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Article
Publication date: 18 June 2024

Liam Murphy

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the literature examining the relationship between automation and employment, with a focus on understanding the debates of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the literature examining the relationship between automation and employment, with a focus on understanding the debates of automation displacement and enablement, and the mediating role of employee augmentation in driving organisational productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

A semi-systematic literature review was conducted across the areas of automation, work-design and employee skills over the past 3 years.

Findings

The academic literature was found to still be in its infancy, with empirical evidence in an organisational setting scarce. However, research suggests that automation does not cause job displacement or a negative impact on employment. In contrast, data suggest that automation leads to new job creation, task enlargement and skills enhancement. The findings suggest that organisations should employ augmentation alongside automation to drive productivity, in a way that promotes strong work-design, builds trust and leverages human creativity. A further recommendation is made for organisations to focus on continuous upskilling to combat the shortening shelf-life of skills and adapt to the constant change brought around by advances in automation.

Originality/value

Through a synthesis of diverse perspectives and academic evidence, this paper contributes to the nuanced understanding of the complexities surrounding automation and its impact on employment. This literature review underscores the need for organisational strategies that leverage augmentation to harness productivity savings, alongside a renewed focus on widespread employee skills enhancement. In addition to creating new recommendations for practitioners and organisational leaders, this paper also furthers the research agenda through a list of research gaps for scholarly attention.

Details

International Journal of Organizational Analysis, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1934-8835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2022

Zeynep Ece Atabay, Alessandra Macedonio, Tarek Teba and Zeynep Unal

The destruction of armed confrontations – ranging from chronic armed conflicts to full-scale wars – leads to enormous loss of human lives and causes wide-scale devastation. They…

270

Abstract

Purpose

The destruction of armed confrontations – ranging from chronic armed conflicts to full-scale wars – leads to enormous loss of human lives and causes wide-scale devastation. They also leave deep and lasting traumas in the minds of those whose lives are torn apart because of a conflict. Memorialisation of conflict-affected sites plays an invaluable part in post-trauma recovery and can contribute to the reconciliation of different groups involved in a conflict as these sites are representatives of communities' collective memory, identity and a source of unity and resilience. This paper aims to investigate post-trauma recovery and reconciliation processes through the phenomena of memorialisation. It aims to answer how and if the memorialisation of sites of pain can contribute to the recovery and reconciliation of affected communities and serve as examples for other people around the world.

Design/methodology/approach

The documentation of such processes and the lessons learnt can offer valuable information for conducting similar exercises in other settings ravaged by a conflict. To achieve this, a review of literature on trauma, memory, memorialisation and difficult heritage was conducted, while the memorialisation processes from different cases such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki (1939–1945), Beirut (1975–1990) and Sarajevo's Vijecnica and Mostar Bridge (1992–1995) were analysed.

Findings

It was identified that the potential of memorialisation for post-trauma recovery and reconciliation is vast. However, if these processes can “heal” or “hurt” depend largely on who the stakeholders are; how the site and events are interpreted and presented; how pre/post-conflict relationships and dynamics are harnessed; how symbolic meanings (old and new) are [re]interpreted; the spatial-temporal nature of the site and those interacting with it; and the intended and perceived messages. Altogether, memorialisation of conflict-affected sites is a political and continuous process that should take into consideration all those directly and indirectly involved, the dynamics between them and all the symbolic meanings acquired and attributed to the site.

Originality/value

The study critically explores frameworks of memorialisation and their impact on both the built environment and communities. It contributes to the wider discussion of difficult heritage memorialisation and approaches to reflect on sites and cities emerging from crises such as conflict.

Details

Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, vol. 14 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-1266

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 24 June 2024

David Crockett, Lenita Davis and Casey Carder-Rockwell

Scholars, activists, and policymakers have paid increasing attention to housing instability, especially where eviction is a cause. Housing instability is a dynamic process rather…

Abstract

Scholars, activists, and policymakers have paid increasing attention to housing instability, especially where eviction is a cause. Housing instability is a dynamic process rather than a discrete catastrophic event, and eviction imposes vulnerability on consumers. Even the threat of it can trigger the onset of a crisis. In this project, we deepen the understanding of eviction by exploring its use in property management practice. We begin by summarizing its definition and causes from a cross-disciplinary and still-evolving literature. We then provide an extended example of how eviction can be used to pursue strategic and financial goals using rental markets in Arkansas as an example. Arkansas is characterized by a quintessentially laissez-faire regulatory environment that imposes few restrictions on property owners. We conclude by posing questions that should be at the forefront of a vulnerability-focused, policy-oriented research agenda on eviction.

Details

The Vulnerable Consumer
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-956-9

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2023

Haodong Fan, Feng Luo, Shuai Gao, Meng Li, Zhen Lv and Geng Sun

This study aims to clarify the evolution law of stress field and fracture field during the mining process of inclined coal seam, to prevent the occurrence of roof burst water and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to clarify the evolution law of stress field and fracture field during the mining process of inclined coal seam, to prevent the occurrence of roof burst water and impact ground pressure accident during the advancing process of working face.

Design/methodology/approach

The evolution law of stress-fracture field under different mining conditions of inclined coal seam was studied by using discrete element method and similar material simulation method.

Findings

The overburden stress at the lower end of the coal seam was mainly transmitted to the deep rock mass on the left side, and the overburden stress at the upper end was mainly transmitted to the floor direction. With the increase of the inclined length of the mining coal seam, the development of the fracture zone gradually evolves from the “irregular arch” form to the “transversely developed trapezoid” form. The development range of the fracture zone was always in the internal area of the stress concentration shell.

Originality/value

An original element of this paper is based on the condition that the dip angle of coal seam is 35°, and the evolution law of overburden stress-fracture field during the excavation of coal seam with different lengths was analyzed by UDEC numerical simulation software. The coupling relationship between stress shell and fracture field was proposed, and the development range of fracture zone was determined by stress. The value of this paper is to provide technical support and practical basis for the safety production of a mine working face.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. 21 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 May 2024

Mario Versaci, Giovanni Angiulli, Luisa Angela Fattorusso, Paolo Di Barba and Alessandra Jannelli

Based on previous results of the existence, uniqueness, and regularity conditions for a continuous dynamic model for a parallel-plate electrostatic…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on previous results of the existence, uniqueness, and regularity conditions for a continuous dynamic model for a parallel-plate electrostatic micro-electron-mechanical-systems with the fringing field, the purpose of this paper concerns a Galerkin-FEM procedure for deformable element deflection recovery. The deflection profiles are reconstructed by assigning the dielectric properties of the moving element. Furthermore, the device’s use conditions and the deformable element’s mechanical stresses are presented and discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

The Galerkin-FEM approach is based on weighted residuals, where the integrals appearing in the solution equation have been solved using the Crank–Nicolson algorithm.

Findings

Based on the connection between the fringing field and the electrostatic force, the proposed approach reconstructs the deflection of the deformable element, satisfying the conditions of existence, uniqueness and regularity. The influence of the electromechanical properties of the deformable plate on the method has also been considered and evaluated.

Research limitations/implications

The developed analytical model focused on a rectangular geometry.

Practical implications

The device studied is suitable for industrial and biomedical applications.

Originality/value

This paper proposed numerical approach characterized by low CPU time enables the creation of virtual prototypes that can be analyzed with significant cost reduction and increased productivity.

Details

COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0332-1649

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 December 2023

Luke Jones, Steven Tones, Gethin Foulkes and Andrew Newland

The broad aim of this paper is to use Noddings' theory of ethical care to analyse mentors' caring experiences. More specifically, it aims to analyse how physical education (PE…

Abstract

Purpose

The broad aim of this paper is to use Noddings' theory of ethical care to analyse mentors' caring experiences. More specifically, it aims to analyse how physical education (PE) mentors provide care, how they are cared for and how this impacts their role within the context of secondary PE initial teacher training (ITT).

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were used to generate data from 17 secondary PE mentors within the same university ITT partnership in the north-west of England. Questions focused on the mentors' experiences of care and the impact this had on their wellbeing and professional practice. A process of thematic analysis was used to identify, analyse and report patterns in the data.

Findings

The participants reflected established definitions of mentoring by prioritising the aim of developing the associate teachers' (ATs) teaching rather than explicitly providing support for their wellbeing. This aim could be challenging for mentors who face personal and professional difficulties while supporting the training of an AT. Mentors frequently referred to the support of their departmental colleagues in overcoming these difficulties and the importance of developing interdependent caring relationships. Receiving care did not impede mentors from providing support for others; it heightened awareness and increased their desire to develop caring habits.

Originality/value

Teacher wellbeing has drawn greater attention in recent years and is increasingly prioritised in public policy. These findings highlight the value of mentor wellbeing and how caring professional relationships can mitigate the pressures associated with performativity and managing a demanding workload.

Details

International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6854

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 24 June 2024

Abstract

Details

The Vulnerable Consumer
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-956-9

Article
Publication date: 21 May 2024

Fatih Selimefendigil and Hakan F. Oztop

Multiple encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) are used in a wide range of applications, including convective drying, electronic cooling, waste heat recovery and air…

Abstract

Purpose

Multiple encapsulated phase change materials (PCMs) are used in a wide range of applications, including convective drying, electronic cooling, waste heat recovery and air conditioning. Therefore, it is important to understand the performance of multiple PCMs in channels with flow separation and develop methods to increase their effectiveness. The aim of the study is to analyze the phase transition dynamics of multiple encapsulated PCMs mounted in a U-shaped tube under inclined magnetic field by using ternary nanofluid.

Design/methodology/approach

The PCMs used in the upper horizontal channel, vertical channel and lower horizontal channel are denoted by M1, M2 and M3. Magnetic field is uniform and inclined while finite element method is used as the solution technique. Triple encapsulated-PCM system study is carried out taking into account different values of Reynolds number (Re, ranges from 300 to 1,000), Hartmann number (Ha ranges from 0 and 60), magnetic field inclination (between 0 and 90) and solid volume fraction of ternary nanofluid (between 0 and 0.03). The dynamic response of the liquid fraction is estimated for each PCM with varying Re, Ha and t using an artificial neural network.

Findings

It is observed that for PCMs M2 and M3, the influence of Re on the phase transition is more effective. For M2 and M3, entire transition time (t-F) lowers by approximately 47% and 47.5% when Re is increased to its maximum value, whereas it only falls by 10% for M1. The dynamic characteristics of the phase transition are impacted by imposing MGF and varying its strength and inclination. When Ha is raised from Ha = 0 to Ha = 50, the t-F for PCM-M2 (PCM-M3) falls (increases) by around 30% (29%). For PCMs M1, M2 and M3, the phase transition process accelerates by around 20%, 30% and 28% when the solid volume fraction is increased to its maximum value.

Originality/value

Outcomes of this research is useful for understanding the phase change behavior of multiple PCMs in separated flow and using various methods such as nano-enhanced magnetic field to improve their effectiveness. Research outputs are beneficial for initial design and optimization of using multiple PCMs in diverse energy system technologies, including solar power, waste heat recovery, air conditioning, thermal management and drying.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 December 2023

Jason Von Meding, Carla Brisotto, Haleh Mehdipour and Colin Lasch

This paper will challenge normative disaster studies and practice by arguing that thriving communities require the pursuit of imperfection and solidarity. The authors use Lewis…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper will challenge normative disaster studies and practice by arguing that thriving communities require the pursuit of imperfection and solidarity. The authors use Lewis Carroll’s Looking-Glass World as a lens to critique both how disasters are understood, and how disaster researchers and practitioners operate, within a climate-change affected world where cultural, political and historical constructs are constantly shifting.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper will undertake an analysis of both disasters and disaster studies, using this unique (and satirical) critical lens, looking at the unfolding of systemic mistakes, oppressions and mal-development that are revealed in contemporary disasters, that were once the critiques of Lewis Carroll’s Victorian-era England. It shows how disaster “resilience-building” can actually be a mechanism for continuing the status quo, and how persistent colonizing institutions and systems can be in reproducing themselves.

Findings

The authors argue the liberation of disaster studies as a process of challenging the doctrines and paradigms that have been created and given meaning by those in power – particularly white, Western/Northern/Eurocentric, male power. They suggest how researchers and practitioners might view disasters – and their own praxis – Through the Looking Glass in an effort to better understand the power, domination and violence of the status quo, but also as a means of creating a vision for something better, arguing that liberation is possible through community-led action grounded in love, solidarity, difference and interconnection.

Originality/value

The paper uses a novel conceptual lens as a way to challenge researchers and practitioners to avoid the utopic trap that wishes to achieve homogenized perfection and instead find an “imperfect” and complex adaptation that moves toward justice. Considering this idea through satire and literary criticism will lend support to empirical research that makes a similar case using data.

Details

Disaster Prevention and Management: An International Journal, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-3562

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 September 2023

Fatih Celebioglu and Thomas Brenner

The purpose of this paper is to explain the effects of innovation, specialisation, qualifications and sectoral structure on the resilience of German regions (municipal level…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the effects of innovation, specialisation, qualifications and sectoral structure on the resilience of German regions (municipal level) facing the Great Recession in 2008/2009.

Design/methodology/approach

To calculate the effects of various variables on the resilience of German regions against the Great Recession, the authors use quantile regressions. To measure resilience, the authors create a number of indexes representing different parts of the economy: resistance performance index, recovery performance index, shift-share resistance index, shift-share recovery index, manufacturing resistance index, manufacturing recovery index, service resistance index and service recovery index.

Findings

The results of this study confirm that locations with employment growth before the crisis and with a good industry structure show better employment dynamics during and after the crisis. The authors find evidence for positive relationship between innovativeness, qualification, the share of the service sector, specialisation and resistance. The authors obtain positive results for related variety and both resistance and recovery. The share of the manufacturing sector only shows a positive relationship with recovery.

Originality/value

The authors expand the existing literature in three aspects: First, instead of using regions as observation units, the authors conduct the analyses on the basis of municipalities and their surroundings. By doing so, the authors reduce the modifiable area unit problem because the authors do not rely on regions defined for administrative reasons. Second, the authors apply quantile regressions to detect nonlinear effects. Third, in addition to the resilience of the whole economy, the authors also study the resilience of the manufacturing and service sectors separately and examine the resilience of the local shift effect.

Details

Competitiveness Review: An International Business Journal , vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1059-5422

Keywords

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