Dirk H.R. Spennemann, Melissa Pike and Maggie J. Watson
Birds are implicated in spoiling and decay of buildings, especially through their droppings. Pigeons are considered the main culprits, and several studies have examined the…
Abstract
Purpose
Birds are implicated in spoiling and decay of buildings, especially through their droppings. Pigeons are considered the main culprits, and several studies have examined the effects and chemistry of accumulations of droppings without evidence to the exact origins of the source of the excreta. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This study reviews and summarises the state of knowledge with regard to the impact of bird excreta on buildings. It experimentally assesses the acidity of fresh pigeon excreta with different diets and examines the development of the acidity of the excreta after voiding.
Findings
Feral pigeons in urban settings are known to be fed by a range of foods. Urban food scraps-derived diets produce more acidic excreta than more natural diets such as seeds. This is a first study of its kind to examine the impact of a bird’s diet on the pH and thus the resulting (potential) decay of masonry.
Research limitations/implications
This study showed that from a management’s perspective, pigeons that subsist entirely on human provided foods will be depositing more initially acidic faeces. If faecal accumulation occurs; then, mould and other bacteria quickly alter the chemistry from acidic towards basic, but the damage may already be done.
Originality/value
This paper is the first study of its kind to examine the effects of fresh pigeon droppings of known origin and age once voided from the intestine. This allows the authors to assess the impact during the first few days.
Details
Keywords
Dirk H.R. Spennemann, Melissa Pike and Maggie J. Watson
There is much anecdotal evidence that birds and their droppings are a major problem for the heritage profession. The purpose of this paper is to examine how serious heritage…
Abstract
Purpose
There is much anecdotal evidence that birds and their droppings are a major problem for the heritage profession. The purpose of this paper is to examine how serious heritage practitioners consider the bird impact to be.
Design/methodology/approach
An online survey was conducted of 59 Australian heritage professionals of between one and >20 year’s experience in the field.
Findings
Bird impacts were not considered of major concern to buildings. The longer experience a practitioner had, the less likely the impacts were considered an issue. Feral pigeons were deemed the most problematic, followed by cockatoos, starlings, swallows, seagulls, mynas, sparrows, cormorants, ibis, ducks and birds of prey. The professionals ranked common deterrent methods. The highest-ranking deterrents were bird netting and bird spikes, but they were only considered moderately effective. The costs of installation and maintenance, as well the ease of installation, were all deemed significantly less important than the physical impact, the aesthetic sympathy and the effectiveness of a deterrent method.
Practical implications
This study indicates that the impact of birds on buildings in Australia may be of less concern than previously thought, and may be driven by other factors (i.e. aesthetics, commercial companies) rather than actual effects.
Originality/value
This is first study of its kind that surveyed the experiences of a wide range of heritage practitioners.
Details
Keywords
Atsuko Kawakami, Subi Gandhi, Derek Lehman and Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld
The disparities of COVID-19 vaccination rates between the rural and urban areas have become apparent during this pandemic. There is a need to understand the root causes of vaccine…
Abstract
Purpose
The disparities of COVID-19 vaccination rates between the rural and urban areas have become apparent during this pandemic. There is a need to understand the root causes of vaccine hesitancy demonstrated by the rural population to increase coverage and to contain the disease spread throughout the United States. This study aimed to explore other factors influencing vaccine hesitancy among rural dwellers besides the geography-related barriers such as poor health care access and individuals having no or suboptimal insurance coverage.
Methodology/Approach
By reviewing existing data and literature about vaccination, health literacy, and behaviors, and prevailing ideologies, we discuss the potential causes of vaccine hesitancy in rural areas that could create barriers for successful public health efforts related to vaccine coverage and provide suggestions to ameliorate the situation.
Findings
Geography-related barriers, health literacy, and preconceived notions are key determinants of adopting healthy behaviors and complying with public health authorities' recommendations among rural individuals during a public-health crisis. We argue that ideology, which is much deeper than preconception or misconception on vaccination, should be incorporated as a key factor to redefine the term “vulnerable populations” in public health research.
Research Limitations/Implications
The limitation of our study is that we have not found an effective way to encourage the populations who hold conservative religious and political ideologies to join the efforts for public health. Even though geography-related barriers may strongly impact the rural dwellers in achieving optimal health, the various forms of ideologies they have toward certain health behaviors cannot be discounted to understand and address vaccine-related disparities in rural areas. There is a need to redefine the term “vulnerable population” particularly as it relates to rural areas in the United States. During large-scale public health disasters, scholars and public health authorities should consider the ideologies of individuals, in addition to other factors such as race/ethnicity, area of residence (rural vs. urban), and socioeconomic factors influencing the existing vulnerabilities and health disparities.
Details
Keywords
Melissa Sedmak and Phil Longhurst
The purpose of this paper is to present the choices to researchers when approaching the topic of enterprise systems from a social science perspective.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the choices to researchers when approaching the topic of enterprise systems from a social science perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
A selected bibliography is presented, on the themes relevant to methodological choices in studying enterprise systems in an organisational context. The themes encompass epistemology, causality, research approach and type of data, research design, researcher role in data collection, research strategy, method, techniques and researcher role in relation to the setting.
Findings
The paper presents theoretical approaches and illustrates the application of theory on the specific case of enterprise system implementation in an organisational context.
Research limitations/implications
A breadth of themes is considered here, however the review of the literature is not exhaustive, but selective.
Practical implications
The paper argues for making research method explicit and transparent and for greater awareness of the researchers studying enterprise systems of the methodological choices available when engaging with the subject of study.
Originality/value
The paper brings together available and well‐developed research methods, mainly used in information systems (IS) research and organisation studies, and which have been used in enterprise systems somewhat sparsely and without particular transparency, closer to research practice.
Details
Keywords
Ya Ding, Michael J. Hayes and Melissa Widhalm
The purpose of this paper is to provide useful information for members of the weather community and policy makers, to help them understand the full scope of drought economic…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide useful information for members of the weather community and policy makers, to help them understand the full scope of drought economic impacts and assessment methodologies, and to help determine the feasibility of future drought mitigation programs.
Design/methodology/approach
To accomplish the objective, the paper reviews the literature of drought economic impact studies in both agricultural and non‐agricultural sectors, summarizes the methods and data employed, compares the various results, and investigates the problems and limitations of previous studies.
Findings
The paper concludes with a discussion of the challenges and directions of future improvement on drought economic impact assessment.
Originality/value
This paper gives a comprehensive review of drought economic impacts and the associated quantitative assessment methodologies, which provides valuable information to rational decisions supporting drought mitigation policies and programs.
Details
Keywords
Abstract
Details
Keywords
David S. Gedde and Tantatape Brahmasrene
Describes the impact of recent changes in US tort law and identifies four interest groups concerned: manufacturers, insurance companies, consumers and lawyers. Discusses their…
Abstract
Describes the impact of recent changes in US tort law and identifies four interest groups concerned: manufacturers, insurance companies, consumers and lawyers. Discusses their relative strengths, motivations and influence on judicial decisions, citing relevant liability cases for product‐related injuries due to manufacturing defects, design defects and inadequate warnings. Develops a logistic regression model to relate state adoption of strict liability standards to the relative strength of interest groups and applies it to US data. Suggests that the strength of manufacturers and, more particularly, lawyers is significant; and that liberal states are more likely to adopt strict liability for design defects. Calls for further research on the role of the legal profession in legal change.
Details
Keywords
James Russell Pike, Stephen Miller, Christopher Cappelli, Nasya Tan, Bin Xie and Alan W. Stacy
This paper aims to apply the Product Life Cycle (PLC) and Product Evolutionary Cycle (PEC) frameworks to the nicotine and tobacco market to predict the impact of television…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to apply the Product Life Cycle (PLC) and Product Evolutionary Cycle (PEC) frameworks to the nicotine and tobacco market to predict the impact of television commercials for electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) on youth.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys were administered over a three-year period to 417 alternative high school students from Southern California who had never used e-cigarettes, cigarettes or cigars at the baseline. Covariate-adjusted logistic regression causal mediation models were used to test competing hypotheses from the PLC and PEC frameworks.
Findings
Results support a refined version of the PEC framework where e-cigarette commercials increase the odds of e-cigarette use, which leads to subsequent use of competing products including cigarettes and cigars.
Practical implications
This investigation demonstrates the utility of frameworks that conceptualize youth-oriented marketing as a two-part process in which potential customers are first convinced to adopt a behavior and then enticed to use a specific product to enact the behavior.
Social implications
Rising rates of nicotine and tobacco product use among youth may be partially attributable to e-cigarette commercials.
Originality/value
Regulations in the USA that permit television commercials for e-cigarettes but restrict the promotion of cigarettes and cigars have created an opportunity to study product adoption among youth consumers when one product has a strategic marketing advantage.