scholarly journals Development of mobile application through design-based research

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buddhini Gayathri Jayatilleke ◽  
Gaya R. Ranawaka ◽  
Chamali Wijesekera ◽  
Malinda C.B. Kumarasinha
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Learning ◽  
Mobile Application ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Medical Laboratory ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Design Based Research ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to illustrate the development and testing of an innovative mobile application using design-based research. Design/methodology/approach This paper reports on the process of transformation of existing printed course material into digitized content through design-based research where design, research and practice were concurrently applied through several iterations of the mobile application. For this transformation, one session each from BSc in Nursing, Bachelor of Pharmacy and Bachelor of Medical Laboratory Sciences was selected. In the first phase of the design-based research, the main research question was formulated. In the second phase, a mobile learning application (OUSL MLearn) was designed and developed to address the research question. In the third phase, this application was evaluated by five groups of stakeholders: content experts to validate the content; educational technologists to check the alignment of technical and pedagogical features; novice users to check the overall effectiveness of the application; developer to develop the application, to check the ease of usage; and researchers to identify the impact of this innovation. These stakeholders were closely involved throughout the whole process which lasted over a period of four months. At the end of this development phase, the results were reflected upon and used for further enrichment. Findings It was observed that the developed mobile application was accessible, appealing and pedagogically constructive for users. However, optimization, development time, technical and organizational issues, workload of academics and production costs were identified as major challenges. Research limitations/implications This study was based on the findings of a small sample of potential users. Practical implications The findings have implications for designing culturally adaptive interactive mobile applications. Originality/value This study will benefit practitioners to design culturally sensitive mobile learning courses and researchers to conduct design-based research.

Sustainable development of microfinance customers

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saju Jose ◽  
Jacob Chacko
Keyword(s):  
Interest Rates ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Operating Cost ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Bottom Of The Pyramid ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High Interest Rate ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether microfinance activities aimed at the bottom of the pyramid consumers are sustainable. Design/methodology/approach The study follows a mixed methodology, manager’s views on sustainability of the programs were gauged by analyzing their responses in the areas of diversion of funds, operating cost, interest rates, and return rate of loans through semi-structured interviews. A survey was administered to 316 poor microfinance borrowers at the bottom of the pyramid in India in a cross-sectional field study format. The study used one sample t-test to test the sustainability of the microfinance activities. Findings All else being the same, microfinance activities aimed at the borrower’s communities are not sustainable. The major contributor to the lack of sustainability is the diversion of funds, results of both managers’ interviews and consumer survey provides strong evidence to support this. Though there are issues related to high interest rate, operating cost and low return on investment, it seems that the core issue behind all this is lack of full investment in the microfinance venture. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to only two states in India. The mixed nature of the study meant that semi-structured interviews with a relatively small sample were the most appropriate method to address the research question. Future studies with larger, more representative sample sizes are encouraged to investigate how the findings can be generalized to larger populations. Also the information which determines the experiences and satisfaction of the consumers is collected only once. This study does not account for any changes over time in the populations or their interest. Originality/value The impact of micro finance in alleviating poverty is questioned by researchers and there is demand for further empirical evidence. Therefore, the findings of this study complement with existing work to present a comprehensive understanding of this topic by investigating the sustainability aspect of these programs from the dimension of both customers and lenders.

When do job insecure employees adapt to change?

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristi N. Lavigne ◽  
Victoria L. Whitaker ◽  
Dustin K. Jundt ◽  
Mindy K. Shoss
Keyword(s):  
Job Insecurity ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Adaptive Performance ◽  
Work Behaviors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Tasks ◽  
Main Effect ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between job insecurity and adaptive performance (AP), contingent on changes to core work tasks, which we position as a situational cue to employees regarding important work behaviors. Design/methodology/approach Employees and their supervisors were invited to participate in the study. Supervisors were asked to provide ratings of employees’ AP and changes to core tasks; employees reported on job insecurity. Findings As predicted, changes to core tasks moderated the relationship between job insecurity and AP. Job insecurity was negatively related to AP for those experiencing low levels of change, but was not related to AP for those experiencing high levels of change. Counter to expectations, no main effect of job insecurity was found. Research limitations/implications This study employed a fairly small sample of workers from two organizations, which could limit generalizability. Practical implications The study identifies changes to core tasks as a boundary condition for the job insecurity–AP relationship. Findings suggest that organizations may not observe deleterious consequences of job insecurity on AP when changes to core tasks are high. Originality/value Few researchers have examined boundary conditions of the impact of job insecurity on AP. Furthermore, inconsistent findings regarding the link between job insecurity and AP have emerged. This study fills the gap and expands upon previous research by examining changes to core tasks as a condition under which job insecurity does not pose an issue for AP.

LinkedIn and recruitment: how profiles differ across occupations

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Zide ◽  
Ben Elman ◽  
Comila Shahani-Denning
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Group Member

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the elements of a LinkedIn profile that hiring professionals focus on most, and then examine LinkedIn profiles in terms of these identified elements across different industries. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology was comprised of two phases. In the first phase, researchers interviewed hiring professionals to determine their usage of LinkedIn. In the second phase, LinkedIn group member profiles from three industries – HR, sales/marketing and industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology – were compared on the 21 variables identified in Phase 1 (n=288). Findings – χ2 and ANOVA tests showed significant differences with respect to ten of the LinkedIn variables in how people presented themselves across the three groups. There were also several gender differences found. Research limitations/implications – A general limitation was the use of a qualitative research approach. A limitation of Phase 1 was that only a small sample of New York City-based hiring professionals was interviewed. Perhaps a wider, more diverse sample would have yielded different variables. In terms of Phase 2, it is possible that just utilizing the second connections of the researchers limited the generalizability of findings. Practical implications – User unwillingness to fully complete the LinkedIn profile suggests that it may not have replaced the traditional resume yet. Sales/marketing professionals were more likely than HR and I/O psychology professionals to complete multiple aspects of a LinkedIn profile. Women were also less likely than men to provide personal information on their profiles. Originality/value – Most of the empirical research on social networking sites has focussed on Facebook, a non-professional site. This is, from the knowledge, the first study that systematically examined the manner in which people present themselves on LinkedIn – the most popular professional site used by applicants and recruiters worldwide.

The impact of audit committee characteristics on internal audit professionalization: empirical evidence from Greece

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Vadasi ◽  
Michalis Bekiaris ◽  
Andreas G. Koutoupis
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Audit Committee ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Substantial Impact ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to provide empirical evidence of the association between audit committee characteristics and internal audit quality through internal audit professionalization. Design/methodology/approach The investigation of the research question was based on 45 usable responses that were received from a survey of chief audit executives from firms listed on the Athens Stock Exchange and combined with publicly available information from annual reports. Findings The results indicate that audit committee characteristics (independence, diligence through frequent meetings and interaction with internal audit through valuation) influence internal audit professionalization. In addition, they demonstrate that internal audit professionalization is also influenced by CEO duality and firm’s external auditor. Practical implications The findings of this study have implications for audit committees wishing to improve their overall effectiveness, by identifying areas with substantial impact on internal audit quality. Moreover, regulators of corporate governance bodies can also benefit from the results to strengthen audit committee’s efficiency regarding internal audit function oversight. Originality/value The results add to the literature on the discussion of internal audit professionalization and complement the work of other researchers in the field of audit committee’s impact on internal audit quality/effectiveness. This study attempts to fill a gap in the literature on the effect of audit committee characteristics on internal audit professionalization, an element introduced from an institutional theory perspective.

CEOs’ accounting-based attributes and earnings management strategies under mandatory IFRS adoption

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amel Kouaib ◽  
Anis Jarboui ◽  
Khaireddine Mouakhar
Keyword(s):  
Earnings Management ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Moderating Effect ◽  
Audit Committees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ifrs Adoption ◽  
Experience Education ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the moderating effect of mandatory International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) adoption on the relationship between chief executive officer (CEO) experience/education and earnings management in European companies. Design/methodology/approach Data from a sample of 302 European firms listed on Stoxx Europe 600 index and 596 CEOs from 2000 to 2014 are used to test the moderation model using moderation regression analysis. Findings Evidence reveals that CEO’s accounting-based attributes are negatively associated with accruals-based earnings management and positively associated with real earnings management (REM). Further, mandatory IFRS adoption significantly moderates the impact of CEO’s accounting-based traits on earnings-management activities. Research limitations/implications A small number of European firms were studied and, given the long study period, many firms with missing data were eliminated. To avoid a small sample size, countries with few observations were included, which leads to an uneven distribution between observations per country. Practical implications Findings from this paper can help: European firms to consider demographic traits when recruiting or promoting executives; the IASB to improve enforcement mechanisms and make IFRS implementation mandatory; and audit committees to effectively monitor REM. Originality/value This study is unique in providing European evidence for the moderating effect of mandatory IFRS adoption on the relationship between CEOs’ accounting experience/education and earnings management activities. This paper is also relevant as it addresses the effectiveness and efficiency of accounting literates.

The influence of the structure of employees on sensory quality of restaurants' food

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (3) ◽  
pp. 527-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dragan Tešanovic ◽  
Milovan Krasavcic ◽  
Bojana Miro Kalenjuk ◽  
Milijanko Portic ◽  
Snježana Gagic
Keyword(s):  
Sensory Quality ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Practical Evaluation ◽  
Quality Of Food ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to determine the sensory quality of food in restaurants by professional food evaluators and to research the impact of education, age and number of employees on the quality of food. Design/methodology/approach – In the first phase five trained food tasters evaluated the sensory quality of food. In the second phase, the analysis of the structure of employees was done by establishing their level of education, age and number of employees. In the third phase the regression and correlation analysis was done with the aim to establish the impact of the level of education, age and number of employees on the sensory quality of food. Findings – The sensory evaluation has shown that the evaluated food is of moderate quality. Correlation matrix has shown that the education level of employees has a high impact on the sensory quality of food. There is a correlation between the number of employees, their age and their education. Practical implications – Obtained results are the indicators of the quality of food in restaurants in the region and they can serve for the improvement of quality. They have shown that education and staff training can contribute to a better quality of food. Established methodology can also contribute to the practical evaluation of quality. Originality/value – This paper is reflected on the specific application of methodology of the sensory analysis of food in restaurants. The paper pointed to the impact of employees on the sensory quality of food by statistical methods. Statistical results which point to the great impact of the level of education of employees on the sensory quality of food in restaurants are particularly valuable.

The elephant in the room of mutual forbearance

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burak Cem Konduk
Keyword(s):  
Airline Industry ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Fixed Effects Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performing ◽  
The Us ◽  
Mutual Forbearance ◽  
Low Performance ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain how a multi-market firm develops the motivation to forbear from competition.Design/methodology/approachA two-way fixed effects model with Driscoll and Kraay standard errors investigates the research question with panel data collected from the US scheduled passenger airline industry.FindingsThe results demonstrate that although the interaction of multi-market contact with strategic similarity impairs a firm’s forbearance from competition, the same interaction promotes it as firm performance deteriorates, supporting the hypotheses.Research limitations/implicationsPerformance explains not only how forbearance emerges out of coincidental multi-market contact but also reconciles the mixed evidence for the impact of the two-way interaction between multi-market contact and strategic similarity on forbearance.Practical implicationsAntitrust authorities should pay more attention to low performing firms than to high performing firms in their investigations. Also, managers of multi-market firms should identify multi-market rivals with low performance as targets for the initiation of forbearance.Originality/valueThis study revises the mutual forbearance theory to align it with the accumulating empirical evidence that otherwise refutes its assumption and thereby improves theory’s descriptive and predictive power.

Are Islamic financial institutions more resilient against the COVID-19 pandemic in the GCC countries?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erhan Akkas ◽  
Hazem Al Samman
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Phase Analysis ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Random Effect Model ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Gcc Countries ◽  
Effect Model ◽  
Islamic Financial Institutions ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to investigate and provide an objective appraisal of the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Islamic and conventional financial institutions and Islamic windows in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. Design/methodology/approach The panel data techniques are conducted country-wise in each financial institution type: random-effect model, fixed-effect model and Hausman test. Findings The results of the first phase analysis that extends from 1 January 2020 to 30 October 2020 show that Islamic financial institutions are less exposed to the repercussions of the COVID-19 outbreak than the conventional and Islamic window financial institutions in Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. Moreover, the Islamic financial institutions in Saudi Arabia and Oman have not been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The second phase analysis for the COVID-19 outbreak that extends from 1 November 2020 to 17 March 2021 confirms the disappearance of the negative impact of COVID-19 on Islamic financial institutions in Bahrain and Oman. Practical implications The findings present that Islamic banks are not as resilient in the COVID-19 pandemic as in the 2008 financial crisis. It can be suggested that regulatory authorities, financial institutions and other key policymakers in the GCC countries should focus on implementing regulatory reforms related to human capital, innovative products, research and development to further develop individuals, societies and institutions within the framework of Islamic ontology to be more resilient in such crises. Originality/value This paper provides a different perspective from existing literature on the pandemics and financial institutions by comparing the stock prices in Islamic and conventional financial institutions and Islamic windows in GCC countries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this paper should be considered as a contribution to filling a gap in the literature.

Mega events and seasonality: the case of the Milan World Expo 2015

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-86 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruggero Sainaghi ◽  
Aurelio G. Mauri ◽  
Stanislav Ivanov ◽  
Francesca d’Angella
Keyword(s):  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Seasonal Patterns ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Demand Structure ◽  
Hotel Performance ◽  
World Expo ◽  
Demand Variation ◽  
Mega Event ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to explore the effects generated by the Milan World Expo 2015 on both firm performance and seasonality structure. It aims to answer the following research question: Did the Milan Expo 2015 influence only hotel results without changing seasonal patterns, or was this mega event able to reconfigure seasonal periods? Design/methodology/approach The present analysis is based on Smith Travel Research (STR) data. This source offers daily data on a large sample of Milan hotels (approximately 80 per cent of the total), representing more than 30,000 rooms. The empirical data relate to a period of 12 years, 11 of which are focused on the pre-event period (2004-2014), while 2015 is centered on the Milan Expo. This data comprise 4,383 daily observations. For each day, three operating measures were analyzed: occupancy, average daily rate (ADR) and revenue per available room (RevPAR). Findings The empirical findings fully support the first hypothesis: the four seasonal periods built around the main market segments are relevant lenses for understanding Milan’s demand structure before Expo 2015. The findings also support the second hypothesis relating to the effects generated by the event: Expo 2015 was able to improve hotel performance during the four seasonal periods analyzed. The most fragile seasonality registered the highest rise. Finally, the last two hypotheses to be investigated are as follows: did the Milan Expo 2015 simply improve hotel performance, without changing the underlying seasonal patterns (H3), or did this event reconfigure the demand structure (H4)? The analyses carried out lend more support to the fourth hypothesis, suggesting that new seasonal patterns emerged during Expo 2015. Originality/value This paper explores the impact of a mega event on seasonal patterns of hotel performance metrics. At least three original aspects are introduced. First, to analyze the Milan demand variation, a market segment approach that proposes an innovative seasonal matrix is developed. This is based on the three main client groups attracted by the destination. Second, the effects generated by the Expo are measured with consideration given to the four seasonal periods. Third, based on graphical and statistical analysis, the paper confirms that new seasonal patterns emerged during the Expo.

Effect of infiltrant-related parameters on mechanical performance for 3DP technology

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1647-1656
Author(s):  
Weiwei Wu ◽  
Zhouzhou Wang ◽  
Shuang Ding ◽  
Aiping Song ◽  
Dejia Zhu
Keyword(s):  
Compressive Strength ◽  
Influencing Factors ◽  
Mechanical Performance ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Materials Testing ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Post Processing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The effects of infiltrant-related factors during post-processing on mechanical performance are fully considered for three-dimensional printing (3DP) technology. The factors contain infiltrant type, infiltrating means, infiltrating frequency and time interval of infiltrating. Design/methodology/approach A series of printing experiments are conducted and the parts are processed with different conditions by considering the above mentioned four parameters. Then the mechanical performances of the parts are tested from both macroscopic and microscopic papers. In the macroscopic view, the compressive strength of each printed part is measured by the materials testing machine – Instron 3367. In the microscopic view, scanning electron microscope and energy dispersion spectrum are used to obtain microstructure images and element content results. The pore size distributions of the parts are measured further to illustrate that if the particles are bound tightly by infiltrant. Then, partial least square (PLS) is used to conduct the analysis of the influencing factors, which can solve the small-sample problem well. The regression analysis and the influencing degree of each factor are explored further. Findings The experimental results show that commercial infiltrant has an outstanding performance than other super glues. The infiltrating action will own higher compressive strength than the brushing action. The higher infiltrating frequency and inconsistent infiltrating time interval will contribute to better mechanical performance. The PLS analysis shows that the most important factor is the infiltrating method. When compare the fitted value with the actual value, it is clear that when the compressive strength is higher, the fitting error will be smaller. Practical implications The research will have extensive applicability and practical significance for powder-based additive manufacturing. Originality/value The impact of the infiltrating-related post-processing on the performance of 3DP technology is easy to be ignored, which is fully taken into consideration in this paper. Both macroscopic and microscopic methods are conducted to explore, which can better explain the mechanical performance of the parts. Furthermore, as a small-sample method, PLS is used for influencing factors analysis. The variable importance in the projection index can explain the influencing degree of each parameter.

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