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1 – 10 of 27W. Madushan Fernando, H. Niles Perera, R.M. Chandima Ratnayake and Amila Thibbotuwawa
This study explores digital transformation in the tea supply chain within developing economies, with a focus on smallholder tea producers in Sri Lanka. Tea is one of the most…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores digital transformation in the tea supply chain within developing economies, with a focus on smallholder tea producers in Sri Lanka. Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Among the tea producers, smallholder tea producers account for a substantial portion of total tea production in several countries. Mobile phones play a significant role in providing smallholder producers with access to crucial agricultural information, markets and financial services.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a deductive approach, analysing mobile phone ownership, literacy, experience and perception among smallholder tea producers. The chi-squared test of independence and hierarchical clustering methods were used to test the hypotheses and address the research questions.
Findings
The study identifies four clusters of smallholder tea producers as Basic Tech Adopters, Digital Laggards, Skeptical Feature Phone Users and Tech-savvy Adopters based on their characteristics towards mobile-based technologies. Approximately 75% of the surveyed sample, which included both tech-savvy and basic-tech adopters, showed a positive attitude toward adopting mobile-based agricultural technologies.
Practical implications
The study suggests developing targeted strategies and policies to enhance the productivity of the smallholder tea production process in developing economies. The study highlights the importance of awareness, access, affordability and availability when implementing digital services for businesses at the base of the pyramid, such as tea smallholdings in developing economies.
Originality/value
The present study aims to address the lack of data-driven empirical studies on the use of mobile phones in smallholder settings. The findings of this study enable the enhancement of entrepreneurship within the tea production supply chain, especially, within stakeholders who deliver digital transformation support services.
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Ellie Norris, Shawgat Kutubi, Steven Greenland and Ruth Wallace
This study explores citizen activism in the articulation of a politicised counter-account of Aboriginal rights. It aims to uncover the enabling factors for a successful challenge…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores citizen activism in the articulation of a politicised counter-account of Aboriginal rights. It aims to uncover the enabling factors for a successful challenge to established political norms and the obstacles to the fullest expression of a radical imagining.
Design/methodology/approach
Laclau and Mouffe's theory of hegemony and discourse is used to frame the movement's success in challenging the prevailing system of urbanised healthcare delivery. Empirical materials were collected through extensive ethnographic fieldwork.
Findings
The findings from this longitudinal study identify the factors that predominantly influence the transformational success of an Yaṉangu social movement, such as the institutionalisation of group identity, articulation of a discourse connected to Aboriginal rights to self-determination, demonstration of an alternative imaginary and creation of strong external alliances.
Originality/value
This study offers a rich empirical analysis of counter-accounting in action, drawing on Aboriginal governance traditions of non-confrontational discourse and collective accountability to conceptualise agonistic engagement. These findings contribute to the practical and theoretical construction of democratic accounting and successful citizen activism.
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Fatmakhanu (fatima) Pirbhai-Illich, Fran Martin and Shauneen Pete
The indigenous and sustainable knowledge possessed by the tribal people and communities plays an extremely important role in the conservation of the climate. As per the United…
Abstract
The indigenous and sustainable knowledge possessed by the tribal people and communities plays an extremely important role in the conservation of the climate. As per the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), tribal communities play an important role in preserving traditional knowledge, culture, food practices and textiles. The remains of the Indus Valley civilisation highlight the importance of the culture and religion. Animism and the worship of nature to achieve success in routines and tasks have been practised by these tribes for centuries. India is a mosaic of more than 705 different colourful tribes, and each of these tribes has their own identity that differentiates it from the other tribes. With increasing ecological complexities, the knowledge owned by the tribes is extremely useful in the preservation of the climate. This chapter seeks to explore the various hues and colours that constitute the mosaic of Indian tribal culture.
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Hrishikesh Desai and David Pearlman
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of capital expenditures (CAPEX) in the theme park industry, particularly following the financial stresses induced by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the determinants of capital expenditures (CAPEX) in the theme park industry, particularly following the financial stresses induced by the COVID-19 pandemic. CAPEX drivers are poorly understood due to the idiosyncratic nature of this industry, which is dominated by a few large players. It also aims to identify the variables influencing both the growth and maintenance components of CAPEX among U.S. theme park operators.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses contingency theory to analyze both financial and nonfinancial data from U.S. theme park operators between 2009 and 2021. The paper also uses partial least squares structural equation modeling to manage issues of multicollinearity and to ensure robustness in the findings.
Findings
The analysis identifies several key determinants of CAPEX. Resources and the presence of competing theme parks in proximity to an operator’s parks positively affect CAPEX. Conversely, higher leverage, dividend payouts, intellectual property (IP) dominance and population density in areas with their active parks correlate with reduced CAPEX. The paper also notes distinct trends in maintenance versus growth CAPEX post-COVID-19, with maintenance CAPEX increasing as operators invest in existing assets while growth CAPEX trending downwards.
Research limitations/implications
The study’s scope is confined to U.S.-based theme park operators, limiting the generalizability of the findings internationally. Moreover, data limitations restrict the sample size due to the consolidation of the industry players, potentially affecting the statistical power of the analysis.
Practical implications
This research offers significant insights for theme park operators, industry analysts and policymakers. Understanding the factors influencing CAPEX can aid operators in strategic planning and investment decisions, especially in a post-pandemic economic environment where efficient capital allocation will be crucial for recovery and growth. A major contribution of this research is the development of a new measure for IP dominance, which allows theme park operators to quantify the impact of IP on their investment strategies.
Originality/value
This study contributes uniquely by incorporating both financial and nonfinancial determinants in analyzing CAPEX within the theme park industry, a sector significantly impacted by the pandemic. It introduces novel metrics for assessing the impact of IP on CAPEX and differentiates between the factors driving maintenance and growth expenditures. The findings enrich the existing literature on hospitality management and provide actionable insights that could guide the strategic financial decisions of theme park operators.
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This paper aims to tell something of the story of the “Hawkspur Experiment” (1936–1941), a therapeutic camp organised early in the modern history of therapeutic community as an…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to tell something of the story of the “Hawkspur Experiment” (1936–1941), a therapeutic camp organised early in the modern history of therapeutic community as an intervention into the lives of young men who were viewed to be at risk of delinquency (Wills, 1967). Although it was to have a remarkable influence on group and therapeutic community practice and theory, the authors argue that its influence is not as well-remembered nor incorporated into contemporary therapeutic understanding and discussion as it should be.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is a historical reflection based on systematic examination of the clinical and administrative records of Hawkspur Camp for men, and supporting documents held in the Planned Environment Therapy Archive. In addition, the authors use published primary and secondary sources.
Findings
Hawkspur Camp was a cross-disciplinary enterprise which brought together psychoanalytic thinking, social work, an interest in groups, political activism, a concern with the dynamics and working of democracy and the application of emergent social science methods. It was overtly an intervention into the criminal justice system but was also an intentional exploration of the therapeutic benefits of community living and of a “pioneering” lifestyle; a rigorous experiment in how psychoanalytic ideas might be used in group residential settings; and a politically grounded exploration of participative democracy as a fundamental therapeutic principle.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper presents the first findings from a systematic study of the records of Hawkspur Camp.
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Phuong Thanh To and David Grierson
Providing improved access to nature within educational settings can promote stronger child–nature connections and is conditional on making evidence-based decisions for the…
Abstract
Purpose
Providing improved access to nature within educational settings can promote stronger child–nature connections and is conditional on making evidence-based decisions for the planning, design and refurbishment of school architecture. The study offers insight into ways of reconnecting children with nature by examining the distribution and classification of diverse natural elements for enhancing children's visual and non-visual experiences of educational environments.
Design/methodology/approach
This study combines quantitative and qualitative analysis of data gathered through measurement and observation at three schools in Glasgow, with a total of 75 students, to identify key issues influencing child–nature multi-sensorial connections within indoor and outdoor environments and on building envelopes and layouts. It applies children's open-questions and diagrams to investigate children's discovery of nature, their feelings around natural attributes and their environmental preferences within school contexts.
Findings
This study's findings reveal that architectural features and landscape settings have significant influence on the quantitative and qualitative degrees of children's natural exploration through visual and non-visual sensorial modalities and environmental preferences.
Research limitations/implications
The limitations of this study are that the data was gathered in the Spring season and with different groups of children from The Glasgow Academy who received the same educational curriculum. Thus, there is a need for further investigation on children's experiences of nature based on temporal and contextual differences, and varying educational-socio-cultural and economic factors.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that applications of natural diversity, accessible and flexible pathways and indoor natural settings, are potential approaches to connect children with nature within their study and play environments.
Originality/value
The authors provide a deeper understanding of how nature-based settings, including indoor and outdoor environments, constructively benefit children's multi-sensorial experiences, knowledge and biophilic feelings toward nature.
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Farid Ghehiouèche and Kenzi Riboulet-Zemouli
The leaves of the Erythroxylum “coca” plant are a well-known food, beverage, and nutraceutical in their native Andean region. A decade ago, the European non-profit “Amigos de la…
Abstract
Purpose
The leaves of the Erythroxylum “coca” plant are a well-known food, beverage, and nutraceutical in their native Andean region. A decade ago, the European non-profit “Amigos de la Hoja de Coca” (Friends of the Coca Leaf) operated a short-lived fair-trade in raw coca leaves between Bolivia and the European Union. The chronicles of this initiative can be insightful, as interest in natural, wellness, and self-care products continues rising in Europe.
Design/methodology/approach
Historical review of the inception, and documentation of the organisation of the scheme and its outcome, via all primary sources available.
Findings
From the 1990s to the early 2010s, civil society groups organised several campaigns to normalise coca leaf in Europe, finding echo at the European Parliament, culminating in 2012-2013 when a periodical distribution system was set-up: growers in Bolivia shipped 150 g. coca leaf packets directly to Friends of the Coca Leaf members in Europe. Initially, most parcels reached their recipients without issue but after technical hurdles and reduced political support, the scheme was eventually discontinued.
Originality/value
European civil society campaigns surrounding coca have been poorly documented. Historically, Friends of the Coca Leaf emerged alongside Cannabis social clubs, but only the latter has prospered. While Friends of Coca Leaf was short-lived, its political outcomes (both at the institutional level and via a fair and do-it-yourself trade initiative) may prove inspirational to current drug policy reform discussions.
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Joey Lam, Michael S. Mulvey, Karen Robson and Leyland Pitt
This study aims to help uncover corporate culture and values to attract and retain talent by understanding job reviews written by business-to-business (B2B) salespeople.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to help uncover corporate culture and values to attract and retain talent by understanding job reviews written by business-to-business (B2B) salespeople.
Design/methodology/approach
Over 40,000 job reviews on Glassdoor.com are analyzed by a dictionary-based content analysis tool, Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC2015), to explore the links between corporate culture and linguistics characteristics of reviews as articulated by B2B salespeople. This study adopted a multidimensional scaling approach based on the nine cultural value scores to create a map of corporate profiles. A projection of the LIWC2015 scores on this map uncovers differences in language patterns and emotions expressed across the profiles.
Findings
Findings reveal a map of corporate profiles with two dimensions, namely, product-centricity and customer-centricity, that divide salesforce subculture into a 2 × 2 matrix of four types: Empathic Innovators, Product Pioneers, Customer Champions and Commodity Traders.
Originality/value
This study combined two data sets, scores on CultureX’s nine cultural values (agility, collaboration, customer orientation, diversity, execution, innovation, integrity, performance and respect) and job reviews on Glassdoor.com. This research seeks to develop profiles of the organizational culture and to use a blend of qualitative and quantitative methods. This study adds to the literature on salesforce subculture and showcases a solution to the methodological difficulty in categorizing and measuring culture.
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