scholarly journals Development and implementation of a framework for estimating the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emile Tompa ◽  
Amirabbas Mofidi ◽  
Arif Jetha ◽  
Pamela Lahey ◽  
Alexis Buettgen
Keyword(s):  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
A Value ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Inclusive Society

PurposeTo develop a framework for estimating the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society and implement it for the Canadian context. The framework measures the gap between the current situation in terms of accessibility and inclusiveness, and a counterfactual scenario of a fully accessible and inclusive society.Design/methodology/approachThe method consists of three steps. First, the conceptual framework was developed based on a literature review and expert knowledge. Second, the magnitudes for each domain of the framework was estimated for the reference year 2017 using data from various sources. Third, several sensitivity analyses were run using different assumptions and scenarios.FindingsIt was estimated that moving to a fully accessible and inclusive society would create a value of $337.7bn (with a range of $252.8–$422.7bn) for Canadian society in the reference year of 2017. This is a sizeable proportion of gross domestic product (17.6%, with a range of 13.1–22.0%) and is likely a conservative estimate of the potential benefits.Originality/valueUnderstanding the magnitude of the economic benefits of an accessible and inclusive society can be extremely useful for governments, disability advocates and industry leaders as it provides invaluable information on the benefits of efforts, such as legislation, policies, programs and practices, to improve accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Furthermore, the total economic benefits and the benefits per person with a disability can serve as inputs in economic evaluations and impact assessments.

Towards full digital inclusion: the ENTELIS manifesto against the digital divide

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 171-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katerina Mavrou ◽  
Evert-Jan Hoogerwerf
Keyword(s):  
Assistive Technology ◽  
Digital Divide ◽  
People With Disabilities ◽  
Technology Enhanced Learning ◽  
Digital Inclusion ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Raising Awareness ◽  
Qualitative Methodologies ◽  
Inclusive Society

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the work of the European Network for Technology Enhanced Learning in an Inclusive Society project, which addresses the challenges of the digital divide for people with disabilities of all ages. Design/methodology/approach The project employs a number of activities and approaches which involve people with disabilities and other stakeholders, in order collect scientific knowledge, views, suggestions and experiences that will help in bridging the digital divide. These include literature review and qualitative methodologies of data collection, such as interviews with stakeholders, focus groups and living labs. Findings The benefits of (assistive) technology in the lives of people with disabilities are highly appreciated. However, a number of barriers, including lack of digital skills are identified. Thus the development of (assistive) technology competencies programmes is suggested. In addition, there is evidence of the need to further involve all stakeholders and increase awareness. Social implications The most important implication of the project is the production of the manifesto against the digital divide. With this document the project consortium justifies for action on raising awareness regarding the rights of persons with disabilities of all ages to be digitally included. Originality/value The value of the project lies upon the publication of the manifesto against the digital divide, which has already been endorsed by a number of organisations in Europe and elsewhere, with the aspiration of influencing policy makers and practitioners to collaborate in order to bridge the digital divide.

scholarly journals The effects of altruism and relationship conflict on organizational learning

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacob Guinot ◽  
Ricardo Chiva ◽  
Fermín Mallén
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Industrial Sector ◽  
Relationship Conflict ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Learning Capability ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Learning Capacity ◽  
A Value ◽  
Potential Benefits

Purpose – This paper aims to, prompted by a recent paradigm shift in the organizational sciences, to explore some antecedents of organizational learning capability, focusing on altruism and relationship conflict. Design/methodology/approach – To test the hypotheses, the structural equation technique was applied to data from a survey of Spanish firms with recognized excellence in human resource management. Findings – The results of this research show that, in these firms, altruism facilitates learning capacity both directly and indirectly (through relationship conflict). Relationship conflict is posited as a mediating variable that explains how altruism improves organizational learning. Research limitations/implications – The limitations of this study include excessive heterogeneity of the sample size and industrial sector and the type of firm included in the sample. Due to the potential benefits that altruism seems to have for organizations, future research could continue to investigate the consequences of altruism in organizations. Practical implications – Altruism provides organizations with a value that can facilitate organizational learning capability not only directly, but also by reducing relationship conflict. Altruism may offer organizations a tool they can use to improve their success in dealing with the challenges of today’s uncertain and constantly changing economic environment. Originality/value – This study proposes a common altruistic approach that is far removed from traditional self-interested models in organizational literature. This study identifies altruism and relationship conflict as antecedents of organizational learning capability.

Egypt is on track for IMF loan

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Job Creation ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Value Added Tax ◽  
Content Type ◽  
A Value ◽  
Potential Benefits ◽  
Board Decision ◽  
The Government ◽  
The Way

Significance Cairo passed a value-added tax (VAT) law, a key prerequisite for the Fund, while China and Saudi Arabia have indicated that they will provide much of the required 5 billion-6 billion dollars in co-financing, paving the way for the board decision. Impacts The benefits of the reforms to be undertaken as part of the IMF programme will take time to become apparent. The main potential benefits are higher growth, lower fiscal and external deficits, more investment and increased job creation. There is a risk of inflation rising even higher, growth remaining sluggish and unemployment and poverty increasing. The negative aspects of the reforms could stoke further resentment at both the government and Sisi.

Telestroke for acute ischaemic stroke: A systematic review of economic evaluations and a de novo cost–utility analysis for a middle income country

2021 ◽  
pp. 1357633X2110324
Author(s):  
Elise Tan ◽  
Lan Gao ◽  
Huong NQ Tran ◽  
Dominique Cadilhac ◽  
Chris Bladin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Ischaemic Stroke ◽  
Acute Ischaemic Stroke ◽  
Rural China ◽  
Stroke Care ◽  
Cost Utility ◽  
Cost Utility Analysis ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Economic Evaluations ◽  
Utility Analysis

Introduction Telemedicine can alleviate the problems faced in rural settings in providing access to specialist stroke care. The evidence of the cost-effectiveness of this model of care outside high-income countries is limited. This study aimed to conduct: (a) a systematic review of economic evaluations of telestroke and (b) a cost–utility analysis of telestroke, using China as a case study. Methods We systematically searched Embase, Medline Complete and Cochrane databases. Inclusion criteria: full economic evaluations of telemedicine/telestroke networks examining the use of thrombolysis in patients with acute ischaemic stroke, published in English. A cost–utility analysis was undertaken using a Markov model incorporating a decision tree to simulate the delivery of telestroke for acute ischaemic stroke in rural China, compared to no telestroke from a societal and healthcare perspective. One-way deterministic sensitivity analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to test the robustness of results. Results Of 559 publications found, eight met the eligibility criteria and were included in the systematic review (two cost-effectiveness analyses and six cost–utility analyses, all performed in high-income countries). Telestroke was a cost-saving/cost-effective intervention in five out of the eight studies. In our modelled analysis for rural China, telestroke was the dominant strategy, with estimated cost savings of Chinese yuan 4,328 (US$627) and additional 0.0925 quality-adjusted life years per patient. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the base case results. Discussion Consistent with published economic evaluations of telestroke in other jurisdictions, telestroke represents a cost-effective solution to enhance stroke care in rural China.

Graduates giving back – a mentoring program for MBA students

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 200-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Darwin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Master Of Business Administration ◽  
Mentoring Program ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mba Students ◽  
A Value ◽  
The University

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the challenges and obstacles encountered in the implementation of a mentoring program for Master of Business Administration (MBA) students at the University of South Australia (UniSA) Business School. The paper starts with an exploration into the need for a mentoring program, the trial and subsequent four years of implementation. The paper also explores the network model of mentoring and the reasons why this, rather than a more traditional model, was chosen for the program’s implementation. Design/methodology/approach – This exploratory case study uses data from over 600 students and their alumni mentors over a five-year period to evaluate and improve the program as well as cultivating a critical community of adult learners. Findings – Feedback from students indicates that the mentoring program is regarded by most as a value-added feature of their early learning as it offers support, if and when it is required, from those who have been there before. Research limitations/implications – Results are limited to one institution. However, as research into mentoring for higher education students is thin on the ground, this study contributes to our understanding of the positive impacts of mentoring on student success. Practical implications – This paper emphasizes the importance of business leaders giving back to their alma mater through mentoring current MBA students. It shows how mentoring can support learning and management development. Originality/value – This is an original study which explores ways to increase the learning of higher education students for positive social outcomes.

Absence of the weekend effect and industry-style portfolios

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 463-475
Author(s):  
Selma Izadi ◽  
Abdullah Noman
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Stock Market ◽  
Structural Breaks ◽  
Stock Exchange ◽  
Structural Break ◽  
Weekend Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Market Portfolio ◽  
The Us ◽  
Using Data

Purpose The existence of the weekend effect has been reported from the 1950s to 1970s in the US stock markets. Recently, Robins and Smith (2016, Critical Finance Review, 5: 417-424) have argued that the weekend effect has disappeared after 1975. Using data on the market portfolio, they document existence of structural break before 1975 and absence of any weekend effects after that date. The purpose of this study is to contribute some new empirical evidences on the weekend effect for the industry-style portfolios in the US stock market using data over 90 years. Design/methodology/approach The authors re-examine persistence or reversal of the weekend effect in the industry portfolios consisting of The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), The American Stock Exchange (AMEX) and The National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations exchange (NASDAQ) stocks using daily returns from 1926 to 2017. Our results confirm varying dates for structural breaks across industrial portfolios. Findings As for the existence of weekend effects, the authors get mixed results for different portfolios. However, the overall findings provide broad support for the absence of weekend effects in most of the industrial portfolios as reported in Robins and Smith (2016). In addition, structural breaks for other weekdays and days of the week effects for other days have also been documented in the paper. Originality/value As far as the authors are aware, this paper is the first research that analyzes weekend effect for the industry-style portfolios in the US stock market using data over 90 years.

Fraud abroad

2019 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-275
Author(s):  
Jake David Hoskins ◽  
Ryan Leick
Keyword(s):  
Sharing Economy ◽  
Gdp Per Capita ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Customer Reviews ◽  
Online Customer Reviews ◽  
Level Of Economic Development ◽  
Per Capita ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Developed Nations

Purpose This study aims to investigate a sharing economy context, where vacation rental units that are owned and operated by individuals throughout the world are rented out through a common website: vrbo.com. It is posited that gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, a common indicator of the level of economic development of a nation, will impact the likelihood that prospective travelers will choose to book accommodations in the sharing economy channel (vs traditional hotels). The role of online customer reviews in this process is investigated as well, building upon a significant body of extant research which shows their level of customer decision influence. Design/methodology/approach An empirical analysis is conducted using data from the website Vacation Rentals By Owner on 1,940 rental listings across 97 countries. Findings GDP per capita serves as risk deterrent to prospective travelers, making the sharing economy an acceptable alternative to traditional hotels for the average traveler. It is also found that the total number of online customer reviews (OCR volume) is a signal of popularity to prospective travelers, while the average star rating of those online customer reviews (OCR valence) is instead a signal of accommodation quality. Originality/value This study adds to a growing agenda of research investigating the effect of online customer reviews on consumer decisions, with a particularly focus on the burgeoning sharing economy. The findings help to explain when the sharing economy may serve as a stronger disruptive threat to incumbent offerings. It also provides the following key insights for managers: sharing economy rental units in developed nations are more successful in driving booking activity, managers should look to promote volume of online customer reviews and positive online customer reviews are particularly influential for sharing economy rental booking rates in less developed nations.

scholarly journals Understanding employee turnover in humanitarian organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 208-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rameshwar Dubey ◽  
Angappa Gunasekaran ◽  
Nezih Altay ◽  
Stephen J Childe ◽  
Thanos Papadopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Factor Loading ◽  
Personal Factors ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Work Related ◽  
Humanitarian Organizations ◽  
Using Data ◽  
High Level

Purpose – At a time when the number and seriousness of disasters seems to be increasing, humanitarian organizations find that besides their challenging work they are faced with problems caused by a high level of turnover of staff. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the 24 variables leading to employee turnover identified by Cotton and Tuttle (1986) the authors analyse the work-related, external and personal factors affecting employee turnover in humanitarian organizations, using a survey of members of the Indian National Institute of Disaster Management. Findings – Results indicated that the three factors are present. Of the external factors, only employment perception had a factor loading over 0.7; of the work-related factors, all were significant; of the personal factors, biographical information, marital status, number of dependants, aptitude and ability and intelligence had the highest loadings. It was also shown that behavioural intentions and net expectation were not significant. Originality/value – Only a few studies reported on employee turnover and its reasons are not well understood in the context of humanitarian organizations. To address this need, the aim of this paper is to explore the personal reasons impacting employee turnover in humanitarian organizations. In the study the authors have adopted 24 variables used in Cotton and Tuttle (1986) and classified into constructs to explain turnover, and further tested the model using data gathered from humanitarian organizations.

Do the calendar anomalies still exist? Evidence from Indian currency market

2016 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 136-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satish Kumar ◽  
Rajesh Pathak
Keyword(s):  
Least Square ◽  
January Effect ◽  
Currency Markets ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Currency Market ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Calendar Anomalies ◽  
Ordinary Least Square Regression ◽  
The 2008 Financial Crisis ◽  
Using Data

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the presence of the day-of-the-week (DOW) and January effect in the Indian currency market for selected currency pairs; USD-(Indian rupee) INR, EUR-INR, GBP-INR and JPY-INR, from January, 1999 to December, 2014. Design/methodology/approach – Ordinary least square regression analysis is used to examine the presence of DOW and January effect to test the efficiency of the Indian currency market. The sample period is later divided into two sub-periods, that is, pre- and post-2008 to capture the behavior of returns before and after the 2008 financial crisis. Further, the authors also use the non-parametric technique, the Kruskal-Wallis test, to provide robustness check for the results. Findings – The results indicate that the returns during Monday to Wednesday are positive and higher than the returns on Thursday and Friday which show negative returns. The returns during January are found to be higher than the returns during rest of the year. Further, all currencies exhibit significant DOW and January effects in pre-crisis period, however, post-crisis; these effects disappear for all currencies indicating that the markets have become more efficient in the later time. The findings can be further attributed to the increased intervention in the forex markets by the Reserve Bank of India after the crisis. Practical implications – The results have important implications for both traders and investors. The findings suggest that the investors might not be able to earn excess profits by timing their positions in some particular currencies taking the advantage of DOW or January effect which in turn indicates that the currency markets have become more efficient with time. The results are in conformity with those reported for the developed markets. The results might be appealing to the practitioners as well in a way that they can consider the state of financial market for financial decision making. Originality/value – The authors provide the first study to examine the calendar anomalies (DOW and January effect) across a range of emerging currencies using 16 years of data from January, 1999 to December, 2014. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has yet examined these calendar anomalies in the currency markets using data which covers two important periods, pre-2008 and post-2008.

scholarly journals Accessible tourism futures: the world we dream to live in and the opportunities we hope to have

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 179-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleni Michopoulou ◽  
Simon Darcy ◽  
Ivor Ambrose ◽  
Dimitros Buhalis
Keyword(s):  
Academic Research ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Stakeholder Collaboration ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Policy ◽  
Policy Initiatives ◽  
Delphi Approach ◽  
Key Concepts ◽  
The Future

Purpose Accessible tourism is evolving as a field of academic research and industry practice, set within a dynamic social context. The field is interdisciplinary, multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary. The purpose of this paper is to examine key concepts and global initiatives that will shape accessible tourism futures. Design/methodology/approach Three of the authors have extensive academic experience in the area and the fourth author is the Managing Director of the pre-eminent European Network for Accessible Tourism. In taking a limited Delphi approach to canvassing key areas likely to shape accessible tourism futures, the following concepts and policy initiatives were examined: motivations, dreams and aspirations of people with disability; demography; UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; destination competitiveness; universal design (UD); and the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Findings A discussion of each of the above areas was placed in context to accessible tourism futures and to contextualise the papers that were selected for the special issue. The latter part of the paper outlines the contribution of each empirical paper to the issue discussing the approach, findings and implications. Stakeholder collaboration was identified as the key common theme of the papers and the factor for developing accessible tourism solutions, recognising the value of the market and capitalising on it. A collaborative approach is required to recognise the complementary nature of the different paradigms; to re-shape and transform the future of the accessible tourism industry. To assist in the development of accessible tourism futures, UD principles should provide a foundation to enhance the future competitiveness of tourism destinations and organisations. Originality/value The paper’s examination of the concepts and global policy considerations provides a strong academic and practitioner foundation for considering accessible tourism futures. In doing so, accessible tourism futures are shown to be affected by key concepts related to core tourism considerations and major policy initiatives on accessibility and sustainability. Yet, accessible tourism futures also have the potential to create their own momentum and contribute unique learnings on the diversity of tourism markets that will shape tourism concepts and global policy initiatives in their own right.

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