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1 – 10 of 583Neil Wright, Martin Potter, Narinder Bains and Martin Goosey
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and other organic chelates are widely employed in electroless plating processes used by the printed circuit board and metal finishing industries…
Abstract
Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and other organic chelates are widely employed in electroless plating processes used by the printed circuit board and metal finishing industries. These chelating agents can pose problems with downstream waste water treatment, and metals and water recycling processes, due to their ability to complex heavy metal ions and their low biodegradabilities. Conventional treatment methods, such as carbon adsorption, air stripping and reverse osmosis can create secondary waste problems and are normally applied as “end of pipe” treatments. The development of new technology to address these problems would be welcomed. The ROCWAT project, funded by the EC under the “CRAFT” programme, detailed in this paper was undertaken to develop and deliver innovative techniques for the in situ destruction of chelates and other organics found in manufacturing process chemistries and effluent streams.
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This paper aims to be a reflection on the production of The History of Marketing Thought.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to be a reflection on the production of The History of Marketing Thought.
Design/methodology/approach
Historical review.
Findings
Marketing has been largely ahistorical. Hopefully with the production of this collection, it will become less so as students and scholars alike engage with the history of marketing thought.
Research limitations/implications
Some possible limitations of the collection are outlined.
Practical implications
The major work articulates the value of historical research for marketing and management practice.
Originality/value
This paper reflects a personal perspective on the production of a collection of scholarly articles.
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Virginia Harrison, Christen Buckley and Anli Xiao
This study examines the stakeholder’s experiences of two key groups: donors and donor-volunteers. The goals of this study are to (1) determine how donor experience affects…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the stakeholder’s experiences of two key groups: donors and donor-volunteers. The goals of this study are to (1) determine how donor experience affects organization–public relationships (OPRs) and its antecedents for these two groups and (2) extend the OPR model by considering new potential supportive behavioral intentions arising from OPR outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data from a survey of self-identified donors and donor-volunteers, multiple regressions were performed to establish the possible effects of experience and advocacy on OPRs.
Findings
Findings of this study support the idea that donation experience can be considered a potential antecedent for the OPR. The findings also support the idea that advocacy can be a valuable behavioral outcome resulting from OPR.
Practical implications
Nonprofits are ever seeking to better connect with their donor and volunteer supporters. This study helps to show the value of donation experience and the importance of cultivating advocacy behaviors among these supporters.
Originality/value
The study seeks to merge extant theory in communications and public policy to better understand the OPR model. Specifically, connecting OPR to the antecedent of donor experience and behavioral intentions like advocacy will help paint a stronger picture of donor–volunteer relationships with nonprofits.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of five alternative measures of service quality in the high education sector – service quality (SERVQUAL)…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of five alternative measures of service quality in the high education sector – service quality (SERVQUAL), importance‐weighted SERVQUAL, service performance (SERVPERF), importance‐weighted SERVPERF, and higher education performance (HEdPERF).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected by means of a structured questionnaire containing perception items enhanced from the SERVPERF and HEdPERF scales and expectation items from the SERVQUAL scale, modified to fit into the higher education (HE) sector. The first draft of the questionnaire was subject to a pilot testing through a focus group and an expert evaluation. Data were gathered from a sample of 360 students of a Portuguese University in Lisbon. Scales were compared in terms of unidimensionality, reliability, validity and explained variance.
Findings
It can be concluded that SERVPERF and HEdPERF present the best measurement capability, but it is not possible to identify which one is the best.
Research limitations/implications
Since the study only examined the measurement capabilities of the five instruments at a single faculty, the collection of more data in other institutions is required in order to provide more general results.
Practical implications
The current results do make available some important insights into how the five alternative instruments of service quality in an HE context compare with one another.
Originality/value
The paper attempts to develop insights into comparative evaluations of five measuring instruments of service quality in an HE setting.
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Brian Patrick Green and Guangcheng Wang
Most universities have relied on student evaluations as a source of evidence in their assessment of teaching performance. However, a complete evaluation of all dimensions of a…
Abstract
Most universities have relied on student evaluations as a source of evidence in their assessment of teaching performance. However, a complete evaluation of all dimensions of a faculty member's teaching requires multiple sources of evidence. The purpose of this chapter is to identify the sources of evidence that accounting chairs report they currently use to assess teaching. Calderon and Green first examined this issue in their 1997 study. However, their results may be outdated due to changes in accreditation requirements, teaching delivery methods, and the continued evolution of assessment tools. Responding department chairs report that peer observation followed by course syllabus, exams given in class, and instructor course notes are the most frequently used evidence types, with an average of 3.16 sources beyond student evaluations. The source and quantity of evidence vary across different types of institutions. While Calderon and Green reported that most schools use ad hoc and subjective sources of evidence, respondents in this study focus more on instructor-supplied materials and direct evidence from inside the classroom.
The purpose of this research is to describe an action research project that proposed, monitored and evaluated the introduction of a learning portfolio used to replace examinations…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to describe an action research project that proposed, monitored and evaluated the introduction of a learning portfolio used to replace examinations that were formerly used to assess the core courses.
Design/methodology/approach
An action research project was undertaken to find out whether the introduction of a portfolio was successful and what could be improved in the process of its implementation.
Findings
The findings indicate that portfolios are effective to support and assess the academic development of international students.
Originality/value
The introduction of a portfolio to replace written examinations in the NCIHD was welcomed by all concerned.
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Chenicheri Sid Nair, Nicolene Murdoch and Patricie Mertova
The purpose of this paper is to look at the role of the student experience questionnaire in collecting students' perceptions of their experiences in studying at an offshore campus…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to look at the role of the student experience questionnaire in collecting students' perceptions of their experiences in studying at an offshore campus of an Australian University, compared with the experiences of the University's students in Australia. In particular, it seeks to highlight the difference in perceptions of students resulting, for example, from the size of the campus versus the size of other campuses and the whole institution.
Design/methodology/approach
The case study is based on a student learning experience questionnaire utilised by a large research‐intensive Australian tertiary institution (with two overseas campuses). The results of the questionnaire are compared between one overseas campus and the whole institution. The case study looks at the experiences of the overseas campus compared with the Australian experience. Although the case study is situated within one institution, there are aspects and lessons that are applicable to other institutions internationally, in particular when considering collecting student feedback in relation to multi‐campus or multi‐venue programmes.
Findings
Higher satisfaction rates for different aspects of student learning experience were identified at the overseas campus in comparison with the whole institution. This was attributed to the smaller size of the overseas campus and thus better engagement of and personal attention to students at this campus. This finding may be particularly relevant to other international institutions in relation to the role of an institution's size and collection of student feedback.
Practical implications
The case study outlines a number of strategies adopted to enhance student engagement and subsequently to improve the aspects which they have indicated as being less satisfactory. The institution was chosen as an example of how particular strategies may be adopted in other institutions.
Originality/value
Enhancement of student experience is pre‐conditioned by good survey response rates among students for an institution to base its actions on opinions of a sufficiently high number of students. This paper describes a successful strategy of engaging students adopted by a large research‐intensive Australian university, and thus increasing survey response rates.
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Josep Gallifa and Pere Batallé
This paper aims to present an in‐depth case study with student perceptions of service quality, discussing the relevance of these perceptions for the important issue of quality…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present an in‐depth case study with student perceptions of service quality, discussing the relevance of these perceptions for the important issue of quality improvement in higher education.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents institutional research carried out in a multi‐campus system in Spain made up of institutions coming from different quality cultures. The research adopts the model of the deficiencies in service quality approach, adapting it to the construction of a questionnaire, which was answered by final year students in all the university campuses.
Findings
Comparative results between campuses and evolution in time of some meaningful variables are presented to illustrate the method's potentialities. A characterization of the main traits of the students' perceptions of service quality obtained from the data resulted in a profile of the single campuses and for the whole system. This profile is interesting in terms of ascertaining meaningful dimensions of the university brand.
Practical implications
Examples of practical implications for the campuses where the process was implemented are presented to illustrate the importance of some findings for quality improvement policies. This approach can be easily applied in other institutions.
Originality/value
Discussion of some meaningful findings illustrates the value of this methodology for other higher educational systems interested in service quality and continuous quality improvement. The study provides a questionnaire, an implicit methodology and rationale.
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