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1 – 10 of 190Mariana Pinho and Belinda Colston
The current study explores the role of social psychological factors on organizational commitment. It examined the relationships between organizational fairness, inclusion…
Abstract
Purpose
The current study explores the role of social psychological factors on organizational commitment. It examined the relationships between organizational fairness, inclusion, diversity, sexism, psychological safety and affective commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a cross-sectional survey method where data were collected from staff across six higher education institutions in the United Kingdom. A total of 416 responses were collected and the data were analyzed by employing independent sample t-tests to explore gender differences regarding organizational diversity, inclusion, fairness, sexism, psychological safety and affective commitment. The mediating role of psychological safety in the effects of organizational diversity, fairness, inclusion and sexism on staff’s commitment to the organization was evaluated through a series of simple mediation models. Finally, the mediated effect of organizational social psychological factors on affective commitment through psychological safety, moderated by gender was tested.
Findings
As hypothesized, men had higher perceptions of organizational inclusion and diversity and viewed their organization as less sexist. Psychological safety mediated the positive effects of organizational diversity, fairness, inclusion and sexism on staff’s affective commitment to the organization. Organizational diversity and sexism played a bigger part in how women evaluate their organizational environment as safe to take risks and be themselves and consequently on how they commit to the organization. On the other hand, organizational fairness and inclusion seem more closely tied to men’s evaluation of their organization as safe to be themselves and consequently stronger commitment.
Originality/value
The findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms that shape affective commitment, that can lead to more inclusive work environments and contribute to systemic change in the Higher Education context.
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In this article, the outcomes of a survey aimed to investigate how aware of and how capable coaches in higher vocational Dutch education perceive themselves to assist students…
Abstract
Purpose
In this article, the outcomes of a survey aimed to investigate how aware of and how capable coaches in higher vocational Dutch education perceive themselves to assist students displaying mental health and well-being issues are presented. Additionally, the article explores coaches’ perceptions regarding the frequency, form of help offered, topics to be tackled and the preferred form in which this help should be provided.
Design/methodology/approach
The author conducted a survey that gathered qualitative and quantitative data from coaches (N = 82) at a Dutch University of Applied Sciences in the north of the Netherlands. A differentiation in coaches’ number of years of teaching and coaching experience was considered.
Findings
The outcomes of the data analyses showed that overall, coaches claimed to be very aware of students’ mental health and well-being-related issues and that female coaches tend to be more aware of these than male coaches. The group of coaches with 5–25 years of coaching experience resulted in being less trained to notice when students struggle with mental health and well-being issues. Overall, coaches indicated to be tentatively willing to assist such students and reported to have a rather low ability and capability to assist students who displayed mental health and well-being issues. More than half of the respondents declared that “face to-face” was the most appropriate approach to address mental health and well-being topics, and most of the respondents (43%) answered that it should be “offered at student’s request.” Some suggested topics to be offered were stress, depression, anxiety, study-related issues, study motivation, persistence, emotional intelligence and emotional resilience. Coaches proposed to be provided with trainings that equip them with the necessary knowledge, tools, and concrete mental health and well-being topics that could be addressed during coaching. Additionally, there should be a clear distinction between professional mental health help and coaching for mental health and well-being in universities.
Research limitations/implications
There were very few studies that reported on coaching for mental health and well-being in higher education after the Covid-19 pandemic in the Netherlands to compare the results with; the sample size of this survey was small; the survey was designed to capture only the coaches’ perceptions on students’ mental health-related issues.
Practical implications
By performing this survey, more empirical knowledge is added regarding higher education coaches’ perception of their awareness, willingness, capability and ability to assist students who display mental health and well-being issues in general, and students affected by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in particular. Furthermore, insights regarding higher education coaches’ perception on the frequency, form of the help offered, topics to be tackled and form in which this help to be offered were gathered.
Originality/value
By performing this survey, more empirical knowledge is added regarding higher education coaches’ perception of their awareness, willingness, capability and ability to assist students who display mental health and well-being issues in general, and students affected by the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in particular. Furthermore, insights regarding higher education coaches’ perception of the frequency, form of the help offered, topics to be tackled and the preferred form in which this help should be offered were gathered.
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Adetumilara Iyanuoluwa Adebo and Hanina Halimatusaadiah Hamsan
This paper is determined to examine the role of body image and materialism in predicting the identity exploration of university students when conspicuous consumption is a mediator…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is determined to examine the role of body image and materialism in predicting the identity exploration of university students when conspicuous consumption is a mediator variable.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a quantitative method. Data were collected from students of three federal universities in Nigeria. The sample size was 331. A self-report questionnaire was used to collect data and analysis was performed using the partial least squares structural equation modelling.
Findings
Findings reveal that materialism has a negative association in predicting the identity exploration of students. At the same time, there was a significant full and partial mediating effect of conspicuous consumption on the relationship between body image and materialism on identity exploration, respectively.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides valuable information for parents in understanding how conspicuous consumption may influence their children’s identity formation. The findings can also be helpful for educators in the design of discussions and interventions for students on the social-psychological antecedents of conspicuous consumption and identity exploration. Government and regulatory agencies can use the study’s findings to shape student financial literacy and consumer protection policies.
Originality/value
This study makes both theoretical and methodological contributions to the existing literature. It provided concrete empirical evidence establishing a subtle connection between the symbolic self-completion theory and the identity status paradigm. It is also amongst the first single research conducted within the scope of these two theories in the Nigerian higher education context.
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Khawlah M. AL-Tkhayneh and Sanaa Ashour
In this study, we evaluated university students’ attitudes towards environmental issues, with a particular focus on the cohort’s understanding of climate change and knowledge of…
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, we evaluated university students’ attitudes towards environmental issues, with a particular focus on the cohort’s understanding of climate change and knowledge of environmental issues. We also explored whether students’ gender or university major (natural sciences vs humanities and social sciences) impact attitudes to environmental issues.
Design/methodology/approach
We surveyed undergraduate students (n = 1,310) using an online questionnaire comprising 17 statements that reflect attitudes towards environmental concerns. This questionnaire was constructed using a 5-point Likert Scale and was tested for reliability and validity to ensure its precision and consistency in assessing the targeted constructs.
Findings
The results revealed that the surveyed students had a medium level of positive attitudes towards the environment. While no significant differences based on gender were observed, students from different university majors significantly differed in the degree to which they endorsed positive attitudes towards the environment, with those majoring in natural sciences reporting stronger attitudes to environmental issues. These findings warrant the implementation of mandatory courses on the environment at UAE universities so as to enhance students’ awareness and foster positive attitudes towards the environment.
Originality/value
Unlike previous studies that may have focused narrowly on specific environmental attitudes or behaviors, this research offers a broad yet detailed assessment by incorporating factors such as students' academic majors and gender. By comparing attitudes across different fields of study—natural sciences versus humanities and social sciences, the study provides new insights into how educational background and demographic variables shape environmental perceptions. This approach allows for a more nuanced understanding of the factors that influence environmental attitudes among young adults, potentially guiding more targeted educational interventions.
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Divya Mishra, Gopika Mangla and Nidhi Maheshwari
This research investigates the barriers hindering women from pursuing entrepreneurship as a career choice, particularly in the Indian context.
Abstract
Purpose
This research investigates the barriers hindering women from pursuing entrepreneurship as a career choice, particularly in the Indian context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs rigorous data analysis techniques, including Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Multiple Regression Analysis, on a sample of 590 MBA students, comprising both male and female participants.
Findings
The findings reveal that social and psychological factors significantly influence women’s decisions regarding entrepreneurship. Social factors such as social stigma and cultural norms, along with psychological factors like societal expectations, emerge as major barriers.
Research limitations/implications
The findings have implications for policymakers, practitioners, and academics in designing interventions to address social and psychological barriers effectively. Recommendations include promoting cultural sensitivity and fostering confidence among women entrepreneurs.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the existing literature by quantifying the specific barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in India. It offers insights into advancing gender equity and inclusive economic development through targeted policies and programs.
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The goal of this study was to understand the relationships between mentoring roles, career calling, and the transmission of tacit knowledge in the setting of executive development…
Abstract
Purpose
The goal of this study was to understand the relationships between mentoring roles, career calling, and the transmission of tacit knowledge in the setting of executive development centers. The purpose of this research was to determine if there is a link between mentoring roles and the transmission of tacit knowledge and, if so, to what extent mentoring structure and culture moderate this link.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a quantitative strategy based on partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to examine information gathered from 287 workers at four executive development centers. Mentoring roles, vocational calling, and the transmission of tacit knowledge were quantified using scales derived from existing research.
Findings
Results showed a beneficial association between mentoring roles and vocational interest. Tacit knowledge was more likely to be shared when it was directly related to one’s chosen profession. A person’s vocation mediated the connection between mentoring roles and the transmission of tacit knowledge. Furthermore, the form of mentoring moderated the relationship of mentoring roles and the transfer of tacit knowledge.
Originality/value
This study is novel because it investigates the interplay between mentoring roles, vocational vocation, and the transmission of tacit knowledge in a non-traditional business setting. This research emphasizes the mediating impact of vocation and the moderating effect of mentorship structure in influencing knowledge-sharing practices in Pakistan’s public sector.
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Taking instances from extant findings from the literature, the study aims to examine the community perception toward renewable energy (RE) off-grid (mini-grid/microgrid…
Abstract
Purpose
Taking instances from extant findings from the literature, the study aims to examine the community perception toward renewable energy (RE) off-grid (mini-grid/microgrid) intervention, the underlying rationales for engagement of communities in RE off-grid projects, the different alternatives/models to engage communities in various phases of RE off-grid project deployment.
Design/methodology/approach
The study has followed the structured literature review to explore the identified research question of the study.
Findings
Based on findings from the review, the framework for effective community engagement in RE mini-grid projects is suggested. Furthermore, the study also draws suggestions and implications for future research and practice.
Practical implications
Based on such understanding the present study offers the framework which suggests the steps for the engagement of the communities in the off-grid projects. The key steps are managing the perception of the community (including generation of awareness among the community), planning for the benefits of the community, linkage the sustainable development goals (SDG), planning for the inclusion of the community and measuring performance (in the line of social and economic criteria and SDG).
Originality/value
This study finds the gap in the literature on the nexus of community, off-grid energy projects and SDG. Following the findings from the scholars in this field, a few gaps in the policy and practice have been highlighted which could be useful for practitioners and policymakers in this area.
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Everett L. Worthington, Jr. and Freda Gonot-Schoupinsky
The purpose of this article is to elicit understanding of how forgiveness, religion and spirituality, and relationships can better our lives. It draws from the life of Everett L…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to elicit understanding of how forgiveness, religion and spirituality, and relationships can better our lives. It draws from the life of Everett L. Worthington, Jr, a positive psychologist and Commonwealth Professor Emeritus at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has published almost 50 books and over 500 scholarly articles or chapters.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a case study, followed by a ten-question interview. The core methodology is positive autoethnography which is embraced by Worthington to reveal life lessons from things he has done.
Findings
Worthington reveals a life honoring the interwoven lives of people. He has studied forgiveness intensively and finds it to be an essential way of making our way in the world and in a world community that all too often hosts hurt.
Research limitations/implications
An extensive literature has developed to understand what forgiveness is, how it comes about naturally and how the REACH Forgiveness method can help people who struggle to forgive themselves or others, and do it more quickly, thoroughly and frequently. Forgiving has psychological, social, spiritual and physical benefits to the forgiver.
Practical implications
This article is filled with practical information on how to forgive and how to pursue eudaemonia, which Worthington defines as virtue for oneself.
Social implications
Forgiveness has widespread social implications. Good relationships are those that can help form, maintain, grow and repair when damaged close emotional bonds. Forgiveness helps repair, maintain and grow those bonds.
Originality/value
Worthington has been instrumental in the establishment and growth of the subfield of forgiveness studies and in the study of humility.
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Lilla Vicsek, Robert Pinter and Zsófia Bauer
This interview study examines Hungarian journalists' and copywriters' expectations of generative AI’s impact on their professions and factors influencing these views during a…
Abstract
Purpose
This interview study examines Hungarian journalists' and copywriters' expectations of generative AI’s impact on their professions and factors influencing these views during a period of hype.
Design/methodology/approach
While acknowledging the specialized knowledge of journalists and copywriters relative to the general public, the study employs the sociology of expectations framework to interpret their anticipations not as objective forecasts of the future, but rather as phenomena shaped by diverse influences. The research comprises 30 semi-structured interviews conducted in spring 2023 to explore these expectations and their contributing factors.
Findings
Results reveal ChatGPT’s media coverage as pivotal, encouraging the professionals interviewed to experiment with AI, reassess their roles, and cause a shift in their job expectations. At the same time, this shift was limited. Skepticism about hyperbolic media formulations, their own experiences with ChatGPT and projecting its constraints into the future, contextual factors, and optimism bias contributed to moderating their expectations. They perceived AI as an enhancer of efficiency and quality, not as a radical disruptor. Copywriters were more open to integrating AI in their work, than journalists.
Research limitations/implications
The results underscore the importance of further research to explore subjective experiences associated with technological change, particularly considering their complex social, psychological, and cultural influences.
Originality/value
The study uniquely contributes to the sociology of expectations by highlighting how a complex interplay of factors can shape professionals' anticipation of the impact of AI on their careers, including optimism bias and media hype.
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Groups of students were enrolled in a course that sought to produce a three-phase theoretical model over three semesters.
Abstract
Purpose
Groups of students were enrolled in a course that sought to produce a three-phase theoretical model over three semesters.
Design/methodology/approach
A design project to comprehensively address school violence was launched at a university in eastern Pennsylvania.
Findings
This article updates the recent and most critical finding of the project by illuminating specific implications of the importance of teacher training and the development toward competence in recognition of children who are emotionally and psychologically injured through proactive measures such as screening for emotional and psychological well-being.
Research limitations/implications
Although the model has not been tested, screening to identify those in need of emotional support and training to support teachers is clear. Screening and training offer important opportunities to help learners build skills toward resilience to soften the effects of trauma.
Practical implications
A view of the “whole child” with regard to academic success could further foster social and emotional development.
Social implications
Early intervention can prevent the onset of symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress and related disorders. This effort alone may significantly reduce the uncomfortable incidences and perhaps ultimate prevention of the violence that is perpetuated among children.
Originality/value
Preliminary research supports a continued conversation regarding effective tools to find children emotionally and psychologically at-risk, which allows teachers an opportunity for timely emotional and psychological interventions.
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