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1 – 10 of over 2000Anna V. Chatzi and Kyriakos I. Kourousis
Healthcare has undergone multiple phases in gaining understanding, accepting and implementing quality and safety, with the last 3 decades being crucial and decisive in making…
Abstract
Purpose
Healthcare has undergone multiple phases in gaining understanding, accepting and implementing quality and safety, with the last 3 decades being crucial and decisive in making progress. During that time, safety has always been quoted along with quality, but the cost of error in healthcare (both in human lives and monetary cost) has been continuing to rise.
Design/methodology/approach
This article discusses the authors’ expert perspective in comparison to the industry’s research and practice outputs.
Findings
Healthcare has not yet defined quality and safety. This is allowing the misconception that already established quality management systems (QMSs) are fit for safety purposes as well. Even though aviation has acted as a paradigm for healthcare, further alignment in embedding safety management systems (SMS) has yet to be realised.
Originality/value
In this paper, the distinct nature of safety and its detachment of quality is being discussed, along with the need for clear and safety specific processes. Setting common language is the first step in establishing appropriate safety processes within SMSs, operating in tandem with QMSs, to promote patient safety successfully.
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The purpose of this policy piece is to present headline evidence from the equivalent of a decade of research across three projects focused on improving the educational experiences…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this policy piece is to present headline evidence from the equivalent of a decade of research across three projects focused on improving the educational experiences of incarcerated or justice-involved children and young people across 14 countries. The projects demonstrated a positive impact when using the specially designed innovative methods even with disengaged justice-involved children and young people. Each project had a different focus based on the needs of the children and young people, including (re)engaging them with education and learning opportunities re-engaging young offenders with education and learning (RENYO), developing identified social and emotional competencies through sport active games 4 change (AG4C) and developing skills for when transitioning into communities (S4L).
Design/methodology/approach
Each of the three projects designed bespoke interventions and materials based on the focus of the project. Combined, these were piloted across a total of 14 countries with 548 children and young people, 225 educators and 21 youth justice settings (custodial and non-custodial). Qualitative and quantitative data were gathered from educators, children and young people to better understand the effectiveness and limitations of the pedagogical approaches, the materials and experiences of the users.
Findings
The findings from across the three projects demonstrated that when custodial settings or youth justice settings have greater access to specifically designed tools and resources, with appropriate training to use them, it is possible to re-engage even the most disengaged children and young people with education and learning (RENYO). It was also possible to show a statistically significant increase in social and emotional competencies (social awareness, responsible decision-making, self-awareness, self-management, relationship skills) in participating country settings (AG4C) and to engage children and young people with a Skills4Life Curriculum in preparation for moving back into the community.
Research limitations/implications
Custodial and other youth justice settings vary widely in different jurisdictions with varying levels of resource. Whilst all programmes had success in implementation, this was to different degrees and extents in each of the country contexts. Much of this success will depend on the skills of educators and the willingness of the leadership.
Practical implications
The programmes and interventions in this policy piece can be used in a range of contexts and settings as shown by the wide range of sites they were piloted in. From a practical perspective, these programmes and interventions have been designed to fit into existing structures and timetables with custodial and youth justice settings, making them easily integrated into business as usual.
Originality/value
Planned and strategically delivered interventions by expert educators in a holistic way means there is real opportunity to better support justice involved children and young people to successful transitioning back into communities, thereby potentially reducing reoffending. This is done by (re)engaging them with education and learning on entry, using the authentic inquiry methodology, developing social and emotional competencies through the active games and sport programme, followed by a tailored Skils4Life Curriculum preparing them for transition back into communities.
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Godwin Kaisara and Kelvin Joseph Bwalya
The aim of this study is to identify the various knowledge formats suitable for mobile learning in Namibian public universities.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to identify the various knowledge formats suitable for mobile learning in Namibian public universities.
Design/methodology/approach
Taking a qualitative design, data were collected through focus group interviews of students in two public universities in Namibia.
Findings
Results suggest that students consume knowledge in various formats, with videos the most preferred format. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that students’ preferences are shaped by various factors such as costs and quantity of information.
Research limitations/implications
The study was limited to two public Namibian universities. This limited scope, as well as its qualitative nature, means that findings cannot be arbitrarily generalized to other contexts but cardinal as a source of insight in contextually similar environments.
Practical implications
The findings reveal that teachers should be cognizant of the preferred knowledge formats for mobile learning to achieve its full potential in terms of effective teaching and learning. Therefore, teachers should package learning information for mobile learning in line with learners’ characteristics and preferences.
Originality/value
There is scant information on knowledge formats suitable for mobile learning. Consequently, this study contributes to the nascent body of knowledge on this important issue. Furthermore, although mobile learning uptake is on the ascendancy in Africa, to the best of our knowledge, no study of this nature has been undertaken in this context thereby leaving knowledge gaps for designers, researchers and practitioners in mobile learning.
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Ryuichi Nakamoto, Hao-Cheng Chen, Hiroki Noguchi and Shohei Funatsu
The Penrose effect, or the limitation of the growth rate during expansion due to managerial constraints, has been examined in the context of business diversification, withdrawal…
Abstract
Purpose
The Penrose effect, or the limitation of the growth rate during expansion due to managerial constraints, has been examined in the context of business diversification, withdrawal and MNE’s foreign direct investment, primarily in the for-profit sector. However, insufficient attention has been paid to its impact on professional service firms, particularly in the context of their expansion through service exports. The main purpose of this study is to examine the Penrose effect in the internationalization of professional service firms through service exports.
Design/methodology/approach
This study focuses on large Japanese patent firms as traditional professional service firms and constructs panel data for 48 large patent firms over the observation period from 2002 to 2010 to test our hypotheses.
Findings
Our results demonstrate a negative relationship between degree of internationalization and international business growth, thus confirming the Penrose effect. Furthermore, we found that the degree of internationalization has a curvilinear relationship with international business growth and that institutional distance does not have a negatively moderating effect on the relationship between the degree of internationalization and international business growth.
Originality/value
This study made a theoretical contribution to Penrose's growth theory and previous studies on international management and professional service firms and international management by showing that the Penrose effect can be observed in the international expansion of professional service firms through service exports. Moreover, this study identifies the factors that modify the Penrose effect, thereby making a significant theoretical contribution.
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Fredrick Ishengoma and Elia John
This study aims to establish a comprehensive framework for adopting mobile-based artificial intelligence (AI) services in Tanzanian manufacturing small and medium enterprises…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to establish a comprehensive framework for adopting mobile-based artificial intelligence (AI) services in Tanzanian manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology involved conducting a literature review and using the combination of Mobile Services Acceptance Model and Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) as a theoretical foundation. This synthesis delves into the current knowledge on technology adoption, organizational behavior and innovation diffusion, creating a solid conceptual basis. Expert review was used for framework validation to ensure the framework's accuracy.
Findings
This study shows that the factors influencing the adoption of mobile-based AI services in Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs include perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, context, personal initiatives and characteristics, trust, infrastructure, cost, mobility, power distance, compatibility, observability and trialability.
Research limitations/implications
The framework provides valuable insights tailored to Tanzanian sociocultural and economic nuances. However, its generalizability is limited due to its specificity to Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs.
Practical implications
The framework outlined in this research provides SME leaders, policymakers and technology implementers with valuable guidance to make informed decisions during the adoption process.
Originality/value
This study introduces a novel lens for understanding technology adoption. This study's focus on the Tanzanian context and its nuanced examination of contributing factors add to its originality and practical significance.
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Ali Doostvandi, Mohammad HajiAzizi and Fatemeh Pariafsai
This study aims to use regression Least-Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) as a probabilistic model to determine the factor of safety (FS) and probability of failure (PF) of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to use regression Least-Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM) as a probabilistic model to determine the factor of safety (FS) and probability of failure (PF) of anisotropic soil slopes.
Design/methodology/approach
This research uses machine learning (ML) techniques to predict soil slope failure. Due to the lack of analytical solutions for measuring FS and PF, it is more convenient to use surrogate models like probabilistic modeling, which is suitable for performing repetitive calculations to compute the effect of uncertainty on the anisotropic soil slope stability. The study first uses the Limit Equilibrium Method (LEM) based on a probabilistic evaluation over the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) technique for two anisotropic soil slope profiles to assess FS and PF. Then, using one of the supervised methods of ML named LS-SVM, the outcomes (FS and PF) were compared to evaluate the efficiency of the LS-SVM method in predicting the stability of such complex soil slope profiles.
Findings
This method increases the computational performance of low-probability analysis significantly. The compared results by FS-PF plots show that the proposed method is valuable for analyzing complex slopes under different probabilistic distributions. Accordingly, to obtain a precise estimate of slope stability, all layers must be included in the probabilistic modeling in the LS-SVM method.
Originality/value
Combining LS-SVM and LEM offers a unique and innovative approach to address the anisotropic behavior of soil slope stability analysis. The initiative part of this paper is to evaluate the stability of an anisotropic soil slope based on one ML method, the Least-Square Support Vector Machine (LS-SVM). The soil slope is defined as complex because there are uncertainties in the slope profile characteristics transformed to LS-SVM. Consequently, several input parameters are effective in finding FS and PF as output parameters.
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Mariem Ben Abdallah and Slah Bahloul
The objective of this research is to determine the influence of solvency and liquidity on the profitability [return on assets (ROA)] of Tunisian banks from Q2-2020 to Q3-2022 by…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this research is to determine the influence of solvency and liquidity on the profitability [return on assets (ROA)] of Tunisian banks from Q2-2020 to Q3-2022 by considering asset quality as a moderating variable.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses data on liquidity, solvency, ROA and asset quality for 12 banks. It also considers bank size, gross domestic product (GDP) growth and inflation as control variables. The methodology is based on panel data with generalized least squares (GLS) estimation to assess the moderate influence of the asset quality on solvency, liquidity and ROA. Also, the generalized method of moments (GMM) estimation is used as a robustness test.
Findings
The results of the GLS model estimation indicated a negatively significant moderating correlation between the liquidity and the solvency. The data from the GMM model indicate that the liquidity variable predicted by the liquidity has a positively significant influence on a bank's ROA as well as for the solvency variable, which is predicted by the capital capacity. Therefore, we conclude that these two variables had a positively significant impact on the ROA.
Research limitations/implications
The studies have many implications for banks and their management in addition to the industry regulators. The results of this study will enable political decision-makers to determine the banks' profits based on their liquidity and solvency.
Originality/value
This analysis provides financial explanations and recommendations for stakeholders in Tunisian banks. Furthermore, these banks must also be able to maintain their liquidity and solvency to ensure their profits in times of COVID-19.
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This paper posits the need for English language arts (ELA) teachers to foster students’ use of languaging about their relations with ecosystems and peers, leading to their…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper posits the need for English language arts (ELA) teachers to foster students’ use of languaging about their relations with ecosystems and peers, leading to their engaging in collective action to critique and transform status-quo systems impacting the climate crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews the current theory of languaging theory and research that focuses on the use of languaging to enact relations with ecosystems and others and voice emotions for transforming communities and reducing emissions contributing to climate change.
Findings
This review of languaging theory/research leads to identifying examples of teachers having students critique the use of languaging constituting status quo energy and community/transportation systems, respond to examples of characters using languaging in literary texts, using languaging in discussing or writing about the need to address climate change, critiquing languaging in media promoting consumption, using media to interact with audiences and using languaging through engaging in role-play activities.
Originality/value
This focus on languaging in ELA classrooms is a unique perspective application of languaging theory, leading students to engage in collective, communal action to address the climate crisis.
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Brett Whitaker and Whitney Whitaker
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a puzzle-based video game that allows Leadership educators to facilitate a highly interactive and behaviorally intense experience within a…
Abstract
Purpose
Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes is a puzzle-based video game that allows Leadership educators to facilitate a highly interactive and behaviorally intense experience within a traditional classroom environment. In this manuscript, we discuss appropriate use cases, curricular alignments and provide a sample lesson plan outlining one way of using the game.
Design/methodology/approach
The cooperative and team-based nature of this game provides opportunities to create interactive lessons on a variety of topics, such as communication, group dynamics, leadership, conflict strategies and cognitive load.
Findings
Our primary reflection is that this game provides a good balance between fun engagement and rigorous learning. While deploying this game in several leadership and psychology courses, students have shown excitement and enthusiasm about playing the game, especially when we have built up some anticipation for it while discussing cognitive load theory (CLT) or other content in the classes leading up to the experience.
Originality/value
The game provides a unique behavioral experience that is useful in several different educational outlets. Fundamentally, the game provides the opportunity for creating three dynamics among small groups of students: cognitive overload, intergroup stress and conflict and communication in stressful environments. Each of these three could be applicable in various courses and curriculum.
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Enoch Atinga and Richard Kwasi Bannor
This current review examines the scientific literature report on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) commercialisation and forest conservation in different jurisdictions.
Abstract
Purpose
This current review examines the scientific literature report on non-timber forest products (NTFPs) commercialisation and forest conservation in different jurisdictions.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review using Scopus-indexed articles on NTFP commercialisation and forest conservation was done using the PRISMA framework.
Findings
The review categorised the factors influencing the commercialisation of NTFPs and forest conservation into five broad factors and sub-factors: socioeconomic, market-based, ecosystem, cultural and institutional factors. The scholarly publications on NTFP commercialisation and forest conservation have been undulating, with two years recording no publication on the subject matter under review. Besides, China and India in Asia are leading in the number of publications on NTFPs’ commercialisation. The review revealed ambivalence and symbiotic relationship among the factors influencing the commercialisation of NTFPs and forest conservation. Specifically, tenure arrangement, strict regulations to forest entry, market information asymmetry, bureaucracy in certification acquisition, seasonality and distance were identified as barriers to NTFPs’ commercialisation. While market demands for NTFPs increased, NTFPs’ prices and unsustainable harvesting activities were threats to forest conservation. Policymakers should focus on safeguarding customary property rights and indigenous knowledge in forest conservation, designing workable capacity-building schemes for NTFP entrepreneurs and reducing the cost and processes in certification acquisition.
Originality/value
There are reviews on NTFPs’ commercialisation and livelihoods, but a synergy between NTFPs’ commercialisation and forest conservation for forest policy direction is yet to be done in the literature. Also, while earlier studies systematically reviewed literature on NTFPs’ commercialisation, they did not relate the studies to forest conservation.
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