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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 20 March 2024

Eric Urbaniak, Rebecca Uzarski and Salma Haidar

This research paper aims to evaluate the sustainability knowledge and background of students, staff and faculty regarding current university sustainability practices and…

Abstract

Purpose

This research paper aims to evaluate the sustainability knowledge and background of students, staff and faculty regarding current university sustainability practices and individual behaviors at Central Michigan University (CMU); to compare sustainability background and knowledge based on academic discipline of enrollment or employment; and to assess sustainability awareness and interest of the campus community to guide future sustainability initiatives and resources at CMU.

Design/methodology/approach

An electronic cross-sectional survey was used to collect anonymous responses through Qualtrics, and then results were analyzed through SPSS. Analyses were performed based on the academic structures at CMU.

Findings

This research has found that students in STEM fields are more inclined to have pro-sustainability attitudes, knowledge and behaviors, compared to those studying the arts and business. Additionally, results indicate that there is a significant difference in knowledge between the students, and the staff and faculty respondents regarding sustainability knowledge and application, with the staff and faculty consistently demonstrating more pro-sustainability knowledge and behavior.

Originality/value

While research has previously been conducted on sustainability attitudes and behaviors, this research is unique because it ties sustainability knowledge to academic discipline. Additionally, it serves to gauge which sustainability programs and topics members of the campus community are most interested in, and which areas they are most willing to support.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 December 2022

Kanokwan Pimchan and Chonlatis Darawong

This study aims to examine the influence of condominium attributes on resident satisfaction and word of mouth from the perspectives of the elderly in Thailand.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the influence of condominium attributes on resident satisfaction and word of mouth from the perspectives of the elderly in Thailand.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 338 elderly residents through a questionnaire survey and analysed by using descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling procedures.

Findings

The results showed that the strongest predictor of resident satisfaction was design functionality, followed by social environment, safety and security and service quality. In addition, the strongest predictor of word of mouth was safety and security, followed by design functionality, proximity, service quality and social environment.

Research limitations/implications

The data were drawn at the level of the overall characteristics of elderly residents. People may be different in terms of their demographic characters such as gender, age, and user experience.

Practical implications

The study suggests that condominium developers and designers should pay attention to design functionality both physically and mentally such as suitable materials, lighting and common areas. Moreover, the developers should focus on the proximity of the nearest hospitals, safety and security measures, well-trained security personnel and social activity arrangement.

Originality/value

Elderly condominium markets are increasingly growing as a result of the ageing society in Thailand. However, very few empirical studies investigate condominium attributes that affect resident satisfaction and word of mouth provided by real estate developers. The paper aims to determine driving factors that enhance the better well-being of elderly residents.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 May 2022

Ahmad Mohammad Ahmad, Shimaa Abdelkarim, Maryam Al-Nuaimi, Nancy Makhoul, Lizmol Mathew and Shaibu Garba

Globally, there is a growing proportion of disabled people as a result of different circumstances. This growth generates attention and leads to ways to integrate the affected…

Abstract

Purpose

Globally, there is a growing proportion of disabled people as a result of different circumstances. This growth generates attention and leads to ways to integrate the affected population into society. Addressing such disability and integration is particularly important at buildings level, enabling and expanding the scope of activities for people with disabilities (PWDs). The rising number of PWDs and the need to integrate them into society create a need for action to improve their living condition and integration into society. This study aims to examine the issue of accessibility for PWDs in higher education facilities in Qatar.

Design/methodology/approach

Addressing accessibility at buildings level is particularly important in higher education because it enables inclusion in training and education and increases the potential for productive engagement in society. The study aims to develop an objective tool to assess and measure accessibility in educational institutions. Five selected buildings were examined and evaluated at Qatar University based on proximity, multi-use, vertical and horizontal circulation availability. The survey respondents were randomly selected. An existing assessment method was used in surveying respondents, including those with and without disabilities.

Findings

A comparative study was conducted to explore the discrepancy between facility users with and without disability, indicating the gap in existing tools.

Originality/value

The developed tool generates the same outcome when conducted by different assessors, indicating the level of compliance and percentage met as a benefit, not a focus. It allows professionals and non-professionals with minimal experience to conduct the assessment.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management , vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 June 2022

Kuei-Chen Chiu

This paper aims to answer these questions: “Is the public adopting energy-saving and water-saving facilities because they want to save energy and water in their psychological…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to answer these questions: “Is the public adopting energy-saving and water-saving facilities because they want to save energy and water in their psychological perception?”, “Is it convenient to use energy-saving and water-saving facilities?”, “If the inductive design of energy-saving and water-saving facilities attracts the public’s interest, the public is it more willing to install energy-saving and water-saving facilities in a widespread manner?” and “Can inductive energy-saving and water-saving facilities be introduced into the smart manufacturing system of manufacturing industries that require a lot of water to effectively save water and save costs for the company?”.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper aims to investigate the attitudes of employees toward using energy-saving and water-saving facilities by constructing a questionnaire based on the ABC (Affect, Behavior, Cognition) model to survey the attitudes of employees from the Southern and Eastern of Taiwan and establishing a structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine the relationship between affect, behavior and cognition while using energy-saving and water-saving facilities.

Findings

There are some findings in this paper that the affective design have a strongly significant positive impact for using energy-saving and water-saving facility in the proposed model. People are willing to use energy-saving and water-saving facilities but are more willing to adopt those energy-saving and water-saving products of smart designs, as those take into account the emotional factors. The critical factor for the public to adopt energy-saving and water-saving facilities is smart design, which incorporates emotional elements.

Research limitations/implications

There are still some limitations of this study that the ABC model can only be used as a psychological discussion, and the development and design of related facilities still needs to be jointly developed with professionals in related technical fields. The introduction of induction water supply facilities needs to be considered while the company introduces the design of the smart manufacturing system. Therefore, professionals related to induction water supply should participate in the planning at the initial stage of the company's concept of introducing the smart manufacturing system.

Practical implications

On the practical side, based on preliminary research conclusions, this study proposes to introduce inductive water supply into smart manufacturing systems for manufacturing companies that require a lot of water in their manufacturing processes. In practice, the company can actually save a lot of water, thereby saving costs and reducing waste water discharge.

Social implications

The results of this study show that the public has a cognition of energy-saving and water-saving. However, there is a Chinese proverb that “easy to know and hard to do”, when actually using facilities, convenience is an important consideration for public. Smart facilities of energy-saving and water-saving, in addition to the benefits of energy-saving and water-saving, it is easy to use, and interacts with users through inductive water supply, which can more emotionally attract people's willingness to use.

Originality/value

This study found that smart facilities, which can more emotionally attract people's willingness to use. On the academic side, this study proves that using the ABC theory to explore the public’s psychological affective, behavior and cognition response to the use of facilities is a very suitable method. On the practical side, based on preliminary research conclusions, this study proposes to introduce inductive water supply into smart manufacturing systems for manufacturing companies that require a lot of water in their manufacturing processes. In practice, the company can actually save a lot of water, thereby saving costs and reducing waste water discharge.

Article
Publication date: 4 December 2023

Vandana Savara, Yousef Assaf, Mustafa Hariri, Haya Bassam Alastal and Rania Asad

This paper aims to shed light on how the composition of future blended learning (BL) courses can be changed to provide students with quality academic learning experiences. The…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to shed light on how the composition of future blended learning (BL) courses can be changed to provide students with quality academic learning experiences. The model suggested in this study will guide instructors on how to design their course learning outcomes to ensure effective delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

The new model has been developed by combining Bloom's taxonomy and Carman's model. Later, a new framework entitled “PATHCO” based on an extensive literature review is applied to enhance the quality of all five components of Carman's model.

Findings

The PATHCO conceptual framework has been developed to ensure quality in the five main teaching and learning factors. This framework covers criteria like pedagogical, assessments, technical, health care and organizational. Further research is required to broaden the main elements of the suggested framework and to validate this research through a case study.

Originality/value

The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed the landscape of the education sector by encouraging an extensive acceptance of technology-enhanced learning and teaching. Blended learning (BL) has become the most appropriate medium to deliver online learning (OL). However, educators and students have reported dissatisfaction with the BL mode of delivery. To address this dissatisfaction, this study outlines, using the PATHCO model, all the essential building blocks which are required to find the right blend of both face-to-face and online components.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 41 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 30 April 2024

Linda M. Waldron, Danielle Docka-Filipek, Carlie Carter and Rachel Thornton

First-generation college students in the United States are a unique demographic that is often characterized by the institutions that serve them with a risk-laden and deficit-based…

Abstract

First-generation college students in the United States are a unique demographic that is often characterized by the institutions that serve them with a risk-laden and deficit-based model. However, our analysis of the transcripts of open-ended, semi-structured interviews with 22 “first-gen” respondents suggests they are actively deft, agentic, self-determining parties to processes of identity construction that are both externally imposed and potentially stigmatizing, as well as exemplars of survivance and determination. We deploy a grounded theory approach to an open-coding process, modeled after the extended case method, while viewing our data through a novel synthesis of the dual theoretical lenses of structural and radical/structural symbolic interactionism and intersectional/standpoint feminist traditions, in order to reveal the complex, unfolding, active strategies students used to make sense of their obstacles, successes, co-created identities, and distinctive institutional encounters. We find that contrary to the dictates of prevailing paradigms, identity-building among first-gens is an incremental and bidirectional process through which students actively perceive and engage existing power structures to persist and even thrive amid incredibly trying, challenging, distressing, and even traumatic circumstances. Our findings suggest that successful institutional interventional strategies designed to serve this functionally unique student population (and particularly those tailored to the COVID-moment) would do well to listen deeply to their voices, consider the secondary consequences of “protectionary” policies as potentially more harmful than helpful, and fundamentally, to reexamine the presumption that such students present just institutional risk and vulnerability, but also present a valuable addition to university environments, due to the unique perspective and broader scale of vision their experiences afford them.

Details

Symbolic Interaction and Inequality
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83797-689-8

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 February 2024

Karri Holley and Joretta Joseph

The purpose of this paper is to understand US federal government policy during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the connections to graduate education. Using the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand US federal government policy during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and the connections to graduate education. Using the multiple streams framework, the paper outlines these actions through various streams (problems, policy and political) and perspectives (defining problems, articulating options and mobilizing responses).

Design/methodology/approach

The primary sources of data collected for this study were US federal government policies from March 2020 through May 2021. Policies were examined through introduction, implementation and alteration (when possible) within the specific time period of the study. The policies outlined in this paper were connected to the US Department of Education, and to a lesser extent, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and other federal agencies. Data analysis was a two-fold process. First, the individual policy was considered as a single case and second, a cross-case comparison occurred across the multiple cases.

Findings

Analysing the study’s data in the problem stream provides a strong indicator of how the pandemic was perceived as a challenge for US graduate education. The pandemic served as a focusing event and illuminated the connections of graduate education to key institutional functions, including research and teaching. Broadly, US federal policy actions in this area focused on giving institutions resources and flexibility to support graduate students and allow them to continue their academic work while also seeding funding and incentives to continue the movement of knowledge, activities and people in the research pipeline. Actions in the policy stream aligned with the decentralized nature of the US higher education system and allowed for choice by academic institutions within the parameters of options.

Originality/value

This paper extends extant literature related to policy-making and graduate education to consider policy-making during a time of crisis. The paper offers methodological and conceptual ideas for consideration in future research.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 April 2024

Sujoy Biswas and Arjun Mukerji

The purpose of this study is to examine the buyers’ preferences influencing the purchase of privately developed affordable housing in Kolkata and to determine whether unsold…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the buyers’ preferences influencing the purchase of privately developed affordable housing in Kolkata and to determine whether unsold houses result from misalignment with these preferences.

Design/methodology/approach

The literature review and user-opinion survey identified 119 independent variables that indicate buyers’ preferences. A questionnaire survey of 383 households in affordable housing units from 32 housing complexes in Kolkata recorded buyers’ preferences and satisfaction against the independent variables grouped under five levels of characteristics. The product weights of variables derived from the rank sum method and percentage satisfaction give the Utility Score. Multivariate regression and univariate linear regressions were conducted to determine the significance of each Level of characteristics and each variable, identifying the significant variables that would affect the sale of affordable houses.

Findings

The multivariate regression analysis has indicated that 68.56% of the variation in the percentage of unsold houses was explained by the five utility scores, which affirms that misalignment with buyers’ preferences significantly affects the sale of privately developed affordable houses. Furthermore, building and neighbourhood-level utility show the highest significance as predictors, while city-level and miscellaneous utility have moderate significance, but housing complex-level utility lacks statistical significance.

Originality/value

This study addresses a research gap in privately developed affordable housing in Kolkata, enhancing understanding of buyer preferences in this segment.

Details

International Journal of Housing Markets and Analysis, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8270

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 26 April 2024

Kanyesigye Rullonga Monicah

The phenomenon of student mobility in higher education is influenced by several factors, including the infrastructure provided by institutions in different countries as student…

Abstract

The phenomenon of student mobility in higher education is influenced by several factors, including the infrastructure provided by institutions in different countries as student support services. These student support services play a pivotal role in fostering students’ adaptability within a new environment, thereby significantly impacting their academic performance and social integration. The study focuses on international students in Uganda and investigates how student support services (as part of institutional infrastructure) support students’ adaptability. Based on Leask’s conceptual model of internationalisation, the study reveals that the presence of such services is essential; in addition, the need to provide newly arriving students with orientation is crucial for them to effectively navigate their surroundings. Offices dedicated to international students are also instrumental in facilitating the students’ orientation and settling-in process and they enhance their overall experience. By recognising the significance of both student support services and orientation, education institutions can create a more conducive and supportive environment for international students, ultimately enriching their academic journey and social interactions.

Details

Critical Reflections on the Internationalisation of Higher Education in the Global South
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-779-2

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 September 2022

Pankaj Kumar Bahety, Souren Sarkar, Tanmoy De, Vimal Kumar and Ankesh Mittal

This study aims to identify the major factors influencing the consumers to prefer milk products and also to analyze the awareness level of the Indian consumers.

9904

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify the major factors influencing the consumers to prefer milk products and also to analyze the awareness level of the Indian consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the data is obtained through a structured questionnaire from Indian consumers considering convenience sampling under the nonprobability sampling technique. The consumer preference is explained using a multiple-regression model followed by analysis of variance (ANOVA), which shed insight on the significant differences between the variables that influence consumer preference for dairy products.

Findings

Investigation is done to analyze the factors influencing the consumers' buying behavior toward milk and its products. The results showed that quality, health consciousness, price and availability are the most influencing factors to buy milk products. Quantity of milk showed a significant relationship between age, monthly income and family size.

Research limitations/implications

This study helps marketing managers to frame the marketing strategies based on consumer preference, quality, health consciousness, price and availability. The research outcome will not only be advantageous for the entrepreneurial perspective but also takes care of consumer likeliness. Though the research reveals the opinion of Indian consumers, it limits the likeliness of the western world. Because of the scarcity of resources, several dairy products are unexplored, which could pave the future scope of research.

Originality/value

The novelty of this study is to identify the quality, health consciousness, price and availability are the most influencing factors to buy milk products considering ANOVA and the multiple regression model.

Details

Vilakshan - XIMB Journal of Management, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0973-1954

Keywords

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