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The results from this qualitative study suggest that CEOs of Faith-Based Nonprofit Organizations (FBNPOs) define and measure their organization's effectiveness primarily based on the outcomes achieved in meeting the immediate needs of their clients and in resolving root causes to those needs. Other indicators of organizational effectiveness- including financial reports, amount of services provided, client satisfaction, stake holder support and perceptions -were also used by the CEOs of FBNPOs to measure organizational effectiveness. The findings indicate that faith is the source of “why” and “how” these FBNPOs conduct their activities. Measuring the impact faith has on those whom they serve varies among the FBNPOs in this study along a continuum of not being measured to being intentionally measured.

The purpose of the study is to verify the theoretical assumptions based on literature review regarding the issue of brand effectiveness evaluation and the potential measurement framework, as well as to provide insights into the nature of effectiveness measurement of city brand strategies. The findings are considered important foundations for designing a place branding measurement system, which is the next step and final purpose of the author’s research project.

A total of 12 international academic experts from eight countries (in four continents) were individually interviewed. A semi-structured individual interview was applied as a research method. Sampling was purposive and the respondents represented the fields of marketing, place branding and public management. The standardized set of 19 open-ended questions was categorized into four themes (city brand effectiveness, methodology, measurement process and indicators).

The measurement of effectiveness of city branding should be treated as a strategic endeavor; however, it is a complex issue where political, social and methodological challenges overlap. Barriers to the development of a well-functioning measurement system include: too narrow understanding of what brand is, lack of knowledge or culture of measurement, conflicting political interests, reluctance to involve internal stakeholders, insufficient funding and complexity of the brand itself. The reliable measurement system should be characterized by attributes such as simplicity and durability, stakeholder inclusion, political rationale, adjustment to the specificity of the city and the independence of the measuring body/institution.

Up-to-date, common standards or universal measurement frames of the place branding measurement system do not exist. No discussion can be found in the literature on how such a system should be designed and implemented. Opinions of the experts interviewed provide important insights into the components and conditions of the reliable measurement system that would meet both methodological standards and practical needs. Further studies and analyses are however necessary to eventually compose the optimal city brand measurement system.

To design and empirically validate an instrument for measuring the effectiveness of a marketing intelligence system (MkIS).

A thorough review of the literature of IS in general and MkIS in particular was the foundation for a new conceptualisation of MkIS effectiveness, which was developed into a measuring instrument for experimental application to data collected by a pre‐tested postal questionnaire from 254 five‐star hotels in Greece.

Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis show that the proposed measuring instrument meets acceptable criteria of reliability and validity. The effectiveness of MkIS is found to comprise both internal and external components, related on the one hand to the extent to which the user organization improves functional effectiveness and corporate climate and on the other to its adaptability to market conditions and its customer responsiveness. The instrument is capable of integrating these into a holistic measure.

The single‐industry, single‐country sample limits the scope for generalization. Future research should address this through replication in different contexts.

A validated measure of the effectiveness of MkIS has important implications for both users and providers. Conceptually, it permits improved understanding of the components of effectiveness. Pragmatically, it provides an assessment of the effectiveness of existing or new systems.

Until now, there has been no empirically validated instrument integrating the several dimensions of MkIS effectiveness.

The purpose of this study is to identify various issues and challenges associated with development and implementation of a maintenance performance measurement (MPM) system.

An analytical approach is adopted to identify the issues and challenges associated with MPM.

The study finds that for successful implementation of MPM all employees should be involved and all relevant issues need to be considered. Furthermore, the traditional overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) used by the companies is inadequate, as it only measures the internal effectiveness. For measuring the total maintenance effectiveness both internal and external effectiveness should be considered.

What cannot be measured cannot be managed effectively. To manage maintenance process operating managers and asset owners need to measure the contribution of maintenance towards their business goals. This paper discusses issues and challenges associated with MPM system, there by helping the managers to take care of the pitfalls of the MPM system and advocates that managers should focus on measuring the total effectiveness of maintenance process.

The paper presents a concept of total maintenance effectiveness with focus on both internal and external effectiveness, and integration of the hierarchical levels and multi‐criteria maintenance performance indicators of MPM system.

The purpose of this paper is to validate empirically a measurement scale of the effectiveness of R & D activities, starting from previous work in which the content was validated.

Following psychometric standards the authors have addressed the analysis phases of construct dimensionality, reliability and validity (convergent, discriminant and nomologic), and the scale criteria are shown to be valid in their three temporal manifestations (retrospective, concurrent and predictive). The empirical evidence was drawn from a sample of 85 companies belonging to the Spanish pharmaceutical sector.

Globally the authors provide evidence of reliability, validity of construct and validity of criterion in their diverse manifestations, for the scale designed and validated, on effectiveness in R & D. The authors divide the results into two groups: one for content of the scale and the other for relationships of the scale with other variables. With respect to the first, it is notable that, although in general the variables analyzed coincide with the previous broad and multidisciplinary theory on the success factors of R & D activities, what the authors provide is empirical evidence of the most important factors and variables for effectiveness in R & D; the authors emphasize that the results of the sample analyzed indicate that the most important factor is the close integration of the R & D activities with the corporate strategy, followed by the proper planning of these activities, and the achievement of financial results for the company. With respect to the relationship of the scale with other variables, the authors have found positive and significant relationships between the effectiveness in R & D and the following financial variables: net turnover and earnings after taxes. The authors have also found positive and significant relationships between different characteristics of the company and the achievement of success in R & D activities. Thus, being a company of larger size, the existence of an R & D department, the existence of specific incentive systems for the R & D personnel, the adoption of new management techniques in the R & D department, and the patents policy of the company are all factors that have a positive influence.

There are three main limitations of the study: the size of the sample; the decision to use a very particular highly innovatory sector, the pharmaceutical industry; and conducting the study in only one specific country, Spain. The results should be interpreted taking into account these limitations. Another limitation is the absence of previously validated scales. This meant that the authors were unable to do any comparative analyses.

The authors have contributed by summarizing and testing the existing theories on the factors of success in R & D. This should give R & D managers a more comprehensive and useful picture of the variables that have been considered more important, and should enable them to choose from among the range of variables proposed those that may be considered most relevant for inclusion in their own balanced scorecard. More generally, the results should help them in the management of their activity. For researchers the authors make available an already validated scale with which to work in various different samples and settings.

The originality of the work resides in two aspects. First, a very wide set of variables proposed in the literature is analyzed, with the object of establishing the relationships and the ranking of these variables, which would not be clear if the variables were analyzed in isolation. Second, there is originality in the methodology employed for measuring the result of activities with a high level of uncertainty and risk, specifically R & D activities in the highly innovative companies of the pharmaceutical industry. It is original because, to date, the scale has only been validated theoretically – there is no work in the literature validating it empirically.

The paper discusses theoretical and practical approaches to the problems of assessing library performance and especially of measuring outcomes in the developing world, i.e. the impact and value of the library services for their users and society as a whole. The importance of a systematic evaluation of a library’s activities and the use of modern management methods and tools is emphasized. The need for an appropriate management information system as one of the key elements for the library decision‐making process is demonstrated. The need to enable libraries in developing countries to implement national systems of library statistics is demonstrated. To do this it is important to educate the librarians to collect and use data effectively, to enable them to be able to make the transition from measuring inputs to measuring outputs, and to understand the possible methods and importance of measuring library outcomes.

The primacy of teacher effects on student achievement has been well documented from a variety of methodological approaches within the field of education research. Governments across the globe have or will address educational equity, especially the education of the poor, by designing programs to attract, train, develop, retain, and study more effective teachers. In their Concept Note, the World Bank also raises “fundamental questions” that balance upon an understanding of the development and measurement of teacher effectiveness. These include question 1: “What are the most important challenges in the next decade for building knowledge and skills for life and work in different country contexts?” and question 3: “What educational results should the Bank be accountable for in the next ten years, and how would we measure these achievements?” In this chapter, we build upon the extensive research that suggests teacher effectiveness ought to be the primary goal of educational reform efforts across the globe. We highlight the complexity of measuring effectiveness, especially across countries and varied contexts for education. We argue that the ways in which effectiveness is measured will have a direct impact on the potential of any reform policy to positively influence the overall effectiveness of a teaching force and the achievement of its students.

The purpose of this paper is to review the differing structural constraints between corporates and small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the area of measuring marketing effectiveness and, using the premise that an imperfect measure is better than none, demonstrate a practitioner‐developed tool for “judging” marketing mix effectiveness through a case study from the automotive sector.

The paper uses literature review, SME practitioner experience and a case study from the global automotive sector.

There is no single “magic bullet” metric for measuring marketing effectiveness. Whilst multiple metrics might therefore be used, SMEs’ variances from corporates can render this approach “too difficult”. This can lead to SMEs managing their marketing without adequate planning/control, relying instead on anecdotes/myths. The case‐examined practitioner tool assumes an incomplete measurement system is better than none and that the most pragmatic start‐point is the marketing mix itself. It is demonstrated to deliver positive outcomes in a number of areas.

Owing to the volume of research data on measuring marketing effectiveness, the authors have focused on those metrics that they have observed more commonly in use in UK businesses. The research into the practitioner tool is based on its observed outcomes with 28 UK SMEs since 2005 and highlights a single implementation with an automotive sector firm.

The practitioner tool offers a pragmatic starting‐point in an SME environment where there might otherwise be no rational measurement of marketing effectiveness (in whole or in part) at all.

The paper's contribution is to question the applicability of current academic thought in the context of certain business situations, whilst offering an illustrative example of a pragmatic solution for SME practitioners. It is posited that by making use of this solution, SME owner/managers would be better equipped to understand the strategic linkages between marketing mix elements, customer groups and the outcomes of past marketing actions, leading to a more considered approach to future marketing decisions in line with business objectives.

The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the effectiveness or success of universities' portal implementation from the perspective of students as users. Adopting the model developed by Delone and McLean, portal effectiveness is defined as being composed of information quality, systems quality and service quality. In addition, the paper also seeks to investigate the influence of individual factors comprising attitudes towards the portal, personal innovativeness and web self‐efficacy on the effectiveness of the portal.

The study adopted a survey research design with questionnaires being administered to 600 students as respondents. The cross‐sectional strategy for data collection resulted in 405 usable responses that were used for data analysis.

The results show that IS effectiveness dimensions consisting of service quality and systems quality are significantly correlated with user satisfaction. In addition, the study also showed that of the three predictors investigated, only attitudes towards the portal were found to be significantly correlated with IS effectiveness dimensions.

The perceptual self‐report measures rather than objectives measures adopted in this study contribute to bias, and a cross‐sectional design for data collection only provides data at one point in time.

The instrument developed in the study could assist the authorities concerned in evaluating the effectiveness of the portal.

Despite the growing interest in universities adopting portal technologies, studies addressing the issues of successes and effectiveness are still very limited. Hence, this study provides an impetus for evaluating campus portals from the user's perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for measuring the imprecise and subjective “effectiveness” of a major maintenance activity. Such a measure will not only bring objectivity in gauging the effectiveness of maintenance task carried out by the workforce without any intervention from an expert but also help in measuring the slow degradation of the performance of the concerned major equipment/system.

The paper follows a three-step approach. First, identify a set of parameters considered important for estimating the maintenance activity effectiveness. Second, generate a set of data using expert opinions on a fuzzy performance measure of maintenance activity effectiveness (output). Also, find an aggregated estimate of the effectiveness by analysing the consensus among experts. This requires using a part of the “fuzzy multiple attribute decision making” process. Finally, train a neuro-fuzzy inference system based on input parameters and generated output data.

The paper analysed major maintenance activity carried out on diesel engines of a power plant company. Expert opinions were used in selection of key parameters and generation of output (effectiveness measure). The result of a trained adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) matched acceptably well with that aggregated through the expert opinions.

In view of unavailability of data, the method relies on training a neuro-fuzzy system on data generated through expert opinion. The data as such are vague and imprecise leading to lack of consensus between experts. This can lead to some amount of error in the output generated through ANFIS.

The originality of the paper lies in presentation of a method to estimate the effectiveness of a maintenance activity.