bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Servicescape matters – or does it? The special case of betting shops
Authors: Cockrill Antje , Goode Mark , Emberson Daniel 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe concept of servicescape and its effect on consumer behaviour has been studied extensively in numerous areas of retailing. However, the role of servicescape in non‐traditional service settings has received comparatively little attention. The aim of this paper is to fill in some of this research gap by testing the effects of servicescape (ambience, layout and functionality) on consumer behaviour within UK betting shops, as part of the wider UK gambling industry.Design/methodology/approachIn order to achieve this objective an exploratory research methodology was chosen. Firstly, three betting shops in the same metropolitan area were chosen as the base for interviews with managers and structured observations. This was complemented by fifty semi‐structured customer interviews from the same three betting shops. The use of these different methods allowed triangulation and validation of the results.FindingsThe key finding of this paper are that customers in betting shops appear to be unaffected by some of the elements of the servicescape. However, this research has found that signs, symbols and artefacts were regarded as critically important by consumers.Research limitations/implicationsFurther, larger scale research is needed on the effects of servicescape in environments where consumption behaviour could be considered compulsive. This could includes, e.g. betting shops, arcades, casinos, bingo halls and National Lottery “shops.” Furthermore, this paper could also be used as the basis for further research on the e‐servicescape of the online gambling industry.Practical implicationsSome servicescape elements do not appear to affect betting shop customers greatly, but staff knowledge is important. Therefore, resources should be spent on improving staff knowledge rather than on other elements of the servicescape.Originality/valueNo prior empirical research has been found in this area.
Assessing the effects of self‐congruity, attitudes and customer satisfaction on customer behavioural intentions in retail environment
Authors: Ibrahim Hafedh , Najjar Faouzi 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a model that will include self‐image congruence, attitudes, satisfaction and explain their role on behavioural intentions.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative survey was carried out. It was followed by a quantitative study, conducted in two stages to clarify the self‐congruity scale. Results were used to lead an exploratory investigation of a conceptual model of behavioural intentions.FindingsIdeal self‐image congruity had a stronger direct effect on attitudes, than did actual self‐image congruity. Indeed, there was evidence in this study that behavioural intentions were directly or indirectly influenced by shopper's self‐congruity, attitudes, and satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsNo research has ever simultaneously compared the relative influence of these important constructs on service encounter outcomes. The obvious implication is the need for further consideration of similar composite models. Indeed, it would be instructive in future research to assess the extent to which individual characteristics and demographic variables mediate self‐congruity, attitudes and satisfaction, and their influence on behavioural intentions.Practical implicationsRetailers need to realize that positioning their store to enhance the likelihood of self‐congruity with target shoppers and improve their attitudes, is important but not enough. The goal for improving self‐congruity and attitudes is to make sure shoppers have received the benefit they expect to find. The benefits received directly influence shoppers' decisions on whether they will want to come back in the future and what they will say about the store to others.Originality/valueThis research provides an improved understanding of the role of self‐congruity, attitudes and satisfaction on behavioural intentions. The inclusion of self‐congruity and attitudes in the proposed model as antecedents of behavioural intentions is one of the unique aspects of the study.
The role of life cycle concepts in the assessment of interorganizational alignment
Authors: Croteau Anne‐Marie , Léger Pierre‐Majorique , Cassivi Luc 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the alignment between the information‐processing needs and capabilities during interorganizational relationships through the lenses of both the product and the business relationships life cycle concepts, and the types of information exchanged.Design/methodology/approachThis paper follows up on a previous empirical study conducted in the automotive sector, investigating the electronic collaboration within the supply chain of a large European Automotive Supplier (EAS). Out of the 61 respondents from this previous study, four illustrative cases are selected to further investigate their information alignment, where each case involves one specific relationship between EAS and its business partners based on the supply chain collaboration classification provided by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA).FindingsThe conclusion is that the phenomenon is bimodal and requires that the different information‐processing needs and capabilities associated with each stage of both the product and the business relationships life cycles should be considered.Research limitations/implicationsThe small number of illustrative cases and the specificity of the chosen sector limit the generalizability of the results. Without considering the various types of information‐processing needs and capabilities as well as the stage of both product and business relationships life cycles, a biased conclusion could lead to inappropriate information and communication technology investments and business decisions.Originality/valueThe richness of the cases and the genuine integration of the life cycle concepts and the type of information with the notion of alignment help to identify some key aspects of interorganizational relationships.
GSLAP: a graph‐based web analysis tool
Authors: Kruck S.E. , Teer Faye , Christian William A. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe a new software tool that graphically depicts analysis of visitor traffic. This new tool is the graph‐based server log analysis program (GSLAP).Design/methodology/approachDiscovering hidden and meaningful information about web users' patterns of usage is critical to optimization of the web server. The authors designed and developed GSLAP. Presented in this paper is an example of GSLAP in the context of an analysis of the web site of a small fictitious company. Also included is an explanation of current literature that supports graphical display of data as a cognitive aid to understanding data.FindingsGSLAP is shown to provide a visual server log analysis that is a great improvement on the textual server log.Research limitations/implicationsThe benefits of the output from GSLAP are compared with the typical textual output.Originality/valueThe paper describes a software tool that helps the analysis of usage patterns of web traffic.
Future competitiveness: viewpoints from manufacturers and service providers
Authors: Phusavat Kongkiti , Kanchana Rapee 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to compare and evaluate competitive priorities between manufacturers and service providers. A concern over the trends of moving manufacturing/production units overseas, while maintaining essential service operations at the companies' headquarters, encouraged senior administrators of the Federation of Thai Industries (FTI) to suggest the study. This study was part of an effort to support FTI members facing separate locations between manufacturing and services operations, and to help evaluate its initiatives' usefulness towards these members.Design/methodology/approachThe survey, developed by Takala, was modified to gather the opinions from top executives of 75 manufacturers and service providers. This survey consisted of six criteria or competitive priorities with a total of 31 dimensions. The basic statistical techniques such as Cronbach's α were applied.FindingsThe paper finds that in general, top executives from manufacturing and service operations shared and agreed that delivery/service provision and quality represented their future competitive priorities.Practical implicationsThe selection of these two competitive priorities was generally consistent with several previous studies. These findings supported past and current initiatives by the FTI as well as its policy on working together with key public agencies/organizations towards an achievement of excellent quality. Top executives, facing a challenge on separate operations – manufacturing plant in one location while maintaining service operations at another location, could synchronize and coordinate their future efforts such as strategies and plans around delivery/service provision, and quality.Originality/valueThe knowledge on competitive priorities could potentially help companies, regardless of operational types, to further formulate operational strategies, and later develop action plans. This knowledge could also serve as feedback (e.g. usefulness and effectiveness) and a milestone for the FTI's support and initiatives for its members.
TQM, managerial factors and performance in the Spanish hotel industry
Authors: Claver‐Cortés Enrique , Pereira‐Moliner Jorge , José Tarí Juan , Molina‐Azorín José F. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeSeveral important managerial factors, such as training, information and communication technologies and information systems (ICT/IS), and environmental management, can be related to total quality management (TQM) in the hotel industry. This paper aims to analyse how TQM is associated with these factors and to verify whether more TQM‐committed hotels achieve higher performance.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical data were collected from a sample of 301 three‐to‐five‐star Spanish hotels. A cluster analysis was carried out to identify the different TQM commitment levels, after which a regression analysis tested the TQM‐performance link.FindingsManagerial factors are significantly further developed in hotels with a stronger TQM commitment, which also have higher performances. TQM does not seem to influence all the performance variables measured.Practical implicationsHotels showing a stronger commitment to TQM develop more advanced management systems and achieve higher performance levels. Therefore, hoteliers should invest in TQM, as this could help them to become more competitive.Originality/valueThe link between TQM and managerial factors, along with the relationship between TQM and performance, has been expanded in the literature on TQM in the hotel industry.
An R&D knowledge management method for patent document summarization
Authors: Trappey Amy J.C. , Trappey Charles V. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeIn an era of rapidly expanding digital content, the number of e‐documents and the amount of knowledge frequently overwhelm the R&D teams and often impede intellectual property management. The purpose of this paper is to develop an automatic patent summarization method for accurate knowledge abstraction and effective R&D knowledge management.Design/methodology/approachThis paper develops an integrated approach for automatic patent summary generation combining the concepts of key phrase recognition and significant information density. Significant information density is defined based on the domain‐specific key concepts/phrases, relevant phrases, title phrases, indicator phrases and topic sentences of a given patent document.FindingsThe document compression ratio and the knowledge retention ratio are used to measure both quantitative and qualitative outcomes of the new summarization methodology. Both measurements indicate the significant benefits and superior results of the method.Research limitations/implicationsIn order to implement the methodology with practical success, the accurate and efficient pre‐processing of identifying key concepts and relevant phrases of patent documents is required. The approach relies on a powerful text‐mining engine as the pre‐process module for key phrase extraction.Practical implicationsThe methodology helps R&D companies consistently and automatically process, extract and summarize the core knowledge of related patent documents. This enabling technology is critical to R&D companies when they are competing to create new technologies and products for short life cycle marketplaces.Originality/valueThis research addresses a new perspective in R&D knowledge management, particularly in solving the knowledge‐overloading issue. The methodology helps R&D collaborative teams consistently to summarize the core knowledge of patent documents with efficiency. Efficient R&D knowledge management helps the firm to take advantage of IP positioning while avoiding patent conflict and infringement.
Measures of farm business efficiency
Authors: Bojnec Štefan , Latruffe Laure 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to investigate technical, scale, allocative and economic efficiencies by data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic frontier methods to provide a decision‐making tool and managerial implications in the measurement of farm business performance and efficiency.Design/methodology/approachTechnical, scale, allocative and economic efficiencies are analyzed with the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) sample for 13 farm business branches in Slovenia in the period 1994‐2003. DEA models are used with an output‐orientation, three outputs and four inputs. The non‐parametric DEA estimations are compared with a parametric stochastic frontier approach. The cluster analysis is used to identify three different farm business groups according to their performance.FindingsThe average technical, scale, allocative and economic efficiencies for the whole FADN sample over the analyzed period are relatively high (around or over 0.90), suggesting that, although the FADN sample contains very different farms, the latter have similar management practices, and are similarly able to make the best use of the existing technology. Five farm branches (crop, dairy, livestock using own feed, fruit, and forestry) are fully efficient with respect to all four analyzed efficiency measures, suggesting that these specializations have the best chance to compete on the European and world markets.Originality/valueStudies of technical, scale, allocative and economic efficiencies are rare for transitional farm businesses, especially in Slovenia. The research contributes to the crucial issue of whether small family farm businesses might be able to compete on international markets, as Slovenian agriculture is characterized by such structures.
Adoption of social responsibility through the expansion of existing management systems
Authors: Castka Pavel , Balzarova Michaela A. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe paper's aims are: to scrutinize International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 26000 international guidance standard for social responsibility; to discuss the role of this standard in the adoption of social responsibility in organisations with existing quality management systems in line with ISO 9000.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on academic literature and recent resolutions and working documents from ISO, the paper discusses ISO 9000 and ISO 26000 in five areas: general description; scope; approach to supply chain management; principles and content.FindingsProvides a comparison between ISO 9000 and ISO 26000 in each area listed above. Argues for ISO 9000 to provide a structural and infrastructural platform for organisations to develop and adopt corporate social responsibility (CSR) and for ISO 26000 to facilitate a shift from customer focus to stakeholder focus hence creating a business‐to‐society orientation in organisations.Practical implicationsA very useful source for those who work in the arena of CSR and those wanting to stay at the cutting edge of the latest developments in CSR and international standardization. Advocates an approach for managers to utilize ISO 26000 to review strategy and management systems in organisations.Originality/valueProvides an analysis of future trends in CSR and ISO standards. Sets areas for future research.
A relationship approach to construction supply chains
Authors: Davis Peter R. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to establish the influence that relationship variables have on construction supply chains. The objective is to show where thoughtful use of relationship marketing (RM) techniques can benefit construction supply chains.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire developed from a focus group outcome and literature concerning RM was used to extract information about commitment, trust and satisfaction in upstream and downstream construction supply chain relationships. A cohort of 898 construction industry managers developed from several comprehensive sample frames responded to the questionnaire. Data was analysed using exploratory and non‐parametric confirmatory statistical techniques, including Spearman's ρ non‐parametric correlation matrix, Kruskal‐Wallis test, Mann‐Whitney U test and principal axis factor analysis.FindingsThe results indicate that construction actors differentiate between relationship and traditional marketing factors in their supply chain activities. It is shown they engender specific RM techniques in their construction project environment.Practical implicationsRM has the potential to provide organisations with significant supply chain benefits, particularly long‐term value to clients. Benefit may manifest from commitment, trust and satisfaction. These three variables are all fundamental to supply chain activities.Originality/valueThe paper uses a RM knowledge base to develop an increased understanding of supply chain benefit variables. The value of the paper is that it enables construction stakeholders with the tools to develop long‐term relationships in their heterogeneous construction environment.
Effects of internal and relational capabilities on outsourcing: an integrated model
Authors: Espino‐Rodríguez Tomás F. , Rodríguez‐Díaz Manuel 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of relational capability compared to that of internal capability on outsourcing, and the influence of relational capability as a moderating variable between outsourcing and internal capabilities. The paper aims to integrate the internal and relational perspectives in a single model of strategic evaluation.Design/methodology/approachThis work analyses the outsourcing process in a representative sample of firms operating in a region of Spain. To accomplish the research objectives, a personal survey was conducted using a questionnaire to evaluate 13 activities of the order distribution process in the supply chain.FindingsThe results indicate that internal capabilities have a negative effect on outsourcing while relational capabilities have a positive effect. They also show that, the greater the relational capabilities of an operation are, the less significant the relationship between internal capabilities and outsourcing will be.Practical implicationsFirstly, by using the proposed model, companies can evaluate their internal and relational strategies and compare them to the sector averages at a given moment. Secondly, they can detect opportunities to improve competitiveness and develop relational capabilities for some of the activities that they wish to outsource. This work helps identify which process activities to outsource and which type of relationship should be maintained to develop a set of capabilities.Originality/valueThis paper provides a comprehensive application of a theoretical framework in a new model of strategic evaluation of outsourcing. Another innovation of this work is the introduction of relational capabilities as a variable moderating the relationship between internal capabilities and outsourcing.
An examination of the nature of trust in logistics outsourcing relationship
Authors: Tian Yu , Lai Fujun , Daniel Francis 
Published: April 2008

PurposeUsing China's burgeoning logistics industry as a backdrop, the present study focused on how to build trust between logistics users and third‐party logistics (3PL) providers, and the antecedents and consequences of trust.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire‐based mail survey was conducted in mainland China. The conceptual model was tested using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings indicate that logistics users' satisfaction with prior interactions with logistics providers, 3PL provider's relationship‐specific investment, 3PL provider's information sharing, and 3PL provider's reputation are key determinants of logistics users' level of trust towards 3PL providers. Additionally, logistics users' trust may facilitate their loyalty behavior towards 3PL providers.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings were drawn from a Chinese setting in which logistics outsourcing is in a relatively early developmental stage. The uniqueness of Chinese culture may also limit the findings' generalizability. China's transitional economy was not considered in the study. Different company ownership may significantly influence relationship formulation, maintenance and consequences.Practical implicationsThe findings demonstrated how logistics providers can improve customers' trust in logistics outsourcing relationships. The study also revealed how logistics providers can improve customers' loyalty.Originality/valueThis paper was a pioneering study that investigates the logistics outsourcing relationship in China, a rapidly growing economy. The results offered valuable managerial insights regarding how to cultivate trust and loyalty in logistics outsourcing relationships.
A dynamic manpower forecasting model for the information security industry
Authors: Park Sang‐Hyun , Lee Sang M. , No Yoon Seong , Yeon Seung‐Jun 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model for manpower forecasting for the information security (IS) industry, one of the fastest growing IT‐related industries. The proposed model incorporates three critical factors (feedback structure, time lags, and a flexible saturation point) in a system dynamics (SD) simulation frame.Design/methodology/approachA simulation model using SD is developed for a dynamic manpower forecasting by decomposing complex processes of manpower planning into a set of feedback loops with a causal‐loop diagram. Data gathered from a Korean Government agency were utilized in the simulation for forecasting the manpower demand and supply in the context of the IS industry.FindingsThe simulation results showed an overall IS manpower shortage in the IS industry. Policy alternatives were proposed based on the simulation results. The simulation model was rerun to reflect the various alternatives to achieve a stable manpower balance between demand and supply.Originality/valueThe research provides insights into the development of effective manpower planning at the industry level (macro level), and policies to increase its efficiency and effectiveness. The research model was developed and verified using SD.