Alison Preston, Elisa Birch and Andrew R. Timming
The purpose of this paper is to document the wage effects associated with sexual orientation and to examine whether the wage gap has improved following recent institutional…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to document the wage effects associated with sexual orientation and to examine whether the wage gap has improved following recent institutional changes which favour sexual minorities.
Design/methodology/approach
Ordinary least squares and quantile regressions are estimated using Australian data for 2010–2012 and 2015–2017, with the analysis disaggregated by sector of employment. Blinder–Oaxaca decompositions are used to quantify unexplained wage gaps.
Findings
Relative to heterosexual men, in 2015–2017 gay men in the public and private sectors had wages which were equivalent to heterosexual men at all points in the wage distribution. In the private sector: highly skilled lesbians experienced a wage penalty of 13 per cent; low-skilled bisexual women faced a penalty of 11 per cent, as did bisexual men at the median (8 per cent penalty). In the public sector low-skilled lesbians and low-skilled bisexual women significant experienced wage premiums. Between 2010–2012 and 2015–2017 the pay position of highly skilled gay men has significantly improved with the convergence driven by favourable wage (rather than composition) effects.
Practical implications
The results provide important benchmarks against which the treatment of sexual minorities may be monitored.
Originality/value
The analysis of the sexual minority wage gaps by sector and position on the wage distribution and insight into the effect of institutions on the wages of sexual minorities.
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Elisa Rose Birch and Paul W. Miller
This paper aims to investigate the determinants of taking out government‐funded student loans for university study in Australia.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the determinants of taking out government‐funded student loans for university study in Australia.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses an ordered probit model to quantify the influence of the various factors which affect students' decisions on funding their tertiary study using student loans or through other means.
Findings
The study finds that the probability of taking out student loans for the full cost of university is largely influenced by students' socioeconomic status. Other major influences on this decision include students' demographic and university enrolment characteristics.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of the work is that only a neighbourhood (rather than an individual‐level) measure of socioeconomic status was available, and future research should seek to address this.
Practical implications
The research shows that the parameters of loan schemes do not seem to be able to over‐ride the influence that family background has on loan taking behaviour. That is, poor students use loans regardless of the parameters of the loans scheme in order to overcome short‐term credit constraints. In other words, these student loan schemes channel funds to those without other means of funding their higher education.
Originality/value
By showing the impact that income contingent provisions have on loan taking behaviour, the paper informs policy makers of potential impacts from modifying loans schemes to reflect this characteristic.
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Federico D’Onofrio and Gerardo Serra
This symposium analyses the mutually constitutive relationship between economic knowledge and political order. Through a wide range of case studies from Europe, Africa, and Latin…
Abstract
This symposium analyses the mutually constitutive relationship between economic knowledge and political order. Through a wide range of case studies from Europe, Africa, and Latin America, the essays collected shed new light on the choices and constraints faced by economists under authoritarian rule in the twentieth century. The contribution of the symposium is twofold. Firstly, it expands the geographical and chronological scope of the conversation on the politics of economics. Secondly, it encourages a more nuanced understanding of economists’ agency in their different guises as educators, party propagandists, policy-makers, model-builders, and dissidents.
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Patricia A. Greenfield, Ronald J. Karren and Lawrence S. Zacharias
Every employer, unless he or she has no pool of applicants orpotential applicants to choose from, engages in hiring choices. Whilethe hiring process may vary, both from one…
Abstract
Every employer, unless he or she has no pool of applicants or potential applicants to choose from, engages in hiring choices. While the hiring process may vary, both from one employer to another and from one job to another, some form of screening occurs. In recent years, students of management have noted the proliferation of screening practices in the hiring process, especially in bringing new technologies such as medical and drug testing procedures. Testing and other screening practices, while wide‐ranging both with respect to their ends and means, have raised consistent patterns of concern among job‐seekers, public policy makers and managers themselves. In this monograph a variety of methods of screening and issues of public policy raised by screening procedures are discussed. An overview of United States law regulating the screening process is provided, together with future directions in the area of screening in the US.
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Anna Schreuer, Annina Elisa Thaller and Alfred Posch
This paper aims to explore the manoeuvring room of higher education institutions to take action to reduce emissions from academic flying. In particular, this study investigates…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the manoeuvring room of higher education institutions to take action to reduce emissions from academic flying. In particular, this study investigates how university staff and central actors in university management evaluate potential measures in this area.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors applied a single case study design encompassing an online survey directed at staff (N = 338) and 11 semi-structured interviews with key actors from management at an Austrian university. The authors used descriptive statistics and qualitative content analysis to examine the data.
Findings
This study found considerable support among university staff in principle for implementing measures to reduce academic flying, but also serious concerns about the fairness and viability of some restrictive measures, especially disincentives and caps on flying. However, bans on short-haul flights were largely supported. Actors from university management saw their manoeuvring room limited by the potential resistance and non-compliance of staff, as well as by framework conditions external to the university.
Practical implications
Dedicated leadership is needed to facilitate broad commitment within the university and to avoid shifting the responsibility between different governance levels. Restrictive measures to reduce academic air travel will be more readily accepted if perceived as fair and viable.
Originality/value
Although several papers have addressed the behavioural and institutional factors that sustain extensive flying in academia, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first contributions to investigate the potentials and challenges of introducing measures to reduce air travel in higher education institutions.
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Jessica Ayensu, Reginald Adjetey Annan, Anthony Edusei and Herman Lutterodt
Edible insects have emerged as a promising inexpensive option to address malnutrition among vulnerable groups in the world. However, it is not clear whether including insects in…
Abstract
Purpose
Edible insects have emerged as a promising inexpensive option to address malnutrition among vulnerable groups in the world. However, it is not clear whether including insects in diets can improve health outcomes. This paper aimed to investigate the impact of edible insect consumption on human health.
Design/methodology/approach
A search was conducted in PubMed Central, BioMed Central, Plosone, Cochrane, Google Scholar, Google Search and bibliographies for all human studies on the impact of edible insect consumption on human health published from January 1990 to April 2018.
Findings
Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria. Consumption of cereals fortified with edible insects improved iron status and growth in infants and led to the development of life threatening anaphylactic reactions in sensitive people.
Practical implications
Edible insects are nutritious. More rigorous studies are needed to confirm nutrient bioavailability, acceptability and nutritional benefits in humans.
Originality/value
This review shows that the utilization of edible insects as food promotes desirable health outcomes, but caution must be taken to prevent allergic reactions in some cases.
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Francisco José Torres-Ruiz, Elisa Garrido-Castro and María Gutiérrez-Salcedo
Consumer knowledge has been one of the most studied variables in marketing due to its strong influence on consumer behaviour. Knowledge level has traditionally been measured…
Abstract
Purpose
Consumer knowledge has been one of the most studied variables in marketing due to its strong influence on consumer behaviour. Knowledge level has traditionally been measured through objective knowledge and the number of correct answers in a battery of items about product characteristics. The authors argue that this analysis could be complemented with other information, that is, the structure of non-knowledge. The main objective of this work is to explore the nature and explanatory potential of this new dimension on consumer behaviour in the agrifood context. The principal hypothesis is that, while they may have similar levels of objective knowledge, there are significant differences between the behaviour of consumers who have a predominant pattern of ignorance (tendency to answer “I don't know”) and those who are in error (tendency to give wrong answers).
Design/methodology/approach
The present study draws on data derived from five case studies examining consumer knowledge about agrifood products (olive oils, Iberian ham and orange juice) and certain aspects of consumer behaviour. A sample of 4,112 participants was classified into two non-knowledge profiles: wrong, if most items answered incorrectly in a questionnaire were wrong; or ignorant, if most items answered incorrectly were “don't know”.
Findings
The results obtained supported the argument that complementing the study of consumer knowledge with an analysis of the structure of non-knowledge is worthwhile, as differences within the structure are associated with different patterns of consumer behaviour.
Originality/value
In the present study, it is proposed that the measurement of knowledge be complemented with an analysis of the consumer's non-knowledge structure (items not answered correctly), given its effects on behaviour, an aspect hitherto unconsidered in the literature. To do so, a new index is proposed.
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Yu-Ming Chung, Shao-Yu Lee, Yung-Kai Lin, Yung-Hao Lin, Mohamed El-Shazly, Yung-Hsiang Lin and Chi-Fu Chiang
Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), a ubiquitous fruit in Southeastern Asia, was rich in vitamins and phytochemicals, which were beneficial for improving of skin conditions. The…
Abstract
Purpose
Rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum), a ubiquitous fruit in Southeastern Asia, was rich in vitamins and phytochemicals, which were beneficial for improving of skin conditions. The fermentation process increased phytochemicals and antioxidant capacity. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine whether phytochemicals can be increased through the fermentation process of rambutan extracts to improve skin aging.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the authors used the three stages of fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Lactobacillus plantarum TCI028 and Acetobacter aceti under red light to develop a fermented rambutan extract.
Findings
The level of polyphenols of red-light-based fermented rambutan extract (RLFRE) were significantly increased 108.9% (p < 0.01) and 97% (p <0.01) compared with fermented rambutan extract (FRE) and pure rambutan extract (RE), respectively. The human skin fibroblasts treated with 0.03 or 0.06% of RLFRE can significantly decrease reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels by 0.74- (p <0.001) and 0.84-fold (p <0.001) compared with H2O2 group, respectively. And 0.03% of RLFRE can significantly increase in elastin content by 1.13-fold (p <0.05). Also, ten compounds were identified including one new phenolic compound and nine known compounds from RLFRE. Moreover, red light could enhance the levels of compounds 4, 9 and 3 by 5, 2.5 and 2.5-fold, respectively, relative to the results of FRE. The last, RLFRE isolated compounds significantly facilitated the elastin content on fibroblast (compound 1, 7, 9, 10 compared with control: p <0.001, compound 2 compared with control: p <0.001).
Originality/value
In short, this was the first study to unveil that the red-light-based fermentation can enrich the antioxidant content in a rambutan extract and its product had the potential to be developed a functional product for health-promoting effects such as skin aging.
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Shirani Ranasinghe, Thilak Jayalath, Sampath Thennakoon, Ranjith Jayasekara, Ran Shiva and Tharanga Bandara
Purpose of this study is to measure the Vitamin D status of healthy adults and to correlate with their lifestyle and feeding habits. Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is the…
Abstract
Purpose
Purpose of this study is to measure the Vitamin D status of healthy adults and to correlate with their lifestyle and feeding habits. Plasma 25-Hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is the most common marker of vitamin D status of an individual. Deficiency of vitamin D is defined as the serum level less than 20 ng/mL and insufficiency as 30 ng/mL which can be prevented.
Design/methodology/approach
Vitamin D status of healthy adults (n = 82), both male and females between the age of 18 – 50 years who were attending to the National Transport Authority, Kandy, Sri Lanka from February to March 2016, was measured and correlated with their lifestyle, feeding habits, etc.
Findings
The mean total serum D (25(OH)D in this study was 40.15 ± 3.74 nmol/l with the mean value of 42.8 ± 28.8 and 37.5 ± 16.6 for women and men, respectively. The serum calcium levels of both female and male were around 8 mg/dl and the serum total protein was 6.5 and 7 g/dl in women and men, respectively. The serum Vitamin D, calcium and total protein were not statistically significantly different between the sexes. In this study, 84 per cent of the total subjects were normocalcemic, and there was no significant relationship between vitamin D levels and their calcium levels.
Research limitations/implications
This study demonstrates that there was no statistically significant correlation between the serum vitamin D with age, serum calcium or total proteins. The majority of participants who had exposure to the sunlight more than 30 mins/day had sufficient level of vitamin D and less than 30 min/day exposure had deficiency of vitamin D. Daily intake of multivitamin influenced vitamin D status of the study group.
Practical implications
These findings will implicate the importance of cultural, feed and social habits for the nutritional status of an individual.and there are no reported studies on vitamin D status with reference to the variation of life style.
Social implications
It is very important to investigate the factors affecting to the vitamin D status of a population as such, vitamin D insufficiency or deficiency can be prevented. In Sri Lanka, the population is consisting with many ethnic groups, different ethnic groups may find some nutritional problems according to their main cultural habits.
Originality/value
The objectives of this study are to evaluate the Vitamin D status in a group of healthy adults between 20 and 50 years in both men and women and to find out the correlation of their vitamin D status with their lifestyle and feeding habits, etc.
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Mohammadreza Akbari and Robert McClelland
The purpose of this research is to provide a systematic insight into corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate citizenship (CC) in supply chain development, by analyzing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to provide a systematic insight into corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate citizenship (CC) in supply chain development, by analyzing the current literature, contemporary concepts, data and gaps for future discipline research.
Design/methodology/approach
This research identifies information from existing academic journals and investigates research designs and methods, data analysis techniques, industry involvement and geographic locations. Information regarding university affiliation, publishers, authors, year of publication is also documented. A collection of online databases from 2001 to 2018 were explored, using the keywords “corporate social responsibility”, “corporate citizenship” and “supply chain” in their title and abstract, to deliver an inclusive listing of journal articles in this discipline area. Based on this approach, a total of 164 articles were found, and information on a chain of variables was collected.
Findings
There has been visible growth in published articles over the last 18 years regarding supply chain sustainability, CSR and CC. Analysis of the data collected shows that only five literature reviews have been published in this area. Further, key findings include 41% of publications were narrowly focused on four sectors of industry, leaving gaps in the research. 85% centered on the survey and conceptual model, leaving an additional gap for future research. Finally, developing and developed nation status should be delineated, researched and analyzed based on further segmentation of the industry by region.
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited to reviewing only academic and professional articles available from Emerald, Elsevier, Wiley, Sage, Taylor and Francis, Springer, Scopus, JSTOR and EBSCO containing the words “corporate social responsibility”, “corporate citizenship” and “supply chain” in the title and abstract.
Originality/value
This assessment provides an enhanced appreciation of the current practices of current research and offers further directions within the CSR and CC in supply chain sustainable development.