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Article
Publication date: 5 December 2023

Hao Wang and Yunna Liu

This study aims to construct a mental health service system for middle school students in the post-COVID-19 era with the framework of Six Sigma DMAIC (define, measure, analyze…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to construct a mental health service system for middle school students in the post-COVID-19 era with the framework of Six Sigma DMAIC (define, measure, analyze, improve and control) and analyze the influencing factors of the mental health service system to study the implementation strategies of quality-oriented mental health services in middle schools.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted in Tianjin, China, from September to November 2022, and 350 middle school students from Tianjin Public Middle School were selected as subjects. A questionnaire survey was used to collect data. In this study, the Six Sigma DMAIC method, sensitivity analysis method, exploratory factor analysis and principal component analysis were used to analyze the mental health services provided to middle school students.

Findings

Based on the Six Sigma DMAIC framework, this study indicates that the contribution rate of the mental health service process factor is the largest in the post-COVID-19 era. The mental health cultivation factor ranks second in terms of its contribution. Mental health quality and policy factors are also important in the construction of middle school students’ mental health service system. In addition, the study highlights the importance of parental involvement and social support in student mental health services during the post-COVID-19 era.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, a study on middle school students’ mental health in the post-Covid-19 era has not yet been conducted. This study developed a quality-oriented mental health system and analyzed the influencing factors of mental health for middle school students based on data analysis and the Six Sigma DMAIC method.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 April 2024

Marco Savastano, Isabelle Biclesanu, Sorin Anagnoste, Francesco Laviola and Nicola Cucari

The contemporary business environment is characterised by an increasing reliance on artificial intelligence, automation, optimisation, efficient communication and data-driven…

Abstract

Purpose

The contemporary business environment is characterised by an increasing reliance on artificial intelligence, automation, optimisation, efficient communication and data-driven decision making. Based on the limited academic literature that examines the managerial perspective on enterprise chatbots, the paper aims to explore organisational needs and expectations for enterprise chatbots from a managerial perspective, assesses the relationship between managerial knowledge and managerial opinion regarding enterprise chatbots, and delivers a framework for integrating chatbots into the digital workforce.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a quantitative design. An online, self-administered survey yielded 111 valid responses from managers in service and manufacturing organisations based on convenience and snowball sampling strategies. Given the nature of the data and the research questions, the research was conducted using principal component analysis, parallel analysis, correlation, internal consistency and difference in means tests.

Findings

This research explores the managerial perspective on enterprise chatbots from multiple perspectives (i.e., adoption, suitability, development requirements, benefits, barriers, performance and implications), presents a heat map of the average level of chatbot need across industries and business units, highlights the urgent need for education and training initiatives targeted at decision makers, and provides a strategic framework for successful chatbot implementation.

Practical implications

This study equips managers and practitioners dealing with enterprise chatbots with knowledge to effectively leverage the expected benefits of investing in this technology for their organisations. It offers direction for developers in designing chatbots that align with organisational expectations, capabilities and skills.

Originality/value

Insights for managers, researchers and chatbot developers are provided. The work complements the few academic studies that examine enterprise chatbots from a managerial perspective and enriches related commercial studies with more rigourous statistical analysis. The paper contributes to the ongoing discourse on decision-making in the context of technology development, integration and education.

Details

Management Decision, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 October 2023

Wei Li, Tianran Ni, Yi Zhang, Daan Wang and Salvador Parrado

This study aims to examine the effects of vocational training programs for people with disabilities on their income.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effects of vocational training programs for people with disabilities on their income.

Design/methodology/approach

It conducted a multinomial regression analysis of 10,469 survey responses from 31 provincial administrative areas in mainland China.

Findings

It finds the following antecedents all influence the trainees’ self-reported income, including their perception of the quality of the program, the training subject, the degree of consistency between their current job and this subject, their employment sector, their motivation and access to training resources and the geographical location of the program.

Research limitations/implications

The findings are not representative of people with disabilities across mainland China because the respondents were not randomly sampled.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that to increase the income of people with disabilities, the training can be designed according to the needs of employers by teaching subjects relevant to the needs of the labor market, reaching out to motivated trainees and enhancing the quality of training. Training institutions, employers and governments are recommended to work together to integrate class-based learning with workplace-based learning and practices. More training resources can be devoted to the self-employed people with disabilities or those who operate in the informal sector and are in less-developed areas.

Social implications

The improvement of employment opportunities and income of people with disabilities supports the safeguarding of their social economic rights and the building of an inclusive society.

Originality/value

Few studies have empirically explored and explained the effects of vocational training programs on people with disabilities’ income. This article fills this gap by assessing the performance of China's vocational training programs funded by the Federation of Disabled Persons at all levels.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 April 2024

Deepa Thomas, Joseph Chacko Chennattuserry and Kennedy Andrew Thomas

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale to assess the influence of Higher Educational Facilities for the growth of education in higher education institutions.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a scale to assess the influence of Higher Educational Facilities for the growth of education in higher education institutions.

Design/methodology/approach

The first step in the process of scale development is to generate an item pool containing as many items as possible which captures the construct of interest. A total of 111 items were constructed for the initial try-out of the scale measuring the construct of higher educational facilities. This rating scale was based on the Likert-type was designed, where each item had to be rated on a five-point scale. The scale consisted of a few items involving the dimensions of infrastructure, quality assessment and quality assurance regard to the vision actualization.

Findings

Higher Educational Facilities Scale (HEFS) was developed by the investigator and designed in the format of a 5-point rating scale of the Likert type. There are different phases identified for the scale construction. In the first phase, items are created and the content’s validity is determined. The scale is constructed in the second phase. Pre-testing the questions, administering the survey, reducing the number of items and determining how many factors the scale captures are all steps in the scale construction process. The number of dimensions, reliability and validity are all verified in the third phase, scale evaluation. In developing the scale, the content and face validity was ascertained. The reliability of the scale and its three subscales were established. This scale has potential value for policymakers to assess the perception held by the religious faculty members working in higher education institutions.

Originality/value

The research is part of the doctoral thesis by Dr Deepa Thomas under the supervision of Dr Fr. Joseph C. C. and the co-supervision of Dr Kennedy Andrew Thomas. The purpose of the scale is to assess the higher educational facilities of in institutions of higher Education. Quality, excellence and service are the vision and purpose of higher education institutions to provide ample opportunities and good facilities for their beneficiaries, thus creating tremendous changes in the Indian education scenario.

Details

Property Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-7472

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2024

Mojtaba Rezaei, Cemil Gündüz, Nizar Ghamgui, Marco Pironti and Tomas Kliestik

This study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on knowledge-sharing drivers in small- and medium-sized family firms within the restaurant and fast-food industry…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on knowledge-sharing drivers in small- and medium-sized family firms within the restaurant and fast-food industry. The pandemic has led to significant changes in business culture and consumer behaviour, accelerating digital transformation, disruptions in global supply chains and emerging new business opportunities. These changes have also influenced knowledge sharing (KS) and its underlying drivers.

Design/methodology/approach

To address the research objectives, a two-phase study was conducted. In the first phase, an exploratory analysis using the Delphi method was used to identify the essential drivers and factors of KS in family businesses (FBs). This phase aimed to establish a conceptual model for the study. In the second phase, confirmatory factor analysis was conducted to analyse the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the identified knowledge-sharing drivers. The study examined both the pre-pandemic and post-pandemic periods to capture the shifts in attitudes towards KS.

Findings

The findings indicate a significant shift in attitudes towards knowledge-sharing drivers. Before the pandemic, organisational drivers played a central role in KS. However, after the emergence of the pandemic, technological drivers became more prominent. This shift highlights the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on KS within FB.

Originality/value

The research contributes to understanding knowledge-sharing in the context of FBs and sheds light on the specific effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on knowledge-sharing drivers. The insights gained from this study can inform strategies and practices aimed at enhancing KS in similar organisational settings.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 April 2024

Jill Flint-Taylor and Alexander Davda

The study’s aim was to design and test a leadership development approach using blended learning, to equip leaders for strengthening their own resilience and that of their teams.

Abstract

Purpose

The study’s aim was to design and test a leadership development approach using blended learning, to equip leaders for strengthening their own resilience and that of their teams.

Design/methodology/approach

A contextualised leadership development intervention was produced and evaluated following the principles of design-based research. Participants were from three organisations that work internationally to address the impact of economic disadvantage. Initial research used the behavioural event interview technique. Online assessment incorporated measures of situational judgement, emotion recognition and attributional style. Validity measures were multi-rater feedback (criterion), and NEO-PI 3 (construct). Individual feedback and a simulation-based peer workshop were followed by a four-to-six month period of experience-driven development and a final peer workshop for consolidating and evaluating learning outcomes.

Findings

The online assessment was a valid measure of leaders’ personal resilience resources and their resilience-building capability. Overall, the intervention improved participants’ understanding of, and engagement with, the processes of strengthening individual and collective (team) resilience.

Research limitations/implications

The target sample size for the study was relatively small, to ensure it would be practical to replicate the approach when designing similar interventions for a senior leadership population in other contexts. Significant results provided robust evidence for the validity of the assessment approach. Findings for the workshops and experience-driven development phase were more tentative, but the value of the design iterations was clearly demonstrated.

Practical implications

The leadership development approach is suitable for application in other organisations, if similar principles are followed to produce and evaluate materials relevant to each broad sector context. Roll-out is cost-effective, with relatively few hours of blended or virtual delivery supporting experience-driven learning.

Social implications

The impact leaders have on the wellbeing of those who report to them is well established, but less has been done to develop and formally evaluate practical, cost-effective interventions to improve this impact. The approach validated in this study can be applied more widely to benefit employee wellbeing as well as performance.

Originality/value

The study developed and evaluated a new approach to preparing leaders for the challenge of building team resilience, an aspect of leadership capability that has been given relatively little attention to date.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

Jingqiong Sun, Junren Ming, Xuezhi Wang and Yawen Zhang

This paper aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 infodemic on the public’s online information behaviour, offering insights critical for shaping effective informational…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the impact of the COVID-19 infodemic on the public’s online information behaviour, offering insights critical for shaping effective informational responses in future public health emergencies.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a structured online survey with 27 targeted questions using a five-point Likert scale to measure eight variables. Data analysis is conducted through structural equation modelling on 307 valid responses to rigorously test the research hypotheses.

Findings

This paper indicates that information quality significantly impacts the public’s capacity to select, share and use online information. Additionally, the comprehensibility of information plays a crucial role in shaping the public’s behaviours in terms of online information exchange and usage. The credibility of information sources emerges as a key determinant influencing the public’s online information selection, exchange and utilization behaviour. Moreover, social influence exerts a substantial effect on the public’s online information selection, acquisition, exchange and utilization behaviour. These findings highlight the presence of universality and sociality, mediation and guidance, as well as the purposefulness and selectivity performed by the public’s online information behaviour during an infodemic.

Originality/value

This paper introduces a novel research model for assessing the influence and identifies the patterns of the public’s online information behaviour during the COVID-19 infodemic. The findings have significant implications for developing strategies to tackle information dissemination challenges in future major public health emergencies.

Details

The Electronic Library , vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-0473

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 June 2023

Catarina Lucas and Joana Paulo

The purpose of this study is to present a general review that provides an overview of the concept of sustainability and the effectiveness of mathematics curricula in courses where…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to present a general review that provides an overview of the concept of sustainability and the effectiveness of mathematics curricula in courses where deeper work on economic and environmental sustainability has become central.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative methodology consisting of a review based on a pre-defined systematic method was used to exhaustively search and identify the most relevant answers to the research question: What is the role of mathematics to sustainability? To facilitate answering such a broad question, several concrete questions were formulated. Answers from published and unpublished documents were analysed. The quality of the extracted data was assessed, and the results were synthesized.

Findings

It was concluded that, on the one hand, the discipline of mathematics has much to contribute to solving the problems of sustainability; on the other hand, new mathematics is appearing stimulated by new challenges.

Social implications

This work presents social implications in an innovative way. It allows for an increase in educational sustainability by bringing the academic community closer to the business world and the challenges of society and, furthermore, by having a major impact on the motivation of teachers and students to develop cooperative work within university institutions.

Originality/value

The originality is based on an a priori analysis for the construction and implementation of didactic tools for university teacher training in the area of mathematics within the framework of sustainable development, both economically and environmentally.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2023

José Milton de Sousa-Filho and Fernando Almeida

This study aims to identify and explore the factors affecting social entrepreneurial intentions considering an educational institution in Portugal. It also intends to determine…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify and explore the factors affecting social entrepreneurial intentions considering an educational institution in Portugal. It also intends to determine the relevance of moderating factors in the antecedents and entrepreneurial intention of these students.

Design/methodology/approach

A panel of 177 undergraduate students enrolled in a social entrepreneurship course between the academic years 2018 and 2021 is considered. The data is explored quantitatively considering descriptive analysis techniques, correlational analysis and hypothesis testing.

Findings

The findings reveal that entrepreneurial intention depends on multiple individual, organizational and contextual dimensions. Students' entrepreneurial intention remains unchanged regardless of the student’s profile. However, students' professional experience is a more relevant factor for the identification of organizational dimensions related to curriculum and critical pedagogy, while previous involvement in volunteer activities contributes to a higher prevalence of individual factors.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is original in exploring the role of entrepreneurial intention and its antecedents considering a heterogeneous students' profile. It offers theoretical and practical contributions by extending the literature on social entrepreneurial intention that can be used by higher education institutions to offer specific training more focused on the student's profile.

Details

International Journal of Innovation Science, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-2223

Keywords

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