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The purpose of this paper is to compare and contrast the findings of the empirical studies that were conducted in both the UK and the USA on the impact of a few sensory environmental stimuli, mainly visual and acoustical stimuli, on individual ' s behaviour in school buildings.

An analysis of teaching layouts and the sequence of activities in selected school buildings was conducted. Opinions of focus groups including teachers and carers working with individuals with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD), were initially explored to assess the extent of the sensory problems associated with the existing teaching settings and to highlight any operational design limitations and constraints. A questionnaire was formulated based on the feedback gleaned from the focus groups. Relevant perceptual information about behavioural reactions to varying sensory stimuli was compiled. Key sensory triggers were identified. Visual information of selected schools including photos and visual diagrams of ASD workstations were compiled, annotated and analysed for further examination.

Several sensory parameters were observed in the teaching environment including bright colours and light, pattern, glare, echoing, sudden and impact sound, high and low pitch sound and background noise levels. Some variations between the two studies exist regarding particular sensory triggers and their importance as perceived by respondents. These can be directly attributed to differences in school design layout, internal finishing and workstation configuration. Other extraneous factors including the size of the study sample, location of schools and climatic factors are also implicated; however, significantly consistent adverse effects on individuals’ behaviour have been identified in both studies.

This paper highlights issues for open discussion amongst decision makers and built environment professionals to enhance the quality of life of the affected groups. This is particularly important given the extent of the sensory processing problems of individuals with ASD in both the UK and the USA. The findings will be relevant at strategic, tactical and operational levels including, inter alia, federal government agencies and decision-making bodies. Professionals involved in the process of planning, design and management of school buildings in both the UK and our sister country the US may benefit. The operational efficiency of education facilities may be maximised through control of the design and construction of school buildings. By further reducing the undesirable consequences of sensory triggers in educational facilities, the quality of life of the affected individuals may be improved.

Examines the use of acoustic emission techniques for monitoring part mating during the assembly process. The frequency recorded during a peg insertion is compared with known frequencies of successful peg insertion by a microcomputer. This allows unsuccessful alignment to be readjusted which being monitored by a digital sound analyzer. Outlines the concept of part mating which is based on the peg‐in‐hole theory developed by Simunovic and describes an acoustic emission monitoring system. Concludes that acoustic monitoring provides a relatively low cost, low complexity system for part mating monitoring but may have limitation in manufacturing environments where there is excessive background noise or machine part vibration.

The skill of the camera operator in controlling the orientation of camera platforms in the film industry is one of the crucial factors in producing movies with good cinematography. Some film footage requires landscapes that make it difficult for the camera operator to efficiently operate the camera platform. Tether connections limit the manner in which the camera platform can be mounted in order to achieve the best scene shooting. This paper reports on the project undertaken by the Mechatronics and Robotics Research Group at Massey University, in conjunction with the New Zealand film industry, on the development of wireless control camera platforms.

This chapter presents the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the course of studies and life career skills development of undergraduate students at the University of Macedonia, a mid-sized public Greek University. It describes a multivariate methodology research that investigated how the students, first-hand experienced the unexpected changes from face-to-face on campus to synchronous online education during the lockdown and how they coped with these changes. Change is considered and described as a main component within current life and career trajectories addressing chaotic and unpredictable circumstances while Chaos Theory of Careers (CTC) offers the theoretical background of the chapter. The research followed the mixed methods paradigm: a multilevel embedded sequential explanatory design including a participant selection model and multivariate data analysis methods. A survey (N = 621) was conducted; individual interviews and focus groups’ discussions further explained the quantitative findings. The emerging clusters of students revealed similarities in feelings, motivation, adaptation, and life career skills development. The first cluster comprised of older, digitally high-skilled students, with the required technological equipment, adaptable to change, self-regulated, strongly in favor of synchronous online education; in the second cluster were grouped the younger, digitally medium-skilled students, who regularly participated in both modalities, critically recognized the advantages of either one, feeling strongly in favor of a combination; finally, the third cluster included digitally medium-skilled students who found serious difficulty in using online platforms, dissatisfied with social isolation and distant interaction, strongly preferring face-to-face instruction, valuing direct physical contact, social connection, and networking.

Transformative innovation is a particular manifestation of generativity that emerges when organizations explore the intersection of business and society, embracing social, environmental, ethical, or similar initiatives as an integral part of their strategic missions. The chapter reports findings from the World Inquiry, a search for stories of transformative innovation. The stories illustrate how transformative innovation may (1) extend mutually beneficial outcomes of activity to business and society, (2) increase the scale of enacted human strengths, and (3) invoke a deep shift in values, assumptions, and behaviors that guide an organization. The exploration of transformative inquiry demonstrates how generativity emerges when business strategies integrate the interests of multiple stakeholders.

The aims of this paper are to establish: a typical women's apparel store environment as a realistic base for measuring the effects of changes; effective environmental stimuli levels; and the effect of repeated exposure on affect.

A schema of typical stimuli is developed through literature, observing 212 stores, and surveying 39 women's fashion retail GMs. An experiment (n=489) establishes the set of stimuli and effective levels for creating affect for a women's fashion store. Shoppers (n=62) were repeatedly exposed to combinations of the two sets (industry standard and “ideal”) to examine whether decay in affect occurs, and whether changes can mitigate this.

Interactions between sensory stimuli have a significant effect on fashion shoppers’ affect for a store. Fashion retailers are less differentiated in their use of sensory stimuli than they could be to achieve the responses they expect. Stagnation from repeated exposure can diminish affect for the store whereas small changes in stimuli levels can revitalise and increase affect.

A model of sensory stimuli‐based relationships with shopper affect should incorporate interactions. Empirically, different stimuli can easily be added or substituted within a dimension to test its effect within a factorial design. A model of fashion store atmosphere is likely to require a mediating influence of repeated exposure.

It is worthwhile getting the “correct” package of stimuli for a fashion store's atmosphere. This does not necessarily require wholesale changes; rather small changes in stimuli level can enhance a store.

The paper presents the only study to use a holistic approach to store atmosphere and base effectiveness measures against the fashion industry norm, and consider the effect of repeated exposure.

This paper was written in order to present research undertaken in several hospital units in Greece, in order to explore: nurses' knowledge on health risk factors associated with their work responsibilities, the ways that these factors interfere with their general condition of health (physically and psychologically) and their views on future training interventions on health and safety (H&S) issues.

The methodological tools used were questionnaires completed by 213 nurses, who were working in various units of three Greek hospitals and structured interviews conducted with ten nurses, which allowed the researchers to explore more thoroughly the respondents' views/feelings on H&S risks, implications and training.

The most frequent hazard identified by nurses was hepatitis (biohazard), latex gloves and antiseptics (chemical hazards). The respondents declared that they consistently apply self-protection measures. They also acknowledged the importance of having a support mechanism among colleagues, which would provide them help when needed. They also appeared very keen on attending regularly H&S training programs, especially if these programs were administered during working hours.

The research has explored all types of health hazards (physical, chemical, biological and psychosocial) faced by nurses. The results of this study could be useful to hospital managers and H&S professionals who wish to take active measures in order to provide a safer working environment. There could also be comparisons with other similar research in other units/hospitals/health systems/countries, so as to examine whether – and for what reasons – there are differences in the way health professionals experience exposure to risk factors. Finally, this study might be useful to training designers/providers, who need to obtain a better understanding on nurses' educational/training needs when they organize and administer their various H&S training interventions.

The purpose of this paper is to theoretically clarify the relationship between public service motivation and performance by suggesting a framework in which social networks among members provide an explicit mechanism linking employees’ PSM with their performance and by proposing several empirically testable propositions.

The author suggests a theoretical framework based on a literature review and combining insights from several major strands of theory including social capital and social network theories.

Conceptually, the paper shows that, first, the extent of the social relationships among group members and their positions within a network vary depending on the level of PSM; second, individuals with high PSM are more likely to complete their tasks when they are in central positions in a network of advice relations and less likely to complete their tasks when they are in peripheral positions in central positions and a network of advice relations in a network of adversarial relations; third, group members with high PSM are more likely to complete group tasks when the group has higher density in a network of advice relations and less likely to complete tasks in a dense network of adversarial relations.

The author demonstrates the possibility of reciprocal relationships between PSM and social networks, in which PSM builds social capital that reinforces each member’s PSM by enhancing relationship quality, which will positively affect performance.

This paper provides opportunities for future empirical research by developing the discussion about a new conceptual mechanism in the relationship between PSM and performance, proposing an initial conceptual framework that clarifies the PSM and performance linkage, and suggesting several testable propositions.

This study aims to explore which of four chosen factors (i.e. privacy concerns, FoMO, self-disclosure and time cost) induce a feeling of strain among Facebook users in terms of social media fatigue (SMF), and if this occurs, whether it further influences such outcomes as discontinuance of usage (DoU) and interaction engagement decrement (IED).

Through an online structured questionnaire, empirical data were gathered to verify the research model, based on the stressor-strain-outcome (SSO) framework. The SEM technique was employed for assessing the hypothesized relationships.

The findings show that privacy concerns and time cost are strong antecedents of SMF and contribute significantly to its occurrence; while FoMO and self-disclosure do not exhibit any significant influence. Moreover, SMF positively and significantly affects DoU and IED.

This study enhances the existing body of knowledge on SMF and it can help: (1) individuals to be aware of risks and adjust their activities in balance with their well-being, and (2) social media (SM) managers to develop unique strategies to address the specific needs of SM users.

This research contributes to the limited literature on SMF by (1) introducing the concept of IED – as a consequence of SMF, and (2) creating measurement scales for IED.

The Conference on Anodised Aluminium, organised by the Aluminium Development Association and held in the new Cripps Hall at Nottingham University from September 12–14, was probably the first of its kind in the world and attracted nearly 300 delegates. Eighteen papers were discussed. In the following pages abstracts and conclusions from most of the papers are given, emphasis being placed on the corrosion aspects of the subject.