bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Nitrogen dioxide hourly distribution and health risk assessment for winter season in low town of Mohammedia city, Morocco
Authors: El Morabet Rachida , Khan Roohul Abad , Bouhafa Soufiane , Barhazi Larbi 
Published: May 2021

PurposeAir quality and its assessment in urban areas has become a necessity. This is attributed to the increasing air pollution in urban landscape from anthropogenic activities necessary for economic growth and development. This study investigates air quality and potential health risk posed from nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to the residents of low town of Mohammedia city, Morocco.Design/methodology/approachThe NO2 concentration was measured on an hourly basis for the winter season of the year 2014, 2015 and 2016. The air quality was assessed in terms of Air Quality Index (AQI). Noncarcinogenic risk assessment was done to evaluate possible health risk to the inhabitant of low town from NO2 exposure.FindingsThe maximum concentration reached 85–96 µg/m3 (at 6 p.m., 2014), 96–104 µg/m3 (7–9 p.m., 2015) and 102–117 (8–11 p.m., 2016). The AQI during maximum NO2 levels (peak hours) ranged between 0–50 µg/m3 (good) to 51–100 µg/m3 (unhealthy for sensitive group). The risk quotient (RQ) was calculated for average daily intake and average hourly intake of NO2. RQ was found to be less than 1 (no potential health risk, lifetime and hourly) for all three years. However, increase in RQ value from 0.84 (2014) to 0.98 (2016) indicates increase in potential health risk. Hence, policy and measures should be adopted to reduce the potential health risk.Originality/valueThis study is very first of its kind for the area and hence can serve as reference study for future works. Further studies are required to assess air pollution in other seasons (summer, spring, autumn), impact of climatic condition and parameters on air quality. Also, for direct impact assessment number of cases attributed to air pollution needs to be investigated.
Façade inspection for falling objects from tall buildings in Singapore
Authors: Chew Michael Y.L. 
Published: May 2021

PurposeThis paper highlights a crucial public safety issue due to falling objects from tall residential buildings in Singapore. A systematic façade inspection regime and a system of evaluation of severity for the detection and assessment of potential falling objects from tall buildings are presented.Design/methodology/approachThe research uses qualitative case study approach with 450 tall residential buildings sampled for the study. The common materials, elements, components with high risk of falling objects, the nature and type of the falling, the critical factors affecting the falling, the respective level of severity, and the effectiveness of various diagnostic techniques and protocols, are summarised.FindingsFaçade for tall residential buildings in Singapore comprises mainly cementitious materials cast in situ or precast, with fixtures and architectural features, all of which have potential of falling. The common anomalies arising from each material and fixture/features are identified, the causes evaluated and their implications to future design, construction and maintenance analysed.Originality/valueThis study provides original and significant information to a crucial public safety issue, setting design and construction criteria that will serve as a benchmark for new and existing facades, applicable to all cities dominated by tall buildings. The paper presents original figures, checklists and guides as a basis for readers' consideration to use according to their respective unique conditions.
Learning about serious game design and development at the K-12 level
Authors: Kapralos Bill 
Published: May 2021

PurposeVery little effort has been dedicated to the teaching of serious game design and development. At the post-secondary level, very few courses dedicated to serious game design and development exist. At the K-12 level, although (entertainment) game design and programming instruction are becoming more widespread, serious game design and development is ignored. This study aims to present a series of lesson plans that allow K-12 teachers to introduce students to serious game design and development.Design/methodology/approachThe lesson plans include both a didactic and applied component and are intended to provide students with an introduction to serious games and their design and development while making students aware of the many career paths within this exciting growing domain. They can also be completed entirely remotely lending themselves nicely to online instruction to facilitate the COVID-19 shutdowns and the resulting move to e-learning.FindingsAlthough several high-school teachers and several elementary school children were consulted during the development of the lesson plans, the lesson plans have only recently been made available, and therefore, there is a lack of any teacher or student feedback available regarding their use. Informally, several elementary school children found the lessons to be fun, interesting and informative.Originality/valueThere are currently no existing courses or lesson plans focusing on serious game design and development at the K-12 level, thus making this set of lesson plan novel and unique.
Potential of ecotourism as a mechanism to buoy community livelihoods: the case of Musina Municipality, Limpopo, South Africa
Authors: Ramaano Azwindini Isaac 
Published: May 2021

PurposeThis study evaluates prospects of using ecotourism industry to advance community livelihoods in Musina Municipality, Limpopo, South Africa.Design/methodology/approachUsing questionnaire surveys, interviews primarily, supplemented by focus group discussions and interviews, primary data has been collected reflective of the potentiality of ecotouristic activities in Musina Municipality. To a lesser extent, field observations contribute to these primary sources. Extra insights are obtained through documentary reviews (secondary sources). Data is analyzed using quantitative statistical techniques supplemented by qualitative approaches.FindingsThe study confirmed substantial ecotourism potential of the Musina Municipality and that this potential is manifest irrespective of geographic and demographic factors. However, the study reports a low current ecotourism impact in the Musina Municipality with consequential minimal benefits accruing to the enhancement of the standard of living in the local community. An inference is made that the key gap area impeding the realization of ecotourism potential in the Musina Municipality is the absence of a well-articulated tourism strategy linked to the sustainable economic development of the communities involved. Several fruitful initiatives for ecotourism consonant with local factor endowments are proposed.Originality/valueAlthough, taken in topical isolation, matters of community livelihoods and sustainable development have been increasingly coming to the forefront of research on tourism, few studies have taken a holistic approach predicated on the integration of community livelihood and sustainable development roles of various forms of ecotourism in community development within many rural areas. This study represents the first case study employing an integrated approach to analyze ecotouristic potential of rural Musina Municipality, one of the driest areas in the far North of Limpopo Province, South Africa, characterized by low standard of living juxtaposed with high touristic potential.
A critical comparative review of emergency and disaster management in the Arab world
Authors: Al Kurdi Osama F. 
Published: May 2021

PurposeThe Arab world is made up of 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. These countries are subjected to many social, economic, political and geographical vulnerabilities contributing to increased risks or ineffective emergency and disaster management. This paper examines these vulnerabilities, how they may impact the country's ability to face disasters, and how they can improve disasters' overall management.Design/methodology/approachThe author selected Qatar, Oman to represent the Arab oil-rich countries, while Jordan, Egypt and Morocco to represent non-oil rich countries. The research was conducted in a qualitative, inductive systematic literature review based on a well-established systematic literature review methodology. Selected literature was based on its recency and the countries in question.FindingsThe review reveals population gaps that could threaten the social system in the event of a disaster in countries like Qatar and Oman. The majority of the countries lack community engagement and pre-planning for emergency preparedness due to social and cultural barriers. Other nations like Jordan, Egypt and Morocco are prone to long-lasting economic challenges due to lack of resources, mismanagement or corruption. The paper also highlights the need to raise the educational attainment among citizens to understand disaster risk reduction.Originality/valueThis study utilized the research method developed by Williams et al. (2017) to present a comprehensive systematic and comparative review of disaster management in the Arab world. Considering that disaster and emergency management has remained disproportionately unexplored in the Arab world, this paper reviewed several vulnerabilities and how those vulnerabilities may affect disaster and emergency management efforts in the Arab countries.
What goes around comes around. Exploring how skilled migrant founder–managers of SMEs recruit and retain international talent
Authors: Crowley-Henry Marian , O'Connor Edward P. , Suarez-Bilbao Blanca 
Published: May 2021

PurposeThis micro-level study unpacks the recruitment and retention of international professionals to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The study highlights the influence of the founders' international experience when applying organisational-level (meso) policies and practices. With their insider experience as skilled migrants, we share how the founders in each of the SMEs mobilised career capital into human resource management (HRM) strategies.Design/methodology/approachCombining literature on SMEs and skilled migrants' careers, we draw upon intelligent career theory to illuminate the recruitment and retention of self-initiated expatriates and skilled migrants in SMEs. With three SME case studies as samples–one micro, one small and one medium-sized organisation in Ireland–we consider the influence of the founders' international experience in the design and application of formal and informal HRM strategies (at the organisational level) that are operationalised to recruit and retain international talent to/in these organisations.FindingsThe HRM practices in the three SME cases in this paper, each run by migrant founders, vary from formalised (for our medium-sized organisation), semi-formalised (for our small-sized organisation) to ad hoc and tailor-made (for our micro-sized organisation). These particular SMEs were often more receptive to hiring other migrants. The important role of the three SME case studies' skilled migrant founders and their own international career experiences was apparent in the particular HRM approaches they adopted. The relevance of intelligent career theory when applying micro-level findings at the meso-organisational level is shown.Originality/valueThe paper presents how the international experience of founder–managers, in turn, impacts on the HRM practices and policies that are implemented to recruit and retain international employees. The study highlights how both organisation size and founder-manager international experience influence the degree of customisation of HRM practices and policies in SMEs, specifically pertaining to the recruitment and retention of self-initiated expatriates and skilled migrant employees. The heterogeneity within the sub-categories encompassed under the umbrella label of SME is emphasised; validating our case study approach, where nuance and detail of the specific organisation can be shared.
Specific work-life issues of single and childless female expatriates: an exploratory study in the Swiss context
Authors: Salamin Xavier 
Published: May 2021

PurposeResearch on work–life interface in the expatriation context has to date focused on expatriates relocating with a family, and the work–life experiences of single and childless expatriates remain largely unexplored. This is particularly relevant for women, as female expatriates appear to be more often single than their male counterparts and have children less often. The aim of this paper is, therefore, to examine the specific work–life experiences of single and childless female expatriates who are working and living in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design has been adopted for this exploratory study. Data was collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews with 20 single and childless female expatriates living and working in the French-speaking part of Switzerland.FindingsOur findings identify a set of personal, work-related, and social and cultural factors contributing to single and childless female expatriates’ conflict and enrichment between work and nonwork spheres, as well as a range of sources and types of social support they rely upon. Our findings demonstrate that work–life issues are also exacerbated for single and childless women in the international context.Originality/valueThis study is the first dedicated to the examination of specific work–life issues of single and childless women in the expatriate context. By revealing the specificities of their work–life experiences, this study contributes to the fields of (female) expatriate research and work–life research and advances current knowledge on nontraditional expatriates.
Does gender matter? Gender talent migration and its implication for talent management
Authors: Latukha Marina , Shagalkina Mariia , Kalinina Ekaterina , Khasieva Daria 
Published: May 2021

PurposeThe growing trends in talent migration, which in the extreme lead to brain drain, in step with an increasing female participation in labor markets and migration flows, set challenges for both business and governments managing these processes. In this vein, it is proposed that macro talent management (MTM) is effective in managing the above-mentioned macro-level issues. The purpose of this paper is to identify and compare the determinants of talent migration with respect to gender and to analyze the role that talent management (TM) practices may play in the migration of diverse talent groups (male and female) within the Russian context.Design/methodology/approachAnticipating the possible differences in talent migration determinants between men and women and using data from 557 Russian graduates, considered to be high-potential talents, the authors found that these determinants converge.FindingsMale and female talent migration intentions in Russia are influenced by the same industry and individual push factors as well as family reasons, confirming that women are acting as independent economic migrants rather than tied movers. Moreover, the authors identified that talents in our sample evaluate highly the possibility of TM practices to change their migration intentions, and that female talents are more sensitive and responsive in this regard. Therefore, the TM system in the emerging economies' context, in particular Russia, is important for increasing the share of women in the workforce, in particular in leadership positions.Originality/valueThe study's results are important as they provide evidence on the gendered dimension of talent migration in particular in terms of the gendered assessment of talent migration determinants. Moreover, the study shows the positive role of TM in managing talent flows at the country level, in particular the ability of TM practices to attract talents to local organizations and, hence, retain them in a country.
“Slow science” for 21st century healthcare: reinventing health service research that serves fast-paced, high-complexity care organisations
Authors: Jorm Christine , Iedema Rick , Piper Donella , Goodwin Nicholas , Searles Andrew 
Published: May 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to argue for an improved conceptualisation of health service research, using Stengers' (2018) metaphor of “slow science” as a critical yardstick.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is structured in three parts. It first reviews the field of health services research and the approaches that dominate it. It then considers the healthcare research approaches whose principles and methodologies are more aligned with “slow science” before presenting a description of a “slow science” project in which the authors are currently engaged.FindingsCurrent approaches to health service research struggle to offer adequate resources for resolving frontline complexity, principally because they set more store by knowledge generalisation, disciplinary continuity and integrity and the consolidation of expertise, than by engaging with frontline complexity on its terms, negotiating issues with frontline staff and patients on their terms and framing findings and solutions in ways that key in to the in situ dynamics and complexities that define health service delivery.Originality/valueThere is a need to engage in a paradigm shift that engages health services as co-researchers, prioritising practical change and local involvement over knowledge production. Economics is a research field where the products are of natural appeal to powerful health service managers. A “slow science” approach adopted by the embedded Economist Program with its emphasis on pre-implementation, knowledge mobilisation and parallel site capacity development sets out how research can be flexibly produced to improve health services.
On fluctuating characteristics of global COVID-19 cases and identification of inflection points
Authors: Feng Xin , Zhang Hanshui , Zhang Yue , Sun Liming , Li Jiapei , Wu Ye 
Published: May 2021

PurposeThe emergence of a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has had a tremendous impact on the world, and the characteristics of its evolution need to be better understood.Design/methodology/approachTo explore the changes of cases and control them effectively, this paper analyzes and models the fluctuation and dynamic characteristics of the daily growth rate based on the data of newly confirmed cases around the world. Based on the data, the authors identify the inflection points and analyze the causes of the new daily confirmed cases and deaths worldwide.FindingsThe study found that the growth sequence of the number of new confirmed COVID-19 cases per day has a significant cluster of fluctuations. The impact of previous fluctuations in the future is gradually attenuated and shows a relatively gentle long-term downward trend. There are four inflection points in the global time series of new confirmed cases and the number of deaths per day. And these inflection points show the state of an accelerated rise, a slowdown in the rate of decline, a slowdown in the rate of growth and an accelerated decline in turn.Originality/valueThis paper has a certain guiding and innovative significance for the dynamic research of COVID-19 cases in the world.
Migrating to a shared Library Management System: evaluation from the perspective of librarians and lessons learned
Authors: Kouis Dimitrios , Kyprianos Konstantinos , Efthymiou Foteini , Koulouris Alexandros , Karabela Antonia 
Published: May 2021

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to investigate certain aspects, problems and benefits from the migration to a shared Library Management System (LMS).Design/methodology/approachA review of the literature and a quantitative survey was conducted, based on a structured questionnaire, with a response rate of 44.7%.FindingsAmong the crucial issues that should be taken seriously into consideration when transiting into a new and shared LMS, are the audit of the data quality before migration, the employees' training design and the composition of the LMS central support team. The benefits of a shared LMS are mainly effectiveness in terms of libraries' budgets and time for the employees' day-to-day work.Originality/valueThe survey presented in this article evaluates the merits of a shared LMS and contributes innovative aspects to the existing bibliography by investigating issues and problems that arose during the transition. This way, the professionals involved in similar initiatives will benefit by avoiding possible mistakes and drawbacks when implementing such a project.
Towards evaluating interactivity in video-based task design: a perspective from computer-based L2 listening
Authors: Otaif Fahad Ahmed 
Published: May 2021

PurposeWith the growing use of technology in second language learning (L2), many techniques of incorporating digital video in L2 learning and platforms of task implementation appear in the field, however, with little, if any, research on how tasks can be designed and developed in these contexts. Based on Chapelle (2001, 2014) task design criteria, the current paper evaluates specifically the “interactivity” of task design interface and how it may contribute towards either dispersing or directing the learners' attention (Robinson, 2011) during the process of task completion in video-based L2 listening.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative approach – mainly focus groups and interviews – the current study evaluated a number of tasks that were used for computer-based L2 listening when digital video is the mode of presentation. The participants, i.e. English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers and learners, were presented with a number of task designs to try and evaluate.FindingsThe findings revealed that some task designs are perceived to be less interactive and can disperse the learner's attentional resources during the process of task completion. They also shed light on the importance of improving EFL teachers' current practices of task design in computer-based L2 listening.Originality/valueThis paper has contributed to our growing understanding of interactivity in relation to video-based learning and its task designs.