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1 – 10 of 20Athanasios Michalis, Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos, Apostolos Papadopoulos and Vassiliki Costarelli
The study aims to have adults discuss experiences, practices needs and feelings related to health management, diet and food security.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to have adults discuss experiences, practices needs and feelings related to health management, diet and food security.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 22 immigrants were recruited from the Open School of Immigrants in Piraeus, Attica, Greece, to participate in focus group discussions. The discussions were audio recorded and thematically analyzed. Three major themes were developed: pathways to health care, nutrition management and experiences related to food shortages.
Findings
Most of the participants identified internet as the most commonly used way to obtain health advice; they also stated that unexpected ill-health is usually accompanied by feelings of fear, anxiety and loneliness. Immigrants, who had visited a public hospital in Greece, identified the language barrier as the most challenging issue, followed by the long waiting lists. Fear and anxiety of hospital visits was an important factor in their decision to vaccinate against COVID-19. Lack of time, high cost of healthy food and lack of knowledge were the most common obstacles to a healthy diet. One in two immigrants reported that they have faced food insecurity issues in the past. Stress, psychological distress and irritation were reported, due to food shortages, especially during the first few years of arriving in Greece. The exclusion of some foods, reduced portion sizes and buying cheaper foods were among the coping strategies to address food shortages.
Originality/value
The study offers an insight into immigrant’s experiences, practices and feelings about managing health issues and could be useful for health-care practitioners, researchers and policymakers.
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Charalambos Kasimis and Apostolos G. Papadopoulos
A series of changes have taken place over the past 20 years that have transformed the face of rural Greece. At the heart of these changes have been the rural farm household and…
Abstract
A series of changes have taken place over the past 20 years that have transformed the face of rural Greece. At the heart of these changes have been the rural farm household and the European agricultural and rural development policies.The processes of de-agriculturalization and rural restructuring in the early 1990s have been accompanied by ‘rurbanization’ and socio-economic integration of rural populations. These interrelated processes have internally transformed the rural areas, thus forming a ‘new rurality’ characterized by contraction of agriculture, expansion of tourism and construction, increased pluriactivity, increased employment of international migrant labour and the reorganization of farm family labour and operation. However, in the environment of economic crisis, the conditions of the ‘new rurality’ have been affected by falling incomes, contraction of public services and by a ‘back to the land’ movement. This ‘reverse mobility’ has the elements of both modernity and tradition: engagement with new methods of organization and work and rediscovery of traditional crops, products and cultures.The chapter will discuss the characteristics and dynamics of the changing physiognomy of rural Greece in the past 20 years focusing upon three paths: the de-agriculturalization of the countryside, the perplexity of rural mobilities and rural resilience during the economic crisis. The chapter moves from a theoretical analysis of these paths to a detailed account of secondary sources on the transformation of agriculture and the countryside in Greece before it discusses the implications of the crisis upon the population movements and the ‘rediscovery’ of the economic, social and cultural values of rurality.
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Kevin Östergård, Suvi Kuha and Outi Kanste
The purpose of this study is to identify and synthesise the best evidence on health-care leaders’ and professionals’ experiences and perceptions of compassionate leadership.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify and synthesise the best evidence on health-care leaders’ and professionals’ experiences and perceptions of compassionate leadership.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods systematic review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for mixed-methods systematic reviews using a convergent integrated approach. A systematic search was done in January 2023 in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Medic and MedNar databases. The results were reported based on Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. The data was analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
Ten studies were included in the review (five qualitative and five quantitative). The thematic analysis identified seven analytical themes as follows: treating professionals as individuals with an empathetic and understanding approach; building a culture for open and safe communication; being there for professionals; giving all-encompassing support; showing the way as a leader and as a strong professional; building circumstances for efficient work and better well-being; and growing into a compassionate leader.
Practical implications
Compassionate leadership can possibly address human resource-related challenges, such as health-care professionals’ burnout, turnover and the lack of patient safety. It should be taken into consideration by health-care leaders, their education and health-care organisations when developing their effectiveness.
Originality/value
This review synthesised the knowledge of compassionate leadership in health care and its benefits by providing seven core elements of health-care leaders’ and professionals’ experiences and perceptions of compassionate leadership.
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Spiros Pantelakis, Dorothea Setsika, Apostolos Chamos and Anna Zervaki
The purpose of this paper is to quantify the corrosion damage evolution that has occurred on the aircraft aluminum alloy 2024 after the exposure to Exfoliation Corrosion Test…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to quantify the corrosion damage evolution that has occurred on the aircraft aluminum alloy 2024 after the exposure to Exfoliation Corrosion Test (EXCO) solution. Moreover, the effect of the evolving corrosion damage on the materials mechanical properties has been assessed. The relevance of the corrosion damage induced by the exposure to the laboratory EXCO for linking it to the damage developed after the exposure of the material on several outdoor corrosive environments or in service is discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
To induce corrosion damage the EXCO has been used. For the quantification of corrosion damage the metallographic features considered have been pit depth, diameter, pitting density and pit shape. The effect of the evolving corrosion damage on the materials mechanical properties has been assessed by means of tensile tests on pre corroded specimens.
Findings
The results have shown that corrosion damage starts from pitting and evolves to exfoliation, after the development of intergranular corrosion. This evolution is expressed by the increase of the depth of attack, as well as through the significant growth of the diameter of the damaged areas. The results of the tensile tests performed on pre corroded material made an appreciable decrease of the materials tensile properties evident. The decrease of the tensile ductility may become dramatic and increases on severity with increasing corrosion exposure time. SEM fractography revealed a quasi-cleavage zone beneath the depth of corrosion attack.
Originality/value
The results underline the impact of corrosion damage on the mechanical behavior of the aluminum alloy 2024 T3 and demonstrate the need for further investigation of the corrosion effect on the structural integrity of the material. This work provides an experimental database concerning the quantification of corrosion damage evolution and the loss of material properties due to corrosion.
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Maria Mouratidou and Mirit K. Grabarski
The authors draw upon the kaleidoscope career model (KCM) to explore the career perceptions of public service employees in Greece.
Abstract
Purpose
The authors draw upon the kaleidoscope career model (KCM) to explore the career perceptions of public service employees in Greece.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative semistructured interviews were conducted with 33 civil servants.
Findings
The authors’ demonstrate how context frames career perceptions and propose an additional KCM parameter (security).
Research limitations/implications
This context-based study proposes an extension of the KCM theory beyond the original three parameters that were dominant at its inception.
Practical implications
The authors provide recommendations for human resource practices, such as empowerment through training, fair promotions and providing meaning. Despite the common perception, the need for challenge exists even within the public sector, such that satisfying it can help organizations to gain strategic advantage.
Originality/value
This study expands a prominent career theory by exploring it in a unique context. By doing that, the authors are able to better understand how the parameters of the model are readjusted in different settings and to uncover a previously unidentified theme.
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Paraskevi Theodorou, Apostolos Meliones, Kleomenis Tsiligkos and Michael Sfakianakis
People with visual impairments or blindness (PwVIB) are mostly excluded from tourism activities. Despite the rise of assistive technology (AT) solutions in Tourism, acceptance…
Abstract
Purpose
People with visual impairments or blindness (PwVIB) are mostly excluded from tourism activities. Despite the rise of assistive technology (AT) solutions in Tourism, acceptance remains low because of the difficulty of providing the right functionality, effectiveness and usability. Arguably, it can be said that disability-oriented training can affect the latter two and, therefore, an AT solution’s acceptance. This paper aims to contribute to the theory development and conceptualization of technology acceptance of AT solutions in Tourism by studying, in the context of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the effects of training PwVIB on using AT solutions. This study presents the effects of training on the tourism behavior of PwVIB and provides valuable information to the stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaire data collected from 128 PwVIB after evaluating an AT were subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling followed by post-evaluation interviews. The used application, called BlindMuseumTourer, enables high-precision autonomous indoor navigation for PwVIB in tourist places like museums and places of health care.
Findings
The results of this study indicate the partial satisfaction of the extended model validating the importance of performance expectancy and training (the new factor) in predicting the behavioral intention of PwVIB tourists toward using ATs during their tourist activities. This suggests that practitioners have to provide performant technological solutions accompanied by special training sessions for improved engagement and satisfaction.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the UTAUT theory in the context of Tourism for PwVIB by adding a new factor and replacing two moderator variables. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no similar work is studying AT acceptance by PwVIB in the tourism literature. Furthermore, the validation process used a novel indoor navigation application, demonstrating its effectiveness in the Tactual Museum of Greece.
目的
视障或失明人士(PwVIB)大多被排除在旅游活动之外。尽管辅助技术(AT)解决方案在旅游业中兴起, 但由于难以提供适当的功能、有效性和可用性, 接受度仍然很低。可以说, 以残疾为导向的培训会影响后两者, 从而影响对辅助技术解决方案的接受程度。本文旨在通过在技术接受和使用统一理论(UTAUT)的背景下, 研究培训 PwVIB 对使用 AT 解决方案的影响, 为旅游行业对 AT 解决方案的技术接受的理论发展和概念化做出贡献。本研究将介绍培训对 PwVIB 旅游行为的影响, 并为利益相关者提供有价值的信息。
研究方法
对 128 名无身份者在评估了辅助设施后收集的问卷数据进行了探索性因素分析、确认性因素分析和结构方程模型分析, 然后进行了评估后访谈。所采用的应用程序名为 “BlindMuseumTourer”, 可在博物馆和医疗场所等旅游景点为 PwVIB 提供高精度的自主室内导航。
研究结果
结果表明, 扩展模型的部分结果验证了性能预期和培训(新因素)在预测无障碍游客在旅游活动中使用自动视听设备的行为意向方面的重要性。这表明, 从业人员必须提供性能优越的技术解决方案, 并辅以专门的培训课程, 以提高参与度和满意度。
原创性
本研究通过增加一个新因素和替换两个调节变量, 为UTAUT 理论在无障碍游客旅游方面的应用做出了贡献。据我们所知, 在旅游文献中, 还没有类似的工作是研究 PwVIB 对 AT 的接受程度。此外, 在验证过程中还使用了一个新颖的室内导航应用程序, 并在希腊触觉博物馆展示了其有效性。
Objetivo
Las personas con discapacidad visual o ceguera (PwVIB) están excluidas en su mayoría de las actividades turísticas. A pesar del auge de las soluciones de tecnología de asistencia (TA) en el turismo, su aceptación sigue siendo baja debido a la dificultad de proporcionar la funcionalidad, eficacia y usabilidad adecuadas. Podría decirse que la formación orientada a la discapacidad puede afectar a las dos últimas y, por tanto, a la aceptación de una solución de TA. Este artículo pretende contribuir al desarrollo teórico y a la conceptualización de la aceptación de las soluciones de tecnología de apoyo en el turismo estudiando, en el contexto de la Teoría Unificada de la Aceptación y el Uso de la Tecnología (UTAUT), los efectos de la formación de las PwVIB en la utilización de las soluciones de tecnología de apoyo. El estudio presentará los efectos de la formación en el comportamiento turístico de las PwVIB y proporcionará información valiosa a las partes interesadas.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Los datos del cuestionario recogidos de 128 PwVIB tras la evaluación de una TA se sometieron a un Análisis Factorial Exploratorio y Confirmatorio y a un Modelado de Ecuaciones Estructurales, seguidos de entrevistas posteriores a la evaluación. La aplicación empleada, denominada BlindMuseumTourer, permite la navegación autónoma en interiores de alta precisión para PwVIB en lugares turísticos como museos y lugares de asistencia sanitaria.
Resultados
Los resultados indican la satisfacción parcial del modelo ampliado validando la importancia de la expectativa de rendimiento y la formación en la predicción de la intención conductual de los turistas PwVIB por lo que sugieren a los profesionales que las sesiones especiales de formación son esenciales para el compromiso y la satisfacción de los usuarios.
Originalidad/valor
Este estudio contribuye a la teoría UTAUT en el contexto del turismo para PwVIB añadiendo un nuevo factor y sustituyendo dos variables moderadoras. Hasta donde se sabe, no existe ningún trabajo similar que estudie la aceptación de la TA por parte de las PwVIB en la literatura sobre turismo. Además, en el proceso de validación se utilizó una novedosa aplicación de navegación en interiores que ha demostrado su eficacia en el Museo Táctico de Grecia.
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