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1 – 10 of over 2000Philip A. Street and June M. Fernie
Very little research is available to help companies which are considering attaining BS 5750. The information that is available tends to be somewhat biased, either coming from the…
Abstract
Very little research is available to help companies which are considering attaining BS 5750. The information that is available tends to be somewhat biased, either coming from the auditing organization, such as BSI, or a consultancy that is in the business of helping companies to achieve this standard. Offers an analysis of both why companies decide to go for the standard in the first place as well as what they hope to achieve. Examines such thorny issues as audit frequency as well as the need to implement additional supporting programmes in order to cement the standard into the culture of the organization.
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Philip A. Street and June M. Fernie
The number of companies becoming registered to BS5750, the UK national standard for quality systems, has grown dramatically, yet little formal research has been undertaken in the…
Abstract
The number of companies becoming registered to BS5750, the UK national standard for quality systems, has grown dramatically, yet little formal research has been undertaken in the area. The objective of the present study was to determine the view of Scottish manufacturing companies of BS 5750, its benefits and the problem areas associated with it. Questionnaires were sent to 80 companies currently registered to BS 5750 Part 1, 2 or 3. These were randomly selected from the 1990 Scottish Development Agency Register of Quality Assessed Companies, and covered a broad spectrum in terms of size and type of business. A 65 per cent response rate was achieved. Key findings were as follows. Not all of the benefits of BS5750 put forward by the British Standards Institution are being realized in practice, the principal ones are in relation to better company image and increased quality awareness among employees. Sixty‐two per cent of companies believed registration had resulted in significantly higher administration burdens and 70 per cent believed that these would act as a barrier for smaller companies wishing to register. Registration had not removed the need for additional audits by customers: furthermore, 49 per cent of companies were dissatisfied with the external auditing by accredited bodies.
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This piece argues that television families’ shift away from the traditional nuclear family form is crucial to understand the relatively rapid acceptance of same-sex marriage in…
Abstract
This piece argues that television families’ shift away from the traditional nuclear family form is crucial to understand the relatively rapid acceptance of same-sex marriage in mainstream politics. Released in the early 2010s, The Americans focusses on a KGB-created family composed of two Soviet spies, total strangers who ultimately have two children to further their cover as an innocent American family running a DuPont Circle travel agency and living in a Virginia suburb of Washington D.C. Rather than being idealised or sought after, The Americans reveals that the nuclear family is legally, socially, and politically constructed, and, in the end, doomed to failure. Sex and love and even children are instrumentally manipulated on a regular basis to further political goals, transforming basic assumptions about how marriage and family life really work beyond the façade of suburban America. This opens space for consideration and acceptance of alternative family forms, including same-sex marriage.
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In The Americans, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are undercover operatives for the Soviet Union. In that capacity, they are responsible for crimes including murder and espionage…
Abstract
In The Americans, Philip and Elizabeth Jennings are undercover operatives for the Soviet Union. In that capacity, they are responsible for crimes including murder and espionage. Yet they also pose as a law-abiding family, running a small business, raising children, and making friends with their neighbours. By ‘practicing’ American life, Philip becomes more American, forging an identity more receptive to American values and attitudes. This chapter draws on concepts from the literature on legal consciousness to examine the relationship between identity and hegemony. Studies of legal consciousness emphasise that consciousness is not simply legal attitudes or even ideology; rather legal consciousness is reflected in the way that people enact their legal beliefs and values. Those enactments help individuals form identities, but those identities are constrained by the hegemonic ideologies that are prevalent in the culture. Law and legal consciousness are important to both processes.
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Luchien Karsten, Sjoerd Keulen, Ronald Kroeze and Rik Peters
This paper aims to look at the role of the top and middle management of the Philips organization during the transition from one type of organizational change to another in the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to look at the role of the top and middle management of the Philips organization during the transition from one type of organizational change to another in the 1990s and the role the history of the organisation played in this process.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analysis is based on historical records, literature and interviews with former Philips top managers.
Findings
The paper shows that Philips' leaders used different styles of leadership to create a deliberate atmosphere and willingness to change. The final emergent transformation, however, could only sufficiently materialise while it rejuvenated existing management concepts like Quality Management. The success was partly based on the fact that these concepts played a historical role in the Philips organisation.
Originality/value
The paper adds the historical style approach to leadership research and pays attention to the important role of the organization's history during processes of organizational change.
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Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker (Teknisk Bibliotek), Ingerslevs Plads 7, Aarhus, Denmark. Representative: V. NEDERGAARD PEDERSEN (Librarian).
The purpose of this paper is to build on both the theoretical work concerning the co-creation of experiences, and the need for micro-businesses to adopt a consumer-friendly…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to build on both the theoretical work concerning the co-creation of experiences, and the need for micro-businesses to adopt a consumer-friendly orientation. The researchers examined the compatibility of vendors’ views of their visitors’ perspectives and the visitors’ own assessments of two Hong Kong night markets. Using a large sample survey with over 1,900 tourists and 120 vendors, and examining the data through mean difference testing and factor analysis, the comparability of the views was examined. Key findings were that vendors consistently overestimated the positivity of the visitors’ views. Value for money, trustworthiness of the vendors and product variety were items indicating strong differences where vendors assumed visitors perceived night markets more favorably than did the visitors themselves. The work challenges some assumptions of service design logic and speculates that the durability of night markets is at risk without better vendor understanding of the visitors’ perspectives.
Design/methodology/approach
The study builds on both the theoretical work concerning the co-creation of experiences, and the need for micro-businesses to adopt a consumer-friendly orientation. The researchers examined the compatibility of vendors’ views of their visitors’ perspectives and the visitors’ own assessments of two Hong Kong night markets. Using a large sample survey with over 1,900 tourists and 120 vendors and examining the data through mean difference testing and factor analysis, the comparability of the views was examined.
Findings
Key findings were that vendors consistently overestimated the positivity of the visitors’ views. Value for money, trustworthiness of the vendors and product variety were items indicating strong differences where vendors assumed visitors perceived night markets more favorably than did the visitors themselves. The work challenges some assumptions of service design logic and speculates that the durability of night markets is at risk without better vendor understanding of the visitors’ perspectives.
Research limitations/implications
For the present work, it would be desirable to ascertain that the figures reported apply to other night markets in Hong Kong and China. Further, the generalizability of the results for different market types, those that offer food or cater to specific interests needs examination. The possibility exists that the general night market will fold as specific tailored options, such as craft, art, flower and homewares themed spaces replace the basic all-purpose format.
Practical implications
The implications from this work are that vendors may have to form new group alliances to understand and then deliver the overall atmosphere, quality of goods and service interactions prized by tourists. Vendors need to sustain their appeal and sales through maintenance of these overall night market characteristics. The vendors may be able to escape individual censure and rejection for a while due to the transient customer base, but broader destination and attraction image concerns are likely to be a longer-term force requiring attention.
Social implications
The implications from this work are that vendors may have to form new group alliances to understand and then deliver the overall atmosphere, quality of goods and service interactions prized by tourists. Vendors need to sustain their appeal and sales through maintenance of these overall night market characteristics. The vendors may be able to escape individual censure and rejection for a while due to the transient customer base, but broader destination and attraction image concerns are likely to be a longer-term force requiring attention.
Originality/value
The broad aim of the study can be identified as the desire to examine the compatibility of vendor and tourists’ views, and the more specific aims of this broad agenda will be articulated after reviewing the core conceptual ideas driving the work.
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Hafeez Idowu Agbabiaka, Oluwole Philip Daramola and Abiola Aminat Adesanya
The purpose of this study is to examine crime characteristics and its causation in Mushin Lagos Nigeria. The incidence of urban crime in Nigeria has been associated with…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine crime characteristics and its causation in Mushin Lagos Nigeria. The incidence of urban crime in Nigeria has been associated with increasing urbanization, high poverty level, congestion, unemployment, deprivation, income inequality, poor physical planning and design, political democratization, disorganization and moral decadence and breakdown in infrastructure. Hence, tackling urban crimes in selected communities within Lagos state will address several issues, creating inclusiveness and safer communities.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary data were collected through questionnaire administration on three income groups, cutting across 14 communities in the study area. Multistage sampling techniques were adopted to select six communities (Idi Araba, Idi Oro, Fadeyi, Ilasamaja Papa Ajao and Ilupeju), 60 streets and 144 respondents for this study. Respondents selected for this study are individuals who have stayed in the communities for more than five years.
Findings
This study reports no statistically significant variation in the crime occurrence by type across the selected communities. However, residents experienced a high occurrence of crime against a person in robbery, assault and pocket-picking, especially among the low-income earners. The same trend was observed in crimes against property such as theft, burglary and store breaking in the low- and middle-income areas, whereas burglary, theft and car theft have high occurrence in the high-income areas. In addition, crimes against morality inform of gambling, prostitution and offences against public peace were high in the low- and high-income areas, whereas gambling, prostitution and bribery are common in the middle-income areas.
Practical implications
This study identifies appropriate policies for combating crime. Collective values promote citizen participation and encourage Do It Yourself in the communities. Stakeholders’ crime prevention mechanism will create safer communities. Social crime prevention and environmental design is an instrument for creating safer cities.
Originality/value
The outcome of this study addresses goal 11 of the SDGs if properly managed.
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Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects…
Abstract
Examines the tenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.
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It has often been said that a great part of the strength of Aslib lies in the fact that it brings together those whose experience has been gained in many widely differing fields…
Abstract
It has often been said that a great part of the strength of Aslib lies in the fact that it brings together those whose experience has been gained in many widely differing fields but who have a common interest in the means by which information may be collected and disseminated to the greatest advantage. Lists of its members have, therefore, a more than ordinary value since they present, in miniature, a cross‐section of institutions and individuals who share this special interest.