bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Development of performance‐based service strategies for the oil and gas industry: a case study
Authors: Kumar Rajesh , Markeset Tore 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe main purpose of the paper is to present a framework for the development of performance‐based service strategies for the oil and gas industry in Norway. The framework considers various influencing factors and their attributes, as well as performance factors categorized as critical success factors, performance killers and cost drivers.Design/methodology/approachA case study has been conducted to map current practices, to validate the influencing factor attributes, and to suggest performance factors. Data have been collected through an e‐mail questionnaire, face‐to‐face interviews, available documents from the industry and a literature survey.FindingsOperators of complex oil and gas production facilities are becoming increasingly dependent on service providers to support their efforts to perform according to demands. When developing a performance‐based service strategy one needs to consider influencing factors and attributes. Furthermore, one needs to measure the service delivery process performance and the gaps between required and delivered services, and to periodically reassess the service strategy influencing factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is based on a case study in the Norwegian oil and gas industry, but the results can be adapted for other industries as well.Originality/valueThe proposed framework can support practitioners in the oil and gas industry to develop performance‐based service strategies and can assist practitioners in reducing costs and improving performance.
An exploratory study of employee turnover indicators as predictors of customer satisfaction
Authors: Hurley Robert F. , Estelami Hooman 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe service profit chain postulates that higher employee satisfaction levels lead to high customer satisfaction, and ultimately affect consumer loyalty and profitability. One construct that has largely been ignored in most of this research has been the role of employee turnover. This paper proposes that employee turnover can also be a powerful predictor of employee sentiment and resulting customer satisfaction levels.Design/methodology/approachThe relationship between employee satisfaction, employee turnover and customer satisfaction ratings is explored using an extensive data set from a chain of convenience stores. Employee perceptions were obtained from a survey which developed and administered to all store personnel. Turnover data were obtained from archival data. The data are analyzed using path analysis.FindingsThe test of various turnover indicators suggests that certain employee turnover indicators can perform as effectively as single‐item employee satisfaction ratings do in predicting customer satisfaction.Originality/valueThe finding that turnover predicts customer satisfaction as effectively as employee satisfaction is new and has important implications. More attention should be paid to managing customer satisfaction through managing turnover. Also, the use of turnover as an indicator of customer satisfaction should be explored in light of the fact that employee turnover is a naturally collected managerial measure, and does not require the costly administration of employee satisfaction surveys.
Theft by library staff
Authors: Holt Glen E. 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how an effective library manager can handle the issues of employee theft of material, time, data and money.Design/methodology/approachReviews and summarizes some of the literature on the topic and recounts personal experiences.FindingsThere are different types of theft: of physical materials, of non‐financial data, of money, of time.Originality/valuePresents a useful set of general rules for success in the management of library theft.
The incorporation of market orientation in the school culture
Authors: Oplatka Izhar , Hemsley‐Brown Jane 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the major features of market orientation (MO) and its benefits for schools, suggests an inventory to measure the degree of MO in a school, and provides strategies to incorporate elements of MO into the school culture.Design/methodology/approachAn instructional, technical approach which is based on empirical literature both from business and service marketing and from the emergent research on educational marketing is taken in this article.FindingsThe paper analyzes the implications of MO for the management of school‐environment relations, and provides an inventory to measure the degree of MO in individual schools. In addition, a stage by stage approach to incorporating MO into the school culture is broadly discussed, with a focus on the principal's key role in this process.Practical implicationsThe paper concludes by suggesting some implications for future research on MO in schools and other educational institutions and highlights the significance of MO for our understanding of school marketing in the era of competition and choice.Originality/valueAs MO frequently underpins the development and implementation of successful organization‐environment relationships, the current paper is a first attempt to help principals and administrators incorporate MO into their school, thereby capitalizing on the great advantages of market‐oriented organizational cultures.
Rethinking school and community relations in Hong Kong
Authors: Wai‐ming Tam Frank 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to look at the development of schools in their communities and the tension within it. Existing theories in social development and school administration suggest that community is a place where individuals construct identity, and that a school needs to form partnerships with its community, so that together, they work to improve educational effectiveness. However, current education policies have forced schools to compete among each other for survival in the community.Design/methodology/approachThe case study method is employed, and the sample is two subsidized schools in Hong Kong, one primary and one secondary.FindingsFindings in the present study suggest that there exists a tension between schools and their community. Pressure to survive has forced schools to try various means to promote their image in order to attract students. This pressure has also forced schools to change from their detached attitude towards the community, to a concern about how to develop productive relations with it.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper provides a conceptual framework for the sustainable development of schools.Practical implicationsSchool administration needs to give balanced attention to two needs – an internal need for program differentiation and an external need for integration into the larger community. These two needs can be mutually enhancing.Originality/valueThis paper provides empirical evidence to a framework of school development which involves the external community as a critical factor.
The future of our schools
Authors: Stylianides Marios , Pashiardis Petros 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to investigate the future of education (pre‐primary, primary and secondary education) in Cyprus until the year 2020.Design/methodology/approachA three‐round Delphi forecasting technique is used in order to make predictions about the future of schools and schooling in Cyprus based on the opinions of a panel of Cypriot experts.FindingsFuture problems and difficulties, strategies for anticipating the future and possible and desirable features of the Cyprus school until the year 2020 are identified. Among these features are: increased influence of the free market, compatibility of the school with the information society, keeping pace with developments in European schools, re‐planning of the school infrastructure and programs, the increase in pupil violence, emphasis on evaluation procedures and staff development, and increased school “openness” towards society.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited in the fact that the only way to verify predictions about the future is to wait until they occur. Moreover, since it is based on the opinions of a select panel of experts, generalization of results must be made with caution.Practical implicationsThe future characteristics of Cypriot schools that have been described and the specific predictions that have been made constitute a vast think‐tank of thoughts and opinions for the future state of schools and schooling in Cyprus.Originality/valueThe results of this study constitute a rich setting of future developments for Cyprus schools, which provides a particular source of information for those who have the responsibility of creating educational policy and planning for the years to come. Further, the value of the study as a comparative paper about how educational systems can cope with future challenges is great; additionally, the methodology used was technologically advanced and could easily be imitated by other researchers who would like to utilise it in future studies.
Cultural diversity online: student engagement with learning technologies
Authors: Hannon John , D'Netto Brian 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to focus on how students from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds encounter online learning environments, and to assess the extent to which cultural factors impact on learners' engagement with online learning.Design/methodology/approachThe study explores how a culturally diverse cohort of students engage with the organisational, technological and pedagogical aspects of online learning depicted in Conole's (2004) “framework for e‐learning”. A total of 241 students in online learning programs in a large university in South Australia were surveyed, yielding a response rate of 65 percent.FindingsAnalysis indicated that cultural differences do have an impact on participant satisfaction with organisational and technological issues, with local respondents indicating significantly more positive perceptions than international respondents. Significant also was a reported lack of peer engagement and intercultural communication.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, the study was restricted to students in one large university in Australia, using one in‐house online learning system, and studying business courses. Future research could replicate the study across a range of universities and across different countries, which would enhance generalisability. In addition, researchers can expand the model used in this study, testing other variables which impact on online learning.Practical implicationsThese differences in reported engagement with online learning reflect differences in students' experience of online courses as culturally inclusive, and have implications for the quality of online education. These reported experiences may be linked to the amount of communicative interaction among students.Originality/valueThe paper examined the cultural aspects of student engagement with the organisational, technological and pedagogical components of online learning. Its findings suggest a direction to improve the quality of learning for all students by constructing a culturally inclusive online learning environment.
Outsourcing on American campuses
Authors: Glickman Theodore S. , Holm Jennifer , Keating Devlin , Pannait Claudia , White Susan C. 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide an in‐depth examination of the outsourcing of food services on a university campus.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses a detailed case study including interviews with university administrators, contractor administrators, and students and background information taken from student satisfaction surveys and local newspapers.FindingsA new set of challenges has arisen – both for the university and the corporate partners providing the outsourced services. On the one hand, universities need to ensure the delivery of high‐quality services while operating under increasing fiscal pressures. And, on the other, corporate partners are dealing with unique issues at every different institution they serve, ranging from local competition to labor availability and serviceability and low margins, among others.Research limitations/implicationsThis case study examines the events at one private university located in the mid‐Atlantic region in the USA. While many of the findings may be applicable in a variety of settings, it is not possible to draw direct inferences from a case study.Practical implicationsAs outsourcing increases at universities, administrators need to consider the unique aspects of the local environment – with respect to labor availability and wage structure, the student population and their relationship with the contracted employees, the surrounding community and the interplay among the local residents, the contractor, and its employees – as they develop the contract and structure long‐term agreements.Originality/valueEmpirical studies have examined broad trends in outsourcing at universities; this research provides valuable insight into specifics – and the insights are instructive to administrators who are in charge of managing the outsourcing.
IT, culture, context
Authors: Harrop Nick , Gillies Alan 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the implementation of a service improvement in the UK National Health Service, relevant to the National Programme for IT in the NHS.Design/methodology/approachCase study and semi‐structured interviews, relating users' interaction with information systems to other aspects of a service improvement programme.FindingsInformation technology is a major plank of public sector service reform in general. Its impact will rely on the completeness of cultural reform and the transformation of a reactive information audience into one more proactive in seeking and making opportunities for beneficial change.Research limitations/implicationsThe research reported was conducted in a single setting, preliminary to an action research project. The project's aim will be to engage NHS users in a critical appreciation of their information needs, and to contribute this appreciation to the evaluation and refinement of the National Programme for IT and its products. The advantage of a situated study stems from concrete perspective and the capture of detail. These elements are readily understood by the reader, who can then assess the level of relevance to his own situation.Practical implicationsThe intervention of a major information project ought to be synchronised in the host community with organisational development and the critical review of information needs.Originality/valueInasmuch as the NHS can be said to epitomise the social complexity of other major public sector organisations, the paper will interest readers from outside and inside the NHS. The contribution of a recipient perspective will counterbalance the tendency to “technology push” detectable in the National Programme.
Changing strategic direction for executive development in the public sector
Authors: Hagen Roulla , Liddle Joyce 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to examine the largely ignored executive development needs of the reformed twenty‐first century public sector by executive education providers in business schools.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is predominantly conceptual exploring the current debates on the effectiveness of public sector management and the requirements for more relevant management and executive education through a literature review. The antecedents of the current position are explored. Hypotheses are developed about the provision of executive education for the public sector within business schools. In the absence of previous investigations in this field, a preliminary survey is conducted employing the Financial Times top 60 ranked executive education, 2006, to test the hypothesis and underpin more in‐depth research.FindingsThe findings demonstrate that almost two‐thirds of the sample did not provide any executive education to the public sector, and most of the provision on offer was for specialised silos within the sector, or borrowed from existing private sector programmes. There was no support found from the sample for public sector new network governance or leadership challenges discussed in the paper. Findings also supported the view that there is a shortage of evidence‐based research for many of the executive programmes that are being offered.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is the first to explore the status of the field under investigation and provide a conceptual framework; whilst the preliminary empirical research has been an initial surface fact‐finding study to establish the level and size of the problem, this has been achieved. This paper will now underpin a rigorous empirical research programme to explore the subject matter in greater detail.Practical implicationsThe findings support the hypothesis that executive education providers within business schools are failing to address the management development needs of senior executives in the public sector. The paper concludes that there are huge opportunities being missed by business schools both by their management faculty, to investigate and understand the problems of the sector, and by their executive education centres to co‐design and deliver programmes to assist the sector to transform and develop effectively to meet the challenges posed by a more globalized, complex, networked world. The paper invites them to engage.Originality/valueThis paper investigates a subject that has been identified by the Academy of Management as important. It requires further research but has hitherto not received much attention from the research community.
Engaging with organisations in pursuit of improved sustainability accounting and performance
Authors: Adams Carol A. , Larrinaga‐González Carlos 
Published: June 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a case for research in ethical, social and environmental (or sustainability) accounting and accountability which engages with those organisations claiming to manage and report their sustainability performance. In addition, the paper reviews the contributions in this special issue.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides an analysis and critique of the extent of engagement research in the field of sustainability accounting and accountability. It draws on the fields of management, management accounting and critical accounting to present a case for further research engagement with sustainability accounting and accountability practice.FindingsThe paper finds that the extant literature in the field of sustainability accounting and reporting, in contrast to the fields of management accounting and management, has largely ignored practice within organisations. The lack of “engaging research” is found to be due to concerns about increasing the breadth of participants in the social accounting agenda and “managerial capture”. The paper argues that further research engaging with organisations is needed in order to identify how accounting and management systems might reduce their negative sustainability impacts. The paper argues that such research can benefit from the methodological and theoretical insights of other disciplines.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper suggests where further contributions might be made by future research endeavours engaging with organisations.Practical implicationsEngagement research in sustainability accounting and reporting has the potential to improve theorizing, practice and the sustainability performance of organisations.Originality/valueDrawing on the methods and theories of other disciplines and the papers in the special issue, the paper presents a way forward for researchers engaging with organisations practicing sustainability accounting and reporting.
Service user involvement and integrated care pathways
Authors: Smith Elizabeth , Ross Fiona M. 
Published: June 2007

PurposeUnderstanding patients' experiences of their interactions with health services is an important step in building quality from within. The purpose of this article is to look at the possibilities for involving service users in the development of the National Health Service in England through the structure of integrated care pathways (ICPs).Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review was undertaken to identify how patient experiences have been attained and used in three clinical areas: cataract care, hip replacement and knee arthroscopy. The information was weighted according to methodological criteria and synthesized according to the typical stages of each pathway. Key issues were summarised thematically across each pathway.FindingsThe findings relate to the use of patient views and experiences within organisational structures, service development, methodological research, education and training. The article identifies important issues of practical significance for involving service users in the planning and development of patient focused ICPs: such as the diversity of patients, perspectives of continuity, information and patient support and the need for methodological research.Research limitations/implicationsThe review is limited in that the literature across all three pathways tends to report findings of small studies undertaken in one clinical service or setting and most studies are not randomised or controlled.Originality/valueThe literature identified by the review contains important messages for both NHS policy and future research to involve service users in the planned expansion and plurality of NHS care.
A two‐level EFQM self‐assessment in an Italian hospital
Authors: Vernero Sandra , Nabitz Udo , Bragonzi Gilberto , Rebelli Alessio , Molinari Rita 
Published: June 2007

PurposeAn assessment of the EFQM excellence model was carried out in Italy's Udine Hospital, aimed at evaluating how first and second‐level managers perceived their hospital and individual departments. The study objectives also included identifying strengths and areas requiring improvement and stimulating a quality culture.Design/methodology/approachUdine's S. Maria della Misericordia Hospital is a large specialised unit in North East Italy and similar to many regional hospitals throughout the country. The survey is a single case study of the hospital and its ten clinical departments. A 153‐item questionnaire was completed by 201 experienced respondents.FindingsLeadership, policy and strategy, partnership and resources were rated highly, whereas people, society and customer results received lower ratings. Several improvement actions were planned, primarily with regard to the results criteria.Practical implicationsA two‐level self‐assessment was successfully carried out in a hospital, giving insight into the organisation's strengths and areas requiring improvement. Through the study, a systemic approach was introduced and quality awareness was heightened.Originality/valueThe findings are useful for other hospitals conducting EFQM self‐assessment.