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1 – 10 of 51Evan Malone, Megan Berry and Hod Lipson
The paper's aim is to show the development of materials and methods which allow freeform fabrication of macroscopic Zn‐air electrochemical batteries. Freedom of geometric design…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper's aim is to show the development of materials and methods which allow freeform fabrication of macroscopic Zn‐air electrochemical batteries. Freedom of geometric design may allow for new possibilities in performance optimization.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have formulated battery materials which are compatible with solid freeform fabrication (SFF) while retaining electrochemical functionality. Using SFF processes, they have fabricated six Zn‐air cylindrical batteries and quantitatively characterized them and comparable commercial batteries. They analyze their performance in light of models from the literature and they also present SFF of a flexible two‐cell battery of unusual geometry.
Findings
Under continuous discharge to 0.25 V/cell with a 100 Ω load, the cylindrical cells have a specific energy and power density in the range of 40‐70 J/g and 0.4‐1 mW/cm2, respectively, with a mass range of 8‐18 g. The commercial Zn‐air button cells tested produce 30‐750 J/g and 7‐9 mW/cm2 under the same conditions, and have a mass range of 0.2‐2 g. The two‐cell, flexible Zn‐air battery produces a nominal 2.8 V, open‐circuit.
Research limitations/implications
The freeform‐fabricated batteries have ∼10 percent of the normalized performance of the commercial batteries. High‐internal contact resistance, loss of electrolyte through evaporation, and inferior catalyst reagent quality are possible causes of inferior performance. Complicated material preparation and battery fabrication processes have limited the number of batteries fabricated and characterized, limiting the statistical significance of the results.
Practical implications
Performance enhancement will be necessary before the packaging efficiency and design freedom provided by freeform‐fabricated batteries will be of practical value.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates a multi‐material SFF system, material formulations, and fabrication methods which together allow the fabrication of complete functional Zn‐air batteries. It provides the first quantitative characterization of completely freeform‐fabricated Zn‐air batteries and comparison to objective standards, and shows that highly unusual, functional battery designs incorporating flexibility, multiple cells, and unusual geometry may be freeform fabricated.
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Sheau Fen (Crystal) Yap, Megan Phillips, Euejung Hwang and Yingzi Xu
Healthcare service is a process that comprises a series of touchpoints underlying the key facets of service delivery, collectively shaping the users' (i.e. patients, hospital…
Abstract
Purpose
Healthcare service is a process that comprises a series of touchpoints underlying the key facets of service delivery, collectively shaping the users' (i.e. patients, hospital staff, and visitors) experiences. Departing from most sensory studies dedicated to understanding the retail environment and hedonic service, this study focuses on how sensory knowledge can contribute to understanding the sensory-based experiences of hospital users and their interactions with healthcare services at multiple touchpoints.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a multi-method approach comprising two studies involving semi-structured interviews and a qualitative online survey of past patients.
Findings
Drawing upon the user-centered theory, the authors (1) consulted healthcare experts on hospital service touchpoints and standards around medical protocol; (2) explored users' needs, experiences, expectations, and evaluations of healthcare services; and (3) identified the issues and challenges faced by healthcare service users at various service touchpoints. Based on these insights, the authors proposed sensory tactics across healthcare service touchpoints that promote the well-being of major hospital users.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed sensory tactics require follow-up empirical evidence. Future research could adopt robust methodological designs on healthcare environmental interventions and progress with a transdisciplinary approach to advance this research area.
Practical implications
The authors' experience-based framework forms the basis of a valuable toolkit for healthcare service management.
Originality/value
This study advances services literature by integrating sense-based marketing knowledge with healthcare service research to understand the dynamic and interactive relationship between hospital users and the environment.
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Francis John Troyan and Megan Madigan Peercy
Situated within the recent scholarship on core practices in teacher education, this chapter presents a collaborative self-study that explored one aspect of our developing practice…
Abstract
Situated within the recent scholarship on core practices in teacher education, this chapter presents a collaborative self-study that explored one aspect of our developing practice as teacher educators through examination of Francis’s use of mediation in lesson rehearsal. Using examples from his practice, we explore the following research question: How does a teacher educator learn to provide mediation to create a responsive zone of proximal development within lesson rehearsal?
Specifically, we use Vygotskian sociocultural theory to examine Francis’s use of mediation during the rehearsal of the core practice supporting interaction and target language comprehensibility (I-TLC), one of the core practices addressed in his world language teacher preparation program. This self-study of mediation in lesson rehearsal illuminated Francis’ evolving practice as a facilitator of lesson rehearsal of novice teachers who are culturally and linguistically diverse, and who are preparing to use practices that are responsive to culturally and linguistically diverse students.
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Weeding is, among all of the tasks common in librarianship, one of the most rife with conflict. The purpose of this chapter was to examine the emotions and emotional impact of…
Abstract
Weeding is, among all of the tasks common in librarianship, one of the most rife with conflict. The purpose of this chapter was to examine the emotions and emotional impact of deselection on librarians and library staff using a framework of weeding styles. The authors did a qualitative survey-based case study. They created a survey using Google Forms and deployed it to five library-related listservs and one Facebook group. All of the questions were mandatory, except for the open-answer questions. The authors also conducted an extensive literature review. The survey revealed a more harmonious practice than the literature might indicate. There were some noteworthy correlations drawn among weeding styles, emotions, and the practice of weeding. The authors discuss the implications of their findings and ideas for future research. They also provide strategies and recommendations in terms of communication in the course of deselection and how to handle emotional labor in the workplace. A literature review conducted by both authors did not reveal any other examination of this type. The chapter will fill a gap in the literature.
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Simon Were, Moses Miricho and Vincent Maranga
The purpose of this study was to investigate restaurant clientele tipping behavior and its inspiration on foodservice empathy within two- and three-star hotels in Kisumu County…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to investigate restaurant clientele tipping behavior and its inspiration on foodservice empathy within two- and three-star hotels in Kisumu County, Kenya. This was with the objective of analyzing the tipping effect on restaurant food service quality with an emphasis on Parasuraman, Zeithmal and Barry's empathy as a key dimension of quality in accordance to the SERVQUAL model.
Design/methodology/approach
For the purpose of this study, food service empathy was investigated in relation to the influence of tipping on restaurant food service quality. Further, a census of all the two and three star-rated hotels within Kisumu County was carried out. The study applied descriptive research design in the investigation on the tipping behavior and its inspiration on foodservice empathy. Moreover, simple random sampling was employed in the selection of clients since it yielded a sample that is representative of the population. Additionally, the study employed the use of questionnaires for collection of data, which were coded, analyzed and presented in frequencies, tables and graphs.
Findings
The study findings reveal that there is a significant relationship between rewards upon perception of service and food service empathy but failed to find a significant relation between incentives for improved future service as well as the social norms and foodservice empathy. However, in general, the study established a significant relationship between tipping and foodservice empathy in the sampled hotels in Kenya. Thus, in summary, at 95% confidence level, the study concluded that there is a significant relationship between tipping and foodservice empathy.
Research limitations/implications
This study was restricted on two and three-star hotels within Kisumu County in Kenya with a sample size of 384 respondents, which would otherwise limit the degree to which the findings were applied. Consequently, the study sought to collect data from restaurant clients although the access and, therefore, direct interaction were denied by some of the hotels. Further, this study employed a survey approach in the collection of data from restaurant clients in two and three-star hotels. Accordingly, there was minimal local and regional research literature available on the study topic.
Practical implications
Tipping in the context of the broad global service industry, including hospitality's restaurant food service, is as old as Roman times. However, tipping is practiced differently across the world with some countries practicing while other countries not practicing the act of tipping. For that reason, tipping is not regulated in some of the countries including Kenya and therefore the lack of policy. Nonetheless, tipping is perceived to be the genesis of food service failures as a result of discriminatory restaurant food service in addition to increasing costs of eating out. This study therefore sought to investigate restaurant tipping behavior and its inspiration on foodservice empathy. The study results might be applied in policy formulation in order to curb the negative effect of tipping on food service empathy.
Originality/value
Minimal studies have been instituted and published in the area of tipping and service quality relationship with an emphasis on each of Parasuraman, Zeithmal and Berry's dimensions of quality. This research survey, therefore, sought to collect data from restaurant clients in two and three-star hotels within Kisumu County in Kenya and therefore investigated restaurant clientele tipping behavior and its inspiration on food service empathy.
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Tahia Alam Macias, Megan Chapman and Prerana Rai
The purpose of this paper is to draw on the agent-system model of (in)justice and negative norm of reciprocity of social exchange theory to examine the indirect impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to draw on the agent-system model of (in)justice and negative norm of reciprocity of social exchange theory to examine the indirect impact of supervisory interactional injustice (i.e. interpersonal and informational) on employees’ target-specific extra-role work behaviours [counterproductive work behaviour directed at supervisor (CWB-S) and organisational citizenship behaviour directed at supervisor (OCB-S)] via distrust in supervisor.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a two-wave study, and participants (n = 401) were recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk using a survey methodology. Bias-corrected confidence intervals (CIs) constructed in 20,000 bootstrap samples were used to test the mediation effects.
Findings
The findings indicated that interpersonal and informational injustice are positively related to employees’ distrust in supervisor. Furthermore, interpersonal and informational injustice indirectly affected CWB-S and OCB-S via distrust in supervisor.
Research limitations/implications
Several limitations and future research should be discussed. First, the cross-sectional nature of this study prevented us from establishing the causal direction implied by the mediation models in this research. Second, the authors cannot rule out the potential for common method variance. These limitations can be addressed by collecting data from multiple sources (e.g. supervisor and coworkers) at different points in time or by experimental study design. Lastly, the authors did not consider contextual variables (e.g. formal policies, practices, ethical rules and cultural climate) that may influence the proposed relationships’ strengths and directions.
Practical implications
Even though perceptions of distributive and procedural injustice can affect employee deviant behaviours targeted at the organisation and organisational members, the present findings suggest that practitioners should be aware that perceptions of supervisory interactional injustice (i.e. interpersonal and informational) are likely be requited with employees’ extra-role work behaviours targeted at the supervisor. The present findings suggest that, via distrust in supervisor, employees are likely to engage in more CWB-S and fewer OCB-S as a result of supervisory interactional injustice. Considering the costs associated with high CWB-S and low OCB-S, supervisors should be trained in adhering to interactional justice rules. Additionally, supervisors should be mindful and practice caution when interacting with subordinates, to ensure that interactional justice norms are not violated. Lastly, supervisors can seek feedback from subordinates regarding their perceptions of supervisory interactional injustice, as these assessments will allow the supervisors to adapt their behaviours to impede subordinates’ deviant behaviours aimed towards them.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on organisational injustice and workplace behaviour. First, most injustice research assumes that injustice is the opposite of justice; this study examines the effect of interactional injustice. Second, the authors develop a target-specific model focusing on the interactions between two key organisational stakeholders (i.e. supervisors and employees). The authors suggest that supervisor’s disrespect and untruthfulness towards the employee will eventually result in employee revenge (i.e. CWB-S) and lack of cooperation (i.e. OCB-S) towards supervisor. Finally, the authors examine the mechanism (i.e. distrust in supervisor) through which supervisory interactional injustice may ensue in employee extra-role behaviours directed at the supervisor.
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Neil Cranston, Lisa C. Ehrich and Megan Kimber
The purpose of this paper is to report on research into the ethical dilemmas faced by school heads from seven independent schools in Australia.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on research into the ethical dilemmas faced by school heads from seven independent schools in Australia.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for the research were gathered by semi‐structured in‐depth interviews with the Heads, all of whom were experienced school leaders. All the schools had religious affiliations.
Findings
The findings are broadly consistent with the conclusions reached in other Australian and international studies dealing with school leaders which suggest that ethical dilemmas, usually concerning issues to do with staff or students, are so common now that they have become the “bread and butter” of educational leaders' lives. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the struggles school leaders experience when faced with such dilemmas and the forces at play as they seek to resolve them Typically, the dilemmas are not about “right” versus “wrong”, but “right” versus “right” options.
Research limitations/implications
It is clear that the ethical dimensions of the work of school leaders require further investigation as ethical dilemmas are almost a daily occurrence for them as they strive to make complex decisions in the best interests of their school communities.
Practical implications
Professional development in the areas of ethics and ethical decision‐making for school leaders is indicated. Problem‐based learning offers potential in this regard.
Originality/value
The research reported in the paper adds to, and builds on, the growing body of research into ethics in education, particularly how ethical issues emerge when school leaders are required to make complex decisions in contexts where individual, group and organisational interests may be in conflict.
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Vy Dao, Scott Farver and Davena Jackson
With the increasingly cultural and linguistic diversity in education, teaching multicultural education for pre-service teachers becomes an important part of teacher education. In…
Abstract
With the increasingly cultural and linguistic diversity in education, teaching multicultural education for pre-service teachers becomes an important part of teacher education. In this collaborative self-study study, we examine how we construct our identities and how social interactions of multicultural education classrooms shape our identities. Our study draws on Lave and Wenger’s (1991) “identity as learners” concept, Akkerman and Bakker’s (2011) “boundary crossing learning” theory, Harré & Lagenhove’s (1999) positioning theory, and positionality concept. We found three themes that describe our identities and they reflect our embodiment of our positionality, our positions, our challenge confrontation, and our teaching improvement. We argue for the need of tracing the professional trajectories of multicultural education novice teacher educators and the important roles that our positionality plays in our identity formation. Our study has implications for professional support for multicultural education novice teacher educators and offers suggestions for further self-study research about multicultural education novice teacher educator identity formation.
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