The Secretary of State— (a) in exercise of powers conferred by sections 65, 76 and 180(6) and (7) of the Factories Act 1961 and now vested in him, and of all other powers enabling…
The most reliable, inexpensive, and trouble‐free shielding method known at the present is spray coating using paints containing conductive metal particles. The best metals are…
Abstract
The most reliable, inexpensive, and trouble‐free shielding method known at the present is spray coating using paints containing conductive metal particles. The best metals are those which do not lose conductivity due to oxidation. These consist of gold, platinum, palladium, iridium, silver and osmium. The least expensive is silver. A coating containing fine silver particles is an excellent conductor and shield. Paints containing fine silver particles have been available a long time but are very happy and very expensive. Their performance is, however, excellent.
POLAND: Efforts to 'shield' economy will intensify
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DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-ES268163
ISSN: 2633-304X
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Mark Jeffery, Cassidy Shield, H. Nevin Ekici and Mike Conley
The case centers on Shilling & Smith's acquisition of Xteria Inc. and the resulting need to quickly scale the company's IT infrastructure to accommodate the acquisition. The case…
Abstract
The case centers on Shilling & Smith's acquisition of Xteria Inc. and the resulting need to quickly scale the company's IT infrastructure to accommodate the acquisition. The case is based on a real leasing problem faced by a major retail firm in the Chicago area when it purchased a small credit card processing firm and scaled the operations to handle the retail firm's credit card transactions. The CIO of Shilling & Smith needs to determine which lease option is the best means of providing the technical infrastructure needed to support the firm after the acquisition of Xteria. Several issues will drive this decision, including the value and useful life of the equipment, as well as the strategic context of the firm. This case examines how to evaluate different lease options when acquiring data center information technology infrastructure. Specifically, the case addresses software vs. hardware leasing, different lease terms, and choosing between different lease structures depending on the strategy and needs of a company. This case enables students to understand the different types of technology leases and in which situations these leases would be employed.
The Shilling & Smith case examines how to evaluate different lease options when acquiring data center information technology infrastructure. Specifically, students learn software vs. hardware leasing, different lease terms, and how to choose between different lease structures depending on the strategy and needs of the company. A secondary objective of the case is to teach students the important components and relative costs of information technology infrastructure.
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The literature of human motivation in a work setting is reviewed. The main theories are those of individual needs, equity and expectancy/value. This is followed by an examination…
Abstract
The literature of human motivation in a work setting is reviewed. The main theories are those of individual needs, equity and expectancy/value. This is followed by an examination of the relationship between motivation and methods of job and work design. Particular emphasis is placed on the practical value of strategies resulting from these theories. The area of application for these principles is academic libraries, the main characteristics of which are identified. These include the influence of environmental factors, such as technological innovation and economic recession, the nature of the higher education system and the user community. This is followed by an analysis of library staff attitudes and the nature of library work. The division between professional and non‐professional staff is seen as particularly important in this context. The theories of motivation and work design are then applied to academic libraries and some gaps in the literature identified. The emphasis on higher order needs and lack of theory on motivation and the social aspects of work are noted. An outline of the most useful theories is offered and the importance of library managers remaining responsive to local needs is stressed.
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Yara Levtova, Irma Melunovic, Caroline Louise Mead and Jane L. Ireland
This preliminary investigation aims to examine the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients and staff within a high secure service.
Abstract
Purpose
This preliminary investigation aims to examine the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients and staff within a high secure service.
Design/methodology/approach
To discern the connection between COVID-19-related distress and multiple factors, the study involved 31 patients and 34 staff who completed assessments evaluating coping strategies, resilience, emotional reactivity, ward atmosphere and work-related aspects.
Findings
Results demonstrated that around a third of staff (31.2%) experienced COVID-19-related distress levels that met the clinical cut-off for possible post-traumatic stress disorder. Emotional reactivity, staff shortages, secondary traumatic stress and coping strategies were all positively correlated with COVID-19-related-distress. Resilience was negatively associated with distress, thus acting as a potential mitigating factor. In comparison, the prevalence of distress among patients was low (3.2%).
Practical implications
The authors postulate that increased staff burdens during the pandemic may have led to long-term distress, while their efforts to maintain minimal service disruption potentially shielded patients from psychological impacts, possibly lead to staff “problem-focused coping burnout”. This highlights the need for in-depth research on the enduring impacts of pandemics, focusing on mechanisms that intensify or alleviate distress. Future studies should focus on identifying effective coping strategies for crisis situations, such as staff shortages, and strategies for post-crisis staff support.
Originality/value
The authors postulate that the added burdens on staff during the pandemic might have contributed to their distress. Nonetheless, staff might have inadvertently safeguarded patients from the pandemic’s psychological ramifications by providing a “service of little disruption”, potentially leading to “problem-focused coping burnout”. These findings underscore the imperative for further research capturing the enduring impacts of pandemics, particularly scrutinising factors that illuminate the mechanisms through which distress is either intensified or alleviated across different groups. An avenue worth exploring is identifying effective coping styles for pandemics.
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Economic and political commentators in the popular media have become fond of describing California as if it were a separate country or a “nation state.” Legally, of course…
Abstract
Economic and political commentators in the popular media have become fond of describing California as if it were a separate country or a “nation state.” Legally, of course, California is no more a nation than any other state in the United States. Even so, when considering the global economic impact of the “Golden State,” there are several reasons why it is convenient and instructive to look at California as a separate entity.
The case is suitable for all post-graduate students and executives doing a course in human resource management (HRM). The case will enable these students to apply concepts such as…
Abstract
Study level/applicability
The case is suitable for all post-graduate students and executives doing a course in human resource management (HRM). The case will enable these students to apply concepts such as inclusion, empowerment, glass ceiling, in business situations involving women. It will help them to trace the evolution path for women employees who have the traits to lead a department or organisation and assume entrepreneurial roles.
Subject Area
The case study is particularly beneficial for MBA students specialising in HRM focussed on leadership and training. It can be used in courses such as gender and entrepreneurship for students of MBA entrepreneurship and MBA family business management. As the case is written in India, it can explore the gender issues in emerging markets surreptitiously. Most importantly, the case addresses COVID-19 perspective adequately, to teach modules embedded in main courses of any MBA program.
Case overview
PRISM World Pvt Ltd is a leading training and consultancy firm in Delhi, India. The firm is owned and managed by a young woman Dr Anubha Walia. She started her career as a human resource manager in leading Indian companies, but somewhere down the line, she felt the job was not allowing her to realise the fullest potential. The Indian corporate training industry was male dominated with self-serving men, supporting the “glass ceiling”. To break the barrier, Anubha opened her training firm founded on the basis of a new philosophy, which should serve the ideals of helping and promoting women in workplace. This new philosophy was called PRISM. Anubha provided an inclusive environment which allowed her trainers to grow and feel empowered in a gender-biased industry.Very recently, when COVID-19 pandemic happened, female trainers were under tremendous strain as training requirements completely dried up, and they were rendered jobless. Most of these educated young women had small kids and paid monthly installments for their home loans, sharing the financial burden with their husbands. Some mature trainers were single women who had to support themselves through savings in these difficult times. But Anubha’s sense of empowerment at PRISM helped these women to do things which made their livelihoods turnaround even in uncertain circumstances. PRISM philosophy made a turnaround too. While employees were thinking of abandoning their companies and vice-versa, trainers at PRISM went for free webinars to draw clients to their firms and changed the concept of training and delivery in corona times.PRISM acquired a new meaning of wellness and spirituality in these difficult times and soared ahead successfully.
Expected learning outcomes
The case study hopes to achieve the following pedagogical objectives: 1. To educate students on manners and traits of women entrepreneurs. Besides, the usual difficulties of financing and running a business, women face adversities at home in the form of lack of access to working capital, trust deficit amongst family and friends. Basically, lack of support system to propels women into the tougher role of an entrepreneur graduating from a regular employee. Gender becomes a disability, which women had to fight in the workplace. The case introduces the PRISM philosophy as a unique methodology to inculcate inclusivity in work environment leading to women empowerment. 2. To outline all issues related to ‘glass ceiling” – the barrier which existed in the corporate world for businesswomen. Students need to know about problems women faced in the business environment as well as shortcomings within themselves, which can make them unproductive. 3. To align students first hand with the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic, specific to women. The case talks about educated young and mature women in Anubha’s firm PRISM, fighting for lost livelihood owing to reduced levels of business. But women are known to be highly resilient and empowered in the right direction will turnaround the situation in their favour.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Social implications
The case has tremendous social implication for educated working women in traditional patriarchal Indian societies. Though a sizeable percentage of women have achieved higher education and started working in a male-dominated corporate world, only a small number of them are visible as entrepreneurs and/or leaders. Every woman needs to trace her journey from an employee to an entrepreneur or a CEO to assume a position of leadership. This case can be an eye opener for many such ambitious women who can build small- to mid-size businesses in a short span of time. Digital intervention is very important in COVID times to stay afloat. The author has shared links for many videos which can disseminate ideas for digital transformation in businesses. The case tries to showcase an ideal inclusive environment which will propel women to achieve their latent goals and desires breaking the 'glass ceiling.'
Subject code
CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.
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The Supreme Court has made its first ruling on “trade dress”. Trade dresswas defined by the Supreme Court as “...the overall image of thebusiness”. The Court granted protection to…
Abstract
The Supreme Court has made its first ruling on “trade dress”. Trade dress was defined by the Supreme Court as “...the overall image of the business”. The Court granted protection to a Mexican restaurant in Texas and barred a competitor from duplicating its total image. Summarizes the issues surrounding the intellectual property law element, “trade dress”, discusses the landmark recent Supreme Court case on trade dress (Two Pesos, Inc. v. Taco Cabana, Inc.), and examines the marketing implications emerging from that ruling. The legal concept of trade dress is very important for managers because it offers permanent protection for distinctive, multi‐feature business images. Thus, the company capturing the best trade dress for its type of product can achieve that golden fleece of business – an important, sustainable competitive advantage.
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SYRIA: Prison raid will help Islamic State propaganda