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1 – 6 of 6Jennifer Jarman and Parminder Singh Chopra
This paper aims to argue that the World Bank‐sanctioned strategy of investing in knowledge economy infrastructure will not make a developing country competitive in the highest…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to argue that the World Bank‐sanctioned strategy of investing in knowledge economy infrastructure will not make a developing country competitive in the highest value activities such as research, design and innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper examines Malaysia's efforts to increase its national income and change its position from a “middle‐income” country to one with a standard of living equivalent to a developed country by 2020. Specifically, it analyses Malaysia's strategy of constructing a multimedia super corridor, a multibillion‐dollar state‐led project to attract knowledge‐intensive operations to Malaysia.
Findings
Despite the creation of a world‐class infrastructure, the Malaysian government has not been successful in realising its original aim of creating a cutting‐edge multimedia research and development hub. Instead a thriving business support services sector has developed. Therefore, it is by no means a guaranteed way to close the gap between rich and poor nations.
Research limitations/implications
Official data relating to the activities of firms not only are limited but also have been made problematic by changes in categorisation over the relevant years. Analysis that is more conclusive requires the publication of official data with greater detail about firm activities and a standardised reporting format over time.
Originality/value
This is one of the first academic studies discussing the rise of the business services industry in Malaysia and its relationship with the MSC infrastructure development project.
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Keywords
Explains that the following articles provide the opportunity to look at how the concept of social exclusion develops when it is approached sociologically. Outlines the content and…
Abstract
Explains that the following articles provide the opportunity to look at how the concept of social exclusion develops when it is approached sociologically. Outlines the content and briefly comments on each of their themes.
AT this time of the year librarians take their holidays. They will need the break this year as much as in any year since the end of the war. There are many problems to be faced in…
Abstract
AT this time of the year librarians take their holidays. They will need the break this year as much as in any year since the end of the war. There are many problems to be faced in the autumn and winter, among them the continuous rising prices of everything, and the diversion of public funds to rearmament, which must have some repercussions upon the library service. Whether it is yet a fact that the pound is worth little more than five shillings in real money, we are not prepared to say, but it is certain that every cost has increased, and is continuing to increase. Especially is this so in connection with book production and bookselling; even, as our correspondent on another page suggests, in some cases the royalties of authors are in jeopardy. How far this will go it is impossible to say. At the same time the rates everywhere promise to increase still further, and in spite of the advances, it is unlikely that libraries will be exempt from the stringencies of the time. Such predictions have, however, been frequently contradicted by our past experience. Some of the real advances libraries have made have seemed to be the direct result of bad times. This is hardly a holiday meditation, but we think our readers will need all the physical and mental refreshment they can get before they face the possibilities that may follow.
Jennifer E. van Bekkum, Joanne M. Williams and Paul Graham Morris
This study aims to provide an in‐depth individual level understanding of the psychological factors that affect cycle commuting.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide an in‐depth individual level understanding of the psychological factors that affect cycle commuting.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 15 participants (eight cycle commuters and seven potential cycle commuters) from a “cycle‐friendly” employer based in a Scottish city took part in the study. Semi‐structured interviews and interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) were used to collect and analyse data.
Findings
The present study found that cyclists are more aware of the benefits of cycle commuting than potential cyclists. Those who did not currently cycle to work displayed a heightened awareness of the challenges of cycling to work, whereas cyclists reported more coping strategies for negotiating or overcoming the challenges involved in cycle commuting. These individual cognitions are potentially modifiable through psychological interventions.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should be carried out on samples in different contexts to examine whether some of the findings would be supported in other populations.
Practical applications
The findings from this paper suggest that psychological interventions based on challenging perceptions of the benefits of and barriers to cycling may have a valuable role to play in enhancing cycle commuting rates.
Originality/value
This study uses IPA to explore the complexities of perceptions in relation to cycle commuting. It also brings to light the types of coping strategies used to enable cyclists to overcome some of their challenges associated with cycle commuting.
Sharon Lauricella and Kristy-Lynn Pankhurst
The purpose of this paper is to examine how fire services use social media to educate the public about safety and fire prevention.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how fire services use social media to educate the public about safety and fire prevention.
Design/methodology/approach
Grounded theoretical methods were employed in a rigorous qualitative analysis of five significant fire services’ Twitter accounts in Ontario, Canada.
Findings
Seven main themes emerged from the data, with an overarching conclusion that tweets made by fire service organisations and professionals do not focus primarily on fire safety.
Research limitations/implications
This paper addresses a gap in the literature in terms of understanding how social media communicates information about all three lines of defence against fire, with a focus on the first two: public fire safety education, fire safety standards and enforcement and emergency response.
Practical implications
The authors suggest that fire services need to employ a more segmented approach to social media posts with an objective to engage and educate the public.
Originality/value
This paper is the first extensive qualitative analysis to consider the particulars of fire services’ social media presence.
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