A year ago Devlin warned that Britain could be left behind in the EEC food lobbying stakes
David Priilaid and Jonathan Steyn
In increasingly competitive markets, opportunities exist to meaningfully differentiate product offerings by cue signalling the claims of emergent categories. Therefore, and within…
Abstract
Purpose
In increasingly competitive markets, opportunities exist to meaningfully differentiate product offerings by cue signalling the claims of emergent categories. Therefore, and within the context of wine sales, the purpose of this study models the supply-led price importance of nascent, extrinsic old vine (OV) cues for South African wines to establish whether to what extent and how producers prioritise such nascent cues relative to more established extrinsic cues of worth.
Design/methodology/approach
A data set was compiled of 159 South African wines with OV category cues signalled on front labels, back labels or via marketing material. The play of contending cue variables was computed through an ordinary least square hedonic pricing model.
Findings
In addition to the contribution of established cues such as aggregated critic ratings, grape varieties and area of origin, this study confirms that vineyard age contributes significantly to wine price, particularly when signalled on back labels.
Practical implications
In price setting and positional models, such as brand extensions, the findings prove useful in understanding the inherent value of nascent cues and specifically vineyard age, relative to competing established wine cues of worth.
Originality/value
This study extends the wine pricing theory by validating the viability of nascent OV cues in the modelling of a wine’s value.
Details
Keywords
Tim Gorichanaz, Jonathan Furner, Lai Ma, David Bawden, Lyn Robinson, Dominic Dixon, Ken Herold, Sille Obelitz Søe, Betsy Van der Veer Martens and Luciano Floridi
The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss Luciano Floridi’s 2019 book The Logic of Information: A Theory of Philosophy as Conceptual Design, the latest instalment in his…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss Luciano Floridi’s 2019 book The Logic of Information: A Theory of Philosophy as Conceptual Design, the latest instalment in his philosophy of information (PI) tetralogy, particularly with respect to its implications for library and information studies (LIS).
Design/methodology/approach
Nine scholars with research interests in philosophy and LIS read and responded to the book, raising critical and heuristic questions in the spirit of scholarly dialogue. Floridi responded to these questions.
Findings
Floridi’s PI, including this latest publication, is of interest to LIS scholars, and much insight can be gained by exploring this connection. It seems also that LIS has the potential to contribute to PI’s further development in some respects.
Research limitations/implications
Floridi’s PI work is technical philosophy for which many LIS scholars do not have the training or patience to engage with, yet doing so is rewarding. This suggests a role for translational work between philosophy and LIS.
Originality/value
The book symposium format, not yet seen in LIS, provides forum for sustained, multifaceted and generative dialogue around ideas.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic and systematic conceptualization of the impact of strategic human resource management (SHRM) on the psychological contract…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic and systematic conceptualization of the impact of strategic human resource management (SHRM) on the psychological contract. Specifically, this paper aims to explore how the alignment of HR-systems and organizational communication influences the congruence and breach of the psychological contract.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper applies the signaling theory as a lens to develop a typology of four “ideal types” of SHRM configurations, each characterized by differences in the alignment of the HR-system and communication quality. Based on this typology, the influence of these different SHRM configurations on the congruence and breach of the psychological contract is being proposed.
Findings
The typology shows that the alignment of HR-systems and communication quality impact differently on the formation and breach of the psychological contract. It highlights that employees require both, highly aligned HR-systems and a high-quality communication to form congruent contract perceptions.
Originality/value
The configurational arguments embedded in the typology allow the conceptualization of the interrelationships between the alignment of HR-systems, organizational communication and the congruence and breach of the psychological contract. The propositions derived from the typology can guide research on SHRM as an antecedent of the psychological contract and shed light on the role of the psychological contract as a linking mechanism between SHRM and the employees’ reactions.
Details
Keywords
Arthur Morgan and Jocelyn Finniear
The influx of migrant workers in the UK has widespread interest. This group's experience of the British work place has evoked considerable debate ranging from the potential to be…
Abstract
Purpose
The influx of migrant workers in the UK has widespread interest. This group's experience of the British work place has evoked considerable debate ranging from the potential to be exploited through unscrupulous practices to allegations about taking away jobs from British workers. The purpose of this paper is to extend knowledge about the workplace experiences of migrant workers and discuss the implications this may offer for human resource management practice.
Design/methodology/approach
The method uses an interpretive approach as the principal method of inquiry. Insights are presented through the use of descriptive vignettes to preserve the contextual richness in participant's descriptions.
Findings
The dynamics of the psychological contract has been fundamentally affected by increasing numbers of migrant workers in the workplace. There is clear potential for a dual system to exist where migrant workers are treated differently in terms of recruitment, training and deployment. The ability to ensure employees work safely and are equipped to undertake their job roles is a key concern.
Research limitations/implications
The research reports an initial study and as such the findings, although representative of the group reported, may be atypical.
Practical implications
Employers and HR practitioners are missing an opportunity to recruit and deploy well motivated highly skilled individuals. Earlier research which focuses on quantitative‐based approaches may possess methodological problems which this research aims to highlight.
Originality/value
The use of in‐depth interviews allows a better informed understanding of the philosophical (and cultural) tensions to emerge. Such an approach offers insights which until now have eluded research focused upon more quantitatively oriented studies.
Details
Keywords
Ing Liang Wong, Philip Eames and Srinath Perera
Transparent insulation materials (TIMs) have been developed for application to building facades to reduce heating energy demands of a building. The purpose of this research is to…
Abstract
Purpose
Transparent insulation materials (TIMs) have been developed for application to building facades to reduce heating energy demands of a building. The purpose of this research is to investigate the feasibility of TI‐applications for high‐rise and low‐rise office buildings in London, UK, to reduce heating energy demands in winter and reduce overheating problems in summer.
Design/methodology/approach
The energy performance of these office building models was simulated using an energy simulation package, Environmental Systems Performance‐research (ESP‐r), for a full calendar year. The simulations were initially performed for the buildings with conventional wall elements, prior to those with TI‐systems (TI‐walls and TI‐glazing) used to replace the conventional wall elements. Surface temperatures of the conventional wall elements and TI‐systems, air temperature inside the 20 mm wide air gaps in the TI‐wall, dry‐bulb zone temperature and energy demands required for the office zones were predicted.
Findings
Peak temperatures of between 50 and 70°C were predicted for the internal surface of the TI‐systems, which clearly demonstrated the large effect of absorption of solar energy flux by the brick wall mass with an absorptivity of 90 percent behind the TIM layer. In the office zones, the magnitude of temperature swings during daytime was reduced, as demonstrated by a 10 to 12 h delay in heat transmission from the external façade to the office zones. Such reduction indicates the overheating problems could be reduced potentially by TI‐applications.
Originality/value
This research presents the scale and scope of design optimisation of TI‐systems with ESP‐r simulations, which is a critical process prior to applications to real buildings.
Details
Keywords
This chapter introduces the book’s purpose: to explore the niche technology space of Web3 and use it as a lens to reflect on the internet’s future. I’ll discuss the internet’s…
Abstract
This chapter introduces the book’s purpose: to explore the niche technology space of Web3 and use it as a lens to reflect on the internet’s future. I’ll discuss the internet’s current state and key issues and then move into a definitional tour of Web3 and its underlying technology. The book’s core argument is presented: Web3 provides tangible social proof of what people want for the internet’s future. I’ll examine current challenges such as privacy concerns, unclear data ownership, and lack of transparency in online systems, which create power imbalances between technology controllers and users. The book argues for striving towards a more equitable and transparent digital future. This chapter serves as a starting point, offering insight into my decade-long research. It aims to familiarise readers with the case study approach and Web3 terminology used throughout the book. A chapter-by-chapter roadmap is provided to guide readers through the exploration of Web3 and its implications. Additionally, this chapter introduces my writing style and voice, preparing readers for the deeper analysis to come. While grounded in sociological knowledge, the chapter aims to make Web3 accessible and spark readers’ curiosity, encouraging them to pursue their own inquiries into this emerging field.
Details
Keywords
Raymond A. Friedman and Robert J. Robinson
Current research on justice has found that perceptions of injustice are reduced when harm‐doers provide an explanation or “account” of their actions. We question whether these…
Abstract
Current research on justice has found that perceptions of injustice are reduced when harm‐doers provide an explanation or “account” of their actions. We question whether these findings generalize to everyone in organizations. In particular, we predict that responses to unjust acts and social accounts about them will differ for those in organizations who have less power and for those who are “in‐group” to the victim. We test this prediction by replicating Bies and Shapiro's study of causal accounts, using union subjects as well as managerial subjects, and constructing a scenario in which the victim is a worker and another in which the victim is a manager. As expected, union subjects were more angry about unjust acts than were managers. Counter to our expectations, all subjects perceived an act to be more unjust when the victim was a worker than when the victim was a manager. As in previous studies, an account reduced feelings of injustice, except in one situation: among those of lower power (union reps) who evaluated acts that hurt members of their own group (i.e., a worker), an account did not reduce their sense of injustice for the victim, even though it did reduce blame at the harm‐doer.
Robert J. Robinson and Raymond A. Friedman
Misunderstanding, or misconstrual, is a major exacerbating factor in conflict escalation and an impediment to negotiation and resolution. Laboratory work has identified…
Abstract
Misunderstanding, or misconstrual, is a major exacerbating factor in conflict escalation and an impediment to negotiation and resolution. Laboratory work has identified characteristic errors of construal which partisans make in assessing the views of their opponents. This paper examined whether these same phenomena could be observed in a traditional real‐world conflict, that between trade unions and management. In two studies, union representatives and managers reacted first (in Study 1) to an actual contract negotiation that the two sides were involved with, and then to a hypothetical unjust act. Results revealed that the two sides indeed display many characteristic errors of construal. Specifically, union representatives underestimated management concern for harmful acts against workers, or management's sincere wish to negotiate in good faith within financial constraints, and were generally highly suspicious of management motives and intentions toward workers. Managers saw union representatives as unreasonable, and greatly overestimated union militancy and unwillingness to accept extenuating circumstances. Negotiations will be greatly improved if such misconstruals can be exposed and debunked prior to, or during negotiations.