Search results
1 – 8 of 8Jayaram K. Sankaran and Patrick Luxton
The earliest known instance of scholarly writing on logistics (in 1901) is actually located in agribusiness. While case illustrations of productivity improvements in logistics in…
Abstract
The earliest known instance of scholarly writing on logistics (in 1901) is actually located in agribusiness. While case illustrations of productivity improvements in logistics in agribusiness have routinely featured in the academic literature since then, such efficiency gains are rarely cast in a broader, strategic perspective – a somewhat surprising omission. Consequently, this study seeks to clarify the relationship between logistics and generic business strategy in dairy organisations/industries by using the New Zealand dairy industry as a case in point. (The focus is more on operations than on distribution and service). We first clarify that the New Zealand dairy co‐operatives and the (export‐oriented) New Zealand dairy industry as a whole, have generally followed a strategy of cost leadership. We then review the various ways in which efficiency has been realised in logistics in the industry, and especially dwell on how the structure (e.g. co‐operative ownership, vertical integration) of the dairy industry has supported and/or hindered the focus on cost leadership. We also examine the extent to which our analysis of supply‐chain efficiency extends to other dairy organisations/industries.
Details
Keywords
Stéphane Amadéo, Moerani Rereao, Aurelia Malogne, Patrick Favro, Ngoc Lam Nguyen, Louis Jehel, Allison Milner, Kairi Kolves and Diego De Leo
The World Health Organization Suicide trends in at-risk territories study is a multi-site regional research program operating first in French Polynesia and countries of the…
Abstract
The World Health Organization Suicide trends in at-risk territories study is a multi-site regional research program operating first in French Polynesia and countries of the Western Pacific, then extended to the world. The aims of the study were to establish a monitoring system for suicidal behaviors and to conduct a randomised control trial intervention for non-fatal suicidal behaviors. The latter part is the purpose of the present article. Over the period 2008-2010, 515 patients were admitted at the Emergency Department of the Centre Hospitalier de Polynésie Française for suicidal behavior. Those then hospitalized in the Psychiatry Emergency Unit were asked to be involved in the study and randomly allocated to either Treatment As Usual (TAU) or TAU plus Brief Intervention and Contact (BIC), which provides a psycho-education session and a follow-up of 9 phone contacts over an 18-months period. One hundred persons were assigned to TAU, while 100 participants were allocated to the BIC group. At the end of the follow-up there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of number of presentations to the hospital for repeated suicidal behaviors. Although the study could not demonstrate the superiority of a treatment over the other, nevertheless – given its importance – the investigation captured public attention and was able to contribute to the awareness of the need of suicide prevention in French Polynesia. The BIC model of intervention seemed to particularly suit the geographical and health care context of the country.
Details
Keywords
Yajun Zhang, Zhuoyan Shao, Jin Zhang, Banggang Wu and Liying Zhou
Facilitated by image retouch tools, social media influencers can digitally enhance their self-image in product recommendation posts. This paper proposes that image enhancement may…
Abstract
Purpose
Facilitated by image retouch tools, social media influencers can digitally enhance their self-image in product recommendation posts. This paper proposes that image enhancement may serve as a cue for the audience to assess the authenticity of the influencer (“true to oneself”), which further affects the influencer's product recommendation effectiveness (i.e. attitudes toward the post and recommended product).
Design/methodology/approach
Experiment 1 examines the effect of image enhancement on consumers' perceived influencer authenticity and product recommendation effectiveness. Experiment 2 considers the moderating role of post type, examining the effects in informational versus storytelling posts.
Findings
Consumers perceived an influencer to be more authentic when the image is not enhanced; in turn, consumers reported more favorable attitudes toward the post and the recommended product upon reading the post. The effects are moderated by post type: the effect of image enhancement (through perceived influencer authenticity) exists in posts using an informational message format but is attenuated for those using a storytelling message format.
Originality/value
This research enriches the literature on authenticity cues by documenting a novel visual cue and contributes to influencer marketing by identifying a nuanced interactive effect between image enhancement and post type on recommendation effectiveness.
Details
Keywords
Dimitrios Markopoulos, Anastasios Tsolakidis, Ioannis Triantafyllou, Georgios A. Giannakopoulos and Christos Skourlas
This study aims to analyze a conspicuous corpus of literature related to the field of technology-based intensive care research and to develop an architecture model of the future…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyze a conspicuous corpus of literature related to the field of technology-based intensive care research and to develop an architecture model of the future smart intensive care unit (ICU).
Design/methodology/approach
Papers related to the topics of electronic health record (EHR), big data, data flow and clinical decision support in ICUs were investigated. These concepts have been analyzed in combination with secondary use of data, prediction models, data standardization and interoperability challenges. Based on the findings, an architecture model evaluated using MIMIC III is proposed.
Findings
Research identified issues regarding implementation of systems, data sources, interoperability, management of big data and free text produced in ICUs and lack of accuracy of prediction models. ICU should be treated as part of a greater system, able to intercommunicate with other entities.
Research limitations/implications
The research examines the current needs of ICUs in interoperability and data management. As environment changes dynamically, continuous assessment and evaluation of the model with other ICU databases is required.
Originality/value
The proposed model improves ICUs interoperability in national health system, ICU staff intercommunication, remote access and decision support. Its modular approach ensures that ICUs can have their own particularities and specialisms while ICU functions provide ongoing expertise and training to upgrade its staff.
Details
Keywords
At the passing of the Fair Trading Act, 1973, and the setting up of a Consumer Protection Service with an Office of Fair Trading under a Director‐General, few could have…
Abstract
At the passing of the Fair Trading Act, 1973, and the setting up of a Consumer Protection Service with an Office of Fair Trading under a Director‐General, few could have visualized this comprehensive machinery devised to protect the mainly economic interests of consumers could be used to further the efforts of local enforcement officers and authorities in the field of purity and quality control of food and of food hygiene in particular. This, however, is precisely the effect of a recent initiative under Sect. 34 of the Act, reported elsewhere in the BFJ, taken by the Director‐General in securing from a company operating a large group of restaurants a written undertaking, as prescribed by the Section, that it would improve its standards of hygiene; the company had ten convictions for hygiene contraventions over a period of six years.
Paul Best, Una Foye, Brian Taylor, Diane Hazlett and Roger Manktelow
Little research has focused on the quality and availability of interactive online support services retrieved through search engines. The purpose of this paper is twofold; first…
Abstract
Purpose
Little research has focused on the quality and availability of interactive online support services retrieved through search engines. The purpose of this paper is twofold; first, to review and assess the availability and accessibility of interactive online support available to individuals in suicidal crisis. Second, to field test a new tool developed specifically to evaluate both the quality of online information and the quality of interactive support.
Design/methodology/approach
A collection of six terms relating to suicidal distress were generated and inputted across three major search engines (Google, Yahoo and Ask). Following initial exclusions, the remaining web sites were analysed using the SPAT (Site, Publisher, Audience and Timeliness) tool and recently developed COSAT (Crisis and Online Support Appraisal Tool) tool.
Findings
The quality of web sites retrieved was variable, with only 1.9 per cent deemed as high-quality interactive support resources. Google had the greatest precision of searching, but ease of access through search engines was generally limited. No significant difference was found in the quality of web sites located on pages 1 or 2 of search engine results. Overall, community and voluntary sector web sites averaged higher quality and interactive support rating's compared to publicly funded web sites.
Research limitations/implications
The newly developed COSAT tool may provide a positive first step towards a standardised measure of online quality and interactive support, although further testing and validation is required with a larger sample size.
Originality/value
To the authors knowledge little research has focused on the quality and availability of interactive online support services retrieved through search engines.
Details
Keywords
Jean Boisvert and Nicholas J. Ashill
Grounded in categorization theory, this study examines the impact of luxury parent brand status signaling on brand extension authenticity and consumer attitudes in two…
Abstract
Purpose
Grounded in categorization theory, this study examines the impact of luxury parent brand status signaling on brand extension authenticity and consumer attitudes in two international luxury markets.
Design/methodology/approach
Using samples of luxury consumers from France and the United States, the study's hypotheses are tested using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modelling (SEM) and multi-groups comparisons.
Findings
Findings demonstrate that luxury parent brand (PB) status signaling, familiarity and perceived quality impact luxury extension authenticity, and authenticity has a significant effect on consumer attitudes toward the extension. The relationship between PB status signaling and extension authenticity is stronger for French consumers compared to their American counterparts. The effect of luxury PB perceived quality and familiarity on PB status signaling is similar for both American and French consumers. However, the effect of PB familiarity on luxury brand extension authenticity is stronger in France than the United States.
Research limitations/implications
Results provide researchers and managers with insights on how to design marketing programs for luxury line extensions in a cross-national context.
Originality/value
The authors contribute to existing literature examining factors related to the parent brand and the relationship between the parent brand and the extension by examining the effect of PB status signaling and extension authenticity on extension attitudes in two international luxury markets.
Details
Keywords
Fernanda Gobbi de Boer Garbin, Carla Schwengber ten Caten and Diego Augusto de Jesus Pacheco
Although active learning methodologies are recognized as an effective means to achieve expected educational demands, in practice, the teaching and learning processes are still…
Abstract
Purpose
Although active learning methodologies are recognized as an effective means to achieve expected educational demands, in practice, the teaching and learning processes are still widely characterized by traditional pedagogy aspects. As a result, teaching innovations in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education are carried out in isolation in specific disciplines, programs or departments. To addresses these challenges and to stimulate useful teaching innovations, this study aims to propose the capability maturity model to active learning (CMMAL) for assessing the maturity level of active learning methodologies in higher education institutions (HEIs).
Design/methodology/approach
The CMMAL provides inputs for planning and decision-making, identifying variables such as the current state of teaching and learning processes, project management, team development, allocation of resources and infrastructure and the choice of evaluation and assessment methods. From the relevant literature, the primary aspects that impact on active learning were identified and incorporated into the structure of the model. Next, a survey was performed with 295 STEM professors and experts validating the scope of the model proposed.
Findings
The findings demonstrated the contribution of the CMMAL mainly to (1) assess the maturity levels of active methodologies in higher education and (2) stimulate the institutionalization of active learning practices in HEIs to minimize some problems related to the dissemination of new teaching practices.
Practical implications
The primary practical and academic contribution of our study is the proposition of an artifact with a scope compatible with the need of the HEIs for the implementation of active learning methodologies. This paper presents a different perspective of current literature in active learning in STEM education, introducing a model that contributes to open the dialogue with HEIs interested in better understand and improve the performance in student-centered pedagogy.
Originality/value
The model also informs and leads to specific recommendations for HEIs seeking to enhance the performance of and alter the culture around active learning methodologies.
Details