Search results

The purpose of this study is to examine various key aspects associated with entrepreneurs’ behaviour following a long-term crisis. Specifically, the study compares the perceptions of female and male entrepreneurs operating in Cyprus and Greece concerning success factors and firm performance in the aftermath of the global financial crisis. Conceptually, the study considers the organisational adaptation literature (Miles and Snow’s typology).

The views of female and male micro and small firm owners-managers operating in Greece and Cyprus, a total of 406, were gathered through a questionnaire. To analyse the quantitative data, independent samples t-test and exploratory factor analysis were applied.

Participants’ responses reveal similar levels of perceived importance between genders regarding adaptive measures and strategies to confront a long-term crisis, as well as perceived firm performance. Nevertheless, exploratory factor analysis highlights differences in how male/female entrepreneurs perceive actions that, as in the case of financial management, can safeguard the immediate outlook of the firm.

While scholarly discourses on gender and entrepreneurship abound, important knowledge gaps still exist, for instance, in entrepreneurs’ problem-solving strategies adopted by female and male entrepreneurs following crises. In addressing this scholarly gap cross-culturally, that is, drawing on cross-national data (Cyprus and Greece); the present study makes an important contribution. Empirically, the study ascertains similar entrepreneurial behavioural characteristics between female-male entrepreneurs. Theoretically, the study validates Miles and Snow’s typology and develops a theoretical framework linking the typology and dimensions emerging from the empirical findings.

The purpose of this study is to understand the meaning of the term well-being as conceptualised by parents, grandparents, principals and teachers in the Irish primary education system.

A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was adopted to understand the nature and meaning of the phenomenon of well-being. Interviews were carried out with 54 principals, teachers, parents and grandparents from a representative sample of primary schools in Ireland. Each participant was asked the same, open, question: “What does well-being mean to you?” Responses were transcribed verbatim and analysed using a combination of the principles of the hermeneutic circle and Braun and Clarke’s framework for thematic analysis.

Three conceptualisations of well-being were identified (1) well-being is about being happy, (2) well-being is about being healthy and safe and (3) well-being is something you “do”.

To the best of our knowledge this paper is the first of its kind to describe how well-being is conceptualised by adults in Irish primary school contexts. In particular it highlights how neoliberal conceptualisations of well-being as a “thing”, a commodity exchanged on assumptions of individualism, moralism and bio-economism, have crept into the education of our youngest citizens.

Stereolithography (SLA) additive manufacturing (AM) technique has enabled the production of inconspicuous and aesthetically pleasing orthodontics that are also hygienic. However, the staircase effect poses a challenge to the application of invisible orthodontics in the dental industry. The purpose of this study is to implement chemical postprocessing technique by using isopropyl alcohol as a solvent to overcome this challenge.

Fifteen experiments were conducted using a D-optimal design to investigate the effect of different concentrations and postprocessing times on the surface roughness, material removal rate (MRR), hardness and cost of SLA dental parts required for creating a clear customized aligner, and a container was constructed for chemical treatment of these parts made from photocurable resin.

The study revealed that the chemical postprocessing technique can significantly improve the surface roughness of dental SLA parts, but improper selection of concentration and time can lead to poor surface roughness. The optimal surface roughness was achieved with a concentration of 90 and a time of 37.5. Moreover, the dental part with the lowest concentration and time (60% and 15 min, respectively) had the lowest MRR and the highest hardness. The part with the highest concentration and time required the greatest budget allocation. Finally, the results of the multiobjective optimization analysis aligned with the experimental data.

This paper sheds light on a previously underestimated aspect, which is the pivotal role of chemical postprocessing in mitigating the adverse impact of stair case effect. This nuanced perspective contributes to the broader discourse on AM methodologies, establishing a novel pathway for advancing the capabilities of SLA in dental application.