Suchergebnisse

Tools, products, data and services related to climate change may significantly contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation. In order to develop a market for climate services, information on the current landscape of climate service providers and their portfolios is needed. In this paper we present a systematic analysis of the supply side of the climate service market, which is based on survey results and an extensive desk research resulting in a collection of information about 371 public and private climate service providers in the EU Member States. Our analyses show that even though the number of identified private sector providers considerably increased compared to previous mappings, the market is still dominated by public climate service providers. Based on the definition of climate services applied here, our data show an unequal distribution of climate service providers in the EU Member States with a significant gap between Eastern Member States and the rest of the European Union. In general, the supply side is dominated by downstream activities such as advisory services or publications compared to upstream services such data collection. For both public and private providers, the primarily targeted sectors are water, energy, agriculture and urban/spatial planning. While decision makers and politicians are important target groups for both provider categories, the general public and researchers are mainly addressed by public providers whereas corporations/industries are primarily served by private providers.

In this article, the authors propose that in a multichannel environment, evaluative conflicts (dissynergies) between service channels exist. Building on status quo bias theory, they develop a model that relates offline channel satisfaction to perceptions about a new self-service channel. Data were collected from 639 customers currently using offline investment banking. Results show that offline channel satisfaction reduces the perceived usefulness and enhances the perceived risk of the online channel. These inhibiting effects represent a status quo bias. Trust in the bank shows both adoption-enhancing effects and an adoption-inhibiting effect. Finally, the negative relationship between offline channel satisfaction and perceived usefulness is significantly stronger for men, older people, and less experienced Internet users. This study has both theoretical and managerial relevance as it helps to understand consumer behavior in multichannel environments and provides implications for the design of multichannel service strategies.

The issue to be discussed in this article is to what extent does ICT create new challenges for the relationship between public service providers and users? It is important to recognize the concept of social capital because the concept is vital to the understanding of access to the information society and efficient functioning of government in its service to citizens. In this way we see social capital as a mediating "institution" between public authorities and the citizens (users).

To evaluate and reflect the sustainability of services in the region, an overall sector maturity assessment was done taking into account four main dimensions: access to services, quality of services, efficiency of services, and financing of services. Each of these dimensions is measured through three simple and objective indicators. For each indicator, best practice values are established by looking at the best performers in the region, and countries closest to those best performers are deemed to have a more mature sector. A more complete description of the methodology to assess the sector maturity is included in the annex of the state of the sector regional report from the Danube Water Program. The outcomes of this assessment for the Austrian water sector are presented, which also shows average and best practices in the Danube region. The Austrian sector maturity score is 96, which is significantly higher than the Danube average maturity of 64, and the highest score in the region. The assessment shows that, on average, the country performs very well in terms of access to piped water and flushes toilet, wastewater treatment coverage, customer satisfaction, continuity of service, wastewater compliance, collection ratio, and nonrevenue water.

In this article, the authors propose that in a multichannel environment, evaluative conflicts (dissynergies) between service channels exist. Building on status quo bias theory, they develop a model that relates offline channel satisfaction to perceptions about a new self-service channel. Data were collected from 639 customers currently using offline investment banking. Results show that offline channel satisfaction reduces the perceived usefulness and enhances the perceived risk of the online channel. These inhibiting effects represent a status quo bias. Trust in the bank shows both adoption-enhancing effects and an adoption-inhibiting effect. Finally, the negative relationship between offline channel satisfaction and perceived usefulness is significantly stronger for men, older people, and less experienced Internet users. This study has both theoretical and managerial relevance as it helps to understand consumer behavior in multichannel environments and provides implications for the design of multichannel service strategies.

PurposeLogistics service providers (LSPs) are important actors for creating logistics performance in supply chains. However, there is little previous research on how they handle the performance management process. The purpose of this paper is to explore the handling of the performance management process and its obstacles from the perspective of LSPs.Design/methodology/approachA multiple‐case study is conducted with the three largest LSPs in Sweden.FindingsThe handling of the performance management process shows similarities among LSPs in selecting performance variables, defining metrics, and capturing real‐time data. The differences are found in target setting, in report‐making and analysing, and in the perceived demand for performance management. The following three perceived obstacles are found for supply chain performance management: lack of understanding and knowledge; poor capabilities for adapting performance metrics definitions; and lagging IT solutions for performance report‐making. The findings indicate possibilities for an increased supply chain scope where activities are handled by the partner that has the best capabilities, improving efficiency in supply chains.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes to performance management theory by providing exploratory knowledge of the supply chain performance management process and its obstacles from the perspective of three LSPs. The study focuses on large LSPs and has respondents at the managerial level.Practical implicationsThe study reveals differing supply chain performance management practices among LSPs, which implies that customers can choose an LSP that handles performance management in the way required.Originality/valueLittle previous research includes LSPs in studies of supply chain performance management. In particular it is unusual to have the perspective of LSPs and apply case‐based methodology.

PurposeAims to review e‐recruiters' web site platform features and tools that are designed to facilitate job seekers' job applications. Also intends to elucidate the financial performance of two international and two Malaysian e‐recruiters.Design/methodology/approachDiscusses and compares three international (Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, and HotJobs.com) and three Malaysian (JobStreet.com, JobLinkAsia.com, and JobDB.com) e‐recruiters' backgrounds and initiatives. Presents the e‐recruiters' and online platforms, their current practices and overall strategies and financial performances.FindingsObserves that the e‐recruiters' revenues are growing rapidly while profits are still elusive.Originality/valuePresents an overview of e‐recruitment service providers, both international and malaysian.

To evaluate the sustainability of services in the region, an overall sector assessment has been done taking into account four main dimensions: access to services, quality of services, efficiency of services, and financing of services. Each of these dimensions is measured through three simple and objective indicators. For each indicator, best practice values are established by looking at the best performers in the region, and the countries closest to those best performers are deemed to have a more mature sector. A more complete description of the methodology to assess sector sustainability is included in the annex of the state of the sector regional report from the Danube Water Program. The outcomes of this assessment for the Serbian water sector are presented, which also shows average and best practices in the Danube region. The Serbian sector sustainability score is 61, which is below the Danube average sustainability of 64. The assessment shows that, on average, the country performs well in terms of access to piped water and flush toilets, nonrevenue water, and affordability. The main deficiencies of the Serbian water sector identified through the sector sustainability assessment are the level of investment, wastewater treatment coverage, and the operating cost ratio. The main sector challenges are: strengthening and clarifying sector governance; ensuring tariff setting according to the cost recovery principle to improve overall performance in preparation for EU accession; and enhancing water utility staff capacity and training.

AbstractIn this paper we study strategies for better utilizing the network capacity of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) when they are faced with stochastic and dynamic arrivals and departures of customers attempting to log‐on or log‐off, respectively. We propose a method in which, depending on the number of modems available, and the arrival and departure rates of different classes of customers, a decision is made whether to accept or reject a log‐on request. The problem is formulated as a continuous time Markov Decision Process for which optimal policies can be readily derived using techniques such as value iteration. This decision maximizes the discounted value to ISPs while improving service levels for higher class customers. The methodology is similar to yield management techniques successfully used in airlines, hotels, etc. However, there are sufficient differences, such as no predefined time horizon or reservations, that make this model interesting to pursue and challenging. This work was completed in collaboration with one of the largest ISPs in Connecticut. The problem is topical, and approaches such as those proposed here are sought by users. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Naval Research Logistics 48:348–362, 2001

Purpose– As global populations become increasingly urbanized and urban areas grow in density and complexity, many firms seeking to operate in these areas face significant new challenges. The purpose of this paper is to identify the approaches utilized by urban logistics service providers to overcome the issues resulting from urban density and complexity. The paper also identifies potential directions for future research based on the research findings.Design/methodology/approach– The study followed a grounded theory approach (Corbin and Strauss, 2008) to uncover the approaches utilized by logistics service providers to adapt to urban environments.Findings– The urban environment exerts certain coercive and mimetic pressures on logistics service providers. To overcome these pressures, urban logistics service providers seek to manage space, resources, and legitimacy in the urban environment.Research limitations/implications– This research followed an inductive approach, and therefore, further empirical research is required to ensure statistical generalizability. Additionally, all research participants are currently employed in the USA, and so further research at the international level should be conducted.Practical implications– The framework presented will enable firms seeking to enter the urban market to more quickly adapt to the specific pressures of the urban ecology.Originality/value– While literature from several academic disciplines outline problems and solutions specific to urban areas, little qualitative, inductive research has been conducted in the field of urban logistics. The current research serves as a starting point for further urban logistics research.

To evaluate and reflect the sustainability of services in the region, an overall sector sustainability assessment was done, taking into account four main dimensions: access to services, quality of services, efficiency of services, and financing of services. Each of these dimensions is measured through three simple and objective indicators. For each indicator, best practice values are established by looking at the best performers in the region, and countries closest to those best performers are deemed to have a more mature sector. A more complete description of the methodology to assess the sector sustainability is included in the annex of the state of the sector regional report from the Danube Water Program. The outcomes of this assessment for the Slovenia water sector are displayed, which also shows average and best practices in the Danube region. The Slovenian sector sustainability score is 84, which is above the Danube average sustainability score of 64. The assessment shows that, on average, the country performs well in terms of access to piped water and flush toilets, affordability, continuity of service, customer satisfaction, nonrevenue water, and collection ratio. The main deficiencies of Slovenia's water sector identified through the sector sustainability assessment are wastewater treatment coverage, operating cost ratio, and investment level. The main sector challenges are: increasing the rehabilitation of the water infrastructure and improving its reliability; and improving monitoring and reporting practices.

This article discusses the challenges for providers of local public services to adapt to increasing marketization and competition in the public sector. Based on some empirical evidence from local government in Germany, the article describes different adaptive measures in the past and shows the legal restrictions to strengthening performance and particularly competitiveness. Furthermore, the article presents some findings from good practice cases of local service providers in Germany who have successfully exposed themselves to market mechanisms. Finally, the article discusses observed results of increased competitiveness in the local government sector, with special regard to quality, efficiency and public employment. The article concludes with describing necessary elements of a competitive regime for public services and with some general reflections about the role of competition in the public sector.