Qingquan Xin, Ruitao Li and Sonia Wong
The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the reverse mergers (RMs) conducted in the Chinese stock market by summarizing the regulatory system, surveying the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to the reverse mergers (RMs) conducted in the Chinese stock market by summarizing the regulatory system, surveying the literature on RMs and analyzing the major characteristics of 161 RM cases.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces the characteristics and evolution of the regulatory framework governing RM activity in China. Then the paper reviews relevant academic studies on the RMs in China and other countries. Finally, the paper identifies and discusses the major characteristics of 161 RM cases in the Chinese stock market from 2006 to 2016.
Findings
Private companies that go public via RMs in China not only have superior asset quality but also demonstrate good accounting and stock price performance after listing, and these results are unlike those of studies on the quality of RMs in other countries.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is based on a survey of 161 RM cases in China’s stock market, with the major characteristics of the RMs being identified and analyzed. The limitations of previous studies and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Originality/value
This paper suggests that the relative superior performance of RMs in the Chinese stock market is caused by the interplay of market forces and regulatory oversight. The Chinese regulator’s pragmatic and flexible approach plays an important role in formulating regulatory policies that respond to the changing macroeconomic environment and financial markets.
Details
Keywords
Jian Pei Kong, Basmawati Baharom, Norshariza Jamhuri, Khalizah Jamli, Siti Farah Zaidah Mohd Yazid, Norafidza Ashiquin, Lina Isnin, Chooi Wah Leow and Siew Mee Lim
The provision of meals has long been regarded as an essential part of treatment of hospitalized patients complementing medical procedures and nursing management. Today, despite…
Abstract
Purpose
The provision of meals has long been regarded as an essential part of treatment of hospitalized patients complementing medical procedures and nursing management. Today, despite changes in the health-care landscape, which focused on improving the quality and efficiency of hospital care, malnutrition among inpatient was still a common worldwide concern.
Design/methodology/approach
This was a multi-centre, randomized study conducted in 21 study sites comprising 21 state and specialist government hospitals under the Ministry of Health, Malaysia. The sample size for this study was calculated with purposive sampling method, followed by proportionate sampling to determine the random sample size of each of the study sites. The total sample size required for this study was 2,759 subjects. A validated data collection form was used in the study.
Findings
Only 32.2 % and 37.6 % of subjects achieved adequate energy and protein intake, respectively, during their admission to medical ward. The study result showed that the overall mean energy and protein intake was 794.6 ± 487.8 kcal and 35.2 ± 24.3 g, respectively. The estimated energy (p = 0.001) and protein (p = 0.001) intake of all study sites was significantly lower compared to the adequacy value.
Research limitations/implications
The adequacy intake in this study was only carried out in medical wards, thus reproducible result among other wards in different study sites could not be confirmed. Besides, this study assumed that the portion eaten by subjects during lunch and dinner was the same, and therefore, either one was recorded together with breakfast and either lunch or dinner to represent a subject’s daily intake.
Originality/value
This was the first nationwide study to report the adequacy of energy and protein intake of patients receiving therapeutic diets in the government hospital setting in Malaysia.
Details
Keywords
Scholars have found that transnational migrant women fulfill their role of mothers despite geographical distances. Researchers, however, focus on women in their country of…
Abstract
Scholars have found that transnational migrant women fulfill their role of mothers despite geographical distances. Researchers, however, focus on women in their country of destination, and thus have neglected to look at the experiences of women who get “stuck” in transit countries during their migration journeys. This chapter fills that gap in the literature by examining the experiences of Sub-Saharan African women in Morocco en route to Europe. Interviews with 20 Sub-Saharan African women show that unlike transnational mothers in their country of destination, which are mostly more affluent nations, these women neither have the financial means to provide for their children nor can maintain their relationships with them via telecommunication. Although the women acknowledge that they cannot fulfill their role of mothers in Morocco, they maintain a sense of themselves as mothers by emphasizing that they will financially provide for their children once they reach Europe.
Details
Keywords
Sonia Udod, Michelle Lobchuk, Lorraine Avery and Naomi Armah
This study aims to examine how health-care managers in acute care and post-acute care facilities support and plan to improve transitional care for cardiac patients and their…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine how health-care managers in acute care and post-acute care facilities support and plan to improve transitional care for cardiac patients and their family caregivers, to better manage care in the home.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative descriptive approach, guided by appreciative inquiry was used in this study. A purposive sample of 16 participants were engaged in the study. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the caregiver policy lens questionnaire and participated in one of four focus group interviews. The semi-structured focus group interviews were audio-recorded and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Findings
Using Donabedian’s framework, six major themes contributed to how health-care managers can improve transitional care: structure included supporting personnel and continuing education; process included enacting approaches of care, coordinating care among the health-care team and calling to work upstream; and outcomes included needing to clarify expectations of home care services and witnessing the impact of the caregiver role.
Originality/value
These findings demonstrate the importance of Donabedian’s core dimensions of structure and processes in influencing caregiver outcomes. These results emphasize the central role of the manager in influencing system change to improve transitional care.
Details
Keywords
Sonia Udod, Greta G. Cummings, W. Dean Care and Megan Jenkins
The purpose of this paper is to share preliminary evidence about nurse managers’ (NMs) role stressors and coping strategies in acute health-care facilities in Western Canada.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to share preliminary evidence about nurse managers’ (NMs) role stressors and coping strategies in acute health-care facilities in Western Canada.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative exploratory inquiry provides deeper insight into NMs’ perceptions of their role stressors, coping strategies and factors and practices in the organizational context that facilitate and hinder their work. A purposeful sample of 17 NMs participated in this study. Data were collected through individual interviews and a focus group interview. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six phase approach to thematic analysis guided data analysis.
Findings
Evidence demonstrates that individual factors, organizational practices and structures affect NMs stress creating an evolving role with unrealistic expectations, responding to continuous organizational change, a fragmented ability to effectively process decisions because of work overload, shifting organizational priorities and being at risk for stress-related ill health.
Practical implications
These findings have implications for organizational support, intervention programs that enhance leadership approaches, address individual factors and work processes and redesigning the role in consideration of the role stress and work complexity affecting NMs health.
Originality/value
It is anticipated that health-care leaders would find these results concerning and inspire them to take action to support NMs to do meaningful work as a way to retain existing managers and attract front line nurses to positions of leadership.
Details
Keywords
Jill Hanley, Nicole Ives, Jaime Lenet, Shawn-Renee Hordyk, Christine Walsh, Sonia Ben Soltane and David Este
This paper presents an analysis of how health intersects with the experience of housing insecurity and homelessness, specifically for migrant women. The authors argue that it is…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents an analysis of how health intersects with the experience of housing insecurity and homelessness, specifically for migrant women. The authors argue that it is important to understand the specificities of the interplay of these different factors to continue the advancement of our understanding and practice as advocates for health and housing security.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory, qualitative, methodological approach was adopted, using a broad definition of housing insecurity: from absolute homelessness (e.g. residing rough) to invisible homelessness (e.g. couch surfing) to those at risk of homelessness. In total, 26 newcomer (foreign-born women who came to live in Canada during the previous ten years, regardless of their immigration status) women were recruited in Montreal, Canada. Participants were recruited directly through advertisements in public places and in collaboration with community organizations (women’s centers, homeless shelters, crisis centers, domestic violence shelters, immigrant settlement agencies and ethnic associations) and they self-identified as having experienced housing insecurity. Efforts were made to include a diversity of immigrant statuses as well as diversity in ethnicity, race, country of origin, family composition, sexual orientation, age and range of physical and mental ability. Women were engaged in semi-structured, open-ended interviews lasting approximately 1 h. Interviews were conducted in English or French in a location and time of participants’ choosing.
Findings
The findings are presented around three themes: how health problems instigate and maintain migrant women’s housing insecurity and homelessness; ways in which women’s immigration trajectories and legal status may influence their health experiences; and particular coping strategies that migrant women employ in efforts to maintain or manage their health. The authors conclude with implications of these findings for both policy and practice in relation to migrant women who experience or are at risk of housing insecurity and homelessness.
Originality/value
Intersections of women experiencing migration and housing insecurity in Canadian contexts have rarely been examined. This paper addresses a gap in the literature in terms of topic and context, but also in terms of sharing the voices of migrant women with direct experience with housing insecurity.
Details
Keywords
Sonia San-Martín, Jana Prodanova and Blanca López Catalán
This study aims to explore the issue of word of mouth (WOM) about mobile shopping, including activities conducted by consumers using a wireless internet connection to make a…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the issue of word of mouth (WOM) about mobile shopping, including activities conducted by consumers using a wireless internet connection to make a purchase. The objective is to ascertain the determinants of m-shoppers’ WOM.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a causal model to examine how satisfaction, perceived control, perceived entertainment and subjective norms affect WOM about mobile commerce. The authors treated a sample of 447 Spanish mobile phone buyers and applied different sound theoretical approaches to support the research.
Findings
Shopping experience, control over the process, group influence and satisfaction with mobile purchasing affect subsequent WOM shopping recommendations by innovative and pioneer mobile shoppers. Besides, entertainment, group influence, shopping experience and perceived control influence customer satisfaction in mobile shopping contexts.
Originality/value
This research provides a better understanding of WOM regarding m-shopping and contributes by outlining important variables for recommending WOM regarding m-shopping, which is key in the m-shopping diffusion. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is a pioneer study in Europe focusing on these variables for addressing the ways of achieving m-shopper WOM and one of the few addressing WOM in the m-shopping context. This study is based on information collected from real buyers, who are pioneer in m-shopping.
Details
Keywords
Maria Fransisca Njoman, Galih Nugroho, Sonia Dwi Puspita Chandra, Yoeska Permana, Suhadi Suhadi, Mujiono Mujiono, Agist Dwiki Hermawan and Sugiono Sugiono
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate subjectivity issue, particularly sensitivity variance and fatigue effect, in human sensory evaluation, as well as review the feasibility…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate subjectivity issue, particularly sensitivity variance and fatigue effect, in human sensory evaluation, as well as review the feasibility of human-independent quality system, using E-tongue and E-nose.
Design/methodology/approach
The sensitivity level is evaluated by measuring the threshold of Acesulfame-K, while the fatigue effect is evaluated by measuring the accuracy level of evaluation through the time. The experiment was administered to six trained sensory panelists.
Findings
The experiment result shows that each panelist has a different level of sensitivity and tendency in evaluating samples containing Acesulfame-K. Furthermore, by simulating the panelists’ daily inspection, the fatigue effect is also found in one out of six panelists. The use of E-nose and E-tongue, may eliminate the subjectivity issue, supporting the development of human error-free quality system.
Research limitations/implications
The research findings indicate the needs of human substitution-built into the quality system to avoid both of subjectivity and error judgment while defining the products quality. However, the small numbers of panelists as well as the unvalidated substitute instruments application in the target workcenter were the main limitation of this study. Human-independent quality system could be applied only when the instruments have been calibrated to human response in perceiving taste and odor.
Originality/value
The research finding supports the theory of human panels’ tradeoffs in a sensory analysis in terms of sensitivity level variance and fatigue. It has provided additional contributions to the existing theories as well as developed effective strategies for the development of the human-independent quality system.
Details
Keywords
Saida Dammak, Sonia Mbarek and Mouna Moalla
This study aims to explore the role of mobile tracing applications as part of e-government services in combating the COVID-19 pandemic effects in Africa by analyzing the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the role of mobile tracing applications as part of e-government services in combating the COVID-19 pandemic effects in Africa by analyzing the moderating role of sustainable development. This study also investigated the role of the political and economic systems in mitigating the negative consequences of COVID-19 and how e-government interacts in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
This study included the COVID-19 performance index for 94 countries belonging to different regions, including 20 African countries. Multiple linear regression was used for data analysis via Stata software. The study was conducted from the start of the pandemic to March 13, 2021.
Findings
The results show that less economically and technologically developed countries with generally authoritarian political systems, including African countries, could limit the spread of the pandemic better than some democratic, economically and technologically developed countries in the first wave of the pandemic. The promotion of sustainable development goals moderates the relationship between mobile tracing applications as part of the e-government service and the fight against COVID-19.
Originality/value
This study provides insight into the role of mobile application technology as an e-governance service in mitigating the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in a context characterized by economic limitations, fragile public health infrastructure and relatively high political instability, especially in Africa. The findings shed light on some of the difficulties African countries may face in incorporating technology into their development projects.
Details
Keywords
Rejikumar G., Ajay Jose, Sonia Mathew, Dony Peter Chacko and Aswathy Asokan-Ajitha
Social television (Social TV) viewing of live sports events is an emerging trend. The realm of transformative service research (TSR) envisions that every service consumption…
Abstract
Purpose
Social television (Social TV) viewing of live sports events is an emerging trend. The realm of transformative service research (TSR) envisions that every service consumption experience must lead to consumer well-being. Currently, a full appreciation of the well-being factors obtained through Social TV viewing is lacking. This study aims to gain a holistic understanding of the concept of digital sports well-being obtained through live Social TV viewing of sports events.
Design/methodology/approach
Focus group interviews were used to collect data from the 40 regular sports viewers, and the qualitative data obtained is analyzed thematically using NVivo 12. A post hoc verification of the identified themes is done to narrow down the most critical themes.
Findings
The exploration helped understand the concept of digital sports well-being (DSW) obtained through live Social TV sports spectating and identified five critical themes that constitute its formation. The themes that emerged were virtual connectedness, vividness, uncertainty reduction, online disinhibition and perceived autonomy. This study defines the concept and develops a conceptual model for DSW.
Research limitations/implications
This study adds to the body of knowledge in TSR, transformative sport service research, digital customer engagement, value co-creation in digital platforms, self-determination theory and flow theory. The qualitative study is exploratory, with participants’ views based on a single match in one particular sport, and as such, its findings are restrained by the small sample size and the specific sport. To extend this study’s implications, empirical research involving a larger and more diversified sample involving multiple sports Social TV viewing experiences would help better understand the DSW concept.
Practical implications
The research provides insights to Social TV live streamers of sporting events and digital media marketers about the DSW construct and identifies the valued DSW dimensions that could provide a competitive advantage.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the exploration is the first attempt to describe the concept of DSW and identify associated themes.