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A post-pandemic critical evaluation of remote working influences on affective well-being, work-life and job satisfaction.
No full textThe advent of the Covid-19 pandemic forced many employees to work remotely from home, solidifying the use of digital processes as a normal way of working, and in this post-pandemic world, many employees continue to work from home (Silver, 2023). However, there have been few studies looking into the affective aspects of this new remote/ hybrid working normality. The Affective Events Theory (AET: Weiss and Cropanzano, 1996) has highlighted the importance of affective state in influencing employee job satisfaction and behaviour (Wegge et al, 2006), which is the focus of the current research. Participants were recruited anonymously through social media (N=128) and pseudo-anonymously through an online panel provider sample (N=112). The study implemented a correlational quantitative questionnaire design examining relationships based on the AET framework using questions pertaining to gender, age, children at home, years in job, area where home office is based, and rating of home internet connection alongside questions from pre-existing scales covering social atmosphere, personality dispositions, affective wellbeing, work-life balance, job satisfaction, and job search activities. The descriptive statistics indicate an overall mild impact from isolation and distractions from friends or other media, on average. The standard deviation indicated that some individuals experienced severe isolation and distractions while working from home. Perceptions of positive work inducements in relation to social atmosphere at work since the pandemic averaged around the same as before the pandemic but some rated social atmosphere experiences as lower. The path analysis results of the study indicate that the relationships chosen based on the AET model sufficiently cover the important relationships within the data, providing support for the utility of AET. Most notably, greater levels of isolation linked to poorer social atmosphere and affective well-being, with lower affective well-being linking to lower job satisfaction predicting more job searching behaviours in some cases. Greater emotional stability lowered work-life imbalances and enhanced affective well-being. It is important for organizational managers to consider the impact of these remote working affect related factors impacting their employees, and this current study offers guidance on how to implement changes to deal with them
Developing a Chatbot for Streamlined Information Access and Meeting Management in Corporate Settings
No full textThis research examines a rule-based chatbot designed for onboarding and internal communication within a corporate context and then reports the development and evaluation of the prototype. Targeted towards freshers and trainees, the chatbot, developed in Python/Flask, serves as a smart assistant that responds to common departmental inquiries and handles schedules and meeting details. The system employs a fuzzy logic algorithm that is geared to accept natural language input and enables interaction without matching specific keywords. The chatbot also has a strong meeting management aspect that makes it different from the others. It assists users in scheduling meetings via some guided or a single-line command and also allows users to fetch records of meetings filtered via date, month, or year. Latest improvements like displaying only the last ten meetings as well as dynamically filtering meeting logs by typing out queries such as “show meetings for January 2024†or “show meetings for 28 October 2027.†Improvements like automatic parsing of dates and displaying them in tabular format, where needed, greatly improve user experience and lead to a more efficient practice workflow. The UI was designed to be structured, to mimic modern messaging apps, which the founders ensured so that every user would be familiar with using it. A small group of new joiners validated that the chatbot had the right content, clarity, and added value by reducing the onboarding process. We found that our query matching had high success rates, and received positive feedback on the visual interactive and flow of interaction during the evaluation. Thus, the chatbot is a low-cost, high-return prospect for small to medium-sized enterprises looking to modernise their onboarding and internal support processes without needing sophisticated AI and heavy IT infrastructures. The results further support the notion that lightweight, rules-based chatbots serve as powerful digital transformation tools, providing tangible benefits within corporate training, HR automation, and employee self-service solutions
Investigating the Impact of Influencer Marketing on Long-Term Brand Perception and Consumer Loyalty
No full textThis study examines the long-term impact of influencer marketing on brand perception and consumer loyalty, addressing a research gap by focusing on sustained influencer collaborations. Grounded in Albert Bandura's social learning theory, the study analyses key factors, including influencer credibility, value alignment, messaging consistency, partnership duration, and the risks posed by over-exposure and controversies. A quantitative research design was employed, with data collected through an online survey targeting a global sample of Millennials and Gen Z. Results reveal that influencer credibility and value alignment significantly enhance long-term consumer engagement and loyalty, while controversies and over-exposure can undermine brand trust and reputation. The findings provide actionable recommendations for brands to optimize their influencer marketing strategies, highlighting the importance of authenticity, strategic alignment, and consistent messaging to foster sustained loyalty and positively shape brand perception over time
Investigating How Multicultural Team Members Communicate within Irish Construction Project Management
Full text linkThis paper examines the communication barriers and practices in multicultural teams in the construction sector of Ireland. The study seeks to find out how cultural diversity may influence the communication efficiency, based on the SMCR model. Survey of 100 construction workers also depicted how language played an important role in construction projects as well as different communication strategies and cultural trends adopted during the construction process. All studies examined in this paper indicate that there is significant risk of miscommunication but this can be prevented with techniques such as cultural competence training, having clear verbal and written formats for communication, and seventh, having proper integration of technology into the healthcare process. Hence, the study focuses on the communication media choice for improving the collaboration in multicultural project team
Psychotherapists’ Experiences in Working with Autistic Clients: Insights and Implications for Practice
No full textThis study explores psychotherapists’ experiences of supporting autistic adults and identifies gaps in autism-specific training within psychotherapy education. Five therapists from Ireland and the United Kingdom were interviewed using a qualitative, reflexive thematic analysis. Five key themes emerged: training gaps and learning through experience, challenges in differentiating autism from co-occurring conditions, the need for adapted communication and sensory environments, affirming authentic autistic identities, and adapting traditional therapy models. The findings reveal that many therapists are required to self-educate and adapt traditional approaches to meet autistic clients’ needs. Participants emphasised the importance of flexible, client-led, and neurodiversity-affirming practices. The study contributes to a growing movement advocating for systemic changes in therapist education and practice to better support autistic individuals and create more inclusive, empowering therapeutic environments
Economic and Environmental Benefits of Renewable Energy in Construction Projects
No full textThis research provides a comprehensive empirical analysis of the economic and environmental benefits and challenges of integrating renewable energy into construction projects, from the perspective of industry practitioners. Employing a quantitative survey methodology, data was collected from 164 construction professionals, including architects, engineers, and developers. The findings reveal a significant evolution in industry perception. Key economic drivers have shifted from long term operational savings towards more immediate benefits like enhanced brand image and faster property sales. The most significant economic barriers are no longer primarily high upfront costs, but have transitioned to uncertainty over long term maintenance costs and difficulties in securing financing. Environmentally, reducing a building's carbon footprint is the principal motivator, while a sophisticated concern for the end of life disposal of technologies is now the primary environmental apprehension. The study concludes that while the industry is maturing in its acceptance of renewable energy, significant challenges related to long term risk, the availability of a skilled workforce, and practical financing solutions persist. Recommendations are provided for policymakers and industry stakeholders to better align incentives and training with the practical realities of project development, thereby accelerating the transition to a more sustainable built environment
Exploring the Role of the Other in Addiction Recovery
No full textThis thesis explores the role of the Other in recovery from Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), with a focus on how psychotherapists understand and engage with the relational dimensions of healing, particularly in the context of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and psychotherapy. While AA and psychotherapy are widely used in addiction treatment, little research has examined how the Other – whether therapist, sponsor, or peer – is experienced as a catalyst for recovery, especially in the Irish context. To address this gap, six experienced Irish psychotherapists were interviewed using a qualitative design. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to explore their insights into how relational connection, meaning-making, and identity transformation support recovery. The findings indicate that the presence of the Other plays a central role in rebuilding trust, holding hope, and co-creating a future-oriented self-narrative. Participants described how recovery involves not just behavioural change but sustained relational engagement – particularly in navigating the psychological impact of trauma and disconnection. While key distinctions between AA and psychotherapy were acknowledged, participants advocated for a reflective, integrative stance that supports clients in engaging critically and ethically with both systems. The study contributes to the literature by offering an in-depth, clinically grounded perspective on how recovery is shaped within and between relational frameworks. It underscores the need for training, collaboration, and person-centred practice in addiction work. Ultimately, this research affirms that recovery is not solely a personal task, but a relational journey – held and supported by the enduring presence of the Other
When will you be mine? A discursive analysis of how motherhood is conceptualised in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Setting
No full textAbstract This thesis explores how motherhood is conceptualised within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where medical intervention and institutional protocols often disrupt conventional maternal roles. Through qualitative interviews with neonatal nurses, the study employs thematic and Foucauldian discursive analysis to examine how maternal subjectivity is shaped within this environment. Six key themes emerged, including fractured hope at birth, institutional barriers to bonding, and the emotional labour of mothers under observation. Drawing on psychoanalytic theory, particularly the work of Lacan, Freud, and Stern, the study highlights how early psychic structures, such as maternal desire, separation, and loss interact with the NICU setting to complicate the transition into motherhood. Foucauldian insights further reveal how power, surveillance, and normative expectations regulate maternal behaviours and identities. Despite these constraints, the findings also show moments of resistance and emotional resilience, where nurses help sustain maternal subjectivity by “holding hope†on behalf of mothers. The study offers important implications for clinical care and psychotherapeutic support in perinatal settings, underscoring the need to recognise motherhood as a complex, relational, and institutionally influenced experience. Abstract This thesis explores how motherhood is conceptualised within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where medical intervention and institutional protocols often disrupt conventional maternal roles. Through qualitative interviews with neonatal nurses, the study employs thematic and Foucauldian discursive analysis to examine how maternal subjectivity is shaped within this environment. Six key themes emerged, including fractured hope at birth, institutional barriers to bonding, and the emotional labour of mothers under observation. Drawing on psychoanalytic theory, particularly the work of Lacan, Freud, and Stern, the study highlights how early psychic structures, such as maternal desire, separation, and loss interact with the NICU setting to complicate the transition into motherhood. Foucauldian insights further reveal how power, surveillance, and normative expectations regulate maternal behaviours and identities. Despite these constraints, the findings also show moments of resistance and emotional resilience, where nurses help sustain maternal subjectivity by “holding hope†on behalf of mothers. The study offers important implications for clinical care and psychotherapeutic support in perinatal settings, underscoring the need to recognise motherhood as a complex, relational, and institutionally influenced experience. This thesis explores how motherhood is conceptualised within the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where medical intervention and institutional protocols often disrupt conventional maternal roles. Through qualitative interviews with neonatal nurses, the study employs thematic and Foucauldian d
Digital empowerment in agriculture: Evaluating digital infrastructure, services, benefits, and challenges for smallholder farmers in Chongwe, Zambia
No full textThe adoption of digital solutions by smallholder farmers can enhance both input and output market participation, market information, and reduce the cost of selling farm produce thereby increasing productivity. The objectives of this study was to assess the digital empowerment of smallholder farmers in Chongwe, Zambia by evaluating the existing digital infrastructure, available services, perceived benefits, and challenges, with the aim of providing insights that can inform strategies to enhance the effective integration and utilization of digital solutions in agricultural practices. The study followed a mixed methods paradigm using a three-stage sampling procedure. In stage 1, Chongwe district was purposively sampled out of 6 districts in Lusaka province. In stage 2, Nkomesha Block was purposively sampled out of 5 agriculture blocks of Chongwe district. In the last stage, 4 agriculture camps were randomly selected out of 6 camps in Nkomesha Block. Then Yamane’s formula was used to randomly sample 92 smallholder farmers. For qualitative data, 5 key informants were purposively selected for in- depth interviews. The findings were that out of 92 respondents on digital infrastructure available for smallholder farmers in Chongwe, 89 had mobile phones although 59 only had ordinary phones while 30 had smart phones; 55 had internet connection; 2 were connected to national electricity grid, and 87 used solar powered electricity. Out of 92 respondents on digital services available for smallholder farmers, smallholder farmers in Chongwe receiving extension services through three main channels: 78 were through extension works, 69 through radio, and 43 through TV; and 90 used mobile money for financial transactions. Out of 92 respondents on the benefits of digital solutions to smallholder farmers, 91 benefited social
Munalula, T. and Mpundu, M.145 interactions, 90 benefited enhanced extension linkages, 66 benefited access to agriculture information, and 89 benefited from the elimination of middlemen. Out of 92 respondents on the major digital challenges smallholder farmers face, 87 faced high cost of phones, 83 mistrust due to scammers, and 81 high cost of maintenance
What's the story with ADHD?: Exploring sociocultural conceptualisations and the treatment of ADHD
No full textThis study explores the sociocultural conceptualisations and treatment of ADHD, challenging its biomedical construction as a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder. Drawing on theoretical insights from Michel Foucault and Iain McGilchrist, it examines how psychiatric discourse has permeated social institutions. Section 1 critiques the authority of the DSM and its role in pathologising disruptive behaviour, positioning ADHD as an objectifying mechanism of social control. Section 2 examines the dominance of behavioural therapies, linking their rise to left-brain tendencies for control and standardisation, while exploring how right-brain-oriented approaches remain marginalised. Section 3 advocates for psychoanalytic and humanistic therapies that explore the meaning of one’s symptoms in relationship to their environment. This study advocates for a shift towards a more humanistic approach that moves beyond symptom-management. â€