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Interdisciplinary linkage of information is an emerging topic to create knowledge by collaboration of experts in diverse domains. New insights can be found by using the combined techniques and information when people have the chance to discuss and communicate on a common basis.

This paper describes RMS Cloud, an information management system which allows distributed data sources to be searched using dynamic joins of results from heterogeneous data formats. It is based on the well-known Mediator architecture, but reverses the connection of the data sources to grant data owners full control over the data.

Data owners and learners are enabled to retrieve information and to cross-connect domain-extrinsic knowledge and enhances collaborative learning with a search interface that is intuitive and easy to operate.

This novel architecture is able to connect to differently shaped data sources from interdisciplinary domains into one common retrieval interface.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence that marketing has on teenagers and their development of identity and question the ethical implications of this influence. It aims to explore the extrinsic identity and the intrinsic identity using Erikson's model of identity versus role confusion; to identify passive and active personality types within adolescents; and to establish the importance of local community compared with web‐based communities.

The views of developmental theorists are discussed and correlations between teenagers characterised as active; those who would be identified as being “cool”, and passive characters; those lacking “cool” are drawn. This is then applied to the theories of the self and the empty self, a concept arguably used by marketers who wish to encourage notions of the empty self through negative references to being uncool, with the aim of stimulating a demand for the cool sustenance that they supply. Data were gathered from a questionnaire survey comprising 79 secondary school teenage pupils.

The findings, though limited to only one locality, show that the majority of the sample was identified as being passive, implying that the majority of these teenagers were aspirational in their quest for cool. In addition, more of the participants felt a part of web‐based communities such as Bebo than of their local community. The study suggests that marketers, ethically or otherwise, are able to target the passive majority by encouraging feelings of being un‐cool encouraging the empty self to then profit from the sales of a cool fulfilling product.

The localisation and survey sample size impose limitations on the generalisation of the findings for a national or even a regional location. Also, the primary research provides only a snap shot of the tastes and personality traits of individuals taking part in the survey at that point in time that are susceptible to change as is the definition of cool. However, the evaluation of the findings offer some interesting and valuable indications of support and contradictions to the theories discussed.

Through an understanding of the strength of the influence marketing has on a teenage demographic and the importance that the teenagers surveyed attached to social network sites, some indication is given of the quest for identity of the youths of today in a UK locality. This study therefore provides a small but valuable stepping stone for a much larger investigation of this concept on a regional or national scale.

Identity exploration is a central mechanism for identity formation that has been found to be associated with intense engagement, positive coping, openness to change, flexible cognition, and meaningful learning. Moreover, identity exploration in school has been associated with adaptive motivation for learning the academic material. Particularly in the fast-changing environment of contemporary society, confidence and skills in identity exploration and self-construction seems to be increasingly important. Therefore, promoting students’ identity exploration in school within the curriculum and in relation to the academic content should be adopted as an important educational goal. The purpose of this paper is to describe a conceptual framework for interventions to promote students’ identity exploration within the curriculum. The framework involves the application of four interrelated principles: (1) promoting self-relevance; (2) triggering exploration; (3) facilitating a sense of safety; and (4) scaffolding exploratory actions.

We begin the paper with a conceptual review of identity exploration. We follow by specifying the conceptual framework for interventions. We then present a methodological-intervention approach for applying this framework and describe three such interventions in middle-school contexts, in the domains of environmental education, literature, and mathematics.

In each intervention, applying the principles contributed to students’ adaptive motivation and engagement in the academic material and also contributed to students’ identity exploration, though not among all students. The findings highlight the contextual, dynamic, and indeterminate nature of identity exploration among early adolescents in educational settings, and the utility of the conceptual framework and approach for conceptualizing and intervening to promote identity exploration among students.

This paper contributes to the conceptual understanding of identity exploration in educational settings, highlights the benefits and the challenges in intervening to promote identity exploration among students, and discusses the future directions in theory, research, and practice concerned with the promotion of identity exploration in educational settings.

Examines the strategies of 30 companies that managed to substantially improve margins, and notes that some are achieving remarkable results. Looks at three companies which looked beyond internal cost cuts and found dramatic profit improvements and these were: Starbucks, Kroger and Nexfar. These are recommended as they have dug deeper for today’s “hidden” treasure, which has improved long‐term business prospects.

The purpose of this study is asking for a methodologically representable relation between different relative velocity approaches, counter surfaces and the tribological behavior of the radial shaft seal (RSS).

The tribological behavior between the seal and the counterpart is examined experimentally to submit significant measured values. The correlations among seal elements, relative velocity approaches and counter surfaces with more aspects are searched.

A basis for future research regarding optimization options for service life extension of the RSS under different operation environments has been set. New insights for the performance of 3D-printed counter surface are gained as well as the application possibility of that is searched.

The applied measuring procedure in investigation part especially the usage of different approaches in relative velocity approaches is designed with originality. In particularly, the usage of a 3D-printed counter surface comes for the first time in a scientific work.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-11-2022-0325/

A key development in early adolescence is the active construction of individual identity; for autistic young people, integrating the idea of “being autistic” forms part of this process. The purpose of this paper is to explore identity development from a contextualist perspective, foregrounding young people’s experiences within mainstream educational settings.

A longitudinal, qualitative methodology was used: semi-structured interviews were conducted annually with 14 autistic young people, their parents and teachers between school years 6 and 9.

Young people felt different from their neurotypical peers and their acceptance of their diagnosis changed over time as they managed their developing personal and public identities. In pursuit of being treated “normally,” many camouflaged their differences at school, which sometimes involved opting out of school-based support. Adults described their own understandings of autism and discussed the responses of others in the school environment to autistic differences.

The influence of sociocultural discourses of autism on young people’s identity development is discussed and implications for both school based and post-diagnostic support for young people and their families explored.

This research examined fans' purchase intentions towards the sponsor of a NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) event and towards the previous sponsor. The study shows that fans are more likely to purchase from the current sponsor and less likely to purchase from the previous sponsor. Fan identification and perceived group norms were significant predictors of purchase intentions towards the current sponsor, but only perceived group norms predicted purchase intentions towards the ex-sponsor. Additionally, perceived group norms partially mediated the relationship between fan identification and purchase intention.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate peer perceptions and stereotypes towards adolescents with clinical anxiety disorders.

The study utilised an exploratory qualitative design, using short vignettes to investigate perceptions of three clinical anxiety disorders (panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder and social anxiety disorder) and a control scenario, situational stress. Responses were analysed using thematic analysis.

The results of the study suggest that previously established mental illness stereotypes (e.g. fear and dangerousness) may not be relevant to those with anxiety disorders, with perceptions of personal responsibility, weakness and social abnormality salient instead. These results suggest that stigma interventions should be tailored to disorder and age group.

Perceptions of weakness and blame have been associated with higher levels of discrimination, meaning people with anxiety disorders may be particularly vulnerable. Similarly, the negative social perceptions may be particularly damaging in adolescence, when successful peer relationships are vitally important. The results suggest specific stereotypes to target in stigma reduction campaigns for anxiety disorders, which may not being addressed by existing interventions.

There is a significant lack of research on both adolescent mental illness stigma in general, and anxiety stigma specifically. This study aimed to begin to address that gap, and found results that suggest, in line with previous work, that perceptions of blame may be more common for anxiety disorders, with negative social perceptions also reflecting the unique importance of peer relationships for adolescents. Further research should explore these stereotypes in more detail.

This chapter aims to understand how partnerships and networks can aid the development and growth of organizations whose goal is to foster social inclusion along the agro-food supply chain, with particular reference to the social entrepreneurship sector.

The chapter draws on a framework proposed by Newth and Woods (2014) to identify the main drivers of resistance to the development of social entrepreneurship. The empirical evidence is based on a single case, involving an Italian social enterprise, Semi di Libertà, which produces high-quality artisan beer. Case material included an analysis of organization documents and interviews with key actors.

The case study shows how Semi di Libertà faced different types of resistance, related to formal and informal institutions and market drivers, and leveraged partnerships with other actors in the ecosystem. Some of these partnerships were planned a priori to overcome specific problems (e.g., the Prison’s Authority, Mastri Birrai). Other partnerships were developed “by chance” (e.g., “peer” associations) but turned out to be particularly important to deal with the above resistances.

The case study methodology prevents the authors from generalizing too far past the obtained results. However, key elements from the case, such as the relevance of “spontaneous” partnerships and those with “peer” organizations, could be taken into account for similar initiatives in different contexts.

Recent literature has highlighted the relevance of partnerships in scaling social enterprises but has not explored the dynamics whereby these partnerships are created and developed. This chapter provides some preliminary evidence of how partnerships can be used to overcome the resistance limiting the growth of social entrepreneurship and the sustainability of socially inclusive initiatives.