This study aims to analyse the relationships between board processes, board role performance and board effectiveness for a cross-country (UK and Romania) sample of comparable…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to analyse the relationships between board processes, board role performance and board effectiveness for a cross-country (UK and Romania) sample of comparable European listed companies.
Design/methodology/approach
The research design is quantitative in nature and based on the survey method, a self-administered questionnaire which was send to 342 chairmen of selected Romanian and British listed companies and which contains validated statements measured through a seven-point Likert-type scale and grouped in validated constructs.
Findings
This study found further empirical evidence that board processes are stronger determinants of board effectiveness than board characteristics and that board roles mediate the relationship between board processes and board effectiveness. It further confirmed the relevance of the three board processes mentioned by Forbes and Milliken (1999) in their seminal work on board decision-making.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation of this study is the relatively small number of responses (55), which indicates a reduced reliability and generalizability of the results. However, several steps were taken to assure the homogeneity of the sample, starting with a unique data set of firms of comparable size and industry representation.
Practical implications
This study is useful to board directors and chairmen of listed companies, as it can help them to better understand and manage board behaviour.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the limited body of research that investigates specific board process constructs derived from the small team literature and their effect on board effectiveness.
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Megan Jansen, Chloe Chapman, Thomas Richardson, Peter Elliott and Ron Roberts
Previous studies in the field have highlighted a bidirectional link between mental health and physical health. Students may be at a higher risk of both mental and physical health…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous studies in the field have highlighted a bidirectional link between mental health and physical health. Students may be at a higher risk of both mental and physical health problems because of unhealthy lifestyle behaviours and the commencement of university occurring at the same mean age of onset for many psychiatric disorders. This study aims to examine how physical health variables influence changes in mental health symptoms, and vice versa, over time, in a sample of British undergraduate students.
Design/methodology/approach
A longitudinal design over a one-year time period. A national sample of 430 British undergraduate students completed measures of mental health and physical health online at up to four time-points across their first two years of university.
Findings
General physical health and energy and fatigue predicted more severe depression, anxiety, stress and poorer general mental health over time. Depression and stress predicted poorer physical functioning over time. Greater anxiety predicted poorer general health and more severe pain over time. General mental health was not predictive of general physical health. Overall, poor general physical health appears to exacerbate mental health symptoms in students to a greater extent than mental health problems lead to a deterioration in physical health.
Originality/value
This study adds a longitudinal design to a field that is usually cross-sectional, as well as a lack of consideration of how this relationship may differ within student samples. Early interventions should integrate physical and mental well-being rather than focus on any single health-related behaviour.
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Perry Heymann, Ellen Bastiaens, Anne Jansen, Peter van Rosmalen and Simon Beausaert
In a fast evolving labour market, higher education graduates need to develop employability competences. Key in becoming employable is the ability to reflect on learning…
Abstract
Purpose
In a fast evolving labour market, higher education graduates need to develop employability competences. Key in becoming employable is the ability to reflect on learning experiences, both within a curriculum as well as extra-curricular and work placements. This paper wants to conceptualise how an online learning platform might entail a reflective practice that systematically supports students in reflecting on their learning experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
When studying online learning platforms for developing students' employability competences, it became clear that the effectiveness of the platform depends on how the platform guides students' reflective practice. In turn, the authors studied which features (tools, services and resources) of the online learning platform are guiding the reflective practice.
Findings
This resulted in the introduction of an online learning platform, containing a comprehensive set of online learning tools and services, which supports students' reflective practice and, in turn, their employability competences. The online platform facilitates both feedback from curricular and work-related learning experiences and can be used as a start by students for showcasing their employability competences. The reflective practice consists of a recurrent, systematic process of reflection, containing various phases: become aware, analyse current state, draft and plan a solution, take action and, finally, reflect in and on action.
Research limitations/implications
Future research revolves around studying the features of online learning platforms and their role in fostering students' reflection and employability competences.
Practical implications
The conceptual model provides concrete indicators on how to implement online learning platforms for supporting students' reflection and employability competences.
Originality/value
This is the first article that analyses an online learning platform that guides students' reflective practice and fosters their employability competences. The authors provide concrete suggestions on how to model the online platform, building further on reflective practice theory.
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Thomas Richardson, Mma Yeebo, Megan Jansen, Peter Elliott and Ron Roberts
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether financial variables impact psychosis risk over time in students.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine whether financial variables impact psychosis risk over time in students.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 408 first-year British undergraduate students completed measures assessing psychosis risk and finances at three time points.
Findings
Greater financial difficulties increased psychosis risk cross sectionally both in terms of symptoms and distress. Other financial variables such as student loan amount were not significant. In longitudinal analysis financial difficulties increase psychotic symptoms and distress over time, but there was no impact of psychotic symptoms on later financial difficulties.
Research limitations/implications
The study used a relatively small and heavily female sample. Future research is needed to confirm the findings.
Practical implications
Whilst amount of debt does not appear to impact psychotic symptoms in students, greater financial difficulties appear to increase the risk of psychosis over time. Professionals working with students should be aware of this potential link.
Originality/value
This is the first time a longitudinal study has examined the effect of finances on psychosis symptoms.
This study seeks to provide insight into user interaction with a web‐based information system of science and technology, as extending the large‐scale research of search queries…
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to provide insight into user interaction with a web‐based information system of science and technology, as extending the large‐scale research of search queries. Ultimately, this study aims to gain knowledge of user behavior in order to improve the IR system for the users.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper quantitatively analyzed queries submitted to a web‐based IR system in science and technology. The data were collected in a full one‐year period beginning on Friday, 1 January 2010 through on Friday, 31 December 2010. More than 7,240,000 queries and 20,700,000 records were quantitatively analyzed in this period for this study.
Findings
In general, queries themselves tend to be short and simple (1.4 terms) for the web‐based IR system in science and technology. This indicates that users tend to invest a minimum of effort (cognitive and physical) and time in structuring their information needs to look for information on the system. However, user sessions on the IR system are longer (8.2 queries) than on web search engines. Most search sessions last less than 30 minutes with a mean of 24 minutes and 15 seconds, a minimum of one second, a maximum of ten hours, and a mode of ten seconds. Regarding the topic trends in science and technology, Life Science ranked first in 2010. Environment ranked first and Life Science, 11th in 2009.
Originality/value
The authors have presented a study which has characterized users' searching behaviors of an information system in science and technology over a full one‐year period, and suggested improvement issues in user interface and search functionality for the system. From this recent exploratory analysis, the authors believe that the user behavioral characteristics are valuable in monitoring the patterns and trends in use of an information system in the field of science and technology.
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Peter Öhman and Darush Yazdanfar
The purpose of this study is to investigate the Granger causal link between bank lending and housing prices.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the Granger causal link between bank lending and housing prices.
Design/methodology/approach
Several econometric methods, including Granger causality tests based on a vector error correction model, were applied to analyse monthly time series data in the Swedish context. The data cover bank lending, apartment prices, villa prices, mortgage rates and the consumer price index from September 2005 to October 2013.
Findings
The results indicate that bank lending and housing prices are cointegrated. According to Granger causality tests, bidirectional relationships exist between bank lending and each of apartment and villa prices, confirming the financial accelerator mechanism. However, earlier shocks arising from housing prices themselves account for the greatest variation in future prices.
Originality/value
To the authors’ knowledge, this study represents the first analysis of the causal link between bank lending and the housing market in terms of apartment and villa prices in the Swedish context.
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Marian van het Bolscher-Niehuis, Stephanie Jansen-Kosterink and Miriam Vollenbroek-Hutten
Efficacious self-management at older ages requires the ability to make an accurate appraisal of one’s current and future health situation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is…
Abstract
Purpose
Efficacious self-management at older ages requires the ability to make an accurate appraisal of one’s current and future health situation. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to explore how community living older adults, with different self-perceived health status, appraise their future health status and their future health-care and housing needs.
Design/methodology/approach
The study population, 555 community living older adults, aged 65–75, completed a questionnaire for self-screening of their general health status.
Findings
The results show that over 70% of the older adults, even many of those who perceive their own health status to be “poor” or “fair” and those who are “frail”, do not expect deterioration in their physical or mental health nor extra health-care or housing needs within the next half year. In addition, a substantial part of the respondents, particularly those who perceive their general health as less favourable, tend to have a “wait-and-see” attitude and want to live their life day-to-day.
Practical implications
Community living older adults may not always be able or motivated to monitor their own health condition and prepare themselves for changing needs. Supporting older adults by motivating and teaching them to monitor their condition and overcome barriers to engage in pro-active coping can help older adults to manage the negative consequences of ageing while they have still sufficient resources available.
Originality/value
The findings of this study can help health-care professionals to tailor the support of older adults’ self-management.