For many years, the cornerstone of any self‐respecting academic institution's reference and enquiry service was the provision of a mediated online search service delivered by…
Abstract
For many years, the cornerstone of any self‐respecting academic institution's reference and enquiry service was the provision of a mediated online search service delivered by subject librarians, acting as search intermediaries in response to specific information requests from users. Key staff were trained in the use of command languages for a range of host systems (DIALOG, STN etc.) and a search service of popular databases such as Medline, Chemical Abstracts and INSPEC would be offered, usually for a fee, to members of the organisation.
Kristy Buccieri, Abram Oudshoorn, Tyler Frederick, Rebecca Schiff, Alex Abramovich, Stephen Gaetz and Cheryl Forchuk
People experiencing homelessness are high-users of hospital care in Canada. To better understand the scope of the issue, and how these patients are discharged from hospital, a…
Abstract
Purpose
People experiencing homelessness are high-users of hospital care in Canada. To better understand the scope of the issue, and how these patients are discharged from hospital, a national survey of key stakeholders was conducted in 2017. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
The Canadian Observatory on Homelessness distributed an online survey to their network of members through e-mail and social media. A sample of 660 stakeholders completed the mixed-methods survey, including those in health care, non-profit, government, law enforcement and academia.
Findings
Results indicate that hospitals and homelessness sector agencies often struggle to coordinate care. The result is that these patients are usually discharged to the streets or shelters and not into housing or housing with supports. The health care and homelessness sectors in Canada are currently structured in a way that hinders collaborative transfers of patient care. The three primary and inter-related gaps raised by survey participants were: communication, privacy and systems pressures.
Research limitations/implications
The findings are limited to those who voluntarily completed the survey and may indicate self-selection bias. Results are limited to professional stakeholders and do not reflect patient views.
Practical implications
Identifying systems gaps from the perspective of those who work within health care and homelessness sectors is important for supporting system reforms.
Originality/value
This survey was the first to collect nationwide stakeholder data on homelessness and hospital discharge in Canada. The findings help inform policy recommendations for more effective systems alignment within Canada and internationally.
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Raphael Papa Kweku Andoh, Rebecca Dei Mensah, Stephen Tetteh, Georgina Nyantakyiwaa Boampong, Kofi Adom-Nyankey and Bernice Asare
Human resource records are the cornerstone of human resource management. Organizations rely a great deal on their employees to furnish them with human resource records, which is…
Abstract
Purpose
Human resource records are the cornerstone of human resource management. Organizations rely a great deal on their employees to furnish them with human resource records, which is crucial to the effective management of the employees and the success of the organization. It is evident, however, that personal information-related issues in organizations are of significant concern and that examining employees’ perceptions and attitudes regarding personal information management is extremely valuable. Yet, this is largely absent in the literature. This study, therefore, aims to investigate the influence of perceptions of employees concerning the uses and security of human resource records on their attitude toward human resource records in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
A descriptive survey design was used in this study. An online questionnaire was used to gather responses from employees for analyses. A structural equation model was developed and assessed because of the advantages that come with its use and the characteristics of this study. The assessment of the structural equation model was done to determine the significance of the hypothesized paths. In addition, effect size, coefficient of determination and predictive relevance of the structural model were assessed. Before that, the validity and reliability of the measurement model were examined through the assessment of the indicator loadings, average variance extracted, Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability. An importance-performance map analysis (IPMA) was also conducted.
Findings
The hypotheses formulated in this study could not be rejected because the hypotheses tested were statistically significant. Thus, this study revealed that employees’ perception of the uses of human resource records influenced their attitude toward human resource records. Also, employees’ perception of the security of human resource records influenced their attitude toward human resource records. The IPMA revealed that the perception of uses of human resource records was more important, yet its performance was below the perception of security as significant.
Practical implications
Human resource records management professionals, particularly in Ghana, ought to ensure that the human resource records in their organizations are used for the purpose for which they are collected and also, secured. In addition, they should assure employees that their personal information is used as expected and secured. This could be realized with the use of international records management standards especially those in the ISO 30300 series. More so, human resource managers as part of their counseling duties also need to counsel employees so that they form positive perceptions about the uses and security of the personal information they give to their organization in the course of their employment.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study brings to light the attitude of employees toward human resource records based on their perceptions of uses and security in the Ghanaian context which is absent in the literature as previous studies have focused mainly on personal information management behavior only at the individual level.
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Philipp Hendrik Steiner and Peter Maas
The purpose of this paper is to show antecedents of customers’ information disclosure in the insurance industry and demonstrate central levers that foster customers’ information…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to show antecedents of customers’ information disclosure in the insurance industry and demonstrate central levers that foster customers’ information disclosure to companies in the insurance sector.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model is presented, which is empirically tested with 3,494 insurance customers from ten counties with structural equation modelling and multi-group analysis.
Findings
Customer value in the insurance industry consists of three factors (customer value provided by the company, the agent, and the product) and affects information disclosure directly and indirectly (via satisfaction and trust).
Research limitations/implications
Antecedents of customers’ information disclosure in the insurance industry were identified. Moreover, the authors show that, in line with resource exchange theory, customers are willing to disclose personal and behavioral data to an insurance company in exchange for lower premiums or additional services.
Practical implications
Customers expect benefits in exchange for their personal data. In combination with new technologies (e.g. smartphones or wearables), companies can offer tailored products to their customers and can create a win -win situation for customers as well as insurance companies.
Originality/value
The paper identifies the antecedents of customers’ information disclosure in the insurance industry with a conceptual model. This model is tested in ten countries and offers insights in established (e.g. USA) as well as emergent markets (e.g. Brazil).
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In the colleges of education, residence rules are the major issue between students and authorities. The majority of the 157 colleges of education in England and Wales are largely…
Abstract
In the colleges of education, residence rules are the major issue between students and authorities. The majority of the 157 colleges of education in England and Wales are largely residential, and most see community living as a fundamental and valuable feature of teacher training. Joan Brothers and Stephen Hatch in their Residence and Student Life report typical comments by college principals. ‘We aim for one corporate family with ideals in common wanting to share life together,’ said one, and ‘they get a lot out of residence which is useful to teaching,’ said another.
This study analyzes the relationship between the characteristics of social media content, customer engagement (CE) and brand equity and investigates whether these relationships…
Abstract
Purpose
This study analyzes the relationship between the characteristics of social media content, customer engagement (CE) and brand equity and investigates whether these relationships differ between national cultures.
Design/methodology/approach
We collect data from a variety of sources, including Interbrand, Facebook and financial statements, to validate the research model using partial least squares structural equation modeling.
Findings
The results revealed that owned media content had a stronger positive effect on CE than did earned media content. In addition, information richness was found to have a positive effect on CE, but links to additional information had a negative effect. In addition, CE positively affected brand equity. The national comparison analysis revealed a difference in the coefficients between the United States and Korea for most paths.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes to the relevant literature by finding evidence that OM has a stronger effect on CE than does EM. In addition, this study expands the related literature by clarifying the effects of information richness in a CE context and exploring differences determined by cultural dimensions. Most importantly, this study expands CE and international marketing literature by finding that the relationship between CE determinants and outcomes in a social media environment differs between national cultures.
Originality/value
This study explores the relationship between CE and social media content, which has not been sufficiently investigated in previous studies, by collecting actual social media data. In addition, unlike previous survey-based studies, we find evidence that CE contributes to brand equity at a corporate level. Finally, our exploratory analysis indicates that the relationship between the characteristics of social media content, CE and brand equity differs between national cultures.
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Abu F. Dowlah and John E. Elliott
Gorbachev′s vision of democratic, decentralised and market‐orientedsocialism has generated diverse and controversial perceptions in theSoviet Union. Gorbachev′s claim that the…
Abstract
Gorbachev′s vision of democratic, decentralised and market‐oriented socialism has generated diverse and controversial perceptions in the Soviet Union. Gorbachev′s claim that the USSR is not retreating from socialism but advancing towards it, having dismantled the Stalinist Command model, is assessed.
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ALTHOUGH the first Public Libraries (Scotland) Act was placed on the Statute Book in 1853, it was not until 1899 that the Corporation of the City of Glasgow was empowered to…
Abstract
ALTHOUGH the first Public Libraries (Scotland) Act was placed on the Statute Book in 1853, it was not until 1899 that the Corporation of the City of Glasgow was empowered to establish and maintain public libraries throughout the city. Between 1876 and 1897 four attempts were made to secure public approval for the adoption of the Public Libraries (Scotland) Acts, but when all these efforts proved unsuccessful, the Corporation decided in June, 1888 to include in a Local Bill for submission to Parliament, certain clauses conferring upon themselves the power to become a library authority. Promoted in 1899, the Bill became known as the Glasgow Corporation (Tramways, Libraries, etc.) Act 1899, and the library clauses passed through Parliament without opposition and received Royal Assent on 1st August, 1899. The powers conferred by this Local Act empowered the Corporation:
Interest in leadership research began in early 20th century; yet the definition of leadership has been blurred, and contested. This is evident in countless leadership theoretical…
Abstract
Interest in leadership research began in early 20th century; yet the definition of leadership has been blurred, and contested. This is evident in countless leadership theoretical perspectives, models and frameworks that have been emerging and which make it challenging for aspiring leaders to learn and develop especially in this volatile age. Higher institutions, to future proof their undergraduates, have responded to this critical need, by offering either specialized leadership content or leadership communication courses, or focusing more on one discipline than the other. However, a more holistic approach, underpinned by behavioristand constructivist theories of teaching and learning, that prepares leaders for these turbulent times is urgently needed. This teaching experience discusses the evolution, process and impact of a collaborative effort between two disciplines, Information Systems (IS) leadership content and IS leadership communication skills. University administered anonymous qualitative and quantitative post module evaluation reports show that while some students see the relevance and transference of leadership knowledge and skills to other domains, other do not see the need to learn about these skills before they begin their professional career. These findings offer valuable potholes to avoid and insights for future leadership training efforts.
Noel Scott, Brent Moyle, Ana Cláudia Campos, Liubov Skavronskaya and Biqiang Liu