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1 – 10 of 76Owen P. O'Sullivan, Nynn Hui Chang, Philip Baker and Amar Shah
East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) is a major provider of mental healthcare and community health services. Quality improvement (QI) has become central to its organisational…
Abstract
Purpose
East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) is a major provider of mental healthcare and community health services. Quality improvement (QI) has become central to its organisational policy and goals for which it has received national and international attention.
Design/methodology/approach
This piece reflects on the Trust's transformation and its approach. It provides many examples and discusses several of the associated challenges in building and sustaining QI momentum. It is the result of a range of perspectives from staff involved in planning and building large-scale QI capability. It contextualises QI's current status in UK mental healthcare.
Findings
Several key factors were identified: board-led commitment to organisational transformation; investment in training and resources to support staff motivation; clear and realistic project goals in line with the service's over-arching strategic direction; support for service users and staff at all levels to get involved to address issues that matter to them; and, finally, placement of a high value on service user and staff qualitative feedback.
Practical implications
Building QI capability represents a significant challenge faced by all large healthcare providers. Sharing experiences of change can assist other organisations achieve the necessary buy-in and support the planning process.
Originality/value
Achieving and sustaining lasting organisational change in healthcare is challenging. This article provides a background on QI at ELFT and reflects on the pathway to its present position at the forefront of the application of QI within healthcare.
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Bilal Ahmad, Sajid Iqbal, Mahnoor Hai and Shahid Latif
This paper aims to examine the mediating role of relational mobile usage on the relationship between personal values (individualism, collectivism and academic self-efficacy) and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the mediating role of relational mobile usage on the relationship between personal values (individualism, collectivism and academic self-efficacy) and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) among the faculty members of higher education/degree-awarding institutes (DAIs) in Pakistan. The paper also examines the moderating role of gender on the relationship between relational mobile usage and OCB.
Design/methodology/approach
Cross-sectional data from 217 faculty members of higher education/DAIs in Pakistan were collected through an online questionnaire. Structural equation modeling technique using SmartPLS was used to assess the measurement and structural model. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21 was used for data normality analysis, missing value analysis and variable calculation. Response and non-response bias were also examined.
Findings
The findings confirmed that individualism was not significantly related to relational mobile usage; however, collectivism and academic self-efficacy were significantly related to relational mobile usage. The relationship of relational mobile usage and OCB was also significant. The mediating role of relational mobile usage on the relationship between individualism and OCB was not significant; however, the mediating role of relational mobile usage between collectivism and OCB, and academic self-efficacy and OCB was significant. The moderating role of gender on the relationship between relational mobile usage and OCB was also significant.
Practical implications
DAIs’ administration should strive to encourage individuals to value group priorities over the individualistic interests. Valuing group interest over the individualistic interest would promote the usage of mobile technology for relational purpose. This relational perspective of mobile usage will ultimately develop OCB among individuals. Also, academic self-efficacy through relational mobile usage can lead to OCB; therefore, another important policy implication for the administration of DAIs is to develop academic self-efficacy among the stakeholders of the institutions.
Originality/value
Although OCB has become a theoretically mature concept, the framework proposed for this study has rarely been discussed in previous scholarships, particularly from the perspective of relational mobile usage. Arguably, this study is the first in testing the mediating role of relational mobile usage between the personal values and OCB within the context of academia in Pakistan.
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In this article, the authors seek to outline the overall educational development of Iran since 1855 — counterpointing their thesis with some basic facts of recent Iranian history…
Abstract
In this article, the authors seek to outline the overall educational development of Iran since 1855 — counterpointing their thesis with some basic facts of recent Iranian history. At a time when the British system is undergoing an advanced catharsis, the experience of a developing nation such as Iran is worth further thought. Too often we concern ourselves with the subtle trivia of our own advanced system. On reading this article, and allowing for the authors' personal views of the Iranian situation, one point stands out. In this situation, where are Enfield and school‐meal strikes now?
Olfa Ben Salah and Anis Jarboui
The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of corporate governance on the impact of earnings management on dividend policy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating effect of corporate governance on the impact of earnings management on dividend policy.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors selected French non-financial companies listed on the CAC All Tradable index during the 2008–2015 period. Feasible generalized least square regression method is used to estimate the econometric models.
Findings
The empirical results allowed the authors to confirm and/or reject certain hypotheses. First, the ownership concentration seems to positively moderate the impact of earnings management on dividend policy. Another conclusion that the authors have been able to draw is that the effect of earnings management on dividend policy is more favorable in the case of firms with a small director’s board.
Practical implications
Our results have shown that French firms run earnings to inform the market that they can distribute dividends. Therefore, we recommend that the various partners of the firm pay more attention to the governance mechanisms of these types of companies and, in particular, in countries where foreign investors suffer from weak legal protection (Easterbrook, 1984; Gomes, 2000; La Porta et al., 2000 and Athari et al., 2016). In fact, standardization bodies, the Ministry of Finance, external auditors and stock exchange organizer must focus on sophisticated governance mechanisms to ensure better quality of financial reporting.
Originality/value
To our knowledge, no other research has examined whether the impact of earnings management on dividend policy varies significantly with the moderating effect of certain governance mechanisms in France.
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Nurul Nadia Abd Aziz, Mohd Amar Aziz and Noor Amira Syazwani Abd Rahman
This study aimed to explore the technostress effects on the students' expectancy in their academic performance. Three main factors were used as predictors, namely…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to explore the technostress effects on the students' expectancy in their academic performance. Three main factors were used as predictors, namely techno-complexity (TC), techno-insecurity (TIS) and techno-overload (TO), to measure the students' performance expectancy via the mediating effects of student satisfaction (SS).
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 234 survey-based online questionnaires were filled by students from Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM). Based on the data, the hypothetical model was tested statistically using the Partial Least Square–Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM), specifically the Smart Partial Least Square (SmartPLS) version 3.3.2.
Findings
The results indicated that SS mediated the relationship between TC, TIS and performance expectancy. Nevertheless, the two predictors (TC and TIS) negatively affected SS, whereas SS positively affected the performance expectancy. The findings further revealed that reducing TC and TIS could increase SS and their expectancy to achieve better academic performance.
Practical implications
This study proposed that higher learning institutions provide an innovative and user-friendly platform for the online learning environment. Consequently, this improvement could increase SS with the online learning experience and motivate them to expect better academic achievement.
Originality/value
This study also contributed to the existing literature by building and testing a technostress model and articulating the inter-relations between SS and performance expectancy.
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Amar Hisham Jaaffar, Saraswathy Kasavan, Siti Indati Mustapa and Abul Quasem Al-Amin
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic impact on energy supply and demand. It is vital to understand households’ behaviour with regard to energy, particularly during the…
Abstract
Purpose
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic impact on energy supply and demand. It is vital to understand households’ behaviour with regard to energy, particularly during the pandemic, to deploy future sustainable energy systems. This study aims to investigate the nexus of Malaysian households’ energy consumption behaviour in relation to various electrical appliances, their energy-saving appliance purchasing behaviour and their current possession of energy-saving appliances during the pandemic, especially during the lockdown period, from the perspective of the energy cultures framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The partial least squares structural equation modelling technique was used to test hypothesised relationships based on the 1,485 pieces of household data collected using an online and physical survey during the lockdown period in Malaysia.
Findings
The energy-saving behaviour cultivated due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic led to residential customers’ intentions to purchase energy-saving appliances which subsequently led to their current possession of energy-saving appliances. Indeed, energy-saving behaviours in the kitchen, entertainment, office, home lighting and cooling appliances have more than 77.4% influence on their purchasing behaviour. The consumer’s purchase behaviour for energy-saving appliances has a significant, partially mediating influence on the energy-saving behaviour of various electrical appliances and the consumers’ current possession of energy-saving appliances.
Research limitations/implications
This study could be enhanced by improving the sample using a higher-income group and involving other parts of Malaysia such as the southern region. The findings do extend the energy cultures framework by demonstrating the mediating role of households’ energy-saving appliance purchasing behaviour on the relationship between their energy consumption behaviour in relation to various electrical appliances and their current possession of energy-saving appliances.
Practical implications
The results of this study will help develop future action plans for transitioning to energy-saving appliance practices.
Originality/value
This paper examines the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on future energy efficiency practices in developing countries from the perspective of the energy cultures framework.
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Srinath Jagannathan, Patturaja Selvaraj and Jerome Joseph
This paper aims to show that the experience of workers on the margins of international business is akin to the funeralesque. The funeralesque is understood as the appropriation of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to show that the experience of workers on the margins of international business is akin to the funeralesque. The funeralesque is understood as the appropriation of the value generated by workers across the production networks of international business.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing from the engagement with crematorium workers, the narratives of workers are articulated, describing the insecurities and injustices experienced by them. The authors draw from six-month-long qualitative engagement with seven workers in a crematorium in Ahmedabad, India.
Findings
The experience of marginal subjects provides important insights into how international business, in conjunction with states, structures inequality for marginal subjects. Precariousness, social exclusion, low wages and subjectivities of humiliation are the experiences of marginal subjects. The reproduction of marginality in globalising cities is an important element of the funeralesque through which extraction and re-distribution of value across international networks is legitimised.
Practical implications
In understanding international business as the funeralesque, the authors demystify the power relations constituted by it. The authors provide a metaphor for dethroning the legitimacy of international business and indicate that its modern practices are similar to the practices of value appropriation that occur in a funeral.
Originality/value
The authors develop the metaphor of the funeralesque to gain insights into the experiences of workers on the margins of international business. The authors are, thus, able to theorise the underbelly of globalising cities in a poetic, subversive way.
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Nor Farizal Mohammed, Norziana Lokman, Norazida Mohamed and Norsuhaily Abu Bakar
From 2000 to 2021, the Malaysian corruption perception index demonstrated a declining tendency, identifying Malaysia as a highly corrupt nation. Corruption in the nation has…
Abstract
Purpose
From 2000 to 2021, the Malaysian corruption perception index demonstrated a declining tendency, identifying Malaysia as a highly corrupt nation. Corruption in the nation has become a social cancer that has impacted the workplace and political climate. Using Dewey’s (1937) theory of education and social change, this paper argues that anti-corruption education is a tool for reforming the corruption culture of a nation. Consequently, the purpose of this study is to explore and understand the current anti-corruption education in Malaysian educational institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
The results of this study were derived from a qualitative content analysis of 20 Google News articles, an interview with the sole implementation agency, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and a literature assessment of MACC publications. Due to a dearth of preceding study and journal publications on the topic, this type of qualitative content analysis of news has been applied in prior studies.
Findings
The results indicate that anti-corruption education has been implemented in the primary, secondary and higher education institutions in Malaysia. Nonetheless, the concept and implementation are inadequate, superficial and insufficient. The analysis advises more inclusive techniques for delivering anti-corruption education for social transformation.
Originality/value
Prior research has focussed on laws and regulations to prosecute the corrupt, but has underrated the ability of education to alter the corruption culture. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first journal paper, written on anti-corruption education in Malaysia. This study sets the way for further anti-corruption education studies in the future. This line of research will provide insights for the nation’s policymaking, which aims to create a nation free of corruption and capable of sustaining itself.
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Olfa Ben Salah and Anis Jarboui
The objective of this paper is to investigate the direction of the causal relationship between dividend policy (DP) and earnings management (EM).
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to investigate the direction of the causal relationship between dividend policy (DP) and earnings management (EM).
Design/methodology/approach
This research utilizes the panel data analysis to investigate the causal relationship between EM and DP. It provides empirical insights based on a sample of 280 French nonfinancial companies listed on the CAC All-Tradable index during the period of 2008–2015. The study initiates with a Granger causality examination on the unbalanced panel data and employs a dynamic panel approach with the generalized method of moments (GMM). It further estimates the empirical models simultaneously using the three-stage least squares (3SLS) method and the iterative triple least squares (iterative 3SLS) method.
Findings
The estimation of our various empirical models confirms the presence of a bidirectional causal relationship between DP and EM.
Practical implications
Our study highlights the prevalence of EM in the French context, particularly within DP. It underscores the need for regulatory bodies, the Ministry of Finance, external auditors and stock exchange organizers to prioritize governance mechanisms for improving the quality of financial information disclosed by companies.
Originality/value
This research is, to the best of our knowledge, the first is to extensively investigate the reciprocal causal relationship between DP and EM in France. Previous studies have not placed a significant emphasis on exploring this bidirectional link between these two variables.
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Rano Khan Wassan, Shakeel Ahmed Shaikh, Hussain Bux Marri, Muhammad Saad Memon and Syed Feroz Shah
Green, lean and six sigma (GLSS) practices are widely used and well accepted techniques that have the capability to improve the economic, social and environmental performance of…
Abstract
Purpose
Green, lean and six sigma (GLSS) practices are widely used and well accepted techniques that have the capability to improve the economic, social and environmental performance of Pakistani small and medium enterprises (SMEs). However, implementation of these practices in an integrated approach has not yet been witnessed in Pakistani SMEs due to a variety of challenges. To overcome the implementation challenges, this study has analyzed the impact of GLSS implementation over the sustainability in Pakistani SMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
This study consists of two phases. In phase 1, interviews were conducted to scrutinize the elements of GLSS implementation to simplify the model and in phase 2, a questionnaire survey was conducted to collect the data from the SMEs. The partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach is used to analyze the relationships among the latent variables and constructs.
Findings
Results showed that, leadership for GLSS, understanding GLSS techniques and technology upgradation are considered the most important elements for GLSS implementation in Pakistani SMEs. The environmental and social perspectives have been given more weightage compared to economical perspective. This inferred that there is a need to focus more on environmental and social perspectives in SMEs as compared to economic perspectives to achieve sustainable growth. Moreover, the results of the hypothesis testing revealed that GLSS implementation has a significant positive impact over the sustainability in SMEs considering the Pakistani scenario (β = 0.529, STDEV = 0.078, t = 6.81, p = < 0.001).
Originality/value
This study is the first of its kind for Pakistani SMEs. The structural model developed in this study for Pakistani SMEs will help practitioners to understand the important elements of GLSS implementation and sustainability dimensions.
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