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Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Kevin Meehan, Tom Lunney, Kevin Curran and Aiden McCaughey

Manufacturers of smartphone devices are increasingly utilising a diverse range of sensors. This innovation has enabled developers to accurately determine a user’s current context…

Abstract

Purpose

Manufacturers of smartphone devices are increasingly utilising a diverse range of sensors. This innovation has enabled developers to accurately determine a user’s current context. One area that has been significantly enhanced by the increased use of context in mobile applications is tourism. Traditionally, tour guide applications rely heavily on location and essentially ignore other types of context. This has led to problems of inappropriate suggestions and tourists experiencing information overload. These problems can be mitigated if appropriate personalisation and content filtering is performed. This research proposes an intelligent context-aware recommender system that aims to minimise the highlighted problems.

Design/methodology/approach

Intelligent reasoning was performed to determine the weight or importance of different types of environmental and temporal context. Environmental context such as the weather outside can have an impact on the suitability of tourist attractions. Temporal context can be the time of day or season; this is particularly important in tourism as it is largely a seasonal activity. Social context such as social media can potentially provide an indication of the “mood” of an attraction. These types of contexts are combined with location data and the context of the user to provide a more effective recommendation to tourists. The evaluation of the system is a user study that utilised both qualitative and quantitative methods, involving 40 participants of differing gender, age group, number of children and marital status.

Findings

This study revealed that the participants selected the context-based recommendation at a significantly higher level than either location-based recommendation or random recommendation. It was clear from analysing the questionnaire results that location is not the only influencing factor when deciding on a tourist attraction to visit.

Research limitations/implications

To effectively determine the success of the recommender system, various combinations of contextual conditions were simulated. Simulating contexts provided the ability to randomly assign different contextual conditions to ensure an effective recommendation under all circumstances. This is not a reflection of the “real world”, because in a “real world” field study the majority of the contextual conditions will be similar. For example, if a tourist visited numerous attractions in one day, then it is likely that the weather conditions would be the same for the majority of the day, especially in the summer season.

Practical implications

Utilising this type of recommender system would allow the tourists to “go their own way” rather than following a prescribed route. By using this system, tourists can co-create their own experience using both social media and mobile technology. This increases the need to retain user preferences and have it available for multiple destinations. The application will be able to learn further through multiple trips, and as a result, the personalisation aspect will be incrementally refined over time. This extensible aspect is increasingly important as personalisation is gradually more effective as more data is collated.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the body of knowledge that currently exists regarding the study of utilising contextual conditions in mobile recommender systems. The novelty of the system proposed by this research is the combination of various types of temporal, environmental and personal context data to inform a recommendation in an extensible tourism application. Also, performing sentiment analysis on social media data has not previously been integrated into a tourist recommender system. The evaluation concludes that this research provides clear evidence for the benefits of combining social media data with environmental and temporal context to provide an effective recommendation.

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9880

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 June 2014

Nicole Shepherd, Tom Meehan and Seiji Humphries

The concept of recovery is well accepted internationally as a guiding vision for mental health services. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the challenges faced by in-home…

Abstract

Purpose

The concept of recovery is well accepted internationally as a guiding vision for mental health services. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the challenges faced by in-home psychiatric support workers in implementing this vision in their work with clients with severe psychiatric disability.

Design/methodology/approach

The findings reported here are based on interviews with 27 support workers and ten managers of organisations providing support services. These were collected as part of evaluations of two supported housing programmes carried out between 2010 and 2011.

Findings

Challenges faced by support workers coalesced around two areas: first, balancing the need to provide care with the need to promote autonomy and second, developing an effective working relationship while working mainly within a clients’ home.

Practical implications

These challenges for support workers highlight tensions within the recovery vision that are not easily resolved. To ensure high quality, recovery-oriented care services are provided, support workers need access to training courses that focus on challenging areas of this work and should be provided with regular professional supervision.

Originality/value

Existing literature on support workers has generally focused on the nature of the role and support worker interactions with other health workers. In this paper, the authors highlight difficulties faced by support workers in implementing the vision of recovery in their work. The paper provides important information for policy makers and managers who are designing service delivery systems that aim to promote recovery.

Details

Mental Health Review Journal, vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-9322

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 August 2021

Melissa Hill and Michelle Heron-Delaney

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the use of a scholarship scheme to support mental health workforce development.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the use of a scholarship scheme to support mental health workforce development.

Design/methodology/approach

Nursing and allied health recipients (n = 72) of a scholarship for postgraduate mental health study provided quantitative and qualitative feedback via an online survey.

Findings

Benefits of the scholarship scheme include helping to overcome financial barriers to accessing higher education, increased motivation to study, increased knowledge and skills and enhanced positive feelings towards the recipient’s organisation. A total of 44% of participants reported being majorly or completely influenced to remain working in the organisation due to provision of the scholarship.

Originality/value

This study asks recipients to evaluate the scholarship scheme rather than the associated postgraduate education and provides preliminary support that scholarships are beneficial even when the amount of funding is less than half of course fees and the support from the employer is primarily monetary. The provision of scholarship funding can encourage existing professionals to undertake postgraduate study and attract them to pursue mental health specialisation instead of other health specialisations. Provision of scholarships is one strategy which can positively impact on mental health workforce retention in allied health professionals.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 16 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 October 2017

Catherine Sutton-Brady, Tom Taylor and Patty Kamvounias

The Australian supermarket industry has long been dominated by two players – Coles and Woolworths. Most recently this dominance has increased significantly and the “Big 2” have…

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Abstract

Purpose

The Australian supermarket industry has long been dominated by two players – Coles and Woolworths. Most recently this dominance has increased significantly and the “Big 2” have used their power more effectively and have introduced an ever-increasing number of “private label” products on supermarket shelves. This study aims to investigate the effect these products have had on the relationship between the supermarkets (buyers) and their suppliers.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative study used in-depth, high engagement interviews with a range of suppliers. An extensive data analysis process was carried out to ensure the coding of the key insights into themes, which helped to answer the aims and objectives of the research.

Findings

A key contribution of this study has been to highlight the ability of supermarket chains to increase existing dominance by using their ever-increasing private label brand portfolio. The findings indicate an uncertain future for food suppliers, with the situation likely to continue to worsen further as the supermarkets continue to exercise and abuse their power.

Originality/value

This paper’s main contribution lies in providing a greater understanding of the significance of the effect of private labels on relationships and the implications of these effects. The impact of the supermarket dominance on innovation is especially interesting, given that this has not been previously discussed in the literature. Additionally, the deterioration in trust is significant in this context and to an extent that is rarely seen.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 32 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 November 2017

Meadhbh Campbell and Charlotte Wilson

The purpose of this paper is to explore mental health service users’ experiences of involvement in a clinical psychology course.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore mental health service users’ experiences of involvement in a clinical psychology course.

Design/methodology/approach

Five participants were recruited from a service user and carer group aligned to a university professional clinical psychology course. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and data were analysed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

Findings

Four superordinate themes, group processes, advocating, transforming and power, were drawn from the data, with ten subthemes emerging capturing experiences on the personal, professional and group levels.

Research limitations/implications

The study is not generalisable and has a small number of participants. However, many of the themes have resonance with existing literature.

Practical implications

Service user initiatives need to consider the personal and contextual issues that service users may have experienced prior to their involvement. The needs of service user initiatives may change over time. Such initiatives must evolve in conjunction with the personal and political journeys of participants.

Originality/value

Few studies have explored the experiences of mental health service users in clinical psychology training using a robust methodology. The current study suggests that eliciting these experiences highlights factors that facilitate involvement as well as the barriers.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 12 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 December 2018

Eystein Gullbekk and Katriina Byström

The purpose of this paper is to analyse scholarly subjectivity in the context of citation practices in interdisciplinary PhD research.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse scholarly subjectivity in the context of citation practices in interdisciplinary PhD research.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides an analysis of longitudinal series of qualitative interviews with PhD students who write scholarly articles as dissertation components. Conceptualizations of subjectivity within practice theories form the basis for the analysis.

Findings

Scholarly argumentation entails a rhetorical paradox of “bringing something new” to the communication while at the same time “establishing a common ground” with an audience. By enacting this paradox through citing in an emerging interdisciplinary setting, the informants negotiate subject positions in different modes of identification across the involved disciplines. In an emerging interdisciplinary field, the articulation of scholarly subjectivity is a joint open-ended achievement demanding knowledgeability in multiple disciplinary understandings and conducts. However, identifications that are expressible within the informants’ local site, i.e. interactions with supervisors, other seniors and peers, are not always expressible when negotiating subject positions with journals.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to research on citation practices in emerging interdisciplinary fields. By linking the enactment of citing in scholarly writing to the negotiation of subject positions, the paper provides new insights about the complexities involved in becoming a scholar.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 75 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 8 October 2020

Paula O'Kane

Computer-aided/assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) supports qualitative and mixed methods researchers to organize, analyze, and explore data in a meaningful, and…

Abstract

Computer-aided/assisted qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) supports qualitative and mixed methods researchers to organize, analyze, and explore data in a meaningful, and efficient, way. Successfully utilizing CAQDAS software can be challenging, particularly for the novice researcher. To assist all researchers 21 CAQDAS dilemmas are articulated. These relate to choosing, using, and getting started with the software, as well as writing about CAQDAS use. These dilemmas suggest there is no right way to use CAQDAS programs, rather the specific research project, along with researcher experience and philosophy, should drive the extent to which any project utilizes the extensive CAQDAS capabilities, while also encouraging the researcher(s) to drive their ideas and exploration beyond what they initially thought possible.

Details

Advancing Methodological Thought and Practice
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80043-079-2

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2003

Robert Prus

Although the particular policies that groups establish may serve to differentiate those groups from others in the broader community, policies are better envisioned as aspects of…

1498

Abstract

Although the particular policies that groups establish may serve to differentiate those groups from others in the broader community, policies are better envisioned as aspects of group life in the making than as structures or rules that define the character or operations of the groups under consideration. Addressing instances of policy as humanly engaged ventures, this statement attempts to demystify policy by (a) examining organizational directives in process terms, (b) explicitly incorporating people into the study of the policy‐making process. This paper also addresses policy in ways that (c) are more amenable to ethnographic research on actual instances of policy and (d) contribute to a sustained, comparative analysis of “policy in the making”.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 23 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 August 2018

Tony Cragg and Tom McNamara

To access new markets and improve sourcing practices small to medium sized manufacturing companies (SMEs) increasingly seek suppliers and customers in distant countries. Yet these…

1494

Abstract

Purpose

To access new markets and improve sourcing practices small to medium sized manufacturing companies (SMEs) increasingly seek suppliers and customers in distant countries. Yet these new relationships with global partners often pose problems of an agency nature. The purpose of this paper is to directly address these challenges through the proposal of an information and communication technology (ICT)-based framework.

Design/methodology/approach

There has been very little research into how lead SMEs manage their global supply chains and the challenges they face. This paper uses a case study investigation to analyze how four French SMEs – final assemblers of machinery in the farming and agri-business sector – manage their international supply chains.

Findings

It was observed that the relationships and interactions between the SMEs and their immediate upstream and downstream partners were dominated by the agency problem and fell into six distinct categories (termed “barriers” to effective supply integration), namely; asymmetries, contractual design, supplier dependence, product specifications, supply chain complexity and performance monitoring.

Originality/value

The contribution of this paper is that a conceptual frame work was developed in which ICT solutions are offered to help address the barriers to supply chain integration, thus reducing the overall risk exposure due to externalities and problems of agency.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 31 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2019

Wenjie Cai, Shahper Richter and Brad McKenna

With the rapid development and implementation of cutting-edge information technologies in tourism and hospitality, it is necessary to update the progress of technology use in the…

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Abstract

Purpose

With the rapid development and implementation of cutting-edge information technologies in tourism and hospitality, it is necessary to update the progress of technology use in the past 18 years and set up research agenda for future research. By adopting information systems (IS) as a reference discipline, this paper aims to create a literature review of technology and tourism papers around the theme of use.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the systematic literature review process of Aguinis et al. (2018), 314 papers were downloaded to determine how they applied the concept of technology use.

Findings

Three themes about technology use emerged: types of processing, organisational use and users. Among various types of technology processing, interactive and online are largely addressed in the tourism and hospitality literature. The organisational use theme explores how the competitive and strategic use of technology provides management support for organisations. There was a large amount of research focussed on direct users, such as individual characteristics, user attitudes and user behaviour. The theories of technology acceptance model and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology have been widely applied in these studies.

Originality/value

This paper provides a review of key issues which has been discussed in tourism research in relation to technology use. By applying the scheme developed in the IS discipline, this study provides new insights into the development of technology in tourism. In addition, it also gives us the opportunity to suggest a research agenda by identifying research gaps and future research collaboration opportunities between these two fields.

研究目的

随着尖端科技在旅游和酒店业中的快速发展和应用, 我们有必要审视过去18年中科技使用的进程, 并且为未来研究确立方向。采用信息系统(IS)作为参考标杆, 本论文旨在建立围绕科技使用和旅游业的文献综述体系。

研究设计/方法/途径

本论文采用系统文献综述法(Aguinis et al., 2018), 共314篇文章被审阅, 以确立科技使用概念如何被研究应用。

研究结果

三种有关科技使用的主题被确立:处理类型、组织使用、用户。在各种科技处理类型中, 互动性和线上的方式在大多数旅游酒店文献中被研究。组织使用主题开拓了科技的有利和策略的使用如何为组织提供管理支持。文献有很大一部分集中研究在直接用户身上, 比如用户个人特点、用户态度、用户行为。TAM和UTAUT理论在这些研究文献上被广泛使用。

研究原创性/价值

本论文评论了旅游酒店业中科技使用的几个关键方面。通过借用IS领域开发的模型, 本论文对旅游业中技术开发提供新视角。此外, 本论文还指出文献缺口和未来合作机遇, 开启研究领域新篇章。

关键词

处理、用户、组织、信息系统、旅游业、技术使用

纸张类型 - 文献综述

Details

Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Technology, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1757-9880

Keywords

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