The effects of customer equity drivers on loyalty across services industries and firms

Customer equity drivers (CEDs)—value equity, brand equity, and relationship equity—positively affect loyalty intentions, but this effect varies across industries and firms. We empirically examine potential industry and firm characteristics that explain why the CEDs–loyalty link varies across services industries and firms in the Netherlands. The results show that (1) some previously assumed industry and firm characteristics have moderating effects while others do not and (2) firm-level advertising expenditures constitute the most crucial moderator because they influence all three loyalty strategies (significant for value equity and brand equity; marginally significant for relationship equity), while three industry contexts (i.e., innovative markets, visibility to others, and complexity of purchase decisions) each influence two of the three loyalty strategies. Our results clearly show that specific industry and firm characteristics affect the effectiveness of specific loyalty strategies

Engaging creativity through an action learning and action research process to develop an Indigenous art exhibition

In most art exhibitions, the creative part of the exhibition is assumed to be the artworks on display. But for the Capricornia Arts Mob’s first collective art exhibition in Rockhampton during NAIDOC Week in 2012, the process of developing the exhibition became the focus of creative action learning and action research. In working together to produce a multi-media exhibition, we learned about the collaborative processes and time required to develop a combined exhibition. We applied Indigenous ways of working – including yarning, cultural respect, cultural protocols, mentoring young people, providing a culturally safe working environment and sharing both time and food – to develop our first collective art exhibition. We developed a process that allowed us to ask deep questions, engage in a joint journey of learning, and develop our collective story. This paper explores the processes that the Capricornia Arts Mob used to develop the exhibition for NAIDOC 2012

Developmental lessons from the Capricornia Arts Mob (CAM)

The Capricornia Arts Mob (CAM) is a collective of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual artists, sculptors, photographers, carvers and writers based in the Rockhampton region of Central Queensland. This paper explores the early development of CAM, identifies some of the lessons its members have learned about working together, and considers its role as a regional artists’ collective. The authors identify that traditional Indigenous practices, such as yarning and the sharing of food, have helped to facilitate the emergence of CAM as a vibrant, challenging, eclectic artistic family. They recognise the cultural challenges faced by the collective – including finding a culturally appropriate place to meet and work, and the cross-cultural issues that can emerge within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. In just 18 months, CAM has held successful exhibitions and developed public artworks. It is a strong part of regional Queensland’s arts scene, which supports emerging artists and provides a space to celebrate and support Indigenous art

Post-transplant adjustment--the later years.

As survival rates for pediatric solid organ transplantation have continued to improve, researchers and healthcare providers have increasingly focused on understanding and enhancing the HRQOL and psychosocial functioning of their patients. This manuscript reviews the psychosocial functioning of pediatric transplant recipients during the "later years," defined as more than three yr post-transplant, and focuses on the day-to-day impact of living with a transplant after the immediate period of adjustment and early years after surgery. Key topics reviewed include HRQOL, cognitive functioning, impact on the family, regimen adherence, and transition of responsibility for self-management tasks. Overall, pediatric transplant recipients evidence impairment in HRQOL, neuropsychological outcomes, and family functioning as compared to non-transplant recipients. However, the degree of impairment is influenced by a variety of factors including, disease severity, age, solid organ type, and study methodologies. Studies are limited by small samples, cross-sectional design, and the lack of universal assessment battery to allow for comparisons across solid organ populations. Areas for future research are discussed

How can using an iPad and an app assist in heart failure self-care and therefore wellbeing?

This paper describes the development and trialling of Fluid Watchers Pacific Rim: an iPad application designed to provide monitoring and self-care for Indigenous Australians with heart failure. The project is based on evidence that IT-supported education can be successful in decreasing re-hospitalisation and improving self-management skills. This project is the first demonstration that an iPad application can be developed to provide health care support for Indigenous Australian patients.In this paper, the authors describe an Action Research methodology, which involved health experts, an IT team and Indigenous heart failure patients in three cycles of development. They also describe the steps they took to ensure community participation and ownership of the project. The Fluid Watchers Pacific Rim trial provides positive initial findings which suggest that Indigenous heart failure patients enjoy using the application and improve their knowledge and self-care. The authors are currently developing a Randomised Control Trial to fully evaluate the application

Development of a culturally specific heart failure self-care iPad teaching tool for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders

Background / Aims: Self-care programs assisted by information technology can be highly effective in lowering re-hospitalisation and improving heart failure (HF) knowledge and self-management skills. To date, limited self-care resources have been developed specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients. The aims of this project were to 1) develop HF self-care educational materials that would be engaging, interactive, simple to navigate, useable by patients, carers and healthcare workers within the hospital and community settings; 2) to evaluate their effectiveness on HF knowledge, self-care behaviours and user friendliness.Methods: This study used a mixed method design including participatory action research for the development of a self-care app using a pre-post test design and validated questionnaires to evaluate effectiveness.Results: There were a total of 19 participants involved in the development and design of the app, including cardiologists, software designers, heart failure specialists, indigenous elders, healthcare workers and five patients and their families. Feedback from these stakeholders included aspects of fonts, colours, images, language and health literacy. Patients involved in the pre-post test were 60% male; mean age 61.2 years; 60% NYHA Class III; 80% married. Overall, HF knowledge improved by 13%; self-care behaviours by 3.2% and satisfaction 86.2%.Conclusion: Patients enjoyed participating in designing the app and showed improvement in knowledge, self-care and satisfaction. Outcomes from this pilot have been encouraging enough for our team to proceed to a larger powered trial

Using participatory action research to assist heart failure self-care amongst Indigenous Australians: a pilot study

This paper describes the initial phases of the Fluid Watchers Pacific Rim project: a participatory action research project that involves developing and trialling an iPad app to provide monitoring and self-care for Indigenous Australians with heart failure. The development phase involved working with health experts, an IT team and Indigenous heart-failure patients through three cycles of development and critical reflection. This was followed by a small pilot study to examine the app’s effectiveness. In this paper, the researchers explain why IT-supported health education can be successful in decreasing re-hospitalisation and improving self-management skills. They describe the steps they took to ensure community participation and ownership of the project and present the findings of their pilot study. This pilot project suggests that an iPad app may be a practical and successful way to provide health-care support for Indigenous Australian heart-failure patients

Using participatory action research for heart self care amongst indigenous patients

This paper describes the initial phases of the Fluid Watchers Pacific Rim project: a participatory action research project that involves developing and trialling an iPad app to provide monitoring and self-care for Indigenous Australians with heart failure. The development phase involved working with health experts, an IT team and Indigenous heart-failure patients through three cycles of development and critical reflection. This was followed by a small pilot study to examine the app’s effectiveness. In this paper, the researchers explain why IT-supported health education can be successful in decreasing re-hospitalisation and improving self-management skills. They describe the steps they took to ensure community participation and ownership of the project and present the findings of their pilot study. This pilot project suggests that an iPad app may be a practical and successful way to provide health-care support for Indigenous Australian heart-failure patients

Development of a culturally specific heart failure self-management iPad teaching tool for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people

This paper describes the initial phases of the Fluid Watchers Pacific Rim project: a participatory action research project that involves developing and trialling an iPad app to provide monitoring and self-care for Indigenous Australians with heart failure. The development phase involved working with health experts, an IT team and Indigenous heart-failure patients through three cycles of development and critical reflection. This was followed by a small pilot study to examine the app’s effectiveness. In this paper, the researchers explain why IT-supported health education can be successful in decreasing re-hospitalisation and improving self-management skills. They describe the steps they took to ensure community participation and ownership of the project and present the findings of their pilot study. This pilot project suggests that an iPad app may be a practical and successful way to provide health-care support for Indigenous Australian heart-failure patients