Haley Baron and Carolyn Dimitri
Since the implementation of the National Organic Program in 2002, the US organic market has grown in both scale and scope, consequently placing pressure on the organic supply…
Abstract
Purpose
Since the implementation of the National Organic Program in 2002, the US organic market has grown in both scale and scope, consequently placing pressure on the organic supply chain. The crucial role of matching consumer demand for final products with farm-level production falls to certified organic handlers, the intermediary firms that process, manufacture and distribute organic products. Locating certified organic commodities and products that meet their needs, in a timely manner, is costly and challenging. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods study was designed to better understand organic sector supply chain relationships in the USA. Data were collected from certified organic handlers via survey and semi-structured interviews. Those interviewed were randomly selected from 153 survey respondents who expressed an interest in being interviewed. This paper presents an analysis of interviews with 26 certified organic handlers regarding the relationships with their suppliers.
Findings
Three key concepts characterize the relationships between handlers and their suppliers: closeness, support and commitment. Nearly all handler supplier relationships possess some degree of closeness, where the handler expresses interest in their supplier. The relationships follow a spectrum of intensity, where the least engaged handlers provide little support and commitment, and the most engaged handlers provide support and commitment through a long-term relationship or contract.
Originality/value
Research into the organic supply chain is challenging to undertake, given the proprietary nature of the relationships. As the organic market continues to grow, the relationships along the supply chain will need to evolve to allow firms to meet consumer demand.
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Douglas Flint, Lynn M. Haley and Jeffrey J. McNally
The purpose of this paper is to apply social exchange theory to predict the effects of procedural and interpersonal justice on turnover intentions. Specifically, it is predicted…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply social exchange theory to predict the effects of procedural and interpersonal justice on turnover intentions. Specifically, it is predicted that organizational commitment mediates the effects of procedural justice on turnover intentions and that supervisory commitment mediates the effect of interpersonal justice on turnover intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys were administered to 212 call center employees to measure the effects of procedural justice, interpersonal justice, organizational commitment, supervisory commitment and turnover intentions. Mediation effects were tested using Baron and Kenny's methodology.
Findings
Support was found for a partial mediation effect of organizational commitment on the effect of procedural justice on turnover intentions; and for a full mediation effect of supervisory commitment on the effect of interpersonal justice on turnover intentions.
Practical implications
Reduction of turnover is a major problem for the call center industry, as considerable resources are spent training new employees. This research suggests that turnover intentions can be reduced by addressing problems with organizational procedures and with the treatment of employees by supervisors.
Originality/value
The findings of this study replicate the mediation effects of organizational commitment on the effect of procedural justice on turnover intentions in call centers. In addition, this is the first study of its kind to show the mediation effects of supervisory commitment on the effect of interpersonal justice on turnover intentions.
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One in every five of the almost 17 million inhabitants in the Netherlands is a first- or second-generation migrant. The largest immigrant groups with a non-Western background are…
Abstract
One in every five of the almost 17 million inhabitants in the Netherlands is a first- or second-generation migrant. The largest immigrant groups with a non-Western background are Turks Moroccans, Surinamese and Antilleans. Their labour market position is precarious, as is indicated by higher levels of unemployment, larger dependency on temporary (rather than fixed) contracts and lower job levels. Substantial part of the migrants perceives that their weaker position is due to discrimination. Statistical analyses and field experiments show discrimination in hiring and indicate that part of the differential position of migrant workers in the Dutch labour market may be attributed to discrimination as well. At the work floor, migrants experience more discrimination than native Dutch, mostly in the form of hurtful jokes. Research that focuses on more discrimination grounds shows that ethnic background is not the only, nor the most important ground of perceived discrimination. Age and disability are also major grounds of perceived discrimination. Discrimination is a heavily debated topic that polarizes political debate and public opinion. It has shown to have mobilizing powers in politics. The high levels of public attention for the topic not only spurs citizens’ initiatives and governmental policies for combating it but may also facilitate recognition of discriminatory practices resulting in relatively high levels of perceived discrimination within a European context.
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Marisol Alonso-Vazquez, María del Pilar Pastor-Pérez and Martha Alicia Alonso-Castañón
The aim of this chapter is to present an overview of how entrepreneurs’ management activity can be assisted by utilising business plans. The main purpose of this chapter is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this chapter is to present an overview of how entrepreneurs’ management activity can be assisted by utilising business plans. The main purpose of this chapter is to guide prospective tourism entrepreneurs to make a reflection on management decision-making when starting up a micro-, small- or medium-sized tourism venture.
Methodology/approach
This chapter was built on a review of management literature and authors’ industry experiences.
Findings
This chapter suggests that a well-designed business plan can help prospective entrepreneurs to (1) facilitate their decision-making, (2) minimise their risk perception and (3) increase their venture’s success probability.
Research limitations/implications
This chapter is descriptive in nature to illustrate how business plans are useful instruments for decision-making in management and marketing areas.
Practical implications
The practical/entrepreneurial approach practical of this chapter contributes to highlight the utility and value of a business plan for any micro, small or medium tourism, travel, leisure or event venture.
Originality/value
This chapter is useful for prospective entrepreneurs who are planning to launch a venture but have not decided yet how to shape and start a tourism business venture.
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Mainstream counselling psychology with its Western epistemology implies several assumptions about the therapeutic conversation. One assumption is the ability of the therapist to…
Abstract
Purpose
Mainstream counselling psychology with its Western epistemology implies several assumptions about the therapeutic conversation. One assumption is the ability of the therapist to hear and see accurately during the therapy session. Apart from language difficulties and multi-cultural awareness, training in psychological counselling does not adequately address aspects of hearing and seeing as cognitive processors that are observer dependent and circular in nature. The purpose of this paper is to address this missing link by providing a single document addressing errors in hearing and seeing, which can then be used for training new therapists.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a Western epistemology, an argument based on multidisciplinary research findings is used to challenge the ideas of objective hearing and seeing in the therapeutic conversation of the counselling activity.
Findings
Research findings show that the act of hearing and seeing are personal and subjective. This would be in keeping with a cybernetic epistemology; however, cybernetic psychology is not well known nor widely accepted in mainstream institutions. Teaching counsellors who have a Western epistemology poses challenges when attempting to negate the objective reality of the trainees. Training counsellors to incorporate a cybernetic ethic of participation has obstacles, especially when the training has time constraints. Using Western positivistic research findings as a basis for providing an argument for subjectivity in perception may be a quicker method to achieve at least partial observer dependent thinking for counsellors in a short-time space during training sessions.
Research limitations/implications
This paper presents a concentration of multidisciplinary research that can be used as part of counsellor training for the purposes of providing a basis for the error and filtering that take place in human perception of sound and vision.
Originality/value
The modalities of hearing and seeing are not readily addressed in counselling psychology praxis. The errors in human sense perception are integral in framing the therapeutic conversation as one of subjective co-construction between observers, moving closer to an empathetic position. This paper provides a research-based argument in denying objectivity in human perception during the therapeutic conversation.
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The importance of reversibility criteria is discussed and existing measures described. A procedure for calculating a Bailout‐Portfolio‐Funding Index is set out and its advantages…
Abstract
The importance of reversibility criteria is discussed and existing measures described. A procedure for calculating a Bailout‐Portfolio‐Funding Index is set out and its advantages and limitations are analysed.
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Roediger Voss, Thorsten Gruber and Alexander Reppel
This paper aims to explore satisfactory and dissatisfactory student‐professor encounters in higher education from a student's perspective. The critical incident technique (CIT) is…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore satisfactory and dissatisfactory student‐professor encounters in higher education from a student's perspective. The critical incident technique (CIT) is used to categorise positive and negative student‐professor interactions and to reveal quality dimensions of professors.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory study using an online application of the well‐established CIT method was conducted. The study took place at a large European university. A total of 96 students took part in the study on a voluntary basis and reported 164 incidents. Respondents were aged between 19 and 24 years (x=23.2) and slightly more female students (52 per cent) filled in the online CIT questionnaire than male students (48 per cent). On average, every student provided 1.7 incidents.
Findings
The results of the critical incident sorting process support previous classification systems that used three major groups to thoroughly represent the domain of (un)satisfactory student‐professor encounters. The results of the CIT study also revealed ten quality dimensions of professors, corroborating previous research in this area.
Research limitations/implications
Owing to the exploratory nature of the study and the scope and size of its student sample, the results outlined are tentative in nature. The research study also only investigates the experiences of one stakeholder group.
Practical implications
Gaining knowledge of students' classroom experiences should be beneficial for professors to design their teaching programmes. Based on the results, universities might consider the introduction of student contracts or student satisfaction guarantees to manage student expectations effectively.
Originality/value
The paper was the first to successfully apply an online version of the CIT techniques to the issue of higher education services. This paper shows that the CIT method is a useful tool for exploring student‐professor encounters in higher education. The paper has hopefully opened up an area of research and methodology that could reap considerable further benefits for researchers interested in this area.
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Muhammad Haroon Rasheed, Amir Rafique, Tayyaba Zahid and Muhammad Waqar Akhtar
The purpose of this paper is to look at the impact of two most commonly used heuristics, namely, representative bias and availability bias on investment decision making and to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to look at the impact of two most commonly used heuristics, namely, representative bias and availability bias on investment decision making and to check that either locus of control interact with the said relations through theoretical proposal and then verification through empirical evidence.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is a quantitative research using a survey questionnaire for its data collection. Data are collected from 227 investors operating at Islamabad, Lahore, and Sargodha in Pakistan and analyzed using structural equation modeling while the interaction effect is analyzed through simple linear regression following the rules set by Baron and Kenny (1986).
Findings
The results reveal that both of the heuristics under study significantly cause investors to deviate from rational decision making while the locus of control have no significant moderating effect.
Originality/value
The proposed model provides insight on how the behavioral factors can lead investors to suboptimal decision making. This study is first of its kind to quantify the degree of irrationality caused by these factors. The findings of this study are practically useful for individual investors, investment managers, and also for policy makers.