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1 – 6 of 6Understanding the technical and socioeconomic dimensions to resilience is core to making a business case for property-level flood risk adaptation. The study investigates the…
Abstract
Purpose
Understanding the technical and socioeconomic dimensions to resilience is core to making a business case for property-level flood risk adaptation. The study investigates the socioeconomic factors that impact the technical dimensions to property-level flood risk adaptation, and whether there is a typology of households adopting similar adaptation measures in Port Harcourt.
Design/methodology/approach
Exploratory and inferential statistical analysis of data collated from 407 questionnaires was carried out. Using chi-square analysis, significant bivariate associations were sought between the level of uptake of different categories of property level adaptation and the socioeconomic characteristics of households. A two-step cluster analysis was used to explore discernible patterns of households implementing similar adaptation measures. Logistic regression analysis was further used to evaluate the extent to which socioeconomic parameters impact residents' willingness to undertake adaptation measures given the option of relocation.
Findings
The chi-square analysis highlighted a lack of significant association between some socioeconomic parameters and the uptake of individual adaptation measures. The regression analysis however showed that the socioeconomic parameters exert varying degrees of influence on the residents' willingness to undertake adaptation measures. Two homogeneous groups of residents with similar socioeconomic characteristics were identified via the cluster analysis but did not translate into strongly discernible adaptation differences/patterns.
Practical implications
The study shows that although socioeconomic parameters to some extent underlie the technical dimensions to flood resilience, there is no distinctive typology of households in Port Harcourt adopting a similar combination of measures.
Originality/value
The study offers insights into understanding property-level flood risk adaptation responses within the context of the developing world.
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Leslie Koppenhafer, Kristin Scott, Todd Weaver and Mark Mulder
Service researchers have been tasked with improving the well-being of consumers experiencing vulnerability. The current research aims to demonstrate how these consumers can…
Abstract
Purpose
Service researchers have been tasked with improving the well-being of consumers experiencing vulnerability. The current research aims to demonstrate how these consumers can experience empowerment through transformative service improvements to the traditional microfinance model.
Design/methodology/approach
To ground the research in a real-world setting with consumers experiencing vulnerability, the research team worked with a nonprofit microfinance organization offering loans to communities of Indigenous women entrepreneurs. The research team worked in six communities and conducted over 25 borrower interviews and 14 staff and volunteer interviews totaling 1,200 min of recorded content.
Findings
The present investigation of a unique approach to microfinance offers a new theoretical model, the service empowerment model (SEM), which illustrates how empowerment emanates from processes and outcomes at three distinct levels: micro, meso and macro. Recognizing that change occurs individually and also at familial and societal levels begins to challenge deeply rooted structural and cultural norms involved in the services ecosystem.
Practical implications
Originating from the microfinance service setting, the SEM can be explored, tested and implemented as a pilot program in a variety of service settings that involve transformative service initiatives (e.g. homelessness, refugees, etc.).
Social implications
As society pursues solutions to the pressing problems of consumers experiencing vulnerability, the present research offers critical insights into how services should be designed.
Originality/value
The present research defines a new term, service empowerment, and creates a new theoretical model, the SEM, to aid in improving transformative service initiatives.
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Carl Arthur Solberg and François Durrieu
This paper aims to explore different strategic avenues in international markets. In particular, the authors investigate the role of four marketing tactics – marketing network…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore different strategic avenues in international markets. In particular, the authors investigate the role of four marketing tactics – marketing network, domestic network, standardization/adaptation and positioning. The authors aim at identifying optimal use of these strategic vehicles to achieve firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors construct a database of 132 Norwegian exporters and identify, through cluster analysis, three different categories of firms. They use multi-group analysis to explore strategy–performance pattern in each group.
Findings
All four strategic levers impact positively on the performance, but only two of them (marketing networks and positioning) with major impact. Standardization and domestic networks play a minor role. Based on these strategic levers, the authors identify three strategic groups (opportunists, networks seekers and global marketers) with different optimal export strategy patterns. The authors argue that these groups represent firms in different stages, epitomizing a learning process in three stages.
Research limitations/implications
A broader perspective of strategy variables should be included to get a more complete picture of the “optimal” model for different groups of exporters. Other marketing mix factors and the firm’s stance toward governance in international markets (operation modes) should therefore be included in the repertoire of strategy drivers determining group membership and to analyse their pattern.
Practical implications
Opportunists are advised to focus on positioning through domestic network relations; network seekers should concentrate on building marketing networks. Global marketers may carry out standardization strategies – preferably in collaboration with their marketing partners in export markets. For the two other groups, there is no evidence that speak in favour of such approach, nor for its counterpart, adaptation. For export promotion agencies, the authors suggest enhanced support to establish network partners.
Originality/value
The authors introduce strategic levers not yet explored in the export literature. Furthermore, they use a contingency causal approach to explain differences in strategy development (in international markets) and the link with performance.
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Senthilkumaran Piramanayagam, Jyothi Mallya and Valsaraj Payini
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a method intended to create awareness, knowledge, competence and attitude amongst stakeholders towards Sustainable Development Goals…
Abstract
Purpose
Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) is a method intended to create awareness, knowledge, competence and attitude amongst stakeholders towards Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through higher education curricula. This bibliometric analysis, coupled with a systematic review, presents a comprehensive and objective assessment of the evolution of Sustainability in Hospitality Education (SHE) literature.
Design/methodology/approach
This study integrated two review techniques: a systematic review and bibliometric analysis of peer-reviewed scientific articles published in journals indexed in Scopus. This study discloses the research landscape and thematic evaluation of the structure of existing literature on SHE.
Findings
The results show that SHE is an emerging field comprised of five main themes. The themes that emerged were SHE and perspectives, sustainability and curriculum, implications of sustainability education (SE), sustainability and learning and sustainability, students' perception and literacy.The authors' study findings also revealed that SHE is imbalanced and scarce in developing countries.
Practical implications
This systematic review, integrated with a bibliometric analysis, indicates that SHE is an emerging field. The findings offer a broadened perspective on scholarly research on the concept, current trends and future research direction.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first study that attempts to uncover various research themes of SHE literature. The authors' work also acts as an entry point for critical conceptual ideas and empirical discoveries of SHE research. The study findings are helpful for future researchers in the SHE domain.
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