Ann Ley, Jane Coleman and Julian Vayne
This article is about North Devon's Adult Learning Forum Pilot Project, which offered a range of interesting and unusual cultural activities to people recovering from mental…
Abstract
This article is about North Devon's Adult Learning Forum Pilot Project, which offered a range of interesting and unusual cultural activities to people recovering from mental distress. The Project arose from an innovative partnership between local cultural and leisure agencies and the mental health trust.
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Andrew Lyons, Julian Coleman, Dennis Kehoe and Adrian Coronado
This paper provides an empirical illustration of the potential of a cross‐supply chain information system (CSCIS) in an automotive industry setting. Whilst dramatic reductions in…
Abstract
This paper provides an empirical illustration of the potential of a cross‐supply chain information system (CSCIS) in an automotive industry setting. Whilst dramatic reductions in downstream finished goods, work‐in‐progress and raw materials inventories have taken place in many automotive supply chains, this paper looks at how demand information can be made more transparent in order to improve the efficiency of upstream operations. The paper concentrates on the findings from a case study that used a prototype Internet‐based system to convert original equipment manufacturer (OEM) demand into second and third‐tier component requirements. A computer‐based value analysis illustrates how this information might be used to significantly improve supply chain synchronisation in the lower tiers. The research demonstrates how information systems can be used to improve supply chain performance and provides further motivation for the development of more holistic supply chain planning information systems.
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Julian L. Coleman, Arindam K. Bhattacharya and Gordon Brace
One of the more significant structural changes in Western manufacturing industry is the redistribution of “value addition activities” in product supply chains. Final assemblers…
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One of the more significant structural changes in Western manufacturing industry is the redistribution of “value addition activities” in product supply chains. Final assemblers are often choosing to subcontract the design and manufacture of large sections of their products in an attempt to focus their effort. In turn suppliers take on more of the design and assembly of the end product and may also choose to delegate some of their own activities to second line suppliers. These changes require that the profile of capabilities necessary to design and manufacture the product is also redistributed among the partners in the chain. Competition between suppliers is fierce, particularly in view of the fact that the changing structure favors fewer sources. The suppliers which survive will probably be those who successfully position themselves in terms of appropriate value adding capabilities and differentiation through high levels of customer service.
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Arindam K. Bhattacharya, Julian L. Coleman, Gordon Brace and Paul J. Kelly
Supply Chain Management leading to concepts such as lean enterprise is much in vogue today fuelled by the adoption of strategies and partnership practices used so successfully by…
Abstract
Supply Chain Management leading to concepts such as lean enterprise is much in vogue today fuelled by the adoption of strategies and partnership practices used so successfully by the Japanese companies. As part of this change, product owners are outsourcing more value through both components and systems which has effectively meant redistributing competencies. This change is concurrent with the initiative to reduce the number of suppliers. The Japanese perfected their SCM strategies and practices within their compatible supply chain structure or keiretsus. The structures emerging in the western automotive supply chains (the paper is based on research on European automotive industry) are different in many key characteristics from the keiretsus. Secondly, they appear to be emerging in an ad‐hoc rather than a planned manner. This poses a critical question for western buyers ‐ is supply chain structure critical for superior performance and if yes, then which type of structure(s) provides the most benefits while maintaining or enhancing product uniqueness?
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Jacquelyn Benson, Steffany Kerr and Ashley Ermer
Research on relational maintenance of long-distance or cross-residential romantic relationships is limited. Moreover, relatively little is known about relational maintenance among…
Abstract
Research on relational maintenance of long-distance or cross-residential romantic relationships is limited. Moreover, relatively little is known about relational maintenance among non-marital intimate partners in later life, many of whom prefer to live-apart-together (LAT) rather than cohabit. This research paper examines how older adults from the United States maintain their romantic relationships across residences. The authors conducted a grounded theory study drawing on interviews collected from 22 older adults in LAT relationships. The data revealed that older LAT partners engage in a process of safeguarding autonomy to maintain their partnerships and relationship satisfaction. Two broad strategies were identified: upholding separateness and reshaping expectations. While safeguarding autonomy was paramount, participants also emphasized the importance of having a flexible mindset about the physical copresence of their relationships. The findings have implications for practice, suggesting that creating an interdependent couple-identity may undermine, or at least have little bearing on, the relationship stability of older LAT couples. Future research is needed to determine how LAT experiences among racially/ethnically or socioeconomically diverse samples might differ.
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Micah DelVecchio, Joseph Ofori-Dankwa and Akosua K. Darkwah
Microenterprises in emerging economies are known to operate in turbulent and resource-scarce environments. We test our hypothesis that a more comprehensive “Integrated…
Abstract
Purpose
Microenterprises in emerging economies are known to operate in turbulent and resource-scarce environments. We test our hypothesis that a more comprehensive “Integrated Capital-Based Model” (ICBM) is needed when explaining the performance of microenterprises in such an environment. The model combines traditionally researched financial, human and social capital with more recently emphasized psychological and cognitive capital, providing greater explanatory power than models using only the traditional types of capital.
Design/methodology/approach
We use a pooled linear regression to analyze an existing survey of more than 900 independent business owners who were interviewed seven times between 2008 and 2012 in the Accra and Tema marketplaces in Ghana. We measure the performance of microenterprises using three dependent variables (revenue, profits, and productivity). We contrast the explanatory power of ICBM models against the more traditional models.
Findings
The ICBM has significantly higher levels of explanatory power over the traditional models in examining the performance of these microenterprises. These results highlight the importance of psychological and cognitive capital in emerging economies.
Research limitations/implications
We advocate for a more comprehensive view of capital as shown in our ICBM. However, the data were gathered only in an urban setting, which limits the generalizability to rural parts of emerging economies.
Practical implications
These findings suggest the utility of government and appropriate agencies finding ways to enhance the level of psychological and cognitive capital of microenterprise owners.
Originality/value
This paper's originality stems from hypothesizing and empirically confirming the higher predictive efficacy of ICBM against more traditionally researched capital sources.
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Julian Bowers‐Brown and Barrie Gunter
A marketing efficiency model was applied to the analysis of the use of Web sites by the three major political parties (Conservatives, Labour, and Liberal Democrats) in the UK…
Abstract
A marketing efficiency model was applied to the analysis of the use of Web sites by the three major political parties (Conservatives, Labour, and Liberal Democrats) in the UK during the 2001 general election. Data were collected through face‐to‐face interviews with the Web project managers of each party, supplemented by a series of electronic enquiries sent to each party’s Web address on important policy issues. The aim was to establish the overall efficiency of political Web sites in attracting members of the electorate, engaging them, involving them and ultimately retaining them as loyal supporters. The parties used their Web sites as strategic marketing tools and demonstrated an awareness of the advantages the Internet had to offer compared with other media. A number of interactive features were included in the sites designed to engage visitors’ attention and involvement. Labour, in particular, had conducted market research to inform the design of their site. All parties invited visitors to submit comments and questions and promised to respond to such communications promptly. When this promise was put to the test, however, the parties were not all equally effective in the responses they provided. The signs are that political parties have come to recognise the significant role the Internet might play in re‐engaging a politically alienated electorate, but still have some way to realise the full potential of the Web.
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Jennifer Earl and Jessica L. Beyer
We analyze reactions to the U.S. government-led repression of WikiLeaks in late 2010 by actors such as Anonymous and the Pirate Parties to argue that the potential for backlash…
Abstract
We analyze reactions to the U.S. government-led repression of WikiLeaks in late 2010 by actors such as Anonymous and the Pirate Parties to argue that the potential for backlash, which has been so prominent offline, is also a potential repercussion of repression online. In doing so, we use existing research to identify different ways in which bystanders might be pulled into conflicts, and examine our case for evidence of any of these forms of backlash. We also hypothesize that the net observed effect of repression is really the result of competing and/or amplifying backlash and deterrence effects; when this net effect is in favor of backlash, we call it a “net backlash effect” to indicate that there was more backlash than deterrence. We argue that net backlash occurs when repression recruits more bystanders into a conflict than it is able to deter in terms of already active participants. We also argue that backlash is a very likely outcome when Internet activism is repressed.