Paul Westhead, David J. Storey and Frank Martin
Assesses the contribution of the 1994 Shell technology enterprise programme (STEP) which subsidised the employment of students in SMEs in the UK. A key issue is whether STEP…
Abstract
Assesses the contribution of the 1994 Shell technology enterprise programme (STEP) which subsidised the employment of students in SMEs in the UK. A key issue is whether STEP students participating in the 1994 programme reported significantly superior benefits to those of students that never participated in the programme (i.e. non‐STEP students). Outcomes associated with the programme were assessed over a 36‐month period between 1994 and 1997. The programme had no statistically significant impact on the ability of students to obtain full‐time employment positions. Similarly, the programme was not found to be statistically significantly associated with the ability of graduates to obtain full‐time jobs in small firms. However, STEP students expressed a statistically significantly more “positive” attitude than non‐STEP students towards self‐employment or starting their own business. Conclusions and implications for policy makers and practitioners are detailed.
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The question that this study addresses is whether the shareholders of New Zealand firms benefit from the process of gaining ISO registration. Three major questions with regard to…
Abstract
The question that this study addresses is whether the shareholders of New Zealand firms benefit from the process of gaining ISO registration. Three major questions with regard to ISO registration within the New Zealand business context are raised. First, how do New Zealand public firms’ stock prices react to the announcement of ISO registration? Secondly, do ISO registered firms perform any differently to the New Zealand market on average? And finally, does the choice of certifying authority (organisation that awards ISO registration) have an influence on the subsequent performance of the ISO registered firms’ performance? This study is conducted from a financial perspective. The New Zealand market is found to have no reaction to ISO registration announcements; supporting the existence of semi‐strong market efficiency. ISO registered firms are found to perform below average when compared to the New Zealand capital market and the choice of certifying authority does hold influence on subsequent firm performance.
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The case includes theoretical references to family business, organizational culture, resource-based value and leadership.
Abstract
Theoretical basis
The case includes theoretical references to family business, organizational culture, resource-based value and leadership.
Research methodology
The case combines primary and secondary data. There is ample public information about Martin Guitar including histories of the company and its instruments. These were used for background. Primary data were provided by the company in the form of customized data and interviews.. The case writer has served Martin Guitar as a consultant and also plays Martin instruments. The case writer had numerous opportunities to interview Chris and his key lieutenants.
Case overview/synopsis
In 2019, C.F. Martin IV (Chris) was in his fourth decade leading one of the America’s oldest family-owned companies, C.F. Martin & Co., Inc. Martin Guitar is a globally known maker of fine guitars that are prized by collectors, working musicians and amateur musicians. Chris was raised in the family business and took on the CEO’s position at the age of 30. The case describes the company’s management practices and the culture that has emerged from them. In 2019, at age 64, Chris confronted issues faced by his predecessors over multiple generations: how to prepare the company for succession, and maintain its strong performance as a family-owned company in a dynamic industry environment.
Complexity academic level
The case is designed for a management course for upper-level undergraduates.
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Continuing our series on different approaches to addiction, Frank Ryan presents the latest, and possibly most potent tool, in tackling addiction. He explores the theory and…
Abstract
Continuing our series on different approaches to addiction, Frank Ryan presents the latest, and possibly most potent tool, in tackling addiction. He explores the theory and benefits of cognitive behaviour therapy in treating addictions and predicts that its results ‘will stand the test of time’.
Business incubators are now being considered or set up in many areas of the UK. There is, however, concern about the performance of these incubators in creating and developing new…
Abstract
Business incubators are now being considered or set up in many areas of the UK. There is, however, concern about the performance of these incubators in creating and developing new businesses. This paper examines published work on incubators, and links this to recent research in the UK to provide recommendations on the profile of a non‐profit incubator whose prime objective is the formation of new businesses.
Cindy Claycomb and Charles L. Martin
A study of 205 US commercial service providers, representing 31 two‐digit SIC codes, identified companies’ customer relationship‐building objectives and practices. Of 42 possible…
Abstract
A study of 205 US commercial service providers, representing 31 two‐digit SIC codes, identified companies’ customer relationship‐building objectives and practices. Of 42 possible relationship‐building objectives, the four rated as top priorities were: encouraging customers to think of the firm first when considering a purchase; providing better service; encouraging customers to speak favorably about the firm; and encouraging customers to trust the firm. Answers to open‐ended, exploratory questions revealed 18 categories of relationship‐building initiatives. The findings suggest that “customer relationship‐building” means different things to different people and that practices to build such relationships vary considerably. By inventorying the range of relationship‐building objectives, quantifying their priority levels, and identifying specific practices used to build customer relationships, a greater understanding of current practices was achieved. Thus, the findings promise to benefit researchers, practitioners and consumers in terms of knowledge development, prescriptions for success, and enhanced value and satisfaction, respectively.
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Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832) was an eccentric 18th Century English genius of many interests. He was the leader of a group of social and political reformers known as the…
Abstract
Jeremy Bentham (1748 - 1832) was an eccentric 18th Century English genius of many interests. He was the leader of a group of social and political reformers known as the philosophical radicals that included John Stuart Mill. While Bentham never held a government position, his writings influenced many who did. Bentham’s ideas and works touch on a variety of disciplines including: administrative management, criminal justice, economics, law, organizational theory and decision making, philosophy, political science, public administration, public policy, social welfare, and sociology. Bentham was a wordsmith adding such terms to the popular lexicon as: "minimize," "maximize," and "rational." He was also the first person to use the term "international." This article looks at Jeremy Bentham’s contributions in three areas: organizational theory and decision-making, public policy analysis, and administrative management. The article argues that although his ideas and works have been dismissed as passé in the post 1960s era of selective social consciousness and heightened political correctness, Bentham has much to say that is still important and relevant today
Michael R. Bowers and Charles L. Martin
The purpose of this conceptual paper is to show how a company can improve the interface by treating employees as customers and customers as employees.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this conceptual paper is to show how a company can improve the interface by treating employees as customers and customers as employees.
Design/methodology/approach
This article presents a conceptual model (reinforced with a review of extant literature and numerous examples) demonstrating the desirable consequences associated with the phenomenon we refer to as “trading places,” which occurs when organizations mix the treatment and roles of employees and customers.
Findings
Traditionally organizations have treated employees and customers as separate constituencies. Operations and human resource managers have developed their own approach to deal with employees (e.g. as “resources” to be utilized), while marketing managers have related to customers through somewhat different lenses (e.g. viewing customers as “prizes” to be won). Yet, in service organizations, we find that as employees assume more customer‐like roles and customers increasingly resemble employees, successful organizations are drawing from both approaches – treating employees more like customers, while treating customers more like employees.
Practical implications
As a conceptual piece, this article presents an alternative way of thinking about organizations' relationships with their employees and customers. Particularly relevant to service environments, it shows how organizations, employees, and customers all benefit when the “trading places” phenomenon is recognized.
Originality/value
The article updates the “trading places” perspective by reviewing relevant literature, providing a conceptual model, and illustrating the application of the approach with numerous examples.
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This “viewpoint” article aims to chronicle the history and evolution of the Journal of Services Marketing from 1987 through 2011, from the vantage point of Professor Charles L…
Abstract
Purpose
This “viewpoint” article aims to chronicle the history and evolution of the Journal of Services Marketing from 1987 through 2011, from the vantage point of Professor Charles L. Martin, who served on the journal's Editorial Advisory Board from 1987‐1990 and as Editor from 1990 to the present day.
Design/methodology/approach
The article summarizes the events and publisher's philosophy leading up to the founding of the journal, and discusses the policies/practices and content of the journal from 1987 through 2011.
Findings
The journal has evolved as the field of services marketing has evolved – from many conceptual, “how to” and idea articles to those more empirically‐based and theory‐driven. However, the journal's commitment to managerial implications or other implications continues.
Practical implications
Understanding the history and evolution of the journal promises to help service researchers better understand the field's archives, identify gaps in the literature and position their research for the future. The paper promises to help service researchers and business practitioners alike to understand that the field of services marketing is not static; rather it has evolved and developed over the years and will continue to do so in the future.
Originality/value
It is useful for any organization – including journals – to periodically document and reflect on its history in order to set its sights on the future.
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Chris Carter, Stewart Clegg, Martin Kornberger, Frank Mueller and Ianna Contardo
In this paper, we propose an understanding of what personnel professionals consume when they “adopt” black‐box management initiatives (Scarbrough, 1995; Wilson, 1992). Second, we…
Abstract
In this paper, we propose an understanding of what personnel professionals consume when they “adopt” black‐box management initiatives (Scarbrough, 1995; Wilson, 1992). Second, we explore the way in which professional associations and, hence, institutional actors pursue their own professional projects (Abbott, 1988) within a context of political legitimacies and illegitimacies. Thus, in a double move, we seek to explore the linkages between managerial methods used by institutions to increase their jurisdiction or their “authority to speak” (Foucault, 1972) and the processes of isomorphism.