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How do you measure existing fleet performance, and improve it by better scheduling techniques? How do you exercise effective control over both driver and vehicle? These were some…
Abstract
How do you measure existing fleet performance, and improve it by better scheduling techniques? How do you exercise effective control over both driver and vehicle? These were some of the points discussed in a seminar organised by consultants Drew McConkey, held recently in Manchester. It was attended by senior management of companies in the UK and the Republic of Ireland which included food wholesalers, supermarket multiples, and grocery and confectionery manufacturers. The seminar was presented by Ralph Drew, Rob McConkey, and members of the staff of DMA.
Discusses a programme embarked upon by Exel Logistics aimed atimproving the effectiveness of the drivers engaged in one of its majorstore delivery contracts. Examines the Standard…
Abstract
Discusses a programme embarked upon by Exel Logistics aimed at improving the effectiveness of the drivers engaged in one of its major store delivery contracts. Examines the Standard Hour Plan developed by DMA (the specialist consultants involved) and how the programme specifically met the needs of that particular contract.
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William J Rose, Diane A Mollenkopf, Chad W. Autry and John E. Bell
As global populations become increasingly urbanized and urban areas grow in density and complexity, many firms seeking to operate in these areas face significant new challenges…
Abstract
Purpose
As global populations become increasingly urbanized and urban areas grow in density and complexity, many firms seeking to operate in these areas face significant new challenges. The purpose of this paper is to identify the approaches utilized by urban logistics service providers to overcome the issues resulting from urban density and complexity. The paper also identifies potential directions for future research based on the research findings.
Design/methodology/approach
The study followed a grounded theory approach (Corbin and Strauss, 2008) to uncover the approaches utilized by logistics service providers to adapt to urban environments.
Findings
The urban environment exerts certain coercive and mimetic pressures on logistics service providers. To overcome these pressures, urban logistics service providers seek to manage space, resources, and legitimacy in the urban environment.
Research limitations/implications
This research followed an inductive approach, and therefore, further empirical research is required to ensure statistical generalizability. Additionally, all research participants are currently employed in the USA, and so further research at the international level should be conducted.
Practical implications
The framework presented will enable firms seeking to enter the urban market to more quickly adapt to the specific pressures of the urban ecology.
Originality/value
While literature from several academic disciplines outline problems and solutions specific to urban areas, little qualitative, inductive research has been conducted in the field of urban logistics. The current research serves as a starting point for further urban logistics research.
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The boatmen on the pleasure boats which ply between Westminster Pier, the Tower and Greenwich have of recent years taken to drawing attention, by megaphone, to the historic places…
Abstract
The boatmen on the pleasure boats which ply between Westminster Pier, the Tower and Greenwich have of recent years taken to drawing attention, by megaphone, to the historic places the boats pass on the trip. One of the sights they point out is a warehouse on the south bank near Southwark Bridge which bears a large notice stating that it is the site of the Globe Playhouse. The notice, which is incorrect, is one of the survivals of the controversy which raged in the 1920's as to the position of the “Glory of the Bank”, the Globe Playhouse, where Shakespeare trod the boards and for which some of the world's greatest dramas were written.
Nuwan Gunarathne, Samanthi Senaratne and Shashiprabha Senanayake
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the operationalization of the outcome-based education (OBE) model in an accountancy study program in Sri Lanka and the impact of education…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the operationalization of the outcome-based education (OBE) model in an accountancy study program in Sri Lanka and the impact of education frameworks on OBE.
Design/methodology/approach
This study follows the case study approach to the first academic accounting study program in a Sri Lankan public sector university. Primary data were collected through semi-structured interviews and secondary data through a content analysis of various relevant documents. The data were analyzed thematically using the theory of constructive alignment.
Findings
In accounting, the most significant imperative for the OBE stems from normative pressures. Since the accounting education frameworks have closely followed the approach suggested in constructive alignment, the normative institutionalization of professional standards in accounting supports OBE in accounting education. The OBE approach with its diverse range of teaching and learning activities and assessment methods in accounting has yielded multi-stakeholder benefits while posing some challenges in operationalization.
Research limitations/implications
The paper’s insights are based on a single case study in Sri Lanka and may be difficult to generalize to other countries.
Originality/value
This is the first empirical attempt to study the operationalization of the theory of constructive alignment of OBE in accounting for a study program.
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Ralph Williams, W. Randy Clark, Deana M. Raffo and Leigh Anne Clark
Leader credibility is often discussed in literature. Although the literature discusses many facts related to building leader credibility, organized and structured knowledge of how…
Abstract
Purpose
Leader credibility is often discussed in literature. Although the literature discusses many facts related to building leader credibility, organized and structured knowledge of how leaders build leader credibility is missing. The present study's purpose is to begin closing that gap by drawing concepts from the literature related to building leader credibility, categorizing them into relevant constructs and building a model. The present study provides a foundation, built from items drawn from peer-reviewed literature, for future research on how leaders build credibility.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors reviewed 66 articles discussing or exploring building leader credibility. From those articles, they drew potential leader credibility antecedents. They analyzed the antecedents, seeking to group them into understandable constructs that provide a building leader credibility model. Seeking nomological validity (evidence that our building leader credibility constructs reflect real-world thinking), they conducted an open-ended survey to compare what practitioners say builds leader credibility to our model.
Findings
The leader credibility antecedents the authors drew from the literature fell into two dimensions: competence and character. The competence antecedents fell into three subdivisions: interpersonal competence, technical competence and leader competence. The character antecedents fell into two subdivisions: character behaviors and character attributes. Responses from our open-ended survey fit our five subdimensions for building leader credibility, providing some nomological validity for our model.
Practical implications
The authors’ model may help practitioners see the big picture of building leader credibility, develop specific tactics for building leader credibility and provide a basis for assessing their building leader credibility approach.
Originality/value
Although leader credibility is vastly researched and leader credibility antecedents are discussed or explored, a big-picture model of building leader credibility is lacking. This study pursues a path previously not taken, developing a credibility-building model drawn from concepts presented in the literature.
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Ralph A. Córdova, Ann Taylor, Michelle Whitacre, Nancy Singer, Karen Cummings and Stephanie Koscielski
University methods instructors emerging from disciplinary silos (art, English, mathematics, science, and foreign language) co-created a seminar to support candidates’ using video…
Abstract
Purpose
University methods instructors emerging from disciplinary silos (art, English, mathematics, science, and foreign language) co-created a seminar to support candidates’ using video reflection. They explored how the Inquiry into My Practice protocol (IMP) could be used as a vehicle to surface Three Durable Practices critical for educators: intentional collaboration, instruction, and reflection.
Methodology/approach
Grounded in an interactional ethnographic perspective, this analysis draws on two telling cases to examine how the faculty team and teacher candidates co-constructed an intentional ethnographic learning community using physical and video-based practices (TeachingChannel.org).
Findings
Three Durable Practices came to life in the IMP, and through this shared and coherent conceptual approach, candidates made visible their process for bridging the disconnected worlds of theory and practice as they took up video analysis of their teaching.
Practical implications
Orienting across disciplinary boundaries to a shared conceptual language with associated protocols, faculty and candidates are afforded approaches to navigate their face-to-face and virtual worlds of practice.
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