1993 research outputs found
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Animal studies and philosophy
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Job Crafting and Employee Engagement Among Millennials in Retail
Full text linkMillennials, born between 1981 and 2000 (Dimock, 2019; Howe and Strauss, 2000), are rapidly becoming the largest demographic in the professional workforce. In Hong Kong's retail industry, which constitutes 5% of the city’s GDP and serves as an economic pillar, there is a critical need to understand the factors shaping the engagement and motivation of Millennial frontline retail employees.
This research adopted a qualitative multiple-case approach, exploring the interrelationship between job crafting and employee engagement within this demographic group in the retail sector. The research employed a constructivist-interpretivist approach, emphasising the active role of participants in co-creating meaning. This study involved 24 semi-structured interviews drawn from three sports retail companies across Hong Kong, providing distinctive insights into the work experiences of Millennials. Guided by Social Exchange and Self Determination theories, this research applied thematic analysis to unveil the intricacies of Millennials’ job crafting behaviours and organisational factors that fuelled employee engagement in the Hong Kong retail environment.
The findings revealed that Millennial frontline staff engaged more actively in their organisations when they experienced a workplace culture that fostered trust and care, encouraged team cohesion, promoted positive leadership, granted job autonomy, imbued their roles with meaning, and implemented caring human resource management (HRM) practices as the broader context shaping workplace experiences. The autonomy in task crafting, team relationships in relational crafting, and role meaningfulness in cognitive crafting operated as integral components of job crafting. These attributes collectively established a foundation that created workplace engagement among Millennials.
This study broadens the understanding of job crafting and employee engagement within a non-Western context and highlights the need to adapt these concepts to this context. It also suggests that leaders, managers, and HR practitioners in the Hong Kong retail industry should formulate customised employee engagement strategies for Millennial retail staff
The Impact of Debt Financing on the Financial Performance of Airline Companies Listed on the London Stock Exchange
Full text linkBackground: The capital structure of airline companies is critical to financial performance due to the capital-intensive nature of the industry. While debt financing supports expansion, excessive borrowing can reduce liquidity and profitability, particularly under volatile market conditions.
Methods: The study applied regression analysis on secondary financial data from four London Stock Exchange, listed airlines, International Airlines Group (IAG), EasyJet, Wizz Air, and Jet2, to examine the effect of debt ratio and debt-to-equity ratio on current ratio, return on assets (ROA), and return on equity (ROE).
Results: The debt-to-equity ratio showed a significant negative effect on the current ratio, indicating that equity financing strengthens liquidity. Debt ratio had a significant negative effect on both ROA and ROE, while debt-to-equity ratio was insignificant for ROA and weakly negative for ROE.
Conclusion: Excessive debt undermines liquidity and profitability in London-listed airlines, supporting the Trade-off and Pecking Order theories while challenging Modigliani–Miller’s irrelevance view. Prudent debt management is essential for sustaining financial stability and shareholder value in the airline sector
Multi-Angle Beam Generation and Steering via Meander-Line-Coil EMATs
Full text linkThis thesis investigates Meander-Line Coil (MLC) Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMATs) for the purposes of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), focusing on their theoretical foundations, simulated modelling, and experimental validations. Whilst the detection of defects was not investigated, this work thoroughly examines the EMAT’s capability as a conventional transducer to steer the angle of its oblique ultrasonic waves. This culminates in the innovative generation of multi-angle bulk waves simultaneously from a single EMAT. The practical applications of a multi-angle EMAT include the ability to perform sectoral scans, currently only possible by Phased Array (PA) Ultrasonic Testing (PAUT). This is beneficial as EMATs are not restricted to using a coupling liquid for their operation, allowing them to be used on high-temperature materials or in hazardous areas where a coupling medium is unacceptable.
The thesis begins with an overview of modern NDT methods (particularly Ultrasonic Testing (UT)) and explores the principles of electromagnetism relevant to EMATs. An in-depth analysis of EMATs covers their transduction methods, design configurations, and historical development, along with their associated electronic circuitry.
A significant portion of this thesis involves constructing and validating a 2D Finite Element Method (FEM) model of the MLC EMAT using ‘COMSOL Multiphysics’ and understanding its properties through parametric studies. The following experimental validation focuses on the MLC EMAT's performance on non-ferromagnetic workpieces in comparison to the simulations to assess their accuracy. Further investigations examine the transmitted bulk waves via parametric studies on both the EMAT's magnetic and coil configurations. This research concludes with an exploration of generating multi-angle bulk waves by modifying the transmission signals through EMAT coils. These waves are analysed using the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) to extract an individual angle’s A-scan from the overall complex signal received, demonstrating the feasibility of this novel approach.
This study shows that EMATs can accurately steer the direction of their bulk waves as a function of frequency, supported by reliable simulated modelling and experimental evidence. The primary outcome of the research is the proof of concept for simultaneous transmission and reception of multi-angle waves via EMAT technology. This has the potential to enhance the EMAT’s defect detection by an increased coverage, the triangulation of these defects from different angled waves, and a greater range of flaw orientation
Exploring Classroom Grouping Practices in Wales
Full text linkGrouping practices in classrooms are under-researched within the Welsh context. This exploratory research aimed to provide information about grouping practices for those with additional learning needs (ALN) and educators' decision-making concerning these. In addition, the study sought to gain insight into changes to grouping practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and priorities for the future. Data was gathered using an online survey of primary and secondary school ALNCos (n=102) based in Wales. Findings revealed that mixed ability was the most frequently used grouping practice for general subjects across primary and secondary schools. Similar to figures found elsewhere in the UK, the grouping of core subjects in both age phases was attainment-based. A wide range of grouping practices were selected, which offered support for academic learning, with less focus on learner choice or socially-based groups. This was the case for learners with and without ALN, and figures also show an increase in attainment grouping for younger children. ALNCos highlighted concerns over the standard of ALN provision during the pandemic and the need to move towards more child-centred, socially-focused interventions. Implications of the study and recommendations for the future are discussed
“Scared of the Emptiness” Exploring the Therapeutic Experiences of People with Hoarding Disorder: An Interpretative Phenomenological Study.
Full text linkIs mentoring of newly qualified teachers (NQTs) in Wales supportive of the development of teacher professionalism or simply adding to NQTs’ ‘to-do lists’?
No full textThis small-scale, qualitative, longitudinal study explored NQTs’ experiences of being mentored by following nine individuals throughout their first year of teaching to understand the nature of the mentoring support that they received. Undertaken against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, findings indicated that the mentoring approaches experienced by NQTs were largely instrumental. These were dominated by administrative tasks to meet external quality-assurance requirements through the documenting and recording of experiences. Findings illuminated that mentoring experiences were onerous and simply added to NQTs’ ‘to-do lists’, because they were focused almost exclusively on technically meeting the standards and instrumentally documenting these. This was consistently privileged and prioritised, leaving little time and space to engage in essential professional learning through critical collaborative conversations that problematised and interrogated practice in order to develop expertise. Importantly, these impoverished approaches to mentoring NQTs were not different to the instrumental practices identified prior to the pandemic (Waters, 2020). This article is therefore relevant because if sustained, these practices would be highly concerning and have enduring implications for the profession
In Pursuit of an Ethics of Biblical Interpretation: Assessing Cheryl Anderson’s Evaluative Process through Interpretations of Romans 1:18-32.
Full text linkThe purpose of this dissertation is to explore the possible elements of an ethics of biblical interpretation by critically examining an evaluative process proposed by Cheryl Anderson. The intention of an ethics of biblical interpretation is to ensure that interpreters take responsibility both to treat the biblical text justly and to ensure that those others who are potentially affected by their interpretations are not harmed. Anderson’s evaluative process suggests that four elements are required for interpretations to be considered ethical. These include the plausibility of the interpretation, an assessment of the contemporary context, critical self-awareness exhibited by the interpreter and an analysis of the potential consequences of the interpretation, with harmful interpretations being dismissed. In this study these elements are explored in detail and their suitability as part of Anderson’s evaluative process is analysed by applying them to six example biblical interpretations of Romans 1:18-32, to evaluate whether these interpretations can be considered ethical according to Anderson’s elements. These elements are shown to correlate with the main categories of others that are affected by interpretations, that is, the text, the contemporary readers, the interpreter and those who are impacted by interpretations, and this relationship is examined. The controlling role of the interpreter and the potential for Anderson’s evaluative process to safeguard the text, the contemporary readers and those affected by the interpretation, within the interpretive process is discussed. The dissertation identifies significant challenges to the implementation of two of Anderson’s required elements, that is, critical self awareness and the analysis of consequences, and suggests areas for further research. This dissertation concludes that, although Anderson’s evaluative process contributes valuable insight into potential constituent elements of an ethics of biblical interpretation, its implementation cannot be considered feasible at this time
An Exploration of Translation Behaviours among Translators and Proofreading Editors in the Information Service in Mega Sports Events in China
Full text linkMega sports events are strategically employed by cities to gain capital and to rebrand their offer for tourists in the competitive global arena (Hall, 2006, p.59). For significant international sports events like the Olympic Games or any international championships, the Information Service, often managed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), plays a crucial role in providing worldwide media outlets with comprehensive information both inside and outside the competition (Jiang, 2012, p.23). In China, translation becomes an integral component of the Information Service. Bilingual services in Chinese and English are provided, with translators playing an often-overlooked yet indispensable role (Lv & Guo, 2022, p.26). In exploring the information service office in China, this study draws on the Domestication & Foreignization theory in translation studies (Venuti, 1995), considers the impact of gatekeeping theory on news translation in journalism (White, 1950), and incorporates relevant theories of sports translation and news translation. The objective is to analyze the translation behaviours of, and strategies employed by, translators and proofreading editors in the information service.
The main findings are: The translation strategies employed by translators and proofreading editors in the information service office lack fixed parameters and exhibit flexibility, contingent upon considerations such as the source text, accuracy, sensitivity of information, and the intended audience. There is no universal translation strategy applied in the translation team. Therefore, the term ‘versalation’, which indicates a flexible and compatible translation strategy that allows translators and proofreading editors to adjust their translation in accordance to various considerations is proposed. Expressiveness and faithfulness, which extend from a fluent presentation of the translation to the precision of factual data and wording, are decisive factors that shape their final work. Both translators and proofreading editors openly acknowledge their gatekeeping role throughout the translation process, demonstrating benevolence towards Chinese athletes, and the continuation and compliance with China’s sports reporting policies. Proofreading editors shoulder a more substantial responsibility in this regard. Their translation strategies, particularly concerning sensitive information, are rooted in their individual preferences and influenced by diverse factors within and outside the information service office. These measures are consistent with China's long-term sports diplomacy objectives and are designed to avoid errors, thereby reflecting a proactive stance aimed at self-protection
The Pursuit of Well-being: A Comparative Study of the PERMA Model in Positive Psychology and the Sacred Treasures in the Yogācārabhūmi-Śāstra — Focusing on ‘Meaning’ and ‘She(Upekṣā)’ 幸福追求：積極心理學PERMA模型與《瑜伽師地論》聖財的比較研究——以其中的「意義」與「捨」為核心
Full text linkHappiness, as a perpetual pursuit of humanity, has permeated philosophical, religious, and psychological discourse throughout history. This study focuses on the concept of ‘meaning’ from the PERMA model in positive psychology and the Buddhist concept of ‘she’ (捨Upekṣā, equanimity) from the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra (Treatise on the Stages of Yogic Practice) as its core themes, comparing their similarities, differences, and potential integration in constructing well-being. The findings reveal that while the two concepts exhibit significant differences in methodology and philosophical foundations, both prioritise inner transformation and transcendent aspirations as central objectives. Their shared characteristics lie in three aspects:
1) transcending immediate adversities to redefine life experiences through a macro perspective;
2) emphasising the initiative and continuity of moral practice; and 3) commencing with the development of human potential to orient towards transcendent values, whether through altruism or spiritual liberation. Regarding integration pathways, the study proposes combining the structured tools of ‘meaning’ with the mind-cultivation philosophy of ‘she’. This integrated framework not only strengthens individual social contributions and self-growth but also deepens the ultimate significance of spiritual liberation, reflecting the complementary nature of ‘worldly achievements’ and ‘transcendent wisdom’. The synthesis of ‘meaning’ and ‘she’ offers modern individuals a holistic path to happiness that integrates psychological empirical validity with religious-philosophical depth, reconciling active engagement in the secular world with inner spiritual freedom, thereby addressing humanity’s quest for ultimate significance
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