Angel F. González, Catherine Curtis, Isaac J. Washburn and Abhijeet R. Shirsat
The purpose of this paper is to empirically test an existing conceptual model from Mak et al. (2012a, 2012b) to discern which factors have the most influence on food choices when…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically test an existing conceptual model from Mak et al. (2012a, 2012b) to discern which factors have the most influence on food choices when travelers visit destinations with different options, i.e. local foods, other than those available in their home environments.
Design/methodology/approach
The quantitative study surveyed 330 travelers and used descriptive analyses of all the variables involved. A hierarchical linear regression was calculated to predict for the dependent variable of local cuisine consumption, based on the independent variables of culture and religion, socio-demographic factors, motivational factors, food trait personality and exposure effect/past experience.
Findings
Culture, motivational factors and food-related personality traits were consistently significant predictors of local food consumption.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations include using an English-only online questionnaire and self-reported bias. The impacting delimitation relates to data collection from US travelers and thus limiting generalizability findings.
Practical implications
The study explained factors involved in travelers’ decision to consume local foods at a destination. Government, tourism-related organizations, producers and service providers gain information to improve products, increase interest, create additional employment opportunities, increase tax revenues that assist local communities and increase consumption of local foods, products and services.
Originality/value
The limited availability of research on this topic prompted the interest of the researchers. Mak et al. (2012b) provide a conceptual model that was first tested empirically in this study. It presents a five factors impacting tourist food consumption at a destination. Local food consumption of tourists was tested using the aforementioned conceptual model.
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Abhijeet R. Shirsat, Angel F. González and Judith J. May
This study aims to understand the allure and danger of fake news in social media environments and propose a theoretical model of the phenomenon.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the allure and danger of fake news in social media environments and propose a theoretical model of the phenomenon.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative research study used the uses and gratifications theory (UGT) approach to analyze how and why people used social media during the 2016 US presidential election.
Findings
The thematic analysis revealed people were gratified after using social media to connect with friends and family and to gather and share information and after using it as a vehicle of expression. Participants found a significant number of fake news stories on social media during the 2016 US presidential election. Participants tried to differentiate between fake news and real news using fact-checking websites and news sources and interacted with the social media users who posted fake news and became part of the echo chamber. Behaviors like these emerged in the analysis that could not be completely explained by UGT and required further exploration which resulted in a model that became the core of this study.
Research limitations/implications
This is a small-scale exploratory study with eight diverse participants, findings should not be generalized to larger populations. Time-specific self-reporting of information from social media and fake news during the 2016 US presidential election. Upgrading public policies related to social media is recommended in the study, contributing to burgeoning policy discussions and provides recommendations for both purveyors of social media and public policymakers.
Practical implications
Upgrade in public policies related to social media is recommended in the study and contributes to burgeoning policy discussions and provides recommendations for both purveyors of social media and public policymakers.
Social implications
Social media users are spending increased time on their preferred platforms. This study increases the understanding of the nature, function and transformation of virtual social media environments and their effects on real individuals, cultures and societies.What is original/of value about the paper?This exploratory study establishes the foundation on which to expand research in the area of social media use and fake news.
Originality/value
This exploratory study establishes the foundation to expand research in the area of social media use and fake news.
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Uncertainty is one of the principal features of public administration in Colombia. Therefore, presenting a clear and consistent analysis is difficult. This uncertainty exists…
Abstract
Uncertainty is one of the principal features of public administration in Colombia. Therefore, presenting a clear and consistent analysis is difficult. This uncertainty exists alongside interesting efforts to modernize institutions. Among the challenges faced by public administration in Colombia, we find corruption, illegal bands of drug traffickers, and the lack of trust between critical actors involved in governance. The aim of this chapter is to share an analysis that illustrates the difficulties and contradictions faced by those working in the public sector.
“Colombia is a legal social state organized in the form of a unitary republic, decentralized, with the autonomy of its territorial units, democratic, participatory, and pluralistic, based on respect of human dignity, on the work and solidarity of the individuals who belong to it, and the predominance of the general interest” (National Constitution, 1st Article).
“Colombia is a legal social state organized in the form of a unitary republic, decentralized, with the autonomy of its territorial units, democratic, participatory, and pluralistic, based on respect of human dignity, on the work and solidarity of the individuals who belong to it, and the predominance of the general interest” (National Constitution, 1st Article).
Anna Berardi, Giovanni Galeoto, Rachele Simeon, Riccardo Bandiera, Giovanni Sellitto, Jesús Ángel Seco Calvo and Jeronimo González-Bernal
The purpose of this study was to research studies in the literature regarding the role of the occupational therapist within penitentiary facilities.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to research studies in the literature regarding the role of the occupational therapist within penitentiary facilities.
Design/methodology/approach
The study design is a systematic review using five different databases.
Findings
Findings can therefore ascertain the potential role of occupational therapists in penitentiary institutions because they can contribute to the rehabilitation of prisoners both inside and outside prisons with a view to their reintegration into society.
Research limitations/implications
It is necessary for clinical practice, and especially to increase the health of people within prisons, to update the occupational therapist interventions in the literature that are effective within prisons.
Practical implications
According to this study, the intervention of occupational therapists in the prison setting reduces recidivism and contributes to social and work reintegration. This has positive effects in terms of costs related to incarceration.
Originality/value
Findings can therefore ascertain the potential role of occupational therapists in penitentiary institutions because they can contribute to the rehabilitation of prisoners both inside and outside prisons with a view to their reintegration into society.
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Miguel Ángel Caminero, Ana Romero Gutiérrez, Jesús Miguel Chacón, Eustaquio García-Plaza and Pedro José Núñez
The extrusion-based additive manufacturing method followed by debinding and sintering steps can produce metal parts efficiently at a relatively low cost and material wastage. In…
Abstract
Purpose
The extrusion-based additive manufacturing method followed by debinding and sintering steps can produce metal parts efficiently at a relatively low cost and material wastage. In this study, 316L stainless-steel metal filled filaments were used to print metal parts using the extrusion-based fused filament fabrication (FFF) approach. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of common FFF printing parameters on the geometric and mechanical performance of FFF manufactured 316L stainless-steel components.
Design/methodology/approach
The microstructural characteristics of the metal filled filament, three-dimensional (3D) printed green parts and final sintered parts were analysed. In addition, the dimensional accuracy of the green parts was evaluated, as well as the hardness, tensile properties, relative density, part shrinkage and the porosity of the sintered samples. Moreover, surface quality in terms of surface roughness after sintering was assessed. Predictive models based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) were used for characterizing dimensional accuracy, shrinkage, surface roughness and density. Additionally, the response surface method based on ANNs was applied to represent the behaviour of these parameters and to identify the optimum 3D printing conditions.
Findings
The effects of the FFF process parameters such as build orientation and nozzle diameter were significant. The pore distribution was strongly linked to the build orientation and printing strategy. Furthermore, porosity decreased with increased nozzle diameter, which increased mechanical performance. In contrast, lower nozzle diameters achieved lower roughness values and average deviations. Thus, it should be noted that the modification of process parameters to achieve greater geometrical accuracy weakened mechanical performance.
Originality/value
Near-dense 316L austenitic stainless-steel components using FFF technology were successfully manufactured. This study provides print guidelines and further information regarding the impact of FFF process parameters on the mechanical, microstructural and geometric performance of 3D printed 316L components.
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Enrique González-Muñoz, Miguel Ángel Gallardo-Vigil and José Gutiérrez-Pérez
In this study, we assessed the educational value and efficacy of a virtual educational escape room (VEER), called “The Mysterious Disappearance”, for training pre-service teachers.
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, we assessed the educational value and efficacy of a virtual educational escape room (VEER), called “The Mysterious Disappearance”, for training pre-service teachers.
Design/methodology/approach
“The Mysterious Disappearance” was developed ad hoc and contains various activities and puzzles focussing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The research will evaluate the design quality and satisfaction of 193 participants regarding the VEER, their perceptions of game-based learning (GBL) and analyse which soft skills are most used and which valence typology (positive/pleasant or negative/unpleasant emotions) has the greatest impact on players’ experience. Descriptive, exploratory factor and inferential analyses are employed.
Findings
The study indicates that the VEER is rated very positively by pre-service teachers. Overall satisfaction levels are high, and the resource and methodology are perceived as favourable. The design quality of the resource is also well rated, with participants perceiving it as a challenging but engaging and well-balanced. Participation in the VEER shows several benefits, especially in cognitive and motivational areas. The participants demonstrated high levels of soft skills utilisation. The resource elicits predominantly positive and pleasurable emotions. Finally, there is a positive perception towards GBL among pre-service teachers, both as students and future teachers.
Originality/value
This study employs a multivariate analysis, using a questionnaire comprising three scales. This study’s dual focus on participants’ perceptions, as current Students and Future teachers, provides insights into their potential role as designers/implementers. Findings contribute to the ongoing development of academic hypotheses, particularly by highlighting the increased motivation linked to VEER use and its positive impact on learning. Designed with the SDG framework, the game enhances teachers' engagement with the 2030 Agenda, supporting their professional development and promotes values related to sustainability. The VEER was developed ad hoc by one of the authors, and the study has potential implications for numerous fields and areas of research.
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This chapter is an autoethnographic account of my journey from a working-class childhood and youth to becoming an academic in a large UK university. Using the techniques of…
Abstract
This chapter is an autoethnographic account of my journey from a working-class childhood and youth to becoming an academic in a large UK university. Using the techniques of poetics (Bachelard, 2004), the chapter focuses on several pivotal periods in my life, where I encountered a sequence of events that were to influence my journey towards transformation. Back in my early 20s, I knew that I wanted to change and to grow in new directions; however, infused with a particular heritage, set of experiences and cultural values – none of which embraced, recognised or understood learning and university as a possibility – I struggled to make sense of my feelings of frustration and being stranded. This is where my strange fascination with the airport, music, daydream and the notion of flight emerged (see Bachelard, 2011; Seres, 1993). Here, the nebulous and seemingly futile ache for an alternative and better future emerged as a potent hope and journey towards transition.
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Rosa Marina González, Concepción Román and Ángel Simón Marrero
The exponential growth in the number of visitors and the mass-tourism mobility patterns in natural areas are causing serious issues such as traffic congestion, crowding in car…
Abstract
The exponential growth in the number of visitors and the mass-tourism mobility patterns in natural areas are causing serious issues such as traffic congestion, crowding in car parks, pollution, high noise levels, and traffic accidents. In order to redress this situation, demand management policies that propose more sustainable transportation systems are crucial. In this chapter, the authors summarize extensive research carried out in Teide National Park (Canary Islands, Spain), the most visited national park in Spain, one of the most visited in the world, and a clear example of a natural area under pressure from mass tourism. The authors present the current situation of the natural site and three scientific contributions based on a survey combining revealed and stated preferences that analyzes visitor preferences with regard to the use of sustainable transportation systems. The first study analyzes visitors’ preferences regarding the implementation of a public bicycle-sharing system. The second study explores visitors’ willingness to pay to reduce the environmental impact of their visit and the potential implementation of a shuttle-bus service. The third study investigates the recreational economic value of the site. The chapter provides useful information for decision-makers who need to address problems associated with the unsustainable visitor mobility and reports results that can be extrapolated to other natural parks with similar characteristics and high inflow of tourists.