bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A healthy future for Europe's food and drink sector?
Authors: Blackman Colin 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper it to explore the future of Europe's food and drink manufacturing sectorDesign/methodology/approachUsing mainly secondary sources, the paper identifies trends and drivers of change, explores possible alternative futures through scenarios, and considers policy implications.FindingsEurope's food sector is undergoing dramatic change and future policies will be increasingly geared towards preventing non‐communicable diseases resulting from poor diet while ensuring the safety of food and feed. This will require a radical shift away from the productionist paradigm of the past, with emphasis in the future being placed on the impact of food on health and the environment.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper is based mainly on existing sources.Originality/valueProvides a broad overview of the wide range of issues facing the food and drink manufacturing sector.
Knowledge intensive business services: prospects and policies
Authors: Miles Ian 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine knowledge intensive business services, or KIBS for short. KIBS are one of the fastest growing areas of the European economy, and are increasingly important contributors to the performance of the sectors who are their clients.Design/methodology/approachKIBS are distinguished from other services and knowledge‐intensive activities, and statistics on KIBS in the European Union are examined, highlighting key similarities and differences in their development across Member StatesFindingsKIBS are continuing to grow at rapid rates, and are experiencing qualitative change. The growth is associated with outsourcing, the internationalisation of services, and the growth in demand for certain forms of knowledge. Many KIBS sectors are becoming more concentrated (though most KIBS sectors feature a higher share of small firms than does the economy as a whole). As KIBS supply a wider range of services, overlap and convergence between different KIBS sectors has grown. But as some KIBS become more involved with their major clients' strategies, it is possible that some services will become specialised, while others integrate their inputs for clients.Research limitations/implicationsScenario analysis is used to examine policy issues concerning KIBS. These are based on deskwork: group discussion would be a valuable complement to this approach.Practical implicationsA range of policy issues, responses to these issues, and the rationales and challenges that policies may confront are spelled out. The article calls for much more explicit consideration of KIBS in innovation and other policy areas.Originality/valueKIBS remain poorly studied, and their future development has rarely been considered. The implications for innovation and other policies are examined more explicitly and in greater depth than in previous studies.
Technology foresight on Danish nano‐science and nano‐technology
Authors: Dannemand Andersen Per , Rasmussen Birgitte , Strange Marianne , Haisler Jens 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose is to report on a Danish nano‐science and nano‐technology foresight project carried out in 2004.Design/methodology/approachThe foresight process had the following key elements: review of international technology foresight projects on nano‐technology; mapping of Danish nano‐science and nano‐technology; broad internet survey among interested parties; expert reports; workshops related to the expert reports; analysis of the dynamics of innovation within nano‐technology; survey on hazards and environmental and ethical aspects; group interviews with members of the public.FindingsThe article reflects on the following methodological issues: domain classification and its influence on conclusions; the use of statements or hypotheses; trustworthiness of the foresight process and its recommendations.Practical implicationsRecommendations from the project have already been used in decision‐making on R&D funding and in strategic deliberation in publicly funded institutions conducting R&D. Others are expected to be used for decision‐making, and some are being discussed in research councils and ministries or are being investigated and developed further. Moreover, the foresight process has created broader awareness of, and debate especially about, the hazardous aspects of nano‐technology among researchers and decision makers.Originality/valueThe article contribute the to the European experiences with national level foresight exercises. The case and the findings are of value for science and innovation policy makers, foresight practitioners and scolars within the field.
Competition in the media sector – how long can the future be delayed?
Authors: Ungerer Herbert 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo demonstrate that the media sector is moving towards a new organization of the sector. Inevitably a larger role will fall to competition law and competition law considerations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper identifies major trends and demonstrates evolving competition principles in the European Union (EU) media sector by discussing selected recent EU case decisions.FindingsRecent cases in the application of EU competition rules in the European media sector evolve around three central themes, all of them essential for moving the sector forward into the transition towards the new media world: unbundling of content and platform, in order to open the market for newcomers; allowing for restructuring, subject to sufficient market opening; and fair competition between public and private broadcasting, in order to prevent the strangling effects that public subsidies can have, while safeguarding public value in the sector.Originality/valueThe application of EU competition rules – merger control, antitrust, state aid control – is a major strand of EU policies in addressing the transition and digital switchover in the European media sector. Any valid research and policy making in the sector will have to take this into account and the paper draws attention to this.
Unbundling the local loop: a cost/benefit analysis for developing nations
Authors: Frieden Rob 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the costs and benefits of local loop unbundling with an eye toward determining whether developing countries should pursue this strategy despite the significant controversy it has generated in the USA.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines arguments for and against local loop unbundling and determines which claims make economic, legal and practical sense and which claims support stakeholders' other public policy objectives.FindingsThe paper identifies legitimate reasons for favoring and opposing local loop unbundling. However, the paper also finds false justifications, unsupported by economic and legal principles, that serve incumbents' quest for further deregulation and securing greater incentives for investment in next generation infrastructure, and market entrants' interest in exploiting margins without having to invest in infrastructure. The paper provides recommendations on how developing countries can implement local loop unbundling that balances public benefits against specific downside risks and costs borne by incumbents or market entrants.Practical implicationsThis paper supports conditional implementation of local loop unbundling by developing countries that concludes at a future date and incorporates desirable incumbent deregulation and liberalization.Originality/valueThe author has received no financial sponsorship from one or more of the stakeholders to prepare this paper. This paper offers an unbiased assessment of the benefits and burdens imposed by local loop unbundling.
The post‐recession structure of the telecommunications sector takes shape
Authors: Curwen Peter 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis article is the sixth in a series that aims to analyse the constantly changing structure of the TMT sector. It covers the period 25 March 2004 to 25 March 2005.Design/methodology/approachThe article is designed so as to contain at its core the creation of a series of databases in tabular form that can be used to analyse structural trends over a period of many years.FindingsPrior to March 2002, the TMT sector spent two years in the doldrums, and the overall trend continued to be broadly negative during the ensuing year, partly driven by the implosions at the likes of WorldCom. However, the worst is now over and the industry is moving rapidly to adopt new structures and strategies more in keeping with a world of opportunities rather than pitfalls.Originality/valueEmpirical research based upon current data is very scarce in the public domain. This series of articles makes a major contribution to the analysis of how and why the structure of the TMT sector is evolving.
Fathoming Porter's five forces model in the internet era
Authors: Karagiannopoulos G.D. , Georgopoulos N. , Nikolopoulos K. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo investigate the impact of the internet in “traditional” market rules.Design/methodology/approachAn opinion piece based on Michael Porter's arguments for the new economy.FindingMichael Porter's arguments for the new economy provide a useful starting point in the analysis of the environment. His arguments are based on exaggerated phenomena. Factors that determine a sector's profitability could be enriched with the innovation that prevails in the particular sector.Originality/valueAn attempt to criticize Porter's thoughts regarding internet and industry structure and to enrich the Porter's five forces model with the “power of innovation”.
Crafting a successful outsourcing vendor/client relationship
Authors: Webb Lisa , Laborde Justin 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis paper seeks to describe what makes an outsourcer/client relationship successful and what outsourcers can do to ensure the longetivity of their client relationship.Design/methodology/approachThe authors discuss several important aspects of a successful relationship.FindingsThe outsourcing services market has exploded in recent years as more and more companies recognize the benefits of outsourcing to qualified firms. Competition among the many outsourcing firms that presently exist is fierce, and will get even more competitive in the coming years. Outsourcing is an emotional decision, especially for the first time outsourcer, and the success of an outsourcing arrangement depends greatly on the success of the client/vendor relationship.Originality/valueShows that it is how the client feels – whether or not an outsourcer is taking care of them – that will decide whether the outsourcing relationship continues or whether the engagement is handed over to an outsourcer's competitor.
Success and failure factors of adopting SAP in ERP system implementation
Authors: Gargeya Vidyaranya B. , Brady Cydnee 
Published: January 2007

PurposeEnterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are software packages that allow companies to have more real time visibility and control over their operations. This paper aims to investigate and analyze common circumstances that occur within most ERP projects, and determines the areas that are key to success versus those that contribute to failure.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on a content analysis of published articles reporting SAP implementations in 44 companies.FindingsIdentifies six common factors that are indicative of successful or non‐successful SAP implementations. It has been found that the lack of appropriate culture and organizational (internal) readiness as the most important factor contributing to failure of SAP implementations in 15 companies. The presence of project management approaches and appropriate culture and organizational (internal) readiness are the most important factors contributing to the success of SAP implementations in 29 organizations.Research limitations/implicationsThe data analyzed is from secondary sources published in the press. Secondary reporting could increase objectivity; however, the weakness is that not all the factors might have been reported.Originality/valueIdentifies factors critical to the success of SAP implementation
Towards a workflow‐based integration architecture for business networking
Authors: Ferreira Diogo M.R. , Pinto Ferreira J.J. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how workflow management can be applied in the context of business networking.Design/methodology/approachThe paper looks at workflow management systems (WfMSs) as an enterprise integration tool and, as such, it shows that WfMS require an appropriate integration infrastructure. The paper then describes how a WfMS that supports business networking can be built.FindingsIt is found that business networking requires a decentralized, peer‐to‐peer (P2P) integration infrastructure. On the other hand, it is found that it is possible to develop a generic and reusable workflow engine. Both components are then integrated in order to come up with a solution that supports business networking.Research limitations/implicationsIssues concerning information and document management are not addressed. Neither mechanisms of storage and retrieval of exchanged documents, nor the format/structure of those documents are specified.Practical implicationsThe paper assumes that enterprises will be willing to build up a P2P network where they will conduct their business‐to‐business (B2B) exchanges. Then, the proposed solution would allow their business processes to be linked without requiring tight coupling between their information systems.Originality/valueThe paper is useful to IT strategists and researchers dealing with WfMS, B2B integration architectures and applications of P2P technology.
E‐government adoption: architecture and barriers
Authors: Ebrahim Zakareya , Irani Zahir 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo provide an integrated architecture framework for e‐government that represents the alignment of IT infrastructure with business process management in public sector organisations and classify the barriers that might complicate the implementation of the proposed architecture framework. The study will help IT practitioners in the public sector learn how to use and manage information technologies to revitalise business processes, improve decision‐making, and gain a competitive advantage from the adoption of e‐government. The proposed architecture framework for e‐government adoption will reduce confusion surrounding e‐government infrastructure in the public sector through understanding the implementation processes, identifying requirements of information and communications technology tools, highlighting the importance of the organisational management resources and the impact of barriers.Design/methodology/approachA range of earlier studies have been critically examined and analysed to provide an integrated architecture framework for e‐government adoption that can address and identify the standards, infrastructure components, applications, and technologies for e‐government. The authors have divided the architecture framework into four layers; access layer, e‐government layer, e‐business layer, and infrastructure layer; each layer addresses a particular aspect of e‐government architecture. This paper then presents a critical analysis of barriers experienced in public sector organisations, which prevent the successful adoption of e‐government; such barriers being presented in a taxonomy.FindingsDefined organisational and technological requirements that will be necessary for the adoption of e‐government in public sector organisations through construct an integrated architecture framework for e‐government. The difficulties and barriers that have been experienced in public sector organisations which complicate the implementation process of e‐government have been analysed and then identified and presented in a taxonomy.Originality/valueThe paper provides architecture framework for e‐government adoption that can help to guide IT managers recognise the technological and organisational requirements for e‐government adoption in public sector organisations. The framework can also help the decision makers to set a vision statement and strategic action plan for future direction in the information technology age through identifying key elements and stages for action. The authors also identify and classify the perceived barriers that might complicate the implementation process of e‐government projects. The awareness of these barriers is important for any e‐government project since they will alert the e‐government project team with any problems or challenges might be existed during the implementation process so they will be ready to overcome them.
Towards a formal definition of goal‐oriented business process patterns
Authors: Andersson Birger , Bider Ilia , Johannesson Paul , Perjons Erik 
Published: January 2007

PurposeOrganizations of today are becoming ever more focused on their business processes. This has resulted in an increasing interest in using best practices for business process re‐engineering. Two problems arise in connection to using best practices: how to find a best practice that suits particular purposes, and how to ensure that the process from the best practice has the same nature as the process under re‐engineering. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe paper suggests using business process patterns, i.e. relatively high level business process models, for making near formal comparison of business processes. The paper analyzes widespread modeling techniques to find out which of them suits the task of building patterns for comparison. Based on this analysis, the state‐flow modeling technique is chosen and first steps towards formal definition of business process patterns based on this technique are suggested.FindingsA pattern is defined based on the notions of state space, goal, as a surface in the state space, and valid movements towards the goal. A thinkable procedure of constructing patterns is demonstrated on two real‐life examples. A hypothetical procedure for comparing process is suggested but it still needs to be verified in practice.Originality/valueThe originality of the paper is the way the patterns are formulated and the underlying model, the state‐flow view of processes, upon which the patterns are founded.
Modelling the regulative role of business processes with use and misuse cases
Authors: Regev Gil , Alexander Ian F. , Wegmann Alain 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for understanding value‐added and abuse prevention activities in business processes.Design/methodology/approachThe paper considers business processes as a regulation mechanism that an organization uses to survive and flourish in its environment. It proposes a theoretical framework based on the concept of homeostasis, the maintenance of identity in a changing world. In this framework the paper classifies business processes into three levels (strategic, operational, regulative) and analyse the relationships between these three levels. Based on this framework, the paper extends the “Use and Misuse Cases” technique to support modelling of value‐added and abuse prevention activities.FindingsThe main finding is the importance of considering business processes as regulation mechanisms. Traditionally, business processes are analysed through the goals they are designed to achieve. This paper analyses what the organization aims at maintaining. This makes it possible to explicitly model the potential abuses (threats) to business processes and their associated corrective measures (regulative processes).Practical implicationsUse of this framework enables process designers to explicitly model abuse prevention activities, even though they are traditionally considered as not participating in customer value creation. This should lead to better‐fitting business processes.Originality/valueThe framework is useful because it provides a theoretical justification for the value creation and abuse prevention activities that can be found in business processes. The three levels that we use to analyse business processes (strategic, operational and regulative) constitute an innovation in business process modelling where only two levels (strategic and operational) have been considered thus far. Few, if any, business process theoretical frameworks provide this kind of rationale for abuse prevention activities.
Seven recommendations for creating sustainability education at the university level
Authors: Moore Janet 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis paper describes a set of recommendations that will aid universities planning to create sustainability education programs. These recommendations are not specific to curriculum or programs but are instead recommendations for academic institutions considering a shift towards “sustainability education” in the broadest sense. The purpose of this research was to consider the possible directions for the future of sustainability education at the university level.Design/methodology/approachThrough a series of workshops using a “value focused thinking” framework, a small team of researchers engaged a large number of stakeholders in a dialogue about sustainability education at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada. Recommendations were compiled from workshop data as well as data from 30 interviews of participants connected with decision‐making and sustainability at UBC.FindingsThe recommendations include infusing sustainability into all university decisions, promoting and practicing collaboration and transdisciplinarity and focusing on personal and social sustainability. Other recommendations included an integration of university plans, decision‐making structures and evaluative measures and the integration of the research, service and teaching components of the university. There is a need for members of the university community to create space for reflection and pedagogical transformation.Originality/valueThe intention of the paper is to outline the details of a participatory workshop that uses value‐focused thinking in order to engage university faculty and administration in a dialogue about sustainability education. Students, faculty and staff working towards sustainability education will be able to adapt the workshop to their own institutions.
Sustainable development, education and literacy
Authors: Dale Ann , Newman Lenore 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo distinguish sustainable development education from environmental education and stress the importance of problem‐based interdisciplinary learning to sustainable development education.Design/methodology/approachA range of published works relating to sustainable development education are critiqued, an introduction to complexity theory is given and related to sustainable development education, and a case study is provided to demonstrate an example of incorporating sustainability into course delivery and to demonstrate problem‐based interdisciplinary learning.FindingsOur discussion supports our claim that reconciling sustainability and development requires a complex interdisciplinary approach beyond that found in some areas of traditional environmental education.Research limitations/implicationsOur literature search is not exhaustive and focuses on sustainable development education. A much greater body of literature relating to environmental education exists.Practical implicationsOur discussion and case study suggests practitioners designing and teaching sustainable development related programs should incorporate an interdisciplinary approach and allow for problem‐based applied learning to take place.Originality/valueThis paper distinguishes sustainable development education from environmental education and suggests practical courses of action for initiating sustainable development education in a meaningful manner.