Elizabeth Donnelly, Colby Valentine and Karen Oehme
The toll of the stresses of policing on officers’ physical and mental health and on their individual work and family functioning has been well documented in the literature. Given…
Abstract
Purpose
The toll of the stresses of policing on officers’ physical and mental health and on their individual work and family functioning has been well documented in the literature. Given the well-established consequences of work-related stress on law enforcement, it becomes important to understand how officers are utilizing institutional support systems. Specifically, the purpose of this paper is to elucidate the relationship between officers and Employee Assistant Programs (EAPs).
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from surveys attached to an online officer training targeting domestic violence in law enforcement families in a large southern state.
Findings
A total of n=934 participants were retained for analyses. Few respondents (16.2 percent) reported accessing their EAPs. Totally, 56.4 percent reported knowing enough about their EAP and how to access it; 33 percent of participants would not use their EAPs for domestic violence concerns. No significant differences among officers who did and did not access their EAPs for workplace stress, posttraumatic stress, alcohol use, or domestic violence were identified. Significant differences in alcohol use, posttraumatic stress, and operational stress were identified in those who reported not knowing enough about how to access their EAP.
Practical implications
Concrete suggestions are offered to help increase officers’ knowledge and understanding of the importance of mental health and EAPs. Agencies should consider a more comprehensive approach to mental health to ensure that officers get the help they need.
Originality/value
Very little is known about the relationship that law enforcement officers have with EAP services. This study sheds light on some important differences in work-related stress, stress reactions, and knowledge and familiarity with EAP services.
Renee R. Anspach and Sydney A. Halpern
Let us return to Nancy Cruzan's story. Hopeful that Nancy would eventually recover, her parents, Lester and Joyce Cruzan, agreed to have doctors insert a feeding tube to deliver…
Abstract
Let us return to Nancy Cruzan's story. Hopeful that Nancy would eventually recover, her parents, Lester and Joyce Cruzan, agreed to have doctors insert a feeding tube to deliver artificial hydration and nutrition – a decision they would one day regret. Although the Cruzans visited frequently, Nancy was unable to respond to their attention. After four years had elapsed, the Cruzans concluded that Nancy would never regain consciousness and should be allowed to die.
Emily M. Douglas and Kerry A. Lee
Approximately 1,750–2,000 children die in the United States annually because of child abuse or neglect. Official statistics show that women are more often the perpetrators of…
Abstract
Approximately 1,750–2,000 children die in the United States annually because of child abuse or neglect. Official statistics show that women are more often the perpetrators of abuse and neglect-related deaths, even though child welfare professionals largely attribute these deaths to men. Either acting alone or with another individual, mothers are responsible for roughly 60% of deaths and either together or alone, fathers are responsible for roughly 40% of deaths. Despite the consistency of this information, it is not widely accepted by child welfare workers – the professional group whose job it is to identify risk factors and to protect children from harm. Previous research shows that workers are more likely to believe that men are responsible for children’s deaths and that deaths are perpetrated by non-family members. In this chapter, we explore the potential explanations for workers’ misperceptions including the role of gender norms, ideology, confusion concerning how children die, and also which kinds of cases result in criminal charges and thus, shape the public’s understanding of fatal child maltreatment. Incomplete and inadequate information about the perpetration of maltreatment deaths potentially puts children at risk for future fatalities. Implications for child welfare and social service professionals, their training, and practice are discussed.
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AT the time of writing (Autumn 1966), those who are concerned with technical college libraries stand at a very interesting stage in the development of those services. I was…
Abstract
AT the time of writing (Autumn 1966), those who are concerned with technical college libraries stand at a very interesting stage in the development of those services. I was reminded of this fact the other day when I was lunching with one of the College Principals who had been concerned with the ATI Memorandum on College Libraries in 1937. (That, as you may know, was a very forward‐looking document and outlined objectives, not all of which have yet been attained.)
Elisabetta Savelli, Federica Murmura and Laura Bravi
The purpose of this study is to investigate how the different generations of consumers behave in the field of healthy and quality food consumption, considering their perceptions…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate how the different generations of consumers behave in the field of healthy and quality food consumption, considering their perceptions about healthy attributes and healthy eating style, what are the main trusted sources influencing consumption or the attention towards healthy and quality food, how do they behave towards healthy and quality foods and which benefits and barriers affect their consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this study were obtained from a questionnaire survey carried out over a six-month period in 2021. The questionnaire was administered online. The sampling procedure was based on a convenient non-random sampling method applied to the Italian population aged between 18 and 75 years old. The data collection process resulted in 1,646 completed questionnaires.
Findings
The results show that, in line with the theory of generational cohorts, each generation has its own specificities regarding food behaviour. The study reveals a highly sensitive approach towards healthy and quality food consumption from both Z-ers and the Baby Boomers, whilst X-ers are quite aligned with the other generations. Millennials show specific, sometimes contradictory, attitudes and habits.
Originality/value
The present results offer new insights into the analysis of healthy and quality food consumption, highlighting significant differences amongst generations, which can inspire public and private intervention aimed at encouraging the overall attention and consumption of healthy and quality food with related implications in terms of society's well-being and longevity improvements.
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Kamel Fantazy and Alaa-Aldin Abdul Rahim A. Al Athmay
The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of Islamic value on ethical behavior including other factors identified in the literature. The focus of the paper is to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of Islamic value on ethical behavior including other factors identified in the literature. The focus of the paper is to investigate to what extent does Islamic value impact ethical behavior of United Arab Emirates (UAE) university students.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on a quantitative approach using a questionnaire survey from 500 anonymous respondents covering five major universities within the UAE region. The identified constructs have been utilized to test a theoretical model using the structural equation modeling (SEM) technique.
Finding
The results revealed that education and code of ethics and Islamic values are dominant predictors to elevate ethical behavior, as well as the role of religion has a positive impact on ethical behavior. The survey results revealed a reverse relationship between new technology and ethical behavior.
Research limitations/implications
The measures of factors used to rate university students' perception of ethical behavior are a possible limitation of the research study.
Originality/value
No empirical study was found in the literature that specifically investigates the relationships between Islamic value and ethical behavior in the UAE region. The paper fills an important gap in the literature on ethics.
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Eyo Emmanuel Essien and Joseph A. Anyadighibe
Using public universities as research setting, this study explored whether perception of the prevalence of instrumental ethical climate (IEC) differ among employees based on their…
Abstract
Purpose
Using public universities as research setting, this study explored whether perception of the prevalence of instrumental ethical climate (IEC) differ among employees based on their gender, age, education levels, job tenure and status.
Design/methodology/approach
Structured survey questionnaires were used in collecting data, and responses from a final sample of 101 senior level university employees were used in the analysis.
Findings
Results of independent t-tests and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that although participants had a high overall perception of the presence of IEC in their organisations, statistically significant differences in perception were only found for the gender and education level groups. Furthermore, this research concludes that females are more perceptive of, and sensitive to, the existence of unethical decision-making conditions in their work place, compared to males employees; and that employees with low levels of education are more likely to perceive stronger levels of IECs in their work environment, compared to their more educated counterparts.
Research limitations/implications
Although the sample size is large enough for the kind of inferential analytical method employed in this study, it may not be representative of all the public universities in Nigeria. Furthermore, given that private organisations may encourage different ethical work climates than public establishments, the generalisability of our findings is limited.
Practical implications
To reduce unethical practices in public universities, more women should be encouraged to take up top decision-making positions.
Originality/value
Compared to the general business and public service fields, the current study is one of very few studies that empirically examined individual-level antecedents of ethical climate in African Universities.
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Given the considerable interest currently in the field of early childhood on ways culture influences children’s development, in this chapter I present findings from an…
Abstract
Given the considerable interest currently in the field of early childhood on ways culture influences children’s development, in this chapter I present findings from an ethnographic study I conducted over a six-month period that looks at cultural influences on children’s development. The study looks at 20 Mexican-American children living in a low-income neighborhood in a South Texas community. The children and their families were studied in three specific settings: the children’s homes, the neighborhood surrounding the children’s homes, and the Head Start Center the children attended which was located in the neighborhood. The children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years. Research methodology involved participant observation, informal interviewing, formal interviewing, and document analysis. The theories of Bronfenbrenner and Ogbu provide the framework for considering the cultural perspective in looking at children’s development. Numerous possible themes of cultural aspects as uniquely influencing children’s development emerged from the study’s data collection. The theme I address in this chapter is the adults’ use of names when addressing children. The findings of the study are also compared to the criterion of cultural diversity in Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs (Bredekamp & Copple, 1997). Implications for future research and early childhood practice are also presented. Finally, I suggest a new metaphor for looking at culture and its influence on child development.
John Aliu and Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa
Universities have become training centres or “academic hubs” where skilled labour for societal and global consumptions are continuously produced. More so, the quality of teaching…
Abstract
Purpose
Universities have become training centres or “academic hubs” where skilled labour for societal and global consumptions are continuously produced. More so, the quality of teaching (pedagogy) provided by universities is essential in enhancing the skills, expertise and competencies of students who are required to meet the needs of the construction industry after graduation. Hence, the purpose of this study is to assess employers’ level of satisfaction with the employability skills of built-environment graduates in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative approach was adopted for this study with close-ended questionnaires administered to respondents drawn from professionals in the Nigerian construction industry. Out of 150 questionnaires disseminated, 131 were completed and 126 were usable, signifying an 87% response rate. Data from this research were analysed using descriptive and exploratory factor analysis.
Findings
Employers are seemingly satisfied with the sound academic record of built-environment graduates. They also affirmed their contentment with graduates’ willingness to learn and the way they achieve tasks with positive results. However, they expressed their dissatisfaction with the graduates’ prior work experience, communication skills and technical competencies in handling industry tasks effectively.
Research limitations/implications
Data was collected from construction professions across two cities – Abuja and Lagos. Because of the limited budget allocated for this study, other regions were not considered. Because of time and financial implications, it was extremely impossible to visit all 36 states. It is, therefore, impossible to generalise the results of this research to the larger population. In generalising the results on a larger scale, the study would have to factor in a more diverse sample to ensure it is more representative. A more diverse sample may mitigate any possible bias that may arise from a self-administered questionnaire.
Practical implications
From the survey results obtained from the respondents, it was observed that general knowledge about local and global trends, management skills, teamwork skills, work experience, communication skills, critical thinking skills, numeracy skills and civic responsibility are among the major non-academic skills lacking among built-environment graduates. This places significant pressures on universities in Nigeria to revisit and revamp its curricula in developing these skills among students who require them to thrive in the construction industry.
Originality/value
Although the subject of employability has been adequately discussed across various fields (accountancy, psychology, management, business, marketing, etc.), there exist limited research studies in the built-environment context, a gap, which this study aims to fill. This study also provides several approaches through which employability skills can be developed.