bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Generational differences in psychological traits and their impact on the workplace
Authors: Twenge Jean M. , Campbell Stacy M. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review data from 1.4 million people who completed personality, attitude, psychopathology, or behavior scales between the 1930s and the present and to discuss how those differences may impact today's workplace.Design/methodology/approachThe data are gathered from research reports using psychological scales over the last eight decades, primarily those using college student samples.FindingsGeneration Me (sometimes called Gen Y or Millennials) demonstrates higher self‐esteem, narcissism, anxiety, and depression; lower need for social approval; more externallocusof control; and women with more agentic traits.Practical implicationsManagers should expect to see more employees with unrealistically high expectations, a high need for praise, difficulty with criticism, an increase in creativity demands, job‐hopping, ethics scandals, casual dress, and shifting workplace norms for women. Organizations can respond to these changes with accommodations (e.g. praise programs) or with counter pressure (e.g. dress codes), and it is imperative that managers consider the best reaction for their workforce.Originality/valueMost studies of generations interview workers at one time; thus any differences could be due to age or generation. Many of these reports are also based on subjective opinions and perceptions. In contrast, the paper reviews quantitative data on generational differences controlling for age. This empirically based look at generations in the workplace should be useful to managers and workers.
Learning orientation, organizational commitment and talent retention across generations
Authors: D'Amato Alessia , Herzfeldt Regina 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to test the relationships of learning, organizational commitment and talent retention across managerial generations in Europe.Design/methodology/approachHypotheses are developed to explain the influence of learning and organizational commitment on talent retention across generations. A total of 1,666 European managers completed a survey on these issues. Depending on year of birth, they were categorized into four generational cohorts. Their answers were analyzed with statistic procedures.FindingsFindings reveal that younger generations are less willing to remain in the same organization and have lower organizational commitment. The youngest generations (Early and Late Xers, born 1960 and after) show stronger learning orientation and lower organizational commitment than older generations (Early and Late Boomers, born 1946‐1959). Learning orientation predicted the intention to remain in the same organization for Early Xers and Late Xers. Organizational commitment mediated this relationship. For Late Boomers and Early Xers, it mediated the relationship between specific leadership development intentions and intention to stay.Research limitations/implicationsManagerial, job‐related learning is confirmed as an important antecedent for the intention to stay/leave one's current organization. The differential meaning of learning and commitment across generations needs to be better understood in order to develop effective strategies for the retention of talent in all generations. In particular, differences in the psychological contract between organizations and their managers need to be understood.Practical implicationsThe findings suggest an approach of generation‐specific HR practices for talent retention.Originality/valueThe study is one of the first to date to address leadership development and learning orientation in the context of talent retention, as well as one of the first to address the discussion of generational challenges in Europe and across the specific population of people in managerial roles.
The sustainability of economic and cultural impacts of international students to regional Australia
Authors: Yao Lee J. , Bai Yiping 
Published: November 2008

PurposeRecent trends have seen an upward surge in the number of foreign students coming to study in Australia but most of them have chosen to stay in metropolitan cities. Recognising that foreign students studying in regional Australia are making a significant contribution to regional development, regional universities have put in plans to compete with their metropolitan counterparts for these students. The purpose of this paper is to investigate variables related to issues in quality of research, quality of teaching, life style, local cultures, spending patterns, student background, infrastructures etc in order to find out what factors determine the attractiveness for foreign students to come to study in a regional area, in particular to La Trobe University, Bendigo campus.Design/methodology/approachA survey that forms the backbone of the study was administered to all foreign students, who study in Bendigo, in order to answer this research question.FindingsBased on the findings from the survey, it was found that regional universities have advantages over their metropolitan counterparts in costs, safety and environment etc.Practical implicationsA direct economic benefit of over one million dollars was realised by the city of Bendigo but there was potential to increase to three million dollars. Some recommendations were also provided for future development policy useful for the University, the governments, and regional centres’ economy.Originality/valueAlthough educational export has become a vital part of the Australian economy, very few studies, if any, have examined the magnitude of the economic impacts that have been brought about by international students to regional Australia. To sustain the healthy economic growth of regional centres in Australia, a significant number of international students must be maintained so as to bring the wealth that is becoming so indispensable in order to maintain such sustainable growth. The international students will also bring with them the cultural diversity that otherwise is lacking in regional cities compared to other major cities in Australia. This study seeks to address and quantify the degree and extent of the economic impacts to Bendigo, an important regional city in Victoria. Factors that influence the decisions before the international students actually come to Australia are also examined together with what cultural activities they get involved in when they are here. The findings can provide measurable outputs for decision makers to direct necessary resources appropriately in order to sustain the growth of this industry and to develop strategies to address some problems related to the continuing growth of this industry.
A general theory of change
Authors: Zurewich John Alan 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain how the process of change is determined by the product lifecycle and the product lifecycle's relation to the organization structure.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on years of experience helping business organizations adapt to change by installing computer systems and consulting with senior management in this process.FindingsBusiness organizations are highly variable in their structure, it is the environment that determines the organization structure. Where businesses are in a stable environment business organizations are capital intensive. Where the environment is highly volatile capital investment is limited and small flexible organizations prevail. In addition, there is a biological theory that totally parallels this theory.Originality/valueThose who fail to understand the concepts are inclined to make massive mistakes in capital investment. This is often the reason why small startup companies are able to beat out larger established competitors in highly volatile environments.
Unbitten, yet undeterred: the Salem witch trials as a demand‐pull phenomenon
Authors: Mixon Franklin G. , King Ernest W. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeIn a relatively new and interesting study, a new theory was offered to explain events surrounding the Salem witch trials of 1692. According to the author of that study (Carlson), the behavior of the accusers can be explained by an outbreak of encephalitis. The purpose of this paper is to offer evidence that contradicts that hypothesis.Design/methodology/approachTo these ends, this paper examines life expectancy data from the Wigglesworth 1789 life expectancy tables to reject the Carlson thesis. The current study also provides a graphical exposition of the Salem witch trials as a demand‐pull phenomenon.FindingsAccording to the data, the age at‐death minus the Wigglesworth life expectancy of 28.15 years for the witch trials accusers averages between 26.4 years, a figure that is statistically significant. This result contradicts Carlson's view that the accusers encountered encephalitis. Finally, the stylized graphical model presented here provides an additional way of viewing the witchcraft episode in 1692 Salem as a demand‐pull phenomenon. Originality/value In refuting previous hypotheses about witchcraft episodes, and by offering a graphical model of witchcraft hysteria as a demand‐pull phenomenon, this study re‐focuses attention on the ethico‐economic aspects of the Salem witchcraft episode.
Disaster preparedness measures: a test case development and application
Authors: Simpson David M. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThis paper sets out to develop disaster preparedness measurement methodology using a small test case of two communities. It is aimed at furthering discussion of the issues and complexities of developing measurement of preparedness indicators for application and utilization.Design/methodology/approachThe study used a multi‐modal approach, utilizing several data sources, including: a survey of essential facility managers in the two communities; document data extracted from the two city's Comprehensive Plans, Budgets, and the Emergency Operation Plans; and key informant interviews. Data collected from these sources formed the basis of the model construction and testing.FindingsThe primary conclusion is that a preparedness measurement model, while inherently difficult to construct and execute, has the potential to assist in the comparison and evaluation of community preparedness. Further such development requires additional refinement, calibration, and applied testing.Research limitations/implicationsIn terms of future research, this type of effort is preliminary, and needs to be tested across a larger number of communities to gauge its accuracy, and would most benefit from the creation of consistent baseline scores for a larger cross‐section of communities. Baseline scores could be examined for disasters that affect multiple communities, and comparison and evaluations of the preparedness measures can be applied. Future research should calibrate the model using expert and community feedback.Practical implicationsShould a standardized measurement and indicator system be developed with wide application, there would be effects in the insurance, regulatory and management sectors.Originality/valueThe paper creates a measurement and indexing process for discussion and evaluation in the hazards research community.
Disaster preparedness for sustainable development in Bangladesh
Authors: Shah Alam Khan M. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeBangladesh is one of the most disaster‐prone countries in the world. Natural disasters adversely affect the country's economy and deter its development. Thus preparedness for the disasters, along with effective prevention and mitigation measures, is imperative for sustainable development of the country. The purpose of this paper is to examine the present state of disaster preparedness in the country with special attention to the more frequent and damaging disasters – flood and cyclone.Design/methodology/approachA detailed study of the effects of natural disasters, disaster prevention and mitigation measures, and institutional setting for disaster preparedness was undertaken.FindingsPlans and programs have been formulated to manage natural disasters. In a “Cyclone Preparedness Program”, trained volunteers facilitate emergency response and proper use of the multi‐purpose shelters. Within an institutional framework for disaster management, several Non‐Government Organizations (NGOs) work for disaster preparedness alongside the government organizations. Their formal and nonformal education programs on disaster preparedness have a common objective of promoting resilient and sustainable communities.Practical implicationsPlanning and design of structural interventions for prevention and mitigation of natural disasters should be done more carefully to avoid adverse impacts on the environment. A participatory approach is essential in this process. Education and awareness‐building programs need wider and easier access to the people.Originality/valueThe paper concludes that the institutional arrangement for cyclone preparedness and response is unique and efficient, and that participation of NGOs in the preparedness program contributes significantly toward sustainable development. These lessons will be important for development planning in other sectors.
Mass fatality management after the Indian Ocean tsunami
Authors: Phillips Brenda , Neal Dave , Wikle Thomas , Subanthore Aswin , Hyrapiet Shireen 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThis study aims to conduct the first original research on mass fatality management in nearly 30 years.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design captured local perspectives within a culturally‐appropriate context to examine roles and responsibilities of government officials within the State of Tamil Nadu and District of Naggapattinam (spellings reflect the most commonly‐used local choice), India. Research data were gathered in the context of the Indian Ocean Tsunami that claimed nearly 300,000 lives across approximately 13 nations.FindingsLocal officials and residents faced unprecedented challenges during the hours immediately following the tsunami. These included removing debris that covered bodies, body identification, health and sanitation issues, and the necessity of creating mass graves. The findings identify prior experience with disasters, familiarity with the local area, the quality of pre‐existing networks among officials, a strong desire to rescue those yet living and the presence of linkages between government and non‐governmental organizations as critical factors affecting an expedited management process.Practical implicationsPractical implications include the value of general disaster training that can transcend specific circumstances, the pre‐establishment of mutual aid agreements, strong lines of horizontal and vertical cooperation and inter‐organizational coordination and an understanding of local culture and customs.Originality/valueThe paper contributes to scant social science understanding of mass fatality management processes and furthers a line of inquiry applicable to a wide variety of hazards such as pandemics, terrorism and natural events.
US corporate public relations in the progressive era
Authors: Gower Karla 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the concept of public relations in the progressive era to gain a greater understanding of the historical development of corporate public relations in the USA.Design/methodology/approachThe paper provides historical analysis of 87 magazine articles dating from 1900 to 1917, which discussed press agentry, publicity, and public relations.FindingsIn the early 1900s, publicity meant both legal requirements of corporate disclosure and press exposure of secret corporate activities. The purpose of publicity was to reveal excess and corruption. The term press agent was used in two ways. First, it was used to refer to literary and theatrical press agents, and second, it was used interchangeably with publicity agent to signify individuals hired by corporations to respond to the publicity and explain corporate policies to the public. By the second decade of the twentieth century, corporations, specifically the railroads, were using the term public relations to refer to the practice of developing relationships with the public.Originality/valueMost historical studies of public relations in the USA have described the development of the field as a linear progression or evolution from press agentry, to public information or publicity, to two‐way communication. This study suggests that that linear evolutionary model is only partially accurate. At least some corporations in the progressive era had a greater understanding of the two‐way street than corporations in this period normally are given credit for.
Writing PR history: issues, methods and politics
Authors: L'Etang Jacquie 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue that public relations (PR) history‐writing has profoundly shaped the discipline and that its US bias may have limited theoretical developments. The author aims to explore the challenges in writing PR history and to consider some of the strategic philosophical issues and challenges that face historians.Design/methodology/approachHistorical interpretations are shaped by authors' social constructions and thus the paper is written reflexively. The author discusses the way in which histories are structured and patterned by their authors' assumptions and values about the nature of time; human civilisation, progressivism, situationalism, inevitability, human agency, cultural change, flux and transformation.FindingsExisting (largely US) PR historical writing is analysed in terms of its theoretical impact through the “four models” and it is argued that this typology is not appropriately applied to other cultures with different paths of historical evolution. As a way of demonstrating this point, key aspects of British developments in the twentieth century are drawn out to reveal a dozen “models” of PR practice that could potentially form the basis of theoretical research.Originality/valueOverall, the paper contributes a discussion of historical methodology in relation to PR; shows the connection between history and theory‐building in PR; and demonstrates that history from other cultures can reveal alternative models for theoretical development.
Howard Chase: the man who invented issue management
Authors: Jaques Tony 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the work of Howard Chase within the history of public relations, his role in the birth and development of issue management, and his relevance for contemporary practice.Design/methodology/approachResearch for this paper draws heavily on the speeches and writings of Chase himself, both before and after the formal establishment of issue management, as well as commentary from key writers.FindingsWhile Chase is widely acknowledged as the founder of issue management in 1976, his writings reveal that he saw this “new science” as only one part of a much broader restructuring of management design in which he positioned public policy and profit as corporate objectives of equal importance. Analysis confirms his work was innovative and of historical significance, but it has been increasingly outdated by evolution of the discipline he created.Originality/valueDespite Chase's pioneering role, modern writing in the field usually cites little more than his definitions and his process model. This paper revisits his original concepts in their contemporary context, providing a fresh framework against which to properly assess his contribution.
Fred Harvey Company public relations and publicity (1876‐1933)
Authors: Curtin Patricia A. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to examine the entrepreneurial Fred Harvey Company's early public relations and publicity efforts to determine what they add to our knowledge of the development of public relations in the USA.Design/methodology/approachThis historical analysis uses mainly data gleaned from an in‐depth examination of the two archival sources available: the Fred Harvey Company photographs and papers at the Heard Museum in Phoenix, AZ (at about ten linear feet, the most complete collection of Harvey materials), and the Fred Harvey Collection at the University of Arizona (photographs, correspondence, and miscellaneous records).FindingsAlthough the dominant historical perspective has labeled this era the “Seedbed Years” and characterized them as “a day of business arrogance toward employee and citizen alike”, this case suggests that other models of practice were in use that developed out of differing cultural milieux. To the dominant view of public relations developing in the USA as a result of business pressures, then, should be added the perspective of organizational culture and the role it played in the development and professionalism of the field.Research limitations/implicationsThis one case study cannot be generalized to the whole field; however, the findings support those of a growing number of other scholars (Sullivan, Piasecki), suggesting that the dominant evolutionary paradigm of US public relations history artificially constricts our understanding of the field.Practical implicationsThe insider's perspective gained through this study has implications for professionalism, integrated communications, and ethical practice.Originality/valueThis paper examines a previously unknown case in US public relations history and sheds light on early public relations and publicity methods that challenge the dominant paradigm in US scholarship. The notion of press agentry as the dominant practice is explored and challenged.
An assessment of the potential returns of energy certificates for the UK household sector
Authors: McGilligan C. , de Wilde P. , Goodhew S. 
Published: November 2008

PurposeThis article seeks to investigate the interconnections between the expectations of the impact of energy certificates issued within the UK domestic building sector through the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) and the actual number and financial implications of the energy saving measures (ESMs) achieved.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology uses two previously published surveys and compares these with a third independent survey by the authors focusing upon the discrepancies between planned action and implemented action, introducing the term human factor element (hfe).FindingsThe article concludes that annual carbon savings arising from implementation of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) may be as low as 73.4 ktC over the five year term of the Kyoto Protocol even though 44 per cent of energy saving measure costs of £200 million are recouped within the same time period and savings will continue for up to 40 years. Achieving annual savings of only 14.7 ktC by 2010, such a figure represents a mere 0.3 per cent of the annual domestic 4.8 MtC savings announced by the government in its 2006 Climate Change Programme.Practical implicationsSince the principal determinant in the uptake of ESMs is initial cost, it is considered that the EPBD is likely to remain an under‐performing instrument in the promotion of energy sufficiency until such time as other complementary provisions are introduced.Originality/valueSheds light upon the likely financial impact upon energy efficiency in domestic buildings by energy certificates.