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How can the combination of intelligence, innovation and interfacing help take a hi-tech SME to market? A case study
No full textThis study interrogates the way in which marketing is carried out, or not carried
out within a high technology based small business. The business in question
was the basis of a case study undertaken over an 18-month period. This
researcher aimed to examine how the combination of entrepreneurial, innovative
and relationship marketing can be used to successfully go to market and increase
turnover. This PhD project aimed to develop both a theoretical conceptual
model and a practice-based application of the model for application in the case
study company.
The research undertaken combined multiple methods of approach including
autoethnographic participant observation, in-depth responsive interviews and
inquiry from within the case study company as the researcher was fully
embedded in the business for 18 months. This combination of these methods
enabled an immersive and robust case study, which sat inline with the
interpretivist approach allowing the researcher to gain an insight into the social
construction of meaning in relation to the marketing practice of the high
technology based small business and how such meaning can be used to inform
‘contextual’ theory development. The case study was then examined and
explained using an autoenthographic narrative and positioned in three phases
to show the progression from no formal marketing marketing to administrative
marketing methods through to innovative and entrepreneurial marketing
strategies and techniques.
The outcome of the case study research has resulted in an adapted practicebased
model. This research has informed the development of the 3I’s model
and started to show that the weighting of each section may not be equal. The
model suggests that market intelligence, marketing innovation and human
interfacing used in the correct combination, as suggested by the researcher,
can help high technology based small businesses and ultimately businesses in
general go to market successfully
Public Sector Supply Chain Management: A Triple Helix Approach to Aligning Innovative Environmental Initiatives
No full textThis paper argues that in order to deliver greater levels of sustainable performance, environmental strategy should be addressed at the supply chain level and not just at the level of the individual organisation. It demonstrates the similarities between the environmental statements of companies in both the private and public sectors and proposes that public sector organisations, by virtue of their considerable spend with private sector organisations, are in a powerful position to encourage and support environmental initiatives throughout their supply chains.
Drawing upon Triple Helix Theory the paper discusses the importance of unifying the efforts of government, industry and academia in order to identify and operationalise innovative thinking in economies. It explores the roles of public and private sector organisations along with universities in developing environmental strategies and practices within supply chains. Environmental Management Systems (EMS) are discussed and the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) is identified as a potential mechanism for structuring and reporting the collaborative environmental improvement performance of supply chains
Control of microbial fuel cell voltage using a gain scheduling control strategy
No full textRecent microbial fuel cell (MFC) research frequently addresses matters associated with scale and deployability. Modularisation is often needed to reduce ohmic losses with increasing volume. Series/parallel is then often an obvious strategy to enhance power quality during operation, to make best use of generated electricity. Hence, voltage reversal resulting from power and voltage mismatch between cells, become virtually unavoidable. Controlling MFC voltages could be used to stabilise MFC stacks. Here, nonlinear MFCs are controlled using simple gain scheduled Proportional+Integral actions. Parsimonious control may be necessary for implementation in MFC arrays, so minimising costs. Controller parameterisation used several linearised models over the dynamic operating range of the MFCs. Controller gains were then scheduled according to the operating conditions. A digital potentiometer was used to actuate the control, varying the current sourced from the MFC. The results show that the controller was able to control MFC voltages, rejecting the disturbances. It was shown that the controller was transferable between MFCs with different power performances. This study demonstrates that the control of MFCs can be achieved with relatively simple digital approaches, plausibly implementable using low cost microcontrollers, and likely to be useful in the effective deployment of MFCs in large scale arrays• Control of microbial fuel cell (MFC) voltage is demonstrated .
• Gain scheduling allows control over the operating range.
• Control is transferable between similar MFCs.
• Control strategy is parsimonious and hence practical.This work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) [grant number: NE/L014106/1]; through the Resource Recovery from Waste Programme, in the Microbial Electrochemical Technology for Resource Recovery (MeteoRR) project
A multilevel sustainability analysis of zinc recovery from wastes
No full textAs waste generation increases with increasing population, regulations become stricter to control and mitigate environmental emissions of substances, e.g. heavy metals: zinc and copper. Recovering these resources from wastes is the key interest of industries. The objective of this paper is the sustainability and feasibility evaluations of zinc recovery from waste streams. Sustainability and feasibility of a resource recovery strategy from wastes in a circular economy are governed by avoided environmental impacts and cost-effective transformation of an environmental contaminant into a valuable resource, e.g. as a coproduct by making use of an existing infrastructure as much as possible. This study, for the first time, gives a comprehensive overview of secondary sources and processes of recovering zinc, its stock analysis by country, regional and global divisions by a Sankey diagram, policies to regulate zinc emissions and avoided environmental impacts by zinc recovery. Two representative cases are further investigated for economic feasibility analysis of zinc recovery from 1) steelmaking dust and (2) municipal solid waste (MSW). The amount and value of zinc that can be generated from dust emitted from various steelmaking technologies are estimated. Additional revenues for the steelmaking industrial sector (with electric arc furnace), at the plant, national (UK), regional (EU) and global levels are 11, 12, 169 and 1670 million tonne/y, or 19-143, 20-157, 287-2203 and 2834-21740 million €/y, respectively. The second case study entails an integrated mechanical biological treatment (MBT) system of MSW consisting of metal recovery technologies, anaerobic digestion, refuse derived fuel (RDF) incineration and combined heat and power (CHP) generation. An effective economic value analysis methodology has been adopted to analyse the techno-economic feasibility of the integrated MBT system. The value analysis shows that an additional economic margin of 500 € can be generated from the recovery of 1 tonne of zinc in the integrated MBT system enhancing its overall economic margin by 9%.Zinc, a very abundant heavy metal in waste streams, represents a hazardous heavy metal and a possible resource. The paper gives an overview of the secondary sources and presents an assessment of the feasibility of recovery of zinc from them.The authors would like to thank the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) for supporting this project (NE/L014246/1 Resource Recovery from Wastewater with Bioelectrochemical Systems: http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk/project/B45DB07A-A707-4005-A8ED-D1F564C28853)
Y capel Cymraeg, cymdogaeth a pherfformiad
No full textYn yr ymchwil hwn ystyrir sut y gall astudiaethau perfformiad gynnig mewnwelediad i sut y mae cymdogaeth y capel Cymraeg - trwy weithredoedd perfformiadol - yn cael ei chreu, ac yn perthnasu at y capel. Trwy gyfuno damcaniaeth perfformiad ac ymarfer yng nghyd-destun y capel Cymraeg, mae’r ymchwil hwn yn gyfraniad gwreiddiol i’r meysydd dan sylw.
Defnyddir syniadaeth Diana Taylor o’r archif a’r repertoire er mwyn esbonio bod perfformiad yn fodd dilys o fynegi hunaniaeth a bodolaeth. Trafodir wedyn fod modd cromfachu gweithgarwch perfformiadol er mwyn ei ddadansoddi. Cyfeirir at syniadaeth yr anthropolegydd Victor Turner fod perfformiad, o’i gromfachu, yn cynnig dramâu cymdeithasol (social drama) a fedr ddatgelu rhywfaint am hunaniaeth cymdogaeth.
Arddelir methodoleg Ymarfer fel Ymchwil yn rhannol, mewn perthynas a syniadaeth ffenomenolegol, er mwyn trafod gweithgarwch byw repertoire'r capel. Er mwyn gosod sail i hyn, trafodir cyd-destun gweithgarwch perfformiadol y capel drwy edrych ar y berthynas hanesyddol a fodola rhwng y capel Cymraeg, cymdogaeth a pherfformiad, gan ddadlennu fod y berthynas rhwng y rhinweddau hyn wedi bod yn bresennol yn hanesyddol ac yn dylanwadu ar wead y rhinweddau heddiw.
Trafodir profiadau o gyd-weithio’n ymarferol gyda thri chapel. Perfformiwyd darn unigol yn edrych ar fy mherthynas at y capel ar ffurf atgofion, wedyn gweithiwyd gyda’r capeli i greu perfformiadau a oedd yn dadlennu eu perthynas hwythau at eu capel. Bwriad y gwaith ymarferol oedd profi’n ymgorfforedig y modd y gall perfformiad glymu pobl at ei gilydd mewn cymdogaeth ac at ofod arbennig. Cyflwynir fel rhan o’r ddoethuriaeth berfformiad unigol i’r arholwyr, a dogfennaeth ar ffurf lluniau anffurfiol o berfformiadau’r capeli (gan gydnabod nad yw’r lluniau hynny, yr archif, yn medru cyfleu anian y gwaith.)
Cesglir bod y repertoire yn bwysig er mwyn deall cyd-destun y capel Cymraeg, a bod defnyddio Ymarfer fel Ymchwil wedi caniatáu amlygiad o’r repertoire. Trwy’r ymarfer, gwelwyd bod y capel Cymraeg yn dibynnu ar egni’r gymdogaeth i’w ddiffinio drwy weithredoedd perfformiadol
Assessing patient-centered care in patients with chronic health conditions attending chiropractic practice: protocol for a mixed-methods study
No full textBackground
The management of chronic health conditions increasingly requires an organized, coordinated, and patient-centered approach to care. The Chronic Care Model (CCM) has been adopted in primary care to improve care delivery for those with chronic health conditions. Chiropractors manage chronic health conditions; however, little is known if such care is patient-centered. The primary aim of this study is to determine to what extent chiropractic patients with chronic health conditions perceive their care is patient-centred. We will assess concordance with the CCM using the Patient Assessment of Chronic Illness Care (PACIC) survey in study patients. We will also explore perception of how patient-centered the care provided by chiropractors is for those with chronic health conditions according to patients and chiropractors.
Methods/design
We will use a sequential mixed methods design with quantitative priority. In the quantitative component patients will complete a written questionnaire providing sociodemographic, health status, and health care interaction information, all of which will serve as the independent variables. Patients will also complete a modified version of the PACIC; the average overall score will be the dependent variable. In the qualitative component semi-structured interviews and focus groups with patients and chiropractors will be conducted. A pilot study will be conducted to determine if the modified PACIC will perform adequately in measuring concordance with the CCM for chiropractic care. Pilot testing will also allow for assessment of the interview and focus groups guides. Variables found to be significantly associated will be included in a multivariate linear regression analysis to identify significant predictors of the dependent variable. Qualitative data will be analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis to provide meaning to the quantitative results.
Discussion
There is a paucity of research describing the extent to which chiropractic care for patients with chronic health conditions is concordant with the CCM. This study will examine this relationship and the perceptions and experiences of patients and chiropractors regarding how patient-centered chiropractic care is for these patients.this work was funded by the chiropractic research counci
Sport psychology support to an athlete undergoing treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
No full textWhile posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is most commonly associated with survivors of traumatic events (e.g., combat), PTSD can occur after any situation in which victims perceive that their life or safety is threatened. In sport, athletes often place themselves in dangerous situations and are also exposed to the same lifestyle dangers as the general population. The literature on PTSD among athletes is sparse, and consequently, it is possible that many (non-clinical) sport psychologists would fail to recognize the symptoms and may subsequently fail to refer the athlete to the appropriate professional for clinical assistance. In the following case study, we present an example of an athlete suffering from PTSD following a serious bicycle accident in which she sustained head and facial injuries. We briefly detail the nature of PTSD and discuss how sport psychology services can be implemented alongside a parallel clinical intervention program. Finally, we offer recommendations for practice when working with athletes with PTS
Mediating home in an age of austerity: the values of British property television
No full textLifestyle television provides a dramatic space in popular culture where the values of neoliberalism are articulated, enacted and sometimes contested. The ideological reliance of this consumer-driven form of television on financial markets and economic growth has posed a significant challenge for programme-makers in the post-crisis recessionary era. This article explores the myriad ways in which British property television has responded to the global financial crisis, particularly as it has been framed discursively as a new age of austerity. Austerity is understood here as an ideological formation that mobilizes a selective version of twentieth-century British history in order to establish continuity of national values of thrift, poverty and collective stoicism that are seen to characterize a cohesive, British response to crisis that emerges from external forces. The article charts the contradictions that become evident when the financial and ideological system upon which the property TV genre is reliant are being undermined. Although UK consumers’ access to mortgages has been a casualty of the crisis, the aspiration to homeownership in Britain has survived relatively unscathed. This article illustrates how these contradictions are played out on-screen in diverse iterations of the property TV genre transmitted by British public service broadcasters, including new domestic craft series presented by property gurus. It argues that the genre, as a cultural and industrial artefact, is remarkably adaptable to new economic and ideological circumstances
A strategy for implementing genomics into nursing practice informed by three behaviour change theories
No full textGenomics is an ever increasing aspect of nursing practice, with focus being directed towards improving health. The authors present an implementation strategy for the incorporation of genomics into nursing practice within the UK, based on three behaviour change theories and the identification of individuals who are likely to provide support for change. Individuals identified as Opinion Leaders and Adopters of genomics illustrate how changes in behaviour may occur among the nursing profession. The core philosophy of the strategy is that genomic nurse Adopters and Opinion Leaders who have direct interaction with their peers in practice will be best placed to highlight the importance of genomics within the nursing role. The strategy discussed in this paper provides scope for continued nursing education and development of genomics within nursing practice on a larger scale. The recommendations may be of particular relevance for senior staff and management.University of Glamorgan (now South Wales) funded PhD scholarshi
Meeting the health needs of older people with intellectual disabilities: exploring the experiences of residential social care staff
No full textOlder people with intellectual disabilities often experience high levels of health needs and multiple morbidities but they may be supported by residential care staff with little or no previous experience of identifying and meeting health needs. Little is known regarding how they undertake this health related role and this exploratory study seeks to address this gap. A purposive sample of 14 managers of supported living accommodation in Wales were interviewed in 2014 to determine their experiences of supporting tenants in relation to age related health needs. The semi structured interviews were transcribed and thematically analysed. Three of the emerging themes are reported in this paper: meeting health needs, the consequences of ageing, and relationships. Findings indicate that residential care staff support older people with intellectual disabilities with complex and multiple health needs: they monitor health status, support access to health care, provide additional support arising from changing health needs, and advocate for tenants in the context of health care. However, their role is often not understood by healthcare professionals. The importance of staff having a long term relationship with those they support was identified as being important to identifying any health related changes. The need to develop effective relationships with healthcare staff was also noted. It is concluded that there is a need for better understanding amongst health staff of the role of residential social care workers and for further research regarding health related communication.Project Funded by Health and Care Research Wale