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The Role of Diversity and Inclusion Programmes in enhancing Organisational Performance
No full textInclusivity and diversity are critical in the modern-day business environment. Companies operating in different markets and employees are interested in establishing healthy and harmonious relationships in the workplace. Considering the integration of the modern economy and globalisation, modern organisations cannot ignore D&I programs even if they do not expand internationally. In the IT sector, the situation is even more critical, as the lack of staff, constantly changing technologies, and harsh competition force companies to fight for highly skilled labour. Employees are seeking better conditions that allow them to work and collaborate with others. This study focuses on D&I programs in IT companies by investigating the impact of these initiatives on organisational performance. The effect of inclusive programs on underlying aspects as communication, teamwork, motivation, retention, satisfaction, innovation, and creativity is also explored. This study used a mixed research design by applying a survey and a semi-structured interview as the means of data collection at the quantitative and qualitative phases, respectively. Statistical tools and thematic data analysis were used to analyse data. The findings showed that D&I programs are particularly impactful on organisational performance as well as the majority of the underlying processes. However, no impact of D&I initiatives on motivation and retention was observed. It is recommended to implement similar programs in the IT industry, as it can determine the company’s success, competitiveness, and overall outcomes
Determinants of work engagement and quality of working life among Brazilian migrant caregivers in Ireland
No full textThis study investigated how working conditions and legal status (visa type) affect engagement and work-related quality of life (WRQoL) among Brazilian caregivers in Ireland. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the research explored how basic psychological, physiological, and work-related needs connect with engagement and well-being. A quantitative design was adopted, using an online survey completed by 112 Brazilians who currently or previously worked as caregivers in Ireland. To construct the questionnaire, two validated instruments (UWES-9 and WRQoL scale) were applied, together with adapted questions based on W-BNS, which helped to capture specific basic needs, health, and working conditions in this sample. Statistical analyses, including one-way ANOVA and regression models were conducted in SPSS to test relationships between variables. The results indicated that legal status did not significantly predict work engagement, while it negatively affected WRQoL, as Stamp 1 holders reported lower scores. In contrast, quality of working life strongly predicted engagement, with job and career satisfaction, general well-being, and stress at work emerging as the most important domains. Moreover, factors such as pressure to accept extra shifts and covers, insufficient time to eat and drink, and severe health consequences were associated with lower WRQoL. Additionally, the findings highlighted a high turnover risk, as 60.7% of participants reported an intention to leave their positions. This study contributes to the literature by offering a new questionnaire, specific to migrant caregivers, which connects work engagement, quality of working life and basic needs, yet to be further explored and validated by future research. It also extends the understanding of Brazilian workforce in the Irish care sector context, which allowed the study to provide practical implications for employers, NGOs, and policymakers
Digital Therapeutics in India’s Pharmaceutical Industry
No full textThis study investigates the influence of Digital Therapeutics (DTx) on sales and marketing approaches and practices in the context of India's pharmaceutical industry. Because DTx is still in its rising stage in India, the study investigated how pharmaceutical companies, DTx developers, and pharmacists are developing their practices, to move to a healthcare system leverages digital accounts in DTx. Using a qualitative approach, seven semi-structured interviews were conducted with marketers from the largest pharmaceutical companies in India, digital health developers, and pharmacists.
Thematic analysis identified six major themes: marketing strategies evolving to focus on the patient, the importance of trust, working as a bundled DTx with traditional medications, users engaging when DTx is personalized, the emergence of pharmacists as supporters of DTx & the urban-rural divide of adoption. A major barrier, regulatory ambiguity was discussed as limiting marketing campaigns and patient trust. While pharmacists were believed to be important mediators of DTx, barriers still exist for them to drive marketing efforts, primarily lack of training and no clear communication or helpful resources.
This finding underscores the need to clarify regulations, to provide notice to those who will be involved in the DTx implementation process, and for products that will facilitate and be respectful of culturally appropriate scaling of DTx across India. For example, despite the fact the CDSCO has provided some draft guidance around Software as a Medical Device (SaMD), none specifies approvals or labelling requirements that are unique to DTx. Thus, companies that are introducing, say, a diabetes management app in Hindi and Marathi, still have to rely on generic claims that “supports health” i.e., just label it as a support not therapeutic. These limitations limit the company's ability to market a product effectively and also limits trust for the patient especially when products are aimed at illiterate or semi-urban/rural populations that have additional language and cultural needs. Limitations to the study, such as small sample size and qualitative study limits, restricts the scope and leads therefore to recommendations indicating that an evaluation that includes a mix of methods with more cultural representatives in future studies is justified
An analysis of the contemporary management role in a hybrid working SME project management consultancy in the construction industry
No full textAn analysis of the contemporary management role in a hybrid working project management consultancy in the construction industry is explored in this research study. The study aims to establish the suitability of project management within the construction industry for a hybrid work regime, managerial practices that are associated with the change in working structure, the opportunities and challenges associated with a hybrid regime, and the impact on productivity output on project managers working within this regime.
The conducted study offers an overview on the distinct working dynamic brought to light by a hybrid working regime, gathering data to understand the impact of this change in working structure on employees of all levels, and how a the management role is impacted, in a specific project management consultancy within the construction industry.
The methodology chosen for this research is an explanatory qualitative research approach, gathering data by way of semi structured interviews conducted with ten professionals all of different levels working within a specific company in the chosen field.
The data gathered was analysed with the support of the extensive literature review of existing literature and peers’ studies, ultimately guiding a pathway to the core research questions and study objectives. Both the literature and primary research offer some valuable insights and conclusions, adding weight to the argument that hybrid working is a suitable and efficient working regime for project managers within the construction industry at present. Recommendations, based on the findings of this research, are provided with a view to guiding and enhancing other project management firms within the industry when assessing their own hybrid work strategies
How Does Ireland’s Transition Toward a Cashless Society Influence Consumer Behaviour Across Different Demographic Groups?
No full textThis study explores how Ireland’s transition toward a cashless society influences consumer behaviour across different demographic groups. As digital payment adoption accelerates globally, Ireland presents a distinctive case where rapid innovation coexists with persistent reliance on cash among certain populations. Understanding how these changes impact daily financial behaviours is not only important for promoting inclusion and consumer wellbeing but also presents an opportunity for policymakers, financial institutions, and retailers to adapt to evolving payment preferences.
This research project was based on an extensive literature review and a subsequent qualitative research approach through semi-structured interviews with a designed sample representing older adults, low income earners, rural residents, and digitally fluent young professionals. Data analysis was performed using thematic analysis to identify key patterns relevant to the research objectives.
The main findings from this study were that younger, urban, and higher income consumers embraced cashless payments for their convenience, efficiency, and integrated budgeting tools, while older, rural, and lower income participants expressed reluctance due to perceived security risks, loss of financial control, and unreliable infrastructure. Cash was also valued for its tangibility, role in budgeting, and social traditions such as gifting and in person banking. The study additionally revealed concerns about privacy, data surveillance, and the erosion of personal interaction in financial transactions.
The primary conclusion drawn from this research is that while digital payment systems are reshaping consumer behaviour in Ireland, a significant digital divide remains. It is recommended that stakeholders maintain dual payment infrastructures, strengthen digital literacy initiatives, and design inclusive systems that preserve consumer trust and choice. Further research opportunities were identified at the end of the study
Dust Storm Attenuation Prediction Using a Hybrid Machine Learning Model Based on Measurements in Sudan
No full textSand and dust storms significantly challenge microwave and millimeter-wave communications, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. Various models have been developed to predict attenuation caused by these storms theoretically and empirically based on two meteorological parameters, namely visibility and humidity. However, these models are found unable to predict most of the attenuation measurements. This study presents a hybrid Machine Learning (ML) model that predicts dust storm attenuation for 22 GHz terrestrial links using meteorological data. The received signal levels were measured for a 22 GHz link over a month in Khartoum, Sudan. The visibility, humidity, atmospheric pressure, temperature and wind speed were also monitored simultaneously by Automatic Weather Station (AWS). The proposed model incorporates XGBoost for feature selection and combines Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) and Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU) layers to capture both short-term and long-term dependencies in meteorological data. The results demonstrate a strong correlation between meteorological parameters and dust storm attenuation. The model’s performance is validated against the measured data at 22 GHz, outperforming existing empirical and theoretical models. The RMSE for the proposed model is 0.07, while all existing theoretical and empirical models are higher than 0.25. Furthermore, the proposed model demonstrates significant enhancements over the available ML model for dust attenuation prediction. This hybrid ML approach offers a more accurate and robust solution for predicting microwave and millimetre wave attenuation during dust storms, enhancing the reliability of communication systems in affected regions
Typological and cumulative approaches to risk and adversity in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS): Retrospective cohort analysis in South London
No full textBackground: Childhood adversity is robustly associated with mental ill-health. Yet questions remain about how different ways of conceptualising adversity relate to psychiatric diagnoses and service activity. This research aims to examine associations between typological and cumulative conceptualisations of adversity, and psychiatric diagnosis and service activity.
Methods: We analysed risk assessment data from 21,072 young people attending mental health services in South London. These assessments include items relating to maltreatment, parental mental health difficulties, substance misuse, self-harm, and violent behaviour. Using latent class analysis, we identified the following risk typologies: ‘Maltreatment and externalising behaviours’ (n = 971, 4·6 %), ‘Maltreatment but low risk to self and others’ (n = 2526, 12·0 %), ‘Anti-social behaviour’ (n = 2669, 12·7 %), ‘Inadequate caregiver supervision and risk to self and others’ (n = 907, 4·3 %), ‘Risk to self but not to others’ (n = 1725, 8·2 %), and ‘Mental health needs but low risk to self and others’ (n = 12,274, 58·2 %).
Two cumulative risk models were created: 1) all risk items 2) Adverse Childhood Experiences-related cumulative risk (ACES-CR). Controlling for gender, ethnicity, age, and deprivation, we examined associations between risk typologies, cumulative risk, and the following outcomes: 1) psychiatric diagnosis 2) face-to-face appointments 3) missed appointments 4) referral to social services.
Outcomes: Risk in its various conceptualisations was consistently and robustly associated with conduct disorder. Risk also tended to be associated with more face-to-face appointments, missed appointments, and referral to social services. Associations between individual risk typologies and psychiatric diagnosis and service activity are discussed.
Interpretation: Our findings suggest that typological and cumulative approaches to risk and adversity can produce unique insights about diagnostic practices and service activity. This work provides further evidence for the contribution of contextual factors to mental ill-health and further work is required to explore the longer-term trajectories of these young people
The Rise of Cognitive SOCs: A Systematic Literature Review on AI Approaches
No full textThe increasing sophistication of cyber threats has led to the evolution of Security Operations Centers (SOCs) towards more intelligent and adaptive systems. This review explores the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in SOCs, focusing on their current state, challenges, opportunities, and advantages over traditional methods. We address three key questions: (1) What are the current AI approaches in SOCs? (2) What challenges and opportunities exist with these approaches? (3) What benefits do AI models offer in SOC environments compared to traditional methods? We analyzed 38 studies using a structured methodology involving database searches, quality checks, and data extraction. Our findings show that Machine Learning (ML) techniques dominate SOC research, with a trend towards multi-approach AI methods. We classified these into ML, Natural Language Processing, multi-approach, and others, forming a detailed taxonomy of AI applications in SOCs. Challenges include data quality, model interpretability, legacy system integration, and the need for constant adaptation. Opportunities involve task automation, enhanced threat detection, real-time analysis, and adaptive learning. AI-driven SOCs show better accuracy, reduced false positives, greater scalability, and predictive capabilities than traditional approaches. This review defines Cognitive SOCs, emphasizing their ability to mimic human-like processes. We offer practical insights for SOC designers and managers on implementing AI to improve security operations. Finally, we suggest future research directions in explainable AI, human-AI collaboration, and privacy-preserving AI for SOCs
Pixelating to the Edge: Generative AI Art on Edge Devices
No full textGenerative AI is transforming the way people accomplish tasks, reshaping numerous industries and workflows. In this study, we focus on one of the most popular applications of generative AI: text-to-image generation, a technology that gained significant attention in 2021. Despite its popularity, even after three years, text-to-image generation remains less efficient and slower on edge devices like mobile phones compared to its web-based counterparts. This research investigates various model variations and analyzes the factors influencing inference speed in image generation. While Mobile Diffusion, though not yet commercially available, claims to achieve an impressive inference speed of 0.02 seconds, we explore whether architectural modifications and sampling techniques can further enhance performance without compromising image quality. Our findings indicate that adjustments to sampling operations, such as switching the scheduler from PNDMS to DDIM, resulted in a 6.57% increase in inference speed, albeit with a slight degradation in FID and CLIP scores. In contrast, architectural changes yielded significant improvements, achieving up to a 15.24% increase in speed while maintaining favorable results in FID and CLIP scores
The Russo-Ukrainian War: An exploration of war-related stress in European civilians
No full textRussia’s invasion of Ukraine has resulted in global shortages of food, fuel and supplies and over 7 million refugees. While research supports that war leads to widespread psychological consequences on populations directly impacted by conflict, little research has explored the impact of war-related stress (WRS) and related variables amongst European populations. A total of 128 participants completed questionnaires regarding their gender, age, war related stress (WRS), belief in a just world (BJW), conflict-related media consumption (CRMC), and emotional state. A regression analysis revealed that CRMC was the greatest predictor of WRS, while BJW showed a small to moderate negative relationship with WRS. Notably, higher CRMC scores correlated with significantly lower BJW scores and higher levels of CRMC had no impact on emotional state. Finally, no significant gender differences in levels of WRS were observed