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1 – 10 of 20Monir Sadat Hosseini, Hamid Javadi and Sadegh Vaez-Zadeh
This paper aims to investigate analytical electromagnetic fields and thrust ripples representation of linear flux-switching motors with simple modulated secondary referred as…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate analytical electromagnetic fields and thrust ripples representation of linear flux-switching motors with simple modulated secondary referred as segmented secondary linear flux-switching motor (SSLFSM).
Design/methodology/approach
SSLFSMs are applicable to transportation systems like Maglev due to their simple and consequently low-cost secondary structures and high force density. However, they have high thrust ripples that deteriorate a smooth motion in rail transportation systems. Therefore, derivation of accurate analytical models for thrust ripples minimization of the motor is essential, which is absent in the literature. In this paper, a two-dimensional analytical model is developed for this motor. The model is based on transfer relations and Fourier theory used for solving a two-dimensional boundary value problem. Certain model regions are determined by considering actual machine structure and observing specific rules. Analytical solution of Maxwell and Poison equations are then obtained in the regions.
Finding
Using the presented modeling method, the airgap electromagnetic field distribution and developed thrust of the motor are calculated for different positions of the motor as well as its thrust ripples. They are verified by the results obtained from finite element method. Also, the analytical results are compared with the presented experimental results.
Originality/value
This paper has analytically presented the airgap electromagnetic field distribution, thrust and thrust ripples of the SSLFSMs. This modeling is essential in thrust ripples minimization of the motor.
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Mansour Jalali and Asgarali Bouyer
The purpose of this paper is to explore relationships among the university students’ educational variables and their educational variables concerning educational, cultural and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore relationships among the university students’ educational variables and their educational variables concerning educational, cultural and social dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was developed and validated for analyzing the relationship between the amount of time spent for using social networks and different dimensions of educational quality. The sample participants in this study included 400 students who were selected from a total of 3,500 students in Eastern and Western Azerbaijan provinces at north-west of Iran in 2017. Finally, 342 of 400 questionnaires were considered for analyzing. The Pearson and Spearman correlation coefficients and multiple regression were used to analyze data.
Findings
The results proved that the highest correlation coefficient was related to social networks and education quality and the lowest correlation was related to social networks and cultural quality. The result of applying multiple regression proved that there is a linear relationship between the roles of using social networks in predicting students’ educational quality.
Originality/value
The role of academic and general social media in studying students’ educational quality at universities is still under researched. This situation provides a significant potential to explore on the effect of academic and general virtual social media in creating educational and cultural awareness among university’s students. The findings of the current study add to the existing literature by contributing to a better awareness of university student and applying appropriate strategies to conduct the education of students.
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Ganesh P. Sahu, Pragati Singh and Prabhudatt Dwivedi
Adoption of solar energy plays an important role in the growth of a country. There are many factors which influence the adoption of solar energy in India. The study is designed to…
Abstract
Purpose
Adoption of solar energy plays an important role in the growth of a country. There are many factors which influence the adoption of solar energy in India. The study is designed to identify factors that determine the acceptance or rejection of solar energy systems in India.
Design/methodology/approach
Relationship among identified variables is established through interpretive structural modelling (ISM) and thus a conceptually validated model is evolved. Further, MICMAC analysis is conducted to understand the driving power and dependence of these variables.
Findings
It is revealed that experience and habit, awareness and social influence are the intermediary variables. MICMAC Analysis shows that no variable is disconnected from the system and all the variables influence the adoption of solar energy in India.
Practical implications
The present study is expected to be useful to decision makers, end users and research organisations related to solar energy adoption.
Originality/value
Various intentional factors influencing solar energy systems adoption have been acknowledged in the present study, thus making it useful for formulation of action plans and enhance the usage of solar energy systems to improve environment quality.
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Muhammad Shakil Ahmad, Massimiliano Barattucci, Thurasamy Ramayah, Tiziana Ramaci and Narmeen Khalid
Referring to the theory of organizational empowerment, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of organizational support and perceived environment on quality of…
Abstract
Purpose
Referring to the theory of organizational empowerment, the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship of organizational support and perceived environment on quality of care and job satisfaction, with organizational commitment as a mediator for the first variable.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed a cross-sectional research design and data was collected from seven private and public sector hospitals in Pakistan, involving 352 nurses on a voluntary basis through a self-administered survey.
Findings
The results showed that organizational commitment mediates the relationship between organizational support and job satisfaction with the quality of care. Moreover, the perceived environment has an impact on job satisfaction and quality of care.
Originality/value
Healthcare service quality seems strictly dependent on the perceived quality of care and job satisfaction among healthcare workers. Theoretical and practical implications for policymakers and HR management are discussed.
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Jiwan S. Sidhu, Tasleem Zafar, Abdulwahab Almusallam, Muslim Ali and Amani Al-Othman
The major objective of this research work was to evaluate various physico-chemical characteristics, such as, chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, objective color and…
Abstract
Purpose
The major objective of this research work was to evaluate various physico-chemical characteristics, such as, chemical composition, antioxidant capacity, objective color and texture profile analysis (TPA) of the wheat flour/chickpea flour (CF) blends, so that nutritious baked products could be consumed by the type-2 diabetic persons.
Design/methodology/approach
Wholegrain wheat flour (WGF) and white wheat flour (WWF) were substituted with CF at 0 to 40% levels. These wheat flour/CF blends were analyzed for proximate composition, the prepared dough and baked breads were tested for objective color, antioxidant capacity as trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total phenolic content (TPC) and TPA.
Findings
WGF had the highest TEAC (117.42 mM/100g) value, followed by WWF (73.98 mM/100g) and CF (60.67 mM/100g). TEAC, MDA and TPC values varied significantly among all the three flour samples.
Research limitations/implications
Inclusion of whole chickpea (without dehulling) flour in such type of blends would be another interesting investigation during the future research studies.
Practical implications
These research findings have a great potential for the production of these baked products for human consumption on an industrial scale.
Social implications
Production of breads using wheat flour and CF blends would benefits the consumers.
Originality/value
Production of Arabic and pan breads using wheat flour and CF blends would, therefore, combine the benefits of both the needed proteins of plant origin and the health-promoting bioactive compounds, in a most sustainable way for the consumers.
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Zeljko Vasko, Sinisa Berjan, Hamid El Bilali, Mohammad Sadegh Allahyari, Aleksandra Despotovic, Dajana Vukojević and Adriana Radosavac
The purpose of the research was to determine food consumer behaviour and attitudes towards food consumption and household food waste in Montenegro. Since the period of conducting…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the research was to determine food consumer behaviour and attitudes towards food consumption and household food waste in Montenegro. Since the period of conducting the research coincided with the expansion of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in Montenegro (10–14 weeks since its outbreak), the results of this research could indicate the emerging pandemic circumstances.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 529 consumers were surveyed online, and 514 questionnaires met the requirements of further statistical processing. Data were processed by methods of descriptive statistics and chi-square test of association between socio-economic characteristics of respondents and their attitudes, as well as cluster analysis.
Findings
The main findings of the research are (1) consumers in Montenegro are quite responsible for the use of food because they throw away a small part, both in quantity and value; (2) Montenegrin households still practice a traditional way of life with frequent preparation and consumption of food at home and use of leftovers; (3) consumers have confusing perceptions regarding date labels of industrially processed foods; (4) during the COVID-19 pandemic, 17.3% of consumers increased and 11.8% decreased the frequency of food purchases, while 20.7% increased and 5.1% decreased food waste.
Originality/value
The work is highly original and, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no other article that analysed the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on food wastage and food-related behaviours during the outbreak of the pandemic in Montenegro (May–June 2020). Therefore, the work fills a gap in research and knowledge and sets a baseline for future studies.
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Tony Bush and Ashley Yoon Mooi Ng
The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the findings from research on the relationship between leadership theory and policy reform in Malaysia. Distributed leadership…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present and discuss the findings from research on the relationship between leadership theory and policy reform in Malaysia. Distributed leadership is normatively preferred in the Malaysia Education Blueprint (MEB), the country’s major policy reform document. The research was conducted in two dissimilar Malaysian states (Selangor and Sarawak).
Design/methodology/approach
The research was a multiple case-study design, with 14 schools (seven in each state). Sampling was purposive, with schools selected from the different bands used to categorise school performance in Malaysia. Within each school, interviews were conducted with principals (secondary schools), headteachers (primary schools) and a range of teachers, middle leaders and senior leaders, to achieve respondent triangulation.
Findings
The findings confirm that the MEB prescribes distributed leadership as part of a strategy to move principals and head teachers away from their traditional administrative leadership styles. While there were some variations, most schools adopted a modified distributed leadership approach. Instead of the emergent model discussed and advocated in the literature, these schools embraced an allocative model, with principals sharing responsibilities with senior leaders in a manner that was often indistinguishable from delegation.
Research limitations/implications
A significant implication of the research is that policy prescriptions in major reform initiatives can lead to unintended consequences when applied in different cultural contexts. While distributed leadership is presented as “emergent” in the international (mostly western) literature, it has been captured and adapted for use in this highly centralised context, where structures and culture assume a top-down model of leadership. As a result, distributed leadership has taken on a different meaning, to fit the dominant culture.
Practical implications
The main practical implication is that principals and head teachers are more likely to enact leadership in ways which are congruent with their cultural backgrounds and assumptions than to embrace policy prescriptions, even when unproblematic adoption of policy might be expected, as in this centralised context.
Social implications
The main social implications are that policy change is dependent on socio-cultural considerations and that reform will not be whole-hearted and secure if it is not congruent with the values of institutions such as schools, and the wider society which they serve.
Originality/value
The paper is significant in exploring a popular leadership model in an unfamiliar context. Beyond its importance in Malaysia, it has wider resonance for other centralised systems which have also shown interest in distributed leadership but have been unable and/or unwilling to embrace it in the ways assumed in the literature. This leads to theoretical significance because it adds to the limited body of literature which shows that allocative distributed leadership has emerged as a device for accommodating this model within centralised contexts.
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Zohreh Bakrani, Fatemeh Estebsari, Meimanat Hosseini, Maliheh Nasiri and Marzieh Latifi
The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a tool to measure nurses’ knowledge of, attitude toward and practice regarding the elder abuse phenomenon.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a tool to measure nurses’ knowledge of, attitude toward and practice regarding the elder abuse phenomenon.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is methodological research that was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, the available tools related to knowledge, attitude and practice regarding elder abuse were identified through an extensive review of theoretical principles, previous research and related articles. The initial items were extracted and categorized. In the second stage, the psychometric properties of the tool were examined by assessing face validity, content validity, construct validity, internal consistency and stability. Four hundred nurses working in the hospitals of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences were selected to determine the validity of the structure.
Findings
The initial tool consisted of 114 items extracted, 34 of which were removed according to the experts’ opinions. The face validity of the 80-item questionnaire was then examined. The number of the items was reduced to 74 after measuring the face validity. After the qualitative measurement of the content validity, three items were eliminated. After measuring the content validity using a quantitative approach, 8 other items were removed and 63 items remained. According to the content validity index, 1 more item was removed, reducing the number to 62. The construct validity approved three dimensions of knowledge, attitude and practice. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated to be 0.84. The stability was also confirmed through test–retest with a value of 0.85 for the whole scale.
Originality/value
The tool developed for assessing nurses’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding elder abuse has acceptable dependability and credibility. Given the advantages of this tool, including the simplicity and fluency of sentences, and the comprehensive evaluation of nurses’ knowledge, attitude and practice regarding elder abuse, it is recommended to use this tool in relevant future studies.
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Ömer Akbal, Hakan F. Öztop and Nidal H. Abu-Hamdeh
The purpose of this paper is to make a three-dimensional computational analysis of melting in corrugated pipe inserted system filled with phase change material (PCM). The system…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make a three-dimensional computational analysis of melting in corrugated pipe inserted system filled with phase change material (PCM). The system was heated from the inner pipe, and temperature of the outer pipe was lower than that of inner pipe. Different geometrical ratio cases and two different temperature differences were tested for their effect on melting time.
Design/methodology/approach
A computational analysis through a pipe with corrugated pipe filled with PCM is analyzed. Finite volume method was applied with the SIMPLE algorithm method to solve the governing equations.
Findings
The results indicate that the geometrical parameters can be used to control the melting time inside the heat exchanger which, in turn, affect the energy efficiency. The fastest melting time is seen in Case 4 at the same temperature difference which is the major observation of the current work.
Originality/value
Originality of this work is to perform a three-dimensional analysis of melting of PCM in a corrugated pipe inserted pipe.
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Tamara Hoefer and Laura Polley
Avoidable voluntary turnover negatively impacts an organisation’s workforce and decreases its sustainability and productivity. His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s (HMPPS…
Abstract
Purpose
Avoidable voluntary turnover negatively impacts an organisation’s workforce and decreases its sustainability and productivity. His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service’s (HMPPS) leaving rates are among the highest in the public sector. The purpose of this study is, thus, to support HMPPS in improving Band 3 prison officers’ (POs) retention and in developing an effective employee retention strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
Grounded in retention literature, the present study uses a mixed-methods, cross-sectional, phenomenological research design. Primary data was gathered using an online qualitative survey, which was sent to POs working at a public sector prison in the Northwest of England with less than five years of work experience.
Findings
The results highlight the impact of career development and training and development due to their importance to POs in comparison to the POs’ dissatisfaction with HMPPS’ performance in both factors. Furthermore, most expectations of retention factors were only partially met, illustrating the need to reform the existing recruitment process and the translation of expectations into the reality of the role. In conclusion, HMPPS should focus attention on performance-improvement, especially in relation to career development and training and development, as well as investigating and reforming the current recruitment processes.
Practical implications
Recommendations to improve the retention of POs include the improved management of career plans, an increased selection of managers based on their management abilities, increasing training opportunities and equating staff's access to them, and evaluating the effect of payment boosts.
Originality/value
The role of POs and their professional environment has not previously been combined with contemporary retention literature. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research paper is the first of its kind using qualitative data to understand retention in the English and Welsh prison service.
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