Faye Thompson, Donna Baughan and Jaideep Motwani
High‐performance work teams can lead to higher productivity, better quality, and a close focus by workers on what organizations really are supposed to be doing. Yet a majority of…
Abstract
High‐performance work teams can lead to higher productivity, better quality, and a close focus by workers on what organizations really are supposed to be doing. Yet a majority of organizations have still not implemented this team approach. Presents an integrated model that details the “how to” steps of introducing high‐performance work systems. This model has been successfully implemented at a Fortune 500 company in the office furniture industry.
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This experimental study seeks to explore the impact of media images on women's body dissatisfaction and to assess whether this impact could be reduced by an educational…
Abstract
Purpose
This experimental study seeks to explore the impact of media images on women's body dissatisfaction and to assess whether this impact could be reduced by an educational intervention describing the power of air‐brushing.
Design/methodology/approach
The study involved a 2×2 factorial design with two conditions: picture (thin vs fatter) and air‐brushing intervention (present vs absent). A total of 200 women completed measures of body dissatisfaction before and after viewing the experimental information.
Findings
The results showed that women felt consistently more dissatisfied with their bodies after viewing thin pictures and more satisfied after viewing fatter pictures. In addition, the air‐brushing intervention reduced the detrimental effect of viewing the thinner pictures but had no effect on the benefits of viewing the fatter pictures.
Originality/value
Media images may have a role to play in body dissatisfaction in women. But a simple intervention focusing on air‐brushing can facilitate a more critical perspective and thus provide a buffer against the influence of media images.
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Tracy Smith-Carrier, Theo Koffler, Faye Mishna, Anna Wallwork, Joanne Daciuk and Jasmin Zeger
The purpose of this paper is to gain understanding of the benefits and limitations of mindfulness training among secondary school students and teachers in Toronto, Ontario…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to gain understanding of the benefits and limitations of mindfulness training among secondary school students and teachers in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a case study methodology, the authors analysed programme evaluation forms and conducted thematic analyses of focus groups with Catholic secondary school teachers and students that participated in the Mindfulness Ambassador Council programme.
Findings
The findings suggest that mindfulness training may provide participants with opportunities for personal growth, specifically in the areas of stress reduction, relaxation, social awareness, self-discovery and relationship building.
Research limitations/implications
This study confirms existing literature that training in mindfulness practice may be beneficial in strengthening relationships, reducing stress and anxiety and promoting inner well-being and social-emotional learning in youth. To test these findings empirically, future research should examine mindfulness training in schools using a robust randomised controlled trial design.
Practical implications
Given the current state of research on mindfulness-based interventions specifically with the adolescent population, the study provides useful and timely data on participants ' experiences with mindfulness training, and discusses how such training can be effectively harnessed within secondary school settings.
Originality/value
There is growing evidence that the regular practice of mindfulness has myriad psychological, therapeutic and health benefits, and contributes to heightened emotional intelligence and improved performance in a host of activities. Relatively little is known, however, about the effects of mindfulness interventions on child and adolescent populations. The study contributes to the emerging evidence on mindfulness practice with students in school settings.
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The multiplicity of the late-night television offer is a recent phenomenon. In the late 1940s, TV was still in its experimental stage and programming was limited to certain hours…
Abstract
The multiplicity of the late-night television offer is a recent phenomenon. In the late 1940s, TV was still in its experimental stage and programming was limited to certain hours of the day. How then did late-night evolve from one dominant program to the cornucopia that exists today? To what extent did the progressive fragmentation of the media environment contribute to this exponential growth in late-night programs? To answer these questions, this chapter will look closely at three phases of late-night history: the ascendance of The Tonight Show during the Johnny Carson era, Johnny's succession when two princes vied for his late-night throne, and then finally the latest developments where a new generation of late-night royalty, which I refer to as The House of Stewart, would emerge with a plethora of shows. Simultaneously, this chapter will also delve into the media context during each phase which became increasingly fragmented leading to an explosion of new ways of experiencing television.
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Victoria Boydell and Katharine Dow
Here we provide a short reflection on the persistent themes from the volume and relate it to wider reproductive studies.
Abstract
Here we provide a short reflection on the persistent themes from the volume and relate it to wider reproductive studies.