Shahriar Khaksari, Khaled Amira, Lacey Teixeira, Rosa J. Vela and Zhimin Liu
Doug Scovanner, CFO of Target Corporation, was about to present his proposal at the November 2008 Board meeting. He was prepared to discuss immediate strategic actions which would…
Abstract
Doug Scovanner, CFO of Target Corporation, was about to present his proposal at the November 2008 Board meeting. He was prepared to discuss immediate strategic actions which would provide support for working capital for the discount retailer. The retail community was about to suffer their worst fourth quarter in recent memory. Consumer spending had contracted, unemployment was rising and the deflated housing market had driven the economy into a recession. Although discount retailers had fared better than other industries during the second and third quarters, they were not immune to the overall economic downturn which had become a global crisis. To further complicate matters, Target's largest competitor, Wal-Mart, just posted third quarter growth even though Target was bracing for a busy holiday season. Scovanner anticipated further strain on working capital before year-end as cash flow tightened and the capital markets remained at a virtual stand-still.
Aryana Collins Jackson and Seán Lacey
The discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) has been proven to be a successful method for determining whether a discrete time series is seasonal and, if so, for detecting the…
Abstract
Purpose
The discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) has been proven to be a successful method for determining whether a discrete time series is seasonal and, if so, for detecting the period. This paper deals exclusively with rare data, in which instances occur periodically at a low frequency.
Design/methodology/approach
Data based on real-world situations is simulated for analysis.
Findings
Cycle number detection is done with spectral analysis, period detection is completed using DFT coefficients and signal shifts in the time domain are found using the convolution theorem. Additionally, a new method for detecting anomalies in binary, rare data is presented: the sum of distances. Using this method, expected events which have not occurred and unexpected events which have occurred at various sampling frequencies can be detected. Anomalies which are not considered outliers to be found.
Research limitations/implications
Aliasing can contribute to extra frequencies which point to extra periods in the time domain. This can be reduced or removed with techniques such as windowing. In future work, this will be explored.
Practical implications
Applications include determining seasonality and thus investigating the underlying causes of hard drive failure, power outages and other undesired events. This work will also lend itself well to finding patterns among missing desired events, such as a scheduled hard drive backup or an employee's regular login to a server.
Originality/value
This paper has shown how seasonality and anomalies are successfully detected in seasonal, discrete, rare and binary data. Previously, the DFT has only been used for non-rare data.
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Garrett S. Brogan and Kim E. Dooley
This research paper aims to explore the impact artisan cooperatives have upon women employed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Impacts were detailed using the theoretical framework of social…
Abstract
Purpose
This research paper aims to explore the impact artisan cooperatives have upon women employed in Sub-Saharan Africa. Impacts were detailed using the theoretical framework of social capital theory to demonstrate the networks within artisan cooperatives that connect to greater opportunities for social and economic benefits.
Design/methodology/approach
A phenomenological approach was used for this study based upon the shared experiences of women who were leading artisan cooperatives in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study included semi-structured interviews over Zoom with Chief Entrepreneur Founders of artisan cooperatives located in Sub-Saharan Africa. Documents from the cooperatives were analyzed to triangulate the cooperatives’ current projects and efforts.
Findings
Three prevalent themes emerged: (1) key partnerships, (2) benefits of the cooperative and (3) change and growth among the women and communities. Empowerment was felt through both economic and social impacts upon the women.
Research limitations/implications
This article captures the perspective of the Chief Entrepreneur Founders and their observations and experiences the women shared with them. Emic perspectives from the women who participate in the artisan cooperatives is the focus of future research.
Practical implications
These social enterprises serve as exemplary models for other cooperatives to provide dignified and sustainable work to impact the lives of women serving in these communities.
Originality/value
This study contributes research on social entrepreneurship within artisan cooperatives. It provides a baseline for further research on the artisan sector specifically for the sustainable development goals of gender equality, decent work and economic growth.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the construct of retail customer experience (CE) and its links to satisfaction and loyalty; and to test whether loyalty programmes perform…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the construct of retail customer experience (CE) and its links to satisfaction and loyalty; and to test whether loyalty programmes perform a moderating effect on those links.
Design/methodology/approach
A variety of retail attributes are integrated to develop a holistic CE construct using formative measures, with four in-built, differentiated replication studies conducted in the supermarket and department store sectors in China.
Findings
The empirical results confirm the model of CE’s impact on customer satisfaction and loyalty; but reveal that loyalty programmes perform an insignificant moderating role in enhancing the linkages in the model.
Research limitations/implications
Further studies may examine whether our findings hold true for each individual loyalty programme. The paper calls for more studies based on multiple, in-built, differentiated replication studies and measures to encourage publication of negative empirical results so as to ensure empirical generalization and self-correction in the literature.
Practical implications
Retail managers should focus attention on the design and delivery of great CE, without placing great reliance on loyalty programmes. Both cognitive and emotional attributes of retailing services should be considered for managing a holistic CE.
Originality/value
The paper examines a model of CE with loyalty programme as a possible moderator; it uses formative measures of CE, multiple in-built replications and reports negative empirical results, which are critical to the development of scientific progress in retail management research.
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Seyi S. Stephen, Ayodeji E. Oke, Clinton O. Aigbavboa, Opeoluwa I. Akinradewo, Pelumi E. Adetoro and Matthew Ikuabe
The implementation of value management (VM) principles in stealth construction projects is explored comprehensively in the chapter. It elucidated how VM positively influences…
Abstract
The implementation of value management (VM) principles in stealth construction projects is explored comprehensively in the chapter. It elucidated how VM positively influences various facets of construction, including environmental protection, health and safety, project delivery duration, economy, and aesthetics. Applying VM techniques, such as proactive risk management, resource optimisation, and stakeholder collaboration, is essential for achieving project objectives while ensuring sustainability, efficiency, and stakeholder satisfaction. Furthermore, the chapter emphasises VM’s benefits, challenges, and relevance across all stages of the construction lifecycle, from pre-construction planning to post-construction evaluation, underscoring its integral role in driving continuous improvement and innovation in the construction industry. Overall, the discourse emphasises the importance of VM in optimising outcomes and maximising value in stealth construction projects.
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Jennifer L. Kent and Melanie Crane
Transport shapes the health of urban populations. It can support healthy behaviours such as participation in regular physical activity and access to community connection…
Abstract
Transport shapes the health of urban populations. It can support healthy behaviours such as participation in regular physical activity and access to community connection. Transport systems can also have major negative impacts on health. For example, through air pollution from fossil fuel-based modes of travel, the risk of injury and death from transport related collisions, and in the way sedentary modes of travelling can contribute to less physically active lifestyles.
This chapter considers the long-term impact of the pandemic on a series of well-researched transport-related health outcomes. It first describes the established connections between transport and health. It then considers the future implications of three potential pandemic-induced shifts: the increased uptake of working from home (WFH); decreased usage of public transport and increased interest in walking and cycling in the local neighbourhood. The impacts of these shifts on the transport-health nexus are then discussed, revealing both positive and negative outcomes. The authors conclude by providing policy recommendations to mitigate possible negative outcomes and strengthen the positive consequences into the future.
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Raymond P. Fisk, Linda Alkire (née Nasr), Laurel Anderson, David E. Bowen, Thorsten Gruber, Amy L. Ostrom and Lia Patrício
Elevating the human experience (HX) through research collaborations is the purpose of this article. ServCollab facilitates and supports service research collaborations that seek…
Abstract
Purpose
Elevating the human experience (HX) through research collaborations is the purpose of this article. ServCollab facilitates and supports service research collaborations that seek to reduce human suffering and improve human well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
To catalyze this initiative, the authors introduce ServCollab's three human rights goals (serve, enable and transform), standards of justice for serving humanity (distributive, procedural and interactional justice) and research approaches for serving humanity (service design and community action research).
Research implications
ServCollab seeks to advance the service research field via large-scale service research projects that pursue theory building, research and action. Service inclusion is the first focus of ServCollab and is illustrated through two projects (transformative refugee services and virtual assistants in social care). This paper seeks to encourage collaboration in more large-scale service research projects that elevate the HX.
Practical implications
ServCollab seeks to raise the aspirations of service researchers, expand the skills of service research teams and build mutually collaborative service research approaches that transform human lives.
Originality/value
ServCollab is a unique organization within the burgeoning service research community. By collaborating with service researchers, with service research centers, with universities, with nonprofit agencies and with foundations, ServCollab will build research capacity to address large-scale human service system problems. ServCollab takes a broad perspective for serving humanity by focusing on the HX. Current business research focuses on the interactive roles of customer experience and employee experience. From the perspective of HX, such role labels are insufficient concepts for the full spectrum of human life.
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Leadership in higher education has become of increasing importance as the size of the enterprise has grown, and this has naturally led to a growing research interest in the topic…
Abstract
Leadership in higher education has become of increasing importance as the size of the enterprise has grown, and this has naturally led to a growing research interest in the topic. Using systematic review methods, this chapter interrogates and synthesises the research literature on leadership in higher education in terms of its meanings, application and practice, and the issues and critiques raised. It concludes that research into leadership in higher education has been both extensive and global in nature, identifying a variety of understandings, practices and approaches adopted, and the continuing dominance of white men in senior leadership positions. There is clearly scope for more research on this topic, which could both emphasise different issues and give greater recognition to the particular nature of higher education and higher education institutions.