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Article
Publication date: 1 December 2007

John Devapriam, Lammata Raju, Niraj Singh, Richard Collacott and Sabyasachi Bhaumik

The prevalence rate of arson in offenders with intellectual disabilities (ID) has been reported to be higher than that in the general population. This retrospective study focuses…

Abstract

The prevalence rate of arson in offenders with intellectual disabilities (ID) has been reported to be higher than that in the general population. This retrospective study focuses on examining the characteristics of offenders with ID and the range of identified reasons for the index offence. The findings indicate a higher prevalence of arson in this population, along with the fact that the majority of people with ID who have committed arson tend to bypass the Criminal Justice System. A significant number are likely to repeat the behaviour and will also commit other offences. The most common reason for arson appears to be revenge, closely followed by suggestibility. The majority had an associated diagnosis of personality disorders along with an Axis 1 psychiatric diagnosis. Other factors include large family size, history of childhood psychiatric disorders, abuse, homelessness, unemployment and relationship difficulties.

Details

The British Journal of Forensic Practice, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-6646

Article
Publication date: 10 May 2013

Bhathika Perera, Abdul Shaikh and Niraj Singh

The literature on the use of Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) is primarily focused on people without intellectual disabilities. This paper aims to explore how CTOs are used in…

Abstract

Purpose

The literature on the use of Community Treatment Orders (CTOs) is primarily focused on people without intellectual disabilities. This paper aims to explore how CTOs are used in people with intellectual disability in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

An audit was conducted among Consultant Psychiatrists in intellectual disability psychiatry in Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust. Each consultant was asked to provide information on demographic data of their patients on CTOs, reasons for being on a CTO, conditions specified, patients' capacity to consent and their understanding of their CTOs. Conditions of CTOs were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

There were 17 CTOs done for patients with intellectual disability from November 2008 to May 2011. Mean age was 38 with a range of 20‐59. All patients had a mild or moderate intellectual disability. Only a small percentage of patients had a diagnosis of schizophrenia. More than 50 per cent had a diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder (PDD). All patients had behavioural problems as a reason for being on a CTO. About one third of patients did not have any understanding of their CTOs. Themes of conditions were focused on providing a structured life to prevent relapse of the mental disorder.

Originality/value

This paper highlights that CTOs are used differently in the intellectual disability population. CTOs are adapted to use for patients with behavioural challenges and PDD in an intellectual disability population. This contrasts with its common use to manage non‐compliance with medication in patients with schizophrenia in the general adult population. This paper also suggests the main themes of conditions which clinicians can use when deciding on CTO conditions.

Details

Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-1282

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 November 2021

Leonardo Sedevich-Fons

The specific purpose of this article is to describe customer profitability analysis and evaluate its compatibility with quality management systems. Besides, its more general…

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Abstract

Purpose

The specific purpose of this article is to describe customer profitability analysis and evaluate its compatibility with quality management systems. Besides, its more general objective consists in shedding further light on the links between management accounting and quality management, which is still an emerging topic.

Design/methodology/approach

The first part of the document presents a theoretical description of the disciplines and tools that are relevant to the study. Afterward, an explanation of the way in which customer profitability analysis is operationalized in practice is provided. Subsequently, a framework for the incorporation of customer profitability analysis into a quality management system is introduced. The final section includes some recommendations for future research.

Findings

Through the analysis of the benefits of the incorporation of customer profitability analysis into an ISO 9000 model, the study provides further support to the premise that the joint consideration of management accounting techniques and quality management tools is beneficial to organizations.

Originality/value

The article combines two disciplines closely related in practice but seldom concurrently addressed in the literature.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 34 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 January 2024

Vibhav Singh, Niraj Kumar Vishvakarma, Hoshiar Mal and Vinod Kumar

E-commerce companies use different types of dark patterns to manipulate choices and earn higher revenues. This study aims to evaluate and prioritize dark patterns used by…

Abstract

Purpose

E-commerce companies use different types of dark patterns to manipulate choices and earn higher revenues. This study aims to evaluate and prioritize dark patterns used by e-commerce companies to determine which dark patterns are the most profitable and risky.

Design/methodology/approach

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) prioritizes the observed categories of dark patterns based on the literature. Several corporate and academic specialists were consulted to create a comparison matrix to assess the elements of the detected dark pattern types.

Findings

Economic indicators are the most significant aspect of every business. Consequently, many companies use manipulative methods such as dark patterns to boost their revenue. The study revealed that the revenue generated by the types of dark patterns varies greatly. It was found that exigency, social proof, forced action and sneaking generate the highest revenues, whereas obstruction and misdirection create only marginal revenues for an e-commerce company.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of the AHP study is that the rating scale used in the analysis is conceptual. Consequentially, pairwise comparisons may induce bias in the results.

Practical implications

This paper suggests methodical and operational techniques to choose the priority of dark patterns to drive profits with minimum tradeoffs. The dark pattern ranking technique might be carried out by companies once a year to understand the implications of any new dark patterns used.

Originality/value

The advantages of understanding the trade-offs of implementing dark patterns are massive. E-commerce companies can optimize their spent time and resources by implementing the most beneficial dark patterns and avoiding the ones that drive marginal profits and annoy consumers.

Details

Measuring Business Excellence, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1368-3047

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 June 2024

Vibhav Singh, Niraj Kumar Vishvakarma and Vinod Kumar

E-commerce companies use dark patterns to manipulate customer decisions to survive in the crowded online market and make profit. Although some online customers are aware of the…

Abstract

Purpose

E-commerce companies use dark patterns to manipulate customer decisions to survive in the crowded online market and make profit. Although some online customers are aware of the dark patterns, they cannot overcome such manipulations. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify and model the barriers to overcoming dark patterns using total interpretive structural modeling (TISM).

Design/methodology/approach

Barriers to overcoming dark patterns were identified from the extant literature and were validated by a panel of 18 domain experts. In the modeling phase, TISM technique was used to identify the relationships between the barriers and assign priority to the barriers. Finally, the barriers were plotted and classified into three categories.

Findings

User unawareness, trust in brands and normalization of aggressive marketing were found to be the highest priority barriers. Whereas, designer bias, user fatigue, short-term user benefits and design complexity were identified as the most challenging barriers because they have least dependence over the other barriers.

Research limitations/implications

Because TISM results are based on the opinion of domain experts, other statistical techniques could be applied for validation.

Practical implications

This study would educate online customers, while assisting online user communities and regulatory bodies to devise strategies to overcome dark patterns. Additionally, business managers could use the study’s findings to encourage designers to embrace ethical design methods as a competitive advantage.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the research as it is first of its kind to examine the link between dark pattern barriers.

Details

Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-996X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2024

Vibhav Singh, Niraj Kumar Vishvakarma and Vinod Kumar

E-commerce companies often manipulate customer decisions through dark patterns to meet their interests. Therefore, this study aims to identify, model and rank the enablers behind…

Abstract

Purpose

E-commerce companies often manipulate customer decisions through dark patterns to meet their interests. Therefore, this study aims to identify, model and rank the enablers behind dark patterns usage in e-commerce companies.

Design/methodology/approach

Dark pattern enablers were identified from existing literature and validated by industry experts. Total interpretive structural modeling (TISM) was used to model the enablers. In addition, “matriced impacts croisés multiplication appliquée á un classement” (MICMAC) analysis categorized and ranked the enablers into four groups.

Findings

Partial human command over cognitive biases, fighting market competition and partial human command over emotional triggers were ranked as the most influential enablers of dark patterns in e-commerce companies. At the same time, meeting long-term economic goals was identified as the most challenging enabler of dark patterns, which has the lowest dependency and impact over the other enablers.

Research limitations/implications

TISM results are reliant on the opinion of industry experts. Therefore, alternative statistical approaches could be used for validation.

Practical implications

The insights of this study could be used by business managers to eliminate dark patterns from their platforms and meet the motivations of the enablers of dark patterns with alternate strategies. Furthermore, this research would aid legal agencies and online communities in developing methods to combat dark patterns.

Originality/value

Although a few studies have developed taxonomies and classified dark patterns, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has identified the enablers behind the use of dark patterns by e-commerce organizations. The study further models the enablers and explains the mutual relationships.

Details

Global Knowledge, Memory and Communication, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2514-9342

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 August 2018

Rohit Kumar Singh, Surendra Kansara and Niraj Kumar Vishwakarma

The aim of this paper is to identify the criteria that are used for vendor or supplier rating, prioritize these criteria based on the industry inputs and develop a vendor rating…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to identify the criteria that are used for vendor or supplier rating, prioritize these criteria based on the industry inputs and develop a vendor rating model. The data were collected from an Indian start-up working in product development using three-dimensional printing (3DP).

Design/methodology/approach

Factors of importance for vendor rating were identified through industry visits, and interacting with the industry experts from the start-up under consideration, substantiated by extensive review of relevant literature. A questionnaire-based survey was carried out to further narrow down the factors important to the industry, prioritizing them with a pairwise comparison analysis as envisaged in the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique along with the calculation of consistency ratios. Technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) methodology was further used for data aggregation.

Findings

This research brought forward the criteria that are useful for rating vendors or suppliers with reference to 3DP sector.

Originality/value

This paper integrates AHP and TOPSIS to solve a multi-criteria vendor rating problem. The attempt was made to make vendor rating process universal so that it can encompass all the vendors of the firm.

Details

Measuring Business Excellence, vol. 22 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1368-3047

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 November 2018

Sarbjit Kaur, Niraj Bala and Charu Khosla

The biomaterials are natural or synthetic materials used to improve quality of life either by replacing tissue/organ or assisting their function in medical field. The purpose of…

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Abstract

Purpose

The biomaterials are natural or synthetic materials used to improve quality of life either by replacing tissue/organ or assisting their function in medical field. The purpose of the study is to analyze the hydroxyapatite (HAP), HAP-TiO2 (25 percent) composite coatings deposited on 316 LSS by High Velocity Flame Spray (HVFS) technique.

Design/methodology/approach

The coatings exhibit almost uniform and dense microstructure with porosity (HAP = 0.153 and HAP-TiO2 composite = 0.138). Electrochemical corrosion testing was done on the uncoated and coated specimens in Ringer solution (SBF). As-sprayed coatings were characterized by XRD, SEM/EDS and cross-sectional X-ray mapping techniques before and after dipping in Ringer solution. Microhardness of composite coating (568.8 MPa) was found to be higher than HAP coating (353 MPa).

Findings

During investigations, it was observed that the corrosion resistance of steel was found to have increased after the deposition of HAP and HAP-TiO2 composite coatings. Thus, coatings serve as an effective diffusion barrier to prohibit the diffusion of ions from the SBF into the substrate. Composite coatings have been found to be more corrosion resistant as compared to HAP coating in the simulated body fluid.

Research limitations/implications

It has been concluded that corrosion resistance of HAP as well as composite coating is because of the desirable microstructural changes such as low porosity high microhardness and flat splat structures in coatings as compared to bare specimen.

Practical implications

This study is useful in the selection of biomedical implants.

Social implications

This study is useful in the field of biomaterials.

Originality/value

No reported literature on corrosion behavior of HAP+ 25%- TiO2 has been noted till now using flame spray technique. The main focus of the study is to investigate the HAP as well as composite coatings for biomedical applications.

Details

Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, vol. 66 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0003-5599

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 June 2019

Niraj Kumar Vishwakarma, Rohit Kumar Singh and R.R.K. Sharma

The technology used by an organization is significantly influenced by the organization’s preferred competitive capabilities. The Internet of things (IoT) is an important…

Abstract

Purpose

The technology used by an organization is significantly influenced by the organization’s preferred competitive capabilities. The Internet of things (IoT) is an important technology, which is implemented by most prominent business organizations. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between an organization’s strategies and the IoT architectures implemented by the organization.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has been carried out on primary data collected with the help of a structured questionnaire. The data have been analyzed by statistical techniques like cluster analysis and discriminant analysis through SPSS.

Findings

The empirical investigation of data revealed that there is a relationship between organizational strategy and IoT architectures. The three-layered architecture of the IoT is most suitable for caretakers; the three-, four- or five- layered architectures are suitable for marketeers; whereas innovators find it more suitable to use five- or more-layered architecture of the IoT. This paper draws the conclusion based on maximum likelihood rather than using statistical analyses like ANOVA. The idea behind using the maximum likelihood estimate is that there are many subjective parameters in deciding the architectures of the IoT. These subjective parameters are difficult to quantify, so it is not possible to apply ANOVA on these parameters.

Research limitations/implications

This study considers three organizational strategies; the relationship between other organizational strategies and IoT architecture will be studied in future.

Practical implications

This study offers multiple opportunities to practitioners and consulting firms of the IoT to adopt a suitable IoT architecture according to the organizational strategy. This study equips IoT development engineers to select suitable technology for data capturing, data transmission, and data management and access for an IoT architecture.

Originality/value

Although a lot of work has already been done on the architecture of IoT for different industries and businesses, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that relates organizational strategies to IoT architectures. This study applies to all the major industry types.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 July 2022

Hoshiar Mal, Manishkumar Varma and Niraj Kumar Vishvakarma

The use of natural resources by organizations has a significant impact on society, resulting in business firms playing a vital role in developing sustainable development. As a…

Abstract

Purpose

The use of natural resources by organizations has a significant impact on society, resulting in business firms playing a vital role in developing sustainable development. As a result, corporate sustainability has become an integral aspect of a company’s vision and policy in the modern days. Companies issue sustainability reports based on various criteria and metrics, thereby attempting to gain a competitive edge. This study aims to assess and prioritize the numerous factors that influence corporate sustainability performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to prioritize the identified determinants of corporate sustainability performance based on the literature. Several experts from business and academia were engaged to build a comparison matrix for assessing the various aspects of corporate sustainability performance. As a result, various corporate sustainability determinants were determined and prioritized following an extensive literature review using the AHP.

Findings

The most critical component for companies is an economic indicator. Developing environmentally and socially responsible suggestions must be a priority for the organization’s economic performance. Economic performance is believed to be most heavily influenced by innovation and in the other category like environmental and social performance are highly influenced by environment management policies and shareholder responsibility, respectively. Researchers’ findings suggest that to promote sustainability, top executives should devote all of their attention to innovation, environment management policies and shareholder responsibility.

Research limitations/implications

These studies are primarily concerned with developed countries. And, the other fundamental constraint of the AHP study is that the rating scale adopted in the analysis is conceptual. Therefore, pairwise comparisons with a variety of indicators have the potential to introduce bias into the results.

Practical implications

This paper proposes a methodical and operational technique for selecting the ultimate priority of sustainability indicators when it comes to exploiting competitive information on business performance. The paper also recommended sustainability rating technique might be carried out once every six months to improve the overall quality and performance of the organization.

Originality/value

The advantages of adopting and executing corporate sustainability are enormous, and managers must determine whether sustainability is profitable or not. This question prompts further inquiries. For example, what are the numerous critical determinants of corporate sustainability performance? Several scholars throughout the world are looking at it for this reason. As a result, it is essential to comprehend and prioritize the various determinants of corporate sustainability performance.

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