Strategic planning differences among multiple stakeholder orientation profiles

Despite being a significant topic in the literature, research into stakeholder interests is at an early stage. Although a company has an orientation to each stakeholder group these orientations exist simultaneously, giving a multiple stakeholder orientation profile (MSOP). We theorize that firms with different MSOPs will approach their strategic planning in different ways. We tested our predictions in UK companies, and found that indeed there are many strategic planning differences among different MSOPs. The most striking differences are in learning and innovative management, but there are also differences in objectives, competitive positioning and sustainable competitive advantage. Implications for theory and practice are presented.

Metaphor in (Arabic-into-English) translation with specific reference to metaphorical concepts and expressions in political discourse

Cognitive linguistics scholars argue that metaphor is fundamentally a conceptual process of mapping one domain of experience onto another domain. The study of metaphor in the context of Translation Studies has not, unfortunately, kept pace with the discoveries about the nature and role of metaphor in the cognitive sciences. This study aims primarily to fill part of this gap of knowledge. Specifically, the thesis is an attempt to explore some implications of the conceptual theory of metaphor for translation. Because the study of metaphor in translation is also based on views about the nature of translation, the thesis first presents a general overview of the discipline of Translation Studies, describing the major models of translation. The study (in Chapter Two) then discusses the major traditional theories of metaphor (comparison, substitution and interaction theories) and shows how the ideas of those theories were adopted in specific translation studies of metaphor. After that, the study presents a detailed account of the conceptual theory of metaphor and some hypothetical implications for the study of metaphor in translation from the perspective of cognitive linguistics. The data and methodology are presented in Chapter Four. A novel classification of conceptual metaphor is presented which distinguishes between different source domains of conceptual metaphors: physical, human-life and intertextual. It is suggested that each source domain places different demands on translators. The major sources of the data for this study are (1) the translations done by the Foreign Broadcasting Information Service (FBIS), which is a translation service of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in the United Sates of America, of a number of speeches by the Iraqi president Saddam Hussein during the Gulf Crisis (1990-1991) and (2) official (governmental) Omani translations of National Day speeches of Sultan Qaboos bin Said of Oman.

"The Alien Within":translation into German during the Nazi regime

In a regime obsessed with purity, what place could there be for a literary practice that epitomises hybridity — translation? Examining the discourse on translation in Nazi literary journals, this study shows how foreign literature was viewed through the prism of national identity formation, in terms of the threats or benefits to nationhood which translation might offer. The fortunes of translation under the strictures of censorship are traced with an analysis of official policies and publication patterns, complemented by two detailed case studies of translations from English.

Translating Nietzsche, mediating literature: Alexander Tille and the limits of Anglo-German intercultural transfer

Dr. Alexander Tille (1866–1912) was one of the key-figures in Anglo-German intercultural transfer towards the end of the 19th century. As a lecturer in German at Glasgow University he was the first to translate and edit Nietzsche’s work into English. Writers such as W. B. Yeats were influenced by Nietzsche and used Tille’s translations. Tille’s social Darwinist reading of the philosopher’s oeuvre, however, had a narrowing impact on the reception of Nietzsche in the Anglo-Saxon world for decades. Through numerous publications Tille disseminated knowledge about British authors (e.g., Robert Louis Stevenson, William Wordsworth) in Germany and about German authors (e.g., Johann Wolfgang von Goethe) in Britain. His role as mediator also extended into areas such as history, religion, and industry. During the Boer war, however, Tille’s outspoken pro-German nationalism brought him in conflict with his British host society. After being physically attacked by his students he returned to Germany and published a highly anglophobic monograph. Tille personifies the paradox of Anglo-German relations in the pre-war years, which deteriorated despite an increase in intercultural transfer and knowledge about the respective Other.

Ideological aspects of the translation of business annual reports in Oman (English-Arabic)

The socioeconomic context in the renaissance era in Oman has resulted in the development of new forms of discursive prastises and thus, in the introduction of new genres. One of these new genres is the business annual report, which in Oman exists in English and Arabic. This thesis examines the role of translation in the production of annual reports. This research makes a contribution to the field of Translation Studies by examining institutional translation in order to gain insights into translation agents, processes, practises and underlying policies with reference to national business institutions in their sociopolitical and historical and institutional contexts .Business reports are still largely under-researched as a genre in Translation Studies. The thesis starts with an overview of relevant aspects of Translation Studies to arrive at a theoretical framework which informs the analysis. The empirical analysis is based on sixty seven reports produced by different Oman-based companies which vary in size and organisational patterns. Annual reports are characterised as a genre in terms of function and structure at the macro-level as well as the micro-level. They have an informative and a persuasive function, as they are produced by different companies in their attempt to promote and fulfil their respective business interests and objectives.The thesis presents the sociocultural and political contexts of the production of the English and Arabic versions of the annual reports, focusing on the underlying functions and principles of institutions and agents. The next chapter illustrates the textual profiles of the English and the Arabic versions, identifying typical translation strategies. The discussion here operates within the framework of product-oriented Descriptive Translation Studies (Lambert and van Gorp 1985). It is argued that the two language versions reflect aspects of ideology, political affiliation and power relations at both the macro and micro- structural levels. These ideological aspects can be seen in particular in the addition, omission and change of specific expressions which refer to religious or interpersonal aspects. These strategies signal the aim to appeal to wider Arab readers and to fulfil the agendas of different agents (government, companies, chairpersons, directors, etc.). The description of the texts is followed by an account of these aspects in terms of sociopolitical and institutional conditions in the production of the translations. For this explanation, reference is made to sociological approaches to translation, mainly building on the work of Bourdieu (1991). This thesis emphasises that the translation of annual reports is a collective effort which takes place in a particular institutional context. Consequently, the translation strategies are regulated by the objectives of the institution within which translators and other agents operate. The translations are prepared in order to meet the expectations and needs of the intended Arabic language addressees; in addition, the generic features of the reports reveal a progression of transmission and development over the course of time in the spheres of business and economy in Oman. This thesis demonstrates that business companies too can be seen as institutions which contribute significantly to disseminating business terms and concepts and promoting investment opportunities domestically and internationally through translation work.

Policy into practice:a study of public policy implementation and the role of learning

Public policy becomes managerial practice through a process of implementation. There is an established literature within Implementation Studies which explains the variables and some of the processes involved in implementation, but less attention has been focused upon how public service managers convert new policy initiatives into practice. The research proposes that managers and their organisations have to go through a process of learning in order to achieve the implementation of public policy. Data was collected over a five year period from four case studies of capital investment appraisal in the British National Health Service. Further data was collected from taped interviews by key actors within the case studies. The findings suggest that managers do learn to implement policy and four factors are important in this learning process. These are; (i) the nature of bureaucratic responsibility; (ii) the motivation of actors towards learning; (iii) the passage of time which allows for the development of competence and (iv) the use of project team structures. The research has demonstrated that the conversion of policy into practice occurs through the operationalisation of solutions to policy problems via job tasks. As such it suggests that in understanding how policy is implemented, technical learning is more important than cultural learning, in this context. In conclusion, a "Model of Learned Implementation" is presented, together with a discussion of some of the implications of the research. These are the possible use of more pilot projects for new policy initiatives and the more systematic diffusion of knowledge about implementation solutions.

Profitability of a sample of Portuguese bank branches and its decomposition into technical and allocative components

The efficiency literature, both using parametric and non-parametric methods, has been focusing mainly on cost efficiency analysis rather than on profit efficiency. In for-profit organisations, however, the measurement of profit efficiency and its decomposition into technical and allocative efficiency is particularly relevant. In this paper a newly developed method is used to measure profit efficiency and to identify the sources of any shortfall in profitability (technical and/or allocative inefficiency). The method is applied to a set of Portuguese bank branches first assuming long run and then a short run profit maximisation objective. In the long run most of the scope for profit improvement of bank branches is by becoming more allocatively efficient. In the short run most of profit gain can be realised through higher technical efficiency. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Insights into factors affecting production and operations management (POM) journal evaluation

The paper extends the current literature on peer review journal evaluations by providing a number of insights based on the diversity of Production and Operations Management (POM) research. We provide peer review evaluations for POM research outlets, based on a sampling frame that includes a large number of POM researchers worldwide. More specifically, the paper develops and tests various hypotheses as to whether the perceived quality and relevance of a journal is affected by such factors as: (i) nature of research work (empiricists versus modelers), (ii) society membership, (iii) research productivity, (iv) geographical location, and (v) seniority. Our findings suggest that caution must be exercised when utilizing existing POM journal rankings, as some factors, particularly the difference between empiricists and modelers, may influence journal evaluation. These must be considered when addressing issues such as faculty promotions, tenure, and salary. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

De cara a 'Forever in Galicia':traducir a Castelao no contexto recente da literatura galega traducida a inglés

This article presents the most recent historical context (1995-2005) of the translation of Galician literary texts into a British framework. It also provides an analysis of the translation and editing conditions that have had an influence on each publication. At the same time, it offers a comparative reflection on the literary relationships that take place between Galicia, a nation without a state whose literary system has not yet attained full autonomy, and the United Kingdom, which has a strong literary system, on the premise that it foments cultural self-confidence and an awareness of national identity, especially as regards to the Galician literary and cultural system. The act of translating and publishing translations of Galician literature in the Anglophone world connotes a determined interplay of commercial, philsosophical and artistic interests, as well as practical difficulties within a specific cultural and global context. This paper therefore seeks to interrogate the sometimes unpredictable laws of the market for Galician and foreign literature in translation in English-speaking countries, by examining the reception of translations and the perception of their source culture. Finally, the challenge of translating and publishing Castelao's Sempre en Galiza within the practical and often problematic parameters established by this analysis will be considered.

Do Keiretsu really hinder FDI into Japanese manufacturing?

This paper examines an issue that has received a good deal of comment in the literature, but little analysis. It has been often argued that the presence of the Keiretsu in Japan has been instrumental in deterring multinational firms from entering Japan, though evidence for this is patchy. We therefore present some new analysis of this issue, evaluating the links between Keiretsu presence and inward investment penetration across sectors in Japan. We show that Keiretsu presence is associated with inward investment penetration. Once one allows for factors such as market structure, then Keiretsu attract rather than deter FDI. We further offer some explanation of why this may be, and contrast our findings with earlier work. RP0816.

New investigations into macular pigment optical density

Macular pigment (MP) is the collective name for three carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin, which are found at high concentrations in the central macula. The macular carotenoids, like all carotenoids, are entirely of dietary origin. The term ‘macular pigment optical density’ (MPOD) refers to the peak concentration of MP in the retina, which varies from one individual to the next and is measurable in vivo. On account of its blue-light-filtering and antioxidant properties, MP has become a subject of interest with respect to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the hypothesis being that MP helps to protect against AMD; the higher the MPOD, the lower the risk for AMD. Recently, a new MPOD-measuring device, the MPS 9000 (MPS), entered the ophthalmic market. Using this device, the research described here aimed to contribute new information to the MP literature. A second MPOD instrument, the Macular Pigment Reflectometer, was also used at times, but a reliability study (included in the thesis) demonstrated that it was unsuitable for use on its own. First, a series of exploratory investigations were undertaken to maximize the accuracy and consistency of MPOD measurements taken with the MPS; a protocol was established that substantially improved repeatability. Subsequently, a series of MPOD-based studies were conducted on anisometropia, South Asian race, blue-light-filtering contact lenses, and dietary modification with kale. The principle findings were as follows: interocular MPOD differences were not attributable to interocular refractive error differences; young adults of South Asian origin had significant gender-related MPOD differences (males>females, p<0.01), and they also had significantly higher MPOD than Caucasians (p<0.0005); wearing blue-light-filtering contact lenses for eight months did not affect MPOD; and dietary modification with kale for 16 weeks did not increase MPOD. This body of research adds new insights to MP knowledge, which in turn may contribute to MP knowledge in the context of AMD.

The Single drop drying of heat-sensitive materials

The literature relating to the principles and practice of drying of materials, particularly those susceptible to thermal degradation or undesirable loss of volatile components, has been reviewed. Single droplets of heat-sensitive materials were dried whilst suspended in a horizontal wind tunnel from a specially-designed, rotating thermocouple which enabled direct observation of drying behaviour and continuous measurement of droplet temperature as drying progressed. The effects of drying air temperature and initial solids concentration on the potency of various antibiotics, viz. ampicillin, chloramphenicol, oxytetracycline, streptomycin and tetracycline, were assessed using a modified Drug Sensitivity Testing technique. Only ampicillin was heat-sensitive at temperatures above 100°C, e.g. at an air temperature of 115°C its zone diameter was reduced from 100% to 45%. Selected enzymes, viz. dextran sucrase and invertase, were also dried and their residual activities determined by High Performance Liquid Chromatography. The residual activity of dextran sucrase was rapidly reduced at temperatures above 65°C, and the residual activity of invertase reduced rapidly at temperatures above 65°C; but drying with short residence times will retain most of its activity. The performance of various skin-forming encapsulants, viz. rice and wheat starch, dextrin, coffee, skim milk, fructose, gelatine 60 and 150 Bloom, and gum arabic, was evaluated to determine their capabilities for retention of ethanol as a model volatile, under different operating conditions. The effects of initial solids concentration, air velocity and temperature were monitored for each material tested. Ethanol content was analysed by Gas Liquid Chromatography and in some cases dried crusts were removed for examination. Volatiles retention was concluded to depend in all cases upon the rate and nature of the skin formation and selective diffusion phenomena. The results provided further insight into the inter-relationship between temperature, residence time and thermal degradation of heat-sensitive materials. They should also assist in selection of the preferred dryer for such materials, and of the operating parameter to enable maximum retention of the required physico-chemical characteristics in the dried materials.

Organizational and textual structuring of radio news discourse in English and Arabic.

The present work studies the overall structuring of radio news discourse via investigating three metatextual/interactive functions: (1) Discourse Organizing Elements (DOEs), (2) Attribution and (3) Sentential and Nominal Background Information (SBI & NBI). An extended corpus of about 73,000 words from BBC and Radio Damascus news is used to study DOEs and a restricted corpus of 38,000 words for Attribution and S & NBI. A situational approach is adopted to assess the influence of factors such as medium and audience on these functions and their frequence. It is found that: (1) DOEs are organizational and their frequency is determined by length of text; (2) Attribution Function in accordance with the editor's strategy and its frequency is audience sensitive; and (3) BI provides background information and is determined by audience and news topics. Secondly, the salient grammatical elements in DOEs are discourse deictic demonstratives, address pronouns and nouns referring to `the news'. Attribution is realized in reporting/reported clauses, and BI in a sentence, a clause or a nominal group. Thirdly, DOEs establish a hierarchy of (1) news, (2) summary/expansion and (3) item: including topic introduction and details. While Attribution is generally, and SBI solely, a function of detailing, NBI and proper names are generally a function of summary and topic introduction. Being primarily addressed to audience and referring metatextually, the functions investigated support Sinclair's interactive and autonomous planes of discourse. They also shed light on the part(s) of the linguistic system which realize the metatextual/interactive function. Strictly, `discourse structure' inevitably involves a rank-scale; but news discourse also shows a convention of item `listing'. Hence only within the boundary of variety (ultimately interpreted across language and in its situation) can textual functions and discourse structure be studied. Finally, interlingual variety study provides invaluable insights into a level of translation that goes beyond matching grammatical systems or situational factors, an interpretive level which has to be described in linguistic analysis of translation data.

An Investigation into the adoption and implementation of computer aided production management systems:using the Rogers model of adoption and implementation and a social constuctionist account of technology

The research investigates the processes of adoption and implementation, by organisations, of computer aided production management systems (CAPM). It is organised around two different theoretical perspectives. The first part is informed by the Rogers model of the diffusion, adoption and implementation of innovations, and the second part by a social constructionist approach to technology. Rogers' work is critically evaluated and a model of adoption and implementation is distilled from it and applied to a set of empirical case studies. In the light of the case study data, strengths and weaknesses of the model are identified. It is argued that the model is too rational and linear to provide an adequate explanation of adoption processes. It is useful for understanding processes of implementation but requires further development. The model is not able to adequately encompass complex computer based technologies. However, the idea of 'reinvention' is identified as Roger's key concept but it needs to be conceptually extended. Both Roger's model and definition of CAPM found in the literature from production engineering tend to treat CAPM in objectivist terms. The problems with this view are addressed through a review of the literature on the sociology of technology, and it is argued that a social constructionist approach offers a more useful framework for understanding CAPM, its nature, adoption, implementation, and use. CAPM it is argued, must be understood on terms of the ways in which it is constituted in discourse, as part of a 'struggle for meaning' on the part of academics, professional engineers, suppliers, and users.

An investigation into the nature, determinants, and dynamics of service quality expectations

On the basis of a review of the substantive quality and service marketing literature current knowledge regarding service quality expectations was found either absent or deficient. The phenomenon is of increasing importance to both marketing researchers and management and was therefore judged worthy of scholarly consideration. Because the service quality literature was insufficiently rich when embarking on the thesis three basic research issues were considered namely the nature, determinants, and dynamics of service quality expectations. These issues were first conceptually and then qualitatively explored. This process generated research hypotheses mainly relating to a model which were subsequently tested through a series of empirical investigations using questionnaire data from field studies in a single context. The results were internally consistent and strongly supported the main research hypotheses. It was found that service quality expectations can be meaningfully described in terms of generic/service-specific, intangible/tangible, and process/outcome categories. Service-specific quality expectations were also shown to be determined by generic service quality expectations, demographic variables, personal values, psychological needs, general service sophistication, service-specific sophistication, purchase motives, and service-specific information when treating service class involvement as an exogenous variable. Subjects who had previously not directly experienced a particular service were additionally found to revise their expectations of quality when exposed to the service with change being driven by a sub-set of identified determinants.