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Examines an alternative approach to labour utilisation, based on the concept of simulated annealing, implemented on a microcomputer. Demonstrates the use of the new approach in a study of the potential labour utilisation effect of two types of scheduling flexibility: shift length flexibility and meal‐break placement flexibility. Finally, offers implications of the new approach for management.

Using labour efficiently in service organisations is an important management objective since labour frequently accounts for more than 70 per cent of total operating costs. While most service organisations can use flexible scheduling rules to improve the utilisation of labour, selecting a good or “best” set of work schedules from a large set of alternatives has proved to be a formidable task. A new modelling procedure is described which allows optimal decisions to be made when the desired level of scheduling flexibility results in a very large population of possible schedules. Flexibility in shift scheduling is increased primarily through increasing the number of different shift lengths and allowing flexible placement of breaks. The power of the new modelling approach was used in an experiment described here to assess the relative impact of shift‐length and break‐placement flexibility on labour utilisation. The results indicated that, while either type of flexibility can improve labour utilisation, there was a rather strong synergistic impact from using both simultaneously.

Service operations managers often attempt to improve labour‐scheduling efficiency through the use of one or more types of scheduling flexibility. Part‐time labour, for example, is one type of scheduling flexibility which is used in many service operations. The use of part‐time workers increases productivity by providing a closer match between the forecast labour requirements and the amount of labour actually scheduled. Demonstrates the feasibility of implementing a microcomputer‐based approach to workforce‐scheduling problems which contain a substantial degree of scheduling flexibility. This approach has particular application to small service firms which may have, or can obtain, microcomputers to schedule their operating personnel. The actual scheduling procedure is designed to produce daily and weekly work schedules simultaneously (i.e. tour schedules) for workers assumed to be of homogeneous skill and ability, such as those employed in a fast‐food restaurant. The application of such an approach in the microcomputer environment would have a significant impact on the ability of small service establishments further to enhance labour utilization through the increased use of workforce‐scheduling flexibility. Clearly demonstrates that a microcomputer‐based workforce‐scheduling model which incorporates a substantial amount of scheduling flexibility, can and should be developed for use in today′s small service organizations.

Presents a microcomputer‐based interactive decision support system (DSS) to assist managers to improve decision making for machine scheduling in a job shop environment. The system downloads data from a factory information system, and schedules work into the appropriate work centres. The system produces sequences using a rule set that incorporates set‐up time reduction, shortest processing time (SPT) sequencing, downstream requirements, and job due dates. The system automatically expedites where required, and provides an interactive interface to the decision maker. A SLAM II‐based computer simulation model guides system development and provides a test bed for policy decisions with regard to implementation of the DSS.

Knowledge of how social movements move, diffuse, and expand collective action events is central to movement scholarship and activist practice. Our purpose is to extend sociological knowledge about how movements (sometimes) diffuse and amplify insurgent actions, that is, how movements move. We extend movement diffusion theory by drawing a conceptual analogue with military theory and practice applied to the case of the organized and highly disciplined nonviolent Nashville civil rights movement in the late 1950s and early 1960s. We emphasize emplacement in a base-mission extension model whereby a movement base is built in a community establishing a social movement school for inculcating discipline and performative training in cadre who engage in insurgent operations extended from that base to outlying events and campaigns. Our data are drawn from secondary sources and semi-structured interviews conducted with participants of the Nashville civil rights movement. The analytic strategy employs a variant of the “extended case method,” where extension is constituted by movement agents following paths from base to outlying campaigns or events. Evidence shows that the Nashville movement established an exemplary local movement base that led to important changes in that city but also spawned traveling movement cadre who moved movement actions in an extensive series of pathways linking the Nashville base to events and campaigns across the southern theater of the civil rights movement. We conclude with theoretical and practical implications.

Serious and persistent mental illness has posed a significant social problem for a majority of cultures across most historical periods. Most recently in the United States, the aftermath of the deinstitutionalization policies of the 1950–1970s has resulted in many individuals who in the past might have spent the majority of their adult lives living in hospitals roaming city streets homeless, impoverished, and vulnerable to victimization or to being arrested for minor offenses. This paper reviews the changes both in the population of individuals with serious mental illness and in the systems that care for them over the last 25 years, and suggests that a “Tower of Babel” scenario has resulted inadvertently from the shift from hospital to community care. Following the dissolution of the monolithic hospitals (i.e. Towers of Babel), mental health providers have been dispersed among a myriad of community agencies, each with its own vision and standards of community care. Without a shared map to guide their work, community systems have become characterized by disarray, paralysis, and a lack of integration and coordination of care for a population of individuals who typically require more than one service from more than one provider at any given time. To address these issues, we offer a core set of “principles of care” developed by one local service system in an attempt to (re-)constitute a common map for their shared territory. We closed with a discussion of the issues that remain unresolved despite this collaborative process, and with suggestions for future directions to explore.

I consider the following question: given my commitment to creating an inclusive classroom environment where students of all backgrounds and skill levels can feel comfortable taking emotional and intellectual risks, how do I responsibly teach a course on American Life Writing in which students both read and write narratives of trauma, many of which stem from gender-based violence? With the rise of the #MeToo movement, especially, many survivors of this kind of violence feel compelled to share their stories as a way to heal themselves and to create communities of care and support. In some cases, this kind of disclosure can be restorative. But it is also important to recognize that sharing one's narrative of trauma does not always serve as a path to healing and wholeness. There is also power in choosing to tell part of one's story, sharing one's story only with a certain audience, or not disclosing one's story at all. The works that I assign in the seminar highlight these different paths to healing and model for students the ways in which a confessional model is not the only model for dealing with trauma. In this chapter, I first describe how feminist pedagogy shapes my teaching. Then I outline my approach to teaching life writing, focusing on how I teach texts that highlight trauma and how I teach the personal narrative assignment. Finally, I reflect on how these pedagogical practices might inform our larger conversations about gendered oppression, trauma, and healing.

Building on technology acceptance and learning transfer theories, this study aims to evaluate the integration of mobile augmented reality (MAR) in omnichannel retailing touchpoints for Generation Z (or Gen Z)'s apparel shopping, assessing how habitual augmented reality (AR) use in nonretailing contexts impacts Gen Z's motivations, acceptance and use of MAR shopping apps.

A total of 562 participants downloaded a footwear MAR app and completed a survey. Data were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and multivariate regression to explore moderated mediation effects.

The study reveals a paradigm shift: Gen Z's habitual use of AR in social media (e.g. Snapchat and TikTok face filters) significantly influences their intent to use MAR in shopping, overshadowing hedonic motivations. This marks a transition from AR as a gimmick to a practical utility in omnichannel touchpoints, with performance expectancy emerging as a critical mediator in adopting MAR for utilitarian purposes.

This study highlights how Gen Z consumers’ tech habits influence their pragmatic view of MAR, urging re-exploration of the main constructs of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology 2 (UTAUT2) model.

Findings suggest Gen Z values practicality over fun in MAR shopping apps, guiding marketers to emphasize tangible benefits for this demographic.

This research underscores the evolving perception of AR in retail among mobile natives, highlighting the shift from novelty to habitual utility. It offers strategic insights for integrating AR into omnichannel strategies, catering to the utilitarian expectations of Gen Z in the digital retail landscape.

The contemporary dialog surrounding social and environmental crises has strengthened the call for a reconsideration of the capitalist economic system, prompting a reimagining of businesses’ societal roles. This chapter explores the shifting terrain of corporate purpose as a driving force for positive societal change, challenging the traditional shareholder primacy doctrine.

After examining influential theoretical frameworks shaping the discourse on corporate purpose, this research unveils the results of an empirical investigation inspired by the 2019 American Business Roundtable’s (BRT) statement on corporate purpose, where numerous prominent American CEOs advocated for a shift toward a stakeholder-oriented approach. In our exercise, the authors employ semantic and cognitive linguistic analyses to measure the coherence between the language in the BRT statement and the content of sustainability reports. This approach aims to offer insights into the alignment or divergence between corporate declarations and actual practices concerning corporate purpose.

Empirical findings reveal that corporations emphasizing their purpose in sustainability reports using language resembling that of the BRT statement tend to demonstrate lower implementation scores. Conversely, implementors lean toward using language in sustainability reports that diverges from the BRT statement. These findings suggest a potential disconnection between stated purpose and actual implementation in companies emphasizing corporate purpose in their reports.

The study research contributes theoretical insights by exploring how corporations can incorporate purpose-driven practices to promote sustainable growth and societal well-being. It underscores the potential for businesses to play a pivotal role in reshaping the economic landscape and advocates for ongoing research in humanistic management models.