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1 – 10 of 25
Case study
Publication date: 1 December 2007

Thomas K. Tiemann and Norris W. Gunby

Jan Jaśkiewicz was a successful small grocer in Białystok, Poland, a city of about 300,000. When Poland became a capitalistic nation again in the late 1980s, Jaśkiewicz was among…

Abstract

Jan Jaśkiewicz was a successful small grocer in Białystok, Poland, a city of about 300,000. When Poland became a capitalistic nation again in the late 1980s, Jaśkiewicz was among the early entrepreneurs. In the late 1990s, multi-national grocery chains from across Europe began building new, large stores on the outskirts of most Polish cities, including Białystok. In early summer 2000, a few days before the case begins, local independent grocers had been called together by Lewiatan, a Polish wholesale grocer. Lewiatan could offer the smaller grocers the advantages of the chains: bulk buying, Lewiatan-branded goods, slotting fees, and cooperative advertising. The local grocers liked many of the benefits Lewiatan would bring, but were suspicious and wanted someone they knew to be the area representative before they would agree to join Lewiatan. They had called a second meeting to try and find someone to fill the role. Jaśkiewicz was a natural choice: he had been in both the retail and wholesale grocery business, had been in business longer than almost everyone else, and was well-respected. Jan was tempted. Not only did he want to grow his own business, he wanted other Poles to be successful business owners and felt that if he could help Lewiatan, Lewiatan could help others compete with the new, large, foreign-owned and professionally-managed stores.

Details

The CASE Journal, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 1544-9106

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2005

Thomas K. Tiemann

Poles do much of their shopping outdoors. In any city with urban bus or tram service, and in many towns without, there are kiosks on important street corners that sell bus or tram…

Abstract

Poles do much of their shopping outdoors. In any city with urban bus or tram service, and in many towns without, there are kiosks on important street corners that sell bus or tram tickets, magazines and newspapers, basic stationery items, cigarettes and candy, bottled water and soft drinks, and an amazing number of other small items. More important than the kiosks are the targowiska or “free and open markets” where Poles can buy clothing, stationery, food, small electronics, cosmetics, and a large variety of other goods. The targowiska are the descendents of the weekly market days that occurred in almost every Polish town and village up to World War II. These free and open markets appeared quickly with the liberalisation of the economy in the late 1980s, popping up at traditional market places and on other open spaces convenient for shoppers. While these markets appear to be unorganised and informal, in the past fifteen or twenty years their operations have become regulated and more formal. While these markets are less informal than they may first appear, they do still perform many of the functions of informal markets. These markets also have become an important source of revenue for local governments.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 25 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2004

Thomas K. Tiemann

Farmers’ markets in the United States are structured in various ways. Even those once‐or‐twice‐a‐week markets that remain outside of the mass production and distribution system by…

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Abstract

Farmers’ markets in the United States are structured in various ways. Even those once‐or‐twice‐a‐week markets that remain outside of the mass production and distribution system by requiring that all goods sold be produced by the seller take two distinct forms. The varieties of produce sold, the number of choices offered customers, the prices charged, the age and income expectations of the sellers, the rules the sellers obey and the role of the sellers in writing and enforcing those rules are consistent within each type of informal, American farmers’ markets but are quite different between the two types.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 24 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2006

Thomas K. Tiemann and James L. Barbour

This paper aims to provide a classification for the process by which crafters find appropriate consumers in the post‐modern market structure that exists between black or gray…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a classification for the process by which crafters find appropriate consumers in the post‐modern market structure that exists between black or gray markets where illegal or illegally obtained goods are sold, and the markets that serve the Fordist, mass‐production, mass‐distribution portion of an economy.

Design/methodology/approach

Principally the research was done via personal interviews and visits to craft show sites and comparing the findings to the existing street‐market structures of Europe.

Findings

The institutions that have evolved to support market segregation/segmentation in crafts markets are interesting and are better understood within a classification system like the one developed here. How these institutions differ from the street‐market culture of Europe lends an insight into this uniquely American post‐modern market system.

Research limitations/implications

This study is the beginning of a larger body of work that should be undertaken to better comprehend how the increasing post‐modern market structure is interacting with and occasionally replacing, the traditional market structures in the USA.

Practical implications

As the post‐modern market structure becomes more prevalent in the USA understanding how it is similar to and differs from, the comparable market structures in Europe is important to policy decisions on the local level, particularly with respect to local support of this type of market.

Originality/value

This work extends earlier work looking at farmers’ markets into the crafts market environment. As such it brings the overall understanding of the post‐modern market structure in to more clear focus.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 26 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2009

Elana Tiemann and Thomas D. Fallace

This action research project traces how a teacher used images of cultural universals as part of a kindergarten social studies curriculum to help her students develop temporal…

Abstract

This action research project traces how a teacher used images of cultural universals as part of a kindergarten social studies curriculum to help her students develop temporal distinctions between past and present. Students were introduced to the general idea of what cultural universals were, and then they studied two different periods of history using cultural universals. After clearing up some initial misconceptions, the majority of the students were able to make at least a dichotomous distinction between past and present, and many students were able to make additional temporal distinctions among periods of the past.

Details

Social Studies Research and Practice, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1933-5415

Book part
Publication date: 10 November 2016

Markus Lamprecht, Siegfried Nagel and Hanspeter Stamm

This chapter examines the origins and institutionalization of sport sociology in Germany and Switzerland and provides an overview of the current state of research. It shows how…

Abstract

This chapter examines the origins and institutionalization of sport sociology in Germany and Switzerland and provides an overview of the current state of research. It shows how academic chairs and research committees were established and how the first textbooks, anthologies, and journals appeared from the 1970s onwards. The institutionalization process of German-speaking sport sociology proceeded parallel to the establishment of sport science. With regard to its theoretical and empirical basis, German-speaking sport sociology is rooted in theories and concepts of general sociology. Studies using a system theory perspective, conceptualizing sport as a societal sub-system and examining its linkage with and dependence on economy, media, or politics are particularly common in the German-speaking region. In addition, actor theoretic perspectives are very popular, and French sociologists such as Bourdieu and Foucault have had a marked influence on German-speaking sport sociology. A large number of sport sociology studies are concerned with the changes in leisure and elite sports. In this context, the emergence of new trends in risk sports as well as the fitness boom and its implications on body perception are of special interest. Further areas of research refer to sport participation and the impact of social inequality, particularly with respect to gender differences and social integration. Finally, organization research focusing on change at the level of sport associations and clubs has a long tradition. Major challenges for the future of German-speaking sport sociology include its internationalization and an enhanced international linkage in order to improve the visibility of research results.

Details

Sociology of Sport: A Global Subdiscipline in Review
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-050-3

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Businesses' Contributions to Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality Across B Corps in Latin America and the Caribbean
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-482-1

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 February 2024

Sinead Earley, Thomas Daae Stridsland, Sarah Korn and Marin Lysák

Climate change poses risks to society and the demand for carbon literacy within small and medium-sized enterprises is increasing. Skills and knowledge are required for…

Abstract

Purpose

Climate change poses risks to society and the demand for carbon literacy within small and medium-sized enterprises is increasing. Skills and knowledge are required for organizational greenhouse gas accounting and science-based decisions to help businesses reduce transitional risks. At the University of Copenhagen and the University of Northern British Columbia, two carbon management courses have been developed to respond to this growing need. Using an action-based co-learning model, students and business are paired to quantify and report emissions and develop climate plans and communication strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on surveys of businesses that have partnered with the co-learning model, designed to provide insight on carbon reductions and the impacts of co-learning. Data collected from 12 respondents in Denmark and 19 respondents in Canada allow for cross-institutional and international comparison in a Global North context.

Findings

Results show that while co-learning for carbon literacy is welcomed, companies identify limitations: time and resources; solution feasibility; governance and reporting structures; and communication methods. Findings reveal a need for extension, both forwards and backwards in time, indicating that the collaborations need to be lengthened and/or intensified. Balancing academic requirements detracts from usability for businesses, and while municipal and national policy and emission targets help generate a general societal understanding of the issue, there is no concrete guidance on how businesses can implement operational changes based on inventory results.

Originality/value

The research brings new knowledge to the field of transitional climate risks and does so with a focus on both small businesses and universities as important co-learning actors in low-carbon transitions. The comparison across geographies and institutions contributes an international solution perspective to climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 September 2008

Jayoti Das, Cassandra DiRienzo and Thomas Tiemann

The aim of this paper is to create a country‐level measure of tolerance and to test the relationships between this measure of country‐level tolerance and percentage of talented…

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to create a country‐level measure of tolerance and to test the relationships between this measure of country‐level tolerance and percentage of talented workers, economic development, and competitiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

A country‐level measure of tolerance for 62 countries is created using responses from the World Values Survey. In particular, four survey responses which closely mirror the traditional definitions of tolerance are considered in the creation of the index. To test the relationships between country‐level tolerance and percentage of talented workers, economic development, and competitiveness, a series of hypotheses tests are conducted using the Spearman and Pearson correlation coefficients.

Findings

The results suggest that more tolerant countries tend to attract more net migrants, have a greater concentration of talented workers, higher levels of economic development, and are more competitive.

Research limitations/implications

While, the results of this analysis suggest that tolerance is an important factor for economic prosperity, it should be noted that tolerance alone cannot foster development. Many other factors have a significant effect on economic prosperity and while tolerance is found to be a significant factor, a more tolerant environment alone will not create economic gains.

Practical implications

Global companies needing to attract talented workers should develop policies and work environments which encourage acceptance and tolerance for differences.

Originality/value

This paper provides a measure of country‐level tolerance for 62 countries and establishes the value of tolerance in regard to economic prosperity. This study has value to researchers studying tolerance at the country‐level and to managers of global companies.

Details

Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1059-5422

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 22 March 2021

Thomas Andersson, Nomie Eriksson and Tomas Müllern

The purpose of the paper is to describe and analyze differences in patients' quality perceptions of private and public primary care centers in Sweden.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to describe and analyze differences in patients' quality perceptions of private and public primary care centers in Sweden.

Design/methodology/approach

The article explores the differences in quality perceptions between patients of public and private primary care centers based on data from a large patient survey in Sweden. The survey covers seven dimensions, and in this paper the measure Overall impression was used for the comparison. With more than 80,000 valid responses, the survey covers all primary care centers in Sweden which allowed for a detailed analysis of differences in quality perceptions among patients from the different categories of owners.

Findings

The article contributes with a detailed description of different types of private owners: not-for-profit and for profit, as well as corporate groups and independent care centers. The results show a higher quality perception for independent centers compared to both public and corporate groups.

Research limitations/implications

The small number of not-for-profit centers (21 out of 1,117 centers) does not allow for clear conclusions for this group. The results, however, indicate an even higher patient quality perception for not-for-profit centers. The study focus on describing differences in quality perceptions between the owner categories. Future research can contribute with explanations to why independent care centers receive higher patient satisfaction.

Social implications

The results from the study have policy implications both in a Swedish as well as international perspective. The differentiation between different types of private owners made in this paper opens up for interesting discussions on privatization of healthcare and how it affects patient satisfaction.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the paper is the detailed comparison of different categories of private owners and the public owners.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 35 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

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