bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Economic pressure, multi‐tiered subcontracting and occupational health and safety in Australian long‐haul trucking
Authors: Mayhew Claire , Quinlan Michael 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to analyse the relationship between economic pressure, multi‐tiered subcontracting and occupational health and safety (OHS) outcomes for employee and owner/drivers in long‐haul trucking, using Australian evidence.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on direct interviews with 300 long‐haul drivers, using a structured questionnaire along with an examination of documentary records, statistics and government reports. Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered on self‐reported acute and chronic injuries, the incidence of occupational violence, truck crashes, indicators of illicit drug use, hours of work/fatigue and psychological distress.FindingsVariations between owner/drivers and employees working for small and large firms were investigated. Overall, owner/drivers reported worse OHS than small fleet and, more especially, large fleet drivers. Evidence also indicated a connection between economic pressure, the expansion of contingent work and negative OHS outcomes.Research limitations/implicationsFurther longitudinal and comparative research is needed to test the hypothesized link between competitive pressures, supply chain rationalization and OHS outcomes. Research to investigate these issues in other countries is required in order to compare findings with those for Australia and to assess the effectiveness of new enforcement initiatives.Practical implicationsFindings suggest the need for policy interventions aimed at improving OHS to address commercial practices, including elaborate subcontracting chains, more explicitly than is currently the case with road transport regulation. Recent moves in this direction are identified.Originality/valueUnlike manufacturing, healthcare and the public sector, there have been few studies of the OHS effects associated with contingent work arrangements in transport. In addition to helping to fill this gap the paper provides evidence on the effects of competitive pressure and supply chains on work practices and OHS.
The OHS regulatory challenges posed by agency workers: evidence from Australia
Authors: Johnstone Richard , Quinlan Michael 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to analyse the problems for occupational health and safety (OHS) regulators posed by agency work/leased labour (also known as labour hire in Australasia), using Australian evidence.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis is based on an examination of prosecutions involving labour hire firms along with other documentary records (union, industry and government reports and guidance material). The study also draws on interviews with approximately 200 regulatory officials, employers and union representatives since 2001 and workplace visits with 40 OHS inspectors in 2004‐2005.FindingsThe triangular relationship entailed in labour leasing, in combination with the temporary nature of most placements, poses serious problems for government agencies in terms of enforcing OHS standards notwithstanding a growing number of successful prosecutions for breaches of legislative duties by host and labour leasing firms.Research limitations/implicationsResearch to investigate these issues in other countries and compare findings with those for Australia is required, along with assessing the effectiveness of new enforcement initiatives.Practical implicationsThe paper assesses existing regulatory responses and highlights the need for new regulatory strategies to combat the problems posed by labour.Originality/valueThe OHS problems posed by agency work have received comparatively little attention. The paper provides insights into the specific problems posed for OHS regulators and how inspectorates are trying to address them.
Defining market orientation for libraries
Authors: Sen Barbara 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis paper is the result of exploratory research forming part of ongoing study into the value and relevance of market orientation as a strategic option for library managers. The aim of the study is to define the concept of market orientation relative to the library sector.Design/methodology/approachA series of focus groups and field interviews were carried out in order to validate the established constructs of market orientation prevalent in the management literature. Focus groups were used to gather data from librarians working at different levels in two different sectors, health and arts. Interviews were carried out with library service managers in two other sectors, academic and public. Senior library policy makers were also interviewed. The object was to gain an indication of the breadth of opinion across sectors. The data were coded and analysed using a taxonomic map developed during the study.FindingsMarket orientation is a concept that library professionals see as being valuable. Library managers define market orientation in the same way as the concept is defined in the management literature. Their understanding of the concept is developing.Research implications/limitationsThere are implications for further research. Methods used to measure market orientation in other domains are likely to be relevant for libraries.Practical implicationsFostering an organisational culture that supports market orientation has implications for service management and development.Originality/valueResearch in market orientation in libraries is limited. This study provides the basis for research development into market orientation and its value for libraries.
Institutional repositories: review and an information systems perspective
Authors: Anne Kennan Mary , Wilson Concepción 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to review the current literature and discussion on institutional repository (IR) and open access (OA) issues, to provide examples from the information systems (IS) literature, and to propose the use of IS literature and further research to inform understanding of institutional repository implementations for library managers.Design/methodology/approachRecent literature is reviewed to provide the background to, and current issues in, the development of institutional repositories to support open access to refereed research output.FindingsThe brief examples in this paper indicate that research can build on existing knowledge already gained by IS researchers to enhance our understanding of IR and their users. Research can also lead to learning to create more successful IR implementations and therefore the more successful dissemination of refereed research output and other intellectual and research contributions of institutions such as universities.Practical implicationsExisting research is identified, as are areas for potential research. Brief examples from IS literature are provided which may provide strategies for libraries and other organisations to speed up their implementation of IR to provide access to, and management of, their own institutions refereed research output.Originality/valueThe paper brings together recent opinion and research on IR and OA to provide librarians and other information managers with a review of the field, and proposes research on IR and OA building on existing IS as well as information management and librarianship research.
Quality management service at the University of Malaya Library
Authors: Kaur Kiran , Mohamad Pauziaah , George Sossamma 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the steps in attaining the ISO 9001:2000 quality management system certification at the University of Malaya Library.Design/methodology/approachThis article includes description of the planning, implementation and maintenance of the quality management system by the library, along with continual improvement efforts to provide quality service to the library clientele.FindingsFinds that the move towards a quality management system within quality standard requirements, such as the MS ISO 9001:2000 proved challenging to obtaining the management commitment and the reorganization of services. Customer feedback becomes the focus of on‐going planning to fulfill customer requirements. A quality management system has brought about informed decision making and increased customer satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is limited to only four university libraries, thus generalization to Malaysian academic libraries is premature at this stage.Practical implicationsThis paper will be helpful to libraries planning to implement a quality management system to improve its quality service and increase customer satisfaction.Originality/valueThis paper will be helpful to libraries planning to implement a quality management system to improve its quality service and increase customer satisfaction. As libraries strive to provide quality services to their clients, it is important that their quality standards be accepted globally, therefore the implementation of a quality management system based on ISO 9001:2000 may be helpful in providing clear guidelines on measuring performance.
Continuing professional development and workplace learning – 15
Authors: Smith Ian 
Published: July 2006

PurposeSubsequent instalments in the series examined achieving readiness for change, recognising and responding to change resistance, and communicating in times of change. This, the last in the series, focuses on nine fundamental, and interrelated, elements that are key to achieving successful and sustained change.Design/methodology/approachFocuses on nine fundamental, and interrelated, elements that are key to achieving successful and sustained change.FindingsFinds that change is now a constant organisational imperative.Originality/valueThis article and those preceding have attempted to provide, for those tasked with guiding and steering change, pointers to how the challenge of successfully achieving change might best be met.
Transformational leadership in organizations: an environment‐induced model
Authors: Beugré Constant D. , Acar William , Braun William 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to analyze the impact of the external environment on the emergence of particular forms of transformational leadership.Design/methodology/approachTo develop a conceptual model, the extant literature on environment and transformational leadership was used. Specifically, the focus was on the constructs of volatility of the external environment, environmental uncertainty, and existing models of transformational leadership.FindingsIn this article, an environment‐induced model of transformational leadership was developed, which identifies three types of transformational leaders – revolutionary, evolutionary and transgressor. Revolutionary transformational leaders are likely to emerge in organizations operating in volatile environments and whose members show either a high or a low degree of receptivity. However, evolutionary‐transformational leaders are likely to emerge in less volatile environments whose members show a high degree of receptivity, and transgressor‐transformational leaders would emerge in less volatile environments whose members show a low degree of receptivity.Research limitations/implicationsThis model is a conceptual one and has not been empirically validated yet. However, the model's propositions have implications for research. Organizational scholars may empirically test the extent to which firms' external environments influence the types of transformational leaders that emerge within them. They may also assess the extent to which the external environment facilitates employee acceptance of particular forms of transformational leadership.Practical implicationsKnowing the external environment of a firm may help select the appropriate type of leaders needed to move the organization ahead. For instance, when organizations face high volatile environments, they may be well advised to select revolutionary‐transformational leaders as CEOs or change agents.Originality/valueThe value of the present article lies in the fact that it binds together the literature on the firm external environment and transformational leadership. Thus, the article helps reduce the artificial boundary between macro and micro issues in the study of organizations.
Why leaders fail: exploring the darkside
Authors: Burke Ronald J. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeWith half of those in leadership positions maybe falling short, the purpose of this paper is to review literature on why leaders fail.Design/methodology/approachA number of recent journal articles, book chapters and books were examined.FindingsThe paper identified common causes of failure and possible remedial actions. Leaders that fail behave in ways reflective of their personality that limit or derail their careers. These flaws include arrogance, aloofness, perfectionism, insensitivity, selfishness and betraying the trust of others.Research limitations/implicationsVery little research on this important topic has been conducted.Practical implicationsSolutions highlight the role of early feedback in reducing leadership failures.Originality/valueThis paper raises a topic important in leadership development but ignored by both researchers and managers.
Mergers and acquisitions as a human resource strategy
Authors: Lin Bou‐Wen , Hung Shih‐Chang , Li Po‐Chien 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis paper investigates how a firm's human resource capability can affect the deployment and effectiveness of corporate mergers and acquisitions strategy.Design/methodology/approachMergers and acquisitions (M&A) is treated as a long‐term strategic orientation based on human resource advantage rather than a tactic to pursue short‐term goals. Using a sample of 267 US banking firms, the main and interaction effects of M&A intensity, HR capability, and in‐state propensity on four firm performance measures were examined.FindingsThe findings confirm that banking M&A could be very effective when the firm had high HR capability. Evidence was also found that HR capability had a direct impact on firm performance. Although in‐state M&A strategy was in general superior to out‐of‐state M&A strategy, a firm with excellent HR capability might narrow the performance difference between in‐state and out‐of‐state M&A.Research limitations/implicationsAn obvious drawback of using this sample of banking firms is that it raises questions about the generalizability of these findings to smaller financial firms and firms in other industries. This study considers firms having at least one M&A over a three‐year period, so we should not generalize our findings to those firms preferring to use internal growth strategies or greenfield start‐ups.Practical implicationsThe main message of this paper is that human resource capability is critical for M&A strategy to be effective.Originality/valueBy extending previous investigations which showed that M&A strategy and HR capacity should be independently treated, this study highlights the critical role of internal HR capability in performance implications of M&A strategy.
Is workers' mobility a source of R&D spillovers?
Authors: Magnani Elisabetta 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis study asks whether working in a R&D intensive industry affects a worker's wage profile. If R&D investment translates into transferable human capital or knowledge, workers' mobility constitutes a negative externality from the point of view of the firm/industry that bears the cost of R&D activities. A steepening of the wage profile would address such externality.Design/methodology/approachUsing PSID data combined with US BEA data on US manufacturing industries' R&D intensities between 1981 and 1992, regression analysis is used to explore the hypothesis that, similarly to general training, industry R&D steepens a worker's wage‐experience profile.FindingsIn general the evidence is mixed. The results obtained from biennial wage growth regressions support to some extent the hypothesis that exposure to R&D activities allows a specific group of workers to accumulate general human capital for which they pay a positive price in early stages of their career.Research limitation/implicationsAn important caveat applies to the results. Unlike previous research by Møen who uses firm level R&D, the results found in this study are generated by using industry level R&D, which, being possibly affected by severe measurement errors, may bias the estimated coefficients towards zero.Originality/valueThis study complements Møen's evidence based on Norwegian wages with the effects of industry‐specific R&D intensities on the earnings profile in US manufacturing industries. By investigating whether industry R&D affects the return to experience and/or to tenure this study addresses an overlooked issue of which type of skills R&D allows workers to accumulate.
Is the learning organization a valid concept in the Taiwanese context?
Authors: Ya‐Hui Lien Bella , Yu‐Yuan Hung Richard , Yang Baiyin , Li Mingfei 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the psychometric characteristics of a Chinese version of the Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ©).Design/methodology/approachThe DLOQ©, developed by Watkins and Marsick in 1997, assessed the characteristics of a learning organization. This study employed a survey validate utility of the DLOQ©for the Taiwanese context.FindingsPsychometric analyses revealed that the Chinese DLOQ©has reasonable reliability, and that the seven‐dimensional factor structure was appropriate for the Taiwanese context. Study results also revealed that the seven dimensions of a learning organization can classify different organization types successfully and demonstrate a statistically significant correlation between organization type and perceptual measures of organizational performance.Research limitations/ implicationsThis study has implications for both research and practice in HRD. It offers preliminary evidence of reliability and validity for the Chinese DLOQ©. The positive evidence supporting the psychometric properties of the Chinese DLOQ© indicates the potential for particular cross‐cultural applications. Experimental results also suggest that the Chinese DLOQ© can be utilized to determine cultural differences in building a learning organization. Further studies are required to investigate the relationships between the concept of a learning organization and its antecedent and outcomes variables, such as organizational structure, culture, and performance.Originality/valueThis study confirms that the validity of applying the seven dimensions as determinants of a learning organization in the Taiwanese context and, in particular, supports the cross‐validity of the DLOQ© in this context. This study also offers practical help to understand the concept of organizational learning and developing learning organizations.
The impact of individual values on human resource decision‐making by line managers
Authors: McGuire David , Garavan Thomas N. , Saha Sudhir K. , O'Donnell David 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis paper explores this relationship between the individual values of managers and human resource (HR) decision‐making.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaire data were collected from a total of 340 line managers from both Ireland and Canada. The questionnaire instrument comprises three components: Rokeach's instrumental and terminal values instrument; two HR related decision scenarios; and demographic and human capital data.FindingsThe results provide modest support for the proposed model that individual values affect HR decision‐making in that capability values were shown to be a significant positive predictor of the importance of health and safety, and peace values were a significant positive predictor of the importance of employment equity.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings emphasise the need to simultaneously examine both individual values and organisational factors as predictors of HR decision‐making. Future work should examine the psychometric use of value instruments.Practical implicationsThe study underlines the fact that managers need to be aware of the fact that their own values influences how they make decisions. Attention to the values concept amongst managers will improve comprehension of the decision‐making process within organizations.Originality/valueThe value of the paper lies in the fact that the effect of individual values on decision‐making has been under‐researched in the literature.
Leadership coaching in health care
Authors: Henochowicz Stuart , Hetherington Diane 
Published: July 2006

PurposeMedicine is undergoing dramatic changes that will alter its basic organizational structure. The integration of evidence‐based medicine, patient centered care, and the electronic medical record into medical practice will necessitate innovative approaches to management.Design/methodology/approachA review of the literature was undertaken to assess the current state of leadership coaching for physicians and non‐medical health care leaders. Different models of leadership coaching are described and examined.FindingsLeadership coaching has been an underutilized resource in health care executive training. The use of coaching methods has been of great utility for physician and non‐medical managerial leadership. Health care leaders will need to develop interpersonal and emotional intelligence competencies in order to successfully run increasingly complex organizations.Originality/valueTo encourage further quantitative studies of coaching in the health care field. Such studies would be significantly helpful in elucidating those approaches to coaching that yield the best results. Encouraging the greater use of leadership coaching by medical executives can be of potentially important benefit to the successful operation of their institutions.
Creating organizational conditions that foster employee spirit at work
Authors: Kinjerski Val , Skrypnek Berna J. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis study sought to identify organizational factors that foster an individual's experience of spirit at work.Design/methodology/approachTen women and three men, ranging in age from 26 to 81, who were in full‐time paid employment in a variety of occupations, and who self‐identified as having high spirit at work, participated in in‐depth, reflective interviews.FindingsInspired leadership emerged as central to influencing individual experiences of spirit at work and was strongly linked to six other organizational factors (strong organizational foundation; organizational integrity; positive workplace culture and space; sense of community among members; opportunities for personal fulfillment, continuous learning, and development; and appreciation and regard for employees and their contribution).Research limitations/implicationsFuture research needs to investigate how each of these conditions is related to measured levels of spirit at work in a larger, representative sample, and how measured spirit at work is related to work outcomes.Practical implicationsAlthough this study did not investigate specific practices or strategies to increase spirit at work, results suggest that organizations wishing to enhance their employees' spirit at work could focus efforts on creating organizational conditions that encourage inspiring leadership and mentorship and the other six identified factors.Originality/valueThe paper raises awareness and highlights issues surrounding organizational factors that foster an individual's experience of spirit at work.
Cost effective robotics in the nuclear industry
Authors: Sands David 
Published: July 2006

PurposeAims to clarify the use of “nuclear” robots with special reference to one UK contractor (Magnox) and the cost‐effectiveness of its decommissioning programme.Design/methodology/approachGoes through the protocol of the use of robots in the disposal of contaminated scrap.FindingsJustifies the use of a built‐to‐order modular linear (Cartesian) robot system required by Magnox.Originality/valueProvides valuable advice for handling nuclear materials, especially reactors.