3,297 research outputs found
Effects of the environmental factors in call centre interiors: a case study
Environmental factors in workspaces affect employee productivity and satisfaction, particularly in call centres. One of the most challenging issues in contemporary offices is overcoming the problems of concentration on work, despite adverse effects such as insufficient lighting, inappropriate acoustics, or inadequate ventilation. The challenges increase in open-plan solutions. This paper presents a case study from Turkey that elaborates on strategies to improve environmental performance in call centres. It is inspired by a questionnaire conducted among employees of a call centre, identifying existing design lacks. Based on the results, acoustic quality calculations of the physical workspace follow, and initial computing outcomes reveal that the conditions do not meet the standards for call centres. The authors propose strategies to improve acoustic performance in the workspace and apply them to a virtual model. Results reveal that the proposed solutions allow for meeting the standards. Based on the findings, the authors suggest several other strategies for improving the physical environmental quality of the place, thus forming a guideline for the architectural design of call centres. The study derives information from a specific case and context to propose universally applicable solutions. It fills a gap in the literature as it exemplifies the characteristics of call centres in Turkey, which have not been studied before
How social media brand community development impacts consumer engagement and value formation; perspectives from the cosmetics industry
Social media and social media brand communities (SMBCs) are powerful tools for long-term consumer-brand relationship building. As a result, SMBCs are becoming significant marketing channels. Despite the wide use and adoption of SMBCs, further research is called for, as both practitioners and academics lack an understanding of the processes taking place within SMBCs. This study aims to contribute to knowledge of: (1) consumer engagement, (2) value formation in SMBCs, and (3) establishing the relationship between consumer engagement and value formation within the SMBC environment. This thesis adopts netnography, a method commonly employed to explore online communities in the social media environment.
Three cosmetics brands were selected for this study. The selection was driven by geographical location, posting frequency and user activity. Data were retrospectively collected from Facebook SMBCs between 1st December 2019 and 31st January 2020. The data analysis employed thematic analysis techniques and was further guided by netnographic procedural steps, encompassing 25 distinct data operations. In total, 87 conversation threads were examined, which included 6,401 consumer comments.
The findings present a typology of brand posts consisting of five overarching themes: presentation of offerings, belongingness building, engagement building, value-led, and educational. The research also identified a consumer comment typology consisting of four overarching themes brand-centred communication, cognitive-centred communication, conversation-centred communication, and personal experience-centred communication. Additionally, the thesis explores value formation processes within SMBCs, and the value types formed through consumer-to-consumer value formation interaction, brand-to-consumer value formation interaction, consumer-to-brand value formation interaction, as well as individual value formation processes, i.e., customer independent value formation and brand independent value facilitation.
Through the findings, thesis broadens knowledge of the implication of SMBC development on consumer engagement. Additionally, this study extends the scope of value formation beyond service marketing, providing valuable insights into how value is created and perceived in the context of SMBCs. This research is also of significance for practice as it offers guidance and insight into how different brand posts can facilitate SMBC development, and, in turn, consumer engagement and value formation.
The research provides a link between SMBC development and consumer engagement, highlighting the importance of SMBCs in the successful facilitation of consumer engagement. In particular, it provides evidence that the development of an SMBC has a significant impact on consumer engagement. The typology of brand posts that this study generates highlights the link between the types of posts published by the brand and SMBC development. In addition, the typology of consumer posts also suggests that there is a link between the types of comments published by consumers and the degree of SMBC development. As a result, the findings indicate significant growth in the variety of topics discussed within more developed SMBCs alongside a shift within the topics discussed. The study also investigates value formation within SMBCs, thereby enhancing the understanding of how SMBCs can facilitate value formation. By doing so, this research successfully extends the value formation lens predominantly applied in service marketing. In particular, the findings highlight the role of different actors in enabling the formation of different value types. Furthermore, the research emphasises the value of SMBCs as knowledge repositories as important virtual spaces for both brands and consumers. The findings facilitate understanding of the importance of SMBCs in value formation processes, contributing to advancing knowledge of the role of SMBCs in the development of consumer engagement and value formation.
The thesis presents a contextualised conceptual framework of value formation within SMBCs, that captures different interactions taking place in the SMBC environment but also draws attention to the different value types generated through interaction between different actors. Finally, the thesis offers a conceptual framework of SMBCs, consumer engagement and value formation, which captures the correlation between the three researched concepts
Influence of Preaching’s Rhetorical Appeal on Evangelical Listeners’ Motivation
Preaching is a form of rhetorical narratology aimed at persuading its audience via sermons to experience a renewal of the mind and the transformation of their life. While previous research established the fact that listeners comprehend sermons through their rhetorical appeal, it has been unclear how this has motivated evangelical listeners to act. The purpose of this qualitative narrative study was to explore how the rhetorical appeal of preaching influences evangelical listeners’ motivation at evangelical churches in Savannah, Georgia. A comprehensive approach to exploring a sermon’s rhetorical appeal was utilized by focusing jointly on individual perception and social context. The Narrative Transportation Theory served as the theoretical framework, and 34 participants from six churches were interviewed to reach saturation. The findings showed that the rhetorical appeal embedded in preaching, plus its narrative essence, influences evangelical listener motivation. In addition, listeners subconsciously understand that aspects of rhetoric and narrative work together in sermons to influence their motivation. This study specifically identified three themes, seven categories, 13 conditions, and 32 codes relevant for rhetorical appeal to be effective and to help motivation occur. The three themes of Relatability, Applicability, and Engagement were aligned with Ethos, Logos, and Pathos, and then integrated with Environmental, Cognitive, and Behavioral functions, to create the Sermon Listener Motivation Triangle. This study’s corroboration of preaching’s collaborative nature between the perfectly divine and the imperfectly human is shared in hopes of helping speakers prepare scripturally authentic sermons and communicate in engaging ways that inspire change
Christian Global Citizenship Education in Korea
This practice-based research thesis employs theological action research as a methodology to explore the intersection of Global Citizenship Education (GCED) and public theology, with a specific focus on the contributions of Protestant Christianity. The research objectives are to investigate the relevance of Christianity in public life, its potential influence on GCED within the context of South Korea, and to develop practical tools for promoting the application of Christian values in global citizenship education.GCED is widely promoted by international and national governments, but its implementation faces challenges due to diverse perspectives, historicity, and varying economic and political statuses worldwide. Bridging these differences requires dialogue among different groups to determine the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values necessary for effective engagement. Within this context, Protestant Christianity offers unique insights and contributions.Through key informant interviews with experienced practitioners in educational settings in South Korea, this practice-based research thesis gathers perspectives on integrating Protestant Christian values in GCED and the role of public theology. Employing theological action research practices, the study develops a refined study guide for Christian Global Citizenship Education, incorporating feedback from key informants to ensure its relevance and alignment with the needs of engaged faith communities. The study guide serves as a practical tool for promoting the application of Christian values in global citizenship education.Overall, this practice-based research underscores the importance of integrating biblical values drawn from reflection on scripture and perspectives from Christianity into global education efforts and encourages active participation in discussions on global citizenship. The research aims to make an original contribution to scholarship in this area by contribute by creating a nuanced approach to GCED rooted in the teachings of Protestant Christianity to bridge gaps between different regions and communities, fostering a more inclusive and nuanced approach to GCED rooted in the teachings of Protestant Christianity. The findings of this research have practical implications for educators, policymakers, and faith communities seeking to incorporate spiritual values into the global citizenship education discourse.<br/
Multidisciplinary perspectives on Artificial Intelligence and the law
This open access book presents an interdisciplinary, multi-authored, edited collection of chapters on Artificial Intelligence (‘AI’) and the Law. AI technology has come to play a central role in the modern data economy. Through a combination of increased computing power, the growing availability of data and the advancement of algorithms, AI has now become an umbrella term for some of the most transformational technological breakthroughs of this age. The importance of AI stems from both the opportunities that it offers and the challenges that it entails. While AI applications hold the promise of economic growth and efficiency gains, they also create significant risks and uncertainty. The potential and perils of AI have thus come to dominate modern discussions of technology and ethics – and although AI was initially allowed to largely develop without guidelines or rules, few would deny that the law is set to play a fundamental role in shaping the future of AI. As the debate over AI is far from over, the need for rigorous analysis has never been greater. This book thus brings together contributors from different fields and backgrounds to explore how the law might provide answers to some of the most pressing questions raised by AI. An outcome of the Católica Research Centre for the Future of Law and its interdisciplinary working group on Law and Artificial Intelligence, it includes contributions by leading scholars in the fields of technology, ethics and the law.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
Best practice recommendations for coaching gymnasts to avoid burnout and reframe performance anxiety
Gymnastics is deemed a psychologically demanding sport, with associated risk factors of burnout and performance anxiety. To date, relatively little research has explored the specific goal and perfectionistic processes of gymnasts, despite these risks. This body of work identified the specific goal-related constructs and perfectionistic orientation of young athletes and examined how these associated with burnout and performance anxiety. It comprised of two studies with a mixed methods design. The first study aimed to systematically review literature investigating how goal-related constructs and perfectionism associate with burnout and performance anxiety in young athletes. This review focused on summer and winter Olympic sports which young athletes participate in. In summary, our main findings from the studies (k = 11) were: (1) ego goal orientation is positively associated with performance anxiety generally, but not conclusively; (2) mastery goal orientation is negatively associated with performance anxiety generally, but not conclusively; (3) self-oriented perfectionism is positively associated with performance anxiety; (4) socially prescribed perfectionism is positively associated with performance anxiety; (5) self-oriented perfectionism is negatively associated with burnout, (6) socially prescribed perfectionism is positively associated with burnout and (7) mastery-approach goals and mastery-avoidance goals do not predict burnout, whereas ego- avoidance goals do predict burnout. The second study presented the findings from the first study to gymnastics stakeholders within a focus group (n = 4), in order to provoke discussion leading to coaching recommendations to the leading gymnastics body in Western Australia, Gymnastics WA. A thematic analysis of the transcript from the focus group meeting was produced. In summary, the main themes were (1) improving culture; (2) verbal communication; (3) parent-coach-gymnast alignment; (4) relationship building and mentorship; (5) education and wellbeing. These findings were elaborated on and formed the basis of a written report. This body of work is of current significance to its main stakeholder GWA, who emphasised a need for coach education to support gymnast wellbeing in their 2022-2026 strategic plan. The research may be of interest to other sports organisations that place a high value on cultivating healthy mindsets in young athletes through coach training in psychoeducation. Both studies contribute to the sport psychology literature on goal constructs, perfectionism and their associations with burnout and performance anxiety
Using Model Cards for ethical reflection on machine learning models: an interview-based study
How do tools designed for documenting machine learning models contribute to developers’ ethical reflection? We set out to answer this question regarding Model Cards, a tool proposed for such purpose. We conducted a thematic analysis of eight semi-structured interviews based on speculative design sessions. Each participant assumed the role of developer of an artificial intelligence model in one of two scenarios: loan applications or university admissions. We found evidence that designers may have been selective about which ethical issues – from among those they had reflected on – they recorded in the Model Cards. While participants were hesitant to grant full autonomy to the artifact to be developed, we identified they still tended to rely on a third party (outside the design team) to mediate the relationship between the system and other stakeholders. Our findings contribute to our understanding of documentation tools, their epistemic value, and how they can be leveraged to engage in a more ethically informed design process of artificial intelligence systems
- …