Search results
1 – 10 of over 8000Antti Mikael Rousi, Reijo Savolainen and Pertti Vakkari
A need to renew music-related information notions arises from both information-seeking models and literature of musical semiotics. The purpose of this paper is to create a music…
Abstract
Purpose
A need to renew music-related information notions arises from both information-seeking models and literature of musical semiotics. The purpose of this paper is to create a music information typology, which aims at facilitating the examination of music information types at varying levels of abstraction in the context of information seeking.
Design/methodology/approach
Literature of musical semiotics and information seeking are juxtaposed to develop a novel approach to music-related information. The grounding concepts are Bruner’s enactive, iconic and symbolic modes of representation. The modes of representation offer a universal scheme of knowledge that is applied to the domain of music by defining their content through Tarasti’s Theory of Musical Semiotics.
Findings
This conceptual paper results in a music information typology ranging from the enactive music information representations to the abstract ones as follows. Music making as the first mode of enactive representations; music listening as the second mode of enactive representations; iconic representations of music; technological models of music as the first mode of symbolic representations; and ideological models of music as the second mode of symbolic representations.
Originality/value
The present paper develops a music information typology that encompasses broadly different music information facets by categorizing music information sources according to their level of abstraction. When applied into empirical research, the typology opens a new window into the perceived roles of music information types in the context of information seeking.
Details
Keywords
Amélia Bastos and Carla Machado
While the literature commonly analyses child poverty and social exclusion data covering a single year, less is known about children who fall in and out of poverty over a longer…
Abstract
Purpose
While the literature commonly analyses child poverty and social exclusion data covering a single year, less is known about children who fall in and out of poverty over a longer period. The present research intends to address this gap by investigating the dynamics of child poverty and social exclusion in Portugal. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate child poverty and social exclusion trajectories; and second to examine their association with specific socio-demographic and economic factors.
Design/methodology/approach
Applying the definition of “at risk of poverty or social exclusion” given by Statistical Office of the European Communities (EUROSTAT), the analysis extends beyond the concept of income poverty. The authors apply Portuguese data sourced from the European Statistics on Income and Living Conditions for the period 2008–2011 to suggest a longitudinal poverty and social exclusion typology to analyse child poverty and social exclusion dynamics.
Findings
The findings report that children constitute the age group experiencing the worst poverty and social exclusion trajectories. Furthermore, the presence of children in the household seems to be an increasing factor of poverty and social exclusion. This information is relevant to improving the design of children and family-focussed social policies as well as contributing to the setting of targets in order to achieve EU 2020 goals including the alleviation of poverty in general and of child poverty in particular.
Originality/value
The main contribution to child poverty studies derives from our analysis of the dynamics driving child poverty and social exclusion. The authors apply a methodological framework that is applicable to other EU member states and can thus enable an international comparison of poverty and social exclusion trajectories.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on positioning strategies, categorise them as typologies and taxonomies and propose generic positioning strategies…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on positioning strategies, categorise them as typologies and taxonomies and propose generic positioning strategies for organisations from a theoretical viewpoint.
Design/methodology/approach
Typologies and taxonomies are defined and characterised, and then all product or brand positioning strategies are examined. Articles published in reputable marketing and strategic marketing journals from 1969 to 2022 are analysed for this purpose. The analysis was done using qualitative text mining: classification, coding and text analysis.
Findings
The review enables the identification of three generic positioning strategies widely accepted in the literature, as well as the distinction between conceptually derived positioning strategies (typology) and empirically derived positioning strategies( taxonomy).
Research limitations/implications
This study provides a comprehensive overview for researchers who wish to get broad-picture research on generic classifications in positioning strategy. Moreover, most notably for academics, to the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to classify positioning strategies into typologies and taxonomies based on their evolution.
Practical implications
Knowledge of positioning typologies and taxonomies can assist managers in developing and implementing a strategy that allows their company to maximise the potential of its product/brand and achieve better results. The literature review contributes to theory development and helps companies understand their positioning strategies.
Originality/value
Despite considerable interest in positioning research, little effort has been made to examine positioning strategies’ current or future development. Some authors use the term taxonomy to describe their conceptually derived classification of positioning strategies, and it was discovered that authors frequently interchangeably use the terms typologies or taxonomies. When attempting to understand and compare the various classifications, this liberal use of the term’s typology and taxonomy creates misunderstanding and confusion. This paper fills that void.
Details
Keywords
Jodyanne Kirkwood, Kirsty Dwyer and Sara Walton
This paper aims to examine the experiences of an ecopreneurial venture that was operating before, during and after the 2010-2011 series of earthquakes in Christchurch, New…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the experiences of an ecopreneurial venture that was operating before, during and after the 2010-2011 series of earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand. The aim is to elucidate on the tension existing between an ecopreneur’s personal green values/ethics and his need to be resilient and do what was necessary to ensure his business’s survival, which was operating before, during and after an extreme event – the 2010-2011 series of earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Design/methodology/approach
The data are gathered from a longitudinal case study of Just Organic Ltd (an organic fruit and vegetable delivery service) over a five-year period which covers time before and after the earthquakes. Data were gathered via two in-depth face-to-face interviews with the ecopreneur, along with a number of email and telephone follow-ups.
Findings
Findings indicate that an extreme event such as an earthquake will inhibit the green values of an ecopreneur as the ecopreneur works to ensure business survival. To continue to operate successfully, the ecopreneur developed a resilient and hardy nature and adapted operational processes to run in a more entrepreneurial fashion. It would seem that holding firmly to green values irrespective of a changed business environment is detrimental to business viability and survivability. The ecopreneur bounced forward, rather than bouncing back from the disaster.
Research limitations/implications
The implications for research, policy makers and ecopreneurs and entrepreneurs in general are discussed. There are lessons to be learned from the experiences of the ecopreneur who is operating Just Organic Limited.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the few that has examined the impact the Christchurch earthquakes had on an existing eco-business. The longitudinal data enable a unique insight into the operational aspects of an eco-business before and after a series of earthquakes.
Details
Keywords
Georgina Charlesworth, Xanthippe Tzimoula, Paul Higgs and Fiona Poland
Social networks are seen to influence the use of health and social care services. In a secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal study of befriending of carers of people with…
Abstract
Social networks are seen to influence the use of health and social care services. In a secondary analysis of data from a longitudinal study of befriending of carers of people with dementia, we studied the relationship between network type and support from family/ friends, voluntary sector befriending and residential/nursing care. Using Wenger's typology of social networks, findings suggest that the pattern of support use varies by differences in the structure of networks. It is recommended that questions on social networks should be widely incorporated into carers' assessments to help identify need for social support interventions and to enable the sensitive selection of appropriate types of carer support to be provided.
Details
Keywords
Enrique Murillo and Ceridwyn King
The purpose of this study is to extend previous research by using a longitudinal design to examine the differential contribution of brand understanding (BU) drivers at various…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to extend previous research by using a longitudinal design to examine the differential contribution of brand understanding (BU) drivers at various moments in the early tenure of service employees. Employee BU is a prerequisite of brand promise delivery among service employees. Previous studies, using cross-sectional samples, established that brand-oriented recruitment, training and leadership are significant BU drivers.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-wave survey was collected from a 105-member panel of recent hires at a restaurant chain that displayed a strong brand culture and adopted internal brand management (IBM) practices. Structural equation models with carryover effects were estimated to measure the impact of BU drivers on Day 1, as well as at four and seven months of tenure. In addition, a latent growth model of BU was estimated using random coefficients modeling.
Findings
Results show a significant positive effect of IBM practices on BU at each point in time; however, despite this, by the seven month milestone, BU is still not fully developed.
Research limitations/implications
As with most organizational longitudinal studies, there was sample attrition because of the high turnover that characterizes the restaurant industry. This attrition is not believed to be correlated with the variables measured in the study.
Practical implications
Managers seeking a differentiated customer experience should not assume new hires attain a good understanding of the service brand even after the first seven months of tenure. Hence, brand training and leadership should extend well beyond this time frame.
Originality/value
This study is the first, as per the authors’ understanding, to use a longitudinal design to model BU as a dynamic variable because it befits the learning trajectories of new employees.
Details
Keywords
Jenell Lynn-Senter Wittmer and James E. Martin
Research on work status differences has yielded inconsistent results and is not relevant for today's workforce, economic circumstances, or the changing nature of work…
Abstract
Purpose
Research on work status differences has yielded inconsistent results and is not relevant for today's workforce, economic circumstances, or the changing nature of work. Inconsistencies may be due to substantial heterogeneity, rather than homogeneity, within each group (part-time (PT) and full-time (FT)). Thus, researchers created a PT worker typology based on demographics and personal life roles. Systematic differences in attitudes and behaviors across derived groups of PT workers were found. The purpose of the current study is to test the applicability of this PT worker typology on FT workers and to extend the typology's foundational theory, partial inclusion theory (PIT).
Design/methodology/approach
The current study employs cluster analysis on three diverse samples (n=3,747) to establish a basis for the generalizability of the FT typology.
Findings
Strong support was found for a similar, but distinct, FT employee typology. Attitudinal and behavioral differences were also found among the various FT groups which were similar to the differences found among the PT groups.
Research limitations/implications
The current study has implications both for the application of PIT as well management and human resources. Targeted wellness and retention programs can be designed for various groups of FT employees, including scheduling flexibility and benefit plans.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to examine the heterogeneity of the FT workforce, understanding that FT workers also have substantial life roles outside of work that likely affect their involvement and attitudes at work.
Details
Keywords
The linkage between strategy and performance is central to strategic management. Empirical studies have nevertheless produced mixed results on the nature of this relationship, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The linkage between strategy and performance is central to strategic management. Empirical studies have nevertheless produced mixed results on the nature of this relationship, and in recent decades, very little advancement has been made in research aimed at elucidating this relationship. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to identify the approaches to the strategy-performance linkage in previous studies and defines five principles that should characterize future research on this relationship. The paper develops a novel research design that follows these principles and tests the usefulness of this research design in practice.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is exploratory in nature and its empirical methods include content analysis, multidimensional scaling, and cluster analysis. The primary difference between this paper and studies in the mainstream literature on the linkage between strategy and performance relates to the application of an endogenous strategy typology instead of predefined strategy categories.
Findings
The analysis shows that the adopted research design based on five principles is applicable to research on the linkage between strategy and performance and that such a research design produces meaningful results. The results support the findings of earlier studies regarding the potential of “hybrid” strategies for achieving superior firm performance.
Research limitations/implications
This paper challenges the dominance of generic strategies in research on the strategy-performance linkage and provides statistical data that lay the foundation for more detailed investigation on this relationship. The paper argues for a contextually bound view of strategic management.
Originality/value
This paper invigorates the discussion on the linkage between strategy and performance, which has long been diminishing as a research topic in the literature because of contradictory results and the lack of fresh research opportunities. This paper further introduces a methodology that has been underutilized in the study of strategic management.
Details
Keywords
Phillip Chong Ho Shon and Shannon M. Barton‐Bellessa
Previous criminological research has examined the causes and correlates of violent juvenile offending, but failed to explore the developmental taxonomies of crime throughout…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous criminological research has examined the causes and correlates of violent juvenile offending, but failed to explore the developmental taxonomies of crime throughout history. Theoretically, developmental trajectories of offending (i.e. life‐course persistent and adolescence‐limited offenders) should be identifiable irrespective of time and place. This study aims to examine the pre‐offense characteristics of nineteenth‐century American parricide offenders.
Design/methodology/approach
Using archival records of two major newspapers (New York Times, Chicago Tribune), the study examines 220 offenders who committed attempted and completed parricides during the latter half of the nineteenth century (1852‐1999).
Findings
Results reveal that a small group of adult parricide offenders displayed antisocial tendencies at an early age that persisted into adulthood. These findings are consistent with the developmental literature, thus providing support for identification of pre‐offense characteristics of parricide offenders across historical periods.
Originality/value
The findings reported in this paper are of value to psychologists, historians, and criminologists, for they illuminate the similarities in predictors related to violent behaviors in a small subsection of adult offenders across two centuries.
Details
Keywords
Wenhui Fu, Qiang Wang and Xiande Zhao
The purpose of this paper is to explore the properties of platform service innovation and its relationship to value co-creation activities and the network effect. This is done…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the properties of platform service innovation and its relationship to value co-creation activities and the network effect. This is done over the course of a platform’s evolution through three stages: emergence, expansion and maturity.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on grounded theory, this study adopts a multiple case study research design. An in-depth analysis of the case data is done using ATLAS.TI software.
Findings
At the emergence stage, platform service innovations focus on building infrastructure. Platform owners stimulate the network effect directly via platform service innovations, rather than indirectly via value co-creation activities. At the expansion stage, the platform service innovations focus on building relationships among platform owner and different sides of participants. Platform owners stimulate the network effect indirectly, via value co-creation activities, rather than directly via platform service innovations. At the maturity stage, platform service innovations focus on building an environment for the platform ecosystem. Platform owners stimulate the network effect indirectly, via value co-creation activities rather than directly.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the service innovation literature by exploring the properties of platform service innovation and its relationship to value co-creation activities and the network effect from a longitudinal perspective. The principal managerial implication is that platform managers need to consider the developmental stage of the platform, as a mismatching of stage of development (emergence/expansion/maturity) and focus (an orientation toward building infrastructure, relationships or environment) may lead to a failure to stimulate or enhance the network effect.
Details