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Based on interviews conducted in three schools in Helsinki, Finland, I examine in this chapter 12- to 15-year-old boys' narratives about their possibilities and practices of sharing emotions in their relationships with friends and parents. I focus on how these possibilities and practices are shaped by their understanding of masculinities and ask whether these narratives continue to be shaped by hierarchising hegemonic masculine norms or if there is room for discourses and practices that depart from these norms. I argue that contradiction is a central feature in the boys' narratives of masculinities: On the one hand, the boys are critical of hegemonic masculine norms that define confiding and sharing emotions as feminine. On the other hand, they reproduce the very same norms in many discourses and everyday practices, which makes confiding and sharing emotions difficult for them.

Psychedelic drugs can induce altered states of consciousness characterised by changes in visual perception, tactile sensation, cognition, and emotion. Although there is a history of misinformation surrounding these drugs, recent investigation has reinvigorated interest. However, little research has assessed the attitudes of psychedelic consumers regarding these substances. The current study aims to explore the attitudes and perceptions of people with experience with psychedelic drugs, specifically surrounding psychedelic drugs themselves and their use within Aotearoa New Zealand.

Nineteen individuals with experience of psychedelic use were recruited to participate across eight groups in semi-structured, exploratory interviews, where a range of topics associated with psychedelics were discussed. Reflexive thematic analysis of the data focussed on participants’ current perceptions and attitudes.

Four themes were produced: (1) a negative historical influence on current perceptions of psychedelics; (2) knowledge is key but not everyone has it; (3) prohibition is not working, policy needs to change; (4) psychedelics have therapeutic potential. These themes emphasise key features of people with experience of psychedelic drugs’ current views and highlight potential areas for future investigation and intervention.

Findings indicate a need for greater public knowledge and awareness of psychedelics in Aotearoa society. Findings also inform information, education and policy, which in turn will reduce the stigma and associated harm that those who have used or use psychedelic drugs may experience.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, qualitative research aiming to understand attitudes and perspectives surrounding psychedelic drugs and their use from a drug users’ perspective have not yet been assessed.

This study employs firm-level data to evaluate how the knowledge economy impacts the financing constraints of businesses across 106 low- and middle-income nations, focusing on the influence of technological transformation on corporate financing choices.

The research centers on privately held, unlisted firms and examines the distinct effects of knowledge at both the within-country and between-country levels using a panel dataset. Rigorous sensitivity and endogeneity analyses are conducted to ensure the reliability of the findings.

The findings indicate that greater levels of the knowledge economy correlate with reduced financing constraints for firms. However, this effect varies depending on the location within a country and across different geographical regions. Firms situated in larger urban centers and more innovative regions reap the most significant benefits from the knowledge economy when seeking external funding. Conversely, firms in smaller cities, rural areas and regions characterized by structural and institutional inefficiencies in knowledge generation experience fewer advantages.

The impact of knowledge exhibits variability not only within and among countries but also between poor and affluent developing nations, as well as between larger and smaller countries. The knowledge effect on firms' access to external finance is influenced by factors such as financial openness and development, educational quality, technological absorption capabilities and agglomeration conditions within each country.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of leadership development programmes, underpinned by Transformational Learning Theory (TLT).

A corpus-informed analysis was conducted using survey data from 690 participants. Data were collected from participants’ responses to the question “please tell us about the impact of your overall experience”, which culminated in a combined corpus of 75,053 words.

Findings identified patterns of language clustered around the following frequently used word types, namely, confidence; influence; self-awareness; insight; and impact.

This in-depth qualitative evaluation of participants’ feedback has provided insight into how TLT can be applied to develop future health-care leaders. The extent to which learning has had a transformational impact at the individual level, in relation to their perceived ability to influence, holds promise for the wider impact of this group in relation to policy, practice and the promotion of clinical excellence in the future. However, the latter can only be ascertained by undertaking further realist evaluation and longitudinal study to understand the mechanisms by which transformational learning occurs and is successfully translated to influence in practice.

Previous research has expounded traditional leadership theories to guide the practice of health-care leadership development. The paper goes some way to demonstrate the impact of using the principles of TLT within health-care leadership development programmes. The approach taken by The Florence Nightingale Foundation has the potential to generate confident leaders who may be instrumental in creating positive changes across various clinical environments.

This paper aims to examine the barriers to adopting collaboration in architectural design studios from the instructors' perspectives and explore strategies to overcome barriers.

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 coordinators in architecture and interior architecture design studios to gather insights into their experiences and perspectives on collaboration. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes and patterns in the data.

The study reveals that collaboration is highly valued by instructors for its potential to enhance creativity, problem-solving abilities, and preparation skills among students. However, the study identified several barriers, such as student conflicts, coordination challenges, cultural differences, and technological constraints.

The instructors recommended specific strategies to promote collaboration in architectural design studios. These strategies include involving students in collaborative projects, providing training in collaboration skills, striking a balance between online and in-person activities, and developing supportive policies and skills. Implementing these strategies can help design programmemes that prepare students for professional success and future careers.

This study sheds light on the importance of integrating collaboration skills in architectural education. By exploring barriers and suggesting strategies, it provides valuable insights for educators and encourages further research into the implementation of these strategies. Design programmes can benefit from adopting a multifaceted approach to foster collaboration among students, thereby enhancing their learning experience and future prospects.

This study aims to examine the potential influence of Nonfungible Tokens (NFTs) and the Metaverse on the Halal tourism industry, with a particular emphasis on Halal brands and hotel booking platforms. This study also purpose to uncover the opportunities and challenges associated with the adoption of these technologies in the sector.

A qualitative research approach is employed, encompassing a comprehensive literature review of the halal tourism industry, NFTs and the Metaverse. Furthermore, this study utilizes case studies of brands and hotel-booking platforms that have experimented with or integrated these technologies. This study aims to provide a nuanced understanding of the implications of digital technologies in the context of the halal tourism industry.

The study uncovered several opportunities provided by NFTs and the Metaverse for the Halal tourism industry, such as enhanced authentication and traceability of halal products and immersive experiences tailored to Muslim travelers. However, it also identifies challenges including compliance with Islamic principles, data privacy, cybersecurity and equitable access to technology.

While the study has several significant implications, it acknowledges potential limitations related to the nascent nature of NFTs and the Metaverse. Future research should delve deeper into ethical, legal and socioeconomic issues surrounding the application of these technologies in the halal tourism industry.

The findings of this study have practical implications for halal brands, hotel-booking platforms and regulators. This study provides a roadmap for harnessing the transformative power of NFTs and the Metaverse while addressing potential challenges.

This research underlines the necessity for collaboration among industry stakeholders, technology providers and regulators to ensure equitable access and adherence to Islamic principles. This study preserves a more inclusive and ethically compliant use of these technologies, potentially shaping the future of the halal tourism industry.

This study focuses on the intersection of NFTs, the Metaverse and the Halal tourism industry. It provides fresh insights into the transformative potential of these technologies, aiding halal brands and hotel booking platforms in creating distinctive value propositions and experiences.

In this chapter, practice-theoretical perspectives on the production of gender and childhood are extended by the theory of new materialism. A practice-theoretical view of masculinity(ies) radicalises the concept of doing gender and thereby makes it possible to show that gender is always co-produced as part of other complexes of praxes. Thus, the connection between masculinity(ies) and youth cultural praxes can be discussed. The chapter first elaborates theoretically the connections between masculinity and childhood research. We will explore how these theoretical and methodological thoughts might be used in empirical research on masculinity(ies) and boyhood by referring to our own study on children and young people riding stunt scooters in a medium-sized city in north-west Germany.

The introduction sets out the wider context which led to the development of this volume. I argue that younger children have often been overlooked and under-theorised within Critical Studies on Men and Masculinities (CSMM). Moreover, existing research on childhood masculinities is often siloed in either childhood studies, gender studies or masculinity studies, with little dialogue between these fields. This volume bridges these fields to showcase an international and interdisciplinary body of scholarship that explore the way childhood masculinities in today's world are being negotiated, represented and lived out at the intersection of generational and gendered politics and social change. This chapter ends with an overview of the chapters in this volume and their contributions to wider debates on age, gender and social change.

This study aims to examine the impact of the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) mandate and differences in national institutional quality on the underpricing of Initial Public Offering (IPO) companies.

Multiple Difference-in-Differences (DiD) ordinary least squares estimations were conducted for 100 corporations listed on the Saudi Arabian stock market using country-level institutional quality data from 2005 to 2017.

IFRS requirements and improvements in institutional quality have a combined effect on minimizing IPO underpricing. The analysis of the combined impact of IFRS requirements and differences in transparency revealed that IPO vendors leave $5 on average for IPO investors to cash out post the IFRS mandate, compared to $29 previously. Thus, IFRS serves as a quality certification instrument that alleviates IPO investors’ ex ante uncertainties, even in nations with undeveloped institutions.

The findings may be beneficial to researchers and policymakers. The results suggest that institutional quality enhancements and obligatory IFRS implementation highlight IFRS’s synergistic influence on the IPO market. While European harmonization efforts drove the adoption of IFRS in Europe in 2005, Saudi Arabia’s adoption of IFRS is not being driven by such initiatives (Daske et al., 2008; Persakis and Iatridis 2017). In reality, when IFRS was officially imposed in Saudi Arabia in 2008, it, like many other emerging market nations, made considerable reforms to its formal institutions. However, research on the combined impact of IFRS and disparities in institutional quality in emerging IPO markets remains sparse. Emerging markets represent more than half of economies that use IFRS. Therefore, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to conduct an empirical investigation to identify this combined effect in emerging countries using the DiD analytical technique. Equity market legislators remain concerned regarding IPO underpricing, as it has a detrimental influence on economic growth (Bova and Pereira, 2012; Jamaani and Ahmed, 2021; Mehmood et al., 2021). Depending on the degree of information asymmetry in national stock markets, underpricing costs increase the cost of going public for entrepreneurs. Consequently, prospective private firms are discouraged from accessing equity financing through the stock markets. This is likely to impede private sector development plans, causing a negative effect on economic growth.

Emerging countries represent over 50% of the IFRS mandating economies. However, there is insufficient research on the combined effect of IFRS requirements and improvements in institutional quality in developing IPO markets. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first empirical attempt to identify this combined effect in one of the largest developing countries. The results may aid academics and policymakers in better understanding the interaction between these two variables.

A relocalization movement, often referred to as neolocalism, is a foot with the aim of rekindling local and regional bonds between people and communities by intentionally and comprehensively crafting senses of place through various promotional strategies. Local-scale businesses often contribute to neolocal efforts through the integration of “place” with their brand development and marketing schemes. Together such efforts converge to form local consumption spaces that foster both economic vibrancy and social cohesion within and across communities. While sometimes recognized as a secondary benefit, environmental stewardship has yet to be fully developed as a neolocal construct and consistent trait of local consumption spaces. In this chapter, an extensive review of the intersection between the environmentalism, neolocalism, and eco-entrepreneurship literature is used to conceptually frame the notion of eco-consumption spaces. The insights generated lead to a proposed research agenda that includes recommendations pertaining to both empirical settings and methodological strategies.