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1 – 10 of 11
Article
Publication date: 11 June 2019

Kayoumars Irandoost, Milad Doostvandi, Todd Litman and Mohammad Azami

This paper aims to present a critical analysis of placemaking by the urban poor based on the Right to the City, Henri Lefebvre’s influential theory regarding the production of…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a critical analysis of placemaking by the urban poor based on the Right to the City, Henri Lefebvre’s influential theory regarding the production of space and placemaking.

Design/methodology/approach

This study reflects Lefebvre’s production of space and the right to the city theories and containing three main pillars including holism, the urban and praxis, and the use of spatial dialectics. Also, for collecting information in this research, along with scrutiny of documents and books, residents of the poor settlements of Sanandaj have also been interviewed.

Findings

In Sanandaj, urban poor who lack formal housing reclaim the Right to City by creating informal settlements. Such settlements, such as Shohada, Baharmast and Tagh Taghan, cover 23% of the city’s area but house 69% of the urban population.

Originality/value

This research seeks to understand placemaking in urban slums by low-income inhabitants using Henry Lefebvre’s critical theory of social production of space and the Right to the City. This case study examines the city of Sanandaj, Iran, where most residents are poor and live in cooperative informal settlements. It illustrates how the urban poor, as marginalized inhabitants, overcome the constraints of conventional planning and property ownership to creatively and cooperatively develop communities that reflect their needs. This indicates a schism between formal and informal sectors.

Details

Journal of Place Management and Development, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8335

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2015

Li-Chun Huang and Wen-Lung Shiau

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that affect how people maintain their friendships by using information on Plurk.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors that affect how people maintain their friendships by using information on Plurk.

Design/methodology/approach

This study extended the Theory of Planned Behavior model to include both interpersonal curiosity and reciprocity. Data were collected via an online survey with 220 valid samples. The respondents answered the survey questionnaire based on their past experiences using Plurk. The proposed research model was assessed using structural equation modeling as performed in the LISREL program.

Findings

The attitude toward using Plurk for maintaining friendships is the strongest predictor of intention to use, followed by perceived behavioral control. The findings indicate that reciprocity has the strongest effect on attitude toward using Plurk for maintaining friendship, followed by subjective norms and interpersonal curiosity. An analysis of the research explained 61 percent of the variance in attitude toward using Plurk for maintaining friendship, and 73 percent of the variance in intention to use Plurk for maintaining friendship.

Research limitations/implications

This study only focussed on a limited number of factors, and as a result, the effects of some variables, such as personal characteristics, may have been overlooked. In the future, researchers can extend this model by incorporating more variables into the analysis of maintaining friendships via Plurk.

Practical implications

As microblogging firms compete for online customers, it would be useful to gain some understanding of the possible effects of reciprocity and interpersonal curiosity on users’ intention to use Plurk for maintaining friendships. As firms compete for internet marketing, managers should know the potential use of Plurk as an effective channel to promote their products and services to whoever needs them.

Originality/value

From the literature available in the public journal databases, no existing research model was found to explain the behavior of Plurk users on microblogs. The paper fulfills this objective.

Article
Publication date: 5 May 2020

Alison Horstmeyer

This paper examines the role of curiosity in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) work contexts.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper examines the role of curiosity in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) work contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual article relied upon an examination of literature about curiosity, VUCA and soft skills.

Findings

Curiosity, when encouraged and supported within the workforce, may aid organizations in closing soft skill gaps and better navigating ambiguity, perpetually changing business landscapes, and rapidly advancing technology.

Research limitations/implications

Empirical research is needed to validate, confirm and further explicate the specific mechanisms and value of curiosity within VUCA environments.

Practical implications

Organizations need to move beyond espousing a value of curiosity to deliberately and effectively cultivating and supporting it within their employees.

Originality/value

Although ample research and literature has examined curiosity, soft skills and VUCA environments independently, the body of literature on the specific role of curiosity in such environments is limited.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 33 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 January 2024

Maxwell Kwame Boakye, Selase Kofi Adanu, Worlanyo Kwabena Agbosu, Samuel Yaw Lissah, Abdul-Rahaman Abdul-Aziz and Anita Gyamea Owusu

Several waste bin sanitation initiatives have been introduced in Ghana to address the surge in indiscriminate solid waste disposal in households. What is not known are the…

Abstract

Purpose

Several waste bin sanitation initiatives have been introduced in Ghana to address the surge in indiscriminate solid waste disposal in households. What is not known are the behavior factors that determine the acceptability and use of waste bins. This study aimed to identify the determinants of waste bin acceptability and use in Ghana using the theory of planned behavior (TPB).

Design/methodology/approach

Data on waste bin acceptability and usage were collected from 881 households in the Volta and Oti regions of Ghana. The data were analyzed using the partial least squares-structural equation modeling technique in SmartPLS 3 software.

Findings

The coefficient of determination (R-squared value) of the original TPB and the extended model explained 39.9 and 44.7% of the variance in waste bin acceptability and use intentions, respectively. The results revealed that attitudes (ß = 0.114, t = 3.322, p < 0.001), subjective norms (ß = 0.306, t = 6.979, p < 0.001) and perceived moral obligation (ß = 0.352, t = 8.062, p < 0.001) significantly predicted household waste bin acceptability and use behavior intentions, but perceived behavioral control (ß = −0.003, t = 0.064, p < 0.949) did not influence behavior intentions significantly.

Practical implications

The study provides valuable insights into the behavioral factors to be prioritized by waste management service providers to improve household waste bin acceptability and usage.

Originality/value

This is one of Ghana's first studies investigating the behavioral determinants of waste bin acceptability and usage.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 35 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 February 2024

Thomas D. Wilson

The aim of this paper is to review the psychological literature on curiosity and its relationship to information-seeking behaviour, and compare this with the information science…

1927

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to review the psychological literature on curiosity and its relationship to information-seeking behaviour, and compare this with the information science literature on the same subject.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach adopted is that of a comparative literature review, with an analysis of the papers retrieved in terms of their theoretical approach, context, study population and research method.

Findings

Curiosity is understood as a multi-faceted cognitive trait in humans and the relationship to information-seeking behaviour is explored through an exploration of other personality characteristics. There is very little citation of the information science literature in the psychological papers, and only a little more citation of the psychological literature in the information science papers.

Originality/value

The author is not aware of any similar exploration of the literature on curiosity.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 80 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2022

Khoa The Do, Huy Gip, Priyanko Guchait, Chen-Ya Wang and Eliane Sam Baaklini

While robots have increasingly threatened frontline employees’ (FLEs) future employment by taking over more mechanical and analytical intelligence tasks, they are still unable to…

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Abstract

Purpose

While robots have increasingly threatened frontline employees’ (FLEs) future employment by taking over more mechanical and analytical intelligence tasks, they are still unable to “experience” and “feel” to occupy empathetic intelligence tasks that can be handled better by FLEs. This study, therefore, aims to empirically develop and validate a scale measuring the new so-called empathetic creativity as being creative in practicing and performing empathetically intelligent skills during service encounters.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a multistage design to develop the scale. Phase 1 combines a literature review with text mining from 3,737 service robots-related YouTube comments to generate 16 items capturing this new construct. Phase 2 assesses both face and content validity of those items, while Phase 3 recruits Prolific FLEs sample to evaluate construct validity. Phase 4 checks this construct’s nomological validity using PLS-SEM and Phase 5 experiments dedicated effort (vs natural talent) as an effective approach to foster FLEs’ perceived empathetic creativity.

Findings

The final scale is comprised of 13 refined items that capture three dimensions (social, interactive and emotional) of empathetic creativity. This research provides timely implications to help FLEs in high-contact services stay competitive.

Originality/value

This study introduces the new construct of empathetic creativity, which goes beyond the traditional definition of creativity in services and highlights the importance of empathetic intelligence for FLEs in future employment. This study also develops a multi-item scale to measure this construct, which can be applied to future service management research.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 34 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 November 2019

Roberta Guglielmetti Mugion, Martina Toni, Laura Di Pietro, Maria Giovina Pasca and Maria F. Renzi

Sustainable mobility and collaborative consumption are debated issues in the literature. In this field, car sharing (CS) represents a growing tendency that attracts interest by…

Abstract

Purpose

Sustainable mobility and collaborative consumption are debated issues in the literature. In this field, car sharing (CS) represents a growing tendency that attracts interest by academicians for its potential positive impact on sustainability. This study aims to understand the main drivers of CS usage, unveiling the role of service quality and the possible inhibitors.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on theoretical assumptions in the literature, the authors developed a theoretical framework that aims at understanding the main antecedents of CS usage. An empirical investigation involving the city of Rome (Italy) was performed. The study presents a qualitative and quantitative survey, while the proposed theoretical model has been tested through structural equation modelling statistical techniques.

Findings

The findings show that usefulness positively affects the intention to use CS services. Moreover, the green attitude and expected service quality indirectly influence the intention to use CS services impacting perceived usefulness. The results show that the expected service quality has a strong influence on usefulness, whereas green attitude has a weaker influence on usefulness. The intention to use CS services is directly influenced by the usefulness and inhibitors that affect it negatively.

Originality/value

The originality of this paper lies in the fact that this study discloses the main antecedents of the intention to use CS services, emphasizing the role of service quality. This study provides fruitful insights to policy and decision-makers to understand how to improve the CS usage in the urban transport system of the city of Rome. It suggests developing a higher level of service quality in the vehicles, suitable technological applications and effective communication as well as on overcoming its main inhibitors.

Details

International Journal of Quality and Service Sciences, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-669X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 February 2010

Yan Chang, Suzanne Wilkinson, Erica Seville and Regan Potangaroa

The purpose of this paper is to understand the resourcing issues that concern the provision of resources required for reconstruction projects after a disaster and to enable them…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the resourcing issues that concern the provision of resources required for reconstruction projects after a disaster and to enable them to be integrated into a holistic planning process.

Design/methodology/approach

Triangulation methodology is adopted in this paper including both quantitative and qualitative methods. The quantitative approach, namely statistic analysis with the aid of questionnaires and SPSS is employed to identify the key factors affecting resource availability in post‐disaster reconstruction situations. The qualitative semi‐structured interviews and desk reviews of government and media documents are conducted to further interpret outcomes in the questionnaire session.

Findings

Based on empirical research, the major finding of the paper is that in order to arrive at a resilient and sustainable built environment after a disaster, resourcing efforts should be made around four components – resourcing facilitator: legislation and policy; resourcing implementer: construction industry; resourcing platform: construction market; and resourcing access: transportation system.

Originality/value

The original part of this paper is in raising the importance of resourcing for achieving a resilient post‐disaster built environment, and in presenting a thorough overhaul of the resourcing components. The paper also offers a vision of comprehensive planning and preparedness to facilitate resourcing operations in post‐disaster reconstruction; pinpoints possible constraints inherent in post‐disaster resourcing environment; and provides a direction‐setting framework to achieve the vision with built environment resilience considerations incorporated.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 October 2020

Melanie F. Boninsegni, Olivier Furrer and Anna S. Mattila

This article explores four dimensions of frontline employee (FLE) friendliness (humorous, informal, conversational, and approachable) to propose a relevant measurement instrument…

1104

Abstract

Purpose

This article explores four dimensions of frontline employee (FLE) friendliness (humorous, informal, conversational, and approachable) to propose a relevant measurement instrument of the influence of FLE friendliness on relationship quality and perceived value, as well as its indirect influence on repatronage intentions. Recent studies suggest FLE friendliness, defined as a tendency to convey an affective customer–employee social interaction, is a critical determinant of relationship marketing, but few scholars agree on its dimensionality. This study seeks a deeper understanding of FLE friendliness by investigating its different dimensions in various service contexts.

Design/methodology/approach

The mixed-method design, including both qualitative and quantitative research, offers a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of FLE friendliness.

Findings

The content analysis suggests FLE friendliness is multidimensional and composed of humorous, informal, conversational, and approachable behaviors. The results of a quantitative survey, conducted across four service contexts, validate this four-factor model. A second quantitative survey across two service contexts reveals the weights and relative importance of the dimensions, and then a third quantitative survey across three service contexts confirms that FLE friendliness is a significant driver of relationship quality, perceived value, and repatronage intentions (indirectly).

Originality/value

This study contributes to relationship marketing literature by strengthening the conceptual foundations of FLE friendliness, clarifying the dimensionality of the construct, developing a comprehensive measurement instrument, and extending previous research on the customer–employee interactions.

Details

Journal of Service Management, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-5818

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 December 2023

Cen April Yue, Yufan Sunny Qin and Linjuan Rita Men

This study is designed to bridge a gap in the existing leadership communication literature by delving into lesser-explored facets of the field. It particularly concentrates on…

1109

Abstract

Purpose

This study is designed to bridge a gap in the existing leadership communication literature by delving into lesser-explored facets of the field. It particularly concentrates on investigating how the verbal aggressiveness of supervisors influences various aspects of the workplace, including workplace emotional culture, the quality of employee–organization relationships (EORs) and the prevalence of counterproductive work behaviors (CWB).

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed a quantitative research design to investigate the impact of supervisors' verbal aggressiveness on employee and organizational outcomes. The data were collected from 392 full-time employees across various organizations and industries in the USA using a self-report questionnaire. The researchers used structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the data and test hypotheses.

Findings

The findings of this study showed that supervisors' verbal aggressiveness had a significant positive association with negative emotional culture and employee CWB. However, it had no direct impact on employee–organization relationships. The effect of supervisor verbal aggressiveness on employee CWB was found to be mediated by a negative team-level emotional culture.

Originality/value

This study advances the literature on leadership communication by highlighting the detrimental influence of the dark side of leadership communication. More specifically, by identifying negative emotional culture and employee CWB as the direct outcomes of supervisor verbal aggressiveness, the authors add to the existing theoretical knowledge on verbal aggressiveness in the workplace. Additionally, this study provides empirical evidence of the impact of a negative emotional culture on eliciting employees' CWBs and diminishing relationship quality, adding to the body of knowledge on why managing emotional culture is crucial for organizations and workgroups.

Details

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. 29 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1356-3289

Keywords

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