bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Quantification of agility
Authors: Vinodh S. , Sundararaj G. , Devadasan S.R. , Rajanayagam D. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to design a tool for quantifying agility in organisations and test its practical compatibility.Design/methodology/approachAn agile quantification tool was designed initially by referring to a 20 criteria agile model. A scoring pattern with a maximum 1,000 marks was incorporated in the agile quantification tool which was then subjected to experimentation in an Indian electronics switches manufacturing company.FindingsA feedback session was conducted among the executives of the company to test the practical acceptability of the agile quantification tool. A statistical analysis of the study revealed that 90 per cent of their views were in favour of adopting it.Research limitations/implicationsThe marks allotted against the 20 agile criteria incorporated in the agile quantification tool are not supported with research findings. This leads to the questioning of the rationale behind allotting the marks against these criteria. In order to overcome this limitation, the opinions of the executives were gathered. Their opinions revealed that the marks allotment followed in the agile quantification tool is practically compatible.Practical implicationsIn order to acquire agile characteristics, modern organisations should measure the agility levels at which they operate. This agile quantification tool explained in this paper fulfils this need.Originality/valueThe agile quantification tool presented in this paper rests its foundation on the 20 criteria agile model which is well supported by the research findings reported in literature. By the virtue of its research background and practical compatibility, the agile quantification tool is considered to be highly valuable.
Construction workers' health and safety knowledge
Authors: Edwards David J. , Holt Gary D. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeNumerous factors relate to the effectiveness of health and safety (H&S) management within construction; but a specific factor influencing the extent of H&S “incidents” on site, is the amount of H&S knowledge held by construction workers. This paper aims to offer some initial observations on construction workers' H&S knowledge, based upon test‐result data from an invigilated online H&S test.Design/methodology/approachData from 564 candidates were analysed principally by observing mean performance scores and apparent differences, among the sample and defined sub‐samples, for each of five H&S subject groupings that make up the test.FindingsMean scores indicate better retained knowledge in “general H&S” questions and lower knowledge in “manual handling” questions. There was little difference in mean scores between defined candidate age groups; or between different size classifications of candidates' employer organisations. Perceived characteristics of employers' training regimes did not appear to impact test results either.Research limitations/implicationsDisparity among sub‐sample sizes within the data means that these findings are indicative and accordingly, have implications for a follow‐on study that will utilise deterministic modelling to more definitively confirm the effect of formal training and other (e.g. workplace) characteristics, on worker H&S knowledge retention.Originality/valueThe paper shows that workers having recently undertaken H&S training exhibit greatest retained knowledge, the level of which remains relatively consistent regardless of where a candidate lives, or a candidate's age group.
Health and safety (H&S) awareness and implementation in Botswana's construction industry
Authors: Musonda Innocent , Smallwood John 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present findings of research on the level of health and safety (H&S) awareness and implementation in Botswana's construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire survey was conducted on construction projects to establish the level of awareness and implementation of construction H&S. Physical observations were also conducted on construction sites in order to relate questionnaire responses to what actually obtained on construction sites. The study was limited to Gaborone and the immediate surrounding areas.FindingsFindings from the research reveal that the level of H&S awareness is low, H&S legislation is not complied with, the management of contractors is not committed to H&S implementation, there is a lack of H&S management systems, procedures, and protocol, and clients and designers do not participate in the implementation of H&S.Originality/valueThe importance of construction H&S has been recognised by various researchers. This paper provides an insight on the level of awareness and implementation of H&S in Botswana's construction industry and should be viewed in the context of an effort to improve H&S.
SCAFOS: linking sensor data to context‐aware applications using abstract events
Authors: Katsiri Eleftheria , Bacon Jean , Mycroft Alan 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe event‐driven paradigm is appropriate for context aware, distributed applications, yet basic events may be too low level to be meaningful to users. The authors aim to argue that this bottom‐up approach is insufficient to handle very low‐level sensor data or to express all the queries users might wish to make.Design/methodology/approachThe authors propose an alternative model for querying and subscribing transparently to distributed state in a real‐time, ubiquitous, sensor‐driven environment such as is found in Sentient Computing.FindingsThe framework consists of four components: a state‐based, temporal first‐order logic (TFOL) model that represents the concrete state of the world, as perceived by sensors; an expressive TFOL‐based language, the Abstract Event Specification Language (AESL) for creating abstract event definitions, subscriptions and queries; a higherorder service (Abstract Event Detection Service) that accepts a subscription containing an abstract event definition as an argument and in return publishes an interface to a further service, an abstract event detector; and a satisfiability service that applies classical, logical satisfiability in order to check the satisfiability of the AESL definitions against the world model, in a manner similar to a constraint‐satisfaction problem.Originality/valueThe paper develops a model‐based approach, appropriate for distributed, heterogeneous environments.
Development and evaluation of a context‐driven, mobile tourist guide
Authors: Kramer Ronny , Modsching Marko , ten Hagen Klaus 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe behavior of tourists strongly depends on the availability and quality of information. Too little information as well as too much can be disorienting and forces many tourists to join the majority visiting major sights. This causes a few crowded places in contrast to many which are under‐utilized. A Destination Management Organization has the goal to spread tourists more evenly, whereas the tourists would like to enjoy the destination to its full potential according to their personal interests. The paper aims to focus on the issues surrounding the creation of a mobile tourist guide.Design/methodology/approachA field trial was conducted in the summer of 2005 to study the following questions as a precondition for the development: Is it possible to seed generic interest profiles in the mobile context that allow the accurate prediction of actual rankings? Are the interest profiles sufficiently diverse to base personalized tours on individual interest profiles instead of interest prototypes? How do personalized tours affect the spatial behavior of tourist? Three methods to elicit the generic preferences of tourist in the mobile context are compared with actual rankings using Spearman's rank order coefficient.FindingsThe diversity of the interest profiles is analyzed in various ways leading to the conclusion that personalized interest profiles are necessary. For the gathered profiles tours are computed and simulated in order to gain a first insight into the effect on the spatial behavior of tourists.Originality/valueThe dynamic tour guide is supporting both goals by means of pervasive computing based on the actual context which is defined by personal interests, location and schedule of a tourist. It enables a personalized, spontaneous and guided tour.
Adaptation in context‐aware pervasive information systems: the SECAS project
Authors: Chaari Tarak , Celentano Augusto 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe simple environment for context aware systems (SECAS) Project deals with the adaptation of applications to the context (user preferences and environment, terminal, etc.). The authors aim to develop a platform which makes the services, data and the user interface of applications adaptable to different context situations.Design/methodology/approachPrevious research has concentrated on how to capture context data and how to carry it to the application. The present work focuses on the impact of context on the application core. A case study in the medical field is also analysed.FindingsThe paper illustrates a new definition of the context which separates the application data from the parameters of the context. This definition helps to establish a complete study on how to adapt applications on their three dimensions (services, content and presentation) to the context.Originality/valueThe paper presents the SECAS platform, one that ensures the deployment of adaptive context‐aware applications.
A scenario‐based approach for direct interruptability prediction on wearable devices
Authors: Bernstein Abraham , Vorburger Peter , Egger Patrice 
Published: April 2008

PurposePeople are subjected to a multitude of interruptions. In order to manage these interruptions it is imperative to predict a person's interruptability – his/her current readiness or inclination to be interrupted. This paper aims to introduce the approach of direct interruptability inference from sensor streams (accelerometer and audio data) in a ubiquitous computing setup and to show that it provides highly accurate and robust predictions.Design/methodology/approachThe authors argue that scenarios are central for evaluating the performance of ubiquitous computing devices (and interruptability predicting devices in particular) and prove this on the setup employed, which was based on that of Kern and Schiele.FindingsThe paper demonstrates that scenarios provide the foundation for avoiding misleading results, and provide the basis for a stratified scenario‐based learning model, which greatly speeds up the training of such devices.Practical implicationsThe direct prediction seems to be competitive or even superior to indirect prediction methods and no drawbacks have been observed yet.Originality/valueThe paper introduces a method for accurately predicting a person's interruptability directly from simple sensors without any intermediate steps/symbols.
Ethics and morality in human resource management
Authors: Simmons John 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe paper seeks to focus on operationalising corporate social responsibility in the context of employee governance. Its purpose is to evaluate critically the ethics of “mainstream” human resource management (HRM) and to propose an alternative stakeholder systems model of HRM.Design/methodology/approachStakeholder theory is utilised to critique modes of employee governance, in the light of concepts of stakeholder accountability and organisational justice. Conceptual analysis attests to the need for a different philosophy of employee governance – in particular within knowledge‐intensive organisations.FindingsThe paper identifies the concept of “the responsible organisation” as a means of assessing organisational maturity in employee governance, and relates this to dimensions of organisational justice. Linkage enables employee perceptions of equitable treatment to be combined with effectiveness measures in the employee governance model proposed.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper demonstrates the significance and application potential of a stakeholder systems development of current modes of managing people. Conclusions confirm instrumental and ethical rationales for the greater involvement of and accountability to employee stakeholders.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates a business‐based rationale for the adoption of ethical corporate governance and HRM.Originality/valueThe stakeholder systems model represents a holistic approach to human resource management by its incorporation of employee perspectives at HRM system design, operation and evaluation stages. It responds to the need for a new philosophy of HRM in an era of stakeholder‐accountable organisations.
Values in organizations: difficult to understand, impossible to internalize?
Authors: Mattila Merita 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThis paper aims to study personnel perceptions about value processing in three case organizations in the Finnish context, especially management's role in organizational change where values are considered.Design/methodology/approachThe research follows the methodology of the case study approach to tackle the research theme. The data include interviews from multiple (managerial) hierarchical levels, from top management to local levels (in top management and at the local level) in the case companies. The interviews are analyzed by content analysis.FindingsThe paper provides information about personnel perceptions in organizational value processes, especially the management's and organizational culture's role, in this kind of change process, as well as the individual's own role and responsibilities as an employee.Research limitations/implicationsThe research reported is not exhaustive and was done in the Finnish context, which may reduce its applicability to other, especially non‐European, countries.Practical implicationsThe paper represents a very useful source of information and practical advice for companies encountering changes where organizational values are processed.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils the growing need for information about value management and value processing in organizations, and offers practical help to individuals working among these themes in their organizations.
Corporate governance and innovative leaders
Authors: Musa M.A. , Ismail S.E. , Othman S. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to attract readers' attention to the importance of the integration of corporate governance and innovation for companies to strive further in business. The paper also attempts to illustrate how an innovation champion can exist in companies with a good corporate governance structure and fully utilize the structure, at the same time being aware of the limitations of innovation activities. Along the way, corporate social responsibilities should also be taken into consideration.Design/methodology/approachThe objectives of this paper are achieved first through an explanation of how corporate governance structure works and what purpose it serves. By understanding the mechanics of corporate governance, the integration of the structure with other fields of knowledge, in order to boost corporate performance, becomes possible. The paper also makes several references to companies around the world which have integrated successfully.FindingsInnovation is a teamwork effort. Concentrated efforts are needed from every person in the organisation, from the board of directors and all the employees. The main actor in the picture is the board of directors. Also, other critical factors such as culture, conducive environment and rewards very much need to be present in the system.Practical implicationsInnovation, even though deemed risky, must be supported. The board of directors or leaders of corporations must change the way they think. Leaders of corporations must make an effort to understand innovation, and subsequently spread it far and wide among managers by creating corporate policies that support innovation. With a consumer‐centric organizational principle in mind, corporations can improve their innovation success rate. A successful innovation effort requires full participation from everyone in the corporation to ensure that the end results of research and development are for the interests of society at large.Originality/valueCorporate governance is a structure that needs input from other fields of knowledge. Too much faith is put in corporate governance to bring about performance; unfortunately corporate governance is just a structure. There are a lot more factors that should be taken into consideration before achievement can be seen and success stories can be heard. This integration of knowledge is suggested to companies so that they can generate more revenue.
Moral commitments to community: mapping social responsibility and its ambiguities among small business owners
Authors: Lange Elizabeth A. , Fenwick Tara J. 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to map the different moral positions articulated by small business owners in relation to social responsibility (SR) commitment and practice.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study utilized collaborative action research with 25 small business owners in two Canadian provinces and used combined methods of group dialogue, personal semi‐structured interviews, and thematic analysis through researcher triangulation.FindingsWe found that the morality underpinning business owners' social responsibility tended to be embedded in a sense of relationship with and commitment to the well‐being of the local geographic community. However, this was threaded with felt ambiguities, revealing their understanding of a spectrum of SR practices.Research limitations/implicationsThrough an ethical analysis, we argue that this moral commitment to community is connected to a relational worldview as part of a distinctive ethical vision while, at the same time, the small business owner‐managers were continuing to pursue business within an environment of orthodox economic ethics and practices. This substantially impacted the shape of their commitment as social change agents and their engagement in collective activities with like‐minded peers.Practical implicationsFurther research is needed to reveal how much the lack of engagement in collective social change activities and collective promotion of social responsibility is related to the practical issues of time famine, maintenance of a business niche, or an individualist ethos.Originality/valueThis study contributes several original findings by identifying a range of SR practices and the ethics behind each, from the perspective of small business owners, how they position themselves, as well as the paradoxical constraints they experience.
CSR, women and SMEs: the Croatian perspective
Authors: Koričan Mirna , Jelavić Ivija 
Published: April 2008

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present the idea that CSR needs to be communicated from four different levels – government, community, company, and the individual. It also aims to stress that women managers in Croatia are still discriminated against and to show that managers in SMEs in Croatia need to become more aware of the importance of CSR.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on several different researches conducted on different populations – those of women managers and of SME managers.FindingsThe findings of this paper show that, for the improvement of CSR awareness in general, the CSR idea needs to be communicated on four different levels simultaneously. Even though there are more women managers in higher positions in Croatia, they are still discriminated against. Managers of small and medium‐sized enterprises are still not thinking enough about all stakeholders when making decisions.Practical implicationsThis paper shows that, in practice, government, community, companies and individuals should be consistent in communicating and working on the CSR idea for the general welfare and advancement of society.Originality/valueThe main value of the paper is that it provides the newest results on CSR for companies in Croatia. This paper also gives a new perspective on the importance of simultaneous attempts to communicate the CSR idea for the advancement of society.
Corporate ethics: an end to the rhetorical interpretations of an endemic corruption
Authors: Tran Ben 
Published: April 2008

PurposeCrime, fraud, and corruption, are all nouns that pertain to the act of deception that depicts an intention to increase an opportunity in one's favor in an unlawful manner that pertains to an organization's interest and goals. Such offenses are numerous and quite costly and are now a commonplace criminal behavior within corporations. Motivations and purposes for corruption may be subjective but the legality of corruption is not. Thus, the rhetorical interpretations of corruption may be analyzed through two distinctive paradigms, the social behavioral science paradigm and the legality paradigm. This paper seeks to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachCourt cases were analyzed, 70 major American corporations, in addition to a study of the largest industrial firms focused upon a two‐year period.FindingsBased on the above samples, it was found that corporate corruptions are extremely common, but taboo to admit. The limitations to this study are accessibility, participants, and whistle‐blowers.Originality/valueImplementing organizational guidelines (OG) is one appropriate and objective method in addressing corporate corruption and to confirm corporate compliance. While implementing the OG is objective, the process of implementing the OG is subjective. Subjectivity derives from opportunistic interpretations of the imperfect OG. Objective interpretation and objective implementation of the OG will confirm corporate compliance, and it is the CEO's responsibility to oversee this process.
Corruption as a moral issue
Authors: Kreikebaum Hartmut 
Published: April 2008

PurposeCorruptive behaviour penetrates the business process itself and permeates the mental attitude of decision makers on all hierarchy levels. This paper seeks to present the special legal situation in Germany as the regulatory environment for business transactions and to discuss the moral consequences of an “economy of greed”.Design/methodology/approachThe moral aspects of corruption are treated from an institutional ethics viewpoint as well as an individual ethics perspective. Regarding the institutional aspects (compliance approach) reliance is placed on the empirical study of ethical conflicts of companies in Germany and the USA. The individual ethics perspective is derived from a Christian understanding of man's personal responsibility in society.FindingsA compliance approach can only serve as a necessary first step to counteract fraud and corruption. To obtain a good corporate citizen status, a company should also develop an open dialogue with all stakeholders (integrity management approach).Research limitations/implicationsThe concept of quasi‐regulation, which combines governmental legal aspects with a company‐wide good corporate citizen approach, offers a viable concept and needs further empirical research.Practical implicationsThis paper proposes to restore the concept of an honourable entrepreneur. Decision makers should pursue personal authenticity, fairness, and mutual trust in their relations with others.Originality/valuePreventing corporate corruption requires a new way of thinking based on a loyal attitude and the personal commitment of leaders.