Spirit at work and its impact on employee outcomes in Australian higher education

YesThis study adopted a mixed methods approach, with the quantitative element forming the core component and the qualitative dimension assuming the supplementary component to assess Job Satisfaction (JS)and Organisational Commitment (OC) as mediators in the relationship between Spirit at Work (SAW) and Organisational Citizenship Behaviour(OCB) within the Australian higher education sector. It is expected that by 2025, job satisfaction and burnout will cause large numbers of academic staff to leave Australian universities. Regression and structural equation modelling analysed the study’s quantitative data. NVivo was used to analyse qualitative data. The findings illustrate that SAW significantly affects OCB, JS and OC. Most notably, the results indicate no significant differences between the permanent and casual staff’s level of SAW and none between their JS, OC and OCB levels. This finding contradicts previous research. The overall findings in this article further highlight necessary changes to Australian universities’ current management and leadership approaches to create more satisfied and committed employees

Reminiscence respecified: A conversation analytic examination of practice in a specialist dementia care home

YesAlthough discussion of reminiscence is prevalent in dementia care research, few studies have examined what actually occurs in these interactions, and how they are structured. This study examined how reminiscence activities are structured and negotiated in a care home environment. Informal one-to-one reminiscence interactions between people living with dementia and professional carers were transcribed from a larger video dataset. We used Conversation Analysis to examine reminiscence sequences in a novel relational approach that explored the interactional practices used by carers and people living with dementia. We identified divergences between manualised practice recommendations and observed interactional practices, such as the rarity of open questions, and frequent use of closed questions. This was contrary to current practice recommendations. These and other divergences demonstrate the value of interactional research in informing reminiscence practice and training manuals. By examining how reminiscence operates in practice, our approaches to conducting such activities can be more empirically informed. Our findings can be used to advise and guide those doing reminiscence work in care home settings, and improve the inclusiveness of reminiscence interactions. Through incorporating empirically informed techniques that both carers and people with dementia use in practice, we can facilitate interactions around memories which are supportive of people with dementia's identity.This research was supported by an ESRC doctoral studentship funded through the Midlands Graduate School DTP [ES/P099711/1] and Loughborough University. The data on which this paper draws were collected as part of a British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship [MC110142] awarded to Elizabeth Peel

Ensuring a peaceful Africa based on the sustainable use of natural resources

Ye

Citizen attitudes towards the environment and association with perceived threats to the countryside: Evidence from countries in five European biogeographic zones

YesCitizens play a crucial role in attaining the United Nations 2030 sustainable development goals (SDGs). There is growing awareness of the importance of understanding citizen perspectives on environmental issues, in relation to developing and maintaining sustainable lifestyles, and in addressing perceived threats to protection and restoration of ecosystems and biodiversity. This analysis sought to understand people’s attitudes towards environmental conservation, how they relate to perceived threats to the countryside, and to determine how attitudes and perceived threats vary demographically and between countries. A survey was administered to citizens (quota sampled on age, gender, education, and split between rural and urban residency) across five countries representative of differing biogeographical regions (N = 3,190): Czech Republic (n = 649) (Continental); Spain (Mediterranean) (n = 623); Sweden (Boreal) (n = 645); Switzerland (Alpine) (n = 641); United Kingdom (UK) (Atlantic) (n = 632). Attitudes were measured using the Environmental Attitudes Inventory (EAI-24) on 2 factors (utilization; preservation) and perceived threat to the countryside on 1-factor (15 items). Multigroup regression analysis indicated that preservationist attitudes were associated with greater perceived threat to the countryside in all five countries. Higher perceived threat was associated with activities linked to environmental degradation, socio-economic uncertainty and risks in agri-food supply chains in all countries. The “bad behaviour of visitors” was the greatest perceived threat in the Czech Republic, Switzerland and the UK, while “lack of young farmers taking over farming” was the greatest perceived threat in Spain and Sweden. To promote pro-environmental attitudes and obtain greater public support for policies and interventions targeting environmental conservation, communication about environmental threats is needed, together with threat mitigation measures. Raising peoples’ awareness of threats to the countryside through targeted communications could promote pro-environment attitudes and potentially result in pro-environmental behaviours.The SUPER-G project (Grant Agreement No.: 774124) has received funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme

Perspectives of minority ethnic caregivers of people with dementia interviewed as part of the IDEAL programme

YesPostwar migrants from the Caribbean and Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan) to the UK are now experiencing the onset of age-related diseases such as dementia. Our evidence base, both quantitative and qualitative, documenting the experiences of family caregivers of people with dementia is largely drawn from studies undertaken with white European, North American, and Australasian populations. Consequently, there is a need for research in the field of dementia caregiving to reflect the increasing diversity in ethnic identities of the older adult population of the UK. Using semistructured interviews, we investigated the experiences of 18 caregivers of people with dementia in Black Caribbean, Black African, and South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi) communities in England. Participants were recruited from the Join Dementia Research platform and were predominantly female intergenerational carers. We identified the following three themes: motivation to care (spending time with the care recipient and reciprocity), positive and negative consequences of caregiving (rewards and consequences), and the cultural context of caregiving (cultural norms and values supporting caregiving and negative attitudes towards dementia). Our findings develop existing literature by identifying (a) the importance of spending time with the person they care for, (b) the absence of faith as a caregiving driver, and (c) the challenge of watching the declining health of a parent. We highlight how the different motivations to care are intertwined and dynamic. This is illustrated by the linking of obligation and reciprocity in our dataset and positive and negative experiences of caregiving.Alzheimer's Society. Grant Numbers: 348, AS-PR2-16-001. National Institute for Health Researc

Using hybrid qualitative analysis to explore lived experience of motherhood and postnatal depression: A thematic-dialogical approach

YesThis paper illustrates a novel hybrid approach to analysis which offers unique insights into the experience of postnatal depression in British Pakistani-Muslim women, through the prioritising of voice. To do so, we combine thematic and dialogical analysis, using data from a study on motherhood and postnatal depression. Participants were part of the birth cohort ‘Born in Bradford's Better Start’. The rationale for developing a hybridised approach is discussed. The ensuing analyses highlight the role of internal voices and chronotope, which give a detailed insight into women's meaning making of psychological distress and motherhood during the postnatal period. We go onto discuss the strength and limitations of hybridising thematic-dialogical analysis in the context of health research.This work is funded by a University of Bradford, Faculty of Social Sciences scholarship. This study was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research Yorkshire and Humber Applied Research Collaboration

Hybrid entrepreneurship in just transitions: Dealing with dilemmas facing ‘the other’

YesThe aim of the paper is to investigate the role of hybrid entrepreneurship in developing justice and diversity responses to sustainability transitions that are complicated by contexts of ambiguous socio-technological shifts and manifested in material and ethical dilemmas for ‘the other’, i.e., those deemed different. Based on analysis of two original case studies featuring the other—the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation indigenous community in Canada and the Karachi Down Syndrome Program in Pakistan—we identify the conditions for engaging minority communities in strong collaborative and participatory cross-stakeholder processes to deal with dilemmas posed by sustainability transitions. We centre on issues of social inclusion and social equity. We illuminate how hybrid entrepreneurship practices enable, structure and manage collective learning within and outside hybrid ventures to facilitate equitable transitions. Finally, we propose how to co-create actions that amplify marginalized voices to influence institutions

Gender, culture and stakeholder management strategies in Africa

YesThe chapter reviews existing literature to provide insights into the impact of gender and culture on women entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa. It discusses how gender and culture influence business growth, resilience, and stakeholder management. The chapter further establishes that business growth in women-led entrepreneurial ventures is relative and may not be measured by conventional outcomes. We also found that educated women in Africa, with adequate social capital, are taking up entrepreneurship. But the socio-cultural and economic context within which they operate continues to challenge their enterprises. This review recommends further empirical studies on women’s entrepreneurship and the role of ‘charismatism’ as a religious affiliation. It also recommends studies into how societal stereotypes and expectations have evolved and how this enables or impedes women entrepreneurs.The full-text of this article will be released for public view at the end of the publisher embargo on 07 Dec 2025

Bio-energy programs in Europe

NoBio-energy availability, its potential and production, challenges, and opportunities in Europe are addressed in this chapter. In addition, a comprehensive comparison of different generations of biofuels, types of bioenergy resource availability for various EU countries, and the prediction of the supply rate has been explained. This book chapter helps us understand the progress of consumable bioenergy resources and expected future trends, which is highly important to know. The basis of this chapter is on the agreements in the European energy institutes and related policies. Furthermore, the potential resources of bio-energy in Europe, environmental impacts, and the challenges and barriers that may be faced in the present and future have been investigated

A piriform jar from the cemetery at el-Dakka: contexts and contents

YesWhile stone vessels were sometimes included in ancient Egyptian elite burials of the New Kingdom, presumed to have been used as cosmetic vessels, we still know little about the contents they held. The situation is even more vague for jars in Nubia, where they occur less frequently. We report here on a study of a travertine jar from the Cemetery of el-Dakka in Lower Nubia, and the scientific analysis of its contents, comparing the jar with other known examples