Search results

1 – 10 of 11
Article
Publication date: 22 February 2022

Faye Kathryn Horsley, Trevor Keith James, Natasha Baker, Rachel Broughton, Xanthe Hampton, Amy Knight, Imogen Langford, Ellie Pomfrey and Laura Unsworth

This study aims to explore whether early anti-social fire exposure (ASFE) is associated with how adults engage with fire and how they view fire.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore whether early anti-social fire exposure (ASFE) is associated with how adults engage with fire and how they view fire.

Design/methodology/approach

An opportunistic sample (N = 326) was recruited. Participants completed an online survey exploring ASFE, fire use, strength of fire-beliefs and interest in/attitudes supportive of fire. Additionally, implicit fire bias was measured using the affect misattribution procedure (AMP).

Findings

Participants with ASFE engaged with more criminalised fire use as adults. They also scored higher on fire interest and general fire beliefs and showed an implicit dislike of fire stimuli, compared to non-exposed participants (although differences in fire use were not statistically significant when gender was accounted for). Males also had higher levels of fire interest, held stronger fire related beliefs and were more likely to have been exposed to ASFE during childhood. However, there were no gender differences in fire use or on the implicit task.

Research limitations/implications

The findings have practical application, namely in relation to early intervention and rehabilitative approaches. However, a limitation is that participants’ cultural background were not accounted for. Additionally, we advise caution in interpreting the implicit results and call for further research.

Social implications

The need for better early interventions for young people is highlighted, along with better screening which, currently, is unstandardised and inconsistent across the country (Foster, 2020). This demands a community-engagement approach.

Originality/value

This is the first study to explore type of early exposure to fire. It is also the first to adopt the AMP as a measure of implicit fire-bias.

Details

Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3841

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2017

Lucian Capitanu, Virgil Florescu and Liliana-Laura Badita

The purpose of this study was to realize finite element simulation in order to dynamically determine the area of the contact, the contact pressure and the strain energy density…

137

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to realize finite element simulation in order to dynamically determine the area of the contact, the contact pressure and the strain energy density (identified as a damage function) for three different activities – normal walking, ascending stairs and descending stairs – that could be considered to define the level of the activity of the patient.

Design/methodology/approach

The finite element model uses a modern contact mechanism that includes friction between the metallic femoral condyles or femoral head (considered rigid) and the tibial polyethylene insert or acetabular cup (considering a non-linear behaviour).

Findings

For all three activities, the finite element analyses were performed, and a damage score was computed. Finally, a cumulative damage score (that accounts for all three activities) was determined, and the areas where the fatigue wear is likely to occur were identified.

Originality/value

A closer look at the distribution of the damage score reveals that the maximum damage is likely to occur not at the contact surface, but in the subsurface.

Details

Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, vol. 69 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0036-8792

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 August 2020

Laura Rocca, Davide Giacomini and Paola Zola

Because of the expansion of the internet and Web 2.0 phenomenon, new challenges are emerging in the disclosure practises adopted by organisations in the public-sector. This study…

2179

Abstract

Purpose

Because of the expansion of the internet and Web 2.0 phenomenon, new challenges are emerging in the disclosure practises adopted by organisations in the public-sector. This study aims to examine local governments’ (LGOs) use of social media (SM) in disclosing environmental actions/plans/information as a new way to improve accountability to citizens to obtain organisational legitimacy and the related sentiment of citizens’ judgements.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyses the content of 39 Italian LGOs’ public pages on Facebook. After the distinction between five classes of environmental issues (air, water, energy, waste and territory), an initial study is performed to detect possible sub-topics applying latent Dirichlet allocation. Having a list of posts related to specific environmental themes, the researchers computed the sentiment of citizens’ comments. To measure sentiment, two different approaches were implemented: one based on a lexicon dictionary and the other based on convolutional neural networks.

Findings

Facebook is used by LGOs to disclose environmental issues, focussing on their main interest in obtaining organisational legitimacy, and the analysis shows an increasing impact of Web 2.0 in the direct interaction of LGOs with citizens. On the other hand, there is a clear divergence of interest on environmental topics between LGOs and citizens in a dialogic accountability framework.

Practical implications

Sentiment analysis (SA) could be used by politicians, but also by managers/entrepreneurs in the business sector, to analyse stakeholders’ judgements of their communications/actions and plans on corporate social responsibility. This tool gives a result on time (i.e. not months or years after, as for the reporting system). It is cheaper than a survey and allows a first “photograph” of stakeholders’ sentiment. It can also be a useful tool for supporting, developing and improving environmental reporting.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first to apply SA to environmental disclosure via SM in the public sphere. The study links modern techniques in natural language processing and machine learning with the important aspects of environmental communication between LGOs and citizens.

Article
Publication date: 9 March 2015

Christopher Alan Griffiths and Laura Jayne Griffiths

The NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme provides access to psychotherapy in England through a stepped care approach for adults with depression and…

Abstract

Purpose

The NHS Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme provides access to psychotherapy in England through a stepped care approach for adults with depression and anxiety disorders. This evaluation sought to investigate IAPT recovery and reliable change rates of those who scored severe on depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7) or impaired functioning (WASA). The paper aims to discuss this issue.

Design/methodology/approach

This evaluation employed a within groups design: a single case evaluation follow-up. Routine service data (from services set-up in 2008-2009 to February 2012) from 25,034 patients treated at four IAPT services was analysed.

Findings

The analysis revealed that 29 per cent (n=7,059) of patients were assessed as being in the WASA severe range, 41 per cent (n=10,208) in the PHQ severe range, and 57 per cent (n=14,612) in the GAD-7 severe range; with 14 per cent (n=3,548) in the severe range on all three measures combined. There were significant falls on all three measures and a large effect size. The percentage of patients who recovered to a point below the recovery threshold was 30 per cent for depression, 34 per cent for anxiety, 18 per cent for impaired functioning, and for those presenting severe on all measures: recovery rates were 21 per cent for anxiety, 26 per cent for depression, and 15 per cent for impaired functioning. Reliable change for anxiety was found to be greater than IAPT patients overall.

Originality/value

The results show that IAPT enables approximately a third of people scoring severe to recover, lower than IAPT recovery rates overall. Reliable change may be a more effective measure of patient progress.

Details

Mental Health Review Journal, vol. 20 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-9322

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 November 2015

Alexander Pundt

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between humorous leadership and innovative behavior and the moderator effects of creative requirement and perceived…

4146

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between humorous leadership and innovative behavior and the moderator effects of creative requirement and perceived innovation climate, beyond transformational leadership, and leader-member exchange (LMX).

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaire data were collected from 150 employees of various organizations in Germany.

Findings

Employees whose leader used humor more frequently reported to be more innovative, when the employees perceived their tasks to require creativity and innovation. Perceived innovation climate did not moderate the relationship.

Research limitations/implications

Different humor styles rather than just positive humor should be investigated in the future. Future research should incorporate multi-level designs and objective data on innovative behavior.

Practical implications

Humorous leadership is an important element of innovation-relevant leadership behavior. Its use may be integrated in broader leadership development approaches.

Originality/value

The study contributes to knowledge on humorous leadership and its relationship to organizational behavior. It enhances theoretical developments by considering the employees’ task and perceived innovation climate as moderator variables. It helps establish humor as a leadership tool beyond constructs such as LMX or transformational leadership.

Details

Journal of Managerial Psychology, vol. 30 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-3946

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 June 2019

Sabiha Mumtaz and Sanjai K. Parahoo

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of individual differences particularly self-efficacy (SE) and growth need strength (GNS) as antecedents of employee innovation…

1331

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of individual differences particularly self-efficacy (SE) and growth need strength (GNS) as antecedents of employee innovation performance (IP).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 354 employees in the United Arab Emirates service sector, the study used exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling to test the model for IP. The predictors of IP were SE (conceptualized as a three-factor construct including initiative, effort and persistence) and GNS.

Findings

SE-effort, SE-persistence and GNS had a significant direct effect on IP with SE-effort displaying strongest relationship, followed by SE-persistence and lastly GNS, while SE-initiative did not have a significant direct effect on IP.

Originality/value

The present study contributes to scant literature pertaining to the relationship of GNS with IP. It is the first study to examine both SE and GNS together in the same model for their impact on IP.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 69 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 7 June 2011

888

Abstract

Details

Library Hi Tech News, vol. 28 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0741-9058

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 27 September 2002

Abstract

Details

Advances in Librarianship
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-12024-626-7

Article
Publication date: 25 April 2022

Elena Fraj-Andrés, Carolina Herrando, Laura Lucia-Palacios and Raúl Pérez-López

This study aims to find the most relevant variables for understanding the gap between intention and behaviour in relation to food waste reduction among young consumers, providing…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to find the most relevant variables for understanding the gap between intention and behaviour in relation to food waste reduction among young consumers, providing a theoretical framework that reveals what theories can explain this gap.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative analysis based on two focus groups with participants aged 18–35 was developed to examine young consumers' intention–behaviour gap.

Findings

The results suggest that a combination of variables from different theories (the theory of planned behaviour, social practice theory and value-belief-norm theory) can better explain the gap, and that other variables such as emotions, price consciousness and situational factors should also be taken into consideration. The authors also find that although some situational variables tend to reduce the gap, some specific situations do the opposite.

Originality/value

The results offer a conceptual model that combines variables from diverse theoretical streams with the aim of understanding food waste among young consumers holistically, and identify new variables that had not been considered by previous research.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 125 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 July 2014

Mervi Hasu, Laura Honkaniemi, Eveliina Saari, Tuuli Mattelmäki and Leena Koponen

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a workshop process to enhance the learning of employee-driven innovating (LEDI) and to evaluate in multiple ways the practical effects of…

2380

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a workshop process to enhance the learning of employee-driven innovating (LEDI) and to evaluate in multiple ways the practical effects of the LEDI process, which aimed to enhance the employee-driven innovation practices at workplace level in a public organisation. Although front-line employees are increasingly encouraged to participate in innovation, organisations lack multi-level knowledge on the practices, outcomes and effects of participation.

Design/methodology/approach

A six-month development process (LEDI) was conducted to empower front-line hospital support service workers to learn to innovate and to apply this in the services they provide. The process consisted of different themes: future visions, current services, creating new services and evaluations of ideas and innovation embryos. The multi-method evaluation of the process included pre-evaluation of the generated innovation ideas, a developmental evaluation of the selected innovation embryos, a follow-up evaluation of the innovation ideas and an evaluation of the organisational level effect via a quantitative survey.

Findings

The intervention process had positive effects on employee participation and learning to innovate. The conclusion of the four evaluations is that the LEDI process developed a new kind of agency among employees and enabled significant improvements to services. The evaluation of the organisation-level effect revealed that the process had also improved the views regarding preconditions for development.

Originality/value

The intervention method is a practical application of employee-driven innovation conception that is validated as practical and effective at workplace level. The process is a viable method for enhancing workers’ innovation-related learning in service organisations. The novelty of the method is based on the multi-disciplinary combination of approaches that consist of theories of practice-based innovation, expansive learning and emphatic human-centred service design.

1 – 10 of 11