bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
I can do better: Mexican direct sellers of beauty products
Authors: Fernández Reyes Lucía , Rajagopal Rajagopal
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Marketing; direct sales and networking in marketing.

Study level/applicability

Undergraduate marketing students.

Case overview

What are the main problems faced by direct sellers in Mexico within a selling context based on social networking? This case has the objective to approach the difficulties direct sellers face in their operations in order to address potential bottlenecks inhibiting the flow of sales. In the present case, direct sellers expressed openly their personal views about the issues they generally had to deal with in order to survive in a highly competitive market, namely the market of cosmetic and beauty products. The decision of whether to implement changes to improve the flow of sells through the network created by direct sellers would eventually affect direct sellers performance given that they are the final appendix of the selling chain. This case helps to develop a direct seller typology for direct selling success. Accordingly, it highlights the importance of every element participating in a business. Summarizing, it strategically links direct sellers performance with the overall business performance.

Expected learning outcomes

The case contributes to the analysis of personality attributes of sellers and the elements affecting market penetration of cosmetic and beauty products. It is also interesting to observe how some foreign brands have become iconic in the local direct selling businesses. This case also contributes to developing tactical competition to strategic planning of marketing of direct selling in emerging markets. Particular learning objectives are as follows: analyse marketing planning from a perspective of decentralization and growth and explore creative possibilities for sustainable growth of this kind of business; stimulate strategic thinking concerning system operation and free bottle necks of selling channels by analysing the effect of system subordination of operations and training to upper levels of vendors; analyse the brand expansion process and loyalty development of customers in a competitive market of products that are sold in network.

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.
Does supply-demand law work for the ICBC stock price?
Authors: Qi Yue , Huang Junqi , Peng Xiaofeng
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Investments.

Study level/applicability

The case is suitable for students with diverse backgrounds – from different countries with different cultures, and from different programs (undergraduate or graduate). The case will be used for an all-English course “The research of Chinese stock markets” and has been used for the course “Portfolio theory and management” (junior student level) at Nankai University.

Case overview

The case introduces Chinese stock markets' uniqueness that there exists a huge number of previously nontradable shares. The release of the shares radically changes the markets' balance and causes the absolute dominance of stock supply over stock demand. Based on the analysis for ICBC, the case demonstrates that the dominance can explain the drop of ICBC's stock price by supply-demand law but fundamental analysis cannot.

Expected learning outcomes

The case will help students to understand the uniqueness of Chinese stock markets and the applicability of supply-demand law in the markets and then be able to make investment decisions.

Social implications

The case can help to educate not only students but also Chinese and foreign investors about the uniqueness of Chinese stock markets and arm the students and investors with the supply-demand methodology to analyse the markets and the reasoning of when and how to invest.

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.
Industrial relations in Botswana – workplace conflict: behind the diamond sparkle
Authors: Marobela Motsomi Ndala
Published: August 2014

Subject area

Management: human resources management.

Study level/applicability

Undergraduate and postgraduate.

Case overview

This case gives critical insights in the complex issues surrounding the management of employment relationship in Africa, specifically focusing on Botswana. It is set in the context of explosive industrial relations involving Debswana Diamond Mining Company and the Botswana Mine Workers Union over the contentious issues of pay bonus and collective bargaining. Failure to reach an amicable compromise by both parties' results in a debilitating strike which costs the company millions of funds and affected it's the corporate image contrary to its well crafted social responsibility. More painfully, the end game is a loss of employment and dreams shattered for 461 dismissed workers who depended solely on this work as their only source of income.

Expected learning outcomes

At the end of reading the case students are expected to: understand the limits of managerial prerogative and the right to manage; appreciate the inherent conflict of interests between labour and capital; consider more equitable compensation schemes in dealing with collective bargaining; and discuss the concept of social responsibility in the context internal customers-employees.

Supplementary materials

Teaching note.
Developing a customer knowledge-based measure for innovation management
Authors: Belkahla Hakimi Wafa , Triki Abdelfattah , Mjahed Hammami Samiha
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of customer knowledge-enabled innovation (CKEI) and suggests a scale for its eventual measurement. The process of the scale development is presented in detail following the Churchill (1979) paradigm. CKEI is defined as the capacity of the organization to introduce new products and services on the basis of effective management of customer knowledge. It reflects the degree to which the company is endowed with the expertise of managing properly customer knowledge in order to enhance innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The CKEI raw scale is mainly composed of 57 items. In an effort to purify the scale measurement, test and validate its psychometric specificities, two surveys were administrated among two independent samples. Respondents were new product managers or marketing managers. One manager per firm was interviewed. The convenience sampling method was applied.

Findings

– The CKEI scale has been intended to be uni-dimensional. It encompasses three main facets: the integrative capacity of the firm, the structural capacity and the internal management capacity. The developed scale is valid and highly reliable (composite reliability=0.90; variance extracted=0.5). After exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, a pool of ten items was retained for the eventual measurement of the CKEI scale.

Research limitations/implications

– CKEI has been tested in a Tunisian context; continued refinement of the proposed CKEI scale is, undoubtedly, possible and even desired, based on further research in other business environments. Such refinements and modifications could necessitate the inclusion of new items, or the deletion of original ones. In some cases, the hypothesized factor structure may need modifications. To keep abreast with the ever-changing business environment, the paper strongly urged to incorporate these relevant aspects in the scale into the future research, so that a valid measure of CKEI can be ensured on an ongoing basis.

Practical implications

– The scale is offered to provide managers with a practical tool for the evaluation of their forces and weaknesses in managing customer knowledge in organizations. It is considered as a barometer allowing them to adjust and to modify continually their innovation strategies focusing on the intellectual capital management.

Originality/value

– CKEI is a new concept that is introduced in this research as a knowledge-based capability which helps companies to sustain competitive advantage. The relevance of the CKEI is that it is considered as a dynamic capability integrating both innovation and customer knowledge management theories.
Recognising emotional expressions of complaining customers
Authors: G. Tombs Alastair , Russell-Bennett Rebekah , M. Ashkanasy Neal
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to test service providers’ ability to recognise non-verbal emotions in complaining customers of same and different cultures.

Design/methodology/approach

– In a laboratory study, using a between-subjects experimental design (n= 153), we tested the accuracy of service providers’ perceptions of the emotional expressions of anger, fear, shame and happiness of customers from varying cultural backgrounds. After viewing video vignettes of customers complaining (with the audio removed), participants (in the role of service providers) assessed the emotional state of the customers portrayed in the video.

Findings

– Service providers in culturally mismatched dyads were prone to misreading anger, happiness and shame expressed by dissatisfied customers. Happiness was misread in the displayed emotions of both dyads. Anger was recognisable in the Anglo customers but not Confucian Asian, while Anglo service providers misread both shame and happiness in Confucian Asian customers.

Research limitations/implications

– The study was conducted in the laboratory and was based solely on participant’s perceptions of actors’ non-verbal facial expressions in a single encounter.

Practical implications

– Given the level of ethnic differences in developed nations, a culturally sensitive workplace is needed to foster effective functioning of service employee teams. Ability to understand cultural display rules and to recognise and interpret emotions is an important skill for people working in direct contact with customers.

Originality/value

– This research addresses the lack of empirical evidence for the recognition of customer emotions by service providers and the impact of cross-cultural differences.
Snowball to avalanche
Authors: Chiu Hung-Chang , Pant Anurag , Hsieh Yi-Ching , Lee Monle , Hsioa Yi-Ting , Roan Jinshyang
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the determinants of successful online viral marketing. More companies in recent years have reduced their advertising expenditures on traditional media. Instead, they focus more on word-of-mouth marketing to reach their potential customers.

Design/methodology/approach

– A 2 (high/low utilitarian message context) × 2 (high/low hedonic message context) × 2 (message source: strong/weak tie strength) × 2 (channel: e-mail/blog) between-subjects experiment was conducted. A total of 363 completed questionnaires were collected in Taiwan.

Findings

– The findings are fourfold. First, the greater the tie strength between the sender and the receiver, the more actively they share information. Second, an audience is more willing to share a message with others when the message contains higher degrees of utilitarian or hedonic values. Third, those who are highly involved with the products are more willing to share information than those who are less involved. Fourth, those who access the information via blogs are more willing to share information with others.

Research limitations/implications

– The first limitation pertains to the issue of external validity. Also, to maximize internal validity, hypothetical scenarios and experimental designs were used rather than actual e-mail/blog experiences as stimuli. The results of this study provide some key strategic implications for companies that are seeking to enhance a successful viral marketing campaign.

Practical implications

– This study suggests there is no “one size fits all” answer. A successful viral marketing campaign is specific to individual characteristics and the approaches used.

Originality/value

– The present study combines related research – including communication theory, consumer value and involvement theory – to investigate the determinants of individuals’ intentions to share marketing information.
International market segmentation
Authors: G. Budeva Desislava , R. Mullen Michael
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the influence of economic and cultural factors, separately and combined, on international country segments and to reveal the stability of factors and country segments over time.

Design/methodology/approach

– Principal component analysis is used to develop three economic factors and two cultural factors borrowed from the World Value Survey. Cluster analysis is used to form country clusters based on the economic and cultural factors, separately, and then combined, to detect whether both economics and culture need to be included as bases for macro-country segmentation. Further, the authors look at these issues across time, the beginning of the decade (1990) and then at the end of the decade (1999).

Findings

– Results support the hypotheses that economics and culture are both necessary for country-level segmentation but reject the hypothesis of cultural convergence as a consequence of technological development and industrialization. The authors confirm that cultural values and beliefs, although persistent, may change gradually under the influence of environmental forces such as economic development. The results support the instability of country segment membership when analyzed over one decade. Economic changes in some countries lead to their movement across segments.

Practical implications

– Results suggest that managers concerned with international segmentation should include both economic and cultural variables and reevaluate country segment membership continuously rather than relying on results obtained in a single period.

Originality/value

– Many international segmentation studies have used macro-level, secondary data to identify country clusters based on similarities in political, economic, geographic or cultural variables for a single period. This study extends existing international segmentation models by examining economic and cultural variables (separately, and then combined), and segment membership over time.
Sustainable, hedonic and efficient
Authors: Cervellon Marie-Cecile , I. Carey Lindsey
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to investigate the influence of consumer reviews on the evaluation, post-experience, of products with a combination of sustainable, hedonic and utilitarian properties.

Design/methodology/approach

– In the first instance, consumer reviews for organic and non-organic cosmetics posted on the French Web site beauté-test.com were analyzed. Second, a full-factorial two product types (organic and non-organic) × three reviews (positive, negative and no reviews) experiment was conducted. Sixty French women tested a beauty product and evaluated it on hedonic and utilitarian (ambiguous and non-ambiguous) properties. In a second experiment, 132 English-speaking students evaluated an herbal tea at home, along a full-factorial two product types (fair-trade and non-fair-trade) × three product properties (hedonic, utilitarian ambiguous and utilitarian non-ambiguous) × two reviews (negative review and no review) between-subject design.

Findings

– First, consumers are significantly less influenced by reviews for hedonic products compared to utilitarian products. In particular, they rely on reviews when evaluating utilitarian ambiguous properties (e.g. anti-aging properties) which they find difficult to judge on their own. Second, consumers are more resistant to the persuasive effect of reviews when the product focus is on sustainable (organic or fair-trade) credentials, in particular when judging ambiguous properties.

Originality/value

– This paper explores a topic neglected in the literature so far: the moderating role of product properties and sustainability, in particular, on consumers’ responses to persuasion and consumer reviews in the context of this paper. Its originality lies in the demonstration that consumers learn through product testing for hedonic and utilitarian unambiguous product properties and through consumer reviews for utilitarian ambiguous product properties. Additionally, it highlights the resistance of sustainable products (organic and fair-trade in this research) to negative product reviews.
Implicit sponsorship effects for a prominent brand
Authors: Herrmann Jean-Luc , Corneille Olivier , Derbaix Christian , Kacha Mathieu , Walliser Björn
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This research seeks to examine the influence of sponsorship on spectators' consideration sets by investigating, in a naturalistic setting, whether sport sponsorship adds a prominent brand to spectators' consideration sets, with and without the explicit memory that the brand is a sponsor.

Design/methodology/approach

– A field study involved 1,084 visitors to a tennis tournament. For the control group (n=276), the interviews took place before the spectators entered the stadium; interviews with the exposed group (n=808) were conducted after they had attended at least one match. Three hypotheses related to consumer status and consideration set conditions were tested.

Findings

– Sponsorship can influence the likelihood that a prominent brand becomes part of the consideration set in a naturalistic setting, even without an explicit memory that the brand is a sponsor. This implicit sponsorship effect was limited to the memory-based consideration set of non-consumers of the brand.

Originality/value

– This study establishes an implicit sponsorship effect for prominent brands in naturalistic environments and contributes to a better understanding of moderating (boundary) conditions.
Skill-based pay in practice
Authors: Léné Alexandre
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to explore how the employees and managers experienced skill-based pay (SBP) plans through the lens of the organizational justice perspective. The article investigates SBP plans and highlights the difficulties encountered in implementing them. SBP plans take a number of different forms that may diverge from the declared model.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study investigates the SBP plan implementation in situ. Following Yin’s case study design method, documents were collected, semi-structured interviews were conducted and observations were recorded in two different companies in France.

Findings

– The organizational justice concepts allow the authors to shed light on the mechanisms through which SBP implementation may lead to negative outcomes. First, the authors argue that injustice perceptions are a critical element in the SBP implementation. Second, they argue that the way SBP plans are implemented by front-line managers influence employee attitudes and behaviours. When employees consider that the decisions are established on the basis of criteria that lack legitimacy, they adopt withdrawal behaviour.

Research limitations/implications

– The majority of studies on SBP are largely atheoretical in nature. It is suggested that the organizational justice framework should be utilized to improve the authors’ understanding of what shapes the reaction of workers towards such plans. The authors consider that justice and trust are a particularly useful duo of lenses through which to examine the motivation of workers to be engaged in such plans.

Practical implications

– The implications for the practice of management surround the issue of unanticipated results of actions. It is not simply a question of designing the most appropriate SBP plans. The key issue is how they are actually implemented by front-line managers. Specifically, the findings highlight the pivotal role front-line managers play in building trust towards employees. Training in procedural justice should accompany SBP implementation.

Originality/value

– This paper highlights the complexity of implementation of SBP. By examining SBP implementation through the lenses of the organizational justice concepts, it sheds light on the under-theorized reactions to SBP implementation, and advances understanding of the mechanisms through which it affects employee attitudes and behaviours.
Training needs assessment of fishermen in Oman through concept mapping technique
Authors: Belwal Rakesh , Belwal Shweta , Al Jabri Omar
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to assess the training needs of fishermen in Oman using the concept mapping technique. This study was the part of a larger research project on the training needs assessment (TNA), where a mixed method approach was used to identify the training needs.

Design/methodology/approach

– Perspective of 12 instructors on a focus question was taken during a brainstorming session at a Fishermen Training Institute in Oman. Using the concept mapping technique involving the multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis, the data recorded was analyzed to arrive at the need clusters, which were later rated and ranked to assign relative importance.

Findings

– The identification led to a ten-clustered solution, covering a range of areas, requiring technical and behavioral skills. The top five training concerns were also identified using the participants’ ratings of the identified training-need clusters. Furthermore, the merit of concept mapping technique over purely quantitative assessments was also realized.

Research limitations/implications

– The study not only identified and evaluated the training needs but also observed the relevance of concept mapping technique. It was observed that the concept mapping technique struck a balance between the two extremes of subjectivity and objectivity while identifying the training needs. The application of concept mapping technique can help in covering the concerns of multiple stakeholders in TNA.

Practical implications

– It identifies some key training areas for Fishermen Training Institutions and government bodies in Oman. The research also supports the extension of the application of concept mapping technique to decision-making situations in other areas.

Social implications

– Training interventions based on the needs assessment will help fishermen from the Oman’s Batinah coast in gaining additional skills, expertise and income.

Originality/value

– This study applies the concept mapping technique in assessing the training needs of fishermen. The research also shares the outcomes of a pioneering attempt to identify fishermen’s training needs in Oman.
Capacity augmentation with VSM methodology for lean manufacturing
Authors: Basu Protik , K. Dan Pranab
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this study is to enhance the output of a manufacturing set-up in phases, by identifying the wastages in the existing line and, thereby, reducing them.

Design/methodology/approach

– Feasibility checking and optimization of capacity enhancement of a processing line have been discussed. Value stream mapping (VSM) methodology has been used as a data-driven decision-making tool to identify the constraints in the current state and subsequent states. The future state has been achieved in stages using VSM tool of lean manufacturing, coupled with the management philosophy of Theory of Constraints. An example of an Indian company has been added to demonstrate the suitability of the approach.

Findings

– The proposed approach addresses an important issue of phased increase in customer demand and the process of accommodating it through multi-phased maneuvering of productive capacity at constraint points instead of enhancing the capacity at one go. The underlying problem of capacity enhancement has been addressed using lean principles and the optimum feasible option has been designed so that the increase in cost is minimized along with satisfying the stepwise increase in demand.

Research limitations/implications

– This research work is applicable to the manufacturing sector.

Originality/value

– This paper proposes a methodology for phased upgrading of a production flow-line in keeping with a steady increase in customer demand. Here, VSM has been applied in a phased manner, and the constraint in the current state as well as in each subsequent phase has been identified and removed.
Forces affecting one Lean Six Sigma adoption process
Authors: Assarlind Marcus , Aaboen Lise
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to identify forces (in the form of converters and inhibitors) of Lean Six Sigma adoption by studying the gradual adoption of Lean Six Sigma in a medium-sized Swedish manufacturing company. The paper suggests how the converters and inhibitors interact toward increased maturity of the adoption and, in this case, stagnation thereof.

Design/methodology/approach

– Thirteen interviews were recorded and analyzed to identify converters that were moving the process forward or backward, as well as inhibitors that caused it to linger.

Findings

– It was discovered that activities that had initially moved the process forward were not sufficient to move it beyond its current point. However, an increased knowledge of Lean Six Sigma throughout the organization now prevents the process from moving in the opposite direction. In this medium-sized Swedish manufacturing company, Lean Six Sigma becomes a framework for thought and communication during Lean work.

Research limitations/implications

– The study benefited from considering forces pushing the process forward as well as backward. Thus, the authors suggest that future studies will benefit from focusing beyond critical success factors that may at times are static in nature. As a limitation, for discussions about the past, the memories of interviewees, generally, may have a tendency to be biased.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes knowledge of Lean Six Sigma adoptions and how they may attain greater future success by reporting on difficulties and setbacks in the current gradual adoption process in a chosen company.
Overlooked and undervalued: the caring contribution of older people
Authors: Carmichael Fiona , G. Ercolani Marco
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– Older people are often perceived to be a drain on health care resources. This ignores their caring contribution to the health care sector. The purpose of this paper is to address this imbalance and highlight the role of older people as carers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study uses a unique data set supplied by a charity. It covers 1,985 caregivers, their characteristics, type and amount of care provided and the characteristics and needs of those cared-for. Binary and ordered logistic regression is used to examine determinates of the supply of care. Fairlie-Oaxaca-Blinder decompositions are used to disentangle the extent to which differences in the supply of care by age are due to observable endowment effects or coefficient effects. Nationally representative British Household Panel Survey data provide contextualization.

Findings

– Older caregivers are more intensive carers, caring for longer hours, providing more co-residential and personal care. They are therefore more likely to be in greater need of assistance. The decompositions show that their more intensive caring contribution is partly explained by the largely exogenous characteristics and needs of the people they care for.

Research limitations/implications

– The data are regional and constrained by the supplier's design.

Social implications

– Older carers make a significant contribution to health care provision. Their allocation of time to caregiving is not a free choice, it is constrained by the needs of those cared-for.

Originality/value

– If the burden of care and caring contribution are measured by hours supplied and provision of intimate personal care, then a case is made that older carers experience the greatest burden and contribute the most to the community.
Why do costs act as a barrier in maternity care for some, but not all women? A qualitative study in rural Nepal
Authors: Simkhada Bibha , R. van Teijlingen Edwin , Porter Maureen , Simkhada Padam , P. Wasti Sarada
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to analyse cost as a barrier to the uptake of antenatal care (ANC) in rural Nepal amidst a variety of barriers and facilitators.

Design/methodology/approach

– A qualitative study with face-to-face interviews were conducted with 50 ANC users and non-users participants. The setting is rural Nepal, some 20 kilometres outside the capital Kathmandu. Interviews were audiotaped, transcribed and translated into English and results were presented thematically.

Findings

– Cost was sometimes a barrier to seeking ANC for poor rural women. It included transport costs, opportunity costs of not being able to work in the household and service-related costs (such as blood or urine tests). The effect of cost as a barrier varied between women of different socio-economic status. Cost was a barrier to accessing ANC partly due to the women's lack of control over household resources.

Social implications

– It is important to consider cost in the wider socio-economic context of rural people's lives as financial costs alone do not explain the level of uptake of ANC.

Originality/value

– This study provides an original insight of women's experiences on financial issues relating to the use of ANC services in Nepal. Another important aspect of this study was approached with the multiple respondents (i.e. women, their husbands and their mothers-in-law) regarding the use of ANC and financial impact in the use of services. The findings of this study have important implications in health policy formation by providing clear picture of women's financial situation in access to ANC.
Empirical analysis of the changing pattern of sex segregation of occupation in Ghana
Authors: Baah-Boateng William
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to assess the changing pattern and direction of sex segregation of occupation as a measure of unbalanced distribution of occupation by sex in Ghana between 1960 and 2010, identify the sources of the changes and show whether female-male earnings difference has changed in line with the changes in occupational segregation.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper applies two segregation indices to data from population censuses and household surveys in the empirical analysis

Findings

– The outcome of the segregation measure indicates a generally modest to high but declining occupational sex segregation in Ghana over a period of five decades. Sex composition and occupational mix effects are found to be the underlying drivers of the declining segregation with the former coming up strongly during the initial 40 years. This has, however, not translated into narrowing female-male earnings gap.

Practical implications

– The paper recommends measures towards economic transformation for a change in occupational structure backed by implementation of education policy to enhance female access to male-dominated science and engineering programmes and employment in high-skill occupations.

Originality/value

– The strength of the paper is seen from its originality as it is the first attempt to assess changing pattern of occupational segregation over a long period of five decades with consistent and comparable data sources.
Establishing the connection between demographic and economic factors, and gender status in the Middle East
Authors: Haghighat Elhum
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– Multiple dimensions influencing women's status in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region – factoring in socio-demographic, economic, and political forces are discussed in this paper. Process of modernization has been complicated by a strong patriarchal culture, the overlap of religion and government, and the absence of a diversified economy along with presence of wealth producing oil resources. Religious ideology, cultural beliefs, and traditional principles, however, cannot be argued as the only reason for women's status lagging behind in these countries. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Six diverse MENA countries – Iran, Libya, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen – that differ from one another with respect to geography, economy, demographics, modernization characteristics and cultural history are examined for comparative reasons.

Findings

– Even though Islam is commonly portrayed as the main factor controlling women's lives and opportunities in MENA, the analysis shows that there are other significant processes at work. To date, women's higher level of educational attainment and unusually swift fertility decline in the MENA region deviates from the expectation that predicts a strong positive correlation between these demographic factors and increased women's social status and higher social mobility.

Originality/value

– This conceptual paper demystifies the connection between women's social status and empowerment in the MENA region and its connection to economic development, employment opportunities, and political stability.
Low-status work repercussions on Egyptians’ collective organisation
Authors: Fouskas Theodoros
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the repercussions of work and employment in low-status jobs upon the collective organisation and representation of Egyptian immigrant workers.

Design/methodology/approach

– Focusing on results from 117 in-depth interviews, the qualitative research (2010-2013) and analysis examines the case of Egyptians in Athens, Greece and on how the frame of their work and their employment affects participation in the immigrant work association Union of Egyptian Workers in Greece/EL-RAPTA and in Greek trade unions as well.

Findings

– Evidence from in-depth interviews proves that Egyptians are supported by friendly and relative relations in search for solidarity; they develop individualistic behaviours and find alternative solutions for survival and protection.

Practical implications

– Through the research, what is analysed is how immigration has affected social welfare and collective forms of representation but also how the immigrants themselves view and act within the collective frameworks. The results are of great concern to immigration policymakers to facilitate integration, combat undeclared work and identify weaknesses in worker rights and organisations.

Originality/value

– The research, the first in Greece specifically for Egyptians immigrant workers and their work association, contributes to the broader body of sociological literature on the study of labour migration and immigrant voluntary associations and it is original as it is based on primary research on the experiences of Egyptian immigrants.
Factors underlying sex preference of domestic servants in Nigeria
Authors: Tade Oludayo , A. Aderinto Adeyinka
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine factors underlying gender preference of domestic servants (DS). Children in domestic service constitute the most common form of urban child labour. Literature has shown that domestic service employment has a gender face with the girl-child more susceptible. This is the gap this research fills.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study employed both quantitative and qualitative strategies selecting respondents and analysing the study. The respondents were employers of DS and were mainly women. Qualitative data were generated from 15 employers reached through the snowball method. The stratified purposive sampling technique was used to identify private and public organisations in the selected localities where copies of a questionnaire were administered.

Findings

– The results showed that factors considered for employing DS are linked to traditional conception of household tasks. Consequently, girls (86.4 per cent) were preferred for performing domestic chores, providing emotional support for employers’ children and were viewed as receptive, “mouldable”, and hardworking to male (11.4 per cent). Not minding these functional roles they perform, some employers reported that female DS could “snatch” their husbands, influence their children negatively, and may be spiritually possessed and physically “unclean”. Male servants were considered foul, repulsive, and revolting to correction; besides, they sexually assault female children of employers; hence they were least demanded.

Research limitations/implications

– Because of the size of the sample which is small, the research results may lack generalisability. More expansive works are needed in this regard.

Practical implications

– The paper includes implications for policy initiative concerning the plight of working women and security of DS.

Social implications

– The paper reveals the social factors considered in recruiting DS and their implications on family relations.

Originality/value

– This paper fulfills the identified gap to study gender preference in domestic servitude.
Battered and shattered: will they get justice? A study of domestic violence against women in India based on National Family Health Survey, 2005
Authors: Bhattacharya Shubhasheesh , Bhattacharya Sonali
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to determine the type and severity of domestic violence faced by Indian women. An attempt has also been made to analyze and interpret demographic variations of domestic violence. The authors have highlighted steps taken by several government, community and private organizations on issues of domestic violence.

Design/methodology/approach

– The analysis of National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-III data (2005) was used for determining the socio-economic factors, which are predictors of domestic violence against spouses and children. Logistic Regression Technique was applied.

Findings

– Results suggest that increased formal education for women, increase in family wealth, and financial independence may decrease spousal violence. Younger women and those who belong to a nuclear family are more vulnerable to spousal violence.

Research limitations/implications

– The research paper only limits its focus on women in India in the age group of 15-49. A cross-country comparison and a longitudinal study would have given better idea on the issue. Besides in India, there are serious issues of concerns of violence against children and elders which have not been part of discussion on this paper.

Practical implications

– The paper not only discusses causes of domestic violence but also on its effects on physical and psychological well-being of women and children.

Originality/value

– The uniqueness of the study lie in on not only extracting out from NFHS survey-III data, the socio-economic factors which are determinants of domestic violence but also analyzing the politico-religious-cultural factors which play major role on the issue. The authors have also thrown light on consequences of domestic violence.
The impact of psychological abuse on somatic symptoms: a study of older persons aged 60-84 years
Authors: Jorge Fernandes Soares Joaquim , Viitasara Eija , Macassa Gloria , Gabriella Melchiorre Maria , Stankunas Mindaugas , Lindert Jutta , Barros Henrique , Ioannidi-Kapolou Elisabeth , Torres-González Francisco
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine differences in the experience of somatic symptoms by domain (exhaustion, musculoskeletal, gastrointestinal, heart distress) between psychologically abused and non-abused older persons, and to scrutinize associations between abuse and somatic symptoms while considering other factors (e.g. social support).

Design/methodology/approach

– The design was cross-sectional. The participants were 4,467 women/men aged 60-84 years living in seven European cities. The data were analysed using bivariate/multivariate methods.

Findings

– Psychologically abused participants scored higher on all somatic symptom domains than non-abused, and thus were more affected by the symptoms. The regressions confirmed a positive association between psychological abuse and most somatic symptom domains, but other factors (e.g. depression, anxiety) were more salient. Demographics/socio-economics were positively (e.g. marriage/cohabitation) or negatively (e.g. education) associated with somatic symptoms depending on the domain. Social support and family structure “protected” the experience of somatic symptoms.

Research limitations/implications

– The research focused on psychological abuse. It did not incorporate other abuse types calling for further research on the effects of other abuse types on somatic symptoms. Nevertheless, the findings indicate that psychological abuse is linked to somatic symptoms, but the role of other factors (e.g. depression, anxiety, social support) is also important.

Practical implications

– Improvements in the older person's situation regarding somatic symptoms need to consider psychological abuse, co-morbidities, social support and living conditions.

Originality/value

– The paper reports data from the ABUEL Survey, which collected population-based data on elder abuse.
Handle with care: providing pre-trial therapy for adults with learning disabilities
Authors: Le Roux Clare , Leach Mandy
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to highlight the provision of therapy for witnesses who have a learning disability prior to and following a criminal trial. Authors will reflect on clinical practice whilst stressing that this area of work is in its infancy and both continue to learn through continued reflection and each new experience.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper broadly describes the nature of pre-trial therapy followed by reflection by a Counsellor and Supervisor on their clinical practice.

Findings

– Authors describe some of the common themes that arise whilst providing pre-trial therapy.

Social implications

– The authors hope that the paper will encourage professionals involved in Safeguarding cases to fully consider the emotional needs of victims and to seek timely therapeutic support where the need presents. They also hope that it will encourage practitioners from various professions to consider providing this specialist and delicate type of therapy whilst highlighting the need for good supervision.

Originality/value

– There is a paucity of written information about this specific subject area. Although safeguarding of vulnerable adults has grown considerably over the last decade and investigations are now more likely to lead to legal action, the availability of emotional support for victims who have learning disabilities needs to be addressed.
Institutions in rural land transactions
Authors: Woestenburg Alexander , van der Krabben Erwin , Spit Tejo
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– This article aims at analysing the different institutional aspects of the rural land market that are manifest at the transactional level. Second, it answers the question whether including these aspects in a land price model increases the understanding of rural land market outcomes. Institutional economics scholars have challenged the limited institutional behaviour of conventional land market models. Despite their research methods remaining primarily qualitative, research findings suggest that we should look at institutional aspects to understand land and real estate market outcomes better.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper presents a hedonic price model explaining rural land prices by using individual institutional transaction aspects from the deeds of purchase of the land exchange.

Findings

– The results indicate that incorporating institutional aspects, such as property rights, transactional arrangements and governance context, as explanatory variables significantly improves the power of the model.

Originality/value

– The approach taken in this article is new in the sense that it tries to combine a quantitative research method with a rich data set of a more qualitative character. The use of deeds of purchase as a primary source of a hedonic price model is relatively new and provides a first step in bridging the gap between advanced hedonic land price models and rich institutional economic insights in market processes.
Having a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder in a forensic setting: a qualitative exploration
Authors: Jade Lovell Lucy , Hardy Gillian
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the lived experience of having a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) in a forensic setting.

Design/methodology/approach

– Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight women with a diagnosis of BPD in private secure units. The interview data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

Findings

– Four main themes emerged: identity, power, protection and containment, and confusion. The themes of identity, power and protection and containment represented polarised positions which in turn contributed to the theme of confusion.

Research limitations/implications

– There are limitations to this study mainly the heterogeneous nature of the sample. However, good quality control and the similarities with previous findings indicate that this study makes a valuable contribution to the understanding of BPD in a forensic setting. In addition it has implications for further research; exploring sense of self and the differences between a sample from a community and a sample from a forensic setting with a diagnosis of BPD.

Practical implications

– For practitioners to acknowledge power dynamics and to be able to formulate and address these with patients with a diagnosis of BPD.

Originality/value

– This is the first IPA study to ask women with a diagnosis of BPD in a forensic setting what their experience is. It is a qualitative study due to the need to genuinely explore the topic and to provide a basis for others to conduct further research.
Nurses’ views about unlicensed and off-license medicines in forensic mental health
Authors: M. Haw Camilla , H. Stubbs Jean , L. Dickens Geoffrey
Published: August 2014

Purpose

– Use of off-license medicines in forensic mental health settings is common and unlicensed drugs are sometimes prescribed. Despite their responsibility for administering medicines little is known about how mental health nurses view these practices. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– In total, 50 mental health nurses working in low and medium secure adolescent and adult mental health wards were presented with a clinical vignette about administration of unlicensed and off-license medicines. Semi-structured interviews about their likely clinical response to, and feelings about, this practice were conducted. Interview data were subject to a thematic analysis.

Findings

– Analysis revealed six themes: status of unlicensed/off-label medicines; legality of administering unlicensed medicines; professional standards around administering unlicensed medicines; finding out more about unlicensed medicines; trusting medical colleagues; and decision making in uncertain cases.

Practical implications

– Forensic mental health nurses take a pragmatic approach to the practice of administering unlicensed medicines and most are aware of their professional responsibilities.

Originality/value

– This study provides the first evidence to inform the development of training for forensic mental health nurses about an issue that is common in forensic mental health practice.