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The Great Regsignation
No full textThe scarce supply of labour and of a competent workforce in the hospitality sector has been researched and debated for decades. Although the sector is important to the UK economy contributing £130 billion pounds to the Gross Domestic Product, the inability of the sector to attract and retain the best talent remains an age-old problem. This paper is a commentary of the current debate on the recruitment crisis based on an examination of the most recent academic literature. The research finds that although many recommendations have been proffered by researchers to solve these problems the issues and mistakes made by hospitality employers appear to remain the same. This paper is a preamble of a wider research project aimed at investigating the reasons why employers fail to place more emphasis on employee retention in hospitality organisations. Reviews of scholarly journals, books and materials from the domains of marketing, human resources, hospitality management and organisational behaviour were used to find evidence about the current trends of thought, research findings and best practices in this field. The chapter concludes with conceptual models that summarise the critical issues and possible solutions
The introduction of a Surgical Care Practitioner training programme to an acute National Health Service trust and an exploration of the interrelationships between Surgical Care Practitioners, their trainers and surgical trainees
No full textThis study aimed to explore the impact of the introduction of a Surgical Care Practitioner programme on junior surgical training within an acute National Health Service trust. A qualitative methodology of semi-structured interviews was used to gather information from eight Surgical Care Practitioners, eight surgical trainees and eight consultant grade trainers. The authors found an overall positive and mutually beneficial outcome of the training programme, with surgical trainees unanimous that the presence of the Surgical Care Practitioners freed them up for more time to be spent in theatre, as well as acting as highly experienced surgical assistants when the trainees were operating on their own. This study found significant mutual benefits to surgical trainees and Surgical Care Practitioners, as well as smoother running of the wards, theatres and the clinical firms through the addition of a highly skilled and versatile Surgical Care Practitioner workforce
Changes in Physical Performance during British Army Junior Entry, British Army Standard Entry, and Royal Air Force Basic Training
Get PDFIntroduction: To quantify changes in physical performance in men and women during British Army Junior Entry (Army-JE), Standard Entry (Army-SE), and Royal Air Force (RAF) Basic Training (BT). Design: Prospective longitudinal study. Methods: 381 participants [(339 men, 42 women) n=141 Army-JE; n=132 Army-SE; n=108 RAF] completed a 2-km Run, Medicine Ball Throw (MBT) and isometric Mid-Thigh Pull (MTP), pre- and post-BT. To examine changes in pre- to post- BT physical test performance, for each course, paired students t-tests, and Wilcoxon tests were applied to normally and non-normally distributed data respectively; with effect sizes reported as Cohen’s D and with rank biserial correlations, respectively. A one-way between-subjects ANOVA (or Welch ANOVA for non-normally distributed data) compared performance between quartiles based on test performance pre-BT. Where the main tests statistic, p value and effect sizes identified likely effect of quartile, post-hoc comparisons were made using Games-Howell tests with Tukey’s p value. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation, statistical significance set at p<0.05. Results: During BT, 2-km run time improved by 13±46 (-2.1±8.1%), 30±64 (-4.8±12.3%), and 24±27 s (-4.5±5.1%) for Army-JE, Army-SE, and RAF, respectively (all p<0.005). MBT distance increased by 0.27±0.28 m (6.8±7.0%) for Army-JE (p<0.001) and 0.07±0.46 m (2.3±10.9%) for Army-SE (p=0.040), but decreased by 0.08±0.27 m (-1.4±6.0%) for RAF (p=0.002). MTP force increased by 80±281 N (10.8±27.6%) for Army-JE (p<0.001) and did not change for Army-SE (-36±295 N, -0.7±20.6%, p=0.144) or RAF (-9±208 N, 1.0±17.0, p=0.603). For all tests and cohorts, participants in the lowest quartile of pre-BT performance scores demonstrated greater improvements, compared with participants in the highest quartile (except Army-JE MBT; ∆% change similar between all quartiles). Conclusions: Changes in physical performance were observed for the three fitness tests following the different BT courses, but recruits with the lowest strength and aerobic fitness experienced greatest improvements
The effects of sleep deprivation, acute hypoxia, and exercise on cognitive performance: A multi-experiment combined stressors study
Get PDFIntroduction: Both sleep deprivation and hypoxia have been shown to impair executive function. Conversely, moderate intensity exercise is known to improve executive function. In a multi-experiment study, we tested the hypotheses that moderate intensity exercise would ameliorate any decline in executive function after i) three consecutive nights of partial sleep deprivation (PSD) (Experiment 1) and ii) the isolated and combined effects of a single night of total sleep deprivation (TSD) and acute hypoxia (Experiment 2).
Methods: Using a rigorous randomised controlled crossover design, 12 healthy participants volunteered in each experiment (24 total, 5 females). In both experiments seven executive function tasks (2-choice reaction time, logical relations, manikin, mathematical processing, 1-back, 2-back, 3-back) were completed at rest and during 20 min semi-recumbent, moderate intensity cycling. Tasks were completed in the following conditions: before and after three consecutive nights of PSD and habitual sleep (Experiment 1) and in normoxia and acute hypoxia (FIO2 = 0.12) following one night of habitual sleep and one night of TSD (Experiment 2).
Results: Although the effects of three nights of PSD on executive functions were inconsistent, one night of TSD (regardless of hypoxic status) reduced executive functions. Significantly, regardless of sleep or hypoxic status, executive functions are improved during an acute bout of moderate intensity exercise.
Conclusion: These novel data indicate that moderate intensity exercise improves executive function performance after both PSD and TSD, regardless of hypoxic status. The key determinants and/or mechanism(s) responsible for this improvement still need to be elucidated. Future work should seek to identify these mechanisms and translate these significant findings into occupational and skilled performance settings
“The spectators ask, is it a boy or a girl? What is it?”: Cultural cisgenderism and trans men’s sporting experiences in Iran
Get PDFIn this article, we draw on cultural cisgenderism to analyse the sporting experiences of trans men in Iran. Utilising semi-structured interviews with twelve trans men in different stages of transition, we consider their experiences of women’s sport environments, the extent to which cisnormativity is embedded into the culture, and whether their gender identities are accepted. We found that essentialist understandings of sex and gender are evident in sport environments, with gender presentation policed by others, and expectations this should align with ascribed biological sex. While some interviewees’ masculine expressions were valued, others were considered ‘too masculine’ to be eligible to participate in women’s sport spaces; this led to restrictions around appearance and clothing, alongside instances of compulsory hormone testing. Finally, for those who were ‘out’ about their gender identity, this often led to hostility from others, including coaches, teammates, and spectators. Overall, this paper provides a critical understanding of trans inclusion in sport spaces in Iran. However, the findings may be useful for anyone working to make sport more accessible, regardless of geographical location
The impact of Fallon Sherrock and the increasing prominence of women within professional darts events: A call for future research
Get PDFRationale/Purpose - This positioning paper is a call to action for future research regarding the roles of women in the male-dominated sport of professional darts. Women have been present at darts events for over 80 years; however, the success of Englishwomen Fallon Sherrock and Lisa Ashton at the male-dominated Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events placed the sport into the global spotlight in the early 2020s. Sherrock’s successes in particular have been a catalyst, bringing increased exposure to women players competing in mixed draw professional darts tournaments against their male counterparts. Following a historical exploration of women in darts, the article explores the contrasting roles of women at contemporary live darts events.
Practical Implications - Theoretically, the article draws on gender essentialism and Kane’s (1995) sports continuum to consider how the sport can challenge notions of men’s ‘natural’ superiority.
Research Contribution - We propose a number of areas for future research, including: the rise of women players in professional darts; women’s fandom at live professional darts events; the changing roles of women in media and broadcasting; critiques of meritocracy in the game; men’s responses to the increased visibility of women in this male-dominated arena; and strategies to strive for gender equity
Don Cupitt: prophet, public intellectual and pioneer Prophet without honour: the marginalization of Don Cupitt
Get PDFThis article is the first of three that will evaluate the work and legacy of the Cambridge non-realist theologian and philosopher of religion, Don Cupitt. We begin by suggesting that Cupitt might be depicted as a ‘prophet without honour’ in both his ecclesiastical home of the Church of England and at the University of Cambridge, where he spent most of his professional life. This is based on the observation that, after a promising early career, Cupitt never received the ecclesiastical preferment or academic promotion that many argued he deserved. This arguably represents a missed opportunity for both Church and academy, because Cupitt is more accurately understood not as an enemy of religion but as essentially an ecclesiastical insider whose chief motivation was to uphold the contemporary relevance and credibility of Christianity
Effect of Substitution Time on Physical, Technical and Cognitive Performance in Sub-Elite Male Field Hockey Players
Get PDFWe examined the effects of substitution time (i.e. recovery time) in a simulated field hockey test on physical, technical and perceptual/cognitive performance. Nine sub-elite male field hockey players (age: 20±2 yrs, height: 1.81±0.06 m, body mass: 71±10 kg, body fat: 10.3±3.7%, V ̇O2max: 67±3 "mL∙" 〖"kg" 〗^"-1" "∙" 〖"min" 〗^"-1" ) completed four 8-min 40-s bouts of high-intensity intermittent exercise with 2-min and 5.5-min substitution time replicating the demands of a 4-quarter field hockey match. After each bout, a 15-m maximal sprint, agility/dribbling test, passing accuracy test, and a cognitive task were completed. Heart rate (P<0.001) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) (P<0.001) increased with every bout. RPE was higher for the 5.5-min condition during the 2nd and 4th bout. No differences were observed between the substitution times and the number of bouts on 15-m maximal sprint time (2-min: 2.03±0.14 s, 5.5-min: 2.07±0.12 s), average reaction time (2-min: 347.19±30.78 ms, 5.5-min: 346.69±38.73 ms), cognitive error rate (2-min: 0.86 ± 0.77; 5.5-min: 0.44 ± 0.37), passing accuracy (2-min: 6±1, 5.5-min: 6±1) and agility/dribbling time (2-min: 7.06±0.41 s, 5.5-min: 7.23±0.55 s). It was concluded that a longer recovery time (i.e. substitution time 5.5-min) did not provide better physical and technical performance than 2-min during a simulated 4-quarter field hockey test. Further research with a larger sample size should address whether the shorter 2-min substitution time seemed to result in lower cognitive performance
Castles and Palaces
Get PDFMedieval castles and palaces have not traditionally been studied in terms of women
and gender. Castle studies have produced analyses confined, on the whole, to
defence and warfare, and palaces have acted as the backdrop to constitutional/political
histories peopled almost exclusively by 'great men', or for studies of developments in
court bureaucracy that show little concern for gender. Yet since the 1990s studies
have emerged which have made women more visible. European coverage remains
patchy, however. For example women's quarters in French palaces have receive little
detailed attention; there and elsewhere problems of textual survival complicate the
possibility of equating spaces unequivocally with the domains of women.
Nevertheless, the complexity of interior patterns of access in high-status domestic
architecture is now recognised as having gendered significance
The impact of group singing on children's subjective well‐being: Mixed methods research
Get PDFImproving the well‐being of children has been widely discussed, yet research‐exploring strategies aimed at improving this in school‐based settings is still an emerging field of research. This mixed methods study investigated the impact of a singing intervention on the subjective well‐being of a class of 27 children aged 8–9. Over the course of 2 weeks, the class took part in 20 minutes of daily group singing with a focus on learning popular music that they chose. The sessions were delivered by a generalist primary teacher who had previously worked as a music specialist. In measuring children's subjective well‐being with emphasis on life satisfaction, the ‘Student's Life Satisfaction Scale’ was administered to the children pre‐ and post‐intervention. Of the 27 children, four (identified as disadvantaged) were interviewed as part of a focus group at the end of the intervention and questions centred around the children's opinions and enjoyment of the intervention. Results indicated that there was a much lower proportion of children with low subjective well‐being scores after the intervention than before the intervention (as measured by the SLSS questionnaire). Analysis of the Likert scale data showed a ‘medium’ (d = 0.5) effect size. Thematic analysis of the focus group revealed that singing had a broadly positive effect on the well‐being of those children, which is consistent with findings found in similar trials involving adults. Links to the theoretical framework of ‘flow’ by Csikszentmihalhi (1975) are drawn, alongside the PERMA well‐being framework model (Seligman, 2012) to help explain the effects of being engrossed in an enjoyable activity such as group singing and how this in turn can impact subjective well‐being