Key Managers Research Articles

Capability Based Outsourced Data Access Control with Assured File Deletion and Efficient Revocation with Trust Factor in Cloud Computing

Cloud computing has introduced a paradigm which support data outsourcing to third parties for processing using commodity clusters. It allows the owner to outsource sensitive data and share it with the authorized user while reducing the computation and management cost. Since owners store sensitive data over the cloud, the requirements of access control and data security have also been increasing. To alleviate all the problem requirements, the need has arisen for providing a safe, secure, and sound model. The existing solutions for these problems use pure cryptographic techniques, which increases the computation cost. In this article, the security problems are solved by using a trusted third party and a quorum of key managers. A service provider is responsible for capability-based access control to ensure that only authorized users will be able to access the data. Whenever any data revocation is required, the data owner simply updates this information to the master key manager to revoke a specific number of shares. The model for the proposed work has been presented and its analysis shows how it introduces security features.

Exploring Farmers’ Management Practices and Values of Ecosystem Services in an Agroecosystem Context—A Case Study from the Eastern Cape, South Africa

Globally, farmers remain the key ecosystem managers responsible for increasing food production while simultaneously reducing the associated negative environmental impacts. However, research investigating how farmers’ agricultural management practices are influenced by the values they assign to ecosystem services is scarce in South Africa. To address this gap, a survey of farmers’ agricultural management practices and the values they assigned towards ecosystem services was conducted in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Results from the survey show that farmers assign a high value on food provisioning ecosystem services compared to other ecosystem services. Irrigation and fertiliser decisions were mostly based on achieving maximum crop yields or good crop quality. The majority of farmers (86%) indicated a willingness to receive payments for ecosystem services (PES) to manage their farms in a more ecosystems-oriented manner. To encourage farmers to shift from managing ecosystems for single ecosystem services such as food provision to managing ecosystems for multiple ecosystem services, market-oriented plans such as PES may be employed. Effective measures for sustainable intensification of food production will depend on the inclusion of farmers in the development of land management strategies and practices as well as increasing farmers’ awareness and knowledge of the ecosystem services concept.

Health literacy of commercial industry managers: an exploratory qualitative study in Germany

Abstract Background Managers have been neglected in health literacy research. There still is little known about the health literacy status and needs of commercial industry managers. This study reduces the existing knowledge gap by presenting findings of an exploratory qualitative study. Methods We conducted 23 separate semi-structured interviews of managers from all management levels (low, middle and top) and experts in the field of health management and/or personnel management. The qualitative interviews were analysed according to Mayring’s content analytic approach using MAXQDA. Results The findings indicate that managers do have considerable information levels about existing health topics and relevant problems but have difficulties of discernment as to which sources of information can be activated or accessed in a timely fashion due to work and information overload. Even those who devise strategies often fail in implementing health-literate behavior. Experts and managers had fairly consistent views on the importance of health literacy among managers. Most agreed that mental health was neglected and that company conditions were important in influencing the ability to act in a way that promoted health literacy. The findings also show that strengthening of managerial self-perception, self-regulation and self-control, raising awareness and ability to take personal responsibility for one’s own health, developing skills in handling large amounts of information and fostering open and trusting communication are all essential. Conclusions The findings provide specific points which are important for promoting health literacy among managers. The study underscores the need to incorporate and integrate different perspectives in the implementation of health literacy interventions. To develop health-promoting companies, further research has to provide guides to action for managers and investigate ways in which health literacy can be promoted among managers on all hierarchical levels. Key messages Industry managers in this study agreed that their mental health has been neglected and company conditions were important in influencing the ability to act in a way that promoted health literacy. This study reduces the knowledge gap about the health literacy of managers. Further research should focus on promoting mental health and providing guides to action for managers and companies.

An identity perspective of key account managers as paradoxical relationship managers

Managing business to business (B2B) customer relationships has become an issue of ecosystem orchestration rather than one of managing a dyadic exchange. A systemic perspective of managing B2B relationships thus recognizes that many more actors than the buyer and the seller are involved. This is particularly the case when it comes to the management of strategic customers. Key account (KA) managers coordinate resources and activities of an important number of varied actors. Therefore, the issue of possible tensions occurring between these numerous and different types of relationships managed by KA managers can legitimately be raised. Yet, the question of how KA managers can actually manage such situations has rarely been addressed. This study proposes to use the notion of identity to investigate this issue. Identity is defined in relation to the question of how to relate to others. Our qualitative empirical study shows that KA managers develop a specific identity built on a specific way of managing paradoxes.

When is a Project Successful?

Organizations regularly execute projects to improve their performance. Yet there is little agreement in the literature or in practice on evaluating project success. As a result, managers tend to use different scales for project success measurement. Inconsistencies in project results prevail. It is difficult to apply project success measures to all project types. Discriminating between project success and project manager performance is also difficult. In this paper, we introduce a generic success measure for any project. Performance measures of two key managers are also introduced. The three dimensions are: first, project management success—the performance of the project manager in achieving the project plan; second, project ownership success—the performance of the project owner in realizing the business case; and, third, project investment success—the investment performance of the project for its funder. We provide some insights for managers and organizations in utilizing these measures.

Determinants on E-Tourism Service Usage: An Empirical Investigation of Vietnam in Emerging Economies

The development of IT and the Internet have provided opportunities for enterprises to change the way of doing business and to have competitive advantage over competitors. Nowadays, tourism enterprises in emerging countries are trying to utilise IT and the Internet in offering e-tourism services to customers, still at limited level. The study attempts to investigate the determinants on e-tourism service usagein Vietnam. Research methodologies use in this paper are qualitative and quantitative methods. Qualitative method is conducted by questionnaires from 10 tourists and 10 key managers coming from ten tourism enterprises to examine the factors affecting e-tourism service based on based on technology acceptance model (TAM) of Davis (1989). Quantitative research is qualified by a survey given to 417 tourists randomly selected. Data collected and examined by CFA and SEM through AMOS 20.0. The results showed that both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use significantly and directly impacted their intention to use e-tourism services. Implications of this study are important for both tourism enterprises and government.

Executive antecedents of interfirm cooperation

AbstractMuch of the present research and theory on cooperation is devoid of the effects of the individual actors. Although previous research recognizes the vital role of key managers in regard to cooperation, there is limited research on executive‐related antecedents of interfirm cooperation. This manuscript extends our understanding of cooperative outcomes by theorizing how executive characteristics and social forces may impact an executive's cooperative behavior. We develop a model that encompasses executive personality, cooperative tendencies, cultural distance, trust, and justice perceptions in addition to their implications for interfirm cooperation outcomes. Specifically, we extend socio‐analytic theory to an interfirm context. Furthermore, we integrate theories of exchange and attraction to discuss how social forces moderate the relationship between cooperative tendencies and cooperative outcomes.

Child maltreatment prevention readiness in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

Background and ObjectivesChild maltreatment (CM) is a global public health problem that has received growing attention over the past five decades. There have been many recent advances in child maltreatment prevention (CMP). The objective of this study is to assess CMP readiness to implement large-scale evidence-based CMP programs in Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.MethodsThis cross-sectional study (n = 244) was conducted in the GCC countries. Participants were key decision makers and senior managers in the field of CM. The Readiness Assessment for the Prevention of Child Maltreatment (RAP-CM) was used to assess 10 dimensions of CMP readiness.ResultsThe key informants gave CMP readiness scores of 47.8 out of 100. Four of the dimensions (knowledge of CMP; legislation, mandates, and policies; institutional resources and links; and informal social resources) had high readiness scores (≥5), while six dimensions (attitudes towards CMP; scientific data on CMP; current program implementation and evaluation; will to address the problem; material resources; and human and technical resources) had low readiness scores (<5).ConclusionGCC countries have moderate-to-fair readiness to implement large-scale evidence-based CMP programs. Strengthening their material, human, and technical resources, and improving the quality of scientific data, collaboration, and attitudes towards CMP are required to improve each country's readiness.

The role of customer orientation in key account managers’ performance: a client network perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate how does key accounts managers’ (KAMs’) customer orientation affect customers’ repurchase intention and how do tie strength and structural holes in KAMs’ client networks moderate these linkages.Design/methodology/approachPaired data of 208 dyadic relationships between KAMs and customers in several Chinese industries are subjected to multiple linear regression analyses.FindingsKAMs’ functional customer orientation can directly increase customers’ repurchase intention, whereas relational customer orientation cannot do that. With strong ties in client networks, KAMs’ relational customer orientation could promote customers’ repurchase intention, whereas when there are many structural holes in a client network, relational customer orientation would constrain customers’ repurchase intention. In addition, structural holes can enhance the effectiveness of functional customer orientation in facilitating customers’ repurchase intention, but tie strength has no impact on this.Originality/valueThis study pays attention to the emerging topic of KAMs’ customer orientation and introduces KAMs’ client networks as a new contextual factor. The findings not only address the outcomes of KAM’s customer orientation but also indicate the vital role client networks play in determining the effectiveness of KAMs’ customer orientation.

Exploring the Impact of Individual Characteristics Associated with Government Officials on the Severity of Real Estate Corruption

In China, corruption by government officials in the field of real estate has increased at an unprecedented pace, which poses a huge threat to social sustainability. To date, scholars have primarily focused on the macroscopic determinant factors of corruption such as state intervention and economic competition; however, much less is known about the microscopic determinant factor of corruption. In this study, we use an analytical model to evaluate how individual characteristics of government officials involved in corruption cases influence and predict the scale of corruption in these cases. Based on data collected from 135 cases, the results show that age is not a key factor that affects the severity of real estate corruption; however, characteristics associated with amounts of power and levels of involvement in corruption significantly affect the severity of real estate corruption. Therefore, we propose the following countermeasures: (1) take into account the micro determinants of real estate corruption, (2) focus supervision on officials in charge of departments, key position managers, and top leaders, (3) reform the governance of each phase of real estate development and governmental involvement, and (4) enhance auditing during officials’ tenures and limit the possibility of promoting officials who have participated in corruption.

Top managers’ role in key account management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore top managers’ role in key account management.Design/methodology/approachThe possible actions that could be performed by a top manager were investigated in 12 case studies. These actions were grouped into key account managers and teams, culture, engagement and knowledge, organizational structure/conditions and customers and markets.FindingsTop managers (TMs) informally evaluate teams and key account (KA) managers, stimulate a culture that favors the information’s prospection, persuade managers to reduce their resistance and improve organizational structure/conditions by inducing internal and external questioning. They also contact key customers’ top managers to check on the changes required or to persuade them to change requirements, accept a higher price or redirect an unattractive order to competitors. They approve revisions on the key customers list, discuss with the key account manager how to redirect an unattractive opportunity to competitors and try to improve gains even in attractive orders.Research limitations/implicationsAdditional research beyond the provided exploratory study is needed to generalize the results. The findings contribute to improving the understanding of how TMs get involved in key account management, buyer–supplier relationship improvement and increasing company profitability. They also unveil top managers’ role in internal culture creation and team engagement.Originality/valueWhen managing their KAs, TMs seem to be sceptical, curious and pragmatic with their subordinates, as well as with the customers or competitors.

Identifying the Status of the Influential Components of Citizenship Education for Citizens' Cultural and Social Development

PurposeThe purpose of the research was to identify the status of the influential components of citizenship education in the direction of cultural and social development of citizens.MethodologyMixed inferential method (qualitative - quantitative) was considered. Statistical population included all key informants, experts and managers of urban management and quantitative part of all youth between 18-25 years in Tehran. To select the samples in the qualitative part, snowball or chain sampling method was used to identify and select key informants and in the quantitative part, stratified random sampling method was used. Citizenship education and its role in the socio-cultural development of citizens was used and its validity and reliability were confirmed. Data were analyzed by SPSS software using descriptive and inferential statistical methods.FindingsThe findings of factor analysis showed that attention to strengthening of legalism, attention to strengthening the spirit of participation, attention to strengthening sense of responsibility, attention to strengthening self-confidence, attention to strengthening communication skills, attention to strengthening civil awareness. AndConclusionfocusing on strengthening the problem-solving skills of naming is one of the influential factors in citizenship education for the cultural and social development of citizens. It's desirable.

The Challenges in Personal Health Record Adoption

Communication between patient and healthcare provider is an essential part of care planning. A patient's personal health record (PHR) contains medical information that can be easily accessed, updated, and used via the Internet to facilitate and improve treatment plans. However, PHRs are not widely adopted. The goal of this study was to explore the challenges and design a roadmap to adoption. Data were collected via semistructured face-to-face interviews and analyzed with a qualitative approach. This study included 35 subjects selected from a sample of CEOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and health informatics project managers (HIPMs); the sample included key executives and project managers in the health information technology business. This study revealed that executives see the PHR as a tool to improve communication and patient care and reduce cost. However, a lack of electronic health record (EHR) systems, poor PHR integration with EHR systems, lack of user experience, and computer and health illiteracy were identified as barriers to PHR adoption. Therefore, adoption was not found to be a top priority for executives. Nevertheless, the PHR ought to be part of the information technology strategy in every hospital. Effective staff training, better patient orientation, and dedicated health informaticians can ensure a smooth and safe journey toward a useful PHR.

Acute frailty assessment area within the emergency department: a pilot project

To meet the rising demand for our acute frailty service within our emergency department (ED). An area within our ED became available. We initiated discussions with key stakeholders within the trust and presented a business case to procure use of the space against competitors. A working group was set up involving key managers and clinicians from geriatrics, acute medicine and ED. Here we outlined staffing requirements (two nurses, one healthcare assistant, two advanced nurse practitioners, one …

Hydroclimate Variability in Snow-Fed River Systems: Local Water Managers’ Perspectives on Adapting to the New Normal

AbstractBetween water years 2012 and 2017, the Truckee–Carson river system in the western United States experienced both historic-low and record-high Sierra Nevada snowpack, anomalously warm temperatures, and winter and spring flooding. As part of an ongoing collaborative modeling research program in the river system, researchers conduct annual interviews with key local water managers to characterize local climate adaptation strategies and implementation barriers, and identify science information needs to prioritize ongoing research activities. This article presents new findings from a third wave of interviews conducted with the same water managers following the historic 2017 wet year. Comparison of these data suggests that managers increased their adaptation efforts described during previous consecutive drought years (2015 and 2016). In 2017, comparatively fewer managers described climate uncertainty as an implementation barrier, exemplifying recent hydroclimate variability as the “new normal” climate for which they should plan. An assessment of recent conditions reveals that recent water years bound historical observations and are consistent with estimated paleoclimate extremes in terms of magnitude, but not persistence, of both dry and wet conditions. Comparison to projected future climate conditions affirms managers’ perspectives that increased hydroclimate variability, inclusive of drought and flood extremes, defines the new normal climate anticipated for the region. To support long-term adaptation planning, managers requested that researchers prioritize simulations of alternative water management strategies that account for nonstationary climate patterns and quantify implications system-wide. This article illustrates how interdisciplinary research that integrates local knowledge with applied climate science research can support adaptive water management in snow-fed river systems.

Designing a Knowledge Network Model of Research Institute of Petroleum Industry

Objective: The present study aims to design a research network model of Research Institute of Petroleum Industry. Method: This study is applied in terms of the target type, and based on approach, is a hybrid research method. In this research, a semi-structured interview was used to collect the required data on the modeling of the model, and a questionnaire was used to collect quantitative data. In the qualitative method, semi-structured interviews have administrated to 9 managers and experts of the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry who selected through purposeful sampling. Thematic analysis method was used for analysis the interviews and explanation of related dimensions and components. Then, 226 key projects managers were asked to answer a number of specific questions to collect quantitative data. Findings: According to the data analysis, 9 dimensions of the knowledge network (the strategic dimension, structure, background, environmental factors, and knowledge sharing culture, the content of knowledge network, infrastructure, motivation, and mission) identified. The variance of exploratory factor analysis of 75% showed that 9 factors of knowledge network constitute the Petroleum Industry Research Institute. Based on the identification of the dimensions of the knowledge network, its initial model depicted. The results of confirmatory factor analysis also indicated that each of the nine dimensions of the knowledge network has a very favorable overall yield of between 0.77 and 0.61, and the model has fit. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the multidimensional nature of the knowledge network of the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry has linked to the mental models of the interviewees and in joint action, has led to the successful knowledge management at the research institute. The results of the research for the Research Institute of Petroleum Industry provide the opportunity for the managers of the organization to prevent the damage caused by the failure of the plans by the adoption of solutions for the creation or reform of the infrastructure due to the weakness of each of the factors. Keywords: Knowledge, Knowledge Network, Research Institute of Petroleum Industry DOI : 10.7176/IKM/9-2-02

Sustainability of retail store processes: an analytic model for economic and environmental evaluation

This study proposes a model to evaluate the economic and environmental sustainability of retail stores. The model was developed under Microsoft Excel™ and reproduces the main retail store processes (i.e., product receiving, backroom storage, sales area management and return management) in quantitative terms. As input, the model takes several data about these processes; as output, it provides an evaluation of the total cost and CO2 emissions of the store. The application of the model to a real case, referring to a large-scale retail store of Italy, and the discussion of the key results obtained is presented for all the processes considered. The outcomes show that the most relevant environmental impact and the highest total cost are generated by the sales area management process. Conversely, the return management process contributes to the total cost to a limited extent. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to highlight the key aspect managers should focus on to improve the sustainability of the retail store. The results obtained provide useful guidelines for store managers to optimise the sustainability of their internal processes.

Sustainability of retail store processes: an analytic model for economic and environmental evaluation

This study proposes a model to evaluate the economic and environmental sustainability of retail stores. The model was developed under Microsoft Excel™ and reproduces the main retail store processes (i.e., product receiving, backroom storage, sales area management and return management) in quantitative terms. As input, the model takes several data about these processes; as output, it provides an evaluation of the total cost and CO2 emissions of the store. The application of the model to a real case, referring to a large-scale retail store of Italy, and the discussion of the key results obtained is presented for all the processes considered. The outcomes show that the most relevant environmental impact and the highest total cost are generated by the sales area management process. Conversely, the return management process contributes to the total cost to a limited extent. A sensitivity analysis was carried out to highlight the key aspect managers should focus on to improve the sustainability of the retail store. The results obtained provide useful guidelines for store managers to optimise the sustainability of their internal processes.

The role of personality and motivation on key account manager job performance

Key account management (KAM) has strengthened its relevance as a managerial process in business-to-business (B2B) markets. In many companies, the success of KAM initiatives often rely on individual-level achievement, that is, the performance of key account managers. Despite the relevance of research on individual-level KAM, these topics are largely neglected. This research addresses the problem by developing and testing a structural equation model of personality, motivation, and key account manager job performance. Our results show that two motivational constructs—learning orientation and performance orientation—play major roles in key account manager job performance. In addition, relationships between personality traits and motivational constructs are observed: Extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability are found to have significant relationships to motivational constructs. Two of the personality traits, extraversion and conscientiousness are linked to both learning orientation and performance orientation. We discuss theoretical and managerial implications of our findings and finally provide future research directions.

Within-Seller and Buyer–Seller Network Structures and Key Account Profitability

In business-to-business (B2B) markets, the success of key account management (KAM) teams depends on how they are structured and how they handle customer relationships. The authors conceptualize relationships among selling team members as a within-seller (intrafirm) network and the relationships between selling team members and buyer representatives as a buyer–seller (interfirm) network. Drawing on both structural (buyer–seller density, within-seller density, and within-seller centralization) and functional (buyer–seller similar function ties and within-seller cross-functional ties) composition attributes of these networks, the authors examine how the interplay between these networks drives seller account profitability. Using data from 207 key account managers across B2B industries, the authors uncover a nuanced pattern of interplay across the two networks. Densities in the two networks are mutually substitutive, but density in the buyer–seller networks and centralization in the within-seller networks serve complementary roles. Cross-function ties in the within-seller network serve a complementary role too, but only in relation to similar function ties in the buyer–seller network. In contrast, within-seller centralization supports both network density and similar function ties in the buyer–seller network and, thus, emerges as a valuable KAM team characteristic. These findings suggest multiple ways for firms to align interfirm and intrafirm KAM networks to improve account profitability.