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1 – 10 of over 181000It was not until the late 1960s that housing attracted much attention from academic social scientists. Since that time the literature has expanded widely and diversified…
Abstract
It was not until the late 1960s that housing attracted much attention from academic social scientists. Since that time the literature has expanded widely and diversified, establishing housing with a specialised status in economics, sociology, politics, and in related subjects. As we would expect, the new literature covers a technical, statistical, theoretical, ideological, and historical range. Housing studies have not been conceived and interpreted in a monolithic way, with generally accepted concepts and principles, or with uniformly fixed and precise methodological approaches. Instead, some studies have been derived selectively from diverse bases in conventional theories in economics or sociology, or politics. Others have their origins in less conventional social theory, including neo‐Marxist theory which has had a wider intellectual following in the modern democracies since the mid‐1970s. With all this diversity, and in a context where ideological positions compete, housing studies have consequently left in their wake some significant controversies and some gaps in evaluative perspective. In short, the new housing intellectuals have written from personal commitments to particular cognitive, theoretical, ideological, and national positions and experiences. This present piece of writing takes up the two main themes which have emerged in the recent literature. These themes are first, questions relating to building and developing housing theory, and, second, the issue of how we are to conceptualise housing and relate it to policy studies. We shall be arguing that the two themes are closely related: in order to create a useful housing theory we must have awareness and understanding of housing practice and the nature of housing.
Jayshree Mamtora and Prashant Pandey
The paper describes how Charles Darwin University (CDU) used a three-pronged approach to better serve its researchers: it developed a single interface for improved accessibility…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper describes how Charles Darwin University (CDU) used a three-pronged approach to better serve its researchers: it developed a single interface for improved accessibility and discoverability of its research outputs, consolidated its corresponding policies and procedures and implemented training programs to support the new portal. This in turn made its suite of research outputs more openly accessible and better discoverable. The intention was to make CDU research compliant with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) policy statement, affirming the need to make Australia's research more visible, thereby enabling better access, better collaboration locally and internationally and researchers more accountable to their community.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses case study methodology and a qualitative approach.
Findings
CDU Library collaborated with the University’s Research Office in undertaking a series of strategies towards reframing access to its research. The partners migrated their research collections into a single, new, integrated interface; developed new policies and consolidated existing ones; and to this end, rolled out a training and educational program for the research community. The intention of the program was to introduce the Pure repository to new researchers and to train all staff to self archive and curate their own research outputs. This new streamlined approach ensured a more comprehensive and timely availability and accessibility of the University's research outputs.
Originality/value
A single source of truth was established through the migration of iCDU’s research collections, ensuring data quality was maintained. At the start of this project, there were few institutions in Australia using the Pure system, and even fewer using it as their sole repository for displaying research outputs.
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A self‐help guide to achieving success in business. Directed more towards the self‐employed, it is relevant to other managers in organizations. Divided into clear sections on…
Abstract
A self‐help guide to achieving success in business. Directed more towards the self‐employed, it is relevant to other managers in organizations. Divided into clear sections on creativity and dealing with change; importance of clear goal setting; developing winning business and marketing strategies; negotiating skills; leadership; financial skills; and time management.
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This paper argues that staff in the caring professions wishing to use research evidence to inform their practice cannot afford to ignore the Internet, since it is far and away the…
Abstract
This paper argues that staff in the caring professions wishing to use research evidence to inform their practice cannot afford to ignore the Internet, since it is far and away the best means of access to evidence there is. It also provides a description of and rationale for evidence‐based practice, and highlights the benefits of the Internet using examples of currently available research resources. However, the existing evidence from the social care field indicates poor levels of access to the Internet and other electronic research resources. The implications of this are discussed. It is suggested that appropriate training and support must be provided alongside better Internet access. The paper is set in the context of government initiatives encouraging e‐government.
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Dinuka Herath, Joyce Costello and Fabian Homberg
This paper aims at simulating on how “disorganization” affects team problem solving. The prime objective is to determine how team problem solving varies between an organized and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims at simulating on how “disorganization” affects team problem solving. The prime objective is to determine how team problem solving varies between an organized and disorganized environment also considering motivational aspects.
Design/methodology/approach
Using agent-based modeling, the authors use a real-world data set from 226 volunteers at five different types of non-profit organizations in Southwest England to define some attributes of the agents. The authors introduce the concepts of natural, structural and functional disorganization while operationalizing natural and functional disorganization.
Findings
The simulations show that “disorganization” is more conducive for problem solving efficiency than “organization” given enough flexibility (range) to search and acquire resources. The findings further demonstrate that teams with resources above their hierarchical level (access to better quality resources) tend to perform better than teams that have only limited access to resources.
Originality/value
The nuanced categories of “(dis-)organization” allow us to compare between various structural limitations, thus generating insights for improving the way managers structure teams for better problem solving.
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Indranil De and Tirthankar Nag
The study attempts to look into the poverty and deprivation in slums across various social and religious groups and its bearing on the children. It not only analyses income…
Abstract
Purpose
The study attempts to look into the poverty and deprivation in slums across various social and religious groups and its bearing on the children. It not only analyses income poverty but also looks at derivation of access to basic services including water, sanitation and drainage. The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the income and non-income deprivation of childbearing and non-childbearing households.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a survey of 541 sample households selected from 23 slums of Kolkata, India. The authors have adopted a mixture of cluster sampling and systematic sampling technique. The slums of Kolkata have been segregated into three regions and further segregated by overlaying the population and average monthly income of slums. Slums have been selected randomly from these stratums. Households have been selected from the slums by systematic sampling method.
Findings
The Muslim and backward caste households are more deprived with respect to income and access to basic services as compared to Hindu general (upper) caste. Deprivations with respect to income and basic services are more pronounced for households having child than for households not having child. Childbearing households are less likely to receive better water supply, sanitation and drainage services as compared to others due to their religious and residential identities. Slum children get affected by the complex political economy of basic service delivery. The study also finds that electoral competition has positive and political clientelism has negative impact on access to basic services.
Research limitations/implications
The study is based on results obtained from survey in one city of India. Hence, these results cannot be generalized for India or for the developing countries taken together. Further studies across cities of developing countries are required to arrive at any generalized conclusion.
Practical implications
The study suggests that public policies should attempt to disentangle minorities and children from the local political economy. Otherwise, deprivation and disparity even across low income households living in slums would persist. Deprivation of child bearing households would lead to a deteriorating future for the slum children.
Social implications
This paper have pave the path for new generation public policy for the urban poor and minorities.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the incidence of deprivation of minorities and childbearing households vis-à-vis other households in the slums. It contributes to the overall understanding on urban poverty.
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A good outline processor can serve creativity and help to clarify thinking. The malleability of the screen and computer memory make it easy to add new ideas, try different…
Abstract
A good outline processor can serve creativity and help to clarify thinking. The malleability of the screen and computer memory make it easy to add new ideas, try different organizations, and view a project or document at any appropriate level. Outline processors can help bridge the gap between spontaneous ideas and organized results. In his tenth Common Sense Computing article, the author discusses the ways that outline processors are used, what they do, and what features to look for.
Vi Dung Ngo, Quang Evansluong, Frank Janssen and Duc Khuong Nguyen
This article aims to clarify the role of social capital and social capital inequality embedded in bank ties in enabling and diversifying new firms' debt use.
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to clarify the role of social capital and social capital inequality embedded in bank ties in enabling and diversifying new firms' debt use.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopts a quantitative method, using an unbalanced longitudinal dataset covering three years–2011, 2013 and 2015–from a project on small manufacturing enterprises in Vietnam. The sample consists of 513 firm-year observations.
Findings
Network extensity and network mobilisation increase new firms' debt use. Differences in ascribed and attained social statuses (i.e. gender, generation, business association membership and political affiliation) result in social capital inequality between entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs who are of a younger generation, have higher levels of education and are not members of the Communist Party benefit less from social capital than those who are older, have less education and are party members.
Originality/value
The effects of access to and the use of the social capital embedded in bank ties on new firms' debt use are both studied. The sources of social capital inequality are investigated at the individual level through distinguishing ascribed and attained social statuses and explained by two mechanisms: capital deficit and return deficit. The moderating effects of social capital inequality are also examined.
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Visar Hoxha, Dhurata Hoxha and Jehona Hoxha
The purpose of this study is to identify which are the main factors influencing the apartment prices in Prishtina, the capital of Kosovo, during the period 2018–2020. The factors…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify which are the main factors influencing the apartment prices in Prishtina, the capital of Kosovo, during the period 2018–2020. The factors identified will be used by real estate developers and investors for better decision-making in apartment investments.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology is quantitative. The methodology analyzes 1,468 real estate transaction contracts of apartment buildings using a probability random sampling. The research methodology uses multiple regression analysis to identify whether the research model is significant in predicting apartment prices but also identify which are the main factors that influence the apartment prices in Prishtina, Kosovo.
Findings
The present study finds that location, size, floor, access to road and building quality affect apartment prices in Prishtina, whereas surprisingly access to green spaces and availability of parking spaces have no statistically significant effect on apartment prices in Kosovo.
Research limitations/implications
The study has great implications for the real estate developers in Prishtina, Kosovo showing how to improve their decision-making process in real estate investments to know which characteristics are most valued by investors for investment in new apartment buildings in Prishtina, Kosovo and local authorities in Prishtina, Kosovo to modernize the access to road infrastructure for its inhabitants and adopt building regulations that will enforce strict criteria as far as building quality is concerned.
Originality/value
The study is the first quantitative study that studies the factors influencing the apartment prices in Prishtina, Kosovo.
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Nana Owusu‐Frimpong, Sonny Nwankwo and Baba Dason
This paper aims to explore patients' satisfaction with access to treatment in both the public and private healthcare sectors in London.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore patients' satisfaction with access to treatment in both the public and private healthcare sectors in London.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative and quantitative methods were employed to determine patients' levels of satisfaction. A semi‐structured face ‐to‐face non‐probability quota sampling and a probability sample drawn from multistage cluster sampling methods were employed.
Findings
The results revealed varying access experiences among public and private care users. Public, as opposed to private, healthcare users experience unsatisfactory outcomes in relation to service climate factors (e.g. getting attention from doctors, time taken to get appointments, access to core treatment and opening hours). Overall, while women are more disadvantaged by spatial accessibility to treatment than men, both public and private healthcare users indicate major problems in accessing healthcare despite the myriad intervention strategies aimed at ameliorating the situation in both sectors. Therefore, access‐to‐care problems are significant and need to be addressed by managers and healthcare providers in order to improve the quality of service delivery and patient satisfaction. Private care users fare better than public users in obtaining medical care at short notice, having more agreeable opening hours for treatment and getting appointments for treatment with less difficulty.
Research limitations/implications
Whereas the limitation of the study was due to its small sample size, it nevertheless will stimulate insight into further academic endeavours.
Practical implications
Academics and practitioners will find the results very useful when making decisions about healthcare provisions and how they can best meet user/patient satisfaction.
Originality/value
This study is significant in drawing on the current literature on satisfaction which is usefully applied to evaluate patients' response to the quality management initiatives in the healthcare sector.
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