bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Supplier management and its relationship to buyers' quality management
Authors: Theodorakioglou Ypatia , Gotzamani Katerina , Tsiolvas George 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to focus on dyadic buyer‐supplier relationship as part of supply chain management (SCM) and to relate implementation of supplier management practices to intra‐firm implementation of quality management (QM) practices. The aim is to identify possible relationships between the two sets of management practices.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted in the Greek manufacturing industry, with the use of questionnaires, examining the relationship between supplier management in the SCM context and intra‐firm QM implementation.FindingsResearch findings, which represent buyers' point‐of‐view, reveal a positive correlation between supplier management practices and QM practices, providing an empirical support to the basic research hypothesis.Research limitations/implicationsThere was only one respondent in each buyer company. Also, only a mail survey was used as a research technique and only buyers' perspective was reflected in the data. Future research can be based on both buyers' and suppliers' perspective, asking more than one person and using case studies and phone or face‐to‐face interviews.Practical implicationsThe study aims to encourage firms to adopt a QM philosophy and implement QM practices in their way to SCM implementation. Quality practices are widely accepted to result in intra‐firm coordination and integration. Given that internal integration is a prerequisite for thorough SCM implementation, QM can serve as a strong base for SCM implementation.Originality/valueThe research verifies that intra‐firm adoption of the quality philosophy can lead firms to better supplier management in the SCM context. Managers should focus on QM in their way to SCM implementation.
Assessing supply chain management success factors: a case study
Authors: Rao Tummala V.M. , Phillips Cheryl L.M. , Johnson Melanie 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine important operational issues related to strategic success factors that are necessary when implementing SCM plans in an organization.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire was distributed to top and middle management within a large manufacturing firm, specializing in producing consumer and building products, to examine the importance and the extent to which the selected manufacturing company practiced the strategies based on these identified operational issues.FindingsReducing cost of operations, improving inventory, lead times and customer satisfaction, increasing flexibility and cross‐functional communication, and remaining competitive appear to be the most important objectives to implement SCM strategies. The responses by the survey respondents indicate that not enough resources were allocated to implement and support SCM initiatives in their divisions. In addition, they perceived that resource allocation could be improved in the areas of better information systems, greater commitment, setting clear‐cut goals, increased training, more personnel, and aligning SCM initiatives with current priorities and resource commitments.Practical implicationsThe results will help to provide greater understanding of strategic and operational issues that support SCM framework and implementing SCM strategies to reduce supply chain‐wide costs and meeting customer service levels.Originality/valueThe results will be useful for business managers to understand and implement SCM plans in terms of their importance and the company's culture.
Some psychological motivations for fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking
Authors: Bertrandias Laurent , Goldsmith Ronald E. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeTo model the relationships between consumer need for uniqueness and attention to social comparison information with fashion opinion leadership and fashion opinion seeking.Design/methodology/approachA total of 201 US undergraduate students were surveyed and standard scales were used to measure consumer need for uniqueness, attention to social comparison information, fashion opinion leadership, and fashion opinion seeking.FindingsBoth consumer need for uniqueness and attention to social comparison information were positively related to fashion opinion leadership. Attention to social comparison information was also positively related to fashion opinion seeking, but consumer need for uniqueness was negatively related to fashion opinion seeking.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are limited to US consumers and the convenience sample. Other limitations include the specific measures used, and the cross‐sectional survey method prevents one from making causal statements. The effects of other, unmeasured variables could not be assessed.Practical implicationsApparel marketers seeking to encourage opinion leaders to promote their lines of new clothing might devise appeals emphasizing the social significance of the new products and how they bestow uniqueness on their owners. Such appeals might be more effective than those not stressing these psychological motivations. Appeals to consumers more likely to seek than to give opinions might also stress the social significance of the clothing, but appeals to uniqueness might not be effective with these consumers. Perhaps a belongingness appeal would be more effective.Originality/valueThese psychological concepts have not been studied very much in the clothing/fashion product domain. They give new insights into the psychology of clothing opinion leaders and opinion seekers.
Exploratory study of virtual communities of apparel retailers
Authors: Kim Hye‐Shin , Jin Byoungho 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis study aims to present a general overview of the characteristics of virtual communities hosted by apparel retailers.Design/methodology/approachContent analysis was conducted on 2,521 web sites hosted by apparel retailers. Web sites of apparel retailers were identified from Stores Magazine “top 100 specialty retailers” and “top 100 retailers” listings, and Google search engine directory. Web sites were analyzed in terms of general characteristics of apparel retailers (e.g. apparel product categories, ability to purchase online, presence of brick‐and‐mortar stores). Two coders individually visited each web site and coded the contents.FindingsA total of 13 virtual communities hosted by apparel retailers were found. Apparel retailers selling casual merchandise to the young teen market had the strongest representation. Most of the virtual communities used bulletin or message board tools. About half of the virtual communities had registration requirements and rules or membership policies. Discussion topics of community members varied.Research limitations/implicationsThe small percentage of apparel retailers hosting virtual communities indicates that more evidence is needed to make it a compelling case for retailers to host virtual communities. Virtual communities may be of value to marketers for consumer research and feedback.Originality/valueThis paper examines virtual communities of consumption hosted by companies that sell apparel products.
Aso‐oke: a Nigerian classic style and fashion fabric
Authors: Agbadudu A.B. , Ogunrin F.O. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeHow hand‐weaving skills got to Nigeria, from where and when, have been tentatively answered in the literature and virtually every ethnic group in the country weaves. Aso‐oke fabric has been woven by the Yorubas of Western Nigeria for decades. This study therefore sets out to find possible reasons for the fabric's continued acceptance by Nigerians.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 100 respondents taken in Benin City, capital of Edo state, Nigeria was studied by means of field survey tool of questionnaire and the responses to rating scale questions were tested for significance using the “t‐test”.FindingsThe analysis revealed that aso‐oke consumption is being sustained through frequent product modification, and deeply rooted socio‐cultural factors. The fabric appears to be both a style and a fashion.Practical implicationsIn spite of its long‐standing popularity, aso‐oke has a number of negative attributes. Specifically, consumers would be more satisfied if weavers employ only color‐fast yarns in weaving, and produce lighter‐weight aso‐oke fabrics that suit all purposes and are also shrinkage‐resistant.Originality/valueThe unique contribution of this paper is its emphasis on the consumption of aso‐oke fabric. Previous studies focused on the weaving aspect: weaving technology, weavers' ingenuity and skills, and the history of cloth weaving in Nigeria. A few of these studies examined the cultural uses of particular motifs of the fabric.
The role of the mass media in investor relations
Authors: Davis Aeron 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to observe the investor relations (IR) process from the perspective of media sociologists.Design/methodology/approachThe focus of the piece is the changing role of the financial news media in equities markets. It is based on two lengthy periods of research into the part played by communications in investment in the London Stock Exchange. The research looked at three sets of participants and three stages of the communications process: financial public/IR and the IR function, financial journalists and news reporting, and professional investors and their evaluation processes. Much of the work involved semi‐structured interviews with over 100 high‐level participants.FindingsThe findings suggest a slow decline in the importance of financial news media in the investment process. However, financial news also continues to play a significant role in trading in the city and can, at times, still have a powerful impact on investment patterns. Consequently, all sides – companies, IR practitioners, analysts and investment managers – continue to target and consume it.Originality/valueThe paper introduces readers to theories and research methods used in the adjacent research field of media and communications.
Relationship maintenance strategies onFortune500 company web sites
Authors: Ki Eyun‐Jung , Childers Hon Linda 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how organizations enact positivity, openness, access, sharing of tasks, and networking through their web sites. The paper also aims to investigate whether, different types of industries display different levels of relationship strategy.Designs/methodology/approachA content analysis of 286 web sites was conducted to determine how corporations use their site as a communication medium for building and nurturing relationships with publics. Company web sites were selected from theFortune 500list according to industry type. The sites were analyzed for the presence and quality of variables identified in the public relations literature as measures of relationship maintenance strategies.FindingsThe study's first research question addressed how the sampled organizations display use of relationship maintenance strategies through their web sites. The results revealed that openness was the strategy used most frequently. The quality of the openness dimension also was rated more highly than it was for any of the other strategies. The second research question explored whether industry type made a difference in organizations' use of the relationship maintenance strategies. A statistically significant difference among industry type was found for three of the strategies – positivity, openness, and access.Originality/valueThis study gives guidelines as to how companies can use their web sites more proactively to build and maintain relationships with their publics. The study also provides some insights into why some types of organizations might be more likely than others to use web sites for relationship maintenance. This study's primary contribution to public relations theory is its original focus on strategies for organization‐public relationship maintenance and this study also sought to identify and measure the quality of maintenance strategies.
Defining realities
Authors: Barbaro Geoff 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine how organisations generate the additional value from community consultation and take advantage of the opportunities that engagement with the community can present.Design/methodology/approachThe paper derives from the author's experiences as a public relations officer. In 2000, he experienced two consultations on the same topic while working for the City of Melbourne. The first was a consultation imposed by the State Government on whether supervised injecting facilities should be introduced in Victoria to deal with the growing heroin problem. The second was the development of the City's Drug Action Plan. The contrast between these two consultations was stark and motivated the author to share his thoughts on community consultation.FindingsMore successful community consultations, and more creative results, are achieved by consulting about the problem, allowing the community and organisation to come up with solutions together. This approach was particularly successful in the development and implementation of the City of Melbourne Drug Action Plan in 2000. Community consultation can be a very effective tool when used appropriately by organisations that are prepared to utilise the knowledge and expertise of the communities they deal with.Originality/valueWhile this paper deals predominantly with community relations in the organisational operations context, the techniques described are valid and useful for all community relations projects regardless of definition, and indeed can be used in other forms of public relations and public affairs.
What should public relations theory do, practically speaking?
Authors: Cheney George , Thøger Christensen Lars 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss issues of PR theory and practice.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents seven questions that are crucial to the conversation between PR theory and practice. The questions center on these concepts, in turn: identity/image, organizational culture, modes of representation, advocacy, audiences (including “the self”), dialogue in idealism and practice, and social engagement.FindingsThe persistent, negative reputation of PR has to be of concern to theorists as well as practitioners. PR has tended to ignore, hold static, or even render invisible the internal affairs of organizations, including the values, opinions and preferences of employees. The idea of representation, with its epistemological, political, and linguistic senses, can help to inform PR theory through a full‐blown consideration of what it means to “stand for” an organization or a cause or an industry. Advocates of PR practice who essentially argue that “the wrangle of the marketplace of ideas” will yield some kind of truth, or at least a high‐quality debate, fail to acknowledge that the quantity of views expressed and the quantity of organizations engaged may no more bring us toward genuine deliberative democracy than 500 TV channels make us better informed. In PR practice, as well as in marketing and other communication functions of the organization, a great deal of the symbols organizations produce are both shaped by and tailored to self‐consumption. Rather than assuming that the procedural correctness of symmetrical communication systems is necessarily to the same as dialogue, PR scholars and practitioners need to come to terms with the more subtle forms of power at play when organizations engage in talks and negotiations with their stakeholders. The paper advocates a perspective that takes into account the full “pragmatic” possibilities of persuasive campaigns – viewed not only in isolation but also in terms of their broader and cumulative effects.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the debate on PR theory and practice.
What is the role of public relation theory?
Authors: Watts Reginald 
Published: July 2006

PurposeTo discuss the role of public relations theory.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses the importance of public relations theory.FindingsPublic relations spans many academic disciplines. Its role is to dissect and critically examine their relevant elements and apply them coherently to professional practice. Public relations needs to mobilise elements from the great body of academic work that already exists and translate that work into methodologies suitable for practitioner use. Unless public relations comes to terms with the dearth of knowledge concerning how people take meaning from the channels by which we communicate our work will not be advanced.Originality/valueThe paper stresses that the future rests within a theoretical diaspora, whereby if public relations can enter a new era of effectiveness invading disciplines can be repelled and true modernisation achieved.
Theory on strategic communication management is the key to unlocking the boardroom
Authors: Bütschi Gerhard , Steyn Benita 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue that academics should have an intimate understanding of the practical problems facing the corporate communication/public relations profession.Design/methodology/approachThe paper discusses how good theory should guide research towards crucial questions and enlighten the profession.FindingsAcademics should build theory that guides research toward crucial questions to enlighten the profession. The research agenda should include macro issues such as the purpose of corporate communication in the new business paradigm; its contribution to organisational effectiveness; scope of delivery; strategy development and alignment; functional integration; return on investment; and the core competencies, processes and structures needed to enhance performance. This will create the knowledge to rectify current criticisms and fulfil top management expectations of the corporate communication function.Originality/valueThe paper highlights how theory on strategic communication management is the key to unlocking the boardroom.
On the challenge of practice informed by theory
Authors: Toth Elizabeth L. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to outline the challenge of practice informed by theory in public relations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper offers a brief discussion of theoretical understanding in public relations.FindingsThe paper advocates that knowledge building must include theoretical research that explains and improves practice.Originality/valueThe paper stresses the importance of scholars integrating their theory making with practice.
Early intervention programs: an effective police accountability tool, or punishment of the productive?
Authors: Michelle Lersch Kim , Bazley Tom , Mieczkowski Tom 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to examine one agency's experience with their early intervention program (EIP), exploring the specifics of the program as well as the characteristics of the officers who were identified by their EIP criteria.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from calendar year 2000 that were provided from the Internal Affairs Bureau of a large Southern police department, the characteristics of EIP and non‐EIP flagged officers, the classifying criteria examined, and the issue of productivity and opportunity investigated as they related to the classification criteria.FindingsEIP officers were more likely to be younger, male, and have fewer years of experience. Additionally, these officers made more arrests, filed more use of force reports, and used higher levels of force. All qualifications were based on the use of force. The findings highlighted the importance of considering the productivity of an officer along with the EIP criteria: opportunity (defined as the number of use of force reports filed) and the use of high force were inversely related. Among officers with the highest proportion of high force usage, none was classified as an EIP officer.Research limitations/implicationsFindings are based on a single year from a single agency. No controls were able to be made for geographic assignment, potentially an important consideration.Practical implicationsA very useful source of information for agencies wishing to adopt or modify an EIP program.Originality/valueAs one of the first empirical analyses of EIPs, the research presented here sparks a debate on a number of issues, including the definition of “opportunity” and how agencies can improve their EIP systems.
Assessing the quality of police services using SERVQUAL
Authors: Donnelly Mike , Kerr Neil J. , Rimmer Russell , Shiu Edward M. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the application of the SERVQUAL approach to assess the quality of service of Strathclyde Police in Scotland. Measuring service quality in public services is fraught with difficulty – especially in public services where customers are vulnerable citizens whose contact with the service may be limited.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reports on a SERVQUAL survey of elected representatives serving the area covered by Strathclyde Police Force. The survey captures respondents' expectations of an excellent police service and compares these with their perceptions of the service delivered by Strathclyde Police. The paper also reports on a parallel SERVQUAL survey of police officers in Strathclyde to examine how well the force understands its customers' expectations and how well its internal processes support the delivery of top quality policing services.FindingsWhile there is a significant shortfall in meeting customer expectations, the police force appears to have a good understanding of what these expectations actually are. There also appear to be gaps in the formalisation of service quality standards, in the force's ability to meet established standards, and in its ability to deliver the level of service it promises to customers.Research limitations/implicationsA key technical result is that the primary SERVQUAL instrument appears to be internally consistent but lacks discriminatory validity between the five SERVQUAL dimensions in this service arena.Practical implicationsThe paper will be of interest to strategic and operational police service managers and to academics investigating the reliability and value of service quality assessment tools.Originality/valueThe paper reports an original application of the SERVQUAL approach to police services.
Measuring police efficiency in India: an application of data envelopment analysis
Authors: Verma Arvind , Gavirneni Srinagesh 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to develop a method for measuring police efficiency.Design/methodology/approachThe design of this paper is to apply the technique of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a comparative or relative efficiency measuring mechanism to police‐work‐related data from India. This application provides a rationale for identifying good performance practices. It helps in generating targets of performance, the optimum levels of operations, role models that inefficient departments can emulate and the extent to which improvements can be made over a period of time.FindingsThe paper measures the performances of State police units in India and the results suggest ways in which some State police departments can improve their overall efficiency.Practical implicationsThe paper suggests ways in which the efficiency of any unit of criminal justice systems may be formulated and compared across different units of the system.Originality/valueThe value is that it introduces a new technique to police practitioners and researchers and demonstrates its efficacy by case analysis from India.