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1 – 10 of 530
Article
Publication date: 28 January 2013

Harald Biong

Buyers assessing bids from suppliers of experience services face both an adverse selection and a potential moral hazard problem. The purpose of this study is to examine the…

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Abstract

Purpose

Buyers assessing bids from suppliers of experience services face both an adverse selection and a potential moral hazard problem. The purpose of this study is to examine the relative importance of various signals of supplier reputation conveying information about unobserved supplier quality, which is important for identifying the best tender; and whether price is contingent on supplier reputation and on buyer's quality sensitiveness in a competitive bidding situation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study builds on a conjoint experiment where 19 contractors consider alternative scenarios representing tenders from subcontractors of plumbing services. In the scenarios the subcontractors differ on their reputation and price variables, while the contractors differ in their quality sensitiveness. Multiple regressions analyzes the contingent price effects.

Findings

Although low price is generally important for subcontractor selection, quality-sensitive buyers are willing to pay subcontractors a price premium to prevent quality debasement. On the other hand, despite the combined significance of supplier reputation on choice, buyers are not willing to pay price premiums to suppliers with a quality reputation.

Research limitations/implications

Conjoint studies produce multiple cases but the underlying sample is limited. Therefore, this study should be regarded as preliminary and a basis for further validation on larger samples.

Practical implications

In competitive bidding situations, suppliers with strong quality reputations may benefit most by low price offers. Thus, suppliers with a strong reputation should achieve profitability through a volume premium rather than a price premium effect. Suppliers opting for price premiums should target the quality sensitive segment of the market.

Originality/value

In contrast to previous findings in B2B brand equity studies, but in line with findings in information economics, this study suggests that suppliers with a reputation for quality will not receive price premiums. The results indicate that in bidding contexts in B2B markets, the reputation variables may enhance rather than reduce buyers' price sensitivity, because supplier reputation increases low price credibility.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Abstract

Purpose

Mental illness presents a huge individual, societal and economic challenges, currently accounting for 20% of the worldwide burden of disease. There is a gap between the need for and access to services. Digital technology has been proven effective in e-mental health for preventing and treating mental health problems. However, there is a need for cross-disciplinary efforts to increase the impact of e-mental health services. This paper aims to report key challenges and possible solutions for cross-disciplinary and cross-sectorial research teams within the domain of e-mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

The key challenges and possible solutions will be discussed in light of the literature on effective cross-disciplinary research teams.

Findings

Six topics have been key challenges in our cross-disciplinary and cross-sectorial research team: to develop a shared understanding of the domain; to establish a common understanding of key concepts among the project participants; to involve the end-users in the research and development process; to collaborate across sectors; to ensure privacy and security of health data; and to obtain the right timing of activities according to project dependencies.

Research limitations/implications

This study focuses to increase knowledge and training in cross-disciplinary and cross-sectorial research, as this is often referred to as an important tool when developing sustainable solutions for major societal challenges.

Practical implications

This study needs to include theory and skills training in cross-disciplinary research in research training.

Social implications

Cross-disciplinary teams have the potential to address major societal challenges, including more perspectives and more stakeholders than single disciplinary research teams.

Originality/value

Major societal challenges require complex and sustainable solutions. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how cross-disciplinary and cross-sectorial research teams may work productively to solve these challenges. This paper shares experiences regarding the challenges and possible solutions for productive collaboration in cross-disciplinary and cross-sectorial research teams within the domain of e-mental health services.

Details

Journal of Enabling Technologies, vol. 15 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-6263

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2007

Anders Skogstad, Stig Berge Matthiesen and Stale Einarsen

In the present paper direct as well as indirect relationships between organizational changes and exposure to bullying at work are investigated. Interpersonal conflicts are…

Abstract

In the present paper direct as well as indirect relationships between organizational changes and exposure to bullying at work are investigated. Interpersonal conflicts are hypothesized to mediate changes on bullying. Data from a sample of 2408 Norwegian employees confirmed that different organizational changes were moderately associated with task-related bullying at work, and that exposure to more changes increased the likelihood of being bullied. Structural equation modelling supported the assumption that changes were directly related to bullying. However, the hypothesis that changes were mediated on bullying through interpersonal conflicts was not supported. Results indicate that organizational changes and interpersonal conflicts are separate, and mainly independent, precursors of bullying at work.

Details

International Journal of Organization Theory & Behavior, vol. 10 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1093-4537

Article
Publication date: 10 January 2023

Bilwa Deshpande, Puneet Kaur, Alberto Ferraris, Dorra Yahiaoui and Amandeep Dhir

Scholars have noted the impact of advertising on unhealthy food consumption. However, a systematic literature review (SLR) on this topic is currently lacking. This study aims to…

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Abstract

Purpose

Scholars have noted the impact of advertising on unhealthy food consumption. However, a systematic literature review (SLR) on this topic is currently lacking. This study aims to find, analyze and synthesize prior literature to set the stage for future researchers and practitioners. It also uncovers research gaps, suggests potential research questions and presents a conceptual framework for use in future research.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper catalogs and synthesizes topic-related literature by using the time-tested SLR methodology. It identifies and analyzes 99 relevant studies that have addressed the impact of advertising on unhealthy food consumption. Research profiling of the selected studies supported the synthesis of key themes in the extant literature.

Findings

The authors identify three key thematic foci: a) viewer attributes pertaining to excessive unhealthy food consumption, b) advertisement attributes pertaining to excessive unhealthy food consumption and, c) unhealthy food consumption regulation. Within these themes, the authors also identify some subthemes, presenting specific advertising and viewer attributes that contribute to unhealthy food consumption. The authors further develop a conceptual framework based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, summarizing the findings of the study. This could aid future researchers and practitioners in their design of certain strategies.

Research limitations/implications

The study uncovers various gaps in the extant literature and suggests potential areas that can be examined by scholars. From a practical perspective, the study recommends certain actionable strategies for policymakers, helping customers to achieve the long-term goal of obesity reduction.

Practical implications

From the perspective of practice, the study recommends certain actionable strategies for policymakers helping customers achieve the long-term goal of obesity reduction.

Originality/value

The current study makes a novel contribution to the research on advertising and unhealthy food consumption by identifying theme-based research gaps in the existing literature, mapping those with potential research questions and presenting a conceptual framework based on the S-O-R model. Based on the findings, the study also proposes five potential research models examining diverse aspects of advertising and unhealthy food consumption to guide interested scholars and practitioners to shape the future research discourse.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 57 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1963

SINCE the year 1940, there have appeared two major reports on the Public Library system in Great Britain. The first, “The public library system of Great Britain: a report on its…

Abstract

SINCE the year 1940, there have appeared two major reports on the Public Library system in Great Britain. The first, “The public library system of Great Britain: a report on its present condition, with proposals for post‐war re‐organisation” by Lionel R. McColvin, appeared in 1942. It suggested sweeping changes in the organisation of the public library system, more radical and far‐reaching than those embodied in the recent recommendations of the Library Association for local government reform. On library co‐operation, the report was equally radical, though certain similarities with the recommendations of the second report are apparent.

Details

New Library World, vol. 65 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2013

Sattanathan Subramanian, Paweł Sztromwasser, Pål Puntervoll and Kjell Petersen

eScience workflows use orchestration for integrating and coordinating distributed and heterogeneous scientific resources, which are increasingly exposed as web services. The rate…

Abstract

Purpose

eScience workflows use orchestration for integrating and coordinating distributed and heterogeneous scientific resources, which are increasingly exposed as web services. The rate of growth of scientific data makes eScience workflows data‐intensive, challenging existing workflow solutions. Efficient methods of handling large data in scientific workflows based on web services are needed. The purpse of this paper is to address this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In a previous paper the authors proposed Data‐Flow Delegation (DFD) as a means to optimize orchestrated workflow performance, focusing on SOAP web services. To improve the performance further, they propose pipelined data‐flow delegation (PDFD) for web service‐based eScience workflows in this paper, by leveraging from the domain of parallel programming. Briefly, PDFD allows partitioning of large datasets into independent subsets that can be communicated in a pipelined manner.

Findings

The results show that the PDFD improves the execution time of the workflow considerably and is capable of handling much larger data than the non‐pipelined approach.

Practical implications

Execution of a web service‐based workflow hampered by the size of data can be facilitated or improved by using services supporting Pipelined Data‐Flow Delegation.

Originality/value

Contributions of this work include the proposed concept of combining pipelining and Data‐Flow Delegation, an XML Schema supporting the PDFD communication between services, and the practical evaluation of the PDFD approach.

Details

International Journal of Web Information Systems, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1744-0084

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 June 2013

Morten Birkeland Nielsen, Jarle Eid, Kathryn Mearns and Gerry Larsson

This study aims to examine how authentic leadership relates to risk perception in safety critical organizations (SCOs). It is hypothesized that authentic leaders influence risk…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine how authentic leadership relates to risk perception in safety critical organizations (SCOs). It is hypothesized that authentic leaders influence risk perception through the mediating effect of safety climate.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a survey design, the variables were assessed in a cross‐sectional sample of 293 offshore oil installation workers from a single company.

Findings

The authors’ findings show that follower ratings of authentic leadership are negatively related to risk perception and positively associated with ratings of safety climate. Controlling for personality characteristics and leadership responsibility among respondents, the results confirm the hypothesis in that safety climate mediates the relationship between authentic leadership and risk perception. Safety climate had the strongest relationship with risk perception when assessed as a higher order construct.

Originality/value

This study is one of the first to investigate the relationship between authentic leadership and safety. The results indicate that authentic leadership and safety climate are important factors that relate to risk perception in SCOs. The authors’ findings suggest that SCOs should consider recruiting and developing authentic leaders to foster positive safety climates and risk management.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 34 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 May 1983

Torger Reve and Geir Gripsrud

Distribution research, both in Europe and in the United States, is fragmented into two seemingly disparate disciplinary orientations: an economic approach and an organisational

Abstract

Distribution research, both in Europe and in the United States, is fragmented into two seemingly disparate disciplinary orientations: an economic approach and an organisational approach. The former attempts to apply micro‐economic theory and industrial organisation analysis to the study of distribution systems, focusing on horizontal as well as vertical markets. The latter attempts to apply behavioural and organisational concepts and theories to vertical distribution channel phenomena. Typically, economic and organisational studies have made only occasional references to each other, and very little integration has been achieved. Sometimes the two approaches have been in rivalry, economic researchers ignoring organisational variables, and organisational researchers ignoring economic variables.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Materials Management, vol. 13 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0269-8218

Article
Publication date: 1 April 1991

Mark A. Lutz

Introduction Relativism of all shades and kinds is in fashion. For some decades, it has been trying to enter the very bastion of the academic heartland by questioning the…

Abstract

Introduction Relativism of all shades and kinds is in fashion. For some decades, it has been trying to enter the very bastion of the academic heartland by questioning the prevailing cognitive realism in the philosophy of science (Kuhn, Feyerabend). More recently a somewhat different and stronger version of relativism has made some extraordinary advances in literary criticism (the movement of “deconstruction”) and spawned some controversy in the field of law (critical legal studies). The same tendencies have now emerged in architecture (Jencks). More alarmingly, perhaps, in the social sciences we observe a brand new interest in so‐ called “post‐modern” perspectives: post‐modern ethnography in anthropology (Tylor), new voices in sociology (Lash and Urri), and, of course, also the novel ideas representing economics as discourse with a distinctly post‐modern flavor (Amariglio; Rossetti; Milberg; Ruccio).

Details

Humanomics, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0828-8666

Article
Publication date: 31 October 2017

Anja Johnsen, Gaby Ortiz-Barreda, Guro Rekkedal and Anette Christine Iversen

The purpose of this paper is to summarise and analyse empirical research on protective factors that promote academic resilience in ethnic minority children mainly aged between 13…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarise and analyse empirical research on protective factors that promote academic resilience in ethnic minority children mainly aged between 13 and 18 years attending schools in the Nordic countries.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper was opted for a literature review of 23 peer-reviewed quantitative articles published between 1999 and 2014. The analysis entailed protective factors at both the personal and environmental levels in ethnic minority children.

Findings

Some minority children’s school performance may be just as good if not better than majority children when having similar or even lower socioeconomic status than majority children. Protective factors at the personal level included working hard, having a positive attitude towards school, and having high educational aspirations. Protective factors at the environmental level included supportive school systems, supportive schools, and supportive networks including parental qualities and support. The findings are comparable to the findings outside the Nordic countries with one exception; minority children in the Nordic countries performed better than expected despite socioeconomic disadvantages.

Research limitations/implications

Protective factors affecting academic resilience need further attention in a time with an increased global migration. Research implications may be related to how schools and policy makers develop supportive school systems, supportive schools, and supportive networks to contribute to making a difference for minority children’s educational opportunities in the Nordic countries.

Originality/value

Academic resilience is a relatively new research field in the Nordic countries. This review is the first review which has summarised and analysed existing findings on academic resilience in the Nordic countries in minority children.

Details

International Journal of Migration, Health and Social Care, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-9894

Keywords

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