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1 – 10 of 207Jacki Gordon and Katrina Turner
Presents findings from a study which explored the views of school staff and pupils concerning the concept of school staff as health exemplars, one of the original WHO criteria for…
Abstract
Presents findings from a study which explored the views of school staff and pupils concerning the concept of school staff as health exemplars, one of the original WHO criteria for the Health Promoting School model. Six single sex focus groups were conducted with secondary school pupils and eight one‐to‐one interviews with teaching and non‐teaching staff. The data suggest that there is little support from staff or pupils for the view that staff should act as health exemplars. Pupils felt that even if staff were to practise healthy behaviours this would not encourage pupils to adopt the health behaviour in question, and indeed that staff were a group from whom they wished to differ. Pupils did however think that staff actions should be consistent with their words, that staff should not openly display negative health behaviour, and that staff should not engage in negative health behaviours that directly affected pupils, such as smoking near them. Both staff and pupils thought that staff could legitimately give health advice. Although not much concerned about staff behaviour in relation to physical health, pupils and staff felt strongly that staff should model good interpersonal behaviours, such as respect, calmness and rapport.
Jacki Gordon and Katrina M. Turner
Pupil autonomy, empowerment and clarity of school rules are factors underpied that the schools subscribed to different philosophies regarding pupil management. One school was…
Abstract
Pupil autonomy, empowerment and clarity of school rules are factors underpied that the schools subscribed to different philosophies regarding pupil management. One school was largely authoritarian in its approach and the other was overly lenient. This paper emphasises the importance of furthering democratic principles of pupil participation within the context of clear rules and boundaries.
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Katrina M. Turner, Malcolm Hill, Anne Stafford and Moira Walker
The paper sets out to describe how children from disadvantaged areas perceive their communities and actively negotiate threats in their lives.
Abstract
Purpose
The paper sets out to describe how children from disadvantaged areas perceive their communities and actively negotiate threats in their lives.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 60 interviews and 16 discussions groups were held with 8 to 14‐year‐olds sampled from four deprived communities located in the West of Scotland. Participants were asked about their local area and how they kept safe. Data were coded thematically and area, age and gender differences examined.
Findings
Children mentioned both positive and negative aspects of their local area. Positive elements primarily related to being near friends and important adults. The negatives were linked to local youth gangs, adults, litter and graffiti, traffic, and drug and alcohol misuse. Participants used both preventive and reactive strategies to keep safe.
Research limitations/implications
Owing to the strategies used to sample areas and participants, the extent to which findings can be generalised is limited. Thus, the study should be repeated on a larger scale, with areas and participants being randomly sampled.
Practical implications
The article will enable practitioners and policy makers concerned with the wellbeing and safety of young people in deprived areas to frame interventions that are in line with children's own concerns and preferred means for dealing with challenges.
Originality/value
The paper provides fresh insights into how children from deprived areas perceive their communities and deal with the risks and tensions they face. It highlights the subtle balancing involved in peer relationships that are central to both support and threats in children's everyday lives.
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Carolina Acedo Darbonnens and Malgorzata Zurawska
Crisis management (CM) has gained prominence in the last decades, as the complex global business environment has forced executives to pay attention to practices that may safeguard…
Abstract
Crisis management (CM) has gained prominence in the last decades, as the complex global business environment has forced executives to pay attention to practices that may safeguard organizations against potential crises. However, despite the fact that various scholars point to the need for autonomy and delegation of authority when responding to crises, it appears that the overarching rationale in the crisis literature is geared toward a centralized approach. This suggests that preventive actions and response to crises lie mainly with the leader of the organization and with designated crises teams. It is also apparent that this literature places too much weight on contingency plans and classification schemes. Although behavioral factors have been discussed by some authors as a fundamental element in dealing with crises, it is not clear how to develop these traits. It is our contention then that these conventional perspectives, although valuable to CM, are insufficient to deal with the uncertainty that characterizes global business today where firms must be prepared for the unexpected. We discuss the limitations of this traditional approach and argue for a combination of central control with decentralized execution when responding to unexpected crises situations. This enables management to better comprehend the complexity embedded in any crisis and allows adaptive practices to emerge throughout the organization. An analysis of two cases paired with empirical field studies support our proposition.
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Lauren Hunter, Sarah Gerritsen and Victoria Egli
This literature scoping review aims to investigate if, how and why eating behaviours change after a crisis event such as a natural disaster, financial crisis or pandemic in…
Abstract
Purpose
This literature scoping review aims to investigate if, how and why eating behaviours change after a crisis event such as a natural disaster, financial crisis or pandemic in high-income countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The COVID-19 pandemic and resulting “lockdowns” and social distancing measures have changed access to food, the types of food consumed and usual eating behaviours. Early research on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic is compared with existing literature on other high-impact crises in high-income countries around the world, such as Hurricane Katrina and the Global Financial Crisis. A search of four electronic databases in August 2020 of literature from 2000 to 2020 yielded 50 relevant publications that were included in the qualitative thematic analysis.
Findings
The analysis found that crisis events made accessing food more difficult and led to increased food insecurity. Home cooking, sharing food and eating together (within households during the pandemic) all increased during and after a crisis. Resources often reduced and needed to be pooled. Crises had a multi-directional impact on dietary patterns, and the motivators for dietary pattern change differ between populations and crises.
Originality/value
In conclusion, eating behaviours impacted by crises because of the disruption of food systems, increased food insecurity and changes in daily routines. Community networks were a strong protective factor against adverse outcomes from food insecurity.
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I build an equilibrium model trying to reconcile investor preferences with several features of the cat bond market. The driving force behind the model is a habit process, in that…
Abstract
I build an equilibrium model trying to reconcile investor preferences with several features of the cat bond market. The driving force behind the model is a habit process, in that catastrophes are rare economic shocks that could bring investors closer to their subsistence level. The calibration requires shocks with an impact between −1% and −3% to explain a reasonable level of cat bond spreads. Such investor preferences are not only able to generate realistic cat bond returns and price comovement among different perils, but may also able to explain why cat bonds offer higher rewards compared to equally rated corporate bonds.
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This chapter addresses the topic of social action in catastrophic situations. The main phenomenon to be explained is how social actors cope and adjust to a sudden and unexpected…
Abstract
This chapter addresses the topic of social action in catastrophic situations. The main phenomenon to be explained is how social actors cope and adjust to a sudden and unexpected change in the ecological pressures around them, such as during natural and technological disasters, in war zones, in the aftermath of accidents, and so on.1 Using interpretative and phenomenological methods (Bentz & Shapiro, 1998), this chapter builds toward a Weberian kind of “ideal type” model outlining key sociological variables that try to explain differential social responses from human beings as they experience catastrophic circumstances.2 Human beings must act very differently during catastrophes than they do during normal life. Just why is it that some people just succumb to the elements, whereas others struggle to persevere? How do some social actors manage to rely on their intelligence, resources, skill sets and other assets to control an otherwise hostile environment while others fail to do so?
Furkan Amil Gur, Joshua S. Bendickson, Laura Madden and William C. McDowell
Disasters drastically affect regional industries; consequently, the study of regional resilience is of much interest to organizational researchers. To that end, this study…
Abstract
Purpose
Disasters drastically affect regional industries; consequently, the study of regional resilience is of much interest to organizational researchers. To that end, this study examines the role of entrepreneurial opportunity recognition, stakeholder engagement, and elements of psychological recovery in the US Gulf Coast following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a qualitative content analysis of 183 industry-relevant articles published during and after the disaster, this study unpacks the most significant themes at work in the recovery process, including the psychological elements of the oil spill and its aftermath, the role of various internal and external stakeholders, and emerging opportunities for entrepreneurial activity in the region for regional resilience and recovery.
Findings
The nine themes that emerged from the data were captured in three categories mapped over time. Category one, psychogical states during and after the oil spill, include denial, coping, and recovery. Category two, regional recovery efforts and the role of stakeholders, includes the themes distractions, bargains, and material support. Category three, emerging opportunities, includes financial support, new markets, and reparations.
Originality/value
By mapping these themes over distinct time periods, this study identifies and explores patterns in the recovery period and use them to draw theoretical and practical implications.
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