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Employee organisational commitment and corporate environmental sustainability practices: mediating role of organisation innovation culture
Get PDFThe growing concerns about climate change have seen global leaders and the international community launch diverse initiatives, deals and reforms in an attempt to combat its negative impact. In response to these initiatives, corporates are increasingly prioritising environmental sustainability practices, such as reducing resource use, recycling and redesigning products and services to transition to sustainable operations, as a means of promoting trust and credibility, increasing their reputation and protecting the planet. However, the extant literature does not provide a clear understanding of the determinants of promoting corporate environmental sustainability practices (CESPs). Thus, drawing upon both resource-based views (RBVs) of the firm and the economic views of neo-institutional theory (NIT), this study examined the role of employee organisational commitment (EOC) and organisation innovation culture (IC) in promoting CESP. This quantitative study collected the required data through a questionnaire survey of senior to mid-level managers of a total of 201 Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE)-listed and non-listed firms. A two-step structural equation modelling (SEM) technique, employing SmartPLS, was followed to test the study's hypothesised associations. The findings provide evidence of a direct association between EOC and CESP and an indirect association through IC. Our findings are robust as alternative models were developed and tested based on different control and instrumental variables relating to organisational characteristics. The findings of the study contribute to the environmental sustainability literature by providing empirical evidence of the importance of EOC and IC in promoting CESP. Further, the findings inform managers, governments, foreign investors and other stakeholders on the importance of building EOC and developing suitable cultural practices within an organisation that promote CESP
Exploring socio-ecological factors that influence the use of urban greenspace: a case study of a deprived ethnically diverse community in the UK
Get PDFUrban greenspaces are considered an important health asset associated with improved population health and well-being. However, inequalities in access to and use of the outdoors continue to exist, particularly among low- income and minority ethnic populations. Following a socio-ecological approach, this study aimed to investigate the individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors that influence the use of greenspaces among an ethnically diverse community in the UK and explore strategies to increase use. A mixed-methods cross-sectional community survey was conducted between March and June 2022 with residents of two ethnically diverse towns situated in Southeast England, UK. Data were collected on factors that influence greenspace use alongside demographic information on age, ethnicity, and social deprivation. An open-ended question explored respondents’ views on strategies to increase engagement with greenspaces. The survey was completed by 906 participants aged between 16 and 94 (60.7% female; 94.5% non-white British). The findings revealed that age, gender, perceived importance of using greenspaces, awareness of greenspaces, and the natural environment were all significant predictors of greenspace use. Qualitative evidence supported these findings and provided useful strategies for increasing access. The findings have provided an increased understanding of the factors that influence greenspace use and suggest that to improve access. There is a clear need to improve the quality of the available green spaces, making them safe and visually appealing to the local communities they serve. Increasing awareness and providing more opportunities for social and intergenerational interaction were also considered important strategies for increasing use
Comprehensive review on the use of machine learning techniques applied to the ultrasound data for the characterisation of porosity across carbon fibre reinforced polymer layers
Get PDFCarbon fibre reinforced polymers (CFRP) are increasingly being used in different industries, including the Automotive and aerospace sectors. One important reason for this is because they have interesting structural and mechanical properties compared to metallic materials. Their high strength-to-weight ratio makes them a preferred choice for high-stress applications. However, CFRPs are often subjected to various defects during their manufacturing that can significantly alter their structural integrity and durability. Amongst these defects, the occurrence of void formation (known as porosity) is the most common. Many methods have been developed for the characterisation of porosity including the ones based on the use of ultrasound data. The present work aims at providing a comprehensive review of the application of machine learning (ML) techniques to the mapping and characterisation of porosity across CFRP composites. The types of ML used, and their potentials for improving the accuracy of porosity detection are presented and discussed. It is particularly noted that ML techniques can extract unique features from CFRP complex ultrasound data with a relatively good level of accuracy. This result suggests that these techniques, particularly the convolutional neural network (CNN), would overcome the limitations of traditional signal processing techniques
'She didn't know what to do with me': the experience of seeking community mental health support after spinal cord injury
Get PDFContext/Objectives: Adults with spinal cord injury in the UK do not currently have specialized access to SCI-informed community-based mental health support, despite their elevated risk of mental health decline. The lack of SCI-informed therapeutic support may increase the likelihood of mental health treatment failure. This study sought to qualitatively explore the experience of accessing, or attempting to access, generic (non-SCI-informed) mental health support when living with a spinal cord injury. Design: Qualitative, exploratory study using thematic analysis. Setting: Community-based sample in the UK. Participants: Twenty people with spinal cord injury (10 female, 10 male) were recruited from a UK-based, SCI-specific support charity. Interventions: Semi-structured interviews (mean length = 83 min, SD = 13.5 min). Outcome Measures: 9-item semi-structured interview schedule, addressing mental health service use. Results: Three themes were identified: (1) Therapeutic timeliness; (2) A disconnect with standard services; and (3) Successful systems for support. The inpatient-to-outpatient transition represents a critical time window during which mental health is vulnerable to decline, requiring responsive access to mental health services throughout the lifespan. The lack of tailored, SCI-informed mental health services inhibits therapeutic engagement and limits perceived treatment outcomes. Conclusions: Without SCI-informed care, generic mental health service referrals risk early termination of support and treatment disengagement. Mental health treatment withdrawal is initiated by both patients and their allocated healthcare professionals. This study demonstrates an evident need to develop programs for people with SCI to train as (peer) mental health practitioners, and to develop SCI-specific training modules for mental health care practitioners.</p
A model-based cost-effectiveness analysis of prescribing by dietitians and therapeutic radiographers in England
Get PDFNon-medical prescribing (NMP) was introduced into the UK healthcare system and other countries to improve patient care and facilitate better access to medicine. However, very few studies have evaluated the cost-effectiveness of the prescribing authorities granted to certain healthcare professional groups. This study aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of prescribing by dietitians and therapeutic radiographers in England. A model-based cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted to evaluate the services provided by dietitian and therapeutic radiographer prescribers compared to services delivered by dietitian and therapeutic radiographer non-prescribers in terms of direct and indirect costs and effectiveness outcomes, e.g. quality-adjusted life year (QALY) and patient satisfaction, from the National Health Service (NHS) perspective. Unit costs were obtained from the NHS National Reference Costs 2021-22. Sensitivity analyses were performed to assess the robustness of the model parameters. The mean costs associated with NMP were higher for prescribers than non-prescribers due to training costs and consultation time to manage prescriptions. However, these costs were compensated by higher referrals by non-prescribers to other specialists for prescribing. NMP in either profession was perceived as positive by patients. Differences in QALY were not statistically significant among patients managed by prescribers and non-prescribers for either profession. Results were sensitive to the model assumptions and parameters. Our estimates suggest NMP might save £64,269 over five years per dietitian prescriber and £16,570 per therapeutic radiographer prescriber. Despite uncertainties around the cost-effectiveness of NMP, it may save money with minimal or no changes in quality-of-life outcomes for patients being managed by either profession
Numerical analysis of the thermal performance of packed bed thermal energy storage in adiabatic compressed air energy storage systems
Get PDFThermal Energy Storage plays a significant role in Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage. There is a limited understanding of how the operational conditions of Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage affect the performance of packed-bed Thermal Energy Storage and vice versa. In this study, packed-bed rock Thermal Energy Storage units operating at different air pressures integrated into a large-scale, four-stage Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage system were examined over a single charging and discharging cycle and over five consecutive cycles. A transient, two-dimensional axisymmetric numerical model of packed-bed rock Thermal Energy Storage was developed, and the charging, standby, and discharging phases were simulated. The results show that all packed-bed Thermal Energy Storage systems of the same size can effectively store and release thermal energy at various pressures. The thermal energy from the compressed air is absorbed and stored with no significant change in the outlet air temperature at around 298 K during the first two hours of charging. A slight rise in the outlet air temperature was observed at the end of the three-hour charging stage. Results also indicate that during five consecutive cycles in the Thermal Energy Storage unit at the lowest pressure, the amount of energy stored at the end of the three-hour charging stage increases slightly from 118.7 kJ/kg in the first cycle to 127.5 kJ/kg in the second cycle, 129.7 kJ/kg in the third cycle, 130.3 kJ/kg in the fourth cycle, and 130.5 kJ/kg in the fifth cycle
Decoding hepatobiliary-specific immune gene patterns in gastrointestinal cancers via gene ontology fingerprints, multi-omics and experimental integration
Get PDFBackground Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers are characterized by high malignancy and poor prognosis. Tumors in different locations exhibit both commonalities and differences. Although immunotherapy has made progress in some GI cancers, the specific immune-related patterns in hepatobiliary tumors have not yet been fully elucidated. Methods Using our developed explainable gene ontology fingerprint (XGOF) method, GI cancer GOF was established. By integrating omics data from 20 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and 15 cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) tissues in our clinic with public databases, immune-related patterns specifically expressed in hepatobiliary tumors were identified via RNA, protein, methylation, tumor microenvironment (TME) analysis and experimental verification. Results XGOF showed that GI cancers are related to diverse immune functions, especially macrophage migration. Compared to others, hepatobiliary tumors exhibit distinct patterns of gene expression, mutation, and methylation. Seven genes (APOA1, LBP, FGA, C9, APCS, ARG1 and MBL2) were identified as immune-related genes specifically decreased in hepatobiliary cancer. The impact of APOA1 on TME, prognosis, and genomic landscape in HCC was explored in prior research. In this work, the experiment confirmed the down-regulation of six genes in cancerous tissues. Moreover, LBP promoter methylation was elevated in cholangiocarcinoma. Single-cell analysis revealed downregulated immune genes in hepatocytes of HCC and cholangiocytes of ICC, enriched in humoral immunity and complement pathways. Additionally, the MIF pathway was identified as a key signal in interactions between ICC tumor cells and microenvironmental cells. Conclusion This study identified immune-related gene patterns in hepatobiliary cancer, contributing to the discovery of novel immunotherapy targets and tumor biomarkers for future research
Accounting for gender and sexuality in social work leadership: an exploratory study of lesbian leader perspectives
Get PDFIn a women-majority profession, white heterosexual men disproportionately hold senior leadership positions in social work and social care. Within the literature that examines diversity in leadership, including gender, less is known about sexuality and sexual identity. This study contributes to this area by exploring senior lesbian leaders’ experiences and perspectives on leadership in social work and social care. Their accounts of the leadership styles and approaches used helps to understand more about how being lesbian affects their experience of ‘doing’ leadership. Twenty-three senior lesbian leaders who were ‘out’ at work engaged in focus groups and semi-structured interviews across England. Thematic ‘framework’ data analysis generated key themes. These addressed the intersectionalities of leadership identity with gender, sexual identities, and experiences of discrimination; the role and significance of feminist thinking; and a strong and consistent values base informing their lesbian leadership styles. Findings enable more nuanced thinking on the complexities of identities in social work and social care leadership and how these are enabled and supported within diversity and inclusion strategies
Market signalling by microenterprises when building reputational capital
Get PDFThis paper addresses two gaps in our understanding: how Microenterprises (MEs) build reputational capital and how this compares with current theory (here the Stereotype Content Model or SCM). It also aims to explain our finding that MEs focus on communicating their competence but not their status. A content analysis of the relevant parts of 44 ME websites from the UK and China, is used to assess ME signalling of their ‘warmth, competence, and status’ and to identify major themes within each category. Both samples included B2B as well as B2C businesses and a wide range of business types. Data were collected during late 2021. As hypothesised from the SCM, MEs used all three types of signalling. Contrary to SCM theory, but compatible with prior work that small firms are stereotyped as lacking in competence, competence, rather than warmth, signals predominated. Status signalling was the least used option. Using a 2 × 2 experimental design survey among potential customers, competing explanations for this last finding are then tested. A tenet from the SCM, that the role of status signals is to inform competence evaluations, was not supported. Instead, status signalling was found to be potentially off-putting to customers as it can imply higher prices. The paper’s practical contributions include both examples and a thematic structure to guide the content of ME communication. The theoretical implications are that some of the SCM’s underlying theory may need modification in the context of MEs, specifically that concerning the role of both competence and status signalling
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