Joong Y. Son and Ryan K. Orchard
The purpose of this paper is to examine supply‐side disruptions in a supply chain, and to analyse the effectiveness of two inventory‐based policies for mitigating the impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine supply‐side disruptions in a supply chain, and to analyse the effectiveness of two inventory‐based policies for mitigating the impact of supply disruptions: maintaining strategic inventory reserves (the R‐policy), and using larger orders (the Q‐policy).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper assess the effectiveness of two inventory‐based mitigating policies implemented at a reseller when end customer demand is stable but supply can be disrupted. An analytical model is provided, and numerical experiments are conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the policies for mitigating the impact of disruption under different disruption scenarios.
Findings
Results indicate that the R‐policy performs consistently better than the Q‐policy in terms of product availability measures, as tested under a wide range of frequency and duration of supply disruptions.
Practical implications
Supply chain trends of lean operations and global sourcing have exposed business organizations to a greater risk and have further raised the need to protect businesses against random supply disruptions.
Originality/value
The paper intends to contribute to the narrowing of the gap in the research of supply‐side disruptions. Further, the topic of inventory reserves has been discussed to date in only a very general sense; the paper proposes conditions for practical implementation and provides unique insights into the effectiveness of the use of strategic inventory reserves as a supply disruption mitigation policy.
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Bernard Gallagher and Adam Green
The purpose of this article is to advance knowledge concerning outcomes among the former residents of therapeutic children's homes, especially those located in England.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to advance knowledge concerning outcomes among the former residents of therapeutic children's homes, especially those located in England.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 16 young adults who had been resident in one of seven therapeutic homes took part in interviews.
Findings
It appeared, from the information they gave in these interviews, that their outcomes were good in terms of their emotional and behavioural well‐being, physical health, accommodation, and absence of early parenthood and substance use. Some of the young adults also had good outcomes in respect of their education and absence of criminal convictions. A small number of the young adults did less well on these latter two measures but few of them were particularly poor in either of these respects. The young adults had limited contact with their family members.
Originality/value
The evidence from this research is that young adults who have been in therapeutic residential care can have good outcomes.
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Aaminah Zaman Malik, Sajani Thapa and Audhesh K. Paswan
Social media influencers (SMIs) are becoming a powerful force within the marketing and branding landscape, with several leading brands opting to use SMI endorsements for their…
Abstract
Purpose
Social media influencers (SMIs) are becoming a powerful force within the marketing and branding landscape, with several leading brands opting to use SMI endorsements for their products and brands. Extant SMI literature has primarily focused on the influence mechanism exerted by SMIs on their followers. Less is known about how followers view their favorite SMIs. This study aims to explore the SMI–follower relationship from the follower’s perspective and examine the underlying attachment mechanism.
Design/methodology/approach
First, a qualitative study was conducted to explore the attributes that individuals consider following an SMI and ensure that it is consistent with the literature review. This was followed by a survey-based quantitative study where a structural equation modeling technique was used to test the hypotheses using 508 SMI followers.
Findings
Followers find the SMI as a source to fulfill their intrinsic needs, that is, need to escape or self- improvement. The findings of this study suggest that followers attribute glamor, fun and connectedness to the SMIs driven by their need for self-improvement and fun with their need to escape. Finally, these attributions influence the overall perceived image of the SMI in followers' minds.
Originality/value
This study uses qualitative and quantitative approaches to picture SMIs as human brands from a follower's need fulfillment perspective.
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This study aims to investigate issues of natural resource management (NRM), conservation and ecotourism leadership on rural livelihood in Musina Local Municipality, Limpopo…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate issues of natural resource management (NRM), conservation and ecotourism leadership on rural livelihood in Musina Local Municipality, Limpopo Province, South Africa. It concentrated on the existing and probable effects of ecotourism and integrated rural activities and their environmental influences on climate change and vice versa, subsistence and sustainability. The study utilizes a broad literature review, focus group discussions and field observations to investigate the municipality’s biodiversity, holistic livelihoods and tourism resource and facility concerns with climate change implications in the study area, with data analyzed manually and also by means of cross tabulations and central tendencies. A harmful link between ecotourism-induced environmental impacts and integrated rural activities that retain potential climate change consequences is found to exist in the vicinity. Nevertheless, it is fathomed in line with the study findings that when tourism actions adhere to the justifications of sustainable and responsible tourism management, they can result in better ecotourism products that foster environmental sustainability and enhance rural livelihoods. Therefore, the study has identified a need for decent ecotourism facilities and activities and a managerial approach to diminish climate change hazards and spur subsistence for local communities in the municipality. Within its rationale and ability, the study presents an analysis of conservation, ecotourism management, environmental degradation and responsible tourism qualities regarding climate change consequences within the municipality.
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Lydia Olakumbi Oluyadi and Wenjin Dai
This paper explores the workplace experiences of aesthetic labour among racially diverse frontline women workers in a fashion retail store.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores the workplace experiences of aesthetic labour among racially diverse frontline women workers in a fashion retail store.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study is based on an ethnographic study, drawing on findings from participant observation and interviews with frontline workers at a fashion retail store in the UK.
Findings
This paper explores how the embodiments of aesthetic labour are perpetually produced and commodified through the discipline of management in a fashion retail store. It challenges the notion of phenotypical Whiteness as the beauty standard within fashion retail and demonstrates how embodiments differ according to race. While White women are continuously scrutinised by their appearance, the aesthetic demands for women of colour tend to focus on speech and racialised bodies to provide “authentically” exotic experiences for customers. Additionally, this study highlights how the mobilisation of aesthetic labour can create work humiliation and work alienation.
Research limitations/implications
Despite this study being based on an ethnographic study at one British fashion retailer, this paper seeks to give voices to an underrepresented group by exploring the lived experiences of racially diverse women workers.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the intersection between aesthetic labour and race from an embodiment perspective, exploring the workplace experiences of racially diverse women workers in fashion retail and how their various forms of embodiment are racialised and commodified.
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The Australian Football League (AFL) is the premier sporting competition in Australia in terms of capital outlay, breadth of industry associations, public consumption, and…
Abstract
The Australian Football League (AFL) is the premier sporting competition in Australia in terms of capital outlay, breadth of industry associations, public consumption, and arguably cultural significance. The AFL competition is now a domain of specialisations and interests, which provides vast opportunity for both sporting and non-sporting institutions seeking to utilise the game to capitalise on a society of consumption, entertainment and risk. AFL officials expect high standards of their players both on and off the field. These standards are expressed in various forms of Codes and Policies. Off field player misconduct is an ongoing concern not escaping media attention, which is a resounding indication more needs to be done by the AFL to improve responsible player character development. Whether the current education programmes are sufficient to meet the AFL’s own expectations is the central issue addressed in this chapter. As it stands AFL governance is deficient on several counts. In this chapter I will focus on three governance deficiencies: firstly, the AFL Illicit Drug Policy (IDP) contains unnecessary inconsistencies relative to its primary purpose; secondly, the present measures undertaken to ensure players have appropriate education to achieve the expected character development are far from efficacious and so arguably can be vastly improved; and thirdly, the promotion of live-odds gambling during televised games is culturally problematic and inconsistent with its own demands. The ethical grounds central to this investigation are ‘fairness’ and ‘cultural influence’. In order to resolve some of its governance concerns I will explain why the AFL should be characterised as a practice-community and as such should adopt a comprehensive virtue and value-based compliance ethical education programme consistent with its own vision and conduct expectation of its players and officials. I will argue that the AFL as a practice community is much more than simply a game, given its cultural influence, commercial associations and community programmes.
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Sari Silvanto, Jason Ryan and Yvonne McNulty
The purpose of this paper is to empirically assess the importance for nations of key institutional, economic, and societal factors for attracting skilled professionals from…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically assess the importance for nations of key institutional, economic, and societal factors for attracting skilled professionals from abroad. It examines the existing literature on international talent mobility and empirically tests the validity of nation branding as a strategy for attracting internationally mobile skilled professionals.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use secondary data from the World Economic Forum, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Martin Prosperity Institute to test six hypotheses concerning factors that attract internationally mobile skilled professionals to a foreign country to live and work.
Findings
The study finds that conditions of employment, quality of life, good governance, and tolerance towards people of diverse backgrounds are key issues that need to be holistically emphasized in successful nation branding campaigns aimed at attracting highly skilled professionals from abroad.
Originality/value
The authors use strong secondary data to reduce common method bias in the results which show that “macro” factors sway internationally mobile skilled professionals to favor some countries over others. The authors contribute to the literature on international talent flows by conceptualizing nation branding as a framework through which a variety of push and pull factors can be examined to entice and attract internationally mobile skilled professionals to a particular host-country. The findings will apply to several different types of skilled professionals including self-initiated expatriates, self-initiated corporate expatriates, and third country nationals and local foreign hires.
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Meagan O'Brien, Orla Kistmacher, Sabrina Marie Stephen and Gerard Thomas Flaherty
This paper aims to describe the unique health challenges facing female commercial sex workers (FSWs), including issues related to their marginalisation and difficulty accessing…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to describe the unique health challenges facing female commercial sex workers (FSWs), including issues related to their marginalisation and difficulty accessing health care. It proposes solutions to some of these problems.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper addresses this sensitive subject through the methodology of a literature review, drawing on a variety of relevant published literature to inform a modern understanding of the current health challenges faced by this population.
Findings
This paper discusses issues around criminalisation of commercial sex workers, complexities of family planning, sexually transmitted infection prevention, mental health and substance abuse and how increasing health-care worker awareness of the health needs of this vulnerable population can be a positive step in building trust within this relationship. Although adoption of the proposed recommendations put forth in this paper may help to eliminate some of the barriers encountered by female sex workers, further research is recommended.
Originality/value
The subject of commercial sex worker health care is neglected in the academic literature. This review explores the topic in an open and balanced manner and presents a broad and updated overview of the current health-care challenges faced by FSWs as well as opportunities for optimising access and quality of sex worker health care.
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Ryan Larsen, David Leatham and Kunlapath Sukcharoen
Portfolio theory suggests that geographical diversification of production units could potentially help manage the risks associated with farming, yet little research has been done…
Abstract
Purpose
Portfolio theory suggests that geographical diversification of production units could potentially help manage the risks associated with farming, yet little research has been done to evaluate the effectiveness of a geographical diversification strategy in agriculture. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilizes several tools from modern finance theory, including Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) and copulas, to construct a model for the evaluation of a diversification strategy. The proposed model – the copula-based mean-CVaR model – is then applied to the producer’s acreage allocation problem to examine the potential benefits of risk reduction from a geographical diversification strategy in US wheat farming. Along with the copula-based model, the multivariate-normal mean-CVaR model is also estimated as a benchmark.
Findings
The mean-CVaR optimization results suggest that geographical diversification is a viable risk management strategy from a farm’s profit margin perspective. In addition, the copula-based model appears more appropriate than the traditional multivariate-normal model for conservative agricultural producers who are concerned with the extreme losses of farm profitability in that the later model tends to underestimate the minimum level of risk faced by the producers for a given level of profitability.
Originality/value
The effectiveness of geographical diversification in US wheat farming is evaluated. As a methodological contribution, the copula approach is used to model the joint distribution of profit margins and CVaR is employed as a measure of downside risk.