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1 – 10 of 93Elizabeth Whitworth, Angela Druckman and Amy Woodward
The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a comprehensive categorisation of food scares.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of a comprehensive categorisation of food scares.
Design/methodology/approach
Following an initial desktop study, the categorisation was developed collaboratively with industry experts through a workshop and series of semi-structured interviews.
Findings
The new categorisation developed is in Venn diagram format allowing overlapping categories. It is organised around the two major types of contamination (biological, and chemical/physical contaminants) and the two major causes of contamination (wilful deception, and transparency and awareness issues).
Practical implications
The long and complex supply chains characteristic of current food production systems have resulted in a rising number of food scares. There is thus an increased emphasis on developing strategies to reduce both the number of incidents of food scares, and their associated economic, social and environmental impacts. The new categorisation developed in this study enables experts to address categories of food scares. Inclusion of the cause of contamination is particularly important as the method through which contamination occurs is key in devising food scare prevention strategies.
Originality/value
The new categorisation, unlike previous categorisations, enables food scares to fall into multiple categories, as appropriate. Also, again in contrast to previous categorisations, it takes into account not only the physical problem of a food scare but also the mechanism through which it arises.
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Social media platforms are highly visible platforms, so politicians try to maximize their benefits from their use, especially during election campaigns. On the other side, people…
Abstract
Purpose
Social media platforms are highly visible platforms, so politicians try to maximize their benefits from their use, especially during election campaigns. On the other side, people express their views and sentiments toward politicians and political issues on social media, thus enabling them to observe their online political behavior. Therefore, this study aims to investigate user reactions on social media during the 2016 US presidential campaign to decide which candidate invoked stronger emotions on social media.
Design/methodology/approach
For testing the proposed hypotheses regarding emotional reactions to social media content during the 2016 presidential campaign, regression analysis was used to analyze a data set that consists of Trump’s 996 posts and Clinton’s 1,253 posts on Facebook. The proposed regression models are based on viral (likes, shares, comments) and emotional Facebook reactions (Angry, Haha, Sad, Surprise, Wow) as well as Russell’s valence, arousal, dominance (VAD) circumplex model for valence, arousal and dominance.
Findings
The results of regression analysis indicate how Facebook users felt about both presidential candidates. For Clinton’s page, both positive and negative content are equally liked, while Trump’s followers prefer funny and positive emotions. For both candidates, positive and negative content influences the number of comments. Trump’s followers mostly share positive content and the content that makes them angry, while Clinton’s followers share any content that does not make them angry. Based on VAD analysis, less dominant content, with high arousal and more positive emotions, is more liked on Trump’s page, where valence is a significant predictor for commenting and sharing. More positive content is more liked on Clinton’s page, where both positive and negative emotions with low arousal are correlated to commenting and sharing of posts.
Originality/value
Building on an empirical data set from Facebook, this study shows how differently the presidential candidates communicated on social media during the 2016 election campaign. According to the findings, Trump used a hard campaign strategy, while Clinton used a soft strategy.
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Mark Piney, Diane Llewellyn, Rachel O'Hara, John Saunders, John Cocker, Kate Jones and David Fishwick
Exposure to isocyanates was the leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK. Motor vehicle repair (MVR) bodyshop paint sprayers were at greatest risk, despite widespread use of…
Abstract
Purpose
Exposure to isocyanates was the leading cause of occupational asthma in the UK. Motor vehicle repair (MVR) bodyshop paint sprayers were at greatest risk, despite widespread use of air-fed breathing apparatus and ventilated booths. Most paint sprayers work in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The purpose of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) project, described in this paper, is to improve exposure control measures in at least 20 per cent of MVR bodyshops, and reduce the risk of occupational asthma. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
A three-stranded plan consisted of: Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs); workplace inspections; and third-party stakeholder communications. The impact of various parts of the project were evaluated.
Findings
Approximately 18 per cent of bodyshops in the UK attended one of 32 SHADs, following which over 90 per cent of delegates expressed an “intention to act” to improve exposure control measures. A local assessment showed that at least 50 per cent of bodyshops improved exposure control measures. An evaluation of 109 inspections found that enforcement action was taken at 40 per cent of visits. Third-party engagement produced a joint HSE-industry designed poster, new agreed guidance on spray booths and dissemination of SHAD material. Knowledge of booth clearance time has become widespread, and 85 per cent of booths now have pressure gauges. Biological monitoring data show that, post-SHAD, exposures were lower.
Originality/value
A sustained national project using clear, relevant, tested messages delivered via different routes, had a sector-wide impact in bodyshops. It is probable that the project has improved isocyanate exposure control in at least 20 per cent of bodyshops. The generic lessons could be applied to other widespread SME businesses.
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The aim of this paper is to contribute to empirical research dealing with the measurement of green and sustainable supply chain management(SSCM) practices. The paper intends to…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to contribute to empirical research dealing with the measurement of green and sustainable supply chain management(SSCM) practices. The paper intends to empirically evaluate the practices maturity related to green supply chain management (GSCM) in one of the most strategic sectors in Saudi Arabia, namely, pharmaceutical sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on a research questionnaire, data were collected from 111 respondents in pharmaceutical companies. Data analysis has been conducted based on Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) program to evaluate the extent to which pharmaceutical companies in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are mature regarding each sustainable SCM dimension.
Findings
The results reflect high adoption of green practices related to SCM by pharmaceutical companies operating in KSA that are highly meeting environmental requirements that represent one of the core objectives of KSA vision 2030.
Research limitations/implications
The study presents a platform based on which future studies can link the maturity of Sustainable SCM with the firm's performance.
Practical implications
This study provided professionals and managers in the pharmaceutical sector with in-depth insights regarding the maturity of their green practices related to SCM. This study also proposed a framework that could be by managers to continuously assess their Sustainable SCM practices.
Originality/value
This research intends to demonstrate to what extent SSCM in pharmaceutical sector are mature.
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Robert D. Lytle, Tabrina M. Bratton and Heather K. Hudson
Bystander apathy has been a source of debate for decades. In the past half-century, psychologists developed theoretical frameworks to understand bystander activity, commonly…
Abstract
Bystander apathy has been a source of debate for decades. In the past half-century, psychologists developed theoretical frameworks to understand bystander activity, commonly referred to as bystander intervention models (BIMs). More recently, BIMs have been modified to facilitate initiatives to prevent various forms of online victimization. This chapter begins with a review of BIMs and recent applications of bystander intervention research to online environments. We also present several future directions for research along with applications for reducing technology-facilitated violence, including programming recommendations and theoretical development.
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Cathy Parker, Nikos Ntounis, Steve Millington, Simon Quin and Fernando Rey Castillo-Villar
The purpose of this paper is to document the results and the impact of the ESRC-funded High Street UK 2020 (HSUK2020), a project designed to take the existing academic knowledge…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to document the results and the impact of the ESRC-funded High Street UK 2020 (HSUK2020), a project designed to take the existing academic knowledge relating to retail and high street change directly to UK High Streets, to improve local decision-making and, ultimately, their vitality and viability.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a systematic literature review, and by following the tenets of engaged scholarship, the authors identified 201 factors that influence the vitality and viability of town centres. Through the consensus-building Delphi technique, a panel of 20 retail experts identified the top 25 priorities for action.
Findings
Taking a place management approach led to the development of a more strategic framework for regeneration, which consisted of repositioning, reinventing, rebranding and restructuring strategies (4R’s of regeneration). Collaboration with the project towns resulted in identification of the strategy area that would add the most value, and the impact of the 4R’s and the top 25 priorities is demonstrated via numerous town examples.
Originality/value
Knowledge exchange projects, such as High Street UK2020, have an important contribution to make, not by developing even more theory that is unlikely to get utilised, instead their contribution is to bring existing theory into practical use.
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Linda Steuer-Dankert and Carmen Leicht-Scholten
Diversity management is seen as a decisive factor for ensuring the development of socially responsible innovations (Beacham and Shambaugh, 2011; Sonntag, 2014; López, 2015;…
Abstract
Diversity management is seen as a decisive factor for ensuring the development of socially responsible innovations (Beacham and Shambaugh, 2011; Sonntag, 2014; López, 2015; Uebernickel et al., 2015). However, many diversity management approaches fail due to a one-sided consideration of diversity (Thomas and Ely, 2019) and a lacking linkage between the prevailing organizational culture and the perception of diversity in the respective organization. Reflecting the importance of diverse perspectives, research institutions have a special responsibility to actively deal with diversity, as they are publicly funded institutions that drive socially relevant development and educate future generations of developers, leaders and decision-makers. Nevertheless, only a few studies have so far dealt with the influence of the special framework conditions of the science system on diversity management. Focusing on the interdependency of the organizational culture and diversity management especially in a university research environment, this chapter aims in a first step to provide a theoretical perspective on the framework conditions of a complex research organization in Germany in order to understand the system-specific factors influencing diversity management. In a second step, an exploratory cluster analysis is presented, investigating the perception of diversity and possible influencing factors moderating this perception in a scientific organization. Combining both steps, the results show specific mechanisms and structures of the university research environment that have an impact on diversity management and rigidify structural barriers preventing an increase of diversity. The quantitative study also points out that the management level takes on a special role model function in the scientific system and thus has an influence on the perception of diversity. Consequently, when developing diversity management approaches in research organizations, it is necessary to consider the top-down direction of action, the special nature of organizational structures in the university research environment as well as the special role of the professorial level as role model for the scientific staff.
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