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1 – 10 of over 174000The purpose of this paper is to consider the value of the British pub to stakeholders and then to examine how its image can be improved in the light of criticisms of the existing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to consider the value of the British pub to stakeholders and then to examine how its image can be improved in the light of criticisms of the existing “drinks culture”.
Design/methodology/approach
These objectives are achieved by examining already published material relating to the pub as a social centre, an employer and an earner of government revenue. The problems of alcohol and criticisms of licensees are presented and considered in the light of other studies seeking solutions to the problem.
Findings
The study suggests that real change will not come from the licensees alone, but by a concerted effort by the majority of society to achieve responsible attitudes to alcohol consumption.
Research limitations/implications
The work relies on secondary sources, and would benefit from more studies of the attitudes of the stakeholders.
Practical implications
The article looks at the benefits of a responsible licensed trade and shows that criticisms of this trade in general will do nothing to solve the problems of excessive alcohol consumption. That requires a far more concerted movement from the nation as a whole. This does not, however, spare individual licensees from potential criticism for irresponsible service.
Originality/value
The paper may offer some comfort to the licensee, who is receiving much criticism at the moment. It may also make the rest of society more aware of its responsibilities.
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In 1946 the Fyfe Report on Technical Education first recognised the need for libraries in Further Education colleges in Scotland, and suggested certain specifications for this…
Abstract
In 1946 the Fyfe Report on Technical Education first recognised the need for libraries in Further Education colleges in Scotland, and suggested certain specifications for this type of library. Two later reports, on Technical Education in 1956 and on Libraries in Technical Colleges in 1957, progressed from the Fyfe Report and laid down recommendations and guidelines concerning the provision of library services in technical colleges. Since that time, there have been other reports and publications concerning the standards to be followed by these libraries. By the end of the 1960s it was accepted that Further Education colleges should provide a library and should appoint a qualified librarian to administer that library.
Katharine A. Owens and Angela Halfacre‐Hitchcock
This paper seeks to disseminate knowledge regarding the experiences of a student team in implementing a campus‐level sustainability initiative, outlining the strategy to measure…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to disseminate knowledge regarding the experiences of a student team in implementing a campus‐level sustainability initiative, outlining the strategy to measure the potential impact of this initiative.
Design/methodology/approach
Project design is a case study. Via interviewing and surveys, the study observed student and faculty attitudes, information levels and behaviors regarding sustainability both before and after project implementation. Calculated sustainability scores were calculated for both faculty and students. Data were collected with the intention of understanding first, if any changes occurred in these campus community members, and second, if changes occurred, could the changes be linked to the project.
Findings
Faculty experienced a significant increase in sustainability scores over the course of the project. Faculty interviews were used to glean a rich understanding of attitudes, information and behaviors about sustainability. A building waste audit was conducted to substantiate any self‐reported changes in recycling behavior. In contrast, students experienced either a significant decrease in sustainability scores or an insignificant decrease in sustainability scores. Large‐scale, campus‐wide behavioral changes of individuals did not take place. Some community members showcase sustainable behaviors, but for reasons not definitively linked with this project and its outreach.
Practical implications
This project serves as a stepping stone for other student teams; an opportunity to learn from our successes and mistakes, improving design of similar projects. General information about this type of project was discovered namely faculty and student participants were cooperative and outreach was not as extensive as imagined. The study also suggest future research could benefit from analyzing barriers to sustainable behaviors, addressing these in outreach for a similar project. Evaluating future projects to understand their effectiveness produces increasingly informative research.
Originality/value
This paper looks beyond the initial enthusiasm for conducting campus sustainability projects, shedding light on the ways they may effect the campus community.
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Recreation is a many‐faceted phenomenon. It is curious that so dominant a place in American recreational literature has been held, virtually without exception, by studies of…
Abstract
Recreation is a many‐faceted phenomenon. It is curious that so dominant a place in American recreational literature has been held, virtually without exception, by studies of recreational activities in dominantly rural settings. The necessity of examining and understanding the characteristics of and utilization of recreation facilities within nonurban environments is not in question. The rapidly increasing economic and social significance of leisure in American life certainly requires studies of recreation in all its forms. Such frequently publisized trends in the American economy as the rising percentage of employment within the service industries, including recreation, should encourage interest in the economic aspects of the approaching era of greater leisure among more people. Accelerating urbanization has led understandably, to a search for additional nonurban sites for recreation, and to a program of analysis of the trends within and problems associated with outdoor recreation.
States that the benefits of benchmarking are still largely unrecognized in the construction industry, despite the fact that the best practice concept has been indirectly…
Abstract
States that the benefits of benchmarking are still largely unrecognized in the construction industry, despite the fact that the best practice concept has been indirectly investigated by both practitioners and researchers. Notes that some confusion seems to exist in construction circles as to what exactly benchmarking is and what it can achieve to improve productivity. Addresses the benchmarking concept and its application to construction and presents a three‐level internal, project and external framework for benchmarking current practice. The three levels are examined in detail, with an illustration of the need to adapt to improve construction productivity. Uses a generic definition of benchmarking throughout to ensure applicability to the different and many aspects of the construction process.
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David Carson, Audrey Gilmore and Pauline Maclaran
This paper discusses the widening gulf between theory and practice and examines why theoretical marketing can be deemed to be of little use to many practitioners. In order to do…
Abstract
This paper discusses the widening gulf between theory and practice and examines why theoretical marketing can be deemed to be of little use to many practitioners. In order to do this one of marketing’s core tenets, the customer focused marketing mix, is analysed and found to be in need of critical reappraisal. A dogmatic approach to customer orientation has produced several dichotomies of focus and perspective between theory and practice which may threaten the philiosophy’s continuing usefulness. These dichotomies are illustrated and analysed according to their primary focus: customer or profit. In an attempt to resolve these conflicts between theory and practice a modification is proposed for the customer focused marketing mix.
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The relationship between diversification and organizational performance has been the subject of numerous studies over the years (Palepu, 1985; Rumelt, 1974). However, strategy…
Abstract
The relationship between diversification and organizational performance has been the subject of numerous studies over the years (Palepu, 1985; Rumelt, 1974). However, strategy scholars have universally defined diversification using a narrow definition, namely that corporate diversification is a function or reflection of the number of products/businesses in a firm's portfolio. The present study argues that such a definition has become outdated given the impact of international market diversification (Kim, Hwang, & Burgers, 1989; Rugman, 1979). Integrating these two views of corporate diversification, we investigate diversification‐performance differences using market‐ and product‐based measures of diversification and an international sample. Results suggest that the traditional model of diversification may not be applicable to all countries and that international differences exist.
A more rigid and specific quality management system in higher education institutions (HEIs) is developing under the auspices of the Quality Assurance Agency. The use of models of…
Abstract
A more rigid and specific quality management system in higher education institutions (HEIs) is developing under the auspices of the Quality Assurance Agency. The use of models of organisational culture suggest that organisation cultures vary greatly in the higher education sector. Within each HEI there is a mosaic of sub‐cultures making it very difficult to discern what is the dominant culture. The author’s initial analysis of an empirical study of seven HEIs points up the great variance of culture which emanates from differing mission statements, aims and objectives, size and nature of student intake, range of courses and emphasis on research. This article questions whether the developing quality management approach based on standards and benchmarks can gauge accurately and fairly the quality of provision in such a variety of HEIs.
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In 1997, an appellate court in the US issued an important decision in the consolidated appeals of Lopez v First Union National Bank of Florida and Coronado v Bank Atlantic…
Abstract
In 1997, an appellate court in the US issued an important decision in the consolidated appeals of Lopez v First Union National Bank of Florida and Coronado v Bank Atlantic Bancorp., Inc. The decision raises provocative issues concerning the scope of the immunity granted to financial institutions providing information to the federal government about their customers under US laws. In order to understand the impact of this decision, some factual background with respect to each of the cases and the relevant case law is required.
Yvonne von Friedrichs Grängsjö and Evert Gummesson
The paper provides insights into destination marketing and the conditions and outcome of competitor co‐operation in a local, horizontal hotel network. The specific purpose is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper provides insights into destination marketing and the conditions and outcome of competitor co‐operation in a local, horizontal hotel network. The specific purpose is to uncover the mechanics of such a network and offer a theory together with recommendations for practice and future research.
Design/methodology/approach
In contrast with manufactured goods, which are distributed to the market, destination marketing distributes customers to a service production site. This basic prerequisite has effects on marketing strategies and the networking of competitors, and so has the fact that the services are in part delivered in interaction with customers and between customers at a physical place. The paper is based on inductive case study research, and the observations and conclusions from the empirical case data are given precedence over extant theory. The case, the Hotel Group, is a hotel network in the town of Östersund, Sweden. The case is directed towards certain strategic business‐to‐business elements of destination marketing.
Findings
The study shows that the Hotel Group has found a success formula. Among the results are that a drive for action, both planned and improvised, is more decisive for success than plans and expressed intentions; that networking is facilitated when local competitors build social capital through trust and commitment in action; and that competitors have to adhere to certain basic principles, strike a balance between seemingly contradictory strategies, and live by an agreed code of conduct.
Research limitations/implications
The case study lays bare the need to rethink certain mainstream vantage points used in research. These include departure from the notion of small‐ and medium‐sized businesses as autonomous economic entities and consider them part of networks; recognition of the social context and synergy of a network organization and its code of conduct; and learning to manage a social network by balancing seeming paradoxes and opposites. The study is temporally limited and does not forecast the sustainability and robustness of the network and its success formula over time and under changing conditions.
Practical implications
The study offers normative and actionable insights about the success of a horizontal tourism network. The network members should adhere to three basic principles: show enthusiasm, give time, and contribute to financing; they have to perform balancing acts between the collective and individual, co‐operation and competition, and planning/intention and action; and they have to follow a seven‐point code of conduct.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to a theory of co‐operation in marketing networks. It empirically examines network mechanics when local competitors take action to improve their individual situation by improving the collective competitive position on the market, provides insights into destination marketing and the conditions and outcome of competitor co‐operation in a local, horizontal hotel network.
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