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1 – 10 of 274Maria Krysfeldt, Jannick Friis Christensen and Thomas Burø
The paper discusses how the management of a sports and fashion company, which we refer to as NULMA, successfully applied the neo/normative control technology “karma organisation”…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper discusses how the management of a sports and fashion company, which we refer to as NULMA, successfully applied the neo/normative control technology “karma organisation” and gained employee engagement. Whereas other studies have documented employee resistance to organisational cultures when used for managerial control, our case demonstrates resistance to management practices that employees find inconsistent with the dominant karma culture.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a six-year longitudinal organisational at-home ethnography conducted by one of the authors using methods of both participant and non-participant observation, semi-structured interviews and collaborative production of secondary data in the case organisation.
Findings
While our research shows that management can successfully apply neo/normative control which employees accept and support, we further show that employees mobilise the same values to resist management when it fails to deliver on the commitments and promises of the organisational culture.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the literature on organisational culture and, in particular, neo/normative control by theorising employee resistance as being by “accident”, by which we mean an inherent negative potentiality co-invented and released by managers establishing a “karma organisation”. Our theorising culminates in a discussion of the study’s implications for research and practice.
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This paper aims to investigate how narrative is constructed to create connections with fat readers, how books function to envision spaces of fat liberation for young readers and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate how narrative is constructed to create connections with fat readers, how books function to envision spaces of fat liberation for young readers and to highlight the incredible importance of providing bigger mirrors (Bishop, 1990) for fat representation in children’s literature.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper analyzes and reflects on two texts that contain counternarratives of fatness: The (Other) F Word: A celebration of the fat and fierce edited by Angie Manfredi (2019) and Big by Vashti Harrison (2023) to interrogate how these two narratives intentionally disrupt anti-fat bias.
Findings
Body size and fatness are identities that need to be included in diversity efforts within education. Books like The (Other) F Word: A celebration of the fat and fierce (Manfredi, 2019) and Big (Harrison, 2023) offer positive representations of fatness, disrupt biases around body size and provide spaces that allow fat students to find joy, hope, connection and, more than anything, imagine a way toward liberation.
Research limitations/implications
This paper highlights the need to include more narratives of positive fat representation within children’s literature and calls for educators to interrogate their own anti-fat biases and practices.
Originality/value
There is a lack of research on fat representation specifically within children and young adult literature. This paper provides an analysis of two pieces of literature with fat representation that brings attention to the need for this type of future research.
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Early childhood and early elementary are key times when children develop internal and external antifat attitudes; thus, it is necessary to better understand the available…
Abstract
Purpose
Early childhood and early elementary are key times when children develop internal and external antifat attitudes; thus, it is necessary to better understand the available children’s literature around fatness.This paper aims to examine children's picture books with fat protagonists to better understand the current landscape of children's literature. Drawing on relevant literature around fat characters and the fat studies movement, this critical content analysis considers five children’s books featuring fat protagonists.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses critical content analysis to analyze texts featuring fat protagonists, including two rounds of initial reading and analysis. Using lenses of critical literacy and critical multicultural analysis, the author looks for common themes, silences and absences in the texts, images and peritext.
Findings
This paper identifies themes of characters initially internalizing antifatness, then pushing back against antifat bias toward existing with joy and without stigma. Several of these texts even draw on the history of fat activism, highlighting societal critique and a potential activist component of children’s literature with fat protagonists.
Research limitations/implications
The study has a small number of books, due to the limited number of texts that fit the study parameters.
Practical implications
The paper concludes with examples of scaffolding for teachers and parents to have conversations with young children about antifat bias while also acknowledging notable absences, particularly boy protagonists.
Social implications
These themes illustrate the power of young children to push back against antifat bias and critique oppressive social structures.
Originality/value
There have been very few studies looking at antifatness in children’s picture books. With more books with fat protagonists coming out in the 2020s, this study offers an understanding of the themes present, while also emphasizing the need for an intersectional approach to literature with fat protagonists.
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Ayad Alameeri, Gholamreza Abdollahzadeh and Seyedkomeil Hashemiheidari
This study aims to determine the effect of replacing a portion of the cement in the concrete mixture with silica fume (SF) on the corrosion resistance of reinforcing bars, the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to determine the effect of replacing a portion of the cement in the concrete mixture with silica fume (SF) on the corrosion resistance of reinforcing bars, the compressive strength of concrete and the tensile strength of hook bars in both corroded and non-corroded external joints of structures. The external beam-column connection was studied because of its critical role in maintaining structural continuity in all three directions and providing resistance to rotation.
Design/methodology/approach
In external concrete joints, the bars at the end of the beams are often bent at 90° to form hooks that embed in columns. Owing to the importance of embedding distance and the need to understand its susceptibility to corrosion damage from chloride attack, a series of experiments were conducted on 12 specimens that accurately simulate real-site conditions in terms of dimensions, reinforcement and hook bars. SF was replaced with 10% and 15% of the weight of cement in the concrete mixture. To simulate corrosion, the specimens were subjected to accelerated corrosion in the laboratory by applying a low continuous current of 0.35 mA for 58 days.
Findings
The results revealed the effect of SF in improving the compressive strength of concrete, the pullout resistance of the hook bars and the corrosion resistance. In addition, it showed an apparent effect of the corrosion of reinforcing bars in reducing the bonding strength of hook bars with concrete and the effect of SF in improving this strength.
Originality/value
It was noted that the improvement of the results, achieved by replacing 10% of the weight of cement with SF, was significantly close to the results obtained by replacing 15% of the SF. It is recommended that an SF ratio of 10% be adopted to achieve the greatest economic savings.
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Qing Wang, Xuening Wang, Shaojing Sun, Litao Wang, Yan Sun, Xinyan Guo, Na Wang and Bin Chen
This study aims to study the distribution characteristics of antibiotic resistance in direct-eating food and analysis of Citrobacter freundii genome and pathogenicity. Residual…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to study the distribution characteristics of antibiotic resistance in direct-eating food and analysis of Citrobacter freundii genome and pathogenicity. Residual antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in the environment severely threaten human health and the ecological environment. The diseases caused by foodborne pathogenic bacteria are increasing daily, and the enhancement of antibiotic resistance of pathogenic bacteria poses many difficulties in the treatment of disease.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, six fresh fruits and vegetable samples were selected for isolation and identification of culturable bacteria and analysis of antibiotic resistance. The whole genome of Citrobacter freundii isolated from cucumber was sequenced and analyzed by Oxford Nanopore sequencing.
Findings
The results show that 270 strains of bacteria were identified in 6 samples. From 12 samples of direct food, 2 kinds of probiotics and 10 kinds of opportunistic pathogens were screened. The proportion of Citrobacter freundii screened from cucumber was significantly higher than that from other samples, and it showed resistance to a variety of antibiotics. Whole genome sequencing showed that Citrobacter freundii was composed of a circular chromosome containing signal peptides, transmembrane proteins and transporters that could induce antibiotic efflux, indicating that Citrobacter freundii had strong adaptability to the environment. The detection of genes encoding carbohydrate active enzymes is more beneficial to the growth and reproduction of Citrobacter freundii in crops. A total of 29 kinds of ARGs were detected in Citrobacter freundii, mainly conferring resistance to fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides, carbapenem, cephalosporins and macrolides. The main mechanisms are the change in antibiotic targets and efflux pumps, the change in cell permeability and the inactivation of antibiotics and the detection of virulence factors and ARGs, further indicating the serious risk to human health.
Originality/value
The detection of genomic islands and prophages increases the risk of horizontal transfer of virulence factors and ARGs, which spreads the drug resistance of bacteria and pathogenic bacteria more widely.
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Sally Elkatatny, Lamiaa Zaky, Walaa Abdelaziem and Aliaa Abdelfatah
This study aims to investigate the corrosion behavior of cold-rolled Fe35Ni20Cr12Mn(28-x)Alx high-entropy alloys (HEAs) using the potentiodynamic polarization technique in 1 M H2SO…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the corrosion behavior of cold-rolled Fe35Ni20Cr12Mn(28-x)Alx high-entropy alloys (HEAs) using the potentiodynamic polarization technique in 1 M H2SO4 acid. Additionally, the influence of molybdenum (Mo) additions as inhibitors and the effect of variations in cold rolling reduction ratios and Al content on corrosion behavior are examined.
Design/methodology/approach
Two cold rolling reduction ratios, namely, 50% (R50) and 90% (R90), were examined for the cold-rolled Fe35Ni20Cr12Mn28Al5 (Al5) and Fe35Ni20Cr12Mn23Al10 (Al10) HEAs. Mo inhibitor additions were introduced at varying concentrations of 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 Wt.%. The potentiodynamic polarization technique was used to evaluate the corrosion rates (CRs) under different experimental conditions.
Findings
The results indicate that the addition of 0.3 Wt.% Mo in 1 M H2SO4 yielded the lowest CR for both R50 and R90, irrespective of the Al content in the HEAs. However, the highest CR was observed at 0.6 Wt.% Mo addition. Furthermore, increasing the concentration of Al resulted in a corresponding rise in the CR. Comparatively, the CR decreased significantly when the cold rolling reduction ratio increased from R50 to R90.
Originality/value
This research provides valuable insights into the intricate relationship between Mo inhibitors, cold rolling reduction ratio, Al content and the resulting corrosion behavior of Fe35Ni20Cr12Mn(28-x)Alx HEAs. The comprehensive analysis of corroded HEAs, including surface morphology, compositions and elemental distribution mapping, contributes to the understanding of the corrosion mechanisms and offers potential strategies for enhancing the corrosion behavior of HEAs.
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Sixian Rao, Changwei Zhang, Fei Zhao, Lei Bao and Xiaoyi Wang
This paper aims to explore the influence of corrosion-deformation interactions (CDI) on the corrosion behavior and mechanisms of 316LN under applied tensile stresses.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the influence of corrosion-deformation interactions (CDI) on the corrosion behavior and mechanisms of 316LN under applied tensile stresses.
Design/methodology/approach
Corrosion of metals would be aggravated by CDI under applied stress. Notably, the presence of nitrogen in 316LN austenitic stainless steel (SS) would enhance the corrosion resistance compared to the nitrogen-absent 316L SS. To clarify the CDI behaviors, electrochemical corrosion experiments were performed on 316LN specimens under different applied stress levels. Complementary analyses, including three-dimensional morphological examinations by KH-7700 digital microscope and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive spectroscopy, were conducted to investigate the macroscopic and microscopic corrosion morphology and to characterize the composition of corrosion products within pits. Furthermore, ion chromatography was used to analyze the solution composition variations after immersion corrosion tests of 316LN in a 6 wt.% FeCl3 solution compared to original FeCl3 solution. Electrochemical experiment results revealed the linear decrease in free corrosion potential with increasing applied stress. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy results indicated that high tensile stress level damaged the integrity of passivation film, as evidenced by the remarkable reduction in electrochemical impedance. Ion chromatography analyses proved the concentrations increase of NO3− and NH4+ ion concentrations in the corrosion media after corrosion tests.
Findings
The enhanced corrosion resistance of 316LN SS is attributable to the presence of nitrogen.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of this study is confined to the influence of tensile stress on the electrochemical corrosion of 316LN at ambient temperatures; it does not encompass the potential effects of elevated temperatures or compressive stress.
Practical implications
The resistance to stress electrochemical corrosion in SS may be enhanced through nitrogen alloying.
Originality/value
This paper presents a systematic investigation into the stress electrochemical corrosion of 316LN, marking the inaugural study of its impact on corrosion behaviors and underlying mechanisms.
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Suyun Liu, Hu Liu, Ningning Shao, Zhijun Dong, Rui Liu, Li Liu and Fuhui Wang
Polyaniline (PANI) has garnered attention for its potential applications in anticorrosion fields because of its unique properties. Satisfactory outcomes have been achieved when…
Abstract
Purpose
Polyaniline (PANI) has garnered attention for its potential applications in anticorrosion fields because of its unique properties. Satisfactory outcomes have been achieved when using PANI as a functional filler in organic coatings. More recently, research has extensively explored PANI-based organic coatings with self-healing properties. The purpose of this paper is to provide a summary of the active agents, methods and mechanisms involved in the self-healing of organic coatings.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses specific doped acids and metal corrosion inhibitors as active and self-healing agents to modify PANI using the methods of oxidation polymerization, template synthesis, nanosheet carrier and nanocontainer loading methods. The anticorrosion performance of the coatings is evaluated using EIS, LEIS and salt spray tests.
Findings
Specific doped acids and metal corrosion inhibitors are used as active agents to modify PANI and confer self-healing properties to the coatings. The coatings’ active protection mechanism encompasses PANI’s own passivation ability, the adsorption of active agents and the creation of insoluble compounds or complexes.
Originality/value
This paper summarizes the active agents used to modify PANI, the procedures used for modification and the self-healing mechanism of the composite coatings. It also proposes future directions for developing PANI organic coatings with self-healing capabilities. The summaries and proposals presented may facilitate large-scale production of the PANI organic coatings, which exhibit outstanding anticorrosion competence and self-healing properties.
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Manoj Krishnan and Satish Krishnan
The study aims to drive conceptual clarity around resistance to information technology projects, integrating multiple facets of the phenomenon from earlier studies.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to drive conceptual clarity around resistance to information technology projects, integrating multiple facets of the phenomenon from earlier studies.
Design/methodology/approach
The study conducts a meta-synthesis of qualitative studies on resistance to technology projects; it analyzes those studies at a case-specific level, compares and contrasts emergent concepts against each other, and “translates” those to the rest of the studies. The study uses the seven-step meta-ethnography method by Noblit and Hare to reciprocally translate emergent concepts to construct the conceptual model.
Findings
Through meta-synthesis, the study derives a new conceptual model for resistance to information technology projects, exemplifying how the identified antecedents create user resistance and how the phenomenon progresses within organizations.
Research limitations/implications
This study enriches the observations and conclusions of past individual studies while explicating various facets of the mechanisms that generate and progress technology resistance within organizations. It offers fresh insights into the equivocal nature of the phenomenon and the distinctive ways it progresses from individual to group level.
Practical implications
Many ambitious and costly digital transformation efforts do not succeed due to user resistance. Understanding the mechanisms that create user resistance can help organizations manage technology projects better, thereby reducing the technology assimilation gap and protecting returns on related investments.
Originality/value
There have been extensive studies on technology acceptance (enablers) within organizations, while those relating to technology inhibitors are somewhat limited. However, the symmetry of understanding between enablers and inhibitors is vital for organizations to assimilate promising technologies and transform their business models. This model uses a new lens of sensemaking theory to explain how the antecedents trigger perceived threats and resistance behavior; it highlights the nuances around the development of resistance within individuals and its progression to groups. The resultant model offers better generalizability in organizational contexts.
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Mohd Hasfarisham Abd Halim, Nor Khairunnisa Talib, Shyeh Sahibul Karamah Masnan and Mokhtar Saidin
This study was conducted with the main purpose of recording primary data related to environmental factors, which has become the main criteria in the selection of the Sungai Batu…
Abstract
Purpose
This study was conducted with the main purpose of recording primary data related to environmental factors, which has become the main criteria in the selection of the Sungai Batu Archaeological Complex (SBAC) as the center of the iron smelting industry and trade in ancient Kedah.
Design/methodology/approach
To fulfill this purpose, field studies involving drone photogrammetry mapping, augering, core drilling and geophysical mapping methods were carried out.
Findings
The results obtained through the application of the method have shown that SBAC has a good environment, which has a wide and deep river flow, the existence of Mount Jerai and the abundance of iron ores, mangrove Merbok and clay.
Research limitations/implications
Resources did not allow for environment studies of the by-products tourism sites as part of the current study.
Practical implications
The study also included a survey and mapping to obtain potential primary data around SBAC in the process of developing it as the center of the world iron industry.
Social implications
One finding is that attention to heritage policy and protection must be ongoing at all levels of government and the local community to ensure that the survey and mapping data carried out can be developed as a sustainable heritage tourism product.
Originality/value
This study reveals primary data related to the suitability of paleoenvironment in the SBAC development process as a world iron smelting industry area.
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