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The purpose of this paper is to present an algorithm for spatially sorting objects into an annular structure.

A swarm‐based model that requires only stochastic agent behaviour coupled with a pheromone‐inspired “attraction‐repulsion” mechanism.

The algorithm consistently generates high‐quality annular structures, and is particularly powerful in situations where the initial configuration of objects is similar to those observed in nature.

Experimental evidence supports previous theoretical arguments about the nature and mechanism of spatial sorting by insects.

The algorithm may find applications in distributed robotics.

The model offers a powerful minimal algorithmic framework, and also sheds further light on the nature of attraction‐repulsion algorithms and underlying natural processes.

Library and Information Science Abstracts have successfully completed a pilot project, with SilverPlatter Information Limited, that has resulted in a one‐year file of Lisa for 1984 being recorded onto CD‐ROM (Compact Disk — Read Only Memory). Plans are now well under way for providing the complete Lisa database on CD‐ROM commercially by mid‐1986.

The objective of this study was to examine the significant factors leading to employee alienation in post-merger integration (PMI).

Data were collected from 482 middle- and low-level employees in two organizations in the real estate and banking sectors in the United Arab Emirates. The analysis was carried out using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Organizational justice, employee commitment, organizational trust, perceived effectiveness of human resource (HR) initiatives and employee communication strategy played an important role in developing or mitigating a feeling of alienation among employees during PMI. Employee tenure in the organization affected individual work performance.

The study was limited to middle- and low-level employees and did not consider other organizational variables important in mergers. This study will help merger strategists to deliver appropriate HR practices during PMI, facilitating mitigation of uncertainties among employees and maximizing their trust and commitment.

The study results will help organizations understand employee trust, commitment and determinants in an emerging economy.

The Northfleet Group of Gravesend, Kent — UK market leaders in retail display systems — has appointed Gary B. Pettit to head the company's projects division as major accounts manager. This is a new position within the group which is aimed at the continued expansion and development of the division in serving the company's multiple retail and wholesale outlets. In this capacity, Mr Pettit reports directly to the sales director and leads a team of four managers and a further 16 sales and administrative personnel.

Recently, banks have focussed on teaching marketing skills, especially customer orientation. This issue, according to previous studies, has led to improved employee and bank performance. In this regard, Tejarat bank (an Iranian Bank) also organised specialised customer orientation courses for its employees with the help of the Iranian Scientific Marketing Association. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to examine the effect of customer orientation coaching on employee’s individual performance and financial and non-financial performance of the bank.

Accordingly, by using theoretical foundations, this study attempted to present a comprehensive conceptual and theoretical model on the effect of customer orientation coaching on employee and bank performance. The structural equation modelling was run to test the relevant hypotheses.

The results showed the significant effect of customer orientation coaching on employee performance either directly or indirectly. Customer orientation, competitor orientation, sales orientation and the long-term orientation of the employees were mediating factors between customer orientation coaching and employee performance. The effect of employee’s performance on the financial and non-financial performance of the bank was also significant.

These results help to understand the importance of coaching for developing customer orientation and perception about competitor orientation, sales orientation and long-term orientation of employees and their effect on individual and organisational performance.

This study focuses on the role of green human resource management (GHRM) practices through providing an empirical insight into the mediating role of the use of environmental performance measures (EPMs) in the association between Simons’ (1995) positive levers of control (beliefs and the interactive use of controls) with environmental and organisational performance.

A survey questionnaire was distributed to 577 chief financial officers within Australian manufacturing organisations who were randomly chosen from the OneSource online database.

The use of operational EPMs is found to mediate the association between the use of the positive levers of control with two of the four dimensions of environmental performance (resource usage and stakeholder interaction), and non-financial performance (through stakeholder interaction). In addition, the use of management EPMs mediates the association between the use of the positive levers of control with the regulatory compliance dimension of environmental performance. The findings highlight the importance of GHRM practices, in particular, the need for managers to focus on the positive levers of control and using operational EPMs and management EPMs to a greater extent.

The study contributes to the limited empirical research examining GHRM practices, highlighting the importance of EPMs and integrating such measures with internal control mechanisms, specifically beliefs and the interactive use of controls.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the systematic influence of core product features, event operation quality, sport fan identification, and image of host city as a tourism destination on behavioral intentions of international spectator at a Formula One (F1) event held in Malaysia.

A survey form assessing the specified concepts was designed and employed to examine the structural relationships. The research participants were international spectators (n=512) attending the event. Data were randomly split into two halves, one for EFA (n=256) and the other for CFA and SEM (n=256).

Findings revealed that core product feature and sport fan identification factors were significantly (p<0.05) related to both of international spectators’ desire to stay at the event, attend the event in the future, and revisit the country; whereas, event operation quality was only found to be significantly influential of the re-patronage, and destination image was only significantly influential of the desire to stay. The findings highlight the importance and relevance of these concepts in attracting, serving, and retaining international visitors to the event.

Unlike other studies that are centered merely on game and event factors, this study expanded on a bigger ecological spectrum surrounding a F1 event and systematically evaluated the critical concepts and factors affecting international tourist to the event that can be considerable sources of economic growth. The findings provide empirical evidence for event and tourism management and marketing.

Leadership is a key factor that shapes an athlete’s development, also within team sports; most of this responsibility falls on the coaches. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the relationship between a coach’s reputation and athlete creativity as perceived by athletes within team sports.

The paper examined the reputational construct of coaches vis-a-vis athlete creativity. The researchers surveyed athletes from a variety of team sports and professional levels (N = 203). Structural equation modelling was utilised for testing the hypotheses.

Findings suggest that a coach’s reputation has a significant influence on the development of an athlete’s creativity. Coach reputation affects the creative development of an athlete, with knowledge sharing and openness to experiences being the principal means of influence.

Our study (1) examines the influence of a coach’s reputation on an athlete’s creativity, (2) tests the role of knowledge sharing in the influence on an athlete’s creativity and (3) considers openness to experiences in the development of an athlete’s creativity.