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Article
Publication date: 3 December 2020

Giuseppe Gillini, Paolo Di Lillo, Filippo Arrichiello, Daniele Di Vito, Alessandro Marino, Gianluca Antonelli and Stefano Chiaverini

In the past decade, more than 700 million people are affected by some kind of disability or handicap. In this context, the research interest in assistive robotics is growing up…

263

Abstract

Purpose

In the past decade, more than 700 million people are affected by some kind of disability or handicap. In this context, the research interest in assistive robotics is growing up. For people with mobility impairments, daily life operations, as dressing or feeding, require the assistance of dedicated people; thus, the use of devices providing independent mobility can have a large impact on improving their life quality. The purpose of this paper is to present the development of a robotic system aimed at assisting people with this kind of severe motion disabilities by providing a certain level of autonomy.

Design/methodology/approach

The system is based on a hierarchical architecture where, at the top level, the user generates simple and high-level commands by resorting to a graphical user interface operated via a P300-based brain computer interface. These commands are ultimately converted into joint and Cartesian space tasks for the robotic system that are then handled by the robot motion control algorithm resorting to a set-based task priority inverse kinematic strategy. The overall architecture is realized by integrating control and perception software modules developed in the robots and systems environment with the BCI2000 framework, used to operate the brain–computer interfaces (BCI) device.

Findings

The effectiveness of the proposed architecture is validated through experiments where a user generates commands, via an Emotiv Epoc+ BCI, to perform assistive tasks that are executed by a Kinova MOVO robot, i.e. an omnidirectional mobile robotic platform equipped with two lightweight seven degrees of freedoms manipulators.

Originality/value

The P300 paradigm has been successfully integrated with a control architecture that allows us to command a complex robotic system to perform daily life operations. The user defines high-level commands via the BCI, letting all the low-level tasks, for example, safety-related tasks, to be handled by the system in a completely autonomous manner.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 49 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 March 2022

Flavia Bonaiuto, Stefania Fantinelli, Alessandro Milani, Michela Cortini, Marco Cristian Vitiello and Marino Bonaiuto

This study aims to test the role that organizational sociopsychological variables may play in influencing job stress and work engagement in an organizational identity change…

10790

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to test the role that organizational sociopsychological variables may play in influencing job stress and work engagement in an organizational identity change scenario.

Design/methodology/approach

On a sample of 118 employees of an Italian company in the personnel training services sector, multivariate statistical analysis tests a pattern where organizational variables such as work support (by supervisors and coworkers, independent variables) – moderated by corporate identification (moderating variable) – and mediated by organizational trust (mediating variable) – boosts employee work engagement and lowers psychosocial risks (dependent variables).

Findings

The mediating effect of “organizational trust” is significant in the relationships of “supervisor social support” and “coworker social support” with the “absence of psychosocial risks.” Moreover, an increase in supervisor social support can lead to a statistically significant increase in work engagement. This occurs only for employees with low or medium identification and not in highly identified individuals.

Originality/value

The findings from the analysis on moderation are of primary importance because they show us a new perspective that can play the role of a guiding and practical principle on how to act on an organization’s human resources, specifically targeting those with lower or medium corporate identification.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 34 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

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Article
Publication date: 1 January 2021

Simone Cocciasecca, Giuseppe Grossi and Alessandro Sancino

The purpose of this paper is to review previous research on public appointments to systematize existing knowledge, identify gaps and discuss implications for future research in…

656

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to review previous research on public appointments to systematize existing knowledge, identify gaps and discuss implications for future research in this field.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a systematic literature review, carried out using the Scopus database. We selected academic articles published in journals ranked in the 2018 CABS Academic Journal Guide plus public administration articles in journals classified by Google as falling within the areas of public policy and administration. The papers were analysed according to four categories: geographical area, theoretical framework, research method and organizational setting.

Findings

Results show the lack of research regarding areas like Latin America or East Asia; from a theoretical viewpoint, given the lack of explicit theoretical approaches, future research should have more formal and clear theoretical frameworks. Moreover, given the dominance of case study and review/reflection studies, alternative research methods, such as surveys or mixed methods are suggested for future works.

Research limitations/implications

We identify a new research agenda to revive the focus on public appointments as a tool for intra- and inter-organizational governance in the public sector. Specifically, we argue that how the process of public appointments is managed has huge democratic implications, and public managers have a key role to play in that respect by designing effective governance systems and organizational procedures. The selection of papers has been limited to articles published in peer- review journals ranked in the 2018 CABS Guide; no distinctions have been made regarding journals' positioning in the ranking. Moreover, this work takes a managerial and organizational approach, while the research on public appointments is clearly interdisciplinary, with previous contributions coming mainly from political scientists.

Originality/value

Despite the relevant body of literature on this topic, this study represents the first manuscript to summarize the state of the art of this theme, providing a research agenda on this very relevant but quite neglected issue in public governance.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 34 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

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Publication date: 24 February 2011

Douglas H. Constance and M. Kirk Jentoft

This chapter combines a global value chain methodology with the case of the development of the farmed Atlantic salmon industry in Chile to inform discussions regarding the…

Abstract

This chapter combines a global value chain methodology with the case of the development of the farmed Atlantic salmon industry in Chile to inform discussions regarding the globalization of economy and society. The research documents the shifting structure of the value chain from the north to the south as Chile replaced northern Europe as the locus of production and the major world supplier of farmed Atlantic salmon. Farmed salmon was supported by the Chilean state as part of its export-oriented industrialization model that attracted foreign direct investment (FDI) from northern TNCs. Chile's low costs of production combined with growing environmental problems in the north and global retailers' demand for large quantities of low-cost product resulted in the restructuring of the farmed Atlantic-salmon value chain as northern capital sourced the south as a lucrative production platform to service northern consumers. A detailed investigation of the rise in dominance of the firm Marine Harvest is provided to illustrate the process of industry concentration the Chilean farmed-salmon industry. This model has generated a legitimation crisis related to environmental degradation and labor abuses resulting in social movement organization both nationally and internationally. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the implications of the Wal-Mart Effect on the agrifood industry in particular and in the farmed-salmon industry in particular.

Details

Globalization and the Time–Space Reorganization
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-318-8

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Article
Publication date: 1 January 1953

M. ROBERT‐HENRI BAUTIER

Avant‐propos sous les auspices de l'Institut international de Coopération intellectuelle, paraissait en 1934 le t. I, consacré à l'Europe, du Guide international des Archives. Le…

112

Abstract

Avant‐propos sous les auspices de l'Institut international de Coopération intellectuelle, paraissait en 1934 le t. I, consacré à l'Europe, du Guide international des Archives. Le questionnaire envoyé à tous les États européens comportait sous les points 4 et 6 les questions suivantes: ‘Existe‐t‐il un guide général pour les diverses catégories d'Archives ou des guides particuliers pour l'une ou l'autre d'entre elles?’ et ‘Existe‐t‐il des catalogues imprimés, des publications tant officielles que privées, susceptibles de constituer un instrument complet de référence pour tout ou partie importante des fonds d'archives?’ Les réponses des divers pays à ces questions, malgré leur caractère très inégal, ont fait du Guide international un bon instrument d'information générale sur les Archives. Malheureusement les circonstances ont empêché la publication du volume consacré aux États non européens, tandis que le temps qui s'écoulait tendait à rendre périmés les renseignements fournis sur les Archives européennes.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Available. Content available
Book part
Publication date: 27 September 2022

Matthew Bennett and Emma Goodall

Free Access. Free Access

Abstract

Details

Autism and COVID-19
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-033-5

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Article
Publication date: 2 November 2020

Jeoung Yul Lee, Joong In Kim, Alfredo Jiménez and Alessandro Biraglia

This study examines the impact of situational and stable animosities on quality evaluation and purchase intention while also testing the moderating effects of within- and…

762

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines the impact of situational and stable animosities on quality evaluation and purchase intention while also testing the moderating effects of within- and cross-country cultural distance. It focuses on the case of the US THAAD missile defense system deployment in South Korea (hereafter, Korea) and investigates how the resulting Chinese consumers' animosity affects their quality evaluation of, and purchase intention toward, Korean cosmetics.

Design/methodology/approach

This study utilizes a quantitative approach based on a survey and structural equation modeling. The sample comprises 376 Chinese consumers from 19 Chinese regions.

Findings

The results indicate that both stable and situational animosities are negatively associated with purchase intention toward Korean cosmetics. However, their effects on quality evaluation are different. While stable animosity is negatively related to product quality evaluation, situational animosity has no such negative association. Finally, the cultural distance between Chinese regions and Korea strengthens the negative relationship between stable and situational animosities and purchase intention.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes by better unraveling the effects of stable and situational animosities on perceived product quality. The empirical context is unique because it allows the authors to investigate the relationship between Chinese antagonism toward the THAAD deployment in Korea and Chinese consumers' stable and situational animosities in terms of their quality evaluation of, and purchase intention toward, imported Korean cosmetics. Hence, this study contributes to the literature on consumer animosity by empirically testing the moderating effect of within- and cross-country cultural distance on the relationship between stable and situational animosities and purchase intention.

Practical implications

The study has relevant practical implications, notably for Korean exporters' marketing management and within- and cross-cultural management. The results suggest that countermeasures are needed because Chinese consumers' stable and situational animosities are negatively related to their purchase intention toward Korean cosmetics. Moreover, the findings provide the insight that when foreign firms export culture-sensitive products to a large, multicultural country, their managers should pay attention to within- and cross-cultural differences simultaneously.

Originality/value

Previous studies have shown that the effects of animosity on product evaluation and purchase intention differ depending on the animosity dimension, product type, country and the situation causing animosity, among others. However, the existing literature on animosity has neglected the reality that within-cultural differences in a single large emerging market are relevant to explaining the concept of animosity and its effect on the purchase intention toward culture-sensitive products. Furthermore, none of the animosity studies have touched on the important moderating role of within- and cross-cultural differences between a large and multicultural importing country and a brand's home country in this manner. Therefore, the study fills this gap by empirically examining whether different moderating effects of stable and situational animosities exist for a specific conflict situation caused by a military issue and investigates the causes of these different effects.

Details

Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5794

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 29 October 2024

Giovanna Centorrino, Valeria Naciti and Valeria Schifilliti

This paper aims to explore how the accounting and management practices of monastic institutions were shaped by their surrounding social, political, geographical and economic…

327

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how the accounting and management practices of monastic institutions were shaped by their surrounding social, political, geographical and economic environments, as well as religious ideologies, during critical historical periods.

Design/methodology/approach

By applying institutional theory and the comparative international accounting history perspective, this study conducts a comparative analysis of archival records from two monasteries, examining how their accounting and managerial practices were influenced by differing institutional logics. The research relies on systematic archival data collection, complemented by secondary sources, to analyze how religious beliefs shaped the accounting and management practices of these institutions and the degree of convergence between the two.

Findings

This study found that both monasteries adapted their accounting and management practices to their external environments. San Placido demonstrated resilience amidst disruptions such as wars and earthquakes, while Silos showed financial sophistication through diverse income streams. The resilience of these institutions was driven by their ability to align internal operations with external political, economic and social factors. This adaptability, coupled with strategic management, enhanced their capacity to maintain financial stability, illustrating the direct link between external changes, organizational resilience and improved financial health.

Research limitations/implications

This study highlights the historical interplay between religious principles and accounting management practices in Benedictine monasteries by comparing two monasteries. It reveals how external environments shape internal operations, showcasing the resilience and adaptability of these institutions in maintaining financial sustainability through the alignment of external pressures with internal resilience mechanisms, which in turn bolster their financial health.

Originality/value

This research contributes valuable insights to historical managerial and accounting literature, shedding light on the financial resilience and strategies used by Benedictine monasteries. It underscores the enduring respectful legacy of their accounting practices and the unique interplay between spiritual devotion and organizational structure within these institutions.

Details

Journal of Management History, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1348

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Article
Publication date: 29 October 2021

Giada Mainolfi, Vittoria Marino and Riccardo Resciniti

The present study investigates the impact of perceived enjoyment, blogger credibility and homophily on readers' engagement. Moreover, the study investigates the role exerted by…

2477

Abstract

Purpose

The present study investigates the impact of perceived enjoyment, blogger credibility and homophily on readers' engagement. Moreover, the study investigates the role exerted by blog engagement on intentions to follow blogger's recommendations. Despite the growing relevance of these issues, past studies have neglected the relevance of a joint analysis of such dimensions within the context of food blogs.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical research builds on an online survey with a sample of 821 blog readers (353 Italian and 468 American). The proposed model was tested through structural equation modelling.

Findings

Results from a survey on Italian and American consumers show that perceived enjoyment and homophily have a significant effect on blog engagement, which, in turn, positively influences both intention to taste and visit. Moreover, blogger credibility does not show a significant influence on blog engagement for Italian and American followers.

Originality/value

The study contributes to a better understanding of the influence exerted by blog engagement on intention to follow blogger's recommendations. The study also examines perceived enjoyment, credibility and homophily as antecedents of engagement, which have not been extensively researched in the past with respect to food blogs.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 124 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 February 1945

W.O. HASSALL

The war cut off students in England from foreign countries at the same time as it awakened an increased interest in their affairs, and, compelling the inquirer to fall back on…

68

Abstract

The war cut off students in England from foreign countries at the same time as it awakened an increased interest in their affairs, and, compelling the inquirer to fall back on English or American resources in his studies, brought a realization of the deficiencies of our libraries. With the gradual re‐establishment of relations, it is worth assessing the situation revealed by the years of isolation, if only because this necessary task does not seem to be anybody's responsibility.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

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