Influence of CSR stakeholders on the textile firms performances

Ready-made garments (RMG) are one of the most critical sectors in the economy of the South Asian region in terms of the labor force employed and export earnings. This research study aims to determine the Corporate Social Responsibility Stakeholders dimension and its influence on textile firms Performance. The study used organizational legitimacy as mediating variable between the CSR stakeholders and firms’ performances. The research study was used in the quantitative analysis approach to determine the cause and effect of the relationship between CSR and Textile firm’s financial and non-financial performance. Though the study collected primary data & secondary data from 250 respondents using survey questionnaires, the researcher obtained secondary data by analyzing the audited annual and sustainability reports of various RMG companies. We have collected data by conducting a focus group interview forming a team of employers, top-level managers, and CSR officers. We asked them all the questions, filled it, tapped it, reserved it for the interpretations. We have surveyed 67 industries, but it enabled us to collect the data from the 50 sectors—the data collected from 2016 April to 2018 December. Our study has some limitations in that the sample size is small compared to the other research. SPSS-23 & MS-Excel were used to analyze the collected data. CSR practices benefitted RMG companies in terms of long-term sustainable development by increasing the firm’s financial and non-financial performance of the RMG sector.

Experiences of Stress – A Focus Group Interview Study Among Swedish Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Adolescence can be a stressful period in life. The period contains challenges associated with the transition from childhood to adulthood (body changes, changes in interpersonal relationships, and identity changes). The aim was to investigate experiences of stress among adolescents in addition to stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Focus group interviews (n = 8) were conducted with girls (n = 22) and boys (n = 19) aged 13–15 in southern Sweden. The transcribed interviews were analyzed with qualitative content analysis. Analysis of the collected material resulted in two categories with four sub-categories each of which highlights adolescents’ experiences of stress. The results show that adolescents’ have a variety of experiences of stress, i.e., what they mean are the sources of stress and how stress is manifested. The adolescents experienced how stress was manifested both physically and emotionally. This affected both their sleep and performance. The adolescents reflected on both positive and negative manifestations of stress.

Study Abroad in Sweden: Japanese Exchange Students’ Perspectives of Language Use in University EMI Courses

With the availability of English as a Medium of Instruction (EMI) courses, an increasing number of international students have been joining Swedish universities. However, the language use in Swedish EMI courses may display unique features; while many Swedish students have high English language proficiency, code-switching between Swedish and English is reported as a common practice by both lecturers and students, even when international students are present. Moreover, the term “international students” is often used to include students of various statuses and linguistic abilities, and the experiences and perspectives of short-term exchange students towards the language use in Swedish EMI courses are rarely documented. The current study investigates the perspectives of short-term exchange students from Japan enrolled in EMI courses at a university in Sweden. Questionnaire and focus group interview confirmed previous studies regarding the language-use practices in the classrooms. Moreover, the rate of speech, turn-taking, and background knowledge were found to hinder the learning and participation of the exchange students. The findings suggest the need to raise awareness of the language practices in Swedish EMI courses to students, lecturers, and other universities in order to support the learning experience of short-term exchange students.

Concurrency of Learning: Strategies and Challenges of Promoting Coherence in the Core in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)

This study explored the empirical evidence with regards to concurrency of learning among the Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) and Extended Essay (EE), which are the core components in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). This mixed method research used a concurrency of learning questionnaire developed by the researchers as well as a focus group interview to explore and explain how concurrency of learning is promoted in the core. The research findings provide readers with insights on the strategies, good practices, challenges as well as suggestions provided by the school practitioners while achieving coherence in the core.

THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON STUDENTS’ WILLINGNESS TO COMMUNICATE IN ENGLISH IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN A DIGITAL CONTEXT (HEIs)

The outbreak of the Covid-19 Pandemic has brought a shift in the way the teaching and learning process has been conducted in the education field. Most of the lessons are conducted in a digital context for the safety of both teachers and students. Thus, this study aims to look into the impact of the pandemic on students’ willingness to communicate (WTC) in English in a digital context in a local higher education institution (HEIs) in Sabah, Malaysia. A qualitative approach was employed in this study involving 25 pre-university students. The data was obtained from a focus group interview and was later transcribed and coded into dominant and sub-dominant themes. The findings revealed that the students unanimously agreed that having classes in a digital context does affect their WTC in English. It is hoped that these findings would give a better insight to English language instructors (ELIs) to plan a conducive learning environment that could facilitate students' WTC in a digital context.

Teachers’ Talk of a Walk they Don’t Stride: A Case Study of Education Student Teachers’ Perspectives on Hookah Smoking

Hookah smoking is widely spreading among Lebanese adolescence. The aim of this study was to investigate the perspectives of prospective student teachers pertaining to hookah smoking to determine their readiness to educate their future students in what relates to the dangers of smoking. The sample consisted of education sophomore student teachers (N=53), at the Education Faculty of one university in Lebanon. Participants constituted of the students enrolled in two educational psychology classes taught by the researcher. The topic was not part of what is being taught to students at the university. The e-survey obtained information on participants’ demographics, hookah smoking awareness, and their educative perspectives on hookah smoking. The study used mixed methods employing an 18-item survey on hookah smoking, alongside a semi structured heterogeneous focus group interview with six student teachers; two who were identified respectively as: hookah smokers, non-smokers, semi-smokers, and all were selected randomly from the pool of participants. Findings suggest that education student teachers have dispersed and unbalanced educative perceptions on hookah smoking. The study recommends that an efficient Lebanese anti-smoking awareness program should highly emphasize targeting the college student teachers, who are at the future front line with the youthful upcoming generation, and thus can highly affect their awareness pertaining to smoking in general, and hookah smoking in specific.

Design of Sustainable Senior-Friendly Community Transportation Services

With the increasingly serious aging problem, getting around in communities has become an important means of socializing for older adults. This study proposes a new community aging-friendly transportation service system from the perspective of service design, so as to help realize the sustainable development of community services. To achieve this objective, the pain points and demands of older adults while traveling in communities were collected through a questionnaire survey, focus group interview, and user journey map. In addition, the grounded theory was applied to encode the qualitative data obtained in the focus group interview, so as to explore the path composition and dimension connotation of designing community transportation services. Based on the research results, we found that service strategy, service foundation, service support, and service effect are the key factors influencing customized transportation services. The established model covers the design framework of the service system, customized traffic service process, design strategy of community stakeholders, and traffic service system diagram. These research results provide references for community managers, community service providers, and designers.

Reducing Metabolic Syndrome in Patients with a Severe Mental Illness in a Forensic Unit in New Zealand: Perceived Barriers for Registered Nurses

<p>The New Zealand Health Strategy in 2000 highlighted significant health inequalities and the need to improve the health status of individuals with severe mental illness (Ministry of Health, 2000). Mental health users die at 2.5 to 4.3 times the rate of the general population, even when suicide is factored out (Handiside, 2004). It is estimated that one quarter of the world's population have Metabolic Syndrome and that they are twice as likely to die from and have a five-fold greater risk of developing type two diabetes mellitus (International Diabetes Federation, 2009). The time has long past when Registered Nurses can only afford to focus on a patient's mental health and to do so would negatively impact on a patient's quality of life. A patient's quality of life encompasses their physical, functional, emotional, spiritual and social well-being (Cella, 1994). This study highlights that Registered Nurses working in inpatient psychiatric units are well positioned to detect, prevent and manage Metabolic Syndrome in patients with severe mental illness as they spend the greatest amount of time in close patient contact. An exploratory qualitative descriptive approach was used for the study to describe the perceived barriers that Registered Nurses encounter in their practice in the reduction of Metabolic Syndrome in patients with severe mental illness. The study was conducted on a forensic psychiatric unit at one DHB in New Zealand. A sample of five Registered Nurses consented to participate in a focus group interview, which was the main data collection tool used for this study. Thematic analysis was used to establish the major themes that emerged from the focus group interview. The findings of this study revealed that there are significant barriers that Registered Nurses have in helping to reduce Metabolic Syndrome in this patient group. These barriers include a patient's mental illness, knowledge of patients and staff, staff provision of care, diet and insufficient resources on the forensic unit. The focus group interview also encouraged Registered Nurses to suggest possible solutions to these barriers and these are reflected upon in this study.</p>