scholarly journals Toward a conceptual framework of health crisis information needs: an analysis of COVID-19 questions in a Chinese social Q&A website

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qing Ke ◽  
Jia Tina Du ◽  
Lu Ji
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Information Service ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Information Need ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Related Information ◽  
The Right

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand how the contextual factors of health crisis information needs are different from a general health context and how these factors work together to shape human information needs.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected the COVID-19-related questions posted on a Chinese social Q&A website for a period of 90 days since the pandemic outbreak in China. A qualitative thematic approach was applied to analyze the 1,681 valid questions using an open coding process.FindingsA taxonomy of information need topics for a health crisis context that identifies 8 main categories and 33 subcategories was developed, from which four overarching themes were extracted. These include understanding, clarification and preparation; affection expression of worries and confidence; coping with a challenging situation and resuming normal life; and social roles in the pandemic. The authors discussed the differences between a health crisis and a normal health context shaping information needs. Finally, a conceptual framework was developed to illustrate the typology, nature and triggers of health crisis information needs.Research limitations/implicationsFirst, only the Baidu Zhidao platform was investigated, and caution is advised before assuming the generalizability of the results, as the questioners of Baidu Zhidao are not representative of the whole population. Furthermore, since at the time of writing the COVID-19 is still in an emerging and evolving situation (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020), the collected data included only a relatively small sample size compared to the post-pandemic period, and this might have impact on the interpretation of the study’s findings.Practical implicationsThe study’s taxonomy of information needs provides a reference for indexing and organizing related information during a disaster.Social implicationsThe study helps authoritative organizations track and send information in social media and to inform about policies related to the pandemic (e.g., quarantine and traffic control policies in our study) to the right people in the right regions and settings when the next disaster emerges.Originality/valueThe taxonomy of information need topics for a health crisis context can be used to index and organize related information during a disaster and support many information agents to enhance their information service practices. It also deepens the understanding of the formation mechanism of information needs during a global health crisis.

The categorization of expatriates and the support offered by host country nationals

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shirley C. Sonesh ◽  
Angelo S. DeNisi
Keyword(s):  
Host Country ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Host Country Nationals ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Expatriate Assignments ◽  
The Right ◽  
National Stereotypes

Purpose – Although several authors have suggested that host country nationals (HCNs) play an important role in the management of expatriates (e.g. Toh and DeNisi, 2003; Farh et al., 2010), research has also suggested that this relationship is not always good, and the flow of critical information to expatriates can be limited. This is especially true when HCNs categorize the expatriates as “out-group” members. The purpose of this paper is to examine potential determinants of categorization decisions as well as potential outcomes related to expatriate socialization. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a dyadic survey approach to determine the antecedents to expatriate categorization and HCN socialization behaviors from the perspective of both the expatriate and HCN. Findings – The results of survey data from 65 expatriate-HCN dyads indicated that expatriate ethnocentrism and the salience of the expatriates’ nationality were important predictors of categorization, but that categorization was related to only one dimension of socialization. However, affect was found to play a role in predicting socialization behaviors. Research limitations/implications – There is potential selection bias since expatriates chose HCNs as respondents, but results suggested this was not a serious problem. Other limitations include a relatively small sample size and the fact that a number of contextual issues such as national stereotypes and MNC strategy, are not controlled for. Practical implications – Implications of these findings for the successful management of expatriate assignments include sending over expatriates with the right relational skills, and those low in ethnocentrism, rather than just the right technical skills. Originality/value – The present study was one of the first to empirically test the potential role of categorization in the process of socialization.

scholarly journals Library orientation practices in special libraries

2020 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 525-536
Author(s):  
Melissa Fraser-Arnott
Keyword(s):  
Information Needs ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Orientation Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Special Library ◽  
Library Staff ◽  
Host Organization

Purpose The library orientation session is an important marketing tool because it offers the first opportunity for library staff to connect with new clients (Craft and Ballard-Thrower, 2011; Rhoades and Hartsell, 2008). This paper aims to explore library orientation practices in special libraries and information centers with the goal of surveying current practices and identifying guidance for successful orientation program design and delivery. Design/methodology/approach This study explored library orientation practices in special libraries and information services through an electronic survey. The survey questions were developed based on themes that emerged from case studies on library orientations from the academic library literature. These themes included reasons for library orientation program redesigns, the importance of partnerships in orientation design and delivery and the tools and techniques used in the delivery of orientation sessions. Findings The results revealed that library orientations are taking place in special libraries, but there is no consistent approach to library orientation delivery. Even within a single library, multiple approaches to library orientations are taken based on client availability, demand and information needs observations of library staff. Participants’ responses were analyzed to develop recommendations for special library orientations. These include developing partnerships (particularly with human resource departments), using technology strategically, considering the timing of orientations for new potential clients in relation to their start as new employees in the host organization, customizing library orientations based on client segment, engaging in ongoing outreach, and being flexible in design and delivery methods. Research limitations/implications This study represents a starting step in an exploration of library orientation practices in special libraries. The key limitation of this study was the low response rate leading to small sample size. A larger sample of special libraries would be needed to produce a quantitative analysis of the prevalence of practices with an acceptable degree of statistical significance. Alternately, smaller samples of special libraries organized by characteristics such as size or type (e.g. corporate libraries, law libraries and medical libraries) could be conducted to determine if distinctive trends exist within these special library types. Practical implications This study revealed information about key practices and challenges that can be used by special library practitioners seeking to implement or redesign a library orientation program in their library. Originality/value While academic and practitioner literature exists detailing library orientation activities in academic and school libraries, there are very few papers on special library orientations. This study fills a gap in the literature by investigating library orientation practices in special libraries and information centers.

Appointing a general manager in Sino‐US joint ventures

2007 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-165
Author(s):  
Xiaohua Lin
Keyword(s):  
Joint Ventures ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
International Joint Ventures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
General Manager ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ijv Performance ◽  
The Right ◽  
American Partner

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine performance implications of general manager appointment in Sino‐US joint ventures, specifically whether there is a difference in outcomes when the appointment is made by the Chinese or American partner.Design/methodology/approachUsing a structured questionnaire, data were collected from 94 managers representing US and Chinese partners in 67 international joint ventures (IJVs) based in China.FindingsThe results show that, when the general manager is Chinese rather than American, there is heightened conflict on daily personnel management issues, but not on strategic and contract issues, and the overall levels of partner satisfaction and relationship commitment decrease as well.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was based on small sample size and cross‐sectional design.Originality/valueThis article focuses on the general manager appointment as a control mechanism and explores its link to IJV performance. It identifies daily/personnel issues as a source of conflicts that are associated with the right to appoint the IJV general manager.

Critical enablers of changeable and reconfigurable manufacturing and their industrial implementation

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 983-1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Louise Andersen ◽  
Jesper Kranker Larsen ◽  
Thomas Ditlev Brunoe ◽  
Kjeld Nielsen ◽  
Christopher Ketelsen
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Systems ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Current Level ◽  
Production Volume ◽  
Reconfigurable Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Make To Stock ◽  
The Right

Purpose During design of reconfigurable manufacturing systems, manufacturing companies need to select and implement the right enablers of reconfigurability in accordance with the specific requirements being present in the manufacturing setting. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate enablers of reconfigurability in terms of their importance in industry, current level of implementation in industry, and significant differences in their implementation and criticality across different manufacturing settings. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey is conducted, in order to provide generalizable empirical evidence across various industries and manufacturing types. Findings The findings indicate that the level of implementation of the reconfigurability enablers is rudimentary, while their criticality is perceived higher than the current level of implementation. Moreover, significant differences regarding implementation and criticality of mobility, scalability, and convertibility were found for companies with varying degrees of manual work, make-to-stock production, and varying production volume, industry type and organization size. Research limitations/implications Main limitations of the research cover the relatively small sample size and non-random sampling method applied, primarily limited to one country, which could be increased to further extent the findings reported in this paper. Practical implications The findings indicate that the importance and implementation of reconfigurability enablers is contingent on the manufacturing setting. Thus, the research presented in this paper provides valuable knowledge in regard to aiding a paradigm shift in industry and help companies design manufacturing systems with the right reconfigurability enablers. Originality/value This paper expands research on manufacturing system design for changeability and reconfigurability, by explicitly considering these as capabilities that can be enabled in various ways for various purposes in different manufacturing contexts.

scholarly journals Making sense of dementia

2017 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juliet Harland ◽  
Peter A. Bath ◽  
Ann Wainwright ◽  
Jeremy Seymour
Keyword(s):  
Information Seeking ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
Information Provision ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Making Sense ◽  
People With Dementia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the information behaviours of patients newly diagnosed with dementia. Design/methodology/approach This is a cross-sectional qualitative study, using in-depth interviews with 13 people recently diagnosed with dementia. Findings Reactions to a diagnosis of dementia varied and these influenced the perception of the value of information when making sense of the diagnosis. Information was avoided if participants did not feel that they could influence their situation; instead, participants relied on internal explanations to normalise their memory loss. Barriers to information seeking and use included not knowing who to speak to, perceived stigma associated with dementia and difficulty of applying generic information to own situation. Some participants valued information that confirmed their suspicions and provided explanations. Research limitations/implications This study was based on a small sample size (n=13), the findings may not be generalisable to all people with dementia; however, the findings may be transferable to people who have recently been diagnosed with dementia. Practical implications There is not a one-size-fits-all approach to information provision for people with dementia at diagnosis, information should be tailored to individuals. Social implications There is a need to address the feeling of powerlessness and futility that some people with dementia experience at diagnosis, as this precludes independent information seeking and use. People receiving a diagnosis may need additional support and information pertinent to their specific circumstances, separate from the information needs of their carer(s). Originality/value The study provides a new understanding of the information behaviours of people recently diagnosed with dementia and how these differ from those of informal carers.

Improving new product development performance by risk management

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mehran Salavati ◽  
Milad Tuyserkani ◽  
Seyyede Anahita Mousavi ◽  
Nafiseh Falahi ◽  
Farshid Abdi
Keyword(s):  
Risk Management ◽  
Product Development ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
New Product ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Total Performance ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Npd Performance

Purpose The principal aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between technological, marketing, organizational and commercialization risk management on new product development (NPD) performance. Design/methodology/approach Based on questionnaire, the data were collected from a sample of general automotive industry in Iran. Based on theoretical considerations, a model was proposed and descriptive statistic and hierarchical regression were used to measure the relationship between risk management factors and NPD performance. Findings Data analysis revealed that if organization can amplify their knowledge and information about risk and main factors that affect NPD process, not only can they do their work better but can also increase their ability to predict future happenings that affect performance. Research limitations/implications First, due to the relatively small sample size, caution should be exercised when interpreting the results. Second, the data were collected from automotive producer in Iran, which may restrict to some extent generalizability of the findings. Practical implications The results suggest that managers should consider more attention to risk management. If managers spread the risk management in all aspects of the NPD project, total performance will be increased and it can develop the probability of NPD success. Also organizations should perform great market research due to best commercialization. Originality/value Past researches have presented complete information about NPD process. But identifying and considering the effect of the risk management parameters that are connected to the NPD process were the main thrusts to perform the study. In this paper, based on past research about risk management of NPD, the extra aspect of process that can improve total performance of NPD has been examined.

Individuals' waste separation practice in a relationship with social bonds: a case study of Hanoi, Vietnam

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thi Kim Nhung Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Social Bonds ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Influential Factors ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Household Waste ◽  
Mixed Method Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sociological Approach ◽  
Waste Separation

PurposeThe paper aims to ascertain whether residents in Nguyen Du ward still sort their waste at source following the end of the 3R project that ended in 2009. Additionally, this paper aims to explore the relationship between waste separation practices and social bonds.Design/methodology/approachThe Travis Hirschi theory of social control was applied, together with the mixed method research design which included a structured questionnaire survey. Twelve semi-structured interviews were also conducted with residents and the data processed by SPSS software, using Chi-Square test, Independent-Samples t-test and Pearson's correlation analysis.FindingsA proportion of respondents has continued practicing waste separation since the 3R project ended. The study also indicated that the greater the involvement in family and neighborhood activities the more the participants were likely to practice waste separation.Research limitations/implicationsThe small sample size limits the extent to which the most influential factors can be determined and therefore the degree to which the findings can be generalized.Practical implicationsThe study includes implications for rerunning the waste separation programs for households as together with community campaigns to improve individuals' attachment and commitment and thus their participation in pro-environmental behaviors.Originality/valueTo the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to take a sociological approach to investigate factors affecting household waste separation, which has attracted little attention in previous studies. Useful information is also provided to local authorities for a policy-making process to implement effective domestic waste policies.

An interactive query-based approach for summarizing scientific documents

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farnoush Bayatmakou ◽  
Azadeh Mohebi ◽  
Abbas Ahmadi
Keyword(s):  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Specific Information ◽  
Information Need ◽  
Science Data ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Interactive Query ◽  
Summarization System ◽  
Clear Idea

Purpose Query-based summarization approaches might not be able to provide summaries compatible with the user’s information need, as they mostly rely on a limited source of information, usually represented as a single query by the user. This issue becomes even more challenging when dealing with scientific documents, as they contain more specific subject-related terms, while the user may not be able to express his/her specific information need in a query with limited terms. This study aims to propose an interactive multi-document text summarization approach that generates an eligible summary that is more compatible with the user’s information need. This approach allows the user to interactively specify the composition of a multi-document summary. Design/methodology/approach This approach exploits the user’s opinion in two stages. The initial query is refined by user-selected keywords/keyphrases and complete sentences extracted from the set of retrieved documents. It is followed by a novel method for sentence expansion using the genetic algorithm, and ranking the final set of sentences using the maximal marginal relevance method. Basically, for implementation, the Web of Science data set in the artificial intelligence (AI) category is considered. Findings The proposed approach receives feedback from the user in terms of favorable keywords and sentences. The feedback eventually improves the summary as the end. To assess the performance of the proposed system, this paper has asked 45 users who were graduate students in the field of AI to fill out a questionnaire. The quality of the final summary has been also evaluated from the user’s perspective and information redundancy. It has been investigated that the proposed approach leads to higher degrees of user satisfaction compared to the ones with no or only one step of the interaction. Originality/value The interactive summarization approach goes beyond the initial user’s query, while it includes the user’s preferred keywords/keyphrases and sentences through a systematic interaction. With respect to these interactions, the system gives the user a more clear idea of the information he/she is looking for and consequently adjusting the final result to the ultimate information need. Such interaction allows the summarization system to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the user’s information needs while expanding context-based knowledge and guiding the user toward his/her information journey.

What women want: the effect of health agency advertising on patient-doctor communication

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Morton ◽  
Sabrina Habib ◽  
Jon Morris
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Health ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Health Agency ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Communication Strategy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Communications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Sexual Health ◽  
Doctor Communication

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between women’s sexual health agency and their intent to initiate communications with their doctors. The research questions examined the effect sexual health agency has on patient-doctor communication, women’s emotional responses to health advertisements encouraging patient communication with their doctors, attitude toward the message and behavioral intentions after exposure to the advertising message. Design/methodology/approach An experimental design was implemented via an online questionnaire instrument to test the differences between younger-aged women (25 to 45 years) and mature-aged women (46 to 70 years). It was observed that 188 women who reported their status as single and sexually active in the past 12 months were exposed to a health advertisement that encouraged patient-doctor communication. Analyses were conducted to compare between-group measures on sexual health agency, emotional response and attitude toward the ad and behavioral intention. Findings No statistical difference existed between younger and older women. In general, women expect their doctor to lead conversations about sexual health but are positively reinforced by health messages that encourage their assertiveness as patients. Research limitations/implications The small sample size also may have limited the study’s potential to evaluate differences between age segments. Future research should explore this further. Practical implications The study provides evidence that sexual health advertising can reinforce women’s intent to initiate conversations with doctors regardless of age. Social implications Health communications can bolster women’s sexual health agency and improve patient-initiated conversations with doctors. Originality/value The study is the first to explore advertising messaging’s potential for applying health agency as a communication strategy for encouraging sexual health communications between women and their doctors.

Intensity of perceived stress and control of anger, anxiety and depression of people staying in Polish penitentiary institutions

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kinga Kołodziej ◽  
Anna Kurowska ◽  
Anna Majda
Keyword(s):  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Prison Population ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Emotional Control ◽  
Coping With Stress ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the intensity of perceived stress and measure the subjective control of anxiety, anger and depression in a group of women and men staying in Polish penitentiary institutions. Design/methodology/approach The research was carried out in two penitentiary institutions located in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship at the turn of 2019/2020. The study group consisted of 152 prisoners. In the cross-sectional study, two standardised research tools – the Perceived Stress Scale and the Emotional Control Scale – were used. Findings Over half of the prisoners (57.24%) presented a high level of stress. The intensity of the perceived stress did not depend on the gender and age of the convicted persons. The general indicator of emotional control among the respondents averaged 51.82 points (standard deviation = 14.52) and ranged from 22 to 83 points, which means that people detained in penitentiary institutions suppressed their negative emotions at an average level. The prisoners had the best control over fear (M = 18.68), less over anger (M = 16.86) and the least over depression (M = 16.27). Statistical analysis showed a correlation between the level of emotional control and the intensity of perceived stress. Research limitations/implications The small sample size of the group participating in the study and narrowing of the research area means that results can not be generalised across all isolated prison population. Practical implications The results obtained from the study can be used by a multidisciplinary team to develop therapeutic programmes for convicted persons, the aim of which is to evaluate strategies for coping with stress and controlling emotions. Social implications Popularising reliable information related to the issue of experiencing stress and varied emotions in those staying in penitentiary institutions may lead to the elimination of harmful stereotypes functioning in society, as well as reduce the phenomenon of marginalisation of prisoners, and thus contribute to the success of the social rehabilitation process. Originality/value Research on the level of stress intensity in prisoners is important because the rates of mental health disorders among prisoners consistently exceed the rates of such disorders in the general population.

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