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1 – 10 of 19
Article
Publication date: 20 September 2024

Liuyu Huang, Dion Hoe-Lian Goh and Stella Xin Yin

Public service announcements (PSAs) have been shown to be effective instruments that raise awareness, educate society, and change behaviors and attitudes. Many governments and…

Abstract

Purpose

Public service announcements (PSAs) have been shown to be effective instruments that raise awareness, educate society, and change behaviors and attitudes. Many governments and organizations have utilized PSAs on social media to promote online safety among children and youth. However, we have limited understanding of the range of topics that these PSAs address and how they present their content to audiences. This study provides an inventory of the types of online safety topics that current PSAs address and a catalogue of the types of persuasive features employed by PSAs.

Design/methodology/approach

A content analysis of 220 YouTube PSA videos on online safety was conducted. Various topics under the umbrella of online safety were identified. Guided by the prospect theory and exemplification theory, different persuasive features employed in the PSAs were sought.

Findings

The findings highlight that the primary focus of these PSAs is on online safety behaviors and general instructions on online hygiene. Interestingly, nearly half of the videos employ a neutral frame, while a significant portion provides no evidential support. Additionally, video length was associated with the number of views and likes it gathered but not with the number of comments.

Originality/value

The inventory of PSAs can help researchers, practitioners, and policymakers better understand the type of content being produced and disseminated online as well as identify topics that are either over or under-represented. Further, the catalogue of the types of persuasive features employed by PSAs would be helpful in guiding research, practice, and policymaking in the context of creating effective online safety videos.

Details

Aslib Journal of Information Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-3806

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 June 2024

Leanne J. Morrison, Trevor Wilmshurst and Peter Hay

Environmental philosophies have guided cultures throughout history and continue to do so. This paper uses a framework of environmental philosophies drawn from history and the…

Abstract

Purpose

Environmental philosophies have guided cultures throughout history and continue to do so. This paper uses a framework of environmental philosophies drawn from history and the present, to analyse contemporary corporate environmental reporting. The purpose of this paper is to interrogate the philosophical underpinnings of corporate reporting allows for a nuanced understanding of the relationship between corporate activities and nature, and in so doing demonstrates the moral practices of accounting for nature.

Design/methodology/approach

Three themes are extracted from a historical review of western environmental philosophy: dualism, transcendence and interconnectivity. These themes are applied to a sample of corporate environmental reports through discourse analysis, enabling the illustration of otherwise obscured moral characteristics of the corporate relationship with the natural environment.

Findings

This paper uses environmental philosophies to better understand some of the implicit messaging of corporate environmental reporting. Evidence of each of the three themes is found in a sample of environmental reports, predominantly dualism and interconnectivity.

Research limitations/implications

Understanding that accounting is not just a technical, but also a social and moral practice expands the way the authors can interpret the outcomes of accounting. By presenting an exemplar of how accounting practice such as the corporate sustainability report can be analysed through a moral lens, this paper offers new insights intentioned to inform a more meaningful approach to environmental reporting.

Originality/value

A novel framework to explore the corporate sector’s relationship with the natural environment is presented. In light of current and predicted environmental changes, much of which has been attributed to the impact of corporate activities, the importance of a detailed explication of this relationship – such as the one proposed here – becomes imperative.

Details

Meditari Accountancy Research, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-372X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 May 2024

Tom A.S. McLaren, Erich C. Fein, Michael Ireland and Aastha Malhotra

The purpose of this empirical study was to test whether presenting organizational change in a way that enhances employee self-worth will result in increased employee support for…

1226

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this empirical study was to test whether presenting organizational change in a way that enhances employee self-worth will result in increased employee support for the identified change. In doing so, we developed a new measure, which includes a novel baseline element.

Design/methodology/approach

Items were developed, and then categorical validation data were collected through an online cross-sectional survey in which 222 respondents (adults over 18 years of age, and at least 6 months tenure) participated.

Findings

Within the items, we framed the activation of self-worth bias as requests for employee comments regarding change efforts. Results indicate there is a difference between asking for employee comment on change efforts, compared to asking for employee comment on change efforts and also providing feedback considerate of that input.

Originality/value

This study explores and presents a convergence between behavioral economics, management and applied psychology research – using both self-worth bias, and organizational change management communications; no other such comparable study or analysis could be found during the preparation of this research effort. Furthermore, a novel measure and innovative method is presented for developing and measuring self-worth bias during organizational change management communications.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 37 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 September 2024

Anwesa Kar and Rajiv Nandan Rai

The purpose of the study is to examine how risk factors contribute to the occurrence of defects in a process. By analyzing these risk factors in relation to process quality, the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine how risk factors contribute to the occurrence of defects in a process. By analyzing these risk factors in relation to process quality, the study aims to help organizations prioritize their resources and efforts toward addressing the most significant risks. These challenges, integrated with the emerging concept of Quality 4.0, necessitate a comprehensive risk assessment technique.

Design/methodology/approach

Fuzzy logic integrated with an analytic network process is used in the process failure mode and effects analysis for conducting risk identification and assessment under uncertainty. Through a mathematical model, the linkage of risk with Six Sigma is established and, finally, a value–risk matrix is developed for illustrating and analysing risk impact on process quality.

Findings

A case study on fused filament fabrication demonstrates the proposed methodology’s applicability. The results show its effectiveness in assessing risk factors’ impact on Six Sigma metrics: defects per million opportunities/sigma level.

Practical implications

By integrating qualitative assessments and leveraging available data, this approach enables a more comprehensive understanding of risks and their utilization for an organization’s quality improvement initiatives.

Originality/value

This approach establishes a risk-centric Six Sigma assessment method in accordance with the requirement of ISO 9001:2015 and in the context of Quality 4.0.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 2 October 2024

Shubhika Gaur, Shriram A. Purankar and Namita Srivastava

The research goal is to summarize the insights from an investigation of the higher education institutes (HEIs) and university's educational services promotion strategy, which…

Abstract

The research goal is to summarize the insights from an investigation of the higher education institutes (HEIs) and university's educational services promotion strategy, which incorporates social media as a medium for keeping in touch with important people throughout time. The study centered on the impact of promotional efforts done by higher education Institutes (HEIs) on social media on students’ decisions for their selection of HEIs and universities as well as the study focus factors that influence the students' decisions. In the third quarter of 2022, based on a carefully chosen sample, researchers used an internet questionnaire to conduct an empirical study. The assessment of the outcomes focused on identifying the significant aspects and their significance in the marketing endeavours conducted on social media platforms, which serve as predictors of student decision-making. Three important predictors Social Media Engagement, Content Contribution, and Stakeholders Review were identified and their significant impact on social media marketing by HEI are hypothesized and tested. All the study variables confirm the existence of a significant relationship with the dependent variable. The study concluded that these factors were identified as significant influences on the choice of study and higher education institution. Gaining new followers, prominence content display and stakeholders' feedback builds long-lasting linkages with the immediate environment. As a foundation for creating successful social media marketing strategies for higher education institutions, this research is useful for marketers since it elucidates the dynamics of the market and the habits of potential pupils.

Details

Resilient Businesses for Sustainability
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83608-129-6

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 September 2024

Zayed F. Zeadat and Naif Adel Haddad

This paper comprehensively investigates the lack of youth involvement in the intricate tapestry of urban policymaking in the Jordanian context. It attempts to present and…

21

Abstract

Purpose

This paper comprehensively investigates the lack of youth involvement in the intricate tapestry of urban policymaking in the Jordanian context. It attempts to present and illustrate the obstacles, challenges, hindrances and complexities facing engaging youth in urban planning in Jordan. Participants aged 18–24 were the primary focus of the investigation, as Jordan's population is predominantly youthful, with approximately 70% of the population under the age of 30.

Design/methodology/approach

The research methodology adopted in this study is a mixed-methods approach, which integrates both qualitative and quantitative data collection and analytical techniques to provide a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the research problem.

Findings

Youth involvement in Jordan's urban policymaking is limited and inconsistent. Most notably, the prevalence of adultism emerges as the predominant and most substantive impediment, exerting a considerable influence on constraining the agency of young Jordanians in shaping urban policy.

Research limitations/implications

Detailed examples can be developed to offer discerning elucidations relevant to each frame of reference.

Practical implications

A total of 12 discernible barriers emerged from a systematic deductive thematic analysis of primary data.

Originality/value

This comprehensive inquiry highlights the pervasive gaps in support for youth participation in urban policymaking within the administrative framework and across Jordanian society. Subsequent quantitative analysis was employed to strengthen the external validity of the research findings, thereby enhancing the generalizability of the qualitative insights. By employing Jordan as a case study, this paper significantly contributes to the expanding corpus of scholarly work on planning processes and practices within the Global South and the Arab world.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 June 2024

Martin Lukes and Manuel Feldmann

The study responds to the calls for multilevel approaches in entrepreneurship research and seeks to answer whether the relationships between personal values and entrepreneurship…

Abstract

Purpose

The study responds to the calls for multilevel approaches in entrepreneurship research and seeks to answer whether the relationships between personal values and entrepreneurship remain stable across different economic conditions, using the unemployment rate as a moderator. It pays attention to the solo self-employed and women, as these groups are particularly vulnerable when crises occur.

Design/methodology/approach

We use Schwartz's theory of human values, which has been understudied in entrepreneurship and follow a correlational research design with micro and macro variables. Multilevel logistic regression is applied to the data from the large sample of 151,032 individuals participating in six waves of the European Social Survey. Solo self-employed are distinguished from those employing others, and analyses are run separately for men and women to understand gender differences.

Findings

The findings show that self-direction and achievement are positively, and benevolence and security negatively related to entrepreneurship. The high unemployment rate lowers the positive relationships with self-direction and achievement and mitigates the negative relationship with security, but only for the solo self-employed and not for employers. Results mostly hold for both genders.

Research limitations/implications

The study suggests that security-related values should not be omitted from entrepreneurship research focused on entrepreneurs' values. It also emphasizes the need to distinguish between various subgroups of entrepreneurs and their motivation, which is important for efficient active labor market policies.

Originality/value

The study utilizes multilevel analyses that account for individual- and country-level influences on entrepreneurial activity. It contributes to understanding how economic context influences value salience and supports the applicability of Schwartz's theory of human values in entrepreneurship.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 31 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 September 2024

Steven J. Bickley, Ho Fai Chan, Bang Dao, Benno Torgler, Son Tran and Alexandra Zimbatu

This study aims to explore Augmented Language Models (ALMs) for synthetic data generation in services marketing and research. It evaluates ALMs' potential in mirroring human…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore Augmented Language Models (ALMs) for synthetic data generation in services marketing and research. It evaluates ALMs' potential in mirroring human responses and behaviors in service scenarios through comparative analysis with five empirical studies.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses ALM-based agents to conduct a comparative analysis, leveraging SurveyLM (Bickley et al., 2023) to generate synthetic responses to the scenario-based experiment in Söderlund and Oikarinen (2018) and four more recent studies from the Journal of Services Marketing. The main focus was to assess the alignment of ALM responses with original study manipulations and hypotheses.

Findings

Overall, our comparative analysis reveals both strengths and limitations of using synthetic agents to mimic human-based participants in services research. Specifically, the model struggled with scenarios requiring high levels of visual context, such as those involving images or physical settings, as in the Dootson et al. (2023) and Srivastava et al. (2022) studies. Conversely, studies like Tariq et al. (2023) showed better alignment, highlighting the model's effectiveness in more textually driven scenarios.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is among the first to systematically use ALMs in services marketing, providing new methods and insights for using synthetic data in service research. It underscores the challenges and potential of interpreting ALM versus human responses, marking a significant step in exploring AI capabilities in empirical research.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 September 2024

Saeed Rouhani, Saba Alsadat Bozorgi, Hannan Amoozad Mahdiraji and Demetris Vrontis

This study addresses the gap in understanding text analytics within the service domain, focusing on new service development to provide insights into key research themes and trends…

Abstract

Purpose

This study addresses the gap in understanding text analytics within the service domain, focusing on new service development to provide insights into key research themes and trends in text analytics approaches to service development. It explores the benefits and challenges of implementing these approaches and identifies potential research opportunities for future service development. Importantly, this study offers insights to assist service providers to make data-driven decisions for developing new services and optimising existing ones.

Design/methodology/approach

This research introduces the hybrid thematic analysis with a systematic literature review (SLR-TA). It delves into the various aspects of text analytics in service development by analysing 124 research papers published from 2012 to 2023. This approach not only identifies key practical applications but also evaluates the benefits and difficulties of applying text analytics in this domain, thereby ensuring the reliability and validity of the findings.

Findings

The study highlights an increasing focus on text analytics within the service industry over the examined period. Using the SLR-TA approach, it identifies eight themes in previous studies and finds that “Service Quality” had the most research interest, comprising 42% of studies, while there was less emphasis on designing new services. The study categorises research into four types: Case, Concept, Tools and Implementation, with case studies comprising 68% of the total.

Originality/value

This study is groundbreaking in conducting a thorough and systematic analysis of a broad collection of articles. It provides a comprehensive view of text analytics approaches in the service sector, particularly in developing new services and service innovation. This study lays out distinct guidelines for future research and offers valuable insights to foster research recommendations.

Details

EuroMed Journal of Business, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1450-2194

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 September 2024

De-Graft Johnson Dei

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on all facets of education. This led to educational institutions deploying blended and online systems for teaching and learning…

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on all facets of education. This led to educational institutions deploying blended and online systems for teaching and learning. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of blended learning in promoting quality education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative research design was deployed in this study and enabled the researcher to collect data via in-depth interviews. Twenty-five (25) tertiary institutions accredited by the Ghana Tertiary Education Commission (GTEC) were randomly selected to participate in this study. The registrars of the institutions were purposively selected and served as the participants for the study. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data collected via the interview. Ethical considerations were adhered to during the study.

Findings

The study established that COVID-19 had a devastating effect on tertiary institutions; multiple technological and open-sourced systems were deployed for teaching and learning; blended learning was adopted to augment the traditional face-to-face mode of teaching and learning due to its ease of use, usefulness and accessibility as it was used for quizzes and assignments, accessing lecture notes, among others. Despite these, the deployment of technological and blended systems was met with challenges that somehow affected effective teaching, learning.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to 25 tertiary educational institutions in Ghana. It was again limited to the COVID-19 era.

Practical implications

This research aids in understanding the extent of the impact of COVID-19 on teaching and learning and how blended learning is currently deployed and used in tertiary institutions in Ghana. The findings are relevant to policymakers and management of educational institutions as it informs them of the right method and tools to deploy for teaching and learning during pandemics.

Originality/value

As educational institutions globally are dealing with the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is prudent to look into how tertiary institutions in Ghana deploy blended learning to facilitate teaching and learning. Thus, this paper is original as it fills the relevant literature gap in terms of scope, setting, methodology and findings.

Details

Quality Education for All, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2976-9310

Keywords

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