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Article
Publication date: 13 April 2010

Branko Milosavljević and Danijela Tešendić

The purpose of this paper is to model and implement software architecture for transparent communication of client and server sides of library circulation system in order to enable…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to model and implement software architecture for transparent communication of client and server sides of library circulation system in order to enable system operation in different network configurations.

Design/methodology/approach

Object‐oriented methodology and design patterns are used for modeling system architecture. Modeling is carried out in the CASE tool that supports the Unified Modeling Language (UML 2.0) by means of class and sequence diagrams. The implementation is carried out in the Java programming language using open source components.

Findings

The result is a software package for transparent communication of client and server side of library circulation system. Database operations are executed through this package. The package can execute the operations under different protocols, which enables the work of the library circulation system in the intranet and internet environments.

Research limitation/implications

The proposed software architecture and implementation are integrated into the circulation subsystem of the BISIS library information system and rely on the Hibernate package for object/relational mapping. For integration into other systems where operations would not be related to the database or would use some other ORM technologies, it would be necessary to make corresponding changes in the implementation.

Practical implications

The package is integrated, together with the library circulation system, into the fourth version of the BISIS system. Testing and verifying were carried out in public and special libraries.

Originality/value

Originality of the paper is to be found in the proposed software architecture that is network‐agnostic and facilitates transparent communication of client and server sides of the circulation system while not imposing a single communication technology or protocol. Besides, the architecture does not depend on the functionality of the circulation system and can be used for different purposes, and not only for communication with the database as presented in the paper. Adding new functionalities is simple and does not require changes in the existing program code.

Details

The Electronic Library, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2011

Stephen Fox, Patrick Ehlen and Matthew Purver

The purpose of this paper is to inform the development of mixed initiative systems for distributed digital communication of manual skills. In particular, manual skills that are…

1473

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to inform the development of mixed initiative systems for distributed digital communication of manual skills. In particular, manual skills that are essential in project production paradigms such as engineer‐to‐order.

Design/methodology/approach

Findings from survey research, which included literature review and interviews with practitioners, are reported. Literature review investigated media, strategies, and computation relevant to distributed digital communication of manual skills. Interviews investigated attitudes among industry practitioners towards distributed digital communication of manual skills.

Findings

Communication media, instructional strategies, and computational semantics techniques are available which can be integrated to address the limitations of human communication of manual skills.

Research limitations/implications

Only ten organizations were involved in interviews investigating attitudes towards distributed digital communication of manual skills.

Practical implications

Manual skills will continue to be important to project businesses involved in the production, refurbishment, and/or maintenance of large engineer‐to‐order products such as public buildings and process plants. The limitations of human communication can be addressed by using a variety media, such as augmented reality headsets, to enable new instructional strategies, such as just‐in‐time training. Further, combinations of media and strategies can be integrated with computational semantics in the development of mixed initiative systems which provide feedback as well as initial instruction.

Originality/value

The originality of the research reported in this paper is that it addresses a full range of enablers for distributed communication of manual skills. Further, an overview of computational semantics is presented which does not rely on prior specialist knowledge. The value of this paper is that it introduces a framework for enabling distributed communication of manual skills. In addition, a preliminary ontology for distributed communication of manual skills is introduced, together with recommendations for implementation.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Abstract

Organizational researchers studying well-being – as well as organizations themselves – often place much of the burden on employees to manage and preserve their own well-being. Missing from this discussion is how – from a human resources management (HRM) perspective – organizations and managers can directly and positively shape the well-being of their employees. The authors use this review to paint a picture of what organizations could be like if they valued people holistically and embraced the full experience of employees’ lives to promote well-being at work. In so doing, the authors tackle five challenges that managers may have to help their employees navigate, but to date have received more limited empirical and theoretical attention from an HRM perspective: (1) recovery at work; (2) women’s health; (3) concealable stigmas; (4) caregiving; and (5) coping with socio-environmental jolts. In each section, the authors highlight how past research has treated managerial or organizational support on these topics, and pave the way for where research needs to advance from an HRM perspective. The authors conclude with ideas for tackling these issues methodologically and analytically, highlighting ways to recruit and support more vulnerable samples that are encapsulated within these topics, as well as analytic approaches to study employee experiences more holistically. In sum, this review represents a call for organizations to now – more than ever – build thriving organizations.

Details

Research in Personnel and Human Resources Management
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-046-5

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 17 December 2016

Laura Mauldin and Tara Fannon

The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review of investigations into the specific disability of deafness in the field of sociology and other closely related fields.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review of investigations into the specific disability of deafness in the field of sociology and other closely related fields.

Methodology/approach

After a pilot search using databases appropriate to social science research, we developed key search terms and, using an inductive approach, we identified major themes in the literature.

Findings

Our review shows that deafness has been investigated for a long time in sociology and other related fields, that there is a wide range of themes in scholarly work on the experiences of deaf communities and deaf people, and that conceptualizations of deafness and d/Deaf communities have changed over time. We organize this paper around six major themes we identified, and a few highlighted pieces of scholarship illustrate these themes along the way. We particularly focus on scholarship from the late 1960s through the early 1990s as emblematic of seismic shifts in studying deafness, although we do highlight little known nineteenth century work as well.

Research implications

This paper captures the legacy of this past scholarship and reveals that deafness is a rich site of inquiry that can contribute to the field of sociology. It is also a valuable resource for any future sociological research into deafness, deaf people, and deaf communities. We conclude with a discussion of our findings, commentary on the extent to which previous scholarship on the sociology of deafness has or has not figured into current scholarship and suggestions for future research.

Details

Sociology Looking at Disability: What Did We Know and When Did We Know it
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-478-5

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 June 2021

Karin Zakeyo and Mathew Nyashanu

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential causes of HIV prevalence among young women in South Africa. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the leading causes…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the potential causes of HIV prevalence among young women in South Africa. Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is one of the leading causes of death in sub-Saharan Africa. South Africa (SA) has the largest HIV pandemic in the world with approximately 7.2 million people living with HIV as of 2017. There is a disproportionate incidence of HIV between women and men, particularly affecting young women 15–24 years of age. This paper reviewed 10 articles on the impact of HIV in SA among young women.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 10 articles on HIV in SA were selected for review using academic databases including Library One Search Pro, Google Scholar, the British Medical Journal and Elsevier. The search generated 11,095 articles, which were narrowed down to 10 by the criteria of being specific to gender and age and publication period.

Findings

Five themes were identified from the findings as to the potential causes of HIV prevalence among young women these included age-disparate relationships, social factors and sexual behaviour. Impact of HIV on communities and individuals, gender and patriarchy including poverty and social isolation.

Originality/value

The paper shows the impact of inequalities between men and women leading to HIV infection among young women. It also shows some gaps that require further research with regards to HIV infections among young women.

Details

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4902

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 May 2019

Julia Beck, Mattia Rainoldi and Roman Egger

Emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), have been influencing both the tourism supply side and tourists alike. The purpose of this study is to analyse VR research in…

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Abstract

Purpose

Emerging technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), have been influencing both the tourism supply side and tourists alike. The purpose of this study is to analyse VR research in tourism and to provide a comprehensive state-of-the-art review. As the technological connotation of the term VR has been changing and encompasses various VR systems with different capabilities, this paper aims to provide a systematic and structured overview. The overall objective of this paper is to contribute to a thorough understanding of VR research in tourism.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper comprehensively reviews and analyses existing literature on VR in tourism, published from 1994 to February 2018. Using a wide variety of sources, these papers were examined so as to give a state-of-the-art literature review and to deepen one’s understanding of the diverse applications of VR in a tourism context. This paper also presents a novel classification of different VR systems according to the level of immersion and depicts their respective technological capabilities.

Findings

The advent of new VR hardware necessitates a distinction for different VR systems applied in the tourism sector. Research conducted during the past three years has been focussing on the application of head-mounted displays, which reflects the temporal development of VR technology. Regardless of the VR system, most studies examine VR as a marketing tool for promotion and communication purposes during the pre-travel phase, focussing on behavioural aspects. Advances in technology will yield new opportunities and application possibilities for the tourism industry.

Originality/value

The key contribution of this paper lies in its structural approach, which differentiates between non-, semi- and fully immersive VR systems in tourism, as well as the proposition of respective definitions. The concluding part of the paper proposes practical implications for tourism businesses together with directions for future studies.

Details

Tourism Review, vol. 74 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1660-5373

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 April 2015

Kerry L. Priest, Tamara Bauer and Leigh E. Fine

Contemporary trends in leadership education emphasize paradigms of learning and educational practices associated with developing responsible citizens, furthering higher…

Abstract

Contemporary trends in leadership education emphasize paradigms of learning and educational practices associated with developing responsible citizens, furthering higher education’s civic mission. Yet, few introductory leadership courses include an explicit civic component (Johnson & Woodard, 2014). Service-learning is a high-impact practice designed to link the classroom and community in meaningful ways (Kuh, 2008). This application brief illustrates how Kansas State University faculty, students, and community partners engaged in a semester-long service-learning experience for the purpose of exercising leadership to make progress on the social issue of food insecurity. We describe how service-learning can be a catalyst to explore and engage the learning nexus of social challenges, leadership, and civic engagement in an introductory leadership course.

Details

Journal of Leadership Education, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1552-9045

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2000

Leigh Davison and Debra Johnson

In March 1998, the first major revision of the European Merger Control Regulation (MCR) came into effect with particular implications for the demarcation of authority for merger…

369

Abstract

In March 1998, the first major revision of the European Merger Control Regulation (MCR) came into effect with particular implications for the demarcation of authority for merger control between member states and European level competition authorities and for the treatment of joint ventures. The overall balance of the reform is mixed. Changes to the threshold test, for example, ensure that the MCR will capture proposed concentrations which have a Community dimension but which were missed by the original test. However, the cost of the revision is greater complexity and, with this, greater opacity. Both tests are form‐based and deal with aggregate turnover and are insufficiently sensitive to capture the competition effects of the merger in individual product markets. Article 9 implicitly recognises this flaw by providing a second decentralisation test. Again, the revision of Article 9 has added to the complexity of the operation of the MCR. An alternative would be to dispense with Article 9 altogether. The revisions improve the consistency of the MCR by introducing a “one stop shop” for the treatment of joint ventures, some of which were previously dealt with under Article 85. However, the codification of joint venture provisions creates a situation in which the Commission is required to investigate aspects of a joint venture which are national rather than European in nature.

Details

European Business Review, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-534X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2002

Leigh Davison and Debra Johnson

Demonstrates that the European Union (EU) has moved from a twin‐track to a triple‐track approach to the vetting of cross‐border competition concerns. The twin‐track approach is…

1702

Abstract

Demonstrates that the European Union (EU) has moved from a twin‐track to a triple‐track approach to the vetting of cross‐border competition concerns. The twin‐track approach is based on co‐operation at the multilateral and bilateral levels. The new third track, not based on co‐operation, is the legal right to unilaterally apply competition instruments extraterritorially. The EU has pushed to establish a multilateral approach through the auspices of the World Trade Organisation. Although there has been some support for this, the reservations from the USA and others make this track unfeasible for the foreseeable future. In the absence of any significant multilateral progress, the EU has concluded bilateral agreements with major partners, but the approach has its limitations – the EU can only deal with the countries with which it has such an agreement. The Commission’s third track unilaterally applies EU competition instruments extraterritorially using the effects doctrine.

Details

European Business Review, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-534X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 2 May 2015

Allison R. Johnson, Matthew Thomson and Jennifer Jeffrey

Brand narratives are created to differentiate brands, and consumers base their assessments of a brand’s authenticity on this narrative. We propose that the default consumer…

Abstract

Purpose

Brand narratives are created to differentiate brands, and consumers base their assessments of a brand’s authenticity on this narrative. We propose that the default consumer position is to accept a brand’s narrative, and we find that consumers maintain belief in this narrative even when explicitly reminded that it is manufactured by firms with an underlying profit motive. Because belief seems to be the default position adopted by consumers, we investigate what factors act as disruptors to this default position, thereby reducing assessments of authenticity.

Methodology

This research uses a series of studies to investigate when and why consumers view some brand stories as authentic and others less so. In addition, we examine the impact of changes to authenticity assessments on managerially important brand outcomes.

Findings

Only when one or more authenticity disruptors are present do consumers begin to question the authenticity of the brand narrative. Disruption occurs when the focal brand is perceived to be nakedly copying a competitor, or when there is a gross mismatch between the brand narrative and reality. In the presence of one or both of these disruptors, consumers judge brands to be less authentic, report lower identification, lower assessments of brand quality and social responsibility, and are less likely to join the brand’s community.

Implications

Creating compelling brand stories is an important aspect of any marketing manager’s job; after all, these narratives help drive sales. Care must be taken when crafting narratives however, since consumers use these as the basis of their authenticity assessments, and brands deemed inauthentic are penalized.

11 – 20 of 830