Ravi S. Behara and David E. Gundersen
Theory building efforts in quality management have begun in earnest. However, while services continue to dominate the developed economies of the world, these studies have mostly…
Abstract
Theory building efforts in quality management have begun in earnest. However, while services continue to dominate the developed economies of the world, these studies have mostly focused on manufacturing firms. Research that addresses this limitation by specifically addressing quality management in service organizations is presented in this paper. Through a survey of 170 US service firms, this study empirically develops and validates 11 constructs for quality management in services. A comparison between this study and other empirical quality management studies highlights many distinct quality management constructs in services. It also shows that all empirical studies have some gaps in the coverage of their constructs, reiterating the need for continued quality management theory building research in services and manufacturing.
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ORIGINS THE Department of Aeronautical Engineer‐ing at The Queen's University was founded primarily to stimulate the flow of local talent into the aircraft industry of Northern…
Abstract
ORIGINS THE Department of Aeronautical Engineer‐ing at The Queen's University was founded primarily to stimulate the flow of local talent into the aircraft industry of Northern Ireland. With the transfer of the whole of the resources of Short Brothers and Harland to Belfast in 1947 and their subsequent development, the aircraft industry had come to represent a considerable fraction of the engineering effort of the Province. It was thus to be expected that the only University in Northern Ireland should concern itself with the special needs of this exacting branch of engineering. The University had long had a School of Engineering forming part of a Faculty of Applied Science and Technology. The engineering disciplines were civil, mechanical and electrical, and the mechanical courses in particular had been adapted to some extent to meet aeronautical needs. But it was only natural that there remained a demand for a separate department, providing a degree course devised specifically for aeronautical engineers. In the event the Department of Aeronautical Engineering was established in 1956, after close consultation with Short Brothers and Harland, who have given it both generous support and willing co‐operation ever since.
This article has been written to acquaint librarians and others interested in finding information about adoption with the services of the National Adoption Information…
The purpose of the paper is to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academic research, highlighting their potential to transform various…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in academic research, highlighting their potential to transform various stages of the research process. AI tools are transforming academic research, offering numerous benefits and challenges.
Design/methodology/approach
Academic research is undergoing a significant transformation with the emergence of (AI) tools. These tools have the potential to revolutionize various aspects of research, from literature review to writing and proofreading. An overview of AI applications in literature review, data analysis, writing and proofreading, discussing their benefits and limitations is given. A comprehensive review of existing literature on AI applications in academic research was conducted, focusing on tools and platforms used in various stages of the research process. AI was used in some of the searches for AI applications in use.
Findings
The analysis reveals that AI tools can enhance research efficiency, accuracy and quality, but also raise important ethical and methodological considerations. AI tools have the potential to significantly enhance academic research, but their adoption requires careful consideration of methodological and ethical implications. The integration of AI tools also raises questions about authorship, accountability and the role of human researchers. The authors conclude by outlining future directions for AI integration in academic research and emphasizing the need for responsible adoption.
Originality/value
As AI continues to evolve, it is essential for researchers, institutions and policymakers to address the ethical and methodological implications of AI adoption, ensuring responsible integration and harnessing the full potential of AI tools to advance academic research. This is the contribution of the paper to knowledge.
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Maria Gianni, Antonella Reitano, Marco Fazio, Athanasia Gkimperiti, Nikolaos Karanasios and David W. Taylor
During the Covid-19 pandemic, people were deprived of their freedom, unable to engage in physical and social activities, and worried about their health. Uncertainty, insecurity…
Abstract
Purpose
During the Covid-19 pandemic, people were deprived of their freedom, unable to engage in physical and social activities, and worried about their health. Uncertainty, insecurity, and confinement are all factors that may induce stress, uneasiness, fear, and depression. In this context, this study aims to identify possible relationships of emotions caused by health risks and restrictions to outdoor activities with well-informed decisions about food consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
The theoretical framework of this research draws on the stimulus-organism-response paradigm yielding six research hypotheses. An online survey was designated to test these hypotheses. A total of 1,298 responses were gathered from Italy, Greece, and the United Kingdom. Data analyses include demographic group comparisons, moderation, and multiple regression tests.
Findings
The results showed that when people miss their usual activities (including freedom of movement, social contact, travelling, personal care services, leisure activities, and eating at restaurants) and worry about their health and the health of their families, they turn to safer food choices of higher quality, dedicating more of their time and resources to cooking and eating.
Research limitations/implications
The findings showcase how risk-based thinking is critical for management and marketing strategies. Academics and practitioners may rely on these findings to include extreme conditions within their scope, understanding food literacy as a resilience factor to cope with health risks and stimulated emotions.
Originality/value
This study identified food behavioural patterns under risk-laden conditions. A health risk acted as an opportunity to look at food consumption as a means of resilience.
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A key tenet of the modern nation-state – embedded in the notion of progress – is the belief that our children can lead better lives than our own. Trust in the possibility of…
Abstract
A key tenet of the modern nation-state – embedded in the notion of progress – is the belief that our children can lead better lives than our own. Trust in the possibility of upward mobility for future generations drives movements of families around the world, and, indeed, drives the spirit of capitalism. In today's world, the notion of mass access to educational opportunity is a key element of the dream of upward mobility. This ideal is manifest in the huge public investment in schools that all nations must make, no matter how rich or poor, to signify membership in modern society.
Sumardi Sumardi and Adji Achmad Rinaldo Fernandes
The effect of the quality management system on service performance. The mediating effect of service quality on the influence of the quality management system on service…
Abstract
Purpose
The effect of the quality management system on service performance. The mediating effect of service quality on the influence of the quality management system on service performance. The mediating effect of product characteristics on the influence of the quality management system on service performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis unit of this research were the service organizations/fields presented by each of the experts working in the consulting companies/business entities of construction planners that have Grade 4 qualification and have been the members of Inkindo registered since 2016 and located in the territory of Indonesia. The sample target were the organizations/fields of the consulting companies represented by the permanent experts or skilled manpower working accordingly with the field of construction planning services. This becomes important, considering that the position of experts is crucial to the success and quality of the management of construction planner consulting services. Determination of the use of the sample was based on the rule of thumb in SEM, which amounted to 10 × 20 indicators or 200 respondents.
Findings
There is significant influence between the variables of the quality management system to service quality and company performance, but there is no significant effect on product characteristics. The analysis also showed that mediating effects to service quality or characteristics of the product were not found on the influence of the quality management system to company performance.
Originality/value
The quality management system focuses on earning users’ satisfaction by applying basic principles to the management of good companies. The scope of a broad management system not only revolves around the quality of products making the quality management system very well applied in various types of companies or organizations, but it can also be applied to organizing-related services to customers.
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Cynthia Mejia and Katherine Wilson
The purpose of this study was to examine the global perceptions of social equity in the fine dining business model as a result of the surprise announcement for the 2024 planned…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to examine the global perceptions of social equity in the fine dining business model as a result of the surprise announcement for the 2024 planned closure of the Michelin three-star restaurant, Noma.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used critical discourse analysis to inductively analyze 91 source documents retrieved through a lexical database search. The analysis yielded five overarching themes and six subthemes.
Findings
Findings from this study serve as a benchmark in retrospect for capturing a rapidly accelerating global conversation from January to March 2023 around the long-term viability and social sustainability of the fine dining business model.
Research limitations/implications
Against the backdrop of labor challenges in the restaurant industry due to the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, the announced closure of Noma precipitated criticism of the stage (unpaid intern) system and the intense pressures of attaining and maintaining Michelin star status.
Practical implications
Results from the discourse analysis suggest certification for fine dining restaurants, perhaps through the Michelin Guide, for demonstrating a commitment to social sustainability as a qualifier to achieve a Michelin star.
Social implications
Findings from this research reveal a palpable change in societal tolerance for a more socially sustainable fine dining restaurant business model that advances equitable solutions for its workers while assuring the economic sustainability of restaurants.
Originality/value
This study drew upon a foodscape lens to reveal a juxtaposition between well-executed environmentally sustainable initiatives in the fine dining business model and the threats to the social sustainability among its workers.
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THE importance of the book as an educational agency has so long been recognized, that it will be unnecessary for me to dwell upon that side of the question. Yet it is impossible…
Abstract
THE importance of the book as an educational agency has so long been recognized, that it will be unnecessary for me to dwell upon that side of the question. Yet it is impossible to ignore it altogether, for it is in the educational power of the book that we find the main reason for the existence of the school library. The elementary schools carry education up to a certain point, and the technical schools and universities take it up and carry it still further, but it is the library—or at any rate the book—which co‐ordinates the whole ; many people, indeed, have no education beyond the elementary school, except what they obtain from books. From this, the part played by the school library becomes obvious. Not only is it a powerful educator in itself, but it prepares the individual for the use of the Public Library and of books in general in the period following school life. Also, I need hardly point out that, although the use of the text‐book is dis pensed with as far as possible, the whole modern system of teaching is founded on the use of books.