Today’s employees expect a consumer-like communications experience: worthy of their time, meaningful, easy to consume, delightful and consistent. An IDG survey saw that frequent…
Abstract
Purpose
Today’s employees expect a consumer-like communications experience: worthy of their time, meaningful, easy to consume, delightful and consistent. An IDG survey saw that frequent, easy-to-share, modern communications correlated positively to employees’ job satisfaction; increasing the likelihood to recommend their employer as well as to remain at their current company. Do those positive outcomes of employee satisfaction, employer brand and retention sound like they might fit into your strategic HR plans this year and every year?
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have been studying this problem for almost a decade, working with over 1,000 companies representing more than 10 million employees. It seems as if employee communications suffers from the “last mile” syndrome, a term originally coined by the telecommunications industry. You can have the most robust equipment and services but if the last mile, the final piece that connects all of that modern technology to the end user, does not get delivered, it’s all for nothing. Similarly, we can have the best HR programs, total rewards packages and a killer employer value proposition, but if they do not reach and activate our employees, HR can never realize the true ROI of that effort.
Findings
How would you rate your company’s internal communications? That was the question IDG Research asked of 270 HR professionals in its March 2017 Workforce Communication Survey. In total, 71 per cent answered yes to the prompt: “Our workplace communications are engaging”. That’s great news if you’re sitting in HR. Only 27 per cent of the corresponding 1,050 employees replied yes to that same prompt.
Originality/value
Today’s employee is on information overload – @home, @work, @anywhere. With the explosion of digital content being pushed through multiple devices, employees as digital consumers have learned to ignore some types of information and readily consume others. The authors have seen first-hand how this marketing approach to employee communications can give new life to legacy programs and most importantly, improve participation and adoption.
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Peter Tatham, Catherine Ball, Yong Wu and Peter Diplas
While the use of long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (LE-RPAS) is frequently associated with military operations, their core capabilities of long-range, low-cost and…
Abstract
Purpose
While the use of long-endurance remotely piloted aircraft systems (LE-RPAS) is frequently associated with military operations, their core capabilities of long-range, low-cost and high-quality optics and communications systems have considerable potential benefit in supporting the work of humanitarian logisticians. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to demonstrate how LE-RPAS could be used to improve the logistic response to a rapid onset disaster.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the response to the Cyclone Pam that struck Vanuatu in March 2015 as an example, this paper provides an overview of how LE-RPAS could be used to support the post-disaster needs assessment and subsequent response processes. In addition, it provides a high-level route map to develop the people, process and technology requirements that would support the operational deployment of the LE-RPAS capabilities.
Findings
On the basis of the analysis of the published literature and the resultant assessment of the benefits of LE-RPAS to support humanitarian logistic (HL) operations, it is concluded that a formal “proof of concept” trial should be undertaken, and the results be made available to the humanitarian community.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is conceptual in nature, but has been developed through an analysis of the literature relating to remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) and HLs. A route map through which the paper’s conclusions can be validated is also offered.
Practical implications
LE-RPAS have great potential to provide a swifter understanding of the impact of a disaster, particularly those where the location is remote from the main centres of population. This would allow the affected country’s National Disaster Management Organisation, together with those of supporting countries, to react more efficiently and effectively. In particular, it would allow a swifter transition from a “guess-based” push approach to one that more accurately reflects the disaster’s impact – i.e. a pull-based logistic response.
Social implications
Given the military genesis of RPAS, it will be important to ensure that those engaged in their operation are sensitive to the implications of this. In particular, it will be essential to ensure that any humanitarian operations involving RPAS are undertaken in an ethical way that respects, for example, the privacy and safety of the affected population.
Originality/value
While there is some emerging discussion on the humanitarian-related use of RPAS in the literature, this generally reflects the operation of small aircraft with limited range and payload capabilities. Useful though such RPAS unquestionably are, this paper expands the discussion of how such systems can support the humanitarian logistician by considering the benefits and challenges of operating long-endurance aircraft.
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María Dolores Sánchez-Fernández, Alfonso Vargas-Sánchez and Paula Remoaldo
The authors want to study the connection between institutional theory and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the set of hotels with three, four and five star situated in…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors want to study the connection between institutional theory and corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the set of hotels with three, four and five star situated in Galicia (Spain) and in the Northern region of Portugal. The authors aim to see whether there is a contrast of isomorphic behaviour in the institutional context of both regions.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative study in which the authors apply the partial least square (PLS) technique, a methodology based on structural equations models using the software Visual-PLS. The authors intend to study the relationships between the pressures of institutional context and CSR practices, together with the relationship between legitimacy and these practices. The focus of the proposed model is based on the system theory.
Findings
The main findings of this research clearly show that hotels are incorporated into an institutional context marked by enforced and regulatory pressures.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed research model can be replicated using other units of study, sectors, geographic areas, among others, due to the explanatory capacity of the theoretical framework used.
Originality/value
The originality of this work derives from the main contributions based on the theoretical framework (institutional theory and CSR), the object of study and geographical area (three, four and five star hotels located in Galicia and in the North of Portugal), the context (economic crisis), the field of study (private sphere) and the type of organizations (profit making).
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Yeong Liang Sim and Frederik Josep Putuhena
The purpose of this paper is to identify mechanisms and approaches involved in the local construction industry to enhance environmental concerns and the adoption of capacity…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify mechanisms and approaches involved in the local construction industry to enhance environmental concerns and the adoption of capacity development model to manage the environment and up keeping of the quality in Malaysian construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper describes an innovative approach to understanding the role of internal and external influence through LEGO® concept. This approach builds on the theory of change management, in which includes learning about the domain of enabling environment, organisation, individual and knowledge management process. New ideas, practices or technologies occur through integration of efforts particularly from the above mentioned domains. The approach also analyses the challenges faced by construction stakeholders. It draws on findings from different studies including some other countries of sustainability in which the engagement of previous research has been incorporated to further enhance the construction and environmental quality in the Malaysian construction industry.
Findings
Environmental sustainable development construction requires a holistic thinking and decision making and more innovative solutions that enhance sustainability and result in mutually benefited outcomes for all stakeholders. A dedicated effort especially government and government link company is in strong demand. A valid reason for capacity development to develop in organisations and individuals to perform functions needed to keep green management operating and evolving to meet new challenges. The construction sector will benefit from learning advances in capacity development which are designed to improve and enhance construction and environmental quality governance. The coverage of LEGO® conceptual framework at which capacity development operates was identified in each domain of change management.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of the study was the relatively little literature information provided and thus affects the expounding and reliability of data. For this reason, these findings cannot be generalised to the other countries based on this study alone. The access to information is limited as public and private organisations hesitate to share information on their strategic planning and tactics.
Originality/value
Development of capacity development model will contribute to the understanding of environmental sustainability through identifying gaps in the understanding and pursuit of construction and environmental quality in the Malaysian construction industry. This paper suggests the future prospect that integrates several dimensions towards green management practice in Malaysia.
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Violence and aggression against mental health professionals is a global concern with well-documented consequences. In the UK, mental health care is increasingly delivered in the…
Abstract
Purpose
Violence and aggression against mental health professionals is a global concern with well-documented consequences. In the UK, mental health care is increasingly delivered in the community, yet little research has explored practitioner experiences of workplace violence (WPV) outside of inpatient settings. This study aimed to explore how mental health professionals in a UK community mental health team (CMHT) perceive, experience and cope with WPV.
Design/methodology/approach
Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten multidisciplinary professionals based in a CMHT in a UK city. Data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.
Findings
Three interconnected themes emerged. WPV was accepted as inevitable: participants carried on working despite its impact, and feeling unheard by management they gave up on change, perpetuating the perceived inevitability of WPV. Peer support and organisational resources like debriefing, counselling and occupational health improved coping. Stigma and ideas of professional responsibility were barriers to access.
Originality/value
To mitigate against the negative consequences of WPV, CMHTs could offer peer support initiatives, improve communication and availability of organisational resources and involve staff in post-incident decision-making. Recommendations are made to shift the attitude of acceptance of WPV and encourage help-seeking.
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Zhasmina Tacheva and Natalie Simpson
The purpose of this paper is to promote social network analysis (SNA) methodology within the humanitarian research community, surveying its current state of the art and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to promote social network analysis (SNA) methodology within the humanitarian research community, surveying its current state of the art and demonstrating its utility in analyzing humanitarian operations.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive survey of the related literature motivates a proposed agenda for interested researchers. Analysis of two humanitarian networks in Afghanistan demonstrates the use and utility of SNA, based on secondary data. In the second case study, the use of random graphs to detect network motifs is demonstrated using Monte Carlo simulation to create the benchmark null sets.
Findings
SNA is an adaptable and highly useful methodology in humanitarian research, quantifying patterns of community structure and collaboration among humanitarian organizations. Network motifs suggesting distinct affinity between particular agencies within humanitarian clusters are observed.
Research limitations/implications
The authors summarize common challenges of using SNA in humanitarian research and discuss ways to alleviate them.
Practical implications
Practitioners can use SNA as readily as researchers, to visualize existing networks, identify areas of concern and better communicate observations.
Social implications
By making SNA more accessible to a humanitarian research audience, the authors hope its ability to capture complex, dynamic relationships will advance understanding of effective humanitarian relief systems.
Originality/value
To the best of knowledge, it is the first study to conduct a systematic analysis of the application of SNA in empirical humanitarian research and outline a concrete SNA-based research agenda. This is also a currently rare instance of a humanitarian study using random graphs to assess observed SNA measures.
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Naga Jyothi P., Rajya Lakshmi D. and Rama Rao K.V.S.N.
Analyzing medicare data is a role undertaken by the government and commercial companies for accepting the appeals and sanctioning the claims of those insured under Medicare. As…
Abstract
Purpose
Analyzing medicare data is a role undertaken by the government and commercial companies for accepting the appeals and sanctioning the claims of those insured under Medicare. As the data of medicare is robust and made up of heterogeneous typed columns, traditional approaches consist of a laborious and time-consuming process. The understanding and processing of such data sets and finding the role of each attribute for data analysis are tricky tasks which this research will attempt to ease. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper proposes a Hierarchical Grouping (HG) with an experimental model to handle the complex data and analysis of the categorical data which consist of heterogeneous typed columns. The HG methodology starts with feature subset selection. HG forms a structure by quantitatively estimating the similarities and forms groups of the features for data. This is carried by applying metrics like decomposition; it splits the dataset and helps to analyze thoroughly under different labels with different selected attributes of Medicare data. The method of fixed regression includes metrics of re-indexing and grouping which works well for multiple keys (multi-index) of categorical data. The final stage of structure is applying multiple aggregation function on each attribute for quantitative computation.
Findings
The data are analyzed quantitatively with the HG mechanism. The results shown in this paper took less computation cost and speed, which are usually incurred on the publicly available data sets.
Practical implications
The motive of this paper is to provide a supportive work for the tasks like outlier detection, prediction, decision making and prescriptive tasks for multi-dimensional data.
Originality/value
It provides a new efficient approach to analyze medicare data sets.
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Rune Dall Jensen, Sissel Ravn and Mette Krogh Christensen
Education of the surgeon and development of surgical expertise have been debated for centuries. Today, research in surgical education applies terms and methods from other…
Abstract
Purpose
Education of the surgeon and development of surgical expertise have been debated for centuries. Today, research in surgical education applies terms and methods from other performance domains such as sport and music. However, there still seems to be a lack of consensus as to how talent may be brought into the discourse about surgical education. Especially, when it comes to identifying and developing trainees who in the future will perform better than the average surgeon.
Design/methodology/approach
This five-step scoping study aims to map existing literature about talent identification, talent development and development of expertise in the domains of surgery, sport and music in the period of 1985-2014.
Findings
A total of 242 studies, divided in the four domains of surgery (69 studies), sport (115 studies), music (34 studies) and cross-disciplinary studies (24 studies) published in the period 1985-2014 were included.
Originality/value
Informed by the performance domains of sports and music and their inclusion of a holistic, ecological approach to research, this study suggests that research in surgical education may benefit from broadening its view on talent by including psychosocial variables and environmental, demographic and structural influencers when considering how surgical talent may be identified and developed.
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Shiva Sadat Mostafavi and Alexis Mavrommatis
This paper aims to offer an integrated framework for branded apps (BAs) that highlights research gaps and points to areas for future research.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to offer an integrated framework for branded apps (BAs) that highlights research gaps and points to areas for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a systematic literature review approach, the authors analyzed more than 100 articles published between 2009 and the present. This research used databases such as SCOPUS, Web of Science, EBSCO and Elsevier’s Science Direct, with a particular focus on articles listed in the 2021 ABS index. The reviewed papers were coded and organized into four categories in terms of themes and concepts: antecedents, mechanisms, outcomes and moderators.
Findings
The study identified four types of antecedents (app benefits, personal traits, brand benefits and others) that influence outcomes via cognitive, affective and a mix of both mechanisms, which is termed multipaths. The authors classified outcomes into five areas (financial gains; app benefits; brand benefits; customer benefits; and others). Moderators were grouped into four types (customer individuality; app features; brand characteristics; and others). The authors concluded by recommending promising directions for future research. Specifically, the authors suggested an inverted U-shaped relationship between escapism and customer responses to BAs.
Originality/value
This paper focused exclusively on BAs, differentiating them from other mobile apps. The authors integrated nearly 100+ studies conducted over two decades. This integrated model serves as a guiding tool for understanding the past, present and future of BAs.