An evaluation of the effectiveness of travel advisories with a specific focus on Hong Kong’s outbound travel alert system

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 307-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Kee Fu Tsang ◽  
Ophelia Wong ◽  
Bruce Prideaux

The key objective of this study was to develop a theory-based understanding of the role that travel advisories play in how tourists make decisions to travel to specific destinations. Many countries issue travel alerts to inform their citizens about potential risks when travelling abroad. The literature has largely ignored this area of travel research despite the potential for tourists to become embroiled in a wide range of crisis events during foreign travel. This study first examined users’ perspectives of Hong Kong’s Outbound Travel Alert system using a mix of focus groups and in-depth interviews. The study found that outbound tourists had a low level of awareness and knowledge of travel advisories and many respondents preferred alternative information sources such as the Internet, social media and commercial news channels. In comparison, representatives of travel agencies and insurance companies reported that the alert system was useful in the pursuit of their business but felt there were shortcomings that needed to be addressed. Based on these findings, a model incorporating elements of the theory of planned behaviour and the protection motivation theory was developed to assist in the assessment of travel advisory compliance intention.

Author(s):  
Polly Jones

A major late Soviet initiative, the ‘Fiery Revolutionaries’ (Plamennye revoliutsionery) series, was launched to rekindle popular enthusiasm for the revolution, eventually giving rise to over 150 biographies and historical novels authored by many key post-Stalinist writers. What new meanings did revolution take on as it was reimagined by writers including dissidents, leading historians, and popular historical novelists? How did their millions of readers engage with these highly varied texts? To what extent does this Brezhnev-era publishing phenomenon challenge the notion of late socialism as a time of ‘stagnation’, and how does it confirm it? Through exploring the complex processes of writing, editing, censorship, and reading of late Soviet literature, Revolution Rekindled highlights the dynamic negotiations that continued within Soviet culture well past the apparent turning point of 1968 through to the late Gorbachev era. It also complicates the opposition between ‘official’ and underground post-Stalinist culture by showing how Soviet writers and readers engaged with both, as they sought answers to key questions of revolutionary history, ethics, and ideology: it thus reveals the enormous breadth and vitality of the ‘historical turn’ amongst the late Soviet population. Revolution Rekindled is the first archival, oral history, and literary study of this unique late socialist publishing experiment, from its beginnings in the early 1960s to its collapse in the early 1990s. It draws on a wide range of previously untapped archives, uses in-depth interviews with Brezhnev-era writers, editors, and publishers, and assesses the generic and stylistic innovations within the series’ biographies and novels.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 2103
Author(s):  
Laura Nicklin ◽  
Stuart Gordon Spicer ◽  
James Close Close ◽  
Jonathan Parke ◽  
Oliver Smith ◽  
...  

Excessive engagement with (increasingly prevalent) loot boxes within games has consistently been linked with disordered gambling and/or gaming. The importance of recognising and managing potential risks associated with loot box involvement means understanding contributing factors is a pressing research priority. Given that motivations for gaming and gambling have been informative in understanding risky engagement with those behaviours, this qualitative study investigated motivations for buying loot boxes, through in-depth interviews with 28 gamers from across the UK. A reflexive thematic analysis categorised reasons for buying into seven “themes”; opening experience; value of box contents; game-related elements; social influences; emotive/impulsive influences; fear of missing out; triggers/facilitators. These themes are described in detail and discussed in relation to the existing literature and motivation theories. This study contributes to understanding ways in which digital items within loot boxes can be highly valued by purchasers, informing the debate around parallels with gambling. Findings that certain motivations were disproportionately endorsed by participants with symptoms of problematic gambling has potential implications for policy and warrants further study.


2021 ◽  
pp. 004728752110149
Author(s):  
Hwirim Jo ◽  
Namho Chung ◽  
Sunyoung Hlee ◽  
Chulmo Koo

Despite the revolutionary system of online booking, the decision-making process for booking hotels is still very stressful for customers, who face much uncertainty. The wide range of products and great volume of information result in significant cognitive overload. Therefore, online travel agencies (OTAs) try to reduce customers’ cognitive effort requirements and to induce effective decision making by triggering potential actions through perceived affordance. This study aims to explore the influence of perceived affordance on purchase decisions and postpurchase emotion in the context of OTAs. The findings show that explicit affordance and hidden affordance significantly affect impulsive buying, thus resulting in postpurchase discomfort and regret. Additionally, the outcomes of a multiple group analysis revealed a significant moderating effect of regulatory focus orientation on impulsive buying and postpurchase regret during an overall purchase process involving OTAs.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Poh

The view that China has become increasingly assertive under President Xi Jinping is now a common trope in academic and media discourse. However, until the end of Xi Jinping’s first term in March 2018, China had been relatively restrained in its use of coercive economic measures. This is puzzling given the conventional belief among scholars and practitioners that sanctions are a middle ground between diplomatic and military/paramilitary action. Using a wide range of methods and data — including in-depth interviews with 76 current and former politicians, policy-makers, diplomats, and commercial actors across 12 countries and 16 cities — Sanctions with Chinese Characteristics: Rhetoric and Restraint in China’s Diplomacy examines the ways in which China had employed economic sanctions to further its political objectives, and the factors explaining China’s behaviour. This book provides a systematic investigation into the ways in which Chinese decisionmakers approached sanctions both at the United Nations Security Council and unilaterally, and shows how China’s longstanding sanctions rhetoric has had a constraining effect on its behaviour, resulting in its inability to employ sanctions in complete alignment with its immediate interests.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 188
Author(s):  
Astiana Ajeng Rahadini ◽  
Rahmat Rahmat

Traditional culture underlying a wide range of behavior and deeds of a society and gave birth to a variety of oral literature as well as myth. The myth that developed and still surviving in public life of Java among other myths related to pregnant and nursing mothers. This research is under a descriptively qualitative method supported by field research method along with un-depth interviews in Dawuhan village of Banyumas which is the village where the ancestors of Banyumas was buried. Through field observation and research method of interview to the trusted resource in Dawuhan village was obtained by results of research regarding the myth of pregnant and nursing mothers. This research finds some kinds of myths in relation to recommending and prohibition to perform an action that may harm the fetus, while the myth of breastfeeding mothers mostly prohibition and advice about foods that are consumed by the mother breastfeeding can harm the health of the baby.


2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 1197
Author(s):  
Ahmad Romadhon

The objective of this research was to understand comprehensively the Financial Independent in Organization of Education through Entrepreneurship and partnership. it was a qualitative research with study case method conducted in Al Ashriyyah Nurul Iman Islamic Boarding School, Parung-Bogor. In this research data collecting with triangulation technique, Overall the researchers use participant observation, in-depth interviews, and documentation for the same data sources simultaneously. As a private educational institution, Al Ashriyyah Nurul Iman Foundation since its inception independently manage and develop the foundation to establish a wide range of entrepreneurial and cooperation with various institutions and circles. Financial independence has always strived through two things very well. Develop without relying on finance from other parties is a priority for YANIIBS, so that entrepreneurship and partnerships with these institutions become more developed and advanced


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marloes Bults ◽  
Catharina Margaretha Van Leersum ◽  
Theo Olthuis ◽  
Robin Bekhuis ◽  
Marjolein Elisabeth Maria Den Ouden

BACKGROUND In the Netherlands, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common chronic diseases and the number of patients is expected to increase in the coming years. Self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, food intake and physical activity supports the self-management of patients with T2DM. In the past few years, there has been a rise in the development and availability of mobile health applications (apps) for T2DM. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the actual use of diabetes mobile health applications among T2DM-patients and main barriers and drivers among app-users and non-users. METHODS An explanatory sequential design was applied, starting with a web-based questionnaire followed by semi-structured in-depth interviews. Data were collected between July and December 2020. Questionnaire data from 103 respondents were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 25.0. Descriptive statistics were performed for actual use of apps among T2DM-patients and the individual items of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT). Differences between users and non-users were tested through chi-square tests for the individual items. Independent t-tests were performed to test for differences in mean scores per UTAUT-construct. A total of 16 respondents contributed to the in-depth interviews, of which ten were users and six non-users of apps for T2DM. Content analysis with a deductive approach was performed on all transcripts guided by the UTAUT. RESULTS Regarding actual use, 55% (n=57) were non-users and 45% (n=46) were users of apps for T2DM. Mean scores were significantly higher among users of apps for T2DM for the constructs performance expectancy, effort expectancy, facilitating conditions and knowledge compared to the non-users (P<.001). One of the main drivers for use was the belief that using diabetes-apps would result in better personal health and well-being. Time and energy needed to keep track of data and understand the app were mentioned as barriers. Users scored significantly higher regarding social influence compared to the non-users (P.007). Healthcare professionals play an important role in the support of T2DM-patients in using apps. Respondents wanted to use the apps and acquired data together with their healthcare professionals. However, respondents noticed that their professionals often were not supportive regarding the use of diabetes-apps, didn’t had interest or did not talk about apps or acquired data. Reimbursement by insurance companies was mentioned as missing facilitator. CONCLUSIONS Empowering healthcare professionals’ engagement is of utmost important to support T2DM-patients in using apps. Insurance companies can have a role in facilitating the use of diabetes-apps, for example to assure reimbursement. Further research should focus on evaluation of patients experiences with different diabetes-apps and how to integrate mobile health applications with diabetes self-management care.


Author(s):  
Zaina Mchome ◽  
Gerry Mshana ◽  
Diana Aloyce ◽  
Esther Peter ◽  
Donati Malibwa ◽  
...  

Intimate partner violence is a recognized public health and development issue that is consistently and comparatively measured through women’s experience of physical and/or sexual acts by their partner. While physical intimate partner violence is covered by a wide range of behaviors, sexual intimate partner violence (SIPV) is often only measured through attempted or completed forced sex, ignoring less obvious forms of sexual intimate partner violence. We explored women’s conceptualizations of SIPV by conducting in-depth interviews with 18 Tanzanian women. Using a thematic approach, we identified key features of women’s sexual intimate relationships and their perceptions of them. The women clearly defined acts of positive sexual relationships that occurred with mutual consent and seduction and SIPV that included acts of forced sex and sex under the threat of violence. They also identified several acts that were crossing the line, whereby a discrepancy of views existed whether they constituted SIPV, such as having sex when out of the mood, sex being the duty of the wife, sex during the menses, requests for anal sex, having sex to not lose the husband, husband refusing sex and husband having other partners. Women in this study felt violated by a far wider range of sexual acts in their relationships. Future studies need to improve the measurement of sexual intimate partner violence to allow the collection of encompassing, yet comparable, data on this harmful phenomenon.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominik Havsteen-Franklin ◽  
Megan Tjasink ◽  
Jacqueline Winter Kottler ◽  
Claire Grant ◽  
Veena Kumari

Crisis events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, can have a devastating effect on communities and the care professionals within them. Over recent years, arts-based interventions have helped in a wide range of crisis situations, being recommended to support the workforce during and after complex crisis but there has been no systematic review of the role of arts-based crisis interventions and whether there are cogent themes regarding practice elements and outcomes. We, therefore, conducted a systematic review to (i) define the arts-based change process used during and after crisis events, and (ii) explore the perceptions of intermediate and long-term mental health benefits of arts-based interventions for professionals in caring roles. Our search yielded six studies (all qualitative). All data were thematically aggregated and meta-synthesized, revealing seven practice elements (a safe place, focusing on strengths and protective factors, developing psychosocial competencies to support peers, emotional expression and processing, identifying and naming the impact of the crisis, using an integrative creative approach, and cultural and organizational sensitivity) applied across all six studies, as well as a range of intermediate and long-term benefits shared common features (adapting, growing, and recovering; using the community as a healing resource; reducing or preventing symptoms of stress or trauma reactions, psychophysiological homeostasis). The ways in which these studies were designed independently from one another and yet used the same practice elements in their crisis interventions indicates that there is comparability about how and why the arts-based practice elements are being used and to what effect. Our findings provide a sound basis and meaningful parameters for future research incorporating quantitative and qualitative approaches to firmly establish the effectiveness of art-based interventions, and how arts can support cultural sensitivity, acceptability and indicated outcomes, particularly those relating to stress and trauma during or following a crisis.


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