scholarly journals The newly created Publicly Available Specification (PAS 141) for reusable electrical/electronic products

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1135-1147 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joao Quariguasi-Frota-Neto ◽  
Andrew Reade ◽  
Azadeh Dindarian ◽  
Andrew Gibson

Purpose – In 2011, a governmental initiative driven by the Department for Business Innovation and Skills invited the British Standards Institute (BSI) to write and publish a publicly available specification (PAS) for the reuse of waste electrical and electronic equipment entitled PAS 141. The specification's ambitious goals, chief among them to reduce the amount of e-waste generated in the UK, has prompted debate as to whether they are realistic and the extent to which they can be influenced by the certification. The purpose of this paper is to propose a comprehensive framework that can be used in future research to enhance understanding of the mechanisms by which the introduction of PAS 141 certification could lead to the fulfillment of its goals, that is, successful uptake. The authors believe this framework can serve as a roadmap for those interested in the investigation of this novel certification and its effect on the market for reusable electrical and electronic products. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is based on interviews with reuse organizations and first hand experience as a participant in the steering group that elaborated the certification being investigated, i.e. PAS 141. Findings – It is uncertain whether PAS 141 will fulfill its promises, which are, in the view of the authors, rather ambitious, e.g. reduce e-waste. Furthermore, more research is needed to examine the effect that the introduction of the certification has on the materialization of its goals, and on the complex inter-relationship that exist between the goals and what the authors define as intermediary necessary conditions. Research limitations/implications – This is the first attempt the outline the research needs that arise from the introduction of PAS-141, and the authors believe that there are other equally important questions that are yet to be presented and examined. Practical implications – This paper proposes 28 hypotheses which will help future work to empirically establish: the possibility of PAS-141 attaining its goals and the main necessary conditions for that to happen. This information is pivotal to determine whether the certification is working and to pinpoint opportunities for improvement. Social implications – This works contributes to the understanding of the role of certification on the market of reused products, which employs a large number of people, and in particular, whose coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. Originality/value – Although certification in general has been widely investigated in prior research, scant attention has been paid to certification in the context of electronic products. To the best of the knowledge, this is the first paper of its kind, as it is the first to examine certification in that context.

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 774-785 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vesna Spasojevic Brkic ◽  
Branislav Tomic

Purpose – Lean management and Six Sigma concepts are derived from two different points of view, but it is evident that the role of employees is crucial in both concepts. The purpose of this paper is to survey which employees’ behaviour dimensions can lead organization to better concepts integration and how Lean Six Sigma activity contributes to employees’ performance. Design/methodology/approach – Research methodology is designed to empirically check, on large sample of companies in multinational company supply chain, if employees’ factors are both predictor and response variables of Lean Six Sigma concept. To check stated hypothesis factor, reliability and multiple regression analysis are used. Findings – The first finding of this study is that reward system and training are significant predictors of Lean Six Sigma activities. The second part of findings shows that Lean Six Sigma dimensions, such as Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control/Define, Measure, Analyze, Design, and Validate, 5S and Kanban positively influences employees’ performance, described by employee satisfaction, absenteeism, salaries and benefits, employees’ commitment and employee turnover rate. Research limitations/implications – Poka-Yoke application is not found as a significant predictor of employees’ performance. Accordingly, to explore that interesting finding, possible future research topic is more detailed analysis of Poka-Yoke application in similar supply chains. A longitudinal analysis using structural equation is possible direction of future work, too. Practical implications – This survey answers the need for Lean and Six Sigma unified methodology achievement in soft factors area and gives applicable results for companies in supply chain that produces low-volume, high-complexity products. Originality/value – Original and valuable conclusion is that employees’ factors are both predictor and response variables of Lean Six Sigma concept application.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sjanne Marie Elyse van den Groenendaal ◽  
Silvia Rossetti ◽  
Mattis van den Bergh ◽  
T.A.M. (Dorien) Kooij ◽  
Rob. F. Poell

PurposeAs the current “one size fits all” research approach is likely to be ineffective in identifying the conditions that promote the entrepreneurial career of the solo self-employed, this paper advances the current understanding of the heterogeneity among the solo self-employed.Design/methodology/approachA person-centered approach is used to identify groups among the solo self-employed based on their starting motives and to examine their engagement in proactive career behaviors.FindingsUsing Latent Class Analysis (LCA), six groups displaying distinct motivational profiles are identified: (1) the pushed by necessity, (2) entrepreneurs by heart, (3) control-seekers, (4) occupationally-driven, (5) challenge-seekers and (6) the family business-driven. In line with the argument that starting motives affect behavior because they reflect the future work selves that individuals aim for, results show that solo self-employed with distinct motivational profiles differ in their engagement in proactive career behaviors. For future research, it is recommended to examine the role of demographic characteristics in the engagement in proactive career behaviors.Originality/valueAlthough starting motives among self-employed people have been studied frequently, this research applies an innovative methodological approach by using LCA. Hereby, a potentially more advanced configuration of starting motives is explored. Additionally, this study applies a career perspective towards the domain of solo self-employment by exploring how solo self-employed with distinct motivational profiles differ in terms of managing their entrepreneurial careers.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Brochado ◽  
Michael Louis Troilo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the main insights current literature offers regarding initial coin offerings (ICOs) and the avenues for future research. Design/methodology/approach The approach consists of a systematic literature review of 130 papers from the SCOPUS database published in English between January 2018 and December 2020, with supplemental semantic analysis of the abstracts to obtain key themes and concepts. Findings Regulation and the determinants of ICO success are the main themes for current research and represent fruitful areas of continued scholarship. The research agenda in ICOs is just beginning and several topics and questions merit future inquiry: the behaviour of issuers and investors, the importance of human capital, the role of intermediaries and infomediaries and the use of signalling. Originality/value To the knowledge, this is one of the first systematic studies of current literature in ICOs. It provides a roadmap for future work on a phenomenon that will only grow in significance.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 1275-1298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Harriet Wood ◽  
Maarit Kinnunen

Purpose This study aims to explore how emotionally rich collective experiences create lasting, shareable memories, which influence future behaviours. In particular, the role of others and of music in creating value through memories is considered using the concept of socially extended emotions. Design/methodology/approach Over 250 narratives were gathered from festival attendees in the UK and Finland. Respondents completed a writing task detailing their most vivid memories, what made them memorable, their feelings at the time and as they remembered them, and how they shared them. The narratives were then analysed thematically. Findings Collective emotion continues to be co-created long after the experience through memory-sharing. The music listened to is woven through this extension of the experience but is, surprisingly, not a critical part of it. The sociality of the experience is remembered most and was key to the memories shared afterwards. The added value of gathering memorable moments, and being able to share them with others, is clearly evidenced. Practical implications The study highlights the importance of designing events to create collective emotional moments that form lasting memories. This emphasizes the role of post-experience marketing and customer relationship building to enhance the value that is created customer-to-customer via memory sharing. Originality/value The research addresses the lack of literature exploring post-event experience journeys and the collective nature of these. It also deepens a theoretical understanding of the role of time and sociality in the co-creation and extension of emotions and their value in hospitality consumption. A model is proposed to guide future research.


Author(s):  
Mikaela Krohn

Purpose Despite the increased interest in video methods and the role of visuality in organizations and management, the use of video in organizations has received scant attention. The purpose of this paper is to explore organizational videoblogs as a phenomenon, and discuss avenues that open up for qualitative research. The paper examines the affordances of organizational videoblogs in a strategy context by contrasting them with more conventional corporate videos, in order to discuss how spectacularization and social media style communication is influencing social practices in organizations. Design/methodology/approach First, this paper introduces the phenomenon of organizational videoblogging and its implications for research. Second, it engages in a theoretical discussion on videoblogs as a strategizing activity, through three different analytical lenses: strategic sensegiving, strategic self-branding and strategy as spectacle. Illustrative empirical examples are used to support the theoretical discussion. Findings The paper argues that organizational videoblogging is a phenomenon that changes social practices in organizations by injecting a visual, social media type communication. Organizational videoblogs emphasize authenticity and provide new affordances for sensegiving and self-branding in strategizing, but ultimately lead us to ask whether they risk turning strategizing into an infotainment-like spectacle. Originality/value The value of this paper lies in conceptualizing how and why organizational videoblogs can be studied in organizations. The paper provides future research with vocabulary and characteristics to distinguish different types of video in organizations.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Osama Fayez Atayah ◽  
Mohamed Mahjoub Dhiaf ◽  
Khakan Najaf ◽  
Guilherme Francisco Frederico

Purpose This study aims to contribute to the extant literature on logistics by investigating the interrelationship between the financial performance of listed logistics firms and the COVID-19 and compare the logistics firms’ financial performance of G-20 countries during the pandemic period. Design/methodology/approach To conduct the confirmatory analysis by testing the hypotheses formulated for this study, data have been collected from Bloomberg of all logistics firms from G-20 countries. This paper gathered the first quarter from 2010 until the last quarter of 2020 as the research sample to examine the pandemic impact on financial performance. Findings The results show that the financial performance of logistic firms was significantly higher during 2020. Overall, the country-wise findings corroborated with the main results and the financial performance of 14 countries’ logistic firms out of 20 ones analysed has been significantly elevated, during the pandemic period. However, this paper has found out a negative financial performance of the logistics firms during the COVID-19 period in six countries (Germany, Korea, Russia, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the UK), which support the second proposition. Research limitations/implications The study’s results were important as they highlighted the role of logistics firms in offering insights to academics, practitioners, policymakers and logistic firms’ stakeholders. For future research, this paper suggests including some other variables that might influence firm performance and that have not been considered in this study, which is a limitation, and going more deeply into the logistics sector by comparing the financial performance of the sub-sectors. Practical implications As the importance of logistics services during the pandemic period is relevant, this study may provide significant insights because the logistics firms play a crucial role by anticipating to ensure the supply of essential items such as food, medicine, then supporting for the continuity of supply chains. The view of finance impacts during the pandemic may provide insightful perspectives for logistics companies, allowing them to understand those impacts and better prepare for likely disruption events such COVID-19 pandemic. Originality/value This paper is novel considering that it is unique in evaluating logistics firms’ financial performance from a global perspective, considering the context of this historical pandemic.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 1174-1183
Author(s):  
Nieky van Veggel ◽  
Philip Howlett

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the literature with regard to the course leader in small and specialist higher education in the UK. Design/methodology/approach First, the role of the course leader is explored, followed by an evaluation of the barriers to effective course management. This is then followed by a discussion of mitigating solutions to the barriers identified. Course leadership is then reviewed in the context of small and specialist higher education. Finally, areas for future research are suggested. Findings Course leadership in the UK is a role with wide ranging responsibilities, but is under-appreciated by the higher education sector. Various barriers have been identified, and some solutions proposed, in the literature, but problems remain. Originality/value Course leadership is an underappreciated area with little academic literature available, even though issues have been reported since the 1990s. This paper critically evaluates and summarises the issues, and shows that they are still current. It also proposes solutions and areas of further research so that issues can be resolved for betterment of the higher education sector.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1377-1412 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kjersti Berg Danilova

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the state-of-the-art in research on process owners, a key role within business process management and process governance, and thus to increase our understanding of the role of process owners. Design/methodology/approach The author conducts a systematic literature review of research shedding light on the role of process owners. The review includes 100 academic papers and 10 books on BPM. Findings Findings from the review demonstrate the significance of appointing process owners and showcase process owners’ role and responsibilities, as well as obstacles to and enablers of effective process ownership. Originality/value Based on the findings from the review, the author proposes a comprehensive framework on process ownership. The review provides a knowledge base for future research to build upon and can serve as a guide for practitioners. The review also identifies several research gaps and opportunities for future research.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 35-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brianne Redquest ◽  
Yona Lunsky

Purpose There has been an increase in research exploring the area of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and diabetes. Despite being described as instrumental to diabetes care for people with IDD, the role and experiences of family carers, such as parents and siblings, are often neglected in this research. However, it is clear that family carers do not feel that they have sufficient knowledge about diabetes. The purpose of this commentary is to extend the content from “Diabetes and people with learning disabilities: Issues for policy, practice, and education (Maine et al., 2020)” and discuss how family carers can feel better supported when caring for someone with IDD and diabetes. Design/methodology/approach This commentary discusses specific efforts such as STOP diabetes, DESMOND-ID and OK-diabetes for people with IDD including family carers. Encouragement is given for health care providers to recommend such programmes to people with IDD and their family carers. It is also suggested that health care providers involve family carers in diabetes care planning and implementation for people with IDD. Findings It is hoped that if changes are made to current diabetes practices and more research with family carers is conducted, diabetes prevention and management for people with IDD will be more successful and family carers can feel more confident in providing support to their loved ones. Originality/value Research exploring the role of family carers in diabetes care for people with IDD and diabetes is very limited. This commentary makes recommendations to help family carers feel better supported in their role. It also provides areas for future research.


2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 771-790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luay Anaya ◽  
Mohammed Dulaimi ◽  
Sherief Abdallah

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to articulate clear understanding about the role of enterprise information systems (EIS) in developing innovative business practices. Particularly, it aims to explore the different ways that make EIS enables innovation development. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted exploratory case study, based on qualitative approach. Investigations included two case studies each involved interviewing a number of senior information technology staff, working at these cases. Findings – The paper provides empirical insights about the EIS role in enabling innovation. The analysis of the case studies revealed that integrating an EIS with other system(s) or with digital devices can provide new practices that could not be easily available without these technologies. The study also found that applying data analytics tools into data accumulated from EIS, to extract new insights, lead to innovative practices. Practical implications – The study provides a set of recommendations for organizations interested to maximize the benefits from their investments in EIS. Originality/value – The paper provides evidences from cases in United Arab Emirates for the EIS role in enabling business innovation.


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