Wee Ling Lim and Roziah Mohd Rasdi
The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges faced by married women professionals in the private sector and the factors affecting their decisions in leaving the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the challenges faced by married women professionals in the private sector and the factors affecting their decisions in leaving the workforce.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was used in this study. Data were obtained using a purposive sampling method in selecting ten married women professionals based on the inclusion criteria for this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and the whole interview sessions were audio recorded. Thematic analysis using the constant comparative method was used in interpreting the data.
Findings
The findings of this study revealed that majority of the married women professionals leaving workforce are affected by “pushed out” factors such as workplace inflexibility, long working hours, high volume of work than “opt-out” factors, which focus on the biological and psychological “pulls” that lure women back into their traditional roles of motherhood. Most of the married women professionals interviewed had no intention to return to the workforce and had lost confidence to join back the workforce.
Research limitations/implications
This study involved married women professionals in the private sector only. As a qualitative study, it limits to voice and views of these particular subjects only and could not be generalised to other group of women.
Practical implications
The findings from this study shall enlighten all parties involved such as women professionals, HR managers and private sector organisations in strategies and plan of action towards minimising the talent drain of women professionals.
Originality/value
This paper offers new insight into debating the opt-out or pushed out factors influencing married women professionals’ decisions in leaving the workforce. It provides voice and views of women professionals who faced a predicament in making a decision about their career development.
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Chih-Ming Chen, Tek-Soon Ling, Chung Chang, Chih-Fan Hsu and Chia-Pei Lim
Digital humanities research platform for biographies of Malaysia personalities (DHRP-BMP) was collaboratively developed by the Research Center for Chinese Cultural Subjectivity in…
Abstract
Purpose
Digital humanities research platform for biographies of Malaysia personalities (DHRP-BMP) was collaboratively developed by the Research Center for Chinese Cultural Subjectivity in Taiwan, the Federation of Heng Ann Association Malaysia, and the Malaysian Chinese Research Center of Universiti Malaya in this study. Using The Biographies of Malaysia Henghua Personalities as the main archival sources, DHRP-BMP adopted the Omeka S, which is a next-generation Web publishing platform for institutions interested in connecting digital cultural heritage collections with other resources online, as the basic development system of the platform, to develop the functions of close reading and distant reading both combined together as the foundation of its digital humanities tools.
Design/methodology/approach
The results of the first-stage development are introduced in this study, and a case study of qualitative analysis is provided to describe the research process by a humanist scholar who used DHRP-BMP to discover the character relationships and contexts hidden in The Biographies of Malaysia Henghua Personalities.
Findings
Close reading provided by DHRP-BMP was able to support humanities scholars on comprehending full text contents through a user-friendly reading interface while distant reading developed in DHRP-BMP could assist humanities scholars on interpreting texts from a rather macro perspective through text analysis, with the functions such as keyword search, geographic information and social networks analysis for humanities scholars to master on the character relationships and geographic distribution from personality biographies, thus accelerating their text interpretation efficiency and uncovering the hidden context.
Originality/value
At present, a digital humanities research platform with real-time characters’ relationships analysis tool that can automatically generate visualized character relationship graphs based on Chinese named entity recognition (CNER) and character relationship identification technologies to effectively assist humanities scholars in interpreting characters’ relationships for digital humanities research is still lacking so far. This study thus presents the DHRP-BMP that offers the key features that can automatically identify characters’ names and characters’ relationships from personality biographies and provide a user-friendly visualization interface of characters’ relationships for supporting digital humanities research, so that humanities scholars could more efficiently and accurately explore characters’ relationships from the analyzed texts to explore complicated characters’ relationships and find out useful research findings.
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Sanjeev Varshney and Anita Goyal
Movement of people from one retail trade area to another in search of better options and deals has been studied across the world owing to its large impact on trade flow. Studies…
Abstract
Movement of people from one retail trade area to another in search of better options and deals has been studied across the world owing to its large impact on trade flow. Studies have been done in various rural and urban settings. However, almost all except one fails to provide a comprehensive model of outshopping which has its own limitations with regard to its applicability’s across cultures and in various settings. Nonetheless findings from the literature provides necessary inputs to start studies in various other cultures and settings. Results are presented in form of various definitions, various types, methodologies used, factors identified (individual characteristics, market characteristics, product related variables and accessibility factors) and patterns across continents. Attempts have also been made to explain their applicability to Indian conditions along with various limitations and gaps.
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Gerard W. Toh, Wee Ling Koh, Jack Ho, Jackson Chia, Ad Maulod, Irene Tirtajana, Peter Yang and Mathia Lee
Health disparities affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) populations have been reported in many countries. For Singapore, no large quantitative studies…
Abstract
Purpose
Health disparities affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) populations have been reported in many countries. For Singapore, no large quantitative studies on mental health and well-being in the local LGBTQ community have been published. The authors conducted a community-based survey (National LGBT Census Singapore, 2013; NLCS2013) that covered a comprehensive set of demographic, social and health indicators. Here, the authors investigated mental health status and its correlates in 2,350 LGBTQ individuals within the NLCS2013 sample.
Design/methodology/approach
The NLCS2013 was an anonymous online survey conducted amongst self-identified LGBTQ adults (aged ≥ 21 years) residing in Singapore. The survey included the World Health Organisation Well-being Index (WHO-5) as a measure of mental well-being, with low WHO 5 scores (<13/25) indicating poor mental well-being. The authors analysed relationships between low WHO-5 score and a range of respondent characteristics using multivariate logistic regression.
Findings
Strikingly, 40.9% of 2,350 respondents analysed had low WHO-5 scores, indicating poor mental well-being. Parental non-acceptance, experience of conflict at home and bullying/discrimination in the workplace or educational environments were all significantly associated with poor mental well-being. Conversely, community participation appeared protective for mental well-being, as respondents who participated in LGBTQ community organisations or events were less likely to have poor mental well-being than non-participants.
Originality/value
The NLCS2013 represents one of the first broad-based efforts to comprehensively and quantitatively capture the sociodemographic and health profile, including mental health status, within Singapore’s resident LGBTQ population. These findings affirm the need to address the mental health needs of LGBTQ individuals in Singapore and to foster safe spaces and allyship.
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Yaw A. Debrah and Ian G. Smith
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on…
Abstract
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.
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Using qualitative data from 20 managers in four small Singaporean businesses in the services sector this article explores the issue of organisational commitment. The findings…
Abstract
Using qualitative data from 20 managers in four small Singaporean businesses in the services sector this article explores the issue of organisational commitment. The findings generally support those in the positivistic literature on organisational commitment. It also argues, however, that continuance commitment, largely seen as negative for organisations and performance, can be both positive and negative in certain circumstances. The article further suggests that owner/manager style in the businesses may have an important impact on manager commitment and that the future growth and development of these businesses may be stunted as a consequence of negative aspects of the entrepreneurial management style.
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This chapter introduces the Technology Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPACK) model as it relates to technology-enhanced learning design. The key features of the framework are…
Abstract
This chapter introduces the Technology Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPACK) model as it relates to technology-enhanced learning design. The key features of the framework are unpacked, along with a brief examination of what TPACK looks like in practice. Approaches to developing TPACK capacity are considered, with learning-by-design emerging as the most promising technique. Issues relating to TPACK are also critically discussed, including those relating to measurement and the capacity of the framework to support educational design practice.
The impact of smartphone use at tourist destinations on the relationship of travel companions and trip satisfaction remains unclear. This study considers differences in relational…
Abstract
Purpose
The impact of smartphone use at tourist destinations on the relationship of travel companions and trip satisfaction remains unclear. This study considers differences in relational outcomes arising from smartphone use to kill time and reduce boredom during leisure travel with different companions, either family or friends, and uses the Riva's emotion regulation model to examine whether such smartphone use provides immediate relief from ostracism.
Design/methodology/approach
Partial least square (PLS) method and PLS multigroup analysis were used to analyze the data collected from 205 Taiwanese tourists (104 respondents vacationing with friends and 101 respondents with family).
Findings
This study found no negative effect of smartphone use to kill time and reduce boredom on relationship satisfaction and overall trip satisfaction. Smartphone use is rather limited as a contributor to trip satisfaction, and the effect of smartphone use depends on who the tourists are traveling with. The results reflect the effect of the established position of smartphones in everyday life, extending to tourism. The use of smartphones to kill time and avoid boredom is not a sufficiently “active” activity to serve as an effective immediate response to ostracism.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the continuing debate on the impact of new technologies on social relations. Although past studies have examined the relational outcomes of smartphone use, few have investigated this subject in the context of different travel companions. Using Riva's emotion regulation model, this study considers smartphone use as a possible response to ostracism.
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Defines “insider trading” and looks at the effects of insider trading on an economy. Considers the factors which have caused legislation and the rationale behind insider trading…
Abstract
Defines “insider trading” and looks at the effects of insider trading on an economy. Considers the factors which have caused legislation and the rationale behind insider trading. Compares the economic and financial approaches to the problem. Outlines the European, UK and US positions covering legislation, arguments, prohibitions and penalties. Cites important cases in the USA, which have caused changes in the law. Concludes that there is a need for standardization, together with better access to timely information but highlights that the markets require freedom within which to work effectively and accepts that there will always be an element of insider trading in any market.