Making and breaking the manual – a case of tests and rapport in an interdisciplinary team

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-188
Author(s):  
Helene Ilkjær ◽  
Mette My Madsen
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Interdisciplinary Team ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interdisciplinary Teamwork ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Private Sector Organizations ◽  
Point Of Departure

PurposeThis article engages the concept of tests–here understood as social tests of collaborative abilities in the interdisciplinary teamwork–to examine how they are central to an applied anthropologist's positioning and influence within an organization.Design/methodology/approachPresented as an auto-ethnographic methodological exploration, the article takes its point of departure in ethnographic material from the work by Helene Ilkjær as an Industrial Postdoc with an interdisciplinary team of engineers, scientists and designers in a Danish technology start-up company.FindingsWithin this ethnographic context, the article examines not only the case of “the manual” to unfold how the dynamics of careful development but also notorious circumvention of manuals came to serve as social tests–moments that fundamentally changed the anthropologist's position within the interdisciplinary team. Analytically, the manual serves as a prism through which it explores the slippery and negotiable nature of the anthropologist's professional position as an Industrial Postdoc–suspended between anthropology “for” and “of” the company, officially employed by the company while also engaged in academic research.Originality/valueThe article offers anthropologists a tool to visualize the different movements and placements within continua of professional positionality while working as applied researchers with(in) private sector organizations.

Information processing by elderly consumers: a five-decade review

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluigi Guido ◽  
Marco Pichierri ◽  
Cristian Rizzo ◽  
Verdiana Chieffi ◽  
George Moschis
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Processing Activity ◽  
Elderly Consumers

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review scholarly research on elderly consumers’ information processing and suggest implications for services marketing. Design/methodology/approach The review encompasses a five-decade period (1970–2018) of academic research and presents relevant literature in four main areas related to information processing: sensation, attention, interpretation and memory. Findings The study illustrates how each of the aforementioned phases of the information processing activity may affect how elderly individuals buy and consume products and services, emphasizing the need for a better comprehension of the elderly to develop effectual marketing strategies. Originality/value The study provides readers with detailed state-of-the-art knowledge about older consumers’ information processing, offering a comprehensive review of academic research that companies can use to improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts that target the elderly market.

Toward better theory on the relationship between commitment, participation and leadership in unions

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 715-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregor Gall ◽  
Jack Fiorito
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Critical Assessment ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Union Commitment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to give a critique of the extant literature on union commitment and participation in order to develop remedies to identified weaknessesDesign/methodology/approachThe paper uses a critical assessment of extant literature.FindingsA number of critical deficiencies exist in the literature to which remedies are proposed.Research limitations/implicationsThe remedies need testing through empirical research.Practical implicationsFuture research needs to have different research foci and questions.Social implicationsWith a reorientation of future research on union commitment, participation and leadership, unions may be better able to benefit from academic research in the area.Originality/valueThe paper suggests that a reorientation of future research on union commitment, participation and leadership will allow more incisive and more robust contributions to be made to understanding unions as complex social organisms.

South Pacific transnational money laundering typologies

2017 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 345-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Chelliah ◽  
Anita Prasad
Keyword(s):  
Money Laundering ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
South Pacific ◽  
Pacific Island ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
South Pacific Island ◽  
Pacific Island Nations

Purpose The paper aims to present typologies of transnational money laundering in South Pacific island countries, thereby filling a gap in the extant literature. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on seven significant transnational money laundering cases involving South Pacific island nations. It provides analyses of the modus operandi of criminals and classifies those according to typologies from anti-money laundering authorities and bodies. Findings Typologies of money laundering have arrived through a content analysis of seven cases involving transnational money laundering destined for South Pacific island nations. The typologies which have emerged show the predominant forms of transnational money laundering in this region. This knowledge could be useful to government policy-makers and financial institutions pursuing anti-money laundering initiatives. Originality/value There is a dearth of academic research into typologies of transnational money laundering involving the South Pacific. This paper makes a useful contribution to the extant literature by providing the most recent typologies in this respect.

scholarly journals Better leadership, higher work engagement? Comparative study on Finnish and Russian private sector employees

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 922-943 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tiina Saari ◽  
Harri Melin ◽  
Evgeniya Balabanova ◽  
Azer Efendiev
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
Equal Treatment ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Leadership Quality ◽  
Level Of Satisfaction ◽  
Private Sector Organizations

Purpose This paper focuses on the relationship between leadership and work engagement (WE) in Finnish and Russian private sector organizations. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how Finland and Russia differ in the level of WE; in the level of satisfaction with leadership and in specific components of leadership as most important antecedents for WE. Design/methodology/approach The empirical analysis of this study is based on survey data collected in Finland and Russia. The analysis focuses on 1,570 Finnish and 490 Russian private sector, full-time employees with permanent contracts, who have no managerial responsibilities. The data are analyzed using descriptive methods and binary logistic regression analysis. Findings The results show, first, that both satisfaction of leadership and WE are higher in Finland than in Russia. Second, WE in Finland is facilitated by nearly all components of leadership – both materialistic- and relationship-based – while in Russia WE is predicted by rewarding good performers and such relationship-based practices as feedback, delegating responsibility, discussing work matters, and building trust. Contrary to the hypothesis, such materialistic-based components as providing equal treatment turned out to be insignificant for WE in Russia. Practical implications Organizations should invest in leadership quality to enhance WE and thus, to get a competitive advantage. Originality/value This study adds to the limited comparative research on WE and its predictors.

Effects of market orientation, innovation strategies and value-based pricing on market performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deonir De Toni ◽  
Ricardo Antonio Reche ◽  
Gabriel Sperandio Milan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Market Orientation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Market Performance ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Moderating Variables ◽  
Innovation Strategies ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThis study aims to propose and test a theoretical model that contemplates antecedent constructs of organizational performance, as well as the interaction among them.Design/methodology/approachA survey was conducted with 151 Brazilian exclusive stores in the planned furniture segment. The data analysis was performed using two statistical techniques, focused on hierarchical regression and mediation and moderation tests.FindingsAmong the main results of the survey are the direct and significant effects of value-based pricing and innovation strategies and the indirect effect of market orientation on market performance. As for moderation, the authors identified that profitability moderates the relationship between value-based pricing and market performance, and the degree of sales projection moderates the relationship between market orientation and market performance.Originality/valueThe insertion of value-based pricing as a variable in quantitative analysis of market performance meets the lack of academic research. When the constructs are combined or interacted with each other, they have a stronger and more significant effect on performance. In addition, this work proposes two moderating variables that can interfere in the relationship between the analyzed constructs (profitability and sales projection). It was identified that the relationships between the constructs and that the orientation towards the market (despite not directly impacting market performance) interfere with the relationship based on mediation of variable innovation strategies and value-based pricing.

Advancing the multidimensional approach to family business professionalization

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gülçin Polat
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Structure ◽  
Work Environment ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Multidimensional Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multidimensional Construct ◽  
Definition Of

PurposeAlthough it has been implicitly or explicitly assumed that family business professionalization is indeed a multidimensional construct, there has been a tendency to confine it to the employment of nonfamily managers and delegating authority in academic research. Dekker et al. (2013) have made an impressive work in untangling the multidimensional structure of family business professionalization. This paper aims to introduce a more comprehensive multidimensional approach and a framework to understand and study family business professionalization by identifying additional dimensions.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual framework relies on insights derived from the literature on family business professionalization, occupational professionalism and organizational professionalism to reveal the broader multidimensionality of family business professionalization.FindingsThe proposed framework extends the definition of family business professionalization and offers additional dimensions which were grouped under five overarching headings: professionalization of management, professionalization of organizational structure, processes and operations, professionalization of family's relationship with business, professionalization of employees and professionalization of work environment and culture.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature by providing a wider approach for the understanding of family business professionalization. It presents a new way of thinking about family business professionalization, underlining the importance of employees and organizational culture for the professionalization process in family firms.

International equity REITs: five major future directions

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-81
Author(s):  
David Parker
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Risk Return ◽  
Cognitive Risk ◽  
International Equity ◽  
Equity Reits ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze chapters from the recently published Routledge REITs Research Handbook to identify five major future directions for international equity REITs. Design/methodology/approach Literature review and critical analysis of chapters from the recently published Routledge REITs Research Handbook. Findings The five major future directions for international equity REITs are proposed to comprise an increasing focus on people and on cash flow rather than on property (with the cognitive risk attaching thereto), the changing nature of REITs as they respond to changes in society globally, the evolution of the global flagship REIT and the emergence of global regulation of REITs (particularly in the spheres of debt and leverage). Research limitations/implications While five major future directions for international equity REITs are identified which may have an impact on the risk/return profile, further research is required to determine which directions may be significant and which trivial and which may be independent and which interactive. Practical implications Identification of five major future directions for international equity REITs provides managers and promoters with guidance concerning potential areas of focus for future product development in the REIT sector. Originality/value While quantitative research concerning international equity REITS abounds, qualitative research is limited with little academic research undertaken into possible future directions for the sector.

scholarly journals An analysis of a structured benchmarking project

2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1431-1450 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Abdullah Al Nuseirat ◽  
Zeyad Mohammad El Kahlout ◽  
Ahmed Abbas ◽  
Dotun Adebanjo ◽  
Prattana Punnakitikashem ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Case Study Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
External Stakeholders ◽  
Study Methodology ◽  
Project Data ◽  
First Time ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate a benchmarking project carried out by the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) as part of a structured benchmarking initiative. The project was based on the TRADE benchmarking methodology and this paper examines the tools, activities and outcomes that relate to each stage of the adopted methodology. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on case study methodology. Data were collected from various sources including analysis of project reports written by DEWA’s benchmarking team reporting on their activities during the project. Data were also collected from four project presentations given at different stages of the project. In addition, the research team held three meetings with the DEWA benchmarking team at different stages of the benchmarking project. Findings The results show the key challenges and successes faced during each stage of the benchmarking project. It indicates the actions taken to overcome the challenges and the role played by internal and external stakeholders in facilitating the success of the benchmarking project. Practical implications The study presents information that would guide organisations that wish to carry out a benchmarking project – and particularly those implementing benchmarking for the first time. The study provides a summary of the key lessons learnt by DEWA’s benchmarking team as a guide for other organisations. Originality/value Academic research has not adequately examined and analysed the stage-by-stage elements of a benchmarking project from the perspective of the implementing organisation. This study addresses this gap by detailing and analysing the experiences of a benchmarking project by tracking the stage-by-stage activities of the benchmarking team.

scholarly journals The paratext of digital documents

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roswitha Skare
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Controversial Issues ◽  
Scholarly Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital Documents ◽  
Screen Level ◽  
Point Of Departure

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to provide a discussion on how to apply Genette's concept of the paratext to analyze digital documents. The article argues that the concept, despite its shortcomings, is useful because it gives us the terminology to analyze elements often ignored and overlooked.Design/methodology/approachBy taking Gérard Genette's concept of the paratext as point of departure, the paper focuses on three controversial issues in the scholarly work about paratext and digital documents: the division of paratext into peritext and epitext, the explosive growth of paratext and the question of authorization of text and paratext.FindingsQuestions related to the spatial division of the paratext into peritext and epitext, the difficulty of where to draw the line between text and paratext and the question of authorization are not new for digital documents but did already occur in the analog world. Even if many decisions like what to include and what to exclude in an analysis are left to the researcher, this does not mean that Genette's concept is unsuitable for digital documents. On the contrary, the concept gives us the terminology to analyze elements of often ignored and overlooked, also for digital documents.Research limitations/implicationsAs a scholar in the humanities the author can only relate to and therefore analyze what the author can experience and observe on screen level.Originality/valueIn providing a discussion of digital documents and some of the controversial issues discussed by other researchers, this article shows the relevance of Genette's concept, also for our work with digital documents.

scholarly journals Product returns: a growing problem for business, society and environment

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (10) ◽  
pp. 1613-1621
Author(s):  
Regina Frei ◽  
Lisa Jack ◽  
Steve Brown
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Business And Society ◽  
Product Returns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Operational Management ◽  
Functional Teams ◽  
Financial Impacts

PurposeThis article sheds light onto the increasing problem of product returns, which is exacerbated by growing e-commerce. Many retailers and academics are oblivious to the nature and scale of this challenge. Interdisciplinary research is needed to develop supporting theory, and cross-functional teams are required to implement measures addressing economic, ecological and social sustainability issues.Design/methodology/approachThe initial project adopted a multi-case study approach, whereby returns processes were mapped, vulnerabilities identified and a returns cost calculator was developed.FindingsProduct returns processes are usually complicated, prone to internal and external fraud, inefficient and lack sustainability. They can generate considerable losses to the business, especially as returns data are often not systematically collected, monitored or reported to senior management. There are important implications for strategic and operational management, namely the need to develop a concept for Lean returns systems.Originality/valueProduct returns are a unique and understudied but growing field in academic research, with only few publications over the last two decades. Yet the phenomenon is causing increasing problems in business and society. Robust solutions could achieve great financial and non-financial impacts.

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