bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The role of leadership theory in raising the profile of women in management
Authors: Jogulu Uma D. , Wood Glenice J. 
Published: September 2006

PurposeTo consider how leadership theories have helped or hindered raising the profile of women in management and leadership roles.Design/methodology/approachThis paper traces the earlier leadership theories through to the contemporary research on transactional and transformational leadership styles and offers a viewpoint on how each theory has contributed, or otherwise, to an awareness and acceptance of women in management and leadership roles.FindingsIn 1990, research began to report gender differences in leadership styles with female managers being seen in positive terms as participative, democratic leaders. More recent work reports that women are believed to exhibit more transformational leadership style than their male colleagues, and this is equated with effective leadership.Research limitations/implicationsAll of the earlier theories on leadership excluded women and this exacerbated the problem of women not being seen as an appropriate fit in a management or leadership role. Recent findings clearly describe that the transformational qualities of leadership that women exhibit are required by the flatter organisational structures of today. Therefore, a more positive outcome for women advancing to senior roles of management or leadership may be observed in the future.Originality/valueThe paper reviews the major leadership theories, and links these to a timeframe to illustrate how women were not visible in a management context until relatively recently. Such an omission may have contributed to the continuing low numbers of women who advance to senior management and leadership roles.
New build or conversion?
Authors: Rhodes Lee , Wilkinson Sara 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThis research aims to analyse the preferences within key groups for the conversion of existing buildings or the construction of new buildings for private residential purposes in Sheffield city centre.Design/methodology/approachA literature review analysed the factors which have increased in importance and influenced the choice between city centre private residential conversion and new build. Interviews with professionals including developers, planners and property agents, the key stakeholders and in this case, practitioners within Sheffield, examined the sustainability, technical and financial issues in the residential property development.FindingsThe results revealed that developers preferred new build for city centre private residential development. Though the urban planners of Sheffield had no preferences, they encouraged the reuse of buildings, but due to a scarcity of suitable redundant buildings for conversion it is inevitable that the city will see new build on the cityscape in future.Practical implicationsAs the housing market loses the impetus of recent years the predictions made in this paper will provide useful advice to property developers in avoiding costly investment mistakes.Originality/valueThis study provides a case study upon which to base similar studies of residential urban regeneration projects in other locations.
Occupancy costs: a method for their estimation
Authors: Stoy Christian , Kytzia Susanne 
Published: September 2006

PurposeToday the costs of real estate are the second or third largest cost factor in most companies. The planning of so‐called occupancy costs, therefore, plays a particularly important role. Cost models that permit a forecast of these costs serve to assist in such planning. The objective of this study is to support occupancy cost planning and benchmarking.Design/methodology/approachTwo regression models are presented. They permit a forecast of total occupancy costs as well as the subset of these costs that is recognized in the profit and loss account. Both models are based on 70 Swiss owner‐operated office buildings.FindingsThe forecast accuracy with mean absolute percentage errors (MAPEs) of 10 and 11 percent can be classified as good. The quality of the cost models is further tested on the basis of ten additional properties that were not used for building the models. The forecast accuracies again prove to be comparatively high (absolute percentage errors from 2 to 18 percent and from 0.2 to 25 percent).Research limitations/implicationsIn order to be able to improve the quality of forecasting occupancy costs, future studies should focus especially on the strategic dimension of real estate management (e.g. maintenance and outsourcing strategies).Originality/valueThe proposed concept and the cost model forms the starting point for further studies.
Export marketing information‐gathering and processing in small and medium‐sized enterprises
Authors: Williams Jasmine E.M. 
Published: September 2006

PurposeTo draw together the diverse and diffuse elements of previous research into the determinants of success in export marketing by SMEs.Design/methodology/approachGroups of export marketing activities derived from the literature and preliminary qualitative fieldwork were incorporated in a questionnaire‐based survey of a purposive sample of small exporters in one region of the UK, measuring the frequency of their use against levels of export commitment, involvement, and experience.FindingsResults contradict the traditional view that the longer a company has been exporting, the more likely it is to do well. The study provides evidence to encourage ambitious exporting SMEs to develop active and on‐going marketing and information‐gathering activities, and to dedicate specific financial and human resources to exporting.Research limitations/implicationsThe highly focused approach to measuring the relationships between export marketing activities and company characteristics should ideally be further extended, in the context of a wide range of studies relating other organizational, managerial and environmental variables to export success.Practical implicationsThe findings and conclusions alert marketing intelligence‐gatherers to the dangers of conventional assumptions about marketing practice, provide practical guidelines for planners of export marketing strategy, and could form the basis of an easily administered diagnostic tool, all in the SME context.Originality/valueFocusing on behaviour rather than attitudes, the research provides a practical set of criteria against which SME activities can be measured.
Communication processes in critical systems: dialogues concerning communications
Authors: Holm Olof 
Published: September 2006

PurposeTo identify factors of decisive importance relating to communicative processes within companies and organisations, where communication across levels is essential not only for efficiency and effectiveness, but also because conditions are particularly challenging.Design/methodology/approachA literature review leads to an ethnographic study of internal communication in a “critical system” in which decisions are crucial and the margin of error very small: a naval vessel.FindingsCommon educational and empirical backgrounds, coded language, and mutual understanding of context and goals are necessary prerequisites for the attainment of organisational goals and the avoidance of mistakes with potentially serious consequences. At the professional management level, they achieve fully functioning communications, but the concomitant uniformity and homogeneity can create difficulties in communication with other systems, organisations and individuals. There were few problems with horizontal communication at the strategic management level, but vertical flows between strategy and operational levels were prone to distortion and malfunction.Research limitations/implicationsThis study may initiate further research concerning communication theory and its relation to marketing leadership and management.Practical implicationsThe findings and research procedure can be adapted to analysis of the developmental needs of organisations operating in complex, dynamic and uncertain marketing environments.Originality/valueReports a study in an environment well beyond the normal setting of marketing research, in which the complexities and challenges faced by all participants in the system exceed those normally faced by marketing organisations. Thereby allows lessons to be learnt about effective communication under difficult operating conditions, such as those faced by marketers in a turbulent and uncertain future.
Advertising planning, ad‐agency use of advertising models, and the academic practitioner divide
Authors: Gabriel Helen , Kottasz Rita , Bennett Roger 
Published: September 2006

PurposeTo examine the extent to which “account planners” in advertising agencies use formal academic models of “how advertising works” and to identify the factors that discourage non‐users from applying academic advertising theory.Design/methodology/approachAccount executives in 152 full‐service and 72 creative advertising agencies in the UK completed a questionnaire concerning the use of formal models, preferences for developing those in‐house versus adopting pre‐existing “textbook” prescriptions, and factors that might discouraged application of academic advertising theory in any form. The data collected were interpreted by means of factor analysis, structural equation modelling and correspondence analysis, and conclusions drawn with respect to theory and practice.FindingsThere was considerable ignorance of formal models of advertising effect. Agencies using them typically favoured the hierarchy‐of‐effects variants. Although more than a third of the sample eschewed models, there was little evidence of animosity towards advertising theory of itself. Non‐adoption was significantly explained by constructs drawn from the academic literature of knowledge dissemination.Research limitations/implicationsIt was not possible in this study to establish precise details of agencies' in‐house proprietary models, so the degree to which those reflected either current practice or textbook prescriptions could not be determined.Practical implicationsThe study emphasises the pressing need to harmonise formal models of “how advertising works” with conceptual frameworks used by advertising agencies in practice (if any), for the improvement of campaign planning and evaluation.Originality/valueThis is the first empirical study to investigate the extent to which advertising theory is actually used by account planners in advertising agencies.
Social capital and sustainable behavior of the firm
Authors: Danchev Alexi 
Published: September 2006

PurposeTo formulate a vision of the mechanism of generating social capital at a firm level and its influence on sustainable behavior, testing the assumption of social capital as a feedback to support the firm's sustainable behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe collection of primary data is based on a structured questionnaire. The information is collected by means of interviewing Bulgarian citizens and businessmen. The questions are divided according to: interrelations within the team, attitude to social problems and sustainable behavior of the firm, and socio‐economic profile. Non‐parametric methods are used to study the relationships among the basic indicators.FindingsIt is necessary to present the attitudes of the respondents to problems related to the basic hypothesis formulated in the paper, provide additional proofs of the feedback assumption of social capital, formulate the preconditions for generating social capital and its contribution in realizing sustainable behavior of the firm.Research limitations/implicationsFurther extension is warranted to cover more sectors and countries of the region.Practical implicationsIt gives an idea to distinguish between the formal and informal structures of the firm, enhance endeavors to increase attention to social factors in the decision‐making process at top level, formulate the concept of feedback role of social capital, and how it can be used to reach sustainability in a firm's behavior.Originality/valueThis study provides additional proofs of the role of social capital as a feedback to support sustainable behavior of the firms and extend the vision of firms’ management in distinguishing between formal and informal structures.
The impact of rail transit investment on the residential property values in developing countries
Authors: Murat Celik H. , Yankaya Ugur 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to test whether the rail transit investment in Izmir, Turkey has had positive valuation impacts on the surrounding residential properties, and to estimate the value of travel time using relevant parameters.Design/methodology/approachThe necessary data were collected via a survey including all real‐estate agents in the area. To test the research question, the Hedonic Price Model (HPM) is used as the research technique. The obtained parameters are also used to estimate the value of travel time.FindingsThe findings of the models has indicated that the proximity to rail stations was valued at $250‐300 per meters, and the value of travel per hour was $1.47‐1.83 on average.Research limitations/implicationsThese findings should be checked with more consistent database using transaction process, and the mortgage loan rate which was not legislated at the time of study.Practical implicationsUntil a mortgage loan rate is registered in turkey, the estimated parameters can be used in the cost‐benefit analysis of rail transit investments in Turkey.Originality/valueThe theoretical premise that “any improvement in accessibility will be capitalized into the land values” is tested one more time in a developing country case whose urban environment is substantially different from those of the developed world, especially the North American cities. Furthermore, a new methodology using the HPM parameters is also suggested to estimate the value of travel time.
Local housing prices and mortgage refinancing in US cities
Authors: Lee Ming‐Long , Kelley Pace R. 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide additional evidence that housing prices significantly impact aggregate refinancing and thus directly influence mortgage termination.Design/methodology/approachRegression analysis is applied to examine refinancing activity in US cities.FindingsThe evidence shows that positive appreciation in housing prices provides the borrower with positive incentives to refinance in response to the associated increased borrowing capacity when mortgage rates have declined. On the other hand, depreciation in housing prices may depress refinancing.Research limitations/implicationsHousing price movements, not only collateral constraints on refinancing but also the disincentive to engage in cash‐out refinancing caused by depreciation as well as the incentive for cash‐out refinancing brought by appreciation, should be included in modeling total termination risks of mortgage‐backed securities.Originality/valueIn contrast to previous studies, this paper provides empirical support for both the incentive and the disincentive to engage in cash‐out refinancing produced by housing price changes, in addition to support for the traditional collateral constraint effect of housing prices on refinancing.
The European Library – pushing the boundaries of usability
Authors: Cousins Jill 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to present an overview of The European Library as a portal and discuss the issues of usability this gives in delivery of multicultural, multilingual access to the cultural heritage in Europe's National Libraries.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is a description of the service its business model, management structure and technical base with an emphasis on how this does or does not work for the user.FindingsPortals are not great user experiences. This is further complicated in the case of The European Library by the language barrier for search and retrieval across national boundaries. However, the existence of The European Library is at least of accessing material that would otherwise remain only accessible within the library itself. It is also a big step towards the creation of a European Digital Library.Originality/valueThe paper discusses more of the effects of such a portal on the user than has elsewhere been published. The value is in its description of collaborative working, its example of a management and organisational structure, its working business model and the technical solution that sits behind it. As an example of creating cross country and cultural access to digitised information it has been successful to date.
Addressing the digital divide in teaching information retrieval
Authors: Fourie Ina , Bothma Theo 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to help students to move from ICT access to knowledge sharing.Design/methodology/approachAn overview of the literature on information literacy skills and the digital divide, an analysis of information seeking research, as well as experience in teaching a course in advanced information retrieval at the Department of Information Science, University of Pretoria, South Africa, inspired a theoretical model for addressing different layers of the digital divide.FindingsThe digital divide concerns more than just ICT access and information skills. Individual commitment, group work, and intellectual and academic support from the institution might contribute to bringing people to higher levels of knowledge generation and communication.Research limitations/implicationsAt this stage it is a theoretical model that needs to be tested in practice.Practical implicationsThe model should hold possibilities for information literacy programs, programs in information retrieval, collaborative learning, and the developments of communities of practice.Originality/valueThe proposed model allows for higher levels of knowledge sharing and should help society to bridge the digital divide.
The web impact factor: a critical review
Authors: Noruzi Alireza 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to analyze the link‐based web site impact measure known as the web impact factor (WIF). It is a quantitative tool for evaluating and ranking web sites, top‐level domains and sub‐domains. The paper also aims to discuss the WIF's advantages and disadvantages, data collection problems, and validity and reliability of WIF results.Design/methodology/approachA key to webometric studies has been the use of large‐scale search engines, such as Yahoo! and AltaVista that allow measurements to be made of the total number of pages in a web site and the total number of back‐links to the web site. These search engines provide similar possibilities for the investigation of links between web sites/pages to those provided by the academic journals citation databases from the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI). But the content of the web is not of the same nature and quality as the databases maintained by the ISI.FindingsThis paper reviews how the WIF has been developed and applied. It has been suggested that web impact factors can be calculated as a way of comparing the attractiveness of web sites or domains on the web. It is concluded that, while the WIF is arguably useful for quantitative intra‐country comparison, application beyond this (i.e. to inter‐country assessment) has little value.Originality/valueThe paper offers a critical review of literature on the WIF and associated indicators.
GSM usage at the University of Ibadan
Authors: Wole Olatokun Michael , Oluseyi Bodunwa Ibilola 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate the use of global system for mobile communications (GMS) at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, emphasizing the nature and characteristics of the activities for which it is used, the factors that promote or beset its use, its benefits and the quality of services provided by the operators.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted a descriptive survey design. A two‐stage stratified sampling technique was adopted for selecting a sample of 456 staff and students of the University of Ibadan that form the target population. The questionnaire was the main data collection instrument while frequency and percentage distributions were the analytical tools adopted.FindingsFindings show a significant use of the GSM for social activities (getting in touch with friends and relations) while its use in research and academic activities was less significant. Also a number of inhibitors of effective GSM use in the University of Ibadan such as limited network coverage, unstable network and difficulty in making calls, etc. were identified.Originality/valueThis study, apart from throwing light on the patterns of the use of GSM in the University of Ibadan, serves as a guide to policy makers to review the policy on telecommunications so as to allow for more and more competitors to engage in the telephony service. The study recommends that the government need to promote a competitive mobile phone market for more players to come into the sector and an upgrade in the communication standard for better GSM services in Nigeria.
The impact of e‐resources on document supply in a corporate pharmaceutical library: the experience of Novo Nordisk
Authors: Vibeke Kasarab Helle 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe paper seeks to describe the information provision issues facing an international pharmaceutical company, in particular in relation to document supply.Design/methodology/approachThe document supply service of a major international pharmaceutical company is described, together with recent service enhancements.FindingsDocument supply has not declined as much as demand for copies for the company's collections. Automation has played a significant role in reducing costs and improving speed, and a number of other improvements are identified.Originality/valueA useful insight into the document supply issues facing a commercial information provision service, especially in the field of copyright.
Analysis of Interlibrary Loan at the National Institute of Standards and Technology Library: lessons learned
Authors: Liu Rosa , Wynne Briget 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe paper seeks to study whether process and cost‐effective improvements could be made to the Interlibrary Loan and Internal Document Request services at NIST.Design/methodology/approachThe authors analyze the usage data from the automated management system over a two‐year period.FindingsHeavy users, types of materials and journal titles were identified as well as process improvements. Anticipating rising costs remains elusive.Originality/valueThe paper gives valuable insights into the workings of document supply in a major research institution in the USA, particularly in relation to costs.
The Danish Union Catalogue DanBib and library.dk: “physical” and “virtual” union catalogues
Authors: Petersen Anders‐Henrik , Lose Rikke 
Published: September 2006

PurposeThe paper seeks to provide an overview of the approach taken by the Danish library community towards the automation of ILL and end‐user loan requests.Design/methodology/approachThe physical union catalogue DanBib is explained, along with Bibliotek.dk, which is the end‐user web interface to the public union catalogue. A detailed description is given of the development of an end‐user ILL system.FindingsThis facility is currently being tested and implementation is scheduled for the end of 2006.Originality/valueThe paper will be of interest to all librarians who wish to empower end users in searching for and obtaining material in which they are interested.