DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICE QUALITY FOR STUDY PROGRAMME ‘THERAPEUTIC MASSAGE’

Higher education institutions try to provide best quality study and services in order to satisfied student. The purpose of this paper is to develop recommendations to improve service quality for study programme ‘Therapeutic massage’ (EQF study level 5). The standard questionnaire SERVQUAL (five dimensions - reliability, assurance, tangibles, empathy and responsiveness), emphasizing on measuring the gap between level of current and expected service quality was used. In total 122 students (94% of study programme`s students) have participated in research. The study examines the validity of SERVQUAL in assessing students` satisfaction with study programme. Reliability Coefficient Cronbach's Alpha 0.884. The research found that in the study programme there is a gap of current and expected service quality in dimensions empathy (gap mean score -0.28), tangibles (gap mean score -0.38), responsiveness (gap mean score -0.30) indicating that development need to be implemented to enhance the service quality. Based on the research results obtained, recommendations for improvement of service quality were developed.

Narrowing the empathy gap between doctors and patients using emotion forecasting

We investigated the differences between medical students' affective forecasting for self and their forecasting of patients' affective responses. To do this, we developed an affective forecasting situation questionnaire and tested its validity with a sample of 272 Chinese medical students and 66 patients. Results showed that there was a significant correlation between medical students' affective forecasting for self and their forecasting of patients' emotions. Medical students who were calmer (vs. less calm) during affective forecasting for themselves were more accurate in forecasting the patient's emotions. We suggest that emotional intelligence training should be highlighted in Chinese medical education to improve students' ability to forecast their own and others' emotions.

Perceived to feel less: Intensity Bias in Interethnic Emotion Perception

The current research focuses on a bias in intensity perception and tests the hypothesis that individuals perceive facial expressions of emotions in ethnic outgroup members as less intense than those of ingroup members’ expressions. In addition to nine previously conducted and reported studies (focussing only on embarrassment, Kommattam, Jonas, & Fischer, 2017, Studies 1 - 9), we conducted a series of three additional studies including white Dutch, U.S., and U.K. participants (N total = 3201) judging the intensity of nine different emotions displayed by different ethnic group members. A random effects model meta-analysis shows that individuals perceive less intense emotions in ethnic outgroup members than in ethnic ingroup members (d = .33 [0.08 – 0.59], (r = .16)). This intensity bias in interethnic emotion perception points to a systematic downplaying of the intensity of outgroup emotions and suggests an empathy gap towards members from other ethnic groups.

Design for Empathy: A Co-Design Case Study with the Finnish Parliament

Globalisation and the mixing of people, cultures, religions and languages fuels pressing healthcare, educational, political and other complex sociocultural issues. Many of these issues are driven by society's struggle to find ways to facilitate deeper and more emotionally meaningful ways to help people connect and overcome the empathy gap which keeps various groups of people apart. This paper presents a process to design for empathy – as an outcome of design. This extends prior work which typically looks at empathy for design – as a part of the design process, as is common in inclusive design and human centered design process. We reflect on empathy in design and challenge the often internalised role of the designer to be more externalised, to shift from an empathiser to become an empathy generator. We develop and demonstrate the process to design for empathy through a co-creation case study aiming to bring empathy into politics. The ongoing project is set in the Parliament of Finland, and involves co- creation with six Members of the Parliament from five political parties. Outcomes of the process and case study are discussed, including design considerations for future research.

The effect of others’ outcome valence on spontaneous gift-giving behavior

Purpose In social networking services gift giving, the decision to send a gift is often initiated by spontaneous news about others, who may have recently experienced fortune or misfortune. The purpose of this paper is to show that the valence of the other’s event can affect the empathy experienced by the giver and that the level of empathy affects gift selection behavior. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 investigated the relationship between empathy and valence of other’s event and the underlying mechanism of changes in self-esteem. Study 2 explored how different levels of empathies lead to different gift selection behavior. Study 3 replicated the results of Study 2 using a different measurement approach. Findings Across the three studies, findings consistently suggest that the empathy arising from unexpected news of the others’ fortune was lower compared to that of the others’ misfortune because of threats to self-esteem. In addition, greater empathy prompted gift givers to spend more time and effort in gift selection. Practical implications Understanding how valence of event experienced by others might motivate givers to engage in selecting a gift online can help retailers increase predictive insights for recommendations. Originality/value While past research focused on ritual gift giving, this research examined spontaneous gift giving. The study is also unique in that the empathy gap between the giver and the receiver is a result of the changes in the psychological state of the giver.

From the Crisis of Connection to the Pursuit of our Common Humanity

This paper explores the “crisis of connection” and the way in which the “empathy gap” has become manifest in the treatment of refugee children in schools, and in modern society generally. Despite the fact that schools in the US have historically played a central role in integrating new immigrants into American society, they are increasingly ill equipped and unprepared to respond adequately to the needs of the new wave of refugees and unaccompanied minors. Moreover, with growing hostility toward immigrants expressed by politicians, civic groups and the media, public willingness to assist schools in serving the newly arrived has eroded. This paper examines the role of schools in overcoming the crisis of connection by drawing attention to schools and districts that have responded with compassion, empathy and a willingness to develop creative solutions to address the critical needs of immigrant and refugee children. Drawing on research carried out at several such schools and through the analysis of several case studies, the paper shows how education can overcome xenophobia and hostility in schools by promoting trust, belonging, student voice, and building on recognition of "common interests" that transcend differences based on nationality and legal status.

Building and maintaining the family business-private equity relationship

Purpose Adopting an integrated agency and stewardship perspective, the purpose of this paper is to understand the relationship between family businesses (FBs) and private equity (PE) investors at three stages: entry, cooperation, and exit. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study combines the perspectives of 11 FB owners and/or managers, seven PE investors, and four intermediaries. The in-depth interviews of this purposive sample are analysed at the intra- and inter-case level using a template analysis approach up to reaching theoretical saturation. Findings Building and maintaining an effective relationship between the FB and the PE investor requires both a stewardship perspective (i.e. reciprocal principal-steward behaviour) and a necessary but insufficient agency perspective (i.e. principal-principal behaviour). Research limitations/implications More large-scale studies with an integrated agency-stewardship perspective on FBs using PE can increase the external validity of the insights from this research to build and maintain an effective relationship between both parties. Practical implications Providing insights into the relationship building process and best practices, this study helps reduce the knowledge and empathy gap that exists between FBs and PE. Originality/value The results clarify the need to reconcile an agency and stewardship perspective to thoroughly understand the relationship and behaviour of FBs and PE investors, and to help the parties understand and benefit from each other’s added value.