bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agripreneurship development: a strategy for revamping Nigeria’s economy from recession
Authors: Otache Innocent
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore agripreneurship development as a strategy for economic growth and development.

Design/methodology/approach

Though a few related literature were reviewed, this paper relies heavily on the author’s viewpoint regarding how Nigeria can grow and develop its economy through agripreneurship development.

Findings

The present economic challenges that Nigeria is facing are blamed on overdependence on the oil sector, bad governance, corruption, leadership failure, policy inconsistency, overdependence on imported goods and ostensible neglect of the agricultural sector. Also, policymakers, economic analysts and the government have advocated strongly for diversification of the economy. Besides, there is a consensus among scholars, economic analysts and policymakers that “agriculture is the answer.”

Research limitations/implications

This paper addresses specifically one sector of the economy – the agricultural sector. On the other hand, economic crisis needs to be addressed holistically by resolving specific issues that confront different sectors of the economy.

Practical implications

This paper has some insightful policy and practical implications for the Nigerian Government and Nigerians. The government and Nigerians need to take practical steps to grow and develop the economy. On the part of the government, apart from the need to transform the agricultural sector by allocating enough funds to it, the government should establish well-equipped agripreneurship development centers and organize periodically agripreneurship development programmes for the main purpose of training and developing both current and potential agripreneurs who will be able to apply today’s agricultural techniques and practices which involve a great deal of creativity and innovation for a successful agribusiness. The federal government should integrate agripreneurship education into Nigeria’s education system. Similarly, the Nigerian people, particularly the youths or graduates should be encouraged to choose agribusiness as a career.

Originality/value

While previous papers have offered different solutions to the current economic crisis that Nigeria is experiencing, ranging from economic to structural reforms, this paper differs significantly from others by recommending specifically agripreneurship development as a strategy for revamping Nigeria’s economy from its current recession. Moreover, there is a dearth of literature on agripreneurship and agripreneurship development. This paper therefore fills the literature gap.
Brand choice and brand switching: a case study of relocated consumers
Authors: Govender Krishna Kisten
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact on consumer behaviour/brand choice resulting in the relocation of communities from informal to formal settlements.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey conducted among a probability sample of 384 consumers comprising different “socio-income” groups, who were relocated from informal settlements as well as others who relocated voluntarily to Cosmo City, a state designed residential development, to explore their brand choice behaviour.

Findings

It was ascertained that households switch brands if the degree of social change is greater than the perceived strength of the current brand, and an improvement in the space or house size which impacted their lifestyle. There is also a significant relationship between the product format and brand switching; between brand choice and change in the place and type of residence.

Research limitations/implications

It is evident that residential location, changes in social positions, inclusive of place of residence, lifestyle changes, and functional benefits, are essential factors for consideration in the development of a coherent brand strategy that seeks to adequately address the toilet-care product brand needs of consumers in the new democratic South Africa.

Practical implications

Marketers have to move beyond simple demographics and use multifaceted approaches to understanding brand switching behaviour, because consumers adapt quickly to changes in the market. Marketers also need to be cognisant of the rapid changes in consumers’ perception of their lifestyle change, and how they (consumers) relate to these changes.

Social implications

The relocation was viewed as a “social disruption” which in this study was the “relocation” which changed the place of and type of dwelling/home ownership type. Marketers also need to be cognisant of the rapid changes in consumers’ perception of their lifestyle change, and how they (consumers) relate to these changes.

Originality/value

The concept of social disruption in the form or relocated customers has not been studied in South Africa, especially with respect to the impact on brand choice of toilet cleaning products.
Preparing sports graduates for employment: satisfying employers expectations
Authors: Dinning Track
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore from an employer’s perspective the skills, attributes and capabilities required of a sports graduate, whilst also discovering how a student is expected to demonstrate these skills in the context of a sports organisation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a qualitative interpretive case study approach through the use of face-to-face interviews with six employers from sports organisations involved in the delivery of sport. Interviews lasted between 30 and 42 minutes and were recorded. This was followed by a thematic review to allow for common themes to be selected and represented. The results were then reviewed and evaluated by a further 15 industry professionals and sports educators.

Findings

The results suggest employers seek skills that are characteristically enterprise/entrepreneurship skills, together with an articulation of a “sports graduate” mindset. This mindset is described by the employers as being something which is demonstrated through a combination of behaviours and attributes. The paper concluded that in the classroom, the use of case studies and challenges, where students have to respond to and solve problems by the very nature of the activity, is optimal.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies in both the context of study and the integration of enterprise and entrepreneurship skills that are needed for the changing world of work in sport. The value of the papers is in both the employer’s description of the graduate mindset and also examples of how the skills can be applied in the context of sport.
An integrated structural model of gastronomy tourists’ behaviour
Authors: Leong Quee-Ling , Ab Karim Shahrim , Awang Khairil Wahidin , Abu Bakar Ainul Zakiah
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide an integrated model to explain the simultaneous impact of gastronomy and destination attractiveness on tourist behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in Melaka and Penang, Malaysia, targeting international tourists. Structural equation modelling analysis was used to examine and explain the relationships hypothesized in the proposed model.

Findings

The fit indices indicated the model structure was satisfactory. Examination of the specific paths in the model indicated that gastronomy attractiveness was positively associated with destination attractiveness and tourist behaviour. Meanwhile, the effect of tourists’ variegated gastronomy affection on the perceived attractiveness of a destination and the area’s gastronomy produced mixed results.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributed to the theoretical understanding of two important theories which are recreation specialization and attitude in the context of gastronomy tourism. The linkages in the model were empirically supported by statistical analyses.

Practical implications

The varying degrees of gastronomy affection amongst tourists can be used as an input to examine tourist behaviour within the gastronomy tourism context while simultaneously highlighting the importance of gastronomy to tourist destinations.

Social implications

The findings of this study are also deemed to assist destination marketers who observe that tourists have become more demanding in search of unique experiences offered by destinations. Based on the hypothesized model, tourists’ past gastronomy experience was a superior predictor than gastronomy involvement and knowledge on perceived gastronomy attractiveness which sequentially elevate tourist’s perceived destination attractiveness.

Originality/value

The study provided an integrated model for predicting tourist behaviour using tourists’ gastronomy affection.
Flood caused by driftwood accumulation at a bridge
Authors: Kimura Nobuaki , Tai Akira , Hashimoto Akihiro
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Extreme weather events introduced by climate change have been frequent across the world for the past decade. For example, Takeda City, a mountainous area in the south-western Japan, experienced a severe river flood event caused by the factors of high flow, presence of bridges and driftwood accumulation in July 2012. This study aims to focus on this event (hereafter, Takeda flood) because the unique factors of driftwood and bridges were involved. In the Takeda flood, high flow, driftwood and bridge were the potential key factors that caused the flood. The authors studied to reveal the physical processes of the Takeda flood.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a fundamental laboratory experiment with a miniature bridge, open channel flow and idealized driftwood accumulation. They also performed a numerical simulation by using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method, which can treat fluid as particle elements. This model was chosen because the SPH method is capable of treating a complex flow such as a spray of water around a bridge.

Findings

The numerical simulation successfully reproduced the bridge- and driftwood-induced floods of the laboratory experiment. Then, the contribution of the studied key factors to the flood mechanism based on the fluid forces generated by high flow, bridge and driftwood (i.e. pressure distributions) was quantitatively assessed. The results showed that the driftwood accumulation and high flow conditions are potentially important factors that can cause a severe flood like the Takeda flood.

Originality/value

Simulated results with high flow conditions may be helpful to consider the countermeasure for future floods under climate change even though the test was simple and fundamental.
A regional collaborative working to improve health care quality, outcomes, and affordability
Authors: Weir Virginia
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Bree Collaborative’s background, history, structure, and work.

Design/methodology/approach

The Bree Collaborative was established by the Washington State Legislature to convene public and private health care stakeholders with the goal of identifying specific mechanisms to improve health care quality, outcomes, and affordability. These members are appointed by the Washington State Governor and represent public health care purchasers for Washington State, private health care purchasers (employers and union trusts), health plans, physicians and other health care providers, hospitals, and quality improvement organizations. Members annually select health care services that show high variation in care delivery, that are highly utilized without leading to better care or patient health, or that have known or suspected patient safety issues and develop recommendations for health care improvement.

Findings

Recommendations are meant to be implemented by the Washington State Health Care Authority and used to set a community standard across the state. Successful implementation depends on several factors including engaged health care purchasers, support from diverse partners, and a health care community willing to put the patient at the center of care.

Originality/value

Bottom-up, collective action through the Bree Collaborative can help achieve the triple aim for Washington State and should be used as a model nationally and internationally.
Can asymmetry impact performance, collaboration and integration? An empirical study
Authors: Michalski Marek , Montes-Botella Jose Luis , Guevara Piedra Washington
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of asymmetric environments on collaboration, integration, and performance during supply chain management processes.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducted in the industrial sector of two markets – Spain and Poland – considering disparate behaviors among organizations and their managers. Using data collected from 133 firms and advanced partial least squares regression modeling, a number of direct and moderating effects are hypothesized and tested.

Findings

The authors found that existing asymmetry may prevent achievement of optimum equilibrium. Seven of the ten research hypotheses were validated, providing strong support for the significant role that asymmetry can play in managing supply chains (SCs). This result suggests that managers need to consider whether maximum collaboration or integration with SC partners is possible under the strong influence of asymmetry. The findings provide rational insights to SC managers regarding adequate measures to reduce imbalanced relationships and establish equilibrium between partners under varying contexts of collaboration and integration.

Research limitations/implications

This study was conducted in only two countries, so generalizations are limited. Furthermore, there are improvements to be made in sample design to allow for further validation and enhancement of the model and method.

Practical implications

Findings provide rational insights to managers regarding when it is adequate to reduce imbalanced relationships with partners under varying contexts of collaboration and integration.

Originality/value

Collaboration and integration have been well studied in many fields but this research suggests that managers in asymmetric environments must understand that development of strategies based on integration might be impossible to realize.
Perceptions of stakeholder pressure for supply-chain social responsibility and information disclosure by state-owned enterprises
Authors: Garde Sánchez Raquel , Rodríguez Bolívar Manuel Pedro , López Hernández Antonio M.
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of perceptions of pressure from stakeholders on the managers of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) regarding the need to implement socially responsible policies in the supply chain and to disclose corporate social responsibility (CSR) information. The authors also analyse the benefits perceived by public managers from applying CSR in the supply chain and from the greater disclosure of CSR information.

Design/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was developed, based on a set of items related to aspects of CSR, and taking into account previous research in this field. The authors also propose a theoretical model with which to analyse relations among the variables studied. This model was verified using structural equation modelling.

Findings

The results obtained are consistent with the proposed model and show that stakeholder pressure has a direct influence on the CSR policies applied by public managers regarding suppliers and information disclosure. The authors also find that public managers believe that applying socially responsible policies in their dealings with suppliers will benefit their business.

Originality/value

Although the question of CSR has been widely debated in the context of private business, very little research has addressed this question in the public sphere, especially in that of SOEs, regarding the practice of socially responsible management with suppliers. Aspects of social responsibility towards suppliers are of considerable importance and some complexity, particularly in public enterprises, which are sometimes the main or only consumer. A better understanding of the connections between these constructs will allow corporate decision makers, particularly those in public companies, to devise appropriate strategies for social responsibility in the supply chain and for the disclosure of CSR information, and thus incorporate stakeholders’ expectations into the design of these strategies.
Fast or free shipping options in online and Omni-channel retail? The mediating role of uncertainty on satisfaction and purchase intentions
Authors: Ma Siqi
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of a dimension of logistics service quality (delivery time) interacting with shipping charges and purchase importance on customer satisfaction and purchase intentions in an e-commerce context. Uncertainty in terms of perceived ambiguity and perceived riskiness is shown to be the theoretical mechanism that plays a mediating role in the relationships between delivery time and customer satisfaction, as well as between delivery time and purchase intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a scenario-based role playing experiment. Three variables are manipulated in the design of the study – delivery time, shipping charges, and purchase importance. Participant responses (n=360) were collected through Amazon Mechanical Turk with perceptual measures.

Findings

Results indicated that increased delivery time significantly increased customers’ perceived ambiguity and perceived riskiness which reduced satisfaction as well as negatively impacted purchase intentions. Further, free shipping reduced customers’ perceived ambiguity when delivery time was lengthy, but strengthened the perception of ambiguity when the delivery time was short.

Originality/value

This paper sheds light on how a dimension of logistics service quality (delivery time) interacts with shipping charges and purchase importance to impact customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. It introduces uncertainty in the form of perceived ambiguity and perceived riskiness, to the logistics service literature as the mechanism that can explain how delivery time interacting with shipping charges and purchase importance impact customer satisfaction and purchase intentions. The implications for online retailers are that they should display separate shipping charges for shorter delivery times but for longer delivery times they should display a total price for the product which includes the shipping cost. Also when the purchase is important to the customer, they should offer shorter shipping time choices if they want to increase customer satisfaction.
Portfolio of port-centric supply chain disruption threats
Authors: Loh Hui Shan , Thai Vinh Van , Wong Yiik Diew , Yuen Kum Fai , Zhou Qingji
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a risk assessment of port-centric threats that may have adverse effects on supply chain continuity from the perspectives of port operators and port users, thereby determining the significance of these threats to supply chain disruptions.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on literature review and reported cases, 19 port-centric disruptive events were identified. Subsequently, surveys were conducted to collect data from 102 port operators and 123 port users worldwide on the frequencies and consequences of the identified port-centric disruptive events. Risk matrices were then generated to compare the perspectives of port operators and port users.

Findings

The results show that threats related to the planning of port resources require the highest level of attention. This highlights important areas for port managers seeking to improve port resilience and supply chain continuity through a more prudent management of risks.

Research limitations/implications

The results help port managers understand where they should establish strategic capability to increase port resilience and enhance sustainability to benefit port users. However, the study could be further enhanced by evaluating the threats based on different regions of ports and port users and making recommendations for port operators to undertake.

Originality/value

The findings of this paper are significant as they provide an analysis of data gathered from international port operators and port users. Risk matrices have been widely applied in many industries, yet no studies have been conducted to develop a portfolio of port-centric risks at a scale as large as this paper.
I know it when I see it: the nature of trust, trustworthiness signals, and strategic trust construction
Authors: Fawcett Stanley E. , Jin Yao Henry , Fawcett Amydee M. , Magnan Gregory
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Trust has long been viewed as a potential governance mechanism. However, recent research discloses substantive incongruities in trust conceptualization and operationalization – especially in the supply chain buyer/supplier context. The purpose of this paper is to develop an empirically grounded conceptualization of trust and to explore the trust-construction process.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used the communications rationality approach to elaborate a three-stage qualitative study of supply chain trust. The authors first monologically examine trust by interviewing managers from over 50 companies (as described). The list of trust behaviors are then dialogically refined through 11 focus studies comprised of over 250 managers into different trust dimensions (as agreed upon). Finally, the authors used two in-depth, dyadic case studies to examine the dynamic trust construction process (as witnessed).

Findings

The authors find divergence in the way academics define trust and the way companies operationalize trust. Missing in action is the notion of benevolence. In the supply chain setting, managers describe trust as consisting of credibility and relationship commitment. Companies use an iterative approach to signal trustworthiness. However, ambiguity increases the costs and decreases the effectiveness of proactive trust construction as a form of supply chain governance.

Originality/value

The authors specify and evaluate novel constructs used to signal trustworthiness and document why and how companies struggle to use the signaling process efficiently and effectively. For some, this is an issue of managerial commitment. For others, this represents a lack of understanding of trustworthiness signals and the trust-construction process. Ultimately, the authors develop a more robust conceptualization of inter-organizational trust and present a roadmap for proactive trust construction.
Determinants of banks liquidity: evidence from OIC countries
Authors: Al-Harbi Ahmad
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to identify the key factors affecting banks’ liquidity in developing/less-developing countries.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the author uses the ordinary least-square fixed effect model on an unbalanced panel data set of all conventional banks (686 banks) operating in the organization of Islamic cooperation countries over the period 1989-2008.

Findings

The estimation results show that all the determinants have statistically significant relationship with liquidity (except for concentration) but with different signs. On the one hand, capital ratio, foreign ownership, credit risk, inflation rate, monetary policy and deposit insurance negatively affected banks’ liquidity, while on the other hand, efficiency, size, off-balance sheet activities, market capitalization and concentration have a positive link with banks’ liquidity.

Originality/value

According to the best of author’s knowledge, this is the first empirical study to investigate the determinants of banks liquidity in developing/less-developing countries using a large sample of banks (686 banks) and for long period (19 years).
FDI outflows, exports and financial development
Authors: Zhao Long , Liu Zuanshi , Wei William , Andreosso-O’Callaghan Bernadette
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue that financial development, measured by private credit in the economy, affects exports in an inverted U-shaped manner. The authors use the new trade theory model and empirical data to analyze whether the financial system is the reason of global imbalance.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper builds a simple production model to connect financial development with a country’s export or outward foreign direct investment (ODI) decision. Using a panel data covering 108 countries for the period 1990-2011, the authors find strong evidence to show that when a country is at a lower financial development level, further advancements of its financial system will boost exports.

Findings

First, an inverted U-shaped relationship between exports, imports and financial development is found in the study of 108 countries over the period 1990-2011; second, ODI provides a substitute effect to exports for financially advanced countries. These findings have provided an alternative explanation to international trade imbalances and contribute constructively to the discussion regarding whether exports and financial development are positively related or not.

Originality/value

As a result, the findings shed some light on the issue of global current account imbalances between developing and developed countries from a new perspective.
Have electronic benefits cards improved food access for food stamp recipients?
Authors: Lovett Nicholas , Xue Yuhan
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card reforms in California’s Food Stamp Program, and its impact on food insecurity.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test the hypothesis that EBT cards reduce food insecurity by reducing the food costs associated with loss and theft of benefits, as well as by decreasing fraudulent sales of benefits. The authors use a natural experiment in the form of the time-varying roll-out of EBT card reforms across California counties in conjunction with the California Health Interview Survey, to conduct an event study.

Findings

The findings suggest no evidence for a decrease in food insecurity. The authors do, however, find evidence of a transitory increase in food insecurity immediately following implementation of EBT reforms. Reforms increase the likelihood of food insecurity by about 3 percent for up to two months. The result is distinguishable from zero, and robust to changes in specification, inclusion of controls, and measurement choices. The authors posit the increase was due to frictions in the transition to EBT card systems.

Originality/value

Although a considerable literature with regard to the FSP exists, very little has been written investigating a specific linkage between EBT cards and food security. The findings are not supportive of policy makers’ hypothesis that a positive externality of EBT benefits delivery is a lasting reduction in food insecurity.
Institutional quality and foreign direct investment inflows: evidence from Asian countries
Authors: Ullah Irfan , Khan Muhammad Arshad
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of foreign direct investment (FDI) by focusing on institutional and economic factors among South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as Central Asian countries over the period 2002-2014.

Design/methodology/approach

The generalized method of moments technique is employed for analyzing the impact of institutional quality on FDI inflow by controlling for the effect of market size, domestic investment and labor force.

Findings

The authors found large variations in terms of the impact of institutional and economic variables in regards to FDI in the SAARC, Central Asian and ASEAN regions. The results reveal that real GDP, domestic investment and economic freedom index have a positive and significant effect on FDI inflows in the SAARC region, while governance index and labor force have a negative impact on FDI inflows. In Central Asia, the real GDP, domestic investment and governance index are positively associated with FDI inflows, whereas the effect of economic freedom index on FDI is negative as well as insignificant. Apart from the GDP, other variables such as labor force, domestic investment, governance and economic freedom indices influence FDI positively in the ASEAN region. It is worth mentioning here that domestic investment produces positive effect on FDI inflows in all the regions. On the whole, the authors may conclude that institutional factors play an important role in attracting FDI inflows in the ASEAN region as compared to Central Asian and SAARC regions.

Originality/value

A limited research work is available that could help in identifying the role of institutional and economic factors simultaneously in attracting FDI in the SAARC, Central Asian and ASEAN regions.
Recovery Colleges – safe, stimulating and empowering
Authors: Windsor Laurie , Roberts Glenn , Dieppe Paul
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Recovery Colleges could deliver many of the defined key outcomes within the Cross Governmental Mental Health Outcomes Framework “no health without mental health” (Department of Health, 2011). The purpose of this paper is to critically appraise the existing evidence of recovery educational programmes in mental health and gain a deeper understanding of the processes and outcomes involved.

Design/methodology/approach

A broad search strategy looking at recovery educational programmes in mental health was used. The data were gathered from two focus groups each containing five people, one with facilitators and one with students. Thematic analysis was used, following the six stages, recursive process recommended by Braun and Clarke (2006).

Findings

The main processes described in recovery programmes were co-production and education. The main outcomes were that recovery programmes led to a reduction in the use of health services, increased opportunities for future employment and a positive impact on staff. The process themes that appeared to emerge were the College ethos and principles, co-production, safety, empowerment and stimulation. The outcome themes that appeared to emerge included increased confidence, motivation and social interaction.

Originality/value

Recovery Colleges appear to benefit both facilitators and students by co-production of a safe, stimulating environment which empowers them: participating in the college benefits facilitators as well as students. This paper is of value to those interested in recovery and education within mental health.
Mental health, family orientation, and individualism: a systematic review and meta-analysis in Iranian students
Authors: Mostafavi Hakimeh , Ziloochi Mohammad Hossein , Delavari Sajad , Rezaei Satar , Homaie Rad Enayatollah
Published: September 2017

Purpose

Mental health is one of the most important factors for evaluating the health of different age groups in the community. The most common forms of mental health disorders are depression and anxiety. Health status of students as an important age group has positive consequences in the community. To provide special recommendations for preventing mental disorders, the purpose of this paper is to determine the correlations among the individualism and family orientation and mental health.

Design/methodology/approach

A meta-analysis was conducted to find scores of mental health. International databases of Scopus and PubMed as well as Iranian databases of IranMedex and SID were systematically searched in September 2014 for studies conducted on Iranian students. Of 379 reviewed studies, 58 were selected for meta-analysis. A meta-regression model was estimated to show the effects of individualism and family orientation on mental health.

Findings

Eight studies were conducted in Tehran. Eight studies were published in English. In nine studies, school students, and in one study both school and university students were surveyed. General Health Questionnaire-28 score varied from 13.77 in Arak to 47.78 in Tehran. The results of this study showed that the pooled mental health score for Iranian students was 23.725, indicating that Iranian students had poor mental health. In meta-regression, the coefficient of family orientation was −0.2893 and it was significant. Other variables did not have any significant relationship with mental health scores.

Originality/value

Improvement of living conditions and enabling the youth to positively communicate with different social groups are recommended.
Jana Rozenhalova in conversation with Jerome Carson
Authors: Rozenhalova Jana , Carson Jerome
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Jana Rozenhalova.

Design/methodology/approach

Jana provides a short summary of her life and is then interviewed by Jerome.

Findings

Jana tells us about her long struggles with eating disorders and provides us with the metaphor that it is like being a broken cup glued back together again. You have to be very careful it does not break again.

Research limitations/implications

Jana’s story is one, yet it offers us unique insights. She comments at one point, “[…] if it was not for the eating disorders […] I would not be me”.

Practical implications

Jana notes that while she could see many reasons behind her eating disorders, they did not really matter. What mattered was that she could overcome them.

Social implications

While Jana first thought hope was an empty word, she now realises in retrospect that she was more hopeful than anyone she knew. As Patricia Deegan (1996) puts it, “Hope is not just a nice sounding euphemism. Hope and biological life are inextricably intertwined” (p. 93).

Originality/value

Jana concludes her account saying she would like to be able to look back at her life and feel that she had lived up to her potential. Most of us would also be happy with that outcome.
m-WOM in a brand’s Facebook fan page
Authors: Sanz-Blas Silvia , Bigné Enrique , Buzova Daniela
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of the following variables: brand fan page dependency; parasocial interaction; attitude towards brand fan pages in enhancing users’ participation in Facebook as a mobile social network (m-WOM).

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical study was carried out by means of online interviews with structured questionnaires. To analyse the data, and estimate the hypothesised relationships in the theoretical model, the partial least squares equation modelling was used.

Findings

The results of the study indicate that accessing brands’ mobile Facebook fan pages can satisfy the needs of understanding, orientation and play. These needs, in turn, influence users’ attitude, as well as their active and passive participation. Besides, users’ active participation in brands’ fan pages is enhanced by the direct and positive influence of attitude and passive participation.

Practical implications

This research enables brands to know which aspects to highlight in their communication strategies in order to increase the user’s active participation and generate m-WOM. Brands need to post information which is not only relevant, but also entertaining and visually attractive. Furthermore, they should foster the user-brand interaction to achieve users’ engagement with the brand.

Originality/value

The contribution of the present research is threefold. First, it offers a new perspective in explaining eWOM participation in mobile settings based on social networks. Second, it is argued that dependency is a key driver in explaining m-WOM. Lastly, integrating parasocial integration in the authors’ model highlights the communication nature of the word-of-mouth process.
Engaging with a healthy tourism “offer”: strategies to improve place perceptions
Authors: Wall Stacy , Hemingway Ann , Curtin Susanna
Published: September 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how engagement with a healthy tourism “offer” could improve place perceptions through the development of collaborative strategies to promote a well-being destination.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper takes a constructivist grounded theory approach drawing on semi-structured interviews conducted with local members of the council from public health and tourism teams, in a seaside town in the South of England.

Findings

Study findings indicate that the historical roots of the town’s creation have a bearing on the current planning challenges and strategies. Findings confirm that collaborative strategies to engage with a healthy tourism “offer” will improve place perceptions and promote a well-being destination.

Research limitations/implications

This paper concludes that strategies to engage with a healthy tourism offer include interventions to curb alcohol consumption, regenerate areas and promote eudaemonic well-being – which could ultimately improve place perceptions.

Originality/value

This paper proposes that the development of strategic alliances bridged through the construct of well-being could improve place perceptions and promote a well-being destination.
The Bilateral J‐Curve in Australia: A Nonlinear Reappraisal
Authors: Bahmani‐Oskooee Mohsen , Shafiullah Muhammad , Islam Faridul
Published: September 2017

Since the introduction of error‐correction and cointegration techniques, the J‐curve effect implies an initial short‐run deterioration of the trade balance, followed by improvement later due to currency devaluation. In a previous study of Australia’s bilateral trade, with each of her 23 partners, using the linear Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) approach we found the J‐curve effect in the model with the United Kingdom only. However, after incorporating the ARDL model that allows for nonlinear adjustment of exchange rate changes, we found the effect on four more partners – all asymmetrically. Furthermore, we document short‐run asymmetry in exchange rate changes in almost all models; short‐run adjustment asymmetry, and impact‐asymmetry in almost half of the models.
The Relationship between Animal Welfare and Economic Performance at Farm Level: A Quantitative Study of Danish Pig Producers
Authors: Henningsen Arne , Czekaj Tomasz Gerard , Forkman Björn , Lund Mogens , Nielsen Aske Schou
Published: September 2017

We propose a theoretical framework for the relationship between animal welfare and the economic performance of livestock farms. We empirically analyse this relationship based on a unique dataset of randomly sampled Danish pig herds that includes information from unannounced inspections of the compliance with the animal welfare legislation. We find large variations in economic performance and animal welfare. The relationship between these two indicators is rather weak, but tends to be slightly positive. A possible explanation for our results is that management has a major influence on both economic performance and animal welfare so that good farm managers are able to meet all animal welfare regulations, while achieving a high economic performance.
A Celtic Knot
Authors: Carter Diane Hirabayashi
Published: September 2017

Throughout her life Diane Hirabayashi Carter has seen a flow, or interconnection, that has led to self‐awareness. It is the awareness of the intertwining of families and life experience that can offer peace of mind and purpose.
Going from the ME to the WE: A Long Journey to Where You Are
Authors: Blumenkrantz David G.
Published: September 2017

What if individual psychology took another path than the one guided by the idea of the “Sturm und Drang” of adolescence? What if this path less‐traveled led to community‐oriented rites of passage that satisfied youth's deep craving for the ancestral wisdom of the Universe … and simultaneously affirmed that parents, too, would continue to grow and contribute as they transited mid‐life? This article brings the reader down the path less‐traveled to explore navigational aids for future travelers and provides an example of the explosion of community engagement and creativity that can occur when the transitions of adolescence and mid‐life, traditionally viewed as crises, become opportunities and assets for fostering individual health and community resiliency, adaptation, and well‐being through community‐oriented rites of passage.
Spirit Poem
Authors: Tarabilda Michael
Published: September 2017

Wine is realized as both sacred and profane in spiritual awareness, especially in its ability to intoxicate in both dimensions. In prayer, the profane is always reaching out to the sacred. Knowing the profane, sometimes to our discouragement, we yearn for the sacred, even to accepting the slight coloring (“bruise”) on the tongue that splits the grape without crushing it, allowing the taste a freshness allied with prayer's ability to reintoxicate the soul, after life has come to feel stale and habitual in its pursuits.
Ubuntu and Defining Community in America: A 21st Century Viewpoint
Authors: Miles Sr James L.
Published: September 2017

The Southern African concept of Ubuntu offers a promising framework for envisioning and promoting a level of interdependence and resilience that can help Americans overcome the divisive and hostile nature of public interactions in communities across the country.
Surgery for constipation: systematic review and practice recommendations
Authors: Knowles C. H. , Grossi U. , Chapman M. , Mason J. ,   the NIHR CapaCiTY working group,   Pelvic floor Society
Published: September 2017

Aim

To assess the outcomes of colectomy in adults with chronic constipation (CC).

Method

Standardised methods and reporting of benefits and harms were used for all CapaCiTY reviews that closely adhered to PRISMA 2016 guidance. Main conclusions were presented as summary evidence statements (SES) with a summative Oxford Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine (2009) level.

Results

Forty articles were identified, providing data on outcomes in 2045 patients. Evidence was derived almost exclusively from observational studies, the majority of which concerned colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis (CIRA) rather than other procedural variations. Average length of stay (LOS) ranged between 7–15 days. Although inconsistent, laparoscopic surgery may be associated with longer mean operating times (210 vs 167 min) and modest decreases in LOS (10–8 days). Complications occurred in approximately 24% of patients. Six (0.4%) procedure‐related deaths were observed. Recurrent episodes of small bowel obstruction occurred in about 15% (95%CI: 10–21%) of patients in the long‐term, with significant burden of re‐hospitalisation and frequent recourse to surgery. Most patients reported a satisfactory or good outcome after colectomy but negative long‐term functional outcomes persist in a minority of patients. The influence of resection extent, anastomotic configuration and method of access on complication rates remains uncertain. Available evidence weakly supports selection of patients with an isolated slow‐transit phenotype.

Conclusion

Colectomy for CC may benefit some patients but at the cost of substantial short‐ and long‐term morbidity. Current evidence is insufficient to guide patient or procedural selection.
Plasma long noncoding RNA IL‐7R as a prognostic biomarker for clinical outcomes in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Wan Bing , Xu Wu‐Jian , Xu Wei‐Nan , Zhan Ping , Wu Guan‐Nan , Jin Jia‐Jia , Xi Guang‐Min , Yin Jiang‐Tao , Zhang Hao , Chen Yi‐Kun , Miao Ying‐Ying , Wang Xiao‐xia , Xu Ying‐Kun , Lv Tang‐Feng , Song Yong
Published: September 2017

Background

Long non‐coding RNAs (lncRNAs) regulate a variety of genes and biological processes. Lnc‐IL7R plays a considerable role in the regulation of inflammation, but its prognostic potential in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has not been fully explained. In this study, the role of lnc‐IL7R as a potential biomarker in ARDS was examined.

Objective

Role of lnc‐IL7R as potential biomarker in ARDS.

Methods

LncRNA‐IL7R was isolated from the plasma of patients with ARDS and healthy controls and clinical indexes were obtained within 24 h after admission. The relative expression of lnc‐IL7R was obtained by quantitative real‐time PCR. The correlations between lnc‐IL7R and continuous variables in ARDS were tested using Spearman's coefficients.

Results

A total of 85 ARDS patients and 49 healthy controls were included. Plasma lnc‐IL7R was significantly down‐regulated in ARDS compared with the levels in healthy control individuals, especially in severe ARDS (P < .01). The area under the curve (AUC) of lnc‐IL7R for ARDS diagnosis was 0.87 (sensitivity 75.3%, specificity 93.9%). The lnc‐IL7R levels were correlated with the severity of ARDS (ρ = −0.31, P = .0215), oxygenation index (ρ = 0.61, P < .001), APACHE II score (ρ = −0.04, P = .0230), CRP (ρ = −0.26, P = .0148) and WBC (ρ = −0.29, P = .0064). Lnc‐IL7R relative value ≥ 0.33 showed the lower 28‐day mortality in the patients with ARDS(P < .05).The survivors showed higher lnc‐IL7R level and lower APACHE II score, SOFA score and length of mechanical ventilation than in the non‐survivors (P = .0109, P < .001, P < .001 and P = .017, respectively).

Conclusions

Lnc‐IL7R is a novel biomarker for the diagnosis of ARDS and predicts the severity of ARDS and 28‐day mortality in this patients cohort.

Trial registration

The study was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR‐DOD‐16008657).
Six caractéristiques du marché du travail chinois: une analyse documentaire
Authors: SONG Yang
Published: September 2017

Les auteurs s'intéressent à six grandes caractéristiques du marché du travail chinois: la privatisation et l'urbanisation de l'emploi; la hausse des salaires et des inégalités de revenu; la persistance du système du hukou et la pénurie de main‐d'œuvre qui s'ensuit dans les villes; une structure des salaires davantage axée sur le marché, mais segmentée selon le régime de propriété de l'entreprise; un chômage plutôt limité et des institutions du marché de l'emploi relativement peu influentes (salaire minimum et syndicats notamment). Cette analyse approfondie doit faciliter la définition de modèles théoriques et d'outils d'analyse des politiques mieux adaptés et spécifiques à la Chine.
La réforme du droit du travail en Turquie: entre emprunts, transpositions et statu quo
Authors: Ozkan Umut Riza
Published: September 2017

Dans la lignée des travaux récents sur les idées «nomades», leur circulation et leur transposition, l'auteur montre comment les normes du travail consacrées par l'OIT et l'UE ont été introduites en Turquie et adaptées au contexte national. Il revient sur les raisons qui ont poussé les partenaires sociaux et la commission chargée de rédiger la nouvelle loi sur le travail de 2003 à partir de cette base et analyse l'issue du processus de réforme législative correspondant, notant que les normes internationales ont parfois été modifiées dans l'exercice, alors que certains éléments de l'ancien code du travail ont perduré, notamment le régime d'indemnisation du licenciement.
Formas inaceptables de trabajo. Un modelo multidimensional
Authors: McCANN Deirdre , FUDGE Judy
Published: September 2017

Las formas inaceptables de trabajo (FIT) son una de las «esferas de importancia decisiva» que la OIT se ha fijado de cara a su centenario. Hacía falta pues un estudio exhaustivo de sus dimensiones, causas o manifestaciones, que las autoras presentan aquí. En primer lugar, se examinan varios conceptos fundamentales sobre el trabajo contemporáneo, con objeto de indagar qué pueden aportar a una concepción de las FIT basada en un análisis riguroso. Después se esboza un nuevo modelo multidimensional del que pueden valerse los actores locales para identificar y combatir las FIT en países con diversos niveles de renta.