Monika Tanwar and Nagarajan Raghavan
The idea is to develop a condition-based maintenance (CBM) model for continuously monitored degrading systems under imperfect maintenance. The system is subjected to random…
Abstract
Purpose
The idea is to develop a condition-based maintenance (CBM) model for continuously monitored degrading systems under imperfect maintenance. The system is subjected to random shocks, inspection, corrective maintenance (CM) and preventive maintenance (PM); respective thresholds are set to make decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
The generalized renewal process is considered for degradation modeling, and the maximum likelihood estimation method is used for parameter estimation. Optimum replacement time is derived by minimizing downtime per unit time (DT).
Findings
Optimum replacement time is derived by minimizing DT. The paper provides insight into the virtual age model’s applicability and efficacy in CBM policy-based decision-making.
Practical implications
This paper assesses the CBM policy for continuously degrading systems under random shocks and imperfect maintenance. An operating system faces five events, i.e. CM, PM, inspection, random shock and sudden failure, during its lifetime. The combination and timing of these mutually exclusive events decide the degradation path in addition to the system's natural degradation (wear-out) dynamics when it is not tampered with in any way. Sequential modeling of such events for a degradation dataset will provide maintenance estimation and prediction parameters.
Originality/value
In general, CBM models do not consider CM to be part of the maintenance policy. It is debatable whether to include CM as part of a CBM policy. In our case, we consider CM in CBM policy formulation, assuming: (1) fail-repair: the system is restored to its operating state after failure with repair; (2) salvage: disposal of non-repairable part or material from the system, i.e. CM actions are a result of minor component-level failures. System failure is referred to as a case involving rebuild/complete system replacement. We assume CM for minor failures and acknowledge that failure can be delayed using CBM but cannot be avoided entirely. Therefore, the consideration of CM in the CBM model will make the model more generic and comprehensive.
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Gangaram Biswakarma and Barsa Basnet
The rapidly growing medical tourism sector impacts sending and receiving countries’ health systems. It is growing rapidly, and medical procedures, technology and high-quality…
Abstract
Purpose
The rapidly growing medical tourism sector impacts sending and receiving countries’ health systems. It is growing rapidly, and medical procedures, technology and high-quality healthcare are expensive and unequal. Low-to-middle-income countries’ citizens travel abroad for better healthcare for cost or other reasons. Medical tourism in developing countries is poorly understood, despite empirical studies from developed countries and various disciplines. This paper aims to analyze the motivational factors that influence Nepalese patients’ decisions to seek outbound medical tourism in Nepal.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted a quantitative approach. The study purposefully included individual patients who had undergone medical treatment abroad to form the sample for research purposes. Among the 400 respondents, 382 responses were deemed the final sample size. A questionnaire was developed on a seven-point Likert scale. The study proceeded with a sequential analysis approach, commencing with the evaluation of the measurement model before conducting path analysis to test the hypotheses and present the model estimates.
Findings
The study found that the individuals supported outbound medical tourism and were open to medical treatment abroad. Outbound medical tourism is highly related to service quality and word-of-mouth communication along with the insurance policy, language and culture, treatment cost and procedural safety. However, service quality and word-of-mouth communication significantly affect outbound medical tourism, with service quality having a large effect. These findings of the study shed a different dynamics of the factors influencing Nepalese individuals’ decision regarding outbound medical tourism.
Originality/value
This study focuses to a developing country in which the country’s healthcare system lacks proper infrastructure and services, is overcrowded, lacks expertise and technology and private hospitals are scarce. As a result, more people are seeking treatment across borders. Though researchers from developed countries and different disciplines have carried out empirical studies on medical tourism, little is known about this phenomenon in developing countries. Therefore, this study explores the motivational factors for outbound medical tourism in Nepal. This study addresses these key research issues to highlight Nepal’s underexplored outbound medical tourism and its drivers.
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Hasanuzzaman, Kaustov Chakraborty and Surajit Bag
Sustainability is a major challenge for India’s (Bharat’s) coal mining industry. The government has prioritized sustainable growth in the coal mining industry. It is putting forth…
Abstract
Purpose
Sustainability is a major challenge for India’s (Bharat’s) coal mining industry. The government has prioritized sustainable growth in the coal mining industry. It is putting forth multifaceted economic, environmental and social efforts to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This research aims to identify the factors for sustainable improvements in coal mining operations. Secondly, this study examines the intensity of causal relations among the factors. Thirdly, this study examines whether causal relations exist among the factors to be considered for sustainable improvement in coal mining operations. Lastly, the study aims to understand how the factors ensure sustainable improvement in coal mining operations.
Design/methodology/approach
An integrated three-phase methodology was applied to identify the critical factors related to coal mining and explore the contextual relationships among the identified factors. Fifteen critical factors were selected based on the Delphi technique. Subsequently, the fifteen factors were analyzed to determine the contextual and causal relationships using the total interpretive structural modelling (TISM) and DEMATEL methods.
Findings
The study identified “Extraction of Coal and Overburden” as the leading factor for sustainable improvement in coal mining operations, because it directly or indirectly influences the overall mining operation, environmental impact and resource utilization. Hence, strict control measures are necessary in “Extraction of Coal and Overburden” to ensure sustainable coal mining. Conversely, “Health Impact” is the lagging factor as it has very low or no impact on the system. Therefore, it requires fewer control mechanisms. Nevertheless, control measures for the remaining factors must be decided on a priority basis.
Practical implications
The proposed structural model can serve as a framework for enhancing sustainability in India’s (Bharat’s) coal mining operations. This framework can also be applied to other developing nations with similar sustainability concerns, providing valuable guidance for sustainable operations.
Originality/value
The current study highlights the significance of logical links and dependencies between several parameters essential to coal mining sustainability. Furthermore, it leads to the development of a well-defined control sequence that identifies the causal linkages between numerous components needed to achieve real progress towards sustainability.
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This article explores key features of effective professional learning as identified in research, exploring in-depth the potential of co-mentoring as a transformative model for…
Abstract
Purpose
This article explores key features of effective professional learning as identified in research, exploring in-depth the potential of co-mentoring as a transformative model for teacher development.
Design/methodology/approach
This article focuses on the Foundation for Learning and Literacy’s (FFLL) Touchstone 11, which underscores the importance of continuous teacher professional development in equitably supporting student learning. Teachers play a pivotal role in fostering learning and literacy, yet they face significant challenges in accessing ongoing, embedded professional learning tailored to their practice. A brief review of the literature regarding key features of effective professional learning is followed by an in-depth exploration of co-mentoring in the context of a real-world education program.
Findings
Co-mentoring fosters reciprocal, non-hierarchical learning relationships, exemplified by the School Drama program – a collaboration between Sydney Theatre Company and The University of Sydney. This program paired teaching artists with classroom teachers to integrate drama into literacy education, leading to improved teacher confidence, student engagement and professional growth.
Originality/value
The article situates key features of effective professional learning as identified in the literature in the context of a real-world education program in Australia.
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Cristina Gabriela Bejan, Claudia Lenuța Rus and Lucia Claudia Ioana Ratiu
Although several studies evidence the positive outcomes of facilitation coaching style in various professional settings, it has received less attention in the health-care context…
Abstract
Purpose
Although several studies evidence the positive outcomes of facilitation coaching style in various professional settings, it has received less attention in the health-care context. Thus, drawing on previous research and the tenets of Self-Determination Theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985), Job Demands-Resources Theory (Demerouti et al., 2001) and Conservation of Resources Theory (Hobfoll, 1989), this study aims to investigate the relationship between facilitation coaching style and adaptive performance in health-care professionals, considering a serial mediation mechanism in which job-related anxiety and informal field-based learning are antecedents of positive psychological capital (PsyCap).
Design/methodology/approach
Self-reported data were collected from 253 Romanian health-care professionals using a cross-sectional research design.
Findings
The authors found that facilitation coaching style reduces job-related anxiety and promotes informal field-based learning, thereby improving PsyCap and, ultimately, contributing to higher adaptive performance.
Originality/value
These results emphasize the critical role of facilitation coaching style in the health-care sector and provide actionable insights for health-care organizations seeking to enhance their staff’s adaptive performance and, consequently, patient care.
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The aim of this study was to explore the specific actions that school leaders attempt following a coaching session, investigating how group coaching supports the leadership…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to explore the specific actions that school leaders attempt following a coaching session, investigating how group coaching supports the leadership actions of school leaders. The study was carried out as an action research project with the aim of understanding and further developing the coaching practice.
Design/methodology/approach
The article reports on a group coaching study integrated into the National Principal Training Programme in Norway, which was designed to identify reflections on the type of personal agency that can lead to improvements in leadership performance. Our investigation focused on a group coaching protocol initiated with a coaching question that was reformulated during the session. It concluded with a leadership action that the school leader committed to undertake following the coaching session. The study identifies the types of actions that school leaders commit to undertaking after the coaching session and examines whether the coaching process impacts the implementation of these leadership actions.
Findings
We found that the leadership actions undertaken focused on what school leaders can do to foster better relationships with their employees, how they can develop a positive culture for learning and competence development in schools and how they can create structures and routines in both day-to-day leadership and broader school organizations. The study illustrates that school leaders perceive group coaching as being beneficial in the process of selecting a leadership action and that, through this process, there is increased motivation to implement this specific leadership action.
Originality/value
The study provides original contributions to the field of educational leadership and coaching, offering practical suggestions for those involved in the development of school leaders. The findings could inform future practices and research in similar contexts, and with further refinement, the results could have implications beyond the immediate setting of the Norwegian National Principal Training Programme.
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Alexandra David and Judith Terstriep
The study aims to explore the entrepreneurial agency, focusing on migrant entrepreneurs’ ability to reshape societal structures and initiate endeavours despite limitations in…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to explore the entrepreneurial agency, focusing on migrant entrepreneurs’ ability to reshape societal structures and initiate endeavours despite limitations in entrepreneurial ecosystems (EEs) with constraints.
Design/methodology/approach
Through 23 qualitative interviews in an EE with constraints and using a grounded theory-inspired abductive approach, the study uncovers coping mechanisms and responses to barriers and imitations and explores entrepreneurial agency within these EEs.
Findings
The findings show that migrant entrepreneurs overcome constraints through a bricolage approach involving seizing opportunities, leveraging family and friend networks, collaborating strategically, adapting and innovating. Moreover, they exhibit a strong “entrepreneurial gene”, displaying resilience and determination to succeed despite challenges.
Research limitations/implications
Interviewees’ subjective perceptions and language barriers may bias the results due to the narrow spatial focus. Advancing the understanding of entrepreneurial agency in EEs with constraints helps practitioners design training programmes fostering adaptive capabilities and forward-thinking mindsets. At the same time, ecosystem actors can implement inclusive practices and strategies to mitigate regulatory hurdles, promote cultural competence and facilitate collaborative initiatives among entrepreneurs.
Originality/value
Delving into the entrepreneurial agency of migrant entrepreneurs reveals the importance of inclusive EEs in fully exploiting migrant entrepreneurs’ economic and societal value.
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Schools play a crucial role in the psychological development of adolescents. However, the education is inadequate for many students. This study aims to understand students' views…
Abstract
Purpose
Schools play a crucial role in the psychological development of adolescents. However, the education is inadequate for many students. This study aims to understand students' views and suggestions on the implementation of mental health education in schools and to help schools find the target point of the implementation of mental health education from the perspective of students' needs.
Design/methodology/approach
The qualitative method of semi-structured individual interviews to explore college students' perceptions and suggestions about their schools in terms of mental health education.
Findings
Three themes and six sub-themes emerged from forty-three interviews. Most students express their hope that the school can conduct more professional mental health education courses and diverse practical activities. They also emphasize the need to standardize the qualifications of teachers conducting these courses and to introduce more professional mental health personnel. Additionally, it is crucial to prioritize the protection of student privacy during mental health care, enabling more students, teachers and parents to recognize psychological issues and actively address their mental challenges.
Originality/value
This study, from the perspective of students, provides valuable insights into recommendations for schools to improve mental health education. It can significantly contribute to continuous enhancement of mental health education in schools and better protection and promotion of students' psychological well-being.