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1 – 10 of 268Julie Schweitzer, Tamara L. Mix and Jimmy J. Esquibel
This study aims to explore how key stakeholders and recipients of local food access programs operate strategically to meet individual and community food needs, enhance experiences…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how key stakeholders and recipients of local food access programs operate strategically to meet individual and community food needs, enhance experiences of dignity and promote social justice. The study of a fragmented community food system highlights the connections between micro and meso dimensions of food access, illustrating how people work around food system limitations to access food.
Design/methodology/approach
Using qualitative in-depth interviews with food assistance managers, workers, volunteers and recipients, this study examines the period before the implementation of a centralized community-based food access initiative in a mid-sized, rural Oklahoma college town with a high rate of food insecurity. This study asks: What are community members’ experiences in a fragmented food assistance system? In what ways do individuals use everyday resistance and workarounds to actively promote experiences of dignity and social justice in food access spaces?
Findings
Those involved in sites of community food access build important networks to share information and engage in negotiation and trade to gain access to useful food resources. As forms of everyday resistance, such practices encourage co-construction of dignity and social justice in stigmatized spaces.
Originality/value
This research contributes to literature examining micro- and meso-level community dynamics that inform agency, dignity and social justice in community food access approaches.
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Bindu Gupta, Priyanka Sihag and Rakesh Singh Pangtey
This study aims to examine the effect of perceived supervisor support (PSS) and workplace dignity (WPD) on employees' affective commitment to change (ACC). It also investigates…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effect of perceived supervisor support (PSS) and workplace dignity (WPD) on employees' affective commitment to change (ACC). It also investigates PSS as an antecedent of WPD and WPD as a mediator between PSS and ACC.
Design/methodology/approach
To examine the proposed relationships, data was collected from employees of an Indian public sector company undergoing many change initiatives at the time of the study. The hypotheses were tested using the structural equation model.
Findings
The findings indicate the direct effect of PSS and WPD on employees' ACC, and WPD does mediate between PSS and ACC. The results also suggest PSS works as an antecedent of WPD.
Practical implications
The findings suggest how organizations can enhance employees’ ACC by creating a positive context involving supervisor support and experience of WPD.
Originality/value
The findings contribute to ACC literature by highlighting the role of WPD and PSS. This is one of the few quantitative studies which examines the antecedent and consequences of WPD.
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Osnat Roth-Cohen and Tsuriel Rashi
This research aims to conceptualize online shaming discourse in virtual communities and to serve as a practical guide for online community managers and members.
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to conceptualize online shaming discourse in virtual communities and to serve as a practical guide for online community managers and members.
Design/methodology/approach
This conceptual study explores the construction of meanings in human interaction in online communities by presenting a conceptual model, “The Triple-Responsibility Model in Online Communities,” that is based on Kantian ethics.
Findings
The model includes characterizing the roles of core participants in online communities: writer, reader and group manager; and delineating four ethical principles – truth, necessity, proportionality and caution – that can help society find the golden mean between social change and respecting human dignity and concern for an individual’s public image and provide a theoretical contribution and practical guidelines.
Research limitations/implications
It addresses shaming in virtual communities by suggesting a balance of several key principles, including truth, necessity, proportionality and caution. This is a new conceptualization of online shaming relevant to today's digital arena.
Practical implications
The guidelines can contribute to the ongoing political debate over what constitutes appropriate and justified regulation. Moreover, Facebook community leaders are responsible for formatting the group’s identity, the technical facets of group management and for setting group boundaries and determining the rules of participation. The posited rules may affect social media group managers, as they are called upon to leverage their privileged position and channel their media power into influencing online discourse.
Social implications
The current study provides insights into how shaming can be used as a legitimate tool in society by implementing an ethical approach, resulting in guidelines that restrict online discourse for participants in virtual communities and affect the work of social media group managers and policymakers.
Originality/value
By presenting a new conceptual model, the authors suggest that ethics are a helpful tool and offer insights into how online communities' participants and managers should use their voice and balance between shaming and maintaining the dignity of the individual.
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Saeedeh Asadi, Ali Sharghi, Zoheir Mottaki and Bahram Salehsedghpour
Earthquake stressful events cause many consequences and need for survivors. Housing reconstruction is one of the most urgent needs; due to traumatic experiences, dialectical…
Abstract
Purpose
Earthquake stressful events cause many consequences and need for survivors. Housing reconstruction is one of the most urgent needs; due to traumatic experiences, dialectical changes in people–place relationships occur.
Design/methodology/approach
The present study uses the Poe method and Q methodology to identify the hidden dimensions of trauma-informed housing reconstruction. A questionnaire with 74 items on the Likert scale was developed based on indicative Poe. It was completed by the purposive sampling method by Bam households. The influential factors in housing reconstruction with a psychological recovery approach were extracted by q-factor analysis in communities with different traumatic experiences.
Findings
According to the findings, first, people who had experienced complete home destruction; severe physical injuries; loss of family members and relatives; and were trapped under the earthquake rubble have different place-based needs in housing reconstruction for coping with fears and environmental concerns, protective behaviors, safety perception and as result safety reassurance. Second, regardless of the traumatic experience and losses, reconstruction acceleration and economic-social dignity have a positive effect on the communities’ psychological recovery.
Originality/value
It is noteworthy that housing reconstruction with a psychological recovery approach has two basic aspects. Although some independent factors of traumatic experiences will be efficient in this approach, it was found that the type of earthquake traumatic experiences will also be effective in the survivors’ place-based needs and biases.
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Mahvia Gull, Zartashia Kynat Javaid, Kamran Khan and Husnain Ali Chaudhry
Stigma is a major impediment to human rights in health care that causes discrimination, isolation and the exclusion of individuals from essential health-care services. It fosters…
Abstract
Purpose
Stigma is a major impediment to human rights in health care that causes discrimination, isolation and the exclusion of individuals from essential health-care services. It fosters fear, leading to negative stereotyping of individuals based on their social, cultural or health status and undermines their dignity and respect, consequently violating their right to health. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the moderating role of psychological flexibility in the relationship between stigma (enacted, anticipated and internalized), mental health and the quality of life of substance users.
Design/methodology/approach
This study was based on a cross-sectional design and included 200 male patients with an age range of 18–65 years from 23 rehabilitation centers in four cities in Pakistan. The purposive sampling technique was used, and the sample size ranged from 4 to 23 participants for each site. Four scales were used to measure stigma, general mental health, quality of life and psychological flexibility in substance users.
Findings
The data were analyzed using SPSS and Smart PLS, which showed that stigma (enacted, anticipated and internalized) had a detrimental effect on substance users’ mental health and quality of life. Additionally, psychological flexibility acts as an efficient moderator between them.
Originality/value
This research unveils the moderating role of psychological flexibility in mitigating stigma’s adverse effects on individuals with substance use disorders. Future investigations should prioritize interventions aimed at enhancing psychological flexibility to ameliorate the repercussions of stigma, ultimately enhancing the well-being and quality of life of substance users.
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Tamsin Bradley, Atem Beny and Rebecca Lorins
The fundamental relationship between art and resilience is striking in this passage and in the reflections shared by other artists. This paper aims to attempt to piece together…
Abstract
Purpose
The fundamental relationship between art and resilience is striking in this passage and in the reflections shared by other artists. This paper aims to attempt to piece together the fragmented and insecure realities in South Sudan through the lens of different artists. The paper argues that focusing on art is an important way into a deeper more nuanced picture of how women and men find and maintain resilience in humanitarian contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
The data is qualitatively collected through an innovative art-based creative method known as story circles. The circles consisted of artists who shared what their art form meant to them.
Findings
The picture that emerges contrasts starkly against the dark narratives that commonly portray South Sudan. Art making spaces and the outputs that come from them are cultural resources often overlooked by humanitarian stakeholders and yet, as the authors show, hold the potential to support more locally rooted and responsive approaches to resilience building.
Originality/value
Very little research has been conducted on the ways in which people in South Sudan draw on and find resilience in art and art making.
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Women cross-border traders face impediments in their entrepreneurial work from time-to-time. To overcome these impediments, females need to take on self-concept (self-esteem…
Abstract
Purpose
Women cross-border traders face impediments in their entrepreneurial work from time-to-time. To overcome these impediments, females need to take on self-concept (self-esteem, self-confidence, social roles) mediated by self-organization (adaptability, interaction, team working) in order to thrive in cross-border trading (CBT), using evidence from Uganda. So, in this paper the authors explain the behavior of a female who succeeds in CBT with interest of scaling it up to empower more female entrepreneurs.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is a correlational and cross-sectional type. A questionnaire survey of 288 females was used. The data collected were analyzed through SPSS.
Findings
The results reveal that self-concept, mediated by self-organization, controlled by tenure in business and the age of a female in CBT significantly influences CBT behavior among females in Uganda.
Research limitations/implications
This study focused on females who are involved in CBT in Uganda. Therefore, it is likely that the results may not be generalized to other settings. The results show that for females to succeed in CBT, self-concept and self-organization affect CBT behavior once they are controlled by tenure in business and the age of a female in CBT at more than 30 years of age and longer than 5 years.
Originality/value
This study provides initial evidence that self-concept, mediated by self-organization, controlled by tenure in business and age of a CBT directly affects CBT behavior, using evidence from an African developing country – Uganda.
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Nikoletta Maria Gulya and Anikó Fehérvári
One key aspect of European curriculum reforms is to empower students with the skills needed to engage actively in the pluralistic and multicultural global society of the 21st…
Abstract
Purpose
One key aspect of European curriculum reforms is to empower students with the skills needed to engage actively in the pluralistic and multicultural global society of the 21st century. This study aims to examine the extent of multicultural education within the national core curricula of three European countries: Hungary, Finland and Ireland, focusing on its role in fostering social acceptance through education.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative research applying discourse analysis was conducted to identify key multiculturalism concepts within the curricula. The analysis concentrated on understanding how multiculturalism is portrayed through various perspectives, emphasizing situational meanings and frameworks. Furthermore, a comparative analysis of the findings was carried out.
Findings
The research found that all three curricula contain the concept of multicultural education, although the extent of emphasis varies. The Hungarian National Core Curriculum (NCC) primarily emphasizes national values and sporadically addresses multicultural issues, often from a local perspective. In contrast, the Irish NCC is tolerance-oriented, stressing not only the understanding of different cultures but also the importance of accepting them. The Finnish NCC reflects a global perspective and emphasizes respect for different cultures and minority groups, with a pluralistic approach.
Originality/value
This study enhances our understanding of the discourse of multiculturalism within the curricula of three European countries, emphasizing both their similarities and differences. Additionally, it underscores the crucial role that curricula can play in effectively implementing multicultural education.
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Madalyn Anne Scerri and Rajka Presbury
Spoken service language is critical for service experiences and human welfare in many service settings. However, little is known about how spoken service language can enhance…
Abstract
Purpose
Spoken service language is critical for service experiences and human welfare in many service settings. However, little is known about how spoken service language can enhance customer well-being in transformative service contexts. This paper explores spoken service language and well-being for customers experiencing vulnerability in a transformative service context, informed by an empirical account of the human welfare service of residential aged care.
Design/methodology/approach
Situated within transformative service research (TSR), this study was guided by a theoretical framework of service language and adopts a strengths-based approach to customer experiences of vulnerability. A qualitative multiple case study methodology was applied to explore carers’ perspectives on spoken service language and well-being from three residential aged care homes in Australia.
Findings
The findings demonstrate five spoken service language practices and four principles of spoken service language for well-being that co-create customer well-being and support the alleviation of customer experiences of vulnerability. Conceptualised as transformative spoken service language, the spoken service language practices and principles collectively recognise, support and leverage residents’ capabilities and uplift customer well-being, by enacting a process of mattering highly salient to transformative service contexts.
Originality/value
This study is the first to conceptualise how employee spoken service language can be used to support customer well-being and enhance transformative value for customers experiencing vulnerability to align with the goals of TSR. Practically, the study advocates for a greater awareness and more considered use of transformative spoken service language in human welfare and other transformative service contexts.
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Ganimete Podvorica and Valon Murati
This paper aims to investigate perceptions of the employees on decent work and explore the path how employees, employers, social partners and public policymakers contribute to a…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate perceptions of the employees on decent work and explore the path how employees, employers, social partners and public policymakers contribute to a united response to the implementation of sustainability dimensions to foster community cohesion and promote common vision.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey was conducted in country of Kosova and aimed to target respondents under employment relationship at the time of the survey administration. Respondents were categorized into two groups: those working in the public sector and the ones working in the private sector. The sample consisted of 580 respondents. Descriptive statistics, reliability measures and Person correlation coefficient were used for data analysis.
Findings
The results showed that strong positive correlation is found between having rights of employees protected and safety at workplace; equal treatment at workplace and receiving a fair pay; the positive impact of social partners and protection of employees; and finally, efforts of government to create conditions for decent work and its active support of decent employment.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research topic is among the first studies in country that has been developed at the Universum International College as one of the constituting research themes deriving from the Institution’s research plan on sustainability. It explains the multiform and multifold ways through which decent work may be promoted as common vision between employees, employers, social partners and public institutions.
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