bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Impact of business relationship functions on relationship quality and buyer's performance
Authors: Song Yongtao , Su Qin , Liu Qiang , Wang Tieshan 
Published: April 2012

PurposeThe paper aims to present how relationship value is created and how it influences the existing buyer‐supplier relationship and the buyer's performance. It seeks to introduce the construct of business relationship function to analyze why the business relationship is valuable and to investigate the links between business relationship function, relationship quality and buyer's performance. Moreover, it aims to investigate whether the availability of alternative suppliers changes the influence of business relationship function on relationship quality.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted in 239 manufacturing firms in north‐west China, and the hyphotheses were tested using a structural equation model with LISREL software.FindingsThe results indicate that business relationship function has a direct as well as an indirect effect on buyer's performance through the mediating effect of relationship quality. The study also finds that business relationship function has a stronger influence on relationship quality than it does on buyer's performance. Moreover, the availability of alternative suppliers will weaken the influence of business relationship function on relationship quality.Research limitations/implicationsThis study concentrates on only the direct functions of business relationships and the indirect functions are neglected. Future studies should investigate the direct function as well as the indirect function, and the dynamic nature of business relationships should be considered.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that managers should develop and maintain long‐term relationships through the fulfillment of business relationship functions. The role of function fulfillment is even more important when there is competition among alternative suppliers.Originality/valueThe study provides a sound agenda for future research on supply chain management and industrial marketing, and has important implications for practising managers, especially in the Chinese context and other similar developing countries.
Coordination in innovation‐generating business networks – the case of Finnish Mobile TV development
Authors: Ritala Paavo , Hurmelinna‐Laukkanen Pia , Nätti Satu 
Published: April 2012

PurposeIn this study the authors seek to discuss and empirically analyze coordination mechanisms in innovation‐generating business networks. Their aim is to explore how these coordination mechanisms, as well as the roles of actors, evolve during the development of such networks.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyses an in‐depth single case study on the development of Finnish Mobile TV in an innovation‐generating business network comprising a heterogeneous range of actors.FindingsThe findings suggest that coordination of innovation‐generating business networks combines “management” and “orchestration”, both of which have their distinct roles throughout the development of the network. The latter is used throughout the case in question to communicate vision and build social capital, and the former to coordinate phases closer to commercialization.Research limitations/implicationsThe study provides novel evidence in explicating how network coordination mechanisms of management and orchestration change as the innovation‐generating business network evolves. However, there is a need to examine the issue further from different methodological standpoints in order to improve the generalizability of the results.Practical implicationsManagers will be able to use the lessons learned in designing different coordination mechanisms to ensure that the network evolves in the desired direction, and in considering the role of their companies in this development.Originality/valueThe paper enhances understanding of how coordination mechanisms evolve in different phases of innovation‐generating business networks.
Pre‐service teachers' experience of and attitudes to teaching SPHE in Ireland
Authors: Mannix McNamara Patricia , Moynihan Sharon , Jourdan Didier , Lynch Raymond 
Published: April 2012

PurposeNational policy in Ireland states that all teachers are teachers of Social Personal and Health Education (SPHE). However national evaluations identify that all teachers do not subscribe to this view. This research aimed to examine the experiences and attitudes of undergraduate students towards teaching SPHE.Design/methodology/approachAn on‐line questionnaire including closed and open questions was distributed to all undergraduate post primary teacher education students (N=1105) in the University of Limerick which is the largest provider of teacher education in Ireland. None of the respondents had exposure to third level education in SPHE or more generally in health education.FindingsA response rate of 44.7 per cent was achieved (N=494). Only 24.5 per cent indicated that they plan to teach SPHE on graduation. There were significant gender differences in relation to students' intention to teach SPHE on graduation. Incentives to teach were less altruistic for males (money and job security) than females (personal interest in the subject).Research limitations/implicationsThe convenience sampling approach was useful in illuminating the attitudes of the undergraduate students sampled, however replication across teacher education programmes nationally is warranted. Inclusion of teacher educators' perspectives would also be valuable.Practical implicationsThere is a clear need for health promotion to be placed on the pre‐service teacher education curriculum. In addition, it is necessary to take into account pre‐service teacher attitude towards SPHE and gender differences in the design of the post primary teacher education curriculum.Originality/valueThis paper offers insight into how pre‐service teachers perceive their role in SPHE. It illuminates some challenges facing teacher educators in this field.
Associations between Finnish 9th grade students' school perceptions, health behaviors, and family factors
Authors: Ilona Haapasalo , Raili Välimaa , Lasse Kannas 
Published: April 2012

PurposeThe aim of this study was to examine the associations between students' perceptions of the psychosocial school environment, health‐compromising behaviours, and selected family factors. The analyses were based on data provided for the Health Behaviour in School‐aged Children Study (2006).Design/methodology/approachThe data were obtained from 1,670 Finnish 9th graders. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the associations between school perceptions, health‐compromising behaviours, and selected family factors.FindingsEducational aspiration was found to be the most influential factor connected to health‐compromising behaviour among both genders, favouring students who were intending to apply to upper secondary school. The results also indicated that all the measured dimensions of school perceptions were associated with health‐compromising behaviours: the more negative the perceptions, the more health‐compromising were the behaviours. The associations were somewhat different between girls and boys. In terms of engaging in health‐compromising behaviours, there was an association with school‐related social relationships among boys. By contrast, among girls, other aspects of the psychosocial school environment were more important, for example engagement with the school and school strain. The role of parental bonding and monitoring was also significant among girls.Originality/valueThe findings imply that attention should be paid to the health‐promoting factors of the school, and to gender differences, not merely in planning prevention or intervention, but in everyday school life.
Lean and agile: an epistemological reflection
Authors: Browaeys Marie‐Joëlle , Fisser Sandra 
Published: April 2012

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to contribute to the discussion of treating the concepts of lean and agile in isolation or combination by presenting an alternative view from complexity thinking on these concepts, considering an epistemological approach to this topic.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts an epistemological approach, using the complexity thinking as the dominant paradigm from which to investigate the concepts and principles of lean and agile.FindingsThe epistemological approach to the topic clearly reveals the opposition between two thinking principles: the principle of simplicity and the principle of complexity. Next, the authors evaluated how the complexity thinking principles of Morin may permit the two different ways of thinking to be reconciled. They find out that, in an organization, lean and agile are not only inseparable but also interdependent.Practical implicationsThe paper shows how the concepts of lean and agile can be combined, which may be of help to managers and project leaders to adopt from both practices and tools to improve their competitiveness.Originality/valueThe novelty of this paper is the presentation of an alternative approach to the concepts of lean and agile, using an epistemological point‐of‐view. The paper deepens the understanding of the lean and agile concepts by applying the complexity paradigm as proposed by Edgar Morin. Furthermore, it proposes self‐organizing teams for possible unification of both concepts.
Are agile and lean manufacturing systems employing sustainability, complexity and organizational learning?
Authors: Flumerfelt Shannon , Bella Siriban‐Manalang Anna , Kahlen Franz‐Josef 
Published: April 2012

PurposeThis paper aims to peruse theories and practices of agile and lean manufacturing systems to determine whether they employ sustainability, complexity and organizational learning.Design/methodology/approachThe critical review of the comparative operational similarities and difference of the two systems was conducted while the new views and issues of emerging vital scenarios were analyzed in detail.FindingsIn spite of their differences, the two systems of agile and lean manufacturing can co‐exist in one system. The concepts of sustainability, complexity and organizational learning for agile and lean systems highlight outputs of differences in the output of operationalization but there can be substantial alignment in the input of intentions. The two excel at the three areas of consideration.Practical implicationsThe organizations of today must consider the applicability of designing both agile and lean systems within one organization for the purposes of achieving fast response time, high levels of productivity and better efficiency.Originality/valueThe paper defines the relationship between agile and lean systems.
Lean vs agile in the context of complexity management in organizations
Authors: Putnik Goran D. , Putnik Zlata 
Published: April 2012

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to provide a deeper insight into the relationship of the issue “lean vs agile” in order to inform managers towards more coherent decisions especially in a dynamic, unpredictable, uncertain, non‐linear environment.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is an exploratory study based on secondary data analysis.Findings“Lean” and “agile” are two exclusive concepts “in the limit” and “agile” has a higher potential for serving as an instrument for starting “a journey” towards a new sustainable organizational paradigm.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research in the context of the arguments presented is necessary, especially in the “field” and on primary data.Practical implicationsThere are clearly indicated contexts of primary applications of “lean” and “agile”, and especially along with the techniques, methodologies and system‐thinking informed by chaordic system thinking (CST), which should be of help for managers.Originality/valueThe novel contribution of the paper is the presentation of the argumentation on “lean” and “agile” as exclusive concepts and their analysis through the CST lenses, as well as the presentation of suggestions for development of new manufacturing systems paradigms.
Commentary on “Human rights training: impact on attitudes and knowledge”
Authors: Kidd Jo 
Published: April 2012

PurposeThis paper seeks to provide a commentary on the previous paper in this issue “Human rights training: impact on attitudes and knowledge”.Design/methodology/approachThis commentary poses the question as to whether human rights training can have an effect on attitudes towards human rights and, if so, which approach is the most effective.FindingsThe paper outlines the distinction between two different types of approach to human rights training and suggests that the “activist” approach set out by Nancy Flowers would go further towards winning hearts and minds.Originality/valueThis paper focuses on co‐designed and co‐delivered approaches to training and underlines the importance of the need for people with learning disabilities to have the space to tell their own stories.
A framework for improving quality in misuse case models
Authors: El‐Attar Mohamed 
Published: April 2012

PurposeSecurity is a vital requirement for software systems. Misuse case models allow system designers to inject security considerations within their designs early in the development cycle rather than patching an end system with security mechanisms after it was developed. The notation and syntactical rules of misuse case models are relatively simple. However, misuse case modeling practitioners are highly vulnerable to modeling pitfalls, creating defective models that can have catastrophic effects downstream in the development cycle. This paper seeks to present a framework that unitizes antipatterns to help remedy defective misuse case models and poor modeling practices.Design/methodology/approachA repository of antipatterns was constructed and formatted to be machine‐readable whenever possible so that it can be utilized by the proposed framework. The feasibility of the proposed approach was then demonstrated using a real‐world misuse case model of an online bookstore system.FindingsThe results indicate that the overall quality and clarity of the bookstore misuse case model is improved by applying the proposed technique and framework.Research limitations/implicationsThis research work presents a series of domain‐independent antipatterns. Users of this framework may be interested to develop domain‐dependent antipatterns to better suit their modeling and development needs.Originality/valueThe proposed approach will help misuse case modelers, especially novice ones, to improve the quality of their current models as well as future models.
How information system capability affects e‐business information technology strategy implementation
Authors: Yeh Chi‐Hung , Lee Gwo‐Guang , Pai Jung‐Chi 
Published: April 2012

PurposeThe primary purpose of this study is to examine the effect that information system capability had on e‐business information technology (IT) implementation strategy; and to understand how the quality of the implementation process for IT strategy could affect e‐business performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study performed a survey of chief information officers from 1,000 major firms in Taiwan. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to test for the validity of research hypotheses.FindingsResults showed that the capability of information systems could have a direct and significant effect on the quality of IT strategy implementation, and how the quality of this process could affect e‐business performance.Research limitations/implicationsEvery organization hopes to improve corporate competitiveness and transform its enterprise through the effective implementation of IT strategy. This study examined how information systems capability could affect the implementation of enterprise IT strategy. However, since large firms in Taiwan are the primary research subjects of this study, the conclusions may not be applicable to enterprises in different countries or cultures. Future studies could examine the subject from the three aspects of technology, organization, and environment to understand the effect that each of these aspects has on e‐business information systems capability.Practical implicationsWith the rapid development of information technology, the introduction of innovative strategy dealing with IT has become an important topic of research, and has become a focus in the era of e‐business. As a result, organizations feel it is important to discover the shortcomings in information system capability factors that must be improved from the individual, group, or organization levels, and develop appropriate implementation frameworks for IT strategy based on this foundation.Originality/valueThis study uses empirical analysis to examine the effect that the capability of information systems has on the quality of implementation of IT strategy. A compilation of relevant literature showed that most studies have focused on conceptual frameworks or have examined the question of IT strategy from the level of technology. Few studies have examined the effect that information system capability has on IT implementation strategy. Therefore, the results and findings of this study could provide an important reference for IT strategy implementation, in the era of e‐business.
Key performance indicators for traffic intensive web‐enabled business processes
Authors: Pun Ka I. , Whar Si Yain , Chan Pau Kin 
Published: April 2012

PurposeIntensive traffic often occurs in web‐enabled business processes hosted by travel industry and government portals. An extreme case for intensive traffic is flash crowd situations when the number of web users spike within a short time due to unexpected events caused by political unrest or extreme weather conditions. As a result, the servers hosting these business processes can no longer handle overwhelming service requests. To alleviate this problem, process engineers usually analyze audit trail data collected from the application server and reengineer their business processes to withstand unexpected surge in the visitors. However, such analysis can only reveal the performance of the application server from the internal perspective. This paper aims to investigate this issue.Design/methodology/approachThis paper proposes an approach for analyzing key performance indicators of traffic intensive web‐enabled business processes from audit trail data, web server logs, and stress testing logs.FindingsThe key performance indicators identified in the study's approach can be used to understand the behavior of traffic intensive web‐enabled business processes and the underlying factors that affect the stability of the web server.Originality/valueThe proposed analysis also provides an internal as well as an external view of the performance. Moreover, the calculated key performance indicators can be used by the process engineers for locating potential bottlenecks, reengineering business processes, and implementing contingency measures for traffic intensive situations.
Maturity models in business process management
Authors: Röglinger Maximilian , Pöppelbuß Jens , Becker Jörg 
Published: April 2012

PurposeMaturity models are a prospering approach to improving a company's processes and business process management (BPM) capabilities. In fact, the number of corresponding maturity models is so high that practitioners and scholars run the risk of losing track. This paper therefore aims to provide a systematic in‐depth review of BPM maturity models.Design/methodology/approachThe paper follows the accepted research process for literature reviews. It analyzes a sample of ten BPM maturity models according to a framework of general design principles. The framework particularly focuses on the applicability and usefulness of maturity models.FindingsThe analyzed maturity models sufficiently address basic design principles as well as principles for a descriptive purpose of use. The design principles for a prescriptive use, however, are hardly met. Thus, BPM maturity models provide limited guidance for identifying desirable maturity levels and for implementing improvement measures.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors are confident that this review covers the majority of publicly available BPM maturity models. As the number of corresponding maturity models seems to be constantly growing, exhaustiveness can hardly be guaranteed. The study's results stimulate future research. Inter alia, adopters from industry require more elaborate support by means of ready‐to‐use and adaptable instruments for maturity assessment and improvement. The paper also reaffirms the need for maturity model consolidation in the field of BPM.Originality/valueAs existing literature reviews focus on process improvement or BPM in general, the paper's findings extend current knowledge. They also increase transparency. Its results provide guidance for scholars and practitioners involved in the design, enhancement, or application of BPM maturity models.
Mental health and custody: a follow on study
Authors: Cummins Ian 
Published: April 2012

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to report the findings of a small scale indicative research project. The project explores the assessment of detained persons in police custody by Forensic Physicians (FP).Design/methodology/approachA range of information was collected in every case where custody staff had identified a mental health concern and requested an FP assessment. As well as information about demographic factors, this would include questions regarding any links that the individuals had with community‐based mental health services. As well as this information, anonymous custody records and force adverse incident records for the month were examined.FindingsIn the month of the project, 59 FP assessments were requested. Only six members of this group had any contact with community‐based mental health services: two with a social worker, two with a CPN and two with a psychiatrist. Of this group, three had not been in contact with mental health services for over a month.Research limitations/implicationsThe size of the cohort and variety of arrangements for providing nursing and social care support in custody settings may limit the generalisation of the findings.Practical implicationsThis study highlights that there is a group of individuals whose mental health causes concern to the police in a custody environment. In this study, the overwhelming majority of the group have no contact with mental health services. The research supports the recommendations of the Bradley Review for wider health care provision in custody settings.Originality/valueThe paper highlights that fully effective community mental health services need to consider police custody settings as a key point for intervention.