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Work–Life Balance And Job Satisfaction In Irish Hospitals
No full textThis study examines how perceived work–life balance (WLB) and managerial support influence job satisfaction (JS) in Irish hospitals. Drawing on role‐conflict, enrichment and social-exchange perspectives, a cross-sectional online survey gathered quantitative data from 41 doctors, nurses, allied health professionals and support staff employed in public, private and voluntary facilities. Reliability checks preceded descriptive comparisons, independent-sample tests, one-way ANOVA and zero-order correlations, methods suited to the modest sample. Findings reveal a generally moderate sense of balance and satisfaction, yet with clear variation: men and long-service employees experience higher WLB, whereas staff in the four-to-six-year tenure band record the lowest JS. Perceived managerial and organisational support emerges as the strongest attitudinal correlate, displaying a positive association with satisfaction across sub-groups. In contrast, the anticipated direct link between WLB and JS is not confirmed, a result partly attributable to limited scale reliability and restricted score dispersion. Occupational role and hospital ownership show no meaningful differences, suggesting that roster pressures transcend professional and sectoral boundaries. By spanning multiple staff categories, the study extends Irish evidence, foregrounds career stage as a pivotal yet under-explored determinant of wellbeing, and highlights persistent measurement challenges in brief staff surveys. Implications point to the value of targeted development pathways for mid-career clinicians, greater resourcing of line managers so that expressed empathy translates into tangible scheduling relief, and gender-responsive flexibility initiatives. Future work should employ larger, stratified samples, stronger instruments and longitudinal designs to clarify causal pathways and refine interventions
Post-Pandemic Economic Drivers of Migration: Understanding the Rising Immigration of Chinese Citizens to Canada
No full textThis study explores the economic forces driving the rise in Chinese immigration to Canada after the pandemic. Based on eight semi-structured interviews with recent and prospective migrants, it uses a blended framework drawing from Push–Pull Theory, the New Economics of Labour Migration, Institutional Theory, and Migration Network Theory. The analysis identifies five main influences: economic instability in China, ambitions for improved education and living standards, supportive Canadian immigration policies, migration as a way to spread household risks, and the role of online networks. The findings suggest migration is a deliberate, future-oriented choice shaped by long-term planning, institutional settings, and cultural dynamics, offering fresh insights for policy in the post-COVID context
The Impact of Psychological Safety on Employee Performance: A Study of the Pharmaceutical and Financial Service Sectors in Indonesia
No full textIntroduction – Psychological safety is a pivotal factor in increasing employee performance. It encourages employees to take risks more confidently, thereby enhancing their performance. In the pharmaceutical and financial services industries in Indonesia, employee performance plays a crucial role in fostering high-performing teams and a positive organizational culture. Therefore, it is essential to understand how psychological safety impacts employees' performance in the highly regulated sectors.
Objective – This study aims to investigate the influence of psychological safety on employee performance, including both task and contextual performance, as well as CWB, in the pharmaceutical and financial services sectors in Indonesia. It also examines how socio-demographic variables influence this relationship.
Method – The study employs a quantitative approach with a cross-sectional research design. Electronic surveys are distributed to 80 permanent employees in the pharmaceutical and financial services industries in Indonesia to collect data on psychological safety, employee performance (task performance, contextual performance, and CWB), and socio-demographic variables. The survey distribution uses convenience and snowball sampling techniques. Multivariate regression models, Pearson correlation tests, and reliability analysis were used for data analysis. Hypothesis testing was done using hierarchical regression.
Results – The results revealed a significant relationship between psychological safety and task and contextual performance. Specifically, this study finds that contextual performance is even more predictive of psychological safety. Additionally, employees who were married did not appear to have a significant effect. Substantial variation in employee performance could be explained by the model, highlighting the importance of psychological safety for workplace outcomes.
Conclusion – This research offers valuable insights into the impact of psychological safety on employee performance in the regulated industries in Indonesia. These findings underscore the importance of creating a psychologically safe environment in the workplace to enhance both task and contextual performance. It also contributes to the academic literature on psychological safety and workplace performance
An Examination of the Revival and Expansion of Indigenous Nigerian Textiles: Adire
No full textAdire, an indigenous Nigerian textile, native to the Yoruba tribe of Southwestern Nigeria, embodies Nigeria’s cultural heritage through resist-dyed textile techniques. Undermined by mass-produced imitations and weak institutional support, Adire is experiencing a revival driven by youth creativity, demand, and a reconnection with cultural pride. This study investigates how Adire is being revived, reinterpreted and sustained within a local context with prospects of a global future, examining its role as a driver for cultural identity trade and innovation.
A qualitative, exploratory design was adopted using semi-structured interviews with 8 participants, purposively chosen stakeholders, consisting of artisans, fashion designers, historians, and agencies. Data collected was thematically analysed using Braun & Clarke’s framework and interpreted to link the four main theories concerned: Glocalisation, Post-colonial theory, Stuart Hall’s Cultural identity theory, and World systems theory.
The finding revealed five key interconnected themes: Cultural Identity & Shifts, with Adire serving as a living cultural symbol. Modern Application & Innovation, youth-led innovation with hybrid techniques. Trade & Exports, the expansion of local, diasporic and foreign demand, combating barriers to trade, quality, and policies. Community Efforts and Support, the encouragement, and the need for more training and development initiatives. Heritage & Policy Recommendations, National adaptation of the textile and subsidies to enable easier foreign trade.
The study concluded that Adire’s resilience is embedded in the capacity to balance adaptation and authenticity, showing how developing nations like Nigeria build their capacity to compete globally
Barriers to Intercultural Communication within International Business - Tesco
No full textBackground: In the post-globalisation period, most small and big businesses have begun to expand internationally to increase profits. Globalisation has enabled corporations to acquire their desired raw materials from countries where such commodities are less expensive, which has improved worldwide marketing. This has further caused recruitment of employees from different cultures increasing cultural diversity within the companies.
Aim: The main aim of this research is to identify the communication barriers faced by Tesco due to cultural differences among the employees.
Method: The study has adopted a primary quantitative research method, with data collected through surveying 50 Tesco employees and the data has been analysed using graphical analytic techniques.
Findings: The findings reveal that the main barriers faced by Tesco in managing cross-cultural communication are a lack of familiarity with local cultures and customs, different communication styles, misinterpretation of gestures, language differences and cultural differences respectively. Aside from that, additional research indicates that the primary causes of hurdles in cross-cultural communication include power disparities, divergent cultural values, linguistic variations, and distinct non-verbal signals.
Conclusion: This study concludes that companies have seen a stunning tapestry of varied cultures, distinct beliefs, and viewpoints in their workforce, which has been brought about by the fast development of market operations. As a result, when workers from various cultural backgrounds are engaged, intercultural communication becomes increasingly important in promoting inclusion within the workplace
Perceptions and motivations influencing SH clothing consumption by Generation X in Ireland: An attitudinal thematic study
No full textThis thesis explores the key perceptions of Generation X ( born 1965 -1980) towards second– hand clothing shopping, as well as the motivations driving their purchases, from an Irish context.
The research question was investigated through semi-structured interviews with eight participants, both males and females. Both convenience and purposive sampling were used, and interviews were analysed using thematic analysis.
The research explored attitudes across several key themes, including environmental concern, ethical consumerism, economic considerations, nostalgia, and digital engagement.
Findings suggest a strong awareness of and alignment with sustainable values and ethical issues, particularly around fast fashion and global textile waste.
The study also found generational differences in engagement with online platforms, a fading stigma related to SH shopping, and a preference for in-person shopping methods.
Motivations for shopping in SH stores, related to ecological responsibility, financial frugality, support for good causes, enjoyment of unique fashion, and both nostalgia and hedonic factors were expressed.
There was a difference in males and females related to intention, in that males were motivated by need, and females were motivated by the treasure hunt aspect or the satisfaction in finding something unique, at a lower price.
There was also an attitude-behaviour gap identified, where intentions to shop sustainably were often undermined by convenience, habit, and practical issues.
The study also explores the barriers to consumption, and key points of concern were hygiene, quality, self-expression, and social perception.
Finally, despite the small sample size, the study uncovered the complex value-driven consumer behaviour of Generation X, with decisions not only driven by environmental factors but also by cultural identity, social norms, and personal experience
Profiling brain morphology for autism spectrum disorder with two cross-culture large-scale consortia
No full textWe explore neurodevelopmental heterogeneity in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) through normative modeling of cross-cultural cohorts. By leveraging large-scale datasets from Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (ABIDE) and China Autism Brain Imaging Consortium (CABIC), our model identifies two ASD subgroups with distinct brain morphological abnormalities: subgroup “L” is characterized by generally smaller brain region volumes and higher rates of abnormality, while subgroup “H” exhibits larger volumes with less pronounced deviations in specific areas. Key areas, such as the isthmus cingulate and transverse temporal gyrus, were identified as critical for subgroup differentiation and ASD trait correlations. In subgroup H, the regional volume of the isthmus cingulate cortex showed a direct correlation with individuals’ autistic mannerisms, potentially corresponding to its slower post-peak volumetric declines during development. These findings offer insights into the biological mechanisms underlying ASD and support the advancement of subgroup-driven precision clinical practices
Exploring the Influence of Social Media Usage on Academic Procrastination Undergraduate Students
No full textAim: The objective of the current study is to provide a correlation between social media usage on academic procrastination in full-time undergraduate students in Ireland. Also looks at if there was a difference between male and female participants, finally it investigated if mature students scored lower in social media usage scores and procrastination scores in comparison to younger students.
Method: A survey was administered to participators (N=85) through social media and flyers, which contained questions in relation to social media usage and academic procrastination. Social media usage is examined through the Social Networking Time Use Scale (SONTUS) and Academic Procrastination is examined through the Academic Procrastination Scale (APS).
Results: Results indicated that a relationship between social media usage and academic procrastination exists, also indicated that higher levels of social media use were associated with higher academic procrastination levels in younger students compared to mature students. However, no significant difference in terms of gender.
Conclusion: Findings from this study provided a deeper understanding on the relationship between social media usage and academic procrastination in undergraduate students. Importantly, results showed a significant difference in relation to age, but gender showed no significant difference
Social Media and Memory in The Age of Instant Gratification
No full textAims: This study was designed to determine if there was a positive correlation between social media usage and memory retention, more specifically if high levels of social media usage corresponded with low levels of memory retention. This study also examined if demographic factors such as age and gender play a role in memory retention and social media use. Additional research was implemented to test cognitive failures in relation to participants age.
Methods: An online survey was administered to participants (N=110) in which they answered demographic questions, followed by the Social Media Usage Scale (SMUS), they then proceeded to perform a memory task (Recall Task), and finally the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire (CFQ). Anonymised data was then input into SPSS for data analysis. Many tests were run to test the previously mentioned aims and hypotheses.
Results: Results showed slight but ultimately no significance when CQF scores and recall scores were tested against age, meaning the initial hypothesis was not supported. This was also true for gender, however this aligns with the hypothesis. Conversely, significance was found between SMUS scores and age, with older participants scoring lower than younger participants overall. This highlights the need for new means to be tested in the future
The Impact of Social Support and Burnout on Health Behaviours Among Healthcare Workers
No full textAims: This study aims to explore how perceived social support and burnout affects health behaviours of healthcare workers, focusing on different areas, such as, healthcare utilisation, diet and stress management.
Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted on healthcare workers (n= 74) through a self-reported questionnaire, using the following scales:
- Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social support (MSPSS) to evaluate social support.
- Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) to assess burnout dimensions (emotional exhaustion, de-personalisation and personal accomplishment).
- Health Behaviour Inventory (HBI) to measure dietary habits, self- care and stress management.
The data was analysed using descriptive, Pearson correlation and Multiple regression in SPSS.
Results: The results indicated that higher perceived social support was positively associated with enhanced healthcare utilisation and self- care behaviours, it did not significantly predict dietary habits. Emotional exhaustion significantly predicted stress- related health risks, such as anger and poor stress management. De-personalisation and personal accomplishment were not significant predictors of health risk behaviours. Social support did not significantly buffer the effects of burnout on health behaviours.
Conclusion: These findings highlight the need for workplace interventions such as; social support, stress management methods and wellness programs which could enhance healthcare workers well- being as well as improve patient care outcomes