scholarly journals Inside experience: engagement empathy and prejudice towards prisoners

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elle Mae Boag ◽  
David Wilson

Purpose – Research examining attitudes towards offenders assesses the attitudes of professionals working with offenders, rather than attitudes of those without any experience with offenders. The purpose of this paper is to examine whether prejudice towards offenders would decrease after engagement with incarcerated serious offenders, and whether any improvement would be explained by increased empathic responding. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental field study was conducted. A repeated measures questionnaire assessed empathy and prejudice at two time points: before and after engagement with serious offenders. Findings – As predicted experiencing actual engagement with convicted sex offenders and murderers within a prison environment did increase empathy and decrease prejudice towards ex-offenders. Research limitations/implications – All participants were applied criminology students and (prison visited) is not representative of prisons within HM Prison Service. It could be argued that responding was influenced by previous knowledge of criminal justice and penal systems. Future research should consider examining the impact of engagement on empathy and prejudice with a larger, naïve sample and across different prisons. Originality/value – As the first (to the authors knowledge) to empirically examine attitude change of individuals with no personal experience of offenders this research has value to any person considering how social exclusion may be reduced at a societal level.

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen G. Sutton ◽  
Emma Gyuris

Purpose – The purpose of this study was twofold: first, to optimize the Environmental Attitudes Inventory (EAI) and second, to establish a baseline of the difference in environmental attitudes between first and final year students, taken at the start of a university’s declaration of commitment to EfS. Design/methodology/approach – The psychometrically designed EAI was used to overcome the problems and limitations of the much-used, but controversial, revised New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) Scale. The performance of the original 72-item EAI was compared with our 37-item reduced form using a population of first- and final-year university students. Findings – The reduced 37-item EAI provides a reliable and valid tool for investigating structured, multi-dimensional environmental attitudes of university students while reducing response burden and increasing response and completion rates compared with the longer versions of the EAI. Research limitations/implications – No attempt is made to link elements of the university experience with changes in attitude between first- and third-year students. The authors expect the 12-faceted EAI to provide more detailed feedback on the affective outcomes of EfS initiatives than currently used instruments. Originality/value – This research contributes to establishing the EAI as a gold standard with which to monitor students’ environmental attitudes. Although most studies aimed at understanding the impact of EfS measure attitude change over relatively short periods of time – typically using the brief NEP scale administered immediately before and after a specific semester course – the approach developed here is designed to detect attitudinal change that may be ascribed to the entire university experience between students’ first and final year.


2014 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 238-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinod Kumar Khanna ◽  
Ruby Gupta

Purpose – The Japanese have had a phenomenal impact on the world's market using 5 “S” and total quality management (TQM) philosophy. Though Indian companies also claim to follow these philosophies, however India has not been able to make substantial s in this regard. India has been ranked very low (India's rank has been 35 out of 59 economies) as per the IMD world competitiveness year book 2012 report. During a literature survey, it was found that competency-based training contributes to a greater extent for the success of 5 “S” and TQM implementation. Therefore, research was undertaken to study the effect of competency-based training on the implementation of 5 “S” and TQM principles. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This paper attempts to assess and compare the role of competency-based training on the status of 5 “S” and TQM in Mayur Uniquoters Ltd (MUL) and SKH Metals Ltd. This paper compiles a list of the most important competency variables and prepares a competency training module for the industries. Quality award models will be used to compute a competency index, 5 “S” index, and TQM index before and after competency-based training in MUL. However, in the case of SKH Metals Ltd, the competency index, 5 “S” index and TQM index will be analyzed only after competency-based training. The index methodology has been used to assess and compare the level of performance in competency, 5 “S”, and TQM and the result will be validated through a two-sample t-test. Findings – The paper reveals that competency-based training has a positive correlation on, 5 “S” and TQM, and is instrumental in improving the level of 5 “S” and TQM in both industries. Based on a two-sample t-test, the performance of 5 “S” and TQM improved by 74.4 and 84.5 percent, respectively, in case of MUL. This paper also prepares the competency-based training module. Research limitations/implications – The investigation and research findings are still exploratory. Future research can focus on and establish the correlation based on a larger number of organizations. A broadly based and larger sample size would provide a better picture of the relationship between competency, 5 “S” and TQM philosophy. The data have been collected before and after competency-based training in Mayur Uniquoters, whereas, in the case of SKH Metals, the data have been compiled only after competency-based training. Originality/value – The study has been able to compile competency variables based on the feedback of 84 industries and also prepares a competency training module. Competency index, 5 “S” index and TQM index have been analyzed before and after competency-based training in MUL and two-sample t-test was also performed. In the case of SKH Metals Ltd, the data have been analyzed after competency-based training. The study has been able to identify that both organizations could perform better in 5 “S” and TQM after competency-based training. India stands a better chance in improving its competitiveness in the world ranking if all organizations focus on competency-based training, apart from training on 5 “S” and TQM.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie E.V. Brown ◽  
Jericka S. Battle

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the connections between sexual harassment and ostracism both before and after the modern day #MeToo movement. It outlines how the birth of the #MeToo movement lessened the impact of ostracism, empowering victims to report their abusers. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides an overview of the ostracism literature, and discusses why ostracism has historically prevented individuals from disclosing workplace abuse. It also examines recent and historical cases of sexual harassment where ostracism has both inhibited targets of sexual harassment from reporting and harmed those who stood up for their right not to be harassed. Findings Both purposeful and non-purposeful ostracism have negative impacts on employees and organizations as a whole, and the fear of ostracism prevented many from disclosing harassment and abuse in the workplace. The #MeToo movement, by nature, is antithetical to ostracism by building community and freeing people to seek justice. This paper makes practical recommendations for organizations that wish to help prevent ostracism as a response to workplace sexual harassment disclosure. Research limitations/implications Both purposeful and non-purposeful ostracism have negative impacts on employees and organizations as a whole, and the fear of ostracism prevent many from disclosing harassment and abuse in the workplace. The #MeToo movement by nature is antithetical to ostracism, building community and freeing people to seek justice. This paper makes practical recommendations for organizations that wish to prevent ostracism as a response to workplace sexual harassment disclosure. Additionally, it provides future research directions to explore the empirical link between the disclosure of sexual harassment and ostracism. Originality/value This paper analyzes a crucial barrier to reporting sexual harassment. It both examines the consequences of ostracism and highlights how the threat of ostracism can be overcome through intentional organizational efforts.


2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alper Kara ◽  
Aydin Ozkan ◽  
Yener Altunbas

Purpose – Bank securitisation is deemed to have been a major contributing factor to the 2007/2008 financial crises via fuelling credit growth accompanied by lower banks’ credit standards. Yet, prior to the crisis a common view was that securitisation activity makes the financial system more stable as risk was more easily diversified, managed and allocated economy-wide. The purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature to explore the so far generated knowledge on the impact of securitisation on banking risks. In particular, the authors examine the theoretical arguments and empirical studies on securitisation and banking risks before and after the global financial crisis of 2007/2008. Design/methodology/approach – Review and discussion of the literature. Findings – Theoretical literature univocally accentuate the undesirable consequences of securitisation, which may promote retention of riskier loans, undermine banks’ screening and monitoring incentives and enhance banks’ risk appetite. However, empirical evidence does not uniformly support the theoretical conclusions. If banks are securitisation active they lend more to risky borrowers, have less diversified portfolios and hold less capital, retain riskier loans and are aggressive in loan pricing. Others argue that securitisation reduces banks insolvency risk, increases profitability, provides liquidity and leads to greater supply of loans. Mortgage securitisation is an area where there is consistent evidence of bank risk taking via securitisation. Originality/value – The paper identifies open issues for future research.


Author(s):  
Laura J. Elwyn ◽  
Nina Esaki ◽  
Carolyn A. Smith

Purpose – Serious juvenile delinquency is a significant and costly problem in the society. However, custodial environments often exacerbate current problems and promote recidivism. Girls’ delinquency, in particular, may call for trauma-informed approaches within organizations that serve the most serious offenders. The purpose of this paper is to explore whether implementation of a trauma-informed intervention that aims to change the therapeutic stand of the organization, the Sanctuary Model®, corresponded with improved indicators of physical and psychological safety of staff and youth at a female secure juvenile justice facility. Design/methodology/approach – This study utilizes quantitative administrative and performance-based standards (PbS) data routinely collected at the facility. Findings – Findings suggest that the facility was a safer place for both residents and staff after implementation of the model. Its safety indicators also compare favorably to those of the juvenile justice correctional field in general. Research limitations/implications – This study was constrained by a number of limitations, including lack of some desirable detail on the PbS measures and on a comparable field group of girls’ facilities. It is also hard to assess the impact of other concurrent changes in the facility. Future research that addresses these issues would be useful in further determining the utility of the model. Originality/value – This study is the first to examine the impact of a structured trauma-informed organizational change intervention based on therapeutic communities principles, namely the Sanctuary Model, on staff and youth in a secure juvenile justice facility. Findings may be of value to practitioners, administrators, policy makers, and researchers in the corrections field.


Author(s):  
Jing Qi ◽  
Jin-He Cai ◽  
Xun Meng

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the beliefs of Chinese children with physical disabilities engaging in sports and physical activity (PA), and the impact of the Paralympic Games on these beliefs. Five Chinese children with physical disabilities (female = 2, male = 3) were recruited for participating in the workshops of the Paralympic Games and PA, and received individual semi-structured interviews before and after the workshop implementations. Interview transcripts were analysed and presented as descriptive summaries. Three themes emerged based on the analysis of the participants’ interview data: (1) shocked, knowledgeable, and useful; (2) willingness to try, and (3) hope to obtain support. Results indicated that children with physical disabilities in this study acknowledged the positive outcomes of participating in the workshops of the Paralympic Games on the sports and PA engagement attitude change. However, children with disabilities also expressed that they need more related knowledge and information. The results of the study revealed that impairment and contextual factors (i.e., lack of support from family and physical education teachers, unsafe environments, and negative attitudes of peers without disabilities) were barriers to sports and PA engagement among children with physical disabilities in this study.


2014 ◽  
Vol 56 (5) ◽  
pp. 430-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris S. Hodkinson ◽  
Arthur E. Poropat

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide for Western educators of international Chinese and Confucian Heritage Culture (CHC) students the first integrated review of kiasu, the “fear of missing out”, and its consequences for learning, teaching, and future research. Design/methodology/approach – A review of the economic importance of international Chinese students is provided, followed by consideration of the pedagogical consequences of restricted participation in educational activities by the so-called “silent Chinese student”. Examination of research on international Chinese students and their source cultures established significant gaps and misunderstandings in the generally accepted understandings of CHCs, especially with respect to the actual practices used in Western and Chinese teaching. More importantly, the participation-related implications of kiasu within the context of broader cultural characteristics are described and implications drawn for teaching practices and research. Findings – While many Western university teachers are aware of the “silent Chinese student” phenomenon, few understand its underlying reasons, especially the kiasu mindset and its relationship to other cultural elements. Kiasu actively impedes the interaction of international Chinese students with their teachers and restricts collaboration with peers, thereby limiting educational achievement. Specific tactics for amelioration are reviewed and recommendations are provided, while an agenda for future research is outlined. Practical implications – Western teachers need to normalise and encourage Chinese student participation in class activities using tactics that have been demonstrated to improve outcomes for Chinese students, but that also assist students generally. These include both within-class and electronic interaction tools. Social implications – More culturally sensitive understanding of the impact of cultural differences on teaching effectiveness. While some effective responses to these already exist, further research is needed to expand the skill-set of Western teachers who work with international Chinese students. Originality/value – This paper provides the first systematic integration of the kiasu phenomenon with educational practice and research.


2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 989-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Plüss-Suard ◽  
A. Pannatier ◽  
C. Ruffieux ◽  
A. Kronenberg ◽  
K. Mühlemann ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTThe original cefepime product was withdrawn from the Swiss market in January 2007 and replaced by a generic 10 months later. The goals of the study were to assess the impact of this cefepime shortage on the use and costs of alternative broad-spectrum antibiotics, on antibiotic policy, and on resistance ofPseudomonas aeruginosatoward carbapenems, ceftazidime, and piperacillin-tazobactam. A generalized regression-based interrupted time series model assessed how much the shortage changed the monthly use and costs of cefepime and of selected alternative broad-spectrum antibiotics (ceftazidime, imipenem-cilastatin, meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam) in 15 Swiss acute care hospitals from January 2005 to December 2008. Resistance ofP. aeruginosawas compared before and after the cefepime shortage. There was a statistically significant increase in the consumption of piperacillin-tazobactam in hospitals with definitive interruption of cefepime supply and of meropenem in hospitals with transient interruption of cefepime supply. Consumption of each alternative antibiotic tended to increase during the cefepime shortage and to decrease when the cefepime generic was released. These shifts were associated with significantly higher overall costs. There was no significant change in hospitals with uninterrupted cefepime supply. The alternative antibiotics for which an increase in consumption showed the strongest association with a progression of resistance were the carbapenems. The use of alternative antibiotics after cefepime withdrawal was associated with a significant increase in piperacillin-tazobactam and meropenem use and in overall costs and with a decrease in susceptibility ofP. aeruginosain hospitals. This warrants caution with regard to shortages and withdrawals of antibiotics.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grazia Ietto-Gillies

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the impact of major structural changes on the conceptualization of the transnational corporation (TNC) based on foreign direct investment (FDI) and on indicators of transnationality. Design/methodology/approach Analysis of three major structural changes which impact the current conception of transnationality. They are: the rise of digital companies; the increased role of finance in the economy; externalization of activities via non-equity modalities (NEMs) with an impact on FDI and on the labour market. Findings The paper finds that the current concept of transnationality needs widening to take account of companies with a low degree of fixed assets abroad such as the digital and the financial companies and those internationalizing via NEMs, as well as to take account of the evolving relationship between TNCs and labour. Research limitations/implications Future research along the lines proposed should consider: working explicitly with the new, inclusive concept of transnationality and arrive at an empirical estimate of the proposed indices of transnationality which modify and amplify the current United Nations Conference on Trade and Development indices. Social implications Useful for understanding the nature of transnationality in the twenty-first century and for developing policies. Originality/value The paper proposes a new concept of transnationality and of the TNC, one that allows for new ways of organizing direct business activities abroad. It also proposes broadening the list of indicators of transnationality.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Dorota Wojciechowska

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to present the latest scholarly trends in the field of social capital in libraries, to review research concepts published by LIS professionals and to suggest further research possibilities in this area. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a review and critical analysis of literature associated with research on social capital in libraries to highlight its importance for the development of LIS and its impact on the functioning of environments linked with various types of libraries. The goal of literature analysis was to determine the current condition of research on social capital in libraries. The main trends were identified and the need for further qualitative analyses, which are missing at the moment, was confirmed. Findings It was determined that, so far, LIS professionals have focussed mainly on the role of municipal libraries in developing social capital, the problem of building trust, especially in immigrant circles and the impact of libraries on promoting a civil society. Academic libraries, rural libraries, organisational capital in libraries and individual social capital of librarians were a much less frequent subject of research. The role of libraries in developing social capital in educational (primary and secondary education) and professional (non-university professionals) circles is practically non-existent in research, and it will require in-depth studies and analyses in the coming years. Originality/value This paper constitutes a synthetic review of the latest research concepts concerning social capital in libraries. It identifies the most important research trends and areas that so far have not been explored and suggests research methods to help LIS professionals design future research in this area more effectively.


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