Kara Lee Daly, Gemma Pike, Victoria Clarke and Vanessa Beck
This qualitative study aims to explore general perceptions of a woman experiencing negative menopausal symptoms in the workplace. It examines the socio-cultural understandings…
Abstract
Purpose
This qualitative study aims to explore general perceptions of a woman experiencing negative menopausal symptoms in the workplace. It examines the socio-cultural understandings informing the responses of a mixed participant group, including those unlikely to have experienced menopause, to a hypothetical scenario involving a woman disclosing negative menopausal symptoms in the workplace – to either a female or male manager.
Design/methodology/approach
Using an innovative hybrid vignette-story completion (SC) technique, data were generated from 48 employees of a single UK-based organisation. Participants were presented with a vignette featuring a protagonist (Julie) experiencing negative menopausal symptoms, asked questions about their imaginings of Julie and how she might be perceived by others in the workplace, then presented with a story stem and asked to continue the story in the third person. The stem depicted Julie preparing to tell her manager about her symptoms and featured either a male or female manager, with one variation randomly presented to each participant. Responses were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Findings
This study reports four themes: (1) the burden of menopause; (2) managing menopause at work; (3) menopause as not belonging in the workplace; and (4) menopause as unlocking new life potential? Limitations and directions for future research are discussed.
Originality/value
Using the innovative hybrid vignette-SC technique, this study contributes to the current discourse on menopause in the workplace by providing insight into how menopausal employees experiencing negative symptoms are perceived by others and the social understandings that shape these perceptions.
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The purpose of this paper is to present the author's commentary on the special issue of Journal of Educational Administration entitled “Systemwide reform: examining districts…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the author's commentary on the special issue of Journal of Educational Administration entitled “Systemwide reform: examining districts under pressure”.
Design/methodology/approach
The author gives her personal opinions, draws upon her recent experiences in the national study of US district leadership for school improvement, recent engagement with one specific US district's improvement efforts and work with colleagues in Europe on how a nation's culture mediates global policy trends.
Findings
One striking feature is the degree to which the language of “New Public Management” (is suffused within all of the papers).
Originality/value
The author notes that each paper peels a layer of the opaque onion of systemic school reform initiatives in the USA and was struck by the papers’ insight into current policy and administrative dilemmas facing districts in the USA – and also by their uniquely American perspective.
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Berezi Elorrieta, Aurélie Cerdan Schwitzguébel and Anna Torres-Delgado
This study aims to examine the main factors and the related impacts that have caused a negative shift in the social perception of tourism among residents of Barcelona. Namely, it…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the main factors and the related impacts that have caused a negative shift in the social perception of tourism among residents of Barcelona. Namely, it contextualises the recent evolution of the impacts and the social perception of tourism among the city’s residents; analyses the relationship between the social perception of tourism and different tourist, real estate, demographic and economic factors; and lastly, it identifies the social impacts that majorly influence the negative perception among residents in every neighbourhood.
Design/methodology/approach
This study applies quantitative and qualitative techniques to a selection of five neighbourhoods of Barcelona. First, the character of the neighbourhoods was analysed, and external statistical information was later provided to understand the state and evolution of the factors that shape perceptions of tourism. Secondly, representatives of the community movements were interviewed in-depth. This consecutive qualitative approach enabled the comprehension of how these factors shape the residents’ perception.
Findings
The results showed that residents generally shared similar perceptions despite variations among neighbourhoods. Perceived negative effects included not only the most direct consequences of tourism such as anti-social behaviour and congestion of public spaces but also indirect ones such as population displacement and the weakening of social structures.
Originality/value
This study’s innovation lies in linking objective statistical data that describe the reality of a tourist neighbourhood (housing prices, number of available beds, family income, etc.), to the subjective perceptions of its residents. Thus, it is possible to identify the perceived impacts of tourism (which have an impact on the local population’s satisfaction), and relate these to the true evolution of tourism variables in the neighbourhood. This contrasted reading between perception and reality is important for future initiatives for the regulation of tourism in the city.
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Julie A. Marsh, Katharine O. Strunk and Susan Bush
Despite the popularity of school “turnaround” and “portfolio district” management as solutions to low performance, there has been limited research on these strategies. The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite the popularity of school “turnaround” and “portfolio district” management as solutions to low performance, there has been limited research on these strategies. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap by exploring the strategic case of Los Angeles Unified School District's Public School Choice Initiative (PSCI) which combined both of these reforms. It examines how core mechanisms of change played out in schools and communities during the first two years of implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper draws on a mixed methods study, combining data from surveys, case studies, leader interviews, observations, and document review. It is guided by a conceptual framework grounded in research on school turnaround and portfolio districts, along with the district's implicit theory of change.
Findings
The paper finds early success in attracting diverse stakeholder participation, supporting plan development, and ensuring transparency. However, data also indicate difficulty establishing understanding and buy‐in, engaging parents and community, attracting sufficient supply of applicants, maintaining neutrality and the perception of fairness, and avoiding unintended consequences of competition – all of which weakened key mechanisms of change.
Research limitations/implications
Data from parent focus groups and school sites may not be representative of the entire population of parents and schools, and data come from a short period of time.
Practical implications
The paper finds that developing processes and procedures to support complex reform takes time and identifies roadblocks others may face when implementing school turnaround and portfolio management. The research suggests districts invest in ways to ensure neutrality and create a level playing field. It also indicates that leaders should anticipate challenges to engaging parents and community members, such as language and literacy barriers, and invest in the development of unbiased, high‐quality information and opportunities that include sufficient time and support to ensure understanding.
Originality/value
This paper begins to fill a gap in research on popular reform strategies for improving low‐performing schools.
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Sumbul Zaman and Amirul Hasan Ansari
There is a compelling need for developing constructs in management science rather than adapting the constructs that have been developed in other domains. Having emerged in the…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a compelling need for developing constructs in management science rather than adapting the constructs that have been developed in other domains. Having emerged in the 1950s, quality of work-life (QWL) measures have proved to be ineffective due to the lack of conceptual clarity and theoretical support. The article analyses the QWL measures highlights their coherence and verifies them for being used in specific contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
The study includes three stages to develop a QWL Measurement Scale. Fourteen questions were developed based on QWL concepts. They were validated using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) which split the dimensions into five factors. A survey was conducted on 375 medical residents. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), convergence and validity were tested along the five dimensions.
Findings
Results extend the QWL concept and provide theoretical support for the same. Five dimensions were developed to measure QWL namely: pay and benefits, supervision, intra-group relations, working conditions and training.
Practical implications
The study may offer an overview of evaluation strategies to researchers and organizations that aim to improve employee QWL while they enhance its effectiveness through reliable instruments.
Originality/value
The scale developed in this study contributes to the body of QWL literature in the healthcare arena. It may be beneficial to carry out further research in this domain.
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Yogesh P. Pai and Satyanarayana T. Chary
– The purpose of this paper is to review the service quality dimensions established in various studies conducted across the world specifically applied to health care.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the service quality dimensions established in various studies conducted across the world specifically applied to health care.
Design/methodology/approach
Studies conducted on quality of care selected from literature databases – Ebsco, Emerald Insight, ABI/Inform – was subjected to a comprehensive in-depth content analysis.
Findings
Service quality has been extensively studied with considerable efforts taken to develop survey instruments for measuring purposes. The number of dimensional structure varies across the studies. Self-administered questionnaire dominates in terms of mode of administration adopted in the studies, with respondents ranging from 18 to 85 years. Target sample size ranged from 84-2,000 respondents in self-administered questionnaires and for mail administration ranged from 300-2,600 respondents. Studies vary in terms of the scores used ranging from four to ten-point scale. A total of 27 of the studies have used EFA, 11 studies have used structural equation modelling and eight studies used gap scores. Cronbach ' s alpha is the most commonly used measure of scale reliability. There is variation in terms of measuring the content, criteria and construct validation among the studies.
Practical implications
The literature offers dimensions used in assessing patient perceived service quality. The review reveals diversity and a plethora of dimensions and methodology to develop the construct discussed.
Originality/value
The reported study describes and contrasts a large number of service-quality measurement constructs and highlights the usage of dimensions. The findings are valuable to academics in terms of dimensions and methodology used, approach for analysis; whereas findings are of value to practitioners in terms of the dimensions found in the research and to identify the gap in their setting.
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Michel Rod and Nicholas J. Ashill
The purpose of this paper is to investigate a model of management commitment to service quality (MCSQ) and service recovery performance in the context of public and private…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate a model of management commitment to service quality (MCSQ) and service recovery performance in the context of public and private hospitals in New Zealand.
Design/methodology/approach
In a cross‐sectional survey grounded in Bagozzi's reformulation of attitude theory, frontline hospital employees (FHEs) were asked about how MCSQ impacted on their service recovery performance in both the public and private sectors.
Findings
The results of the study suggest that the relationship between MCSQ and service recovery performance is mediated by organizational commitment. With the exception of the relationship between MCSQ and organizational commitment, there are no differences between FHEs in the private and public sectors.
Originality/value
Very little attention has been given to a comparative examination of those managerial practices critical for improving frontline employee service recovery efforts in a public and private healthcare context. Our research addresses this paucity.
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Joshua Ray, John Pijanowski and Kara Lasater
The purpose of this study was to explore the well-being of school principals and the job-embedded demands responsible for challenging their adoption of healthy self-care practices.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to explore the well-being of school principals and the job-embedded demands responsible for challenging their adoption of healthy self-care practices.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon a multidisciplinary theoretical framework that included contributions from the fields of neurobiology and psychology, three tiers of self-care needs were established to inform the study: basic physiological needs such as sleep, hydration, and nutrition; active self-care practices such as exercise, relaxation, and stress relief; and higher order needs such as belongingness and love addressed through work-life balance, volunteerism, and relational belonging. A 45-question survey containing Likert scale items and open-ended questions was returned from 473 practicing building administrators (a 24.4% response rate).
Findings
Findings from this study, compared to estimates from the literature, indicate that school leaders work longer hours, are more sleep deprived, more dehydrated, have poorer diet practices, exercise less regularly, and spend less time with their friends and family than the general population. Administrators struggled to find ways within their control to improve their self-care behavior and offered suggestions regarding how the structure of the job itself might be changed to facilitate improving the health of school leaders.
Originality/value
This work offers insight into the current well-being of school principals, and by better understanding administrators’ self-care practices, this study can inform the field in developing supports, practices, and expectations, which promote the health and well-being of building-level leaders. Unhealthy self-care practices may influence their effectiveness, happiness, and possibly their longevity within the profession. Data collected through this study informed ideas about policies and procedures that could promote greater opportunities for healthier, more effective leaders within schools.
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Reza Etemad‐Sajadi and Daniela Rizzuto
The purpose of this research is to investigate the degree of satisfaction and loyalty of Chinese and Swiss fast‐food consumers. The aim is to compare Chinese/Swiss consumers'…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to investigate the degree of satisfaction and loyalty of Chinese and Swiss fast‐food consumers. The aim is to compare Chinese/Swiss consumers' perception of meal quality, service quality, price and their influence on their satisfaction and loyalty. The image of fast‐food restaurants in the two countries is also compared.
Design/methodology/approach
Two on‐line surveys were conducted with two samples. The first one was conducted with Chinese consumers in China and the second one was conducted with Swiss consumers in Switzerland. The authors selected McDonald's as it is globally a standardized and well‐known fast‐food chain. They adapted items of SERVQUAL in order to apply it to the fast food industry and to measure service quality. Data analysis was performed using ANOVA. As they had several latent variables, the authors also used partial least squares (PLS), a variance‐based structural equation modeling method.
Findings
Results showed that Chinese consumers have a better perception of meal quality and a more positive image of McDonald's. As far as service quality perception is concerned, no major differences were observed. However, reliability and tangibles dimensions seem to be more positively perceived in China. The degree of consumer satisfaction is very similar between the two samples. However, the degree of loyalty of Chinese consumers is higher compared to Swiss consumers. In addition, the image of McDonald's seems to have a stronger influence on Swiss consumers' loyalty. Finally, the level of service quality perceived seems to have less impact on the image of McDonald's for Chinese consumers than for Swiss consumers.
Research limitations/implications
First, as the authors selected McDonald's, they must be careful in the generalization of their findings to all fast‐food restaurants. Second, the two samples consist of students, which limits the generalizability of the findings. However, students are identified to be the current customers of fast‐food restaurants and consequently possess an intuitive understanding of fast‐food outlets.
Practical implications
As consumers in China perceive a better quality of meal in McDonald's, they might be willing to pay a higher price relative to their earnings. Compared to China, fast‐food managers in Switzerland should work harder in order to improve their image. Fast‐food managers must adapt themselves to the preferences of local consumers. However, this study also shows that not all variables are perceived differently by Swiss and Chinese consumers. This implies that some measures can be standardized in order to save costs.
Originality/value
The study investigates the impact of nationality on the whole model, defined by customer perception of fast‐food restaurants' image, product/service quality, satisfaction/loyalty, and finally price fairness. As China is a major player in the global market based on its size and growth potential, it is interesting to compare the antecedents of customer satisfaction and loyalty in China, with a culturally different country such as Switzerland.
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Asma Shabbir, Shahab Alam Malik and Saquib Yusaf Janjua
The purpose of this paper is to investigate patients’ views toward the perceived service quality of public and private healthcare service providers. Determinants of healthcare…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate patients’ views toward the perceived service quality of public and private healthcare service providers. Determinants of healthcare service quality were compared by carrying out a GAP analysis to equate perceived and expected services and examined differences in the service quality.
Design/methodology/approach
The study sample comprises 310 inpatients of public and private healthcare service providers. Self-administered questionnaires were used along a five-point Likert scale and analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences. GAP analysis was used to observe the difference between expectations and perceived service quality.
Findings
A cross-sectional study revealed significant quality gaps between the expected and perceived services of public and private healthcare service providers; conversely patients’ expectations are not fully met in both types of hospitals. Private hospitals surpassed in terms of overall perceived service quality from their counterparts. Perceived services were found better in terms of physician medical services in public sector hospitals, while rooms and housekeeping services were found better in terms of private sector hospitals.
Practical implications
The result can be used by both public and private healthcare service providers to restructure their quality management practices which could only be possible through effective management commitment, regular patients’ feedback and translucent complaint procedures.
Originality/value
The study conceptualizes the expected and perceived hospital service quality dimensions as an eight-dimensional framework. A comparison between public and private sector hospitals is made to get a better understanding about the differences in the perceived healthcare services among two sectors. Consequences of the study will aid hospital managers and policy makers to get a fuller picture of healthcare services in order to contrive enhancement practices.