8333 research outputs found
Sort by
The Role of Social Support in Mental Health Outcomes for Black Adults in Ireland
No full textThis study investigates the connection between Black adults' mental health outcomes, specifically, stress, anxiety, and depression and their perceptions of social support in Ireland. 89 participants in a cross-sectional, quantitative survey design filled out standardised questionnaires measuring psychological distress, family functioning, socioeconomic status (SES), perceived social support, and attitudes towards getting psychological help. Higher perceived social support was substantially linked to lower levels of anxiety and depression, according to hierarchical regressions. None of the three suggested moderators SES, family functioning, or help-seeking attitudes significantly influenced the association between support and distress, but socioeconomic status and family functioning also independently predicted mental health outcomes. These results imply that socioeconomic factors and perceived social support both have additive effects on mental health, but not an interactive one. The results highlight the importance of addressing both individual and structural contributors to wellbeing in Black communities and highlight the need for culturally relevant mental health interventions within the Irish context
Exploring the relationship between provided curriculum and employer expectations
No full textThis study explores the work readiness (WR) of recent Human Resource (HR) graduates in Ireland, focusing on their perceptions of how effectively their Higher Education Institute (HEI) prepared them for full-time employment. Adopting an interpretivist, qualitative approach, data were collected through eight semi-structured interviews with graduates who had completed HR programmes within the past five years. Braun and Clarke’s (2006) six-step thematic analysis identified five overarching themes: (1) misalignment between curriculum and workplace requirements, (2) the importance of HR work placement, (3) technical skills, (4) soft skills, and (5) recommendations for improvement.
Findings from this research reveal a clear discrepancy between the theory focused curriculum and the operational competencies demanded in entry-level HR roles. Graduates emphasised the value of work experience in building confidence, applying theory to practice, and developing both technical and soft skills. Those without placement opportunities reported feeling disadvantaged and found it challenging transitioning into full-time employment. A lack technical competencies was identified such as HR systems, and in soft skills including conflict resolution, emotional preparedness, and interview capabilities.
Participants recommended mandatory HR work experience, technical systems training, interview workshops, and conflict-resolution roleplay, alongside better preparation for the personal and professional transition into full-time work. The study concludes that implementing more opportunity to apply theory to practical solutions, and soft skills development into HR curriculums would better align graduate capabilities with employer expectations
The impact of Employee training and development on organizational performance: A case study on PRAN RFL Group, Bangladesh
No full textThis study investigates the impact of Employee Training and Development (T&D) on Organizational Performance (OP) at PRAN RFL Group, Bangladesh. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the influence of key T&D components—training effectiveness (TE), skill enhancement and career development (SECD), employee engagement (EE), and workplace learning culture (WLC)—on OP. The study employs a quantitative research design, collecting data through an online survey questionnaire administered to 183 employees of PRAN RFL. The data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and mediation analysis.
The findings reveal that TE, SECD, and EE positively influence organizational performance, with EE serving as a significant mediator in the relationship between T&D components and performance outcomes. However, the study also identifies an unexpected negative relationship between WLC and organizational performance, suggesting that its impact may depend on factors such as alignment with practical applications and leadership support.
Based on these findings, the study recommends that PRAN RFL refine its training programs, invest in career development initiatives, foster EE, and strategically integrate learning initiatives with operational needs. The study’s implications highlight the importance of continuous investment in T&D practices to drive productivity and competitiveness.
Despite its contributions, the study has limitations, including a single organizational context and cross-sectional design, which limits causal inference. Future research could explore the long-term impact of T&D, expand the sample to diverse sectors, and investigate the role of leadership and organizational culture in mediating the T&D-performance relationship
Exploring the Impact of Gender-Inclusive DEI Initiatives on Work-Life Balance: A Study of Human Resources Practices in Ireland
No full textWith specific emphasis on its effects on work-life balance, the research analyzed the processes of implementing, apprehending, and successfulness of gender-inclusive Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies in Irish companies. The main objective was to research the programs currently being implemented by HR departments, gather the opinions of the employees, determine what is wrong with the implementation, and identify where policy and practice vary. The structured survey involved one hundred professionals from various industries. It was ascertained that companies possess gender-inclusive policies; still, individuals disagree about how effectively they operate and whether they are applied equally. None of the participants rated the capability of his or her organization to establish the rules on flexible work and maternity leave as one that can be rated as excellent, although the majority of the participants acknowledged that those policies could be considered to be available and equal to some level. At the same time, there was a perception among many people that having work work-life balance differed between them and other genders, and this indicates that the current policies may not be solving the causes of inequality.
Although several companies have on their part made efforts in promoting inclusion, real barriers to such efforts, as cited by staff members (44.4%), poor training (36.4%), and unclear policy directions (32.3%), are some of the reasons that would make these efforts hard to implement. Anyway, employees rated their business highly in terms of creating an inclusive environment in which individuals with different gender identities feel appreciated, which is promising in terms of further improvement. Although there have been some achievements in the DEI implementation, the study finds that Irish companies have a long way to go until their efforts become a reality, particularly the need to creating a fair opportunity to help people of all genders in achieving a balance between the professional and personal life
The Impact of International Portfolio Diversification on European Markets: A Modern Portfolio Theory Approach
No full textIn this thesis, we examine the quantitative returns of a European investor while diversifying his portfolio internationally. Investors are continually striving to make the most money with the least amount of risk since global financial markets are getting more intertwined. This is harder because of home prejudice. Employing a Modern Portfolio Theory-based analytical and empirical methodology, this study surpasses theoretical debates over the necessity for investment diversification. The study employs the Monte Carlo simulation on 10 recognized Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs) that monitor European equities (IEUR), U.S. stocks (SPY), emerging market equities (EEM), and U.S. aggregate bonds (AGG). It looks at the daily prices of sample ETF data from 2015 to 2025 to look at 20,000 different portfolio allocations. The study shows that there are two optimum portfolios: one with the least amount of risk and the other with the highest Sharpe Ratio. The findings suggest that strategically diversifying across global markets may yield a substantial risk-adjusted performance benefit compared to a strategy concentrated solely in European markets. The results also show that using assets that don't move together, like international bonds, can make it easier to design a portfolio with less volatility. This research may be beneficial for investors, financial advisors, and institutional planners in Europe, as it provides quantitative evidence that supports the notion that it is an effective tool for portfolio management. The study's findings enhance the existing body of knowledge on portfolio management by providing a modern, practical viewpoint on the enduring advantages of international diversification
Scrolling for Opportunities: An Investigation of the Role of Social Media Advertising in Shaping Tourists’ Decision-Making: Exploring the impact of Social Media Platforms Perception and Travel Choice: A case study in Dublin
No full textSocial media has changed the way travellers find, evaluate, and interact with destinations, making an enormous difference in tourism (Lama, 2024). This thesis examines the various content types, including influencer marketing, user generated content, and target advertising, that most significantly influence decision-making. Considering Dublin's rich cultural heritage and its increasing attractiveness to tourists it is essential to analyse the effects of social media ads on views of local experiences. While the use of targeted social media advertisements is increasing, it is still understudied in the context of Dublin, Ireland’s most visited city, known for its robust tourism and rich culture. This paper used data from individuals in the 18 to 35 and 55+ age groups. The most recent data from Fálite Ireland’s Summer 2024 Consumer Update were used to create these segments, which account for 60% of the tourist population to Ireland. Also, most of the interviewers are Brazilians, consequently to the high number of Brazilians who visit and reside in Dublin. The most recent evidence from CSO (2023) showed that 17% of the individuals living in Dublin are not Irish, and the largest group of non-Irish inhabitants are Brazilians, numbering 11,188. This study also examined how social media advertising influences visitors' perceptions and choices about local experiences in Dublin, guided by destination Image Theory (Chon, 1990) and Media Dependency Theory (BallRokeach and DeFleur, 1976; Wangqu et al., 2024). This paper analysed the impact of influencer advertising, user-generated content, and targeted advertisements on tourists' perceptions of Dublin, using semi-structured interviews and focus groups as methodologies. This qualitative study also aimed to address this gap by providing data, investigations, and platform perspectives on the directions in which visitors interact with social media content and how these elements influence tourists' decisions. It demonstrated the impact of social media marketing on opinions in advertising of destinations, providing tourism marketers with valuable insights to encourage authentic local experiences. This thesis provides Dublin tourism organisations with valuable information that will assist them in the development of more authentic and engaging social media advertising
The impact of Ethical Labour (A Sustainable Supply Chain Practice) on Consumer Perceptions and Purchasing Decisions in the Textile Industry; A Comparative Study in India and Bangladesh
No full textThe Discussion chapter evaluated how ethical labour practices influence consumer awareness, supply chain perception, brand image, and purchasing behaviour in India and Bangladesh. Drawing instances from the findings, it evaluates how effectively each research objective is addressed and highlights key differences and similarities in ethical consumerism across the two textile markets of both countries. In the last chapter of the project, it can be observed that a proper conclusion has been provided along with proper future scope and research limitations. Further, appropriate recommendations have also been given based on the limitation found in this section
Leveraging Machine Learning framework and GANs for Parkinson disease detection
No full textParkinson's Disease (PD) is a progressive disorder that affects the nervous system, and the parts of the body controlled by nerves. Early-stage detection of PD using spiral and wave images can significantly improve patient outcomes. Current research has identified limitations in the classification of PD such as reduced dataset size. Processing a large and varied dataset and achieving high accuracy in PD detection can be a challenge. This research proposes a machine learning framework to improve the early detection of Parkinson's Disease by improving the accuracy. This research creates a novel dataset called GAN-PD Hybrid Dataset that combines 1632 original handwritten images and 1868 GAN-generated images for both Parkinson's and healthy subjects, used to train hybrid (ResNet50 and InceptionV3 with KNN) and standalone CNN models (ResNet50, InceptionV3). Data pre-processing and transfer learning techniques are applied to two pre-trained CNN models, namely ResNet50 and InceptionV3. Each of these models is evaluated both individually and in combination with KNN classifier. Results of these models are presented in this paper based on accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, F1 score, Cohen’s Kappa and precision. This research shows promise for InceptionV3 in aiding medical practitioners by detecting PD at an early stage
Noisy Accretion Flows
No full textIn this chapter, the origin of hydrodynamic turbulence in accretion disks is analyzed in the presence of temporally correlated noise to understand the origin of non-magnetic instability in Rayleigh-stable cold protoplanetary objects. In such flows, hydromagnetic/magnetohydrodynamic instability and the corresponding turbulent viscosity are expected to be sluggish or may even be ruled out. Previously, such flows were found to exhibit large transient hydrodynamic growth in two-dimension under linear perturbations, but insignificant growth in the presence of vertical columnar growth. To understand the origin of such instabilities that were not accounted for by conventional hydrodynamic (long-ranged) modes, in a series of articles between 2013 and 2014, we proposed thermal fluctuations as drivers of such instability and showed that an Orr-Sommerfeld-Squire model with spatially correlated noise can indeed explain this conundrum. In this chapter, we extend this analysis to temporally correlated noise, focusing on a regime where the Flory-type scaling in spatially correlated noise breaks down. The target is to understand how non-spatially correlated non-magnetic accretion may still amount to instability while being Rayleigh stable. A range of angular velocity profiles (Ω) as functions of radial coordinate (r) have been explored: Ω∝r−q (1≤q<2). The model leads to a key understanding of non-magnetic accretion flows as a temporal noise-controlled instability. Additionally, we find remarkable differences between spatial and temporally correlated noise spectra, also with varying Reynolds numbers, that exhibit distinct universality classes
The Impact of Flexible Work Arrangements on Work-Life Balance in Irish IT Companies
No full textThis research explores how flexible work arrangements (FWAs) affect work-life balance (WLB) among IT employees in Ireland, contributing to a notable gap in knowledge on this subject. A cross-sectional, quantitative survey of 81 employees examined whether there were differences regarding perceptions of FWAs, WLB, gender and parental status. The results demonstrated a positive association between supportive FWAs and WLB, and that remote workers reported significantly higher WLB levels compared to hybrid workers. Gender and parental status were not found to moderate perceptions. The findings provide important information on how organisational culture, trust, and choice can enhance the benefits provided by FWAs while reducing risks such as work-home blur