Search results
1 – 10 of 412Examines the sixteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects…
Abstract
Examines the sixteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.
Details
Keywords
Thomas Grigalunas, Simona Trandafrr, Meifeng Luo, James Opaluch and Suk-Jae Kwon
This paper analyzes two external costs often associated with port development, cost to fisheries from marine dredge disposal and damages from air pollution, using estimates of…
Abstract
This paper analyzes two external costs often associated with port development, cost to fisheries from marine dredge disposal and damages from air pollution, using estimates of development and operation for a proposed (but since cancelled) container port as a case study. For dredge disposal, a bio-economic model was used to assess short- and long-term and indirect (joodweb) damages to fisheries from marine disposal of clean sediments. In the case of air pollution, estimates of annual activity levels and emission coefficients are used to estimate incremental annual emissions of three key pollutants (NOx, HC and CO) for trucks, trains, yard vehicles, and vessels. These estimates allow for phasing in of strict new air pollution regulations. For both external costs, sensitivity analyses are used to reflect uncertainty. Estimates of shadow values in year 2002 dollars amount from $0.094 per cubic yard to $0.169 per cubic yard of clean dredged material for the selected disposal site and from $0.0584 per mile (jor current control standards) to $ 0. 0023 per mile (after phasing in of new regulations) for air pollution from heavy trucks.
Details
Keywords
Simona Karbouniaris, Marjolein Boomsma-van Holten, Antoinet Oostindiër, Pascal Raats, Cecil C. Prins-Aardema, Alie Weerman, Jean Pierre Wilken and Tineke A. Abma
This study aims to explore the perspectives of psychiatrists with lived experiences and what their considerations are upon integrating the personal into the professional realm.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the perspectives of psychiatrists with lived experiences and what their considerations are upon integrating the personal into the professional realm.
Design/methodology/approach
As part of a qualitative participatory research approach, participant observations during two years in peer supervision sessions (15 sessions with 8 psychiatrists with lived experiences), additional interviews as part of member feedback and a focus group were thematically analysed.
Findings
Although the decision to become a psychiatrist was often related to personal experiences with mental distress and some feel the need to integrate the personal into the professional, the actual use of lived experiences appears still in its early stages of development. Findings reveal three main considerations related to the personal (3.1), professionality (3.2) and clinical relevance (3.3) comprising 11 facilitators and 9 barriers to harness lived experiences.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted locally and there are no similar comparable studies known. It was small in its size due to its qualitative nature and with a homogeneous group and therefore may lack generalisability.
Practical implications
Future directions to further overcome shame and stigma and discover the potential of lived experiences are directed to practice, education and research.
Originality/value
Psychiatrists with lived experiences valued the integration of experiential knowledge into the professional realm, even though being still under development. The peer supervision setting in this study was experienced as a safe space to share personal experiences with vulnerability and suffering rather than a technical disclosure. It re-sensitised participants to their personal narratives, unleashing its demystifying, destigmatising and humanising potential.
Details
Keywords
Simona Fiandrino, Alain Devalle and Valter Cantino
This paper aims to reconcile the conflicting understanding on the nexus between corporate governance (CG), corporate financial performance (CFP) and corporate social…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to reconcile the conflicting understanding on the nexus between corporate governance (CG), corporate financial performance (CFP) and corporate social responsibility (CSR) by investigating how companies engage with CSR practices.
Design/methodology/approach
The study carries out a multivariate linear regression analysis on a sample of 361 listed companies from five countries in Europe: France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK.
Findings
CG mechanisms and CFP have an impact on CSR because they affect social and environmental practices strongly and significantly. Furthermore, the findings describe the capacity of CSR to influence both the CG structure and the CFP.
Research limitations/implications
The present research limits the analysis on the social and environmental performance of companies that communicate their commitment to stakeholders without distinguishing between “greenwashing” companies that implement CSR to improve corporate reputation and those companies that pursue effective societal benefits, taking care of stakeholder relationships.
Practical implications
The CSR approach can drive the CG structure and improve CFP if managers perceive the implementation of sustainable practices as an integrated process rather than a mere outcome.
Originality/value
This paper seeks to disentangle the nexus between CG, CFP and CSR, not yet precisely defined by scholars in the context of five countries in Europe.
Details
Keywords
Simona Karbouniaris, Alie Weerman, Bea Dunnewind, Jean Pierre Wilken and Tineke A. Abma
This study aims to explore the perspectives of mental health professionals who are in a process of integrating their own experiential knowledge in their professional role. This…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the perspectives of mental health professionals who are in a process of integrating their own experiential knowledge in their professional role. This study considers implications for identity, dilemmas and challenges within the broader organization, when bringing experiential knowledge to practice.
Design/methodology/approach
As part of a participatory action research approach, qualitative methods have been used, such as in-depth interviews, discussions and observations during training and project team.
Findings
The actual use of experiential knowledge by mental health care professionals in their work affected four levels: their personal–professional development; the relation with service users; the relation with colleagues; and their position in the organization.
Research limitations/implications
Because of its limited context, this study may lack generalisability and further research with regard to psychologists and psychiatrists, as well as perceptions from users, is desirable.
Social implications
According to this study, social change starts from a bottom-up movement and synchronously should be facilitated by top-down policy. A dialogue with academic mental health professionals seems crucial to integrate this source of knowledge. Active collaboration with peer workers and supervisors is desired as well.
Originality/value
Professionals with lived experiences play an important role in working recovery-oriented, demonstrating bravery and resilience. Having dealt with mental health distress, they risked stigma and rejections when introducing this as a type of knowledge in current mental health service culture. Next to trainings to facilitate the personal–professional process, investments in the entire organization are needed to transform governance, policy and ethics.
Details
Keywords
Vesna Čančer and Simona Šarotar Žižek
This paper aims to develop a multiple-criteria model for the assessment of human resource management (HRM), focusing on groups of organizations with respect to industry.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to develop a multiple-criteria model for the assessment of human resource management (HRM), focusing on groups of organizations with respect to industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach presented in this paper follows the framework procedure for multiple-criteria decision-making based on the Quantified Dialectical Systems Theory. It considers the factor analysis results in structuring the problem. By considering several experts’ judgments already when measuring the importance of criteria, it enables respondents to omit those sets of criteria for which they are neither experts nor responsible.
Findings
The paper shows that the factor analysis results can also be used in structuring the multi-dimensional concept in multiple-criteria model for assessing HRM – a step forward to multi-methodology. The obtained aggregate values show human resource managers the key success and failure factors to adopt an integrated/requisitely holistic and innovated strategy related to HRM in organizations.
Research limitations/implications
The approach presented in this paper helps managers in developing and implementing a requisitely holistic model of HRM, adapted to several groups of organizations, such as with respect to their industry, in any country.
Practical implications
This paper provides recommendations for HRM in organizations.
Originality/value
This paper fills the gap in the research on multiple-criteria HRM assessment in organizations with respect to their industry by developing a multiple-criteria model for the assessment of HRM in groups of organizations, with application based on their industries.
Details
Keywords
Helena Blažun Vošner, Samo Bobek, Simona Sternad Zabukovšek and Peter Kokol
Research in the field of openness has become very broad and, unfortunately, also opaque. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to analyse and map the trends by applying bibliometric…
Abstract
Purpose
Research in the field of openness has become very broad and, unfortunately, also opaque. Thus, the purpose of this paper was to analyse and map the trends by applying bibliometric tools to the scientific literature published between 1990 and 2015, for descriptive bibliometric analysis, and 2011 to 2015, for content analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliometric analysis was used to identify document types, most prolific institutions, countries, source titles and Web of Science categories in the field of openness. Furthermore, bibliometric mapping was performed to discover country and institutional cooperation networks and to be able to understand funding opportunities for openness and information technology research. Additionally, with content analysis, scientific landscape was produced with most prolific terms and their chronological evolution through time.
Findings
The first information sources were published in 1990, and production was steady until 1998. After that period, the growth becomes exponential for the total number of information sources, as well as articles and proceedings papers, with a slight decrease in growth between 2009 and 2011. Descriptive bibliometric analysis showed that the most productive countries were the USA, the UK, Germany, China, Italy and Spain.
Originality/value
This paper presents the first holistic bibliometric analysis of the literature production concerning openness in relation to information and communication technology which helps researchers in the field to better understand the relations between themes and outsiders to get an overview of the openness scientific landscape.
Details
Keywords
Alka Dwivedi, Prasoom Dwivedi, Samo Bobek and Simona Sternad Zabukovšek
Increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education has, along with other consequences, shifted the context from teacher-centric to student-centric…
Abstract
Purpose
Increasing use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education has, along with other consequences, shifted the context from teacher-centric to student-centric. These changes pose fresh challenges to the prevalent education systems all over the world, which already have fallen short of the expectations. The purpose of this study is to show that e-learning is not only about ICT following a holistic approach to learning which embeds systemic approach and learning loops but also about students and teacher’s actions in ICT-enabled learning environment. This study investigates the importance of engagement of students and teachers in blended learning with a focus on factors which affect this engagement.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on systems theory and socio-technological approach to e-learning, the paper documents an experiment which was carried out in a higher education institution. Postgraduate students of one course were divided into two groups. Instructor of the first group was not required to engage with the online content and had to deliver his course in a traditional face-to-face format. Instructor of the second group continuously spent time on the learning management system (LMS), developing more content, participating in online discussions and responding to students. LMS tracked the online activity of both the instructors, and semi-structured interviews of students were conducted.
Findings
Based on behaviour of 152 students of a postgraduate programme, students’ time spent online is directly proportional to the instructor’s online time, promptness of instructor’s response to online activities queries of students increased student engagement, the students’ engagement increases if the online content is related to the syllabus but engagement is not the same as the face-to-face lectures in the class.
Research limitations/implications
The research was conducted in India and is based on the behaviour of instructors and students in India. It was focussed on engagement issues of blended learning, while other issues of blended learning have not been in the focus of the research.
Practical implications
The research is important for the practice of higher education, and the result of the study can be taken into consideration while developing online courses for students enrolled in higher education.
Social implications
If higher education institutions take a strategic decision to use ICT in e-learning, engagements of participants and factors affecting engagement are crucial for the better quality of education. In such a way, blended learning fulfils requirements of a holistic approach to learning.
Originality/value
Despite the fact that e-learning as a way to deliver academic content has been extensively researched, there are not many studies focussed on engagement issues in blended learning, and even fewer studies have been conducted in an experimental way which allow in-depth research.
Details
Keywords
Edward Robert Freeman, Chiara Civera, Damiano Cortese and Simona Fiandrino
The purpose of this paper is to link empowerment to the engagement of low-power stakeholders in the context of marine protected areas (MPAs) to suggest how empowerment-based…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to link empowerment to the engagement of low-power stakeholders in the context of marine protected areas (MPAs) to suggest how empowerment-based engagement can be strategised to prevent and overcome management crises within a natural common good and ultimately achieve effective co-management.
Design/methodology/approach
This research employs a longitudinal case study methodology. The subject of the study is Torre Guaceto MPA, a natural common good, internationally recognised as a best practice of co-management.
Findings
The case study illustrates specific empowerment areas and actions that help move low-power stakeholders to higher levels of engagement to achieve effective co-management. It also suggests that the main strategic implication of empowerment-based engagement is the creation of empowered stakeholders who can serve as catalysts for sustaining the common through the development of entrepreneurial skills that satisfy joint interests.
Research limitations/implications
The applied methodology of a single case and the peculiar conditions intrinsic to this case can be overcome via the inclusion and comparison of other similar commons.
Practical implications
The study provides a stakeholder management model of empowerment-based engagement that offers concrete evidence of empowerment strategies that can be adopted and adapted by the management of similar natural common goods.
Originality/value
The research fills the literature gaps related to understanding the antecedents of engagement and its strategic implications within natural common pool resources.
Details
Keywords
Simona Šarotar Žižek, Matjaž Mulej and Živa Veingerl Čič
The aim of this paper is to present a research on how – the extremely necessary – systemic rather than one-sided and short-term behavior can enjoy support from (corporate and…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to present a research on how – the extremely necessary – systemic rather than one-sided and short-term behavior can enjoy support from (corporate and individual) social responsibility (SR) enhanced by transformational leadership as a source of success.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the previously published empirical research, the authors use qualitative research methodology including desk and informal field research, the Dialectical Systems Theory and its law of requisite holism.
Findings
The entire humankind is in big trouble and facing the danger of the Third World War resulting from the “war against terrorism” proclaimed in USA in 2002 and making close to 100 million persons need relief aid; this situation is because of monopolies in the global economy, both business and government monopolies. Application of knowledge that might be able to solve the problem depends on values, culture, ethics and norms that prevail in all/any entities from families via corporations and other organizations, countries, international entities (such as European Union) to the entire world and humankind (and its United Nations Organization). The most influential of all of them are the corporations, hence, their corporate governance and strategic management. Hence, they should urgently implement SR principles and methods supporting its realization instead of the prevailing short-term and one-sided criteria of right and wrong, for clear and proven economic reasons; satisfied and healthy people are causing much less cost and trouble than strikes, medical care, renewal of safe natural environment, wars, unhappy/abused partners, etc.
Research limitations/implications
The hypothesis is researched to the greatest extent possible, with qualitative analysis in desk and field research. Quantitative methodological approach took place in the cited previous publications.
Practical implications
For humankind and managers, the use of the transformational leadership is very important because of its positive impact on health and well-being of employees and, hence, on humankind’s survival in the current global socio-economic crisis.
Social implications
Good health and well-being of employees reduce many societal troubles and related cost resulting otherwise from the too short-term and narrow-minded behavior of managers and employees, potentially their families as well, all way to tens of millions of homeless migrants, killed and injured people, children with no chance for education, etc.
Originality/value
No similar concept is offered in the available literature.
Details