bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The influence of the country‐of‐origin image, product knowledge and product involvement on consumer purchase decisions: an empirical study of insurance and catering services in Taiwan
Authors: Lin Long‐Yi , Chen Chun‐Shuo 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe main purpose of this study is to explore the influence of the country‐of‐origin image, product knowledge and product involvement on consumer purchase decision.Design/methodology/approachTaiwan, China and the USA were the three countries selected for research into the country‐of‐origin, insurance and catering services. Structured questionnaires and convenience sampling were used. Samples were collected from consumers in the Taipei area. A total of 400 questionnaires were distributed with convenience sampling method, and 369 effective samples were collected, the effective rate being 92.25 percent. Stepwise regression analysis was adapted to test hypothesis.FindingsThe main findings were listed as follows: the country‐of‐origin image, product knowledge and product involvement all have a significantly positive effect on consumer purchase decision; the country‐of‐origin image has a significantly positive effect on consumer purchase decisions under different product involvement; and product knowledge has significantly positive effect on consumer purchase decisions under different product involvement.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of the study are: it is unable to infer to national consumers and to other service areas and the explanatory power of some empirical models is relative low. Implications of the study are that: a more thorough structure about consumer purchase decisions should be provided and the relationship between product knowledge and information search quantity should be verified.Practical implicationsPractical implications pf the study are that the company must face competitive strategies from many countries and also the effect of consumer product knowledge on business competitive strategy.Originality/valueThe added value of this paper is to link between theory and practice, and explore the different country‐of‐origin image, product knowledge and product involvement on consumer purchase decisions.
Qualitative research in evidence‐based practice: a valuable partnership
Authors: Given Lisa 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the nature of the qualitative research paradigm, with a particular emphasis on the marginalization of qualitative approaches within the current discourse of evidence‐based librarianship.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents examples of qualitative research in the field of library and information studies, reviews the discourse of EBL as it relates to qualitative research, and also draws on debates in the health sciences on the role of qualitative research in evidence‐based practice.FindingsEBL levels of evidence must evolve to include qualitative research, as these methods best suit many of the research questions addressed in LIS contexts.Originality/valueThere is currently little acknowledgement of the value of qualitative research for EBL; this paper dispels this notion, and calls for EBL to embrace these methods.
Educating the Millennial Generation for evidence based information practice
Authors: Partridge Helen , Hallam Gillian 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider how library education can best incorporate the profession's emerging interest in evidence‐based practice (EBP) whilst ensuring that the educational experience is meaningful to the contemporary library student.Design/methodology/appraochA learning and teaching model developed by the Queensland University of Technology will be presented as a case study on how the library education curriculum can be developed to incorporate a focus on EBP whilst catering to the unique learning style of the millennial student.FindingsTo effectively meet the needs of the millennial student, library educators must develop their curriculum to include a real world activities and perspective, be customisable and flexible, incorporate regular feedback, use technology, provide trusted guidance, include the opportunity for social and interactive learning, be visual and kinaesthetic, and include communication that is real, raw, relevant and relational.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the current discussion on how EBP can be integrated effectively into the contemporary library curriculum in general, and meet the learning needs of the millennial student in particular.
Convergence in Germany: the Information, Communication and Media Center (ICMC/IKMZ) of Cottbus University
Authors: Degkwitz Andreas 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to ask why the libraries and the computer and media centres of German universities are picking up too little to improve the conditions for learning, teaching and research.Design/methodology/approachWith the founding of the Information, Communication and Media Center/Informations‐, Kommunikations‐ und Medienzentrums (ICMC/IKMZ), the central services of the Brandenburg Technical University of Cottbus (BTU Cottbus) library, computer center, multimedia center and administrative data processing were combined on a common management level, and the prerequisites for the development of integrated information management were created.FindingsOn this basis the following goal was set: the realization of more efficient organizational structures for a broad spectrum of customer‐ and service‐oriented information, communications and media (ICM) offers for research, teaching and administration.Originality/valueThe paper gives an overview of German discussion on the convergence of services, and presents the ICMC/IKMZ of Cottbus University as an example of a converged institution.
Migration from DOBIS/LIBIS to Horizon at KFUPM
Authors: Khurshid Zahiruddin 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe paper's purpose is to share the difficulties in migration from a legacy system to a new system at the King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals Library in Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachThe paper highlights the local requirements that play an important role in the selection of a new system.FindingsWith full Arabic support and better local vendor support, Horizon could be the dominant system in the regional marketplace.Practical implicationsThis case study will encourage those libraries that are still using legacy systems to start planning for migration.Originality/valueThis is the first case study of system migration in the Arabian Gulf region, and provides details ranging from the selection of the system to its successful migration. This paper should benefit libraries – not only in the Gulf region but around the world – that are intending to migrate from a legacy system to a new system.
Streaming audio with synchronized transcripts utilizing SMIL
Authors: Bond Trevor James , Walpole Michael 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe developmental work with SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) to synchronize transcript captions with streaming audio.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides an evaluation of the hardware/software required to digitally record oral histories and the methods developed at WSU to customize the presentation of streaming audio and text.FindingsThough providing users with streaming media content is not excessively expensive, the multifaceted work‐flow of organizing an oral history project, utilizing digital recording equipment, preparing transcripts, and synchronizing those transcripts with their corresponding audio files, is a complex, labor‐intensive undertaking.Practical implicationsThis is an extremely common‐sense discussion of the time and work involved in planning digital projects that involve streaming media with captions.Originality/valueAs many libraries enhance digital collections with streaming media, this article provides one approach not otherwise found in library literature.
Copyright in the networked world: using facts
Authors: Seadle Michael 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this column is to look at how US copyright law deals with facts and what can reasonably be considered as a fact.Design/methodology/approachThe US statutes and case law are examined, as well as standard practices within academic settings for the use and analysis of facts.FindingsUsing facts may require a risk assessment under certain circumstances. Although facts cannot be protected under US law, compilations of facts can have protection under the European Database Directive, and certain apparent facts, such as normal human body temperature, represent judgments based on extensive research and analysis. It is not always clear when a research result achieves the status of a fact and is therefore exempt from copyright protection.Originality/valueThe use of facts is an essential part of scholarly work and factual compilations are important tools for many scholarly communities. Understanding how far facts may be used and manipulated helps researchers and teachers who have grown anxious about copyright infringement.
An Introduction to JPEG 2000
Authors: Bernier Richard 
Published: September 2006

PurposeAims to provide the reasons why libraries might consider using JPEG 2000 standard architecture for digital imaging and digital archive projects.Design/methodology/approachA summary of the main features of the JPEG 2000 standard.FindingsThis article provides an overview of the JPEG 2000 standard: what it is, how it works, and its benefits.Originality/valueThis paper is useful for information management professionals who seek greater understanding of digital storage standards.
Implementing an Electronic Resource Management System: Brigham Young University’s Experience
Authors: Howland Jared , Wright Thomas 
Published: September 2006

PurposeTo discuss the ERM implementation process at Brigham Young University and its generalized implications for other institutions.Design/methodlogy/approachA chronological description of decision‐making and steps in the implementation process with corresponding discoveries and benefits.FindingsImplementing an ERM takes lots of planning, forethought and effort but has been very beneficial in helping BYU manage its electronic resource collections.Originality/valueThe literature has described various ERM systems, difficulties in handling electronic resources and the ERMI standard. The account of an ERM implementation should be helpful to libraries considering implementing an ERM system of their own.
Globalization at crossroads of warfare, revolution, and universalization
Authors: Iqbal Anjum Muhammad 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe proposed paper aims at contributing an objective analysis of the nature, agenda and politico‐economic and strategic dynamics of the contemporary movement of globalization. The paper is going to explore the significant patterns of economic changes, which have culminated into global warfare, resulting from the contemporary world‐level experiences of globalization and the corresponding revolutionary tendencies responses encountered on the global level.Design/methodology/approachIn this background, the rationale for adhering to the Islamic program of universalization shall be addressed from the point of view of the sustainable development of the Islamic world.FindingsBecause of either the perpetual nature (e.g. in case of Pakistan's debt crises) or recurring nature (e.g. in case of Malaysia's slow down in 1997‐98 and in 2001) of the economic crises of the Islamic countries within the prevailing framework of the capitalistic globalization, the inevitable way out for the realization of the sustainable economic and human development in the Islamic world seems to be offered only by the Islamic program of universalization.Originality/valueThis is perhaps the first attempt to analyze globalization vis‐à‐vis its multidimensional impact on the Islamic world.
Strategic account management: customer value creation through customer alignment
Authors: Philippe Gosselin Derrick , André Bauwen Guy 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an innovative conceptual view on the management of strategic or important customers in business markets, so‐called (key) account management. Central to this new perspective is customer value creation through external customer alignment. The paper additionally proposes two propositions, based on quantitative empirical analysis and rooted in congruency, transaction cost economy and economic rent generation theory.Design/methodology/approachThe study is quantitative research based on questionnaire survey.FindingsThe paper's proposition is that account management can create important competitive advantages for companies which can acquire and develop the necessary organisational competences to implement an integrative process through alignment with strategic or important, well selected, customers.Originality/valueTraditionally, most companies view account management as a sales activity. Views that are more recent consider it as a marketing activity with emphasis on relationship marketing. The paper's approach, however, is to look at account management from an integrated business process perspective, encompassing marketing and sales as development activities as well. Two elements are central in the proposal: customer selection and alignment.
The impact of affect on service quality and satisfaction: the moderation of service contexts
Authors: Jiang Ying , Lu Wang Cheng 
Published: September 2006

PurposeAs an alternative explanation of incongruent findings in the literature, the purpose of the present study is to introduce the concept of hedonic versus utilitarian service context as a moderating variable in the relationship between the affect (pleasure and arousal) and perceived service quality and satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachA consumer survey was conducted to test moderation hypotheses, which was analyzed with hierarchical regression equations.FindingsThe results show that pleasure had stronger influences on perceived service quality and satisfaction in the hedonic service context than in the utilitarian service context. Arousal is found to influence perceived service quality and satisfaction in the hedonic service context but not in the utilitarian service context.Research limitations/implicationsIt is likely that in hedonic related services, consumers will often use some affective criteria to evaluate service quality, in addition to the traditional service quality measures.Practical implicationsCompanies providing hedonic services should modify the content of their services or add novelty stimulus into their services from time to time in order to evoke the most desired consumer emotions and enhance satisfaction.Originality/valueThe proposed moderating effect of service contexts improved predictions and explanations of the theoretical relationship between affect and perceived service quality/satisfaction. It specifies the conditions under which affect will or will not impact perceived service quality and satisfaction.
A confirmation perspective on perceived service quality
Authors: Hamer Lawrence O. 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe paper seeks to provide a theoretical and empirical investigation of the relationship between consumer expectations and consumer perceptions of service quality.Design/methodology/approachThe theory of cognitive reference points, adaptation‐level theory, and assimilation‐contrast theory are used to formulate hypotheses concerning the relationships between perceived service quality, consumer expectations, and perceptions. These hypotheses were empirically investigated through an experiment that manipulated expectations and perceptions while measuring perceived service quality.FindingsThe principal finding is that consumer expectations are positive predictors of perceived service quality (i.e. higher expectations lead to higher perceptions of quality). Another finding is that the relationship between expectations and perceived service quality is much stronger than prior literature suggests.Practical implicationsThe practical implication of this study is that practitioners should seek to actively manage their customers' expectations to increase those expectations.Originality/valueThis paper is valuable to practitioners who are seeking to use expectations to achieve higher perceptions of quality among their customers. It is also valuable to researchers who are seeking to understand the relationship between expectations and quality perceptions.
Developing successful technology‐based services: the issue of identifying and involving innovative users
Authors: Matthing Jonas , Kristensson Per , Gustafsson Anders , Parasuraman A. 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore the identification of innovative customers and the effectiveness of employing such customers to generate new service ideas in a technology‐based service setting.Design/methodology/approachThe first study reported here employs the “technology readiness” (TR) construct and involves telephone surveys with randomly selected Swedish consumers. The second involves a field experiment.FindingsFindings from Study I suggest that the TR is a useful tool for identifying users who exhibit both innovative attitudes and behaviors. The results from Study II show that users with a high TR are highly creative as reflected by the quantity and quality of new service ideas.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size for Study II was relatively small and making empirical generalizations with confidence should await results from studies involving larger samples. However, in sum the research demonstrates that TR appears to be an effective tool for identifying innovative customers who would be both willing to participate in new service development and capable of generating creative ideas.Originality/valueService businesses interested in using customers to help generate new ideas could benefit from this research.
Firm‐specific influences on the internalization of after‐sales service activities in foreign markets
Authors: Morschett Dirk 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThis paper proposes identifying determinants of the choice of an organizational mode for providing after‐sales service in foreign markets. It aims to focus on the decision between contractual/equity cooperation and wholly‐owned foreign entities and the influence of firm‐specific variables on this decision.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study based on 80 German manufacturing companies was carried out. Hypotheses on the influence of certain firm‐specific variables on the organizational mode were developed and tested by binary logistic regression.FindingsThe paper finds that international experience of a company, whether a company already has manufacturing facilities in the specific foreign market, and strategic considerations such as the seeking of global integration advantages and the choice of service as competitive advantage, seems to exert a strong influence on the decision of the internalization of after‐sales service operations. The size of the company and the choice of price as competitive advantage, however, did not display a significant influence.Research limitations/implicationsSince the research is based on a sample of 80 companies from a single country, testing for generalizability of the results to other countries and other industries would seem necessary. Also, the research focused on firm‐specific determinants while an extension into country‐specific and activity‐specific variables would be required to offer a more powerful explanation of the organizational mode decision.Originality/valueAlmost no empirical investigations exist on the provision of after‐sales service in foreign markets. This paper offers first evidence on determinants of the choice between cooperative and fully internalized modes of after‐sales service provision.
Pricing practices of service organizations
Authors: Avlonitis George J. , Indounas Kostis A. 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the pricing policies that service companies adopt along with the pricing information that they gather to set their prices. Despite previous authors' suggestions regarding the need for a coherent process when setting prices, there seems to be a lack of empirically‐based theory on how pricing policies and pricing information might be interrelated.Design/methodology/approachFollowing 26 in‐depth exploratory interviews, additional personal interview data were collected from 170 companies operating in six different services sectors in Greece.FindingsThe paper finds that “list pricing” is the only policy that is adopted by the majority of the surveyed companies. Further, they tend to collect more than one type of information giving particular emphasis on market‐based information. The “customer‐based” information was found to be associated positively with the policy of “cash discounts”, while the “competition‐based” information with the policies of “trade discounts” and “differentiated pricing”. Moreover, the “cost‐based information” is associated positively with the “cash discounts” and “efficiency pricing” policies and negatively with the “loss leader pricing” policy.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings refer to the need for a “balanced” market‐oriented and “situation‐specific” approach when setting prices The significance of these findings notwithstanding, the context of the study (Greece) is the most important caveat since it limits the ability to generalize the results in other countries.Originality/valueThe paper represents the first attempt to examine empirically the potential relationship between pricing policies and pricing information.
Exploring managers' perspectives of the impact of brand management strategies on employee roles within a service firm
Authors: King Ceridwyn , Grace Debra 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThis study seeks to examine the impact of brand management strategies on the employee role in the deliverance of the service experience consistent with the brand from a management perspective. In doing so, furthers understanding of an area that, to date, has received little empirical attention.Design/methodology/approachCase study approach with data gathered via in‐depth interviews with managers of a service organization.FindingsSeveral themes identified provided the foundation for discussion, namely, direction, involvement, employee selection, relevance, employee satisfaction, flexibility, management role, comprehension of differences, influencing role, control, foundation, internal marketing, management role, enhancers and element of control. The themes of relevance and comprehension of differences had not previously been considered in the literature and therefore explored in depth.Research limitations/implicationsLimitations of a case study methodology include insufficient precision (i.e. quantifiable), objectivity and rigor. The development of a case study database and the formalisation of the interview process increased the likelihood of trustworthiness and credibility in the results.Practical implicationsEmergence of new themes in relation to the implementation of brand management strategies provided a framework on which managerial implications are identified.Originality/valueIn‐depth interviews conducted with managers that were not experts in the brand management field, yet were responsible for supporting brand management initiatives. The contribution of this paper is embedded in the insights afforded through research in an applied setting, providing an opportunity to identify emergent issues not previously discussed.