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1 – 10 of 264Thenysson Matos, Maisa Tonon Bitti Perazzini and Hugo Perazzini
This paper aims to analyze the performance of artificial neural networks with filling methods in predicting the minimum fluidization velocity of different biomass types for…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the performance of artificial neural networks with filling methods in predicting the minimum fluidization velocity of different biomass types for bioenergy applications.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive literature review was performed to create an efficient database for training purposes. The database consisted of experimental values of the minimum fluidization velocity, physical properties of the biomass particles (density, size and sphericity) and characteristics of the fluidization (monocomponent experiments or binary mixture). The neural models developed were divided into eight different cases, in which the main difference between them was the filling method type (K-nearest neighbors [KNN] or linear interpolation) and the number of input neurons. The results of the neural models were compared to the classical correlations proposed by the literature and empirical equations derived from multiple regression analysis.
Findings
The performance of a given filling method depended on the characteristics and size of the database. The KNN method was superior for lower available data for training and specific fluidization experiments, like monocomponent or binary mixture. The linear interpolation method was superior for a wider and larger database, including monocomponent and binary mixture. The performance of the neural model was comparable with the predictions of the most well-known correlations from the literature.
Originality/value
Techniques of machine learning, such as filling methods, were used to improve the performance of the neural models. Besides the typical comparisons with conventional correlations, comparisons with three main equations derived from multiple regression analysis were reported and discussed.
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Carla Freire and Adriano Azevedo
In recent decades, human resource management (HRM) in health organizations has faced several problems associated with employees' efficiency and happiness, which has been…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent decades, human resource management (HRM) in health organizations has faced several problems associated with employees' efficiency and happiness, which has been particularly exacerbated after the pandemic crisis. In this scenario, this study seeks to analyze nurses' turnover intention by comparing Portuguese public and private healthcare organizations. As determining factors, transformational leadership, perceived organizational support and organizational commitment were considered.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was digitally applied to 277 nurses from Portuguese public and private healthcare organizations.
Findings
Results suggested that there are differences in nurses' turnover intentions: there is a greater likelihood of nurses in the private sector planning to leave the healthcare organizations the nurses work for when compared to public hospital nurses. Furthermore, nurses in public hospitals perceive lower levels of transformational leadership, organizational support and organizational commitment than those in the private sector. The underlying cause as to the intention of leaving the public sector resides in normative commitment. On the other hand, lower affective commitment explains the intention to abandon the private sector.
Practical implications
This study is relevant for human resource managers and administrators in public and private hospitals since it enables a diagnosis of the situation, as well as a definition of the most appropriate policies for each of the sectors as a strategy to attract and retain health professionals.
Originality/value
This study is significant as the study provides a better understanding of the reasons which lead nurses to consider leaving the organization where the nurses work and the difference between nursing professionals in public and private hospitals.
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Manabhanjan Sahu, Kishan Jee, Furquan Uddin, Alamgir Sani and Satish Chandra Tiwari
This study aims to assess the factors influencing the effective implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) practices within the context of sustainable accounting…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to assess the factors influencing the effective implementation of extended producer responsibility (EPR) practices within the context of sustainable accounting goals and circular economy principles. It seeks to provide insights into the significance of EPR policies for manufacturing industries striving to enhance their environmental, social and governance performance while ensuring sustainable accounting of their business operations.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology proposed in this article is based on the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. This approach formulates a structural framework for evaluating influential elements among critical recognized factors. By using DEMATEL, the study examines the interconnectedness between assessed factors through a cause-and-effect diagram, facilitating the integration of EPR into sustainable accounting practices.
Findings
The research findings reveal that the most impactful contributors to sustainable accounting practices of EPR within the framework of sustainable development goals and circular economy are producers, consumers, eco-design, public awareness and the support of local authorities. These findings underscore the importance of considering these factors in implementing EPR and advancing sustainable accounting practices.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature by proposing a DEMATEL-based model for evaluating the factors affecting the implementation of EPR within the context of sustainable accounting goals and circular economy principles.
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The language of participative theatre can be considered immersive in the treatment of its dialectics where participants engage fully with their dichotomies and value systems…
Abstract
Purpose
The language of participative theatre can be considered immersive in the treatment of its dialectics where participants engage fully with their dichotomies and value systems through physical and psychological exploratory processes as they commit themselves to transformation.
Design/methodology/approach
The use of drama as an intervention for challenging recurring mental models of oppressive narratives is used extensively in experiential psychotherapy and as a socio-psychological integrative tool. This experiential methodology allows for an organic development and expression of themes and motifs by encouraging a participant to develop a deeper awareness of how he/she interprets their identity and that of the community in which they function.
Findings
This paper aims to review the implications of applying drama-based interventions as positive psychotherapeutic devices to facilitate self-reflection and active-constructive responding in enabling a rendering of positive patterns of thought and purposeful movement towards emotional and physical well-being.
Practical implications
Research on the principles of positive psychology suggests that positive emotions lead to therapeutic change. Nurturing positive emotions which are immanent in spirituality, creativity and optimistic perseverance through autonomy and self-regulation enable individual potential to come to meaningful fruition.
Originality/value
The paper conceptualizes psychodrama as a framing technique in enabling reflexive action in identity transformation and well-being.
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Amanda de Oliveira e Silva, Alice Leonel, Maisa Tonon Bitti Perazzini and Hugo Perazzini
Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is the main by-product of the brewing industry, holding significant potential for biomass applications. The purpose of this paper was to determine the…
Abstract
Purpose
Brewer's spent grain (BSG) is the main by-product of the brewing industry, holding significant potential for biomass applications. The purpose of this paper was to determine the effective thermal conductivity (keff) of BSG and to develop an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to predict keff, since this property is fundamental in the design and optimization of the thermochemical conversion processes toward the feasibility of bioenergy production.
Design/methodology/approach
The experimental determination of keff as a function of BSG particle diameter and heating rate was performed using the line heat source method. The resulting values were used as a database for training the ANN and testing five multiple linear regression models to predict keff under different conditions.
Findings
Experimental values of keff were in the range of 0.090–0.127 W m−1 K−1, typical for biomasses. The results showed that the reduction of the BSG particle diameter increases keff, and that the increase in the heating rate does not statistically affect this property. The developed neural model presented superior performance to the multiple linear regression models, accurately predicting the experimental values and new patterns not addressed in the training procedure.
Originality/value
The empirical correlations and the developed ANN can be utilized in future work. This research conducted a discussion on the practical implications of the results for biomass valorization. This subject is very scarce in the literature, and no studies related to keff of BSG were found.
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This research used a temporal approach to operationalize employee engagement, capturing subjective/objective time of the day and day of the week to analyze the dynamic patterns of…
Abstract
Purpose
This research used a temporal approach to operationalize employee engagement, capturing subjective/objective time of the day and day of the week to analyze the dynamic patterns of employees’ daily/weekly well-being, basic needs satisfaction, and situational work motivation under the integrated framework of self-determination theory.
Design/methodology/approach
Multi-level data was collected using the survey structure outlined under the day reconstruction methodology (DRM) with samples of Canadian part-time working undergraduate students and full-time US corporate employees (1980 work episodes reported by 321 participants).
Findings
Multi-level confirmatory factorial analysis results supported the measurement invariance for within-person variables in all the working episodes across the US and Canada samples. Structural equation modeling path analysis results, using the within-person variables, captured the daily temporal patterns that employees’ well-being (vitality and positive affect), basic psychological needs (autonomy and relatedness), and situational autonomous motivation started at a high level and decreased with both subjective and objective time of the day. Negative affect showed asymmetric daily and weekly temporal patterns compared to positive affect. A few indirect paths were found, including one from the subjective time of the day to employee well-being (vitality and affect) via situational autonomous motivation and another one from the day of the week to vitality and positive affect via relatedness needs satisfaction and situational autonomous motivation.
Research limitations/implications
The socio-cultural and business impacts of work scheduling practices and implications for theory-driven, evidence-based organizational development practices were discussed together with the research limitations.
Practical implications
Results on how the variations in self-regulation during the performance of different work tasks in a single work event help practitioners to connect repeated situational motivational change patterns to effective supervision. HR business partner can also utilize such findings to shape evidence-based practice to improve employee engagement.
Originality/value
This research is one of the few pioneer studies to look into how temporal factors, such as work scheduling, affect employees' well-being through the dynamic understanding of the mediated path model from time to employee well-being via psychological engagement conditions such as motivation and needs satisfaction.
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This study delves into the intricate relationship between specific positive and negative emotions experienced by tourists during their vacations and the corresponding emotion…
Abstract
Purpose
This study delves into the intricate relationship between specific positive and negative emotions experienced by tourists during their vacations and the corresponding emotion regulation strategies they employ. Drawing from emotion regulation theory, we examine the nuanced impact of various strategies on tourists' emotional experiences, thereby advancing our understanding of emotion dynamics in the context of tourism.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were gathered through an online survey and travel diaries, subsequently analyzed using linear mixed-effects models.
Findings
Our findings underscore that emotion regulation strategies exert a significant influence on both positive and negative emotions. Furthermore, we identified that different strategies correlate uniquely with specific emotions. For instance, the deployment of Expressive Suppression, Savoring, and Stimulus Control strategies notably amplifies the intensity of joy.
Practical implications
This study recommends that tourism managers design experiences that evoke positive emotions through curated sensory cues, storytelling, and stress-free service offerings. Tourism managers should prioritize stress-free services, guide tourists in expressing themselves, and train service providers to manage emotions effectively, thus promoting positive emotional interactions and improving overall customer satisfaction.
Originality/value
Theoretically, this research enriches the emotion regulation literature by contextualizing it within the tourism domain, highlighting the differential effects of regulation strategies on diverse emotional experiences. From a practical standpoint, these insights can guide practitioners in crafting targeted marketing strategies and empower tourists with knowledge to select optimal strategies for enhancing their emotional well-being during vacations.
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Kasimu Sendawula, Shamirah Najjinda, Marion Nanyanzi, Saadat Nakyejwe Lubowa Kimuli and Ahmad Walugembe
The purpose of this study is to explore how the personal traits of the informal entrepreneurs influence their formalization decisions.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore how the personal traits of the informal entrepreneurs influence their formalization decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a qualitative approach using a multicase design in which 28 informal entrepreneurs situated in Kampala district, Uganda, were engaged. An interview guide, recorders and note books were used in data collection.
Findings
The results indicate that the traits of informal and semiformal entrepreneurs are distinct. Informal entrepreneurs have been noted to be more courageous and resilient, while their semiformal counterparts have greater passion for their businesses. It is thus observed that the formalization prospects are higher for the semiformal entrepreneurs than for their informal counterparts. Entrepreneurs that would be willing to formalize their businesses are discouraged by distance, technology and the cost of involving middlemen. Whereas the resilient entrepreneurs are noted to work through these challenges, the passive ones in both the informal and semiformal categories will not formalize their businesses by giving such excuses.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the extant literature on informal entrepreneurship by providing initial empirical evidence on how the personal traits of the entrepreneurs influence their formalization decisions specifically.
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Frankie J. Weinberg and Mary M. Hausfeld
We examine the relationships between clients’ level of coaching readiness and trust in their executive coach and increases to both personal learning improved work performance…
Abstract
Purpose
We examine the relationships between clients’ level of coaching readiness and trust in their executive coach and increases to both personal learning improved work performance. Distance relationships, the setting for this study, epitomize the norms of the New World of Work (NWoW), but also provide particular challenges for building trust and recognizing similarities between client and coach.
Design/methodology/approach
This study investigates distance coaching relationships in matched-pairs, longitudinal investigation of formal executive coaching.
Findings
Results support the proposed moderated mediation path. Findings reveal that both coaches’ perceptions of client readiness for coaching and client trust in coach each predict both client personal skill development and performance improvement.
Research limitations/implications
While important toward gaining a better understanding of the relational functioning of distance coaching relationships, inclusion of only distance relationships may truncate the generalizability of our findings.
Practical implications
The study’s findings have practical implications for organizations that invest in executive coaching with regard to the importance of evaluating the candidates' readiness for coaching before the assignment, trust-building throughout distance coaching relationships and perceptions of similarity on client coaching outcomes.
Originality/value
Distance relationships, the setting for this study, provide particular challenges for building trust and recognizing similarities between client and coach and the current investigation points to the relevance of these relational mechanisms to client outcomes. In so doing, this study explores how perceptions of deep-level similarity between a coach and client may serve as moderators of these relationships.
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Manuel Mojica, Pedro R. Palos-Sanchez and Edgar Cabanas
The aim of this research is to gain insight into the emotional impact and cognitive evaluations that these applications have on users from their own perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to gain insight into the emotional impact and cognitive evaluations that these applications have on users from their own perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
Sentiment analysis methodology is used to analyze users’ comments and ratings, assess perceived benefits and determine the emotional impact these applications have on them.
Findings
The results suggest a benefit for happiness scholars, professionals, users and organizations focused on employee well-being and provide valuable insights into the evolving landscape of happiness applications. While the study relies on publicly available user data, it complements, but does not replace, market research or product evaluation conducted by app developers and companies.
Originality/value
Among the myriad channels disseminating the assumption that the good life is attainable through personal means and psychological know-how, smartphone applications have emerged as accessible, cost-effective and attractive tools to help users become happier and alleviate feelings of distress and discomfort.
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