Ciaran Devlin and Anne Holohan
This study uses the ‘Dragon Age’ series by BioWare as a case study to examine the impact of video game player diversity on the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender…
Abstract
Purpose
This study uses the ‘Dragon Age’ series by BioWare as a case study to examine the impact of video game player diversity on the inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) content in mainstream games. It explores the degree to which the perception of video games as ‘hegemonically masculine and heteronormative’ accurately reflects gamers’ own experiences.
Methodology/approach
The study is based on an online survey in the Dragon Age community forum, including open-ended qualitative questions.
Findings
The main findings show that male and female respondents widely believed in the presence of heterosexual (male) privilege within gaming culture at large. However, respondents’ own personal views and experiences demonstrated that they largely accept the inclusion of LGBT content in games. Finally, respondents showed considerable ‘disinhibition’ when it came to experimenting with sexuality and sexual identity in video games as compared to in real life.
Research limitations/implications
This was a small exploratory study and was limited by its size and a possible self-selection bias.
Originality/value
The findings indicate that gender diversity, diversity of sexualities and acceptance of LGBT content are all greater than previously thought. Moreover, role-playing games are fertile ground for experimentation with sexual identities among gamers. These results call for more research in this area.
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Businesses and institutions have to plan ahead constantly in order to have the right buildings at the right time and in the right place, to support their business plans and…
Abstract
Businesses and institutions have to plan ahead constantly in order to have the right buildings at the right time and in the right place, to support their business plans and operations. Dealing with this at a late stage can result in increases in costs and reduction in profits. If it is handled at a low level in an organisation, achievement of major business objectives can often be thwarted by lack of the right premises or by ‘crisis facility planning’. A service called ‘Strategic Facilities Planning’ has been developed by the Heery organisation and is outlined here by its managing director.
Huoying Wu and Hwei-Lin Chuang
This study analyzes empirically the extent to which women’s employment affects the duration of first birth intervals among married women in Taiwan during the rapidly growing…
Abstract
This study analyzes empirically the extent to which women’s employment affects the duration of first birth intervals among married women in Taiwan during the rapidly growing period. By employing the data from the 1989 Taiwan Women and Family Survey, our estimation results suggest that women’s employment strongly affects the duration of first birth intervals, and that various aspects of women’s employment affect first birth intervals differently. In terms of the number of working hours, women who work more than 30 hours per week tend to have an earlier first birth. On the other hand, work experience, as indicated by women’s labor force participation surrounding the first birth as well as their job tenure, is found to positively affect women’s first birth intervals. When the model is estimated on the basis of age cohorts, these implications remain the same. Given that the impact of labor market experiences and working hours act in opposite directions on the first birth interval, their effects may offset each other. Therefore, our findings provide an explanation to the earlier research result, which indicates that female employment is only weakly related to fertility behavior in Taiwan.
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Hassan F. Gholipour and Muhammad Najib Razali
The aim of this study is to investigate the factors influencing the financial performance of the real estate brokerage (REB) industry in Iran.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to investigate the factors influencing the financial performance of the real estate brokerage (REB) industry in Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use two surveys concerning REB firms from provinces of Iran which were collected by the Statistical Centre of Iran in 2003 and 2011. The authors apply the pooled ordinary least squares and panel fixed-effects regressions to estimate the relationships between the explanatory variables and performance of REB industry.
Findings
The results indicate that in provinces where REB firms invest more in residential properties, vehicles, computers and business software, REB firms are more active in residential and non-residential property sales, and rent transactions have higher levels of financial performance. In addition, the results show that in provinces where REB firms invest more in non-residential properties and office furniture, REB industry has lower levels of financial performance. The authors also find that Iranian REB industry has significantly benefited from international economic and financial sanctions.
Practical implications
In terms of managerial implications, the authors findings potentially serve as guidance for Iranian REB firms to allocate resources and adjust their strategy to enhance their financial performance.
Originality value
Previous studies have typically been conducted in countries where REB firms mainly operate as intermediaries in transactions between property buyers and sellers, whereas in Iran, REB firms not only provide services to their clients but also are very active speculators in the property market. Furthermore, while there have been many studies that have investigated the various determinants of performance and efficiency of REB industry in developed economies, there is scant literature around this topic for Middle Eastern countries.
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Reviews the development of the gay and lesbian movement. The theoretical foundations for gay and lesbian archives and libraries are discussed, together with the way in which their…
Abstract
Reviews the development of the gay and lesbian movement. The theoretical foundations for gay and lesbian archives and libraries are discussed, together with the way in which their mission statements reflect concerns for their history, heritage and the need to correct the past neglect of the gay and lesbian role in society. The problems faced by the archives and libraries include funding and that they rely mainly on volunteer help. Much of the pre‐1960s material is in danger of deterioration and of being lost since there is not adequate cataloguing and listing of documents. There is a need for national databases of collections, networking, and digitisation.
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Sarika Jain and Shreekumar K. Nair
For more than a decade, efforts to integrate the two major perspectives of work–family studies, namely, work–family conflict and work–family enrichment have started advancing not…
Abstract
Purpose
For more than a decade, efforts to integrate the two major perspectives of work–family studies, namely, work–family conflict and work–family enrichment have started advancing not only in western context but also in non-western contexts as well. However, both conflict and enrichment emerging from the family front have often been neglected in previous studies. The purpose of this paper is to test the integration of two major work–family perspectives, that is, work–family conflict and work–family enrichment in an Indian context.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study involves a multi-sectoral survey of sales employees belonging to manufacturing, information technology, fast-moving consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and financial services using standard scales. The sample consisted of 330 sales employees working in some of the major firms coming under these sectors. Structural equation modelling (SEM) using analysis of a moment structures was used to test the integrated model. In addition, multi-group SEM was used to test the impact of select demographic variables on the integrated model.
Findings
Results of SEM suggested that for sales employees in Indian organizations, work–family conflict follows a matching domain principle, whereas, work–family enrichment follows both matching and cross-domain principles. Further, it was found that marital status and annual salary emerge as moderators in the integrated model.
Research limitations/implications
The present study confirmed that similar-domain relationships are stronger than cross-domain relationships, supporting findings from previous research with regard to work–family conflict. In addition, the results contradicted the studies conducted in western countries wherein the same domain effect is observed with respect to both types of enrichment, that is, work to family enrichment (WFE) and family to work enrichment (FWE). The present study confirms a similar and cross-domain relationship in the case of both types of enrichment. It means that both WFE and FWE have a positive impact on both jobs and family satisfaction.
Practical implications
Organizations so far have been trying ways to reduce stress to reduce work to family conflict. However, there is a need to incorporate policies that facilitate work–family enrichment. Such policies may focus more on support for both married and unmarried employees’ sales employees.
Originality/value
This study contributes to work–family literature by attempting to integrate both conflict and enrichment perspectives, which has rarely been done in the Indian context.
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Theophilus Olugbenga Babatunde and Cyril Ayodele Ajayi
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) on real estate agency transactions with a view to determine its influence on…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effect of information and communication technology (ICT) on real estate agency transactions with a view to determine its influence on the performance of estate agents.
Design/methodology/approach
A research approach in which questionnaire was administered to elicit relevant information from 220 practicing Estate Surveyors and Valuers surveyed in the course of the study. Data collected were analysed using mean ranking, relative influence index and analysis of variance.
Findings
The results showed that the use of ICT impacted positively on real estate agency transactions by promoting company’s brand thereby increasing the level of patronage. Consequently, the increased level of patronage signifies an increase in the level of income of the agents.
Research limitations/implications
The study was limited to social media applications otherwise referred to as ICT, which are used in real estate agency transactions. Further study on other ICT media and their effects on more areas of real estate practice in the developing economy may be required.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the few works on the impact of ICT on real estate agency transactions with particular reference to the social media networking especially in an emerging economy. Most of the previous studies conducted on ICT and real estate focussed only on internet use with respect to real estate agents and practices.
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Hyunjoon Park and Gary D. Sandefur
A good deal of work in demography and sociology has examined the dynamic and complex patterns of the process through which young people move from being dependent on their parents…
Abstract
A good deal of work in demography and sociology has examined the dynamic and complex patterns of the process through which young people move from being dependent on their parents and families to supporting themselves financially and forming their own families. These studies have described, in detail, specific features of many aspects of the transition to adulthood, especially in the European or American context (Corijn & Klijzing, 2001; Hogan & Aston, 1986; Sandefur, Eggerling-Boeck & Park, forthcoming). They have, furthermore, provided us with some explanations of how institutional variations in educational systems, labor markets, or family formation are associated with differences in European and American young people's transitions to adulthood (Breen & Buchmann, 2002; Cook & Furstenberg, 2002; Fussell, 2002a).
Rickard Engström and Inga-Lill Söderberg
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between formal ethics and ethics in practice in the empirical context of real estate agents (REAs) working in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between formal ethics and ethics in practice in the empirical context of real estate agents (REAs) working in the residential housing market, including owner-occupied houses and owner-occupied apartments, in Sweden. The paper investigates problems with the Swedish middleman model of real estate agency with regard to the acceptance among REAs of borderline professional behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
We report on a survey distributed to all Swedish licensed residential REAs to investigate their attitudes towards eight scenarios displaying borderline ethical behavior. Firstly, the means of each scenario were calculated, investigating signs of distance between formal ethics and ethics in practice. Secondly, logistic regressions were run for each scenario separately, thereby investigating factors affecting misconduct among REAs.
Findings
The empirical results show a clear difference between formal ethics and ethics in practice and also illustrate that some scenarios of borderline ethical behavior are creating greater problems for the REAs.
Practical implications
In Sweden, the seller is the principal, assigning the REA to sell a house or apartment, but the regulation is clear on the role of the licensed REA as responsible for promoting an informed and fair sales process where the buyer is safe to act without their own representative. Our study contributes with information to policymakers on possible areas for the development of the middleman model.
Originality/value
The paper is the first to empirically investigate the middleman model of a Swedish real estate agency in relation to the business ethics of the agents. The use of scenarios in close relation to the everyday working context of REAs as tests of ethics of practice is also of original methodological value to investigate possible diversions of professionals from national regulations.
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This study uses intelligent modeling techniques with the purpose of examining the effect of various demographic, cognitive and psychographic factors on organ donation in Egypt.
Abstract
Purpose
This study uses intelligent modeling techniques with the purpose of examining the effect of various demographic, cognitive and psychographic factors on organ donation in Egypt.
Design/methodology/approach
Two artificial neural network models (multi‐layer perceptron neural network and probabilistic neural network) are compared to two standard statistical methods (linear discriminant analysis and logistic regression). The variable sets considered are sex, age, educational level, religion, altruistic values, perceived benefits/risks of organ donation, organ donation knowledge, attitudes toward organ donation, and intention to donate organs.
Findings
The results show that artificial neural networks outperform traditional statistical techniques in profiling potential organ donors due to their robustness and flexibility of modeling algorithms.
Originality/value
The paper shows how it is possible to identify various dimensions of organ donation behavior by uncovering patterns in the dataset, and also shows the classification abilities of two neural network techniques.