bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Are public libraries led or managed?
Authors: Mullins John , Linehan Margaret 
Published: July 2006

PurposeTo investigate senior library leaders' perceptions of leadership, and to critically explore whether senior librarians distinguish classic leadership from management/administrative practices, both conceptually and in their work lives.Design/methodology/approachThirty top‐level public librarians from Ireland, Britain, and the east coast of the United States were selected for inclusion in this study. A review of the relevant literature was conducted in order to design an interview guide which was then used to conduct structured in‐depth face‐to‐face interviews.FindingsMany responses from the senior librarians indicated an apparent ignorance of any distinction between leadership and management. Eighty per cent of respondents tended to confuse leadership with headship, management, administration, or bureaucracy, or a combination of these. The findings argue that classic leadership is a relatively scarce quality in public libraries in Britain, Ireland, and America. Many public library leaders, instead, focus on management/administration.Practical implicationsThe findings have practical implications for librarians at the recruitment and selection stage, and later on for the career paths of middle management personnel who show aptitudes for leadership.Originality/valueThis study of the perceptions of senior public library leaders, across national boundaries, makes a theoretical contribution both to the limited extant literature on leadership in librarianship, and the broad corpus of organizational leadership literature. The current study is the most in‐depth study to date, drawing on thirty face‐to‐face interviews with thirty public library leaders.
A model for information literacy course development: a liberal arts university perspective
Authors: Loo Alfred , Chung C.W. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeTo report a new model for information literacy course development, one derived from a liberal arts university perspective; and to describe the experience of delivering the course.Design/methodology/approachReviews recent studies in Information Literacy and incorporates these research findings into the model, which is then applied in practice.FindingsThat each university needs to align course development with its individual mission and unique environment – thus, to a greater or lesser extent, a specific model is required for course design in each context.Research limitations/implicationsThere is an underlying research principle in this paper which implies that information literacy is not a generic subject and that particular aspects of the local context can be too easily ignored, for example, in the attempt to standardise and codify national (or even international) approaches to information literacy.Practical implicationsThe findings of this paper offer new ways for delivering IL instruction in the classroom context, ways which have been tested in a real practice environment.Originality/valueThe paper describes a course originated by academic faculty into which library staff were then integrated; it also suggests a variety of original factors that need to be incorporated into information literacy course design.
Collaborative tagging as a knowledge organisation and resource discovery tool
Authors: Macgregor George , McCulloch Emma 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to provide an overview of the collaborative tagging phenomenon and explore some of the reasons for its emergence.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reviews the related literature and discusses some of the problems associated with, and the potential of, collaborative tagging approaches for knowledge organisation and general resource discovery. A definition of controlled vocabularies is proposed and used to assess the efficacy of collaborative tagging. An exposition of the collaborative tagging model is provided and a review of the major contributions to the tagging literature is presented.FindingsThere are numerous difficulties with collaborative tagging systems (e.g. low precision, lack of collocation, etc.) that originate from the absence of properties that characterise controlled vocabularies. However, such systems can not be dismissed. Librarians and information professionals have lessons to learn from the interactive and social aspects exemplified by collaborative tagging systems, as well as their success in engaging users with information management. The future co‐existence of controlled vocabularies and collaborative tagging is predicted, with each appropriate for use within distinct information contexts: formal and informal.Research limitations/implicationsLibrarians and information professional researchers should be playing a leading role in research aimed at assessing the efficacy of collaborative tagging in relation to information storage, organisation, and retrieval, and to influence the future development of collaborative tagging systems.Practical implicationsThe paper indicates clear areas where digital libraries and repositories could innovate in order to better engage users with information.Originality/valueAt time of writing there were no literature reviews summarising the main contributions to the collaborative tagging research or debate.
Do CEOs shape the process of making strategic decisions? Evidence from Greece
Authors: Papadakis Vassilis M. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeSeeks to investigate the extent to which CEOs shape the process of making strategic decisions (SDs). Despite the significant research interest in this topic, knowledge is still incomplete.Design/methodology/approachUsing evidence from a sample of 107 SDs, studied in Greece, the present paper explores the influence of CEO personality and demographic characteristics on the process of making SDs. A number of environmental and internal organisational variables are used as control variables measuring the broader context.FindingsThe results suggest that the broader context is on average more influential than the CEO. However, the CEO's demographic characteristics appear to influence several process characteristics (i.e. rationality, hierarchical decentralisation and politicisation). CEO personality characteristics do not appear to have any significant influence on the process.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper focuses on only a few personality and demographic characteristics. The use of a different set of CEO characteristics (e.g. functional specialisation, etc.) as well as the characteristics of the top management team is more than welcome. More empirical studies are needed to replicate and extend this study by examining variables not included here.Practical implicationsConventional wisdom as well as recent empirical evidence holds that the management style of Greek companies tends to be rather centralised, and dominated by one powerful individual. The results contradict this belief. It seems that in order to survive and achieve long‐term viability, Greek companies were forced to introduce changes in their management style, including a more team‐based style of decision making. In such a context, personality characteristics of the CEO or any other single influential player may not decisively affect the SD process.Originality/valueFew studies have examined empirically the influence of such a combination of factors on strategic decision processes.
The impact of managerial cognitions on the structure‐conduct‐performance (SCP) paradigm
Authors: Panagiotou George 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe structure‐conduct‐performance (SCP) paradigm was devised over half a century ago in an effort to contextualise and explain industry dynamics. However, the framework suffers from a number of shortcomings and, consequently, it has been criticised over the years. Yet, despite its weaknesses, it has survived its criticisms and is still used in industrial organisations (IOs) for the purposes of competitive analysis. In time, the framework has also been adopted by strategic management, and in the area of strategic groups it holds a prominent position in the literature. This study aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThe study is cross‐sectional and is based on primary research. It involves face‐to‐face semi‐structured interviews and the sample size is near to the sampling frame of the research.FindingsThe paper develops a cognitive dimension and, based on the findings of primary research, extends the framework in a manner that provides a better insight into competitive dynamics.Originality/valueThis article views the SCP paradigm from a strategic perspective and discusses its limitations.
The language of management studies: poetical ways of saying
Authors: Berman Brown Reva 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe linkages between the techniques of poetical expression and the language used by scholars to communicate management practice.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is to consider the stylistic perspective of the language used for management theorising or research, viewing the documents produced by management researchers as communicating devices and cultural products which contribute to the creation or construction of the reality that they seek to describe and analyse.FindingsThe paper uncovers the poetic aspects buried – often deeply – in the language of management studies through which the concepts of, and ideas about, management are expressed.Originality/valueThe links between ways of saying usually considered to be in opposition are made known, and enjoyed.
Metaphor, poetry, storytelling and cross‐cultural leadership
Authors: Grisham Thomas 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the theory and benefits of poetry, storytelling, and metaphor when applied to cross‐cultural leadership.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology utilized is founded on preliminary research on metaphors, poetry and leadership with examples and connections based upon experience.FindingsExplains how the use of poetry and metaphors can be utilized by a leader to build trust and demonstrate empathy; how to communicate more effectively; and, how to inspire.Research limitations/implicationsPossible future research on the psychological and sociological aspects of the messages that most impel, mobilize, and inspire people to act on complex ideas.Practical implicationsLeaders can approach communications, empathy, and trust with a tool that will enable them to inspire action in complex cultural environments.Originality/valueThere has been little published on the connection between effective leadership and the use of poetry and metaphor. Leadership requires the ability to inspire the desire to follow, and to ignite the intellect and emotions of those who follow.
The sweetest dreams that labor knows: Robert Frost and the poetics of work
Authors: Islam Gazi , Zyphur Michael J. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to use the work of Robert Frost to give insights into the diverse meanings that work holds in daily lived experience. It aims to use this analysis to discuss general ways in which the content and formal properties of poetry allow unique insights into the world of work.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses the approach of literary criticism and analysis to give insights into how work can be experienced as personally liberating but also culturally stifling, a tool both for and against human self‐fulfilment. After a brief discussion of the use of poetry to understand organizational life, various excerpts from Frost's well‐known and lesser known works are analyzed.FindingsThrough a series of passages in Frost's works, the paper shows how these illuminations of the poet's own experiences hold insights by which scholars can understand the experience of work more generally.Practical implicationsIt is argued that an understanding of poetry is a way for scholars to expand their understanding of the world of work, both through paying attention to the contents of poems and, more generally, from considering a poetic form of expression as shot‐through with theoretical and epistemic insights.Originality/valueWhile some papers have incorporated poetic expressions and explanations for various organizational phenomena, this work represents an attempt to incorporate this rarely studied feature into organizational studies. To the authors' knowledge, the mainstream organizational literature has few if any in‐depth poetic analysis, and none of the work of Frost, whose focus on work is widespread and illuminating.
Narratives of enterprise as epic tragedy
Authors: Hamilton Eleanor 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe pupose of this paper is to explore the power of narrative in management and enterprise research. It is inspired by Paul Ricoeur's philosophical understanding of the relationship between life and narrative. He draws on Aristotle's Poetics and the notion of emplotment (muthos in Greek), which embodies both imaginary story (fable) and well‐constructed story (plot). This study identifies aspects of narratives of enterprise, which resonate with Aristotle's key elements of emplotment in tragedy.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative, interpretive study relies on narrative as a way of knowing and as a form of communication. The stories as told by 16 participants in in‐depth interviews, are analysed and interpreted in terms of the key elements set out in Aristotle's Poetics – reversals, recognition and suffering.FindingsThis form of literary interpretation throws into relief aspects of the founding of a family business across the generations. The dynamics of the “family” in the business, the nature and extent of the family engagement in the business is revealed.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes to understanding the intergenerational dynamics of family and business. It illustrates, therefore, that study of the family is central to understanding family business. This calls into question the common assumption that the individual owner manager, or entrepreneur, is synonymous with the business, and therefore necessarily the most appropriate focus for research.Originality/valueThe narrative approach has remained, to date, under‐utilised in family business research. In adopting Aristotlean principles as a framework this study links enterprise activity with the central traditions of Western literature and provides a fresh understanding of enterprise as epic plot.
Entrepreneurship and the small to medium‐sized enterprise
Authors: Day John , Reynolds Paul , Lancaster Geoff 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to suggest a framework for competing theories of entrepreneurship but to argue for transparency in one's attempts to understand this phenomenon. Then to argue that, when matching small business advisers to small business, one should consider their entrepreneurial abilities and match as appropriate. A parsimonious method is suggested to measure entrepreneurial ability – divergent thinking.Design/methodology/approachA discussion of entrepreneurship and a proposed matrix that considers the relative entrepreneurial abilities of both partners and is then expanded to account for different decision scenarios.FindingsA simple test for divergent thinking is suggested to measure entrepreneurship, applied to some hypothetical scenarios, and is supported by some broad evidence on the relationship between small businesses and commercial banks.Research limitations/implicationsAt this stage a conceptual article but with real implications for managing SME and adviser relationships.Practical implicationsShould lead to a better understanding by both the SME and their advisers of what each party needs to contribute to ensure a successful outcome.Originality/valueProvides a framework for classifying entrepreneurship and a different perspective on the SME and adviser relationship; suggests a different way from, say, traditional entrepreneurial orientation scales by which to measure entrepreneurial capacity of either the adviser or the SME.
Short‐term strategic alliances: a social exchange perspective
Authors: Bignoux Stephane 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a social exchange perspective of planned short‐term dyadic strategic alliances.Design/methodology/approachThe article adopts a conceptual approach drawing on social exchange theory to elicit innovative conclusions about short‐term dyadic strategic alliances.FindingsFinds that planned short‐term dyadic strategic alliances are difficult to manage, limit social control mechanisms, limit reciprocal activity and interrupt the development of trust.Practical implicationsThe article can help managers and analysts working in investment banking to understand the underlying causes of alliance instability and/or failure in their industry.Originality/valueThe article offers practical insights into the functioning and management of short‐term dyadic alliances which will be of interest to both researchers and practising managers.
The role of human resource development in preventing organisational stagnation
Authors: Blackman Deborah A. , Lee‐Kelley Liz 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue that how HRD is undertaken needs careful consideration, since some HRD implementation schemes may actually prevent the acquisition of new knowledge, thereby developing stagnation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses qualitative data derived from learning and non‐learning organisations. The data were collected from four companies via open‐ended questionnaires and structured interviews.FindingsThe paper demonstrates how strongly shared mental models may affect organisational HRD processes in such a way as to trigger closure to new knowledge and learning. The types of learning and knowledge present in the organisations are found to limit the possibility of radical change.Research limitations/implicationsHRD implementation systems themselves may strengthen mental models, thereby allowing the difficulties to emerge because the learning and knowledge being developed will only support incremental change if any. The potential reversion of the direction of organisational learning is mooted, indicating that new ideas may either not enter the system or be rejected once they are perceived. HRD systems need to be designed to develop and maintain organisational openness.Originality/valueThe danger of HRD exacerbating organisational closure is explained. An alternative role for HRD professionals is outlined, with the new focus being on developing ongoing challenge at all times. The paper concludes that, although properly structured and thoughtfully implemented HRD can be a positive driver for organisational learning, HRD developments need to focus on the type of knowledge being developed as well as the level of learning.
Considerations of emotional intelligence (EI) in dealing with change decision management
Authors: Chrusciel Don 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show that the use of Emotional Intelligence (EI) is proposed as a means to assess how an organization can improve staff performance and productivity (emphasis on leadership), and develop a more effective Human Resources strategy to deal with organizational change.Design/methodology/approachThrough the examination of contemporary research and following a definition review of EI, the service sector benefits, use as a metric, and influence on an organization's human resources strategy (recruitment and training) are presented as justification for EI being a positive influence on the change transformation management strategy.FindingsResearch suggests that EI may be a predictor of success, not unlike IQ, in cognitive‐based performance. By incorporating considerations of EI into the organization's change management philosophy, not only does the individual employee have opportunity to improve, but the enterprise gains as well.Research limitations/implicationsEI is offered as a metric to measure the success not only of the organization, but also of the individual employee. Caution is recommended to consider the return‐on‐investment in using this metric based on the appropriate and expected utilization.Originality/valueThis article addresses how EI can be viewed as a positive influence for improving staff ability to manage the organization's business as well as provide some insight of progress assessment during times of major uncertainty caused by significant change. In this way an organization can facilitate change in a positive climate and influence the culture to be more adaptive and agile. The end result can be an organization that does demonstrate sensitivity even during significant change transformations.
Automation of acquisition records and routine in the University Library, Newcastle upon Tyne
Authors: Line Maurice B. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeReports on the trial of an automated order routine for the University Library in Newcastle which began in April 1966.Design/methodology/approachPresents the author's experiences of the manual order processing system, and the impetus for trialling an automated system. The stages of the automated system are described in detail.FindingsTime spent on processing recommendation slips was reduced by 30 percent using the automated system. Important data and printouts can be produced which should lead to a reduction in clerical time and enable accounting to be done automatically.Originality/valueThe paper has historical value.
Forty years of library automation: a personal reflection
Authors: Line Maurice B. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeTo provide an overview of one person's involvement with computer systems in libraries over the last 40 years.Design/methodology/approachPersonal memories corroborated with published articles.FindingsThere have been very many developments in libraries in a comparatively short period of time as a result of using computer systems, and this may only be the start of a revolution.Originality/valueOf relevance to anyone interested in historical aspects of library automation.