An exploration of servicescapes’ exclusion and coping strategies of consumers with “hidden” auditory disorders

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 326-338 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthony Beudaert ◽  
Hélène Gorge ◽  
Maud Herbert

Purpose The purpose of this study is both to explore how people with “hidden” auditory disorders experience exclusion in servicescapes and to unfold the coping strategies they set up to deal with it. Design/methodology/approach Findings from 15 semi-structured interviews and participant observations with individuals suffering from auditory disorders are presented through the paper. Findings The findings indicate that individuals with auditory disorders deploy three types of coping strategies when exposed to sensory overload in servicescapes: choosing between physical servicescapes, opting for electronic devices and e-servicescapes and delegating shopping to relatives. Practical implications The study underlines how, through temporary or permanent modifications of servicescape cues, service providers give consumers opportunities to bypass situations involving sensory overload. Implications for e-servicescapes and public policy are also raised. Originality/value The findings reveal how the coping strategies used by individuals with auditory disorders contribute to their exclusion from the marketplace on the basis of both individual characteristics and types of servicescapes.

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niklas Eriksson

Purpose – This study aims to identify user categories of mobile travel services and analyze the differences between the categories based on individual characteristics, the individuals' perceived barriers to use internet-/mobile services during a trip and the individuals' preferred channel strategies. Design/methodology/approach – An extensive online survey in Finland was conducted to collect the data and a cluster analysis is used to identify the user categories. Findings – The study indicates that there are four user categories of mobile travel services: “info-seekers”, “checkers”, “bookers” and “all-rounders” and one group of “non-users”. Research limitations/implications – Due to the online data collection method and the self-selective process, the sample may be biased towards respondents finding electronic travel services important. It would be of value to conduct similar studies on a representative sample of the total population of different countries. Practical implications – The identified categories can be seen as consumer segments for which travel service providers can target mobile services. Originality/value – This study contributes with a categorization of mobile travelers and provides insights on the diffusion of mobile travel services.


2020 ◽  
Vol 120 (9) ◽  
pp. 1759-1775
Author(s):  
Wanfei Wang ◽  
Chengcheng Su ◽  
Jin Hooi Chan ◽  
Xiaoguang Qi

PurposeFocusing on the supply side of peer-to-peer (P2P) accommodation service sector, this study identifies the emerging types of micro-enterprise operators in the growing Chinese market, and investigate their respective operational risks and coping strategies.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative study was adopted to explore the micro-enterprise in peer-to-peer accommodation in China. Twenty semi-structured interviews were conducted to explore the operators' behaviors in the service sector.FindingsBased on the types of property ownership and forms of interaction, four groups of operators were identified, i.e. hospitable sharers, remote sharers, roommates and butlers. This study uncovers their operational risk factors (safety, cost, legal and social, psychological) and respective coping strategies.Originality/valueMost prior studies on P2P accommodation sector are conducted from the demand side about customer behaviors. This study not only enhances the understanding of the hosts in the sharing economy by developing a novel typology of operators, but also provides insights into the operational behaviors on an individual operator perspective.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shagufta Tariq Khan ◽  
Mohd Abass Bhat ◽  
Mohi-Ud-Din Sangmi

PurposeThis study investigates the effectiveness of microfinance-backed entrepreneurship as a mechanism for the holistic empowerment of women.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs a mixed-method research-design consisting of quasi-experimental design (quantitative approach) involving women, both entrepreneurs (132) and non-entrepreneurs (238), as well as in-depth semi-structured interviews (qualitative approach).FindingsQuantitative analysis revealed that female entrepreneurs are better off than female non-entrepreneurs in terms of economic, social, political and psychological indicators of empowerment. However, relatively lesser impact was found in terms of political, and to an even smaller extent, social empowerment of women. Analysis of in-depth interviews corroborated these findings confirming that entrepreneurship serves as an effective tool for the holistic empowerment of women. However, non-entrepreneurs also exhibit social empowerment.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the restricted geographical ambit of the study, prudence ought to be exercised in drawing inferences applied to alternate contexts. That the vast majority of questionnaire respondents are illiterate presented a notable impediment in the process of collection of accurate responses.Practical implicationsMicrofinance intervention ought to be specifically directed to cultivating entrepreneurship among women; in particular, to achieve the full benefits of empowerment, women availing microfinance ought to exert full control over their own business ventures.Originality/valueIn analyzing holistic empowerment through microfinance supported businesses set up by women, the study adds to the existing literature on women entrepreneurship and empowerment.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Bao Trang Thi Nguyen ◽  
Stephen H. Moore ◽  
Vu Quynh Nhu Nguyen

PurposeThis study focuses on Vietnamese international students who returned from their overseas doctoral education to home universities in Vietnam (henceforth Vietnamese overseas-trained returnees). The purpose is to explore the experience of these returnees “doing research” (i.e. being research active) when resuming a lecturing role at a Vietnamese regional university. In the context of research now receiving heightened attention in both the wider global higher education (HE) discourse and the Vietnamese HE sector, this study is timely and provides valuable insights.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 76 Vietnamese overseas-trained returnees from varied disciplinary backgrounds completed a questionnaire on their research motivation and their perceived constraints doing research. Eighteen subsequently took part in semi-structured interviews. The study draws on the notion of human agency from the sociocultural perspective to understand the coping strategies of the Vietnamese overseas-educated returnees in response to the challenges they encountered.FindingsThe results show that the returnees' motivations to conduct research varied, fuelled by passion, but constrained by multiple factors. Time constraints, heavy teaching loads, familial roles and lack of specialized equipment are key inhibiting factors in re-engaging in research for these returnees. Addressing them necessitated a great deal of readaptation, renegotiation and agentive resilience on the part of the returnees in employing different coping strategies to pursue research.Practical implicationsThe paper argues for a subtle understanding of the returnees' experience of re-engaging in research that is both complex and contextual. Implications are drawn for research development in the regional Vietnamese HE context and perhaps in other similar settings.Originality/valueThere is little empirical knowledge about how Vietnamese returned graduates – university lecturers – continue doing research after their return. Also underexplored in global discourse is research on foreign-educated returnees doing research, while they are an important source of human resources. The present study, therefore, fills these research gaps.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-95
Author(s):  
Anne Kari Bjørge ◽  
Sunniva Whittaker

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on corporate communication issues that arise when a company offshores language-sensitive services to a country which does not have a workforce with the required language skills. It explores the consequences of adopting a total immersion policy and annual testing regime to build and maintain linguistic competence among the workforce, with regard to motivation, challenges and coping strategies. Design/methodology/approach The approach adopted was semi-structured interviews with management and employee representatives, interviewed separately. The interviews were transcribed and submitted to content analysis, supported by relevant company information. Findings The company’s language policy has generated a user environment where language proficiency is developed in corporate interaction, and where the workforce is motivated by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Strategic decisions relating to language policy need to take the workforce’s input into account to discuss the testing regime with a view to test content and relevance. Research limitations/implications The findings relate to a limited material of 6 interviews with 14 interviewees in total. Practical implications The paper focusses on how to strike a balance between developing the skills needed to perform job tasks and preparing for new more complex tasks without demotivating the workforce. The conclusion sets out managerial implications. Social implications The paper contributes to understanding the dynamics of working in a multilingual context. Originality/value To the authors’ knowledge the specificities of offshoring of language-sensitive services with regard to motivation and coping strategies have not been explored previously. The fact that the services in question have to be carried out in a minor language and that a total immersion strategy has been adopted also represents something new.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. e045949
Author(s):  
Kaisin Yee ◽  
Hui Peng Peh ◽  
Yee Pin Tan ◽  
Irene Teo ◽  
Emily U Tong Tan ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe health, psychological and socioeconomic vulnerabilities of low-wage migrant workers have been magnified in the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in high-income receiving countries such as Singapore. We aimed to understand migrant worker concerns and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic to address these during the crisis and inform on comprehensive support needed after the crisis.MethodsIn-depth semi-structured interviews were carried out with migrant workers diagnosed with COVID-19. The participants were recruited from a COVID-19 mass quarantine facility in Singapore through a purposive sampling approach. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematic analysis performed to derive themes in their collective experience during the crisis.ResultsThree theme categories were derived from 27 interviews: migrant worker concerns during COVID-19, coping during COVID-19 and priorities after COVID-19. Major stressors in the crisis included the inability to continue providing for their families when work is disrupted, their susceptibility to infection in crowded dormitories, the shock of receiving the COVID-19 diagnosis while asymptomatic, as well as the isolating conditions of the quarantine environment. The workers coped by keeping in contact with their families, accessing healthcare, keeping updated with the news and continuing to practise their faith and religion. They looked forward to a return to normalcy after the crisis with keeping healthy and having access to healthcare as new priorities.ConclusionWe identified coping strategies employed by the workers in quarantine, many of which were made possible through the considered design of care and service delivery in mass quarantine facilities in Singapore. These can be adopted in the set-up of other mass quarantine facilities around the world to support the health and mental well-being of those quarantined. Our findings highlight the importance of targeted policy intervention for migrant workers, in areas such as housing and working environments, equitable access to healthcare, and social protection during and after this crisis.


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 1116-1132 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marja Lindberg ◽  
Mikael Nygård ◽  
Fredrica Nyqvist

Purpose As a member of the Nordic welfare regime, Finland has been acknowledged for its encompassing family policies with high degrees of parental employment and low incidence of poverty. During recent years, however, sluggish growth, high levels of unemployment and recurrent austerity measures have gradually undermined the economic security of families, notably among single-parent and multi-child families, and this has put families under increasing strain and increased the risks of poverty, inequality and other forms of ill-being. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors investigate risks and coping strategies and well-being of Finnish families with children. Family well-being is defined as an umbrella concept covering economic, social or psychological well-being and physical health. The data consist of 22 qualitative semi-structured interviews with parents from the region of Ostrobothnia in Finland and were collected in the winter of 2016–2017. Findings Based on the findings, the authors argue that the risks the families in Finland confront are linked to lower well-being, most notably for families encountering sickness, unemployment or divorce. The findings also show that parents have to employ various coping strategies themselves and that the society’s support is insufficient. Originality/value This paper, thus, contributes to the literature on the effects of austerity policies on families by focussing on the consequences on family well-being, but also on the risks that families face and the coping mechanisms they use for handling with these risks.


2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 348-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadegh Aliakbarlou ◽  
Suzanne Wilkinson ◽  
Seosamh B. Costello ◽  
Hyounseung Jang

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore and prioritize the key client values within contracting services for reconstructing the built environment in post-disaster situations. Design/methodology/approach A literature review, semi-structured interviews and questionnaire survey were included in this study. A comparative analysis was used to obtain different perspectives between public and private sectors. Findings A total of 39 client values were identified in this study. Clients for disaster reconstruction services put more emphasis on values such as timeliness, availability of resources, competency, building a trust-based relationship, financial stability, and communication techniques than contract price. Public and private clients have a different perspective regarding the importance of the identified values, while these are not statistically significant for the most important values. Research limitations/implications The construction literature is focussed on business-as-usual rather than post-disaster reconstruction. To ensure that reconstruction programmes after a disaster are successfully implemented, it is necessary to identify and prioritize the client values within contracting services. Focussing the attention of the service providers on these values is believed to have the greatest impact on the programmes’ success. Practical implications Understanding the client values identified by this study can aid contractors to better prepare for reconstruction programmes and provide improved services to clients. Originality/value A number of important client values within contracting services that appear to have a bearing on the success of disaster reconstruction programmes were identified in this study.


2021 ◽  
pp. 105477382110166
Author(s):  
Alessia Martina Trenta ◽  
Davide Ausili ◽  
Rosario Caruso ◽  
Cristina Arrigoni ◽  
Massimo Moro ◽  
...  

This study aimed to explore lived experience of patients with heart failure (HF) during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative study was conducted using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). Data collection performed in March-May 2020, using in-depth, semi-structured interviews on a purposive sample. Data were analyzed according to the IPA methodology, and triangulation, bracketing, journaling, and member checking were used to assure rigor. 14 patients with HF were enrolled, and three main themes described their lived experience during the COVID-19 pandemic: Vulnerability, Hanging in the balance, and Coping strategies. These people felt particularly vulnerable to the novel virus and experienced uncertainty due to hospital organization changes. Because of this, they felt like they were hanging in the balance, experiencing various negative feelings. Nevertheless, they managed to deal with this challenging situation by implementing some peculiar coping strategies. The COVID-19 represents a significant challenge for patients with HF, impacting significantly on their lives.


2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-303
Author(s):  
Marta Mori ◽  
Ronan McDermott ◽  
Saut Sagala ◽  
Yasmina Wulandari

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how culture, including traditions and social structures, can influence resilience and how culturally sensitive relief operations can put affected people and their context at the core of any interventions. Design/methodology/approach A case study of the Mt Sinabung volcano area in Indonesia was undertaken. As part of the case study, an analysis of interventions was conducted, which was complemented by semi-structured interviews with Karo cultural experts and humanitarian organisations. Findings Culture influences the manner in which the Karo people react to volcano eruptions with varying implications for recovery. In addition, relief organisations which understand people’s actions through a cultural lens have better managed to tailor programs with long-term impact, thereby avoiding aid dependency. Practical implications Practical examples of disaster management activities that adequately account for the beneficiaries’ way of living prior to the eruptions are provided. Aid actors are provided with guidance concerning how to better tailor their activities in line with a cultural lens. Originality/value The study provides empirical grounding for claims concerning the role of culture in planning interventions in Indonesia and other similar contexts.


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