Search results
1 – 10 of 415R.G. Templer, H.R. Nicholls and T. Nicolle
Over the last five years we have successfully researched, designed, developed and commercialised the world’s first lamb and sheep dressing robots. Two have already been sold to…
Abstract
Over the last five years we have successfully researched, designed, developed and commercialised the world’s first lamb and sheep dressing robots. Two have already been sold to commercial concerns. This has caused a paradigm shift in the way automation in meat processing can be viewed. In this paper we describe the lessons we have learned in robotic automation via projects in Y‐cutting, ripdown, brisket clearing, opening cuts, handling of primal cuts and packing bagged meat pieces for lamb and sheep meat. All of these projects have been, or are about to be, trialed in operating plants processing export quality meat. These projects have involved the development of a programmable robot suitable for washdown environments, and of tooling to conduct specific dressing and handling tasks. Latest projects are applying this approach to automating certain beef processing tasks, and a beef processing robot has been constructed and is being installed for trials in an operating plant. The technology behind the robots is described and illustrated in our paper. Also described are the methods we used to ensure commercialisation was an economic success.
Details
Keywords
P.Y. Chua, T. Ilschner and D.G. Caldwell
The food industry is a highly competitive manufacturing area, but with relatively little robotic involvement as compared to the automotive industry. This is due to the fact that…
Abstract
The food industry is a highly competitive manufacturing area, but with relatively little robotic involvement as compared to the automotive industry. This is due to the fact that food products are highly variable both in shape, sizes and structure which poses a major problem for the development of manipulators for its handling. This paper reviews the current state of development in robot manipulators for the food industry. Three main areas were covered. They are: the handling of non‐rigid food products – the processing of meat, poultry, fish and milking, the harvesting of food products – picking of fruits, asparagus and mushrooms, and the packaging of food products – secondary and tertiary.
Details
Keywords
Dongjin Li, Ying Jiang, Shenghui An, Zhe Shen and Wenji Jin
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how young Chinese consumers' money attitudes influence their compulsive buying behavior.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how young Chinese consumers' money attitudes influence their compulsive buying behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 303 undergraduate students from Tianjin and Ningbo (two major cities in coastal China) answered a self‐administered questionnaire.
Findings
Money attitudes were found to significantly affect young Chinese consumers' compulsive buying behaviour. Specifically, the Retention‐Time dimension significantly affected both male and female consumers' compulsive buying. However, the Power‐Prestige dimension only affected male consumers' compulsive buying. Finally, the Quality dimension had a greater impact on male than on female consumers' compulsive buying.
Research limitations/implications
The data were collected in two major cities in the coastal region of China. Given the differences between coastal and inland China, caution must be taken when generalizing the research results to young consumers from inland China.
Practical implications
The discussion of the relationships between young Chinese consumers' money attitudes and their compulsive buying will help marketers and policy makers to better understand these consumers' spending behaviour. Thus, marketers can identify new market opportunities and form marketing strategies to target young consumers in China. On the other hand, policy makers can also form more effective education strategies to help young consumers to spend wisely.
Originality/value
Different from previous research in money attitudes and compulsive behaviour, the research provides an in‐depth overview of how male and female young Chinese consumers perceive money and how their beliefs about money affect their spending.
Details
Keywords
Klaus J. Templer, Jeffrey C. Kennedy and Riyang Phang
Customer orientation of service employees relates to customer satisfaction and loyalty, sales growth and business performance. Drawing from conservation of resources (COR) theory…
Abstract
Purpose
Customer orientation of service employees relates to customer satisfaction and loyalty, sales growth and business performance. Drawing from conservation of resources (COR) theory, the aim of this study was to test the interactive effects of service employees' role clarity and learning goal orientation on customer orientation. Specifically, it was hypothesized that even under conditions of low role clarity, service employees with high learning goal orientation would maintain a high level of customer orientation.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants were 323 employees of 4- and 5-star hotels in Singapore. Using questionnaires, they reported their role clarity, learning goal orientation and customer orientation. For hypothesis testing, moderated regression analysis was performed.
Findings
Role clarity and learning goal orientation were significantly related to customer orientation, and in support of the hypothesis, the interaction effect of role clarity and learning goal orientation was also significant. With high role clarity, all employees showed high customer orientation. But with low role clarity, only employees with high learning goal orientation demonstrated high customer orientation.
Practical implications
The recommendations from this study are to include learning goal orientation as a selection criterion for service employees and to clearly define the roles of existing service employees, especially for those with low learning goal orientation.
Originality/value
The originality and value of this study lies in highlighting the importance of learning goal orientation especially under conditions of low role clarity.
Details
Keywords
Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and…
Abstract
Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and shows that these are in many, differing, areas across management research from: retail finance; precarious jobs and decisions; methodological lessons from feminism; call centre experience and disability discrimination. These and all points east and west are covered and laid out in a simple, abstract style, including, where applicable, references, endnotes and bibliography in an easy‐to‐follow manner. Summarizes each paper and also gives conclusions where needed, in a comfortable modern format.
Details
Keywords
Nour R. El Amine and Rosalía Cascón-Pereira
Despite being one of the most used dependent variables in expatriate management research, no clear-cut understanding exists of what expatriate success means. Thus, this study aims…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite being one of the most used dependent variables in expatriate management research, no clear-cut understanding exists of what expatriate success means. Thus, this study aims to propose an integrative definition of expatriate success by providing an overview of expatriate success's dimensions, antecedents, and their interplay.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to achieve the purpose. A total of 249 empirical studies (quantitative 111, qualitative 50, mixed-methods 17), literature reviews (67) and meta-analyses (4) on expatriate success were reviewed from Web of Science and Scopus databases published from 1990 until December 2021. The study selection criteria followed the PRISMA flowchart steps, and then descriptive and network analyses were performed to identify expatriates' success dimensions, antecedents and their interplay.
Findings
The findings show the interplay among antecedents and dimensions of expatriate success across three levels (individual, interpersonal and organisational) to clarify the concept of expatriate success. Also, the study offers a comprehensive definition of expatriate success based on the dimensions identified.
Research limitations/implications
The suggested definition of expatriate success elucidates the “atheoretical”, multidimensional and socially constructed nature of the construct and hence, calls for more “theoretical”, multidimensional and subjective considerations of the term to ground human resource management practices addressed to attain expatriates' success.
Originality/value
This paper provides an integrative definition of expatriate success, giving greater insight into the construct, in addition to critically reflecting on it.
Details
Keywords
We review and summarize accounting literature that examines whistleblowing in the accounting context. We organize our review around the five determinants of whistleblowing…
Abstract
We review and summarize accounting literature that examines whistleblowing in the accounting context. We organize our review around the five determinants of whistleblowing identified by Near and Miceli (1995). The first determinant is characteristics of the whistleblower. Studies related to this determinant examine whistleblowers’ personality characteristics, moral judgment, and demographic characteristics. Studies related to the second determinant, characteristics of the report recipient, examine characteristics of the individual or individuals who receive the report and characteristics of the reporting channel. The third determinant is characteristics of the wrongdoer. Studies in this area focus on the wrongdoer’s power and credibility. Fourth, accounting studies related to characteristics of the wrongdoing examine factors that affect the dependence of the organization on the wrongdoing and evidence credibility. Studies related to the final determinant, characteristics of the organization, examine organizational perceptions of the appropriateness of whistleblowing, organizational climate, and organizational structure. For each determinant, we first summarize and analyze the findings of prior research, and then we present suggestions for future accounting research in whistleblowing.
Details
Keywords
This study aimed to test Early and Ang’s (2003) proposition that self-enhancement hinders successful cross-cultural adjustment. The literature on self-enhancement is reviewed, and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to test Early and Ang’s (2003) proposition that self-enhancement hinders successful cross-cultural adjustment. The literature on self-enhancement is reviewed, and the overclaiming technique as an unobtrusive measure of self-enhancement is introduced for use in global mobility contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the overclaiming technique, an international-cultural overclaiming test was developed. Expatriates in Singapore stated their familiarity with international-cultural knowledge items, with some of them being foil items, and rated their cross-cultural (general, interaction, work) adjustment. Supervisors rated the expatriates on their work adjustment and performance.
Findings
Overclaiming was not related to self-rated cross-cultural adjustment. However, overclaiming was negatively related to supervisor rated work adjustment and performance. Additionally, the results showed that international-cultural knowledge accuracy was positively related to self-rated general adjustment and to supervisor rated work adjustment and performance.
Research limitations/implications
The small sample size with a majority of expatriate teachers from international schools in the sample makes it necessary for the results to be replicated with larger and more varied expatriate samples.
Practical implications
While further validation is needed, this research indicates that the overclaiming technique could be a valuable tool for assessing self-enhancement in candidates for expatriate positions in order to gauge potential cross-cultural (mal)adjustment, as perceived by others.
Originality/value
This study was (likely) the first study that has applied the overclaiming technique in a global mobility context. An international-cultural knowledge overclaiming test is provided to academic researchers for future use.
Details