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1 – 5 of 5Tennakoon Mudiyanselage Maheshi Pabasara Tennakoon, Udara Ranasinghe, Aparna Samaraweera, Raufdeen Rameezdeen, Sasanka Gallage, William Robert Newman, Benjamin James White and Delvin Noel Tze Wei Lim
Many work-related factors particularly affect the mental well-being of young construction workers and subsequently affect their productivity at work. Young construction workers in…
Abstract
Purpose
Many work-related factors particularly affect the mental well-being of young construction workers and subsequently affect their productivity at work. Young construction workers in South Australia are more vulnerable than other workers because they consider the distress arising from work-related factors to be part of adapting to a new work life. Therefore, this study seeks to draw out the work-related factors that affect the mental well-being of young construction workers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employed a sequential mixed method approach including a preliminary qualitative case study and a quantitative survey. Around 20 interviews across two organisations were conducted in the initial case study and content analysis was used to contextualise the factors and identify new factors. Then, the outcome of the case study was fed into a questionnaire survey for further analysis. The survey received 43 valid responses. Principal component analysis (PCA) was performed on the survey outcome to assess and categorise the work-related factors.
Findings
The findings indicate ten prominent work-related factors contributing to poor mental well-being of young construction workers related to three main categories of factors, namely “nature of work”, “task-related stress” and “unsupportive behaviour”. The work-related factors that have the greatest impact on mental well-being are the machoism culture of industry, work overload and workplace bullying.
Originality/value
The outcome from this study enhances the understanding of key work-related factors affecting the mental well-being of young construction workers. Research findings would also help inform the development of clear, industry-informed initiatives tailored to protect and support young construction workers.
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Fabiana Turelli, David Kirk and Alexandre Fernandez Vaz
Martial arts and combat sports (MACS) are supported on ritualistic practices which often encompass hazing creating environments where catastrophic masculinities prevail. These…
Abstract
Martial arts and combat sports (MACS) are supported on ritualistic practices which often encompass hazing creating environments where catastrophic masculinities prevail. These forms of masculinities are strengthened inside MACS’ world resonating with masculinities spread out in wider society. We consider this to be the situation found in Brazilian society. With this study, our aim is to analyse how hazing practices in MACS contribute to the production of a socially legitimised catastrophic masculinity in Brazil. Catastrophic masculinity appears as a new concept proposed by Andrade (2022) to define a hegemonic, toxic and tragic form of masculinity spread in Brazil attached to a political power project. We carried out two qualitative empirical pieces of research that focused on three martial arts. These were ethnographic (participant-) observations of various events, training sessions, belt examination and competition and interviews with men participants. Supported by the presented data, we argue that hazing practices end up acting as a means of reproducing the catastrophic masculinity fighters perform in the dojo. They learn and resonate with a pedagogy that requires them to conform to and follow hierarchies through the repetition of the word ‘oss’ as a symbol of submission to arbitrariness. Hazing constitutes, instantiates and reproduces catastrophic masculinity and originates in the same (social) catastrophic masculinity.
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Mehir Baidya, Bipasha Maity and Supriyo Ghose
There has been a lot of research on how to set marketing budgets, but the overlooked aspect was how allocating funds influences business performance in a multi-goal context. This…
Abstract
Purpose
There has been a lot of research on how to set marketing budgets, but the overlooked aspect was how allocating funds influences business performance in a multi-goal context. This study aims to examine the relationship between business performance, the process of allocating funds to multiple goals and the interaction among the goals.
Design/methodology/approach
Ratio data were generated through “a constant sum scale” from a sample of 362 managers from the B2C sector, besides data on after-tax revenue for two years. The data file was created. Then, a factor analysis was performed on the data. Furthermore, an econometric model with interaction terms was fitted to the data.
Findings
The results show that allocating funds to multiple marketing goals – demand generation, customer experience, brand image, marketing competency and purchase intention – influences business performance. Furthermore, a goal’s impact on business performance is higher when coupled with other goals than in isolation.
Practical implications
The findings of the study should assist managers in increasing revenue while spending less on marketing and shifting funds from less efficient goals and pairs of goals to highly efficient ones.
Originality/value
By extending the relevant theory on the relationship between the process of marketing fund allocation, multiple goals and business performance, this study contributes to the literature on marketing.
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Ching Yee Yeap, Benjamin Wei Wang Tan, Fei Sia Chan, Koh Wei Wong, Wee Yin Koh and Ban-Hock Khor
Protein-energy wasting is a common complication among patients with kidney failure undergoing dialysis. This study aims to develop a homemade oral nutrition supplement (ONS) to…
Abstract
Purpose
Protein-energy wasting is a common complication among patients with kidney failure undergoing dialysis. This study aims to develop a homemade oral nutrition supplement (ONS) to fulfill the energy and protein requirements of these patients.
Design/methodology/approach
Three formulations of homemade ONS were developed using soybean milk, whey protein isolates and canola oil. Two of these formulations were flavored with pineapple and honeydew juices, respectively. The energy and macronutrient contents were determined using proximate analyses, and mineral contents were determined using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy. The acceptance of homemade ONS for five attributes, namely color, taste, odor, consistency and overall acceptability, was assessed using the nine-point hedonic scale.
Findings
The homemade ONS provided 198–212 kcal and 8.4–9.6 g protein per 100 mL, which were comparable to commercial products. Similarly, the sodium (45–65 mg/100 mL) and phosphorus (56–66 mg/100 mL) contents were on par with commercial products. However, the potassium content of homemade ONS was higher, ranging from 141 to 155 mg per 100 mL. The sensory evaluation indicated that the formulation added with honeydew juice had a similar degree of acceptance as the commercial ONS, while formulations containing pineapple juice and without added fruit juice were less favored.
Originality/value
A few studies have investigated the development of food products for individuals with kidney failure on dialysis. However, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to focus on developing a homemade ONS specifically tailored to meet the unique nutritional needs of hemodialysis patients. In addition, this research included a comprehensive assessment of the beverage’s nutritional content and sensory attributes.
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Erin Meier, Andrew Nelson Brown, Barry Chovitz, Dominique Zwinkels, Michael Egharevba, Bridget McHenry, Joseph Kabatende and Ines K. Gege Buki
This practice forum paper aims to present a theoretical framework to better develop the required supply chain management (SCM) competencies and the workforce needed for managing…
Abstract
Purpose
This practice forum paper aims to present a theoretical framework to better develop the required supply chain management (SCM) competencies and the workforce needed for managing public health supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
This framework is driven by iterative systems thinking, a deeper consideration of the SCM labor market and a comprehensive mapping of human resource system requirements. The framework centers around three tools. A labor market analysis assesses factors influencing supply of and demand for health SCM workers in a country context. To improve supply of and demand for workers, the SCM Professionalisation Framework provides reference documents to establish health SCM as a recognized profession. The human resources for SCM Theory of Change explains and assesses the conditions required to achieve optimal workforce performance at the organizational level. The Ministry of Health in Rwanda applied these three tools sequentially to assess and improve the supply and performance of its health SCM workforce.
Findings
The authors describe this framework, how the tools were applied in Rwanda, and early impressions of the results.
Practical implications
Practitioners can apply this approach to improve SCM competence and promote the attractiveness of health SCM positions by formalizing their professional status. This could lead to a pool of individuals who seek SCM qualifications and, in time, overcome the current shortage of health SCM workers. Employers can apply this approach to structured roles and workforce needs to meet health SCM system requirements. This would lead to a greater demand for and use of appropriately trained personnel.
Originality/value
This paper presents a novel, iterative, systems-thinking approach to develop human resources in public health supply chains. Rwanda is the first country to apply all three tools using this framework.
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