Gareth Hickman, Su Thrift, Rani Dhaliwal and Chénelle Taylor
The purpose of this paper is to report on the Brooklands Thinking Skills Offender Programme (BTSOP), a social problem-solving skills group programme developed and provided to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on the Brooklands Thinking Skills Offender Programme (BTSOP), a social problem-solving skills group programme developed and provided to people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) detained in conditions of medium and low security. The programme has been running and evolving since 2001 and has undergone consistent development over this time. Within the past five years, there have been significant developments of the Secure Service Treatment Pathway and the current paper describes the integration of the BTSOP within this new pathway model.
Design/methodology/approach
The programme was evaluated over five years using self-report psychometric measures related to treatment targets. Evaluation data in relation to attrition rates, discharges, transfers, treatment engagement and recidivism are also provided from a 16-year period. The updated treatment pathway and a description of the programme are provided.
Findings
Results showed statistically significant improvements in Rational Problem Solving, increased internal locus of control and decreased external locus of control. Reflection on the limitations and challenges to outcome assessment in this area is offered.
Originality/value
This paper builds on the existing evidence base of interventions focused on developing social problem-solving skills in offenders and presents evidence of the effectiveness of such programmes with offenders with IDs.
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Rani Dhaliwal and Julia Harrower
A 37% rise in suicides among prisoners in 2007 focused attention on the needs of vulnerable prisoners (Ministry of Justice, 2008). Suicide is a common cause of death in prisons…
Abstract
A 37% rise in suicides among prisoners in 2007 focused attention on the needs of vulnerable prisoners (Ministry of Justice, 2008). Suicide is a common cause of death in prisons partly because there are a large number of very vulnerable individuals in these settings, and also because of a lack of appropriate resources to support them, for example therapeutic interventions such as counselling (Appleby, 2006). A range of suicide prevention strategies has been developed in prisons, one of which is the Listener Scheme, in which volunteer prisoners are trained to provide confidential support to fellow prisoners who are distressed or vulnerable. There is, however, a significant gap in our knowledge of Listeners' own experiences and the impact on them as individuals. Interpretative phenomenological analysis is used in this study to explore the process, and the findings indicate that Listeners experience significant personal growth alongside changing attitudes to self and others.
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Leena Rani and Sushant Shekhar
The two-dimensional deformation of a homogeneous, thermally conducting, monoclinic material has been studied by using Laplace and Fourier transforms technique. A linear…
Abstract
Purpose
The two-dimensional deformation of a homogeneous, thermally conducting, monoclinic material has been studied by using Laplace and Fourier transforms technique. A linear temperature ramping function is used to more realistically model: thermal loading of the half-space surface. The general solution obtained is applied to a specific problem of a half-space subjected to ramp-type heating and loading. The displacements, stresses and temperature distribution so obtained in the physical domain are computed numerically and illustrated graphically. The comparison for Lord-Shulman (L-S), Green and Lindsay (G–L), Green and Naghdi (G–N) and Chandrasekharaiah and Tzou (CTU) theories have been shown graphically to estimate the effect of ramping parameter of heating for an insulated and temperature gradient boundaries.
Design/methodology/approach
The design of the study is eigenvalue approach
Findings
Homogeneous, thermally conducting monoclinic material has been taken under consideration to study the effect of linear temperature ramping parameter on temperature and normal displacement field. It is observed that magnitude of field quantities is large near the point of application of source for the non-dimensional values of time in all the four models. The numerical values for the field quantities are computed graphically for a wide range of values of finite pulse rise-time in the two situations t0 < t, t0 > t for generalized thermoelasticity theories.
Originality/value
(1) Governing equations for homogeneous, t0 thermally conducting, monoclinic material are described and solved. (2) Eigen value approach is used to solve the problem. (3) The effect of ramping parameter of heating has been studied for various models of the thermoelasticity to show the comparision between them.
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Rajneesh Kumar, Raj Rani Gupta and Kuldeep Kumar
A dynamical two‐dimensional problem of a homogeneous transversely isotropic fibre‐reinforced generalized thermoelastic solid with an overlying acoustic fluid layer has been…
Abstract
A dynamical two‐dimensional problem of a homogeneous transversely isotropic fibre‐reinforced generalized thermoelastic solid with an overlying acoustic fluid layer has been considered to investigate disturbance due to mechanical load. Laplace and Fourier transform techniques are applied to solve the problem. Uniformly distributed and linearly distributed forces are applied to illustrate the utility of the approach. A numerical inversion technique has been applied to obtain the solution in the physical domain. Numerical results are obtained and presented graphically to show the effect of anisotropy along with the comparison of homogeneous transversely isotropic fibre‐reinforced generalized thermoelastic solid and isotropic elastic solid.
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Recent US reforms aimed at strengthening audit committees and their structure grant independent audit committees the responsibility to appoint, dismiss, and compensate auditors…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent US reforms aimed at strengthening audit committees and their structure grant independent audit committees the responsibility to appoint, dismiss, and compensate auditors. The purpose of this paper is to examine the association between audit committee characteristics and auditors' compensation and dismissals following the enactment of the Sarbanes Oxley Act (SOX).
Design/methodology/approach
A series of linear and logistic regression models were employed in a unique sample comprising of 2,393 observations.
Findings
It was observed that stronger audit committees demand a higher level of assurance and are less likely to dismiss their auditors. Further, an increase was found in auditor independence as measured by reduced board involvement and less dismissals following an unfavorable audit opinion. Overall results suggest that increased audit committee roles and independence after SOX contribute to auditor independence and audit quality.
Practical implications
This research has implications for regulators, auditors, boards and academics. The paper highlights that although all audit committees had to improve as a result of SOX, the remaining variation in audit committee characteristics continue to be important to the demand for auditor and audit quality.
Originality/value
This study is the first to consider the association between audit committee characteristics and its extended responsibilities after SOX.
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Rajneesh Kumar, Aseem Miglani and Rekha Rani
The purpose of this paper is to study the axisymmetric problem in a micropolar porous thermoelastic circular plate with dual phase lag model by employing eigenvalue approach…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the axisymmetric problem in a micropolar porous thermoelastic circular plate with dual phase lag model by employing eigenvalue approach subjected to thermomechanical sources.
Design/methodology/approach
The Laplace and Hankel transforms are employed to obtain the expressions for displacements, microrotation, volume fraction field, temperature distribution and stresses in the transformed domain. A numerical inversion technique has been carried out to obtain the resulting quantities in the physical domain. Effect of porosity and phase lag on the resulting quantities has been presented graphically. The results obtained for Lord Shulman theory (L-S, 1967) and coupled theory of thermoelasticity are presented as the particular cases.
Findings
The variation of temperature distribution is similar for micropolar thermoelastic with dual (MTD) phase lag model and coupled theory of thermoelasticity. The variation is also similar for tangential couple stress for MTD and L-S theory but opposite to couple theory. The behavior of volume fraction field and tangential couple stress for L-S theory and coupled theory are observed opposite. The values of all the resulting quantities are close to each other away from the sources. The variation in tangential stress, tangential couple stress and temperature distribution is more uniform.
Originality/value
The results are original and new because the authors presented an eigenvalue approach for two dimensional problem of micropolar porous thermoelastic circular plate with dual phase lag model. A comparison of porosity, L-S theory and coupled theory of micropolar thermoelasticity is made. Such problem has applications in material science, industries and earthquake problems.
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Satya Prakash Mani, Shashank Bansal, Ratikant Bhaskar and Satish Kumar
This study aims to examine the literature from the Web of Science database published on board committees between 2002 and 2023 and outline the quantitative summary, journey of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the literature from the Web of Science database published on board committees between 2002 and 2023 and outline the quantitative summary, journey of board committees’ research and suggest future research directions.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines bibliometric-content analysis combined with a systematic literature review of articles on board committees to document the summary of the field. The authors used co-citation, co-occurrence and cluster analysis under bibliometric-content analysis to present the field summary.
Findings
Board committee composition, such as their gender, independence and expertise, as well as factors affecting corporate governance, such as reporting quality, earnings management and board monitoring, all have a significant impact on board committee literature. The field is getting growing attention from authors, journals and countries. Nevertheless, there is a need for further exploration in areas like expertise, member age and tenure, the economic crisis and the nomination and remuneration committee, which have not yet received sufficient attention.
Originality/value
This paper has both theoretical and practical contributions. From a theoretical perspective, this study substantiates the prevalence of agency theory within board committee literature, reinforcing the foundational role of agency theory in shaping discussions about board committees. On practical ground, the comprehensive overview of board committee literature offers scholars a road map for navigating this field and directing their future research journey. The identification of research gaps in certain areas serves as a catalyst for scholars to explore untapped dimensions, enabling them to strengthen the essence of the committees’ performance.
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Anju Maharjan, Muhammad Arsalan Nazir and Muhammad Azam Roomi
Entrepreneurs belonging to ethnic minority groups have emerged as a significant and more powerful element within the private sector, having considerable economic and social…
Abstract
Purpose
Entrepreneurs belonging to ethnic minority groups have emerged as a significant and more powerful element within the private sector, having considerable economic and social impact. Nevertheless, prior empirical research has indicated that each geographical area has distinct social and cultural obstacles that impact entrepreneurs in varying ways. Hence, the purpose of this study is to examine the difficulties and barriers faced by women entrepreneurs from diverse ethnic origins in the United Kingdom, a developed region, while managing their firms.
Design/methodology/approach
In this research, the cross-concepts of intersectional theory were used as the study’s analytical framework. The research methodology involved conducting semi-structured face-to-face interviews with a group of 30 Nepali women entrepreneurs residing in the United Kingdom. A qualitative approach was employed, and thematic analysis was used to extract meaningful findings.
Findings
The study’s outcomes underscore the emergence of social stereotypes as a salient factor affecting Nepali female entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the research identifies challenges and barriers, which fall into several cross-concept categories: those related to self-efficacy; family; social and cultural factors; business-related issues; access to financial resources; and ethnicity and work-based categorization. The findings might also have broader implications, benefiting ethnic female entrepreneurs in general, as well as ethnic communities and governmental and non-governmental organizations. Insights gained from the study can inform the development of tailored training and educational programs aimed at supporting and nurturing the entrepreneurial aspirations of ethnic women.
Originality/value
To the best of the researchers’ knowledge, there is a dearth of empirical investigations that probe the challenges and barriers faced by Nepali women who have embarked on entrepreneurial endeavours in the UK. This study contributes to the limited literature knowledge on ethnic women entrepreneurs, by linking ethnicity, class and gender/sexual orientation, as well as business, family, personal and financial constructs. By adopting the cross-concept of intersectional theory, this study further contributes to the knowledge of the discriminatory realities of Nepali women entrepreneurs as they grapple with the complex experiences of running a business. By doing this, our study can contribute further to the knowledge of gender and entrepreneurship from the ethnic background of UK enterprises.