Search results

This paper describes qualitative research evaluating the impacts of parkrun in a female prison. The extended methodology section explains why HMPPS psychologists have been ideally suited to investigate custodial parkrun whilst successfully partnering with a range of stakeholders, conferring benefits that could not have been achieved in any other way.

Purposive sampling resulted in 15 semi-structured interviews with prisoner parkrunners and volunteers at a women’s prison in England.

A range of highly positive parkrun experiences were described, which were grouped into four themes with sub-themes; improved mental and physical health, a sense of purpose, enhanced connections to others and stabilisation in prison. Women struggled when custodial parkrun was inconsistently delivered.

Custodial parkrun offers an opportunity for women to develop factors underpinning health and well-being, harnesses elements which engage women in physical activity and mitigates some gendered barriers to exercise. The findings also describe factors which are important to desistance, the development of a rehabilitation culture, self-determination theory (Ryan and Deci, 2000) and a trauma-informed approach. The opportunity for women to participate in parkrun through the gate may offer an important and sustainable “catalyst for change” (Maruna, 2001, p. 96).

The paper discusses how parkrun might be further utilised across the female prison estate. It adds to the evidence base regarding the benefits of physical activity for women, which might be considered when developing a sports strategy specific to the female estate. Additionally, HMPPS managers hoping to further develop the rehabilitation culture in their establishment might be persuaded as to the benefits of parkrun in this regard. Finally, the work provides an exemplar of how HMPPS psychologists can work with stakeholders to enhance practice evaluations.

This is only the second published research paper focusing on the impacts of parkrun in the custodial estate, and the first looking at women. Additionally, its inclusion in this Special Edition mean it is among the first published works describing how HMPPS psychologists can successfully partner with stakeholders to support evidence-based practice.

Cara Pils is the private label beer brand of Colruyt, the biggest supermarket retailer in Belgium. As a true private label brand, Cara Pils has never been advertised. In 2015, Colruyt undertook an initiative to reposition its numerous private label brands under two larger private label brands. Unexpectedly, customers were incensed by this initiative, came out in droves and took the matter to social media hoping to lament the demise of their beloved brand. This case study investigates the roots of this strong brand attachment and the consequences for its brand management.

This case is built on primary (one in-depth interview and two focus group) as well as secondary data sources (previous research and web information).

This case is designed to be used in a marketing management or brand strategy course for students that already followed an introduction to marketing course or for students at a master level.

This case should provide the basis of discussions on the topics of brand management, private-label brands, repositioning strategy, brand portfolio management, brand architecture, brand equity, brand elements, brand nostalgia, and consumers’ relationships with brands.

The ceramic tile chain can generate several environmental impacts, from raw material extraction to the production process, commercialization, consumption, maintenance and disposal. One of the open issues remaining in the literature on socially responsible supply chains, also known as responsible supply chains, is understanding how corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices are being implemented in ceramic tile companies in Brazil.

The method adopted is a multiple-case study. The authors conducted face-to-face interviews with six ceramic producers and a trade association. The authors also conducted eight interviews with specialists in the ceramic sector. They are two university professors, two class association representatives, one professional from a technological institute, two representatives of the inspection body and one supplier.

Companies perform on a compliance basis, manifesting a less proactive position when the subject is CSR. In addition, the CSR practices established by the companies are preferably aimed at reducing costs and risks and increasing reputation. Practices in terms of eco-design are linked to lowering costs and growing reputation, as seen from the reduction in the use of inputs and improvements in packaging to minimize costs. These practices improve the company’s reputation from the consumers' perspective. Environmental aspects are dominant due to the legislation.

This paper contributes theoretically since it identifies, from the companies' perspective, the CSR practices related to risk, cost reduction and reputation increase. There are also opportunities to be explored for facilitating their efforts towards a sustainable business model, especially considering the social dimension. From a managerial perspective, this paper provides some input for implementing CSR actions, mainly regarding their implications for society and local communities.

La cadena de revestimiento cerámico puede generar diversos impactos ambientales, desde la extracción de la materia prima hasta el proceso de producción, comercialización, consumo, mantenimiento y disposición. Una de las cuestiones abiertas que quedan en la literatura sobre cadenas de suministro socialmente responsables, también conocidas como cadenas de suministro responsables, es comprender cómo se están implementando prácticas de responsabilidad social empresarial en las empresas de revestimientos cerámicos en Brasil.

El método utilizado en el estudio es un estudio de casos múltiples. Realizamos entrevistas cara a cara con 6 productores de cerámica y una asociación comercial. También recibimos información de 8 especialistas representantes de organizaciones relacionadas con el sector cerámico; 2 profesores universitarios; 2 representantes de asociaciones de clase; 1 profesional de instituto tecnológico; 2 representantes del organismo de control; y 1 proveedor de esmaltes.

Las empresas actúan sobre la base del cumplimiento, manifestando una posición menos proactiva cuando el tema es la RSE. Además, las prácticas de RSC establecidas por las empresas están preferentemente encaminadas a la reducción de costes y riesgos y al aumento de la reputación. Las prácticas en materia de ecodiseño están esencialmente ligadas a la reducción de costos y al aumento de la reputación, a partir de la reducción en el uso de insumos y mejoras en los empaques para minimizar costos. Estas prácticas mejoran la reputación de la empresa desde la perspectiva de los consumidores. Los aspectos ambientales son dominantes debido a la legislación.

Este trabajo aporta teóricamente ya que identifica, desde la perspectiva de las empresas, las prácticas de RSE relacionadas con el riesgo, la reducción de costos y el aumento de la reputación. También hay oportunidades por explorar para facilitar sus esfuerzos hacia un modelo de negocio sostenible, especialmente teniendo en cuenta la dimensión social. Desde la perspectiva gerencial, este documento proporciona algunos insumos para la toma de decisiones sobre la implementación de acciones de RSE, principalmente en lo que respecta a las implicaciones para la sociedad y las comunidades locales.

The purpose of this paper is to share findings from empirically driven conceptual research into the implications for English teachers of understanding generative AI as a “tool” for writing.

The paper reports early findings from an Australian National Survey of English teachers and interrogates the notion of the AI writer as “tool” through intersectional feminist discursive-material analysis of the metaphorical entailments of the term.

Through this work, the authors have developed the concept of “coloniser tool-thinking” and juxtaposed it with First Nations and feminist understandings of “tools” and “objects” to demonstrate risks to the pursuit of social and planetary justice through understanding generative AI as a tool for English teachers and students.

Bringing together white and First Nations English researchers in dialogue, the paper contributes a unique perspective to challenge widespread and common-sense use of “tool” for generative AI services.

Inspired by a framework about the insertion of sustainable development in business strategy proposed by Steurer et al., the purpose of this article is to describe the Caras do Brasil (Faces of Brazil) program, highlighting its characteristics and how these can contribute to a new interpretation of the framework initially proposed.

A posteriori longitudinal research was undertaken with the first phase containing the theoretical research and the second phase containing the study of the Caras do Brasil (Faces of Brazil) program, which was designed as an incentive for the commercial development of small producers.

The present case demonstrates two characteristics that give reason to refine the framework proposed by Steurer et al. stakeholder pressures (either transactional or interactional) present differently; and the pressure of stakeholders is predominantly related to social concerns, rather than the predominance of environmental concerns stated by Steurer et al.

The study limited itself to a posteriori data collection of the presented case, given that it was impossible to follow the program regularly from its implementation. The results were generated through the perspectives of employees in the sustainable development department of the Pão de Açucar Group, in view of the fact that it was not possible to interview each of the stakeholders involved.

For managers of many companies, the case can be considered an example of programs that seek to develop commercial activities with producers of poorer regions through the equilibrium of the economic, social and environmental dimensions.

The article demonstrates the differences of interpretation of the framework proposed by Steurer et al. when it is used to analyze a business program in a southern country such as Brazil. Separating transactional and interactional stakeholders grants the framework a higher level of detail.

The increasing accumulation of synthetic plastic waste in oceans and landfills, along with the depletion of non-renewable fossil-based resources, has sparked environmental concerns and prompted the search for environmentally friendly alternatives. Biodegradable plastics derived from lignocellulosic materials are emerging as substitutes for synthetic plastics, offering significant potential to reduce landfill stress and minimise environmental impacts. This study highlights a sustainable and cost-effective solution by utilising agricultural residues and invasive plant materials as carbon substrates for the production of biopolymers, particularly polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), through microbiological processes. Locally sourced residual materials were preferred to reduce transportation costs and ensure accessibility. The selection of suitable residue streams was based on various criteria, including strength properties, cellulose content, low ash and lignin content, affordability, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, shelf-life, mechanical and physical properties, short maturation period, antibacterial properties and compatibility with global food security. Life cycle assessments confirm that PHB dramatically lowers CO₂ emissions compared to traditional plastics, while the growing use of lignocellulosic biomass in biopolymeric applications offers renewable and readily available resources. Governments worldwide are increasingly inclined to develop comprehensive bioeconomy policies and specialised bioplastics initiatives, driven by customer acceptability and the rising demand for environmentally friendly solutions. The implications of climate change, price volatility in fossil materials, and the imperative to reduce dependence on fossil resources further contribute to the desirability of biopolymers. The study involves fermentation, turbidity measurements, extraction and purification of PHB, and the manufacturing and testing of composite biopolymers using various physical, mechanical and chemical tests.

‘It is incorrect to view the recovery of the profits of unlawful activity as a part of the criminal justice process and, as such, justifiable only on the basis of a prior finding of guilt according to the criminal standard of proof beyond reasonable doubt.’

The current study examines developing racial attitudes among a group of African American adolescents. Data for this study include 28 open-ended, qualitative interviews with African American adolescents (64% girls, 36% boys) in Detroit, Michigan, and were drawn from a larger study in which these adolescents and their mothers were interviewed about racial socialization. Data analysis shows adolescents' racial attitudes to be ambivalent and influenced by the dissonance between “color-blind” rhetoric – the idea that “race doesn't matter” – and their everyday experiences, in which race does matter in important ways. Adolescents' reports of racial attitudes and experiences with racism frequently include travel anecdotes, which reveal how place, travel, and negotiating the color line influence their developing ideas about race. The findings suggest that sources beyond parental socialization strongly affect adolescents' developing racial attitudes and identities and that young people's voices should be further utilized in studies examining these issues.

The Archers is a much-loved soap opera which relies entirely on audio outputs: on actors speaking and listeners listening. Despite this, many silent characters populate the drama. In fact, from Rosaline in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet to Godot in Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, and not forgetting Tracey the barmaid in Eastenders, silent characters have long played a crucial role in dramatic productions, an influence all the more acutely felt if they are unseen as well as unheard. Therefore, using key examples of silent characters, and with reference to Freda Fry in particular, I discuss the expanding role and influence of the silent characters in The Archers. In addition, by invoking philosophies of language and silence, I will suggest they have an influence and potency in the storylines that speaking actors should envy, and that Freda Fry reigns supreme over all others.

In this chapter, we consider how the character of Rob Titchener has been developed in The Archers, moving him from hero of the hour to villain of the piece. We draw on a critical disability studies’ perspective to argue that ability and disability have been crucial in turning the character of Rob from the desirable and attractive man who first arrived in the village into a national hate figure, despised by all. We begin this analysis by introducing critical disability studies and studies of ableism as fields of academic inquiry. We then draw on these resources to offer an analysis of the ways in which ability and disability were used as a narrative device to develop Rob’s character. We question the ways in which ability and disability are used to denote ‘good’ and ‘evil’ in the development of characters in cultural texts like The Archers, and end with a plea to scriptwriters to engage differently with dis/ability and to consider the impact of the stories we tell on the everyday lives of disabled people.