bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the analysis and control of a three‐switch three‐phase inverter‐fed brushless DC motor drive
Authors: Ben Rhouma Asma , Masmoudi Ahmed , Elantably Ahmed 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThis study seeks to examine the analysis and control of a three‐switch three‐phase inverter (TSTPI)‐fed brushless DC motor (BDCM) as well as the comparison of its performance with those yielded by six‐switch three‐phase inverter (SSTPI)‐fed BDCM drives.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis of the six operating sequences of the TSTPI‐fed BDCM drive followed by the implementation of a dedicated self‐control strategy in such a drive and the comparison of its performance with those given by an SSTPI‐fed BDCM drive.FindingsThe dedicated self‐control strategy required the integration of a torque loop in the implementation scheme in order to reduce torque ripple amplitude during sequence‐to‐sequence commutations. It has been shown that the TSTPI‐fed BDCM offers high performances which are almost the same as those of the SSTPI‐fed BDCM.Research limitations/implicationsThis work should be extended by building a test bench made up of a TSTPI‐fed BDCM and the comparison between simulation results and experimental ones.Practical implicationsA 50 per cent reduction in cost and compactness, and a 50 per cent increase in reliability make the TSTPI an interesting candidate especially in large‐scale production applications such as the automotive industries.Originality/valueThe paper proposes an approach to improve the cost‐effectiveness and the volume‐compactness of BDCM drives which represents a crucial challenge in electric and hybrid propulsion systems. It is the best solution compared with the conventional SSTPI and the four‐switch three‐phase inverter.
A profitable new definition of health
Authors: Myers Susan W. , Royne Stafford Marla 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to question pharmaceutical companies in their efforts to define the problems for which they are providing solutions. It addresses the impact of DTC advertising in making drug companies one of the most profitable industries in the country and how these profits can influence marketing decisions that leave consumers vulnerable.Design/methodology/approachThis article identifies some possible conflicts of interests in the pharmaceutical industry.FindingsMarketing practices of the drug companies are shaping consumers' definitions of health through the expansion of medical definitions and potential markets followed by the mass advertising of these messages. Other conflicts of interests between academic medicine and the pharmaceutical industry also exist with for‐profit sponsorship of medical research compromising the impartiality of the researchers.Practical implicationsWhen discussing public policy issues related to DTC advertising, it is important to look beyond the characteristics of the messages themselves and understand the foundations on which they are built before determining the benefits or harm that result.Originality/valueQuestioning the intentions of the drug companies and the other players in pharmaceutical marketing is the only way to ensure that consumer interests are protected.
The effects of multiple‐ads and multiple‐brands on consumer attitude and purchase behavior
Authors: Teng Lefa , Laroche Michel , Zhu Huihuang 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to show how the dual mediation model has been used to explain consumer responses toward an ad and a brand. This study attempts to incorporate ad affect and competition into the framework and examine the effects of advertising on consumers' attitudes and purchase intentions in multiple‐ad and multiple‐brand environments.Design/methodology/approachA total of 165 usable data (54 percent female, mean age=36.2) were collected from an experiment conducted in North America.FindingsThe findings revealed that the higher level of affective responses to a focal ad significantly leads to a higher evaluation of that ad. Our findings also indicated that information about a competing ad and brand is processed comparatively and that evaluations of the competing ad and brand negatively influence evaluations of a focal ad and brand.Originality/valueImportant theoretical contributions of this study are that ad affect is an important determinant in the formation of ad attitude and it can be incorporated into the dual mediation model to explain the effects of advertising on consumer behavior. Our research also challenges the dual mediation model by incorporating competition into the model. Managerial implications of these results were discussed.
The total package: loyalty marketing in the world of consumer packaged goods (CPG)
Authors: Hlavinka Kelly , Gomez Leopoldo 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are harnessing the power of loyalty marketing to improve their sales and branding effectiveness.Design/methodology/approachThe paper cites examples of CPG loyalty efforts from Procter & Gamble, Tazo Tea, Huggies diapers, Moet Hennessey, Maker's Mark, Purina dog food and others, it outlines two primary models that CPG marketers are pursuing, each with their own approaches, levels of investment and possible outcomes.FindingsThe paper explores the many obstacles CPG marketers must overcome if they desire to shift from mass advertising to a more customer‐centric marketing model and cites examples of successes and failures from a variety of organizations.Research limitations/implications“The CPG industry has often been the odd man out even as brands in nearly all industries around the globe have pursued loyalty marketing as a primary tactic of their overall enterprise customer strategy”, note Hlavinka and Gomez. “Is it because the CPG industry views the retailers who sell their goods as their primary market, rather than the consumers who actually use them? Is it lack of concern for the consumer? Lack of focus? Lack of expertise? All of the above? These are the questions that our research set out to answer.”.Practical implicationsThe reader will come away with some specific ideas for improving the effectiveness of their private label credit card program. Armed with the knowledge of the scope and size of the private label credit card market, readers should gain insight that will improve their decision‐making about their own program.Originality/valueThe paper takes a look at the emergence of loyalty programs in the consumer packaged goods industry and what is ahead for this burgeoning trends.
A legal and economic analysis of graffiti
Authors: D’Amico Daniel J. , Block Walter 
Published: February 2007

PurposeTo analyze the legal, ethical, and economic implications of governmentally criminalized graffiti.Design/methodology/approachFirst the paper presents the act of graffiti as a minor form of rebellion against an unjust government according to the criteria of just war theory. Once finding graffiti to pass the just war test, the paper moves on to consider the relationship between graffiti and property, offering second best solutions, discussing the implications of homesteading, and finally demonstrating the economic process of graffiti painting in the absence of an illegitimate government.FindingsIt is found that there is a logical impossibility for graffiti to be placed on private property. Leaving only illegitimate public space as potential graffiti targets, the paper by definition implies that the criminalization of graffiti by the illegitimate state is unjust.Originality/valueTo the best of the author's knowledge no other research has offered a theory of graffiti (a noticeable and prevalent social phenomenon), grounded in private property rights and economics incentives.
Securing network legitimacy in China's telecommunication market
Authors: Low Brian , Johnston Wesley J. , Wang Jennifer 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to establish the importance and approaches in securing an organization's legitimacy from the network community of customers, suppliers and manufacturers, including private investors and state‐owned institutions when marketing their products.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents an inductive interpretative approach complimented by action‐based research founded on inquiry and testing.FindingsThe paper finds that the key to legitimacy success involves using legitimacy orientations to demonstrate commitment to the interests of constituents, acquiring legitimacy from them, but concurrently considering the central government's influence on a firm's legitimacy performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe multiple interactions proposed in this paper remain untested and might have to be modified pending further empirical testing and analysis.Practical implicationsIn China's telecommunication market, a company's legitimacy emanates first and foremost from the development and commercialization of innovative and creative technological solutions. This requires good, creative management of technological resource and activity links, connecting the company's technology to network constituents which include local manufacturers, carriers, software developers, investors.Originality/valueThis is the first published paper that examines the proposed interactions among legitimacy orientations, alignments, and performances from a “market‐as‐network” perspective in a dynamic, transitional Chinese telecommunication market.
Turf wars or a misunderstanding of roles: an examination of the relationship between marketers and lawyers within the corporation
Authors: Sergius Koku Paul 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the marketing and legal departments within the corporation and how this relationship allows corporate attorneys to protect the firm against third‐party lawsuits.Design/methodology/approachA literature review is followed by a discussion of the relevant sections of the American Bar Association's Model Rules of Professional Conduct which govern the professional conduct of all attorneys in the USA relative to how they treat the client, third parties, and relate to the court. Then, the concept of the client/customer from the viewpoint of marketers and “legal people” (corporate counsels) is examined.FindingsAfter a thorough examination of the roles of corporate attorneys and the marketing department within the firm, the study concludes that the occasional turf wars between the two departments stem from the differences in the cultures and norms of the two departments.Research limitations/implicationsTo the extent that the study focused on the laws protecting consumers in the USA, and the Model Rules of Professional Responsibility as they relate to attorneys in the USA, its findings may be true only in the USA. However, the insights generated may have universal application.Practical implicationsBecause the Model Rules of Professional Conduct dictate how lawyers in the USA conduct themselves vis‐à‐vis their clients, efforts on the part of corporate counsels to educate marketers on how these rules affect their conduct could elicit the support and cooperation of marketers within the firm. In addition, organizations must reorganize so that corporate counsels not only maintain an active presence in the marketing department, but also work together with marketers to craft language in warranties, ads, and other communications with third parties in order to fulfill the applicable legal requirements, and yet not perceived by consumers as too “legalease”.Originality/valueThe study sheds light on the causes of turf wars between the two important departments (legal and marketing folk) within the firm, and suggests ways to remedy the situation.
Baldrige theory into practice: a generic model
Authors: Arif Mohammed 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe education system globally has moved from a push‐based or producer‐centric system to a pull‐based or customer centric system. Malcolm Baldrige Quality Award (MBQA) model happens to be one of the latest additions to the pull based models. The purpose of this paper is to develop a generic framework for MBQA that can be used by educational institutes to achieve Baldrige quality operational excellence.Design/methodology/approachThis paper traces back the history of the modern Pull education where the key driver is the latest research and needs of consumers through four major phases of western education. The first phase is the idealist phase where education was primarily religious and spiritual. The second is the realist phase where applied education was first introduced to solve practical societal issues. The third phase being the pragmatic phase, where anything, that was not needed, was put on the back‐burner. The last of these phases being the existentialist phase, which primarily started after the second world war and was needed to fuel the fires of rapid development and progress. MBQA is a new pull‐based philosophy operating in existentialist phase. This paper presents a case of University of Wisconsin‐Stout, which has won the MBQA. Based on the case, this paper proposes a generic framework.FindingsBased on the analysis the generic Baldrige framework can be implemented using the following six steps: identification of stakeholders; definition of goals; proposal of KPIs; setting target KPI values; designing process; allocating resources; monitoring KPIs; and revising goals.Originality/valueThis model can be used by any education institute to improve quality and align itself under the pull‐based model.
Is there still a public sector model of employment relations in the United Kingdom?
Authors: Prowse Peter , Prowse Julie 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to evaluate the general developments in the form of industrial relations in the UK public sector.Design/methodology/approachIt reviews the main literature on the topic and relevant policy texts.FindingsThe article concludes by analysing changes in public sector employee relations. It argues that there are serious attempts to decentralise industrial relations within the state system but that the outcomes of these are uncertain and unclear.Research limitations/implicationsIt is a general overview of key developments.Practical implicationsIt is relevant for a discussion of the general trends in UK public sector industrial relations.Originality/valueThis article takes an overview of recent developments and points to the uncertainties embedded in a new market approach.
Is there an audience for public sector annual reports: Australian evidence?
Authors: Mack Janet , Ryan Christine 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the role and importance of the annual report as a source of information about public sector entities.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a survey methodology to access users of public sector annual reports and is innovative because it has directly studied actual users across the entire public sector.FindingsThe findings of this research indicate that the annual report is an important source of information about public sector entities but it is not the most important source of information. This study also found that the annual report is not regarded as equally important across all public sector entity types. Differences in the importance attached to the annual report by different stakeholder groups were also noted.Research implications/limitationsThese findings have important implications for policy makers with respect to the information content of public sector annual reports. In particular the blanket approach to legislative requirements for annual reporting may need to be reviewed in view of the findings of this research that there are differing levels of importance attached to the annual report as an information source by users from different public sector entity types.Originality/valueThe research in this paper is original in that it has, systematically and directly accessed users of public sector annual reports to determine their information sources.
Value for money drivers in public private partnership schemes
Authors: Nisar Tahir M. 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate value for money drivers in public private partnership (PPP) schemes.Design/methodology/approachThree case studies of PPP construction projects in the UK were undertaken.FindingsPPP contracts commonly require the private agent to take responsibilities for the performance of the asset over a long term, at least for a significant part of its useful life, so that efficiencies arising from long term asset management can be obtained. The evidence is finely balanced on the usefulness of such initiatives in realizing efficiency gains, although there is clear benefit of risk transfer.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight the challenge of designing and implementing innovative partnership plans to manage public services more effectively. More emphasis needs to be placed on strategies for the transfer of risk, value for money drivers and project expertise for the successful conclusions of PPP contracts.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the new research area of public private partnerships.
A comparative analysis of quality management standards for contract research organisations in clinical trials
Authors: Murray Elizabeth , McAdam Rodney 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThis article compares and contrasts the main quality standards in the highly regulated pharmaceutical industry with specific focus on Good Clinical Practice (GCP), the standard for designing, conducting, recording and reporting clinical trials involving human participants.Design/methodology/approachComparison is made to ISO quality standards, which can be applied to all industries and types of organisation. The study is then narrowed to that of contract research organisations (CROs) involved in the conduct of clinical trials.FindingsThe paper concludes that the ISO 9000 series of quality standards can act as a company‐wide framework for quality management within such organisations by helping to direct quality efforts on a long‐term basis without any loss of compliance.Originality/valueThis study is valuable because comparative analysis in this domain is uncommon.
Cardiac surgery productivity and throughput improvements
Authors: Lehtonen Juha‐Matti , Kujala Jaakko , Kouri Juhani , Hippeläinen Mikko 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe high variability in cardiac surgery length – is one of the main challenges for staff managing productivity. This study aims to evaluate the impact of six interventions on open‐heart surgery operating theatre productivity.Design/methodology/approachA discrete operating theatre event simulation model with empirical operation time input data from 2,603 patients is used to evaluate the effect that these process interventions have on the surgery output and overtime work. A linear regression model was used to get operation time forecasts for surgery scheduling while it also could be used to explain operation time.FindingsA forecasting model based on the linear regression of variables available before the surgery explains 46 per cent operating time variance. The main factors influencing operation length were type of operation, redoing the operation and the head surgeon. Reduction of changeover time between surgeries by inducing anaesthesia outside an operating theatre and by reducing slack time at the end of day after a second surgery have the strongest effects on surgery output and productivity. A more accurate operation time forecast did not have any effect on output, although improved operation time forecast did decrease overtime work.Research limitations/implicationsA reduction in the operation time itself is not studied in this article. However, the forecasting model can also be applied to discover which factors are most significant in explaining variation in the length of open‐heart surgery.Practical implicationsThe challenge in scheduling two open‐heart surgeries in one day can be partly resolved by increasing the length of the day, decreasing the time between two surgeries or by improving patient scheduling procedures so that two short surgeries can be paired.Originality/valueA linear regression model is created in the paper to increase the accuracy of operation time forecasting and to identify factors that have the most influence on operation time. A simulation model is used to analyse the impact of improved surgical length forecasting and five selected process interventions on productivity in cardiac surgery.
Developing nursing: the contribution to quality
Authors: Wright Stephen G. 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThe paper aims to examine the concept of a nurse development unit and its impact on the quality of nursing practice.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses the Nurse Development Unit at Tameside as an example and the implications for both the patients and nurses are explored.FindingsThe paper finds that initial assessments of the Unit and its impact on quality assurance have been very positive, with great emphasis being placed on the patient as a consumer of the quality provided.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful information on the development of quality assurance in nursing.
Developmental magic? Two takes on a dialogue conference
Authors: Ekman Philips Marianne , Huzzard Tony 
Published: February 2007

PurposeThis paper draws on the metaphor of “magic” to explore the role of dialogue conferences and subsequent activities as a tool for organizational development and change. The metaphor is introduced and elaborated as a means of allowing critical reflection on action research projects.Design/methodology/approachIn the empirical setting of a change project in a regional health authority in Sweden, researchers designed and facilitated a development coalition for introducing integrated care. This required an action research intervention that supported the establishment of new relationships and developmental practices across both organizational and professional boundaries.FindingsThe unfolding of developmental processes set in train by dialogue conferences are shown as being a dynamic process of magic underpinned by the principles of democratic dialogue.Originality/valueBy drawing attention to the three keywords of development, participation and dialogue three sites have been identified for critical reflection and reflexivity in action research. Magic is argued as an activity wherein the seemingly impossible is made to happen in these areas; equally it can be an activity of simple illusion whereby appearance is at odds with reality.