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1 – 10 of over 5000
Article
Publication date: 15 May 2017

Sherry Lynn Skaggs and Ivan Y. Sun

The purpose of this paper is to explore factors that shape police behavior in juvenile interactions occurring in rural communities.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore factors that shape police behavior in juvenile interactions occurring in rural communities.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected in rural Kentucky through a factorial survey instrument, this study assessed the effects of situational, officer, organizational and community variables on officers’ authoritative and supportive behavior toward juveniles.

Findings

Officer background characteristics, such as race, sex, education, and having children, and occupational attitudes, such as rehabilitation and dispositional beliefs, were significantly related to both authoritative and supportive behavior. While organizational variables affected officer supportive actions, they were weakly linked to authoritative behavior. Neighborhood social disorganization was ineffective in predicting both types of police behavior.

Originality/value

Although a considerable amount of research has been conducted in the past several decades to examine police behavior, a relatively small number of studies have empirically assessed factors that shape police behavior toward juveniles with an even smaller number assessing juvenile interactions in rural communities. This research provides a comprehensive theoretical explanation of police-juvenile encounters in rural communities which will allow for a more complete understanding of the factors that account for police attitudes and behavior in these interactions.

Details

Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, vol. 40 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 May 2023

Mohammad Shamsuzzaman, Mohammad Khadem, Salah Haridy, Ahm Shamsuzzoha, Mohammad Abdalla, Marwan Al-Hanini, Hamdan Almheiri and Omar Masadeh

The purpose of this study is to implement lean six sigma (LSS) methodology to improve the admission process in a higher education institute (HEI).

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to implement lean six sigma (LSS) methodology to improve the admission process in a higher education institute (HEI).

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, case study research methodology is adopted and implemented through an LSS define-measure-analyze-improve-control (DMAIC) framework.

Findings

The preliminary investigation showed that the completion of the whole admission process of a new student takes an average of 88 min, which is equivalent to a sigma level of about 0.71 based on the targeted admission cycle time of 60 min. The implementation of the proposed LSS approach increased the sigma level from 0.71 to 2.57, which indicates a reduction in the mean admission cycle time by around 55%. This substantial improvement is expected not only to provide an efficient admission process but also to enhance the satisfaction of students and employees and increase the reputation of the HEI to a significant level.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, the sample size used in the analysis is considered small. In addition, the effectiveness of the proposed approach is investigated using a discrete event simulation with a single-case study, which may limit generalization of the results. However, this study can provide useful guidance for further research for the generalization of the results to wider scopes in terms of different sectors of HEIs and geographical locations.

Practical implications

This study uses several statistical process control tools and techniques through a LSS DMAIC framework to identify and element the root causes of the long admission cycle time at a HEI. The approach followed, and the lessons learned, as documented in the study, can be of a great benefit in improving different sectors of HEIs.

Originality/value

This study is one of the few attempts to implement LSS in HEIs to improve the administrative process so that better-quality services can be provided to customers, such as students and guardians. The project is implemented by a group of undergraduate students as a part of their senior design project, which paves the way for involving students in future LSS projects in HEIs. This study is expected to help to improve understanding of how LSS methodology can be implemented in solving quality-related problems in HEIs and to offer valuable insights for both academics and practitioners.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 14 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2008

Nicky Dries, Roland Pepermans and Evelien De Kerpel

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether four different generations (Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y) hold different beliefs about career…

10943

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether four different generations (Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Generation Y) hold different beliefs about career. Career type, career success evaluation and importance attached to organizational security are to be scrutinized for each generation.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 750 people completed a vignette task, rating the career success of 32 fictitious people. Each vignette contained a different combination of five career features (functional level, salary, number of promotions, promotion speed, and satisfaction) at two levels (low and high). Furthermore, several items were added in order to determine each participant's career type and the extent to which they attached importance to organizational security.

Findings

The majority of participants still had rather “traditional” careers, although younger generations seemed to exhibit larger discrepancies between career preferences and actual career situation. Overall, satisfaction appeared to be the overriding criterion used to evaluate other people's career success. No significant differences were found between generations. With regard to importance attached to organizational security, the Silent Generation and Generation Y scored significantly higher than the other generations.

Research limitations/implications

The convenience sampling strategy led to large differences in sample size per generation. Using a vignette design limited the amount and richness of information that could be offered to participants. Perhaps other criteria relevant to real‐life career success evaluation should have been incorporated in this study.

Originality/value

The study raises questions about the validity of career success operationalizations frequently used in research. It is the first study to examine career success evaluation by means of vignettes.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 23 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 May 2019

Jacopo Cerri, Francesco Testa, Francesco Rizzi and Marco Frey

Surveys measuring consumers’ preferences for sustainable food might suffer from socially desirable responding. Social desirability stems in part from social norms about…

Abstract

Purpose

Surveys measuring consumers’ preferences for sustainable food might suffer from socially desirable responding. Social desirability stems in part from social norms about sustainable lifestyles, when respondents need approval from others and when privacy is not guaranteed during survey completion. While various studies showed this phenomenon through laboratory experiments and by comparing different modes of survey administration, no research adopted factorial survey experiments (FSEs) to measure which factors are perceived by consumers as critical for socially desirable answering. The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap, at least for young consumers in a case study with organic fruit.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 143 under-30 respondents were involved in an FSE. Each respondent evaluated six hypothetical scenarios (n=858) describing a consumer surveyed about his/her preferences for organic fruit. Respondents indicated whether they believed participants would have answered honestly or not to the survey described in each scenario. Generalized linear mixed models were used to model how scenario attributes were perceived to influence honest answering.

Findings

Respondents believe that people are more prone to bias their answers the more they seek approval from others. Moreover, the presence of acquaintances during survey completion is another critical driver of survey misreporting.

Originality/value

This study, by using a novel robust quasi-experimental approach, confirms that social desirability could lead consumers to misreport their preferences when surveyed about an organic fruit. This confirms that well-designed surveys, adopting proper remedies for social desirability should be adopted even for those food products, like fruit, which are usually deemed to be less subjected to misreporting. It also introduces FSEs as a flexible tool for collecting insights from consumers about potential antecedents of their behavior.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 121 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 August 2022

Monika Senghaas, Christopher Osiander, Gesine Stephan and Olaf Struck

In many countries, individuals can receive welfare support whilst simultaneously being employed. The level of earned income that welfare recipients are allowed to keep has long…

Abstract

Purpose

In many countries, individuals can receive welfare support whilst simultaneously being employed. The level of earned income that welfare recipients are allowed to keep has long been a subject of debate. Core issues include whether in-work benefit regulations provide incentives for individuals to expand labour market participation and are thus also socially effective and whether the population perceives welfare benefits for individuals who earn own income as fair. This article contributes to the debate about the social legitimacy of in-work benefit regulations by shedding light on the principles guiding judgements about an adequate amount of in-work benefit receipt.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a factorial survey experiment to investigate which factors guide judgements about an adequate level of in-work benefit receipt. In the authors' factorial survey, the household composition, health status, and monthly earnings of a hypothetical in-work benefit recipient were varied experimentally. The study investigates Germany's basic income support programme, a means-tested social policy programme that targets both unemployed and employed individuals.

Findings

The results show that respondents consider higher earnings retention rates for lower-income earners to be fair. This preference mirrors the German legislation, which is based on the principle of need. Furthermore, the presence of children and of physical as well as mental health impairments are associated with support for higher earnings retention rates.

Originality/value

The findings suggest that citizens support the core features of in-work benefit regulations but do not consider in-work benefit recipients as a homogenous group when assessing the adequate level of benefit receipt.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 42 no. 13/14
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 July 2020

Reto M. Wegmann and Laura Schärrer

The purpose of this study is to determine how individual competencies, team collaboration and clear assignment of tasks and roles predict the decision speed of temporary task…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine how individual competencies, team collaboration and clear assignment of tasks and roles predict the decision speed of temporary task forces employed to handle the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzes COVID-19 task forces and bases of previous research on the performance of temporary teams and human and social capital literature. Linear multilevel regression is used with data from a factorial survey, covering six different continents, various industries and leadership levels from chief executive officers (CEOs) to specialist task force members.

Findings

The study reveals that all analyzed predictors (individual competencies, team collaboration and assignment of tasks and roles) are positively associated with the task force decision speed, with the individual competencies standing out in importance.

Practical implications

Team member selection is likely to be one of the first tasks necessary when such a temporary task force is created. Additionally, competent individuals might be successful even when not embedded in clear structures and even when not working in their own specialist roles.

Originality/value

The sudden pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 disrupted governments, corporations and individual people alike. As handling a pandemic is new for most involved people, and many such task forces are shown to be manned by personnel not formally trained in crisis management, this study's results represent important contributions to team performance, decision-making and crisis management literature in general. Furthermore, avenues for further research into the comparative analysis of predictors are revealed.

Details

Journal of Organizational Effectiveness: People and Performance, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2051-6614

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 March 2024

Stefanie Fella and Christoph Ratay

Recently emerged Packaging-as-a-Service (PaaS) systems adopt aspects of access-based services and triadic frameworks, which have typically been treated as conceptually separate…

Abstract

Purpose

Recently emerged Packaging-as-a-Service (PaaS) systems adopt aspects of access-based services and triadic frameworks, which have typically been treated as conceptually separate. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the implications of blending the two in what we call “access-based triadic systems,” by empirically evaluating intentions to adopt PaaS systems for takeaway food among restaurants and consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

We derived relevant attributes of PaaS systems from a qualitative pre-study with restaurants and consumers. Next, we conducted two factorial survey experiments with restaurants (N = 176) and consumers (N = 245) in Germany to quantitatively test the effects of those system attributes on their adoption intentions.

Findings

This paper highlights that the role of access-based triadic system providers as both the owners of shared assets and the operators of a triadic system is associated with a novel set of challenges and opportunities: System providers need to attract a critical mass of business and end customers while balancing asset protection and system complexity. At the same time, asset ownership introduces opportunities for improved quality control and differentiation from competition.

Originality/value

Conceptually, this paper extends research on access-based services and triadic frameworks by describing an unexplored hybrid form of non-ownership consumption we call “access-based triadic systems.” Empirically, this paper addresses the need to account for the demands of two distinct target groups in triadic systems and demonstrates how factorial survey experiments can be leveraged in this field.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 35 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 11 February 2019

Stefan Linder

Middle managers’ intrapreneurial actions can be a powerful source of organizational adaptation and strategic renewal. Better understanding what drives such intrapreneurial actions…

Abstract

Middle managers’ intrapreneurial actions can be a powerful source of organizational adaptation and strategic renewal. Better understanding what drives such intrapreneurial actions is important, yet requires data, which allows testing directional claims. For example, whereas autonomy and supportive leadership might be antecedents to such intrapreneurial behavior, it equally seems possible that firms delegate more autonomy to individuals behaving entrepreneurially (rather than being “lazy”) or that senior managers are more inclined to show support for individuals engaging in entrepreneurial action. Lagged or longitudinal survey evidence to test whether autonomy and leadership support are antecedents of intrapreneurship or consequences, is – like for many other questions in research on strategic responsiveness – hard and expensive to collect. Vignette experiments (also called factorial surveys or conjoint studies) may be a way out – especially when combined with cross-sectional evidence. The present chapter illustrates this approach by studying the relations among autonomy, supportive leadership, and intrapreneurship by means of a vignette experiment and a cross-sectional field survey. The findings suggest that autonomy and supportive leadership are indeed antecedents to intrapreneurial behavior and illustrate the value of vignette experiments for research on strategic responsiveness.

Details

Strategic Responsiveness and Adaptive Organizations: New Research Frontiers in International Strategic Management
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78973-011-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 January 2014

Gerald Albaum, Catherine A. Roster and Scott M. Smith

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of topic sensitivity and the research design techniques of forced answering (FA) (i.e. cannot proceed if leave an answer blank…

930

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of topic sensitivity and the research design techniques of forced answering (FA) (i.e. cannot proceed if leave an answer blank) and response options (use of “prefer not to answer” (PNA) option) on respondent motives for participating in an internet-based survey.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in a field experiment in Hong Kong using a 2×2×2 factorial design. Variables manipulated were topic sensitivity, use of FA, and response options. The dependent variables were eight specific motives which were obtained from responses to the survey participation inventory (SPI).

Findings

Topic sensitivity has a significant influence on seven of the eight motives. The use of FA does not appear to affect motives. In contrast, the use of the response option “PNA” has a significant effect on all motives except “obligation”. The SPI appears to be a viable measure to the use with Hong Kong online panellists, and perhaps with other Asian and non-Western cultures/countries as well.

Research limitations/implications

The present study tested only two specific topics, each with a specific level of sensitivity. Further research should apply the SPI to topics of varying levels of sensitivity. The present study used a sample of panel members. Future research could examine motivation for survey participation for use with off-line samples.

Practical implications

There are differences in motivation for survey participation among panellists. The authors relate panellists' motivation to topic sensitivity and confirm that panellists who answered questions about a sensitive topic were less motivated to participate in every motivational aspect, except for incentives. The authors find that the survey design feature of FA is largely unrelated to panellists' motivation.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies that show the impact of topic sensitivity, FA, and response options on motives for responding. It is the first use of the SPI in a non-Western culture/nation.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2015

Anton Schlechter, Nicola Claire Thompson and Mark Bussin

The purpose of this paper is to investigate if the presence of non-financial rewards (specifically work-life balance, learning, and career advancement) were able to influence the…

14715

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate if the presence of non-financial rewards (specifically work-life balance, learning, and career advancement) were able to influence the perceived attractiveness of a job offering. A secondary objective was to establish if there were demographic differences, specifically, gender, race, and age differences in the manner in which these non-financial rewards influenced the perceived attractiveness of a job offer.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative research approach was followed and a 23 full-factorial experimental design utilised. Data were collected with two questionnaires via convenience (non-probability) sampling. The first job attraction questionnaire assessed the perceived level of attractiveness to one of eight randomly assigned experimental conditions (stimuli) that were expressed as eight fictitious job advertisements. Employees who responded were from various industries (n=180). The data collected were analysed using descriptive statistics and a full-factorial ANOVA. A second questionnaire was used to assess the perceived attractiveness of various elements of a typical total rewards package. The validity and reliability of the second questionnaire was assessed using Exploratory Factor Analysis utilising the Principal Axis Factoring extraction method, employing a Direct Oblimin (i.e. Oblique) rotation, and calculating Cronbach α coefficients, respectively. Descriptive statistics were calculated for the composite factors or reward elements.

Findings

The non-financial reward elements (work-life balance, learning, and career advancement) were found to have statistically significant main effects on employees’ perceived attractiveness of a job offering. Gender was further found to also have a significant main effect, indicating that the presence of non-financial rewards was more attractive in job offerings for women than for men.

Research limitations/implications

The sample group was obtained by means of convenience sampling and may not have been adequately representative of the target population.

Practical implications

Organisations may benefit from these results by implementing and/or emphasising non-financial rewards as part of a total rewards package when they attempt to attract or recruit potential employees. Organisations that seek to attract a higher number of female employees may benefit from the results by incorporating or further emphasising non-financial rewards as part of a targeted job offer.

Originality/value

Substantial research exists that has identified reward elements that are effective in attraction strategies, but the authors are unaware of any literature where use was made of an experimental design to empirically show that non-financial rewards effect/influence perceived job attractiveness. The current study succeeded in identifying that the presence of non-financial rewards, as part of a job advertisement led to significantly higher levels of job attractiveness in prospective employees. Also, that there are gender differences in the extent to which the presence of non-financial rewards effect perceived attractiveness of a job offer.

Details

Employee Relations, vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0142-5455

Keywords

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