bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Approach towards service design process for heritage preservation and sustainability of Bodo Dokhona
Authors: Brahma Chaitali , Saha Bhaskar , Chowdhury Anirban
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to understand the perception of the local weavers amongst the Bodos, a tribe of the North-east (NE) India. Towards this a concept of a service pipeline process in the field of heritage attire preservation of Bodo Dokhona was focused that would endorse the local weavers' community for its wellbeing and sustainability.

Design/methodology/approach

The design approaches have been framed after interactions with the local weavers through a survey conducted for understanding the issues pertaining to weavers. Towards sustaining the Bodo heritage attire Dokhona, a service design pipeline for better management system was developed in three phases. Interactions with the local weavers through survey and validation for its feasibility were undertaken.

Findings

This research paper focuses on publishing innovative survey research and practice related to cultural heritage management of the Bodo traditional wear Dokhona and sustainability conservation of the pipeline process. Therefore, developing both skill and knowledge for the weavers' community of the region.

Social implications

The design pipeline approach in this paper has been shared with the local weavers' for easy understanding of the step-by-step process of weaving a Dokhona made of eri silk. A progressive Bodo weaver will gain skill training which would lead to weavers' empowerment.

Originality/value

Developing and documenting an innovative service design approach. In this context, an insight for women empowerment leading to preservation of Bodo heritage is valued.
Computer vision and machine learning approaches for metadata enrichment to improve searchability of historical newspaper collections
Authors: Ali Dilawar , Milleville Kenzo , Verstockt Steven , Van de Weghe Nico , Chambers Sally , Birkholz Julie M.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Historical newspaper collections provide a wealth of information about the past. Although the digitization of these collections significantly improves their accessibility, a large portion of digitized historical newspaper collections, such as those of KBR, the Royal Library of Belgium, are not yet searchable at article-level. However, recent developments in AI-based research methods, such as document layout analysis, have the potential for further enriching the metadata to improve the searchability of these historical newspaper collections. This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned issue.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors explore how existing computer vision and machine learning approaches can be used to improve access to digitized historical newspapers. To do this, the authors propose a workflow, using computer vision and machine learning approaches to (1) provide article-level access to digitized historical newspaper collections using document layout analysis, (2) extract specific types of articles (e.g. feuilletons – literary supplements from Le Peuple from 1938), (3) conduct image similarity analysis using (un)supervised classification methods and (4) perform named entity recognition (NER) to link the extracted information to open data.

Findings

The results show that the proposed workflow improves the accessibility and searchability of digitized historical newspapers, and also contributes to the building of corpora for digital humanities research. The AI-based methods enable automatic extraction of feuilletons, clustering of similar images and dynamic linking of related articles.

Originality/value

The proposed workflow enables automatic extraction of articles, including detection of a specific type of article, such as a feuilleton or literary supplement. This is particularly valuable for humanities researchers as it improves the searchability of these collections and enables corpora to be built around specific themes. Article-level access to, and improved searchability of, KBR's digitized newspapers are demonstrated through the online tool (https://tw06v072.ugent.be/kbr/).
The paradox of leading amidst uncertainty: maintaining balance on an unstable beam
Authors: Yurkofsky Maxwell M. , Peurach Donald J.
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper proposes a new conception of school systems arising out of the collision of three forces: (1) a longstanding press to rationalize the technical work of schools in the service of educational excellence; (2) a growing democratic press to equitably engage community members in the process of defining educational excellence; which together are (3) heightening legacy uncertainties that pervade educational organizations. It then draws on paradox theory to explore how leaders might navigate the growing uncertainties that are central to the work of organizing for excellence and equity.

Design/methodology/approach

Integrating scholarship related to organizational institutionalism, paradox theory, learning sciences, social justice leadership and educational system building, this paper examines the changing organization of schools, the growing uncertainty facing educators and the implications for leaders and preparation programs.

Findings

This paper introduces two perspectives on how to navigate the growing uncertainty facing educators and educational leaders: one that centers on mitigating uncertainty, the other that prioritizes leveraging uncertainty. Both perspectives have affordances and limitations when considering the twin goals of educational excellence and equitable involvement in decision-making, and leaders should thus view uncertainty as a paradox—an interdependent, persistent, contradiction—that can never be fully resolved, but can be managed. A paradox perspective makes visible the complex work of effectively moving between mitigating and leveraging uncertainty, especially in a field where the latter garners more support and legitimacy.

Originality/value

This paper synthesizes recent educational and organizational scholarship to develop a new conception of educational organizations and a corresponding approach to educational leadership capable of navigating the growing complexity and uncertainty that pervades school systems.
Why are Vietnamese people susceptible to cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes? Findings from using the PLS-SEM approach
Authors: Nguyen Nhung Thi , Nguyen An Tuan , To Ha Thi Nguyet , Le Thanh Ta Hong
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This paper aims to explore factors influencing Vietnamese people’s susceptibility to fraud through cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses the gullibility theory, the theory of planned behavior theory, the traditional theory of finance and the theory of financial behavior, to develop a questionnaire which is then sent to respondents who are Vietnamese individuals. Subsequently, the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach (PLS-SEM) is used to analyze 370 collected responses.

Findings

This research shows the important roles that trust, risk appetite and knowledge of Ponzi play in respect of fraud susceptibility, among which trust has the highest positive impact. Moreover, there is no evidence of relationships between Vietnamese people’s susceptibility to fraud via cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes and attitudes toward investment scams, knowledge of investment or knowledge of Ponzi schemes.

Research limitations/implications

This paper collects only 370 valid responses, which raises some questions regarding the diversity and representativeness of the survey sample.

Practical implications

This study provides evidence on factors affecting Vietnamese people’s fraud susceptibility to cryptocurrency Ponzi schemes, which helps both authorities and individuals to be vigilant against investment scams.

Social implications

This research proposes several recommendations to prevent investment scams in cryptocurrency trading, from the perspective of state regulators and individuals.

Originality/value

This working paper provides a new approach using PLS-SEM to build a theoretical framework for the possibility of becoming victims of investment scams in Vietnam using a combination of different theories from criminology and finance.
Smart tourism technologies for the psychological well-being of tourists: a Bangladesh perspective
Authors: Gani Mohammad Osman , Roy Hiran , Faroque Anisur R. , Rahman Muhammad Sabbir , Munawara Maisha
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The importance of smart tourism technologies (STTs) has been rising recently, but how STTs are related to tourists' psychological well-being has got little attention. The study intends to show how STTs increase tourists' psychological well-being by capitalizing on the theory of Tourism 4.0. The study investigates the associations between the factors of STTs with the perceived benefit and, subsequently, perceived benefit with the psychological well-being of tourists. Moreover, this study also examines the moderating impact of a growth mindset (GM) between perceived benefits (PB) and tourists' psychological well-being (TPW) in the tourism industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a structured questionnaire, 243 responses were collected through the convenience sampling method. Partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for the analysis.

Findings

Findings show that automation, security/privacy concerns, information accuracy, and personalization are significantly related to the PB of tourists. The results also confirm that a GM moderates the relationship between PB and TPW.

Practical implications

The results show the social and managerial importance of the perspective of tourism in developing countries. Based on the tourism 4.0 concept, this study presents a theoretical contribution by expanding practical information regarding the link between STTs and psychological well-being. Moreover, the study shows some directions to the tour operator about improving PB and psychological well-being. The notion of tourism 4.0 is a new paradigm that seeks to unlock the psychological well-being of visitors through the hyper-interconnectedness of humans and technologies.

Originality/value

This study contributes to prior research on technology-based tourism by exploring the uncharted STT variables, PB, GM and psychological well-being. Moreover, the study makes an empirical effort to conceptualize the tourism 4.0 concept on the proposed relationships. Tourist firms should focus on implementing this theory to develop their business.
Synthesizing as a power-laden facilitation practice in a networked improvement community
Authors: Sandoval Carlos
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine an essential component of enacting an improvement network: facilitation. In it, the author surfaces synthesizing as a core, power-laden facilitation practice that brought together network members from disparate institutions to converge on a shared network aim and theory of improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is situated within a teacher preparation improvement network. Forty-four teacher educators from seven university-based teacher preparation programs participated in the network. Guided by practice theory (Feldman and Orlikowski, 2011), the author collected and analyzed network meetings and artifacts to unveil facilitation practices and their relation to power.

Findings

Synthesizing emerged as a central facilitation practice. Facilitators' engagement in this practice produced power by constraining and enabling how network members participated. Finally, facilitators were systematically and advantageously positioned to prioritize some network members' perspectives while peripheralizing others'.

Practical implications

This paper offers a concrete, detailed window into a core facilitation practice in a network and problematizes it to enable network leaders to be deliberate about facilitation decisions.

Originality/value

Facilitation is a central component of effective networks (Rincón-Gallardo and Fullan, 2016) and is considered central to the work of networked improvement (Bryk et al., 2015), but there exists a dearth of research that offers insights into how facilitation comes to be enacted in practice. This study offers detailed insights into one such facilitation practice.
Education Briefing Property investment: portfolio modelling
Authors: Patrick Michael , French Nick
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The aim of this briefing is to look at the often overlooked impact of gearing (or leverage) on risk. The positive impact on equity return in a strong market is gained by increasing the overall risk of the investment and potentially negative impacts on returns in weak markets.

Design/methodology/approach

This Education Briefing is an explanation of how the addition of individual assets to a portfolio can, with gearing, impact upon the portfolio risk/return profile.

Findings

Through a simple example, this briefing shows how geared portfolios can struggle in poor markets when the servicing of the debt (at increased interest rates) can have a severe negative impact upon returns.

Practical implications

The process of borrowing at a bank rate below the return rate on an investment project can increase the equity return of the project as long as all incomes and interest rate remain at appropriate levels but when incomes fall or disappear and/or interest rates rise, the implication for the assets return and/or solvency can be highly significant.

Originality/value

This is a review of existing models.
Linking marketing imperfections to sustainable entrepreneurial prospects and sustainability: the case of Indian medicinal and aromatic plants businesses
Authors: Chandra Pramod
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Drawing on the extant literature that suggests marketing imperfections are an opportunity to create and establish a foundation for sustainable entrepreneurial prospects and sustainability, this study aims to delineate a marketing mix strategy for Indian medicinal and aromatic plant (MAP) resources to optimize the benefits derived from their existing MAP business and address its marketing imperfections.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study research design was used to investigate the MAP sector, and 37 in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the primary data. Given the study’s exploratory nature, an inductive approach was used for data analysis, and conventional qualitative content analysis was performed to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings reveal that a marketing mix strategy is relevant for linking MAP businesses to the country’s sustainable livelihood options, entrepreneurial prospects, resource management and the economy and for improving the sector’s global competitive position.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is the first to explore and present a marketing mix strategy for Indian MAP resources. Thus, it extends the marketing and entrepreneurship literature regarding natural resource businesses to advance sustainable entrepreneurial prospects and sustainability. The study concludes by offering strategic clues for implementing the marketing mix strategy in the Indian MAP sector and businesses.
The inverse U-shaped relationship between challenge stressors and workplace learning outcomes: a study of young employees in Japan
Authors: Ikeda Megumi
Published: February 2023

Purpose

In recent years, scholars have questioned the linear relationship between challenge stressors and positive outcomes. Nevertheless, few studies have examined whether challenge stressors and workplace learning outcomes have an inverse U-shaped relationship. Therefore, this study aims to determine whether challenge stressors have an inverse U-shaped relationship with workplace learning outcomes among young Japanese employees.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 1,257 individuals in two time periods through an internet survey and analyzed using regression analysis.

Findings

The findings suggest that challenge stressors have an inverse U-shaped relationship with workplace learning outcomes.

Practical implications

The relationship between challenge stressors and workplace learning outcomes is positive until a certain point and becomes negative after a certain point. Hence, when promoting learning outcomes among young employees, supervisors should be careful to avoid subjecting employees to very little or excessive amount of challenge stressors.

Originality/value

This study provides evidence supporting the assumption that the relationship between challenge stressors and positive outcomes has an inverted U-shape.
Does service-oriented manufacturing affect the sustainability performance of Chinese green manufacturing firms: an integrated study including empirical analysis and agent-based simulation
Authors: Zhang Ruihan , Gao Han
Published: February 2023

Purpose

There are two purposes in this paper. The first one is to explore the impact mechanisms and paths of service-oriented manufacturing (SOM) on the sustainability performance of green manufacturing firms and to pay particular attention to the mediating role of enterprise costs in the relationship between the two. The second one is to reveal the dynamic process and laws of SOM influencing on the sustainability performance of green manufacturing enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper employs a combination of dynamic and static research from two aspects. On the one hand, based on 495 green manufacturing firms in China, the authors verify the SEM of SOM, enterprise cost and sustainability performance of green manufacturing firms through empirical research, analyze the path relationship and mediation effect, and demonstrate its complex impact mechanism. On the other hand, the authors use agent-based modeling and simulation to reveal the dynamic influence of SOM on the sustainability performance of green manufacturing enterprises and explore its dynamic laws and future development trends.

Findings

The study results indicate that (1) SOM has a direct positive effect on firm sustainability performance. (2) Reducing firm costs has a positive effect on firm sustainability performance, and firm costs play a partial mediating role in the mechanism by which SOM influences firm sustainability performance. (3) The dynamic impact of SOM on sustainability performance increases significantly over time. (4) Significant firm heterogeneity exists in the process by which SOM improves sustainability performance. (5) There are differences in the promotion of SOM for economic performance, environmental performance and social performance.

Originality/value

This paper makes two main contributions. First, compared with previous research on sustainability performance focusing on a certain dimension, this paper organically integrates the three dimensions of sustainability performance, regards them as a whole and considers the paths to improve sustainability performance. Second, this paper focuses on the complex relationship among SOM, enterprise costs and sustainability performance and reveals different sustainability performance improvement paths and dynamic impact processes, thereby expanding and deepening previous research on sustainability on the subject. These contributions lead to a better understanding of the driving forces and realization path for green manufacturing firms' sustainability performance from an integrated static and dynamic perspective.
The relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and integrated reporting practices and their impact on sustainable development goals: evidence from South Africa
Authors: Ahmed Mohamed Moshreh Ali
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The first purpose of this paper is to investigate whether corporate governance mechanisms, in particular the characteristics of the board, audit committee and risk management committee, are associated with the level of disclosure in integrated reports of South African listed firms. The second purpose of this paper is to analyze how integrated reporting (IR) affects the sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a mixed methods approach. First, a multiple regression analysis is used to estimate the impact of corporate governance mechanisms on IR practices of a sample of South African listed firms during the period between 2019 and 2021. Using the content analysis method to measure the level of IR, disclosures were measured using a disclosure index consisting of 60 information items developed from the IIRC framework and previous studies. Second, based on a database containing 33 articles in the Meditari Accountancy Research journal with a publication date from 2013 to 2021, a systematic review of the academic literature focusing on IR is conducted to analyze how IR influences SDGs.

Findings

The results indicate that board size, board independence and risk management committee independence have a positive effect on IR practices. However, board expertise, board activity, audit committee independence, audit committee size, audit committee expertise, audit committee meetings, risk management committee expertise, risk management committee meetings, risk management committee size and the auditor type are negatively related to IR practices. The results also indicate that IR has an important role in achieving SDGs by relying on integrated thinking that integrates sustainability into the enterprise’s strategy and helps the integration of capitals. In addition, sustainable business models create long-term values.

Research limitations/implications

This study was limited to a sample size of 75 firms, which is country-specific; however, it sets the tone for future empirical research on the subject matter. This study provides an avenue for future research in the area of corporate governance and IR practices in other emerging countries, especially other African countries.

Practical implications

This study provides useful insights for managers and policymakers to better understand which corporate governance mechanisms can best encourage a company to improve IR practices.

Originality/value

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is, perhaps, the first to examine the effect of risk management committee characteristics on IR practices. This study provides new insight into the contribution of accounting research toward the achievement of SDGs.
Spatial design in recent housing developments in Copenhagen: a perspective of social mix and mixing
Authors: Bican Nezih Burak
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study attempts to reveal the contemporary tools of spatial design – policy, planning, urban design and architecture – for social mix (SMX) and social mixing (SMXG) by focusing on the recent undertakings in Denmark, the case in point being Copenhagen.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applies a combined research methodology consisting of qualitative strategies. By making use of regulatory document reviews and interviews with key respondents, the study puts together the tools for SMX which are, otherwise, disorganised. Dwelling on reviews of municipal local plans, site visits and semi-structured interviews with municipal agents in charge, it provides a comparative urban morphology analysis of three recently developed neighbourhoods on the basis of SMX and SMXG.

Findings

This study presents the untitled “toolbox” of Danish authorities to regulate the SMX policies and spatial efforts within a variety of planning/design scales to facilitate SMXG among the inhabitants of the neighbourhoods. The examination of successive cases manifests that SMX strategies have been integrated with those of SMXG, with a gradual upwards inclination, since mixing different tenures, types, sizes and prices have not been successful in guaranteeing social interaction. In doing so, the “in-between” zones have become the primary realm of control with an observable differentiation in the studied cases.

Originality/value

Studies are scant concerning the spatial design efforts regarding social mix and mixing. The present work contributes to filling this gap by examining a cutting-edge practice in a mature milieu and describing it in a thorough and comparative manner.
Creative urban place
Authors: Rahimi Gendeshmin Sahar , Hatami Khanghahi Tohid , Rostamzadeh Yavar
Published: February 2023

Purpose

The concept of a creative place has been considered by experts, but a review of the research background shows that the definitions provided for creative place are different, and the factors that make an urban space a creative place are not clear. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the concept of creative place and to extract the indicators that make an urban space considered a creative place.

Design/methodology/approach

By extensive library studies and using a specialized panel, 59 items in the form of 12 indicators were extracted as identifiers of a creative place and a researcher-made questionnaire was prepared and tested in a case study. Data analysis of this study was performed in two stages by using the factor analysis method in R software.

Findings

The factors of “competitive advantage (economically)”, “freedom”, “attractiveness”, “entrepreneurship and professionalism”, “culture and art”, “vitality”, “diversity”, “distinction”, “participation”, “reconstruction, nobility and infrastructure”, “meaning” and “creative experiences” are important as identifiers of creative place, respectively. The evaluation of the case study showed that the total score of creative places in this urban space is 69.6 (out of 100) and “meaning” gained the most point in this urban space.

Originality/value

The factors of this research can be provided to architects and urban planners as identifiers of a creative place and a case study can be evaluated in terms of the degree of compliance with creative place identifiers.
Psychological capital and work–home enrichment: job crafting as a mediator
Authors: Tisu Luca , Vîrgă Delia
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Based on the Job Demands-Resources theory, this study investigates whether psychological capital (PsyCap) is a precursor of the one-directional work-to-home enrichment (WHE) process through a parallel mediation mechanism enabled by promotion-focused job crafting components.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional study was conducted on 231 Romanian employees. Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).

Findings

PsyCap (what I can do) is an antecedent of all three promotion-focused job crafting behaviors (what I actually do) and WHE. Two specific job crafting dimensions – increasing social job resources and increasing challenging job demands – fully mediate the link between PsyCap and WHE. Increasing structural job resources does not predict WHE.

Originality/value

This study identifies PsyCap as an antecedent of WHE. It also uncovers underlying behavioral mechanisms that enable the transfer of resources from the work role to individuals' home role by investigating job crafting components as distinct dimensions. As such, it gives practitioners a clearer understanding of which behaviors they should seek to cultivate for employees to potentiate their home role through aspects of their job.
Managing team interdependence to address the Great Resignation
Authors: Spitzmuller Matthias , Xiao Chenyang , Woznowski Michalina
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Hybrid and virtual work settings offer greater flexibility and autonomy, yet they also have the paradoxical effect of weakening the connection of employees to each other and their identification with the organization. The purpose of this article is to discuss how to manage this paradox effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

Leveraging structural adaptation theory, the authors discuss hybrid and virtual work as one of five dimensions of team interdependence that collectively determine the tightness of coupling between team members.

Findings

The authors propose that the introduction of virtual and hybrid work can lead to a lower sense of belonging and identification with the organization that would need to be counteracted by respective increases in team interdependence in one or several of the remaining dimensions of team interdependence.

Originality/value

The authors apply research on team interdependence to develop a series of practical interventions that can address the Great Resignation. These interventions seek to enhance employees' experiences of belongingness after the shift to virtual and hybrid work. In doing so, the authors provide a toolkit that organizations can leverage to improve their employees' experiences in a post-COVID-19 workplace.
Inventory management systems of small and medium enterprises in Bangladesh
Authors: Alam Md. Kausar , Thakur Oli Ahad , Islam Fakir Tajul
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Inventory is a crucial part of a systematic supply chain of a business. Small firms mostly neglect inventory management (IM) by accumulating excessive inventory for a time. The study aims to examine the IM practices of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Bangladesh.

Design/methodology/approach

The study applied a qualitative case study design. Data were collected from ten SME owners in Bangladesh. The study employed a purposive sampling technique to collect data. This study used semi-structured interviews to generate data. The NVivo software was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The findings show that most SME business owners collect raw materials from the local market. Along with the local sources, they collect raw materials from international markets. Some SME entrepreneurs collect raw materials throughout the country as they dealt with recycled products. Frequently, they used digital technologies and online media to manage raw materials. SME owners could not buy many raw materials due to financial crisis, wastage, and damage, leading to a ratio of 10–15% losses.

Research limitations/implications

This research contributes greatly to the government, SME Foundation, and trade associations concerning the SME IM system. The study recommends the government should reduce the tax rate on importing SME raw materials and inventories and exporting SME products.

Originality/value

This is the first study that focuses on the IM systems of SMEs in Bangladesh.
A systematic review of online learning and teaching strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic: implications for the construction management sector
Authors: Abbasnejad Behzad , Soltani Sahar , Wong Peter
Published: February 2023

Purpose

Most educational institutions worldwide have shifted to online teaching and learning approaches to mitigate risks imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This causes several issues, particularly in delivering the construction management (CM) courses which require site visits, interpreting technical drawings and developing 3D building models. This paper aims to identify the key strategies for online learning and teaching adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate the implications for construction management education.

Design/methodology/approach

The research approach is twofold. First, the study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) through a synthesis of the existing literature to identify the key strategies and lessons learned about online education during the COVID-19 pandemic in tertiary programs. It also discusses their implications in the context of the construction management (CM) sector in particular. Secondly, the authors shared their hands-on experience as construction management course facilitators – using the autoethnography approach – during the COVID-19 crisis.

Findings

In addition to identifying the key strategies such as online course delivery and assessments, the paper critically discusses the barriers to online learning and teaching, including (1) the technological and infrastructure barriers; (2) required online teaching skills and competencies; (3) issues surrounding mental health and wellbeing; (4) lack of consistency in the online delivery of various courses in a given program (5) difficulties around students' engagement and (6) the course characteristics and requirements.

Originality/value

The study offers some implications and recommendations not only for educational institutions and staff but also for vendors of online course delivery software. To prepare educational institutions for future online course delivery, the paper proposes several strategies. These include developing a set of guidelines for online course delivery, incorporating online teaching training modules into the recruitment process for academic staff, applying agile and resilience teaching and learning methods, wellbeing and mental health support and continuously improving course features to adapt to the online environment.
Leveraging the hard and soft elements of TQM: the interplay of benchmarking and improvement processes
Authors: Filippi Emilia , Gaio Loris , Zamarian Marco
Published: February 2023

Purpose

This study aims to analyze how the interplay between hard and soft elements of total quality management (TQM) produces the conditions for sustaining success in the quest for quality.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative analysis (Gioia method) was carried out on an original dataset collected through both direct and indirect methods (i.e. archival sources, interviews and observations) to generate a new interpretive framework.

Findings

The interpretative framework identifies four categories of elements: trigger elements create the starting conditions for a quality virtuous cycle; benchmarking tools set the standards of performance; improvement tools enable exploration of the space of possible alternative practices and finally, catalytic forces allow the institutionalization of effective techniques discovered in this search process into new standards.

Research limitations/implications

The findings the authors present in this paper are derived by a single case study, limiting the generalizability of our results in other settings.

Practical implications

This study has three implications: first, the design of trigger elements is critical for the success of any TQM initiative; second, the interplay of improvement and benchmarking tools at several levels should be coherent and third, to exploit the potential of TQM, efforts should be devoted to the dissemination of new effective practices by means of catalyzing elements.

Originality/value

The model provides a more specific understanding of the nature and purpose of the hard and soft elements of TQM and the dynamic interaction between the two classes of elements over time.
Australian Government COVID‐19 Business Supports
Authors: Watson Timothy , Buckingham Paul
Published: February 2023

This article documents the considerable economic support provided to businesses by the Australian Government in response to the COVID‐19 pandemic. We find that measures were associated with higher levels of business profitability and savings, a strong recovery in payroll jobs and wages, and mixed effects with respect to business dynamism. We formally evaluate the SME Cashflow Boost, finding costs per job‐year saved in the vicinity of $72–83,000 ($US51–59,000) over its first year, implying between 400 and 500,000 job‐years saved over this period. Combined with results from previous studies, this suggests between 1.1 and 1.3 million job‐years were saved by the SME Cashflow Boost and JobKeeper Payment over their respective first years post‐announcement.
Azotobacter inoculation can enhance the resistance of Bt cotton to cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera
Authors: Li Zhuo , Zhao Ming , Li Lei , Yuan Yi‐Yang , Chen Fa‐Jun , Parajulee Megha N. , Ge Feng
Published: February 2023

The rising trend in the cultivation of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic crops may cause a destabilization of agroecosystems, thus increasing concerns about the sustainability of Bt crops as a valid pest management method. Azotobacter can be used as a biological regulator to increase environmental suitability and improve the soil nitrogen utilization efficiency of crops, especially Bt cotton. A laboratory test investigated effects on the development and food utilization of Helicoverpa armigera fed with different Cry1Ab/Cry1Ac proteins and nitrogen metabolism‐related compounds from cotton (transgenic variety SCRC 37 vs non‐Bt cotton cv. Yu 2067) inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense (Ab) and Azotobacter chroococcum (Ac). The findings indicate that inoculation with Azotobacter significantly decreased the partial development and food utilization indexes (pupal weight; pupation rate; adult longevity; fecundity; relative growth rate, RGR; efficiency of conversion of digested food, ECD; and efficiency of conversion of ingested food, ECI) of H. armigera fed on Bt cotton, but contrasting trends were found among these indexes in H. armigera fed on non‐Bt cotton inoculated with Azotobacter, as a result of differences in Bt toxin production. Overall, the results showed that inoculation with Azotobacter had negative effects on the development and food utilization of H. armigera fed on Bt cotton, leading to enhanced target insect resistance. Presumably, Azotobacter inoculation can be used to stimulate plant soil nitrogen uptake to increase nitrogen metabolism‐related compounds and promote plant growth for Bt and non‐Bt cotton, simultaneously raising Bt protein expression and enhancing resistance efficacy against cotton bollworm in Bt cotton.
Identification and characterization of extrachromosomal circular DNA in the silk gland of Bombyx mori
Authors: Zhu Min , Tong Xinyu , Qiu Qunnan , Pan Jun , Wei Shulin , Ding Yuming , Feng Yongjie , Hu Xiaolong , Gong Chengliang
Published: February 2023

The silk gland cells of silkworm are special cells which only replicate DNA in the nucleus without cell division throughout the larval stage. The extrachromosomal circular DNAs (eccDNAs) have not yet been reported in the silk gland of silkworms. Herein, we have explored the characterization of eccDNAs in the posterior silk gland of silkworms. A total of 35 346 eccDNAs were identified with sizes ranging from 30 to 13 569 549 bp. Motif analysis revealed that dual direct repeats are flanking the 5′ and 3′ breaking points of eccDNA. The sequences exceeding 1 kb length in eccDNAs present palindromic sequence characteristics flanking the 5′ and 3′ breaking points of the eccDNA. These motifs might support possible models for eccDNA generation. Genomic annotation of the eccDNA population revealed that most eccDNAs (58.6%) were derived from intergenic regions, whereas full or partial genes were carried by 41.4% of eccDNAs. It was found that silk protein genes fib‐H, fib‐L, and P25, as well as the transcription factors SGF and sage, which play an important regulatory role in silk protein synthesis, could be carried by eccDNAs. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analyses showed that the genes carried by eccDNAs were mainly associated with the development and metabolism‐related signaling pathways. Moreover, it was found that eccDNAfib‐L could promote the transcription of fib‐L gene. Overall, the results of the present study not only provide a novel perspective on the mechanism of silk gland development and silk protein synthesis but also complement previously reported genome‐scale eccDNA data supporting that eccDNAs are common in eukaryotes.
Family Planning and the Long Eighteenth‐Century Pocketbook
Authors: Williams Helen
Published: February 2023

Eighteenth‐century medical literature recommended that women record their menstrual cycles to identify dates of conception, measure gestation, and predict delivery. Women's pocketbooks were natural repositories of such pregnancy‐related data. This article charts the history of women's pocketbooks providing printed affordances for menstruation, pregnancy, and childbirth. Throughout the eighteenth century, women's printed pocketbooks were self‐conscious of, and began to make more obvious, their potential to assist the safe delivery of children. The first mass‐produced tool for predicting childbirth, Anton F.A. Desberger's Schwangerschaftskalender (1827), translated into English as the Marriage Almanack in 1835, presupposed a female readership familiar with women's pocketbooks' self‐conscious capacity to assist family planning.
Writing Doctors and Writing Health in the Long Eighteenth Century
Authors: Blackwood Ashleigh , Williams Helen
Published: February 2023

This introduction to the special issue ‘Writing Doctors and Writing Health in the Long Eighteenth Century’ explores the various types of literary and visual creativity enacted by medical practitioners as they sought new ways of communicating and engaging with the public. Focusing on the shift from Latin to vernacular publishing in elite medical circles, we examine the proliferation of new opportunities open to physicians, surgeons, apothecaries, medical artists, midwives, and other women practitioners to express themselves. Novels, drama, poetry, artworks, almanacs, and letters, to name but a few creative products of the period, allowed new ideas and underrepresented voices to be heard for the first time, changing forever the way creative and empirical cultures would intertwine. Stemming from the Leverhulme Trust Research Project Writing Doctors: Medical Representation and Personality, ca. 1660–1832 (2018–22), this research has undoubtedly been impacted by the rapidly changing nature of public healthcare in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic that was still ongoing when this issue went to print. We value and celebrate connections made between the past and present that continue to assist us in understanding and caring for our bodies.
A genome and single‐nucleus cerebral cortex transcriptome atlas of the short‐finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus
Authors: Kang Hui , Liu Qun , Seim Inge , Zhang Wenwei , Li Hanbo , Gao Haiyu , Lin Wenzhi , Lin Mingli , Zhang Peijun , Zhang Yaolei , Gao Haoyang , Wang Yang , Qin Yating , Liu Mingming , Dong Lijun , Yang Zixin , Zhang Yingying , Han Lei , Fan Guangyi , Li Songhai
Published: February 2023

Cetaceans (dolphins, whales, and porpoises) have large and anatomically sophisticated brains. To expand our understanding of the cellular makeup of cetacean brains and the similarities and divergence between the brains of cetaceans and terrestrial mammals, we report a short‐finned pilot whale (Globicephala macrorhynchus) single‐nucleus transcriptome atlas. To achieve this goal, we assembled a chromosome‐scale reference genome spanning 2.25 Gb on 22 chromosomes and profiled the gene expression of five major anatomical cortical regions of the short‐finned pilot whale by single‐nucleus RNA‐sequencing (snRNA‐seq). We identified six major cell lineages in the cerebral cortex (excitatory neurons, inhibitory neurons, oligodendrocytes, oligodendrocyte precursor cells, astrocytes, and endothelial cells), eight molecularly distinct subclusters of excitatory neurons, and four subclusters of inhibitory neurons. Finally, a comparison of snRNA‐seq data from the short‐finned pilot whale, human, and rhesus macaque revealed a broadly conserved cellular makeup of brain cell types. Our study provides genomic resources and molecular insights into cetacean brain evolution.
SUFU‐associated Gorlin syndrome: Expanding the spectrum between classic nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome and multiple hereditary infundibulocystic basal cell carcinoma
Authors: Álvarez‐Salafranca Marcial , García‐García Mar , Montes‐Torres Andrea , Rivera‐Fuertes Ignacio , López‐Giménez María Teresa , Ara Mariano
Published: February 2023

Basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS), also known as Gorlin syndrome, is characterized by an aberrant activation of the hedgehog (Hh) pathway, most cases being caused by PTCH1 mutations. However, certain features such as multiple hereditary infundibulocystic basal cell carcinomas (MHIBCC), sclerotic fibromas, childhood medulloblastoma or meningioma may be relatively specific to a SUFU mutation. We present two patients with MHIBCC, along with a more complex cutaneous and extracutaneous phenotype. MHIBCC syndrome and BCNS may share clinical features and, indeed, both syndromes probably represent different degrees of upregulation in the Hh pathway.
Right hemicolectomy anastomotic leak study: a review of right hemicolectomy in the binational clinical outcomes registry (BCOR)
Authors: Koneru Sireesha , Reece Mifanwy M. , Goonawardhana Dulani , Chapuis Pierre H. , Naidu Krishanth , Ng Kheng‐Seong , Rickard Matthew J. F. X.
Published: February 2023

Backgrounds

Surgery remains mainstay management for colon cancer. Post‐operative anastomotic leak (AL) carries significant morbidity and mortality. Rates of, and risk factors associated with AL following right hemicolectomy remain poorly documented across Australia and New Zealand. This study examines the Bowel Cancer Outcomes Registry (BCOR) to address this.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was undertaken of consecutive BCOR‐registered right hemicolectomy patients undergoing resection for colon cancer (2007–2021). The primary outcome measure was AL incidence. Clinicopathological data were extracted from the BCOR. Factors associated with AL and primary anastomosis were identified using logistic regression. AL‐rate trends were assessed by linear regression.

Results

Of 13 512 patients who had a right hemicolectomy (45.2% male, mean age 72.5 years, SD 12.1), 258 (2.0%) had an AL. On multivariate analysis, male sex (OR 1.33; 95% CI 1.03–1.71) and emergency surgery (OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.04–1.92) were associated with AL. Private health insurance status (OR 0.66; 95% CI 0.50–0.88) and minimally‐invasive surgery (OR 0.61; 95% CI 0.47–0.79) were protective for AL. Anastomotic technique (handsewn versus stapled) was not associated with AL (P = 0.84). Patients with higher ASA status (OR 0.47; 95% CI 0.39–0.58), advanced tumour stage (OR 0.56; 95% CI 0.50–0.63), and emergency surgery (OR 0.16; 95% CI 0.13–0.20) were less likely to have a primary anastomosis. AL‐rate and year of surgery showed no association (P = 0.521).

Conclusion

The AL rate in Australia and New Zealand following right hemicolectomy is consistent with the published literature and was stable throughout the study period. Sex, emergency surgery, insurance status, and minimally invasive surgery are associated with AL incidence.
Quality performance indicator compliance for the treatment of gastric adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wang Yijiao , Kulasegaran Suheelan , Srinivasa Sanket , Koea Jonathan , MacCormick Andrew
Published: February 2023

Background

Quality performance indicators (QPI) are objective measurements of aspects of patient care that affect clinical outcome. This study investigates the compliance rate to published QPIs of gastric adenocarcinoma (GA) management, in a single institution, to determine areas of strong performance and those requiring improvement.

Methods

All patients with GA treated from 2010 to 2015, and 2020 to 2021 were included. Electronic data in the form of clinic letters, operation notes, and histology and radiology reports were reviewed with ethics approval. QPI adherence was collected in binary form.

Results

QPIs with high compliance rate include preoperative radiological staging and histological diagnosis, subspecialty surgeon training and pathology report documentation. QPIs with low compliance include perioperative chemotherapy (31.6%), postoperative radiological surveillance (32.5%) and minimally invasive approaches to surgical resection (12.5%).

Conclusions

QPIs from the systematic review are variably implemented in clinical practice, thus informing on their relevance to real world clinical practice whilst also identifying the areas requiring focus for improvement.