Roy Roberg and Scott Bonn
There has been a long‐standing debate over whether a college education for police officers is desirable or even necessary. Today, with the ever‐expanding complexity of the police…
Abstract
There has been a long‐standing debate over whether a college education for police officers is desirable or even necessary. Today, with the ever‐expanding complexity of the police role and the transition toward community policing, this question is more significant than ever. A zenith of interest and debate over the requirement of higher education for officers was reached in the 1970s, but it soon died out. However, a quickly changing social landscape, changing job role, rapid technological advancement, domestic terrorism and increased scrutiny have combined to renew the debate over higher education. This article attempts to synthesize past literature and bring the discussion up to date. Finally, the authors will advocate a position that would require a bachelor's degree for police officers over time, using a graduated timetable and supported by federal funding.
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Sofia Alexandra Cruz and Manuel Abrantes
The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which the nature of a particular work activity – cleaning – changes across organizational contexts, considering specific…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which the nature of a particular work activity – cleaning – changes across organizational contexts, considering specific industry characteristics and working conditions in urban settings in Portugal.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on the qualitative analysis of data collected between 2010 and 2013 using open-ended interviews with employees and direct observation in two shopping malls.
Findings
The empirical evidence illuminates how the contexts under study shape the behavior of actors and their power relations. By placing the perspective of employees at the core of the analysis, the paper demonstrates that workplaces provide a major site of conflict and negotiation regarding dignity in cleaning work, but this dispute takes on different contours and sources of tension across organizational contexts.
Originality/value
The seminal comparative analysis of commercial cleaning and housecleaning undertaken in this paper sheds light on the varying distribution of roles and authority at work. Differently than in earlier studies, the actual modes of service interaction in this industry are documented in a detailed and critical manner.
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Seng Cheong Cheah and Cheng Ling Tan
This study intends to examine the relationships between external knowledge sourcing (EKS), organizational ambidexterity (OA), and manufacturing performance (MP) in the context of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study intends to examine the relationships between external knowledge sourcing (EKS), organizational ambidexterity (OA), and manufacturing performance (MP) in the context of large manufacturing firms within a dynamic environment setting. The research framework and derived hypotheses are grounded in the knowledge-based view (KBV) and dynamic capability (DC) theories.
Design/methodology/approach
A self-administered online survey was used in this study to gather data. Respondents were the operation leaders representing large manufacturing firms. The collected data were screened for invalid responses, and hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling.
Findings
The study reveals that OA and EKS play key roles in achieving a better MP. Likewise, OA also mediates the relationship between EKS and MP.
Research limitations/implications
Cross-sectional data were collected from large manufacturing firms within five focus sectors in Malaysia. A similar study can be conducted with more sectors of different contexts to confirm the findings.
Practical implications
Knowledge is critical for the firm to react to environmental dynamism, and the ability to manage it ambidextrously will enable the firm to enhance its performance.
Originality/value
This study offers empirical insights from the perspective of the large manufacturing firms in Malaysia, which are undergoing an Industrial Revolution 4.0 (IR4.0) transformation. This study bridges the knowledge gap by revealing the value that EKS can facilitate MP, exploring OA as the prevalent factor and demonstrating how KBV and DC can be applied in this study.
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Ellen F. Goldman, Karen S. Schlumpf and Andrea Richards Scott
The purpose of this paper is to describe the process used to develop and test the Individual Behavioral Assessment Tool for Strategic Thinking.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the process used to develop and test the Individual Behavioral Assessment Tool for Strategic Thinking.
Design/methodology/approach
The instrument was developed using literature that identifies practices in use in organizations to assess strategic thinking competency and recommendations of scholars and practitioners to define strategic thinking and suggest how it could be assessed. Processes defined in the literature to develop competency measurements, both generally and for leadership and strategic management concepts specifically, were applied. A Delphi panel of experts reviewed the initial draft of the instrument which, with their refinements, was administered to participants in an executive leadership program.
Findings
Cronbach’s α and principal component analysis indicated that the instrument is internally consistent and unidimensional. Rasch analysis suggested a possible reduction in items that maintains good overall instrument performance.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides methodology for developing a measurement tool that fuses practice and theory. Further applications of the instrument across organizational levels and in single sectors would enhance its generalizability.
Practical implications
The instrument provides a consistent tool for use by practitioners to identify gaps in their own or another’s strategic thinking behaviors, specify a job-specific competency model, and direct professional development.
Originality/value
The instrument fills a gap in the theoretical literature by extending the descriptions of strategic thinking to include a comprehensive set of required individual behaviors. As such, it is the first theoretically based instrument to detail the specific competencies required to think strategically.
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Verena Raab, Brigitte Petersen and Judith Kreyenschmidt
An optimal temperature monitoring is a prerequisite for cold chain management and thus for the production and supply of high quality and safe products as well as for the reduction…
Abstract
Purpose
An optimal temperature monitoring is a prerequisite for cold chain management and thus for the production and supply of high quality and safe products as well as for the reduction of waste and economic losses. The aim of this paper is to identify and compare already existing temperature monitoring solutions in operation and novel temperature monitoring solutions with a view to their use for optimal temperature monitoring in meat supply chains. A special focus is placed on the identification and specification of challenges by the implementation of temperature monitoring systems which allow an optimal control of the temperature conditions in meat supply chains, as required by the new European food law.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a literature review of existing and novel temperature monitoring systems and challenges faced by the practical implementation of monitoring systems which allow continuous control of the temperature conditions in meat supply chains. First, the relevant literature relating to these aspects was examined and second, expert knowledge was applied with system developers of temperature monitoring and information management systems, participants in the meat supply chains and researchers
Findings
In the article different intra‐ as well as inter‐organisational challenges relating to the practical implementation of optimal temperature monitoring solutions have been identified and described.
Originality/value
The paper provides a holistic perspective of temperature monitoring solutions in meat supply chains. The challenges met when implementing temperature monitoring solutions have not been widely discussed in the literature. The proposed solutions to the specified challenges make an important contribution to developing guidelines for the implementation of optimal temperature monitoring systems in meat supply chains, resulting in improvements in food quality and safety.
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Philip Sloan, Willy Legrand and Claudia Simons-Kaufmann
The aim of this paper is to report on preliminary research conducted in seven sustainable hospitality and tourism operations set in developing economies which use the principles…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to report on preliminary research conducted in seven sustainable hospitality and tourism operations set in developing economies which use the principles of social entrepreneurship. The applicability of community-based social entrepreneurial management systems as a means of fostering socio-economic development is analysed.
Design/methodology/approach
Online contacts were first made with the selected destinations, who were asked to supply written reports on selected criteria. Purposive sampling was employed, whereby the criteria chosen for analysis were based on characteristics believed to be representative. Analysis of the reports was based on the meaning of words, in particular, in finding commonalities and differences in themes approached by each respondent.
Findings
Preliminary conclusions show that the positive effects of employing local indigenous people in these projects far outweigh some negative aspects. Employment possibilities leading to improved living standards have resulted in each case. Local cultural traditions have been maintained and only in a few cases were examples of the negative effects of tourism reported.
Research limitations/implications
The findings of this research are limited to a small selection of community-based social entrepreneurial hospitality and tourism projects in developing economies, thus, cannot be applied to similar projects in developed economies, where social and economic factors are considerably different.
Originality/value
In developing economies, social entrepreneurs can draw on the success of the projects analysed in this paper for the creation of new, similar ventures. In developed economies, hospitality and tourism businesses wishing to pursue a more socially caring form of development can gain inspiration.
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The purpose of the article was to identify the core dimensions of strategic thinking and create a measure that provides a comprehensive operationalization of the construct.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the article was to identify the core dimensions of strategic thinking and create a measure that provides a comprehensive operationalization of the construct.
Design/methodology/approach
The construct validity of the measure was assessed in two studies using four samples with a total of 985 participants. The measure was created using a multi-step process that included item development and content validation, exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, convergent and discriminant validity, criterion validity and test-retest validity.
Findings
The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) supported the existence of the three dimensions of strategic thinking (visionary, synthetic and creative thinking) as conceptually proposed. The measure was reduced to nine items. The confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the three dimensions and revealed acceptable factor loadings and model fit. Convergent, discriminant and criterion validity were established, and the measure demonstrated acceptable test-retest reliability.
Originality/value
An individual's ability to think strategically is vital for making strategic decisions and relevant to upper echelon theory and strategic management. The definition and core dimensions of strategic thinking are unclear in the literature, creating confusion. This study added to the literature by defining the core dimensions of strategic thinking and developing the strategic thinking assessment (STA) to measure the construct.
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This book is a policy proposal aimed at the democratic left. It is concerned with gradual but radical reform of the socio‐economic system. An integrated policy of industrial and…
Abstract
This book is a policy proposal aimed at the democratic left. It is concerned with gradual but radical reform of the socio‐economic system. An integrated policy of industrial and economic democracy, which centres around the establishment of a new sector of employee‐controlled enterprises, is presented. The proposal would retain the mix‐ed economy, but transform it into a much better “mixture”, with increased employee‐power in all sectors. While there is much of enduring value in our liberal western way of life, gross inequalities of wealth and power persist in our society.
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Nina Weingarten and Monika Hartmann
The type of flooring in stalls is an important factor that shapes consumers' overall perception of animal husbandry. Although slatted and straw floors have benefits and drawbacks…
Abstract
Purpose
The type of flooring in stalls is an important factor that shapes consumers' overall perception of animal husbandry. Although slatted and straw floors have benefits and drawbacks, consumers strongly prefer slatted over straw floors in pig husbandry. The present study investigates whether information provision can depolarise consumers' implicit and explicit attitudes towards both floor types to enable a more realistic evaluation of pig husbandry systems. Furthermore, this study examines the effectiveness of information depending on different frames and consumers' personality traits.
Design/methodology/approach
An experimental laboratory study with 185 German consumers was conducted to investigate the effect of information on implicit and explicit attitudes towards different flooring types. Participants received information on straw and slatted floors in a cognitive or affective frame or about a control topic. Furthermore, it was analysed whether certain consumer groups respond differently to the cognitive or affective frame.
Findings
The results demonstrated that information provision is a successful tool for depolarising consumers' implicit and explicit attitudes regarding straw and slatted floors. Although consumers continued to prefer straw floors after receiving information, the magnitude of this preference considerably decreased. Mediation analysis illustrated that implicit and explicit attitudes are highly interconnected. The study found no evidence that the personality traits of consumers moderated the effectiveness of the cognitive or affective frame.
Originality/value
The study proposes that information provision can be a potential avenue for increasing the societal acceptance of conventional methods in pig husbandry and provides recommendations for communicating conditions related to animal husbandry. Furthermore, through the inclusion of an implicit measure, this study overcomes biases of other studies in an agricultural context which usually rely only on explicit measures.