Changes in sponsorship value: Competencies and capabilities of successful sponsorship relationships

The sponsorship relationship has evolved considerably over the past few years. As a result, the value delivered to both sponsors and the sports entities with which they form relationships needed to be redefined. While some of these partners have made the necessary leap forward, some sponsors have also been confronted with resistance on the part of sport entities to adapt to evolving perceptions of value. Based on a qualitative study aimed at canvassing the views of some of the most prominent experts in the field and spanning 4 years and four continents, we document this evolution of sponsorship value and identify those key competencies that differentiate successful sponsors from less successful ones. Our research provides insights for other inter-firm relationships, particularly those in the service sector.     

Competencies of training professionals in the Hong Kong hotel industry

ABSTRACT

This study aims to investigate the competencies of training professionals in the hotel industry in Hong Kong. A survey questionnaire was adopted. Seventeen competencies were derived by factor analysis. Six essential competencies are identified, whereas “people skills and commitment” and “awareness of quality” are the most important competencies, while another 11 competencies are highly preferred. This study provides original criteria for hoteliers and human resources professionals to facilitate the recruitment process and aid training professionals in developing core competencies in hotel industry employees. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are presented.     

Utility of university curricula in contemporary times: Perspectives of employers in the Cape Coast Metropolis

The majority of studies and reports on university education in Africa have focused mainly on issues related to access, quality, teaching and learning environment, and so on. Although these issues are undoubtedly critical, even more germane to the discourse is the desired utility of university education to society. The authors present the perspective of employers on their expectations from university graduates. The authors employed the qualitative research approach. Four financial institutions from the Cape Coast Metropolis were purposively sampled. An in-depth interview guide was employed for data collection, which was analyzed using thematic content analysis. The authors found that graduates are strong in theory but deficient in application of knowledge.     

工厂化农业园区企业竞争力分析

在对我国工厂化农业企业发展及其竞争力状况进行分析的基础上,提出一方面要考虑我国的劳动力优势,另一方面要注重实施非核心技术创新和运行机制等非技术创新,提高我国工厂化农业企业的竞争力。     

The coffee-machine system: how international selection really works

The literature on expatriate selection tends to present lists of criteria, with the implicit assumption that the process is formal and rational. The limited empirical work there is in this area suggests that these criteria have little impact on selection in practice. This paper argues that a deeper understanding of selection systems is needed and presents research showing the outcomes of different kinds of systems, suggesting that closed, informal systems predominate and outlining the practical and research implications of such systems.     

尼日利亚西部农业推广监督员监督和管理能力及其决定

在发展中国家，由于工作环境较差、工作动力不足和职业能力的下降，使推广人员的工作效率大大削弱。为了对农业推广进行干预，就要对人力资源的能力进行定期分析，从而为适当的培训和能力建设提供合理的依据。本研究，采用多阶段随机抽样方法对70个尼日利亚西南部的农业推广监督员进行调研，对尼日利亚西南部农业推广监督员的管理和监督职能、特点以及工作条件进行了分析。信息通过问卷形式收集，该问卷基于Haynes（1996）设计和验证的工具变量。数据分析用百分比、平均等级、标准差、排名法和变异数（ANOVA）等方法。研究表明，农业推广监督员需要定期地在职训练以提高他们的专业能力，同时应当改善服务条件。     

Is it art or science? Chef's competencies for success

One of the most challenging professions in the hospitality industry, comprised of both scientific mastery and artistic innovation, is the Chef. It is imperative that these positions are occupied by individuals who possess the appropriate set of skills allowing them to perform with equal success in both culinary, as well as managerial competence. Thus, this research sets out to investigate, from “the Chef's” perspective, competencies required for a successful career in the field as well as the level to which these competencies have been developed (acquired) on-the-job. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 27 competency items was administered to Chef professionals working in Cyprus. The findings revealed that technical (culinary-specific) competencies were considered as most important, followed by leadership-management competencies. In contrast, conceptual (creative-adaptive) competencies were ranked low by the respondents. In addition, numerous significant differences were revealed based on demographics and other industry-related factors.     

Realizing new regional core competencies: establishing a customer-oriented SME network

This paper explores the possibilities of combining the recently developed ‘value constellation’ concept and the literature about industrial districts. The advantages related to the geographical concentration of economic activities are insufficient in the competition with companies that are linked to each other within a value constellation - a customer-oriented inter-organizational strategy. This new type of competition forces traditionally operating SMEs in industrial districts to team up with each other in a customer-oriented network. However, these networking strategies are unlikely to emerge because SMEs are locked into their traditional competencies and they lack the financial and strategic resources to develop interactive strategies covering the entire value system. Business associations and local institutions may play a crucial role in changing and shaping the emerging network among the SMEs. However, local institutions are equally susceptible to being locked into traditional patterns of interaction. Their willingness to break away from the past is crucial for the learning capabilities of local SMEs. The difficulties in setting up a customer-oriented network are illustrated by the ‘construction and home furnishings’ business cluster in South West Flanders (Belgium).     

基于灰关联分析的知识员工胜任特征模型指标研究

合理的胜任特征可以有效的预测员工的未来绩效,本文应用灰关联分析理论对目前建筑工程行业中所采用的知识员工胜任特征及其指标进行了分析研究,找出该行业知识员工,即工程技术人员的胜任特征关键指标及其权重,并在实际案例中予以验证,结果显示这些关键指标能够准确预测员工的未来绩效。