Amy E. Burton, Olivia Sale, Rebecca Higton, Emily J. Buckley and Jennifer Taylor
The purpose of this paper is to report on two research studies that explored how older adult residents in assisted living facilities in the United Kingdom (UK) experienced changes…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on two research studies that explored how older adult residents in assisted living facilities in the United Kingdom (UK) experienced changes to their social activity and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative design was used and combined interview data from 13 residents across five assisted living facilities in the UK. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis.
Findings
Four themes were developed. The first theme “being locked in” explores the reduction in social contact and feelings of imprisonment experienced by assisted living residents. The second theme “keeping everyone safe” discusses the ways in which isolation was rationalised by older adults through drawing on narratives around safety and protection of others. The third theme “finding new ways to connect” illustrates how learning new skills enabled assisted living residents to maintain connections with others and highlights the novel opportunities for connection presented by communal living. The final theme “keeping a positive outlook” underlines how positive thinking and hope for the future enabled residents to cope with isolation.
Originality/value
The findings from this study present a novel insight into the experience of assisted living residents during Covid-19 restrictions. While it is known that isolation during lockdowns had negative well-being implications for community-dwelling older adults, this study highlights some of the ways that communal living was protective for assisted living resident well-being.
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Yewande Adetoro Adewunmi, Boitumelo Ramushu and Margaret Nelson
The purpose of this paper is to examine the user satisfaction dimensions at the Newtown Junction shopping mall to improve its performance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the user satisfaction dimensions at the Newtown Junction shopping mall to improve its performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Users of the Newtown Junction shopping mall were surveyed and the results were analysed using mean scores, principal components and regression analysis.
Findings
The study identified user satisfaction dimensions as “facilities management”, “design using Newtown principles”, “cultural transmission”, “utility functionality”, “accessibility”, “human factors” and “hotel access”. The dimensions extracted using principal component analysis were better predictors of performance than those of the literature.
Research limitations/implications
The study sample is from the Newtown Junction Mall in the Newtown precinct, Johannesburg, South Africa. The results may not be generalisable to all Newtown shopping malls.
Practical implications
The results will be useful for improving the marketing and operations of shopping malls in similar Newtown in South Africa. A Newtown shopping mall is more attractive to users who want to learn about African culture actively. In addition, the mall’s design and access to other parts of its mixed-used development, which are major complementary places of interest in the precinct, make it attractive to shoppers and tourists.
Originality/value
There are limited studies defining Newtown dimensions in a shopping mall.
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Linda Irvine Fitzpatrick and Donald Maciver
This paper aims to present a case study of the early “formulation” activities that laid the foundation for the Edinburgh Wellbeing Pact, developed during and after the COVID-19…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a case study of the early “formulation” activities that laid the foundation for the Edinburgh Wellbeing Pact, developed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pact aimed to foster partnership between service providers and citizens to prevent crises, empower individuals to manage their health and independence at home and strengthen the health and social care network in Edinburgh.
Design/methodology/approach
The study involved a retrospective review of documentary data, including reports, meeting notes, reflections and strategy documents. The analysis was led by the programme lead, who played a central role in the design and implementation of the Pact.
Findings
The formulation phase focused on building the Pact’s foundation through dialogues with citizens, staff, communities and stakeholders. It emphasised the development of the Pact’s vision and the establishment of key partnerships. This process was crucial for ensuring collaboration and guiding the transition from ideas to implementation. It led to the creation of key messages for staff, citizens and community partners. The formulation phase also facilitated the transfer of power and resources to citizens and enabled the creation of new funded initiatives, which introduced new service delivery models and strengthened collaboration between public and third sectors.
Originality/value
This case study contributes to understanding innovation in intersectoral practices, co-creation and co-production as strategies for addressing complex health and social care challenges. It provides insights for others engaged in similar initiatives.
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Eunbi Sim and Laura L. Bierema
Precarious workers in academia represent most employees in higher education institutions (HEIs), and women and historically excluded groups are overrepresented in these positions…
Abstract
Purpose
Precarious workers in academia represent most employees in higher education institutions (HEIs), and women and historically excluded groups are overrepresented in these positions, oppressed by intersecting inequities, such as sexism and racism. There is a need to comprehensively understand how precarity operates within academia from an intersectional perspective and how it oppresses marginalized and precarious workers.
Design/methodology/approach
Following the PRISMA guidelines, this paper systematically reviewed 22 articles that discuss academic precarity through an intersectional lens.
Findings
Studies have shown that (1) the uncertainty and insecurity in modern academia are driven by global forces and ongoing crises; (2) systemic intersectionality entrenched in HEIs influenced the shaping of their academic experiences and positionalities; and (3) intersectionality could be used as a reflexive tool to resist the precarious academy.
Originality/value
This paper is the first systematic review examining the intersectionality in precarious academia. By synthesizing articles highlighting precarity and intersectionality in academia, the paper contributes to theories of academic capitalism and intersectionality and offers comprehensive and critical implications for research and practice in higher education. This study illuminates how neoliberalism, global capitalism and intersecting inequities are deeply rooted in academia and how academic workers could challenge such issues.
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Jeena Joseph, Jobin Jose, Anat Suman Jose, Gliu G. Ettaniyil and Sreena V. Nair
Bibliotherapy, a therapeutic approach that uses books and reading materials to promote psychological well-being and personal growth, has become more prevalent in recent years…
Abstract
Purpose
Bibliotherapy, a therapeutic approach that uses books and reading materials to promote psychological well-being and personal growth, has become more prevalent in recent years. This scientometric study aims to provide a comprehensive view of the bibliotherapy research landscape by highlighting its evolution, trends, and noteworthy contributions using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer.
Design/methodology/approach
The academic literature on bibliotherapy is evaluated in-depth in this study utilizing scientometric techniques, including citation and co-citation analysis. A thorough search of the Scopus database revealed 1,703 papers between 1942 and 2023 that dealt with bibliotherapy. For data analysis, the renowned applications Biblioshiny and VOSViewer are employed.
Findings
The study reveals that the output of publications has fluctuated, reflecting scholarly interest in this discipline. The distribution of research across various countries, organizations and academic subjects is investigated further to highlight the diverse and global extent of bibliotherapy research. By analyzing co-citation networks and locating pertinent publications and authors, this scientometric method analyzes the intellectual structure of bibliotherapy research.
Research limitations/implications
Bibliometric analysis enriches the theoretical understanding of bibliotherapy by unveiling the networks, influential works and existing gaps in the literature, thus guiding a more informed and collaborative approach to future research and practice in the domain.
Practical implications
Employing bibliometric analysis in bibliotherapy can refine practices and training programs, ensuring they are evidence-based and practical, enhancing the quality of therapeutic services provided to individuals.
Originality/value
It is a valuable resource for academics, practitioners and policymakers interested in the field since it offers a thorough and current assessment of the bibliotherapy research landscape. The findings of this study have the potential to steer future research, guide the development of bibliotherapeutic interventions supported by evidence and enhance the use of bibliotherapy as a therapeutic modality.
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The author aims to walk beside the singular privileged class of White women’s suffrage feminist origin story to (re)construct plausible feminist fragmented threads as…
Abstract
Purpose
The author aims to walk beside the singular privileged class of White women’s suffrage feminist origin story to (re)construct plausible feminist fragmented threads as antenarratives in the context of business management education. To accomplish this (re)assembling of threads, the author examined two North American business trade publications created and used within two business schools, Harvard University’s Harvard Business Review (HBR), established in 1922, and Western University’s The Quarterly Review of Commerce (The Quarterly), established in 1933.
Design/methodology/approach
The author carefully reviewed almost 4,000 articles from HBR and The Quarterly, focusing on 308 articles that addressed the experiences of complex women. With this subset of collected articles, the author highlighted overlooked details, accidents and errors, generating interest and curiosity about the emergence of these fragmented and paradoxical origins that align with Foucault's histories of errors. By grouping these narrative fragments into themes and conducting a critical discourse analysis that incorporated influences from the external environment, the author reconstructed plural feminist origins antenarratives.
Findings
The themes discovered, including women as consumers, explicit working women concerns, women as authors/coauthors, diversity and social justice initiatives, and women in higher education/training, are not merely descriptive observations. They are the building blocks for identifying and analyzing the power relations circulating among feminist origins antenarratives within management education circles. These antenarratives include shedding light on women working in capitalist contexts, the educational needs of business women, and men and naming (but not breaking) the “mythologies” of women at work. These findings are transformative to the understanding of plural feminist origins.
Originality/value
The uniqueness of this work lies in its threefold contributions: moving away from the notion of a singular feminist origin story and instead embracing the complexity of multiple, paradoxical and incomplete origins; shedding light on the spectrum of power relations – ranging from productive to oppressive – that shaped the experiences of women in two management educational circles during the first half of the 20th century; and introducing the concept of inflection points, which underscores the fluidity of knowledge.
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Shahla Safwat Ravhee and Sazdik Ahmed
This paper aims to examine how the interrelation between architecture and the physical environment came to prominence and influenced the pioneering modernist architects to acquire…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine how the interrelation between architecture and the physical environment came to prominence and influenced the pioneering modernist architects to acquire the features of modern architecture that the British modernists later adopted. How the post-war urban poor of Britain, suffering from ill-health and dire need of sun, air and a good environment, played an essential role in alleviating the environmental concerns of the modern movement architects.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology of this research involves a comprehensive architectural analysis of the Finsbury Health Centre alongside an in-depth historical investigation of modernist design principles. This review article examines books, articles and some archival materials, such as recordings, pictures, etc. on the early phase of British modernism and its environmental dimension by looking at the works of historians, architects and critics.
Findings
Design based on modernist principles. While it can be seen as the political agenda of the Labor Party, this building was not only functionally efficient but also represented the biometric concerns of modern architecture with the most natural means.
Research limitations/implications
While this study provides valuable insights, it may be limited by historical documents and data availability.
Originality/value
The originality and value of this paper lie in its examination of the Finsbury Health Centre as a case study, shedding light on the environmental rhetoric of modernism in historic architecture. By providing a holistic assessment of the building’s environmental aspects, this research contributes to both architectural history and contemporary sustainable design practices.
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Arianna Barbin, Anna Gekoski, Kari Davies and Miranda A.H. Horvath
Several studies have been conducted to understand why the conviction rate for rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) remains so low. Increasing pressure and criticism have led…
Abstract
Purpose
Several studies have been conducted to understand why the conviction rate for rape and serious sexual offences (RASSO) remains so low. Increasing pressure and criticism have led to questioning why improvements in RASSO investigations are proving ineffective. The purpose of this study was to capture police officers’ perspective of police specialism while investigating RASSO.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 82 semi-structured interviews were conducted. Data collection spanned across two years, from October 2021 until May 2023, and included police officers from four police forces in England and Wales. Template analysis was used to identify recurrent patterns around police specialism for RASSO.
Findings
Most officers viewed specialism as a tool to improve how police forces prevent and tackle RASSO. In spite of this, the lack of prioritisation of specialist training, roles and units specifically for this crime type has hindered the development of evidence-based practice in policing. The impact on well-being, resources, organisational support and role identity has been explored.
Originality/value
This is the first qualitative study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to look at officers’ insights on police specialism for RASSO in England and Wales. Officers discussed day-to-day challenges associated with conducting RASSO investigations while reflecting on potential advantages related to dedicated specialist units and/or specialist roles.
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Khanh Nguyen, John Sands and Karen Trimmer
This paper systematically reviewed research on accounting fraud in the non-profit organisation (NPO) sector during 2004–2024 to identify gaps in theory and practice with the aim…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper systematically reviewed research on accounting fraud in the non-profit organisation (NPO) sector during 2004–2024 to identify gaps in theory and practice with the aim of producing a new parsimonious global fraud model.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper utilised a structured literature review methodology.
Findings
We propose a new holistic approach for the NPO sector worldwide, with two foci of “what may contribute to fraud” and “what may prevent fraud”.
Research limitations/implications
The future research agenda for the new holistic approach is provided.
Practical implications
The approach helps donors promote accountability and transparency in the NPO sector worldwide, thereby sustaining the development of this sector.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first comprehensive worldwide fraud research review, making distinct contributions. Globally, the approach is the first dedicated to the NPO sector, including different stages of fraud occurrence (undetected, suspected, actual/detected and future), and using a multi-disciplinary approach to prevent these stages. The approach is also the first to incorporate individual-level, organisational-level, industry-level and country-level factors into predicting future fraud.
Details
Keywords
- Undetected fraud
- Suspected fraud
- Actual/detected fraud
- Future fraud
- Individual-level
- Organisational-level
- Industry-level
- Country-level factors
- Organisational ethical culture
- Organisational ethics programme
- Organisational internal control
- Non-governmental organisation (NGO)
- Non-profit organisation (NPO)
Jiming Hu, Zexian Yang, Jiamin Wang, Wei Qian, Cunwan Feng and Wei Lu
This study proposes a novel method utilising a speech-word pair bipartite network to examine the correlation structure between members of parliament (MPs) in the context of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study proposes a novel method utilising a speech-word pair bipartite network to examine the correlation structure between members of parliament (MPs) in the context of the UK- China relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
We construct MP-word pair bipartite networks based on the co-occurrence relationship between MPs and words in their speech content. These networks are then mapped into monopartite MPs correlation networks. Additionally, the study calculates correlation network indicators and identifies MP communities and factions to determine the characteristics of MPs and their interrelation in the UK-China relationship. This includes insights into the distribution of key MPs, their correlation structure and the evolution and development trends of MP factions.
Findings
Analysis of the parliamentary speeches on China-related affairs in the British Parliament from 2011 to 2020 reveals that the distribution and interrelationship of MPs engaged in UK-China affairs are centralised and discrete, with a few core MPs playing an integral role in the UK-China relationship. Among them, MPs such as Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, David Cameron, Lord Hunt of Chesterton and Lord Howell of Guildford formed factions with significant differences; however, the continuity of their evolution exhibits unstableness. The core MP factions, such as those led by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and David Cameron, have achieved a level of maturity and exert significant influence.
Research limitations/implications
The research has several limitations that warrant acknowledgement. First, we mapped the MP-word pair bipartite network into the MP correlation network for analysis without directly analysing the structure of MPs based on the bipartite network. In future studies, we aim to explore various types of analysis based on the proposed bipartite networks to provide more comprehensive and accurate references for studying UK-China relations. In addition, we seek to incorporate semantic-level analyses, such as sentiment analysis of MPs, into the MP-word -pair bipartite networks for in-depth analysis. Second, the interpretations of MP structures in the UK-China relationship in this study are limited. Consequently, expertise in UK-China relations should be incorporated to enhance the study and provide more practical recommendations.
Practical implications
Firstly, the findings can contribute to an objective understanding of the characteristics and connotations of UK-China relations, thereby informing adjustments of focus accordingly. The identification of the main factions in the UK-China relationship emphasises the imperative for governments to pay greater attention to these MPs’ speeches and social relationships. Secondly, examining the evolution and development of MP factions aids in identifying a country’s diplomatic focus during different periods. This can assist governments in responding promptly to relevant issues and contribute to the formulation of effective foreign policies.
Social implications
First, this study expands the research methodology of parliamentary debates analysis in previous studies. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to study the UK-China relationship through the MP-word-pair bipartite network. This outcome inspires future researchers to apply various knowledge networks in the LIS field to elucidate deeper characteristics and connotations of UK-China relations. Second, this study provides a novel perspective for UK-China relationship analysis, which deepens the research object from keywords to MPs. This finding may offer important implications for researchers to further study the role of MPs in the UK-China relationship.
Originality/value
This study proposes a novel scheme for analysing the correlation structure between MPs based on bipartite networks. This approach offers insights into the development and evolving dynamics of MPs.