bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of knowledge management in post‐disaster housing reconstruction
Authors: Thanurjan Rajendram , Indunil P. Seneviratne L.D. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeA disaster is a serious disruption for the operation of a society, causing extensive life and property losses. Since construction activities are highly knowledge‐intensive, knowledge management (KM) practices will encourage continuous improvement, distribute best practices, quick response to beneficiaries, share valuable tacit knowledge, reduce rework, improve competitiveness and innovations, and reduce complexities in post‐disaster housing reconstruction. Therefore, this research aims to study and explore the degree to which KM is involved in post‐disaster housing reconstruction and the effect that KM has on post‐disaster housing reconstruction in the Sri Lankan context.Design/methodology/approachThe study was conducted by systematically reviewing the literature in Knowledge and KM to highlight the basic principles. Data collection mode for the study was close‐end questionnaires and semi‐structured interviews. Data were collected from donor and consultancy organisations which are involved in post‐disaster housing reconstruction in Sri Lanka.FindingsThe results show that most of the donors and consultancy organisations carry out permanent disaster housing reconstruction for tsunami devastation. Further, the study reveals that organisations use competences and repositories as the main sources of knowledge internal and external to the organisation. Project reviews, task teams, face‐to‐face interactions, and electronic mail systems were greatly used to support KM. Even though the performance of the work was improved through KM, lack of compiling and synthesizing the accumulated data, information and knowledge, storing and organizing would be the main challenge faced by these organisations.Practical implicationsIt is evident that a more concerted and formal approach will improve disaster housing reconstruction. Since knowledge gatekeepers have extensive tacit and explicit knowledge, the organisations have to use it as a significant source. Even though the majority of the donors and consulting organisations used competencies and repositories as main sources of K, the identification and exploitation of a variety of appropriate sources are of central importance. Further, organisations have to focus more on a variety of IT tools in order to store Knowledge for future use. Since there were challenges for KM, the organisations have to identify proper solutions in order to move towards and achieve the benefits of KM. Finally, the organisations have to provide an appropriate rewards system to encourage their employees in participating in KM.Originality valueThe disaster housing reconstruction will not end on a certain point and it will be a continuous process. Formal KM systems will help to improve the present state and further provide proper Knowledge in the future. There should be a standardised practice in order to improve the performance and give good value for beneficiaries. The study makes it quite evident that proper KM will improve the status of post‐disaster housing reconstruction.
Using the PEN‐3 model to plan culturally competent domestic violence intervention and prevention services in Chinese American and immigrant communities
Authors: Yick Alice G. , Oomen‐Early Jody 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this article is two‐fold. First, it applies the PEN‐3 model to the topic of domestic violence within the Chinese American and Chinese immigrant community. The PEN‐3 model was developed by Collins Airhihenbuwa, and it focuses on placing culture at the forefront of health promotion. It consists of three dimensions: cultural identity, relationships and expectations, and cultural empowerment. The article offers practice recommendations from the PEN‐3 analysis to plan culturally relevant and sensitive domestic violence prevention, education, and services targeted to the Chinese American and Chinese immigrant community.Design/methodology/approachUsing existing literature in the areas of domestic violence and health, mental health, and counseling interventions with Chinese Americans and immigrants, the PEN‐3 model, as an organizing framework, was applied to understand the phenomenon of domestic violence among Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants in the United States.FindingsHow Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants perceive domestic violence and how they obtain formal assistance are embedded within a larger sociocultural context including a host of factors ranging from personal, family, community, environmental, and structural variables.Practical implicationsThe PEN‐3 model reinforces the importance in addressing domestic violence within an ecological and cultural framework. Harnessing traditional Chinese value systems (i.e. emphasis on collectivism, hierarchy, patriarchy) and collaborating with the community are essential in promoting culturally sensitive interventions.Originality/valuePractice articles examining the application of the PEN‐3 model on domestic violence among Chinese Americans and Chinese immigrants are lacking. More often than not, culture and other social forces are minimized by practitioners who are guided by “Western ways of knowing.”
Challenges to improving the uptake of milk in a nursery class: a case study
Authors: Albon Deborah 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine why the uptake of free milk in a particular nursery class was low, to explore the meanings children attribute to drinks given to them in school and those brought from home, and make suggestions as to what might be done to improve children's intake of free school milk.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is based on a case study of a nursery class attached to a primary school in West London. A total of 24 morning sessions were observed, comprising of 72 snack times. In addition, interviews were carried out with parents and early years' practitioners i.e. teachers and nursery nurses. Children's views were elicited through use of narrative observations and an activity using their drinks' cartons.FindingsThis study found that these young children linked drinks brought in from home to having choices whereas drinking school milk was associated with having little or no choice. Unlike school milk, drinks from home were linked to stories of personal identity and family life. The children seemed to exert pressure on their parents to provide them with a drink from home and appeared to be attracted to drinks that included representations of characters from popular culture as well as particular brands.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is based on one case study, therefore issues raised may not be generalisable to all nursery settings.Practical implicationsThis paper encourages early years' practitioners to look in detail at how they organize snack times and the way that this might contribute to negative perceptions of healthy foods/drinks. It offers practical suggestions around how the uptake of milk could be improved in a nursery setting, emphasizing the need for the active involvement of the children. In addition, the study highlights the importance of informal as well as formal discussions with parents about food and drinks. The study recommends that improvements need to be made to early years' practitioners' initial and subsequent training in this area, given the significant role they play in health promotion.Originality/valueThe value of this paper lies in the way it elicits the active participation of young children in the research as well as the focus on the minutiae of nursery practice and its implications for promoting healthy eating/drinking.
Plodders, pragmatists, visionaries and opportunists: career patterns and employability
Authors: Clarke Marilyn 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore individual approaches to career and employability through the career stories of a group of mid‐level to senior managers in career transition. Career patterns are identified and then compared with traditional, boundaryless and protean models of career. The study aims to consider the extent to which individuals in this group had adopted behaviours supportive of future employability as opposed to behaviours more in line with traditional careers.Design/methodology/approachThe research adopted an interpretive and qualitative approach. In‐depth interviews were conducted with people currently going through a career transition program. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed, coded and analysed using NVivo, a qualitative research software tool.FindingsCareer patterns appeared to be shifting away from traditional careers and more towards protean and boundaryless models. There was evidence of increased responsibility for career self‐management and of behaviours supportive of ongoing employability. Self‐perceived employability could be linked to degree of job mobility and having a future career orientation.Research limitations/implicationsDespite the small sample size and the subjective nature of self‐reported career histories the study provides insights into the relationship between career patterns and employability. Both organisations and individuals need to work towards developing attitudes and behaviours supportive of employability such as flexibility, adaptability and a future career orientation.Practical implicationsIndividual level career management will need to focus more on the development of attitudes and behaviours appropriate to contemporary employment relationships than on the development of formal career plans. At an organizational level support can be provided by encouraging flexibility through activities such as job rotation, short‐term projects and opportunities for both internal and external networking.Originality/valueThe study provides empirical evidence of how careers are being managed within contemporary employment relationships.
The effects of organizational communication on job satisfaction and organizational commitment in a land ambulance service and the mediating role of communication satisfaction
Authors: Carrière Jules , Bourque Christopher 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide further insight into the relationship between internal communication practices, communication satisfaction, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment. It is centered in the emergency services sector in general, and on land ambulance services in particular. The focus organization is a large urban land ambulance service with an operating budget of approximately $50 million and 468 employees.Design/methodology/approachOnly paramedics were eligible to participate in the study. In total, 91 (32.5 per cent) of the organization's 280 paramedics participated. Data were collected using a questionnaire comprising pre‐existing work‐related psychometric measures. The measures included the Communication Audit Survey, the Communication Satisfaction Questionnaire, the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Affective Organizational Commitment Scale. Only quantitative data were collected.FindingsThe data showed that internal communication practices explained 49.8 per cent of the variation in communication satisfaction, 23.4 per cent of the variation in job satisfaction, and 17.5 per cent of the variation in affective organizational commitment. However, these effects were fully mediated by communication satisfaction when job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment were regressed against both internal communication practices and communication satisfaction.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings have important practical and theoretical implications. Managers will not be able to foster job satisfaction and affective organizational commitment through internal communication practices unless they recognize and appreciate what information is valued by employees. Second, managers must have a clear understanding of both the quantity and quality of information desired by employees if they are to design internal communication systems that meet the information needs of employees. Finally, one must consider the possibility that, for employees, communication satisfaction represents a fundamental yardstick against which all of the organization's activities and change initiatives are measured. This possibility is supported by research from the domain of change management.Originality/valueGiven the present shortage of skilled and able emergency personnel, it is in the best interest of organizations to enhance job satisfaction and commitment of such critical employees.
Present but sick: a three‐wave study on job demands, presenteeism and burnout
Authors: Demerouti Evangelia , Le Blanc Pascale M. , Bakker Arnold B. , Schaufeli Wilmar B. , Hox Joop 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe opposite of absenteeism, presenteeism, is the phenomenon of employees staying at work when they should be off sick. Presenteeism is an important problem for organizations, because employees who turn up for work, when sick, cause a reduction in productivity levels. The central aim of the present study is to examine the longitudinal relationships between job demands, burnout (exhaustion and depersonalization), and presenteeism. We hypothesized that job demands and exhaustion (but not depersonalization) would lead to presenteeism, and that presenteeism would lead to both exhaustion and depersonalization over time.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses were tested in a sample of 258 staff nurses who filled out questionnaires at three measurement points with 1.5 years in‐between the waves.FindingsResults were generally in line with predictions. Job demands caused more presenteeism, while depersonalization was an outcome of presenteeism over time. Exhaustion and presenteeism were found to be reciprocal, suggesting that when employees experience exhaustion, they mobilize compensation strategies, which ultimately increases their exhaustion.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings suggest that presenteeism can be seen as a risk‐taking organizational behavior and shows substantial longitudinal relationships with job demands and burnout.Practical implicationsThe study suggests that presenteeism should be prevented at the workplace.Originality/valueThe expected contribution of the manuscript is not only to put presenteeism on the research agenda but also to make both organizations and scientists attend to its detrimental effects on employees' wellbeing and (consequently) on the organization.
The effects of social comparisons on managerial career satisfaction and turnover intentions
Authors: Eddleston Kimberly A. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to apply social comparison theory to the study of managerial careers. It is proposed that how managers evaluate their career progression in comparison with the accomplishments of others will affect how they feel about their careers and organizations.Design/methodology/approachMale and female managers who were similar in age (±5 years) and from the same organization, functional area, management level, and region were asked to participate in the study. Data from 392 managers from lower and middle levels were used to test the study hypotheses. Respondents completed measures of upward comparisons, downward comparisons, enacted aspirations, competitiveness of work group, career satisfaction and turnover intentions.FindingsStudy results showed that social comparisons influence managers' turnover intentions and career satisfaction. Upward comparisons were found to be positively related to turnover intentions and career satisfaction. Downward comparisons were found to be negatively related to turnover intentions and positively related to career satisfaction. In addition, the competitiveness of the managers' work group and their enacted aspirations were found to be significant moderators. These findings emphasize the importance of relative standards in predicting managerial career attitudes.Research limitations/implicationsThe measures created to assess the degree to which individuals make downward and upward social comparisons when assessing their career progress should be tested in additional occupations and studies. Future research should investigate how social comparisons influence career attitudes beyond considering feelings of relative deprivation. In particular, researchers should aim to understand when upward comparisons are threatening or motivating.Practical implicationsThe findings demonstrate that social comparisons can be quite prevalent within organizations and that the competitiveness of the organizational climate can have a significant impact on how social comparisons affect managers' career satisfaction. Therefore, organizations should be mindful of the climates they endorse. Furthermore, findings suggest that organizations should encourage managers to participate in career strategies since career strategies associated with enacted aspirations were found to enhance the effects of the social comparison process, leading to an increase in managers' career satisfaction and a decrease in their turnover intentions.Originality/valueThis is the first known study to empirically examine how upward and downward comparisons affect managers' turnover intentions and career satisfaction.
Congruent knowledge management behaviors as discriminate sources of competitive advantage
Authors: Magnier‐Watanabe Remy , Senoo Dai 
Published: February 2009

PurposeWhile knowledge management has been shown to be a strategic source of competitive advantage, processes designed to enhance the productivity of knowledge do not, however, equally contribute to the organization's capabilities. Consequently, this research aims to focus on the relationship between each mode of the knowledge management process and multiple sources of competitive advantage.Design/methodology/approachThis research, using questionnaire data collected from the entire population of a pharmaceutical company's head office in Japan, investigates how different perceptions and behaviors related to knowledge management affect the perceived contribution of certain types of organizational knowledge acting as sources of competitive advantage.FindingsThe study finds that the perceived importance of knowledge management activities, especially combination, appears as an important source of competitive advantage related to technical knowledge, and more time spent on knowledge management tasks, in particular socialization, contributes to a competitive advantage related to affective knowledge. Further analysis involves a taxonomy of employees based on their perceived importance of, and the time they spend on, knowledge management activitiesResearch limitations/implicationsThis paper focuses on the entire population of a single firm, and for that reason, further research with other companies in different industries is necessary.Practical implicationsThere is evidence suggesting that knowledge management strategies should be tailored to fit the discriminate beliefs and actions of each group of workers, identified based on their level of congruence between their espoused theories and theories‐in‐use related to knowledge management.Originality/valueThe taxonomy of workers introduced in the paper emphasizes the fact that the workforce is not a uniform body and therefore that intrinsic differences need to be taken into account to maximize the efficiency of knowledge management.
The design and management of an organisation's lifelong learning curriculum
Authors: Dealtry Richard 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the successful design and management of high performance work‐based lifelong learning processes.DesignThe paper summarises the process management practices and contextual parameters that are being applied in the successful design and management of high performance work based lifelong learning processes.FindingsThe paper finds that innovations in lifelong learning process design and development are restricted by traditional pedagogical thinking and administrative practices, an over emphasis on e‐learning and insufficient consideration of the holistic contextual factors. Design solutions are dynamically based on the idea of a timeless organic order or meta‐planning.Research limitationsThis paper is an outline summary of extensive lifelong learning process design best practice work with client organisations. As with many innovations taking place at the leading edge of work‐based learning management there is a limited supply of reliable published information.Originality/valueSatisfying the important questions relating to the achievement of more substantial learning relevance in programme curriculum, the coherence of processes for validating non‐formal and informal learning and the effective value of e‐learning systems, are currently key areas of debate and policy making in Europe in particular. Where public and private sector companies are finding local global solutions these results are of considerable value in informing quality design and the way forward.
Global ranking of knowledge management and intellectual capital academic journals
Authors: Serenko Alexander , Bontis Nick 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a global ranking of knowledge management and intellectual capital academic journals.Design/methodology/approachAn online questionnaire was completed by 233 active knowledge management and intellectual capital researchers from 41 countries. Two different approaches: journal rank‐order and journal scoring method were utilized and produced similar results.FindingsIt was found that the top five academic journals in the field are: Journal of Knowledge Management, Journal of Intellectual Capital, Knowledge Management Research and Practice, International Journal of Knowledge Management, and The Learning Organization. It was also concluded that the major factors affecting perceptions of quality of academic journals are editor and review board reputation, inclusion in citation indexes, opinion of leading researchers, appearance in ranking lists, and citation impact.Research limitations/implicationsThis study was the first of its kind to develop a ranking system for academic journals in the field. Such a list will be very useful for academic recruitment, as well as tenure and promotion decisions.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study may be utilized by various practitioners including knowledge management professionals, university administrators, review committees and corporate librarians.Originality/valueThis paper represents the first documented attempt to develop a ranking of knowledge management and intellectual capital academic journals through a survey of field contributors.