bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Management implications of foreign players in the English Premiership League football
Authors: Madichie Nnamdi 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how one of the biggest phenomena of the twenty‐first century is the internationalisation of professional sports and how premier league football epitomises this. With the influx of foreign players, managers and now owners, European League Football has become big business. This paper aims to provide a theoretical analysis of the management implications of foreign players in the English Premiership League football – renamed the Barclays Premier League to suit the needs of its major sponsors.Design/methodology/approachThe approach adopted is purely qualitative in nature, evaluating the top Barclays Premier League teams and the impact of globalisation on their reconfigurations since the early 1990s to date. The study draws mainly from a review of the extant literature on sports and management, as well as a critical analysis of media reports.FindingsGlobalisation has emerged as a new force that has changed the way corporations are managed. Financial services, retail and information technology firms have all responded to this new wave – and so also has sports. Unfortunately while sports have the potential to teach lessons on management strategy, management researchers seem to have relegated sports to the sociology and psychology disciplines.Practical implicationsThe Barclays Premier league football provides a unique environment for management decisions and processes to occur in a range of markets and at varied levels. However, the globalisation of professional sports has received relatively very little attention in the academic literature – especially in the field of business and management.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the scant literature on the management implications of football by highlighting how globalisation has affected and reconfigured professional sports using the influx of foreign players into the English football league as a point of departure.
Symbolic purchase in sport: the roles of self‐image congruence and perceived quality
Authors: Hee Kwak Dae , Kang Joon‐Ho 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the notion of “symbolic purchase” which has long been documented in the management and marketing literature. In particular, self‐congruity theory has been examined in various domains of consumer behavior. However, little attention has been paid to the area of sport. In sport business, licensed‐merchandise (i.e. team apparel) has become an increasingly important revenue source and it strengthens fan identity and brand loyalty. Therefore, based on the self‐congruity theory, the aim is to investigate the effect of self‐image congruence on sport team‐licensed merchandise evaluation and purchase.Design/methodology/approachA proposed model incorporates self‐image congruence (SIC), perceived quality, and purchase intention of team‐licensed merchandise. The reliabilities of the scaled measures were established in a pilot study (n=66). Data (n=260) for this study were collected at two professional basketball games using a convenient sampling method.FindingsThe results of the structural model indicated that the model fits the data well and constructs of self‐image congruence and perceived quality combined explained 43 per cent of the total variance in purchase intention. The findings revealed that both SIC and perceived quality had a direct positive effect on purchase intention while perceived quality also acted as a mediator between SIC and purchase intention.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings imply that SIC can be useful in predicting sport fans’ quality perception and purchase decisions on the team‐licensed merchandise. Future studies need to replicate this study in different regions and using different sports (i.e. soccer, baseball, etc.).Originality/valueThe findings extend the literature by incorporating self‐image congruence and perceived product quality in the purchase decision‐making process. This is the first known effort to apply self‐congruity theory in the spectator sport consumption context.
Market reaction to sporting results
Authors: Benkraiem Ramzi , Louhichi Waël , Marques Pierre 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to study the stock market reaction to sporting results of European listed football clubs. Specifically, it tries to examine the impact of the sporting results on the stock market valuation in terms of abnormal returns and trading volume around the dates of matches.Design/methodology/approachThis paper undertakes an event study around the dates of 745 matches played by European listed football clubs.FindingsThe empirical analysis shows that the sporting results of listed football clubs affect both the abnormal returns and the trading volume around the dates of matches. The movement (positive or negative) and the time when the impact occurs (before or after the match) differ according to the nature of the result (defeat, draw or win) and the match venue (home or away). Findings in this study imply that the success of investments in listed football clubs requires a regular follow‐up of their sporting performances.Originality/valueThis paper is one of the first to take into consideration the nature of sporting results (defeat, draw or win) according to the match venue (home or away) in order to study the market reaction in terms of both abnormal returns and trading volume. Unlike some previous studies, it is not limited to studying a single specific context but considers listed football clubs from all over Europe.
Management practices in companies through sport
Authors: Pichot Lilian , Pierre Julien , Burlot Fabrice 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to provide insight into how the practice of sports, commonly known as a pastime or leisure activity, highlights the human agent as an organisational resource and pulling force, and how it can lie within the framework of general employee management policies. But which functions can sport fulfil?Design/methodology/approachIn order to answer this question, qualitative surveys were conducted at ten company sites in France (Adidas France, Apple, 3M, Caisse d'Epargne, Crédit Immobilier de France, Lilly France, Lohr Industrie, Nestlé France, Steelcase International, Würth France). A total of 14 interviews with decision makers on company sport policies were conducted. The empirical data were then cross‐examined in two competitor observations: Steelcase and 3M France.FindingsThe study illustrates that sport at companies can take on multiple functions and forms: structuresin situ, events, company sporting associations, sponsorship, and so forth. Its functions are often interrelated and integrated into human resources management (as training and motivational tools) and both internal and external communication policies. Furthermore, they contribute to the social policy of the company. Therefore, sport in business is a contributor to defining a company's identity by highlighting intangible and human resources.Research limitations/implicationsThis research, completed in large manufacturing and service companies, does not mention the range of sports actions carried out within the framework of intercultural management of multinationals. It could be extended to cover small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) to verify the findings. The research does not deal with the effectiveness of sports actions on employees. Only an employee investigation on accepting management practices would permit the verbalization their feeling of belonging to a company and their job involvement.Practical implicationsThis paper describes possibilities to evolve human relations through a sporting means. Collective mobilizing around sports attracts just as much top management as “secondary executives”. It creates network relations outside traditional work circuits and helps develop governance methods, management and human resources management practices, and the nature of human relations.Originality/valueThis paper shows how companies – although obsessed by economic performance – give the opportunity to empower staff through the means of sporting leisure activities for the purpose of a managerial target. This study unveils the uses and functions of sport in companies, and its associated attributes. It furthermore reveals contemporary transformations in the entrepreneurial world: new management styles and re‐enchantment of the company by diffusing the image of an entrepreneurial employee. Henceforth, the man or woman in the company is more than ever considered as a social being endowed with assets in the form of available resources for the purpose of management practices.
From outside lane to inside track: sport management research in the twenty‐first century
Authors: Chadwick Simon 
Published: January 2009

PurposeMajor changes have taken place in sport in recent years, which has consequently led to the emergence and development of an associated sport management literature. To date, this literature has been confined to the margins of management theory and research, although the development of sport has been such that a multitude of opportunities now exist for academics and practitioners to address the most pertinent issues facing sport management. This paper aims to focus on the changes and to address the issues arising from them.Design/methodology/approachThe paper begins by providing a brief overview of the development of sport. It then explores the fundamental elements of sport that mark it out as being different from other products or industrial sectors. This covers the following areas: the uncertainty of outcome; competitive balance; contest management; collaboration and competition; and performance measurement. The paper then considers the management issues pertaining to the models of sport employed in, for example, the United States and Europe. Following on from this, the internationalisation and globalisation of sport, linked to developments in new media technology, are examined.FindingsSome emerging issues in functional management areas are highlighted, including the development of sponsorships; the need for sport to adopt a strategic approach to PR; and ensuring the needs of multiple market places are met through appropriate scheduling of games and events, alongside a range of possible foci for future sport management researchers.Originality/valueThis paper highlights a range of issues for sport management researchers and highlights which aspects of sport management require the specific attention of researchers.
A study into measuring the antibacterial activity of lysozyme‐containing foods
Authors: Maidment Clem , Dyson Allan , Beard Jennifer 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide food science or biology students with a simple and reliable method of determining the antibacterial activity of a range of foods and biological materials that contain lysozyme.Design/methodology/approachThe antibacterial effects of the materials reported to contain lysozyme were assayed by gel‐diffusion using the lysozyme‐sensitive bacterium Micrococcus lysodeikticus. The antibacterial effects of the selected test materials, namely fresh hen egg‐white, human saliva, Brussels sprouts, papaya and figs were compared against standard solutions of proprietary analytical crystalline hen egg‐white lysozyme.FindingsThe antibacterial activity of the test substances was similar to the effects of their lysozyme concentrations as quoted by other workers.Research limitations/implicationsAntibacterial activity was higher in avian egg‐white and human saliva than in the assayed plant material. Measurement of the activity in the plant material was at the limits of the sensitivity of the method.Practical implicationsThe two main practical methods for measuring lysozyme are either a gel‐diffusion assay or a spectrophotometric procedure. Gel‐diffusion assay provides a convenient procedure for student investigative work as it has a limited requirement for method development. Additionally, it is simple, cheap, reproducible and does not require specialist equipment. Further possible investigations for students are suggested.Originality/valueThe paper builds on established techniques to provide a procedure that is appropriate for student use for determining lysozyme activity in a variety of biological materials.
Influence of α‐tocopherol on the levels of serum anti‐oxLDL antibodies
Authors: Sanibal Elaine A.A. , Damasceno Nágila R.T. , Gidlund Magnus A. , Torres Elizabeth A.F.S. 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to evaluate the association between the α‐tocopherol with the levels of serum anti‐oxLDL autoantibodies and the risk markers for cardiovascular disease.Design/methodology/approachA normolipidemic control group (n=30) and a hypercholesterolemic group (n=33) were used. Plasma lipid profile (colorimetric method), anti‐oxLDL autoantibodies (ELISA) and α‐tocopherol (HPLC) were analysed.FindingsThe α‐tocopherol (β=−0.714;p=0.001) is negatively associated with anti‐oxLDL autoantibodies in serum and with other risk markers for cardiovascular disease (BMI, WC, total cholesterol, LDL‐c) and positively associated with HDL‐c.Originality/valueOxidized low density lipoprotein (oxLDL) and their autoantibodies are increased in subjects with hypercholesterolemia. The α‐tocopherol can influence the levels of serum anti‐oxLDL autoantibodies.
GIS identifies trends in heart disease, cancer, and diet in the US
Authors: Brevard P.B. , Brevard K.R. 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore relationships between cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer (CA), and diet using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping techniques to investigate spatial trends.Design/methodology/approachDatabases containing CVD and CA deaths are listed by state in the USA; databases containing state food consumption statistics, therefore, were sought. Available databases indicating dietary patterns were used to create spatial maps of the USA using ArcGIS (ESRI, Redlands, CA, version 9.2), to visually show trends in relationships among CVD, CA, and diet. Correlations and linear regression were used to determine statistical relationships among variables.FindingsMaps show visual relationships between CVD and CA death rates, and a statistically significant positive correlation (r=0.765; p=0.0005) was also found. Southeastern states have the highest death rates for both diseases. Negative correlations were found between CVD and CA deaths and household expenditure for nuts (r=−0.525; p=0.0005 and r=−0.526; p=0.0005, respectively), and CVD deaths and fruit and vegetable intake (r=−0.423; p=0.002). Household expenditure for nuts was a predictor of CVD (β=−0.469, p=0.002) and CA (β=−0.490, p=0.002) deaths.Originality/valueThese trends indicate a need for further research on diet and these diseases, and for state‐wide dietary studies to facilitate research using GIS mapping. Food consumption patterns, especially nuts, may be related to CVD and CA death rates. Southeastern states should be targeted for nutrition intervention and education programs.
Over the worst or at the eye of the storm?
Authors: Jones Norah , Chew Esyin , Jones Catherine , Lau Alice 
Published: January 2009

PurposeUsing the analogy of e‐learning as “the perfect storm”, the aim of this paper is to explore the disruptive nature of e‐learning in higher education.Design/methodology/approachTaking a case study of a university, the paper explores the movement from an e‐intensive approach to e‐learning into an on‐campus blended learning approach. What are the lessons for higher education and how responsive are we to the new challenges. Is blended learning creating a new stability after change, or is it placing the university in the eye of the storm, a still small moment within an ongoing change process?FindingsThe paper presents findings from the E‐College Wales (ECW) project, looking at the disruptive effect on such a learning organisation from student, staff and management perspectives. It concludes by moving the focus from the e‐intensive ECW project to focus on the developments during the first year of a blended learning project and the disruption endemic in such a developmentOriginality/valueThe paper will be of special interest to the blended learning policy maker, practitioners and educators. It includes a journey of a case study concerning blended learning.
Employer engagement: the critical role of employee commitment
Authors: Drake Julie , Blake Joanne , Swallow Wayne 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce a case study that identifies the practical issues and implications of employer engagement through course design, delivery and employee commitment in a higher education course delivered in the financial services sector.Design/methodology/approachUsing a case study the paper draws on the course team (employer and university) experience of a higher education course delivered at a financial services institution over a two cohort period. Student application data and student feedback are used to identify the practical issues arising from course.FindingsThe paper emphasises the importance of understanding the business of the employer, bespoke delivery models and employee commitment for increasing employer participation in higher skills in the work place, particularly for employers not traditionally engaging with universities for course delivery at undergraduate level.Originality/valueThe paper explores issues for employers and universities for design, delivery and sustainability of higher skills in the work place.
Curricular profile of university graduates versus business demands
Authors: Marzo‐Navarro Mercedes , Pedraja‐Iglesias Marta , Rivera‐Torres Pilar 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe curricular profile that businesses demand from their workers is undergoing considerable change, especially in regard to university graduates. Considering the functions that are associated with universities, they should respond to these business demands. As a result, they should educate their students following curricula that fit the needs of the labour market. This fit would allow improving the employability of university graduates. The objectives of this work consist of determining the competencies that firms demand from university graduates and determining the curricula that universities follow to educate their students.Design/methodology/approachThrough a comparison of these objectives, the paper analyses the mismatches that exist between these competencies and the curricula, and action lines are proposed to correct them.FindingsThe results show the various competencies that universities must improve upon in the education of their students. This improvement would mean a better fit between university curricula and business demands.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was applied in one region of Spain, and it would be appropriate to expand it to the entire country.Practical implicationsUniversity managers can use the information obtained from this study as the basis for designing and subsequently implementing action lines that allow improving the curricular profile of university graduates.Originality/valueThere are few papers that analyse the competencies that firms demand from university graduates and that determine the curricula that universities follow to educate their students.
An organizational entrepreneurship model of supply management integration and performance outcomes
Authors: Handfield Robert , Petersen Kenneth , Cousins Paul , Lawson Benn 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe role of supply managers in driving corporate performance is changing, with an increased emphasis on supply market intelligence, collaboration, inter‐organizational partnerships, and operational integration with supply partners. These traits are also mirrored in the research on entrepreneurial settings and firms. The purpose of this paper is to explore the parallels between supply management roles, and the entrepreneurial skill sets and mechanisms that have been identified in prior research.Design/methodology/approachA structural equation model, using a sample of 151 manufacturing and service firms based in the UK, tests this hypothesised model.FindingsThe theoretical framework was supported, with results indicating that entrepreneurial behaviours (supply market intelligence and supply management influence) contribute to integration within the firm and with suppliers, in order to drive performance improvement.Practical implicationsThe results provide support for purchasing managers seeking to improve performance by changing the recruitment and culture of the supply management function toward an entrepreneurial orientation.Originality/valueAlthough the application of organizational entrepreneurship thinking to supply management theory is nascent, this paper's results suggest that further research along these lines may provide a resilient platform for utilisation of entrepreneurial constructs to explain supply management principles in buyer‐supplier collaboration, relational capital, and organisational outcomes.
Productivity effects of outsourcing
Authors: Broedner Peter , Kinkel Steffen , Lay Gunter 
Published: January 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an empirical investigation of firm level productivity effects of outsourcing against the background of a review of recent theoretical considerations about the topic.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical research is based on a large representative data set from the German manufacturing industries containing detailed data about almost 500 establishments. It investigates productivity effects of outsourcing under control of other relevant factors influencing firm level productivity by means of a multivariate regression analysis.FindingsIn sharp contrast to common belief and prevailing management practices, outsourcing, i.e. the extent to which the vertical range of manufacturing is reduced, has a strong negative impact on a firm's labour productivity. Against the background of the theoretical considerations reviewed from the literature, this result can be explained such that mere cost‐efficiency comparisons are insufficient for appropriate decisions on vertical manufacturing range as the effects of opportunism, of disturbed competence formation, and of limited innovative value creation processes may be overcompensating cost benefits.Research limitations/implicationsThe investigation focuses on productivity effects of outsourcing as a relevant long‐term performance measure not regarding other firm level performance indicators. Although covering a significant range of industrial sectors in Germany, more empirical evidence is needed from other sectors and regions. Moreover, performance effects of different types of outsourcing implementations (e.g. simple part supply versus outsourcing of whole business processes including design, production, and marketing) should be investigated as they might have different impacts.Practical implicationsThe findings strongly recommend a revision of established decision‐making schemes for vertical manufacturing range based on cost‐efficiency considerations. Decision making should instead integrate cost efficiency and transaction cost analysis with the competence and innovation capability formation perspectives. Procedural schemes for this integrated view are still to be developed, however.Originality/valueThe research described in this paper considerably widens the empirical knowledge about productivity effects of outsourcing and has strong impact on management practice.