Anthony Edwards' recent study “The Reliability of Tourism Statistics ”in Travel & Tourism Analyst [Edwards 1991 in References below] is timely, coming before the WTO International…
Abstract
Anthony Edwards' recent study “The Reliability of Tourism Statistics ”in Travel & Tourism Analyst [Edwards 1991 in References below] is timely, coming before the WTO International Conference on Travel and Tourism Statistics (Ottawa, June 25–28, 1991) and the Meeting on Tourism Statistics at the International Statistical Institute's 38th Session (together with the International Association for Official Statistics, Cairo, September 1991). He is one of the most expert users and analysts of these problematic data. Both WTO [1985] and OECD [1982, 1984] published methodological reports on the main national statistics they publish. A recent book [Bar‐On 1989a], three articles in The Tourist Review [Bar‐On 1983, 1988] and in International Tourism Quarterly [Withyman 1985] and a paper at the Beijing Conference of IAOS [Bar‐On 1990] discussed many of the problems and solutions, and they were covered at the Crete Europa Conference [Schmidhauser 1991]. The following should interest readers producing or analysing tourism data:
THE centenary of the birth of Edward Edwards is an event of great interest to all persons interested in the public library movement. Elsewhere in our columns we print a brief…
Abstract
THE centenary of the birth of Edward Edwards is an event of great interest to all persons interested in the public library movement. Elsewhere in our columns we print a brief sketch of the life and work of “the chief pioneer of municipal public libraries.” The date generally accepted as that of his birth, December 14th, is regarded by some as doubtful, but is probably near enough for practical purposes. His retiring disposition resulted in the record of his life being doubtful or broken in places. The late Thomas Greenwood—another great library pioneer who has gone—collected all that could be collected in his valuable biography of Edward Edwards. It was his main regret that he could not obtain an authentic portrait of Edwards, and this regret we must all share, for a portrait brings reality to a verbal description. By the time these words appear in print, the Manchester Libraries Committee and the Library Assistants' Association will each have paid public tribute to the memory of Edward Edwards, and their example will have been followed in private by all other library workers having any regard for the history of their calling.
An American company has achieved what is claimed to be a breakthrough of great significance to polymer science.
Researchers are today focusing their efforts on ambitious performance goals for turn‐of‐the‐century military and civil aircraft propulsion systems, objectives set by projects such…
Abstract
Researchers are today focusing their efforts on ambitious performance goals for turn‐of‐the‐century military and civil aircraft propulsion systems, objectives set by projects such as the High Speed Civil Transport. One such programme co‐ordinated by NASA and the DoD, the Integrated High‐Performance Turbine Engine Technology Initiative, or IHPTET, seeks to double thrust‐to‐weight ratios to 20:1 by the year 2003. Tomorrow's aircraft engines will undoubtedly run hotter and weigh less than their present‐day counterparts, and will depend on advanced materials. Metal‐matrix composites (MMCs) typically consisting of a titanium alloy matrix and ceramic reinforcement, are generally held as leading candidates because they are light and maintain their strength at higher operating temperatures.
Enormous amounts of paint will be required in the coming decades to maintain the 570,000 bridges spanning the US rivers, canals and road‐ways and providing access to more than 3.5…
Abstract
Enormous amounts of paint will be required in the coming decades to maintain the 570,000 bridges spanning the US rivers, canals and road‐ways and providing access to more than 3.5 million miles of US highways.
Hester Nienaber and Nico Martins
Employee engagement recently emerged as a promising mechanism to improve organisational effectiveness and accordingly reduce the performance gap. This paper empirically…
Abstract
Purpose
Employee engagement recently emerged as a promising mechanism to improve organisational effectiveness and accordingly reduce the performance gap. This paper empirically demonstrates which employee engagement dimension(s) act as the strongest dimension to enhance the levels of employee engagement and consequently organisational effectiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a quantitative approach, specifically a survey design, using a questionnaire to collect data. Regression analysis was applied to predict the impact of the employee engagement dimensions on the level of employee engagement in organisations and the impact of online/social media, as part of communication, on employee engagement.
Findings
The statistical analyses indicate that the dimensions organisational strategy and implementation, organisational commitment and team commitment are significant predictors of employee engagement. On-line/social media has a negative effect on employee engagement. However, according to the results, communication in organisations can be improved, especially by using online/social media more effectively.
Research limitations/implications
This includes low response rate from some groups.
Practical implications
The importance of secondary general management tasks, particularly motivation and communication, in mobilising employees to cooperate in pursuing organisational goals, became apparent. This study reflects the adverse effect of a lack of leadership and management skills, and ineffective use of online/social media on organisational performance, as reported in academic and practitioner research. Regardless, practitioners can apply the levers of motivation, via structural dimensions of organisation, to activate psychological presence which drives employee engagement and in turn facilitates strategy implementation and consequently organisational effectiveness. Scholars can modify their research agendas by investigating the “(un)availability” of human resources to improve organisational effectiveness.
Social implications
The costs of disengaged employees are high, in terms of productivity losses and the performance gap, with adverse consequences for society.
Originality/value
Employee engagement as a driver of strategy implementation is an overlooked area of research. This study offers a better explanation of employee engagement as a mechanism to improve strategy implementation, thus reducing the performance gap, and consequently waste. Employee engagement engenders employee support to pursue organisational goals, in a coordinated system of cooperation, and is produced by the structural dimensions of organisation, the parameters within which psychological presence is activated. Psychological presence drives employee engagement which enables employees to be available to implement strategy to achieve organisational goals and thus organisational effectiveness. Engagement at a broader level than individual is significant.
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Automatic Galvanizing. Galvanizing of small parts is carried out automatically by the rotary machine, illustrated on this page, made by F. Blasberg of Solingen‐Merscheid. The…
Abstract
Automatic Galvanizing. Galvanizing of small parts is carried out automatically by the rotary machine, illustrated on this page, made by F. Blasberg of Solingen‐Merscheid. The cam‐operated plating buckets are mounted on a Roballo ball‐bearing slewing ring 40 in. in diam. and are dipped into different baths during the galvanizing cycle.
The presence of mature masculinity is slowly reshaping contemporary action cinema in the twenty-first century. It is a phenomenon that rejects the unrealistic view that action…
Abstract
The presence of mature masculinity is slowly reshaping contemporary action cinema in the twenty-first century. It is a phenomenon that rejects the unrealistic view that action heroes are embodiments of Apollo and Ares in human flesh. Instead, action heroes are viewed as flawed characters who cannot escape the realities of their corporeality, mortality and humanity. The following chapter is an examination of a particular type of action hero archetype that combines ageing with virtuous and mature masculinity. Here I use Tom Cruise's development and portrayal of Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series as a lens through which to highlight the presence of the virtuous and mature hero archetype in action cinema.
Cruise's representation of heroic masculinity is significant because it achieves three separate goals. First, Cruise's mature masculinity repudiates the hardbody model by showing its deficiencies as a male archetype. Second, it introduces a version of an action hero that emphasises the benefits of ageing and mature masculinity. Lastly, Cruise's onscreen presence redoubles the idea that heroic masculinity is motivated by a deep sense of morality, duty and a desire to serve the greater good. As the model of the mature and virtuous hero becomes more prevalent, as I argue, it not only reshapes action cinema but also produces cinematic representations of heroic masculinity that are more positive in terms of showing the importance of maturity, virtue, and public service.
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Shengliang Deng, Rob Lawson and Luiz Moutinho
Presents an exploratory study on travel agents’ attitudes towards automation. Surveys 167 travel agents from both Canada and New Zealand. Shows that there are four distinct groups…
Abstract
Presents an exploratory study on travel agents’ attitudes towards automation. Surveys 167 travel agents from both Canada and New Zealand. Shows that there are four distinct groups of agents whose attitudes towards automation differ quite substantially and that these attitudes are related not so much to current use of technology but more to perceived future usage.
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The purpose of this paper is to synthesize ten years of case studies and data analysis from which emerged an organizational design that facilitates adaptability, agility, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to synthesize ten years of case studies and data analysis from which emerged an organizational design that facilitates adaptability, agility, and resilience. The resulting triangular model of culture, leadership, and systems is proposed.
Design/methodology/approach
Analysis of over 100 case studies over ten years along with statistical analysis of survey data from 50 of those companies resulted in the emergence the triangular model and provides quantitative support for validity.
Findings
People drive a complex and dynamic system with culture, leadership, and systems as key factors driving organizational success in a rapidly changing environment. The critical factor in adapting to change is designing organizations to maximize the vast tacit knowledge base within organizations. Diagnostic tools are necessary to identify underlying strengths and weaknesses to initiate targeted discussions and provide a baseline for measurement.
Research limitations/implications
All of the organizations were from Europe, Africa, or the Middle East.
Practical implications
The emergent people-centric triangular model with culture, leadership, and systems at the points along with the development of a diagnostic tool offers a methodology for executives to gain valuable insight into critical elements of their organizations from which to initiate constructive dialogue leading to effective action.
Originality/value
Many authors have offered theories on developing agile organizations. The emergent people-centric performance triangle and evolving diagnostic instrument add to the body of existing literature and lays the groundwork for practical tools and methods to yield practical results.