bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Global HRM integration: a knowledge transfer perspective
Authors: Smale Adam 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the literature on HRM in MNCs from a knowledge transfer perspective, to identify some of the key weaknesses in extant research and to outline a future research agenda.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper key contributions to the literature on HRM in MNCs are reviewed and discussed in connection with the knowledge transfer literature. The review and discussion culminate in the presentation of an agenda for future research.FindingsThe paper finds that, by viewing global HRM integration in MNCs as a process of knowledge transfer, three weaknesses in the extant literature are identified: inadequate consideration of HRM's knowledge characteristics at different levels within the organisation – the “what”; insufficient attention paid to the organisational mechanisms through which HRM is transferred – the “how”; and a lack of rigour in assessing when HRM transfer can be viewed as successful – the “when”.Originality/valueIn viewing global HRM integration as a process of knowledge transfer, the paper extends the HRM‐knowledge link and provides an alternative point of departure from which to study HRM in MNCs. In highlighting some of the weaknesses in extant research and in proposing a research agenda, it is also hoped that this paper can assist other scholars in making incremental improvements to a field reportedly in need of further theoretical development.
Constructing self‐efficacy at work: a person‐centered perspective
Authors: Tams Svenja 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to advance a person‐centered perspective of self‐efficacy formation. Examining people's ways of thinking about self‐efficacy at work broadens one's perspective beyond training and feedback as principal means for developing self‐efficacy.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative paper analyses 145 interviews with 74 participants from six settings (management consulting, brand design, MBA job search, restaurant service, telemarketing, and financial trading).FindingsThe paper finds that the coding suggested ten specific ways of thinking about self‐efficacy. These were grouped according to two modes of thinking – attending and reflecting – and two focuses – one directed at doing one's task and the other directed at one's environment. In combination, they represent four types of thinking: attending to one's doing, attending to one's environment, reflecting upon one's doing, and taking a stance towards one's environment.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper shows that further research needs to strengthen the validity of the identified ways of thinking about self‐efficacy and examine their determinants and outcomes.Practical implicationsThe paper proposes two implications for HR development practice. First, people's self‐management capacity may be improved by coaching and training that raise mindfulness of one's ways of constructing self‐efficacy. Second, the effectiveness of performance appraisal and 360° feedback may be improved by managers, HR practitioners and people themselves giving more attention to co‐constructing relevant ways of thinking about self‐efficacy.Originality/valueAdopting a person‐centered perspective, this paper proposes to view self‐efficacy formation as a constructivist process – that is proactive, self‐organizing and coherence‐building.
Patterns of human resource management in consulting firms
Authors: Richter Ansgar , Dickmann Michael , Graubner Michael 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the human resource management (HRM) policies and practices in consulting firms. The paper specifically investigates whether or not the HRM approaches in these firms mirror the two organisational archetypes of professional partnerships (P2) and manage professional businesses (MPB) found in the professional services sector.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on interviews with experienced consultants from a sample of 28 large and medium‐sized consulting firms with a presence in Germany and Switzerland. The paper uses both qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the data.FindingsThe findings in the paper show that P2‐type consulting firms take fundamentally different approaches to HRM from MPB‐type firms. In P2‐type consulting firms, HRM is an integral part of the organisational system and is run in practice by consultants, rather than by specialised HR staff. P2‐type firms emphasise the notion of membership of individuals in an organisation tied together by extended socialisation processes and adherence to common values. In contrast, MPB‐type firms exhibit HRM systems with “corporate” features widely used in other large‐scale service organisations.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper shows that the organisational archetypes prevalent in professional service firms have significant implications for their HRM systems. Consulting firms' HRM practices and policies should be interpreted in the light of their respective organisational archetype.Practical implicationsThe paper concludes that consulting firms should use HRM practices that fit the organisational archetype they embody.Originality/valueThe paper provides systematic evidence on the HRM policies and practices in an important yet under‐researched sector.
The effects of employee services on organizational commitment and intentions to quit
Authors: Lee Soo‐Hoon , Lee Thomas W. , Lum Choon‐Fong 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the effects of the provision of employee services on employees' organizational commitment and their intentions to quit as well as their underlying reasons.Design/methodology/approachThe paper shows that questionnaires were administered at two organizations in Singapore to evaluate employees' attitudes resulting from the provision of employee services. Mediator regression analyses and structural equation modeling were used to test the relationships between the provision of employee services with construed external image of the organization, valence for employee services, organizational identification, organizational commitment, and intentions to quit.FindingsThe paper found that positive employee attitudes arising from the provision of employee services were the result of a positive construed external image of the organization. It also shows that, when employees perceived that outsiders viewed their organization positively, their level of identification with their organization increased.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper did not find a significant relationship between employees' valence for employee services and organizational identification, implying that receiving tangible benefits was less important to employees than working for an organization that is viewed positively by outsiders.Practical implicationsThe results in this paper suggest that employees' attachment to their organization is enhanced when they perceive that outsiders view their organization positively.Originality/valueThe results in the paper were explained in terms of social identity theory, which suggest that firms must continually invest in socially responsible activities and practices to create a positive corporate image. Employees' perceptions pertaining to how stakeholders view their organization affect their work attitudes.
Stiffness optimization for two‐armed robotic sculpting
Authors: Owen William , Croft Elizabeth , Benhabib Beno 
Published: February 2008

PurposeRecent research has considered robotic machining as a dextrous alternative to traditional CNC machine tools for complex sculptured surfaces. One challenge in using robotic machining is that the stiffness is lower than traditional machine tools, due to the cantilever design of the links and low‐torsional stiffness of the actuators. This paper seeks to examine this limitation, using optimization algorithms to determine the best trajectories for the manipulators such that the stiffness is maximized.Design/methodology/approachThe issue of low stiffness is addressed with an integrated off‐line planner and real‐time re‐planner. The available manipulator stiffness is maximized during off‐line planning through a trajectory resolution method that exploits the nullspace of the robot machining system. In response to unmodeled disturbances, a real‐time trajectory re‐planner utilizes a time‐scaling method to reduce the tool speed, thereby reducing the demand on the actuator torques, increasing the robot's dynamic stiffness capabilities. During real‐time re‐planning, priorities are assigned to conflicting performance criteria such as stiffness, collision avoidance, and joint limits.FindingsThe algorithms developed were able to generate trajectories with stiffer configurations, which resulted in a reduction in the actuator torques. The real‐time re‐planner successfully allowed the process plan to continue when disturbances were encountered.Research limitations/implicationsSimulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach.Practical implicationsAddressing the limitation of stiffness in serial‐link manipulators will enable robots to become more suitable for machining tasks. The real‐time re‐planning approach will allow robots to become more autonomous during the execution of a given task.Originality/valueAn integrated off‐line and real‐time planning approach has been applied to robotic machining.
Metaheuristic scheduling of multiple picking agents for warehouse management
Authors: Rubrico J.I.U. , Ota J. , Higashi T. , Tamura H. 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a scheduler for multiple picking agents in a warehouse that takes into account distance and loading queue delay minimization within the context of minimizing makespan (i.e. picking time).Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses tabu search to solve the scheduling problem in a more global sense. Each search iteration is enhanced by a custom local search (LS) procedure that hastens convergence by driving a given schedule configuration quickly to a local minimum. In particular, basic operators transfer demand among agents to balance load and minimize makespan. The new load distribution is further improved by considering a vehicle‐routing problem on the picking assignments of the agents with relocated demands. Loading queue delays that may arise from the reassignments are systematically minimized using a fast scheduling heuristic.FindingsThe proposed tabu scheduler greatly improves over a widely practiced scheduling procedure for the given problem. Variants of the tabu scheduler produce solutions that are roughly of the same quality but exhibit considerable differences in computational time.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed methodology is applicable only to the static scheduling problem where all inputs are known beforehand. Furthermore, of the possible delays during picking, only loading queues are explicitly addressed (although this is justifiable, given that these delays are dominant in the problem).Practical implicationsThe proposed approach can significantly increase through‐put and productivity in picking systems that utilize multiple intelligent agents (human pickers included), e.g. in warehouses/distribution centers.Originality/valueThe paper addresses a practical scheduling problem with a high degree of complexity, i.e. scheduler explicitly deals with delays while trying to minimize makespan (generally, delays are ignored in the literature to simplify things). In the tabu implementation, an LS procedure is introduced in the metaheuristic loop that enhances the search process by minimizing non‐productive time of picking agents (travel time and delays).
DaimlerChrysler installs new robot‐based flexible assembly line
Authors: Bogue Robert 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThis paper seeks to describe a new flexible, robot‐based welding line, installed at an American DaimlerChrysler vehicle assembly plant.Design/methodology/approachThis paper first considers the motivations behind flexible manufacturing strategies (FMSs) and then describes a system installed at the Sterling Heights DaimlerChrysler plant.FindingsThis paper shows that the adoption of robot‐based flexible assembly allows different models and model variants to be assembled on a single line, yielding operational, commercial and financial benefits.Originality/valueThis paper illustrates the value of adopting an FMS at a vehicle assembly line.
Segmenting manufacturers' investment incentive preferences for international logistics zones
Authors: Lu Chin‐Shan , Liao Chun‐Hsiung , Yang Ching‐Chiao 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThis study aims to empirically identify investment incentive preference segments for international logistics zones from the manufacturer's perspective.Design/methodology/approachEight critical investment incentives were identified, based on the following factors: cost, agglomeration, resource, port, policy, political stability, location and transport, and economic. Cluster analysis was subsequently performed to group respondents on the basis of their factor scores. Three groups or segments were identified: firms that preferred political stability and location factors; those which preferred low‐cost and port‐related factors; and those which preferred agglomeration effect and resource factors. Six factors, i.e. cost, agglomeration effect, resource, port, policy, and political stability, differed significantly across the three segments.FindingsResults suggest that political stability is the most important incentive, followed by corporate tax incentives, government administration efficiency, labor cost, and energy cost.Originality/valueThis study is a first attempt to understand investment incentive preferences for an international logistics zone from the manufacturers' perspective and to segment investors into different groups.
Unpacking gendered professional power in the welfare state
Authors: Wrede Sirpa 
Published: February 2008

PurposeRecent scholarship reveals the imagery of the professional as the “ideal citizen”. The linkage between professionalism and citizenship is here approached from the perspective of democratic social justice in order to examine the persistence of gendered inequalities in the health care system. The paper aims to examine the ideas framing professionalism, both in sociological theory and historically, asking what gendered hierarchies mean in modern health care systems, and why and how they persist in the conditions of liberal democracy.Design/methodology/approachThe question is approached through both sociological literature and an analysis of historical framings of professionalism; the Finnish health care system is employed as a case. The reason for keeping the discussion close to a specific case is that different professional fields, countries and historic contexts differ from each other in democratically relevant respects.FindingsTraditional sociological theory assumed that professional privilege was based on essentially neutral expertise that benefits democracy only if protected from bureaucracy and politics. The recent theoretical turn reframes professional knowledge as socially defined, but the destabilisation of professional knowledge claims is not without problems. The paper refers to the persisting tensions between changing governance and gendered hierarchies in health care and argues for new approaches that suggest ways through which professional expertise can be democratically represented in politics.Originality/valueThe interdisciplinary framework uses political theory on social justice to examine how health care politics frame professionalism.
Gendering migration flows: physicians and nurses in Portugal
Authors: Sousa Ribeiro Joana 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThis article aims to explore the gendered dimensions of the heterogeneous path of non‐native graduates in nursing and medicine in the Portuguese National Health Service, including institutional factors like the process of credential recognition, the professional integration and internal labour market segmentation.Design/methodology/approachBiographical interviews with nurses and physicians (23 males and 35 females) from Spain and from some Eastern European countries who migrated to work in Portugal were conducted, and additionally semi‐structured interviews with 12 institutional participants to contextualise the experiential data.FindingsThe research highlights complex intersections between gender and the resources for action. Institutional conditions, like legal frameworks and the self‐regulatory mechanisms of the professions, and individual characteristics shape successful translation of foreign credentials into a new social and cultural context. The specific configurations may create gender traps that push women into low status professional segments and also new forms of inequality in the professions.Research limitations/implicationsThe development of successful professional action and agency in a socio‐culturally different health care labour market can be differentiated by gender, place of graduation and citizenship status. The factors identified in this small‐scale qualitative study would need further investigation.Practical implicationsThe findings highlight new demands for integration policies for foreign‐trained professionals, such as policies to promote equal opportunities for women and men in the workplace.Originality/valueThe article reinforces women as professional participants in the international migration process and examines the opportunities for successful integration.
Reinventing gender in higher education
Authors: Blättel‐Mink Birgit 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThis article aims to address topical issues in the debate on gender (in)equality in higher education in Europe and beyond, and highlights future perspectives of research and practice.Design/methodology/approachIt is based on a conference report of the 5th European Conference on Gender Equality in Higher Education that was hosted by Humboldt University in Berlin, Germany, 28‐31 August 2007.FindingsNumber matters (“wore women into science”), but quality matters more: more women are needed in top positions in higher education, science, technology and engineering, and more female participation in higher education decision‐making processes. It is necessary to reveal gender biases of recent strategies in higher education. Exclusion happens also among women; an intersectional approach is therefore called for, which includes primary and secondary educations as well as labour market and careers in the academe.Practical implicationsEquality programmes have to consider the diversity of gender in higher education and to strengthen women's lobbying in European education and science politics.Originality/valueThis conference brought together about 350 participants from 56 countries. Thus, it provided an excellent opportunity for knowledge exchange with European scholars and beyond, which is reported in this paper.
Perceived conditions of workers in different organizational settings
Authors: Langston Craig , Song Yu , Purdey Brian 
Published: February 2008

PurposeResearch into office design and its effect on employee satisfaction and performance has attracted considerable contemporary research interest. However, most studies have tended to concentrate on the impact of the built environment on human performance, ignoring the actual needs of employees working in different organizational settings. This paper hence aims to investigate the nature and extent of occupant satisfaction with the built environment in different organizational settings in Australia for a range of climates.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted in Australia from 2004‐2005, comprising 41 buildings, including six government buildings, 14 educational buildings and 21 commercial buildings. The Kruskal‐Wallis H test was used to explore whether there are differences in the mean ranking of office environment satisfaction amongst the three organizational settings, and the Mann‐Whitney U test was employed to further test whether there are differences in the mean ranking of office environment satisfaction between any two groups.FindingsSignificant differences were found in aspects of air, temperature, space suitability, flexibility, usability and controllability. Employees in commercial settings seem to be more satisfied with their physical work environment than employees in other organization types. Employees in educational settings showed the highest satisfaction with most variables in the workspace design and management category. Government employees showed a lower level of satisfaction with their physical work environment and workspace design and management.Originality/valueMoreover, the government and educational groups showed more similarity with each other, while the commercial group displayed significant difference.
Building log books and online building information
Authors: Liddiard R. , Jones P. , Day A.R. , Kelly D. 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThis paper seeks to establish the level of usage and how building log books are perceived within the UK non‐domestic buildings sector, and to identify potential benefits resulting from the use of building log books and internet‐based building information systems.Design/methodology/approachThe method employed was the distribution and analysis of market survey questionnaires, distributed primarily via a professional body.FindingsThere is limited use of building log books, plus varying degrees of perceived usefulness, especially between the designer/contractor sector and the facilities management sector. Internet‐based information management systems appear to be largely acceptable. The quality of building information is likely to depend on who provides it. There is a significant perception within the designer/contractor sector that building regulations are not enforcing the availability of building log books in relevant buildings.Research limitations/implicationsOnly a limited literature review was undertaken, and there may be limitations due to the nature of the distribution of the surveys and sample sizes. More research into the effective provision, management and utilisation of useful building information is required.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates that regulations may not necessarily lead to practical implementation and that there is significant room for improvement in the provision and maintenance of building information which is useful to those operating buildings.Originality/valueThe paper expands understanding of the need for useful building information and proper management of that information, both for the facilities manager and as a means of feeding forward into new building designs.