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Selection of B2B sales channels for technical products in need of explanation in the German metal and electrical industry: An empirical study
No full textThis thesis examines the influence of the need for explanation of a technical product on the choice of sales channel in business-to-business (B2B) relationships for the German metal and electrical industry. A critical review of the literature on B2B sales channels shows that the need for explanation of technical products has not yet been taken into account. In order to remedy this omission, this thesis focuses on how technical products in need of explanation should be distributed in the B2B of the German metal and electrical industry and what special features this product group constitutes for sales.
This focus is achieved by highlighting the current knowledge gap regarding the effective distribution of technical products requiring explanation in B2B relationships in the German metal and electrical industry, which distribution channel selection should be made for this type of product. The study is carried out in the form of a description design, which focuses on companies in the metal and electrical industry based in Germany and a qualitative methodology with expert interviews. However, in order to obtain a holistic view of the current case, the investigations take a multi-level approach in their analysis, involving two focus groups of an operational and advisory nature.
This research project examines how these experts carry out and assess the distribution of technical products requiring explanation via various B2B sales channels for the German metal and electrical industry. The dissertation presents a new understanding of which B2B sales channels can be used to effectively sell technical products in need of explanation in the German metal and electrical industry. Finally, an overview is presented of the extent to which the various B2B sales channels consisting of personal sales, e-commerce, social commerce, m-commerce, t-commerce, meta-commerce, etc. are suitable for the sale of technical products requiring explanation in the German metal and electrical industry
Work-family entanglement: drawing lessons from the complex lives of low-income women
Get PDFWork–family concerns that hinder progress towards gender equality, such as women’s disproportionate care work and masculine workplace norms, mostly centre around white-collar middle-class lives (Jaga and Ollier-Malaterre 2022). Concepts like ‘work–family boundary management’ are helpful in understanding how people combine work and family when they have some choice, for example how they blur boundaries between work and family when working remotely. However, concepts that assume choice and boundaries are insufficient for understanding the lives of the vast majority of low-income women across the world, particularly those who occupy precarious forms of informal or non-standard work and who live in diverse family structures that may cross geographical distances, as in the case of migrant work arrangements. This chapter aims to expand conceptualizations of the work-family nexus with the goal of offering new insights into and from the lived realities of low-income women. From these women’s perspectives, choice – which envisages boundaries between work and family life – is a rare privilege. We address the following questions: how would we conceptualize the relationship between work and family were we to begin with the experiences of marginalized low-income women workers rather than privileged white-collar workers; and what new strategies emerge from such a conceptualization for tackling
gender inequality and reducing the challenges of combining work and family
A narrative review of rebound jumping and fast stretch-shortening cycle mechanics
No full textRebound jumping is one of the most commonly used movement patterns to assess and monitor fast stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) mechanics, a critical component for rapid movements like sprinting, jumping, and directional changes. This narrative review explores the mechanical and neuromuscular mechanics underlying fast SSC function and critically evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of commonly used testing protocols, including drop jumps and multiple rebound jump tests, along with commonly reported metrics from these tests. By integrating scientific evidence with practical applications, the aim of this review is to guide practitioners in selecting appropriate assessment tools and implementing evidence-based strategies to evaluate fast SSC performance in athletes
A taxonomy of knowledge management systems in the micro-enterprise
Get PDFKnowledge Management Systems enhance innovation, increase operational efficiency, and improve decision-making in business organisations. The administrative and resource overheads required to implement and maintain such systems inherently exclude the smallest of firms from reaping these benefits. This research aims to identify, evaluate, and summarize the distribution of research on knowledge management and supporting systems across business size classifications with a particular focus on micro-enterprises. It also seeks to establish if existing knowledge management models, practices, and systems have invested due consideration in their design to cater for the limited resources typically found in the micro-enterprise. It contributes new insight into the applicability of knowledge management systems to micro-enterprises and it stimulates a possible re-think of how such systems can cater to the specific constraints of this prolific business type. This taxonomy is the result of a thorough analysis of 168 research papers from a total of 10511 papers published in reputable conference proceedings since 2012. It focuses on key knowledge management themes covered, including the size of the enterprise, the adoption challenges, the potential benefits, the technologies used, and the aspects of the knowledge management cycle that are being employed. Furthermore, it draws on this analysis to highlight the appropriateness of existing knowledge management systems to the distinctive risk and opportunity characteristics of the micro-enterpris
Association between inter-limb asymmetry and determinants of middle- and long-distance running performance in healthy populations: a systematic review
Get PDFBackgroundː The presence of inter-limb asymmetry in the human body has traditionally been perceived to be detrimental for athletic performance. However, a systematic review addressing and comprehensively assessing the association of asymmetry between the lower limbs and middle- and long-distance running performance-related metrics is currently lacking.
Objective: The main purpose of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between lower inter-limb asymmetry and determinants of running performance in healthy middle- and long-distance runners. The secondary objective was to identify possible avenues for further research in this area.
Methodsː Pubmed, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus were systematically searched for studies investigating the relationship between lower inter-limb asymmetry and (determinants of) running performance in healthy and injury-free middle- and long-distance runners. The quality of studies eligible for inclusion was assessed using the Downs and Black Quality Index Tool.
Resultsː Out of 4817 articles screened, 8 studies were included in this review which assessed the association between functional, morphological, kinematic and kinetic asymmetry and running performance-related metrics. The quality score of the included research varied between 5/10 and 9/10. Our results revealed mixed findings, showing both significant negative (n = 16) and positive (n = 1) associations as well as no significant associations (n = 30) between inter-limb asymmetry and running performance-related metrics.
Conclusionsː A high heterogeneity across study methods and outcomes was apparent, making it difficult to draw a straightforward conclusion. Our results indicate that the majority of metrics of functional, morphological, kinematic and kinetic inter-limb asymmetry are negatively or not associated with running performance (and/or its determinants). Thus, a more extensive high-quality body of research using standardised asymmetry magnitude metrics is essential to determine whether, and to what extent asymmetry between the lower limbs could affect middle- and long-distance running performance. Future studies should establish potential trade-off values to help practitioners in developing evidence-based training programs
Evaluating suicide prevention gatekeeper training designed to identify and support people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds
Get PDFBackground: Suicide-related behaviours and individual risk factors for suicide differ between ethnicities and demonstrate additional variation based on voluntary and forced migration. People forcibly displaced by violence and conflict, such as those seeking asylum and refugees, are likely to face stressors that can increase suicide risk. Research into evidenced-based suicide prevention strategies among people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds is scarce. However, early, contextually-appropriate, identification and intervention may be a promising way to facilitate support for people in these groups. This research proposes that a contextually-responsive gatekeeper training is an appropriate strategy to increase the identification and support for people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds.
Methods: The present article relates to the statistical findings of a larger mixed-method study used to validate and refine a contextually-responsive gatekeeper training program. The qualitative results of this research will be published separately. The outcome measures - knowledge about suicide in multicultural contexts, attitudes towards suicide and prevention, and self-efficacy to intervene were measured quantitatively, adopting a similar pre- and post-training procedure used in previous training evaluations. Using Generalised Estimating Equations, statistical comparisons were made between three identical self-report surveys completed by participants across three consecutive time points - pre-training, immediately post-training, and three months following training completion - known in this investigation as time-point zero (T0), time-point one (T1), and time-point two (T2). Lastly, during the T2 follow-up, additional open-ended questions were included to understand which areas of training they feel prepared them effectively and how the program could have better prepared them to intervene.
Results: A total of 28 participants took part in the study. Quantitative analysis indicated the program's capacity to exert a significant favourable and lasting influence on knowledge about suicide and self-efficacy to intervene. In addition, follow-up measurements suggest that the content delivered to participants transferred effectively into real-world suicide prevention behaviours.
Conclusions: Findings suggest that tailored suicide prevention training can have a significant influence on knowledge about suicide in multicultural contexts, self-efficacy to intervene in a crisis, and that course content translates effectively into real-world suicide prevention behaviour. Modifying training practices, based on feedback from contextually-experienced attendees, appears to be a pivotal factor in promoting the support of people from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds
Editorial: Feminism(s) and the 'posts': towards new educational imaginaries and hope-full renewals
No full textFor feminists, working in/with the ‘posts’ is, always has been, and must be, a collective and collaborative endeavour. Increasingly, post-inquiry involves taking seriously multiplicities of humans, nonhumans, more-than-and-other-than-humans, multispecies, and natureculture entities, including viral, microbial, elemental and atmospheric relationalities. The individual papers in this Special Issue, this editorial, and the Special Issue as a whole attest to this imperative pull to the collective-collaborative in seeking to explore the entangled relations of/between feminisms and the ‘posts’. As a collaborative-collective multiplicity, the Special Issue interrogates what these entangled relations offer for reconfiguring gender and education research, theory, pedagogic practice, activism and praxis
Influence of patient-centred care and population health management approaches to improve adherence to oral hypoglycaemic agents in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the borough of Hounslow (UK)
No full textType 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the top ten chronic diseases. It imposes a significant financial and disease burden worldwide. Lack of public awareness and non-adherence to treatment are the main factors contributing to difficulties in managing diabetes. In early 2016, during the documentation of medication histories and assessing medication adherence of the patients attending the surgical pre-assessment clinic at West Middlesex University Hospital (WMUH), it was noticed that most patients and particularly those with diabetes were neither fully aware of their condition nor adherent to their prescribed medication or healthy lifestyle practices. This was particularly pronounced among patients from the Borough of Hounslow, who comprised about 95% of the patients attending the pre-assessment unit. This observation served as the impetus for the development of this project. It aimed to explore and integrate patient-centred care (PCC) and population health management (PHM) approaches to enhance medication adherence and clinical outcomes among diabetic patients, ultimately seeking to improve their overall health outcomes.
The project has two phases. Phase One implemented and assessed the influence of the PCC approach and Phase Two integrated PCC and PHM approaches to introduce lifestyle intervention and improve medication adherence and clinical outcomes for diabetic patients. PCC emphasises personalised, holistic treatment that respects and responds to individual patient preferences, needs and values. It fosters strong patient-provider relationships and shared decision-making, which are critical for effective care. PHM focuses on the health outcomes of groups of individuals, seeking to improve health equity and reduce disparities through data-driven strategies, preventive care, and chronic disease management.
Phase One included conducting a PCC intervention study for 16 weeks involving 40 randomly selected diabetic patients, a survey of 200 T2DM patients and 55 General Practitioners (GPs) in Hounslow treating diabetic patients. It also included conducting an extensive literature review appraising 26 published studies on specific methodological issues of PCC and medication adherence in clinical research. The results of Phase One led to the development of Phase Two where a novel pharmacist-led PHM clinic was established in the hospital pre-assessment unit linked to the community health service to integrate PHM with PCC approaches.
The results of Phase One demonstrated that in a 16-week PCC intervention study of 40 diabetic patients attending the WMUH diabetic clinic, 15% (3) in the control group and none of the intervention group had a problem taking their diabetic medication (p<0.0001) suggesting that PCC interventions improve medication adherence. The intervention results also showed that a higher percentage (55% vs 20%) of the intervention group compared to the control group maintained a healthy eating plan (p =0.048). It was also observed that (95% vs 45%) of the intervention and control groups undertake regular exercise (p =0.048) and (90% vs 55%) of the intervention group regularly monitored their blood sugar (p = 0.03) suggesting that PCC intervention improves diabetes management. These findings are in line with the results of the review of 26 studies focused on PCC interventions originating from 13 countries that had implemented a PCC approach which contributes significantly to improving medication adherence and clinical outcomes in T2DM patients.
The results of Phase Two intervention in a period of 16 weeks resulted in 20 patients with high BMI (32-38) reducing weight by 2-4 kg, 35 patients with high blood pressure (165/95mm) optimised to below 140/80mm, 5 patients stopping smoking, 45 starting exercising three times a week and 30 diabetic patients reporting improved adherence to their regular medicines.
The integration of PCC and PHM presents a transformative approach to modern healthcare delivery aimed at enhancing individual patient outcomes while addressing broader public health goals. This paper highlights successful case studies and best practices in integrating PCC and PHM, demonstrating improved health outcomes, enhanced patient satisfaction, and optimised resource use. Key components of this integrated model include the use of advanced health information systems, multi-disciplinary health care teams and community engagement to ensure that care delivery is both personalised and population-oriented. Challenges such as data recording, training and service alignment are also discussed, alongside potential solutions. The proposed framework underscores the importance of policy support and collaborative efforts across healthcare sectors.
The integration of PCC and PHM represents a promising paradigm shift in healthcare in managing patients with diabetes and other chronic illnesses. It holds the potential to create a more equitable, efficient, and effective healthcare system that is capable of meeting the diverse needs of patients and populations alike
(W)alter ego: a journey of rediscovering my self
No full textIn this dissertation the author has explored how courage and compassion support personal change by encouraging the conditions to make new meaning and transform ways of being in the world, thereby developing capacity towards later stages of vertical development. Through courage, gently stepping into development edges and opening the possibility of something new emerging. And with self-compassion, staying longer with this emergence, prevailing through difficulties and failures, and growing in and with the anxiety this causes.
The inquiry comprises cycles of action, writing narratives and reflection in order to understand and explore experiences in the midst of significant moments of change. This journey develops a living inquiry into an as-yet-unknown, but fuller self, (re)discovering unrealised potential, personified as 'Walter'. This personification enables the inquirer to stand back and gain a second-person view of himself - a subject-object shift that enabled him to see, reflect and act on this more expansive perspective.
Through this inquiry the author explored working definitions of courage and self-compassion and how these supported his own vertical development; and how encouraging and having compassion with and for others could support their development also.
The dissertation aims to both 'show' (through excerpts of narrative writing, transcripts and other media) and ́tell' (through reflection and interpretation, linking to theory and meaning making). Through excerpts of narratives the dissertation tells the story of a changing ontology and epistemology, illustrates the methods used and demonstrates some of the changes that resulted
Anna Kornbluh: Immediacy, or the Style of Too Late Capitalism [Book review]
No full textI don’t think I can remember the last time so many people in my milieu were talking about the same book. This would no doubt delight Anna Kornbluh, not only for the obvious reasons, but moreover because Immediacy, or the Style of Too Late Capitalism is precisely a clarion call for collective meaning-making, as opposed to the siloed irreducible individuality that pervades our culture. As Kornbluh tells it, capitalism has masked its multi-decade crisis in production with an expansion in circulation – an ‘immediatised infinite flow’ – that has resulted in a cultural sphere enamoured with ‘viscerally affecting stuff’ but with little regard as to how such stuff is mediated by capital