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The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the role of empathy in adolescents coping with maternal cancer to identify passive and active empathy forms and the role of these in adolescent coping at a challenging time.

This study was a secondary content analysis carried out on 15 adolescent interviews that were analysed to find the evidence of empathy in active and passive forms. Adolescents were between 14 and 20 years of age, their mothers were diagnosed with cancer in the previous 24 months to the interview.

The analysis identified more evidence of active forms of empathy than passive directed at ill mothers and their families as helpful behaviours and emotional support. Passive empathy was experienced by adolescents who did not have major changes in their daily routines because of maternal cancer. Both passive and active empathy were perceived as coping mechanisms. Maternal illness motivated adolescents’ empathy and encouraged actions to support their mothers, immediate and extended families.

Empathy is complex but can be important for adolescent development including their social skills and relationships; however, research has not evaluated the role of empathy in adolescents experiencing maternal cancer.

Participation is the active involvement of children and young people in decision-making regarding issues that affect their lives. It is crucial in the context of child protection and welfare systems and how they respond to the needs of children and young people. The purpose of this paper is to report on the evaluation of child and family participation in an early intervention and prevention programme implemented by the Irish Child and Family Agency. It provides an analysis of a comprehensive, “whole organization” approach to understand how participation is embedded in policy and practice.

This paper reports on a comparative qualitative case study of the perspectives of managers and practitioners about participation practice, identifying the facilitators and barriers, as well as their perspectives of the sustainability of participation within the agency and its partners. The authors draw on two complementary, theoretically informed studies evaluating participatory practice within the Agency using qualitative interviews with participants.

Overall, managers and practitioners had a positive attitude towards participation and identified examples of best practices. Facilitators included training, access to resources and the quality of relationships. Challenges for meaningful participation remain, such as the need to engage, hard to reach populations. Differences were identified regarding how embedded and sustainable participation was.

This paper provides a critical understanding of participation in practice and how to embed a culture of participation in child protection and welfare.

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the methodological challenges in the design and implementation of an emotionally sensitive topic involving research with adolescents based on a study evaluating the experiences of adolescents and families facing a diagnosis of maternal cancer.

This conceptual paper builds an argument based on experiences from the field of qualitative data collection with adolescents and builds on arguments that were identified in the literature to provide with a detailed argument on the methodological challenges that researchers can face while undertaking sensitive research with young people.

Carrying out research on sensitive topics is challenging because rigour can be affected by real people experiencing pain, sorrow and other emotions linked to sensitive and difficult moments in their lives. Researchers need to decide how they will deal with the emotional impact that these topics can have on them as people but also continue to carry out high quality research.

This paper adds to the current body of knowledge by describing the challenges faced in the field carrying out data on sensitive issues with adolescents but it also provides alternatives and solutions on how these limitations can be overcome from early stages of the research design until the dissemination of results.

As an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the purpose of this paper is to provide an in-depth understanding of adolescent experiences of maternal cancer to identify the individual and contextual factors that shape adolescent experiences and evaluates the potential applicability of the Family Ecology Model to the illness context.

This analysis is focussed on three female adolescents who completed semi-structured interviews, which were subjected to IPA. Maternal illness is a challenge for adolescents, which can be improved or undermined by their contexts. The analysis yielded three sub-themes: family structure, social supports, experiencing maternal cancer at a time of transition and the lasting impact of cancer.

This study found that adolescent experiences of maternal cancer depend on their contexts from an ecological perspective the type and quality of adolescent interactions determine coping and adjustment. Maternal cancer can be difficult as adolescents are already facing specific developmental challenges. Future research can benefit from adopting an ecological perspective to further understand adolescent experiences to support adolescent that may be more vulnerable and benefit from additional supports. This is not a generalisable piece of research but it provides a very deep and detailed understanding of the impact of maternal cancer on adolescents’ developmental course and determines how the complexity of their contexts can serve as a risk or a protective factor at this challenging time.

This paper contributes to the body of research by providing a comprehensive understanding of adolescents facing maternal cancer. The Ecological Model supports the findings of this research and proves to be a good model to understand the complex interplay between adolescents and their environments when facing a difficult challenge like maternal cancer is.

This secondary data analysis explores the unmet needs of adolescents experiencing maternal cancer in Ireland. Research has shown that one of the challenges adolescents deal with at the time of maternal cancer is having unmet needs that can impact negatively on their experience and their ability to cope through this difficult challenge.

Fifteen adolescents completed qualitative interviews as part of a larger study that explored the experience of adolescent adjustment to maternal cancer. The transcripts of these original interviews were analysed using a secondary content analysis underpinned by the categories included in the Offspring Cancer Needs Instrument (Patterson et al., 2013).

The findings of this study suggest a necessity to individually explore the unmet needs of adolescents as these were not uniform even within a small sample of 15 adolescents. Unmet needs change and evolve over time as does maternal illness. Adolescents themselves identified the need for more education in the general public and in clinical practitioners on how to respond appropriately to their needs. It is crucial that adolescent's needs and emotions are validated at the time as part of the support provided for them.

This study provides important recommendations for practice and policy on how to provide tailored supports for adolescent who experience cancer in their families as currently there is a lack of effective and evidence-based targeted supports for this specific age group.

This empirical research aims to provide organisations with useful information on how teleworking has affected employee commuting, allowing organisations to adapt working conditions to the new social context. This research sets out to provide evidence on the behaviour of teleworkers in terms of the mode of transport chosen when commuting to work physically.

This research is based on a survey conducted in Madrid based on a theoretical approach grounded in the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and discrete choice models. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and discriminant analysis have been used to determine the variables that influence the mode of transport chosen by teleworkers when commuting in person.

The results indicate the prevalence of private car use by teleworkers when working at the office, finding that attitudes and satisfaction with modes of transport significantly influence their choice. The characteristics and frequency of teleworking, however, are not significant, which indicates that teleworkers attach greater importance to their preferred mode of transport, regardless of the disadvantages.

This research provides empirical evidence using an inductive approach to understand the challenges that organisations are facing with regard to teleworking since commuting behaviour has changed for teleworkers. This requires organisations to give significant reconsideration to the issue of commuting as an important component of working time that could condition employee satisfaction and, therefore, the retention or recruitment of talent. Furthermore, residence and mobility changes afford organisations better access for recruitment, notwithstanding urban planning implications.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the ways clients find out about a sport centre and the factors that lead them to enrol and influence their satisfaction with their membership. A secondary objective was to determine the reasons for continuing to attend a sport centre and how they influenced satisfaction towards achievement. Finally, the authors aimed to identify differences between reasons for enroling and reasons for continuing at a sport centre.

A specially developed 16-item questionnaire was sent to 125,000 clients and 21,043 responses were obtained.

Clients who found out about the centre through a recommendation or the internet were 25 per cent more likely to be satisfied with it than those who knew of the centre due to proximity. Similarly, clients who had a specific motive to continue using the centre, for example, to prepare for a sports competition were twice as likely to be satisfied with their membership as any other group (p<0.001).

It identifies a set of research priorities for the journal and the field.

In conclusion, the option of staying fit is established as the most effective recruitment method for retaining clients at the sport centre.

This paper intends to do is to establish the bases of information and knowledge for the treatment of high motives, as well as for managers of sports centres to remodel their strategies of marketing to attracting customers.

The purpose of this paper is to ascertain the extent to which knowledge management (KM), customer satisfaction (CS) and organizational image (OI) discriminate quality-certified municipalities from non-certified ones (ISO 9001).

An empirical study was carried out involving 81 Portuguese municipalities (40 certified, 41 non-certified), paired in a random sampling procedure. The Knowledge Management Questionnaire (n=1,372 municipality employees), the Customer Satisfaction Questionnaire and the Organizational Image Questionnaire (n=3,096 residents) were applied. Multiple discriminant analysis was performed.

The results indicate that certified and non-certified municipalities are distinct based on a function that considers KM (competitive orientation and formal KM practices), CS (intangible and tangible factors) and OI (favorable image).

The findings need further validation in other countries. However, the results highlight the importance of quality certification for both employees and residents.

The results encourage local public administration organizations to introduce and maintain quality certification.

This research is the only one, to the authors’ knowledge, that simultaneously explores organizational processes of KM, CS and OI in local public administration. The sampling procedure and the information from diverse data sources are unique contributions. The conclusions may aid practitioners and scholars in understanding these organizational phenomena in the context of quality-certified and quality non-certified municipalities.

The growing attention to business ethics, integrity and respect for human rights at work has become increasingly relevant. Decent work is an important concept representing the promotion of human rights at work and business, the fulfilling and productive work maintained with social dialogue. This study aims to present the adaptation and validation of the Spanish version of the Decent Work Questionnaire (DWQ), allowing the decent work assessment in Spanish. Initially developed and validated for Portuguese-speaking countries, the DWQ’s Italian version was also recently adapted and validated.

The 31-item scale was applied to a sample of 1,528 Spanish high-skilled workers. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed. Convergent and discriminant validity was tested, examining the links of the DWQ to Work Engagement and Burnout measures.

CFA confirmed the original higher-order model with seven factors, a very good model fit and good internal consistency reliability (α = 0.94). Statistical analyzes also supported its convergent and discriminant validity.

The results confirmed the DWQ’s Spanish version as a reliable and valid multidimensional measurement tool and strengthened it as a good cross-cultural measure of decent work.

La creciente atención a la ética empresarial, la integridad y el respeto de los derechos humanos en el trabajo ha sido un tema cada vez más relevante. El trabajo decente es un concepto importante que representa la promoción de los derechos humanos en el trabajo y en las empresas, como un trabajo gratificante y productivo mantenido a través del diálogo social. El presente estudio presenta la adaptación y validación de la versión en español del Cuestionario de Trabajo Decente (CTD), que permite evaluar el trabajo decente en español. Inicialmente desarrollado y validado para los países de habla portuguesa, la versión italiana del CTD también se adaptó y validó recientemente.

La escala de 31 ítems se aplicó a una muestra de 1528 trabajadores españoles altamente cualificados. Se realizó un Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio. La validez convergente y discriminante se probó examinando los vínculos del CTD con las medidas de Work Engagement y Burnout.

El Análisis Factorial Confirmatorio confirmó el modelo original de orden superior con 7 factores, con un muy buen ajuste del modelo y buena consistencia de confiabilidad interna (α = 0.94). También se apoyó su validez convergente y discriminante.

Nuestros resultados confirmaron la versión en español del CTD como una herramienta de medición multidimensional confiable y válida. También reforzaron la idea de que este instrumento es una buena medida intercultural del trabajo decente.

A crescente atenção à ética empresarial, integridade e respeito aos direitos humanos no trabalho tem sido um tema cada vez mais relevante. O trabalho digno é um conceito importante que representa a promoção dos direitos humanos no trabalho e nas empresas, assim como o trabalho realizante e produtivo mantido com o diálogo social. O presente estudo apresenta a adaptação e validação da versão em espanhol do Questionário de Trabalho Digno (QTD), permitindo a avaliação do trabalho digno em espanhol. Inicialmente desenvolvido e validado para países de língua portuguesa, a versão italiana do QTD também foi recentemente adaptada e validada.

A escala de 31 itens foi aplicada a uma amostra de 1528 trabalhadores espanhóis altamente qualificados. A análise factorial confirmatória (AFC) foi realizada. A validade convergente e discriminante foi testada, examinando as ligações do QTD às medidas de Engajamento no Trabalho e Burnout.

AFC confirmou o modelo original de ordem superior com 7 fatores, com um ajuste de modelo muito bom e boa consistência interna de confiabilidade (α = 0,94). Também testamos sua validade convergente e discriminante. Ambas foram suportadas.

Nossos resultados confirmaram a versão em espanhol do QTD como uma ferramenta de medição multidimensional confiável e válida. Também reforçaram a ideia deste instrumento ser uma boa medida transcultural do trabalho digno.

This study proposes an assessment framework for improving smart building performance in the broader context of smart city development, considering dimensions like environmental sustainability, building characteristics, intelligence, computation management and analytics. The framework is crafted to guide future research, aligning with the growing emphasis on sustainability and intelligence in evolving urban landscapes within smart cities.

In the initial phase, the concepts of “Smart City” and “Smart Buildings” are analyzed through a systematic literature review, considering the impact of governance on city sustainability and growth, along with the role of public policies in transforming buildings and cities. The empirical research evaluates innovation levels in small and medium-sized European cities, proposing a new framework with validated dimensions and sub-dimensions. This validation involves input from international experts through a Focus Group.

The key research findings validate the new proposed assessment framework for smart buildings within smart city development. The experts’ insights align with and support the dimensions identified in the bibliographic research, providing a comprehensive understanding of the role of smart buildings in sustainable urban development.

This framework not only provides insights for a new model with specific dimensions and sub-dimensions but also serves as a guide for formulating strategies and policies to enhance innovation in these settings. The value of this approach is strengthened by the validation and consolidation process involving international experts in the field.