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1 – 10 of 31In many security domains, the ‘human in the system’ is often a critical line of defence in identifying, preventing and responding to any threats (Saikayasit, Stedmon, & Lawson…
Abstract
In many security domains, the ‘human in the system’ is often a critical line of defence in identifying, preventing and responding to any threats (Saikayasit, Stedmon, & Lawson, 2015). Traditionally, such security domains are often focussed on mainstream public safety within crowded spaces and border controls, through to identifying suspicious behaviours, hostile reconnaissance and implementing counter-terrorism initiatives. More recently, with growing insecurity around the world, organisations have looked to improve their security risk management frameworks, developing concepts which originated in the health and safety field to deal with more pressing risks such as terrorist acts, abduction and piracy (Paul, 2018). In these instances, security is usually the specific responsibility of frontline personnel with defined roles and responsibilities operating in accordance with organisational protocols (Saikayasit, Stedmon, Lawson, & Fussey, 2012; Stedmon, Saikayasit, Lawson, & Fussey, 2013). However, understanding the knowledge that frontline security workers might possess and use requires sensitive investigation in equally sensitive security domains.
This chapter considers how to investigate knowledge elicitation in these sensitive security domains and underlying ethics in research design that supports and protects the nature of investigation and end-users alike. This chapter also discusses the criteria used for ensuring trustworthiness as well as assessing the relative merits of the range of methods adopted.
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Federico R. León, Oswaldo Morales, Juan D. Ramos, Álvaro Goyenechea, Paul A. Rojas, José Meza and Andrés Burga-León
Call centers generate stress and absenteeism in staff and the literature suggests that people-oriented leadership is the right way of supervision for such a situation. This study…
Abstract
Purpose
Call centers generate stress and absenteeism in staff and the literature suggests that people-oriented leadership is the right way of supervision for such a situation. This study compared its effects versus those of other types of leadership.
Methodology
Absentee data of 379 representatives of customer services of a Peruvian call center were analyzed and the representatives answered a questionnaire about the Framework of Values in Competition and its four types of leadership. Day and night work shifts were compared.
Results
It was observed that absenteeism declines with people-oriented leadership, although only during the day shift, and the addition of leadership oriented to change, results and control devalues models.
Limitations/implications
Future studies should cover the performance of the worker. The findings suggest a need to re-focus the theoretical focus on environmental contingencies that affect leadership effectiveness.
Originality/value
Leadership theorists will ask themselves in what circumstances the multiple leadership is effective. Call center managers will appreciate the organizational value of people-oriented leadership at the first level of supervision.
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Developing followers is just as important as developing leaders. This brief outlines strategies for integrating material on followership into three leadership course units…
Abstract
Developing followers is just as important as developing leaders. This brief outlines strategies for integrating material on followership into three leadership course units: introduction to leadership, leadership theories, and leadership ethics. Instructors can highlight the importance of followership by emphasizing that (a) leaders and followers have an interdependent relationship, (b) followers are essential to group success, (c) followers are an important component in many leadership theories, and (d) followers are responsible for their moral choices and face their own set of ethical challenges.
The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between consumers’ emotions towards emerging e-banking technology, perceived risk and subsequent intention to adopt…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between consumers’ emotions towards emerging e-banking technology, perceived risk and subsequent intention to adopt emerging e-banking technology.
Design/methodology/approach
An online questionnaire was used to collect data, which were analysed in a quantitative study. The final sample of 224 educated young consumers, familiar with emerging e-banking technology, allowed testing of the research hypotheses by applying confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM).
Findings
The empirical results indicate that deterrence emotions and hedonic motivation are associated with consumers’ perceived risk and, subsequently, their intention to adopt emerging e-banking technology. Additionally, analysing the moderating role of hedonic motivation in the association between consumers’ deterrence emotions towards emerging e-banking technology and their perceived risk highlights the significant association of deterrence emotions with perceived risk, regardless of the presence of hedonic motivation.
Originality/value
This study demonstrates the association between consumers’ emotions, perceived risk and subsequent intention to adopt emerging e-banking technology whilst underscoring the importance of distinguishing between different types of emotions and their corresponding appraisals.
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Drawing on Bandura’s social learning theory (SLT), the purpose of this paper is to investigate, analytically, the impact that after-training skills level (i.e. perceived skill…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on Bandura’s social learning theory (SLT), the purpose of this paper is to investigate, analytically, the impact that after-training skills level (i.e. perceived skill match) has on change self-efficacy. Moreover, this research also aims to identify which specific skills sets (if any) act as a protective factor during organizational change, supporting the change confidence (CC) level of the people involved.
Design/methodology/approach
Quantitative research was carried out on a sample of 200 workers in the bank sector.
Findings
Findings of this study suggest that skill match has a significant impact on the CC level. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that, even in front-office jobs, a perceived skill match of soft skills does not have a significant impact on staff CC, unlike that suggested by common sense and by literature.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should investigate if and how a training process enables change self-efficacy over time or instead shows its utility only when it is relating to a specific and limited period.
Practical implications
This study suggests that in designing training, top and middle management should pay specific attention to change recipients’ needs by adopting a bottom-up approach. Moreover, to improve training effectiveness, it would be advisable to also train change recipients’ supervisors.
Social implications
This study has social implications in suggesting how to foster the adaptive capabilities of change recipients in current turbulent times. In doing so, it suggests how to prevent some undesirable change consequences such as anxiety, intention to quit, work-related stress and change cynicism.
Originality/value
This paper shows that, from a methodological point of view, it is necessary to evaluate training effectiveness at the level of a specific skill area and not simply by comparing the trained/not trained people, as typically practiced until now.
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Harneel Acharya, Rakesh Reddy, Ahmed Hussein, Jaspreet Bagga and Timothy Pettit
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of role playing as an applied learning technique for enhanced classroom experiences as compared to traditional lecture…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of role playing as an applied learning technique for enhanced classroom experiences as compared to traditional lecture methods.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses the pre-test/post-test design to conduct experiments with several control and experimental groups. Subjects are graduate students in an MBA program at a private, non-profit university in a traditional classroom setting.
Findings
Students in the experimental group gained significantly more knowledge (post-test minus pre-test scores) – 45 percent higher – through participation in the role playing exercise as compared to the control group.
Research limitations/implications
This study represents only a single educational discipline explored using a single role playing learning activity. Impacts on the long-term retention of the knowledge should be studied further.
Practical implications
Educators should enhance their classroom experience with more applied learning activities such as role playing in order to increase knowledge gain and potentially longer knowledge retention.
Originality/value
This study uses a customized role playing activity within a business curriculum as one of many applied learning techniques. The value to students was shown by significantly higher gain in knowledge while simultaneously enhancing their enjoyment of the classroom experience to potentially encourage further lifelong learning.
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Razali Haron, Noradilah Abdul Subar and Khairunisah Ibrahim
The objective of this study is to examine the impact of PAKSERV model on customers' satisfaction, loyalty and trust in Malaysian Islamic banks. These comprehensive measures…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study is to examine the impact of PAKSERV model on customers' satisfaction, loyalty and trust in Malaysian Islamic banks. These comprehensive measures concern on the cultural dimension of service quality by focusing on the mediating role of trust in the Malaysian context.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was conducted involving 401 customers of Islamic banks in the states of Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, Malaysia. The data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation model employing AMOS 23 and SPSS 23.
Findings
The study found positive relationship of PAKSERV dimensions of service quality, customers' satisfaction, customers' loyalty and the mediating role of trust in enhancing customers' loyalty. This study provides new evidence on how trust can act as a partial mediation on the relationship between customers' satisfaction and customers' loyalty in the cultural context of Islamic banking in Malaysia.
Practical implications
The findings of this study can be used as a framework for other Islamic Financial Institutions (IFIs) in improving services to its customers.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the body of knowledge in enhancing the understanding on customers' satisfaction, loyalty and trust in Islamic banks in Malaysia. This study also covers a broad range of respondents, hence representing a good diversity of Islamic banks' customers.
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Pedro Silva, Vera Teixeira Teixeira Vale and Victor Ferreira Moutinho
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of entrepreneurial orientation on the network and exhibitor’s performance. The entrepreneurial orientation is seen as a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of entrepreneurial orientation on the network and exhibitor’s performance. The entrepreneurial orientation is seen as a highly competitive factor for the company, which can foster its trade fair business.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey-based quantitative approach was adopted, including a questionnaire (n = 362) applied to companies participating in trade fairs. To arrive at results, the study developed structural equations modeling techniques, using SPSS 24 and AMOS 20 software.
Findings
The study demonstrates positive impacts of entrepreneurial orientation on network capability and consequent exhibitor’s non-sales performance and exhibitor’s sales performance. A conceptual model is presented.
Research limitations/implications
The study was carried out mainly on Portuguese companies, restricting its generalization. In addition, the exhibitor’s performance was measured based on the exhibitors’ level of satisfaction and not on real sales results.
Practical implications
The study offers a process which the results highlight such as innovativeness, proactivity, risk-taking, competitiveness and autonomy (dimensions of entrepreneurial orientation) as a mix of important ingredients for the exhibitor’s networking. The networking promotes intangible results (non-sales performance) that can generate sales (sales performance).
Originality/value
The study is the first research to apply entrepreneurial orientation in the trade fair context and it also presents a relationship between non-sales performance and sales performance.
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James Lappeman, Michaela Franco, Victoria Warner and Lara Sierra-Rubia
This study aims to investigate the factors that influence South African customers to potentially switch from one bank to another. Instead of using established models and survey…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the factors that influence South African customers to potentially switch from one bank to another. Instead of using established models and survey techniques, the research measured social media sentiment to measure threats to switch.
Design/methodology/approach
The research involved a 12-month analysis of social media sentiment, specifically customer threats to switch banks (churn). These threats were then analysed for co-occurring themes to provide data on the reasons customers were making these threats. The study used over 1.7 million social media posts and focused on all five major South African retail banks (essentially the entire sector).
Findings
This study concluded that seven factors are most significant in understanding the underlying causes of churn. These are turnaround time, accusations of unethical behaviour, billing or payments, telephonic interactions, branches or stores, fraud or scams and unresponsiveness.
Originality/value
This study is unique in its measurement of unsolicited social media sentiment as opposed to most churn-related research that uses survey- or customer-data-based methods. In addition, this study observed the sentiment of customers from all major retail banks across 12 months. To date, no studies on retail bank churn theory have provided such an extensive perspective. The findings contribute to Susan Keaveney’s churn theory and provide a new measurement of switching threat through social media sentiment analysis.
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Neema Florence Mosha and Patrick Ngulube
The study investigated teaching research data management (RDM) courses in higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania to enable postgraduate students to work with their…
Abstract
Purpose
The study investigated teaching research data management (RDM) courses in higher learning institutions (HLIs) in Tanzania to enable postgraduate students to work with their research data.
Design/methodology/approach
The study triangulated research methods. Postgraduate students were investigated using survey questionnaires to learn about their needs and perceptions of the teaching RDM courses in HLIs. Key informants (academicians, information and communication technologists and library staff) were also investigated using in-depth interviews to explore their experiences and knowledge of teaching RDM courses. SPSS statistical software was used for analysing quantitative data; qualitative data were analysed thematically.
Findings
A total of 70 questionnaires were distributed to postgraduate students with a returning rate of 44 (69%). On the other hand, 12 key informants were interviewed. A low level of RDM literacy was revealed among 38 (86%) respondents. Most respondents 40 (91%) reported the need for HLIs to start teaching RDM courses. A lack of skills and knowledge in teaching RDM courses was revealed among key informants. The competency-based, adaptive and constructive teaching techniques were selected for teaching RDM courses, whereas intensive training and online tutorials were revealed as teaching formats.
Research limitations/implications
This study focused on teaching RDM courses in HLIs. The survey questionnaires were distributed to all 2nd year postgraduate students, however, the findings cannot be generalised to all postgraduate students due to the response rate obtained. The findings obtained from key informants can also not be used as a basis for generalization across HLIs.
Practical implications
This study concluded that postgraduate students need to be well equipped with skills and knowledge on RDM and its related concepts; teaching RDM courses should be regarded as a continuous programme for benefit of students, researchers and the community at large.
Social implications
Appropriate teaching of RDM courses among students not only ensures that students meet the funders’ and publishers’ requirements, but also encourages students to store and share their research among researchers worldwide; thus increasing collaboration and visibility of the datasets and data owners through data citations and acknowledgements.
Originality/value
This is a comprehensive study that provides findings for HLIs to teach RDM courses in HLIs, especially for postgraduate students. The findings revealed the need for teaching RDM courses in HLIs. The study provides the basis for further RDM research in HLIs and research institutions.
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