Search results

This paper aims to build on Part 1 which generated a theory representing the experiences of charity peer leaders facilitating well-being interventions (Burns, 2024). This study (Part 2) examines the process of peers [1] becoming peer leaders using the generated theory.

Following the Medical Research Council Process Evaluation Framework (Moore et al, 2015), the methods for this study were as follows: discussion and informal questions with all project staff (skilled group facilitators and peer leaders) at the start of the Refugee projectx; in-depth, self-report questionnaire with the skilled group facilitators; researcher observations of the peer leaders learning to lead and leading the groups; and group interview with peer leaders.

When analysed in line with the theory, the data showed the following: being empathic and validating someone’s story helps the person feel like their journey counts and is of worth; the “dance” of rapport and relationship is a vital ingredient for a successful group; the process of sharing stories and giving hope bring rewards; hope can be gained, given and given again without diminishing hope within the giver.

The theory that emerged in this study is unique to Part 1 and therefore Part 2 is also original, to the best of the author’s knowledge. The demonstration of the use of the theory in practise could support mental health peer work in offsetting statutory health-care costs.

There is a gap in understanding with regards to the discrimination and prejudice experienced by gay entrepreneurs. To address this, an intersectional perspective is adopted to facilitate a better understanding of how lesbian and gay entrepreneurs may experience heterosexism.

This qualitative study uses semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences of 14 lesbian and gay entrepreneurs as they navigate homophobia and heterosexism.

The study contributes novel insights to the field of entrepreneurship, extending the study of lesbian and gay entrepreneurs to include gender and a fine-grained analysis of the experience of heterosexism. Its inclusion of an intersectional perspective of the lesbian-female entrepreneur expands the emerging body of literature examining intersectional identities of minority entrepreneurs.

The authors provide a more nuanced understanding of the impact of heterosexism on LGBT+ entrepreneurial activities. This is facilitated by the authors' adoption of an intersectional perspective which shows how the different axes of identity influenced gender identity performance in relation to the model of perceived neutrality in LGBT+ entrepreneurship. The authors also make an original contribution to minority stress literature through the authors' exploration of one facet of minority entrepreneurship, namely the impact of heterosexism on LGBT+ entrepreneurial activities.

This study aims to explore the intricate relationship between housing prices and transaction volumes in Tehran, a city with diverse socioeconomic and regional characteristics. This research addresses a critical gap in understanding the role of local spatial factors, which previous studies have often overlooked, focusing instead on macroeconomic variables.

Using a data set of housing transactions of Metropolitan Tehran from 2010 to 2020 sourced from secondary data, this study uses generalized linear mixed models and spatial clustering techniques. These methods enable an examination of geographical clustering and the effects of local contextual variables on the dynamics between housing prices and transaction volumes.

Results indicate significant spatial heterogeneity within Tehran’s housing market. Higher prices and transaction volumes are concentrated in the northern and western regions, influenced by factors such as employment rates, rental housing supply and the physical attributes of the housing stock. The findings suggest that macroeconomic policies alone are insufficient to address housing challenges in Tehran; targeted, localized interventions are necessary.

This study’s reliance on secondary data and its focus on a single urban environment may limit the generalizability of the findings. Further research incorporating a wider range of local and macro variables could strengthen the applicability of the results across different contexts.

This study underscores the need for region-specific housing policies that consider local economic, social and spatial conditions. Policymakers could improve housing affordability and accessibility in Tehran by implementing tailored strategies to address the distinct needs of different districts.

This study offers a novel perspective by integrating spatial and contextual factors in housing market analysis, providing insights that challenge the traditional macroeconomic focus. The use of advanced statistical and spatial analysis techniques contributes to a deeper understanding of urban housing market dynamics.

This research paper takes a narrow approach to examining the apparent link between poverty and the resource extraction industries. However, it acknowledges that much more is to be explored about this relationship. Many complexities influence the occurrence and degree of poverty in a particular country, region, or community.

The literature review identified proposed and operational poverty reduction actions and processes categorized under the broad concept of community development projects. The surveyed cases describe how various corporate strategies, work processes, labor requirements and efficient management and governance solutions are purported to improve poverty-reduction efforts potentially.

No causal linkages between poverty and hypothetically valuable and successful community development projects were found. No poverty monitoring evaluations and learning data (MEL) for these projects were proposed and published in most of the literature. However, associations were observed between some business practices implemented in these resource extraction community development projects and observations of indicators of lower poverty levels.

The research improves our understanding of the requirements and opportunities for successful community development projects by highlighting processes, company strategy, human resource programs and enlightened governance that can contribute to reducing poverty.

The paper identifies the characteristics of community development projects that appear to span natural resource extraction industries and countries. Effective management strategies and representative and formally designated organisational governance boards are essential for these projects.

This study aims to examine the effect of digitalization and sanitary measures during the COVID-19 pandemic on corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the African context. While CSR has traditionally been analyzed in developed markets, this paper explores how multinational subsidiaries can leverage CSR practices to create financial opportunities and market stability for themselves and their communities in Africa.

The authors use a panel of data from six listed African companies for the period ranking from January 2006–2022 to analyze the effect of financial performance (FP), digitalization and health measures on the social responsibility of these companies. The authors provide a robust test that improves the understanding of the impact of pandemics and innovation on CSR, using Machine Learning (ML) linear regression.

The results show that the social responsibility of African companies is highly dependent on FP and digitalization. On the other hand, the authors demonstrate that the moderating role of epidemic instability negatively affects social responsibility through FP, but on the other hand strengthens CSR in the presence of digitalization. The results of the initial analysis remain largely unchanged, demonstrating the validity and robustness of the empirical results through ML models. This article highlights some of the obstacles and opportunities for CSR adapted to the crisis context. The authors conclude that adjusting innovation strategies improves the forecasting performance of responsible companies, especially in a context of instability.

The paper clearly shows that CSR literature varies across different regions. Given that the financial market in Africa is characterized by a lack of opportunity for innovation as well as financial stability, this paper represents an important first step in the elaboration of a CSR development strategy. In light of the results presented above, the study makes an important contribution to the literature on CSR, in particular the CSR practices of multinationals in developing countries and also provides CSR managers with various insights into the types of support they will need to leverage and improve the internal underpinnings of their CSR strategies and collaboration.

The results of this study contribute to the understanding of digital transformation in responsible business, offering empirical evidence of its benefits in tackling the health crisis. In addition, the study highlights the role of an innovative approach in enhancing reputation and developing sustainable, trusting relationships with stakeholders.

This research pioneers the academic link between innovation and epidemic crisis in responsible business, filling a notable gap and introducing a new academic perspective. In concrete terms, it provides women entrepreneurs with actionable insights into the digital strategies essential to improving business performance in a context of instability. Methodologically, the study sets a benchmark for research innovation, using ML to provide a reproducible model for exposing robust results and for future research in this evolving field.

This study is based on the role congruity theory that examines the association between top management team (TMT) gender diversity and corporate social responsibility (CSR) performance.

This study uses data from the Taiwan Economic Journal database and the Market Observation Post System provided by the Taiwan Stock Exchange. The sample consists of 4,140 annual observations of Taiwanese-listed companies in the electronics industry from 2016–2020.

The results revealed that TMT gender diversity is positively associated with CSR performance, and TMT international experience strengthens the positive association between TMT gender diversity and CSR performance.

CSR is imperative. The TMT’s gender diversity aligns with current environmental trends and social expectations, driven for CSR implementation essential. This diverse configuration enables the TMTs to address corporate adaptability and maintain global competitiveness.

The findings contribute significantly to the literature on TMT gender diversity by extending the application of role congruity theory beyond individual to team-level contexts and across gender boundaries. By incorporating diverse capabilities such as international experience within TMTs, the authors identify key boundary conditions that foster CSR. This expansion not only aligns with practical realities but also opens new avenues for research into the dynamics of diverse management teams.

Emissions have significant environmental impacts. Hence, minimizing emissions is essential. This study aims to use a hybrid neural network model to predict carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions from gas turbines (GTs) to enhance emission prediction for GTs in predictive emissions monitoring systems (PEMS).

The hybrid model architecture combines convolutional neural networks (CNN) and bidirectional long-short-term memory (Bi-LSTM) networks called CNN-BiLSTM with modified extrinsic attention regression. Over five years, data from a GT power plant was uploaded to Google Colab, split into training and testing sets (80:20), and evaluated using test matrices. The model’s performance was benchmarked against state-of-the-art emissions prediction methodologies.

The model showed promising results for GT CO and NOx emissions. CO predictions had a slight underestimation bias of −0.01, with root mean-squared error (RMSE) of 0.064, mean absolute error (MAE) of 0.04 and R² of 0.82. NOx predictions had an RMSE of 0.051, MAE of 0.036, R² of 0.887 and a slight overestimation bias of +0.01.

While the model demonstrates relative accuracy in CO emission predictions, there is potential for further improvement in future research.

Implementing the model in real-time PEMS and establishing a continuous feedback loop will ensure accuracy in real-world applications, enhance GT functioning and reduce emissions, fuel consumption and running costs.

Accurate GT emissions predictions support stricter emission standards, promote sustainable development goals and ensure a healthier societal environment.

This paper presents a novel approach that integrates CNN and Bi-LSTM networks. It considers both spatial and temporal data to mitigate previous prediction shortcomings.

This research aims to develop a method for defining the identity of multilayered neighbourhoods by taking a case study in Nantes/France. It utilizes the urban identity concept to achieve this goal, which is defined by physical and identificatory relation to the neighbourhood.

The methodology includes historical periodical analysis, housing form and architectural stylistic definition, visualization and geographic information system (GIS) mapping. The research conducts spatial analysis to reveal the physical component of the urban identity of the neighbourhood and interviews (No = 50) with dwellers for the identificatory relation, asking about neighbourhood tangible/non-tangible elements. All these data are mapped through GIS.

The study found that the physical component is defined by three urban layers (identified as industrial, reconstruction and development, and post-industrial) and eleven housing typologies. As for the identificatory relation, the authors found that the interviewees mostly identified with their neighbourhood, whereas a minority did not. The most important form of identification with the neighbourhood was its atmosphere, and as reasons were given, the neighbourhood's positively evaluated quality, good location and social values.

It proposes the definition of the physical component through urban layers and housing typologies. The identificatory relation also considers the identification of the residents with the neighbourhood's tangible/non-tangible urban elements.

Design for adaptability and disassembly (DfAD) is an effective method to reduce construction and demolition waste generation, landfill loads and greenhouse gas generation; preserve natural resources; and increase environmental awareness in the construction industry. However, it is an underexplored strategy due to a lack of information about projects and a set of agreed guidelines to guide buildings deconstruction. This study aims to understand how DfAD can support the sector’s transition toward circularity.

Through an integrative literature review, this study analyzed the current publications and terminologies used, identified the main themes discussed and described the key criteria for integrating deconstruction in the building design stage.

The results showed that the term DfAD encompasses different ecodesign strategies and is concentrated in six major thematic categories (design and construction principles, tools for DfAD, components and connections for DfAD, barriers, drivers and guidelines for DfAD, existing building stock potential and selective deconstruction process). In total, 60 criteria were presented to guide the deconstruction of buildings, emphasizing standardization, modularization and prefabrication of materials and components as fundamental requirements.

The study highlighted the need to expand the knowledge and training of the design team, establish public policies and tax incentives and develop tools, methods, and circular indicators to enable the implementation of deconstruction strategies for buildings.

The purpose of this paper is to explore flood-prone area residents' preferences of flood-resilient housing technologies (HTs), to understand the factors influencing their choices. Flood-resilient HTs can reduce damage and disruption at a household level, particularly in areas where large-scale community schemes are not available or feasible. People’s perception of floods and their preferences of flood-resilient HTs are among many very important factors influencing the adoption of these technologies. Therefore, these perceptions and preferences must be well understood before implementation of these technologies can occur. However, studies on these two important factors are lacking in literature, particularly in the sub-Saharan African context.

Nigerian residents’ preferences of flood-resilient HTs were explored by focusing on five frequently flooded areas around the Niger and Benue river basins in Kogi State, Nigeria. Thirty-eight chat, video and voice call interviews were conducted with participants across five case study areas: Lokoja, Idah, Bassa, Ajaokuta and Koton Karifi. The interviews, informed through an illustrated brochure, covered residents’ experiences and perceptions of floods. This was done to gain an understanding of the factors influencing the choice of flood-resilient HTs adopted and those preferred.

This study confirms that residents in these five focus areas show similar characteristics to other floodplain residents as encapsulated in protection motivation theory. The flood-resilient HTs discussed in this study include flood-avoidance, flood-recoverability and flood-resistance strategies, as well as neighbourhood-scale approaches. Flood-resistance and flood-recoverability strategies rated highly in terms of suitability and envisaged efficiency in mitigating flooding in Kogi State. Although the measures were mostly agreed to be potentially effective and successful on a household scale, there were concerns as to flood mitigation on a neighbourhood scale.

Pre-existing flood-resilient HTs were not extensively discussed in the literature review but were included to have a sense of the participants’ mitigation behaviour, as well as their potential to adopt (or not) new measures after adopting previous ones.

The results provide supporting evidence of the factors influencing the choice of and/or intention to adopt flood-resilient HTs, highlighted in literature. Results also contribute to literature by providing further insight into flood-resilient measures already adopted by residents, as well as their preferred HTs from the options presented. The implications of these findings and methodological considerations in this research are fully discussed in this paper.