scholarly journals The UEFA Champions League: maintaining the status quo?

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 247-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Plumley ◽  
Stuart W. Flint

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the competitive balance of the UEFA Champions League group stages. There are numerous financial and commercial benefits to clubs that participate in this competition. The current paper examines whether the seeding system operated by UEFA is hindering some lower ranked teams from qualification and, thus, the associated benefits. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected for all UEFA Champions League group stages between1999/2000 and 2013/2014. Data analysis techniques included Herfindahl-Hirschman Index to examine competitive balance and one-way ANOVAs to examine the impact of the current seeding system on club performance. Findings – The findings suggest that there are flaws in the ranking and seeding system used by UEFA, as results show that the competition is competitively imbalanced at the group stage. Additionally, clubs that are continually placed in the highest seeding pot historically tend to accumulate more points and finish in a higher position in the group, thereby giving them a better opportunity to progress further in the competition. Research limitations/implications – The study has implications for both the clubs competing in the Champions League, who will be affected by the seeding system, and UEFA themselves when considering the sporting integrity of their flagship competition. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper of its kind to examine competitive balance in this competition, and the paper contributes new knowledge that extends the research undertaken in the field previously.

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 55-58
Author(s):  
Javier Bajer

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to challenge the constructs regularly used by organisations around the world for the development of leadership. Design/methodology/approach This is an opinion piece based on direct observation of hundreds of organisations over the years. Findings The regular approaches used for the development of leadership skills in organisations have consistently failed to deliver against its promise. Moreover, it is often the case that organisations pursue new “solutions” to bridge the leadership gap, often to discover that their new approach not only failed to develop the skills needed but also had the side effect of distracting vast amounts of attention. This paper describes what, if not the various taxonomies that describe, “good leadership” looks like really and how it delivers sustainable and effective leadership transformation. Originality/value This piece challenges the status quo, offering a more powerful way of connecting people with the purpose of their work, increasing the impact that individual leadership could have in the creation of value for all stakeholders, including themselves.


Author(s):  
Lotte Holck

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critically reflect on the affective entanglement of both researcher and practitioners in a study of workplace diversity with a transformative agenda.Design/methodology/approachEvents and experiences related to interventions in a municipal center are presented. The study is embedded in critical diversity research and applies engaged ethnographic methods.FindingsThe researcher reflects on how interventions designed to challenge the status quo faced difficulties while considering the impact of the research entry point, efforts to mobilize organizational members in favor of a diversity agenda and the micro-politics of doing intervention-based research.Practical implicationsThe study reflects on how “useful” research with an allegedly emancipatory agenda might not be considered favorable to neither majority nor minority employees. The notion of affectivity is applied to deal with the organizational members’ multi-voiced response to the change efforts, as well as how the researcher’s position as researcher-change agent critically shaped the fieldwork experiences and their interpretation.Originality/valueFew critical diversity scholars engage with practitioners to produce “useful” research with practical implications. In doing so, this paper contributes to critical diversity methods by exploring why presumably emancipatory initiatives apparently did not succeed, despite organizational goodwill. This involves questioning the implied assumption of the inherent “good” of emancipation, as well as notions of “useful research.”


2013 ◽  
Vol 20 (66) ◽  
pp. 45-52
Author(s):  
Dorothy Williams ◽  
Kay Wilson ◽  
Michael McConnell

Research findings, if they are to fulfil their purpose, must be perceived as valuable and worth accessing. The role of research is to change the status quo, therefore findings need to be absorbed by practitioners. Research is more than a cycle of methodologies and data analysis techniques for other researchers to use and adapt. It is accepted that findings may not always be relevant to the problems or issues faced by practitioners. Practitioners need to be aware of the range of research undertaken and any findings, in order that they may make informed decisions. Much of the research that is undertaken within the information community addresses issues of concern to practitioners. However, the extent to which practitioners are aware of research, have access to research findings and particularly, how this impacts on their decision making is not well understood. To investigaie the impact of research information on practitioners, it is necessary to look beyond outward behaviour patterns and to try to understand the internal processes which lead practitioners to decisions. There is a need to examine the knowledge of the practitioner and how it is applied. Such an approach would produce a fuller and more useful model of how and why research information impacts on practitioners.


2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 10-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sharon Q. Yang

Purpose – This study aims to ascertain the trends and changes of how academic libraries market and deliver information literacy (IL) on the web. Design/methodology/approach – The author compares the findings from two separate studies that scanned the Web sites for IL-related activities in 2009 and 2012, respectively. Findings – Academic libraries intensified their efforts to promote and deliver IL on the web between 2009 and 2012. There was a significant increase in IL-related activities on the web in the three-year period. Practical implications – The findings describe the status quo and changes in IL-related activities on the libraries’ Web sites. This information may help librarians to know what they have been doing and if there is space for improvement. Originality/value – This is the only study that spans three years in measuring the progress librarians made in marketing and delivering IL on the Web.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiu-Ming Loh ◽  
Voon-Hsien Lee ◽  
Garry Wei-Han Tan ◽  
Keng-Boon Ooi ◽  
Yogesh K. Dwivedi

PurposeThis paper explores the reasons behind the slow uptake of mobile payment (m-payment) from a switching intention (SI) perspective. The antecedents of SI from cash to m-payment were explored using an integrated conceptual model of the push-pull-mooring (PPM) framework and the status quo bias (SQB) perspective.Design/methodology/approachA self-administered survey was used to collect data, which are empirically tested using SmartPLS 3.0.FindingsThe push factor was found to have an insignificant effect on SI to m-payment whereas the pull factor was significant. Furthermore, the results revealed that the two mooring variables have contrasting results as trust is not a significant determinant of SI to m-payment while perceived security and privacy (PSP) is. Additionally, all SQB-related relationships were found to be statistically significantOriginality/valueThis study determined the factors that play vital roles in the consumers' decision-making to transition from cash to m-payment. This was done via a uniquely developed conceptual model that incorporated the PPM framework with the SQB perspective.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judy Zolkiewski

Purpose This paper aims to debate the challenges related to balancing relevance and ranking in management research. Design/methodology/approach This is a commentary on and review of challenges faced by twenty-first century management academics. Findings There is a chasm between managerial relevance and current managerial research; however, with academic buy-in, there are ways in which the chasm can be crossed. Research limitations/implications The implications of this are wide reaching for management researchers. They are challenged to consider different methodologies, strategies and dissemination avenues for their research. Practical implications Researchers need to consider not only collaboration with practitioners, as they pursue solutions to managerial problems, but also more inter-disciplinary research that addresses the wicked problems of management in practice. Social implications Solving the challenge of managerial relevance of business research has the potential to allow the contribution of business academia to be fully appreciated by practitioners. Originality/value The value of this thought-piece is that it challenges business and management academics to challenge the status quo and fight to make their research relevant to and valued by the business world.


2014 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 182-187
Author(s):  
Clare Southall

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the changing role of OD practitioners. Given the many significant challenges faced by organisations and their leaders, never has the role of OD been more important; it is vital that OD practitioners are able to identify the paradigm shift that is required if they are to provide the relevant challenge and support that organisations and leaders need. Design/methodology/approach – The OD role is explored through the Challenger pattern of behaviour known as Witnessing the Establishment – the ability, and the willingness, to see things as they really are, not as we wish them to be. The authors are often so much a part of the organisational system ourselves that the underpinning assumptions, beliefs, routines and rituals that exist are so transparent we can not see them for what they are. Findings – This paper focuses on one of the six patterns of behaviour identified in Challenger leaders in the book “Challenger Spirit: Organisations that disturb the status quo” by Khurshed Dehnugara and Claire Genkai Breeze, LID Publishing, 2011. Research limitations/implications – This is not an academic paper but instead a consultant/practitioner perspective grounded in day-to-day work with leaders and OD professionals in client organisations. Originality/value – A number of suggestions are given for applying the perspectives discussed, through a series of questions, diagnostic processes and models. These are directly applicable to OD practitioners themselves and can also form the basis of further conversations with the leaders and colleagues.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 633-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anish Yousaf ◽  
Abhishek Mishra ◽  
Anil Gupta

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the interesting dynamics of image transfer when multiple brands get together to sponsor a property, referred to as concurrent sponsorship, and its effects on the consumer-based brand equity (CBBE) of the sponsor or the sponsored property, in the context of Indian Premier League of cricket. Design/methodology/approach Two pre-tests, for identifying the sponsored property and sponsors, were followed by the main experiment, involving 500 respondents. A general linear model was used for data analysis. Findings The findings reveal that for brands with high CBBE, investment in concurrent sponsorship leads to larger benefits, especially if they have similar associations to the sponsored property. This study also shows that image of the sponsored property is strongly dependent on combined CBBE of the sponsors. Finally, it is found that brands with high (low) CBBE are benefited more in concurrent (solo) sponsorship conditions. Originality/value This paper is an original contribution in this field, with limited works studying the impact of concurrent sponsorship on the brand equity of sponsors or the sponsored property.


Subject Financial globalisation and policy. Significance Trade globalisation has triggered debate about its effects on income distribution in advanced economies. The introduction of the most substantial US tax reform in 30 years at the start of the year is now drawing attention to the impact of financial globalisation on inequality's rise around the world, boosting populist support for nativism. However, modelling shows judicious tax and spending policies can counter this. Impacts The weaker security of online and gig-economy employment will intesify calls for governments to invest in social security. The European Commission, UN and OECD favour a global solution to taxing the digitalised economy, but many countries favour the status quo. Disagreements over the basis of taxation and weak capacity in developing countries to implement solutions impede a global consensus. Technology and democracy give young populations a louder voice to campaign for resources; populist voting and social unrest may increase.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alistair M. Brown

Purpose Using the theory of sensibility and McClelland et al.’s (2013) metaphorical analysis, this study aims to analyse the accounting metaphors and meta-metaphor of The Hollow Men, a poem written by T. S. Eliot. Design/methodology/approach The analysis uses McClelland et al.’s (2013) five-step procedure to ascertain the poem’s metaphor use. Findings The Hollow Men depicts accountants as ritualistic and accounting voices as quiet and meaningless while its meta-metaphor conveys accounting as rites and shadows. Research limitations/implications Although The Hollow Men’s use of Form 4 metaphors, where neither figurative nor literal source term is named, places an onus on the reader to infer meaning from accounting metaphor use, the analysis provides readers with a valuable structure for evincing accounting metaphors that present pervasive accounting issues facing the modern world. Practical implications Accountants, according to The Hollow Men, are hollow, devotees to plunderers and property and rain dancers. The Hollow Men situates the quest for accounting as a ritual for order and the preservation of the status quo. Social implications The Hollow Men’s mages of accounting immersion in rites and shadows accord with the conceptual metaphors of accounting as magic and accounting as history. Originality/value The originality of this study rests in its introduction to McClelland et al.’s (2013) metaphorical analysis of accounting research.


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