bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Applying holistic principles in management development
Authors: Shefy Erella , Sadler‐Smith Eugene 
Published: July 2006

PurposeIn preparing managers for the uncertainty, threats and opportunities posed by the challenge of frequent and unexpected changes in organizations and markets, an alternative to a traditional Western viewpoint is a holistic approach that embodies balance and harmony, sees more subtle relationships and avoids the tensions of opposites. The purpose of this paper is to report the derivation and application of six holistic principles for management development (quieting the mind, harmony and balance, relinquishing the desire to control, transcending the ego, centeredness, and the power of softness) derived from a non‐Western philosophy.Design/methodology/approachThe six principles were implemented in a management development program in a small high‐tech company. The reported effects upon the managers' role perceptions and behaviors were captured in immediate and delayed evaluations by means of face‐to‐face interviews.FindingsThe analysis of the interview data identified four underlying values that managers reported emerging from their involvement in the program: emotional awareness, shared perspectives, interpersonal sensitivity and benevolence and fulfilment.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is an action‐based single case study which was evaluated longitudinally using participants' perceptions. Further work is now required to apply these principles more widely and assess them using pre‐ and post‐test measures of attitudes and behaviors and upward/360 degree assessments.Practical implicationsThe broader impact of a holistic approach for management development in terms of personal and spiritual fulfilment as well as its significance of corporate issues is discussed.Originality/valueThe paper presents a challenging and innovative approach to developing managers holistically and provides a counterbalance to the predominant approach of much management education and development.
Strategic group theory: review, examination and application in the UK pharmaceutical industry
Authors: Leask Graham , Parker David 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to consider the current status of strategic group theory in the light of developments over the last three decades. and then to discuss the continuing value of the concept, both to strategic management research and practising managers.Design/methodology/approachCritical review of the idea of strategic groups together with a practical strategic mapping illustration.FindingsStrategic group theory still provides a useful approach for management research, which allows a detailed appraisal and comparison of company strategies within an industry.Research limitations/implicationsStrategic group research would undoubtedly benefit from more directly comparable, industry‐specific studies, with a more careful focus on variable selection and the statistical methods used for validation. Future studies should aim to build sets of industry specific variables that describe strategic choice within that industry. The statistical methods used to identify strategic groupings need to be robust to ensure that strategic groups are not solely an artefact of method.Practical implicationsThe paper looks specifically at an application of strategic group theory in the UK pharmaceutical industry. The practical benefits of strategic groups as a classification system and of strategic mapping as a strategy development and analysis tool are discussed.Originality/valueThe review of strategic group theory alongside alternative taxonomies and application of the concept to the UK pharmaceutical industry.
Sustainable components of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance
Authors: Svensson Göran , Wood Greg 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe objective is to describe a selection of sustainability components of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a conceptual discussion.FindingsThe paper contributes to descriptive models that address sustainability components of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance. The study highlights some common views that exist in the management literature and in prosperous management practice related to the direct impact of the relationship in organizational performance between leadership and effectiveness. In fact, it also highlights the critical or sceptical views of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance raised in the literature.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contends that the actual leadership effectiveness in organizational performance varies over time and across contexts. At times, the achievement in organizational performance is the outcome of prosperous and conscious leadership, while it at other times may be the outcome of poor and deficient leadership. The topic at hand is positioned and limited to the interface that may describe and explain the connection between these two views. Furthermore, it is limited to corporate decision making and business behaviour in relation to leadership effectiveness and organizational performance.Practical implicationsThe leadership of an organization need not only to be successful today, but they also need to be successful tomorrow to stay in control and to flourish. Quality control and quality assurance are no longer enough for most organizations. They need to build an awareness of the sustainability components into processes of their management and business practices (i.e. internal and external ones) in order to be judged as successful in corporate decision‐making and business behaviour in organizational performance in the long term.Originality/valueThe principal contributions of the study are a model of timely leadership effectiveness, a model of contextual leadership effectiveness, and a typology of leadership effectiveness in corporate decision‐making and business behaviour. These contributions provide theoretical and managerial ideas and insights into the sustainability components of leadership effectiveness in organizational performance.
HRM perspectives on addiction to technology and work
Authors: Porter Gayle , Kakabadse Nada K. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe aim of this study is an exploration of the behavioural addictions to work (workaholism) and to use of technology (technolophilia), particularly as they overlap in managers' work routines and expectations placed on their employees.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents a qualitative analysis of managers' comments from structured interviews and focus groups in several countries.FindingsThis research culminated in a model of various adaptations to both work pressure and need to use technology in today's business work, including the potential to over‐adapt or lapse into a pattern of addiction.Research limitations/implicationsThe consolidation of multi‐disciplinary literature and the framework of the model will serve as a reference points for continuing research on behavioural addictions related to work and technology.Practical implicationsHuman resource professionals concerned with employee well‐being can utilize the components of this model to proactively recognize problems and generate remedies. Specific suggestions are offered to offset undesirable adaptations.Originality/valueThis is the first study to focus on the mutually reinforcing addictions to work and use of technology – an important step forward in recognizing the scope of the issue and generating further research with practical application in business world.
Defects in new homes: an analysis of data on 1,696 new UK houses
Authors: Sommerville James , McCosh Julie 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe clamour from UK house buyers over “snags” in new homes seems likely to continue unabated even though house builders are striving to resolve what may be perceived as a quality issue. This paper aims to discuss how the requirements, and hence the quality of new homes in the UK, are defined and the role the house buyer actually plays in this process.Design/methodology/approachWithin the composite quality attainment process “snagging” is defined and discussed in detail along with the resulting quality cognitive dissonance likely to be encountered by the buyer. The results of detailed quantitative analysis of data on snagging from nearly 1,700 new homes are presented.FindingsThe snagging process shows how heavily the house buying process is geared towards the builder and that within this snagging process there are areas where the builder is absorbing costs, which reduce the potential profit on each house i.e. the absorbed snagging (snags remedied as the work progresses). The visible snagging at hand‐over stage is a further depletion of profit and completely avoidable. The snags are damaging to the image of house builders, they detract from customer satisfaction and they reduce the potential profit available on each new house. The analysis provided in the paper shows that there is a direct relationship between the size of the property and the number of snags identified. Also, there are differences in the number of snags identified for each of the builders and within the company each site has variance on the number of snags discovered: the scale of snags peaks at 389 for a single property – significant in anyone's terms.Research limitations/implicationsAnalysing the data was not a simple task due to the structure and variation within the data. It would be ideal to identify the exact factors that affect the number of snags in newly built properties. Collecting identical data with only one differencing factor would complete this. However, as the inspections were carried out randomly on request this was not possible with the present data.Practical implicationsThe legal rights of new homebuyers are severely limited under UK law and this research highlights the need for both an improvement in quality and for buyers to ensure that they take steps to protect what is often the largest investment of their lifetime.Originality/valueThe volume of research into quality of new homes in the UK is remarkably scant given the size of the extent of the industry. The size of the data set for this paper is significant and allows fresh insights to be obtained.
Traditional roof coverings in the North York Moors National Park
Authors: Scott Alan W. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe paper seeks to deal with vernacular roofing practices within the North York Moors National Park.Design/methodology/approachInitially the paper carries out a literature review of the geography and geology of the area and identifies what makes it physically unique. The paper then examines the development of various roofing materials, including thatch, stone slates and pantiles with case studies of old practice and modern methods from around the Park.FindingsRoofing styles are simplistic and have steered away from the intricate in favour of the indigenous or readily available. The paper demonstrates the much‐regionalised nature of the roofing materials and recognises this as one of the special cultural features worthy of conservation.Research limitations/implicationsThe results are limited to the North York Moors National Park but the approach taken could be extended to other conservation areas.Practical implicationsThe results of the research will benefit those involved in the conservation of vernacular buildings in the North York Moors National Park.Originality/valueThe paper calls for additional guidance for roofers and specifiers on traditional vernacular techniques and for existing funding under the Environmental Stewardship Scheme to be extended to include rural communities in National Parks.
Exploring hotel renovation in large hotels: a multiple case study
Authors: Hassanien Ahmed 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the extent of the use of hotel renovation as a product development tool in the hospitality industry. It aims to gain an understanding of the nature of renovation within the context of large hotels.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is a multiple case study of five star hotels in Egypt. A sample of nine hotels was selected.FindingsThe results reveal that Egyptian five star hotels use renovation to achieve different aims and goals. Surprisingly, the cases indicate that Egyptian five star hotels still use renovation as a reactive rather than proactive property management tool. The study suggests that renovation was found to be most successful in organisations that have clearly stated renovation strategies, a good relationship between the managing and owning companies, sufficient funds, and greater customer involvement.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the findings may be applicable to hotels other than five star and located in other parts of the world, further research would be required to conform this.Practical implicationsThe paper will be useful to hotel groups, or those advising such clients who are considering renovation of luxury hotel accommodation.Originality/valueResults are discussed in the context of theoretical and empirical work on renovation, and product development.
Statutory control of indoor natural ventilation concerning radon level and health
Authors: Chan Edwin H.W. , Wong W.S. , Cheung Ann A.C. , Lee Grace K.L. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to review the regulatory framework for natural ventilation design affecting the health of residents, to identify the relationship between the main components of the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and current building designs, and to propose improvements to the design standards or guidelines especially for those related to natural ventilation controls.Design/methodology/approachBuilding designs can influence the IEQ and therefore, legislation regulating such designs should be reviewed beforehand. Afterwards, site measurements to vacant residential building blocks on two different sites are carried out to collect radon levels contained in the air within the buildings. The major purpose of this measurement is to find out the relationship between radon concentration and residential building designs.FindingsIt is found that there is room for improvement in the building laws in Hong Kong regulating building designs which affect natural ventilation and IEQ.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the understanding of the practical needs of the construction industry and may remedy any lack of consideration of commercial reality in the research process.
The development of robust methods of post occupancy evaluation
Authors: Turpin‐Brooks S. , Viccars G. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeTo highlight the importance of effective post occupancy evaluation (POE) as part of a sustainable approach to workplaces and guide facilities professionals in their choice of POE tools.Design/methodology/approachA literature review provides an insight into sustainability and an introduction to POE options, with detailed discussion of key factors influencing the effectiveness of POE. A POE case study (at the Eden Project) provides an applied analysis of POE tools, focussing particularly on the usefulness of obtainable data.FindingsPOE is shown to be useful in addressing client satisfaction and user needs as part of sustainability assessments. Improvements to the assessment of occupants' experiences are suggested, in consideration of a more holistic approach to POE.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper is grounded in UK experience, but the international relevance of the issues could also be explored by readers/further research. Further exploration of novel and holistic methodologies is needed, in order to test the integrated value of the evaluation of environmental data and human perceptions.Practical implicationsThis paper will help facilities professionals determine suitable POE approaches for workplaces, as part of an evaluation of available tools.Originality/valueThis paper evaluates a current topic in the property sector and demonstrates the value that facilities professionals can provide in implementing effective POE of workplaces.
New economics
Authors: Alexander Keith 
Published: July 2006

PurposeTo provide a concise viewpoint on Urban FM.Design/methodology/approachAn opinion piece based on current and recent research on service delivery.FindingsUrban FM – the integrated provision of public service accommodation and community support services – can make a significant contribution to the principle of putting people first, and meeting the objectives of best value.Originality/valueThe paper provides a valuable summary of the public management foundation report.
Integrating stakeholders during community FM's early project phases
Authors: Heywood Chris , Smith Jim 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis paper's purpose is to identify successful methods used to integrate stakeholders into the early phases of strategic community facility projects.Design/methodology/approachA two‐stage research method was used at project inception and design phases of a community facility. Project inception used action research pre‐design strategic needs analysis workshops with internal local authority stakeholders to capture the council's internal stakeholders' agreed strategic aspirations, resulting in a performance‐based brief. Subsequently, observation‐based research investigated project processes conducted by others. Owing to the nature of the brief, additional engagement was required with stakeholders internal and external to the council.FindingsThe processes integrating council and municipal stakeholders are described. These included identification of stakeholders and their roles in project processes. Stakeholders were shown to be the target for individual strategies within the facility's multiple strategies. Management practices employed by facility managers to integrate stakeholders were documented at strategic planning, project inception, governance and pre‐construction phases.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was conducted into a single facility but this is representative of other community facilities. This facility was significant for its multiple organisational and municipal strategies, and the high levels of stakeholder satisfaction. Stakeholders' early integration into project processes is likely to address a problematic expectation‐evaluation gap identified in the literature.Practical implicationsThis paper identifies successful practices for facility managers to employ at early project phases.Originality/valueStakeholder integration is particularly important in community FM where there are multiple stakeholders and issues of internality and externality effects from facilities are debated.
Whole life cycle performance measurement re‐engineering for the UK National Health Service estate
Authors: Halim Boussabaine A. , Kirkham Richard J. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe measurement of the performance of built assets with the UK National Health Service portfolio is based on simple benchmarking techniques such as £/m2. The purpose of this paper is to examine an alternative approach, which could produce a more informed and balanced approach to performance measurementDesign/methodology/approachThe existing benchmarking and clustering techniques used within the NHS are examined. These reveal inadequacies in truly representing asset performance. Data envelopment analysis techniques are applied here to map the estate costs against the outputs of the estate (i.e. number of inpatient days). Operational and maintenance cost data was collated from 15 NHS acute teaching trusts outside of London, these were mapped against two outputs (in‐patient days and occupied beds per available beds) in order to determine how effectively each NHS Trust translates input resources into inpatient days and occupancy of available beds.FindingsThe results from the models generate efficiency improvement scores. The scores disclose that the standard deviation of average efficiency in the cluster was 22.38, thus revealing a significant variance in performance. The efficiency values range between 100 and 33.6 per cent. The results provide useful information on the technical efficiency of building assets and allow NHS Trusts to identify where efficiency improvements are necessary within a continuous efficiency analysis framework.Research limitations/implicationsFurther work is required on the analysis of other types of hospital buildings within the UK to test the validity of the sample used. Other outputs may also be relevant and should be explored.Practical implicationsThis paper was presented to NHS Estates as part of a commissioned report which is now being considered as part of a process to re‐engineer performance measurement within the estate.Originality/valueThe paper adds value in demonstrating the benefits of an established methodology within a new setting, which is the performance of built assets
Expectations of employees toward the workplace and environmental satisfaction
Authors: Young Lee So 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to prove the linkage between environmental satisfaction and work outcomes; to investigate how employees perceive characteristics of their physical environment and what they expect of their workplace; and to consider the usefulness of gap approach in measuring employees' expectations.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire measuring workplace characteristics was developed. The questionnaire design is based on the propositions of SERVQUAL. The employee population used in this study was limited to office workers in manufacturing headquarter facilities or office settings in Michigan, USA. Of the 409 completed questionnaires, 384 were analyzed for this study.FindingsSatisfaction with the workplace was positively associated with job satisfaction. Using linear regression analysis, no significant difference was found between perception‐based measures and gap measures for explaining work environment satisfaction. However, results propose that physical environmental status below expectation levels leads to dissatisfaction, but exceeding expectation levels does not increase satisfaction levels.Research limitations/implicationsThe items used in this study regarding physical environmental characteristics are not exclusive enough to concisely encompass workplace characteristics. Future studies need to develop a more sophisticated measure.Practical implicationsThe results from the gap model highlighted which aspects of the workplace employees would like to see improved. The gap measurement is effective for use in managerial decisions to improve and diagnose physical environmental features.Originality/valueThis study explored both perception and expectation levels of employees of the workplace in relation to satisfaction with workplace.