Search results

This paper aims to indicate that library guides seem to be unfamiliar to most students or not easy to find or use. Some improvements have been made by embedding the guides in the learning management system or promoting the guides in formal library instructional classes. Are there other ways to promote or improve the use of library guides? The author proposes an exploratory visual solution to minimize this gap between library users and library guides.

Guided by the cognitive load theory, the proposed solution is a knowledge map created with Freeplane. The proposal is illustrated by comparing a sample knowledge map with its content source, a subject guide in LibGuides, via three browsing paths in locating a recommended database for a particular course on the sample subject guide website.

The knowledge map can display contents in different ways and provide a simple and visual layout with direct access to the library resources, which may help lessen users’ intrinsic cognitive load, minimize extraneous load or promote germane load. The map can also be beneficial to librarians for preparing teaching materials or guides management.

The proposed solution can be implemented with Freeplane based on existing library guides or created from scratch.

The proposed solution addresses a gap in the library field, where the use of knowledge maps for library services is overlooked.

Tracking electronic journals to collect usage statistics is not an easy task. E‐journal publishers and aggregators are using various standards to create e‐journal usage reports. This situation has created many problems for libraries that use those reports. For e‐journal collection development, it is essential for libraries to know exactly who is using their e‐journals, how often their e‐journals are being used, and how their e‐journals are being accessed. Although several methods have been used in the library community, this article focuses on a method cooperatively developed by the cataloging department and the office of libraries technology at the University of Louisville to take control of collecting and generating e‐journal usage statistics. This method involves the use of a CGI script, AXS shareware. The success of this method in fact is built on cooperative efforts between the two departments.

The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of cloud computing and its increasing impact on systems librarianship, and to propose strategies for systems librarians as they embrace the shift to cloud computing.

The approach takes various forms, including needs assessment, literature review, impact analysis, environmental scanning and strategic planning.

Cloud computing has a great impact on systems librarianship. There is not enough evidence to prove that such environmental changes will likely obviate the need for systems librarians in the near future. Systems librarians must upgrade their knowledge and skills to meet the new demands of the change.

At the time of this literature review, few publications were dedicated to the discussion of cloud computing and systems librarianship. This article is intended to fill the gap of the literature in this area.

City wall is an important symbol of ancient Chinese cities with unique geographical and cultural characteristics. Thus, the preservation of this historic landmark is considered significantly important. However, numerous residential construction activities and changes in ecological environment have destructed a great portion of the city walls in recent years. This study looks into the preservation of the ancient city walls from the systematic perspective and in line with the actual characteristics of Longdong Region to provide guideline measures for the protection and restoration of such landmark. Cognition and preservation are adopted extensively to investigate the specific situation of and the factors that influence the ancient city walls in this region. Preservation strategies for the city walls, including the “Axis-Point” system, planning control, and authenticity readability, are presented. The ancient city walls in Longdong Region can be preserved by protecting the entire region, the city, and the main wall body. The systematic method and preservation strategies at the “macro perspective,” “medium perspective” and “micro perspective” levels can solve the preservation problems of the ancient city walls in Longdong Region effectively.

Currently, the issues of cross-channel integration (CCI) have become the attentive focus. However, little research based on institutional theory details the drivers of and obstacles to adopt CCI strategy. Combined with resource-based view (RBV) and institutional theory, this thesis studies the effect of institutional pressures on the manufactures' extent of CCI, through exploring the moderating effects of firm's technology competence and relationship governance capabilities on the relationship between institutional pressures and the extent of CCI.

The survey data of 249 valid research samples were obtained from Chinese manufacturing enterprises. Statistical software such as SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 18.0 was used to analyze the data and test the conceptual model and relevant research hypotheses from an empirical perspective.

The results of empirical study from 249 manufacturers indicate that the mimetic, coercive and normative pressures perceived by enterprises can significantly promote their extent of CCI; relationship governance capabilities attenuate the positive impact of mimetic pressures on the extent of CCI, but strengthen that of normative pressures on the extent of CCI; besides, technology competence can attenuate the positive effect of mimetic pressures on the extent of CCI, but enhance that of normative pressures on the extent of CCI.

Few studied the impact of the interaction of internal capabilities and external institutional pressures on CCI of enterprises. This study combines institutional theory and resource-based view to fill the theoretical gap in this regard.

Building on encapsulated interest account and motivated cognition account, this study aims to investigate how channel members extend trust in a channel leader when the channel leader applies various non-coercive power sources (e.g. referent, expert, legitimate and reward power). Besides, the study explored the changes in channel members’ trust in a channel leader when each non-coercive power source is coupled with coercive power sources.

Using survey items from previously validated scales, the study collected responses from 237 channel members of 3 paint distribution channels in India. Data were analysed using structural equation modelling and multi-group moderation analysis techniques.

Findings indicated that expert and reward power sources enhance trust in channel leaders while affective commitment mediates the effects of all the non-coercive power sources on trust. Further, coercive power weakens the effects of expert power on trust.

The study is based on a cross-sectional survey and confines to the paint industry in India. Replicating this study in other countries and industries will better generalise the study’s findings.

The study recommends that channel managers use power sources to build trust in channel leaders. Consequently, they will be able to emphasise those specific power sources while developing channel management strategies.

The study contributes to a greater understanding of the power-trust relationship.

Although the importance of green supplier integration (GSI) has been recognized, the knowledge of how it can be enhanced is still limited. Using insights from transaction cost and resource dependence theories, this paper aims to explore how to balance coercive and non-coercive powers to enhance GSI and the mediating role of relationship commitment and the moderating role of relationship closeness.

To validate the hypotheses, this study conducted hierarchical regression analysis and bootstrapping using the survey data collected from 206 Chinese manufacturers.

The results indicate that coercive power undermines normative commitment, while non-coercive power promotes normative and instrumental commitments. Both normative and instrumental commitments enhance GSI. Normative commitment mediates the impacts of coercive and non-coercive powers on GSI, while instrumental commitment only mediates the impact of non-coercive power on GSI. Moreover, supplier trust and dependence negatively moderate the positive link between instrumental commitment and GSI.

Executives should carefully balance coercive and non-coercive powers to encourage firms to maintain good relationships with suppliers and develop common environmental values under different mediating effects of normative and instrumental commitments. However, they should also be aware that high level of trust and dependence can affect the impacts of powers.

This study contributes to GSI literature by opening the “black box” between power and GSI and verifying its boundary conditions.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between geographical traits consisting of institutional traits and cultural traits, and supply chain agility in third-party logistics providers.

A theoretical model was developed and assessed through a structured questionnaire survey using cross-sectional data from 170 third-party logistics providers registered in Uganda. To validate the suggested model, data were analysed using exploratory factor analysis, correlations and regressions.

Correlation results revealed that all institutional and cultural geographical traits in the model, i.e. infrastructural frameworks, regulatory frameworks, organisational culture and national culture are positively and significantly associated with supply chain agility. However, a further analysis using regression revealed that regulatory framework and organisational culture are the only significant predictors of supply chain agility and together, all the four traits account for 28.1% variance in supply chain agility.

This study applies the institutional theoretical framework to provide an empirical understanding of the role of institutional and cultural factors in supply chain management practice. Furthermore, it confirms and expands on the existing theories about supply chain agility.

The findings provide firm ground for managerial decisions regarding emphasis on external factors in building firms' supply chain agility. Managers should scan the macro-environment and make conscious firm decisions regarding institutions and culture in certain geographical locations. The host countries should also be aware of their role in building firms' supply chain agility.

Distinctive from the literature on antecedents of supply chain agility, which predominantly focuses on the firm and supply chain capabilities, this study utilises the paradigm of institutional fit to empirically show how managers in a developing country wishing to build supply chain agility should not only focus on their supply chains and internal operations, but go beyond and consider geographical traits when making firm location and/or operational decisions for certain geographical contexts in order to achieve fit.

The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to effective supply chain management by understanding the dynamics between various enablers of agile supply chain. Today’s business environment is characterized as a highly competitive, dynamic and volatile market. Agile supply chain is seen as the winning strategy to be adopted by manufacturers bracing themselves for dramatic performance enhancements to become national and international leaders.

Using interpretive structural modeling the research presents a hierarchy-based model and the mutual relationships among the enablers of agile supply chain.

The research shows that there exists a group of enablers having a high driving power and low dependence requiring maximum attention and of strategic importance, whereas another group consists of those variables which have high dependence and are the resultant actions.

This classification provides a useful tool to supply chain managers to differentiate between independent and dependent variables and their mutual relationships which would help them to focus on those key variables that are most important for building cost-effective and agile supply chains.

Presentation of enablers in a hierarchy and the classification into driver and dependent categories is unique effort in the area of agile supply chain management.