Joanna Siah Ann Mei, Namrata Bansal and Augustine Pang
The use of new media in crisis is a double‐edged sword. On one hand, its pivotal role in online monitoring and dissemination of information can help an organisation manage crisis…
Abstract
Purpose
The use of new media in crisis is a double‐edged sword. On one hand, its pivotal role in online monitoring and dissemination of information can help an organisation manage crisis. On the other hand, it can also create organisational crisis. The purpose of this paper is to examine how new media can be used to escalate crisis.
Design/methodology/approach
Four crises were examined: the 2008 Edison Chen sex scandal in Hong Kong; and in the USA, New York Taco Bell‐KFC rats infestation crisis in 2007; JetBlue Airways crisis in 2007, and the Kryptonite locks crisis in 2004.
Findings
The very characteristics that make new media unique, such as user interactivity and integration of multimedia effects, are also its Achilles heel.
Research limitations/implications
Research has revolved around new media as a tool, a useful aid in times of need. The paper presents an emerging and under‐explored side of new media of how it is used as an accessory in escalating crises.
Practical implications
Practitioners can be equipped to better prepare themselves against the threats posed by new media.
Originality/value
The paper has developed a new model on how organisations could harness new media to their advantage while implementing safeguards against possible threats posed by the medium. This model, called the new media crisis communication model, is an integration of the crisis management model posited by Gonzelez‐Herrero and Smith and the contingency theory of strategic conflict management.
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The purpose of this paper is to discuss the future of corporate communication professionals and researchers; to present the findings of the Corporate Communication International…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the future of corporate communication professionals and researchers; to present the findings of the Corporate Communication International (CCI) Corporate Communication Practices and Trends Study 2009; and to introduce the issues presented in the papers from the CCI Conference on Corporate Communication 2009 published in this special issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper presents a discussion of the future of the corporate communication and the findings of the CCI Corporate Communication Practices and Trends Study 2009.
Findings
The paper implies strategic knowledge of business processes and practice for effective corporate communication.
Research limitations/implications
The paper implies several areas for further research.
Originality/value
The paper articulates complex challenges facing corporate communicators.
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Manpreet Kaur and Balwant Singh
To break the chains of inequality for access to education for marginalized groups across India and move toward an egalitarian society, where all people can live with dignity and…
Abstract
To break the chains of inequality for access to education for marginalized groups across India and move toward an egalitarian society, where all people can live with dignity and fulfill their dreams, the need of the hour is to strengthen the education system and prepare teachers with secular and reformative thinking. This chapter attempts to examine the problems of various marginalized groups in Indian society and their educational provisions. This work also aims to analyze several issues and challenges related to preparing teachers for inclusive schools and to draw attention to the need to reframe and revise teacher education programs and enforce inclusive teacher education practices in India to promote inclusion.
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Nishit Kumar Srivastava, Namrata Chatterjee, A.K. Subramani, N. Akbar Jan and Pankaj Kumar Singh
The present study is an attempt to extend the Model of Goal-directed Behavior (MGB) to consider health consciousness and perceived privacy protection as two critical factors to…
Abstract
Purpose
The present study is an attempt to extend the Model of Goal-directed Behavior (MGB) to consider health consciousness and perceived privacy protection as two critical factors to predict desire and intention by individuals to adopt and use wearable health devices (WHDs).
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the literature review hypotheses were framed and tested using data collected through a questionnaire survey. A total of 418 self-reported complete responses were considered to analyze the hypotheses proposed in the study. Structural equation modeling, effects analysis and model comparison (MGB and extended MGB) were performed to understand the predictability of the suggested model.
Findings
The results of the study corroborate that along with MGB, health consciousness and perceived privacy protection also induces the intention of users toward using WHDs. Health-consciousness is found to have a positive and significant direct and indirect impact on intention to use WHDs. Further, the model comparison exhibits that the proposed extended MGB is a better predictor of intention to use WHDs.
Practical implications
Apart from the conventional framework of MGB, health consciousness and perceived privacy protection promote desire and intention to use WHDs. This research provides a framework for marketers to promote health consciousness among consumers by motivating them to adopt WHDs. Further, privacy protection features should be showcased in order to induce trust in consumers which in turn will trigger their intention to use WHDs to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Originality/value
The current study incorporates health consciousness and perceived privacy protection in MGB to fit into the context of healthcare intention study, which enhances the predictability of intention behavior of consumers and adds to the existing body of MGB and healthcare literature.
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Namrata Gangil, Arshad Noor Siddiquee, Jitendra Yadav, Shashwat Yadav, Vedant Khare, Neelmani Mittal, Sambhav Sharma, Rittik Srivastava and Sohail Mazher Ali Khan M.A.K. Mohammed
The purpose of this paper is to compile a comprehensive status report on pipes/piping networks across different industrial sectors, along with specifications of materials and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compile a comprehensive status report on pipes/piping networks across different industrial sectors, along with specifications of materials and sizes, and showcase welding avenues. It further extends to highlight the promising friction stir welding as a single solid-state pipe welding procedure. This paper will enable all piping, welding and friction stir welding stakeholders to identify scope for their engagement in a single window.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a review paper, and it is mainly structured around sections on materials, sizes and standards for pipes in different sectors and the current welding practice for joining pipe and pipe connections; on the process and principle of friction stir welding (FSW) for pipes; identification of main welding process parameters for the FSW of pipes; effects of process parameters; and a well-carved-out concluding summary.
Findings
A well-carved-out concluding summary of extracts from thoroughly studied research is presented in a structured way in which the avenues for the engagement of FSW are identified.
Research limitations/implications
The implications of the research are far-reaching. The FSW is currently expanding very fast in the welding of flat surfaces and has evolved into a vast number of variants because of its advantages and versatility. The application of FSW is coming up late but catching up fast, and as a late starter, the outcomes of such a review paper may support stake holders to expand the application of this process from pipe welding to pipe manufacturing, cladding and other high-end applications. Because the process is inherently inclined towards automation, its throughput rate is high and it does not need any consumables, the ultimate benefit can be passed on to the industry in terms of financial gains.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only review exclusively for the friction stir welding of pipes with a well-organized piping specification detailed about industrial sectors. The current pipe welding practice in each sector has been presented, and the avenues for engaging FSW have been highlighted. The FSW pipe process parameters are characteristically distinguished from the conventional FSW, and the effects of the process parameters have been presented. The summary is concise yet comprehensive and organized in a structured manner.
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Nemiraja Jadiyappa, Bhavik Parikh, Namrata Saikia and Adam Usman
The purpose of this study is to examine whether the choice of a firm to spend resources on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities is associated with its actual social…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine whether the choice of a firm to spend resources on corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities is associated with its actual social impacts as measured by its energy consumption and the quality of its financial reporting. Based on legitimacy theory, the authors argue firms in India use CSR expenditures as mere smoke screens to build a positive public image.
Design/methodology/approach
By using energy consumption per unit of sale as a measure of real environmental impact, the authors model firms' CSR investment behavior. Additionally, the authors use earnings management measures to examine whether CSR spenders engage in manipulating reported earnings, a practice socially responsible firms would not engage in. These hypotheses are tested using a panel data set of Indian firms for the period 2012–2014.
Findings
Consistent with legitimacy theory, the authors show firms that participate in socially undesirable activities such as heavy energy consumption and accounting manipulation are more likely to pursue CSR voluntarily. Additionally, the authors find evidence suggesting firms that voluntarily engage in CSR tend to have lower firm values.
Originality/value
This study examines the social and environmental concerns of firms that invest in CSR, especially in an emerging market context. The findings help understand the motivation for CSR behavior of corporate firms and may well explain the observed negative relationship between firm value and voluntary CSR spending observed in many emerging market contexts, especially in India.
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Rana Haq, Alain Klarsfeld, Angela Kornau and Faith Wambura Ngunjiri
The purpose of this paper is to present the diversity and equality perspectives from the national context of India and introduce a special issue about equality, diversity and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the diversity and equality perspectives from the national context of India and introduce a special issue about equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in India.
Design/methodology/approach
This special issue consists of six articles on current EDI issues in India. The first three of the contributions are focused on descriptions of diversity challenges and policies regarding caste and disabilities, while the remaining three papers address gender diversity.
Findings
In addition to providing an overview of this issue's articles, this paper highlights developments and current themes in India's country-specific equality and diversity scholarship. Drawing on the special issue's six papers, the authors show the relevance of Western theories while also pointing to the need for reformulation of others in the context of India.
Research limitations/implications
The authors conclude with a call to further explore diversity in India and to develop locally relevant, culture-sensitive theoretical frameworks. Religious and economic diversity should receive more attention in future diversity management scholarship in the Indian context.
Originality/value
How does India experience equality and diversity concepts? How are India's approaches similar or different from those experienced in other countries? How do theoretical frameworks originated in the West apply in India? Are new, locally grounded frameworks needed to better capture the developments at play? These questions are addressed by the contributions to this special issue.
Maria Margarita Meza Rios, Irene Marie Herremans, Jean E. Wallace, Norm Althouse, David Lansdale and Manuel Preusser
This paper aims to determine whether high school students can become agents of change in their local communities by participating in a formal internship program implemented…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to determine whether high school students can become agents of change in their local communities by participating in a formal internship program implemented through a partnership between academia (high schools and universities), nonprofit organizations and key community stakeholders.
Design/methodology/approach
Pre- and post-assessments, activity journals and on-line interviews are used to measure the impact of internships on high school students’ sustainability leadership, using a train-the-trainer intervention led by university interns. A conceptual problem-solving framework is proposed and empirically tested to explore the linkages between complex problem constellations, sustainability transition strategies and sustainability visions.
Findings
The five core leadership competencies (systems thinking, strategic, anticipatory, normative and interpersonal) may not be as uniquely discrete as suggested in the literature. An effective learning experience depends on students’ developing competence in their ability to implement a strategic intervention, which is better acquired through hands-on experience rather than a classroom setting.
Practical implications
Students need experiential learning outside of the classroom to make sustainability come alive as a viable option for their communities.
Social implications
The principles of social responsivity, engagement, experiential learning, capacity-building and entrepreneurialism can be executed by transforming the campus into a learning lab, which includes the local community.
Originality/value
This study empirically demonstrates that students need involvement in strategic interventions to imagine and conceptualize sustainability visions. It also shows how academia can help fulfill the United Nations sustainable development goals.