Alena Y.T. Tan, Esyin Chew and Vineetha Kalavally
This paper aims to explore the expectations of relevant stakeholders in the engineering field to better understand the demands of the twenty-first century. As the number of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the expectations of relevant stakeholders in the engineering field to better understand the demands of the twenty-first century. As the number of unemployed continues to grow in Malaysia, it is evident that as industries continue to develop, demands and new requirements for skilled workers change over time.
Design/methodology/approach
Through face-to-face interviews, the study explored the expectations of accreditation bodies, industry operators and academics in the engineering field.
Findings
Three major findings were documented: mismatch of expectations in engineering field across the stakeholders; the expected “must-have-skills” from the perspectives of the stakeholders; and the need to reassess how information transmission is cascaded to all stakeholders and remains relevant to market demand.
Research limitations/implications
It is recognized that the findings from this study may only be relevant to the engineering field and not to the other different disciplines, but the qualitative findings provide some key issues in understanding the gap between relevant stakeholders that may motivate future studies to further extend into the other disciplines.
Practical implications
With this mismatch drawn out clearly, all relevant stakeholders would be able to revisit and revaluate their existing strategy in addressing, cascading crucial information and equipping graduates with analytical skills to gain immediate employment in the market.
Originality/value
A clearer understanding on the expectations and the “must-have-skills” required in the engineering field in the twenty-first century.
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Alena Pietrikova, Tomas Lenger, Olga Fricova, Lubos Popovic and Lubomir Livovsky
This study aims to characterize a novel glass/epoxy architecture sandwich structure for electronic boards. Understanding the thermo-mechanical behavior of these composites is…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to characterize a novel glass/epoxy architecture sandwich structure for electronic boards. Understanding the thermo-mechanical behavior of these composites is important because it is possible to pre-determine whether defined “internal” thick laminates will be suitable for embedding components in the direction of the axis “z,” i.e. this method of manufacturing multilayer laminates can be used for incoming miniaturization in electronics.
Design/methodology/approach
Laminates with a low glass transition temperature (Tg) and high Tg with E-glass type were treated, tested and compared. Testing samples were manufactured by nonstandard two steps unidirectional lamination as a multilayer structure based on prepreg layers and as “a sandwich structure” to explore its effect on thermo-mechanical properties. The proposed tested method determines the time and temperature-dependent viscoelastic properties of the board by using dynamic mechanical analysis, thermo-mechanical analysis and three-point bend tests.
Findings
This testing method was chosen because the main property that promotes sandwich structure is their high stiffness. Glass/epoxy stiff and thermal stabile sandwich structure prepared by nonstandard two-stage lamination is proper for embedding components and the next miniaturization in electronics.
Originality/value
Compared with by-default applied glass-reinforced homogenous laminates, novel architecture sandwich structure is attractive because of a combination of strength, stiffness and all while maintaining the miniaturization requirement and multifunctional application in electronics.
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Kirsten Cowan and Alena Kostyk
Do luxury consumers negatively evaluate digital interactions (website and social media) by international luxury brands? The topic has received much debate. The authors argue that…
Abstract
Purpose
Do luxury consumers negatively evaluate digital interactions (website and social media) by international luxury brands? The topic has received much debate. The authors argue that luxury brand personality (modern vs. traditional), which encompasses a more stable form of brand identity in global markets, affects evaluations of digital interactions. They further investigate the role of self-brand connection in this process.
Design/methodology/approach
Three experiments on Prolific use a European sample and manipulate a single factor between subjects (modernity: less vs. more; traditionality: less vs. more) of French luxury brands and measure evaluations as the dependent variable. Two studies assesses self-brand connection (continuous) as a moderator (studies 2a, 2b). Study 2b rules out some alternative explanations, with culture (independent vs. collectivist) as an independent variable. A fourth study, using a North American sample on CloudResearch, assesses the effect of personality manipulation (more modernity vs. more traditionality) on consumer evaluations of an Italian brand, and assesses ubiquity perceptions as a mediator.
Findings
Consumers evaluate digital interactions of international luxury brands less favorably when luxury brand personality exhibits more (vs. less) modernity or less (vs. more) traditionality. Perceptions of ubiquity mediate these relationships. When self-brand connection is high, this effect is attenuated.
Originality/value
The research sheds light on the debate on whether luxury brands should create digital interactions in international markets, given that these global brands operate in multiple channels. Findings show that luxury brands can develop strategies based on aspects of their brand identity, a less malleable feature of brand identity within global markets. Additionally, the research contributes to the conversation about a global luxury market. In short, the findings offer evidence in favor of brand identity (personality) influencing the digital channel strategy a brand should undertake in international markets, first, followed by consumer needs.
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Tibor Rovensky, Alena Pietrikova, Igor Vehec and Martin Kmec
The purpose of this paper is to create multilayer substrate (composite) from various low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrates by their mutual combinations and to analyse…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to create multilayer substrate (composite) from various low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) substrates by their mutual combinations and to analyse influence of these multilayer substrates on dielectric properties in GHz frequency range.
Design/methodology/approach
GreenTape 951, GreenTape 9K7 and Murata LFC were used to create compound multilayer substrates that include three layers: middle layer is from Murata LFC, and both upper and bottom layers are either from GreenTape 951 or GreenTape 9K7. Shrinkage in all x-, y- and z-axes of all substrates including multilayer substrates were analysed, and influence of different shrinkage on dielectric properties was examined by microstrip ring resonators applied on all mentioned of substrates.
Findings
The middle layer of Murata LFC has significant influence on shrinkage value of composites which has a good repeatability and minimalizes problems with design of multilayer LTCC devices. Impact of middle layer from Murata LFC on dielectric constant is not significant, but on the other hand Q factor (loss tangent) of these composites is increased according to inhomogeneity between single LTCC layers, especially at frequency around 6 GHz.
Originality/value
The novelty of this work lies in creating multilayers systems from different types of LTCC substrates to find combination with the most suitable physical and dielectric properties for various purposes in GHz range applications.
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John C. Weidman, W. James Jacob and Daniel Casebeer
There has been a resurgence of interest in comparative and international research on teacher education that has been driven, in large part, by the emergence over the past two…
Abstract
There has been a resurgence of interest in comparative and international research on teacher education that has been driven, in large part, by the emergence over the past two decades of comprehensive international studies of student achievement supported by (1) the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) and (2) the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Widely published country rankings that set benchmarks for student achievement suggest the importance of understanding more fully what specific characteristics set highly ranked countries apart, especially quality of teaching and teacher education.
Recent literature on comparative and international teacher education is reviewed, focusing on special issues of Prospects (Vol. 42, March 2012, “Internationalization of Teacher Education”), sponsored by the UNESCO International Bureau of Education (IBE) in Geneva, Switzerland, and the International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education (Vol. 11, August 2013, “International Perspectives on Mathematics and Science Teacher Education for the Future”), sponsored by the National Science Council of Taiwan.
A conceptual framework for describing the complexity of teacher education in comparative and international context is presented, adapting an approach used for understanding educational change and reform in emerging democracies. The chapter concludes with a discussion of theoretical perspectives that have been applied to teacher education in comparative and international education with recommendations for new directions that might inform scholarly understanding as well as practice.
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Fang-Yi Lo and Ricky Tan
One important strategy Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) employ to compete in the global market is to engage in foreign investment, but firms must know how they can perform better…
Abstract
Purpose
One important strategy Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) employ to compete in the global market is to engage in foreign investment, but firms must know how they can perform better in the host country market. International subsidiaries’ performances play a chief role for MNEs’ globalization strategy. The purpose of this paper is to construct multi-level research with parent-level data at the higher level and subsidiary-level data at the lower level.
Design/methodology/approach
This study helps capture the rapid growing trend in emerging markets and uses a sample of Taiwanese enterprises and their subsidiaries in China. The data come from the Taiwan Economic Journal database. Precisely, the authors obtain 711 Taiwanese MNEs and 4,458 of their subsidiaries in China.
Findings
This study finds among the parent company’s attributes that firm size, firm total performance, depth of internationalization and foreign shareholding have significant impacts on subsidiary performance, while within the subsidiary’s attributes, subsidiary size, subsidiary-owned capital and total investment fund significantly affect subsidiary performance.
Originality/value
In order to capture subsidiary performance, this study uses a multi-level analysis approach with the Hierarchical Linear Model statistic method to separate parent company attributes and subsidiary-owned attributes as two distinct levels. This method fills the gap in the literature by analyzing subsidiary performance and clarifying that foreign direct investment is a multi-level phenomenon that cannot be analyzed using a one-level analysis method.
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Nazim Habibov, Alena Auchynnikava and Yunhong Lyu
The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of job retention intention among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the determinants of job retention intention among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Data are from a large nationally representative cross-sectional survey conducted by the Canadian National Statistics Agency. Ordered logistic regression is estimated to find an association between job retention and its main determinants as gleaned from the literature while controlling for a wide range of pertinent covariates. Odds and standardized odds are reported and discussed.
Findings
The results suggest that worsening working conditions, changes in health and well-being and lack of organizational support weaken intentions regarding job retention. Being employed rather than self-employed and working as a nurse also weakens job retention.
Originality/value
This is the first research on the determinants of intentions regarding job retention in Canada using nationally representative data. It allows us to test and confirm the results of previous studies on a large sample of Canadian HCWs. The paper also discusses the implications of the findings for health management and administration.