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1 – 7 of 7Paul McCrone, Noreen Tehrani, Romin Tehrani, Alex Horsley and Ian Hesketh
Police officers in the UK frequently experience traumatic events and work pressures, and these can have a detrimental impact on mental health. A psychological surveillance…
Abstract
Purpose
Police officers in the UK frequently experience traumatic events and work pressures, and these can have a detrimental impact on mental health. A psychological surveillance programme has been implemented and clinically evaluated. This paper reports an economic evaluation of the programme.
Design/methodology/approach
A decision analytic model was developed to explore programme costs, outcomes and return on investment for a notional cohort of 1,000 police personnel (officers and staff). The model parameters were obtained from a large data set of sequential psychological surveillance results. Changes in individual work productivity were derived from a workability measure included in the survey.
Findings
The modelled expected total cost incurred to screen 1,000 participants was £84,287 ($106,971). The expected net increase in work productivity for those receiving interventions was valued at £241,672 ($306,713). This result represents a return on investment of 187%. Sensitivity analyses showed that the model was robust to changes in key parameters.
Research limitations/implications
Police personnel experiencing traumatic events may need specialist support from occupational health services or psychological therapy. Screening or surveillance can detect mental health problems, but its cost-effectiveness has been previously unknown.
Practical implications
The value for money of providing surveillance within the police force to detect mental health problems is assessed in this research. The gains in terms of increased work are evident. In similar environmental working conditions, this could extend to emergency services globally.
Social implications
The police are often called upon to deal with the lowest points in people’s lives. The findings have implications for police forces wishing to support officers to be able to provide the best of themselves in these situations.
Originality/value
There have been no previous studies in policing that have concluded that running a psychological surveillance programme in policing is financially viable. Although this requires initial investment, this paper models that the extra costs incurred are more than offset by improved work productivity.
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Cony M. Ho, Kuan-Chou Ko, Steven Liu and Chun-Chieh Wu
This study aims to understand the impact of extreme weather events on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) consumption and to examine the role of anticipated product scarcity and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the impact of extreme weather events on fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) consumption and to examine the role of anticipated product scarcity and FMCG types on such behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper conducted five studies, combining archival data analysis with behavioral experiments. The archival data included sales data from a supermarket chain and weather data from the National Weather Service. The experiments were designed to test the effect of extreme weather cues on consumption, the psychological mechanism behind this effect and moderators.
Findings
This research found that consumers’ anticipation of extreme weather events significantly increases their consumption of FMCGs. This research further discovered that these behaviors are driven by anticipated product scarcity and moderated by consumers’ altruisms and FMCG types.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations of the research include the reliance on reported sales data and self-reported measures, which could introduce biases. The authors also primarily focused on extreme weather events, leaving other types of disasters unexplored. Furthermore, cultural differences in disaster response might influence results, yet the studies do not fully address these nuances. Despite these limitations, the findings provide critical insights for FMCG retailers and policymakers, suggesting strategies for managing demand surges during disasters. Moreover, understanding consumer behavior under impending disasters could inform intervention strategies, potentially mitigating panic buying and helping ensure equitable resource distribution. Last, these findings encourage further exploration of environmental influences on consumer behavior.
Practical implications
The findings have practical implications for products, brand managers and retailers in managing stock levels and product distribution during disasters. Furthermore, understanding the psychological mechanisms of these behaviors could inform policymakers’ designs of public interventions for equitable resource allocation during extreme weather events.
Social implications
The research provides significant social implications by highlighting how extreme weather events impact FMCG consumption. This understanding can guide public policymakers in creating efficient disaster management plans. Specifically, anticipating surges in FMCG purchases can inform policies for maintaining price stability and preventing resource shortages, mitigating societal stress during crises. Moreover, these findings encourage public education around responsible purchasing during disasters, potentially reducing panic buying. By collaborating with FMCG manufacturers and retailers, governments can ensure a steady supply of essentials during extreme weather events. Thus, the research can play a crucial role in enhancing societal resilience in the face of impending disasters.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to integrate the impact of extreme weather events on consumption behavior with the psychological theory of anticipated product scarcity. The unique focus on FMCGs offers a novel perspective on consumer behavior literature.
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Richard Kapend, Mark Button and Peter Stiernstedt
A significant number of criminal and deviant acts are investigated by nonpolice actors. These include private investigators who charge fees for their services, professional…
Abstract
Purpose
A significant number of criminal and deviant acts are investigated by nonpolice actors. These include private investigators who charge fees for their services, professional services firms such as firms of accountants who also charge fees, in-house investigators employed by private organisations and in-house investigators of public sector organisations who are not sworn police officers. Some of these investigators, such as private investigators, have been exposed in unethical activities such as illegal surveillance and blagging to name some. In this respect, this study aims to uncover the ethical orientations of investigators using cluster analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is based upon an online survey of private investigators predominantly in the UK, i.e. investigators beyond the public police. An innovate statistical inferential analysis was used to investigate the sample which resulted in the development of three ethical orientations of such investigators.
Findings
Based upon a survey response from 331 of these types of investigators this study illustrates the extent they engage in unethical activities, showing a very small minority of largely private investigators who engage in such activities.
Originality/value
A unique feature of this study is the use of an innovative statistical approach using an unsupervised machine learning model, namely, TwoStep cluster analysis, to successfully group and classify respondents based on their ethical orientation. The model derived three types of ethical orientation: ethical, inbetweeners and risk takers.
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It is important for an exporting manufacturer to motivate its foreign channel partners to sell and promote its products. An excellent way to motivate such foreign channel partners…
Abstract
Purpose
It is important for an exporting manufacturer to motivate its foreign channel partners to sell and promote its products. An excellent way to motivate such foreign channel partners is to give them exclusive territories. Unfortunately, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the determinants of territorial exclusivity. This study aims to investigate the relationship between organizational culture and territorial exclusivity and the moderating role of firm size in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Survey data were collected from manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan. To test the hypotheses, a regression analysis was conducted using the ordinary least squares technique.
Findings
Empirical evidence shows that the cultural values of collectivism and uncertainty avoidance influence territorial exclusivity; collectivist exporters are likely to use territorial exclusivity, whereas exporters with high uncertainty avoidance are not likely to use it. Furthermore, the larger the firm size, the smaller the impact of cultural values on territorial exclusivity; this suggests that large SMEs do not rely on their organizational culture to make decisions about exclusive territories.
Originality/value
The export marketing literature emphasizes the advantages of exclusive territories. By contrast, the channel management literature suggests that exclusive territories also have disadvantages. As exclusive territories have both advantages and disadvantages, it is crucial to answer the following question: What kinds of exporting manufacturers grant exclusive territories to their foreign channel partners? By addressing this question, this study contributes to a better understanding of export channel strategy.
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