bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On reading “The librarian and the art of reading”
Authors: Poulter Alan 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to reflect on an editorial from an earlier issue, entitled “The librarian and the art of reading”.Design/methodology/approachCritical review of the argument presented in the original editorial.FindingsThe concept of the “art of reading” (essentially critical thinking about text) proposed in the original editorial has held up well, especially when its historical context (World War Two) is appreciated.Practical implicationsThis article would be of interest to anyone working in libraries who is interested in the promotion of reading and why we read.Originality/valueAnalyses a challenging concept – the “art of reading” (essentially critical thinking about text).
Managing a professional library and information science journal in Africa
Authors: Omekwu Charles O. 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThe main objective of this paper is to highlight and discuss issues, innovations and imperatives related to the management of professional library and information science (LIS) journals in Africa.Design/methodology/approachThe strategy adopted was to preface the concerns about the quality of journals from Africa and then synthesize managerial issues that must be resolved to enhance quality. The next approach was to draw up a ten‐step plan of innovative ways to enhance the quality of (LIS) journals in Africa. Finally, the paper discusses eight critical imperatives related to effective management of African LIS journals.FindingsThe major concerns are that the continent's LIS journals are substandard, suffer high mortality and hardly appear regularly. Issues to be addressed to stem this tide of affairs include increased subscription spread, revenue base and the development of scholarly content. The paper argues that African LIS journals will continue to die young if innovative strategies are not injected to rejuvenate them.Practical implicationsThe developments in the foreground indicate a better and brighter future for African professional LIS journals. African LIS journal managers must work towards financial independence, introduce or continue the review process, design scholarly content and strive for international competitiveness.Originality/valueProbably the most comprehensive articulation of the challenges and opportunities facing LIS journal publishing in Africa.
Orthogonal array design for minimizing loss of vitamin B9 in bread
Authors: Shadpour Hamed , Kim Jae‐Kuk , Chen Jifeng 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study and minimize loss of vitamin B9 in bread during warming protocol.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, warming intensity, warming time, warming device, and bread storage method were selected as the most effective factors on B9 loss in bread. The variation of B9 in bread and its loss were studied with orthogonal array design (OAD) using the L9 optimization matrix.FindingsWith a calculated per cent of contribution (P%) of error of 0.38 per cent and according to the analysis of variance, ANOVA, of the fluorescence data, 86 per cent of B9 was saved by using toaster as the warming device, a bread warming temperature of <200○F and a warming time of <10min. Fluorescence method evaluated warming intensity and warming device as the most powerful factors affecting the B9 concentration in bread with corresponding P% of 42.28 per cent and 41.72 per cent, respectively.Practical implicationsIn conclusion, heat destroyed significant portion of B9 in bread during daily warming protocols, and the suggested optimized parameters obtained in this work significantly minimized this loss.Originality/valueThe OAD can be used to effectively evaluate effective parameters on food science investigations.
Never the twain shall meet? The customer‐oriented bureaucracy and equal employment opportunity in service work
Authors: Knox Angela 
Published: March 2007

PurposeAlthough equal employment opportunity (EEO) legislation was introduced in Australia two decades ago, women's position in the labour market has not improved markedly. This paper seeks to understand the reasons for women's lack of progress by examining the processes that underpin the (gendered) division of labour in the hotel sector using the analytical framework of customer‐oriented bureaucracy.Design/methodology/approachThe study is qualitative in nature, consisting of case studies within the Australian luxury hotel industry. The concept of customer‐oriented bureaucracy is applied as a lens for interpreting the data.FindingsThe findings suggest that gender segregation is established and maintained, at least in part, by the dual pressures of customer orientation and bureaucracy. In addition, however, the results highlight the importance of supply‐related factors. Thus, the concept of customer‐oriented bureaucracy, in its current form, only partially accounts for gender segregation. Policy regarding EEO in Australian firms requires re‐thinking if more substantive and lasting changes are to be achieved by women.Research limitations/implicationsThe qualitative nature of the research may limit its “power” and generalisability. Future research could incorporate a quantitative analysis of gender segregation and EEO in Australian workplaces.Practical implicationsEEO policy responses in Australia should be sharpened in order to more effectively reflect and redress the factors contributing to women's disadvantaged position.Originality/valueWhile customer‐oriented bureaucracy is a useful model for understanding gender segregation, the findings presented illustrate that it has limitations. These may be addressed by extending the concept and incorporating supply‐related issues, affected by employee preferences. The shortcomings of Australia's EEO legislation are also highlighted.
Cross‐cultural differences in survey response patterns
Authors: Dolnicar Sara , Grün Bettina 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThe existence of variable response styles represents a major threat to the correct interpretation of market research findings. In international marketing, this threat is further increased due to samples of respondents from different cultural backgrounds. The purpose of this paper is to extend the investigation of differences in cross‐cultural response styles by studying full response patterns instead of extreme values, quantify the extent of the potential mistake of not accounting for cross‐cultural differences in response behaviour and present a simple way of testing whether or not data sets from various cultural backgrounds can be used without correcting for cross‐cultural response styles.Design/methodology/approachTwo independent data sets are used. Extreme response style (ERS) scores are compared by testing for equality of proportions. Respondents' answer patterns are partitioned using the k‐means algorithm, the resulting differences between cultures tested using a Fisher's exact test for count data. The extent of inter‐cultural difference in responses is assessed using ANOVA.FindingsAsian and Australian respondents differ significantly in ERS and full response patterns. Differences in cross‐cultural response patterns account for up to 6 per cent of the variance in the data, thus representing a significant potential source for misinterpretation in cross‐cultural studies.Practical implicationsInternational market researchers using samples including respondents from more than one cultural background have to be aware of the potential source of misinterpretation caused by cross‐cultural differences in response patterns. A simple ANOVA‐based procedure allows researchers to determine whether data can be used in its uncorrected form.Originality/valueThe paper investigates cross‐cultural response styles for new groups of respondents (Australian vs Asian), extends the study from the investigation of extreme values to full response patterns and gives market researchers in the international marketing context an indication of how high the level of potential misinterpretation can be and presents a simple means of checking how necessary it is to account for cross‐cultural differences in response behaviour.
Market orientation, international business relationships and perceived export performance
Authors: Racela Olimpia C. , Chaikittisilpa Chawit , Thoumrungroje Amonrat 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThis paper aims at investigating and uncovering the potential effect of exporters' market orientation upon international business relationship with particular emphases on cooperation, dependence, and relationship distance.Design/methodology/approachThis is a quantitative study using a mail survey among Thai exporting firms in various industries. The final sample size was comprised of 388 strategic business units (SBU's) from 279 Thai export firms in over eight industries. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling by means of AMOS 4.01.FindingsExporters' market orientation enhances the cooperation between the exporters and their major overseas distributor while minimizing their dependence and relationship distance. In addition, export performance is higher with greater exporter cooperation and lower relationship distance. Interestingly, the influence of exporter dependence on export performance varied among industry groups.Practical implicationsThis study extends the domain of market orientation in international contexts by illustrating and empirically testing how exporters' market orientation serve as an antecedent to the development of business‐to‐business relationships, which ultimately enhances export performance. To business practitioners, this research pinpoints a particular challenge faced by exporters in managing their relationships with their overseas distributors in order to achieve better performance. Our findings show that market orientation plays a crucial role in developing and nurturing cooperative efforts with overseas distributors. As a result, exporters and their overseas distributors are recommended not only to form cooperative norms that are critical to joint marketing decisions and actions, but also aim to establish and maintain mutual dependence for their superior performance enhancement.Originality/valueThis study contributes to marketing and international business literature and provides insights to exporters by investigating the relationships among market orientation, behavioral aspects of business relationships and export performance. It also provides some evidence that market orientation practices are beneficial in enhancing cross‐cultural relationships, which have been given limited attention in previous literature.
Analysis of reliability and availability of serial processes of plastic‐pipe manufacturing plant
Authors: Gupta Pawan , Lal Arvind Kumar , Sharma Rajendra Kumar , Singh Jai 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compute reliability, availability, and mean time before failure of the process of a plastic‐pipe manufacturing plant consisting of a (K, N) system for various choices of failure and repair rates of sub‐systems. This plant consists of eight sub‐systems.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper the Chapman‐Kolmogorov differential equations are formed using mnemonic rule from the transition diagram of the plastic‐pipe manufacturing plant. The governing differential equations are solved using matrix method in order to find the reliability of the system with the help of MATLAB software. The same system of differential equations is solved numerically using Runge‐Kutta fourth order method to validate the results obtain by MATLAB.FindingsThe findings in the paper are an analysis of reliability, availability and mean time before failure of plastic‐pipe manufacturing plant has been carried out.Practical implicationsThis paper proposes matrix calculus method using MATLAB software to find out the reliability of the plastic‐pipe manufacturing plant. This approach can be implemented to find reliability of other manufacturing plants as well.Originality/valueThe findings suggest that the management of the plastic‐pipe manufacturing plant 's sensitive sub‐system is important to improve its performance.
A popular DVD collection in an academic library
Authors: Dimmock Nora 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThis paper was written to aid academic libraries that may be considering adding collections of popular culture items to their collections. The Multimedia Center at the University of Rochester's River Campus Libraries partnered with students to establish a popular DVD collection in 2001. Changes in acquisitions, cataloging, processing, shelving, and access were required. A review of the current literature helps make a compelling story for why these items add value to the libraries' collections and how they contribute to the educational mission of the university.Design/methodology/approachChanges that were made to provide improved access to a high circulation collection are discussed. Current literature on popular culture collections in academic libraries, media literacy, and the unique creation of knowledge by the current generation of college students is used to provide a basis for supporting these incongruous collections.FindingsThe generation of students who have grown up with the internet use media for the creation of knowledge. The distinction between scholarly material and popular material may be a library construct and inhibit the creation of new texts.Practical implicationsAcademic libraries that are attempting to establish collections of popular culture items such as DVDs can examine the solutions that the Multimedia Center staff used to overcome barriers to access and circulation, including the philosophical barrier imposed by an institutional bias against popular culture items.Originality/valueThis paper is unique in that it not only examines the technical details needed to successfully integrate a high‐circulation, easily browsed DVD collection into an academic library setting, it also examines the reasons why these collections are essential to the educational mission of the modern university.
Brand strategies of Western MNCs as drivers of globalization in Central and Eastern Europe
Authors: Schuh Arnold 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how selected fast‐moving consumer goods markets in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) have developed since the opening of CEE and what market structures have emerged since then. Particular attention is paid to the role of Western multinational corporations (MNCs) as drivers of globalization in this market‐reshaping process.Design/methodology/approachBased on household panel data the dissemination of international brands is analyzed in four product categories and four countries of the region. In addition, the question of whether the level of economic development of countries or the product character has an impact on the penetration levels of international brand is examined.FindingsThe outcomes of this retrospective study furnish evidence for the globalization of fast‐moving consumer goods markets in CEE. Although the level of diffusion of international brands varies by product category and country, the strong influence of Western MNCs in the shaping of market structures can be documented. The findings also mirror the predominantly‐employed marketing and brand strategies of foreign MNCs in CEE, namely internationally‐integrated as well as multi‐tier brand strategies.Research limitations/implicationsThe data provides only a snapshot of the situation in selected consumer goods markets in the region. In order to obtain a fuller picture of the extent of market globalization, the market share of international brands should be complemented by additional data on purchase and usage behavior.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to the current discussion of the market globalization thesis.
A cross‐cultural comparison of self‐service technology use
Authors: Nilsson Daniel 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate cross‐cultural variations in the demographics of consumers using self‐service technologies (SSTs).Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires were randomly distributed to individuals in Sweden and Estonia to analyze their SST usage and demographic characteristics. Sweden and Estonia were chosen because of their cultural differences – Sweden represents an established Western European market, whereas Estonia, a former Soviet republic, is considered an emerging market.FindingsData analysis revealed that the demographics of Swedish and Estonian SST users are quite different. Swedish users are demographically heterogeneous, whereas Estonian users can be segmented according to age, gender, education, and income.Research limitations/implicationsA larger study conducted in several cultures would add to our knowledge of a culture's influence on an individual's SST usage.Practical implicationsAs this study shows, business models used in Western markets may not be applicable to emerging markets because of cultural differences. Therefore, it is important that Western firms intending to expand into emerging markets must become aware of cultural differences.Originality/valueBecause the world economy is becoming increasingly cross‐cultural, it is imperative to conduct international consumer research to further the understanding of SST usage from a global perspective. This paper provides a thorough examination of which, if any, demographical segments of consumers use SSTs and if the demographics of users vary amongst different cultures.
Measuring consumer satisfaction with consumer protection agencies: some insights from Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al‐Ghamdi Salem M. , Sadiq Sohail M. , Al‐Khaldi Abdulaziz 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the role of consumer protection agencies. In the light of growing importance of consumerism in developing countries, the paper measures the level of satisfaction with the performance provided by five different consumer protection agencies, in a chosen country, Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on a questionnaire survey conducted in Saudi Arabia. Based on a model developed for this study, the paper uses empirical research to determine customers' satisfaction with consumer protection agencies.FindingsResults based on testing of hypotheses indicate that overall satisfaction is primarily derived from the objectives and roles played by consumer protection agencies. Results reveal that consumers assign different levels of importance to various dimensions when evaluating satisfaction with consumer protection agencies in Saudi Arabia.Research limitations/implicationsLimited sample size and the generalization of results for the entire Kingdom although the sample has been confined to the eastern province region are the limitations of this study.Practical implicationsThe findings of this study have implications on the manner in which consumer protection agencies in Saudi Arabia must operate. Besides, findings of this study have also implications for business operating in Saudi Arabia.Originality/valueThis study makes a valuable contribution given the fact that there is a dearth of empirical studies covering the measurement of consumer satisfaction role played by consumer protection agencies in Saudi Arabia.
Choosing the right tools for your relationship banking strategy
Authors: Ferguson Rick , Hlavinka Kelly 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the banking industry's expanding use of loyalty marketing programs to build profitable relationships with customers. Banks' relationship‐building strategies fall into two categories: full‐blown multi‐product loyalty programs and narrower programs that expand customer rewards in one or two key product areas.Design/methodology/approachInnovative loyalty programs launched by various banks are used as examples to show how individual banks are customizing their relationship‐building strategies within the two broad categories. Those categories are broad multi‐product loyalty programs and narrower initiatives focused on key products.FindingsThe authors believe their deeper look into relationship banking reveals that, far from a magic bullet approach, banks are customizing their relationship‐building strategies to create value propositions as unique as the institutions and customers they serve. When banks use loyalty programs to engender trust and build confidence in the brand, the customer relationship will develop organically, and so will profits.Practical implicationsThere is no core list of best practices for relationship banking. By examining innovative programs and being willing to customize their strategies, banks can build enduring customer relationships that lead to growth.Originality/valueThis paper takes a look at relationship banking trends, with suggestions on how banks can incorporate these trends into successful, customized programs.
The effects of obtaining one's preferred service brand on consumer satisfaction and brand loyalty
Authors: Paswan Audhesh K. , Spears Nancy , Ganesh Gopala 
Published: March 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to focus on the feeling associated with being rejected by the preferred service brand, and its effect on consumer assessment of the alternate brand.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected using a self‐administered questionnaire in the context of higher education services targeted at the international market.FindingsConsumers who do manage to get their preferred service brand tend to be more satisfied with the features of the obtained brand and exhibit higher levels of brand loyalty towards that brand. In comparison, consumers who end up with a service brand that is not their first choice seem to have lower levels of satisfaction with and loyalty towards the obtained brand.Research limitations/implicationsA key limitation of this study is the sampling frame. Future studies should replicate this study in different service and product contexts and with different target population. In addition, the disconfirmation of expectations or desires within the framework of preferred brand attainment should be explored.Practical implicationsManagers should ensure that one's service brand is high in the consideration set. This has implications for service branding and brand positioning as well as fulfilling service brand promise through services elements. It also has implications pertaining to winning over new customers and retaining through superior service delivery – particularly the service augmentation elements, and the selection and training of service delivery personnel.Originality/valueThis study provides answers to a crucial question – “Can the number two brand ever achieve a prominent position or is it doomed to remain in the second place waiting to be picked only when consumers do not get their first choice?”