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The purpose of this paper is to contribute to response to the 2013 health and welfare reform in the UK by looking specifically at how health research stakeholders in the East Midlands perceive reimbursements for their participation in research.

In keeping with the government research agenda, a survey was distributed to patient and public involvement in research volunteers and other stakeholders in the East Midlands region. In total, 251 useful returns were statistically analysed using descriptive and frequency based statistics and factor analysis. Principal Component Analysis and Varimax Rotation with Kaiser Normalisation were used. This was supplemented by thematic analysis of the content of open questions.

29 per cent of respondents reported experience with payments and/or reimbursement of expenses for participation in research. Three main factors emerged from the exploratory factor analysis indicative of the values that underpin participants motivation to participate in research. These were “as an opportunity for self-development”, “volunteering”, and “work and market forces”. This revealed that local organisations were somewhat out of step with stakeholders motivations.

It is a small study, and therefore has limited power to predict. Wider societal factors were not taken into account and may also impinge on the responses given, especially if respondents are dependent on welfare benefits and vulnerable to shifting community attitudes.

This study has got practical implications for policy makers, ethics committees, agencies promoting patient and public involvement, and research organisations. It should influence the design of health research, allow systems to be aligned with individual motivation, maximise recruitment to research and enhance the validity of research findings.

Genuine coproduction will enhance the quality of health and social care research, and will be strengthened by payment systems that respond the ethical position of participants rather than simply organise around welfare benefit regulations. This study also has the potential to influence guidance from major funders of health research.

This study offers an unique contribution into a neglected, complex yet significant area of research practice.

This chapter examines the relationship between constitutional guarantees of sex equality, understood as prohibiting unequal treatment between men and women, and the constitutional protections of maternity. Textual guarantees of sex equality are nearly universal in constitutions around the world, and many constitutions in Europe, Latin America, and Asia also include provisions guaranteeing mothers the special protection of the state. In the United States, by contrast, the special treatment of mothers has long been contested as a threat to gender equality, and the efforts to add a sex equality amendment to the U.S. constitution have failed over the past century because of conflicts about the status of motherhood. This study traces the origins and jurisprudential development of maternity clauses in European constitutions to shed light on the possibility of synthesizing maternity protection with a constitutional commitment to gender equality.

This paper aims to contribute to the discussion of the experimental campaigns on Cultural Heritage buildings. By adopting integrated procedures it is possible to limit the invasiveness of the destructive techniques leading to reliable results. The purpose is the proper definition of the structural system, which represents the starting point of the following analysis's phases, not treated in this work. A methodology based on normative references and acknowledged non-destructive and partial destructive strategies has been conceived. The latter aims to an accurate comprehension of the structural information.

An integrated approach for the structural assessment of cultural heritage buildings is presented. The methodology defines an interdisciplinary procedure based on normative references, non-destructive and minor-destructive techniques. A funnel-shaped workflow is developed to characterize the structural system of the buildings. The non-destructive campaigns are widely extended. Then, in-depth analysis concerning partial demolitions and minor-destructive tests are performed. The dynamic identification of the building is executed to detect its global response. The final validation of the assumed mechanical values is obtained by comparing the experimental modes coming from the ambient vibrations and the analytical modes of the structural modelling.

This research belongs to the Protocol signed between the Municipality of Florence and Department of Earth's Science and Department of Architecture of the University of Florence for the seismic vulnerability assessment of relevant and strategic buildings.

The descripted methodology is targeted for monuments and special buildings where the use of destructive techniques is not possible or unrecommended.

Social implications are related to the conservation of Heritage buildings. The latter deals with: (1) risk assessment of the targeted buildings towards different hazard sources (e.g. earthquakes, floods); (2) knowledge path developed through non-invasive diagnostic campaigns oriented to the conservation of the manufact. Furthermore, the paper encourages towards the recognition of non-destructive techniques and ambient vibration tests for the achievement of higher knowledge levels.

This paper defines a funnel-shaped procedure defining hierarchical roles between the different available strategies. The originality of this contribution is firstly related to the methodological flowchart. It is targeted to limit the invasive tests and consequently achieving accurate levels of knowledge. Secondly, some novelty can be found in the adoption of improvement parameters from a regional database adopting a Bayesian approach.

The issue of linguistic autonomy is a central one on the agenda of Catalan politics within the Spanish state. In the transition from Francoism, virtually all political groups in Catalonia supported a statute of autonomy (1982) which declares that “Catalan is the official language of Catalonia, as is Castillian, the official language of the entire Spanish State.”

This study intends to analyze the relationship between the digital maturity of SMEs and intellectual capital, investigating the determining factors. Starting from the endowment in terms of intellectual capital and evaluating Management Style, Decision-Making Competences, and Business Network, a model is proposed aiming to provide a comprehensive measure of SMEs’ digital maturity and thus to improve understanding and, consequently, effectiveness. The empirical analysis allows assessing the validity and applicability of the suggested model, providing valuable insights for the improvement of digital strategy and competitiveness of SMEs in the Amalfi Coast Tourist District (Italy), with evident implications also for policymakers and the community.

A mixed-methods research strategy was utilized to confirm research hypotheses that were derived from literature review. The field study was organized into two separate phases: the first phase, which is qualitative, employed focus groups comprising key stakeholders (managers and entrepreneurs) from various companies within the Amalfi Coast Tourist District. This phase adhered to the principles of homogeneity (to facilitate deeper discussions) and heterogeneity (to allow for a broader range of viewpoints among participants). The insights gathered from these preliminary focus groups informed the subsequent quantitative phase. In this second phase, structured interviews were conducted using a questionnaire to probe the participants’ views on digital maturity. This analysis involved 94 companies, all part of the Amalfi Coast Tourist District, assessing their digitalization levels and highlighting key management attributes. Logistic regression was applied to quantitatively analyze the data, effectively assessing the impact of various independent variables (such as Management Style, Decision-Making Competencies and Business Network) on the dependent variable, digital maturity. Employing both qualitative and quantitative methods provides a thorough and nuanced understanding of the digital maturity landscape within the specified context.

The main results suggest the existence of a correlation between the analyzed variables and digital maturity. Innovation, indeed, increases by applying a data-driven leadership style. Intellectual capital (measured in its three components of human capital: decision-making competences; structural capital: management style; and relational capital: business network) influences digital maturity, although some of the variables used are not equally weighted.

The main contribution of this article is to provide an in-depth understanding of the company components that favor digital maturity, to support strategic choices oriented towards a conscious digital transition. The results enrich the existing literature on intellectual capital in terms of its contribution to the digitalization of organizations, which can be a critical success factor in the context of SMEs.

Call center is a large and growing sector worldwide and is facing important human resource management (HRM) and service challenges. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of structural empowerment (SE) and psychological empowerment (PE) on customer satisfaction (CS) through employee job satisfaction (JS) at a call center in Portugal.

Data were collected by means of a survey handed over personally to 267 employees at the call center of a telecommunication company. This was then linked to their respective net promoter score (CS) provided by the call center. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used as analytical tools.

SE affects PE, and both have a positive impact on JS. Empowerment impacts CS: SE positively affects CS mediated by PE; and PE affects CS mediated by JS.

This study emphasizes the importance of the use of organizational practices of SE in call centers to achieve two important organizational outcomes: employee JS and CS.

This study tests a process model involving two domains, HRM (employee side) and service delivery (customer side), which are traditionally dealt with separately in the context of call centers. This helps to understand how HRM polices are connected to CS. Although some of these relationships have been studied separately in different contexts, the research offers a strong methodological design by linking employee perceptions of empowerment with data provided by the firm on CS.

O setor dos call centers é grande e está em crescimento em todo o mundo, enfrentando importantes desafios de Gestão de Recursos Humanos (GRH) e de Serviços. O objetivo principal deste estudo é analisar o impacto do empoderamento estrutural (EE) e do empoderamento psicológico (EP) na satisfação do cliente (SC) através da satisfação no trabalho (ST) dos colaboradores de um call center em Portugal.

Os dados foram recolhidos por meio de um questionário entregue pessoalmente a 267 funcionários do call center de uma empresa de telecomunicações. Esses dados foram ligados aos dados fornecidos pela empresa em relação à satisfação do cliente para cada colaborador, utilizando o net promoter score. A análise fatorial confirmatória e a modelagem de equações estruturais foram utilizadas como ferramentas analíticas.

O EE afeta o EP e ambos têm um impacto positivo na ST. O empoderamento impacta a SC: i) o EE afeta positivamente a SC mediada por o EP; ii) o EP afeta a SC mediado pela ST.

Este estudo enfatiza a importância do uso de práticas organizacionais de EE em call centers para atingir dois resultados organizacionais importantes: a ST do funcionário e a SC.

Este estudo testa um modelo processual envolvendo dois domínios, a gestão de recursos humanos (lado do funcionário) e a entrega de serviços (lado do cliente) no contexto de call centers, que tradicionalmente são tratados separadamente. O estudo ajuda a entender como as políticas de GRH estão conectadas à SC. Embora algumas dessas relações tenham sido estudadas separadamente em diferentes contextos, a pesquisa oferece um forte desenho metodológico ao vincular as perceções dos funcionários sobre o empoderamento com os dados fornecidos pela empresa sobre a satisfação do cliente.

El sector de los centros de llamadas es grande y está creciendo en todo el mundo, y se enfrenta a importantes desafíos de gestión de recursos humanos y servicios. El objetivo principal de este estudio es analizar el impacto del empoderamiento estructural (EE) y el empoderamiento psicológico (EP) en la satisfacción del cliente (SC) a través de la satisfacción laboral (SL) de los empleados de un centro de llamadas en Portugal.

Los datos fueron recolectados mediante una encuesta entregada personalmente a 267 empleados en el centro de llamadas de una empresa de telecomunicaciones. Estos datos se vincularon a los datos proporcionados por la empresa en relación con la satisfacción del cliente de cada empleado, utilizando el net promotor score. El análisis factorial confirmatoria y el modelado de ecuaciones estructurales se utilizaron como herramientas analíticas.

El EE afecta el EP y ambas tienen un impacto positivo en la SL. El empoderamiento impacta el SC: i) EE afecta positivamente el SC mediado por el EP; ii) El EP afecta a la SC mediada por la SL.

Este estudio enfatiza la importancia de utilizar prácticas organizacionales de EE en los centros de llamadas para lograr dos importantes resultados organizacionales: la SL del empleado y la SC.

Este estudio prueba un modelo de proceso que involucra dos dominios, la gestión de recursos humanos (lado del empleado) y la prestación de servicios (lado del cliente) en el contexto de los centros de llamadas, que tradicionalmente se tratan por separado. El estudio ayuda a comprender cómo las políticas de recursos humanos están conectadas a SC. Aunque algunas de estas relaciones se han estudiado por separado en diferentes contextos, la investigación ofrece un sólido diseño metodológico al vincular las percepciones de empoderamiento de los empleados con los datos proporcionados por la empresa sobre la satisfacción del cliente.

Strategic management of nonprofit organizations.

This case is appropriate for graduate level program/executive education courses; advanced topics in nonprofit management or strategic management of nonprofit organizations.

This case focuses on the central dilemma faced by arteBA Foundation in 2008. arteBA Foundation's chairman, Facundo Gómez Minujín, received an offer from a foreign company to purchase the art fair launched 17 years before – and by then acknowledged as the most prestigious fair in Latin America. Leading art fairs around the world were managed by for-profit companies that could view arteBA as a strategic asset to tap into new markets. Gómez Minujín called for an urgent board meeting. The young chairman had his qualms about selling the fair. In addition to corroborating arteBA's brand positioning in the region and rewarding the organization's efforts over the years, this purchasing offer afforded the possibility to undertake several projects to further develop and promote Argentine art – the true driver for most arteBA's members. The case describes the foundation's background and the fair's growth until the crossroads in November 2008. They include several accounts of instances in which the foundation took financial risks to enhance the fair's positioning, such as granting subsidized space to emerging galleries at its Young Neighborhood Program, expanding to include aesthetically risky offerings at its Open Space section, and financially supporting Brazilian galleries to attend the fair in order to enhance its Latin American scope and regional consolidation. Similarly, the case depicts how the foundation chose to uphold fair continuity in critical years (2001) amidst a dismal domestic setting. The dilemma presented by this case hinges on an organization's ability to build a market-based venture while preserving and pursuing its mission. To promote Argentine artists and art, arteBA Foundation had to help art galleries – for-profit businesses – to adopt more professional practices. Another challenge described in this case revolves around the need to “manage quality” in detriment of greater, immediate revenues. The last section revisits the central dilemma faced by arteBA Foundation. The mixed reactions of board members on the fair's purchase offer described in the introduction unfolded in a passionate debate at the board meeting. Two prevailing positions emerged in reference to the future of the organization. For some board members selling the fair afforded arteBA a chance to finally undertake new challenges, such as launching a grant program, offering financial support to artists, consolidating a new venture (South Limit), etc. Opposing board members contended that, without the fair, the foundation made no sense and that no other initiative could have such an impact on its field of choice. Finally, the board found it impossible to reach a decision on this matter in just one meeting and decided to resume its discussion after a recess.

This case has been designed to advance the following teaching objectives: gaining a better understanding of market-based ventures carried out by social organizations; discussing the alignment of market-based ventures to social missions at social organizations; adequately interpreting market trends to try to align them to a nonprofit's mission; identifying the primary capabilities needed by social organizations to manage profitable market-based ventures; developing a positive market orientation as a source of opportunities for a nonprofit; appreciating the significance of an active, committed board for market-based venture development; and highlighting the primary role of entrepreneurship and innovation when it comes to launching market-based ventures that add value to a nonprofit's brand.

Teaching notes are available.

This study aims to identify how Spanish consumers’ extrinsic preferences for food have evolved by examining the extant literature on food preferences in Spain, focusing on food-related attributes and food-related values.

This study is based on a synthetic review of the extant academic literature on Spanish consumer preferences for food-related attributes and food-related values from the mid-20th to the 21st century. This study uses key economic and social milestones that are most likely to influence food value chain actors to show how consumer preferences have evolved over the study period.

Spanish consumer food attribute preferences expanded as the food sector of the nation continued to grow, and value preferences showed a similar pattern from the mid-20th to the 21st century. The drivers of these preferences were trust, lifestyle, education (campaigns), sociodemographic factors and purchasing power.

Evaluating the extant literature’s contribution to consumer preferences for food-related attributes and values is important because it can aid in understanding the hierarchy and variety of consumers’ food preferences as well as the factors that drive these preferences. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to explore how Spanish consumer preferences evolved between the mid-20th and 21st centuries.