Rosanna Duncan, Julianne Mortimer and Jane Hallas
The UK Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 places a statutory duty on all public authorities to promote race equality throughout all their functions. The purpose of this paper is…
Abstract
Purpose
The UK Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 places a statutory duty on all public authorities to promote race equality throughout all their functions. The purpose of this paper is to discuss steps being taken by social landlords in Wales and contractors and consultants to promote race equality within the construction procurement process.
Design/methodology/approach
The principle methods of data collection were focus groups with social landlords and postal questionnaires and semi structured telephone interviews with construction contractors and consultants.
Findings
Little action is being taken by social landlords in Wales to promote race equality within the construction procurement process. Furthermore, construction contractors and consultants that undertake work on behalf of social landlords are doing little to ensure race equality within their own organisations.
Research limitations/implications
A relatively small sample of construction contractors and consultants took part in the research.
Practical implications
In order to meet their obligations under current legislation social landlords need to ensure that they promote race equality within the procurement process. Construction companies including maintenance and minor works contractors that aspire to be engaged by social landlords will need to demonstrate that they are committed to race equality and its implementation and have the appropriate policies and procedures in place to ensure this.
Originality/value
This research is the first to evaluate the procurement practices of social landlords in Wales and how these practices may impact on race equality within the procurement process. The research also examined the steps being taken to promote equality by construction contractors and consultants operating within the social housing sector in Wales.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to introduce imagination workshops as a creative method for studying privacy from a sociomaterial perspective. The workshops incorporate a creative…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce imagination workshops as a creative method for studying privacy from a sociomaterial perspective. The workshops incorporate a creative element – the imagination game – into a traditional focus group setting. The imagination game is a role-playing card game that involves participants imagining scenarios set in the future.
Design/methodology/approach
The imagination workshop method is illustrated through an empirical study exploring imaginaries of the future smart home. The study encompasses five workshops with a total of 46 participants.
Findings
The findings from the empirical application of the method highlight its strengths in uncovering thoughts and feelings related to human–data relations that might be difficult to attain through more conventional methods, such as affective responses to privacy dilemmas. By combining imagination and collaborative activity, less taken-for-granted ideas can be tapped into.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to consumer research by introducing a novel qualitative method for studying privacy. By drawing from a new materialism perspective, the imagination workshops bring to light the sociomaterial dimensions of privacy that extend beyond mere cognitive decision-making processes. In this way, the method can be applied to reveal the dynamic and visceral nature of the construct. In addition to privacy research, the method provides ample opportunities for application in diverse contexts interested in technological futures.
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Rachel Torres, Marianna Schroeder and Amy Jane Griffiths
Autistic individuals are employed and access higher education opportunities at significantly lower rates than their nondisabled peers (US Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2023;…
Abstract
Autistic individuals are employed and access higher education opportunities at significantly lower rates than their nondisabled peers (US Bureau of Labor Statistics [BLS], 2023; Newman, 2015). Schools are an optimal setting for intervention as most individuals access the school setting. However, traditional support to facilitate postsecondary transition effectively, such as transition plans, is currently lacking (Greene, 2018; Hughes et al., 2023). The authors of the present chapter conducted a systematic review to identify school-based interventions available for autistic youth intended to support the transition from high school to higher education, entrepreneurship, and employment. The data extraction methods used by the authors identified 19 articles on interventions. Across all studies, the authors found variation in the extent to which researchers addressed entrepreneurial skills and identified two key skill development areas across different intervention modalities: employability skills and interpersonal communication skills. Based on these results, the authors discuss available school-based programming intended to prepare autistic youth for postsecondary careers and entrepreneurial opportunities and the implications of existing interventions for practitioners and researchers interested in improving outcomes for autistic students as they transition to the workplace, particularly entrepreneurial endeavors.