bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Course evaluations: a tendency to respond “favourably” on scales?
Authors: Darby Jenny A. 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate a possible favourable response pattern on scaled forms used as a means of evaluating training courses.Design/methodology/approachIn part one of the study evaluation forms were examined referring to courses were completed by 879 students attending 15 university level courses and 531 students at school. In part two a more exacting test for a favourable response tendency using attitude scales was designed. This involved 212 teachers who were asked about their willingness to include “children with special needs” in their classes.FindingsIt was found that the majority of students in part one responded at the favourable end of the evaluation scales. The same tendency was noted with the teachers in part two of the study.Practical implicationsCourses are likely to be evaluated favourably and therefore it is suggested that it is necessary to incorporate in any evaluation a means of comparison. Internal elements of courses need to be compared and courses should be judged in terms of how good they are when compared with other similar courses..Originality/valueThis is an important issue as scales are frequently used to collect student feedback and also to measure attitude change as a result of training courses, in universities, colleges and industry.
The development of a conceptual model of student satisfaction with their experience in higher education
Authors: Douglas Jacqueline , McClelland Robert , Davies John 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce a conceptual model of student satisfaction with their higher education (HE) experience, based on the identification of the variable determinants of student perceived quality and the impact of those variables on student satisfaction and/or dissatisfaction with the overall student experience. The paper will also identify those determinants most likely to have either a positive or negative impact on subsequent student loyalty behaviours.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reports the results of a study of 163 undergraduate students at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK, which utilised Critical Incident Technique (CIT) as the method that encouraged the recording of situations that the students themselves perceive as critical incidents. It is envisaged that these situations have occurred in their experience of HE teaching, learning and assessment and their experience of other university ancillary service aspects, i.e. within and beyond the classroom experience.FindingsThe results of this study indicate that responsiveness, communication and access are the critical areas that Education Managers need to focus upon. Also the CIT method of data capture could be adapted and adopted by the wider Higher Education sector.Research limitations/implicationsThere are a number of limitations with this study. For the quantitative results, the sample size was relatively small and involved only one Faculty within a University. There is also an assumption that the statements made in relation to the loyalty behaviours would actually be acted upon, i.e. they would do what they say. The study is based on the respondents' recollections of past events and it is assumed that these were accurate.Practical implicationsThe implications for university managers are that creating and maintaining a responsive, communicative and useful environment is necessary across the teaching, learning and assessment areas, whilst within the Ancillary areas responsiveness, access and socialising are the important factors. Reducing the number of dissatisfying experiences may not be an easy task, but if successful, then improved student recruitment, retention and ultimately financial stability for the Institution should ensue. The wider implication is that CIT should be considered by HEIs as a means of collecting student intelligence.Originality/valueCritical Incident Technique is a method that is already attractive to many researchers. However, within higher education, the norm is to use traditional student feedback questionnaires which restricts the student to questions that have been predetermined. CIT allows respondents to freely describe their experiences and unreservedly express their feelings without being constrained to specific areas.
University students' knowledge of services and programs in relation to satisfaction
Authors: Nasser Ramzi N. , Khoury Bechara , Abouchedid Kamal 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to survey students on their satisfaction with university services and programs in a coeducational Lebanese Catholic higher education institution. The study attempts to relate self‐assessed knowledge of the university procedures, rules and regulations on six dimensions of satisfaction, being: academic experience, academic advisor, residential life, campus life, personal development opportunities, resources and student services.Design/methodology/approachA cluster random selection procedure was used to select n=870 students from within the university. Students rated 31 knowledge items and 33 satisfaction items. The study analyses student satisfaction in relation to their knowledge of procedures, rules and regulations. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was run to determine differences between university class level, and knowledge level on satisfaction. In addition, a regression analysis was run to determine whether university class (freshmen, sophomore, junior, and senior level) and knowledge level (low, middle and high knowledge levels) were predictors of the satisfaction dimensions.FindingsGenerally, those who assessed their knowledge (of the services) as higher were more inclined to be satisfied. In addition, seniors in general were less satisfied with programs and services than freshmen students. Self‐rated knowledge and university level (freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors) significantly predicted satisfaction with both variables being highly associated (i.e. predicting) with satisfaction in academic advising.Originality/valueSelf‐enhancement theory suggests that those individuals with greater self‐worth have greater affective need to feel satisfied. Increased self‐worth is manifested in active roles of decision making and judgments about events that the individual experiences (Wells and Sweeney, 1986). Thus, self‐worth is highly correlated with knowledge about an aspect. This study shows that knowledge is an important predictor to satisfaction – i.e. the higher the knowledge the more satisfied students are likely to be.
The effect of e‐mail on attitudes towards performance feedback
Authors: Kurtzberg Terri R. , Belkin Liuba Y. , Naquin Charles E. 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to argue that people's inherent attitudes towards the various communication media (e‐mail, paper‐form, face‐to‐face) will change their reactions to identical performance feedback.Design/methodology/approachUsing an empirical scenario study with 171 business school students as participants, peoples' attitudes were explored about the use of e‐mail for feedback by having participants enact the role of an organizational employee receiving (identical) feedback via e‐mail, paper‐form, or a face‐to‐face conversation.FindingsIt was found that people responded most positively to the feedback when they believed it was delivered via paper‐form, and most negatively when they believed it was delivered via e‐mail. Thus it is theoretically challenged that the notion that all text‐based media (i.e. paper‐form and e‐mail) should be considered identical, and empirically document differences. Further, the negative reaction to the concept of feedback delivered via e‐mail was magnified by a performance‐goal orientation as opposed to a learning goal‐orientation.Practical implicationsIt is argued that the norms and expectations about each medium should play a significant role in determining appropriate feedback communication tools.Originality/valueThis research can help individuals and organizations decide the mode of communication they use to deliver feedback.
Business ethics versus economics: the ideological foundations of the debate
Authors: Goldsby Michael G. , Burton Brian , Grana Peter , Neck Christopher P. 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address the current debate between business ethics and economics by examining the underlying ideologies of each side.Design/methodology/apprachIt is our intention in this article to examine the stories business ethicists and economists utilize to explain how the world works. A two dimensional model is employed to accomplish this goal by plotting the two sides' different theories of human nature on one axis and the two sides' different theories of society on the other axis.FindingsThis article provides a framework for assisting practitioners and scholars/teachers in better understanding the origins and causes for the debates that take place on complex issues regarding the economic domain.Research limitation/implicationsA limitation of this article is that while it offers better understanding of positions, it does not offer guidance to the reader in crafting future strategies. Space does not warrant doing so in this article; however, it is an important issue.Practical implicationsThe framework in this article can be utilized to help managers and students understand the debate between business ethicists and economists, help them to examine and form their own positions, and be better prepared to take part in debates that promote societal progress.Originality/valueWhile scholars have described the current debates well, little coverage has been placed on how the debate arose. By knowing how past and current positions were developed, it is our hope that more informed frameworks addressing developing social issues can be developed in the future.
Exploring disruptive technology: the structure and control of internal corporate ventures
Authors: Callaway Stephen K. , Hamilton Robert D. 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to develop a conceptual model addressing how environmental uncertainty resulting from disruptive technology affects an internal corporate venture's organization.Design/methodology/approachBased upon a review of two complementary theoretical perspectives – resource dependence theory and institutional theory, propositions regarding internal and external linkages and the internal organizational governance mechanisms of organizational structure and strategic control systems of ICVs are developed.FindingsResource dependence theory and institutional theory are both necessary to explain the organizational issues resulting from the uncertainty surrounding disruptive technology. Research limitations/implications – A limitation is that this is a theoretical paper; empirical research is needed to test the theories presented in this paper.Practical implicationsTo the extent that managers can be trained to recognize and understand the complexities of disruptive technology, their likelihood of appropriate organizational responses will be enhanced.Originality/valueThe paper presents a conceptual model of how to successfully manage an internal corporate venture in a disruptive technology environment.
Consumer behaviour in multi‐channel contexts: the case of a theatre festival
Authors: Slack Frances , Rowley Jennifer , Coles Sue 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to complement existing work on multi‐channel environments of shopping experiences and retail channels by exploring the use of different channels in the consumer decision‐making processes associated with ticket purchase for performances in a regional annual theatre festival.Design/methodology/approachAnalysis of the audience questionnaire focuses on the relative use of different channels and specifically the importance of the Internet in the stages leading up to attendance at the festival – awareness, information gathering, decision making and purchase transaction.FindingsThe extent of use of different channels at different stages in the decision‐making process varies, although the Internet is the only channel that can be and is used to support all stages of the process. Throughout the process, with the exception of purchase transaction, the use of word‐of‐mouth is significant. Customers who started using the Internet at the awareness stage often continued to use it. Neither gender nor age has a significant effect on patterns of channel use.Originality/valueThis study contributes to research into the use of multiple channels in consumer decision making, particularly in relation to customer multi‐channel employment, the factors that affect channel use, and the role of word‐of mouth in multi‐channel contexts.
eDSPLab: remote laboratory for experiments on DSP applications
Authors: Barrero F. , Toral S. , Gallardo S. 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a remote lab and a web‐based teaching environment which provides access for remote control of Digital Signal Processors (DSP device) and real instrumentation. The framework, named eDSPLab, has been designed using LabVIEW for debugging and testing Digital Signal Processing (DSP) experiments in a real lab without physical and temporal restrictions, and it has been integrated as a service in a modern e‐learning application domain and a Learning Management System (LMS) to reinforce its utility.Design/methodology/approachA literature review is presented to provide background to the progressive role that DSP and DSP devices play in Information and Communications Technology (ICT)‐demanded job profiles, and the role that a computer‐mediated environment plays in modern teaching methodologies. The web service access control architecture is defined.FindingsThe paper provides new insights into the use of the Internet for laboratory teaching.Research limitations/implicationsThis research was limited to one particular remote lab. Results could be extended if students' perceptions and their acceptance of the new e‐learning technology are examined using an information system theory, such as the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM).Originality/valueThis paper fulfils a need for adapting the teaching methodology applied in an undergraduate Advanced Microprocessor course of the Telecommunication Engineering degree at the University of Seville, Spain, allowing the development of laboratory experiments anywhere and anytime, avoiding one of the problems in lab training: the low number of laboratory working places in relation to the high number of enrolled students. The system developed has been successfully used during the last academic years in a course involving more than 200 students.
Product‐oriented design theory for digital information services
Authors: Wijnhoven Fons , Kraaijenbrink Jeroen 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to give a structured literature review, design concepts, and research propositions related to a product‐oriented design theory for information services. Information services facilitate the exchange of information goods with or without transforming these goods. Exemplar information services are e‐publishing, electronic communities‐of‐practice, and management reporting. The importance of information services in the current economy merits the development of an explicit product‐ and process‐oriented design theory.Design/methodology/approachThis article focuses on the product‐oriented design theory by applying Wallset al.'s framework. A product‐oriented design theory of information services identifies relevant descriptive and explanatory insights (i.e. content, use, value, and revenue), meta‐requirements, and meta‐designs. The paper describes design problems for information services, and gives key requirements for information services. Next, it describes the information, organizational and information technological components of an information service, and identifies at least four information service architectures. Finally, it gives research hypotheses, research ideas, and discusses practical implications.FindingsThe results form a product‐oriented design theory for information services. The paper gives a structured way for practitioners to analyze information service design challenges, and suggestions are given for requirements and design decisions on three aspects (content, use feature, and revenue).Originality/valueGiven the previously fragmented nature of the literature, this paper gives new opportunities for research and practice.
The library and the internet: introduction to the special issue
Authors: Sax Boria 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to introduce the special issue of On the Horizon, which is devoted to the next wave of innovation in online education; analyzes the traditional tension between the realm of books and reality, and to examine ways it which this may be influenced by digital technologies; and reviews possible alternatives to the structure of the traditional classroom for online education.Design/methodology/approachBuilding on the work of Hans Blumenberg, this article begins with analysis of the malaise that pervaded literary culture on the threshold of the digital age. It evaluates various educational structures and technologies as attempts to respond to this challenge.FindingsBooks not only contain but also structure learning, in fact they condition our expectations of what “knowledge” would be. The world of books has traditionally been opposed to that of “experience,” but digital technologies now provide new means of storing knowledge that transcend this dichotomy. This is a major change in the structure of knowledge, which will eventually transform our institutions of higher education.Originality/valueThis article shows how the development of digital media was not simply driven by technology but was a response to the exhaustion of literary traditions, as thinkers began to doubt whether there was anything more worth putting in print. This perspective enables the article to go beyond the technological determinism that pervades much futuristic writing, and suggest how we may innovate, particularly in education, while retaining continuity with the past.
Effects of price decisions on product categories and brands
Authors: Álvarez Álvarez Begoña , Vázquez Casielles Rodolfo 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this present paper is to analyse the influence prices have on consumers' purchase decisions. Specifically, three aspects related to this variable are considered: formation of reference prices, effects of price variances on the buying behaviour and the influence of price promotions on the purchasing process.Design/methodology/approachThe paper elaborates two household panels, one national (Taylor Nelson Sofres Group) and the other regional (elaborated by us) which complements the information provided by the former.FindingsThe results confirm the use of reference prices by consumers, highlighting the importance of the stimuli present at the point of sale for their formation. Likewise, the paper observes the interrelation of strategic decisions, emphasising the collateral effects derived from them.Originality/valueThe paper cautions retailers that immediate discounts as a promotional strategy may be successful, but this does not apply to all product categories.
Integrated analytic hierarchy process and entropy to develop a durable goods chain store franchisee selection model
Authors: Hsu Pi‐Fang , Chen Bi‐Yu 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a selection model that adopts several important criteria, enabling a durable goods franchiser to select franchisees that are most appropriate.Design/methodology/approachQuestionnaires based on selection criteria are identified from modified Delphi Technique and then sent to experts and decision makers. Major criteria weights are analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process and entropy. Final weights are then determined using the compromised weighting method.FindingsThis study has demonstrated that the durable goods sector in Taiwan emphasizes the condition of a franchisee personal condition more than its store location, and our results further indicate that a franchiser should emphasize finance and business ability when selecting franchisees. Additionally, consumer purchasing power, individuals passing by and parking convenience are all important factors for selecting a franchisee.Originality/valueAnalysis results indicate that the proposed selection model enables a franchiser to select franchisees more reasonably by allowing them to operate effectively.
Supply chain management in SMEs: development of constructs and propositions
Authors: Thakkar Jitesh , Kanda Arun 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the literature on supply chain management (SCM) practices in small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) and outlines the key insights.Design/methodology/approachThe paper describes a literature‐based research that has sought understand the issues of SCM for SMEs. The methodology is based on critical review of 77 research papers from high‐quality, international refereed journals. Mainly, issues are explored under three categories – supply chain integration, strategy and planning and implementation. This has supported the development of key constructs and propositions.FindingsThe research outcomes are three fold. Firstly, paper summarizes the reported literature and classifies it based on their nature of work and contributions. Second, paper demonstrates the overall approach towards the development of constructs, research questions, and investigative questions leading to key proposition for the further research. Lastly, paper outlines the key findings and insights gained.Practical implicationsSurvival of SMEs will be determined first and foremost by their ability to provide/produce more, at less cost, in less time, with few “defects”. The key to this is effective SCM. The issue is much explored in the context of large enterprises but less attention is paid to SMEs. Paper aims to surface out some facts for the same. Originality/value The paper reports‐classifies the literature and development of construct and propositions.
My country is different
Authors: Hirsch Peter , Shaukat Najia 
Published: February 2008

PurposeThe creation of a truly global marketplace with a rapidly expanding middle class has created unparalleled opportunities global brands and the multinational corporations that own them. From household and food products to travel and luxury brands, this converging global market with converging lifestyle aspirations would appear to enable global brand stewardship on an unprecedented scale. At the same time, brand marketing and corporate communications practices around the world have become increasingly consistent, eradicating what were once sharp local differences in theory and practice in different countries. The paper aims to focus on this issues surrounding this.Design/methodology/approachTo understand the hidden obstacles to a seamless global approach to corporate and brand marketing, Porter Novelli commissioned Harris Interactive to conduct an online survey of the communications directors of US‐based global multinationals asking detailed questions about what they believe is working well in their global PR networks and what they believe is less than satisfactory. They were asked to rank the importance of a set of core attributes relating to brand marketing and corporate communications and then to rate the performance of their internal PR organization on those attributes.FindingsThe outcome of this research revealed five key sources of what can be called network inertia which is discussed in more detail in another paper.Originality/valueOffers clear actions for global multinationals to meet the extraordinary difficulties in managing their PR networks to create and nourish effective and consistent brand stewardship across the globe.