Infrastructure as intermeditation – from archives to research infrastructures

2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (6) ◽  
pp. 1183-1202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheila Anderson ◽  
Tobias Blanke
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Holocaust ◽  
Research Infrastructures ◽  
Infrastructure Project ◽  
Fit For Purpose ◽  
Data Design ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the steps taken to produce new kinds of integrated documentation on the Holocaust in the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure project. The authors present the user investigation methodology as well as the novel data design to support this complex field. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on the scholarly primitives framework. From here, it proceeds with two empirical studies of Holocaust archival research and the implementation steps taken. The paper employs key insights from large technology studies in how to organise such work. In particular, it uses the concepts of social-technical assemblages and intermediation. Findings – The paper offers a number of findings. First from the empirical studies, it presents how Holocaust researchers and archivist perceive the way they currently do research in archives. It then presents how the intermediation and digital transformation of such research can be enabled without violating its foundations. The second major insight is the technical research into how to use graph databases to integrate heterogeneous research collections and the analysis opportunities behind. Originality/value – The paper is based on existing work by the authors but takes this work forward into the world of real-life existing historical research on archives. It demonstrates how the theoretical foundations of primitives are fit for purpose. The paper presents a completely new approach on how to (re)organise archives as research infrastructures and offers a flexible way of implementing this. Next to these major insights, a range of new solutions are presented how to arrange the socio-technical assemblages of research infrastructures.

scholarly journals Reflective practice as a determinant of performance outcomes in services

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-403 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minna Saunila ◽  
Juhani Ukko
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Performance Outcomes ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Reflective Practices ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Life Context

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the outcomes of reflective practices in services. The paper contributes to the current understanding of the relationship between reflective practice and outcomes by presenting a description of the internal (i.e. what kind of reflection is required to attain the desired outcomes) and external (i.e. under what kind of circumstances does reflection result in the desired outcomes) factors of reflective practices. Design/methodology/approach – The results of this investigation are based on a mixed-method research approach that utilises both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods. Findings – According to the results, reflective practices are indeed connected to outcomes. Reflective practices foster better outcomes when they are more explicit and targeted through different organisational levels. The role of performance management and measurement is important in connecting the reflective practices with performance. Performance management must be considered as a communication and social system that allows the employees to discuss the learning and development process as a part of the results. Practical implications – As a practical contribution, the results of the research may help professionals begin to understand that leveraging reflective practices may aid an organisation in achieving its desired outcomes. Originality/value – Hitherto, studies that discuss the interphase of reflective practices and outcomes have mainly been theoretical considerations or surveys that lack an in-depth understanding of how the different methods operate in a real-life context. When focusing on the previous research, it is clear that in-depth empirical studies are needed to achieve a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and arrangements that connect reflective practice and outcomes. This research addresses this research gap by examining the outcomes of reflective practices in services.

The information resources utilization index: a case study in China

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaolemen Borjigin ◽  
Huiling Feng ◽  
Bin Zhang ◽  
Guojun Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Information Resources ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Typical Application ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Data Weighting ◽  
Novel Method ◽  
First Time ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel method for measuring the utilization of information resources (IRs) in order to provide a complementary index for existing information development indices and to reveal the links between the use of IRs and the readiness of ICT. Design/methodology/approach – This research mainly employs three types of research methodologies: literature study was conducted for defining the term of IRs and for finding the common features of the relevant indices; methods to construct composite indicators are used for developing a theoretical framework, selecting variables, imputation of missing data, normalization of data, weighting and aggregation of the novel index; a case study is carried out to provide a typical application for the index and to reveal the underlying links between the use of IRs and the readiness of ICT. Findings – This paper for the first time proposes a method to measure the utilization of IRs from a Chinese perspective and provides its theoretical foundations, conceptual frameworks, main steps and curial techniques. Further, correlations between the use of IRs and the readiness of ICT in China between 2009 and 2011 are also descried. Practical implications – Measuring the utilization of IRs provides the authorities with an alternative tool to monitor the evolutions a country toward information society. In addition, the novel index presented in this paper can also serve as a method to indentify the gaps among regions in deploying their IRs. Originality/value – This is the first paper to introduce a new measure for utilization of IRs and is also the first paper to reveal links between the use of IRs and the readiness of ICT as well as Gross Domestic Product in China.

Social media as complementary consumption: the relationship between consumer empowerment and social interactions in experiential and informative contexts

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 111-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mujde Yuksel ◽  
George R Milne ◽  
Elizabeth G Miller
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Consumer Behavior ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Consumer Empowerment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Responses ◽  
Complementary Role

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the interaction between consumer empowerment and social interactions as fundamental social media elements. It demonstrates their relationship in both experiential and informative social media setting where social media complements an offline consumer activity. The study aims to contribute to the literature on social media by demonstrating its complementary role on offline activities through these fundamental elements. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports three experimental designs that manipulate the empowering and the socializing elements of complementary activities to show their effects on both the complementary online and the complemented offline activities. Findings – The paper presents three empirical studies that reveal the effects of two fundamental social media elements (i.e. empowerment and socialization) on consumers’ responses toward consumption episodes that consist of complementary online and complemented offline activities. It reveals that that these elements increase positive consumer responses toward both the online and the offline activities through psychological empowerment. However, the interaction between the elements changes with respect to specific empowerment types. Research limitations/implications – The paper contributes to the literature on social media by demonstrating its complementary role on offline activities through its empowering and socializing elements. It bridges research on consumer empowerment and socialization in a way that reveals their interaction beyond the extant definitions of empowerment resulting from enhanced communication among consumers. The paper also demonstrates the complementary role of social media on offline consumer behaviors through the effects of these two fundamental elements.The participants of the experimental studies are presented with hypothetical scenarios and asked about their behavioral intentions. Thus, future studies should address the research questions in real-world settings. Practical implications – The paper includes implications for social media usage as a complementary activity to offline real-life consumer behavior through the effects of consumer empowerment and social interactions. Thus, it may benefit marketers seeking to optimize the empowering and socializing components of their social media strategies. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to study how social media may affect real-life consumer behavior. It also identifies the interaction between the empowering and the socializing elements of social media offerings in both experiential and informative settings.

Shadowing managerial action instead of recording managerial text

2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mirko Noordegraaf
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Studies ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Managerial Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institutional Settings ◽  
Paradoxical Situation ◽  
Managerial Action ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Life Work

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the value of shadowing managers, in relation to other methods for studying managerial work, such as interviews and surveys. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reflects upon (empirical) studies of managers and managerial work, research and bodies of knowledge, and puts available insights into perspective. Findings – Shadowing managers enables researchers to cope with the paradoxical situation that arises when managerial work is studied. Managerial work must be understood in as unbiased a way as possible; managers themselves are unable to understand their own work and the texts they use to capture their work and behavior are either superficial or “manipulative.” At the same time, managerial work cannot be understood without (theoretical) bias; researchers need a priori assumptions when they study real-life work, especially about the institutional settings in which work streams are embedded. The paper concludes that “theoretical shadowing” is relevant. Originality/value – The paper brings together different bodies of knowledge that have evolved over time and shows that observing managers can never be done openly, despite remarks made by earlier students of managerial work.

Measuring national intellectual capital: a novel approach

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Duc Hong Vo ◽  
Ngoc Phu Tran
Keyword(s):  
International Comparison ◽  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Extended Period ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Structural Capital ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Fit For Purpose

PurposeA very few studies have been conducted to measure a degree of national intellectual capital for selected groups of countries. This paper is conducted to construct a new index of national intellectual capital (INIC) which is simple, quantifiable, relevant and comparable for countries around the globe.Design/methodology/approachThe styudy’s new INIC uses various indicators which are proxies for fundamental aspects of intellectual capital, including (1) human capital, (2) structural capital and (3) relational capital. These indicators are publicly available for many countries. The principal component analysis is utilized to derive the INIC. Various tests have also been conducted to ensure that the new index is appropriate and fit for purpose.FindingsFindings from this paper confirm that the new INIC has a strong correlation of 0.80 with an index developed by Lin et al. (2014) (the LECB index), an advanced INIC to date. The LECB index has been infrequently updated and covered selected countries due to data and information unavailability. In addition, the study’s tests indicate that a high correlation of 0.75 is observed between the study’s index and GDP per capita. The new INIC represents an advancement in relation to its simplicity, quantification, relevance and international comparison across nations.Practical implicationsThe estimates of national intellectual capital using the approach in this study will open a new strand of theoretical and empirical studies in relation to national intellectual capital and other economic and social issues of interests. This novel and innovative approach will provide policymakers with a valuable framework to formulate and implement relevant policies to enhance and improve national intellectual capital.Originality/valueTo the best knowledge of the authors, this is the first study of its type, which is conducted to measure national intellectual capital based on publicly available data. Required data cover an extended period of years and a majority of countries. As such, an INIC will enhance transparency and feasibility for international comparison across countries.

Sustainability factors affecting local infrastructure project

Facilities ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 119-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Preenithi Aksorn ◽  
Chotchai Charoenngam
Keyword(s):  
Local Development ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Structure Interview ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Knowledge Policy ◽  
Infrastructure Project

Purpose – This paper aims to identify the critical factors highly influencing sustainability of local infrastructure projects in the Thai community. Design/methodology/approach – Both qualitative and the quantitative analyses were used when needed to follow the right procedure. Together, the panels of experts, selected from the related fields, were always prompt to cooperate with the strategies upon request. At the early stage, thoroughly fresh and in-depth information, theoretical and practical, in local infrastructure sustainability development, was gathered through literature review, a semi-structure interview and a focussed group meeting. For the pilot project, all crucial attributes were assigned to items of a questionnaire by a representative sample, Huai Hong Khrai Royal Development Study Centre, one of the most important sources in community development in Thailand. Afterward, the improved questionnaires were surveyed for exact data by all target respondents: local infrastructure project managers/representatives plus the working staff. These accumulated data were analysed by SPSS and finally produced the expected outcome. Findings – They are categorised into 25 factors of 6 dimensions: management and administration, information and knowledge, policy and plan, environmental and natural resources, facility and infrastructure and finance and budget. Originality/value – With regard to a valid analysis reference, the study outcome can be applied to be the deciding factor in choosing the proper local development projects or the model measuring the sustainability level of community projects in a real-life context.

Empirical and theoretical perspectives in sales and operations planning

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tobias Kreuter ◽  
Luiz Felipe Scavarda ◽  
Antonio Márcio Tavares Thomé ◽  
Bernd Hellingrath ◽  
Marcelo Xavier Seeling
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Operations Planning ◽  
Main Research ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Theoretical Foundations

AbstractThis paper’s purpose is to evaluate empirical and theoretical perspectives in Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP). The methodology consists of a systematic literature review, analysing 292 publications from academics and practitioners. The results reveal that the empirical evidence has been initially obtained by practitioners and subsequently acquired by academics with a growing interest in recent years. Three main research streams are identified: S&OP and performance, implementation of S&OP, and contextualisation of S&OP designs. The investigation of theoretical foundations reveals an upward trend in external general theory usage and first signs of internal theory development in S&OP. The research findings call for more exploratory research to enhance the knowledge in the identified research streams and their interrelation. Herein, applying the design science approach is recommended to integrate practitioners into academic research. Further implications embrace a call for more theory-informed empirical S&OP research in a two-prone agenda: applying general theories from other fields and developing internal theories through middle-range theorising. A limitation of this paper is its focus on empirical studies, not embracing conceptual papers. Applications of this paper’s findings can help academics and practitioners to advance their understanding of the S&OP phenomenon. The awareness of study findings in the three main research streams, combined with empirical and theoretical research implications, can support the development of solutions to improve the S&OP effectiveness and evidence-based decisions in real-life settings. This work’s originality lies in the analysis of the S&OP literature with the focus on the evolution of empirical evidence and the theoretical foundations.

Fit for purpose? Exploring competence in quality management

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Martin ◽  
Mattias Elg ◽  
Ida Gremyr
Keyword(s):  
Quality Management ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Study Design ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Perceived Competence ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Instrument ◽  
Fit For Purpose

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use competence theory to explore the fit between actual competencies of quality management (QM) practitioner and the perception of QM competence needs in organisations. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a cross-case quantitative study design featuring a survey of QM practitioners (n = 249) within eight large Swedish organisations. The research instrument was a questionnaire covering seven themes within QM. The analysis is based on descriptive statistics. Findings The results show that while the perception of formal QM competence may seem sufficient, the evolving nature of QM requires knowledge, skills and attitudes that are also apt for more external and explorative perspectives. There is a bias towards competence for exploitative QM rather than explorative QM. Organisational logics preserving and possibly reinforcing a perceived “competence lag” in organisations are identified and described. Originality/value Few empirical studies within QM explore the competencies required for QM practices. This paper contributes to QM research in providing arguments for adopting the competence theory as a foundation for organising current and future QM work.

Hedging and debt overhang: a conceptual note

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 164-169
Author(s):  
Jacques A. Schnabel
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Net Present Value ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Theoretical Research ◽  
Corporate Management ◽  
The Novel ◽  
Present Value ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Debt Overhang ◽  
Black Scholes

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the nexus between hedging, which reduces the volatility of corporate assets, and the anomaly of debt overhang, whereby corporate management is motivated to reject positive net present value (NPV) projects. The question of whether hedging ameliorates or aggravates debt overhang is addressed. Design/methodology/approach – The Black–Scholes isomorphism between common shares and call options is exploited to determine the allocation of a project’s NPV between debt- and stock-holders. The effect of hedging on this NPV-partitioning is then gauged to determine the resulting likelihood of debt overhang. Findings – If the volatility of corporate assets is below a critical maximum, hedging ameliorates debt overhang consistent with extant theoretical research. However, above that critical value of volatility, hedging aggravates debt overhang. Originality/value – The novel result of this note, namely, hedging may exacerbate debt overhang, is demonstrated both analytically and intuitively. The latter is explained by allusion to a second agency-theoretic conflict between debt- versus stock-holders, namely, risk shifting. The disparate effects of hedging on debt overhang imply a non-monotonic relationship between metrics for these two variables, which is a phenomenon that extant empirical studies have failed to take into account.

On the plausibility of an integrated approach to disclose social and intangible issues

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 416-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Teresa Nardo ◽  
Stefania Veltri
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Capital ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Real ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Italian Context ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Italian Territory

Purpose – The article aims to investigate whether the integration between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and intellectual capital (IC) reports could be a plausible issue. To address this aim, the paper posits three main research questions: whether there is a theory able to explain the relationship between IC and CSR (RQ1); whether empirical surveys provide evidence of the links between CSR activities (CSRA) and IC (RQ2); and whether organizations have started to disclose social and intangible issues in a single document within the Italian context (RQ3). Design/methodology/approach – To answer the RQs, we decided to arrange three different literature reviews. In detail, to address RQ1, we searched for theoretical studies focussing on an resource-based view (RBV) perspective of IC or CSR or both. To address RQ2, we searched for empirical studies addressed to test the links between CSRA and the creation and development of organizational IC. To address RQ3, we searched for empirical studies focussing on companies’ experiences of integration of CSR and IC reports or on surveys on this theme in the Italian context. Findings – All the three literature reviews provide evidence that the trend to move towards an integration of social and IC issues in a single report is a plausible issue, from a theoretical, management and disclosure point of view. Research limitations/implications – The main limit of the research lies in its theoretical nature; however, the study can provide an impulse for further research on the existing trend in the real-life context, and can also provide the theoretical basis on which to build a model that, starting from the relationships among the different kinds of voluntary reports, provides the criteria and methods to integrate the firm’s corporate voluntary reports in a single report. For researchers, this result also has an implication to control for intangibles, for example, assessing the relationship between CSR and corporate performance may explain some of the mixed findings that have occurred in the past. Practical implications – The article inserts CSR and IC within the RBV theory. Such recognition provides managers the theoretical framework to treat them conjointly, being aware that these two dimensions are intertwined. The article also provides evidence that CSRA impact on IC creation and development. The main implication for company managers is that, when developing a strategy aimed at strengthening IC, they should consider not only all components of intellectual capital but, above all, also include CSR actions and attributes in strategy formulation. Finally, the article provides evidence of a trend towards an integration of CSR and IC reports within the Italian territory. An integrated CSR–IC approach could have relevant implications on the development of the Italian territory characterized by a large number of SMEs and networks of firms that are an integral part of the local community, whose success is often related to their capability to acquire consensus from local stakeholders such as employees, public authorities, financial organizations, banks, suppliers and citizens. Originality/value – The article provides three main contributions: first, the paper suggests that the integration of the two different perspectives IC and CSR finds its theoretical justification in the RBV theory, which is scarcely applied to explain the link between these two perspectives; second, the article provides evidence of the real effects that investments in CSR have on the maintenance and developing of organizational IC; third, it provides evidence that there is a trend moving towards an integration of social and IC issues in a single report in the Italian context.

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