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1 – 10 of over 2000Within each political subdivision of the state of Florida, there is an ordinance which applies to the procurement of goods and services for agencies under its jurisdiction. One…
Abstract
Within each political subdivision of the state of Florida, there is an ordinance which applies to the procurement of goods and services for agencies under its jurisdiction. One common requirement in all these ordinances is the use of the Request for Proposal when purchasing goods or services above a given threshold. In contrast to an Invitation to Bid, the RFP is structured in such a way as to allow other criteria to be evaluated, along with the bottom line price submitted by vendors. The issue in this analysis is whether each meeting of the evaluation committee set up to review these criteria is subject to Florida’s Sunshine Law. Several court decisions and opinions of Attorneys General have held that meetings of ad-hoc committees, advisory committees, and other panels of staff or non-staff members are subject to the Sunshine Law. It appears clear, after a discussion of a few cases relating to the Sunshine Law, that any agency procurement officer must be very careful to avoid even the suggestion of making any recommendation outside of the public view. Public notice should be posted at least seventy-two hours prior to any meeting of the committee. Only by closely adhering to both the letter and the intent of the law will procurement officers avoid having their agency brought into court for a violation of the Sunshine Law.
Dramani J.M. File and Emmanuel Kanchebe Derbile
This paper aims to draw on community risk assessment (CRA) for assessing vulnerability to climate change in north-western Ghana, focusing on sunshine, temperature and wind…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to draw on community risk assessment (CRA) for assessing vulnerability to climate change in north-western Ghana, focusing on sunshine, temperature and wind, elements of climate which are seldom explored in vulnerability assessments to climate change.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on data collected from a qualitative research design that used participatory rural appraisal methods, particularly, in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and seasonal calendar analysis in three selected rural communities of the Sissala East District. Furthermore, an inter-generational framework was adopted for comparative assessment of vulnerability and changes in vulnerability to climate change.
Findings
The results show that the current generation of smallholder farmers is more vulnerable to climate change than the past generation, the era of grandparents. Thus, farmers are exposed to higher-intensity sunshine, temperature and wind in contemporary times than was the case in the past. Consequently, their livelihoods are affected the most by the damaging effects of these climatic hazards. The CRA process revealed the relevance of indigenous knowledge systems for vulnerability assessments and at the same time, underpins the need for adaptation of such knowledge if it is to sustain smallholder farmer efforts at climate change adaptation at community levels.
Practical implications
The paper recommends an endogenous development approach to climate change adaptation planning (CCAP), one that will build on indigenous knowledge systems for effective community education, mobilization and participatory response to climate change. Policy interventions should aim at enhancing climate change adaptation through innovations in soil and water conservation, access to water for irrigation and domestic use, climate smart-housing architecture and agro-forestry within the framework of decentralization and district development planning.
Originality/value
This paper will contribute to climate change research in two ways: first, by drawing attention to the usefulness of CRA in vulnerability assessment; and second, by focusing on climate elements which are critical for CCAP but rarely given sufficient attention in vulnerability assessments.
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Vincent P. Magnini, Erika Quendler and Muzaffer Uysal
Using the context of a farm holiday venue, the purpose of this study is to empirically test whether textual references can have significant influences on potential consumers'…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the context of a farm holiday venue, the purpose of this study is to empirically test whether textual references can have significant influences on potential consumers' affective responses and interest in advertisements.
Design/methodology/approach
In a between-subjects experiment, a reference to sunshine (the underlined phrase in the following narrative) was inserted into a Facebook advertisement for a farm holiday venue: “Relax and Rejuvenate for a couple of days on our farm. Great food, fun, and sunshine … See More”.
Findings
Results indicate that a reference to sunshine significantly improves consumers' affective responses to the advertisement and significantly increases their interest (propensity to click “see more”). This study also examines the potential influence of a textual reference to fresh air as well as fresh air in combination with sunshine. No statistically significant results are found with the fresh air reference.
Originality/value
While a number of studies have examined text-based sensory details in marketing stimuli (Magnini and Gaskins, 2010; Torto, 2016), the notion of inserting textual references to fresh air and/or sunshine in advertising has not been empirically examined in the body of the existing literature.
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Magueye Dia and Sébastien Pouget
How is liquidity formed in emerging financial markets? Do traders preannounce their orders to attract outside liquidity providers (a practice referred to as sunshine trading)? The…
Abstract
Purpose
How is liquidity formed in emerging financial markets? Do traders preannounce their orders to attract outside liquidity providers (a practice referred to as sunshine trading)? The purpose of this paper is to study liquidity formation of infrequently traded stocks. It also investigates the role of preopening periods in the formation of liquidity.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper focuses on the eight largest stocks traded on the West African Bourse in 2000. The dataset includes all the orders submitted to the market from January 3 to December 13, including their time of placement, limit price, and proposed quantity, and the identity of the broker‐dealers who submitted them. The paper analyzes order placement strategies as well as preopening price efficiency and broker‐dealers' profits.
Findings
The evidence is consistent with broker‐dealers engaging in sunshine trading. First, large orders are placed early during the preopening period and are not cancelled. Second, for most of the stocks in our sample, preopening prices reveal information long before trading actually occurs. Third, large volumes are traded without significant price movements. Fourth, the most active brokers' profits are lower than less significant intermediaries' ones, indicating that the former do not manipulate the market.
Practical implications
The analysis suggests that the actual liquidity on the West African Bourse is higher than what is indicated by the average state of the order book. This might increase the attractiveness of African stock markets for global portfolio managers.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first to empirically study sunshine trading as theoretically analyzed by Admati and Pfleiderer.
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The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the differences in residents' attitude to tourism by considering those who receive social and economic benefits from tourism…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the differences in residents' attitude to tourism by considering those who receive social and economic benefits from tourism and those who perceive that they do not; and those who want to move away from the Sunshine Coast and those who do not.
Design/methodology/approach
In conducting this investigation, information is collected from Sunshine Coast residents by using a survey approach. Altogether, 732 responses are received with a response rate of 14.64 per cent. Social, economic and cultural benefits are considered.
Findings
The paper finds notable differences in residents' attitude according to the type of benefit they receive from tourism. Similar observations are made regarding residents who are willing to move away from the Sunshine Coast and those who are not.
Research limitations/implications
Not many studies are available comparing Sunshine Coast with other major cities such as Sydney or Melbourne in Australia. Therefore, in future research, it would be useful to establish some benchmarks that incorporate a seasonality aspect and to conduct comparative studies to identify residents' preferences for the development of tourist attractions and related developmental issues. Along with residents, it will be of some value to explore the visitors' perceptions of both positive and negative aspects of the Sunshine Coast Region as a tourist destination.
Originality/value
This paper identifies several notable differences which would assist the tourism planners in developing a policy for sustaining tourism development and aligning future growth with residents' desires. The findings of this paper are also useful in developing future benchmarking research projects in the hospitality and tourism industry.
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There's never a dull day in the life of a director of a testing station — at least there have not been many in my twenty‐four years as Director of Desert Sunshine Exposure Tests…
Abstract
There's never a dull day in the life of a director of a testing station — at least there have not been many in my twenty‐four years as Director of Desert Sunshine Exposure Tests in Arizona. (Perhaps it would be more accurate to say, ‘in my nineteen years’, because for the first five years there was no other employee to direct.)
Jinho Choi, Yosuke Tsuji, Michael Hutchinson and Adrien Bouchet
Event sponsorship has been recognised as an effective means through which companies can communicate with target markets and attendees of sports events. This study investigates the…
Abstract
Event sponsorship has been recognised as an effective means through which companies can communicate with target markets and attendees of sports events. This study investigates the interrelationship between satisfaction with event sponsors, goodwill and fan identification and their influence on purchase intentions at a state sports festival held in Lakeland, Florida. Results indicate that satisfaction with event sponsors mediated goodwill and purchase intentions while controlling for the effects of fan identification. In addition, results differed between competitors and spectators of the event.
Peter English, Margarietha Johanna de Villiers Scheepers, David Fleischman, Jacqueline Burgess and Gail Crimmins
Responding to increasing external pressure, universities are developing new strategies to illustrate the impact of their degrees on graduate employability. This paper investigates…
Abstract
Purpose
Responding to increasing external pressure, universities are developing new strategies to illustrate the impact of their degrees on graduate employability. This paper investigates how alumni regard the development of their professional networks during their tertiary education in relation to employability and the associated pedagogical implications.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews with 18 business and arts alumni from a regional university.
Findings
The findings reveal the importance of developing a professional network by cultivating social capital while at university. Alumni identify all forms of work-integrated learning (WIL), connectedness through social media, the role of university staff and volunteering as concrete ways to develop a professional network and enhance employability.
Research limitations/implications
This paper has pedagogical implications to develop graduate employability and WIL. Universities should draw from alumni networks to help develop students' bridging capital through industry-facing WIL projects. Educators should design assessment tasks in which students develop contacts and networking capabilities with alumni and other professionals using various platforms (e.g. social media). In addition, educators should promote the benefits of voluntary work and invite alumni and other industry stakeholders to co-design and co-teach areas of curriculum.
Originality/value
Drawing from the experiences of alumni re-routes the channel of communication from institutions expressing the importance of professional networks in relation to employability, to credible industry alumni confirming this importance. Few previous studies have taken this “outside-in approach” to emphasise and validate the importance of developing professional networks in relation to employability, particularly at regional universities.
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Robert Rehder, Marta Smith and Katherine Burr
Increasing recognition is being given to the fact that simplesolutions to organisational problems are no longer effective in complexenvironments. Corporations are now…
Abstract
Increasing recognition is being given to the fact that simple solutions to organisational problems are no longer effective in complex environments. Corporations are now acknowledging many advantages in changing from a traditional to new non‐traditional models of organisations. The article considers how an American corporation aimed to remain competitive in a sharply competitive environment, while still retaining its reputation for quality creativity and leadership.
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Margaret Hardy, Florin Oprescu, Prue Millear and Mathew Summers
The purpose of this paper is to determine how baby boomers define healthy ageing and quality of life, and if late life university study could have a beneficial impact for future…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine how baby boomers define healthy ageing and quality of life, and if late life university study could have a beneficial impact for future health-promoting initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative data were collected from Australian baby boomers. Data were inductively categorised to identify and report emergent themes.
Findings
The majority of respondents believed healthy ageing meant being mentally and physically active, with later life university study contributing to mental health, which improves their quality of life.
Social implications
Later life university study can have positive health outcomes for baby boomers and may contribute to the quality of their life.
Originality/value
This study suggests that baby boomers are quite clear about how they define healthy ageing and quality of life: maintaining good health and retaining their independence. Some baby boomers stated that intellectual stimulation was critical for their overall health and wellbeing. Baby boomers identified as belonging to this group engagement in an educational (i.e. university) programme could be considered as a health-promoting intervention.
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