Collectors behaving ethically: an emerging consumption constellation

2010 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Yurchisin ◽  
Sara B. Marcketti

PurposeThis study aims to examine the characteristics of ethnographic textile collectors and compare them with the literature regarding fair trade consumers to explore the existence of a possible consumption constellation between collecting and fair trade purchasing.Design/methodology/approachPurposive sampling was used for the study as it maximized the attainment of significant information related to ethnographic textile collecting. Qualitative data from ethnographic textile collectors (n=12) were collected.FindingsResults suggested that collectors were interested in purchasing high quality, authentic products that expressed their identity and individuality. These are similarities shared with fair trade consumers. Furthermore, collectors' motives to help artisans overcome poverty were evident; a similar value guides fair trade purchasing.Research limitations/implicationsThe predominantly female sample of academics may not be representative of the average ethnographic textile collector.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the multiplicity of products and activities representative of one consumer group's lifestyle is beneficial to both for‐profit and non‐profit organizations in terms of product promotion or donation solicitation. The understanding of these consumers' lifestyle can, in turn, help marketers design and implement effective advertising and fundraising campaigns that improve the livelihood and wellbeing of excluded and disadvantaged people in developing countries.Originality/valueThe paper furthers the knowledge base and understanding of these different consumer segments by providing evidence of a consumption constellation between ethnographic textile collectors and fair trade consumers.

2014 ◽  
Vol 115 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 140-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Kenneth Shenton

Purpose – The paper aims to explore the purposes of school libraries as they are viewed by teenagers attending a high school in northern England. Design/methodology/approach – The work is based on qualitative data contributed by 245 youngsters. Their material was coded inductively and frequency counts were generated in order to determine the balance of the data in relation to individual themes. Findings – Typically, the school library was understood as an area that made available books either for pleasure reading or academic purposes. No participant referred either to the work of librarians or to the value of libraries in enabling the user to find information in support of personal interests. Research limitations/implications – The research took place in only one school and it may well have been the case that many students who were apathetic towards school libraries simply declined the opportunity to participate in the work. Practical implications – Although the attitudes of the young people who contributed data were to an overwhelming degree constructive, key gaps were evident in their awareness of the potential of a school library. These are best rectified by managers developing their facility in such a way that it serves to demonstrate effectively to students the roles that the school library can play in a diversity of situations. Originality/value – Much of the published literature dealing with the purposes of school libraries and the prerequisites necessary to ensure their effectiveness pays little regard to the ideas of young people themselves. This paper goes some way towards remedying the deficiency.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 276-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Felicitas Ciabere Ratanya

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the access and use of the institutional repository (IR) among academic staff at Egerton University. Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a description of the building and development of the IR at the Egerton university and describes expected benefits of the repository to the University and relevant stakeholders. A survey was conducted among 84 academic staff with an aim of examining their levels of awareness on the existence of the IR at the Egerton University and assess their access and use. Through a structured questionnaire both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Findings The study revealed that majority of the academic staff at the Egerton University are still not aware of the existence of the IR. Staff also faced challenges in accessing and using the content available. The paper provided suggestions on how best to enhance the access and utilization of the IRs among the academic staff. Practical implications From a practical point of view, the paper provides implications on the access and use of IRs by the academic staff. The paper points out some challenges faced by this group of users which other academic institutions may try to solve in their respective contexts. Originality/value Findings and discussions provided in the paper will pave way to solving the challenges faced in access and use of IR by the academic staff at the Egerton University.


2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lutfi Abdul Razak ◽  
Muhammad Nabil Saupi

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the concept of ḍamān al-milkiyyah (ownership risk) and to assess its application in contemporary Islamic financial products and services. Design/methodology/approach The methodology adopted is that of descriptive research. Findings From an Islamic law of contract perspective, the concept of ḍamān al-milkiyyah is central to legitimate profit-making transactions and hence must be adhered to in practical applications of Islamic finance. Research limitations/implications This study should help motivate further investigation into the position of ḍamān al-milkiyyah among different parties in existing Islamic financial products and services. Practical implications Policymakers and regulators should ensure that Islamic financial products and services are structured in a way that does not allow parties to profit without adequately bearing the liability for potential loss. Social implications The condition of ḍamān al-milkiyyah as a source of legitimate profit reflects the idea that the role of finance in Islam is to promote and ensure social benefits. Originality/value This paper emphasizes the importance of ḍamān al-milkiyyah as a fundamental condition for profit in Islamic financial transactions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 54 (4) ◽  
pp. 371-383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo de Souza Bispo ◽  
Silvia Gherardi

Purpose This paper aims to offer a perspective to interpret qualitative data drawing on the introduction of the notion of “embodied practice-based research”. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on a comprehensive literature review to support a meta-theoretical approach, we developed a theoretical essay. Findings The body is not only a field of studies but a mean of study as well. The embodied practice-based research is an inquiry style to access the tacit texture of social action and cognition. Practical implications Embodied practice-based research may impact qualitative researchers’ education and the way to report methodological proceedings and data report. Originality/value The core contribution of the paper is the introduction of a new research style able to change how researchers’ bodies may be used in qualitative management research.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asif Iqbal Dawar

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain the significance of contextually localized strategies and to engage researchers in critical reflection about the ethical dilemmas of researching in volatile situations.Design/methodology/approachBased on 14 months of research experience, the paper reflects on the challenges and difficulties in qualitative data collection through conventional methodology in dangerous fields.FindingsThe paper argues that conventional methodology and the established codes of ethics and their guidelines certainly provide a useful starting point but each dangerous setting requires different localized approaches whereas ethics need to be considered as a process approach.Practical implicationsThis paper not only suggests the significance of “intermittent interview method” and its effectivity but also the importance of “respondent pyramiding” and “mutual confidentiality” in a dangerous field.Originality/valueThe paper reflects on the original 14 months of ethnographic accounts which will add value to the existing literature on qualitative research in dangerously hazardous fields.


2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1817-1838
Author(s):  
Sarah Forbes ◽  
Mark Avis

Purpose Construct Creation (CC) is a methodological problem occurring when a research process, instead of measuring an extant construct in the participant’s mind, creates the construct. The purpose of this paper is to argue that CC derives from problems around ecologically invalid research and attitudinal responses developed on the spot, both resulting from self-generated validity. Design/methodology/approach A between-subjects design was used to explore whether the personification prime (PP), a component of brand personality (BP) methodology, influenced the CC of BP for rocks. Analysis of qualitative data on how participants made their BP ratings in the absence of a PP was also completed. Findings Findings revealed that a methodology can enable CC in the participant’s mind, despite the construct being ecologically invalid prior to them participating in the study. Analysis also revealed that participants will use varied, and sometimes elaborate, strategies to enable CC and provide researchers with the answers to their questions. Research limitations/implications Previous research has drawn attention to CC as a problem but the implications of prior research have so far been “sidestepped”. Consequently, this paper demonstrates CC and why it is a problem, while rebutting some arguments made in prior research for sidestepping CC. Practical implications CC is a potentially serious methodological problem that can result in invalid findings informing or misdirecting theory used by practitioners. As such, this paper proposes methods to ameliorate CC and improve ecological validity of future research. Originality/value This study will contribute to methodological literature by refocusing attention to the currently neglected problem of CC and by proposing a model of CC by participants.


2017 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 843-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Hill ◽  
Jen J.L. Pecoskie

Purpose Fanfiction communities are actively engaged in creating cultural products. These large online communities have created and developed conventions that guide their solutions to gathering and presenting their work. The purpose of this paper is to investigate those conventions looking for evidence of information-related pursuits as serious leisure (SL) (Stebbins, 2007). Design/methodology/approach A diverse collection of fanfiction publishing platforms, blogs, and associated websites were subject to a qualitative inductive analysis (Lincoln and Guba, 1985). Platforms included both generalist sites like Archive of Our Own and more focused sites such as Teen Wolf Fic Finder. Findings Findings show significant information-related activities around collecting, wayfinding, and organizing. Collecting centers on platform policies focused on scope. Wayfinding relates to peer review as well as various reference-like work including reader’s advisory, reference questioning, and the creation of pathfinders. Organizing looks to the unique organizational schema created and used by the fanfiction communities. Research limitations/implications The authors explore implications of these activities in reference to the fanfiction community and the library and information science (LIS) discipline. The fanfiction community is shifting out of an ephemeral existence and into one of a more permanent digital heritage. Fanfiction is an SL pursuit that also has much to offer for consideration to the LIS discipline. Practical implications With respect to the wayfinding and organizing conventions of fanfiction communities, these activities provide librarianship with the opportunity to consider traditional activities in new ways. Originality/value Fanfiction is a little studied phenomenon in SL and in LIS. This research provides connections to both areas.


2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-438 ◽  
Author(s):  
Posie Aagaard ◽  
Natasha Z Arguello

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide practical guidance to business librarians in academic and public libraries for applying essential concepts of licensing electronic resources in entrepreneurial contexts. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is an outcome of a preconference presentation on licensing business resources, based on the practical experience of the authors in licensing and vendor negotiations. It also presents results of the preconference presurvey, gauging awareness among business librarians about licensing concepts and concerns about the usage of licensed databases by entrepreneurs. Findings – For-profit goals of entrepreneurs using library e-resources lead to concerns among business librarians about compliance with non-commercial clauses of library license agreements and potentially to unnecessary restrictions on patrons’ database use. License agreements of business e-resources are likely to have more restrictive terms of use because of perceived value of their intellectual property by vendors, a wider range of content types and clauses carried over from commercial license agreements. Business librarians generally have only basic awareness of licensing concepts. Because of organizational silos, special terms of use sometimes are not clearly conveyed from the licensing staff to librarians who work directly with entrepreneurs. Practical implications – The paper proposes a definition of entrepreneurial uses of licensed e-resources and practical approaches to manage compliance risk. Originality/value – The paper provides a practical framework for business librarians to assess compliance with license agreements in the context of entrepreneurial uses.


2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 286-301 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Gibb ◽  
Mhairi Wallace

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to test and explore alignment theory as a guiding principle for human resource development (HRD) by performing an empirical study. HRD scholars, professionals and others have adopted or assumed alignment theory to help explain HRD effectiveness. Design/methodology/approach – Constructs to measure an organisation’s strategic priorities and its HRD practices. A measure of HRD effectiveness was developed. A survey gathered data from 270 employees, managers and HRD staff in a sample of 76 organisations. Findings – The results show that HRD effectiveness does not vary with alignment as predicted. Forms of partial alignment, or the relations of an “odd couple”, are more strongly associated with HRD effectiveness than high alignment. Research limitations/implications – The use and integration of both normative measures (Likert scale) and ipsative measures (ranking) is necessary to capture alignment, but this limits the inferential statistics available to test validity and reliability. Qualitative data on case studies would be useful to explore alignment issues in context and depth. Practical implications – Stakeholders in organisations can use the “odd couple” interpretation of alignment as a fresh way to review and explore the opportunities and challenges of managing HRD effectiveness in an era where a narrowing and retrenchment of provisions is occurring and increasing. Originality/value – This study provides evidence which raises questions about alignment theory and policies intended to increase alignment. It suggests in the case of HRD, an alternative perspective that validates partial alignment can support effective HRD provisions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 447-461
Author(s):  
Sonja Lahtinen ◽  
Elina Närvänen

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to explore how consumers co-create sustainable corporate brands (SCBs) by framing brands with a newly adopted sustainability orientation.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative data were generated from four focus groups consisting of altogether 25 Finnish millennial consumers. The data were analysed using thematic analysis, and the resulting themes were classified as different framings.FindingsThe findings indicate three ways of framing SCBs: as signs of corporate hypocrite, as threats that increase societal fragmentation and as signs of corporate enlightenment. These framings are based on two components: the perceived attributes and activities of the corporate brand.Practical implicationsThe role of corporate brands is expanding from the business sphere towards actively influencing society. Yet, sustainability activities can be risky if consumers, as primary stakeholders, deem them unacceptable, unethical or untrustworthy. This research supports brand managers to succeed in co-creating SCBs as contributors to societal and environmental well-being, at a time when multiple stakeholders consider this a worthwhile endeavour.Originality/valueThe theoretical contribution is twofold: firstly, the paper extends the sustainable corporate branding literature by demonstrating how SCBs are co-created through an interactive framing process between the corporation and primary stakeholders, and, secondly, it contributes to the constitutive approach to corporate social responsibility communication (CSRC) research by showing how millennial consumers frame corporate brands that communicate corporations' newly adopted sustainability orientation.


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