Louis K. Falk, Robert W. Jones, Dawn E. Foster and Sharaf Rehman
This study examines the information content of Mexican and U.S. advertisements in a popular men's magazine to determine the relative levels of information content in the…
Abstract
This study examines the information content of Mexican and U.S. advertisements in a popular men's magazine to determine the relative levels of information content in the advertising. The research team examined a year's worth of the international and domestic editions of Playboy magazine, using a 14‐point information cue criteria. The study concluded that Mexican magazine advertisements are more informative than those in the U.S. editions. Additional conclusions indicated that information cues are markedly different with respect to frequency within the advertisements of the two countries.
Hector Gonzalez-Jimenez and Diego Costa Pinto
Grounded on the X Reality framework and human–machine collaboration, this study aims to explore the potential of immersive augmentation through artificial intelligence (AI…
Abstract
Purpose
Grounded on the X Reality framework and human–machine collaboration, this study aims to explore the potential of immersive augmentation through artificial intelligence (AI) service robots for promoting social inclusion in the hospitality industry.
Design/methodology/approach
Three experimental studies across diverse hospitality contexts examine the effects of immersive augmentation using inclusive-AI service robots compared to standard-AI robots. The studies also uncover the underlying process of perceived ethicality and the moderating role of customers’ familiarity with AI.
Findings
The results indicate that immersive augmentation through inclusive-AI service robots generates higher levels of supportive tipping behavior (Studies 1 and 3), superior buying intentions (Study 2) and an increased likelihood for customers to pay a premium price (Study 2). These effects are mediated by perceived ethicality (Studies 1–3). However, the impact of immersive augmentation for social inclusion is contingent upon customers’ familiarity with AI: customers with high familiarity with AI exhibit lower levels of supportive tipping behavior (Study 3).
Research limitations/implications
The findings emphasize the importance of perceived ethicality and customers’ familiarity with AI in determining the effectiveness of immersive augmentation for social inclusion in hospitality.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by exploring the potential of immersive augmentation using AI service robots for social inclusion in hospitality. It offers novel insights by highlighting the importance of perceived ethicality and customers’ familiarity with AI. The findings provide valuable guidance for hospitality managers seeking to leverage AI technology to foster social inclusion.
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KerryAnn O’Meara and Dawn Culpepper
Using the lens of social physics, this study aims to examine how, if at all, one graduate training program fostered collisions or meaningful interactions, between students and…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the lens of social physics, this study aims to examine how, if at all, one graduate training program fostered collisions or meaningful interactions, between students and faculty from different disciplinary backgrounds.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative, ethnographic case study methods.
Findings
The University of Maryland’s National Research Traineeship program fostered collisions between students and faculty from different disciplinary backgrounds by facilitating exploration, idea flow and engagement within an interdisciplinary scholarly community. These collisions generated productive opportunities for student learning, development and collaborations, but at times also produced non-generative outcomes.
Practical implications
This study names specific, strategic activities (e.g. regular research talks, physical space) that graduate programs can use to facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations among students and faculty and considers the extent to which such activities contribute to organizational change.
Originality/value
This paper applies new theories (collisions and social physics) to understanding interdisciplinary collaboration and identifies aspects of graduate training programs that may be replicable in other institutional settings.
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The pandemic presented many new challenges is all spheres of life including faith communities. Around the globe, lockdowns took pace at various stages with varying restrictions…
Abstract
Purpose
The pandemic presented many new challenges is all spheres of life including faith communities. Around the globe, lockdowns took pace at various stages with varying restrictions that included the closure of places of worship which significantly affected the way people serve God and gather as a community. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the wellbeing and resilience of members of Christian faith communities in Melbourne (Australia) who had experienced one of the longest lockdowns in the world.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors draw on online survey N = 106 collected between November 2021 and May 2021. Participants were over the age of 18 from Catholic, Anglican, Uniting Church, Baptist and Pentecostal/Evangelical faith communities. They employ thematic analysis to analyze, and code open-ended responses from four questions in relation to the research question: In what ways has your wellbeing been impacted during the pandemic?
Findings
Melbourne experienced one of the longest lockdown periods in the world between 2020 and 2021 when blended modes of worship forced people to congregate in new and different ways. The empirical insights of participants express their views in relation to celebrating faith and hope, connecting with community, pursuing leisure activities and pursuing leisure in relation to the PERMA model of wellbeing. The findings may resonate with other faith communities in Melbourne and around the globe. They may also lead to new and innovative ways of planning and envisioning modes of worship that may be helpful in a variety of faith contexts.
Research limitations/implications
The research was limited by its sample size (N = 106) and its geographical restriction of Christian faith communities in the Melbourne metropolitan area. This means that broad generalizations cannot be made. Nevertheless, the findings may resonate with other faith communities in Australian and in other parts of the world.
Practical implications
In highlighting the impact COVID-19 had in Australia and ways people balanced their sense of faith and wellbeing, this study raises concerns about the lack of funding that supports mental health initiatives in faith settings and the wider community. The study recommends that faith community leaders and members use informal communication channels to foster hope building wellbeing and resilience, and that pastoral care networks be established in the wider community to promote leisure activities that nurtures social connection, builds faith and resilience.
Social implications
Whilst the pandemic has provided new openings for members of faith communities to engage with God, the scriptures, each other and leisure, it remains “a balancing act of keeping the faith and maintaining wellbeing”. Such a balancing act may positively enliven a sense of wellbeing and resilience as people continue to navigate the uncertainty inherent in a milieu beginning to be named as “post-Covid”.
Originality/value
This is an original work carried out by the authors. It raises concerns about the lack of funding that supports mental health initiatives in faith settings and the wider community. While much research, news and social media discussed the pandemic's impact on communities, there is an urgent need for ongoing research that encourages, supports and connects people to faith and to leisure activities in order to promote a continued sense of wellbeing as communities begin to transition to a “post-Covid” world. This study contributes to the growing body of knowledge about the impact COVID-19 had in Australia and ways people balanced their sense of faith and wellbeing.
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Dawn Jutla, Peter Bodorik and Jasbir Dhaliwal
Government initiatives are continuously being designed to create stable and supportive environments for developing new industries. Presents a conceptual model for use by…
Abstract
Government initiatives are continuously being designed to create stable and supportive environments for developing new industries. Presents a conceptual model for use by governments in creating and sustaining an appropriate climate that facilitates the national adoption of e‐business. It focuses specifically on the needs of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Also suggests six categories of e‐business readiness metrics and measures to be used for assessing how a country is performing in terms of providing a positive e‐business readiness climate. Examples of innovative initiatives are provided from Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, and Singapore. Concludes that a balance among attention to infrastructure components has not yet been achieved in these countries.
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Dawn E. Chandler and Kathy E. Kram
To elaborate how an adult development perspective can further an understanding of mentoring (developmental) networks and their value to focal individuals in terms of the…
Abstract
Purpose
To elaborate how an adult development perspective can further an understanding of mentoring (developmental) networks and their value to focal individuals in terms of the developmental functions provided and outcomes such as personal learning, task performance and development.
Design/methodology/approach
The article utilizes Kegan's developmental stage theory to explore the implications of an adult development lens for individuals' mentoring networks.
Findings
Theoretical propositions suggest varying network structures among individuals at three of Kegan's latter stages of development: interpersonal, institutional, and interindividual, as well as implications for networks and stage on relationship dynamics.
Research limitations/implications
Several propositions are offered for future research that will help to illuminate what mentoring networks may look like at various adult development stages, as well as what organizations should consider as they go about fostering both formal and informal mentoring for their members.
Practical implications
Individuals should consider how their developmental stage may influence the relationships that they have, and those that they should seek to foster for continuous development. Organizations should consider stage of potential mentors and protégés when creating formal mentoring programs, and include opportunities for individuals to reflect on their own developmental stage as part of the self‐assessment and career development process.
Originality/value
The article identifies and describes an individual antecedent – one's developmental stage – that influences developmental relationship qualities and outcomes.
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The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the advantages of using intelligent agents to facilitate the location and customization of appropriate e‐learning resources and to foster…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the advantages of using intelligent agents to facilitate the location and customization of appropriate e‐learning resources and to foster collaboration in e‐learning environments.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes an e‐learning environment that can be used to provide customized learning. It utilizes a set of interacting agents that can personalize instruction based on an individual's prior knowledge as well as their cognitive and learning needs. The e‐learning agents monitor the e‐learning environment and improve learning and collaboration based on learners' prior knowledge, social characteristics and learning style.
Findings
E‐learning agents should allow the discovery of new learning objects more easily, allow learners to customize materials presented to improve learning outcomes, and improve collaboration in the e‐learning environment.
Originality/value
Little prior research has been done on the use of agents in e‐learning environments. This paper proposes a set of e‐learning agents that, if implemented in online education or training environments, should provide tangible benefits to organizations.
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Aaron Smith-Walter and Fatima Sparger Sharif
The zombie-plague apocalypse is a powerful social imaginary that focuses attention on the border between legitimate citizens and zombie “others.” The surge in the number of zombie…
Abstract
The zombie-plague apocalypse is a powerful social imaginary that focuses attention on the border between legitimate citizens and zombie “others.” The surge in the number of zombie apocalypse films provides an illuminating area for studying the role imagined for public administration by popular culture. The response to zombies in apocalyptic films brings to fore new realities with the re-conceptualization of the legitimacy and authority of government. This re-conceptualization provides content for analyzing the portrayal of existing governmental institutions overwhelmed by the apocalypse, including local governments, the military, public health agencies, emergency services, and public utilities,