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1 – 10 of 49Eva McGrath, Nichola Harmer and Richard Yarwood
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the use of small river ferries as an under-researched but novel mode of travel which enhances and brings new dimensions to tourist…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the use of small river ferries as an under-researched but novel mode of travel which enhances and brings new dimensions to tourist experiences of travelling landscapes.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a mixed methods approach including participant observation, a survey and interviews with ferry users and staff at one river crossing in South West England.
Findings
The ferry attracts tourists as a different and practical mode of transport. The river crossing provides an experience of being on water, and the material structure of the ferry significantly shapes on-board interactions whilst providing new perspectives of place.
Research limitations/implications
This article draws on data collected for a study of ferry crossings conducted at three sites in Devon and Cornwall, England, using multiple methods. The material presented in this article focuses on one site and draws on four interviews, twelve reflection cards and observations.
Social implications
The research highlighted the extent to which the ferry is dependent on tourist use. At the same time, it reveals the extent to which the crossing enriches the tourist experience and celebrates a ferry’s contribution to local place-making.
Originality/value
The majority of research on ferry crossings focuses on commuter experiences, marine crossings and larger passenger vessels. This article makes an original contribution to literature on ferries, as it offers a perspective on tourist experiences of river ferry crossings, reveals how the ferry structure influences interrelations on-board and provides distinctive insights into place through a focus on movement across water.
The purpose of this study is to show that the presence of strong personality traits in management teams may have limiting effects on the teams' ability to adapt to critical…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to show that the presence of strong personality traits in management teams may have limiting effects on the teams' ability to adapt to critical changes in their business environments.
Design/methodology/approach
The financial operations characterizing ten management teams have been traced over three years, and the personalities of all managers were measured during the first phase of the project. A critical incident in the market signalled a need to adapt after about 20 months. The ensuing adaptation was analysed and related to the presence of strong personality traits, plotting all data in two‐dimensional space to visualize the relationship between personality and business operations.
Findings
The intra‐team maximum traits were systematically related to a tendency to perform habitual business in the teams. Only intelligence and stability were related to better performance after the crisis, suggestion that other strong traits may impose rigidity.
Research limitations/implications
The sample is limited to ten management teams, but these are followed for three years through 33 observation points. Also, a visualization technique based on factor analysis is used in addition to regression equations as one of the main methodological tools.
Practical implications
Managers composing teams should observe the presence of strong traits and take action to prevent obstructing adaptation after crises. This knowledge may induce efforts to overcome rigidity and understand the value of reflection‐in‐action for teams.
Originality/value
The paper presents a new way of conceptualizing the role of personality in management teams and shows its immediate impact on business performance in a real‐life setting.
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Suggests that in many companies that have adopted value‐based management, there is a need to shift the focus of management attention from the measurement of value, to the creation…
Abstract
Suggests that in many companies that have adopted value‐based management, there is a need to shift the focus of management attention from the measurement of value, to the creation of wealth. Argues that shareholder wealth creation is a creative endeavour on the part of the management and employees of a business – and that wealth will only be created for shareholders if management delivers financial performance that exceeds market expectations. This requires the successful implementation of higher value strategies developed from new ideas – not simply the adoption of value‐based measurement and incentive systems.
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Abstract
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– The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature concerning interlending and document supply.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the literature concerning interlending and document supply.
Design/methodology/approach
The study included the review of over 130 journals and related material.
Findings
The race to build and deliver a system for dealing with the vast increase in OA-deposited manuscripts in the USA continues. Public access to publishers’ e-content is being made available in UK public libraries as part of the Finch report agreement. More developments in Patron-Driven Acquisition are described and much else.
Originality/value
Represents a useful resource for librarians and others concerned with interlending and document supply and such related matters as resource sharing and open access.
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Gopika Kannan and Wilfried G. Aulbur
Intellectual capital (IC), knowledge management and intangible assets are important factors in determining the value of an organization, as reflected in the growth of the…
Abstract
Intellectual capital (IC), knowledge management and intangible assets are important factors in determining the value of an organization, as reflected in the growth of the knowledge management industry. There is however, a lack of effective measurement techniques to specify and optimize the value of IC. This paper presents a detailed review of existing techniques and establish the need for a more comprehensive approach. The proposed framework addresses IC valuation issues across the IC cycle. People, process, and technology are measured and correlated in the final step with social and financial measures, thus providing a new framework.
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Umit S. Bititci, Kepa Mendibil, Sai Nudurupati, Patrizia Garengo and Trevor Turner
This research paper aims to model the dynamic relationship between performance measurement, management styles and organisational culture, in order to develop a better…
Abstract
Purpose
This research paper aims to model the dynamic relationship between performance measurement, management styles and organisational culture, in order to develop a better understanding of the causal linkages between these three areas.
Design/methodology/approach
The related literature on performance measurement, management control systems and management information systems, in the context of organisational culture, is examined and a framework for mapping the interplay of the three areas is developed. The research is based around five case studies where performance measurement systems were implemented in action research programmes, using identical implementation methods, by the same research team. The use of the performance measurement systems was then observed over a period of time in relation to the implementation lifecycle, changes to management style and organisational structure over time. The dynamic relationships were then mapped using the framework developed. Patterns were observed, which led to new insights.
Findings
Organisational culture and management style seem to be interdependent throughout the lifecycle of the performance measurement system. That is, management styles need to evolve as the maturity of the performance measurement system and the organisational culture evolve. A successfully implemented and used performance measurement system, through cultural change, leads to a more participative and consultative management style. Similarly, the correct use of performance measurement systems can encourage an achievement culture to emerge. All five cases suggested that an authoritative management style was essential at the start but this would change with the emerging culture.
Research limitations/implications
The research results are limited to five socially constructed case studies. Whilst these findings remain valid, they cannot be used for universal generalisations. In terms of modelling the organisational culture, the research focuses on the organisation as a whole and does not take into account the possible existence of sub‐cultures within the organisation.
Practical implications
A better understanding of management styles and organisational culture will allow practitioners to better assess the organisations' readiness to implement performance measurement systems. Similarly, the results provide guidance towards the management styles that would be appropriate when implementing performance measurement systems in different cultural settings.
Originality/value
The framework for modelling the dynamic relationship between performance measurement, management style and organisational culture, together with the findings, should provide useful insights and methods for future researchers in this area.
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Franja Pižmoht, József Györkös and Dijana Močnik
This paper aims to explore the digital economy in the fields of the most promising new technologies: information and communication technologies, biotechnology and nanotechnology…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the digital economy in the fields of the most promising new technologies: information and communication technologies, biotechnology and nanotechnology. It highlights the convergence of nano-, bio-, info- and cognitive (NBIC) technologies by developing a model for the accurate evaluation of different types of options in the development process of convergent technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical research is based on theoretical analysis and case studies. The authors conducted six in-depth interviews. The study covered different research projects led by centres of excellence, competence centres and institutions that support the transfer of innovations in the economic and business environment.
Findings
The research findings prove that there is a convergence of NBIC technologies that can be observed and modelled. The created evolutionary model of NBIC convergence, also based on the theory of real options, allows a proper evaluation of the entire convergence process.
Practical implications
For enterprises and scientific research institutions, the NBIC model could represent the starting point for developing further concepts of investment evaluation. The model also considers the indicators of the innovation system, which, in addition to the marketing area, include regulatory challenges of companies (competition, copyrights, patents, taxation, etc.).
Originality/value
This paper enhances the understanding of new technologies in a digital economy. The purpose of this study is to clarify the principal factors for the effective observation and measurement of the convergence phenomenon. It also offers suggestions for improvement of the research and innovation system in the new economy.
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Karin S. Moser and Juliane E. Kämmer
Different lengths of collaboration with colleagues at work is a central feature of modern working life, and even more so in a work environment that is increasingly project focused…
Abstract
Purpose
Different lengths of collaboration with colleagues at work is a central feature of modern working life, and even more so in a work environment that is increasingly project focused and knowledge-intensive. Despite its practical importance, there is little research on how the perceived costs and benefits in an information-sharing dilemma might change depending on collaboration length. Based on a social dilemma framework, it is hypothesised that anticipated length of collaboration time will significantly influence the motivation to collaborate.
Design/methodology/approach
An experimental scenario study (N = 87) compared the willingness to work collaboratively, share information and help the partner in a long-term (two academic terms) vs a short-term (one week) condition.
Findings
At first somewhat counter-intuitively, participants were more helpful in the short-term, and insisted more on equality and disengaged more from a defecting partner – but not the project – in the long-term condition. People appear to focus more on the immediate task in short-term collaborations – even at cost – because the outcome is more important than the relationship, and more on setting norms for equality and reciprocity in long-term collaborations to avoid future exploitation.
Practical implications
The findings help understanding the motivation and the partner and task perception under different time conditions and support managing teams in an increasingly project-oriented work environment with changing partners and varying time frames.
Originality
To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper investigating the influence of anticipated collaboration time in information-sharing dilemmas.
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