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1 – 10 of 18This book review aims to draw attention to the often disregarded philosophical foundations of the library. Both the library as an institution and the science that studies its…
Abstract
Purpose
This book review aims to draw attention to the often disregarded philosophical foundations of the library. Both the library as an institution and the science that studies its workings, are critically analyzed and put into an epistemological and even ideological perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The original work by Vesa Suominen is explored in detail and its key findings subjected to criticism.
Findings
The book displays great originality and questions a number of long held beliefs regarding the library. Moving away from the more usual pragmatic and instrumentalist view of the library, the author proposes an approach that values the content of a library independant of its user. This approach, however, raises a number of questions.
Originality/value
Literature on the philosophical aspects of libraries and library science is scarce. Through this review we try to kindle a discussion that involves the basic mission statement of the modern library.
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The purpose of this paper is to comment on Steven Laporte’s review of About and on Behalf of Scriptum Est by Suominen with the aim of clarifying conceptual confusions related to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to comment on Steven Laporte’s review of About and on Behalf of Scriptum Est by Suominen with the aim of clarifying conceptual confusions related to the notion of constitutive and the notion of value-in-itself in the review.
Design/methodology/approach
The notion of constitutive as it appears in the reviewed monograph and Laporte’s reasoning around the notion of value-in-itself as challenges to are discussed and their differences are analyzed.
Findings
The notion of value-in-itself appears problematic as the reviewed monograph already claims. The notion of constitutive provides us with a more plausible foundation for challenging the exclusively instrumentality-based views of the rationality of the practice of the library and librarianship. Compared to the notion of constitutive as used here, the notions used by Laporte remain abstract.
Originality/value
The notion of constitutive could be a key notion opening a perspective for conceiving of the historical, cultural, social, and political conditions of being of the humans as the foundation of the rationality of the library and librarianship.
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Hadfields Industrial Coatings recently held their first sales conference since signing a five‐year technical licensing agreement with Ripolin‐Duco of France.
Jerry Toomer, Craig Caldwell, Steve Weitzenkorn and Chelsea Clark
Textron Lycoming turbine engine division and Russia's Aero Engine Scientific Technical Complex Soyuz (AESTC Soyuz) have announced their intention to co‐operate on a variety of…
Abstract
Textron Lycoming turbine engine division and Russia's Aero Engine Scientific Technical Complex Soyuz (AESTC Soyuz) have announced their intention to co‐operate on a variety of engine development and marketing projects targeted at the regional commercial aviation market in Russia and the CIS, China and Eastern Europe. The agreement provides for:
Carolina Acedo Darbonnens and Malgorzata Zurawska
Crisis management (CM) has gained prominence in the last decades, as the complex global business environment has forced executives to pay attention to practices that may safeguard…
Abstract
Crisis management (CM) has gained prominence in the last decades, as the complex global business environment has forced executives to pay attention to practices that may safeguard organizations against potential crises. However, despite the fact that various scholars point to the need for autonomy and delegation of authority when responding to crises, it appears that the overarching rationale in the crisis literature is geared toward a centralized approach. This suggests that preventive actions and response to crises lie mainly with the leader of the organization and with designated crises teams. It is also apparent that this literature places too much weight on contingency plans and classification schemes. Although behavioral factors have been discussed by some authors as a fundamental element in dealing with crises, it is not clear how to develop these traits. It is our contention then that these conventional perspectives, although valuable to CM, are insufficient to deal with the uncertainty that characterizes global business today where firms must be prepared for the unexpected. We discuss the limitations of this traditional approach and argue for a combination of central control with decentralized execution when responding to unexpected crises situations. This enables management to better comprehend the complexity embedded in any crisis and allows adaptive practices to emerge throughout the organization. An analysis of two cases paired with empirical field studies support our proposition.
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Steven E. Abraham and Paula B. Voos
The long-debated impact of right-to-work (RTW) laws took on more urgency with the passage of RTW in additional states in the twenty-first century. The impact of RTW on shareholder…
Abstract
The long-debated impact of right-to-work (RTW) laws took on more urgency with the passage of RTW in additional states in the twenty-first century. The impact of RTW on shareholder wealth of corporations located in four states is evaluated here: Oklahoma (2000), Indiana (2012), Michigan (2012), and Wisconsin (2015). Event study results show that RTW had a positive effect on shareholder wealth in these states, albeit an effect that was lower in Michigan than elsewhere. We argue that this is indirect evidence in support of research indicating that RTW hinders union organizing, raises profits, and reduces nonunion employee compensation.
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Based on the idea that insiders (i.e., managers and controlling shareholders) engage in earnings management to mask their diversion and rent seeking activities from outsiders…
Abstract
Based on the idea that insiders (i.e., managers and controlling shareholders) engage in earnings management to mask their diversion and rent seeking activities from outsiders, this paper presents international evidence supporting both a “diversion hypothesis” where earnings management is decreasing in economic freedom, and a “penalty hypothesis” where earnings management is increasing in human development.
Not since the Great Depression of the 1930s have the activities of individual corporations come under as much scrutiny as they have over the past decade. With daily headlines…
Abstract
Not since the Great Depression of the 1930s have the activities of individual corporations come under as much scrutiny as they have over the past decade. With daily headlines about the savings and loan crisis, insider trading, layoffs and plant closures, green marketing, ingredient labeling practices, and influence‐peddling political contributions, the new watchwords in the business world are ethics, accountability, and social responsibility.