Dimity Jane Peter, Sarah Alem and Barbara Knabe
The purpose of this paper is to give voice to the experiences of women with disabilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) who have accessed employment, to highlight the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to give voice to the experiences of women with disabilities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) who have accessed employment, to highlight the structural barriers to employment and to identify the skills they used to obtain work.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a phenomenological study conducted in KSA. Themes from the interviews of women with disabilities were explored using Yosso’s (2005) cultural capital conceptual framework.
Findings
The participants had work and career aspirations, persisted in their job search, navigated barriers, and had familial support and emotional support from their social networks, but lacked instrumental assistance in accessing work. KSA policies to support women and people with disabilities to obtain employment are not adequately enforced, and negative attitudes toward people with disabilities are widespread.
Research limitations/implications
The sample size is small, but these preliminary findings justify the necessity for additional research and policy development specifically focused on women with disabilities.
Practical implications
There is an urgent need for existing policy enforcement and a need for a national strategy promoting the employment of women and the needs of women with disabilities should be specifically included in this agenda.
Originality/value
There is no extant research or policy literature regarding employment and women with disabilities in the KSA. This study applies Yosso’s (2005) theory of cultural capital to women with disabilities, demonstrating its applicability outside of race/ethnicity studies and suggests that “community” is not an essential factor in building employment success.
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Vivien Beattie and Sarah Jane Smith
The purpose of this paper is to explore, empirically, the contribution of human capital (HC) to value creation and the external disclosure of HC. The specific aims are to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore, empirically, the contribution of human capital (HC) to value creation and the external disclosure of HC. The specific aims are to: investigate the relative contribution of HC to the generation of firm value; compare the differences in the perceptions of human resource (HR) directors and finance directors (FDs) in relation to this contribution; examine the relationship between the internal collation and external disclosure of HC information; investigate incentives and disincentives to the external disclosure of HC information; and investigate the most appropriate medium to externally disclose HC information.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey of (HR) directors of UK listed companies was conducted. Responses are compared to those from FDs obtained from a previous survey on the broader concept of intellectual capital disclosure. In total, 13 follow‐up interviews were conducted. The matched views of the (HR) specialist and the FD are compared for eight case companies.
Findings
Employee skills and education, employee commitment, positive employee attitudes and behaviour, and employee motivation are considered to contribute to value creation the most. Information on employee turnover, employee training and development, and workplace safety is frequently collated. There also appears to be attempts to capture information on aspects such as employee satisfaction, motivation, and commitment. Marked differences exist between the extent to which information is internally collated and externally disclosed. External disclosure appears to be a valuable recruitment tool. However, giving away information which may harm competitive advantage is a serious concern. The annual report was considered the most effective written form of communication for disclosing HC externally. Despite some disparity in views, there is evidence to suggest recognition by FDs of the value of human capital and commitment to its external disclosure. Contrary to prior research, evidence from the small matched sample indicates no significant difference in views between the two functional specialists regarding the importance to value creation of four key HC components.
Research limitations/implications
A comparison across the full range of HC issues is not possible as the FD IC survey was unable to address HC in as much detail as the HC survey.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the understanding of HC and its disclosure by comprehensively investigating such issues for a large sample of UK companies.
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Examines the sixteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects…
Abstract
Examines the sixteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.
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Examines the fifteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects…
Abstract
Examines the fifteenth published year of the ITCRR. Runs the whole gamut of textile innovation, research and testing, some of which investigates hitherto untouched aspects. Subjects discussed include cotton fabric processing, asbestos substitutes, textile adjuncts to cardiovascular surgery, wet textile processes, hand evaluation, nanotechnology, thermoplastic composites, robotic ironing, protective clothing (agricultural and industrial), ecological aspects of fibre properties – to name but a few! There would appear to be no limit to the future potential for textile applications.
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Arne De Keyser, Sarah Köcher, Linda Alkire (née Nasr), Cédric Verbeeck and Jay Kandampully
Smart technologies and connected objects are rapidly changing the organizational frontline. Yet, our understanding of how these technologies infuse service encounters remains…
Abstract
Purpose
Smart technologies and connected objects are rapidly changing the organizational frontline. Yet, our understanding of how these technologies infuse service encounters remains limited. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to update existing classifications of Frontline Service Technology (FST) infusion. Moreover, the authors discuss three promising smart and connected technologies – conversational agents, extended reality (XR) and blockchain technology – and their respective implications for customers, frontline employees and service organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses a conceptual approach integrating existing work on FST infusion with artificial intelligence, robotics, XR and blockchain literature, while also building on insights gathered through expert interviews and focus group conversations with members of two service research centers.
Findings
The authors define FST and propose a set of FST infusion archetypes at the organizational frontline. Additionally, the authors develop future research directions focused on understanding how conversational agents, XR and blockchain technology will impact service.
Originality/value
This paper updates and extends existing classifications of FST, while paving the road for further work on FST infusion.