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The purpose of this paper is to explore the social media marketing activities of luxury brands, guided by uses and gratifications theory (UGT). It examines the gratifications sought by millennials, a new core luxury consumer group, and the gratifications obtained when following and connecting with luxury brands.

Online data are gathered from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter accounts of five top luxury brands. In addition, 30 in-depth interviews with millennials, the new generation of luxury consumers, were conducted. Thematic analysis strategy was followed to analyze the data and present the findings.

Luxury brands remain distant and aloof, which helps them to maintain a sense of exclusivity. User activity, ranging from observations to commenting on and liking luxury brand content, leads to the gratification of two types of need: affective and cognitive. Two affective needs that are satisfied by luxury brands’ social media marketing activities are aesthetic appreciation and entertainment. Cognitive needs are satisfied through the functional use of social media as an information source.

Several studies have investigated social media from the perspective of UGT, but this study is the first to investigate the implications of luxury brands’ social media usage with the lenses of UGT.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a practice development program, “Essentials of Care” (EOC), on patient and staff outcomes, workplace culture and service delivery.

A descriptive study design was used to explore the impact of EOC in a district hospital rehabilitation ward. EOC focuses on embedding a person-centered culture within clinical areas and is structured from practice development methodologies. EOC was implemented in a metropolitan district hospital rehabilitation, older person 20-bed, ward.

Two projects were implemented during EOC. These projects led to nine significant patient and staff outcomes for medication and continence care practices. Outcomes included a reduction in older person complaints by 80 percent, pressure injuries by 62 percent, ward multi resistant staphylococcus aureus infection rates by 50 percent, clinical incidents by 22 percent, older person falls by 14 percent (per 1,000 bed days) and nursing sick leave by 10 percent. There was also a 13 percent improvement in the post nursing workplace satisfaction survey.

This is a single site study and findings may not be suitable for generalizing across ward settings and broader population groups.

The EOC program led to significant improvements for and in clinical practices, staff satisfaction and ward culture. Specifically, the EOC program also identified significant cost savings and brought together the healthcare team in a cohesive and integrated way not previously experienced by staff. Practice development strategies can champion service quality improvement, optimal patient outcomes and consistency within healthcare.

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The purpose of this research is to aim to use observation, linked to quantitative risk‐based scoring, to evaluate the effectiveness of a small‐scale consumer food safety initiative based on the social marketing approach. Evaluation of intervention effectiveness is considered to be an important component of any health education initiative. The ultimate goal for social marketing initiatives is sustained behavioural change. Thus, when determining the effectiveness of community‐based social marketing interventions, direct measurement of behaviour is advocated.

A small‐scale food safety strategy using targeted interventions was piloted in a geographical test community in South Wales, UK. Targeted consumers from the community prepared a set meal in a model domestic kitchen before, immediately after, and 4‐6 weeks after implementation of the strategy. Observations of meal preparations were made using CCTV and food‐handling behaviours were recorded and assessed using a risk‐based scoring system. A quantitative evaluation of overall and specific food safety behaviours was made, and an effect size analysis provided a measure of potential intervention effectiveness.

This pilot study suggested that “one‐off” food safety interventions developed and implemented using a social marketing approach may result in a short‐term improvement of consumer food safety behaviours. Interventions targeting specific food safety behaviours may produce a “halo effect” upon other food safety behaviours that are known, yet not consistently implemented during domestic food preparation. Intervention effect was greater immediately after implementation of the strategy than 4‐6 weeks later. Use of the risk‐based scoring system and observation techniques were effective for assessing food hygiene behaviours and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.

The use of an observational risk‐based approach to assess consumer food safety behaviours can provide a valuable tool for evaluation of the estimated immediate and long‐term effectiveness of food safety interventions on a small scale prior to launch of a larger initiative.

Butt can be placed within the framework of what George Boyce (1995, pp. 18–19) terms colonial patriotism. Butt's analyses of Ireland's economy and development during the next years brought together the several strands that marked out an Ireland of citizens, an Ireland of sort which has emerged at the turn of the present millennium. What were the influences on Butt and what is his place in the development of political economy? His position is best characterised as eclectic and distinct from the other early holders of the Whately Chair. Drawing upon but not endorsing classical political economy, Adam Smith, Longfield, Jean-Baptiste Say and others, Butt defies pigeonholing. His economic analysis emerged slowly, and initially, there was little hint that he would expand on Longfield's position which essentially was a theory of profit (McGovern, 2000, p. 5). However, Butt moved beyond Longfield's analysis and whereas the latter remained in the classical tradition on free trade, he did not. He expanded Longfield's approach that crucial to the determination of the price of goods was the importance of applying a unit of whatever resource to its marginal use, concluding that the factors of production were remunerated in relation to the utility they created in their least efficient, marginal employment (Boylan & Foley, 2003, Vol. 2, p. 10). His importance, it has been observed, was in drawing attention to the potential resource mobilisation and distribution aspects of protection and in assessing the benefits and weaknesses of protection in relation to the complexity of specific circumstances (Boylan and Foley, 2003, Vol. 3, p. 5). Butt's Whatley lectures have received most attention although it will be suggested that certain of his other writings were as important or even more significant as indicative of his ideas on political economy. In his first Whatley lecture (Butt, 1837a), appropriating the title ‘Introduction’, Butt outlined somewhat verbosely the scope of what he intended to address and adopted the high ground about the purpose of political economy. He declared it was ‘to teach certain truths connected with the social condition of man – it attempts to explain the nature of the causes by which is brought about that singular machinery of society by which Providence has set man to supply each other's wants, and thus receive and confer a mutual benefit’ (1837a, p. 23). Butt addressed the question of production and the creation of ‘utility’. Employing the illustration of cotton stockings, Butt demonstrated the complex interchange required to produce even the most mundane of articles (1837a, pp. 25–26). ‘When you purchase your pair of cotton stockings’, he noted, ‘you are positively commanding for your own personal comfort and accommodation, not only the services of thousands of your cotemporary fellow creatures, but the accumulated results of the labours of generations that have long since passed away’ (1837a, p. 28). Thus, he maintained, political economy ‘teaches the laws which regulate the production, distribution and consumption of wealth’ (1837a, p. 30).

This article examines the challenges facing agencies working across social care, health, education and voluntary sector boundaries in leading a drive for evidence‐informed practice (EIP). A study conducted by Research in Practice has identified the competencies and functions that managers deem most important to lead an EIP initiative successfully. Views about agencies' current capabilities and confidence to do so vary. Leadership development opportunities are generally perceived as poor. Plans are outlined for an action learning project within the Research in Practice network to support managers to lead EIP effectively.

From 1953 to 1961, the South Korean economy grew slowly; the average per capita GNP growth was a mere percent, amounting to less than $100 in 1961. Few people, therefore, look for the sources of later dynamism in this period. As Kyung Cho Chung (1956:225) wrote in the mid‐1950s: “[South Korea] faces grave economic difficulties. The limitations imposed by the Japanese have been succeeded by the division of the country, the general destruction incurred by the Korean War, and the attendant dislocation of the population, which has further disorganized the economy” (see also McCune 1956:191–192). T.R. Fehrenbach (1963:37), in his widely read book on the Korean War, prognosticated: “By themselves, the two halves [of Korea] might possibly build a viable economy by the year 2000, certainly not sooner.”

This study aims to investigate Australian claimants’ experience of the total and permanent disability (TPD) insurance claims process and documents their recommendations for improvement.

A qualitative methodology was used. In all, 12 claimants with finalized TPD claims were recruited via their superannuation fund. Data collected from in-depth interviews were thematically analyzed and reported using the COREQ checklist. Extracts from verbatim transcription were included to represent the claimant without bias.

Most interviewees described a flawed claims process in which important information was withheld or unclear, procedures were complicated and arduous, communication was poor and frequent need for “chasing up” was frustrating. The claims process undermined the well-being of many interviewees at a critical time in their adjustment to disability. Lump sum payment yielded unexpected consequences for ten interviewees. Some interviewees retained a desire to work despite serious disability.

The use of purposive sampling means that findings may not represent the experience of all claimants with finalized TPD claims. Saturation of knowledge was reached despite the relatively small number of in-depth interviews conducted. In the absence of previous research, this study identifies areas of concern in the TPD claimant experience and posits a set of important claimant issues for further investigation.

A person-centred approach is needed. Claimants would benefit from introduction of clear process information, a single point-of-contact throughout claim, advocacy/support and rehabilitation.

This inaugural study provides an understanding of challenges faced by TPD claimants. All interviewees provided suggestions for improvement in the TPD claims process.

This paper aims to present recently published resources on information literacy and library instruction providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering all library types.

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2016.

The paper provides information about each source, describes the characteristics of current scholarship and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.