E.G. Sieverts, M. Hofstede, Ph.H. Haak, P. Nieuwenhuysen, G.A.M. Scheepsma, L. Veeger and G.C. Vis
This article lists and compares specifications, properties, and test results of microcomputer software for information storage and retrieval. Nine different programs which fall…
Abstract
This article lists and compares specifications, properties, and test results of microcomputer software for information storage and retrieval. Nine different programs which fall into the category of classical retrieval systems (see Part I of this series) have been tested and assessed: BIB/SEARCH, CARDBOX‐PLUS, CDS/ISIS, FREEBASE, HEADFAST, IDEALIST, INMAGIC, NUTSHELL‐PLUS, and POLYDOC. All of them run under MS‐DOS. For each of these nine programs about 100 facts and test results are tabulated. Each program is also discussed individually.
Library automation in the past twenty years has concentrated on the use of computers in traditional library services. First of all administrative processes were automated; next…
Abstract
Library automation in the past twenty years has concentrated on the use of computers in traditional library services. First of all administrative processes were automated; next, the card catalogue was transformed into an Online Public Access Catalogue (OPAC). These traditional processes were very much book‐oriented, while in the same period the importance of journals in the scientific process has grown dramatically. To cope with the growing demand for disclosure of articles, mainly outside the library world, abstracting and indexing services (AIS) emerged. However, some characteristics of AISs mean that library users use them less than OPAC. This was one reason why Tilburg University started the Online Contents project in 1989. The aim of this project was to give users information about articles in the journals collection similar to that given for books. This is a service comparable to ISI's well‐known Current Contents, but mapped on the journals collection at Tilburg University.
S. Amba, R. Meenakshi and S. Subba Rao
CDS/ISIS was used to develop a database of references for publications of the Central Leather Research Institute. This database is to serve not only as a bibliographic tool but…
Abstract
CDS/ISIS was used to develop a database of references for publications of the Central Leather Research Institute. This database is to serve not only as a bibliographic tool but also as a component of an information system for management. The problems encountered in the development of the database are described in this paper.
Information technology (IT) has been hailed as a great time and paper saver. How far is this true? Are you benefiting as much as you could from the computer on your desk or are…
Abstract
Information technology (IT) has been hailed as a great time and paper saver. How far is this true? Are you benefiting as much as you could from the computer on your desk or are you wasting time learning how to use complex software when it would be more cost‐effective to buy in expertise? This paper looks at what, for some, may be novel ways of using a PC and indicates areas where computer use may not be beneficial. The article is geared towards special libraries, but may have wider applications.
Fawaz Baddar ALHussan and Faten Baddar AL-Husan
Interpersonal and informal ties and networks, known as wasta in the Arab Middle East region, remain a major force in Middle Eastern societies, determining most economic, social…
Abstract
Interpersonal and informal ties and networks, known as wasta in the Arab Middle East region, remain a major force in Middle Eastern societies, determining most economic, social and political outcomes. Yet the literature on informal ties and networks is largely characterized by a lack of contributions from the Arab world, despite the adverse effect that lack of understanding of the wasta phenomenon is having on the effectiveness of expatriate managers and subsequently on business performance. This chapter therefore aims to shed light on the meaning, characteristics, structure, and role of wasta in establishing and maintaining successful business relationships. It ends with recommendations for foreign investors and international managers who wish to establish and maintain successful business relationships in the Middle East on how to capitalize on interpersonal networks within this process.
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Dezhi Li, Huan Zhou, Shenghua Zhou, Guanying Huang, Xiaoming Ma, Yongheng Zhao, Wentao Wang and S. Thomas Ng
The study aims to pioneer an innovative approach for the evaluation of government portal websites (GPWs) by introducing an eye-tracking-based method. The research meticulously…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to pioneer an innovative approach for the evaluation of government portal websites (GPWs) by introducing an eye-tracking-based method. The research meticulously pinpoints and analyses the distinct usability issues and challenges that users encounter while navigating and interacting with GPWs.
Design/methodology/approach
This study devises an eye-tracking-based GPW usability evaluation approach, which focuses on the major functions (i.e. government information disclosure, government services and interactive responses) of GPWs. An Entropy Weighted Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (EW-TOPSIS) method is employed to process eye-tracking indicator results for deriving GPW usability results.
Findings
The proposed approach is demonstrated to assess the usability of 12 GPWs in pilot smart cities in China, and it is found that most GPWs have lower-than-average usability. GPWs with low usability require more cognitive load that exhibit increased fixation and saccade. The comparisons among the GPW usability results from (1) the eye-tracking experiment, (2) questionnaire surveys and (3) the ready-made performance evaluation report validate the effectiveness of eye-tracking-based GPW usability evaluation.
Originality/value
The work contributes to shifting the GPW usability evaluation approach from a subjective judgment paradigm to an objective paradigm, as well as provides implications for enhancing GPW usability, including improving search function, reducing website complexity and prioritizing user needs.
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Khaldoun I. Ababneh, Raed Ababneh, Mohammed Al Waqfi and Evangelos Dedousis
This study draws on affective events theory (AET) to propose and examine a sequential process in which expatriate employees’ perceptions of psychological contract (PC) breaches…
Abstract
Purpose
This study draws on affective events theory (AET) to propose and examine a sequential process in which expatriate employees’ perceptions of psychological contract (PC) breaches impact their emotions (feelings of violation), which in turn influence their attitudes and ultimately their behaviors.
Design/methodology/approach
Expatriate employees (n = 228) working in the United Arab Emirates participated in an experiment with four employment scenarios created by manipulating transactional and relational PC promises. Participants, randomly assigned to each scenario, responded as if in a real job situation. Data analysis was performed using MANCOVA and structural equation modeling (SEM).
Findings
Employing an experimental design, the findings offer causal evidence that supervisors’ failure to fulfill employment promises adversely impacts expatriate employees’ perceptions of PC breaches, emotions, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, turnover intentions and performance. Consistent with the AET, the findings demonstrate that PC breaches impact expatriate employees’ emotions, which subsequently influence their attitudes and ultimately affect their behaviors.
Practical implications
The study provides recommendations for organizations and managers to improve relationships with expatriate employees and suggests actions to lessen the adverse effects of PC breaches.
Originality/value
To our knowledge, this is the first study that examined the sequential process suggested by the AET in the context of PC and expatriation, establishing that PC breaches impact expatriate employees’ emotions, which in turn affect their attitudes and ultimately their behaviors.
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Tamer K. Darwish, Osama Khassawneh, Muntaser Melhem and Satwinder Singh
This paper aims to explore the strategic and evolving role of human resource management (HRM) directors within the context of underdeveloped institutional arrangements. The study…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the strategic and evolving role of human resource management (HRM) directors within the context of underdeveloped institutional arrangements. The study focuses on India and conducts a comparative analysis of the roles of HRM directors in both multinational enterprises (MNEs) and domestic firms.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey-based data from the HRM directors of 252 enterprises were gathered for the comparative analysis, including both multinational and domestic enterprises.
Findings
HRM directors in MNEs lack the proficiency required to effectively fulfil their strategic role. In addition, there has been a notable shift in the responsibilities of HRM directors in MNEs, with increased emphasis on labour movements and trade union negotiations, as opposed to traditional human resource (HR) activities. This shift suggests that the role of HRM in MNEs operating in India has been influenced by local isomorphic forces, rather than following a “pendulum swing” between home and host country institutional pressures. The prevalence of informality in the Indian institutional arrangements may act as a strong counterforce to integrating the strategic agency of MNEs' home country HRM directors into the organizational structure. Despite facing resistance from the local institutional context, HRM directors in MNEs are responding with a pushback, prioritizing labour movements and trade union negotiations over core HRM activities.
Research limitations/implications
The study highlights the broader implications for theory and practice, shedding light on the challenges faced by HRM directors in navigating incoherent institutional arrangements. It emphasizes the need for a deeper understanding of local forces in shaping HRM practices within multinational settings.
Originality/value
We contribute to the comparative HRM literature by elaborating on power struggles that HRM directors face amid the dichotomies of formal power and authority that are encoded in the organizational structure versus culturally contingent power that can be accrued from engaging in informality. We also highlight their engagement in prolonged institutional mediation and change, which serves as a compensatory mechanism for the institutional shortfalls they encounter within the context of emerging markets.
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Caleb Lugar, Jeremy D. Meuser, Milorad M. Novicevic, Paul D. Johnson, Anthony P. Ammeter and Chad P. Diaz
In this chapter, the authors examined expatriates that self-initiate their international work for personal reasons and the factors that affect their departure from an…
Abstract
In this chapter, the authors examined expatriates that self-initiate their international work for personal reasons and the factors that affect their departure from an organization. The authors conducted a systematic review of self-initiated expatriation (SIE) and its definitions in order to propose an integrated definition of SIE and model its nomological network. In addition, the authors construct a roadmap for future research directions in the SIE domain. Finally, using a qualitative research design, the authors studied the organizational practices designed to reduce SIE turnover in an exemplary multinational organization. Overall, our contributions are enhanced clarity of the SIE construct and the theorized practice of SIE retention.
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D.M. Tench, D.P. Anderson, P. Jambazian, P. Kim, J. White, D. Hillman, D. Frommelt, G.K. Lucey, T. Gher and B. Piekarski
The recently developed Reduced Oxide Soldering Activation (ROSA™) method is shown to be compatible with long‐term use with mass soldering processes. Prototype regeneration cells…
Abstract
The recently developed Reduced Oxide Soldering Activation (ROSA™) method is shown to be compatible with long‐term use with mass soldering processes. Prototype regeneration cells operated for as long as six months with minimal maintenance retained their effectiveness for providing short wetting times under a variety of perturbations. The operating window for the process is wide and component degradation caused by exposure to the fully charged solution is minimal. The ROSA treatment provides soldering performance comparable to that attainable with a fully activated rosin flux and offers the promise of providing low soldering defect rates without the use of CFC solvents.