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11 – 20 of over 115000
Article
Publication date: 10 October 2016

Kim Martin and Anabel Quan-Haase

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the changing research practices of historians, and to contrast their experiences of serendipity in physical and digital information…

1468

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the changing research practices of historians, and to contrast their experiences of serendipity in physical and digital information environments.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 20 historians in Southwestern Ontario participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed employing grounded theory. The analytical approach included memoing, the constant comparative method, and three phases of coding.

Findings

Four main themes were identified: agency, the importance of the physical library experience, digital information environments, and novel heuristic forms of serendipity. The authors found that scholars frequently used active verbs to describe their experience with serendipity. This suggests that agency is more involved in the experience than previous conceptualizations of serendipity have suggested, and led us to coin the term “incidental serendipity.” Other key findings include the need for digital tools to incorporate the context surrounding primary sources, and also to provide an organizational context much like what is encountered by patrons in library stacks.

Originality/value

The increased emphasis on digital materials should not come at the expense of the physical information environment, where historians often encounter serendipitous finds. A fine balance and a greater integration between digital and physical resources is needed in order to support scholars’ continued ability to make connections between materials. By showing the active role that historians take in their serendipitous encounters, this paper suggests that historical training is critical for eliciting incidental serendipitous encounters. The authors propose a novel approach, one that examines verbs in serendipity accounts.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 72 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 August 2019

Mariam F. Alkazemi, Sara Bayramzadeh, Nouf B. Alkhubaizi and Ayman Alayoub

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of the physical environment in patient satisfaction ratings as communicated in narratives on the social media platform such as…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of the physical environment in patient satisfaction ratings as communicated in narratives on the social media platform such as Facebook.

Design/methodology/approach

Publicly available Facebook reviews (n = 4,502) of a reputable healthcare system in the USA were analyzed. A thematic analysis was conducted to explore architectural elements of the physical environment that play a role in patient satisfaction.

Findings

Facebook reviews were examined for the presence of design-related factors within the physical environment. Of the 627 posts (14 per cent) with relevant content, 56 involved factors related to the physical environment. The factors include: location, parking, cleanliness, privacy, waiting rooms, music and temperature. The results showed that environmental and design-related factors are part of patient satisfaction in hospitals.

Research limitations/implications

Not all Facebook reviews contain narrative information. Nevertheless, the impact of the built environment can manifest in online reviews of healthcare systems. Future patient satisfaction research should examine variables related to the built environment on social media ratings.

Practical implications

Social media feedback about the physical environment can help in understanding factors influencing patient satisfaction, which can have an implication for architectural design.

Social implications

The patient satisfaction is related to the physical environment of healthcare facilities. Some social media narratives reflect it and can be used to improve patient satisfaction.

Originality/value

Although some studies examine social media narratives on patient satisfaction, fewer studies examine these narratives in relation to the built environment. Created by a team of interdisciplinary researchers, this study provides a novel approach to examine social media ratings.

Details

Facilities , vol. 38 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 18 March 2022

Peter Lindeberg, Minna Saunila, Pia Lappalainen, Juhani Ukko and Hannu Rantanen

Work environments are undergoing a transformation where organizations have various spatial solutions at their disposal. However, organizations may have challenges in making the…

4356

Abstract

Purpose

Work environments are undergoing a transformation where organizations have various spatial solutions at their disposal. However, organizations may have challenges in making the right decisions in a work environment change, when the spatial solution is only one dimension of the work environment. The purpose of this paper is to approach this problem in a holistic way and explain the relationship between work environment changes and the development of organizational performance in the activity-based work (ABW) environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The results are based on an extensive quantitative survey involving 471 participants. The survey was theory driven and built on former literature. The participants were randomly collected from the largest cities in Finland, and the data were analyzed with a regression analysis.

Findings

The results showed that ABW environments require no more attention to the different work environment dimensions when compared to other office types, with the exception of the social work environment; the changes of which have a relatively strong relationship with the development of organizational well-being. In the ABW environment, a change in the physical work environment has a stronger relationship with the development of organizational productivity and a change in the social work environment has a stronger relationship with the development of organizational well-being than a change in the other work environment dimensions.

Originality/value

This study yields empirical evidence of the relationship of physical, digital and social work environment changes with the development of organizational performance in the ABW environment. The value of this paper is that it offers a simple but holistic research model to distinguish the outcomes between the different work environment dimensions so that relevant expertise is applied to take concrete and targeted action.

Article
Publication date: 13 June 2019

Ahmet Türel and Elmira Ayşe Gür

The relationship between the child and his/her physical environment is an area of interaction that includes social, psychological and cultural factors along with the spatial…

Abstract

Purpose

The relationship between the child and his/her physical environment is an area of interaction that includes social, psychological and cultural factors along with the spatial experience, perception and behavior of the child. This study is based on the effects of spatial perception and behavior of the child within the physical environment of primary schools. In this direction, the purpose of this paper is to investigate how spatial and physical characteristics of primary school typologies affect the spatial perception and behavior of the child. Also, the parameters affecting spatial perception and behavior are examined.

Design/methodology/approach

The question to be investigated is how the spatial and physical characteristics of the school’s physical environment affect the child’s spatial perception and behavior in primary schools with different typologies. Within this scope, Istanbul’s Kagithane region is selected as a case study. Schools are chosen for their similar spatial and dimensional features and similar socio-economic environment. The methodology of the study consists of a literature review, an observational study carried out to discover the interaction between the child and his/her school building and the analysis of the student’s cognitive maps. These maps were evaluated according to topological, projective, metric and imaginative parameters.

Findings

The results show spatial organization and physical characteristics of primary school buildings with a structure that allows for change and transformation, and contributes to the physical and cognitive development of children.

Originality/value

This study will provide an opportunity to develop the design of future primary school buildings that can support the spatial perception and spatial experiences of the children.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2002

Jackie L. Hartman

A strategic communication system is the vehicle for creating, managing and disseminating an organization’s excellence in design, process, and human capital. We propose that…

3444

Abstract

A strategic communication system is the vehicle for creating, managing and disseminating an organization’s excellence in design, process, and human capital. We propose that organizational communication should be measured in an effort to influence the business outcomes and the behavior of shareholders, customers, and employees. An often overlooked asset is an organization’s physical environment and that which it communicates. This article presents the literature addressing the correlation between the physical environment and behaviors as well as an audit inventory that allows an organization to examine its environment from a strategic view in order to align its surroundings with its culture, image, desirable behaviors, and expected outcomes.

Details

Measuring Business Excellence, vol. 6 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1368-3047

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 16 June 2017

Hayley E. Christian, Gavin R. McCormack, Kelly R. Evenson and Clover Maitland

This chapter aims to review evidence of the relationships between dog ownership, dog walking and overall walking and the factors associated with dog walking. It reviews the…

Abstract

This chapter aims to review evidence of the relationships between dog ownership, dog walking and overall walking and the factors associated with dog walking. It reviews the evidence using a social ecological framework. The chapter finds that dog ownership and dog walking are associated with higher levels of walking. A number of social ecological factors are associated with dog walking. Motivation and social support provided by the dog to walk and a sense of responsibility to walk the dog are associated with higher levels of dog walking. Positive social pressure from family, friends, dog owners and veterinarians is also associated with higher levels of dog walking. Built and policy environmental characteristics influence dog walking, including dog-specific factors such as access to local attractive public open space with dog-supportive features (off-leash, dog waste bags, trash cans, signage), pet-friendly destinations (cafes, transit, workplaces, accommodation) and local laws that support dog walking. Large-scale intervention studies are required to determine the effect of increased dog walking on overall walking levels. Experimental study designs, such as natural and quasi-experiments, are needed to provide stronger evidence for causal associations between the built and policy environments and dog walking. Given the potential of dog walking to increase population-levels of walking, urban, park and recreational planners need to design neighbourhood environments that are supportive of dog walking and other physical activity. Advocacy for dog walking policy-relevant initiatives are needed to support dog walking friendly environments. Health promotion practitioners should make dog walking a key strategy in social marketing campaigns.

Book part
Publication date: 20 July 2005

Lilia Pavlovsky

It has been suggested that “space and artifacts constitute systems of communication which organizations build up within themselves” (Gagliardi, 1992a, b, p. vi) and reflect the…

Abstract

It has been suggested that “space and artifacts constitute systems of communication which organizations build up within themselves” (Gagliardi, 1992a, b, p. vi) and reflect the cultural life within that organization. This is a study of how the “landscape” of a public library (“Library X”), as an information retrieval system, relates to the values of the people who created it. The efforts here are geared towards understanding the physical instantiation of institutional culture and, more specifically, institutional values as they are reflected through the artifact.

Details

Advances in Library Administration and Organization
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-338-9

Article
Publication date: 7 September 2012

Linda Too and Michael Harvey

Toxic real estate has been used as a negative phrase to describe non‐performing assets on a firm's balance sheet. Today there is another form of “TOXIC” real estate that needs…

2705

Abstract

Purpose

Toxic real estate has been used as a negative phrase to describe non‐performing assets on a firm's balance sheet. Today there is another form of “TOXIC” real estate that needs management's attention, i.e. physical workplaces that are harmful to employees on a day‐in and day‐out basis. Particularly when productivity of workforce is now central to business competitiveness, it is timely to explore the interface between physical and social environments as many of the social/psychological impacts on employees have not been recognized or calibrated. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the links between physical workplace and social behaviour.

Design/methodology/approach

In this conceptual paper, current literature relating to corporate real estate and environmental psychology are reviewed to investigate the links between physical workplace and social behaviour. The findings are synthesised to present a framework for understanding the cause of toxicity in the workplace and a self‐auditing preventive strategy.

Findings

This article argued that there is a link between physical workplace and the social behaviour of employees. Arising from toxic workplaces, two dysfunctional social behaviours are highlighted, i.e. bullying and destructive leadership. The paper then presents a logical plan to monitor and remediate these “TOXIC” conditions in the physical environment.

Originality/value

This paper is original in its angle to which social behaviour is juxtaposed against physical environment. In particular, by examining the negative interface, it informs managers of the risks to avoid and therefore identifies the baseline for which the physical workplace must be managed. It also makes a practical contribution by its development of a self‐auditing framework to avoid toxic workplaces.

Details

Journal of Corporate Real Estate, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-001X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 March 2022

Huan Li and Norhayati Mahyuddin

Using a quantitative research method, health-care workers’ (HWs) well-being was taken as the dependent variable while the two independent variables were physical quality and…

196

Abstract

Purpose

Using a quantitative research method, health-care workers’ (HWs) well-being was taken as the dependent variable while the two independent variables were physical quality and service environment. This study aims to focus on the well-being of HWs in their physical environment.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a hybrid method that is a combination of literature review and questionnaire survey. This study used quantitative research design which is a systematic study of phenomenon by collecting quantifiable data and performing statistical, mathematical or computational techniques. This study is conducted among HWs, with doctors and nurses at four Chinese government hospitals in the southern city of Changzhou (near Shanghai) as participants.

Findings

A total of 222 responses were obtained from a random sample of HWs from four hospitals in Changzhou City, Jiangsu Province. Three-fifth of the participants (n = 133, 60%) are satisfied with hospital equipment and half (n = 111.50%) of them are satisfied with the modern technology in place. About one-third (n = 67, 30%) are satisfied with ventilation and only one-fifth (n = 44, 20%) are satisfied with hygiene. Most HWs think it was necessary to provide tests for frontline workers.

Originality/value

In the wake of COVID-19 in 2020, HWs are working long hours every day facing high risk of infection and stress. This research investigates the satisfaction level and the difficulties experienced by HWs based on the current physical environment setting during COVID-19 pandemic.

Details

Facilities , vol. 41 no. 11/12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-2772

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2007

Charlotte Clark, Rowan Myron, Stephen Stansfeld and Bridget Candy

This paper assesses the strength of the evidence on the impact of the physical environment on mental health and well‐being. Using a systematic review methodology, quantitative and…

1822

Abstract

This paper assesses the strength of the evidence on the impact of the physical environment on mental health and well‐being. Using a systematic review methodology, quantitative and qualitative evaluative studies of the effect of the physical environment on child and adult mental health published in English between January 1990 and September 2005 were sought from citation databases. The physical environment was defined in terms of built or natural elements of residential or neighbourhood environments; mental health was defined in terms of psychological symptoms and diagnoses. A total of 99 papers were identified. The strength of the evidence varied and was strongest for the effects of urban birth (on risk of schizophrenia), rural residence (on risk of suicide for males), neighbourhood violence, housing and neighbourhood regeneration, and neighbourhood disorder. The strength of the evidence for an effect of poor housing on mental health was weaker. There was a lack of robust research, and of longitudinal research in many areas, and some aspects of the environment have been very little studied to date. The lack of evidence of environmental effects in some domains does not necessarily mean that there are no effects: rather, that they have not yet been studied or studied meaningfully.

Details

Journal of Public Mental Health, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5729

Keywords

11 – 20 of over 115000