Tun Lin Moe, Fritz Gehbauer, Stefan Senitz and Marc Mueller
With the recognition of the necessity for effectively and successfully managing natural disaster projects for saving human lives and preventing and minimizing the impacts of…
Abstract
Purpose
With the recognition of the necessity for effectively and successfully managing natural disaster projects for saving human lives and preventing and minimizing the impacts of disasters on socio‐economic developmental progress, this paper seeks to propose a balanced scorecard (BSC) approach in order to maximize the possibilities of desired outcomes from projects.
Design/methodology/approach
The BSC approach, which has been widely accepted and used in business organizations, can be adapted for natural disaster management projects. An application of this BSC approach to disaster management projects is discussed with a real flood disaster management project.
Findings
In the BSC approach, performance measures should be established in four areas: donors' perspective; the target beneficiaries' perspective; the internal process perspective; and the learning and innovation perspectives. Measures for four areas in each of the five generic phases of managing natural disasters (i.e. preparedness, early warning, emergency relief, rehabilitation and recovery) allow project managers to identify problem areas and areas for further improvements. Ensuring success in one phase will lead to success in the subsequent phase because success in one phase will be the input for the following phase.
Research limitations/implications
In general, this study demonstrates an application of the balanced scorecard approach to natural disaster management projects and, in particular, to a real flood disaster management in Hat Yai Municipality, Southern Thailand. Future research might focus on other types of natural disaster.
Practical implications
Using the balanced scorecard, project managers can understand problem areas as well as areas for improvement in current projects, which would enhance their abilities to take corrective actions that ensure and maximize the possibilities of successful outcomes from implemented projects.
Originality/value
This paper proposes the BSC approach for successfully managing natural disaster projects. This management approach can be applied to various natural disaster management projects.
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The Bureau of Economics in the Federal Trade Commission has a three-part role in the Agency and the strength of its functions changed over time depending on the preferences and…
Abstract
The Bureau of Economics in the Federal Trade Commission has a three-part role in the Agency and the strength of its functions changed over time depending on the preferences and ideology of the FTC’s leaders, developments in the field of economics, and the tenor of the times. The over-riding current role is to provide well considered, unbiased economic advice regarding antitrust and consumer protection law enforcement cases to the legal staff and the Commission. The second role, which long ago was primary, is to provide reports on investigations of various industries to the public and public officials. This role was more recently called research or “policy R&D”. A third role is to advocate for competition and markets both domestically and internationally. As a practical matter, the provision of economic advice to the FTC and to the legal staff has required that the economists wear “two hats,” helping the legal staff investigate cases and provide evidence to support law enforcement cases while also providing advice to the legal bureaus and to the Commission on which cases to pursue (thus providing “a second set of eyes” to evaluate cases). There is sometimes a tension in those functions because building a case is not the same as evaluating a case. Economists and the Bureau of Economics have provided such services to the FTC for over 100 years proving that a sub-organization can survive while playing roles that sometimes conflict. Such a life is not, however, always easy or fun.
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Dominik Hüttemann, Tobias Marc Härtel and Julia Müller
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of effectively leading a remote workforce in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. This study examines…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the importance of effectively leading a remote workforce in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environments. This study examines the effectiveness of transformational–transactional leadership (Full-Range Leadership Model, FRLM) and its recent extension of instrumental leadership (eFRLM) in remote work contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
We surveyed 529 remote working followers, providing perceptions on (1) their leaders’ manifestation of eFRLM dimensions and factors, (2) their leaders’ leadership effectiveness and (3) their organizational environment as VUCA.
Findings
Results show that instrumental leadership represents a strongly effective leadership dimension in remote work contexts, explaining unique variance beyond transformational–transactional leadership. Moreover, VUCA environments moderated the association between eFRLM leadership behaviors and leadership effectiveness, with instrumental leadership being particularly effective in more pronounced VUCA environments and transformational–transactional leadership being less effective.
Originality/value
Overall, instrumental leadership appears crucial to consider when predicting leadership effectiveness in virtual and uncertain contexts.
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Khadija Bouraoui, Sonia Bensemmane, Marc Ohana and Marcello Russo
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employees’ affective commitment. Three underlying mechanisms are used to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and employees’ affective commitment. Three underlying mechanisms are used to explain the relationship between CSR and commitment, namely, deontic justice, social identity theory and social exchange theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected through survey questionnaires. The sample consisted of 161 employees who work in private and public organizations in Tunisia. Regression analysis was conducted using a multiple mediation model.
Findings
The results reveal a positive and significant relationship between CSR and employees’ affective commitment. The perception of person–organization fit, organizational identification and perceived organizational support mediates the relationship between CSR and affective commitment.
Originality/value
With regard to CSR, past studies have never deal with deontic values in analyzing work behaviors. Furthermore, most previous studies have considered a direct effect between CSR perceptions and affective commitment. This study extends the literature by conceptualizing the indirect mechanisms linking CSR to employees’ affective commitment.
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This paper describes the development of the Delhi Library Network (DELNET) and its various services. DELNET is a growing resource sharing service in the Delhi region, offering a…
Abstract
This paper describes the development of the Delhi Library Network (DELNET) and its various services. DELNET is a growing resource sharing service in the Delhi region, offering a range of products and services to facilitate the exchange of information among libraries.
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Marc Steffen Rapp and Iuliia A. Udoieva
We examine a large sample of some 100 economies worldwide to study the impact of financial sector size expansion on labor market performance. Simple linear dynamic panel data…
Abstract
We examine a large sample of some 100 economies worldwide to study the impact of financial sector size expansion on labor market performance. Simple linear dynamic panel data models inspired by the well-developed finance-growth literature suggest that (on average) a larger financial sector is beneficial for the labor market as it reduces unemployment rates. However, estimating country- and period-specific benchmark levels of financial sector size, we document that the relative contribution of finance vanishes with excessive levels of finance, and excessive levels of credit may actually be detrimental to employment. These non-linearities in the finance-unemployment nexus are more pronounced within developed economies. Overall, our study sheds new light on the ongoing controversy about the impact of the financial sector on societal well-being and highlights the importance of monitoring the expansion of the financial sector, in particular when it comes to credit markets.
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Karen Snow, Gretchen L. Hoffman, Maurine McCourry and Heather Moulaison Sandy
Purpose – The purpose of this chapter is to provide a conceptual exploration of cataloging and metadata education. Historically and currently, cataloging and metadata are an…
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this chapter is to provide a conceptual exploration of cataloging and metadata education. Historically and currently, cataloging and metadata are an essential part of master’s-level library and information science (LIS) education.
Design/Methodology/Approach – We review LIS literature and provide evidence from their own experiences to support their argument.
Findings – Cataloging education, far from going the way of the dodo, is still a very important part of LIS education. Even though general information organization courses are still required by most LIS programs, cataloging and metadata courses that include a balance of theory and practice are often buried as electives within LIS school curricula. Information organization principles and techniques (both theory and practice) are highly relevant in today’s information environment.
Originality/Value – This chapter was written by four cataloging educators, who have extensive cataloging knowledge and experience and who have seen firsthand the benefits of cataloging education for all LIS students. As library professionals adapt, and given the increasing focus on users and their needs, the relevance and necessity of a robust understanding of cataloging and metadata creation principles is key going forward.
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Marc Eulerich, Anna Eulerich and Benjamin Fligge
This study examines the strategy–performance relationship within publicly traded German firms. Strategic management literature provides several strategic frameworks that offer…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines the strategy–performance relationship within publicly traded German firms. Strategic management literature provides several strategic frameworks that offer guidance on promising strategies. However, given major changes, such as globalization, managers wonder whether strategic frameworks are still applicable.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors employ principal component analysis (PCA) to measure competitive strategy and analyze a sample of 6,037 firm-years among 651 firms between 2000 and 2019.
Findings
While the authors find evidence for the existence of efficiency-based strategies, differentiation-based strategies and mixed strategies, only differentiation-based strategies are positively related to performance.
Originality/value
The study’s results contribute to the discourse on the strategy–performance relationship, as they provide insights into promising strategies that are of interest to researchers and practitioners. Further, the authors introduce a new measure of competitive strategy based on PCA.
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Étienne St-Jean and Marc Duhamel
The purpose of this research is to determine whether dissatisfaction with salaried work and low potential for work–life balance can explain a person's intention to go into…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to determine whether dissatisfaction with salaried work and low potential for work–life balance can explain a person's intention to go into business using the entrepreneurial event model from Shapero and Sokol (1982) and whether these factors are more prevalent for women than men.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 36,129 salaried workers from 70 countries from the 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Adult Population Survey is assembled to test the entrepreneurial event model's prediction.
Findings
In innovation-driven economies, job satisfaction and work–life balance in the current occupation decrease the likelihood of having the intention to start a business for a salaried person. The impact of work–life balance on the intention to start a business in the same for men and women.
Research limitations/implications
In innovation-driven economies, organizations relying on employees with strong entrepreneurial potential to innovate and develop markets should also take into consideration job satisfaction and work–life balance factors to keep them engaged in entrepreneurial activities. A longitudinal analysis of the impact of institutional, economic and cultural factors associated with job satisfaction and work–life balance would be needed to identify the causal impacts.
Originality/value
Findings suggest that displacement factors related to the entrepreneurial event model (Shapero and Sokol, 1982) are relevant to study career transition from salaried work to entrepreneurship, and vice-versa.
Propósito
Esta investigación investiga si la insatisfacción con el empleo actual aumenta la intención de crear su propio negocio. El propósito es ver si la insatisfacción con el trabajo asalariado y el bajo potencial de equilibrio entre la vida laboral y la personal pueden explicar la intención de una persona de entrar en el negocio más allá de los indicadores generalmente utilizados en investigaciones anteriores, como la autoeficacia o el reconocimiento de oportunidades. Además, descubrir si estos factores son más frecuentes en las mujeres que en los hombres es también uno de los objetivos.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Se reunió una muestra de 36 129 trabajadores asalariados de 70 países de la Encuesta de población adulta del Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2013 para probar la predicción del modelo de evento empresarial de que la falta de equilibrio entre el trabajo y la vida laboral de un empleado son factores de desplazamiento en una transición de carrera empresarial.
Resultados
La satisfacción laboral y el equilibrio entre el trabajo y la vida en el trabajo actual disminuyen la probabilidad de que una persona asalariada desarrolle la intención de iniciar un nuevo negocio en los próximos tres años, pero solo para los países impulsados por la innovación. El impacto del equilibrio trabajo-vida en la intención de iniciar un negocio en el mismo para hombres y mujeres.
Limitaciones / implicaciones de la investigación
Se necesitaría un análisis detallado del impacto de los factores institucionales, económicos o culturales en este proceso, por ejemplo, el acceso a guarderías infantiles subvencionadas u oportunidades comerciales en el mercado. Sin embargo, en los países más desarrollados, las organizaciones que dependen de empleados con un fuerte potencial empresarial para innovar y desarrollar mercados deben tener en cuenta su satisfacción laboral y el equilibrio entre la vida laboral y familiar, para mantenerlos comprometidos y no verlos irse para comenzar su negocio propio.
Originalidad/valor
Los hallazgos sugieren que los factores de desplazamiento relacionados con el modelo de evento empresarial (Shapero y Sokol, 1982) son relevantes para estudiar la transición de la carrera del trabajo asalariado al espíritu empresarial, y viceversa.
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As libraries face budget cuts, open source integrated library systems are an attractive alternative to proprietary choices. Even though open source software is free to acquire…
Abstract
Purpose
As libraries face budget cuts, open source integrated library systems are an attractive alternative to proprietary choices. Even though open source software is free to acquire, administrators must consider factors other than initial purchase price. This study aims to provide direction and context for libraries considering migration to an open source integrated library system.
Design/methodology/approach
The comparison is qualitative and uses case studies, license agreements and copyright law, and user manuals and brochures. These comparisons divide into four areas: functions, adoption and technical support, usability, and economics.
Findings
Major functions that libraries need in an integrated library system are available for open source software. There are no significant differences in usability between open source and proprietary integrated library systems. Internal IT provides a significant role in open source adoption. The relatively new type of open source software licensing may cause confusion for libraries and software developers.
Originality/value
This study considers initial migrations to open source integrated library systems as a key component in overall software adoption. The study qualitatively examines the migration process comparing extant case studies. In addition, the examination of licensing agreements and copyright as well as a comparative review of essential functions are provided.