Reviews EC legislation as it affects the construction industry,looking forward to 1993 and the single European market. Looks at thehistorical background vis‐à‐vis the need to…
Abstract
Reviews EC legislation as it affects the construction industry, looking forward to 1993 and the single European market. Looks at the historical background vis‐à‐vis the need to revise directives concerning product, public procurement, professional qualifications, worker and workplace health and safety. Finally, foresees the likely effects on the construction industry of a more Europe‐oriented ambience with increased competition from abroad but with mandatory European standards, especially in the public sector.
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This chapter examines the selling practices of street vendors at a popular weekend market in Washington, DC. I discuss the role of social and moral norms in vendors' behavior…
Abstract
This chapter examines the selling practices of street vendors at a popular weekend market in Washington, DC. I discuss the role of social and moral norms in vendors' behavior toward one another, customers, and their work. Vendor success in this marketplace over the long term is influenced not only by their products and sales skills, but also by their understanding and acceptance of an ethical framework partly shaped by stories they tell about each other. As such, this study illustrates the embedded nature of sellers in marketplaces, as opposed to theoretical notions of how abstract individuals are supposed to act in a decontextualized “market.” Furthermore, stories that arise from encounters between vendors and customers add value to the products people buy. Objects in this marketplace, then, gain value not only through the interaction of supply and demand, but also through buyer and seller interaction, which provides a narrative base for future communication.
Fahim Uz Zaman and Md Sajjad Hosain
The aim of this empirical study is to identify the relationship between student accommodation characteristics (SACs) and academic performance (AP). SACs, considered as the single…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this empirical study is to identify the relationship between student accommodation characteristics (SACs) and academic performance (AP). SACs, considered as the single independent variable, were divided into three further constructs: perceived location advantage (PLA), perceived facilities (PFs) and perceived safety and security (PSS). This study also intends to uncover the mediating role of perceived overall satisfaction (POS) over the direct relationships.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used a cross-sectional quantitative survey methodology to investigate the hypothesized relationships based on 384 sample responses (n) selected using purposive sampling techniques from six Scottish universities. The study used IBM SPSS version 29 and partial least squares-structural equation modeling version 4 for descriptive statistics and for testing the hypotheses, respectively.
Findings
Based on survey responses and the application of proper statistical measures, this study found that all three independent constructs (PLA, PFs and PSS) have a significant positive association with the dependent variable, AP. The mediator (POS) was also found to be positively correlated with AP. Furthermore, this study identified that POS can partially mediate all three direct relationships.
Originality/value
By extending and validating current theories such as satisfaction frameworks, student engagement models and servicescape psychology, this study can significantly advance the current state of the literature. It highlights how crucial holistic satisfaction can mediate the association between academic achievement and the features of student housing. The results provide theoretical justification for incorporating accommodations into planning and policy for education. Additionally, by emphasizing on the crucial elements that enhance students’ well-being and academic achievement, such as location, safety, aesthetics and extensive support services, the study offers significant management insights.
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Olivier Boiral, David Talbot, Marie-Christine Brotherton and Iñaki Heras-Saizarbitoria
The purpose of this paper is to explore the practices, challenges and ethical issues underlying the fabric and dissemination of corporate sustainability ratings.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the practices, challenges and ethical issues underlying the fabric and dissemination of corporate sustainability ratings.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on 36 semi-structured interviews with sustainability rating practitioners, the study shows the trade-offs, ethical judgments and customizable aspects involved in rating practices, which cannot rely only on formal and predefined methods.
Findings
In contrast with the official optimistic rhetoric about the rationality and rigor of sustainability rating methods, agencies face serious challenges in the measurement and comparison of performance in this area, particularly in terms of the aggregation of scattered and fuzzy indicators, commercial pressures and the availability, materiality and reliability of the information collected. Despite these concerns, sustainability ratings do appear to be useful in improving corporate responsiveness and increasing investor awareness of the complex and difficult-to-measure aspects of nonfinancial reports.
Practical implications
Rating agencies should collaborate to set up common indicators that would be easier for firms to produce and should better separate their sustainability rating production activities from other services they offer to companies (e.g. consultancy).
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on the measurement and promotion of corporate sustainability by analyzing rating practices through the lens of moral fictionalism, which here refers to the human tendency to build ethical judgments on fictional but convenient and useful representations.