bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dynamical shakedown analysis of high-rise tower structure
Authors: Zhang Guichen , Zhang Hongtao , Peng Heng , Liu Yinghua
Published: February 2021

Purpose

High-rise tower structures supported by side frame structure and viscous damper in chemical industry can produce plasticity under dynamic loads, such as wind and earthquake, which will heavily influence the long-term safety operation. This paper aims to systematically study the optimization design of these structures by free vibration and dynamic shakedown analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The transfer matrix method and Euler–Bernoulli beam vibration are used to study the free vibration characteristic of the simplified high-rise tower structure. Then the extended stress compensation method is used to construct the self-equilibrated stress by using the dynamic load vertexes and the lower bound dynamic shakedown analysis for the structure with viscous damper. Using the proposed method, comprehensive parametric studies and optimization are performed to examine the shakedown load of high-rise tower with various supported conditions.

Findings

The numerical results show that the supported frame stiffness, attached damper or spring parameters influence the free vibration and shakedown characters of high-rise tower very much. The dynamic shakedown load is lowered down quickly with external load frequency increasing to the fundamental natural frequency of the structure under spring supported condition, while changed little with the damping connection. The optimized location and parameter of support are obtained under dynamical excitations.

Research limitations/implications

In this study, the high-rise tower structure is simplified as a cantilever beam supported by a short cantilever beam and a damper under repeated dynamic load, and linear elasticity for solid is assumed for free vibration analysis. The current analysis does not account for effects such as large deformation, stochastic external load and nonlinear vibration conditions which will inevitably be encountered and affect the load capacity.

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive method for the dynamical optimization of high-rise tower structure by combining free vibration and shakedown analysis.
Understanding the components and magnitude of the cost of quality in building construction
Authors: Garg Sahil , Misra Sudhir
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Though the components and concepts of cost of quality (COQ) are well understood in the domain of manufacturing, only limited data are available from the construction industry for various reasons. The present study seeks to establish a relationship between project defect score (pds), representing the quality of construction in the project, and the COQ in the building construction industry. The study also seeks to estimate the contributions of the various components to the overall COQ in the construction industry, along with their distribution and interrelationships among themselves.

Design/methodology/approach

A framework for estimating COQ was developed, and the data regarding prevention, appraisal and failure cost were collected from 122 projects. Various mathematical and statistical tools like Pearson's correlation, multiple linear regression (MLR) and curve fitting have been used for data analysis.

Findings

The prevention–appraisal–failure (PAF) model was found to be appropriate to estimate COQ, and the prevention, appraisal, conformance cost (CC) and failure cost were found to vary between 0.19 and 8%, 0.05 and 5%, 0.3 and 10% and 0.01 and 5%, respectively, whereas the overall COQ varied from 3.5 to 10.01% of the project cost. The correlations between various components of COQ were found to be significant. MLR suggested that appraisal cost is more impactful in reducing failure cost than prevention cost. Using curve fitting, the cubic model appropriately represented all interrelationships. The optimal overall COQ was found to be 3.86%, and the reasons for low COQ have been explored.

Originality/value

The study evaluates the applicability of available models for COQ calculations for the construction industry and presents a framework to estimate its components. The study also explores the interrelationship between the various components of COQ and presents a generalized relationship between COQ and the pds.
Perfect social media image posts: symmetry and contrast influence consumer response
Authors: Kostyk Alena , Huhmann Bruce A.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Two studies investigate how different structural properties of images – symmetry (vertical and horizontal) and image contrast – affect social media marketing outcomes of consumer liking and engagement.

Design/methodology/approach

In Study 1’s experiment, 361 participants responded to social media marketing images that varied in vertical or horizontal symmetry and level of image contrast. Study 2 analyzes field data on 610 Instagram posts.

Findings

Study 1 demonstrates that vertical or horizontal symmetry and high image contrast increase consumer liking of social media marketing images, and that processing fluency and aesthetic response mediate these relationships. Study 2 reveals that symmetry and high image contrast improve consumer engagement on social media (number of “likes” and comments).

Research limitations/implications

These studies extend theory regarding processing fluency’s and aesthetic response’s roles in consumer outcomes within social media marketing. Image posts’ structural properties affect processing fluency and aesthetic response without altering brand information or advertising content.

Practical implications

Because consumer liking of marketing communications (e.g. social media posts) predicts persuasion and sales, results should help marketers design more effective posts and achieve brand-building and behavioral objectives. Based on the results, marketers are urged to consider the processing fluency and aesthetic response associated with any image developed for social media marketing.

Originality/value

Addressing the lack of empirical investigations in the existing literature, the reported studies demonstrate that effects of symmetry and image contrast in generating liking are driven by processing fluency and aesthetic response. Additionally, these studies establish novel effects of images’ structural properties on consumer engagement with brand-based social media marketing communications.
Environmental demands and resources: a framework for understanding the physical environment for work
Authors: Roskams Michael , Haynes Barry
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) theory (Demeroutiet al., 2001; Bakker and Demerouti, 2017) is an appropriate conceptual framework for understanding the physical environment for work.

Design/methodology/approach

A conceptual analysis of the multidisciplinary workplace literature was performed to assess the core propositions of JD-R theory as they relate to the workplace environment.

Findings

The analysis confirms that the workplace environment can be viewed as a composite of environmental demands (which instigate a health impairment process) and environmental resources (which trigger an engagement process). Employees proactively try to improve the suitability of their workspace through environmental crafting, motivated by minimising demands and maximising resources.

Originality/value

The application of JD-R theory to the workplace environment fills a gap in the literature for a framework which captures the dynamic nature of the employee-workplace relationship.
Effectiveness of sustainability communication on social media: role of message appeal and message source
Authors: Kapoor Payal S. , Balaji M.S. , Jiang Yangyang
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of sustainability communication on social media. More specifically, the effects of message appeal (sensual vs guilt) and message source (hotel vs social media influencer [SMI]) on perceived environmental corporate social responsibility and the intention to stay at the eco-friendly hotel were examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Three studies using the experimental design were carried out. Study 1 examined the relationship between message appeal (sensual vs guilt), perceived environmental social corporate responsibility and the intention to stay at the eco-friendly hotel when the hotel posts sustainability messages on social media. Study 2 replicated Study 1 findings when the SMI posts sustainability messages. Study 3 examined the moderating role of message source (hotel vs influencer) in the effects of message appeal (sensual vs guilt) on behavioral intentions.

Findings

Sustainability messages with the sensual (vs guilt) appeal are more persuasive when the eco-friendly hotel (vs SMI) posts it on social media. Furthermore, the traveler’s perception of the hotel’s environmental corporate social responsibility mediates this relationship.

Research limitations/implications

This study extends the literature on sustainability communication by demonstrating the role of message source and message appeal in influencing the traveler’s perceptions and intentions toward eco-friendly hotels.

Practical implications

According to the study findings, eco-friendly hotels can motivate travelers to make pro-sustainable choices by accurately matching the message appeal with the message source in the sustainability communication on social media.

Originality/value

This study is one of the earliest studies that examine the congruency effect of message appeal and message source for sustainability communication on social media in the hospitality realm. The findings offer novel insights for eco-friendly hotels to develop effective sustainability communication on social media.
Energy conservation opportunities: evidences from three industrial clusters in India
Authors: Naik Shankara , Bagodi Virupaxi
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to examine the monitoring of electrical energy consumption, measures adopted for reducing energy consumption, barriers to energy efficiency improvement and driving forces for energy efficiency improvement in three industrial clusters. It is intends to capture the managerial perspectives on energy saving practices and to identify the possible energy saving opportunities in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Three industrial clusters were identified for the study. Research instrument based in-person survey was conducted in which the authors directly administered the questionnaire to all the 181 organisations. This was thought of to facilitate not so well-educated respondents. The survey took about six months in which 110 units responded. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis and path analysis were used to draw inferences.

Findings

There is ample scope for energy savings in the studied clusters. Energy efficiency in many organisations has deteriorated. Their attitude to embrace new or modern technology is shunning. Management’s belief that prevailing technology is efficient, lack of skilled labour, lack of accessibility to updated or modern technology, and lack of compatibility of new technology are found to be the barriers to energy efficiency improvement. Benchmarking by appropriate governments and publicly financed energy auditing act as the driving forces.

Originality/value

The SMEs must use simple yet powerful energy auditing practices on regular basis to reduce energy consumption. This will not only result in lesser energy costs but also lessen the burden on environment. As these are predominantly small enterprises, appropriate governments interventions are essential to bring the desired change.
Protection of shareholders class rights in company law
Authors: Nwafor Anthony
Published: February 2021

Purpose

A company that is registered with share capital may issue different classes of shares and may confer rights on members, which place them in different classes in the company’s organisational structure. This paper is concerned with the propensity for encroachment on such vested class rights as companies strive to wriggle out of business challenges spawn by the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the extent of protection that the law accords to the different classes of shareholders and members in a company especially when the company seeks to vary the vested class rights.

Design/methodology/approach

A doctrinal methodology, which relies on existing literature, case law and statutory instruments, is adopted to explore the nature of class rights and the adequacies of the remedial measures availed by statute to the aggrieved bearers of class rights in the context of the South African Companies Act 71 of 2008 with inferences drawn from the UK companies statute and case law.

Findings

The findings indicate that accessing the remedies available to aggrieved shareholders under the relevant statutory provisions are fraught with conditionality, which could make them elusive to those who may seek to rely on such provisions to vindicate any encroachment on their class rights.

Practical implications

The paper embodies cogent information on the interpretation and application of the relevant statutory provisions geared at the protection of shareholders class rights, which should serve as guides to companies and the courts in dealing with matters that affect the vested class rights of shareholders and members of a company.

Originality/value

The paper shows that protections offered to classes of shareholders under the law can also be extended to classes of members who are not necessarily shareholders, and that shareholders who seek to vindicate their class rights may conveniently rely on Section 163 that provides for unfair prejudice remedy to avoid the onerous conditions under Section 164 of the South African Companies Act 71 of 2008, which directly deals with class rights.
Labour-friendly practices and value maximization: a SEM approach
Authors: Al-Tawil Tareq Na’el , Gantasala Venugopal Prabhakar , Younies Hassan
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to present a vital strand that is part and parcel of an informed discussion towards the adoption of labour-friendly practices (LFP). This study is intended to examine the influence of LFP on five dimensions: job performance (JP), employee satisfaction (ES), corporate governance (CG), customer satisfaction (CS) and organizational performance (OP).

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted on top and middle-level management personnel in several companies across the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total of 1,000 questionnaires was distributed personally and via email of which 366 usable responses were analysed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling (SEM).

Findings

The results reinforce the premise that LFP positively and significantly influences value maximization.

Originality/value

This paper affirmed that what is good for the employees (or other stakeholders) is also good for shareholders, but within the constraints of an ideal context, where the shareholders subscribe to strict ethical principles and the stakeholders act with their moral agency intact. Thus, the discussion of LFP comprises not just about what is satisfying for the employees but also what is conducive for optimal value creation. The empirical findings were, however, more compatible within the agency theory framework because of the non-instrumentality that was observed too ideal and philosophical for the stakeholder theory of value creation.
The impact of the gender composition of company boards on firm performance
Authors: Soare Teodora-Maria , Detilleux Céline , Deschacht Nick
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The authors estimate the effect of the gender composition of company boards on firm performance by exploiting variation in the percentage of women after the implementation of a 2011 Belgian policy reform, which introduced a gender quota for listed companies.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyze the evolution of firm performance between companies that were subjected to the quota law and compare it with the performance of similar firms that were not subjected to the law. This difference-in-difference (DiD) approach allows the authors to avoid the potential bias resulting from unobserved firm characteristics.

Findings

The authors find that the quota policy resulted in the replacement of about one male director by a female one in the average firm between 2010 and 2017. However, this increase in diversity appears to have negatively affected some firm performance indicators. The authors find statistically significant negative effects for 10 out of the 23 financial indicators included in this study, while the other 13 indicators showed no significant effect.

Originality/value

The originality of this research lies in both the methodology and the findings. The policy reform that the authors study can be regarded as a natural experiment so that the DiD method provides estimates of the causal effect of the gender composition of company boards on firm performance. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that presents causal evidence of negative effects of gender quota on organizational performance. These results cast doubts on the business case argument for gender quota and show that results from correlational studies are likely to be biased upward.
Student-led sustainability transformations: employing realist evaluation to open the black box of learning in a Challenge Lab curriculum
Authors: Holmén Johan , Adawi Tom , Holmberg John
Published: February 2021

Purpose

While sustainability-oriented education is increasingly placing importance on engaging students in inter- and transdisciplinary learning processes with societal actors and authentic challenges in the centre, little research attends to how and what students learn in such educational initiatives. This paper aims to address this by opening the “black box” of learning in a Challenge Lab curriculum with transformational sustainability ambitions.

Design/methodology/approach

Realist evaluation was used as an analytical frame that takes social context into account to unpack learning mechanisms and associated learning outcomes. A socio-cultural perspective on learning was adopted, and ethnographic methods, including interviews and observations, were used.

Findings

Three context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations were identified, capturing what students placed value and emphasis on when developing capabilities for leading sustainability transformations: engaging with complex “in-between” sustainability challenges in society with stakeholders across sectors and perspectives; navigating purposeful and transformative change via backcasting; and “whole-person” learning from the inside-out as an identity-shaping process, guided by personal values.

Practical implications

The findings of this paper can inform the design, development, evaluation and comparison of similar educational initiatives across institutions, while leaving room for contextual negotiation and adjustment.

Originality/value

This paper delineates and discusses important learning mechanisms and outcomes when students act as co-creators of knowledge in a sustainability-oriented educational initiative, working with authentic challenges together with societal actors.
The paradox model: towards a conceptual framework for engaging with sustainability in higher education
Authors: Kemp Nicola , Scoffham Stephen
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The growing awareness of climate change, biodiversity loss and the wider global environmental emergency has led to calls for decisive and immediate action from all sections of society. This paper aims to consider the question of how universities should respond and what role they might best adopt in current circumstances.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a conceptual framework, the paradox model, which places sustainability within the contradictory, messy and uncertain terrain that characterises higher education (HE). This is derived from the own experience of leading sustainability within one UK university, as well as the continued engagement with educational theory and philosophy.

Findings

This paper identifies two fundamental contradictions or paradoxes facing those seeking to engage in sustainability in HE, namely, how to develop authentic sustainability responses within the context of existing HE structures and processes and how to reconcile the demand for immediate action with the much more gradual processes of education. This paper represents these two paradoxes as intersecting axes on a diagram, which creates four quadrants in which a diverse range of responses can be located. The point where these two axes intersect is particularly significant and provides a place from which to navigate responses both individually, collectively and institutionally.

Originality/value

This paper argues that wisdom provides a guiding principle for discerning which type of response might be appropriate in any given context. It may also indicate a route towards institutional change and underpin the vision of the ecological university of the future based on principles of civic responsibility and social justice.
The effects of good governance and fraud prevention on performance of the zakat institutions in Indonesia: a Sharīʿah forensic accounting perspective
Authors: Wahyuni-TD Ika Sari , Haron Hasnah , Fernando Yudi
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of good governance and fraud prevention on the performance of Zakat institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

A theoretical model was developed based on stakeholder theory, and data were collected from Indonesian Zakat institutions through convenience sampling design. In total, 142 data sets were analysed using partial least squares-structural equation modelling statistical software.

Findings

The results showed that good governance and fraud prevention significantly impact the performance of Zakat institutions. Yet, there was no significant influence of the fairness principle of good governance on Zakat performance in either direct or indirect relationships with fraud prevention.

Practical implications

The results indicated that Zakat institutions as trusted agencies should pay more attention to fairness implementations to avoid fraud. Furthermore, fairness is an early signal that accountants can use to detect either fraudulent or mismanaged Zakat distribution.

Originality/value

This paper provides the empirical justification for a theoretical model of Zakat performance that was conceptualized using good governance principles and Sharīʿah forensic accounting principles.
Joining and characterization of SS-430 using microwave hybrid heating technique
Authors: Somani Nalin , Singh Navjot , Gupta Nitin Kumar
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to based upon the joining and characterization (mechanical and metallurgical) of ferritic stainless steel (SS)-430 using a microwave hybrid heating (MHH) phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

The preliminary experiments were conducted using nickel-based powder as interface material using a domestic microwave oven at a frequency of 2.45 GHz and 900 W power for 720 s. The processed joint was metallurgically characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Field emission scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical characterization was done by means of tensile and Vickers’ microhardness testing to check the hardness and strength of the joint.

Findings

The metallurgical study revealed that the microstructure and formation of numerous phases of Fe2Si3 accompanied by chromium and nickel carbides. The average hardness of 359 Hv at the center of the joint and 637 Hv around the boundaries of the joint was observed. The tensile strength of the joint was observed to 471 MPa with an elongation of 9.02%. The worn surface of the joint signifies the presence of plastic deformation and it was limited due to the presence of harder phases such as Ni3Si and Ni3C.

Research limitations/implications

The concept of microwave joining of metals is a very challenging task as the temperature can not be controlled in the inert atmosphere of the microwave. It has been also observed that at certain elevated temperatures, the material starts absorbing the microwaves; which is unknown. So, a more intensive study is required to overcome these kinds of limitations.

Practical implications

MHH technique can be used to process different materials such as ceramics, composites and polymers. SS-430 joined by microwave heating is highly corrosion resistive and has wide applications in refrigerators cabinet panels, dishwasher linings, chimney liners, lashing wires, etc.

Originality/value

As of the author’s best knowledge, no work has been reported on the joining of SS-430 which has huge potential in the industries. Also, no work has been reported on the characterization of microwave joined SS-430.
Sustainability determinants of the Burkinabe performance-based financing project
Authors: Seppey Mathieu , Somé Paul-André , Ridde Valéry
Published: February 2021

Purpose

A performance-based financing (PBF) pilot project was implemented in 2011 in Burkina Faso. After more than five years of implementation (data collection in 2016), the project's sustainability was not guaranteed. This study's objective is to assess this project's sustainability in 2016 by identifying the presence/absence of different determinants of sustainability according to the conceptual framework of Seppey et al. (2017).

Design/methodology/approach

It uses a case study approach using in-depth interviews with various actors at the local, district/regional and national levels. Participants (n = 37) included health practitioners, management team members, implementers and senior members of health directions. A thematic analysis based on the conceptual framework was conducted, as well as an inductive analysis.

Findings

Results show the project's sustainability level was weak according to an unequal presence of sustainability's determinants; some activities are being maintained but not fully routinised. Discrepancies between the project and the context's values appeared to be important barriers towards sustainability. Project's ownership by key stakeholders also seemed superficial despite the implementers' leadership towards its success. The project's objective towards greater autonomy for health centres was also directly confronting the Burkinabe's hierarchical health system.

Originality/value

This study reveals many fits and misfits between a PBF project and its context affecting its ability to sustain activities through time. It also underlines the importance of using a conceptual framework in implementing and evaluating interventions. These results could be interesting for decision-makers and implementers in further assessing PBF projects elsewhere.
Assessing perceptions of COVID-19 self-protective measures: a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach
Authors: Mehrolia Sangeeta , Alagarsamy Subburaj , S Jeevananda
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to develop scales to assess perceptions of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) self-protective measures (SPMs) and examine the psychometric properties based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 412 participants from Bangalore, India, randomly volunteered to participate in this research. The questionnaire consisted of items related to the TPB scales and demographic details.

Findings

A structural equation model showed a reasonable model fit. In total, 70% of the individuals' behavioral intentions of following COVID-19 SPMs were predicted by perceived benefits, barriers, social norms and social influence. Participants' age impacted on perceived benefits and perceived social influence and individuals' behavioral intentions of following COVID-19 SPMs, with a 13.6% difference in model prediction.

Originality/value

The TPB can be used as a strong psychometric property to assess behavioral determinants of COVID-19 SPMs.
The effectiveness of using crowdsourcing for improving information services: an action research approach
Authors: Al-Aufi Ali Saif Said , Al-Harrasi Nabhan , Al-Abri Azhar
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify the status of using crowdsourcing to develop information services through the Twitter platform and to determine the factors affecting such usage.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative action research approach was employed to achieve the objectives of the study and to provide answers to the research questions. The effectiveness of using crowdsourcing technique for improving information services has been explored through five procedural stages: diagnostics, action planning, action taking, evaluation and determined learning. Three tools were used to collect data: open interviews, content analysis of the sampled accounts on Twitter and users' perceptions regarding information services.

Findings

The results of the study revealed that crowdsourcing was not used in the development of information services per se, but it has been used for other purposes. The results also revealed that several factors influenced the adoption of using crowdsourcing to develop information services, including factors related to the institutional trust in crowds' capabilities, the nature of service and type of the needed development, and finally, the platform used to conduct crowdsourcing. The results of the action research proved that using crowdsourcing to develop information services could be effective.

Practical implications

The study suggests a model that can be used to test changes implemented in organizations, especially regarding adoption of crowdsourcing as a framework to achieve the objectives of the institution, particularly in the planning processes.

Originality/value

This research paper produces new knowledge through using a qualitative action research approach to understand the potential of social media in crowdsourcing. There have been no similar studies conducted in the region for the specified research design. The results add to the level of learning and raise awareness within the research community regarding the effectiveness of using crowdsourcing via social media platforms to improve the efficiency of information services.
Skills and qualifications for the special library environment in Jamaica: a job advertisement analysis
Authors: Robinson Marsha-Gay
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this article is to examine what employers seek when recruiting library and information professionals for a special library environment in Jamaica.

Design/methodology/approach

A content analysis of a sample of 47 advertisements for information professionals in a special library environment in Jamaica from 2013 to 2019 was collected.

Findings

The findings indicated that a variety of professional, generic and personal attributes were in demand for these professionals. There was a strong emphasis on advanced computer skills as well as communication and interpersonal skills.

Research limitations/implications

While job advertisements offer some insight into skills requirements and qualifications for employment, it may not reflect the actual person employed.

Practical implications

This paper will provide useful information for library school educators, existing information professionals and those interested in entering the field as it provides an overview of the skills and requirements for jobs in the special library environment in Jamaica.

Originality/value

Despite there being a plethora of job advertisements studies in librarianship, few studies examine advertisements for information professionals in a special library environment. To the best of the author's knowledge, there is no study focusing on Jamaica.
Does national culture matter? Understanding the impact of supply chain integration in multiple countries
Authors: Liu Shan , Tan Jing , Mao Hongyi , Gong Yeming
Published: February 2021

Purpose

With increasing globalization, supply chain management in various national cultures requires understanding. This study aims to examine the moderating effects of individualistic and uncertainty avoidance cultures on the relationship between supply chain integration (SCI) and different dimensions of firm performance (i.e. flexibility and financial).

Design/methodology/approach

This study collected 124 pairwise survey data from supply chain and senior managers of retail firms in 35 countries. Hofstede’s national culture index was used to examine the moderating effects. Structural equation modeling and regression analysis were used to test the model.

Findings

Results corroborate that in a higher uncertainty avoidance culture, the positive influence of SCI on flexibility performance is stronger, but that on financial performance is weaker. By contrast, individualism reduces the positive influence of SCI on financial performance, but does not moderate that on flexibility performance.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a contingent model for SCI-performance relationships by integrating the relational view and the national cultural perspective. Critical national cultural dimensions moderate the effects of SCI on flexibility and financial performance. Therefore, operational managers should design differential SCI strategies in various cultural settings.
Developing a conceptual model for voluntary pro-environmental behavior of employees
Authors: Alzaidi Sameera Mohamed , Iyanna Shilpa
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model based on an integrative approach to better understand voluntary pro-environmental behavior of employees.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews theoretical approaches and uses an integrative perspective to develop a model to try to understand voluntary pro-environmental behavior in the workplace.

Findings

The authors developed a conceptual model of voluntary pro-environmental behavior of employees with four main variables: attitude, perceived behavioral control, personal norms and perceived corporate social responsibility. The authors also suggest that habit may have a moderating effect, which has been neglected in previous studies.

Practical implications

Recognition of the importance of voluntary pro-environmental behavior of employees could enable organizations to develop more strategies and polices that strengthen their formal corporate social responsibility programs.

Social implications

Business owners and decision makers who are helping to promote voluntary behavior will contribute to institutions’ environmental performance, saving natural resources and promoting pro-environmental practices.

Originality/value

The proposed model will offer future studies a holistic understanding of the factors that predict voluntary pro-environmental behavior of employees and the extent to which this behavior depends on organizational motivators.
In quest of green practices in manufacturing industries through literature review
Authors: Singh Charanjit , Singh Davinder , Khamba Jaimal Singh
Published: February 2021

Purpose

In order to improve environmental performance, manufacturing companies around the world have started to seek green practices (GPs) to adopt in their operations. Environmental awareness of the stakeholders has put the pressure and changed the focus of manufacturers. The purpose of this article is to gather GPs used in manufacturing industries through a literature review. It also aims at exploring other elements related to GPs in manufacturing firms.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is exploratory in its approach. After searching relevant research articles from the online database, a review of 103 research articles has been conducted in the area of GPs in manufacturing industries.

Findings

This work attempts to offer a comprehensive list of GPs by studying the detailed relevant literature. This paper concludes that the concern of the use of GPs within manufacturing organisations is rising fast around the world, and research in this area is of great interest throughout the world over the last decade.

Research limitations/implications

This study has reported several earlier studies by searching the online database through some selected keywords only, but it has not performed a subjective overview for screening and choosing the research articles. This paper explores and gives a concise description of the GPs in manufacturing that will be helpful for further studies of green manufacturing (GM).

Originality/value

This study provides a comprehensive literature review of GPs in manufacturing industries. This review should give benefits to other scholars and practitioners interested in studying GPs related to manufacturing industries. It might represent new opportunities for relevant research that would contribute to more knowledge of GM being gained.
Dynamic capabilities and enterprise growth: the mediating effect of networking
Authors: Omeke Michael , Ngoboka Pascal , Nkote Isaac Nabeta , Kayongo Isaac
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Enterprise growth drives competitiveness, innovations, employment creation, income generation and social inclusion in societies. The purpose of this paper is to examine the mediating effect of networking on the relationship between dynamic capabilities and enterprise growth of financial cooperatives.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a cross-sectional survey and quantitative study of 269 financial cooperatives based on structural equation modelling and bootstrapping techniques analysis.

Findings

The results reveal that dynamic capabilities are vital in promoting the growth of financial cooperatives. In addition, networking partially enhances the contribution of dynamic capabilities to the growth of financial cooperatives. Therefore, dynamic capabilities and networking play a key role in promoting the growth of financial cooperative enterprises.

Research limitations/implications

This was a cross-sectional survey. It did not trace the changes in behavioural and attitudinal aspects of enterprise growth over time. A longitudinal approach is recommended.

Practical implications

It is imperative that managers of financial cooperatives enhance their coordination, learning and competitive response capabilities through consultation, exchange and sharing of information among staff and other stakeholders, to increase the membership, capital and income volumes, depicting growth of financial cooperatives.

Originality/value

This study provides an insight on the mediating effect of networking on the enterprise growth of financial cooperatives in developing countries founded on networks theoretical framework. Unlike previous studies that modelled direct relationship of enterprise growth.
Motivation, engagement and outcomes in curriculum development in a specialist SEND School in England
Authors: Silver Matt
Published: February 2021

This article provides an insider account of one school's journey towards a curriculum offer which makes use of a meaningful, mastery project‐based approach. The initiative incorporates consideration of self‐determination theory to secure outcomes which are relevant to the needs of students. The account offers insights into a work in progress and illustrations of powerful interfaces between theory and practice.
Criminal Law at the Limit: Countering False Claims in Elections and Referendums
Authors: Horder Jeremy
Published: February 2021

When should the criminal law intervene to deter and punish the promulgation of falsehoods that are intended to influence political – electoral or referendum ‐ campaigns? I will scrutinise the protection that UK criminal law provides for the interests of candidates, referendum campaigners and voters, from the (potential) effects of damaging falsehoods. I suggest that neither the protection of candidates’ or campaigners’ reputations, nor the promotion of the public good of collective decision‐making by voters based on accurate and adequate information, in themselves provide sufficient reasons for criminal law intervention. Falsehoods must normally be intended to threaten, undermine or prevent effective participation in the political process before the intervention of the criminal law is justified.
A rheumatologic approach to granulomatous mastitis: A case series and review of the literature
Authors: Ringsted Sarah , Friedman Marcia
Published: February 2021

Aim

Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is an enigmatic inflammatory breast disorder. IGM responds to immunomodulatory treatment and may be associated with systemic manifestations such as arthritis and erythema nodosum. These patients are increasingly referred to rheumatologists for management, but IGM is rarely discussed in the rheumatology literature. The objective of this report is to familiarize rheumatologists with the treatment and systemic manifestations of IGM. We report here a case series of IGM at our institution, and a literature review of IGM treated with methotrexate (MTX).

Method

Patients with IGM at our institution were identified and described using a retrospective chart review. A literature review of PubMed and Google Scholar identified studies of IGM patients treated with MTX.

Results

We identified 28 IGM patients at our institution. Inflammatory arthritis/arthralgia were present in four patients (14%), and five patients (18%) had erythema nodosum. Patients treated with MTX had the highest rates of relapse‐free remission; relapse‐free remission occurred in four of the five (80%) MTX‐treated patients, compared with 5 of 12 (42%) patients treated with steroids alone, and two or three (66%) patients treated with steroids and surgery. In the literature review, 116 patients treated with MTX were identified, and the rate of relapse‐free remission ranged from 58% to 100%. Arthritis/arthralgia and erythema nodosum were more common at our institution than reported in the literature.

Conclusion

Methotrexate is a promising treatment for IGM. Arthritis/arthralgias and erythema nodosum may be under‐recognized when IGM patients are managed outside rheumatology. Prospective studies are needed to characterize clinical features and optimum treatment of IGM.
Projected climate change threatens Himalayan brown bear habitat more than human land use
Authors: Dar S. A. , Singh S. K. , Wan H. Y. , Kumar V. , Cushman S. A. , Sathyakumar S.
Published: February 2021

Climate change and land use change jointly are the largest drivers of population declines, range contraction and extinction for many species across the globe. Wide‐ranging and large‐bodied species are especially vulnerable to habitat loss and fragmentation due to their typically low population densities, reflecting their need for extensive and connected habitats. We used the multi‐scale Random Forests machine learning algorithm to identify factors driving the habitat selection and future changes in habitat of Himalayan brown bear, an iconic wide‐ranging and large‐bodied species of high conservation interest, across a range of spatial scales. Habitat selection of brown bears was scale‐dependent, with most variables selected at broad scales. Climatic variables such as maximum temperature of coldest month, minimum temperature of warmest month and the potential evapotranspiration of wettest quarter strongly influenced habitat selection of brown bears. Future projections indicate a strong difference between the high and low emission scenarios. Alarmingly, our model suggests that high emission scenarios, with or without land use change, may result in a decline of brown bear habitat of >90% by the end of the century. In contrast, low emission scenarios are projected to reduce brown bear habitat by <23%, with much of the species range shifting to higher elevations. This study provides an integrative understanding of scale‐dependent variables in brown bear habitat selection, providing critical information for prioritizing areas for habitat management and conservation. Most importantly, our future projections imply that traditional conservation efforts, such as in situ conservation, will not be sufficient to protect the species without climate change mitigation. The incorporation of climate change mitigation and adaptation in conservation strategies will be one of the most pressing priorities in biodiversity conservation in this region.
Deepening or Diminishing Ethnic Divides? The Impact of Urban Migration in Kenya
Authors: Kramon Eric , Hamory Joan , Baird Sarah , Miguel Edward
Published: February 2021

The impact of urban migration on ethnic politics is the subject of long‐standing debate. “First‐generation” modernization theories predict that urban migration should reduce ethnic identification and increase trust between groups. “Second‐generation” modernization perspectives argue the opposite: Urban migration may amplify ethnic identification and reduce trust. We test these competing expectations with a three‐wave panel survey following more than 8,000 Kenyans over a 15‐year period, providing novel evidence on the impact of urban migration. Using individual fixed effects regressions, we show that urban migration leads to reductions in ethnic identification; ethnicity's importance to the individual diminishes after migrating. Yet urban migration also reduces trust between ethnic groups, and trust in people generally. Urban migrants become less attached to their ethnicity but more suspicious. The results advance the literature on urbanization and politics and have implications for the potential consequences of ongoing urbanization processes around the world.
Mortality in patients admitted to intensive care with COVID‐19: an updated systematic review and meta‐analysis of observational studies
Authors: Armstrong R. A. , Kane A. D. , Kursumovic E. , Oglesby F. C. , Cook T. M.
Published: February 2021

The COVID‐19 pandemic continues to cause critical illness and deaths internationally. Up to 31 May 2020, mortality in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) with COVID‐19 was 41.6%. Since then, changes in therapeutics and management may have improved outcomes. Also, data from countries affected later in the pandemic are now available. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed and Cochrane databases up to 30 September 2020 for studies reporting ICU mortality among adult patients with COVID‐19 and present an updated systematic review and meta‐analysis. The primary outcome measure was death in intensive care as a proportion of completed ICU admissions, either through discharge from intensive care or death. We identified 52 observational studies including 43,128 patients, and first reports from the Middle East, South Asia and Australasia, as well as four national or regional registries. Reported mortality was lower in registries compared with other reports. In two regions, mortality differed significantly from all others, being higher in the Middle East and lower in a single registry study from Australasia. Although ICU mortality (95%CI) was lower than reported in June (35.5% (31.3–39.9%) vs. 41.6% (34.0–49.7%)), the absence of patient‐level data prevents a definitive evaluation. A lack of standardisation of reporting prevents comparison of cohorts in terms of underlying risk, severity of illness or outcomes. We found that the decrease in ICU mortality from COVID‐19 has reduced or plateaued since May 2020 and note the possibility of some geographical variation. More standardisation in reporting would improve the ability to compare outcomes from different reports.