the hosting of mega events in ways which are more embedded, locally oriented, inclusive and diverse, but only if the objectives and metrics of success are wider than the purely financial or economic‐developmental.Originality/valueThe paper takes a historic overview of weaknesses in prior mega event hosting to suggest that a thoughtful consideration of the organisation and objectives of events held in emerging economies is necessary if wider benefits and a more diverse and sustainable event landscape are to be achieved.
Athletes' event experiences of the XIX Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India
Authors: MacIntosh Eric W. , Nicol Lesley 
Published: March 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to examine one primary stakeholder (i.e. athletes) and how they experienced the mega‐sport event environment of the XIX Commonwealth Games in the developing nation of India and the city of Delhi. A further objective was to identify key factors of the Games outside of athletic performance that shaped athletes' experiences.Design/methodology/approachA multi‐dimensional instrument was created with an expert panel of Commonwealth Games Federation board members and sport management academics to examine athletes' experiences. Data was collected after the start of competition up until three weeks after the completion of the Games.FindingsOverall, the athletes had a positive experience. Factors such as ceremonies (e.g. opening), ancillary areas (e.g. fitness facility) and sport venues (e.g. environment) in particular were rated by the athletes as positive. Certain aspects of the Games were identified as requiring improvements such as accommodations (e.g. housekeeping, laundry) and communication (e.g. wireless availability). Further, despite high scores for security, athletes also reported feeling uneasy about additional travel outside the athletes' village.Practical implicationsEnhanced opportunities to experience the city outside the athletes' village, increased merchandising opportunities, and holding the opening ceremonies further in advance of the start of competition were suggested by athletes.Originality/valueThe study was the first known study to empirically examine athletes' experiences with a mega‐sport event such as the Commonwealth Games.