bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Farmer innovations in financing smallholder maize production in Northern Ghana
Authors: Appiah-Twumasi Mark , Donkoh Samuel A. , Ansah Isaac Gershon Kodwo
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore smallholder agricultural financing in Ghana’s Northern region by identifying farmers’ preferred traditional and innovative financing methods and estimating the determinants of use of innovative financing methods.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presented a list of documented traditional financing methods to farmers during in-depth interviews and employed descriptive statistics to summarize choice and amounts sourced from traditional methods. Two questions from the survey revealed a felt need for extra financing sources for credit-rationed farmers. Farmers with positive responses to either or both questions were classified as “users of innovative financing”. The authors then used a probit model to examine factors that influence decisions to use innovative financing method.

Findings

Farmers’ own savings, reinvesting past season’s profits and financing maize production with income from other commercial crops were the most popular traditional methods. The authors found complementary relations between formal and informal lending systems in the rural financial market. Smallholders also took farm and non-farm “by-day” jobs to raise income for farm investment and/or joined Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs) specifically to take advantage of possible credit opportunities. These two latter methods were operationalized in this study as innovative agricultural financing. The results show that access to credit, social capital and market participation increased the likelihood of using innovative financing methods. Alternatively, farmer group membership, diversity in crop production and being a household head diminished the likelihood of innovative financing use.

Practical implications

The activities of VSLAs can be regulated and expanded to spread its benefits to more farmers. Also, creating avenues for dry season labour market participation in the region could enable farmers raise capital for farm investment.

Originality/value

This study explores existing practices and farmer innovations to agricultural financing and, by so doing, deviates from the vast literature focussing mainly on microcredit provisioning as the main model of smallholder agricultural financing in Africa.
What motivates Indian consumers’ to buy organic food in an emerging market?
Authors: Jose Heerah , Kuriakose Vijay , Koshy Moli P.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Indian consumers are showing an increased demand for organic food products; however, little is known about their intention to buy organic foods. The purpose of this paper is to understand how fear towards conventional food products motivates an individual to buy organic food products and whether trust and perceived price as contextual factors are able to enhance the buying intention.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 275 valid responses were collected using a self-administrated structured questionnaire, representative of Indian consumers. An ordinary least square regression analysis was used to analyse the effect of trust and perceived price in influencing the relationship between consumers’ fear and intention to buy organic food products.

Findings

The moderating role of trust and perceived price in enhancing the direct relation between fear and intention was established. In addition, cluster analysis results revealed that married women with children are showing a greater interest in buying organic food products.

Practical implications

The findings of the study are of high importance to all stakeholders in organic food products, as selecting marketing practices which target consumers’ concern is an indispensable part of finding a niche for organic food products.

Originality/value

The findings suggest that even though consumers are fearful towards conventional food products, they displayed negative intention to buy organic food products when their trust towards the third party is low, thus confirming the importance of trust as a buffering agent.
Towards a responsible talent management model
Authors: Anlesinya Alex , Amponsah-Tawiah Kwesi
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to critically examine talent management practices and strategies from ethical and responsible management perspectives.

Design/methodology/approach

It achieves its aim through conceptual analysis by theorising through the lenses of talent philosophies, the organisational justice theory, the stakeholder theory and extant literature.

Findings

A responsible talent management construct and mode to guide the practice of talent management in a socially responsible way is developed. It argues that inclusivity; corporate responsibility; and equity and equal employment opportunity are the key underlying principles of a responsible talent management system. This study further argues that responsible talent management practices promote achievement of multilevel sustainable outcomes such as decent work, employee well-being and organisational well-being.

Practical implications

Emphasising responsible management and ethical concerns in organisational talent strategies and practices is non-negotiable, given the current level of interest in sustainable work and employment and in the quest to achieve sustainable human and organisational outcomes through management and organisational practices.

Originality/value

The development of a responsible talent management construct and model is original and novel and is expected to shape thinking and drive new research directions in the field of talent management. It further contributes directly to knowledge and practice by demonstrating how organisations can manage their talents in a responsible way.
Exploring fear of appearing incompetent, competency pressure, tactics and perceptions in negotiations
Authors: Parlamis Jennifer , Badawy Rebecca , Haber Julita , Brouer Robyn
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This study aims to examine how the fear of appearing incompetent (FAI) and competency pressure relates to negotiation tactics and subjective perceptions in a negotiation.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a dyadic buyer/seller negotiation simulation and pre- and post-negotiation questionnaires, we assessed FAI, competency pressure, tactics and subjective perceptions of the negotiation. Mediation models were tested using path analysis adapted from Hayes (2013) PROCESS procedures. MPlus “complex” multi-level function was used to account for non-independence of observations.

Findings

Results indicated that those with a higher FAI perceive more competency pressure, which is associated with greater use of competitive tactics (e.g. misrepresenting own interest, holding back information, making unreasonable offers) and lesser use of cooperative tactics (e.g. sharing helpful information, making reasonable offers, compromising). Tactics used in the negotiation mediated the relationship between competency pressure and subjective perception of the negotiation, such that competitive tactics were negatively related, and cooperative tactics were significantly positively related to subjective perception of the negotiation.

Research limitations/implications

Reliability on the cooperative tactics measure was only minimally acceptable and all measures were self-report and collected during a single lab simulation session.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that relieving competency pressure in negotiation settings could open avenues for cooperation. Gaining expertise through formal negotiation training may be one way to accomplish this.

Originality/value

This is the first known study to investigate FAI and competency pressure in a negotiation setting. We draw on an emotion–cognition–behavior framework to show that FAI is associated with competency pressure thoughts, which predict negotiation behaviors. Further, this research lends support to the notion that competitive tactics are fundamental to the mental model of a negotiation.
Work design and task conflict in interdisciplinary groups
Authors: Todorova Gergana , Brake Matthew R.W. , Weingart Laurie R.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of enriched group work design and objective and perceived expertise diversity in interdisciplinary research groups with a focus on two critical group processes: task conflict and idea sharing.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 148 researchers and their advisors in 29 research labs at two doctorate-granting universities. The study tested the hypothesized model using hierarchical ordinary least squares regression and hierarchical linear modeling.

Findings

Results showed that objective and perceived (salient) expertise diversity jointly influenced task conflict. In addition, whether task conflict had a positive or negative impact on idea sharing depended on group work design enrichment and expertise diversity salience. Idea sharing improved group outcomes over and above the effects of task conflict.

Research limitations/implications

Although this study could not test the causal relationships owing to a cross-sectional nature of data, it provides theoretical implications for the group work design, diversity and conflict literature.

Practical implications

Group work design represents an important tool for stimulating idea sharing in research groups. The findings suggest that managers should consider and manage the level of expertise diversity salience and the level of task conflict to increase the effectiveness of group work design.

Originality/value

The study provides insights on when task conflict may help creative groups. Work design and diversity salience represent important contextual features. The paper also examines both the objective and perceived diversity and disentangles task conflict and idea sharing.
Normal accidents in interior firefighting operations – a study on the German system
Authors: Schmidt Kai Wilhelm
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the reasons behind the occurrence of serious accidents during interior firefighting operations of the German fire services despite numerous and significant safety improvements.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is a case study relying on accident investigation reports from four accidents that happened in Germany between 2005 and 2016.

Findings

The study finds that the system of interior attack firefighting in Germany is a tightly coupled and complex system, as described by the normal accident theory, and that all four cases were caused by unanticipated interactions between components of the system and were therefore system accidents as described by the normal accident theory. This means that these accidents were ultimately caused by the properties of the system that make it susceptible to system accidents.

Research limitations/implications

To prevent these accidents, there is a need to change the properties of the system that make it susceptible to system accidents.

Practical implications

The study identifies factors that make the system inherently dangerous. Hence, practical measures can be undertaken to counter these factors and make the system safer.

Originality/value

This study is the first application of the normal accident theory to the operations of the fire services in general, and it is the first theory-guided inquiry into accidents of the German fire services. The findings of this paper provide new explanations for accidents and new approaches to improve safety during interior attack firefighting operations.
Collective action in SCM: a call for activist research
Authors: Touboulic Anne , McCarthy Lucy
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the current focus of supply chain management (SCM) research; it considers field level and societal constraints and consequently the potential for change. It details the underlying assumptions in the field, considering the dominant paradigms and stakeholders, and how this has shaped the research we have engaged in as a community of scholars.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a reflective inquiry that seeks to deconstruct the dominant discourses and paradigms in SCM. It offers alternative avenues of inquiry to “traditional” research, considering how different questions, perspectives and approaches might yield different learning for the field. offering alternative avenues to traditional research.

Findings

This is a call for collective action, for solidarity, for a re-imagining of what research in SCM could look like. Research activism is challenging and potentially risky but necessary for the research community to engage in, particularly in light of the global societal grand challenges. Change can take place in the SCM field through collective action and solidarity. Three levels of activism are explored here – acting to solve the grand challenges, acting to change the field and acting as individuals.

Originality/value

This is a “speak-out” piece, which embraces and encourages reflexivity, new methods of doing and writing research as well as different perspectives, and especially a consideration for context and multiple players in the supply chain. The authors contend that it is urgent to re-appropriate our own agency as SCM researchers.
Feasibility of smart wearables for driver drowsiness detection and its potential among different age groups
Authors: Kundinger Thomas , Yalavarthi Phani Krishna , Riener Andreas , Wintersberger Philipp , Schartmüller Clemens
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Drowsiness is a common cause of severe road accidents. Therefore, numerous drowsiness detection methods were developed and explored in recent years, especially concepts using physiological measurements achieved promising results. Nevertheless, existing systems have some limitations that hinder their use in vehicles. To overcome these limitations, this paper aims to investigate the development of a low-cost, non-invasive drowsiness detection system, using physiological signals obtained from conventional wearable devices.

Design/methodology/approach

Two simulator studies, the first study in a low-level driving simulator (N= 10) to check feasibility and efficiency, and the second study in a high-fidelity driving simulator (N= 30) including two age groups, were conducted. An algorithm was developed to extract features from the heart rate signals and a data set was created by labelling these features according to the identified driver state in the simulator study. Using this data set, binary classifiers were trained and tested using various machine learning algorithms.

Findings

The trained classifiers reached a classification accuracy of 99.9%, which is similar to the results obtained by the studies which used intrusive electrodes to detect ECG. The results revealed that heart rate patterns are sensitive to the drivers’ age, i.e. models trained with data from one age group are not efficient in detecting drowsiness for another age group, suggesting to develop universal driver models with data from different age groups combined with individual driver models.

Originality/value

This work investigated the feasibility of driver drowsiness detection by solely using physiological data from wrist-worn wearable devices, such as smartwatches or fitness trackers that are readily available in the consumer market. It was found that such devices are reliable in drowsiness detection.
Hybrid on-demand greedy routing protocol with backtracking for mobile ad-hoc networks
Authors: Mahmood Baban A. , Manivanann Dakshnamoorthy
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to design an efficient on-demand routing protocol for mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) which combines greedy forwarding and backtracking.

Design/methodology/approach

It uses a hybrid approach. It uses greedy approach to determine a route from source to the destination. If the greedy approach fails, then it uses a backtracking approach. Combining greedy and backtracking approaches results in a more efficient protocol.

Findings

A new routing algorithm for MANETs which performs better than some of the existing algorithms.

Research limitations/implications

A major limitation of this work is that the authors did not implement the protocol on a test bed and evaluated the performance. They neither had the infrastructure nor the resources to actually implement the protocol. Instead, like most of the researchers, they evaluated the performance of their protocol based on extensive simulation. The mobility model, the area of deployment and the density of nodes chosen to simulate the protocol are consistent with what many of the other researchers have done. Intuitively, the authors’ protocol, as the performance evaluation indicates, is likely to perform well in small networks.

Practical implications

The authors did not implement the protocol on a test bed to evaluate the performance of the protocol. The authors used simulation to study the performance of their protocol. Their simulation model is similar to many of the research works published in the literature.

Originality/value

To the authors’ knowledge, no other paper has combined the greedy and backtracking approach to design a routing protocols for MANETs.
Language teachers’ perceptions of practitioner research
Authors: Arayssi Sabine Imad , Bahous Rima , Diab Rula , Nabhani Mona
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine language teachers’ perceptions of practitioner research to establish an understanding whether research comprises a fundamental component in their career.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative study was conducted with language teachers and coordinators from various schools in Lebanon. Questionnaires were distributed to 50 language teachers, followed by semi-structured interviews conducted with language coordinators, and in-depth interviews with language teachers who are practitioner researchers.

Findings

Results indicated that research is a minority activity for language teachers due to lack of time, overwhelming working conditions and lack of flexibility in the workplace.

Research limitations/implications

There was a lack of cooperation between teachers and coordinators.

Originality/value

This study provides teachers in Lebanon with the opportunity of transforming their voice through participating in and being agents of research rather than solely observing the process which attempts to bridge theory to practice.
An analysis of the religious, social factors and income’s influence on the decision making in Islamic microfinance schemes
Authors: Mansori Shaheen , Safari Meysam , Mohd Ismail Zarina Mizam
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Islamic microfinance schemes are designed and developed with the primary intention of poverty alleviation and fulfillment of the Islamic law requirements. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of religiosity, religious leader’s endorsement, social influence and income on the intention to apply for Islamic microfinance among Muslims in Malaysia.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on a public survey to collect primary data from various states in Malaysia. Then, structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data set.

Findings

The results of SEM indicate significant roles for religiosity and religious leader’s endorsement as religion-based factors on intention to apply for microfinance products. Moreover, social influence (peer-pressure) is influential on the financial decision-making process. The authors also examined the moderation effect of gender on these relations and found that females, in comparison to males, tend to be more influenced by religious leader’s endorsement and social influence. On the other hand, male with higher religiosity tend to favour Islamic microfinance products more than females.

Originality/value

Findings of this study are new in many aspects, most importantly as it sheds light into the role of religiosity and religious leader’s endorsement on the decision-making process in microfinancing services.
Incentives for conventional banks for the conversion into Islamic banks: evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Suzuki Yasushi , Uddin S.M. Sohrab , Islam A.K.M. Ramizul
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The skyrocketing rise of Islamic banking is noticeable in not only Islamic countries but also non-Islamic countries during the past few decades. Many conventional banks have started Islamic banking generally by maintaining separate branches/windows and occasionally by pursuing a complete conversion strategy. Following the global trend, two of the full-fledged Islamic banks adopted a conversion strategy consecutively in 2004 and 2008 in Bangladesh. The number of the conversion case is still limited. At this backdrop, this study aims to identify the incentives in the conversion strategy into Islamic banks.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the secondary data from the annual reports of the sample banks for both pre- and post-conversion periods, this study adopts the “case study” approach upon the comparison with the performance of conventional banks and other types of Islamic banks.

Findings

It is apparent that higher reserve requirement for conventional banks provides the incentive for the conversion into Islamic banks given with less reserve requirement. Under the protective regulatory framework, these converted Islamic banks may have enjoyed the rent for learning during the initial phase after the conversion, even though majority of the funds of these banks are collected from high-cost mudaraba time deposits. Basically, the credit strategy of the converted banks has been quite conservative, resulting in the concentrated portfolio selection on the asset-backed financing. However, the recent engagement of these banks in the Shari'ah-based participatory financing makes their performance a bit vulnerable.

Research limitations/implications

It is becoming difficult to justify a protective regulatory framework for incubating infant Islamic banks if the rent for learning given under the framework would not encourage them to challenge and absorb the risk and uncertainty associated with Shari’ah-based participatory financing. The current mode of profit–loss sharing (PLS) makes it difficult for the regulators to create an appropriate incentive for Islamic banks to challenge the equity-based financing.

Originality/value

The number of the conversion case is limited. Less has been done to investigate the reasons why the conventional banks opt for the conversion into Islamic banks, particularly in Bangladesh.
Islamic legal maxim for Shari’ah audit in Islamic bank
Authors: Abd Rahman Nurulhuda , Mastuki Nor’azam , Osman Muhamad Rahimi , Kasim Nawal
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper looks into how the Islamic legal maxims (ILM) could provide a basis for Sharīʿah audit practices in assisting the institution’s managerial practice to achieve Maqasid al Shari’ah (MS).

Design/methodology/approach

The findings of the study recorded in this paper are based on a single case study selected from a preliminary study. The qualitative approach was used, where two phases of a semi-structured interview were conducted on the targeted participants in their natural settings.

Findings

It was found that with the implementation of Sharīʿah audit practices, ILM supports the achievement of MS by Islamic banks. With this, the income generated by these banking institutions is halal, and all business transactions and operations will not violate the Sharīʿah principles. Furthermore, the ILM includes principles such as “certainty is not overruled by doubt,” “matters determined according to intentions,” “the norm in transactions is that of permissibility,” “harm must be eliminated” and “judgment is to be based on knowledge and understanding.”

Social implications

The findings of this study have provided valuable information that would lead Muslim auditors to exhibit a strong character while abiding by Islamic principles.

Originality/value

MS is strongly recommended in Islamic banking institutions because of the significant relationship between MS and the objectives of business transactions where wealth must be protected in the prevention of incoming hardships occurring in society. Moreover, this paper focuses on the application of ILM in the Sharīʿah audit practices as a part of the Sharīʿah governance in Islamic banks.
Qard-al-Hasan-based monetary policy and the role of the central bank as the lender of last resort
Authors: Selim Mohammad , Hassan M. Kabir
Published: January 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how a central bank (CB) can act as a lender of last resort (LOLR) for both Islamic and conventional interest-based banks by pursuing a Qard-al-Hasan (QH)-based monetary policy (MP).

Design/methodology/approach

The role of the CB as LOLR under QH-based MP and its effects on major macroeconomic variables, including deposits, loan creation and aggregate expenditures, are examined on theoretical grounds by using the aggregate output and aggregate expenditure model under the framework of Islamic MP.

Findings

When the CB acts as LOLR by pursuing QH-based MP, it automatically empowers Islamic banks (IBs) by providing access to borrowing funds from the CB on a QH basis. As a result, IBs will not be required to hold billions of dollars as liquid assets against liquidity risks. Thus, the lending capacity of IBs will increase and deposit expansion, loan creation and aggregate expenditures in the economy will all expand. This will in turn increase real GDP and employment while reducing the unemployment rate.

Originality/value

This is the first paper to analyze CBs acting as LOLR for both IBs and conventional interest-based banks by pursuing a QH-based MP, thus providing equal opportunities and equal access to borrowing facilities from the CB, along with equal partnership and fair competition for all and absolutely no discrimination to anyone. The LOLR service to all banks under QH-based MP will unveil a new horizon of opportunities where all financial institutions are expected to thrive. IBs will escape the constraints of the constant fear of liquidity risks and find a level-playing field.
Understanding immigration detention
Authors: Breuls Lars
Published: January 2020

Purpose

A reflexive ethnographic account of the practical and emotional challenges encountered by the researcher during fieldwork is too often separated from the analytical research results, which, as argued by this paper, downplays or even ignores the analytical value of the encountered challenges. Drawing on personal examples from ethnographic research in immigration detention, the purpose of this paper is to show that these challenges have an intrinsic analytical value.

Design/methodology/approach

Ethnographic research was carried out in two immigration detention centres in Belgium and one in the Netherlands. Observations, informal conversations with detainees and staff, and semi-structured interviews with detainees were triangulated. Extracts from fieldnotes are presented and discussed to demonstrate the analytical value of the challenges experienced during fieldwork.

Findings

Three important challenges are presented: distrust from organisational gatekeepers and research participants, disruptions of the organisational routines, and witnessing and experiencing feelings of powerlessness. The analytical value of these challenges is strongly connected to theoretical and analytical themes that emerged during the research.

Originality/value

Ethnographic researchers are encouraged to explicitly treat the reflexive accounts of practical and emotional challenges as “data in itself” and as such nested within their analytical results.
Internal audit: from effectiveness to organizational significance
Authors: Roussy Mélanie , Barbe Odile , Raimbault Sophie
Published: January 2020

Purpose

From the perspective of two groups of governance actors, this paper aims to understand how internal audit (IA) achieves and consolidates organizational significance.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews were conducted with audit committee chairs and chief audit executives from multinational corporations, and the participating corporations’ registration documents were analyzed.

Findings

The data indicate that IA achieves and consolidates organizational significance by activating the IA effectiveness “building blocks” (Lenz et al., 2014) all together so as to generate organizational learning and positive change. New IA effectiveness drivers also emerged from the field.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes to the IA literature by establishing a connection, through the IA impact on organizational learning, between the constructs of IA effectiveness and organizational significance. It also contributes to the IA literature by identifying new drivers and illustrating the complementarity and interconnections between the IA effectiveness building blocks.

Practical implications

This paper encourages internal auditors to keep their eyes on the prize (i.e. organizational significance) instead of simply being focused on the mean (i.e IA effectiveness), in order to fight stakeholder disappointment.

Originality/value

The paper proposes a conceptual model of IA organizational significance and gives key insights for setting up effective IA to stimulate organizational learning and fostering positive change in the whole organization.
Effect of adhesive force on underfill process based on lattice Boltzmann method
Authors: Ishak M.H.H. , Ismail Farzad , Abdul Aziz Mohd Sharizal , Abdullah M.Z.
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the adhesive force and density ratio using lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) during underfill process.

Design/methodology/approach

To deal with complex flow in underfill process, a framework is proposed to improve the lattice Boltzmann equation. The fluid flows with different density ratio and bump arrangement in underfill are simulated by the incorporated Carnahan–Starling (CS) equation of state (EOS). The numerical study conducted by finite volume method (FVM) and experimental results are also presented in each case at the different filling percentage for verification and validation purpose.

Findings

The numerical result is compared well with those acquired experimentally. Small discrepancy is detected in their flow profile. It was found that the adhesive force between fluid and solid was affected by the density ratio of the fluids and solder bump configuration. LBM has shown better adhesive force effect phenomenon on underfill process compared to FVM. LBM also demonstrated as a better tool to study the fluid flow in the underfill process.

Practical implications

This study provides a basis and insights into the impact of adhesive force and density ratio to the underfill process that will be advancing the future design of flip chip package. This study also provides superior guidelines, and the knowledge of how adhesive force is affected by flip chip package structure.

Originality/value

This study proposes the method to predict the adhesive force and density ratio effect for underfill flow in flip chip package. In addition, the proposed method has a good performance in representing the adhesive force during the underfill simulation for its natural physical basic. This study develops understanding of flow problems to attain high reliability for electronic assemblies.
The main determinants of adopting domestic biomass heating systems
Authors: García-Maroto Inmaculada , Muñoz-Leiva Francisco , Higueras-Castillo Elena , Liébana-Cabanillas Francisco
Published: January 2020

Purpose

Understanding the antecedents of biomass heating adoption by domestic users is important for both public authorities and businesses because of the impact of this technology on energy consumption. The purpose of this study offers an overview of the predictors of biomass adoption based on the most relevant theories, gleaned from pro-environmental decision-making research.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed model was tested using the partial least squares technique. The study was conducted with a sample of 528 owners of detached houses who did not use biomass technology.

Findings

The results showed that intention to adopt this type of heating system is determined by individual values, environmental concerns, attitudes, perceived control, personal and social norms, perceptions of the technology’s attributes, of the benefits of biomass and access to economic aid.

Practical implications

Companies in the biomass heating sector (manufacturers, installers, biomass producers and distributors) and public bodies should take a proactive approach toward the economic and environmental situations they currently face.

Social implications

Economic aid or subsidies should be made available to influence the adoption intention of potential owners; and the availability of the aid and the requirements that must be met to access, it should be publicized through advertisement campaigns.

Originality/value

This study includes comprehensive academic and managerial implications crucial for the introduction of domestic biomass heating systems.
The role of government in the tourism sector in developing countries: a perspective article
Authors: Jenkins Carson Lewis
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a perspective on the role of government in the tourism sector in developing countries in the past 75 years.

Design/methodology/approach

A perspective article.

Findings

The main reasons that governments support development of tourism will remain: including foreign exchange earnings, contribution to government revenues, employment generation and regional development stimulus.

Originality/value

This paper provides a perspective from a senior academic who specialises in the field of tourism relating to the developing world.
Training and development research in tourism and hospitality: a perspective paper
Authors: Tracey Bruce , Swart Magdalena Petronella (Nellie)
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the evolution of the training and development field and present our projections for future inquiry in this important domain.

Design/methodology/approach

This submission is intended for possible publication as a perspective article as per the editor’s call regarding the Platinum Jubilee; thus, it is a brief review of the focal topic and projection of the future.

Findings

Employee training and development will continue to be a priority for the hospitality and tourism industry. The systems framework has been clearly established, but it is evident that additional inquiry is needed to explain how the various framework elements are related. In the decades to come, this framework will be expanded to account for the complexities that emerge from the prolific growth in information and resources for supporting training and development.

Research limitations/implications

While based on decades of previous research, it is always difficult to predict the future, especially 75 years out.

Originality/value

This paper offers a research primer on the focal topic and prescription for future efforts.
Tourism forecasting research: a perspective article
Authors: Li Gang , Jiao Xiaoying
Published: January 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a short review of tourism forecasting literature and general summary of the trends and developments in tourism forecasting and point out directions for future research in the next 75 years.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a general literature overview.

Findings

Key trends are identified for next 75 years.

Originality/value

First overview in tourism forecasting that provides foresight on long-term future trends (over next 75 years).
Distinguishing between active plasticity due to thermal acclimation and passive plasticity due toQ10effects: Why methodology matters
Authors: Havird Justin C. , Neuwald Jennifer L. , Shah Alisha A. , Mauro Alexander , Marshall Craig A. , Ghalambor Cameron K.
Published: January 2020

Characterizing thermal acclimation is a common goal of eco‐physiological studies and has important implications for models of climate change and environmental adaptation. However, quantifying thermal acclimation in biological rate processes is not straightforward because many rates increase with temperature due to the acute effect of thermodynamics on molecular interactions. Disentangling such passive plastic responses from active acclimation responses is critical for describing patterns of thermal acclimation.

Here, we reviewed published studies and distinguished between different study designs measuring the acute (i.e. passive) and acclimated (i.e. active) effects of temperature on metabolic rate. We then developed a method to quantify and classify acclimation responses by comparing acute and acclimatedQ10values. Finally, we applied this method using meta‐analysis to characterize thermal acclimation in metabolic rates of ectothermic animals.

We reviewed 258 studies measuring thermal effects on metabolic rates, and found that a majority of these studies (74%) did not allow for quantifying the independent effects of acclimation. Such studies were more common when testing aquatic taxa and continue to be published even in recent years.

A meta‐analysis of 96 studies where acclimation could be quantified (using 1,072Q10values) revealed that ‘partial compensation’ was the most common acclimation response (i.e. acclimation tended to offset the passive change in metabolic rate due to acute temperature changes). However, ‘no acclimation’ and ‘inverse compensation’, in which acclimation further augmented the acute change in metabolic rate, were also common.

Acclimation responses differed among taxa, habitats and with experimental design. Amphibians and other terrestrial taxa tended to show weak acclimation responses, whereas fishes and other aquatic taxa tended to show stronger compensatory responses. Increasing how long the animal was allowed to adjust to a new test temperature increased the acclimation response, but body size did not. Acclimation responses were also stronger with longer acclimation durations.

Collectively, these results highlight the importance of using the appropriate experimental design to investigate and estimate thermal acclimation of biological rates. To facilitate and guide future studies of thermal acclimation, we end with some suggestions for designing and interpreting experiments.

A freePlain Language Summarycan be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
Cancer care and occupational therapy: A scoping review
Authors: Wallis Amy , Meredith Pamela , Stanley Mandy
Published: January 2020

Introduction

Cancer can disrupt participation in everyday activities, suggesting a place for occupational therapy; however, there is a need to articulate the nature, scope and available evidence supporting the occupational therapy role within cancer care. In this scoping review, we identify the breadth of practice and evidence for occupational therapy in cancer care, across all stages of the disease trajectory (diagnosis to palliation/survivorship) throughout the lifespan.

Methods

Five electronic databases were searched in June 2018, for English language articles. Key words were: cancer care, OR oncolog*, OR oncologic care, OR neoplasms, OR cancer survivors, OR terminal cancer, OR cancer rehabilitation, AND occupational therap*. No date restrictions were imposed. Included were: all styles of literature including grey literature, all types of cancers and all age brackets. There were no restrictions on place of origin of papers. Following the Arksey and O’Malley (2006; International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 8: 19–32) framework for scoping reviews, the first author screened titles and abstracts, and all three authors reviewed sets of the included articles. Conflicts were discussed until consensus was reached.

Results

After evaluating 305 titles and abstracts and 111 full‐text articles, 89 papers were retained. Articles included research studies (n = 43), reviews (n = 15), grey literature (n = 16), practice analyses (n = 14) and an editorial (n = 1). The occupational therapy roles described were diverse, but largely descriptive in nature, with little evidence of outcomes from treatment. Furthermore, the majority of papers addressed adult populations, with few considering children, adolescents or young adults. Most papers focused on specific stages of the disease, and none addressed the disease along its full trajectory.

Conclusion

Despite identifying a diverse range of occupational therapy roles in cancer care throughout the disease trajectory and across the lifespan, the need for professional discourse and research within our profession was highlighted. This was particularly evident for adolescents and young adults with cancer.
Corporate Environmental Proactivity: Evidence from the European Union's Emissions Trading System
Authors: Andreou Panayiotis C. , Kellard Neil M.
Published: January 2020

In the presence of environmental policy, how do regulated firms respond? The answer is crucial for the design and effectiveness of policy regimes intended to mitigate environmental damage. We investigate whether particular types of firms are more likely to be proactive; in other words, which firms tend to behave in a manner most consistent with the desired policy outcomes. Using data on per‐firm ‘verified’ and ‘allocated’ emissions from the European Union's Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) from 2005 till 2016, and given that some firms exceed or undershoot the allocated allowances by a large margin, we posit that this and related measures are useful proxies for a firm's proactiveness in responding to environmental policy. We find that public firms are less likely than private firms to be proactive, whilst the same is found for firms in common rather than civil law countries and for state‐owned firms. Strikingly, proactiveness is associated both with greater reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and poorer firm performance, suggesting there is an economic cost to good environmental behaviour. Whilst the EU ETS is reducing emissions, it is not yet adequately compensating proactive firms or penalizing those who pollute – better system design could aid this further.
Microbiological and physicochemical parameters for predicting quality of fat and low‐fat raw ground beef during refrigerated aerobic storage
Authors: Valerio Francesca , Skandamis Panagiotis N. , Failla Sebastiana , Contò Michela , Di Biase Mariaelena , Bavaro Anna Rita , Pirovano Maria Paola , Lavermicocca Paola
Published: January 2020

The aim of the current study was to identify quality indicators of fat (14.50 ± 0.75%) and low‐fat (4.79 ± 0.63%) raw ground beef by monitoring changes in physicochemical and microbiological parameters during aerobic refrigerated storage, such as water‐holding capacity, pH, thiols, carbonyl compounds, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), metmyoglobin, deoxymyoglobin, oxymyoglobin color indices, pseudomonads, Brochothrix thermosphacta, and total viable counts. Meat packaged in air‐permeable polyethylene plastic film was stored under controlled isothermal conditions (0, 5, 10, and 15 °C). A population level of pseudomonads equal to 7.0 ± 0.5 log10 colony forming units (CFU)/g was considered as the potential spoilage level. Using principal component analysis, samples were distinguished on the basis of their microbial load. A significant positive correlation between microbial population and carbonyls, metmyoglobin, TBARS, water‐holding capacity, and a negative correlation with thiols and color parameters (L*, chroma) were observed. Two different approaches were followed to estimate the quality status of samples: (i) the partial least square (PLS) regression with R2 of 0.93 and root mean square error prediction of 0.44 for pseudomonads, using the above physicochemical characteristics as the dominant input variables, which allowed prediction of the microbiological status of ground beef regardless of time–temperature storage profile and fat content, and (ii) a square‐root‐type model (adjusted R2 of 0.952) that satisfactorily predicted the growth of spoilage pseudomonads under isothermal and dynamic conditions, regardless of the above physicochemical changes. The above results suggest that depending on the available input data, the two modeling approaches can accurately (and complementarily) assess quality of aerobically stored ground beef.

Practical Application

Changes in appearance and quality of fat and low‐fat raw ground beef are associated with physicochemical alteration and/or microbial growth. The study provides two different modeling approaches that can be integrated in an intelligent interface of the refrigerator having specific colorimetric and/or temperature sensors, to evaluate in a convenience way the quality of stored meat thus reducing domestic waste: the partial least square model was based on physicochemical parameters (particularly chroma, metmyoglobin, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances), while the square root model was based on the time–temperature conditions during storage.
Two‐step biological approach for treatment of rapeseed meal
Authors: Tie Yu , Li Li , Liu Jun , Liu Chaolan , Fu Junjie , Xiao Xiongjun , Wang Guoqiang , Wang Jingfeng
Published: January 2020

Rapeseed meal (RSM) is an important source of protein, but its value is limited due to the poor digestibility and the presence of many antinutritional factors. In this study, a two‐step biological method was developed for detoxifying RSM and increasing its protein value. In the first stage, various detoxifying enzymes and proteases were produced by Aspergillus niger during solid‐state fermentation (SSF). In the second stage, coordinated enzymatic hydrolysis was employed to further degrade the antinutritional factors and macromolecular proteins in the fermented RSM. Following fermentation at 30 °C for 48 hr and enzymatic hydrolysis at 45 °C for 24 hr, the content of trichloroacetic acid soluble protein (TCA‐SP) and glucosinolates (GLS) in RSM was increased by 81.70% and reduced by 30.06%, respectively, compared with that obtained using the SSF process alone. Moreover, to improve the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis, the yield of acid protease was increased by optimizing the composition of the medium so that the TCA‐SP content was increased to 208.39 mg/g and accounted for 51.62% of the total RSM protein, which was 99.36% and 629.66% higher than that in the fermented RSM and control, respectively. Overall, these results demonstrate that the two‐step process could be more effective for the degradation of the antinutritional factors and improvement of the protein quality of RSM compared to use of the SSF method alone, which may improve the utilization of RSM in food and animal feed.

Practical Application

Rapeseed meal (RSM) is a protein source that provides high‐quality nutrition and can be applied to the development of value‐added products for humans and animal feed. To improve the utilization of RSM, a combined method of solid‐state fermentation and enzymatic digestion was developed. Compared with the traditional solid‐state fermentation method, the present method further improves the quality of RSM and demonstrates improved efficacy in increasing the small peptide content while reducing the levels of antinutritional factors.
Dazzling or Fantastically Dull? Re‐Examining the Eighteenth‐Century London Masquerade
Authors: Kobza Meghan
Published: January 2020

This article provides an overview of the social history of the eighteenth‐century London subscription masquerade through a critical analysis of quantitative and qualitative data collected from a cohort study of newspapers in the Burney Collection. An examination of trends in prevalence, financial requirements and use of spatial and social boundaries indicates that the masquerade operated as a space of elite sociability. This new work on the masquerade provides a break from the traditional depiction of the entertainment as carnivalesque cultural trope and challenges the existing scholarship on leisure history and the history of consumer culture during this period.