bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In pursuit of self-reliance – perspectives of refugees in Jordan
Authors: Shalan Muna
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the employment experiences of refugees, who have benefited from job opportunities in Jordan. It investigates the impact of employment on their livelihoods and the related challenges that they face.

Design/methodology/approach

The research presented in this paper is of exploratory nature. By ways of analyzing selected interviews with refugees, it explores their employment experiences in terms of their motivation to work and thus provides insights into how refugees perceive the impact of employment on their progress toward self-reliance. It also incorporates the perspectives of employers and investigates measures taken by the employers to overcome challenges and facilitate refugees’ employment. The study is not meant to draw conclusions about the general trends of refugee employment or to measure refugee self-reliance. The study sample thus relies on a small number of people since it seeks depth rather than breadth in data collection.

Findings

The interpretation of the collected accounts explores how the indicative domains of self-reliance arise in the accounts of the interviewees. Findings suggest that regardless of gender, the employment process was transformational in terms of young refugees’ progress toward self-reliance, whereas its impact was less significant on older refugee women with child-rearing responsibilities. Although older refugee women with children acknowledge the positive impact of employment on their livelihoods, the accounts that they tell suggest that humanitarian assistance still plays an important role in their livelihoods. Furthermore, the collected accounts highlighted aspects that the interviewed women find problematic. These include age-restrictions that some employers impose when hiring, in addition to the limited employment opportunities for men living in Zaatari camp.

Research limitations/implications

The research limitation is primarily methodological and is attributed to the limited respondent sample size. This implies that the sample is not representative; therefore, results may lack generalizability.

Practical implications

This study highlighted multi-faceted and complex factors influencing refugee self-reliance. Therefore, it includes implications for the development of refugee employment programs to become more effective in enhancing refugee livelihoods and self-reliance. For example, it highlights that central actors engaged in employment programs for refugees should duly consider the local context to produce context-based solutions. Furthermore, it also emphasizes that central actors should not lose sight of the people-based factors such as refugees’ age, gender and child-rearing responsibilities when devising the employment programs.

Originality/value

This paper offers insights into how employment can become more effective in promoting the progressive development of refugee self-reliance in Jordan.
Re-imaging Rosetta historic core through Space Syntax
Authors: Hegazi Yasmine Sabry , Fouda Mohanad
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop strategies of re-imaging the Rosetta historic district through choosing the suitable uses and their specific locations in compliance with the urban design fabric of the historic core. These strategies are to be fulfilled using Space Syntax as an urban analysis tool, in the context of “connectivity analysis.”

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology follows the combined strategy between three methods of research: a SWOT analysis, to reveal the historic core status; an experimental research approach, which stimulates the chosen area via Space Syntax; and the third is a case study of the Rosetta historic core.

Findings

The re-usage of the Rosetta old core was not originally planned as commercial and to host movable vendors, but the core was forced to adapt afterwards to suit this usage, while the Souk and those big new residential building urban blocks have clearly deformed the historic image of the Rosetta historic core. Moving from one space to another, it was found that well-connected spaces have higher movement density, such as Al Souk Street, while less dense spaces can tolerate more movement without conflicting with highly dense ones. The existing commercial activities can be classified into movable activities – which can be easily relocated – and shop-based, which need a developmental approach in their original locations. The disconnected district can be used as a commercial zone for the movable vendors, to which human flow can be successfully directed in order to reduce the density in the more connected spaces.

Originality/value

The research value lies in exploring how to re-image urban heritage via relocating the places reused with unsuitable activities through Space Syntax.
Experiments in interfaces
Authors: Mancke Carol Jane
Published: October 2019

Purpose

Exploring the need for “neutral” public space located between the private act of voting and formal deliberative democracy, the purpose of this paper is to examine two interfaces between everyday life and democratic politics and considers ways this territory can be a site for generative artistic practises.

Design/methodology/approach

Many artists and architects work in the space between the individual and formal collective political processes. Speculating outward from two artworks by the author and drawing on the thought of Hannah Arendt, Rosalyn Deutsche, Chantal Mouffe, Bruno Latour and others, this paper maps theory to the territory and proposes a new framework for reconsidering the work of such practitioners.

Findings

Three potentially fruitful avenues for exploration as artistic practice related to democratic interfaces are identified and discussed through examples.

Originality/value

This exploration is part of a broader practice-led research project into models of public collaborative thinking within the context of artistic practice. Many argue that the public realm has been co-opted by neo-liberal political and economic forces, resulting in a sense of hopelessness that limits the ability to imagine anything else. This research reflects on artistic tactics that counter this sense of hopelessness. These practices often suggest alternative social structures, foster ephemeral (local) public spheres or propose spatial configurations that support these. This paper offers a useful framework for reflecting on the work of politically engaged artists and architects as well as structuring new projects.
Characterisation of fresh fruit consumption in Spain based on food-related lifestyle
Authors: Montero-Vicente Luis , Roig-Merino Bernat , Buitrago-Vera Juan , Sigalat-Signes Enrique
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe fresh fruit consumers in Spain according to their food-related lifestyle (FRL).

Design/methodology/approach

A random stratified sample of 500 people, representative of the persons responsible for household food purchasing and resident in Spain, was interviewed in 2017 using a revised and adapted version of the FRL instrument (Grunert et al., 1993). Questions about fruit purchasing criteria, consumption habits and demographics were also included. Factor and cluster analysis (Ward method) yielded four segments.

Findings

The segments identified are: “Total indifference (TI)”, small segment with disinterest in extra-domestic and social consumption, nutrition and innovation; “Little time to cook, concerned about nutrition and extra-domestic consumption (LICNE)”, the largest consumers of fresh fruit who show interest in nutrition and health, but no interest in the price of products, convenience foods or liking cooking; “Cooks and preference for natural products (COOKNAT)”, the largest segment, with a medium-high consumption of fresh fruits, who are related to cooking at home, natural products and a concern for the price-quality ratio; and “Unconcerned (UNC)” presents the lowest fresh fruit consumption and shows the lowest interest in natural products and some indifference to the other criteria.

Originality/value

The information obtained in this study gives interesting new insights for the marketing strategies of the fresh fruit suppliers to Spain and the Food and Public Health Administrations.
Does the denomination taste better than the wine?
Authors: Vecchio Riccardo , Rinaldi Alessandra , Moio Luigi
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate whether consumer preferences differ for wines with diverse price points and second, to analyze the effect of denominations of origin information on preferences.

Design/methodology/approach

In, total 150 regular wine buyers expressed their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for 12 red wines of 3 denominations (Chianti Classico DOCG, Morellino di Scansano DOCG and Toscana IGT) with three price points (basic=€5, medium=€10 and high=€20) in an incentive-compatible experiment, involving two consecutive rounds: a blind tasting and an informed tasting.

Findings

The findings reveal that price points are not statistically related to consumer preferences measured in the blind round, while information on the denomination of origin leads to a statistically significant increase in WTP for wines of all price points for all denominations.

Originality/value

This paper investigates whether Sangiovese-based wines at varying levels of price points (basic, medium and high) receive different WTP by consumers in non-hypothetical experimental auctions. Furthermore, the effect of denominations of origin information on preferences is explored, comparing evaluations without and with this specific information.
An optimized hybrid model based on artificial intelligence for grape price forecasting
Authors: Chu Xiaoquan , Li Yue , Tian Dong , Feng Jianying , Mu Weisong
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose an optimized hybrid model based on artificial intelligence methods, use the method of time series forecasting, to deal with the price prediction issue of China’s table grape.

Design/methodology/approach

The approaches follows the framework of “decomposition and ensemble,” using ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD) to optimize the conventional price forecasting methods, and, integrating the multiple linear regression and support vector machine to build a hybrid model which could be applied in solving price series predicting problems.

Findings

The proposed EEMD-ADD optimized hybrid model is validated to be considered satisfactory in a case of China’ grape price forecasting in terms of its statistical measures and prediction performance.

Practical implications

This study would resolve the difficulties in grape price forecasting and provides an adaptive strategy for other agricultural economic predicting problems as well.

Originality/value

The paper fills the vacancy of concerning researches, proposes an optimized hybrid model integrating both classical econometric and artificial intelligence models to forecast price using time series method.
Biotechnology in food
Authors: Charlebois Sylvain , Somogyi Simon , Music Janet , Cunningham Caitlin
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to measure Canadian attitudes towards genetic engineering in food, for both plant-based and livestock, assess trust towards food safety and overall regulatory system in Canada.

Design/methodology/approach

This exploratory study is derived from an inductive, quantitative analysis of primary data obtained from an online survey of adults, aged 18 and over, living in Canada for at least 12 months. An online survey was widely distributed in both French and English. Data were collected from 1,049 respondents. The sample was randomized using regional and demographic benchmarks for an accurate representation of the Canadian population. The completion rate of the survey was 94 per cent. Based on the sampling design, the margin of error is 3.1 per cent, 19 times out of 20.

Findings

Consumers misunderstand the nature of genetic engineering or do not appreciate its prevalence in agrifood or both. In total, 44 per cent of Canadians are confused about health effects of genetically engineered foods and ingredients. In total, 40 per cent believe that there is not significant testing on genetically engineered food to protect consumers. In total, 52 per cent are uncertain on their consumption of genetically engineered food, despite its prominence in the agrifood marketplace. Scientific literacy of respondents on genetic engineering is low. While Canadians are divided on purchasing genetically engineered animal-based products, 55 per cent indicated price is the most important factor when purchasing food.

Research limitations/implications

More research is required to better appreciate the sociological and economic dimensions of incorporating GM foods into our lives. Most importantly, longitudinal risks ought to be better understood for both plant- and animal-based GM foods and ingredients. Additional research is needed to quantify the benefits and risks of GM crops livestock, so business practices and policies approach market expectations. Significantly, improving consumers’ scientific literacy on GM foods will reduce confusion and allow for more informed purchasing decisions. Indeed, a proactive research agenda on biotechnologies can accommodate well-informed discussions with public agencies, food businesses and consumers.

Originality/value

This exploratory study is one of the first to compare consumers’ perceptions of genetic engineering related to animal and plant-based species in Canada since the addition of genetically modified salmon to the marketplace.
Navigating through institutional complexity: adoption of a process view in functional organizations
Authors: Henk Anastasiya , Fallmyr Terje
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the ongoing debate on the appropriate organizational design for the process management implementation. Using the lens of institutional theory, the paper discusses how organizations adapt to a required implementation of a process view alongside their organizational structures.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is designed as a single case study of a Norwegian shipping company. On the one hand, shipping companies are traditionally managed by functions due to the specifics of maritime operations and high safety-related risks of the work. On the other hand, the rising demands of regulatory bodies and customers within the offshore logistics are calling for implementation of a process view within the organizations, which implies management by processes.

Findings

The study analyses conflicting requirements of the institutional environment influencing organizational structure and how these conflicts are addressed by the company. Besides, it describes the decoupling mechanism the company uses to balance between such requirements and adapt to the changes of the institutional pressures.

Originality/value

The study introduces a situational-based organizational structure as an alternative for both process and vertical views implementation within the companies operating in the highly demanding institutional environments.
Learning clusters, MOOCs, free videos and organization learning: a case study from Indian SMEs
Authors: Roy Shirshendu , Bhattacharya Samar , Das Prasun
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This paper shows how organizations can use learning clusters, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and free videos to improve organizational learning. The paper presents implementation steps through a case study with Indian micro, and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

As a part of the employee development strategy, most Indian organizations adapted structured training framework. However, employee skill and competency development are equally important for SMEs. An attempt was made to train employees of these sectors using MOOCs and free videos. Twenty Indian organizations were selected for the pilot study and segregated into two clusters for efficient implementation of the concept. The learning process was observed for the next six months to summarize the outcome.

Findings

The case study concluded that MOOCs and free videos made a difference in skill and competency development of SMEs using cost-effective internet and mobile handset. It also revealed the positive impact of this learning framework on productivity, the quality which eventually improved the revenue.

Research limitations/implications

This study explores the usability of MOOCs and free videos for learning purpose. More studies on learning effectiveness are required to generalize results.

Practical Implementation

This study reveals the effectiveness of MOOCs and free videos for employee development. The foundation result will help the Learning and Development (L&D) professionals and senior management to think in a different way while making the employee development strategy.

Originality/value

This research increases the knowledge base related to the use of MOOCs and free videos for employee training.
A model for implementing product modularity in buildings design
Authors: Gravina da Rocha Cecilia , El Ghoz Hana B.C. , Jr Guadanhim Sidnei
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the fundamental underpinnings of product modularity and how these can be adapted to construction and its specificities (e.g. one-off products delivered by temporary supply chains) to create a model to design modular buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopts a design science research approach. Explanation I (substantive theory devising based on the analysis of an artefact ‒ a low-income housing project) is used, followed by Solution Incubation (a model to implement product modularity in buildings design).

Findings

The model allows product modularity to be implemented at distinct levels (i.e. building, systems and components) at a single stage (building design), different from manufacturing where each level is considered at a distinct stage. This is in line with the project investigated: modularity was considered for house layouts, roof types and gable formats.

Practical implications

The model provides a hands-on tool for practitioners to design modular buildings. The low-income project is also extensively detailed: three-dimensional models, floor plans and conceptual diagrams (outlining how fundamental underpinnings were applied at each level) are presented. There is a lack of comprehensive accounts such as the one presented here to demonstrate the application of product modularity in real-world projects.

Originality/value

This paper identifies and adapts the fundamental underpinnings of product modularity to construction, and it details how these were applied to a low-income housing design at distinct levels. Based on these two endeavours, a model to implement product modularity in buildings design is proposed.
Seeking reward or avoiding risk from restaurant reviews: does distance matter?
Authors: Kim Esther L. , Tanford Sarah
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the extent to which consumers will exert more effort to avoid risk (negative reviews) versus seek reward (positive reviews) when making a restaurant decision.

Design/methodology/approach

This study investigates the influence of distance and review valence on restaurant decisions. A 2 (base restaurant review valence: negative, neutral) × 2 (target restaurant review valence: neutral, positive) × 2 (distance: 30 min, 60 min) between-subjects factorial design was used.

Findings

People exert more effort to seek a reward versus avoid a risk. People will drive any distance to dine at a restaurant with positive reviews. However, the tendency to avoid a restaurant with negative reviews declines as distance increases.

Practical implications

This study emphasizes the critical role of positive reviews in the restaurant industry. This research provides guidance to operators to manage online reviews effectively. The marketing strategy taking into account review valence and distance allows the business to attract new customers and grow its customer base.

Originality/value

This research synthesizes asymmetry effects and prospect theory with the level of risk associated with the outcome. This research is theoretically noteworthy since the finding of a reverse asymmetry principle is in contrast with the traditional belief of risk-avoidance when comparing gains and losses.
A quantitative optimization framework for market-driven academic program portfolios
Authors: Burgher Joshua , Hamers Herbert
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a decision support model for optimizing the composition of portfolios of market-driven academic programs, primarily in schools offering market-driven academic programs. This model seeks to maximize financial performance during a desired planning time period while also achieving targets for other non-financial dimensions of the portfolio (e.g. mission alignment, student demographics and faculty characteristics) by deciding the types of programs to be added, redesigned and/or removed for each year of the planning period.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper introduces an integer linear program (i.e. mathematical optimization) to describe the portfolio optimization problem. Integer linear programs are widely used for optimizing portfolios of financial and non-financial products and services in non-educational settings. Additionally, in order to use an integer linear program for the model, qualitative data must be incorporated into the quantitative model. To do so, this paper first discusses two methods of quantifying qualitative information related to market-driven program dimensions in the following section.

Findings

The paper provides empirical insights related to the impact of this model through an illustrative case from a school offering market-driven academic programs at a prestigious private university in the USA. The results of the case highlight the potential positive impact of utilizing a similar model for planning purposes. Financially, the model results in almost double financial surplus than without the model while also achieving higher scores for all non-financial dimensions measured for the portfolio analyzed.

Originality/value

This paper provides a unique and impactful model for decision support in strategic planning for market-driven academic programs, an area of intense discussion and focus in higher education today.
Adoption of practices for organizational effectiveness in healthcare supply chains
Authors: Hussain Matloub , Al Hammadi Fatima , Adebanjo Dotun
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the adoption of practices and investigating of commonalities/intensities between the factors for measuring organizational effectiveness (OE) across healthcare supply chains in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Design/methodology/approach

System theory coupled with the Supplier-Input-Process-Output-Customer tool was applied to facilitate the linkage between different nodes of the healthcare chain. An exploratory approach was used to explore and measure the importance of various OE factors across various nodes of the healthcare supply chain. Data were collected using a two-stage questionnaire process addressed at personnel in the UAE’s healthcare sector.

Findings

The study identified that 62 OE factors in the health are supply chain. Of these, 15 are related to suppliers, 14 to the healthcare process, 12 to employees, 8 to patients and the community, 6 to government directives and 7 to branding. In total, 21 common factors were identified and clustered into groups based on commonalities and intensities.

Research limitations/implications

The study identifies the most important factors for healthcare organizations to achieve OE for different dimensions of operations or performance. These factors will provide valuable insights for decision makers in the sector; it will provide valuable insights to healthcare professionals and academia to investigate more on these factors.

Originality/value

While there is an increasing research interest in healthcare supply chains, this is the first study to investigate OE across the entire chain while also evaluating the importance of and commonalities in OE-enabling factors.
Who suffers from food insecurity in Indonesia?
Authors: Amrullah Eka Rastiyanto , Ishida Akira , Pullaila Ani , Rusyiana Aris
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the socioeconomic determinants of household food insecurity in Indonesia using individual household data obtained from the 2015 nationwide household socioeconomic and expenditure survey calledSurvei Sosial Ekonomi Nasional.

Design/methodology/approach

A stereotype logistic regression model is applied to detect factors determining household food security.

Findings

The results from the cross-analysis between calorie consumption and share of food expenditure to total household expenditure (Engel coefficient) indicate that 20.8 percent of households were in the “food insecure” category, 21.5 percent in the “lack of food” category, 26.6 percent in the “vulnerable” category and the remaining 31.2 percent in the “food secure” category.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation relates to the data set because the collection was conducted in March 2015. Furthermore, the analysis is restricted because of the limited availability of information on socioeconomic factors of respondents. Further research based on the latest data set with more detailed information on respondents is necessary to deepen the discussion.

Originality/value

Researchers have not specifically discussed the factors determining household food security in Indonesia using reliable nationwide household survey data. The estimation results clearly indicate that a household fulfilling one or more of the following conditions is more likely to be in the “food insecure” category: many members, low education level of household head, divorced household head, household head is a smoker, household head engages in agriculture or construction work and residence is in rural or backward regions.
NAO robot obstacle avoidance based on fuzzy Q-learning
Authors: Wen Shuhuan , Hu Xueheng , Li Zhen , Lam Hak Keung , Sun Fuchun , Fang Bin
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This paper aims to propose a novel active SLAM framework to realize avoid obstacles and finish the autonomous navigation in indoor environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The improved fuzzy optimized Q-Learning (FOQL) algorithm is used to solve the avoidance obstacles problem of the robot in the environment. To reduce the motion deviation of the robot, fractional controller is designed. The localization of the robot is based on FastSLAM algorithm.

Findings

Simulation results of avoiding obstacles using traditional Q-learning algorithm, optimized Q-learning algorithm and FOQL algorithm are compared. The simulation results show that the improved FOQL algorithm has a faster learning speed than other two algorithms. To verify the simulation result, the FOQL algorithm is implemented on a NAO robot and the experimental results demonstrate that the improved fuzzy optimized Q-Learning obstacle avoidance algorithm is feasible and effective.

Originality/value

The improved fuzzy optimized Q-Learning (FOQL) algorithm is used to solve the avoidance obstacles problem of the robot in the environment. To reduce the motion deviation of the robot, fractional controller is designed. To verify the simulation result, the FOQL algorithm is implemented on a NAO robot and the experimental results demonstrate that the improved fuzzy optimized Q-Learning obstacle avoidance algorithm is feasible and effective.
Antecedents and consequences of social media marketing use: an empirical study of the UK exporting B2B SMEs
Authors: Eid Riyad , Abdelmoety Ziad , Agag Gomaa
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The social media have enabled companies to reach out to global markets and provided them with the opportunity to customize their strategies and offerings in an unprecedented way. Given the scant empirical evaluation of social media use in the small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) business-to-business (B-to-B) context, this paper aims to offer a comprehensive description of the antecedents and consequences of social media use in international B-to-B SMEs and the way in which this use affects their export performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a sample of 277 British B-to-B SMEs and uses positivist research with a quantitative approach, adopting a survey strategy through questionnaires and structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results reveal that the use of social media influences export performance through the quality of international business contacts – understanding customers’ views and preferences, brand awareness and knowledge of the competition in various international markets. This study contributes to the emerging literature on B-to-B SMEs digital marketing by determining the mechanism through which B-to-B SMEs may benefit from using the social media in their efforts to export.

Originality/value

Despite the promising potential of the social media, especially for export-oriented companies, very limited attention has hitherto been paid to the relationship between the use of social media and export performance. This study attempts to fill the gap by investigating the extent to which actual use of social media impacts on the performance of exporting firms.
Implementation of the AAOIFI index on CSR disclosure in Indonesian Islamic banks
Authors: Nugraheni Peni , Khasanah Erlinda Nur
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to discuss the extent to which Indonesian Islamic banks (IBs) disclose corporate social responsibility (CSR) according to the Accounting and Auditing Organization for Islamic Financial Institutions (AAOIFI) index. It also empirically examines the determinants of CSR disclosure in Indonesian IBs, based on disclosure from AAOIFI index, which is based on Islamic principles.

Design/methodology/approach

The determinant used in this paper is the corporate governance (CG) mechanism, which focuses on the board of commissioners (BOC) and Sharia Supervisory Board (SSB) and their characteristics. The paper uses multiple regression analysis to examine the influence of these variables on CSR.

Findings

The results indicate that the level of CSR disclosure of IBs measured by the AAOIFI index continues to be low. The statistical results reveal that CSR disclosure has an insignificant relationship with BOC size and SSB qualifications, while the other results show a negative association between the composition of independent BOCs and CSR disclosure, and the frequency of BOC and SSB meeting has a positive effect on this.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses on Indonesian IBs. The variables of the CG mechanism are limited to the BOC and SSB, while the BOC exists only in countries that adopt two-tier boards.

Practical implications

IBs should provide a wider range of information to be disclosed. The government should establish specific items that need to be disclosed by IBs, considering there are no specific CSR disclosure regulations for IBs in Indonesia.

Originality/value

This study uses the AAOIFI index, which may be a suitable measure of CSR in IBs. The study also analyzes why certain items in the index have a high disclosure level and others do not.
The impact of related party transactions on firm value
Authors: Diab Ahmed A. , Aboud Ahmed , Hamdy Arafat
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to address the impact of the related party transactions (RPTs) on firm value. The authors bring evidence from a usually ignored empirical setting: an African emerging market.

Design/methodology/approach

In particular, the authors focus on companies listed on the Egyptian stock market using a sample of EGX 30 from 2012 to 2017.

Findings

Unlike the literature, the authors find no significant relationship between RPTs and market value.

Practical implications

This research provides insights for policymakers and other interested parties concerning the perception of RPTs in Egypt.

Originality/value

The reported different findings of this study assure the intermediary role of the context and the local culture in the relationship between RPTs and firm value, in contrast to the negative view that is mostly reported in the literature.
Mediating effect of employee’s commitment on workplace spirituality and executive’ssales performance
Authors: Rahman Muhammad Sabbir , Zaman Mahmud Habib , Hossain Md Afnan , Mannan Mahafuz , Hassan Hasliza
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This study aims to develop a comprehensive framework that conceptualizes and measures the antecedents of the sales executive’s performance with regard to workplace spirituality and employee’s commitment.

Design/methodology/approach

This research applied a cross-sectional survey design to test the proposed hypotheses. Data were collected from 160 sales executives who are studying MBA and EMBA respectively and are working in various services and manufacturing organizations from Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Findings

The results suggest, when sales executives experience workplace spirituality; they feel more committed to their respective organizations and influences activities relating to sales performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study collected data for the constructs from the same source, simultaneously. This can produce the risk of common method variance, leading to an inflation of statistical relationships. A longitudinal research design may also be suitable.

Practical implications

By improving spirituality climates in the workplace, managers can enhance employee’s commitment, and thus, individual sales officers may boost up their sales performance. It is likely that occurs because sales executives react reciprocally toward their respective company that satisfies their spiritual needs.

Originality/value

The paper contributes by filling the gaps in literature related to sales management, where empirical studies on workplace spirituality have been scarce till date. This study is the first of a kind to include workplace spirituality, commitment and executive’s sales performance simultaneously in the context of Bangladesh.
An investigation into the use of land-based financing to fund infrastructure in South Africa
Authors: McGaffin Robert , Viruly Francois , Boyle Luke
Published: October 2019

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand how the nature of infrastructure as a public good has traditionally lent itself to state provision and to review how land-based financing (LBF) can be used to overcome the public infrastructure funding constraints in South Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is largely based on a review and analysis of the academic literature, government reports and reports from research institutions such as the World Bank, Department for International Development, Urban Land Institute and the Lincoln Institute.

Findings

The paper finds that although a number of LBF instruments are being used in South Africa, the majority of them are not suited to addressing the current infrastructure funding constraint. However, the paper finds that some LBF mechanisms, such as tax-increment financing (TIF), that are currently not used could play a role provided that certain preconditions are met.

Research limitations/implications

LBF has only partially been implemented in South Africa, thus the paper is limited to exploring the issues, challenges and necessary policy and regulatory changes needed to support LBF.

Practical implications

The review of LBF mechanisms currently being used in South Africa highlights many of their practical limitations. Furthermore, concrete proposals and legislative amendments are proposed in the paper regarding the implementation of additional funding instruments such as TIF.

Social implications

Infrastructure is regarded as a key precondition for socio-economic development. LBF offers a viable and important alternative for fiscally constraint governments in emerging economies to fund infrastructure provision.

Originality/value

The main contribution of the paper is its focus on the use of LBF in the under-researched Sub-Saharan African context.
Innovative ecological method for producing easy care characteristics and antibacterial activity onto viscose fabric using glutaraldehyde and chitosan nanoparticles
Authors: Mostafa Khaled , El-Sanabary Azza
Published: October 2019

Purpose

This study aims to explore the incorporation of the authors previously prepared chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) of size around 60-100 nm in the cross-linking formulation of viscose fabrics to see CNPs impact in terms of imparting multi-functional characteristics such as tensile strength, dry wrinkle recovery angles and antibacterial properties.

Design/methodology/approach

CNPs of size around 60-100 nm were incorporated in cross-linking formulations for viscose fabrics, including different concentrations of glutaraldehyde as a non-formaldehyde cross-linking agent and magnesium chloride hexahydrate as a catalyst. The formulations were applied at different curing times and temperatures in 100 mL distilled water, giving rise to a wet pickup of ca. 85 per cent. The fabrics were dried for 3 min at 85°C and cured at specified temperatures for fixed time intervals in thermo fixing oven according to the traditional pad-dry-cure method.

Findings

The above eco-friendly method for finished viscose fabrics was found to obtain high dry wrinkle recovery angle and maintain the tensile strength of the finished fabric within the acceptable range, as well as antibacterial properties againstEscherichia coliandStaphylococcus aureusas a gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria, respectively. Both, scanning electron microscope and nitrogen percent on the finished fabric confirm the penetration of CNPs inside the fabric structure. Finally, viscose fabrics pageant antibacterial activity against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria assessed even after 20 washing cycle.

Research limitations/implications

CNPs with its flourishing effect with respect to cationic nature, biodegradability, reactivity, higher surface area and antimicrobial activity; in addition to glutaraldehyde as non-formaldehyde finishing agent can be used as multi-functional agents for viscose fabrics instead of DMDHEU, polyacrylate and monomeric composites as hazardous materials.

Practical implications

CNPs as cationic biopolymers were expected to impart multi-functional properties to viscose fabrics especially with obtaining reasonable dry wrinkle recovery angle and tensile strength in addition to antibacterial properties.

Originality/value

The novelty addressed here is undertaken with a view to impart easy care characteristics and antibacterial activities onto viscose fabrics using CNPs as antimicrobial agent and glutaraldehyde as non-formaldehyde durable press finishes to-replace the traditional formaldehyde-based resins. Besides, to the authors’ knowledge, there is no published work so far using the above cross-linking formulation written above.
Optimization and assessment on indirect electrochemical reduction of indigo
Authors: Wang Kangkang , Wang MengQian , Lv Weiwei , Yao Jiming , Zhang Wei , Li Xiaoyan
Published: October 2019

Purpose

An indirect electrochemical reduction and dyeing with indigo were carried out here to solve problems of low dye reduction rate and poor dyeing depth in the current electrochemical dyeing process.

Design/methodology/approach

Response surface analysis tests were performed to evaluate the effects of ferrous sulfate concentration, medium concentration, sodium hydroxide concentration and reduction time on the reduction efficiency of indirect electrochemical reduction of indigo.

Findings

The conditions obtained by design-expert optimization showed that the concentration of FeSO4·7H2O has the most significant effect on the reduction performance of dye liquor. Under the optimized electrochemical reduction dyeing process, the rate of dye reduction could be reached 91.21 per cent and the K/S value of indirect electrochemical dyeing of indigo can be achieved to 12.96, which is increased by about 9.56 per cent compared with that of Na2S2O4 dyeing with the same color fastness basically.

Research limitations/implications

The recyclability and biodegradability of the dye remain to be explored.

Practical implications

The strategy presented here can be developed to replace a substantial part of electrochemical dyeing with optimized product quality and reduced environmental pollution in denim production.

Social implications

The strategy presented here can be developed to replace a substantial part of electrochemical dyeing with optimized product quality and reduced environmental pollution in denim production.

Originality/value

Application of the Fe(II)-DGS-Abal B complex media system in the indirect electrochemical reduction of indigo.
Attenuation of marine seismic interference noise employing a customized U‐Net
Authors: Sun Jing , Slang Sigmund , Elboth Thomas , Larsen Greiner Thomas , McDonald Steven , Gelius Leiv‐J.
Published: October 2019

Marine seismic interference noise occurs when energy from nearby marine seismic source vessels is recorded during a seismic survey. Such noise tends to be well preserved over large distances and causes coherent artefacts in the recorded data. Over the years, the industry has developed various denoising techniques for seismic interference removal, but although well performing, they are still time‐consuming in use. Machine‐learning‐based processing represents an alternative approach, which may significantly improve the computational efficiency. In the case of conventional images, autoencoders are frequently employed for denoising purposes. However, due to the special characteristics of seismic data as well as the noise, autoencoders failed in the case of marine seismic interference noise. We, therefore, propose the use of a customized U‐Net design with element‐wise summation as part of the skip‐connection blocks to handle the vanishing gradient problem and to ensure information fusion between high‐ and low‐level features. To secure a realistic study, only seismic field data were employed, including 25,000 training examples. The customized U‐Net was found to perform well, leaving only minor residuals, except for the case when seismic interference noise comes from the side. We further demonstrate that such noise can be treated by slightly increasing the depth of our network. Although our customized U‐Net does not outperform a standard commercial algorithm in quality, it can (after proper training) read and process one single shot gather in approximately 0.02 s. This is significantly faster than any existing industry denoising algorithm. In addition, the proposed network processes shot gathers in a sequential order, which is an advantage compared with industry algorithms that typically require a multi‐shot input to break the coherency of the noise.
Anthropogenic land‐use change intensifies the effect of low flows on stream fishes
Authors: Walker Richard H. , Girard Carlin E. , Alford Samantha L. , Walters Annika W.
Published: October 2019

As ecosystems experience simultaneous disturbances, it is critical to understand how multiple stressors interact to affect ecological change. Land‐use change and extreme flow events are two important stressors that could interact to affect fish populations.

We evaluated the individual and interactive effects of discharge and land‐use change associated with oil and natural gas development on populations of two stream fishes over a 7‐year period. We used repeated‐state (i.e. abundance trends) and rate (i.e. colonization and persistence) responses to advance our understanding of flow‐ecology relationships in a multiple‐stressor framework.

Overall, fish abundance, colonization and persistence declined as discharge decreased. The effect of land‐use change associated with oil and natural gas development differed between species, with the abundance of Mottled Sculpin declining and Mountain Sucker increasing as land‐use change increased. We found both synergistic and antagonistic interactions between discharge and land‐use change. Land‐use change intensified the effect of low flows for Mottled Sculpin and lead to greater variability in responses to flow for Mountain Sucker. These differences between species' responses are likely due to differences in their physiological tolerances and behavioural adaptations to disturbance.

Synthesis and applications. Our research provides empirical evidence for the complex interactions that can arise between discharge and anthropogenic land‐use change. Management efforts to reduce inputs of sediments and chemical contaminants associated with land‐use change (e.g. silt fences, vegetative buffers) and promote quality refuge habitats (i.e. in‐stream habitat restoration) could help mitigate the negative effects of low‐flow extremes on stream fishes. Further development of flow‐ecology relationships in a multiple‐stressor framework will help guide management of stream fishes, and provide a better understanding of the mechanisms underlying responses of different species.
Identification of flavonoids as regulators of YbeY activity in Liberibacter asiaticus
Authors: Zuo Ran , de Oliveira Aline , Bullita Enrica , Torino Maria Ines , Padgett‐Pagliai Kaylie A. , Gardner Christopher L. , Harrison Natalie A. , da Silva Danilo , Merli Marcelo L. , Gonzalez Claudio F. , Lorca Graciela L.
Published: October 2019

Liberibacter asiaticus is the prevalent causative pathogen of Huanglongbing or citrus greening disease, which has resulted in a devastating crisis in the citrus industry. A thorough understanding of this pathogen's physiology and mechanisms to control cell survival is critical in the identification of therapeutic targets. YbeY is a highly conserved bacterial RNase that has been implicated in multiple roles. In this study, we evaluated the biochemical characteristics of the L. asiaticus YbeY (CLIBASIA_01560) and assessed its potential as a target for antimicrobials. YbeYLas was characterized as an endoribonuclease with activity on 3′ and 5′ termini of 16S and 23S rRNAs, and the capacity to suppress the E. coli ΔybeY phenotype. We predicted the YbeYLas protein:ligand interface and subsequently identified a flavone compound, luteolin, as a selective inhibitor. Site‐directed mutagenesis was subsequently used to identify key residues involved in the catalytic activity of YbeYLas. Further evaluation of naturally occurring flavonoids in citrus trees indicated that both flavones and flavonols had potent inhibitory effects on YbeYLas. Luteolin was subsequently examined for efficacy against L. asiaticus in Huanglongbing‐infected citrus trees, where a significant reduction in L. asiaticus gene expression was observed.
Cost of ruling as a game of tones: The accumulation of bad news and incumbents’ vote loss
Authors: THESEN GUNNAR , MORTENSEN PETER B. , GREEN‐PEDERSEN CHRISTOFFER
Published: October 2019

An extensive body of research documents how governing parties generally suffer electoral defeats. Varying explanations have been offered, most of which touch upon the liabilities of policy responsibility. Although media coverage is generally acknowledged as one of these liabilities, few empirical studies have examined how news content affect government support. Based on the fact that voters get their information about politics, policies and societal issues from the media, this article studies how the constant stream of negative news influences incumbent support over a 20‐year period in Denmark. Modeling a previously untested argument on the cost of ruling, it shows that the accumulation of bad news throughout tenure exerts a substantial effect on government support.