Trade-offs in customer–employee focus:implications on boundary-spanning capabilities

In pursuing their particular strategic goals, organisations place differential emphasis in their activities on employees and customers. Those who focus predominantly on employees see them as key resources contributing to successful achievement of goals, while those who focus on customers believe that customer commitment is the prime source of financial prosperity and competitive advantage. In all firms, there is potential for conflict and subsequent trade-offs in the emphasis placed on employee resources and customers. This paper investigates the implications of these potential trade-offs on firms’ boundary-spanning capabilities (those capabilities that enable firms to interact effectively with their customers, their suppliers, their strategic allies and others in their business networks) in European and Australasian markets. The results suggest that those companies which achieve a strong but balanced focus on both employees and customers have heightened boundary-spanning capabilities. The comparison between UK and Australian businesses indicates that the balance is more highly developed in Australasian than European (UK) markets.

Trade-offs in customer-employee focus:Implications on boundary-spanning capabilities

In pursuing their particular strategic goals, organisations place differential emphasis in their activities on employees and customers. Those who focus predominantly on employees see them as key resources contributing to successful achievement of goals, while those who focus on customers believe that customer commitment is the prime source of financial prosperity and competitive advantage. In all firms, there is potential for conflict and subsequent trade-offs in the emphasis placed on employee resources and customers. This paper investigates the implications of these potential trade-offs on firms' boundary-spanning capabilities (those capabilities that enable firms to interact effectively with their customers, their suppliers, their strategic allies and others in their business networks) in European and Australasian markets. The results suggest that those companies which achieve a strong but balanced focus on both employees and customers have heightened boundary-spanning capabilities. The comparison between UK and Australian businesses indicates that the balance is more highly developed in Australasian than European (UK) markets. © 2004 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Transition in homogeneously heated inclined plane parallel shear flows

The transition of internally heated inclined plane parallel shear flows is examined numerically for the case of finite values of the Prandtl number Pr. We show that as the strength of the homogeneously distributed heat source is increased the basic flow loses stability to two-dimensional perturbations of the transverse roll type in a Hopf bifurcation for the vertical orientation of the fluid layer, whereas perturbations of the longitudinal roll type are most dangerous for a wide range of the value of the angle of inclination. In the case of the horizontal inclination transverse roll and longitudinal roll perturbations share the responsibility for the prime instability. Following the linear stability analysis for the general inclination of the fluid layer our attention is focused on a numerical study of the finite amplitude secondary travelling-wave solutions (TW) that develop from the perturbations of the transverse roll type for the vertical inclination of the fluid layer. The stability of the secondary TW against three-dimensional perturbations is also examined and our study shows that for Pr=0.71 the secondary instability sets in as a quasi-periodic mode, while for Pr=7 it is phase-locked to the secondary TW. The present study complements and extends the recent study by Nagata and Generalis (2002) in the case of vertical inclination for Pr=0.

Induction of inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide in J774.2 cells and murine macrophages by lipoteichoic acid and related cell wall antigens from Staphylococcus epidermidis

Staphylococcus epidermidis causes infections associated with medical devices including central venous catheters, orthopaedic prosthetic joints and artificial heart valves. This coagulase-negative Staphylococcus produces a conventional cellular lipoteichoic acid (LTA) and also releases a short-glycerophosphate-chain-length form of LTA (previously termed lipid S) into the medium during growth. The relative pro-inflammatory activities of cellular and short-chain-length exocellular LTA were investigated in comparison with peptidoglycan and wall teichoic acid from S. epidermidis and LPS from Escherichia coli O111. The ability of these components to stimulate the production of proinflammatory cytokines [interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6 and tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α] and nitric oxide was investigated in a murine macrophage-like cell line (J774.2), and in peritoneal and splenic macrophages. On a weight-for-weight basis the short-chain-length exocellular LTA was the most active of the S. epidermidis products, stimulating significant amounts of each of the inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide, although it was approximately 100-fold less active than LPS from E. coli. By comparison the full-chain-length cellular LTA and peptidoglycan were less active and the wall teichoic acid had no activity. As an exocellular product potentially released from S. epidermidis biofilms, the short-chain-length exocellular LTA may act as the prime mediator of the host inflammatory response to device-related infection by this organism and act as the Gram-positive equivalent of LPS in Gram-negative sepsis. The understanding of the role of short-chain-length exocellular LTA in Gram-positive sepsis may lead to improved treatment strategies. © 2005 SGM.

Investigation of gas engine driven heat pump systems

Heat pumps are becoming increasingly popular, but poor electricity generating efficiency limits the potential energy savings of electrically powered units. Thus the work reported in this thesis concerns the development of a range of gas engine driven heat pumps for industrial and commercial heating applications, which recover heat from the prime mover, normally rejected to waste. Despite the convenience of using proprietary engine heat recovery packages, investigations have highlighted the necessity to ensure the engine and the heat recovery equipment are compatible. A problem common •to all air source heat pumps is the formation of frost on the evaporator, which must be removed periodically, with the expenditure of energy, to ensure the continued operation of the plant. An original fluidised bed defrosting mechanism is proposed, which prevents the build-up of this frost, and also improves system performance. Criticisms have been levelled against the rotary sliding vane compressor, in particular the effects of lubrication, which is essential. This thesis compares the rotary sliding vane compressor with other machines, and concludes that many of these criticisms are unfounded. A confidential market survey indicates an increasing demand for heat pumps up to and including 1990, and the technical support needed to penetrate this market is presented. Such support includes the development of a range of modular gas engine driven heat pumps, and a computer aided design for the selection of the optimum units. A case study of a gas engine driven heat pump for a swimming pool application which provided valuable experience is included.

Web strength of rolled steel joists

This work is concerned with the behaviour of thin webbed rolled steel joists or universal beams when they are subjected to concentrated loads applied to the flanges. The prime concern is the effect of high direct stresses causing web failure in a small region of the beam. The review shows that although many tests have been carried out on rolled steel beams and built up girders, no series of tests has restricted the number of variables involved to enable firm conclusions to be drawn. The results of 100 tests on several different rolled steel universal beam sections having various types of loading conditions are presented. The majority of the beams are tested by loading with two opposite loads, thus eliminating the effects of bending and shear, except for a small number of beams which are tested simply supported on varying spans. The test results are first compared with the present design standard (BS 449) and it is shown that the British Standard is very conservative for most of the loading conditions included in the tests but is unsafe for others. Three possible failure modes are then considered, overall elastic buckling of the web, flexural yielding of the web due to large out of plane deflexions and local crushing of the material at the junction of the web and the root fillets. Each mode is considered theoretically and developed to establish the main variables, thus enabling a comparison to be made with the test results. It is shown that all three failure modes have a particular relevance for individual loading conditions, but that determining the failure load given the beam size and the loading conditions is very difficult in certain instances. Finally it is shown that there are some empirical relationships between the failure loads and the type of loading for various beam serial sizes.

Rural road accident investigation and prevention in Iran

The objectives are to examine rural road accident data in order to develop a method by which high accident rate locations and accident causes can be identified, and also to develop proposals for improvements at such locations and to identify measures which will improve road safety throughout the country. The problem of road safety in Iran is an important issue, because of the tragic and unnecessary loss of life, and the enormous cost of accidents in the country. The resources available to deal with the problems are limited and must be allocated on priority basis. This study represents an initial effort to identify the extent of the problem in order to take remedial measures. A study was made of all the available road accident data collected by agencies related to road safety in Iran, and the major organisations responsible for road safety development were visited. The Vice Minister of Roads and Transportation selected for this study a 280 Km rural road in South West Iran. Mainly because of the lack of suitable maps and plans of the roads, it was not possible to accurately identify the location of accidents. Accident scene data was subsequently collected by the highway police and personally by the author. The data for the study road was then analysed to identify 'high accident rate' locations, and also to determine, as far as was possible, the reasons for the accidents. The study suggests specific improvements for each of the high accident rate locations examined (eg. the building of dual carriageways with central guard rails to reduce the risk of collision with oncoming vehicles, pedestrian facilities to allow pedestrians to cross dangerous roadsl]. In addition recommendations are made to guide and assist the major organisations responsible for road safety in Iran. These recommendations are: (al for improving accident data collection and storage (bl for subsequent analysis for taking remedial measures with a view to accident prevention

Undergraduate research training and employability

Formal opportunities for Psychology undergraduates to carry out research training are starting to emerge. In spite of the fact that such training programmes would have a high authentic learning component little is known of undergraduate expectations and attitudes towards such programmes. Here 108 undergraduate participants were surveyed in two experiments that recorded both the prospective and retrospective attitudes towards research training participation. Questionnaires and focus groups were employed and the data were triangulated together to converge on an understanding of student expectations towards authentic learning programmes. It was found that while Psychology undergraduates expect to be trained in contemporary research techniques it is the sense of community development that is the prime motivator for participation. These findings are placed within the context of increasing the employability profile of the undergraduate cohort.

Dynamics of pulsed flow in an elastic tube

Internal haemorrhage, often leading to cardio-vascular arrest happens to be one of the prime sources of high fatality rates in mammals. We propose a simplistic model of fluid flow in our attempt to specify the location of the haemorrhagic spot, which, if located accurately, could possibly be operated leading to an instant cure. The model we employ for the purpose is basically fluid mechanical in origin and consists of a viscous fluid, pumped by a periodic force and flowing through an elastic tube. The analogy is with that of blood, pumped from the heart and flowing through an artery or vein. Our results, aided by graphical illustrations, match reasonably well with experimental observations.

Role of community acceptance in sustainable bioenergy projects in India

Community acceptance has been identified as one of the key requirements for a sustainable bioenergy project. However less attention has been paid to this aspect from developing nations and small projects perspective. Therefore this research examines the role of community acceptance for sustainable small scale bioenergy projects in India. While addressing the aim, this work identifies influence of community over bioenergy projects, major concerns of communities regarding bioenergy projects and factors influencing perceptions of communities about bioenergy projects. The empirical research was carried out on four bioenergy companies in India as case studies. It has been identified that communities have significant influence over bioenergy projects in India. Local air pollution, inappropriate storage of by-products and credibility of developer are identified as some of the important concerns. Local energy needs, benefits to community from bioenergy companies, level of trust on company and relationship between company and the community are some of the prime factors which influence community's perception on bioenergy projects. This research sheds light on important aspects related to community acceptance of bioenergy projects, and this information would help practitioners in understanding the community perceptions and take appropriate actions to satisfy them. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

Process re-engineering for effective implementation of projects

Time, cost and quality are the prime objectives of any project. Unfortunately, today’s project management does not always ensure the realisation of these objectives. The main reasons of project non-achievement are changes in scope and design, changes in Government policies and regulations, unforeseen inflation, under-estimation and mis-estimation. An overall organisational approach with the application of appropriate management philosophies, tools and techniques can only solve the problem. The present study establishes a methodology for achieving success in implementing projects using a business process re-engineering (BPR) framework. Internal performance characteristics are introspected through condition diagnosis that identifies and prioritises areas of concern requiring attention. Process re-engineering emerges as a most critical area for immediate attention. Project process re-engineering is carried out by eliminating non-value added activities, taking up activities concurrently by applying information systems rigorously and applying risk management techniques throughout the project life cycle. The overall methodology is demonstrated through applications to cross country petroleum pipeline project organisation in an Indian scenario.

Climate change and construction sector SMEs:vulnerability, consequences and resilience

Climate change has become one of the prime challenges the society has to face in the future. As far as businesses are concerned, it also has added one other important issue that they have to consider as part of their business planning. Climate change is of significant importance particularly to the Small and Medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which are considered as the most vulnerable among the business community to the effects of climate change. This paper presents the findings of a literature review conducted with the aim of identifying the specific importance of climate change to the construction sector SMEs. The objectives of the paper are to identify the vulnerability of construction sector SMEs to the effects of climate change, their consequences and also to identify the importance of improving resilience and implementing adaptive measures to manage these issues. The paper also outlines the directions of a study undertaken to address these issues as part of an EPSRC funded research project titled “Community Resilience to Extreme Weather Events – CREW”. The paper concludes by stressing the importance of improving the resilience of construction sector SMEs to climate change effects and also the importance of collective action in this regard.

Undergraduate research training and graduate recruitment

Purpose – Formal opportunities for psychology undergraduates to carry out research training are starting to emerge. In spite of the fact that such training programmes would have a high authentic learning component little is known of undergraduate expectations and attitudes towards such programmes. This paper aims to focus on the issues. Methodology/design/approach – In total, 108 undergraduate participants were surveyed in two experiments that recorded both the prospective and retrospective attitudes towards research training participation. Questionnaires and focus groups were employed and the data were triangulated together to converge on an understanding of student expectations towards authentic learning programmes. Findings – While psychology undergraduates expect to be trained in contemporary research techniques it is the sense of community development that is the prime motivator for participation. Originality/value – The paper places these findings within the context of increasing the employability profile of the undergraduate cohort.

Subliminal influence on generosity

We experimentally subliminally prime subjects prior to charity donation decisions by showing words that have connotations of pro-social values for a very brief time (17ms). Our main fnding is that, compared to a baseline condition, the pro-social prime increases donations by approximately 10-17 percent among subjects with strong pro-social preferences (universalism values). We find a similar effect when interacting the prime with the Big 5 personality characteristic of agreeableness. We furthermore introduce a novel method for testing for priming, "subliminity". This method reveals that some subjects are capable of recognizing prime words, and the overall results are weaker when we control for this capacity.