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Academic Literature (academic + literature)
Selected AbstractsThe Impact of Communication Strategy on Launching New Products: The Moderating Role of Product InnovativenessTHE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2003Yikuan Lee Academic literature is filled with debate on whether product innovativeness positively impacts new product performance (NPP) because of increasing competitive advantage or negatively impacts performance due to consumers' fears of novel technology and resultant resistance to adopt. This study investigates this issue by modeling product innovativeness as a moderator that influences the relationship between communication strategy and new product performance. The authors emphasize that the impact of innovativeness to producers is different from that to consumers and that the differences have strategic impact when commercializing highly innovative products. Product innovativeness is conceptualized as multidimensional, and each dimension is tested separately. Four dimensions of innovativeness are explored,product newness to the firm, market newness to the firm, product superiority to the customer, and adoption difficulty for the customer. In this study, communication strategy is comprised of preannouncement strategy and advertising strategy. First, the relationship between whether or not a preannouncement is offered and NPP is explored. Then three types of preannouncement messages (customer education, anticipation creation, and market preemption) are investigated. Advertising strategy is characterized by whether the advertisement campaign at the time of launch was based primarily on emotional or functional appeals. Using empirical results from 284 surveys of product managers, the authors find that the relationship between communication strategy and NPP is moderated by innovativeness, and that the relationships differ not only by degree but also by type of innovativeness. Implications for research and practice are discussed. [source] The determinants and characteristics of voluntary disclosure by Indian banking companiesCORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 5 2007Mohammed Hossain Abstract This study reports the results of an empirical investigation of the extent of voluntary disclosure by 38 listed banking companies in India. It also reports the results of the association between company specific characteristics and voluntary disclosure of the sample companies. The study reveals that Indian banks are disclosing a considerable amount of voluntary information. The findings also indicate that size and assets-in-place are significant and other variables such as age, diversification, board composition, multiple exchange listing and complexity of business are insignificant in explaining the level of disclosure. However, this paper has contributed to the academic literature that financial institutions provide voluntary corporate information including social information as discharging their social responsibility and corporate citizenship. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] ,Green alliances' of business and NGOs.CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2002New styles of self-regulation or, dead-end roads'? In recent years, so-called greenalliances between NGOs and business have become popular phenomena, both in practice as well as in academic literature. This is striking, as it concerns collaborative partnerships of agencies whose relationships were quite antagonistic in the past. The question then is how stable and effective these alliances can be, amongst others, in contributing to,or even substituting,environmental policy-making and regulation. To answer this question, the history and (potential) effectiveness of green alliances are analysed from a political modernization and policy arrangement perspective. With that, this paper has a strong theoretical focus. The intention is not to analyse empirical cases thoroughly, but to theorize about the history, strengths and weaknesses of green alliances. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [source] Service Personnel, Technology, and Their Interaction in Influencing Customer Satisfaction,DECISION SCIENCES, Issue 1 2006Craig M. Froehle ABSTRACT Managing both the technologies and the personnel needed for providing high-quality, multichannel customer support creates a complex and persistent operational challenge. Adding to this difficulty, it is still unclear how service personnel and these new communication technologies interact to influence the customer's perceptions of the service being provided. Motivated by both practical importance and inconsistent findings in the academic literature, this exploratory research examines the interaction of media richness, represented by three different technology contexts (telephone, e-mail, and online chat), with six customer service representative (CSR) characteristics and their influences on customer satisfaction. Using a large-sample customer survey data set, the article develops a multigroup structural equation model to analyze these interactions. Results suggest that CSR characteristics influence customer service satisfaction similarly across all three technology-mediated contexts. Of the characteristics studied, service representatives contribute to customer satisfaction more when they exhibit the characteristics of thoroughness, knowledgeableness, and preparedness, regardless of the richness of the medium used. Surprisingly, while three other CSR characteristics studied (courtesy, professionalism, and attentiveness) are traditionally believed to be important in face-to-face encounters, they had no significant impact on customer satisfaction in the technology-mediated contexts studied. Implications for both practitioners and researchers are drawn from the results and future research opportunities are discussed. [source] HARM REDUCTION DIGEST 34: How quick to heroin dependence?§DRUG AND ALCOHOL REVIEW, Issue 5 2006ROSS COOMBER In the popular press, and to some extent in the academic literature, there is an assumption that heroin can almost instantly addict a novice user. In this Digest, based on a paper presented at the 2005 APSAD Conference, Coomber & Sutton have extracted quantitative data from their qualitative study of a sample of ,street' heroin users to investigate how rapidly they became physically dependent. They suggest that the period from first use to addiction and regular use to daily use may be longer than many assume and that beliefs about ,instant addiction' are a harm reduction issue. Although small in scope, the study raises questions about the myth of instant heroin addiction which have implications for treatment, prevention and policy. Simon LentonEditor, Harm Reduction Digest [source] A LAWYER FOR EVERY CHILD: CLIENT-DIRECTED REPRESENTATION IN DEPENDENCY CASESFAMILY COURT REVIEW, Issue 4 2009LaShanda Taylor The article begins with a due process analysis concluding that children are legally entitled to counsel and continues by presenting examples of federal and state legislation, court decisions, and public policy arguments that support this right. The article then goes a step further to advocate for a traditional, client-directed model of representation, which empowers children and leads to better judicial decision making. Finally, the article discusses the impact of high caseloads and lack of training on attorney performance. This article serves as an important addition to the academic literature examining the need for and role of the child's attorney in dependency proceedings. [source] Does International Financial Contagion Really Exist?INTERNATIONAL FINANCE, Issue 2 2003G. Andrew Karolyi This article surveys the various definitions and taxonomies of international financial contagion in the academic literature and popular press and relates it to the existing evidence on co-movements in international asset prices, on the growth and volatility of international capital flows and on the relationship between flows and asset prices. The central argument of the article is that the empirical evidence is not as obviously consistent with the existence of market contagion as many researchers, the press, or market regulators believe. Policy implications of this alternative viewpoint are presented. [source] In Search of the Audit Society: Some Evidence from Health Care, Police and SchoolsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AUDITING, Issue 1 2000Mary Bowerman Claims that we are moving towards an ,audit society' (Power 1994, 1997) are fuelled by the emergence of a wealth of audit and other performance monitoring initiatives. To date, however, very little empirical evidence has been gathered on the precise nature, role and scope of this ,society'. This paper draws on academic literature, official and unofficial reports and interviews with auditors, inspectors and auditees across three major public service organisations. The paper argues that audit is just one aspect of a broader, but rapidly evolving, ,performance measurement society'; other important elements of which include the growth of inspection and self-assessment. Public sector audit emerges as an increasingly questionable function. The remainder of the paper dismantles some of the myths associated with its practice, particularly regarding its public visibility and contribution in terms of enhancing processes of public service delivery, management and accountability. [source] Understanding postorganic fresh fruit and vegetable consumers at participatory farmers' markets in Ireland: reflexivity, trust and social movementsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 5 2006Oliver Moore Abstract This paper examines how trusting relations between consumers and vendors of organic fresh fruits and vegetables (FFVs) in a particular type of farmers' market (FM) in Ireland are established and maintained, and what the implications of this are. First, the food system is outlined, and then its attendant problems. These problems have led to various solutions, two of which are organic food and FMs. Then, the growth in these two areas is outlined, as is the accompanying growth in the academic literature on these two areas, some of which overlaps. Various pressures, including in particular the increasing distance food travels and disconnected stallholders and products at the FM, are suggested. In light of this, a need to apply an understanding of the reflexive consumer, trust and social movements is suggested. It is found that the consumers interviewed act reflexively by choosing to go to these FMs. They prioritize the trusting relationships built up through repeated personal contact at these FMs over and above organic certification. Along with and as part of this, they prioritize local, fresh, seasonal ,chemical-free' FFVs over and above imported certified organic produce. Various aspects of collective identity formation, including modes of behaviour, objects and stories, and language, are involved in this process. These elements, to some extent, act as a buffer against the pressures of distance and disconnection. Along with this, the essential meaning of the word organic is, in this particular context, reconstructed to include various socio-environmental values missing from some certified organic produce. The word postorganic is suggested. The main methodologies used are semistructured in-depth interviews and participant observation. [source] Employee performance management across borders: A review of relevant academic literatureINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT REVIEWS, Issue 2 2009Lisbeth Claus The purpose of this paper is to survey the emerging academic literature on employee performance management (PM) from an international perspective. The primary information source was a search of electronic databases. Two criteria were used to determine which studies to include in the literature survey: (1) those published in an English-language blind refereed academic journal, and (2) those focused on employee PM or performance appraisal (PA) from an international/global perspective. Sixty-four articles, published between 1985 and 2005, met the criteria. A preliminary scheme was developed for classifying the existing academic research into conceptual and empirical articles. The empirical articles were further classified by their foci and themes. In addition to classifying the articles, the paper presents a summary of what can be learned from the major findings of the empirical studies. The major conclusion is that the academic literature on cross-border PM is relatively atheoretical and exploratory in nature and that the design and substance of the research studies are weak. With regard to themes, there are a number of foci in the literature with only scant attention paid to the central concern with the PM of expatriates as expressed by firms. The empirical articles look at the disparate components of PA and are interested mainly in cultural differences as an intervening variable. Several recommendations are presented for researchers to help focus future research on cross-border PM. [source] Paying the piper: a study of musicians and the music businessINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF NONPROFIT & VOLUNTARY SECTOR MARKETING, Issue 4 2005Krzysztof Kubacki Many artists argue that treating music as a business represents a particularly insidious force in cultural life, stifling creativity and change. For them business and art are mutually incompatible and they regard the evident economic success of the music industry as an example of the shameless exploitation of our cultural heritage. This paper is based on detailed research into the attitudes of musicians across two distinct cultures. It finds strong echoes of the key criticisms of the music business which have been prominent in academic literature and in the specialist music press for more than a generation. Singled out for particular censure are not-for-profit organisations for apparently following the global recording companies down the same, profit-driven routes. The research confirms that there is a large gap between the expectations of artists and the organisations which employ them and fund their work. It is important that these expectations are understood and, if possible, bridged. For the arts to regain their place at the heart of cultural life it is necessary once more to bring the artists themselves into the picture. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] How the WTO Matters to Industry: The Case of Scotch WhiskyINTERNATIONAL POLITICAL SOCIOLOGY, Issue 2 2009Andy Smith Although the World Trade Organization (WTO) has spawned a considerable academic literature, as yet research on this organization has rarely been problematized around clear theories of the relationship between law, economics, and politics. Building upon institutionalist premises and concepts drawn from political sociology and industrial economics, this article suggests a means of filling this gap by grasping the "political work" involved in the regulation of specific industries. Illustrated through the case of Scotch whisky, a focus is developed on how the WTO matters to contemporary industry. This reveals that the most powerful actors in industries such as Scotch have developed resources which legitimize their simultaneous engagement in a range of decision-making arenas. These include, but are not necessarily dominated by, the WTO. [source] ,Europeanizing' Civil Society: NGOs as Agents of Political SocializationJCMS: JOURNAL OF COMMON MARKET STUDIES, Issue 4 2001Alex Warleigh As a strategy for tackling the ,democratic deficit', attention is increasingly shifting towards the ,Europeanization' of civil society, the latter being traditionally viewed as a means both to limit state power and to promote intra-citizenry solidarity. However, this attempted change requires in turn actors who are both able and willing to act as agents of political socialization in the context of EU policy-making. This article examines the emphasis placed by both EU actors and the current academic literature on NGOs as such agents. Drawing on an analysis of similar claims made in development policy, I isolate the main indicators of NGOs' ability to foster the Europeanization of civil society via political socialization and put forward seven key tests of their ability to carry out this function in the EU context. These are then evaluated against the results of original empirical investigations. I argue that NGOs are currently unsuited to the task of Europeanizing civil society thanks to their inability to promote the political socialization of their supporters. As a consequence that task requires EU-level institutional reform informed by iterated public dialogue, as well as change in the working practices of NGOs. [source] Incentives and the Efficiency of Public Sector-outsourcing ContractsJOURNAL OF ECONOMIC SURVEYS, Issue 5 2005Paul H. Jensen Abstract., Outsourcing the provision of traditionally publicly provided services has become commonplace in most industrialized nations. Despite its prevalence, there still is no consensus in the academic literature on the magnitude (and determinants) of expected cost savings to the government, nor the sources of those savings. This article considers the arguments for (and against) outsourcing and then examines the empirical evidence pertaining to whether any observed savings occur and whether they persist over time. In addition, we examine the existing evidence for the ,redistribution hypothesis' and the ,quality-shading hypothesis', which critics have used to argue that outsourcing lowers government expenditure by lowering wages and conditions and/or lower quality services. Finally, we consider the impact of contract design on outsourcing outcomes. While the power of incentives is a strong theme in economics, recent work has suggested that high-powered incentives may be suboptimal for many public sector services, because they may crowd out intrinsic motivation, particularly in instances where agents are highly motivated. We discuss the implications of this insight for the efficiency of public sector outsourcing. [source] "SCENOGRAPHIC" AND "COSMETIC" PLANNING: GLOBALIZATION AND TERRITORIAL RESTRUCTURING IN BUENOS AIRESJOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2006LAURENCE CROT ABSTRACT:,The aim of the present article is to provide an account of the ways in which the impact exerted by globalizing forces on the territorial structure of the city of Buenos Aires has been mediated by local planning processes. After a brief review of the main trends and critiques found in the academic literature, the author examines how the territorial transformations that have taken place in Buenos Aires over the past fifteen years may not be simplistically related to,or blamed on,global pressures. It is argued that the determinacy imposed by long-term historical tendencies, together with specific territorial planning arrangements characteristic of the Argentine planning system, have played a major role in the production of Buenos Aires' territorial structuring over the past fifteen years. [source] Path-breaking books in regional sciencePAPERS IN REGIONAL SCIENCE, Issue 1 2004Brigitte S. Waldorf Regional science; urban economics; spatial methods; New Economic Geography; history Abstract. This article presents a collection of regional science books that long-standing members of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI) identified as path-breaking books. The most frequently nominated books include the "classics" by Isard, the seminal books in urban economics by Alonso, Muth and Mills, methods books by Miernyk, Wilson, Anselin, and Cliff and Ord, textbooks by Beckmann and Richardson, as well as the recent contribution by Fujita, Krugman and Venables. Reviews of these books, written by leading scholars from different continents, make up the major contribution of this article and are a testimony to the far-reaching influence of regional science in the academic literature. [source] Joined-up Government: a SurveyPOLITICAL STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 1 2003Christopher Pollitt This paper first identifies the varied meanings and objectives of joined-up government (JUG). Subsequently it explores the costs and risks involved, and briefly reviews some of the relevant academic literature. Having thus clarified the key concepts and situated the current fashion for a ,holistic approach' within the broader literature on co-ordination, the paper also considers a range of approaches to the assessment of progress with JUG. [source] Innovation alignment and project network dynamics: An integrative model for changePROJECT MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 3 2007John E. Taylor Abstract Innovation research has predominantly focused on hierarchically organized firms competing within single markets. Recently, however, researchers have debated over whether the increasing use of project networks within and across industries promotes or stifles innovation. This paper discusses a model based on crossnational diffusion data from three technological innovations in three-dimensional computer-aided design (3D CAD) and related implementation data from 82 firms. From the data we induce a set of constructs that form the basis of a two-stage model for understanding innovation in project networks. In the first stage of the model the alignment of an innovation to the existing allocation of work in a project network is ascertained. In the second stage, the implementation success and diffusion outcomes for innovations misaligned with the allocation of work are governed by the relational stability, accrual of interests, boundary permeability, and existence of an agent for project network change. In developing this integrative, two-stage model we resolve the contradiction in the academic literature regarding the degree to which project network dynamics can promote or stifle innovation. [source] Maintaining a distinctive public administration: the Isle of Man civil service since 1962PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 2 2002Paul Carmichael Emphasis on ,globalization' within academic literature is reflected in the contention within public administration that the prescriptions of the New Public Management are an inescapable fact of life from which states have little scope for resisting. However, variation persists both between and within countries. Since 1997, devolution within the UK and novel intergovernmental structures occasioned by the Belfast Agreement for Northern Ireland have transformed the territorial governance of the UK and the wider British Isles, providing further evidence of the differential impact of NPM. In seeking a better understanding of these differences, examination of the administrative arrangements of small communities or micro states can offer fascinating comparative insights into the workings of larger states, especially those with whom they enjoy a direct relationship. Frequently, however, small communities are overlooked in favour of studies of countries with more political weight. The micro states of the British Isles (namely, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands) illustrate the point. However, with a few notable exceptions, relatively little is published. To correct this deficiency, this article seeks to explore developments in the Isle of Man, specifically its civil service. In so doing, the article aims to broaden our understanding of the changing governance not only of the Isle of Man, but also of the UK and beyond. [source] Determinants of integrated product development diffusionR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2006Todd Boyle Integrated product development (IPD) is an approach for developing new products focused on the early and active involvement of design, manufacturing, marketing and other key new product development (NPD) stakeholders in order to achieve cross-functional integration and concurrent execution of various NPD activities. The benefits of IPD are well known in both the academic literature and popular press, including significant reductions in NPD cycle time and costs. However, in spite of these benefits, for the majority of manufacturing organizations, IPD is not used on 100% of NPD projects. This research develops a model of the organizational contextual factors influencing the diffusion of IPD in organizations. Results of surveying 269 NPD managers indicate that the complexity of certain IPD practices and support for IPD directly influence IPD diffusion, while an innovative organizational climate and the complexity of the organization's NPD activities indirectly influence IPD diffusion through IPD support. [source] Using Multiperiod Variables in the Analysis of Home Improvement Decisions by HomeownersREAL ESTATE ECONOMICS, Issue 4 2002Kermit Baker Though approaching $200 billion a year, spending by homeowners and rental property owners on improvements and repairs to the stock of existing housing units has received little attention in the academic literature. Historically, studies of the determinants of home improvements have focused heavily on the static characteristics of the housing unit (age, value, size, location) and of the occupants (age, income, household composition). This article extends this inquiry by incorporating dynamic factors, namely changes in the composition of the household and previous spending on home improvements. The results of these enhancements are encouraging. Additions of household members and having recently undertaken a major home improvement project are significantly related to home expansion projects. [source] How HMP Grendon ,Works' in the Words of Those Undergoing TherapyTHE HOWARD JOURNAL OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE, Issue 3 2002David Wilson Prisoner autobiographies are used to construct an understanding of how therapy at HMP Grendon ,works', grounded in Genders and Player's ,therapeutic career model'. The use of these sources , or ,voices', provides the listener not only with a deeper understanding of how the therapeutic process operates, but also raises issues which have not previously been described in the academic literature about the prison, or within the ,what works' debate. In particular the idea of a therapeutic ,champion' is introduced. [source] Success Factors in New Ventures: A Meta-analysis,THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2008Michael Song Technology entrepreneurship is key to economic development. New technology ventures (NTVs) can have positive effects on employment and could rejuvenate industries with disruptive technologies. However, NTVs have a limited survival rate. In our most recent empirical study of 11,259 NTVs established between 1991 and 2000 in the United States, we found that after four years only 36 percent, or 4,062, of companies with more than five full-time employees, had survived. After five years, the survival rate fell to 21.9 percent, leaving only 2,471 firms still in operation with more than five full-time employees. Thus, it is important to examine how new technology ventures can better survive. In the academic literature, a number of studies focus on success factors for NTVs. Unfortunately, empirical results are often controversial and fragmented. To get a more integrated picture of what factors lead to the success or failure of new technology ventures, we conducted a meta-analysis to examine the success factors in NTVs. We culled the academic literature to collect data from existing empirical studies. Using Pearson correlations as effect size statistics, we conducted a meta-analysis to analyze the findings of 31 studies and identified the 24 most widely researched success factors for NTVs. After correcting for artifacts and sample size effects, we found that among the 24 possible success factors identified in the literature, 8 are homogeneous significant success factors for NTVs (i.e., they are homogeneous positive significant metafactors that are correlated to venture performance): (1) supply chain integration; (2) market scope; (3) firm age; (4) size of founding team; (5) financial resources; (6) founders' marketing experience; (7) founders' industry experience; and (8) existence of patent protection. Of the original 24 success factors, 5 were not significant: (1) founders' research and development (R&D) experience; (2) founders' experience with start-ups; (3) environmental dynamism; (4) environmental heterogeneity; and (5) competition intensity. The remaining 11 success factors are heterogeneous. For those heterogeneous success factors, we conducted a moderator analysis. Of this set, three appeared to be success factors, and two were failure factors for subgroups within the NTVs' population. To facilitate the development of a body of knowledge in technology entrepreneurship, this study also identifies high-quality measurement scales for future research. The article concludes with future research directions. [source] Corporate Ownership and Control in the UK: The Tax DimensionTHE MODERN LAW REVIEW, Issue 5 2007Brian R. Cheffins While generally the impact tax has on patterns of corporate ownership and control has received little attention in the relevant academic literature, this paper argues that tax is potentially an important determinant of ownership patterns in large companies. The paper focuses on historical developments in Britain, where an ,outsider/arm's-length' system of corporate governance took shape during the twentieth century and became fully entrenched by the end of the 1970s. Taxes imposed on corporate profits, taxation of managerial and investment income and inheritance taxes help to explain why during this period blockholders sought to exit and why there was sufficient demand for shares among investors to permit ownership to separate from control. [source] The effects of human resources management practices on the organizational performances of Canadian financial co-operativesANNALS OF PUBLIC AND COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS, Issue 2 2002Michel Arcand Reading through academic literature with a critical eye shows that the relation between human resources management (HRM) and the performance of the firm is a relatively unknown phenomenon. This relation is sometimes described as a "black box". Far from claiming to have closed the debate, this article sets forth an original approach that represents an undisputable input which allows a better understanding of this phenomenon. Even if there are many theories that try to explain this relation, only the universalistic approach of human resources will be of interest. While using both a qualitative and a quantitative approach, our research shows that some HRM practices do seem to give a competitive advantage to Canadian financial co-operative enterprises. [source] Older Indigenous Australians: their integral role in culture and communityAUSTRALASIAN JOURNAL ON AGEING, Issue 1 2007Jeni Warburton This review explores the social and cultural roles played by older Indigenous Australians within their communities. In the absence of a body of conventional academic literature on this topic, we used a broad range of sources including stories, articles, videos, and other narratives to present the lived experiences of older Indigenous Australians illustrated in their own words. The intention is to move beyond the usual negative focus of reporting the significant health and social problems experienced by older Indigenous Australians, whilst still recognising that their present-day roles within the society have to be understood against a backdrop of such lifetime disadvantage. The major underlying theme of this review is the crucial roles played by older Indigenous people and how these roles have adapted over time to contemporary circumstances. Roles include kinship relationships, support for the young, transmission of cultural knowledge, as well as the key concept of respect for older people as ,survivors'. [source] The "Transformation" of Governance: New Directions in Policy and PoliticsAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF POLITICS AND HISTORY, Issue 1 2004John Loughlin The terms transformation and governance are used increasingly in the academic literature but often in a confused way. This article attempts to define both terms. It argues that there are three kinds of transformation: pseudo-change; incremental evolutionary transformation (IET), which is the most common form; and revolutionary transformation (RT). It applies this model of change to three paradigm shifts in developed countries since 1945: the Welfare State; the neo-liberal state; and the so-called Third Way. It argues that each of these paradigms involves a particular dominant mode of governance: statist; pluralist; and network respectively. It examines both the causes and consequences of these transformations for politics and policy. [source] Identifying impediments to SRI in Europe: a review of the practitioner and academic literatureBUSINESS ETHICS: A EUROPEAN REVIEW, Issue 3 2008Carmen Juravle For more than 15 years, the investment community and the academic community have written extensively on socially responsible investment (SRI). Despite the abundance of SRI thought, the adoption of SRI practices among institutional investors is a comparative rarity. This paper endeavours to achieve two goals. First, by integrating the practitioner and academic literature on the topic, the paper attempts to identify the many impediments to SRI in Europe from an institutional investor's perspective. Second, the paper proposes a unitary framework to conceptually organize the impediments to SRI by using insights from different relevant research perspectives: behavioural finance, organizational behaviour, institutional theory, economic sociology, management science and finance. The paper concludes by presenting the main shortcomings within both the academic and the practitioner literature on SRI and by providing conceptual and methodological recommendations for further research. [source] Can ,market transformation' lead to ,sustainable business'?BUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 2 2004A critical appraisal of the UK's strategy for sustainable business This paper traces the origins and development of the concept of ,market transformation', from its beginnings as a part of energy policy in the USA, to its subsequent development in the UK. It discusses whether it could become a strategic option for British business in pursuit of sustainable growth. Drawing together themes from the academic literature on marketing, consumer behaviour, business, and energy policy, together with data from national programmes, and British government sources, the paper argues that such an approach would be based on a twin false premise , that selling energy efficiency to consumers is in accordance with modern marketing thinking, and that it has much to do with achieving sustainable development. It concludes that while achieving sustainable development will certainly encompass the transformation of markets for many products, ,market transformation' itself cannot be seen as a key driver for change. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Building e-government in East and Southeast Asia: Regional rhetoric and national (in)actionPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2002Ian HollidayArticle first published online: 9 OCT 200 Among many regional policy initiatives taken by states in East and Southeast Asia in the wake of the 1997 financial crisis, one central project launched by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and taken up by its dialogue partners in East Asia, was promotion of information and communication technology. While part of ASEAN's 1999,2004 action plan focused on services for business, another part sought to put public sectors online, and to promote electronic government, or e-government. Taking the 16 states and quasi-states of East and Southeast Asia, this article evaluates progress at the action plan's mid-point in January 2002. It begins by defining e-government and reviewing three academic literatures on the information age, developmental states, and Confucian societies. It then describes the major policy initiatives taken by ASEAN and its partner states, and surveys implementation progress through an analysis of government homepages and sites. Its main finding is that e-government activity in East and Southeast Asia is highly diverse, reflecting national strengths and weaknesses rather than regional capacity for policy change. The article argues for increased attention to national implementation strategies. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||