bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The potential impact of Covid-19 on the Irish housing sector
Authors: Allen-Coghlan Matthew , McQuinn Kieran Michael 
Published: August 2020

Purpose
This paper aims to examine the implications for the Irish housing market of the economic slowdown due to the Covid-19 virus.

Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, an inverted demand function for housing is augmented to include a residential market activity variable and estimate the impact on house prices of the decline in economic activity due to the virus-related measures. The likely future path of house prices based on two different recovery scenarios is also examined. Under both scenarios house prices are forecast to decline in the near term.

Findings
The scenario analysis presented here indicates that Irish house prices are set to fall over the next 18 months as a result of the Covid-19 downturn. This contraction in prices is due to the decline in household disposable income and the sharp fall-off in mortgage market activity, which will inevitably result from the administrative closedown implemented by the Irish authorities.

Originality/value
As such the approach builds on several studies which have examined both house price movements in general and the relationship between house prices and mortgage credit availability. The paper also draws on the latest analysis of the implications for the Irish economy of Covid-19 and the related administrative closure methods introduced by the public authorities.
Enhancing sustainability education through experiential learning of sustainability reporting
Authors: Sulkowski Adam J. , Kowalczyk Wojciech , Ahrendsen Bruce L. , Kowalski Robert , Majewski Edward 
Published: August 2020

Purpose
While progress has been made in the realm of teaching about sustainability to business students, integrating sustainability into experiential learning with a systemic mindset has been identified by leading scholars as an area for improvement. The purpose of this paper is to describe a pilot project in which students prepared a sustainability report for a client company and to answer the question of whether the experiment yielded the anticipated benefits.

Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents an initiative that was part of an MBA course delivered at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland by an international team of professors. The multinational group of students was confronted with the task of preparing an integrated sustainability report for a large corporation.

Findings
The initiative creates opportunities for both students and commercial organizations to understand large business commercial activities from a sustainability perspective. This paper identifies the next steps for others to build upon.

Originality/value
The paper explains the experiential learning opportunity that was created, describes how students rose to meet the challenge, discusses the benefits that accrued to students, professors and a commercial organization and shares some guidance for those seeking to emulate this practice.
The determinants of learner satisfaction with the online video presentation method
Authors: Al Natour Sameh , Woo Carson 
Published: August 2020

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the determinants of learners' satisfaction with a new blended learning method, namely online video presentations.Design/methodology/approachThe study tests the proposed model using responses from 353 students who were exposed to the new method. Regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.FindingsThe results show that both the perceived social (e.g. reduction in comparison bias) and utilitarian (e.g. presentation originality) benefits increase satisfaction with the online video presentation method, from both the creator's and the learner's perspectives.Practical implicationsThis study provides several guidelines to instructors employing blended learning methods, as well as designers of platforms that enable blended learning.Originality/valueThis study provides a model to understand the determinants of learners' satisfaction with a new blended learning method. It looks at these determinants from both the content creators' perspective and the content viewer's perspective.
The empowerment of singleton daughters: exploring the gender digital divide among Chinese college students
Authors: Zhang Puxin , Wang Lian , Liu Chun 
Published: August 2020

PurposeExisting researches find that a gender difference exists in terms of Internet usage. In China, the singleton daughters resulting from China's one-child policy enjoy unprecedented parental support. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether singleton daughters can, to some extent, break through the predicament of the digital divide.Design/methodology/approachThe study collected data from a sample of 865 college students and obtained 811 valid questionnaires. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) is used to identify clusters of Internet usage from the perspective of statistical associations in various daily online activities. Two-way ANOVA and mean-comparison tests are used to analyze how singleton and non-singleton students use the Internet differently.FindingsThis study finds that singleton female students showed no significant differences from male students in aspirational activities of informational, educational use and social media use, which means that singleton female students have caught up with male students in these activities. However, female college students from multi-child families were still found to be disadvantaged in those activities.Originality/valueThere is a lack of consensus on the classification of Internet activities. We used EFA to cluster the varieties of Internet activities into three types: utilitarian use, exploratory use and aspirational use. The three identified types of Internet usage require different degrees of user initiative. We argue that initiative provides a useful lens through which to classify Internet usage. In addition, this study is among the few studies to investigate the impact of the one-child policy on the gender digital divide.
Narrowing the barriers to Industry 4.0 practices through PCA-Fuzzy AHP-K means
Authors: Kumar Shailendra , Suhaib Mohd. , Asjad Mohammad 
Published: August 2020

PurposeThe study aims to analyze the barriers in the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) practices in terms of prioritization, cluster formation and clustering of empirical responses, and then narrowing them with identification of the most influential barriers for further managerial implications in the adoption of I4.0 practices by developing an enhanced understanding of I4.0.Design/methodology/approachFor the survey-based empirical research, barriers to I.40 are synthesized from the review of relevant literature and further discussions with academician and industry persons. Three widely acclaimed statistical techniques, viz. principal component analysis (PCA), fuzzy analytical hierarchical process (fuzzy AHP) and K-means clustering are applied.FindingsThe novel integrated approach shows that lack of transparent cost-benefit analysis with clear comprehension about benefits is the major barrier for the adoption of I4.0, followed by “IT infrastructure,” “Missing standards,” “Lack of properly skilled manpower,” “Fitness of present machines/equipment in the new regime” and “Concern to data security” which are other prominent barriers in adoption of I4.0 practices. The availability of funds, transparent cost-benefit analysis and clear comprehension about benefits will motivate the business owners to adopt it, overcoming the other barriers.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study brings out the new fundamental insights from the barriers to I4.0. The new insights developed here will be helpful for managers and policymakers to understand the concept and barriers hindering its smooth implementation. The factors identified are the major thrust areas for a manager to focus on for the smooth implementation of I4.0 practices. The removal of these barriers will act as a booster in the way of implementing I4.0. Real-world testing of findings is not available yet, and this will be the new direction for further research.Practical implicationsThe new production paradigm is highly complex and evolving. The study will act as a handy tool for the implementing manager for what to push first and what to push later while implementing the I4.0 practices. It will also empower a manager to assess the implementation capabilities of the industry in advance.Originality/valuePCA, fuzzy AHP and K means are deployed for identifying the significant barriers to I4.0 first time. The paper is the result of the original conceptual work of integrating the three techniques in the domain of prioritizing and narrowing the barriers from 16 to 6.
Strategic pricing by Islamic banks and the impact on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention
Authors: Rama Ali 
Published: August 2020

Purpose
The study aims to capture customers’ different price expectations by constructing a multidimensional price perception in Islamic banking setting and the impact on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention, as a single price perception approach cannot reflect heterogeneity of price expectations. The study conceptualized customers’ price expectation into price reliability, price confidence, price transparency, relative price, price–quality ratio and price fairness.

Design/methodology/approach
An online questionnaire was distributed to Islamic banking customers in Indonesia to test seven proposed hypotheses of price perceptions on customer satisfaction and behavioral intention. The instrument used a five-point Likert-type scale to capture customer perception on the instrument variables and analyzed the functional relation of the model using multiple regression analysis.

Findings
Empirical findings reveal that customers experienced more price expectations in their banking decision-making process. The number and complexity of price expectations depend primarily on the customers’ interest, particularly on price transparency, relative price and price–quality ratio, and these dimensions affect satisfaction and behavioral intention. Islamic banking customers in Indonesia are highly aware of price transparency, have “relative thinking” on price differences and put price–quality ratio in their assessment.

Research limitations/implications
The study was conducted in Indonesian Islamic banking industry; the extension to other different countries may reveal difference in price complexity and implication to behavioral consequences. Any difference in customer attitude would bring managerial implication for different Islamic bank managers. Additionally, this study developed and examined five price dimensions, however, there may be additional price dimensions in different environment contexts. Further research is needed to identify any other price expectations that may affect customers’ behavior.

Practical implications
The results of this research allow bank practitioners to develop relevant pricing strategy to fulfil customers’ different price expectations in their decision-making process. Appropriate measures to different price expectations improve satisfaction, loyalty and, in turn, increase bank profits. Furthermore, this research provides useful information for future researchers in different settings.

Originality/value
This paper provides empirical analysis of pricing strategy by Indonesian Islamic banks and insights on customers’ experience toward different price expectations.
Managers’ incentives and disincentives to engage with integrated reporting or why managers might not adopt integrated reporting: an exploratory study in a nascent setting
Authors: Gerwanski Jannik 
Published: August 2020

PurposeDespite its envisaged benefits, integrated reporting (IR) has yet to achieve its “breakthrough”, especially among small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study aims to discern SME leaders’ attitudes toward IR, and thereby to reveal managerial perceptions of both the potential benefits and the challenges that actually prevent them from embarking on IR.Design/methodology/approachThis explorative study is grounded on semi-structured interviews with 16 managers of large German SMEs, which yet do not apply IR but are potential candidates to implement it in the future. The engagement with non-preparers is expected to paint a more representative picture of actual reasons for IR (dis-)engagement compared to prior studies that address the few firms that have adopted IR and overcome its challenges. Applying Brown and Fraser’s (2006) conceptual landscape, results are presented analogous to a business case-, stakeholder accountability- and critical theory dimension.FindingsContrary to prior studies, which identified stakeholder accountability endeavors as kindling SME managers’ interest in voluntary reporting initiatives, managers regard IR primarily as a business case, serving to achieve legitimacy, improve corporate image, reach out to professional investors and assist in employee recruitment. However, they refrained from actually adopting the novel reporting medium, which suggests that decision-makers might not believe the business case to be as unproblematic as claimed by the proponents of IR. This was traced back to three major impediments that currently inhibit SMEs from reporting in an integrated way, namely, a perceived lack of interest by the relevant publics, infeasibility of the IR concept to meet user needs and preparation costs. These drawbacks resemble those of earlier voluntary reporting experiments, calling into question the “revolutionary” character of IR. The study critically concludes that the future development of IR depends on addressing these barriers.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first explorative study to deliberately engage with IR non-preparers to draw conclusions on impediments to IR. The identification of relevant incentives and disincentives for IR among SME managers at first hand not only adds to the small extant IR research body and provides valuable insights for research, practice and standard setting but also contributes to the contemporary debate about dominant legitimacy-based explanations in the broader domain of social and environmental accounting and reporting.
Positive feedback loop between earthworms, humus form and soil pH reinforces earthworm abundance in European forests
Authors: Desie Ellen , Van Meerbeek Koenraad , De Wandeler Hans , Bruelheide Helge , Domisch Timo , Jaroszewicz Bogdan , Joly François‐Xavier , Vancampenhout Karen , Vesterdal Lars , Muys Bart 
Published: August 2020

Abstract

In many terrestrial ecosystems, earthworms operate at the interface between plants and soil. As ecosystem engineers, they affect key ecosystem functions such as decomposition, nutrient cycling and bioturbation. Their incidence and abundance depends on several soil properties, yet simultaneously they also impact soil properties themselves. The existence of a positive feedback loop in which earthworm activity maintains their own niche—by promoting turnover rate in the forest floor, thereby increasing topsoil pH and creating suitable living conditions for themselves—has been suggested before, yet lacks supporting evidence.

Here we assessed how tree species litter traits relate to such below‐ground interactions in forests across Europe. Specifically, we hypothesized a below‐ground feedback loop between burrowing earthworm biomass, humus form and pH, affected by litter quality. We tested this hypothesis by means of structural equation modelling.

Our results demonstrate that litter nutrient concentrations affect both burrowing and litter dwelling earthworm biomass, which in turn directly impacts humus form and indirectly soil pH. At a continental scale, that is, including all edaphic conditions, soil pH did not feed into earthworm biomass nor could we link leaf structural recalcitrance (e.g. lignin) or functional diversity to below‐ground interactions.

However, in forests where moisture is not limiting, soil acidity proved an important factor determining the context of below‐ground interactions. Therefore, we were able to confirm the hypothesized feedback loop for forest ecosystems with soil pH ≤ 5. In calcareous and/or periodically dry forests, other factors than soil chemistry and litter quality became determinant for earthworm biomass.

The activity of burrowing earthworms is pivotal in below‐ground ecosystem functioning of mesic forest soils, impacting litter accumulation and forest floor conditions above‐ground, the pH and nutrient status below‐ground and ultimately their own living conditions. This highlights earthworm bioturbation as a key mechanism for understanding plant–soil interactions in forests.

A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.
The Effect of Interpersonal Political Embeddedness on Firm Internationalization Scope
Authors: Sawant Rajeev J. , Nachum Lilac , Panibratov Andrei Yu. 
Published: August 2020

AbstractHow does a firm's political embeddedness affect its internationalization strategy? Extant research shows conflicting effects, treating embeddedness as a unitary construct. We contend that interpersonal relational political embeddedness (IPE) is distinct from the structure of embedded ties and focus on IPE's consequences for firm internationalization. IPE refers to dyadic, interpersonal relationships of trust, loyalty and reciprocity between individuals. We theorize that IPE increases firm susceptibility to dependence asymmetry, which increases as the power of the political actor increases. Dependence asymmetry increases political encroachment in firm decision‐making. Because political actors prefer domestic investments, greater dependence asymmetry in IPE reduces firm foreign direct investment (FDI) scope. Political preferences for domestic investments may be reduced for host countries that have cooperative relationships with the home country, which reduces the negative effect of greater dependence asymmetry in IPE on FDI scope. IPE may also reduce firm motivation and ability to develop political risk management capabilities. Thus, host country political risk increases the negative effect of greater dependence asymmetry in IPE on FDI scope. Our empirical analysis of a sample of 285 firms – examining the political experience and relationships of 1,521 directors and 311 top managers in Russia – supports this theory. We contribute to the theory regarding firm political embeddedness and internationalization strategy.
Autopsy Identification of Viable Mycobacterium Tuberculosis in the Lungs of a Markedly Decomposed Body
Authors: Unuma Kana , Watanabe Ryo , Hirayama Naho , Uemura Koichi 
Published: August 2020

AbstractVarious infectious diseases, including COVID‐19, MERS, and tuberculosis, are global public health issues. Tuberculosis, which is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), is highly contagious and can be transmitted through inhalation of the bacteria. However, it has been assumed that the infectiousness of bacteria and viruses in dead bodies weakens as the time from death increases. In particular, there is little awareness of infection control measures concerning decomposed bodies or even the need for such measures. The deceased, in whom we discovered MTB 3 months following her death, was a woman in her 80s who died at home. We performed judicial autopsy, because police suspected homicide when her husband hanged himself. Obtained organs were used for microscopic examination by hematoxylin–eosin staining and Ziehl–Neelsen staining. In addition, real‐time PCR and mycobacterial culture testing using Ogawa's medium were performed for the detection of MTB. We found that the MTB in the decomposed body remained viable and potentially infectious. To identify the bacterial strain further, we performed DNA‐DNA hybridization and identified the strain as MTB complex. Potentially infectious live MTB survived in the dead body far longer than had been previously reported. Pathologists should consider microbial culture tests for all autopsied cases in which the decedent's medical history or macro‐examination suggests possible infection, even when a long duration of time has passed since death. Pathologists and specialists who perform autopsies should recognize that all dead bodies are potentially infectious, including those in which long periods have elapsed since death.
Systematic review and meta‐analysis of oral paracetamol versus combination oral analgesics for acute musculoskeletal injuries
Authors: Scott Gemma , Gong Jiayi , Kirkpatrick Carl , Jones Peter 
Published: August 2020

AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to determine if a combination of analgesics conveys any significant clinical benefit over paracetamol alone in managing acute musculoskeletal injuries.MethodsTwo reviewers independently searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), EMBASE and Cochrane electronic databases. Randomised controlled trials comparing paracetamol with paracetamol plus other oral analgesics in managing acute musculoskeletal injuries (e.g. sprains, contusions) were identified. Outcomes were reduction in pain score, adverse events and need for additional analgesia. Studies were critiqued using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool and data analysed using RevMAN meta‐analysis software.ResultsSix studies were included (n = 1254). No paediatric studies were identified. Five studies compared paracetamol to paracetamol plus NSAID. One study also included an opioid in the combination group. There was no clinically important difference between groups for reduction in pain score in the first 2 h, 24 h or 72 h. At 2 h the mean difference in reduction in pain score at rest on 100 mm VAS was 0.72 mm (−1.36, 2.79), P = 0.5. On activity it was −1.79 mm (−4.08, 0.49), P = 0.12. The risk of adverse events in ED was −0.00 (−0.04, 0.03). More patients receiving combination therapy required additional analgesia in the first 2 h: −0.03 (−0.06, −0.01), P = 0.01.ConclusionParacetamol monotherapy is a reasonable first‐line analgesic for acute musculoskeletal injuries as combining additional oral agents does not result in any significant additional analgesic effect.