bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gender influence on firm‐level entrepreneurship through the power structure of boards
Authors: Smith Elin 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to examine the gender composition and structure of the board of directors in not‐for‐profit organisations and their relation to firm‐level entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a survey sent to Swedish riding schools. The paper focuses on not‐for‐profit associations and the analysis is based on 60 respondents. The data were analysed by multivariate methods.FindingsThe overall gender composition of boards had no influence on firm‐level entrepreneurship. However, a high proportion of women in powerful positions were found to have a positive influence on one of the study's two dimensions of firm‐level entrepreneurship, i.e. strategic opportunism. No influence concerning gender in powerful positions was found on risk taking, the other dimension of firm‐level entrepreneurship.Originality/valueThe attention to gender composition not only focuses on the board at large, but also highlights the specific positions of the chairperson, secretary and treasurer in the board structure. Another valuable insight concerns firm‐level entrepreneurship, here treated as a two‐dimensional concept, consisting of strategic opportunism and risk taking, which finds support in the analysis. Further, the empirical data were collected from an industry that includes a high proportion of women on the boards, i.e. the Swedish riding school industry. The study contributes to the debate concerning the gender composition on the board of directors where a high proportion of women in powerful positions is positively related with strategic opportunism.
Exploring small copreneurial food companies; female leadership perspectives
Authors: Millman Cindy , Martin Lynn M. 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe aim of the research was to explore the lead roles taken by women in some successful small copreneurial companies by studying similar small firms in one sector.Design/methodology/approachHere, a multiple case study approach was selected, using narrative as a key focus, to explore the way the business had been set up, and its subsequent growth. The role of both partners was also explored, plus strategy, leadership and work: life balance.FindingsNew insights emerge about copreneurship where females take lead roles in management, both at start up and through company development. Female partners had an equal or overriding need for achievement to their partners, possessed great self confidence, perceived no barriers to women in business, took a strategic role in the firm from start up through development, drew salaries equal to their male partners and managed life at home and at work.Research limitations/implicationsThe case study approach gives insights but other studies are needed, both quantitative and qualitative, to identify whether these were isolated examples or a common experience for copreneurial firms or for this sector. Two had left scientific jobs to start a food product business – an unexpected finding, requiring further study given the poor records for female participation in UK science professions.Practical implicationsThe study provides insights for those agencies supporting business development by adding to the role models and images of women taking a lead role.Originality/valueThe study focuses on an under‐researched area. Here, the five female copreneurs perceive themselves – and are perceived – as entrepreneurs, taking a lead and developing strategic vision for the firm. This is an under‐researched aspect of female enterprise.
Admission requirements for transfer and non‐transfer students: should one size fit all?
Authors: Pharr Steven , Lawrence John J. 
Published: April 2007

PurposeTo examine the efficacy of admission requirements as predictors of academic success in core business coursework, and as a rationing mechanism for limited course capacity, for both transfer and non‐transfer students following integration of the core business curriculum.Design/methodology/approachRegression analysis is used to test the efficacy of admission standards in explaining transfer and non‐transfer student performance in the core business curriculum, before and after substantial curricular revision. Fisher's r‐to‐z transformation is used to test differences between student groups and core curriculum formats. Stepwise regression was used to identify an accurate predictor of transfer student performance for the integrated business core.FindingsEfficacy of the admission standard decreased for transfer students following introduction of the new curriculum. While adequate for all students taking the traditional business core, it is a much less effective predictor of success for transfer students under the new curriculum. A modified admission standard for transfer students restored efficacy to previous levels.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper considers only one school's experience with revision of its core curriculum.Practical implicationsRe‐examination of admission standards following curricular revision is necessary to ensure effective screening of transfer students. The root problem, however, may not be addressed in its entirety by a unique transfer student admission standard. Non‐transfer students benefit from acculturation as freshman and sophomores, as well as prerequisite courses specifically modified to prepare them for the integrated curriculum.Originality/valueThis paper documents a potential problem for business schools that have, or are considering, significant curricular revisions.
Is student evaluation of teaching worthwhile?
Authors: Pounder James S. 
Published: April 2007

PurposeTo present a framework to facilitate comprehension of research on the effectiveness of the teaching evaluation process.Design/methodology/approachA comprehensive review of the literature that identifies common categories and factors that can be used to construct an analytical framework.FindingsIdentifies student related, course related and teacher related aspects of research on teaching evaluations. Factors commonly addressed within these aspects are also identified.Research limitations/implicationsUse of the framework to analyse the literature on the student evaluation of teaching (SET) process leads to the view that the time is right to explore other methods of assessing classroom dynamics that could supplement the conventional teacher evaluation process.Practical implicationsEducational literature is replete with studies of the SET system, yet due to the preponderance of these studies, it is difficult to take an overview on the effectiveness of this system. On the basis of a comprehensive survey of the literature, this paper identifies and discusses the central factors influencing SET scores. These factors are then presented in a comprehensible table that can be used as a reference point for researchers and practitioners wishing to examine the effectiveness of the SET system.Originality/valueThe paper is one of the few to attempt to make sense of the myriad of studies on teacher evaluation and to develop a framework to facilitate analysis of the effectiveness of the SET system.
Using the learning satisfaction improving model to enhance the teaching quality
Authors: Chien Te‐King 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to establish an 11‐step “improvement decision model” to enhance learning satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThis model integrates Kano's model and the relevant concepts for decision making, and puts forward an “improvement decision diagram and principles”. This paper also establishes “constructs of the learning satisfaction measurement” and a “teaching quality management cycle” to make it easy for instructors, administrators and students to jointly upgrade teaching quality.FindingsThe “improvement decision model” can effectively assist teachers to enhance their instructional materials and elevate student's learning satisfaction.Originality/valueWith enthusiastic participation of four instructors, the results of the case study are found to be satisfactory and support the applicability of the model proposed in this paper.
A process model of brand cocreation: brand management and research implications
Authors: Boyle Emily 
Published: April 2007

PurposeIn light of the increasing acceptance of the concept of brand cocreation this paper aims to develop a model of the process in order to elucidate the roles of the various stakeholders, particularly the company and the brand consumers, in it and the implications of the concept for brand managers.Design/methodology/approachThe process model of brand cocreation was derived from extant literature covering a wide range of topics related to brands, including: various types of marketing, consumer behaviour, psychology, new product development, and marketing communications.FindingsA five‐stage process of brand cocreation is developed identifying the various stages in which the firm is in control and those which are controlled by the consumers.Practical implicationsThe paper highlights the need to reconsider the role of brand managers in the brand cocreation process and identifies various gaps in the knowledge of brands and their management that have become apparent as a result of the development of the model.Originality/valueThe value of this paper lies in its holistic overview of the complete brand cocreation process and the issues relating to the nature of brand management that it highlights.
Measuring reference price perceptions for new product categories: which measure is best?
Authors: Lowe Ben , Alpert Frank 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide guidance within the reference price literature by investigating which is the best measure of reference price for the, as yet, unstudied context of new product categories. The paper also intends to examine another reference price issue for the new product category context: whether greater price uncertainty in this context makes it worthwhile to measure consumer confidence in reference price perceptions.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses the experimental method to determine which measures of reference price are best suited to the new product context, by removing all other confounding influences.FindingsThe findings confirm that consumers tend to evoke the fair price concept for new product categories and the expected price concept for existing categories. The paper also finds that confidence in reference price measures, while theoretically useful, does not add to the understanding of reference price effects in new product categories, probably because respondents tended to be overly confident in their perceptions, despite lacking in more objective measures of product category knowledge.Originality/valueSeveral studies in the literature have commented on the issue of fragmented measurement in the reference price domain. Some studies have offered theoretical guidance on measures to use. This is the first study to provide empirically tested theory on which measures to use and is the first study to examine reference price effects in new product categories including testing the usefulness of the confidence measure.
Age at entry in international markets of Spanish SMEs
Authors: Acedo Francisco J. , Casillas José C. 
Published: April 2007

PurposeFrom a multidisciplinary perspective, combining international entrepreneurship and institutional theory, a model is presented in order to enrich the understanding of the speed of internationalization in small firms. This is achieved by including individual's attitudes and behaviour, as well as factors from the environment that may enhance firms' international behaviour.Design/methodology/approachInformation from a random sample of 104 Spanish SMEs was gathered via personal interview with a structured questionnaire. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM), specifically Partial Least Squares (PLS), was employed in analyzing the multiple relationships among the proposed constructs.FindingsThe results show how one of the main institutional determinants of the age of entry into international markets are the inter‐firm relationships, specifically the tendency to imitate the behaviour of other firms with successful activities in international markets. In addition, the results note the complementary nature of the approaches used, even though they are apparently distant, and suggest the need to undertake more eclectic research approaches in this field.Practical implicationsResults enhance the importance of having a good competence scanning system in firms as it may help in reducing the time of adoption for certain behaviours, in this case internationalization behaviour. Besides this, the export promotion agencies may find these results useful in improving the results of the implemented policies in order to obtain a greater impact with the same resources, taking advantage of the diffusion of the behaviour.Originality/valueBoth the methodology and the constructs analysed, have scarcely been implemented in the internationalization literature when compared to other management fields.
Metaphor use in the entrepreneurial process
Authors: Gaddefors Johan 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critically investigate the use of metaphor in the entrepreneurial process. In particular, the paper focuses on how metaphors are used in the construction of the environment, a precondition for the creation of business opportunities.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reports on a two‐day meeting between Light, a management consultancy firm, and Epsilon one of their clients. The data are drawn from a larger ethnographic study within Light. The consultants and their clients are followed in their daily work. The focus was on how metaphor use influenced their organisational practices.FindingsInvestigating the play of metaphors in Epsilon, it is shown how the firm's environment is created; a pre‐condition for understanding how entrepreneurial opportunities are created. It is shown how use of metaphor, understood as a mode of interpretation, is taking place over time, and how it is part of a relational, context‐dependent process.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study provides new ways of understanding the use of metaphor in the entrepreneurial process. It also indicates the need for a continued focus on language use in the entrepreneurial process. One limitation is that not all aspects of metaphor use are investigated.Practical implicationsThis research can help to influence practitioners to pay more attention to the use of metaphors, not only as a tool for creative thinking or the questioning of embedded assumptions, but also as a mode for interpreting, structuring and producing images of the environment and the organisation.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to development of influences from the linguistic turn to entrepreneurship studies by exploring metaphor theory. One result of this focus on language is an increased sensitivity to metaphor use in the entrepreneurial process.
Logistics service providers in China
Authors: Hong Junjie , Chin Anthony T.H. , Liu Binglian 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe article attempts to study the current status and future prospects of logistics providers in the whole country as well as a comparatively developed Chinese city (Tianjin); reveal the disparities between China and Tianjin, as well as local firms and their foreign counterparts; and identify the challenges faced by Chinese logistics providers and offer managerial implications for logistics providers in an increasingly competitive environment.Design/methodology/approachThis research is based on two surveys conducted in China and Tianjin, respectively, under the support from government authorities. Comparative analyses were conducted to ascertain the differences between logistics firms in China and developed countries, as well as regional differences within China.FindingsThe results reveal that Chinese logistics providers depend heavily on transportation and warehousing businesses but lack value‐added services and logistics information management. Rate setting ranks highly in provider priority while the importance of lead‐time performance is largely ignored. Significant regional differences in logistics exist and there is a long way for Chinese logistics providers to go in achieving international service standards. Most local firms wish to establish strategic alliances to enhance competitiveness.Originality/valueThis research enriches the literature by investigating the current status and future prospects of logistics service providers in a transitional economy. China being an emerging player in the world economy, an understanding and assessment of China's logistics service providers is appropriate and timely. It offers invaluable information and implications for local providers, government authorities and foreign logistic service providers that are interested in the market.
Arguing for a license to operate: the case of the Swedish wind power industry
Authors: Corvellec Hervé 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the way organizational actors argue to obtain a license to operate for new ventures.Design/methodology/approachThe design, which addresses the issue at the industry level, consists of a case study of the ways in which power developers argue for the development of wind energy in Sweden.FindingsThe study shows that wind power developers proffer a necessity‐ability‐acceptability line of argument that relies not only on the convincing character of claims grounded in premises, but also on the persuasive character of values, knowledge and opinion likely to win the adherence of the audience.Research limitations/implicationsFrom a theoretical perspective, this is an illustration of the relevance of bridging the divide between argumentation theories in tune with formal or informal logic and those oriented toward rhetoric and the social practice of communication.Practical implicationsMore practically, the paper suggests that in order to obtain a license to operate, managers need to combine and balance in their practice of argumentation a logical approach to factual knowledge with a situational sense for the rhetoric favored by the audience.Originality/valueThis study emphasizes the key role played by argumentation in corporate communication.
The credibility of advertising vs publicity for new FMCGs in Turkey
Authors: İnci Çelebi Serra 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the credibility of advertising vs publicity; to examine the credibility of advertising including a promotional endorser (APE) and publicity including a promotional endorser (PPE); to compare the credibility of advertising across the different demographic segments; and to explore the important factors affecting consumers' shopping considerations of new fast moving consumer goods (FMCGs) in Turkey.Design/methodology/approachThe data was gathered by a telephone survey from a sample of 717 of which 348 respondents wanted to participate from three of Turkey's largest cities, İstanbul, Ankara, and İzmir. The systematic sampling was exercised to select the sample. χ2 and t‐tests were computed and the results of them were significant at 0.05 level.FindingsFor announcing new FMCGs in Turkey, advertising was found to be more credible by the participants with higher income. Respondents' shopping decisions of new FMCGs were affected by price and quality more than the other factors. Consumers tended to rely on publicity more than advertising; more than APE; and more than PPE. They also tended to count PPE more credible than APE.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that it would be appropriate for advertising managers, who wish to market to Turkey, to consider recipients' income levels in regard to the credibility of advertising for new FMCGs. It is also important to note for international companies that price and quality play a major role on Turkish consumers' shopping decisions of new FMCGs among the other factors including experiments, organizational trust, and word‐of‐mouth.
Serial persistence in individual real estate returns in the UK
Authors: Devaney Steven P. , Lee Stephen L. , Young Michael S. 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine individual level property returns to see whether there is evidence of persistence in performance, i.e. a greater than expected probability of well (badly) performing properties continuing to perform well (badly) in subsequent periods.Design/methodology/approachThe same methodology originally used in Young and Graff is applied, making the results directly comparable with those for the US and Australian markets. However, it uses a much larger database covering all UK commercial property data available in the Investment Property Databank (IPD) for the years 1981 to 2002 – as many as 216,758 individual property returns.FindingsWhile the results of this study mimic the US and Australian results of greater persistence in the extreme first and fourth quartiles, they also evidence persistence in the moderate second and third quartiles, a notable departure from previous studies. Likewise patterns across property type, location, time, and holding period are remarkably similar.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings suggest that performance persistence is not a feature unique to particular markets, but instead may characterize most advanced real estate investment markets.Originality/valueAs well as extending previous research geographically, the paper explores possible reasons for such persistence, consideration of which leads to the conjecture that behaviors in the practice of institutional‐grade commercial real estate investment management may themselves be deeply rooted and persistent, and perhaps influenced for good or ill by agency effects.
Regime switching and asset allocation
Authors: Liow K.H. , Zhu H. 
Published: April 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore a regime switching asset allocation model that includes six major real estate security markets (USA, UK, Japan, Australia, Hong Kong and Singapore) and focuses on how the presence of regimes affects portfolio composition.Design/methodology/approachA Markov switching model is first developed to characterize real estate security markets’ risk‐return in two regimes. The mean‐variance portfolio construction methodology is then deployed in the presence of the two regimes. Finally, the out‐of‐sample analyzes are conducted to examine whether the regime switching allocation outperforms the conventional allocation strategy.FindingsStrong evidence of regimes in the six real estate security markets in detected. The correlations between the various real estate security markets’ returns are higher in the bear market regime than in the bull market regime. Consequently the optimal real estate portfolio in the bear market regime is very different from that in the bull market regime. The out‐of‐sample tests reveal that the regime‐switching model outperforms the non‐regime dependent model, the world real estate portfolio and equally‐weighted portfolio from risk‐adjusted performance perspective.Originality/valueThe application of the Markov switching technique to real estate markets is relatively new and has great significance for international real estate diversification. With increased significance of international securitized property as a real estate investment vehicle for institutional investors to gain worldwide real estate exposure, this study provides significant insights into the investment behavior and optimal asset allocation implications of the listed real estate when returns follow a regime switching process.