Search results

This study aims to shape the future trajectory of scholarly research on traditional, reputational and societal supply chain risks and their management.

The research uses a narrative literature review of the overview type. To control bias stemming from the subjectivity of the methodology, the authors synthesized the relevant literature transparently and established various safeguarding procedures.

The established research stream on traditional supply chain risk has generated a wealth of concepts that can potentially be transferred to the study of reputational and societal risks. The maturing research stream on reputational risks has mostly focused on risk manifestation, from the upstream perspective of the focal firm. The emerging scholarship on societal supply chain risks has anecdotally highlighted detrimental effects on contextual actors, such as society-at-large.

This study shifts scholarly attention to the role of the context in the risk manifestation process – as a potential risk source for traditional supply chain risk, during the risk materialization for reputational supply chain risk, and as the locus of the risk effect for societal supply chain risk.

This review is unique in that it fosters a holistic understanding of supply chain risk and underscores the increased importance of the context for it. The socioeconomic, institutional and ecological contexts connect the three reviewed research streams. Detailed research agendas for each literature stream are developed, comprising 23 topical areas in total.

Police officers increasingly respond to incidents involving aging-related issues, where older adults are vulnerable and require tailored approaches. This scoping review aims to map initiatives aimed at enhancing interactions between older adults and police and evaluates outcomes. Findings inform the development of a geriatrics-focused police training curriculum to support age-friendly policing. A literature search across major databases and grey literature yielded 20 relevant publications. Three main initiatives were identified: geriatrics-oriented training programs, specialized geriatric police units and geriatrics-oriented policing guidelines. These insights highlight effective strategies for improving police responses to aging-related challenges and guide future research and policy in this domain.

The study employed a scoping review methodology guided by the Joanna Briggs Institute Manual and PRISMA-ScR checklist. A comprehensive search strategy was developed and executed across multiple databases and grey literature sources. Screening and selection of relevant studies were conducted in duplicate, with data extraction focusing on key elements such as study objectives, design, interventions and outcomes. Thematic analysis was employed to synthesize findings from included studies, highlighting three principal initiatives: geriatrics-oriented training programs, specialized geriatric police units and geriatrics-oriented policing guidelines. This approach aimed to map existing evidence, inform the development of a geriatrics-focused training curriculum and identify best practices for age-friendly policing.

The scoping review identified 28 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Findings highlighted varied approaches to enhancing police interactions with older adults, emphasizing training as pivotal. Effective strategies included specialized units, tailored training programs and guidelines integrating geriatrics principles. Key outcomes encompassed improved officer knowledge, communication skills and attitudes toward older adults, fostering enhanced service delivery and community relations. Evidence underscored the importance of ongoing education and collaborative partnerships in optimizing policing responses to aging populations, advocating for sustainable, age-friendly policing practices.

The review’s limitations stem from primarily English-language studies, potentially overlooking non-English literature. Variability in study designs and outcomes poses challenges to synthesizing findings comprehensively. Limited generalizability may result due to geographic and cultural differences in policing practices. Future research could benefit from longitudinal studies assessing long-term impacts and broader inclusion of diverse policing contexts and perspectives, enhancing applicability and depth of understanding in optimizing police interactions with older adults.

Practical implications include informing policy makers and law enforcement agencies about effective strategies to enhance interactions with older adults, emphasizing communication skills and de-escalation techniques. Training programs should integrate age-sensitive approaches to improve officers’ awareness and response to older adults’ needs and vulnerabilities. Implementing community engagement initiatives can foster trust and cooperation, contributing to safer and more supportive environments for older adults in policing interactions. These efforts can ultimately promote enhanced well-being and reduced conflicts between law enforcement and older adults.

Social implications highlight the need for broader societal awareness and education regarding the challenges faced by older adults in interactions with law enforcement. Addressing ageism and promoting respectful treatment can enhance community trust and reduce misunderstandings. Improved interactions between older adults and law enforcement can foster a more inclusive and supportive society, ensuring that older adults feel valued and protected. This can contribute to overall social cohesion and a more equitable experience for older adults in their interactions with law enforcement agencies.

The originality of this study lies in its focus on the intersection of age-related issues and law enforcement interactions, a relatively underexplored area in both gerontology and criminal justice research. By examining the perceptions and experiences of older adults and law enforcement officers, it provides valuable insights into mitigating ageism and improving interactions. The study’s findings contribute to enhancing understanding of how to promote respectful and effective communication between these groups, thereby offering practical implications for policy and training initiatives aimed at fostering better relationships and outcomes for older adults in law enforcement encounters.

Organizations are considering the influence of workplace attention breadth (mindfulness and absorption) on professional development. Although corporate accountants typically focus on technical skills, soft skills such as mindfulness may also improve performance. In this study, we examine the influence of attention breadth on task performance by demonstrating how mindfulness and absorption vary with respect to improvement to entry, mid, and upper-level accounting tasks. We survey over 700 corporate accounting professionals and find that upper-level manager task performance is related to mindfulness, and mid-level manager task performance is associated with mindfulness and absorption. We also find that mid-level professionals who are unable to transition between mindfulness and absorption states serve a relatively longer tenure before advancing to an upper-level position. This study has important implications for management to assist in improving office productivity and morale.

The purpose of this study is to begine to address this question. The concept of the ideas-informed society (IIS) represents a desired situation in which citizens actively and critically engage with new ideas, developments and claims to truth. Its successful actualisation is dependent on high-quality educational opportunity at all stages of the life course. Social networks represent our connections to one another. Features of our social networks impact on how we engage with ideas. For instance, homophily dictates that individuals form networks with others seen as being like themselves. A key question, however, is whether there are forms of homophily that, by the nature of those they bring together, promote ideas engagement by individuals and the implications of consequent networks for the IIS?

This study re-analysed survey data from 1,000 voting-age citizens in England. Focusing on friendship networks, the authors used a structural equation model approach to explore the existence and potency of homophilic friendship networks; whether such networks drive respondents’ ideas-engagement with friends; and whether ideas discussions with friends impacts on the importance respondents place on staying up to date.

Political homophily has the strongest influence on whether people discuss new ideas with their friends (ES = 0.326, p < 0.01). In turn, ideas discussion has a significant impact on the extent to which people value engaging with ideas (ES = −0.345, p < 0.01).

The authors consider whether ideas-related discussion within politically homophilous networks is problematic for the IIS and what is required from education systems if we are to build individuals’ capacity to engage with ideas while escaping echo chambers.

The data for this case were obtained primarily through a series of in-person interviews in Penang between the authors and Pete Browning (a pseudonym) from 2017 to early 2019. The authors also consulted secondary data sources, including publicly available material on BMax and “Company B”.

This case examines a key decision, or set of decisions, in the life of a small- to medium-sized management consultancy group, namely, whether they might expand their operations in Southeast Asia, and if so, where. These key decisions came in the wake of their having already established a very modest scale presence there, with an operating base on the island of Penang just off the north western coast of Peninsular Malaysia. The initial establishment of a Southeast Asian branch had been somewhat spontaneous in nature – a former colleague of one of the two managing partners in the USA was on the ground in Malaysia and available: he became the local partner in the firm. But the firm had now been eyeing expansion within the region, with three markets under particular consideration (Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand) and a further two (Vietnam and China) also seen as possible targets, though at a more peripheral level. The questions facing the decision makers were “was it time they expand beyond Malaysia?” and “if so, where?”

This case could be used effectively in undergraduate courses in international business. The key concepts on which the case focuses are the factors affecting market entry, particularly the choice of market and the assessment of potential attractiveness such markets offer.

This paper aims to evaluate the evolution, development and endurance of the Equality Act 2010, providing a critical overview of influence and key legal principles, demonstrating how the Act has impacted strategic organisational and human resources policy and practice in the UK.

The research is based on a systematic review of relevant professional and academic literature, alongside an evaluation of the Act itself. The subject focus is seen as timely with the return of a Labour Government in the UK – the architects of the Equality Act – for the first time in 14 years. Due to word limitations, the treatment is condensed to provide a selective overview that will be of interest to practitioners and academics in strategic organisational management and human resources. The author is a socio-legal studies academic and non-practising barrister, with expertise in the corporate organisational field.

The Equality Act 2010, though now established, owes its historical inception to civil rights activism and a radical turn in legislative drafting and ambition – points frequently missed when discussing its scope and influence. A highly unusual anomaly is that having been created by an outgoing Labour Government its stewardship immediately passed to a Conservative administration. In particular, the principles consolidated and introduced by the Act have greatly impacted the workplace, crucially organisational behaviour and human resources practices, leading to greater responsibility and interpretive power being directed from employment lawyers towards organisational policy and professional practice.

The Equality Act 2010 is usually discussed as an artifact rather than a radical creation and developing entity. This short paper approaches the Act as a “living” object with an eye on future reform.

The purpose of this study is to assess a novel method for creating tangible three-dimensional (3D) morphologies (scaled models) of neuronal reconstructions and to evaluate its cost-effectiveness, accessibility and applicability through a classroom survey. The study addresses the challenge of accurately representing intricate and diverse dendritic structures of neurons in scaled models for educational purposes.

The method involves converting neuronal reconstructions from the NeuromorphoVis repository into 3D-printable mold files. An operator prints these molds using a consumer-grade desktop 3D printer with water-soluble polyvinyl alcohol filament. The molds are then filled with casting materials like polyurethane or silicone rubber, before the mold is dissolved. We tested our method on various neuron morphologies, assessing the method’s effectiveness, labor, processing times and costs. Additionally, university biology students compared our 3D-printed neuron models with commercially produced counterparts through a survey, evaluating them based on their direct experience with both models.

An operator can produce a neuron morphology’s initial 3D replica in about an hour of labor, excluding a one- to three-day curing period, while subsequent copies require around 30 min each. Our method provides an affordable approach to crafting tangible 3D neuron representations, presenting a viable alternative to direct 3D printing with varied material options ensuring both flexibility and durability. The created models accurately replicate the fidelity and intricacy of original computer aided design (CAD) files, making them ideal for tactile use in neuroscience education.

The development of data processing and cost-effective casting method for this application is novel. Compared to a previous study, this method leverages lower-cost fused filament fabrication 3D printing to create accurate physical 3D representations of neurons. By using readily available materials and a consumer-grade 3D printer, the research addresses the high cost associated with alternative direct 3D printing techniques to produce such intricate and robust models. Furthermore, the paper demonstrates the practicality of these 3D neuron models for educational purposes, making a valuable contribution to the field of neuroscience education.

Professional learning networks (PLNs) involve teachers’ collaboration with others outside of their school to improve teaching and learning. PLNs can facilitate teachers’ professional growth and school improvement. This study aims to explore the drivers for participation within PLNs, the enactment process and the impact of PLN participation on teachers, students and schools in Greece.

A descriptive phenomenological study was conducted to explore the lived experience of primary school teachers participating in PLNs.

The findings showed that individuals who were open to change were driving innovation to address a need or a lack in their daily practice that was not satisfied within their usual community of practice. The key element of the participation was peer collaboration with openness of communication without attendant accountability pressures. The change was mainly identified in teacher skills and the school climate. An individual could bring change only if the school is already open to change. In some cases, resistance to change in schools was identified before enactment or during enactment. The transformation of teachers’ and leaders’ stances is discussed, enabling the opportunity to maximise school improvement.

The study examines PLNs as European Union-funded initiatives that are developed by teachers in centralised education systems under the phenomenological research paradigm. It explores the PLNs in a different setting compared to the existing conceptual theory of change for PLNs.

Mindfulness-based interventions are on the rise in workplace settings to enhance Well-Being and address work stress. Their popularity is in part due to the fact that they are often assumed to have a net positive impact on both workers’ Well-Being and organizational functioning. However, the majority of workplace mindfulness practice and research focuses on individual-level mindfulness interventions and their associated outcomes, like reduced stress. However, the modern workplace is highly dependent on positive team functioning, and the impact of mindfulness in teams is lesser known. This review differentiates individual mindfulness from team mindfulness and explores how both individual and team mindfulness impact team functioning. The authors review mindfulness and teams’ literature to understand antecedents, correlated mediators, and consequences of mindfulness in team contexts, team processes, and the boundary conditions related to mindfulness outcomes. This review adds to the budding theoretical conversation regarding mindfulness at work and contributes valuable insight into the practical applications of mindfulness in teams.

Nanotechnology (NT) advancements in personal protective textiles (PPT) or personal protective equipment (PPE) have alleviated spread and transmission of this highly contagious viral disease, and enabled enhancement of PPE, thereby fortifying antiviral behavior.

Review of a series of state of the art research papers on the subject matter.

This paper expounds on novel nanotechnological advancements in polymeric textile composites, emerging applications and fight against COVID-19 pandemic.

As a panacea to “public droplet prevention,” textiles have proven to be potentially effective as environmental droplet barriers (EDBs).

PPT in form of healthcare materials including surgical face masks (SFMs), gloves, goggles, respirators, gowns, uniforms, scrub-suits and other apparels play critical role in hindering the spreading of COVID-19 and other “oral-respiratory droplet contamination” both within and outside hospitals.

When used as double-layers, textiles display effectiveness as SFMs or surgical-fabrics, which reduces droplet transmission to <10 cm, within circumference of ∼0.3%.

NT advancements in textiles through nanoparticles, and sensor integration within textile materials have enhanced versatile sensory capabilities, robotics, flame retardancy, self-cleaning, electrical conductivity, flexibility and comfort, thereby availing it for health, medical, sporting, advanced engineering, pharmaceuticals, aerospace, military, automobile, food and agricultural applications, and more. Therefore, this paper expounds on recently emerging trends in nanotechnological influence in textiles for engineering and fight against COVID-19 pandemic.