bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
EpistemicAngst
Authors: Pritchard Duncan 
Published: April 2005

AbstractI discuss the difficulty posed by the ineliminability of reflective epistemic luck and offer one way of responding to this difficulty. I begin by considering Wittgenstein’s remarks on knowledge from On Certainty and consider, in particular, the specific claims he makes about the so-called ’hinge’ propositions that contextually determine the nature of epistemic evaluation. I claim that what underlies Wittgenstein’s remarks in this respect is a certain view about the ultimately groundless nature of our reason-giving practices. This way of thinking about the structure of reasons is, I argue, correlative to the thesis described here regarding the ineliminability of reflective luck. Moreover, I contend that it is our implicit philosophical recognition of this problem that gives rise to a certain kind of general anxiety about our epistemic position that I refer to as epistemic angst. This contention is further illustrated by critically evaluating John McDowell’s content externalist response to scepticism that incorporates a strongly anti-sceptical account of reasons. I close on a positive note by arguing that while there is no epistemic response available to the problem posed by reflective luck, there is a plausible pragmatic resolution to this difficulty. Indeed, I claim that an anti-sceptical thesis of this sort can be discerned from Wittgenstein’s own fragmentary remarks on scepticism, and I develop such a view in the light of Hans Reichenbach’s pragmatic response to the problem of inductive scepticism, which I maintain is cast along similar lines.
Postscript: Moral Luck
Authors: Pritchard Duncan 
Published: April 2005

AbstractI outline how an analysis of epistemic luck has ramifications for the supposedly parallel debate regarding moral luck. Focusing on the two classic papers on moral luck by Thomas Nagel and Bernard Williams, I examine the arguments and examples put forward in this regard and highlight how a primarily epistemological analysis can be put into service to cast light on the corresponding moral debate. In particular, I show that these authors fail to distinguish a specifically moral problem, and that what difficulties they do highlight are parasitic on the problem of reflective epistemic luck. I conclude that there is a strong prima facie case for thinking that there is no such thing as moral luck, and that the only reason why many think that there is because they are confusing the non-existent problem of moral luck with the entirely genuine problem of reflective epistemic luck.
Consumer consumption and perception of organic products in Croatia
Authors: Radman Marija 
Published: April 2005

Purpose of this paperThe market for organic products in Croatia is at the beginning of its development. There is no sufficient knowledge about organic consumers in Croatia. The objective of this paper is to gain knowledge about consumer attitudes toward organic products in the capital of Croatia.Design/methodology/approachThe consumers’ attitudes were collected by means of a face‐to‐face survey. Attitudes, purchase frequency, supply satisfaction and beliefs about organic foods were studied with a sample of 179 consumers. The data obtained from the survey were analysed with univariate analysis, chi‐square test, ANOVA and correlation analysis.FindingsCroatian consumers consider organically‐grown products as very healthy, of good quality and tasty. However, these products are perceived as rather expensive and of questionable appearance. Consumers are not very familiar with the supply of ecologically‐grown products in the market. Some groups of consumers have more positive attitudes toward organic products, and they exhibit an increased willingness to pay higher prices for these products. Therefore, marketing strategies for organic products should be targeted towards such groups.Research limitations/implicationsOne limitation of this study is the choice of the sample. Further research is needed to discriminate between consumer groups, and to determine which segments are most appropriate for organic product marketing.Practical implicationsAccording to the research results an important task for the producers will be to increase consumers’ knowledge of what an organic product is and how to differentiate it in the marketplace.Originality/valueThis paper gives the first insight into buying behavior and attitudes of organic consumers in Zagreb. The results of the research could be used for planning further marketing activities.
Examining structure and process in ESOP firms
Authors: McHugh Patrick P. , Cutcher‐Gershenfeld Joel , Bridge Diane L. 
Published: April 2005

PurposeTo examine the role of three employee‐owner attributes (i.e. the level of employee influence in decision making, the amount of Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) information given to employee‐owners, and the extent to which the ESOP design provides employee‐owners with equity possession) in predicting variance in managerial perceptions of ESOP firm performance.Design/methodology/approachSurvey responses from management at 61 ESOP firms in the United States are analyzed. Based upon the ESOP literature, “ownership” is conceptualized as a multidimensional construct consisting of rights to influence, information, and equity. This framework is the foundation for several hypotheses linking ownership attributes and firm performance.FindingsUtilizing hierarchical regression analysis, we found that employee influence in operational decisions and information sharing with employee‐owners has a positive impact on managerial perceptions of firm performance. Equity possession appears to be only significant when ESOP information sharing with is low.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a cross‐sectional study of management respondents. Future researchers should include employees and managers, gather objective firm performance data, and refine the measures of employee influence, information sharing, and equity possession.Practical implicationsManagers interested in improving the economic performance of ESOP firms should increase opportunities for employee operational influence, as well as developing extensive ESOP communication programs. Policy makers may need to provide stronger guidance to employers regarding employee‐owner equity possession.Originality/valueThis paper furthers our understanding of the role that employee ownership attributes play in ESOP firm effectiveness.
Structural interdependence, personality, and organizational citizenship behavior
Authors: Comeau Daniel J. , Griffith Richard L. 
Published: April 2005

PurposeTo experimentally determine how the interaction of an interdependent work environment and employee personality affect organizational citizenship behavior (OCB).Design/methodology/approachStructural interdependence, as defined by levels of task and goal interdependence, was manipulated in a laboratory setting to determine the effect on individual level OCB. Also, a regression analysis was utilized to determine whether interdependence could act as a moderator for the relationship between the personality variables agreeableness and OCB and conscientiousness and OCB.FindingsPerson‐environment interaction would suggest that the independence and personality should interact to impact levels of OCB. The results indicate a strong main effect of task interdependence on OCB and also a main effect of goal interdependence on OCB. In addition, there was also an interaction effect of task and goal interdependence. The results failed to show, however, that interdependence could act as a moderator on the relationship between agreeableness and OCB and conscientiousness and OCB.Originality/valueProvides further research on structural characteristics of task and goal interdependence and their relationship to OCB.
Goal orientation and organizational commitment as explanatory factors of employees' mobility
Authors: Lin Shu‐chi , Chang Jung‐nung 
Published: April 2005

PurposeTo provide a further examination into the explanatory factors of employees' mobility for organizations wishing to improve performance by keeping right employees judging from their goal orientation and organizational commitment.Design/methodology/approachThe multivariate statistical methods (MANOVA) together with a longitudinal design are used to test the hypotheses generated from the theory with data gathered from two Taiwan‐based financial institutions.FindingsSuggests that those who quit for what they perceive as upwardly mobile career moves and those who enjoy in‐house promotions both demonstrate a greater degree of positive learning goal orientation than their colleagues who remain stationary in long‐term positions with the same firm. Makes note of the inability of performance goal orientation and organizational commitment to explain employee mobility behaviors.Research limitations/implicationsGeneralizability is limited due to the concentration of this longitudinal‐design study on two institutions of a single industry in Taiwan.Practical implicationsProvides a positive advice for organizations to create mechanisms and environment that can engage learning‐oriented employees as meaningful contributors in principal challenges and to use learning experiences to revitalize them and deepen their commitment.Originality/valueThis paper clarifies the influence of goal orientation and organizational commitment upon employees' mobility and identifies their relationship with findings suggesting a direct link between positive learning goal orientation and positive job performance.
A bridge over troubled water
Authors: Bonner Carole , Gollan Paul J. 
Published: April 2005

PurposeThis paper aims to examine union and non‐union consultation and representative arrangements at South West Water (SWW) over a ten‐year period, from 1992 to 2002.Design/methodology/approachThe paper attempts to fill the gap in the current research by examining the processes leading from union derecognition, non‐union employee representation (NER), to recognition of union representation using SWW as an example.FindingsThe SWW experience suggests that any representative structures within firms need to have full support of the majority of employees and to have been seen as being organic to the workplace rather than an imposed arrangement by management. Without such a bottom‐up approach, the legitimacy and respect for such arrangements will diminish, creating obstacles for developing meaningful dialogue and trust between management, staff and unions. For unions, maintaining high membership density, while no guarantee of continuing recognition, creates an environment of strong union organisation and representation at workplace level.Originality/valueAs the experience at SWW has shown, where unions have been excluded from the workplace, maintaining a presence through the representation of individual employee interests and through colonisation of NER structures has been shown to pay dividends in the long run. However, a recognition agreement is not enough on its own to secure new members and unions need to be effective and relevant to the workforce.
Facilitating urban renewal
Authors: Hastings E.M. , Adams David 
Published: April 2005

PurposeThe paper examines the operation of the Land (compulsory sale for redevelopment) Ordinance, one of a series of urban renewal policy initiatives introduced by the Hong Kong Government. The new institutional arrangement was mooted as a means to facilitate greater private sector participation in the renewal process by overcoming existing constraints on land assembly, which arise as the result of a system of common property ownership. The paper investigates whether the legislation can achieve the objective of encouraging private sector participation in the urban renewal processDesign/methodology/approachThe paper adopts a transaction cost framework, drawn from literature and applied in the context of real estate, to examine the effects of a new Ordinance. In addition to publicly available data, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with professionals involved in urban renewal and representatives from the property development companies. The apparently low usage of the new approach is explored in the context of the various alternative mechanisms for land assembly available to the private sector and the effects of transactions costs on developer behaviour.FindingsThe paper identifies that the relatively low usage of the Ordinance may be explained by institutional constraints and limitations in the legislation, which, in its current form, fails to provide sufficient incentives, but that developer behaviour may also be affected by other external factors.Research limitations/implicationsThe research is limited in that any commentary on the effectiveness of the legislation in achieving its objectives is restricted by the inability to clearly identify those incidences where the threat of legal action was sufficient to achieve a negotiated acquisition of the necessary property rights. Further research might explore the implications and the inter‐relationships between the various urban renewal initiatives introduced by the Hong Kong Government.Practical implicationsThe recent experience of the Hong Kong Government in designing a new institutional mechanism to overcome problems of private sector land assembly for properties in multiple‐ownership may offer more general lessons for those in similar environments who wish to use the resources of the private sector to contribute to the urban renewal process.Originality/valueThe paper adopts a transaction cost approach to examine the working of a new policy initiative for facilitating land assembly in Hong Kong and may be of interest to academics and practitioners involved in the area of urban renewal.
Finite element modelling of ceramics and glass, an addendum – a bibliography (1998‐2004)
Authors: Mackerle Jaroslav 
Published: April 2005

PurposeCeramic materials and glasses have become important in modern industry as well as in the consumer environment. Heat resistant ceramics are used in the metal forming processes or as welding and brazing fixtures, etc. Ceramic materials are frequently used in industries where a wear and chemical resistance are required criteria (seals, liners, grinding wheels, machining tools, etc.). Electrical, magnetic and optical properties of ceramic materials are important in electrical and electronic industries where these materials are used as sensors and actuators, integrated circuits, piezoelectric transducers, ultrasonic devices, microwave devices, magnetic tapes, and in other applications. A significant amount of literature is available on the finite element modelling (FEM) of ceramics and glass. This paper gives a listing of these published papers and is a continuation of the author's bibliography entitled “Finite element modelling of ceramics and glass” and published in Engineering Computations, Vol. 16, 1999, pp. 510‐71 for the period 1977‐1998.Design/methodology/approachThe form of the paper is a bibliography. Listed references have been retrieved from the author's database, MAKEBASE. Also Compendex has been checked. The period is 1998‐2004.FindingsProvides a listing of 1,432 references. The following topics are included: ceramics – material and mechanical properties in general, ceramic coatings and joining problems, ceramic composites, piezoceramics, ceramic tools and machining, material processing simulations, fracture mechanics and damage, applications of ceramic/composites in engineering; glass – material and mechanical properties in general, glass fiber composites, material processing simulations, fracture mechanics and damage, and applications of glasses in engineering.Originality/valueThis paper makes it easy for professionals working with the numerical methods with applications to ceramics and glasses to be up‐to‐date in an effective way.
The use of quality management tools and techniques: a study of application in everyday situations
Authors: Bamford David R. , Greatbanks Richard W. 
Published: April 2005

PurposeThis paper describes the use and application of a structured approach to the basic implementation of quality management tools and techniques such as the QC7 tools.Design/methodology/approachA methodology based around the application of a structured approach to the use of basic quality management tools is adopted, and provides a simple yet powerful means by which the steps of problem solving can be sequentially linked together.FindingsEveryday process examples are used to highlight the benefits of such tools and techniques in contributing to a greater understanding of the process by the process operator or owner. For each example, the use of appropriate tools or techniques are examined and their application analysed. The paper then goes on to discuss the wider implications of quality management tool application within industry and business.Research limitations/implicationsIt is not suggested the examples detailed are thoroughly scientific in methodology but they do serve to illustrate that by applying the tools in a systematic manner, even the simplest of processes can be understood in greater detail.Practical implicationsThe following are key for the successful implementation, use and success of applying the QC and M7 tools and techniques: in‐depth knowledge of the process; formal training in problem‐solving techniques; appropriateness of tools selected for use; and apply simple models at all levels in the organisation to aid communication and learning.Originality/valueThe paper concludes by arguing that the wider use of the tools, ideally by the process operatives themselves, tangibly lead to a fuller understanding of specific processes. This will ultimately impact upon their organisation.
Determining customer‐oriented technical importance ratings: an evaluative study
Authors: Kim Yong‐Pil , Yoon Cheol‐Hwoan , Yun Deok‐Kyun 
Published: April 2005

PurposeTo provide customer‐oriented group decision methodology for designers or developers in using quality function deployment which is based on voice of customer.Design/methodology/approachTechnical importance rating in house of quality (HoQ) should be evaluated considering both the roof and relationship matrix. Since the roof is generally irreducible, all of relationships between customer attribute (CA) and engineering characteristic (EC) are evaluated. A customer‐oriented evaluating method is proposed and empirical test is issued.FindingsThe phenomenon of inconsistency which is frequently found in HoQ is easily protected by proposed approach which focuses on the view of customer.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed evaluating method is appropriate for the time when the number of ECs or CAs are greater than nine. If the number of alternatives is less than nine, analytic hierarchical process is usually used. However, 1‐9 scaling pairwise comparison is not suitable for customers such as non‐experts, housewives, or even children.Practical implicationsEspecially, the proposed evaluating method could be widely used for organizations depending on customers.Originality/valueIn various fields, this paper supports the customer‐centered environment.
Forecasting field failure data for repairable systems using neural networks and SARIMA model
Authors: Tong Lee‐Ing , Liang Yi‐Hui 
Published: April 2005

PurposeTo propose an accurate product reliability prediction model in order to enhance product quality and reduce product costs.Design/methodology/approachThis study proposes a method for analysing and forecasting field failure data for repairable systems. The novel method constructs a predictive model by combining the seasonal autoregressive integrated‐moving average (SARIMA) method and neural network model.FindingsCurrent methods for analysing and forecasting field failure data for repairable systems do not consider the seasonal effect in the data. The proposed method can not only analyse the trends and seasonal vibration of the data, but can also forecast the short‐ and long‐term reliability of the system based on only a small amount of historical data.Research limitations/implicationsThis study adopts only real failure data from an electronic system to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method. Future research may use other product's failure data to verify the proposed method.Practical implicationsResults in this study can provide a valuable reference for engineers when constructing quality feedback systems for assessing current quality conditions, providing logistical support, correcting product design, facilitating optimal component‐replacement and maintenance strategies, and ensuring that products meet quality requirements.Originality/valueThe proposed method is superior to other prediction techniques in predicting future real failure data.
Organisational support and group efficacy
Authors: Osca Amparo , Urien Begoña , González‐Camino Genoveva , Dolores Martínez‐Pérez M. , Martínez‐Pérez Nuria 
Published: April 2005

PurposeTo analyse the influence of three different types of organisational support (supervisor's and colleagues' support, training, and acknowledgement and rewards) on the implementation of teamwork systems.Design/methodology/approachMain and buffer effects of social support were tested using different subjective (job satisfaction and job involvement) and objective (production and total production management (TPM)) organisational criteria. In the longitudinal study, two sets of data were taken from a sample of workers from car‐manufacturing factories in two consecutive years.FindingsThe three dimensions of support explain 30 per cent of the variance in job satisfaction in time 1(T1) and 11 per cent in time 2 (T2). A total of 50 per cent of job involvement in T1 is due to the supervisor's and colleagues' support, whereas in T2 this influence is not apparent. Social support from supervisor's and colleagues and acknowledgment and rewards explain 10 per cent of the variance of the objective measures (production and TPM).Research limitations/implicationsThe objective measures used are similar for the production line as a whole and therefore they do not consider the possible differences in performance between different production line groups.Practical implicationsThe importance of social support in organisational settings, in particular in the implementation of working teams. It also emphasises the need to distinguish the different stages of support from colleagues, supervisors or the organisation.Originality/valueThis study indicates that support is an easy and inexpensive means not only to improve the social environment of an employee but also to make an important contribution towards productivity targets.
Is standard costing obsolete? Empirical evidence from Malaysia
Authors: Sulaiman Maliah , Nazli Nik Ahmad Nik , Mohd Alwi Norhayati 
Published: April 2005

PurposeMany authors have predicted that the shorter product life cycles, advanced manufacturing technologies, decreasing emphasis on labour in the production process, and global competition may lead to the demise of standard costing. This exploratory study aims to provide empirical evidence on the extent to which companies in Malaysia use standard costing. It also examines the differences in the use of such techniques between local Malaysian firms and Japanese affiliates.Design/methodology/approachFrom the industrial and consumer products sectors listed on the Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange and 21 Japanese affiliates in Malaysia, 66 companies were surveyed.FindingsDespite its various criticisms, the empirical findings suggest that standard costing is still being used by a large majority of firms in Malaysia. Thus, Malaysian companies (both Japanese and local) perceive that the basic principles of standard costing remain sound.Research limitations/implicationsWhile the empirical results may be interesting, the findings represent an exploratory area of research which ultimately needs to be grounded in theory. To do this, future studies should undertake detailed case studies on management accounting in practice.Originality/valueProvides empirical evidence of the extent of use of standard costing in Malaysia.