bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tourism as a subject of philosophical reflection
Authors: Comic Dorde K.
Published: November 2014

Tourism is attracting ever‐growing attention from different scientific disciplines ‐ psychology, sociology, economics, geography etc. whose adherents each wish to study its phenomena from their own specific disciplinary viewpoint. Moreover, a young scientific discipline called tourismology is also developing, aspiring to provide an integrated and systematic approach to tourism. However, when the question is asked about the purpose and raison d'tre of tourism, as it would about any other human activity, or even about life itself, we unavoidably leave the realm of pure science and enter the ambivalent world of philosophy. When and where tourism is concerned, in the field of philosophy, we find a big void because, in contrast to numerous and diverse other scientific studies, the philosophical approach to tourism is practically non‐existant.
Self‐contained all‐inclusive resort‐hotels and small tourism business in Jamaica
Authors: Henry Ben
Published: November 2014

The growth of entrepreneurship in the Jamaican tourist industry has been a feature of that industry over the past three decades. Recent writings by such Jamaican tourism experts, such as Margaret Morris, have suggested that the explosion of the all‐inclusive concept in Jamaican tourism in recent years bodes ill for many small business people ‐ restaurant owners, craft vendors, taxi drivers ‐ establishments owned by small business people. Custom for these independent businesses will decline if more and more provisions are made within the hotels themselves.
An empirical study of the complexity of requirements management in construction projects
Authors: Karim Jallow Abdou , Demian Peter , N. Baldwin Andrew , Anumba Chimay
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate in-depth the current approach of managing client requirements in construction and to highlight the significant factors, which contribute to the complexity of managing the requirements in order to define a better approach.

Design/methodology/approach

– A case study of a leading international global built asset and engineering consultancy organization was conducted over two years. The case study was conducted principally using semi-participant observations supplemented with other qualitative data collection methods (i.e. interviews, questionnaires and document analysis). Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data.

Findings

– The results highlight major factors associated with the complexity of managing client requirements information, which include: mechanisms for documentation, storage and access, distribution of requirements information between stakeholders and across lifecycle phases of a project, traceability management and the provision of effective change management incorporating dependency checking and impact analysis.

Research limitations/implications

– The main limitation of the research is the use of an in-depth study of a single organization, which applied the same project management method across all the projects they managed. Further work is planned to develop the proposed framework fully, and develop a software platform to operationalize and evaluate its industrial applicability with construction projects.

Practical implications

– The implications of this research is that a better approach to managing requirements information is needed, which will facilitate the design, construction and operations of buildings within budget and time. An integrated framework and an associated tool are suggested to implement the approach.

Originality/value

– This study identifies major research gaps and problems in the architecture, engineering, construction and facilities management industry; proposes and presents Electronic Requirements Information Management framework to facilitate lifecycle management of the requirements.
Farming the “white gold” in a world heritage city
Authors: Siti-Nabiha A.K. , Jalaludin Dayana , Ahmed Hasan
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Public management, sustainability.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for undergraduate and masters' courses.

Case overview

The case is about the dilemma between the lucrative economic profit from swiftlet farming and the invaluable heritage and social wellbeing of the residents in a world heritage city. In 2011, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) issued a letter to the Malaysian government expressing concern over the issue of the swiftlet industry in Georgetown, Penang. Swiftlet farming is a lucrative agriculture sector in Malaysia and is considered one of the key projects under the Malaysian Economic Transformation Program. Yet, this industry posed a threat to the well being of George Town due to its impact towards the city's heritage status. The operation of swiftlet farms in shop houses in George Town not only forces residents to coexist with thousands of swiftlets in the populated city, but also deteriorates the condition of its heritage buildings. A quick solution by the government authorities is needed in order to respond to UNESCO's enquiries. A fair consideration looking at the aspects of economy, environment and society is vital in ensuring the future of the city.

Expected learning outcomes

These include: understanding the complex issues of trade-offs between economic profit vis-à-vis the environmental social heritage; understanding and appreciating the conflicting governmental objectives and the way to address the conflicting demands of the stakeholders (NGOs, industry and business association and the general public); identifying and determining ways to align environmental interests with economic interests in order to formulate sustainable solutions; and formulating an action plan and providing practical recommendations to solve the problem.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Employing CSR in SME development to survive Arab Spring fluctuations – the case of Egypt: General Authority for Investment (GAFI)
Authors: Aziz Hadia Hamdy Abdel , Darrag Menatallah
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Business ethics, sustainability and economic development.

Study level/applicability

This case is suitable for both advanced undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Case overview

The case presents a pioneering initiative run by the Egyptian General Authority for Investment (GAFI) to mitigate the implications of the 25th of January revolution on SMEs. The case describes the “Business Clinic” program that was designed to provide SMEs with world class consultancy services through the CSR programs of large local and multinational consultancy firms.

Expected learning outcomes

The case should help students in: defining corporate social responsibility and describing its importance; describing the role of SMEs in economic development; identifying the different growth obstacles that face SMEs; relating theories in different managerial fields that could be linked to CSR and development; investigating the Arab Spring and describing its repercussions on economic development and sustainability; and illustrating CSR role in solving SME problems.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Sustainability as an imperative and an opportunity: the case of Infosys Limited
Authors: Mathew Saji K. , Rajan Thillai
Published: November 2014

Subject area

This case provides useful material for discussion on topics such as sustainability, business continuity, corporate social responsibility and green IT.

Study level/applicability

The case could be used in different areas of business management such as general management, information systems and business strategy.

Case overview

The case presents the progressive evolution of Infosys Limited from its beginnings through different stages of innovation and consolidation in the IT services industry. Senior executives at Infosys believe that the sustainability initiative at Infosys is not a new movement, but a logical extension of the company's long standing commitment to society and environment. Sustainability was a key agenda at Infosys and it was deeply ingrained in the company's ethos and the way in which it operated. The case also articulates the company's commitment to sustainability as evidenced by the involvement of the top management in providing leadership. From an academic standpoint the case provides pointers to look at how the IT services industry has responded to sustainability practices and how sustainability practices are different or similar across various firms.

Expected learning outcomes

The case can help students to answer the following questions: How is sustainability different from corporate social responsibility? What is the context in which Infosys' attention turned towards sustainability? How is top management involved in Infosys' sustainability initiative? What are the elements of Infosys' sustainability strategy? How does it build on its core strengths? What are the structural mechanisms the company has provided to implement its sustainability strategy? What internal challenges to change while implementing green solutions were foreseen and overcome by Infosys? How competitive is Infosys' sustainability practices with respect to its competitors? How does it help the company in competing in the market?

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
“Eldorado” family: the survival and succession plan
Authors: Perdomo Sandra Jennina Sanchez , Puertas Mario Andres Manzi
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Entrepreneurship and family business.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for BA and MBA levels and for courses focusing on family businesses, entrepreneurship, or small and medium-sized enterprises.

Case overview

The Gomez family is the owner of Colchones Eldorado, a Colombian mattress company, in business for more than 50 years. Its founder and CEO Gumercindo Gomez, 75 years old, had no succession plan but he wanted to ensure the future of his business. Given the urgency of this situation and the complexity of the family structure, Martha Gomez, General Manager, hired a consultant to design the succession plan. To prepare this plan, the consultant must take into account: the preservation of stock ownership within the family, the company's sustainability under the new CEO family member, and the assurance of the family harmony.

Expected learning outcomes

These include: understanding the characteristics of a family business in the Latin American context; recognizing the stages of the family ownership; and identifying personal characteristics and roles of family members in order to design the basis of the succession plan.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
World is classroom: the case of Univexcellence.com
Authors: Rao A. Srinivasa
Published: November 2014

Subject area

Entrepreneurship.

Study level/applicability

The case can be taught for students at the Master's level and research scholars in management education.

Case overview

Univexcellence was an idea conceived by Surbhi from her science project in 1997 when she was studying at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Jaipur, India. The science project model was based on the theme “World is a classroom, room is university”. It was shown that the world would be converted into a room, and the room itself would become a University through satellite communication. Surbhi decided to become a computer engineer and learn about it herself so as to become self-dependent as a business woman. Keeping this in mind, she completed a computer engineering course. A strong sense of efficacy enhances human accomplishment and personal well-being in many ways. Surbhi has proved it in her case.

Expected learning outcomes

The case describes challenges and setbacks faced by a woman entrepreneur and through her self-confidence and persistence, illustrate show she solved them to the benefit of her business.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or e-mail support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
External entrepreneurs/investors andguanxi: hostels in a tourism area, Xinjiang, China
Authors: Yang Jingjing , Ryan Chris , Zhang Lingyun
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This research aims to explore how outsider entrepreneurs maintain harmoniousguanxiwith stakeholders (especially the government) in an ethnic minority area of less-developed western China.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper is derived from an ethnographic study undertaken by the first author who lived for 12 consecutive months in the case area.

Findings

– This research indicates that outsider entrepreneurs need to balance between standards required by industry associations and sound “guanxi”, between bureaucratic arrangements and business practice, between economic profit and lifestyle within aguanxi-dominated society. It may be argued that the continuance of relationships represents the continuance of resources and benefits and the maintenance of social and political capital.

Practical implications

– One issue in the relationship with local governments is the question to what degree politicians can influence enterprises’ business? Politicalguanxiis thus an important key to any understanding of the local political scene. In China, the Chinese philosophy thatHarmony is the most preciousis a strategy often adopted in mediation and operation.

Originality/value

– Factors includingguanxi, entrepreneurs’ operation motivations, government-directed political system, indigenous people and culture and Butler’s tourism area life cycle (TALC) model are considered in the discussion. This study expands the knowledge pertaining to hostels in China in relation to their interaction with local governments and locals to maintain a goodguanxi. It highlights the multiple dimensions ofguanxiin terms of micro-and macro-perspectives with reference to functionality and cultural requirements.
INS/GPS fusion architectures for unmanned aerial vehicles
Authors: Ailneni Sanketh , K. Kashyap Sudesh , Shantha Kumar N.
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present fusion of inertial navigation system (INS) and global positioning system (GPS) for estimating position, velocities, attitude and heading of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Design/methodology/approach

– A 15-state extended Kalman filter (EKF) and a split architecture consisting of six-state nonlinear complementary filter (NCF) and nine-state EKF are investigated in detail. In both these fusion architectures GPS and inertial measurement unit consisting of three axis accelerometers, three axis rate gyros and three axis magnetometer have been fused in open loop fashion (loosely coupled) to estimate the navigation states.

Findings

– These architectures have been implemented in MATLAB/SIMULINK environment and evaluated in closed loop guidance of Black-Kite MAV with software-in-the-loop-simulation (SILS) setup. Furthermore, both the algorithms are validated with flight test data obtained from on-board data logger using an off-the shelf autopilot board (Ardupilot Mega APM-2.5) on SLYBIRD UAV.

Originality/value

– The proposed architectures are of high value to accomplish INS/GPS fusion, which plays a vital role in autonomous guidance and navigation of an UAV.
Occupational mobility over the business cycle
Authors: Roosaar Liis , Mõtsmees Pille , Varblane Urmas
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how occupational mobility varies over the business cycle and how selected factors contribute to occupational mobility in different stages of the business cycle.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using annual micro data from the Estonian Labour Force Survey (2001-2010) and implementing probit models with interaction terms, the paper investigates occupational mobility as a change of occupation in two successive years during recovery, boom and recession periods.

Findings

– The analysis indicates that occupational mobility is higher during the recovery and boom periods and lower during the recession stage. The demographic characteristics (gender, marital status, knowledge of local language) influence the probability for occupational change during the recovery stage of the business cycle. The position of employees in the occupational hierarchy is significant during the recovery and boom periods. Employees working in the public sector have a lower probability for occupational change compared with private sector employees during the recession. Training has a positive effect on occupational mobility during recession. Tenure reduces the probability of occupational mobility over the whole business cycle.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the literature by providing new results about the role of different factors of occupational mobility over the business cycle. This is among the few studies addressing the variation in the occupational mobility of employees from the public and private sectors. Interactions between the position of the employees in the occupational hierarchy and the ownership form of their employers and the economic sectors add to the understanding about the mechanism of occupational mobility over the business cycle stages.
Human smuggling and violence in the east Mediterranean
Authors: Baird Theodore
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to outline a typology of violent acts used against migrants using human smugglers. This paper relates the experiences of violence, coercion, and exploitation to migrants’ experiences of being smuggled across borders.

Design/methodology/approach

– Data were collected using participant observation and semi-structured interviews among undocumented migrants and refugees who used human smugglers to enter Turkey and Greece. Fieldwork was conducted in Athens, Greece and Istanbul, Turkey over spring and summer 2011 and 2012.

Findings

– This paper presents an adapted typology of violence using four categories of coercive violence: threats and pressure, physical force, deception and fraud, and coercion/advantage taking. Movement with human smugglers may involve the violation of consent and forms of exploitation resembling, but not equating to, human trafficking.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings are based on a non-probability snowball sample, and are not generalizable. Further research should engage with other methods such as respondent driven sampling to gain more accurate estimates of violent events among smuggled migrants.

Practical implications

– Governments must respond appropriately when apprehending or detaining migrants, as many of them have been victimized by violence and may remain vulnerable because of continued threats from human smugglers.

Originality/value

– This paper presents a typology of violent acts against migrants using human smugglers, and can be used to develop further research and improve professional practice.
The health of female prisoners in Indonesia
Authors: Rahmah Amala , Blogg James , Silitonga Nurlan , Aman Muqowimul , Michael Power Robert
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Indonesian law provides prisoners with basic rights, including access to education, health care and nutrition. Yet, structural and institutional limitations, notably overcrowding and under-resourcing, prohibits penal institutions from fulfilling these commitments for female prisoners. The purpose of this paper is to explore their health concerns.

Design/methodology/approach

– Six prisons and one detention centre were researched, comprising: female prisoners (n=69); clinical officers (six); clinic heads (seven); wardens (seven); heads of prisons (seven); and a Directorate representative. Data were collected through observation, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and a semi-structured questionnaire. Raw data were transcribed and analysed thematically, adopting the General Principles of Grounded Theory.

Findings

– Both “formal” and “informal” health-coping strategies were dependent upon a range of factors which determined access to treatment, medicines and other items procured both inside and outside of the prison, as well as referral services. Informal systems of support existed for women, especially in regard to pregnancy and raising of babies born in detention. Systems that maintain harmony within cell blocks were identified as an important informal coping strategy.

Originality/value

– This research is important in informing policy and practice. There is a clear need for gender-sensitive legislative frameworks, penal policies and prison rules to ensure women's needs are addressed. The identified coping strategies were considered viable, but do not replace the need for a health system providing women prisoners with levels of care as available in the community, including commensurate budgeting, personnel, access and referral to more specialised external health services.
Determination of the effect of product substitutability on sales performance of integrated and decentralised supply chains through Nash equilibria
Authors: Wang Renwen , Zhao Shuliang , Song Wei , Cacciolatti Luca , Zhang Xinyue , Sausman Chris , Fu Yelin
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of product substitutability on sales performance of integrated and decentralised supply chains. The authors model supply chain performance effects by applying a Cournot equation to a combination of different industry configurations. The study aims to extend existing equilibria models in different supply chains by including the effects of product substitutability on supply chain performance. By extending existing equilibria models, the authors explore the relationship between the degree of product substitutability, chain structure and chain performance when some actors of the supply chain behave as Stackelberg leaders in a duopoly.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper models a supply chain performance by applying a Cournot equation to different supply chain structures in a duopoly.

Findings

– The findings indicate that, for each specific-supply chain structures in different market configurations, when product substitutability reaches a certain threshold decentralised supply chains outperform integrated chains, in disagreement with common belief in current existing literature.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is limited to the application of differential equations in a competitive market configured as a duopoly. Future studies might extend the same model to a competitive market characterised by more than two actors. The findings imply that current tendency of lean implementations through integrated supply chains does not always favour supply chain performance.

Practical implications

– The paper includes implications for the development of a stronger differentiation strategy based on consumer value when markets are characterised by high-product substitutability.

Originality/value

– These findings highlight the importance of differentiation and consumer-value generation in markets that follow Nash equilibria as opposed to the current focus on price competition.
First party fraud: a review of the forms and motives of fraudulent consumer behaviours in e-tailing
Authors: Vivian Amasiatu Chioma , Hussain Shah Mahmood
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– First party fraud is fraud committed by an account holder or customer that does not involve the use of a stolen identity. This type of fraud has grown substantially in recent times due to increased online shopping and is becoming a major concern for online retail businesses, hereby referred to as e-tailers. The purpose of this paper is to provide insights into the motives and nature of first party fraud in e-tailing.

Design/methodology/approach

– Systematic literature review was used to synthesise existing research on first party fraud. The authors used scholarly literature as well as grey literature to help understand the motives and nature of this growing business problem.

Findings

– Findings reveal a myriad of schemes and motives for engaging in first party fraud.

Research limitations/implications

– The findings of this paper employed very little literature due to availability. However, the authors believe that the findings are still useful for advancing the knowledge in this emerging research area.

Practical implications

– This study will be useful to researchers as well as practitioners in the retail industry in helping understand the nature and motives of first party frauds which could in turn help devise preventive strategies. The study also makes a case for increased managerial interest and involvement in reducing first party fraud.

Originality/value

– A comprehensive literature search presented in this paper shows that this is the first paper to synthesise the various forms of first party fraud in e-tailing.
Two phase estimation method for multi-classifying real life tweets
Authors: Yamamoto Shuhei , Satoh Tetsuji
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to propose a multi-label method that estimates appropriate aspects against unknown tweets using the two-phase estimation method. Many Twitter users share daily events and opinions. Some beneficial comments are posted on such real-life aspects as eating, traffic, weather and so on. Such posts as “The train is not coming” are categorized in the Traffic aspect. Such tweets as “The train is delayed by heavy rain” are categorized in both the Traffic and Weather aspects.

Design/methodology/approach

– The proposed method consists of two phases. In the first, many topics are extracted from a sea of tweets using Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA). In the second, associations among many topics and fewer aspects are built using a small set of labeled tweets. The aspect scores for tweets were calculated using associations based on the extracted terms. Appropriate aspects are labeled for unknown tweets by averaging the aspect scores.

Findings

– Using a large amount of actual tweets, the sophisticated experimental evaluations demonstrate the high efficiency of the proposed multi-label classification method. It is confirmed that high F-measure aspects are strongly associated with topics that have high relevance. Low F-measure aspects are associated with topics that are connected to many other aspects.

Originality/value

– The proposed method features two-phase semi-supervised learning. Many topics are extracted using an unsupervised learning model called LDA. Associations among many topics and fewer aspects are built using labeled tweets.
Digital collection development for unique users: a veterinary medicine library’s approach
Authors: Hunter Marshall Derek
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present analysis of collection development in a specialized collection given the demand for electronic or online content.

Design/methodology/approach

– A review of research in digital collection development was conducted with particular emphasis on veterinary medicine or medical libraries. This article provides a critique of research on digital collection development as it pertains to a specialized collection from the perspective of a veterinary medicine librarian.

Findings

– As collection development tends toward a preference for electronic formats, many advantages for specialized user groups arise from purchasing electronic books.

Originality/value

– As there are many specialized library types, collection development differs according to user groups. As a veterinary medicine librarian, the author presents a profile of collection development for a specialized user group.
Brazilian dry-beans and food security in developing countries
Authors: Botti Abbade Eduardo , Dewes Homero
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Considering Brazil as a food producer with global prominence and the urgency for food security in some developing countries, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the exports of Brazilian dry-beans against food security of its buyers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The investigation was conducted through analysis of data from official databases as FAO and WHO. This study elaborated dispersion maps crossing characteristics of the international buyers of Brazilian dry-beans considering their food security situations.

Findings

– Brazil has a high domestic consumption of dry-beans, and exports are seen as a secondary activity. However, its production is superior to their domestic needs. Exports of Brazilian dry-beans are generally volatile and unstable. Evidence suggests that countries with serious problems of child and population’s malnutrition (e.g. India and Angola) buy more Brazilian dry-beans. However, their domestic consumptions are still low.

Research limitations/implications

– This research based only on exports of dry-bean is faced as a significant limitation. Future studies adding other staple foods commonly consumed by economically disadvantaged populations may contribute to the investigation of the role of Brazil against the need for food security in developing countries and emerging economies.

Social implications

– Social implications are focussed in the pursuit of malnutrition decrease in the populations of developing countries through the consumption of nutritionally rich and economically viable food, such as dry-beans.

Originality/value

– The original value is based on the analysis of Brazilian dry-beans production and trades and its potential to contribute to nutritional safety and food security in developing countries.
Domestic violence and multi-agency risk assessment conferences (MARACs): a scoping review
Authors: Robbins Rachel , McLaughlin Hugh , Banks Concetta , Bellamy Claire , Thackray Debbie
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the potential and limits of the Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs) in supporting adults with social care needs who also experience domestic violence.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper reports on a scoping review as part of a wider research project entitled: to identify and assess the effectiveness of social care's contribution to the development of MARAC and the protection of adults facing domestic violence.

Findings

– An understanding of the workings of MARAC could support social care practice with high-risk victims of domestic violence. However, the conception of risk assessment and management central to the process also poses ethical dilemmas for practitioners.

Practical implications

– Social care is ideally placed to support, in an holistic manner, a group of vulnerable service-users with complex needs. However, the current climate of austerity could jeopardise this work.

Originality/value

– There is little in the professional and academic press on the MARAC process and particularly in relation to adults and older people. This paper alerts the practice community to the process, its historical development and characteristics and implications for practice.
“A counterfeit friendship”: mate crime and people with learning disabilities
Authors: Andrew Landman Roderick
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to offer an introduction to the recently recognised phenomenon of “mate crime” as it affects people with learning disabilities. It looks at how concerns arose, considers what may make people with learning disabilities particularly susceptible, and proposes a provisional definition of “mate crime”.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper draws on the author's own project work, and reviews the extant research literature on “disablist” hate crime to examine the extent to which so-called “mate crime” has been both explicitly and implicitly identified and analysed in the literature.

Findings

– The literature review indicates that “mate crime” has not been explicitly identified in any scholarly research to date, either under that or any other name. Crimes that we might label as “mate crimes” have, however, appeared in more general literature concerning the experiences of people with disabilities in general, and as victims of crime.

Social implications

– Despite a lack of firm data there is sufficient in the literature, combined with increasing anecdotal evidence and case studies, to suggest that people with learning disabilities are particularly susceptible to “mate crime”, and are being targeted by perpetrators. Increasing independence and reduced service provision are likely to increase the risks. The author argues that mate crime differs significantly from other manifestations of hate crime and abuse, and needs to be conceptualised, analysed and handled differently.

Originality/value

– Whilst the issue of “mate crime” is gaining increasing professional and media attention it lacks any academic base and a definition. This paper attempts to establish an agreed definition and conceptualisation of “mate crime”.
Investigating models of adult safeguarding in England – a mixed-methods approach
Authors: Norrie Caroline , Stevens Martin , Graham Katherine , Manthorpe Jill , Moriarty Jo , Hussein Shereen
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to describe the methodology being used in a study exploring the organisation of adult safeguarding.

Design/methodology/approach

– A mixed-methods study is presented which describes how the research team is seeking to identify models of adult safeguarding and then compare them using a quasi-experimental study design.

Findings

– Close examination of this study's methodology highlights the potential value of mixed-method research approaches.

Research limitations/implications

– Anticipated study challenges include difficulties with gaining agreement from study sites and recruitment of people who have been the subject of a safeguarding referral.

Originality/value

– This will be the first study in England to identify and compare different models of adult safeguarding in depth. Outlining and discussing current methodology is likely to be of interest to practitioners, managers and other researchers and policy makers.
Revisiting student's learning experiences appreciatively
Authors: Giles David , Kung Susie
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focuses on the use of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to acquire and analyse student's life-centric experiences in an undergraduate early childhood course entitled, “Philosophy in Action”. The course has as a foundational belief that a teacher's sense of identity is central to effective teaching. As such, this research sought to capture the essence of the connection between students’ beliefs about early childhood teaching and the real world of practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using an AI approach peak performances were analysed for causes of success and emergent themes, after which provocative propositions and an action plan were co-constructed.

Findings

– The findings of this research evoke discourse around the influence of the student-teacher relationship as a means of enhancing life centric learning experiences in educational programmes.

Originality/value

– The authors wondered whether an AI approach to a course evaluation might open themes that show a taken-for-granted depth of the learning experiences. The authors were not disappointed.
Cultural pluralism increases difficulties in learning experiences yet advances identity formation for Muslim Arab female students at higher education institutions in Israel
Authors: Husny Arar Khalid , Masry-Herzalah Asmahan
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine how learning experiences are shaped for Arab Muslim women students by the different educational approaches (teaching style, relations with lecturers and types of knowledge) and extent of cultural pluralism in three different higher education (HE) campuses in Israel.

Design/methodology/approach

– To clarify these issues the authors conducted narrative interviews with 12 Arab Muslim women students in the Hebrew University and in two academic colleges. Significant differences were found in the women's experiences between the university and the two academic colleges.

Findings

– Arab women had difficulty integrating in the university in contrast to a supportive more familiar environment in the colleges. The different environments also had different implications for the women's identity formation. The findings indicate that since Arab women students have specific needs stemming from their different socio-cultural background, they should be assisted in their integration in academic courses with preparatory instruction and guidance.

Originality/value

– Implications for minority students in different HE campuses are discussed.
Life cycle costs of Dutch school buildings
Authors: de Jong Peter , Arkesteijn Monique
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This article aims at providing case-based evidence to support the idea that an integral approach using life cycle costs (LCC) would lead to more in-depth argued adjustments towards sustainable and feasible school buildings. There is a gap between the investment in and the operating costs of public school buildings, caused by the splitting up of responsibility for the financing of the accommodation. Municipalities finance the initial costs of construction, and school boards are responsible for the operating costs. According to architecture-based research on this subject, this split results in higher costs during the lifetime of the buildings. This problem is often referred to as the split-incentive problem.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research conducted nine case studies of newly built secondary school buildings. The schools were examined with reference to building characteristics, building costs and operational costs. The sustainable performance of these cases is described with the aid of a Dutch sustainability measurement tool. The core of the research is the LCC analysis and the overall perspective on the ratio between initial costs and operations costs.

Findings

– It is often held in the construction sector that investments in sustainability lead to increased expense. However, studies indicate this is not unequivocally true. The authors study, at least, found no clear evidence that schools with investments in specific sustainable solutions have such undesirable higher investment costs. The authors study found some positive effects of sustainable measurements on the LCC of secondary schools.

Originality/value

– This study confirms the ratio of Hughes and Ive as defined in office typologies to be true in the school building typology. It is worthwhile for owners and users to keep focus on LCC, as well as for the government as financiers/or funders of school buildings.
Identifying factors of “organizational information security management”
Authors: Narain Singh Abhishek , Gupta M.P. , Ojha Amitabh
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Despite many technically sophisticated solutions, managing information security has remained a persistent challenge for organizations. Emerging IT/ICT media have posed new security challenges to business information and information assets. It is felt that technical solutions alone are not sufficient to address the information security challenge. It has been argued that organizations also need to consider the management aspects of information security. Consequently, literature, especially in the last decade, has witnessed various scholarly works in this direction. Therefore, a synthesis exercise is required to bring clarity on categorizing the issues of organizational information security management (ISM) to take the research forward. The purpose of this paper is to identify management factors that address organizational information security challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a mix method approach, the paper adopts the qualitative (keyword analysis and experts’ opinion) and quantitative (questionnaire survey) research routes. Exploratory factor analysis is conducted to find out the key factors of organizational ISM.

Findings

– The paper categorizes various organizational ISM functions into ten factors. Spanning across three levels (strategic, tactical and operational), these factors cover various management issues of organizational ISM.

Originality/value

– The paper takes the ISM literature forward by statistically validating the key management factors of organizational ISM. The study outcome should help to draw the attention of organizations toward the managerial challenges of organizational ISM.
Post-retail responsibility of garments – a fashion industry perspective
Authors: Kant Hvass Kerli
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to study the reuse and recycling of garments from the fashion industry's perspective. Through multiple case studies the paper maps the emerging organizational field of post-retail responsibility of garments, describing how and why several fashion companies have engaged with reuse and recycling practices and which opportunities and challenges they face.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study relies on the qualitative multiple explorative case study method. The data were collected from 12 in-depth, semi-structured interviews with seven fashion companies and documentation analyses of two companies. Data were analyzed using the thematic analyses approach. The main limitation of the study is the limited selection of cases and therefore a larger data set and further studies are required to extend the understanding of the phenomenon for more generalized statements and in-depth understanding.

Findings

– The findings demonstrate that post-retail responsibility of fashion is an emerging field in the fashion industry that offers several business opportunities to fashion companies, but also requires rethinking of existing value propositions and engagement of a wider stakeholder group in order to find sustainable solutions for garments’ end of life. The field is still new with limited best practice, however, two main strategies of how fashion companies address post-retail responsibility of their products can be distinguished: second hand retailing and product take-back schemes.

Originality/value

– This paper contributes to research by advancing understanding of fashion industry's role in the end-of-life of their products and the associated opportunities and challenges. This study belongs to the first round of research that directly addresses the post-consumer textile waste from the fashion industry's perspective.
Implications of online funding regulations for small businesses
Authors: Yeoh Peter
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to examine the implications of exemptions to facilitate small businesses’ access to crowdfunding (CF) schemes. The aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis and even now witnessed many small profits and non-profits encountering significant difficulties in accessing funding from the conventional sources and on many occasions have to turn to the newly emerging Internet-enabled donation or product compensation CF schemes. Access to securities-based CF schemes has, however, been seriously difficult due to securities laws obstacles. Regulatory authorities in the USA and the UK have responded with exemptions to facilitate small businesses’ access to CF.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper driven by the qualitative doctrinal approach would rely extensively on primary data from the applicable regulations and secondary data from industry sources and other publicly available commentaries.

Findings

– Securities-based CF schemes hitherto heavily restricted in the USA and the UK are under current regulatory interventions-accorded exemption status, thereby enabling enhanced access for those small businesses seeking alternatives to conventional financing and enhanced investment opportunities for small investors. The paper’s preliminary analysis suggests that the proposed new regulatory rules in the USA and the UK are generally well-balanced with adequate small investors’ protection, while simultaneously not hampering the innovative growth of small businesses with excessive restrictions. Further, the preparedness of the regulators to fine-tune the proposed rules as the CF industry evolves would likely ensure its orderly growth, thereby helping to address various humanitarian and social challenges in these jurisdictions.

Originality/value

– The added value of the analysis lies in its substantive evaluation of the proposed rules in both jurisdictions to ascertain the feasibility of securities-based CF schemes as alternatives for small businesses in relation to traditional financing and enhanced investment opportunities for small unsophisticated investors.
Volunteers in a hospital – opportunity or threat? Exploratory study from Finland
Authors: Koivula Ulla-Maija , Karttunen Sirkka-Liisa
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Finland represents one of the Nordic welfare states where the role of the public sector as the organiser and provider of health and social care is strong. However, the amount of voluntary work in social and health care services is surprisingly big. The strongest advocates for keeping the volunteers outside are hospitals and health centres while at the same time they are suffering from shortages of staff and staff is reporting lack of time to provide needed care for their patients. The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study of the attitudes of professionals towards voluntary work in hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper is based on an exploratory study done in three hospitals, two from an urban area and one in a rural area. The interviewees represent nursing and care staff (n=21). The main questions were how staff members see options, constraints and drawbacks of volunteering regarding professional roles, work division, coordination and management.

Findings

– Attitudes of staff varied from positive to conditional. The approaches towards voluntary work varied from holistic to task-centred or patient-centred and were linked with organisational approach, professional approach or considerations of patients’ well-being. Critical views were expressed related to managerial issues, patients’ safety and quality of care. Increasing the amount of voluntary work done in hospitals would require a considered strategy and a specifically designed process for coordination, management and rules on the division of labour.

Research limitations/implications

– The research raised themes for further quantitative studies to elaborate the findings on the similarities and differences of the opinions of different staff categories and to be able to develop further the heuristic model of volunteer management triangle suggested in the paper.

Social implications

– The study raises questions of the need and promotion of volunteers in general and especially in health care services. It also raises critical views related to voluntary work in hospitals.

Originality/value

– The study is a new initiative to discuss voluntary work and how to manage volunteers in hospitals. It provides valuable knowledge for practitioners in health care involved in volunteer management and coordination.