Business Commons^™

Using Sequential Mixed Methods In Enterprise Policy Evaluation: A Pragmatic Design Choice?, Anthony Paul Buckley

Articles

How might policy instruments contribute to indigenous firm growth and how can the effects of these instruments be evaluated at both firm and policy level? This paper illustrates how a mixed methods research design and data analysis strategy can pragmatically address the research questions outlined above. The advantages and challenges of employing quantitative research methods (what happened?) followed by confirmatory qualitative research methods (how and why did it happen?) in a multiphase sequential explanatory design is explored. The data analysis strategy is firstly to analyse the data generated from a ‘before and after’ quasi-experiment (with statistical controls), then data from …

Analysing The Promotional Effects That Open Source Software Has For Paid Editions: A Dual Mediation Hypothesis Approach For An Emerging Software Business Model, Ernesto Ongaro

Masters

Attracting new leads to use a software product can be costly for a software vendor. One way to secure more leads is to offer trials and unpaid editions, but their use should not be arbitrary. The emerging business model of commercial open source allows a vendor to promote its software for free while converting some of the users to paid; but does the free community edition actually serve as promotion for the commercial edition? This promotional effect is measured through the user’s attitudes and cognitions towards the advertisement and their subsequent purchase intentions. Survey results from 134 users of a …

Ox : Lunch Menu, Ox, Belfast

Menus of the 21st Century

In March 2013 two long standing friends, each passionate about their craft, each with a desire to bring something new to the Belfast restaurant scene combined forces and opened OX overlooking the River Lagan.

Belfast-born Stephen and Brittany native Alain met while working in L’Arpège, the iconic, world-famous restaurant of radical talent Alain Passard in Paris. Having gone on to work in various other influential and inspirational restaurants they have honed their skills, developed their talents and percolated ideas to put into practice against the backdrop of their own relaxed riverside restaurant.

http://oxbelfast.com/index.php

Food & Wine Magazine Winner, Best Restaurant …

Ox : Tasting Menu, Ox, Belfast

Menus of the 21st Century

In March 2013 two long standing friends, each passionate about their craft, each with a desire to bring something new to the Belfast restaurant scene combined forces and opened OX overlooking the River Lagan.

Belfast-born Stephen and Brittany native Alain met while working in L’Arpège, the iconic, world-famous restaurant of radical talent Alain Passard in Paris. Having gone on to work in various other influential and inspirational restaurants they have honed their skills, developed their talents and percolated ideas to put into practice against the backdrop of their own relaxed riverside restaurant.

http://oxbelfast.com/index.php

Rent Certainty Is Not Rent Control, Tom Dunne

Reports

The housing crisis and the debate about rent control should result in a beneficial change to the regulation of the sector but the opportunity could be lost for want of clarity of thinking about the nature of rent certainty and the distinction between it and rent control. At present rent is regulated by the Residential Tenancies Act 2004 (RTA 2004) which provides that rent can only change once a year and cannot be more than the market rent. Many argue a greater degree of rent certainty is required and that rent should not be allowed to increase by more than …

Campagne Restaurant : A La Carte Menu, Campagne Restaurant

Menus of the 21st Century

No abstract provided.

Exploring Alternative Approaches To Entrepreneurial Exporting Growth – Government Intervention Or ‘Self-Help’?, Norah R. Cussen

Reports

This study is exploring the untapped potential of entrepreneurs to ‘self-help’ when seeking to enter new markets through exporting. This research is exploring the concept of effectuation as a ‘self -help’ theory. In doing so, the researcher hopes to begin to determineif this ‘self-help’ nature of entrepreneurs could be cultivated and potentially produce an alternative approach to entrepreneurial exporting growth. In order to explore this topic the researcher has engaged with exporting entrepreneurs and has drawn on their personal experiences and thoughts. This provided the researchers with vital data from ‘grassroots’ level perspective. This data was then analysed and provided …

Green Supply Chain Management In Chinese Electronic Manufacturing Organisations; An Analysis Of Senior Managements’ Perceptions., Eoin Plant, Yusen Xu, Gareth R.T. White

Articles

Green supply chain management and reverse logistics has emerged as a key area of research interest. Recent environmental regulations have also stimulated interest in this field. However, information sharing is a pre- requisite to efficient and effective logistics utilisation. Manufacturing organisations in China were argued to be 10-20 years behind their Western counterparts in relation to information sharing in their supply chains (Li and Yuan, 2009). This barrier needs to be addressed if China is going to maintain and grow its manufacturing position in the world, attempt to address green supply chain issues and their negative externalities. A systematic literature …

Analysing The Performance Of Economic Discourses, Joseph Fitzgerald, Brendan O'Rourke

Conference papers

We focus on the methods used in analyzing broadcast interviews with economists on Morning Ireland, a prominent Irish radio news programme. Few would doubt that economists have taken a prominent role as experts on policy issues (Carrick-Hagenbarth and Epstein 2012, p.45) and some contend that no other social science discipline has gained such prominence (Schneider and Kirchgassner 2009, p.324). This paper comes from a larger research project, which uses a tailored methodological approach, incorporating a number of analytical methods. Keller (2011, p.63) has argued that a tailored methodological approach is often required to give special consideration to the ‘knowledge side’ …

Does An Embedded Wind Turbine Reduce A Company’S Electricity Bill? Case Study Of A 300 Kw Wind Turbine In Ireland, Tony Kealy

Articles

In recent years, a growing number of small-to-medium-enterprises are embracing wind turbine projects not only as part of their cost reduction strategy but also to actively play their part in the global fight against climate change. However, it would appear there are currently limited empirical studies carried out in this emerging industry. This case study analyses the cost effectiveness of one such wind turbine initiative by a company in the Republic of Ireland, who invested in a 300 kW embedded wind turbine project at the end of 2013. The research methodology which is primarily a case study analysis included comparing …

Issue 3(1) Conference Calls

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Medieval Architectures For Religious Tourism And Hospitality Along The Pilgrimage Routes Of Northern Italy, Silvia Beltramo

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Sacred spaces are, and have always been, places of reception: hospitality is in fact a precept of God. Many biblical passages remind us of this, such as the one (Gen 18, 4-5) in which Abraham welcomes three guests, washes their feet and offers them a piece of bread and a place to rest under a tree. Saint Benedict too, in chapter 53 of the Rule, insisted on the need to honour pilgrims and travellers, who should be welcomed with a charitable service ready for devotion and stated that all guests who entered the monastery should be received as …

Forms Of Pilgrimage At The Shrine Of Khāled Nabi, Northeastern Iran, Mehdi Ebadi

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage (religious tourism) is one of the fastest growing forms of tourism. Nevertheless, there is still a gap between abstract theory and empirical research about this form of tourism in the literature. This dearth of tourism studies is even more glaring in the field of Ziyārat or pilgrimage in Islam which in spite of its importance and wide extended practice have been mostly ignored in tourism and geographic literature. The present study features one such area that is (almost) unknown within the community of tourism and geography researchers. In Iran, religious pilgrimage has a long tradition. Numerous sacred places with …

Religious Tourism And Event Management: An Opportunity For Local Tourism Development, Stefania Cerutti, Elisa Piva

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious events represent one of the ancient forms of encounter and should play an important role in enhancing tourism in the areas in which they take place. The aim of the study is to investigate the role of religious events as a key component of local tourism development. The adopted research methodology is primarily based on the gathering and interpretation of qualitative data. The paper considers small and medium sized religious events, analysing their event management process. It focuses on two case studies in northern Italy: the Devotional and Cultural Tourism Exchange of Oropa and the Passion Play of Sordevolo.

Walking The Spiritual Ways – West Of Ireland Experience Of Modern Pilgrimage, Rosemary Power

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This paper considers the modern phenomenon of pilgrim walking along routes in the west of Ireland county of Clare. It relates it to possible medieval practice; to traditional practices by local people on one hand and the reconstruction of the international medieval pilgrim routes to places like Compostela. It suggests the reasons why people may walk in search of spiritual growth and experience, the resources they may wish for, the ways in which the contemporary search functions in a largely post-Catholic manner, and the position of those from other Christina, or religious traditions

Pilgrimage Experience And Consumption Of Travel To The City Of Makkah For Hajj Ritual, Razaq Raj Dr., Dino Bozonelos

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In modern society which, by definition is increasingly secular and culturally motivated, the Hajj is considered the culmination of each Muslim's religious duty and aspiration. It is stated in the Holy Qur'an, that every physically and financially able Muslim should make the Hajj to the Holy City of Makkah once in his or her lifetime.

This paper explores what people do during their pilgrimage, providing a brief description of the principle rites and experiences and their meaning to an individual participants travelling from the USA. The paper will draw upon previously published literature as well as an analysis of findings …

Religious Tourism Versus Secular Pilgrimage: The Basilica Of La Sagrada Família, Estela Marine-Roig

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In recent decades, the number of tourists visiting religious buildings of special cultural attraction, mainly due to their exceptional architecture, has significantly increased. In such cases, it is hard to discern whether it is a question of religious tourism or of so-called secular pilgrimage. This paper analyses this issue by means of a paradigmatic case study: The Basilica of La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, Catalonia, a Roman Catholic church that receives over 3 million visitors a year; the part of the “unfinished cathedral”, built under the direction of Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi, was registered in 2005 as a cultural site …

Religious Landscape And Ecological Ethics: Pilgrimage To The Lithuanian Calvaries, Darius Liutikas

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This article deals with the ecology of pilgrimage at the Calvaries – Ways of the Cross – in Lithuania. Personal obligations to nature and respect of sacred place intermingle with devotional practices and certain rituals. Large scale arrivals at the Calvaries only occurs at certain times of year, mostly during the Indulgence Feasts. Devotional practices such as meditation on the suffering of Christ, prayers and hymns, playing musical instruments, washing one’s face at the Cedron spring are quite common during the Way. Research shows that walking the Way of the Cross doesn’t cause negative environmental, cultural and social impacts. Moreover, …

Religious Activities And Their Tourism Potential In Sukur Kingdom, Nigeria, Emeka Okonkwo

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

Religious tourism is a form of tourism whereby people of the same faith travel individually or in groups for religious purposes. This form of tourism comprises many facets of the travel industry ranging from pilgrimages, missionary travel, leisure (fellowship), vacations, faith-based cruising, crusades, conventions and rallies, retreats, monastery visits and guest-stays, Christian and faith-based camps, to religious tourist attractions. In Sukur Kingdom, most tourists embark on religious travel for the primary purpose of sharing faith and fellowship together as they explore the various religious sites within Sukur and Adamawa State at large. Others still seek inspiration and desire to witness …

Issue 3(I) Editorial

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Issue 3(I) Title Page And Index

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

No abstract provided.

Performing Economics: How Economics Discourse Gets Enacted In Radio News Interviews, Brendan O'Rourke, Joseph Fitzgerald

Conference papers

This paper analyses the performance of economics expertise on the main radio news show in Ireland. It does this through an analysis of the discourse used by known economics experts. This analysis will illustrate how the expert constructs a societally-legitimised economics discourse that builds their identity as an economics expert, constructs a particular representation of the economy, and gains societal legitimacy.

In advance of the Great Recession, the media played a key role in the prominence of economics expertise in public discourse (Mercille 2013, p.1). Both the lack of warning of impending economic crash and the elite nature of experts …

Should Hoteliers Be Afraid Of Airbnb?, Mary O'Rawe

Other resources

Airbnb is now one of the most talked-about forces in travel and hospitality, and is receiving growing attention from both hospitality scholars and managers alike. How concerned should Irish hoteliers be of this “peer-to-peer” accommodation model? Does it merely represent a gentle shaking up of an informal tourism accommodation sector, or has it the potential to devour the entire hotel sector? This piece explores the debate around Airbnb and the implications for the Irish hotel sector.

Thornton's Restaurant : Dinner Menu, Thornton's Restaurant

Menus of the 21st Century

1st Floor, The Fitzwilliam Hotel, 128 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

Thornton's Restaurant, located in Dublin City Centre overlooking St Stephen's Green is an award winning Michelin starred restaurant.

Kevin Thornton was the first Irish chef to achieve two Michelin stars. His cooking, while contemporary, is informed by the distinctive flavours of local produce, and by his vivid memories of the food of his childhood.

Thornton's Restaurant : Tasting Menu With Prestige Pairings, Thornton's Restaurant

Menus of the 21st Century

1st Floor, The Fitzwilliam Hotel, 128 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

Thornton's Restaurant, located in Dublin City Centre overlooking St Stephen's Green is an award winning Michelin starred restaurant.

Kevin Thornton was the first Irish chef to achieve two Michelin stars. His cooking, while contemporary, is informed by the distinctive flavours of local produce, and by his vivid memories of the food of his childhood.

Thornton's Restaurant : Vegetarian Menu, Thornton's Restaurant

Menus of the 21st Century

1st Floor, The Fitzwilliam Hotel, 128 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

Thornton's Restaurant, located in Dublin City Centre overlooking St Stephen's Green is an award winning Michelin starred restaurant.

Kevin Thornton was the first Irish chef to achieve two Michelin stars. His cooking, while contemporary, is informed by the distinctive flavours of local produce, and by his vivid memories of the food of his childhood.

Thornton's Restaurant : Surprise Canapé Tasting Menu, Thornton's Restaurant

Menus of the 21st Century

1st Floor, The Fitzwilliam Hotel, 128 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

Thornton's Restaurant, located in Dublin City Centre overlooking St Stephen's Green is an award winning Michelin starred restaurant.

Kevin Thornton was the first Irish chef to achieve two Michelin stars. His cooking, while contemporary, is informed by the distinctive flavours of local produce, and by his vivid memories of the food of his childhood.

Thornton's Restaurant : Lunch Menu, Thornton's Restaurant

Menus of the 21st Century

1st Floor, The Fitzwilliam Hotel, 128 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

Thornton's Restaurant, located in Dublin City Centre overlooking St Stephen's Green is an award winning Michelin starred restaurant.

Kevin Thornton was the first Irish chef to achieve two Michelin stars. His cooking, while contemporary, is informed by the distinctive flavours of local produce, and by his vivid memories of the food of his childhood.

Thornton's Restaurant : Pre-Theatre Menu, Thornton's Restaurant

Menus of the 21st Century

1st Floor, The Fitzwilliam Hotel, 128 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

Thornton's Restaurant, located in Dublin City Centre overlooking St Stephen's Green is an award winning Michelin starred restaurant.

Kevin Thornton was the first Irish chef to achieve two Michelin stars. His cooking, while contemporary, is informed by the distinctive flavours of local produce, and by his vivid memories of the food of his childhood.

Thornton's Restaurant : Tasting Menu, Thornton's Restaurant

Menus of the 21st Century

1st Floor, The Fitzwilliam Hotel, 128 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2

Thornton's Restaurant, located in Dublin City Centre overlooking St Stephen's Green is an award winning Michelin starred restaurant.

Kevin Thornton was the first Irish chef to achieve two Michelin stars. His cooking, while contemporary, is informed by the distinctive flavours of local produce, and by his vivid memories of the food of his childhood.