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Peer support has been identified as an important protective factor for mental health and overall well-being. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of implementing an online peer support group and its impact on measures of well-being.

A mixed-methods randomized controlled trial design was used to examine the feasibility and impact of online peer support. Comparisons in well-being were made between the online peer support group and an in-person peer support group and control group. Participants were randomly assigned to a control group or either a six-week in-person or online peer support group. All participants completed an online survey measuring constructs of well-being pre- and post-condition. Additionally, qualitative data regarding the benefits of peer support and in particular the efficacy of the online format were collected from participants. Analysis of variance and post hoc tests determined significant differences within and between the groups.

Both the online and face-to-face peer support groups scored significantly higher on post-test measures of well-being than pre-test scores and control group scores. Qualitative narratives and significant quantitative findings supported the feasibility of peer support offered online. Post-condition outcomes showed that online peer support is as effective as in-person peer support for improving well-being.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first of its kind to compare online and in-person peer support programs for students in higher education. The results have direct implications for higher education students and practitioners, especially at times when face-to-face support is not feasible.

This study examined sexual minority status on perceived sense of belonging and compared sexual minority students and exclusively heterosexual students as a function of participating in work-integrated learning (WIL).

A cross-sectional, quantitative design was used with participants grouped by sexual minority status and participation in WIL.

Sexual minority students (WIL and non-WIL) reported lower sense of belonging than exclusively heterosexual students (in WIL and non-WIL). Sexual minority students in WIL also reported significantly weaker sense of belonging compared to non-WIL sexual minority students suggesting that WIL presents some barriers to establishing a strong sense of belonging for sexual minority students.

The findings provide evidence for developing programs to ensure all students are in a safe environment where they can develop and strengthen their sense of belonging regardless of minority status. This is important given that a sense of belonging impacts mental health and overall well-being.

This study aims to examine Reddit posts regarding the COVID-19 pandemic from a subreddit dedicated to the campus community of a large, research-intensive Canadian University. The goal was to determine what users were sharing regarding their mental health, well-being, problems, coping strategies and perceptions about the health measures taken to prevent further spread.

A total of 1,096 paragraphs were analyzed using the qualitative methodology of thematic analysis.

Many users expressed struggling with their mental health and well-being during the pandemic. Difficulties with online learning, finding paid study and affording the costs of living were also reported. Coping was largely conducted through online means and included sharing advice, emphasizing connectedness and communicating information. The mixed perceptions regarding health measures focused on responsibility and fairness, with many users blaming the university and public health units.

This study contributes to the evolving understanding of how different populations are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, specifically, university students. Implications for providing assistance to university students during the current pandemic and future waves are also discussed.

This study identifies gendered disparities among women students participating in work-integrated learning and explores the effects of the disparities on their perceptions on perceived opportunities, competencies, sense of belonging, and professional identity.

A series of semi-structured focus groups were run with 59 participants at six higher education institutions in four countries (Australia, Canada, Sweden, United Kingdom). All focus groups were designed with the same questions and formatting.

Thematic analysis of the transcripts revealed two overarching themes, namely perceptions of self and interactions with others in work placements. Theme categories included awareness of self-presentation, sense of autonomy, perceived Allies, emotional labour, barriers to opportunity, sense of belonging, intersections of identity, and validation value.

This study fills an important gap in the international literature about gendered experiences in WIL and highlights inequalities that women experience while on work placements.

This paper aims to compare the use of technology in language institutes before and amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, the authors illustrate the legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic for language institutes from the managers’ perspective.

In the current study, the authors went through a systematic process of collecting qualitative data, discovering sub-categories, forming categories out of them and explaining the topic under investigation using selected categories.

The findings showed that the use of technology has dramatically changed from limited usage for administrative purposes and computer-assisted language learning to building the future of an institute based on online education. Also, the health and education pandemics had positive legacies for language education in making a decision to move to fully online education for having a more sustainable organization, solving the potential problems of an organization with collaboration and cooperation between the managers and employees based on integrity, developing teachers’ knowledge, literacy and skills which lead to the best practices in online language teaching and shifting to flexible schedule based on the students’ needs and timetable which increases the accessibility of language education.

Based on the review, none of the previous research focused on the critical role of managers in language institutes facing the pandemic. Thus, the relationship between managerial decisions in technology integration, readiness for transformation and moving to online language education is still vague.

While the Internet has emerged as a retail force to be reckoned with, its’ success is dependent, at least in part, on other promotional tools. One such tool is permission email marketing (PEM). Operating within the framework of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), this study explores the influence of PEM on the perceived value derived from Internet shopping.

Data were collected through an online survey in Melbourne, Australia. Utilising a sample of 338 consumers, the resulting data was analysed using structural equation modelling.

The results of the study indicate that PEM positively influences the perceived usefulness, ease of use and enjoyment derived from shopping online. Furthermore, it also serves to reduce the perceived risk. PEM serves as an important extension of the TAM, with the findings from this study highlighting not only what the sources of online shopping value are, but also how they can be influenced.

The limitation applies to the research context in which the study was carried out – fashion shopping.

The study confirms the importance of PEM and highlights to retailers that they have another important tool at their disposal.

This study highlights the importance of PEM and support the proposition that its key source of value lies in providing information that the consumer wants. Such relevance is the key of distinction between PEM and SPAM. Despite the rapid growth of Internet shopping in Australia, very few online shopping studies have been conducted in an Australian context. This study helps to address such an oversight.

This paper aims to explore the introduction of teamwork in two health call centres, NHS Direct and NHS24, and intervenes in the emergent debate over teamwork in call centres. Although within the call centre work environment there is no obvious functional rationale for teamwork, teams can be “accounted for” with reference to other purposes, including performance management, normative control, governmentality and institutional isomorphism/management fads. This research provides additional explanations for the use of teamwork in such an adverse work environment.

The paper is based on qualitative data (interviews and non‐participant observations) from NHS Direct and NHS24, the English and Scottish tele‐nursing organisations in the UK.

In the two tele‐nursing case studies analysed, teamwork was introduced as an expression of managers' aspirations to emulate private sector practices and to reinforce new public management ideals. However, informal teamwork, which cut across organisationally prescribed forms, provided both emotional support and spontaneous knowledge sharing among nurses.

This is an innovative study because teamwork has not been thoroughly explored in a health call centre environment.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a conceptual model investigating the impact of three constructs, environmental uncertainty, power asymmetry and information sharing on opportunism engagement in exchange relationships.

Data were collected from procurement or sales managers of 99 manufacturing firms in Kampala, Uganda’s capital using a cross-sectional survey. Hypotheses were tested in both the agricultural and non-agricultural manufacturing sectors using multiple regression runs in the SPSS software.

Environmental uncertainty increases opportunism in the agricultural sector whilst power asymmetry increases opportunism in the non-agricultural sector. Across both sectors, information sharing does not have a significant impact on opportunism.

This paper contributes to a deeper understanding of opportunism in a developing country context by highlighting the contextual factors within the agricultural and non-agricultural manufacturing sectors that influence opportunism engagement under conditions of environmental uncertainty, power asymmetry and information sharing. This paper presents implications for practice and policy to minimise opportunism with the goal of enhancing the participation of Ugandan manufacturing firms in global supply chains.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a supply-side review of policies and practices that impact on the shortage of supply in the contemporary specialist housing market for older people in the UK.

The review is based on a review of academic literature, policy documents, reports and other sources.

There is a critical conflict between the key social purpose of specialist housing (i.e. living independent of socially provided care) and the values that underpin and ultimately limit the quantity of units in both the social and private sector. In the social sector, government policies prohibit rather than encourage local authorities and housing associations from increasing specialist housing stock. The nature of leasehold tenures in the private sector tends to commodify not only housing stock but also those who use it and therefore acts to instrumentalise housing supply in favour of the profit motive and the focus on the person and her or his needs is largely ignored.

While the shortage of specialist housing is well known, this paper is unique in that it provides a comprehensive and critical supply-side review of the factors that have created such conditions.

Exposure to trauma in childhood can have lasting impacts upon development and psychological well-being. Services can be sought to help young people heal from their experiences; however, literature suggests that their care may not always be trauma-informed. This paper aims to generate a theory to explain caregivers’ experiences of accessing mental health and therapeutic services for young people exposed to developmental trauma.

A constructivist grounded theory approach was used, using an iterative process of data collection and analysis. Nine individuals including foster carers, adoptive parents and a special guardian were interviewed following purposive and theoretical sampling. Techniques of initial, focused and theoretical coding, alongside constant comparative analysis were used to develop the end theory.

The theory demonstrates that multiple factors can impact upon caregivers’ experiences when accessing support for young people exposed to trauma. Six themes emerged documenting caregivers’ journeys from the decision to seek support to the ending of service involvement. Barriers, challenges and positive experiences are described. Results are contextualised through consideration of wider organisations and systems.

The theory highlights challenges caregivers face when accessing mental health and therapeutic support for young people exposed to developmental trauma. It provides new insights into what caregivers consider to be trauma-informed experiences of care in these settings. Tentative recommendations are provided in the hope of improving future care.