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Presents a report of the study about shoplifting problems in retail clothing outlets which was carried out during the autumn of 1993, with the primary purpose of examining managers′ attitudes towards shoplifting in some detail and the secondary purpose of identifying coping strategies that can be used by retailing managers to deal with shoplifting. Investigates four crucial issues: layout design, magnitude of the problem, prosecution efforts and detection and prevention considerations. Includes recommendations and implications based on a survey taken to help retailers with their shoplifting problems.

Construction industry is one of the leading causes of pollution generation in today's context. But the fact that the development of construction industry leads to the country's economic and social development cannot be unobserved. Hence, there is a need to develop a sustainable construction methodology, and while doing so, measures must be considered so as to not disturb the natural habitats. With the greater prominence shown toward the concept of green and sustainable construction developments, various tools have been developed in recent years in order to measure the performance of such sustainable and green buildings. In the Indian context, the assessment tools developed to measure the performance of the green building are found to be scanty in addressing various economic and social impacts.

This study aims at developing a building performance score (BPS) model concerning the sustainability model built on the triple bottom priorities considering all the three vital components, viz. environmental, economic and social factors. In this study, the different phases involved in the complete life cycle of the project are recognized and then all the phases are assessed considering all the three major components mentioned in the BPS model.

The outcome of this study specifies that various indicators, such as the topographical and climate change, health and safety of the construction workers, project management consultancy, risk management, security measures and solid waste management, form a chief source of a sustainable building, and these indicators are not being assessed in the existing assessment tools. Also, consideration of environmental, economic and social factors is also equally important in construction industry. Moreover, these indicators are also required to be assessed and included in the evaluation process while assessing the performance of the building.

The BPS model developed in the study will assist to improve in assessing the building performance with respect to all indicators in the complete life cycle of the project.

The effects of failure mode and strain conditions of CFRP, concrete and stirrups on the shear capacity of reinforced beams bonded by geopolymer and epoxy are studied. In addition, a prediction model of the ultimate bearing capacity of CFRP-shear-strengthened beams is proposed, which considers adhesive performance parameters adhesive performance parameter ßE and FRP width parameter ßw.

This paper presents an experimental study on ultimate bearing capacity of CFRP-shear-strengthened pre-cracked beams with geopolymer and epoxy resin, which considers parameters such as impregnated adhesives types and CFRP-strengthened scheme.

The failure modes of CFRP-strengthened beams bonded by geopolymer are the combination of the CFRP-concrete interface substrate failure and fracture failure of CFRP, and that of epoxy is the local substrate failures with small area. The ultimate load of CFRP-strengthened beams is directly affected by the failure modes. The ultimate bearing capacity of CFRP-strengthened beams with geopolymer is 91.4% of that of epoxy resin. Compared with ultimate bearing capacity of CFRP-strengthened beams with U-shaped, that of complete-wrapping increases by 2.5%. Moreover, the stirrup peak strain is reduced by more than 30% in CFRP-strengthened beams bonded with geopolymer and epoxy resin in comparison with the unstrengthened beam. The existing prediction model cannot accurately predict the CFRP shear capacity contribution of strengthened beams with different CFRP-strengthened schemes and adhesive properties. The estimated results are much lower than the test data, and the deviation is much larger than 20%.

Geopolymer alternative to epoxy as an adhesive is feasible and effective for CFRP reinforcement. Furthermore, the accuracy is improved by introducing parameters about adhesive properties based on the existing prediction model. The estimated results are in excellent agreement with the test data, and the deviation is controlled within −12.80%, and the model is suitable for predicting the shear capacity of FRP-strengthened beams with ßf = 90° in shear capacity database.

In this contribution to EDI's professional insights, the authors develop practical and evidence-based recommendations that are developed for bias mitigation, discretion elimination and process optimization in panel evaluations and decisions in research funding. An analysis is made of how the expectation of “selling science” adds layers of complexity to the evaluation and decision process. The insights are relevant for optimization of similar processes, including publication, recruitment and selection, tenure and promotion.

The recommendations are informed by experiences and evidence from commissioned projects with European research funding organizations. The authors distinguish between three aspects of the evaluation process: written applications, enacted performance and group dynamics. Vignettes are provided to set the stage for the analysis of how bias and (lack of) fit to an ideal image makes it easier for some than for others to be funded.

In research funding decisions, (over)selling science is expected but creates shifting standards for evaluation, resulting in a narrow band of acceptable behavior for applicants. In the authors' recommendations, research funding organizations, evaluators and panel chairs will find practical ideas and levers for process optimization, standardization and customization, in terms of awareness, accountability, biased language, criteria, structure and time.

Showing how “selling science” in research funding adds to the cumulative disadvantage of bias, the authors offer design specifications for interventions to mitigate the negative effects of bias on evaluations and decisions, improve selection habits, eliminate discretion and create a more inclusive process.

Considerably diminished quality of life (QoL) is observed in patients with visual field defects after lesions affecting the visual pathway. But little is known to what extent vision-and health-related QoL impairments are associated with psychological distress. In 24 patients with chronic visual field defects (mean age=56.17±12.36) the National Eye Institute-visual functioning questionnaire (NEI-VFQ) for vision-related QoL, the Short Form Health Survey-36 (SF-36) for generic QoL and the revised Symptom-Checklist (SCL-90-R) were administered. Cases with clinically relevant SCL-90-R symptoms were defined. Demographic, QoL and visual field parameters were correlated with SCL-90-R scales. About 40% of the investigated patients met the criteria for the definition of psychiatric caseness. 8/12 NEI-VFQ scales correlated significantly with SCL-90-R phobic anxiety (r-range -0.41 to -0.64, P<0.05), 5/12 NEI-VFQ scales correlated with SCL-90-R interpersonal sensitivity (-0.43 to -0.50), and 3/12 with SCL-90-R depression (-0.51 to -0.57) and obsessive-compulsiveness (-0.41 to -0.43). In contrast, only 1/8 SF-36 scales correlated significantly with SCL-90-R depression, phobic anxiety and interpersonal sensitivity (-0.41 to -0.54). No substantial correlations were observed between visual field parameters and SCL-90-R scales. Significant correlations of SCL-90-R with NEI-VFQ but not with SF-36 suggest that self-rated psychological distress is the result of diminished vision-related QoL as a consequence of visual field loss. The extent of visual field loss itself did not influence the rating of psychological distress directly, since SCL-90-R symptoms were only reported when diminished vision-related QoL was present. Patients with reduced vision-related QoL due to persisting visual field defects should therefore be offered additional neuropsychological rehabilitation and supportive psychotherapeutic interventions even years after the lesion.

In debates related to energy poverty, the link to questions of residential segregation remains somewhat peripheral. Because, usually, only energy-poor households are at the focus and residential mobility is not addressed, the interdependencies between households’ energy costs and the residential segregation of cities remain out of sight. Concern that energy efficiency measures could foster socio-spatial segregation in cities has recently emerged in Germany. If only households with higher incomes can afford housing with high energy efficiency standards, whereas low income households tend to choose non-refurbished but, in sum, more affordable housing stock, an increasing concentration of poor households in poor housing conditions would result. German energy efficiency and CO2 reduction policies are relatively insensitive to such questions.

Using survey data from a small shrinking city in Germany, we explore how energy costs are interrelated with residential location decisions and, thus, with segregation processes and patterns. Shrinking cities represent an interesting case because, here, a decreasing demand for housing stimulates residential mobility and paves the way for dynamic reconfigurations of socio-spatial patterns.

We found that energy-related aspects of homes play a role in location decisions. Low income households seek to minimize housing costs in general, paying specific attention to heating systems, thermal insulation and costs. Resulting segregation effects depend very much on where affordable and, at the same time, energy-efficient housing stock is spatially concentrated in cities. These findings should be taken into consideration for future policies on energy in existing dwellings.

A prolific stream of research has demonstrated the unique potential of sports sponsorship to contribute to corporate image and to influence audiences around the world. Meanwhile, the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has increasingly been identified in the literature for its potential to deliver a degree of competitive advantage. This paper builds on both these theoretical fields to develop a conceptual framework linking the effectiveness of sports sponsorship with the sponsors' CSR commitment to both employees and consumers.

Combining institutional work and actor engagement (AE) literature, this paper aims to elucidate how the collective action of market shaping occurs through the interplay between market shapers’ institutional work and engagement of other market actors. While markets are shaped by actors’ purposive actions and recent literature notes the need to also mobilize AE, the underlying process remains nebulous.

This paper is conceptual but supported by an illustrative case study: the Winding Tree. This blockchain-based, decentralized travel marketplace shapes a market by decoupling existing resource linkages, creating new ones and stabilizing others through a dynamic, iterative process between the market shaper’s institutional work and others’ AE.

The paper develops a dynamic, iterative framework of market shaping through increased resource density, revealing the interplay between seven types of market shapers’ institutional work distilled from the literature and changes in other market actors’ engagement dispositions, behaviors and the diffusion of AE through the market.

This research contributes to the emergent market shaping and market innovation literature by illustrating how the engagement of market actors is a fundamental means of market shaping. Specifically, it advances understanding of how market shapers’ institutional work leads to new resource linkages and higher resource density in emergent market systems through AE. The resultant framework offers an original, critical foundation for future market shaping research.

Even though housing prices in Germany are low by international standards, housing in urban areas has become less affordable. Since 2018, certain families aspiring to become homeowners may apply for a capital subsidy (Baukindergeld) that contributes to their down-payment. This paper analyzes whether this subsidy is an appropriate policy instrument to achieve the desired goals.

The paper presents an equilibrium model with two types of households (low- and high-income) and two types of houses (low- and high-quality) to examine equilibrium prices before and after the introduction of a subsidy.

This subsidy not only makes owning less affordable for the lower-income household but also increases the prices of more expensive houses that are not within reach of lower-income households.

Because this policy has just come into effect in 2018 and no data are available yet, the implications of the model are yet to be tested.

The implications of the subsidy run counter to its intentions as house prices will rise even further. Other policies or fewer regulations for new construction may be more effective.

An instrument aiming to relieve financially weaker families, this subsidy will increase prices for all house types, assuming continuing supply shortages observed in the German urban housing markets.

This is the first paper on Germany’s new homeownership subsidy. The model is general enough to be used with any explicit demand and supply functions and is thus applicable to other markets with low supply elasticities.

This paper proposes - through the integration of self-congruence, brand personality, sponsorship and sports spectator behaviour literatures - a conceptual framework to extend our current understanding of self-congruence in specific consumption situations. Initial empirical results support the proposed framework which shows that self-congruence based consumers' orientation towards sports and brand personality is positively associated with sponsorship outcomes.