Understanding spiritual journey to hajj: Ghana and Uzbekistan perspectives

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Preko ◽  
Azizbek Allaberganov ◽  
Iddrisu Mohammed ◽  
Martins Albert ◽  
Robert Amponsah
Keyword(s):  
Role Models ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sampling Method ◽  
Spiritual Journey ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spiritual Tourism ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Country Specific

Purpose This study aims to explore the country-specific understanding of Hajj, its experience and challenges between the pilgrims of Ghana and Uzbekistan. Design/methodology/approach Anchored on the theory of constructivism, this study explored and used the purposive sampling method in the context of qualitative research to select 97 Muslim pilgrims from Ghana and Uzbekistan of varying demographics for in-depth interviews. Findings Findings show that the philosophy of Hajj as the fifth pillar obligation set by Allah was common among the Muslim pilgrims of these two countries which support earlier literature. Interestingly, this study uncovered some distinctions in the construction of the understanding of Hajj; that is Ghanaian pilgrims have attached social status of respect and titles to Hajj in their societies. While Uzbekistan pilgrims are seen in their communities as spiritual role models that inspire others to live meaningful lives in the society. Research limitations/implications The conclusion and the outcome of this study cannot be generalized as to represent the whole population of Ghana and Uzbekistan due to qualitative approach. Practical implications This study revealed country-specific understanding and experience of Hajj that can be used by the policymakers and marketers to create better travel package. Originality/value The outcome of this study advanced a cross-cultural Hajj understanding which is important to policymakers, businesses and spiritual tourism practitioners to have a better insight into Hajj in contexts.

The role of facilities managers in sustainable practice in the UK and Ireland

2014 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianhai Meng
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Researchers ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Sustainable Practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of facilities managers in sustainable practice. It also analyzes the change in facilities management (FM) in terms of sustainability. Design/methodology/approach – This research adopted a combination of literature review and expert interviews. Empirical data were collected through in-depth interviews with 40 industrial experts in the UK and Ireland. Findings – The analysis of interview results shows a sustainable movement in the context of FM. Facilities managers play important roles in sustainable practice, including integrating all sustainability considerations, linking strategic level with operational level, incorporating FM knowledge and experience into design, disseminating sustainable knowledge and educating people and encouraging sustainability through innovation. Research limitations/implications – This research goes beyond the limitations of existing studies that are characterized by a lack of positioning facilities managers in sustainability. Practical implications – Sustainable delivery represents a direction of FM development. This research describes what facilities managers can do and how they should do for sustainable delivery of FM, based on which improvements are made and benefits are maximized. Originality/value – This research provides a deeper insight into the FM role in the sustainable agenda. The findings of this research help industrial practitioners and academic researchers to better understand sustainable FM.

Understanding electricity nightmare and health implications among slum dwellers in Ghana

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Nkrumah Agyabeng ◽  
Patience Obeng Ahwireng ◽  
Justice Nyigmah Bawole ◽  
Michael Kwame Mickson ◽  
Albert Ahenkan
Keyword(s):  
Sampling Method ◽  
Skin Diseases ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health Implications ◽  
Slum Dwellers ◽  
Convenience Sampling ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Country Specific

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to examine the electricity challenges confronting slums in order to understand the health implications thereof.Design/methodology/approachThe study utilized purposive sampling techniques supported by the convenience sampling method within the context of qualitative research to select 30 interviewees of varying demographics for in-depth interviews.FindingsThe findings revealed that slums faced various forms of challenges that are attributable to lack of government support, stringent procedures and financial hardship, among others. The study also found that a lack of health education in the slums has resulted in health problems, such as skin diseases, stomach aches, cholera, typhoid and childbirth complications.Research limitations/implicationsThe outcome of this study cannot be generalized to represent the whole population of slums within context due to the qualitative approach.Practical implicationsThe study advanced the frontiers of slum literature to understand contextual issues that are important to policymakers and practitioners.Originality/valueThis study revealed a country-specific understanding of the challenges confronting slum dwellers in accessing electricity through the perspective of the two-factor theory of motivation.

Consumer value creation through WhatsApp use

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 455-471
Author(s):  
Jorge Cruz-Cárdenas ◽  
Jorge Guadalupe-Lanas ◽  
Ekaterina Zabelina ◽  
Andrés Palacio-Fierro ◽  
Margarita Velín-Fárez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Latin American ◽  
Value Creation ◽  
Emotional Support ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Role Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Value ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand in-depth how consumers create value in their lives using WhatsApp, the leading mobile instant messaging (MIM) application. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts the perspective of customer-dominant logic (CDL) and uses a qualitative multimethod design involving 3 focus groups and 25 subsequent in-depth interviews. The research setting was Ecuador, a Latin American country. Findings Analysis and interpretation of the participants’ stories made it possible to identify and understand the creation of four types of value: maintaining and strengthening relationships; improving role performance; emotional support; and entertainment and fun. In addition, the present study proposes a conceptual model of consumer value creation as it applies to MIM. Practical implications Understanding the way consumers create value in their lives using MIM is important not only for organizations that offer MIM applications, but also for those companies that develop other applications for mobile phones or for those who wish to use MIM as an electronic word-of-mouth vehicle. Originality/value The current study is one of the first to address the topic of consumer behavior in the use of technologies from the perspective of CDL; this perspective enables an integrated qualitative vision of value creation in which the consumer is the protagonist.

What makes court-referred mediation effective?

2014 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amira Galin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process And Outcome ◽  
Refusal To Participate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Theoretical Insight ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Low Rate

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to obtain insight into court-referred mediation in the Israeli Labor Courts, by analyzing its processes and outcomes, as a function of tactics used by both the disputants and the mediator. Design/methodology/approach – Observation of 103 court-referred mediations, for each of which a detailed process and outcome were documented. Data on disputants' refusal to participate in the mediation was also collected. At the end of each mediation case, disputants were given a questionnaire in which they expressed their satisfaction with the outcome and their evaluation of the mediator's contribution. Findings – A low rate of refusal to participate in court-referred mediation was found. Also, the higher the ratio of soft tactics to pressure tactics employed (by all parties involved) during the process, the higher the rate of agreements. Mediators use significantly more soft tactics than disputants, and are more active in using tactics. The two significant variables that predict the mediation's agreement are the ratio between soft tactics to pressure tactics used by all parties, and mediator contribution to the process. Practical implications – The significant role of soft tactics in the process, outcome, and satisfaction of court-referred mediation may serve as a guideline for disputants and mediators. Originality/value – This unique research, which examines the impact of tactics on court-referred mediation, may provide added and significant theoretical insight into its process and outcome, as well as a better understanding of other “hybrid” (compulsory at the beginning, voluntary at the end) mediations.

Design and topological optimization of rear pressure bulkhead for a typical aircraft

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marshal Thakran ◽  
Meenakshi ◽  
Jitender Sharma ◽  
Charles Gilbert Martin
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Analysis ◽  
Significant Influence ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Topological Optimization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Iterative Design ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Selection Of

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the model of a rear pressure bulkhead with different design optimizations to meet the pressurized cabin requirements of an aircraft. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of the static analysis of a dome-shaped rear pressure bulkhead model designed in Catia-v5. Numerical analysis of model meshed in hyper-mesh and solved using Opti-Struct for iterative design optimizations. Findings All the iterative models are analyzed at 9 Psi. Rear pressure bulkhead designed with L-section stringer shows better results than the model optimized with T-section stringer for the same thickness. The model optimized with L-shaped stinger also reduces the weight of the bulkhead without affecting the structural integrity. Practical implications It has been concluded in this paper that the selection of specific shapes of the stringers shows a significant influence on weight reduction. Originality/value This paper provides a topical, technical insight into the design and development of a rear pressure bulkhead. It also outlines the future development of dome-shaped rear pressure bulkhead.

The impact of blacklists on external deposits: one size does not fit all

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Jonsson ◽  
Jan Pettersson ◽  
Christian Nils Larson ◽  
Nir Artzi
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Comparable Data ◽  
Patriot Act ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Probable Impact ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Country Specific

Purpose This study aims to measure the impact of the Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and US PATRIOT Act Section 311 blacklists on external deposits from blacklisted jurisdictions into BIS reporting countries in 1996–2008, a period when anti-money laundering-related actions were consistently less stringent than post-2010, to see whether they had an effect even absent the threat of sizable financial fines. Design/methodology/approach The study uses descriptive statistics and bivariate and multivariate regressions to analyze the probable impact from blacklists on non-bank external deposits. The country sample is divided into offshore financial centers (OFCs) and non-OFCs and includes 158 non-listed countries. The impact of the blacklists is tested both jointly and individually for the respective blacklists. Findings The authors find mixed impact from jurisdictions being blacklisted on the growth rate of stocks of deposits into BIS reporting countries. Effects are often zero, negative in several cases and positive in some cases. This is consistent with the “stigma effect” and the “stigma paradox” in the literature. An overall impact from blacklisting is difficult to discern. Different blacklists had different effects, and the same blacklist impacted countries differently, illustrating the importance of disaggregating the analysis by individual countries. Research limitations/implications Interpretation of these data is limited by the absence of comparable data on non-resident deposits in blacklisted jurisdictions. Practical implications The impact of a blacklist depends in part on the structure of the listed jurisdictions’ economies, implying that country-specific sanctions may be more effective than blacklists. Originality/value This is one of the very few papers to date to rigorously test the impact of blacklists on external deposits.

Role reflections of police reservists: a study of volunteer reserve officers in Malaysia

2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 813-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phaik Kin Cheah ◽  
N. Prabha Unnithan ◽  
Suresh Suppiah
Keyword(s):  
Police Officers ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Role Orientations ◽  
Grounded Theory Approach ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the work roles of the Royal Malaysia Police Volunteer Reserve officers.Design/methodology/approachA grounded theory approach was utilized for the generation and analysis of the data. Data were collected through interviews, observations and follow-ups. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 male and female volunteer reserve officers and 5 regular police officers aged between 24 and 58 years of mixed socioeconomic backgrounds, ethnicities and ranking in the Royal Malaysia Police force. Two civilian respondents (spouses of the Police Volunteer Reserve officers) were also interviewed for this study for the purpose of theory sampling.FindingsThe data were analyzed qualitatively resulting in a model of Royal Malaysia Police Volunteer Reserve officer roles consisting of four orientations.Research limitations/implicationsStudy outcomes are discussed theoretically and administratively. The four role orientations identified will assist researchers studying police reserve volunteerism.Practical implicationsStudy outcomes allow administrators to utilize and deploy police reservists in consonance with the four role orientations identified.Social implicationsThis study provides insight into how police reservists conceive of and execute their roles as they negotiate them in relation to the regular police officers they work with and the public from which they are drawn.Originality/valueThis is the first study of police volunteerism in Malaysia.

The anatomy of the inconspicuous luxury fashion experience

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marian Makkar ◽  
Sheau-Fen Yap
Keyword(s):  
Consumer Behavior ◽  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Symbolic Consumption ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the following questions: how do consumers construct meaning around their inconspicuous luxury fashion experiences? What desires do inconspicuous consumers strive to fulfill? What sentiments do they associate with their inconspicuous luxury fashion consumption? Design/methodology/approach This exploratory research begins with a netnographic study of 11 online luxury blogs followed by in-depth interviews and home observations of ten luxury consumers with inconspicuous preferences in Dubai. Findings Inconspicuous choices are not simply for associative or dissociative motivations but several symbolic consumption schemas come into play. A typology of inconspicuous luxury fashion consumers has emerged: fashion influencers, trendsetters, fashion followers, and luxe conservatives. Practical implications The findings have potential to yield important managerial implications for fashion retailers and brand communications. The typology of inconspicuous consumers provides a basis for developing a more targeted relationship marketing program for luxury fashion brands. Originality/value This research advances luxury knowledge in fashion and consumer behavior research by unveiling how consumers construct meanings around their inconspicuous consumption. The typology developed in this study marks the starting point for further extensions to explore the complexities of inconspicuous luxury consumers, which are grounded in the roles they take on in society, how they plan their luxury consumption journey and how they eventually use these possessions for self-identification and communication to others.

Customer engagement and value co-creation/destruction: the internal fostering and hindering factors and actors in the tourist/hotel experience

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Clement Nangpiire ◽  
Joaquim Silva ◽  
Helena Alves
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Hospitality Industry ◽  
Document Analysis ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Analysis Framework ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe customer as an active and engaged value co-creator raises new challenges for theory and practice, especially in the hospitality industry. However, the connection between engagement and co-creation is little studied in the hotel/tourism literature. This paper proposes a connection between customer engagement (CE) and value co-creation frameworks to ascertain and depict the internal actors' activities and factors that foster or hinder guests' co-creation and destruction of value.Design/methodology/approachThe researchers used qualitative methods (35 in-depth interviews, document analysis and four observation sessions) in seven regions of Ghana to explore the customer's perspective. Data were analyzed with NVivo11 within a thematic analysis framework.FindingsThe findings suggest that positive and negative engagement fosters or hinders guests' interactions, which lead to value co-creation or destruction. The research also discovered that negative interactions occasioned by any factor or actor trigger value destruction at multiple stages of the experience journey.Practical implicationsIndustry players can use the framework developed to assess their businesses, explore and reflect on the proposed value they aim to generate, and thus be more aware of how they can better facilitate value co-creation with their consumers and avoid value destruction.Originality/valueThis research proposes a novel connection between customer interactions, engagement and value co-creation to ascertain and depict the internal actors' activities and factors that foster or hinder customers' experience in the hotel/tourism industry.

“Give it a Try”: experiences of black, Asian and minority ethnic young men in a prison-based offender personality disorder service

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-26
Author(s):  
Stephanie Hunter ◽  
Eleanor Craig ◽  
Jake Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Minority Ethnic ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose Within the current offender personality disorder (OPD) pathway in the UK, black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) populations are underrepresented. Fewer BAME offenders are engaging with services despite being proportionately identified for inclusion and referred on to the pathway. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study explored the experiences of 11 BAME men engaged in a prison-based OPD service for young offenders to identify the highlights and challenges of engagement within the service and to what extent they experienced a sense of inclusion/belonging. Findings Thematic analysis was used to identify three overarching themes and sub-themes. Why am I going to be an Outcast? describes the barriers to engagement encountered by the participants; and Give it a Try and Nothing but Respect describe the process of overcoming these barriers. Barriers revolved around the experiences of judgement, alienation and hopelessness. These were overcome through peer encouragement, developing relationships with staff and freedom to regulate levels of engagement. Practical implications Practice and policy implications are considered to support similar services in addressing the barriers to engagement faced by BAME individuals. Areas for future research are also recommended. Originality/value Currently, no research has directly explored the under-representation of young BAME offenders with emerging personality disorder in the OPD pathway. The findings provided an insight into some of the difficulties these young BAME offenders faced when accessing this service, alongside aspects which maintained their engagement.

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