A Programme for Women achieving Excellence in Research (PoWER): theoretically informed intervention design and evaluation

Academics in Higher Education are often expected both to teach and to research; this is a particular challenge for women both structurally and individually. Initiatives to address structural issues include AdvanceHE. Here, we focus on individual issues and report on the Programme for Women Achieving Excellence in Research, a theory-based intervention. Barriers to success were assessed and course content tailored accordingly. Evaluation demonstrated that barriers were reduced and that confidence increased. Although the barriers are both individual and contextual, our rigorous approach allows international application through intervention modification without loss of fidelity. This offers a new approach for academic developers to enable female researchers

How CREATECH is reshaping the creative industries

Since OpenAI released its service ChatGPT in 2022, interest in generative artificial intelligence (AI) in the Creative Industries has surged. However, research from the University for the Creative Arts (UCA) shows that AI is only one of several disruptive Industry 4.0 technologies infusing the sector. Companies such as Engineered Arts, who create humanoid robots for events, and MoveAI, who make 3D motion capture and real-time animation simpler, are examples of innovative businesses identified as Createch. During 2023, spokespeople for the Creative industries, such as Sir Peter Bazalgette, Co-Chair, Creative Industries Council, have acknowledged the growing significance of Createch. Createch businesses bring creative and commercial opportunities. They also bring social and environmental harms (e.g., the carbon footprint from training and tuning machine learning models). A UCA survey conducted in 2022 shows these companies are often immature in terms of sustainability thoughts and action. Although 77% of Createchs in the survey said that sustainability is core to their strategy, only 5% have a sustainability policy. The research also shows that Createch businesses do not recognise the full impact of on their value chains and the behaviour of audiences and users. For example, Virtual Reality extends the reach of a live performance, but it can also generate increased electronic waste as users upgrade to the latest device. In interviews, Createch founders identified a lack of relevant, practical information for them despite the availability of guides for the Creative Industry (e.g., the Green Theatre Guide). Founders mentioned areas such as strategies for decarbonising AI models, and responsible and ethical use of AI as important gaps. In September 2023, UCA launched a free online tool aimed at Createch founders and CEOs to close these gaps, as well as enabling business leaders to benchmark their sustainability maturity using a tailored ZBIA maturity matrix (Zero, Basic, Intermediate, Advanced)

Gender and the Jinn in the work of costume designer Phaedra Dahdaleh

This essay considers the importance and marginalisation of Arab costume designer Phaedra Dahdaleh through an exploration of her work in the Iranian horror film زیر سایه‎/Zeer-e sāye/Under the Shadow (2016). Phaedra Dahdaleh is a Jordanian costume designer. Having established her own house of costumes in the country, she takes the role of costume designer in most major films shot in the area. Some well-known films she has worked on are Rosewater (2014), Rogue One (2016), and War Machine (2017). Through an analysis of costume design in the film, we underscore her significant role as a costume designer in the construction of the film’s narrative

At home: Panoramas de nos Vies Domestiques: some ecological reflections

Domestic interiors are invested with a multitude of meanings; political, economic, social, cultural, psycho- logical, and ecological among them. Between 2020 and 2022, the height of the Covid pandemic in Europe, the authors co-curated an exhibition—At Home: Panoramas de nos Vies Domestiques—for the 2022 St Etienne Design Biennale. The design exhibition explored those meanings, past, present, and future, and addressed the key themes challenging our domestic spaces in the early twenty-first century, including the climate emergency, housing inequality and the market, and the technology-fuelled erosion of privacy. This article will unpack the ways in which those themes and challenges interact with each other through the concept of ecology, understood in its broadest sense as a balanced relationship between human beings and the planet, and how, through the exhibits on display, designers have responded to them and suggested future directions

Dressing the invisible gay man

The depiction of gay men in cinema has long been intertwined with stereotypes and societal ideologies that shape discussions around gay culture. Historically, these stereotypes have revolved around fashion and consumerism, reinforcing the notion that the value of gay men lies in their economic status and style. Films not only reflect these stereotypes but also establish standards for them. This article contends that gay men have had to construct and define their identities based on the images and representations presented to them. In contrast to overt stereotypes prevalent in historic and modern cinema, contemporary British cinema crosses borders and embraces a subtler portrayal of gay men. The depiction of the invisible or barely seen gay man often draws on historic references to horror. Andrew Haigh’s All of us Strangers (2023) serves as a cornerstone for this discussion. Renowned for his approach to gay male narratives form gay perspectives, Haigh diverges form Hollywood conventions by exploring the stories of a damaged young boy and lost, invisible older man. Drawing on historic film studies texts, (Dyer, 2002; Goltz, 2010), observations of gay men’s style (Cole, 2023) and visual analysis of Haigh’s filmography (Weekend, 2011; All of Us Strangers, 2023) this article examines Dressing the Invisible Gay Man and its potential impact on gay culture. It aims to comment Haigh for delving into unexplored storylines and utilizes theories of masculinity in film (Lehman, 2001; Church Gibson, 2004; Cohen & Rae Hark, 1993) to initiate a dialogue on how ‘dressing’ the invisible gay man can counter the damaging effects of Hollywood stereotypes and contribute to future discussions

Understanding intercultural interaction: an analysis of key concepts (2nd ed.)

In an increasingly global world, it is more important than ever that we deepen our understanding of how people interact and communicate across different cultural contexts. Designed as an introduction to a wide range of theories and ideas that influence social encounters around the globe, this 2nd Edition of Understanding Intercultural Interaction places new emphasis on the ‘global workplace’, providing an overview and analysis of key concepts in culture and interaction to develop your knowledge in areas such as global working, diversity management, interculturality, and cross- cultural ethics. Cutting across the world of work and education, this is a timely refresh for equipping a diverse range of both students and professionals with the tools to understand, discuss, and ultimately fulfil the role that they can play on the international stage

Harnessing green innovation via green transformational leadership in Italian luxury hotels: key strategic takeaways

The increasing focus on environmental issues has resulted in the widespread acceptance and prominence of green innovation. However, existing literature on hotel management has overlooked exploring the key factors that drive green innovation specifically through the mediating mechanisms of green dynamic capability (GDC) and green environmental orientation (GEO). To fill the gap in the existing hospitality literature this study utilized the natural resource-based view (NRBV) to investigate the correlation between green transformational leadership (GTL) and green innovation (GI). Two research studies were carried out in Italian luxury hotels to assess the efficacy of the theoretical framework. The research findings emphasize that the enhancement of a hotel’s GDC and GEO can be facilitated by providing GTL. This in turn may lead to the enhancement of GI which improves the CA and GP of a hotel

“I deserve better grades.” Compliance-gaining perspective of dark triad traits, power distance and academic entitlement in Chinese higher education

Purpose Dark triad (DT) personality traits, that is, Machiavellianism, narcissism and psychopathy, are socially unenthusiastic and predict a range of antisocial behaviors. Academic entitlement, similarly, demonstrates the students’ rising temptation of higher grades without putting corresponding efforts. Based on coercion theory, this research investigated power distance as mediator between DT and academic entitlement (externalized responsibility and entitled expectations). Further, this study examined DT model of personality as a predictor of academic entitlement in Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs). Design/methodology/approach Chinese HEIs were ascertained for data collection. Students (with bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees) responded to 719 questionnaires for data analysis. Hypothesized relationships were examined through partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM). Findings This study established positive and significant direct link between DT and academic entitlement. The indirect effect through power distance was found insignificant between the relationship of DT and academic entitlement. Originality/value Based on coercion theory, this study extends the prevailing literature through unexplored effects of DT on academic entitlement and role of power distance in Chinese HEIs. This study validated the effect of DT on academic entitlement; however, direct-only no-mediation of power distance between the relationships is novel in Chinese HEIs. Moreover, power distance as mediator is novel between the relationships. Hence, this study provides an understanding of mentioned associations and contributes to the literature