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1 – 10 of 90Andrej Ovca, Mojca Jevšnik and Peter Raspor
The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into various food safety aspects of future professional food handlers, representing different professions in the food supply chain…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to gain insight into various food safety aspects of future professional food handlers, representing different professions in the food supply chain (FSC), close to the end of their formal education.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 15 focus group discussions including 94 participants were conducted. A semi-structured approach was applied to discussions about the comprehension of food safety, the responsibility for food safety, the barriers hindering food safety practices, and the food safety influence of other people.
Findings
Differences related to the field of study and level of education were identified. The results demonstrate the diversity of interpretations of food safety with control of biological hazards strongly emphasized. The responsibility for food safety is perceived differently by position in the FSC. Different barriers related to the working environment and personal factors were identified. Parental influence on the target population is decreased as focus is shifted to the teachers of practical classes and especially to the instructors in food enterprises.
Research limitations/implications
Considering the response rate and the small number of schools offering a specific study programme not all the study fields and educational levels were equally represented.
Practical implications
The findings could assist educators, policy makers, and food business operators in their efforts to develop educational programmes that will more effectively contribute to the safety of food.
Originality/value
No research thus far has focussed on students being educated as future professional food handlers.
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Andrej Ovca, Mojca Jevšnik and Peter Raspor
The purpose of this paper is to investigate future food handlers’ practices during practical lessons close to the end of their formal vocational education, and to record teachers’…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate future food handlers’ practices during practical lessons close to the end of their formal vocational education, and to record teachers’ behaviour and to evaluate classrooms that were intended for practical lessons.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 90 students between 17 and 19 years of age, 12 teachers, and 12 training classrooms intended for practical lessons, which were divided into six observation sessions in the field of catering and six observation sessions in the field of food processing (bakery, confectionery, and butchery), were observed.
Findings
Both proper and inappropriate food-handling practices were observed among teachers and students. Comparing the hygienic-technical conditions of the training classrooms with teachers’ and students’ behaviour revealed several interconnected situations increasing the risk of food contamination during the production process.
Research limitations/implications
Data were collected by one observer who was not part of the class. The sample size was small, limiting the generalisability of the results.
Practical implications
The results indicate the weaknesses in the formal vocational education of future professional food handlers.
Social implications
Good food safety practices among food handlers reduce societal costs related to health-care systems and food industry economic losses.
Originality/value
The study provides an insight into the education and training of future professional food handlers in a controlled environment in educational institutions.
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Anita Fekonja, Tjaša Zupancic Hartner and Andrej Cretnik
Digitalization and additive manufacturing now play an important role in the manufacturing of medical and dental products. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of…
Abstract
Purpose
Digitalization and additive manufacturing now play an important role in the manufacturing of medical and dental products. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the treatment of skeletal Class II malocclusion in a growing patient using fixed sagittal guidance (FSG) appliance manufactured by digital and fast procedure by selective laser melting.
Design/methodology/Approach
This study present the case of a 14-year-old boy with a convex profile owing to a retrognathic mandible, an overjet (8 mm), a deep overbite (7 mm), a Class II canine, a molar relationship on both sides and an accentuated lower curve of Spee. The lateral cephalogram showed a skeletal Class II discrepancy with mandibular retrognathia, skeletal deep bite, reduced lower anterior facial height and proclined upper incisors. Treatment using FSG and fixed orthodontic appliance was performed within 15 months.
Findings
The final results show a well-balanced face and a nice profile. Protrusion of the maxillary anterior teeth was corrected, and a Class I molar relationship was achieved with proper overjet and overbite.
Research limitations/implications
The results from the proposed method are promising, although long-term results with a large group are not yet available.
Practical implications
Using an individually made FSG appliance from biocompatible material and an individualized treatment plan, an effective result in treating Class II malocclusion due to retrognathic mandible with favorable dentofacial effects has been achieved.
Originality/value
This is the first paper describing the use of additive manufacturing for orthodontic appliances in Slovenia.
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This paper aims to operationalize and to test the ARCTIC (A – Advantage, R – Relatedness, C – Complexity of Competence, T – Time of Integration, I – Implementation Plan, C  
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to operationalize and to test the ARCTIC (A – Advantage, R – Relatedness, C – Complexity of Competence, T – Time of Integration, I – Implementation Plan, C – Cultural Fit) framework to assess the prerequisites of competence-based synergy in the acquisition process. The current research provides new analyses of recent acquisitions in the global beauty industry where the ARCTIC framework was satisfied and where the ARCTIC model was NOT satisfied by decisive factors to get the acquisition's synergies. It allows readers to contrast two case studies and grasp how the framework works in greater detail.
Design/methodology/approach
The current research relies on an extensive archival search that included financial statements, annual reports, internal documents, industry publications and CEO statements to get at a micro-level understanding. This boosts research data and the operationalization of the ARCTIC framework.
Findings
The research identified four steps for investigating whether core competence transfer in an acquisition process would be a source of competence-based synergies. The incorporation of real options into the synergy valuation measures market value-added arising from M&A deals.
Originality/value
The current paper contributes to theoretical and practical issues of global M&As as part of the existing literature of international business and strategic management. The impact on reciprocal synergies of agency problems, external interaction between CEOs in M&A deals, corporate governance systems and an executive compensation theory are promising areas of future research.
Objetivo
El presente artÃculo pretende poner en práctica y a prueba el esquema ARCTIC a fin de evaluar los requisitos previos de la sinergia basada en las competencias en el proceso de adquisición. Este estudio ofrece nuevos análisis de las recientes adquisiciones acontecidas en el sector de la belleza a nivel mundial en las que se siguió el esquema ARCTIC y en las que NO se siguió por factores decisivos para conseguir las sinergias de la adquisición. Permite a los lectores contrastar dos casos prácticos y comprender con mayor detalle cómo funciona el esquema.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque del estudio
Para el estudio actual se ha llevado a cabo una amplia búsqueda de archivos entre los que se incluyen balances financieros, informes anuales, documentación interna, publicaciones del sector y declaraciones del director general para obtener una comprensión pormenorizada. De este modo, se potencian los datos de la investigación y la puesta en práctica del esquema ARCTIC.
Conclusiones
En el estudio se han identificado cuatro pasos que determinan si la transferencia de competencias básicas en un proceso de adquisición serÃa el origen de sinergias basadas en las competencias. La incorporación de opciones reales en la evaluación de las sinergias mide el valor añadido del mercado derivado de las operaciones de fusión y adquisición.
Originalidad/valor
Este artÃculo contribuye a los aspectos teóricos y prácticos de las fusiones y las adquisiciones mundiales como parte de la bibliografÃa existente sobre comercio internacional y gestión estratégica. El impacto de las sinergias recÃprocas de problemas del agente-principal, las interacciones externas entre directores generales en acuerdos de fusiones y adquisiciones, los sistemas de gobernanza empresarial y una teorÃa de la compensación ejecutiva son campos prometedores para futuras investigaciones.
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Andrejs Tatulcenkovs, Andris Jakovics, Egbert Baake and Bernard Nacke
The purpose of this paper is to the study the multiphase bubbles flow motion in a vertical channel with an electroconducting liquid without and under the influence of a magnetic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to the study the multiphase bubbles flow motion in a vertical channel with an electroconducting liquid without and under the influence of a magnetic field.
Design/methodology/approach
For numerical calculations, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) is used, which is based on the kinetic theory for solving fluid mechanics and other physical problems. The phase-field lattice Boltzmann model is developed to simulate the behaviour of multiphase bubble–bubble interaction while rising in the fluid with high density ratios.
Findings
The behaviour of the rising bubble flow in a rectangular column of two phases is investigated with the two-dimensional LBM.
Originality/value
The multiphase flow in electroconducting liquids with high ratio of density is studied using the LBM.
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Andrej Škrlec and Jernej Klemenc
In conditions where a product is subjected to extreme mechanical loading in a very short time, a strain rate has a significant influence on the behaviour of the product’s…
Abstract
Purpose
In conditions where a product is subjected to extreme mechanical loading in a very short time, a strain rate has a significant influence on the behaviour of the product’s material. To accurately simulate the behaviour of the material during these loading conditions, the strain rate parameters of the selected material model should be appropriately used. This paper aims to present a fast method with which the proper strain-rate-dependent parameter values of the selected material model can be easily determined.
Design/methodology/approach
In the paper, an experiment was designed to study the behaviour of thin, flat, metal sheets during an impact. The results from this experiment were the basis for the determination of the strain-rate-dependent parameter values of the Cowper–Symonds material model. Optimisation processes with different numbers of required parameters of the selected material model were performed. The optimisation process consists of the method for design of experiment, modelling a response surface and a genetic algorithm.
Findings
The paper provides comparison of two optimisation processes with different methods for design of experiment. The performances of the presented method are compared and the engineering applicability of the results is discussed.
Originality/value
This paper presents a new fast approach for the identification of the parameter values of the Cowper–Symonds material model, if these cannot be easily determined directly from experimental data.
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Vanja Prevolšek, Andrej Ovca and Mojca Jevšnik
This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the compliance of hygienic and technical standards of street food vendors in Slovenia with the requirements of the general hygienic…
Abstract
Purpose
This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the compliance of hygienic and technical standards of street food vendors in Slovenia with the requirements of the general hygienic food principals set in the Codex Alimentarius and Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs.
Design/methodology/approach
Food vendors were observed directly and discretely using a semi-structured observation sheet that allowed fast evaluation. The employee's behaviour was not affected during the observations because they were not aware of being observed. Each observation lasted approximately 30Â min. Food vendors were divided into groups according to their location, type of facility, number of employees and type of food sold.
Findings
Depending on the type of street vendor, more inconsistencies were found amongst food stands compared to food trucks and kiosks. Most food trucks and kiosks scored very high in both personal and hygienic-technical standards. Some of the major inconsistencies were lack of suitably located washbasins, improper hand-washing technique, improper waste management, working surfaces that were inadequately separated from consumers, and inconsistent maintenance of the cold chain. Food handlers have been confirmed as a critical risk factor.
Research limitations/implications
Despite methodology validation, the data was collected by a single observer, limiting the ability to obtain a more reliable estimate of the observations. The sample was disproportionate according to the type of street food facilities.
Practical implications
The results provide a basis for (1) national professional guidelines of good hygiene practices for food business operators, which should cover street food vendors more extensively in future updates, and (2) the development of food safety training programmes tailored for street vendors.
Originality/value
The study provides valuable insights into current hygienic-technical conditions of the street food vending sector.
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This paper aims to add to the understanding of dynamic capabilities (DC) as sources of competitive advantage of successful Asian-Pacific shipping companies by demonstrating that…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to add to the understanding of dynamic capabilities (DC) as sources of competitive advantage of successful Asian-Pacific shipping companies by demonstrating that DC development unfolds in three steps, from recognition that the environment has changed, to the decision to deploy DC, to assets re-orchestration.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an approach involving two illustrative case studies, the author analyzed DC development of Chinese and Singaporean-based shipping groups in depth. The analysis was centered on DC by investigating how strategic decision-making on vertical integration, diversification and implementation of new technologies can be underpinned by developing DC to create sustained advantages.
Findings
The author found that strategic components of DC are rooted in strategic decision-making to initiate changes on the corporate and even on an operational level.
Research limitations/implications
While capability development is thoroughly studied, capability erosion has not been integrated into the research. The exploration of human capital as a firm’s idiosyncratic resource in assets orchestration capabilities can be future work.
Practical implications
The proposed research contributes to the debate on micro foundations of DC and provides insights for practitioners striving for retaining competitive advantages.
Social implications
Regarding implications for the society, the research shows how the DC serve to generate competitive advantages. The author has presented a logical structure of the competitive advantage paradigm as a product of DC and business models that can be useful to decision makers.
Originality/value
The research offers insights into the composition of micro foundations of DC and demonstrates that DC can be unbounded into well-known and concrete strategic and operational management activities.
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Morten Balle Hansen and Andrej Christian Lindholst
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the IJPSM special issue on marketization to clarify the conceptual foundations of marketization as a phenomenon within the public sector…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce the IJPSM special issue on marketization to clarify the conceptual foundations of marketization as a phenomenon within the public sector and gauge current marketization trends based on the special issue’s seven papers.
Design/methodology/approach
Conceptual clarification and cross-cutting review of seven papers analysing marketization in six countries in three policy areas at the level of local government.
Findings
Four ideal-types models are deduced: quasi-markets involving both provider competition and free choice for users; classical contracting out; benchmarking and yardstick competition; and public-private collaboration. Based on the review of the seven papers, it is found that all elements in all marketization models are firmly embedded but also under dynamic change within public service delivery systems. The review also identifies limitations and modifications of the four ideal-type models. A key trend is a move towards public-private collaboration and cross-sectorial and inter-organizational governance arrangements.
Research limitations/implications
Continued research on marketization would benefit from development of more fine-tuned theoretical models which are sensitive to the realm of the dynamics within particular policy and institutional contexts.
Practical implications
Policy-makers should balance normative objectives against the experiences gained at the level of implementation.
Originality/value
The special issue shows that marketization still is a concurrent phenomenon which is driving substantial change in public service delivery systems as well as is under dynamic change itself.
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