International student complaint behaviour: Understanding how East-Asian business and management students respond to dissatisfaction during their university experience

The higher education sector is characterised by intense global competition for international students. This is driving universities to place greater priority on the student experience and, in particular, student satisfaction and retention. However, an under-researched area is student complaint behaviour. By understanding how students react to poor experiences; the likely impact on the learning and teaching experience, satisfaction ratings and ultimately international student recruitment can be assessed, and appropriate strategies implemented. This study developed an instrument that measured East-Asian students’ preferred university complaint channels. The research focused on four categories of complaint behaviour: public, private, third party and non-behavioural, and data were collected from 135 East-Asian Business and Management students. A vignette questioning technique was used, providing respondents with hypothetical negative student experiences and recording their likely responses in terms of both how and where they would complain. Results suggest international students are pro-active in reporting dissatisfaction direct to the university, but also share these negative experiences with fellow students. The findings offer new insights to those responsible for managing the student experience and, in particular, for those tasked with handling student complaints

Helicopter human factors research

Helicopter flight is among the most demanding of all human-machine integrations. The inherent manual control complexities of rotorcraft are made even more challenging by the small margin for error created in certain operations, such as nap-of-the-Earth (NOE) flight, by the proximity of the terrain. Accident data recount numerous examples of unintended conflict between helicopters and terrain and attest to the perceptual and control difficulties associated with low altitude flight tasks. Ames Research Center, in cooperation with the U.S. Army Aeroflightdynamics Directorate, has initiated an ambitious research program aimed at increasing safety margins for both civilian and military rotorcraft operations. The program is broad, fundamental, and focused on the development of scientific understandings and technological countermeasures. Research being conducted in several areas is reviewed: workload assessment, prediction, and measure validation; development of advanced displays and effective pilot/automation interfaces; identification of visual cues necessary for low-level, low-visibility flight and modeling of visual flight-path control; and pilot training

Retire Later or Work Harder?

We compare two policies of increasing British state pension provision: (a) increase the pensionable age of men and women, (b) maintain the existing retirement age but require older workers to work longer per-period hours. There are reasons for policy makers to give serious consideration to the under-researched alternative (b). First, from wage - hours contract theory we know that there are potential gains to both workers and firms of allowing hours to rise in work experience. Second, there is strong evidence that job satisfaction rises in age. Third, there has in any case been a significant overall increase in the hours supplied by older workers in the last two decades. We review the relevant theory, model the trade-off between later retirement versus increased work intensity, produce relevant background facts, and provide estimates of the policy trade-offs.older workers, statutory retirement age, hours of work

Charity begins at home? Setting a future research agenda for national identity and charitable ethnocentrism

Purpose: This conceptual paper is designed to act as a catalyst for further debate and research surrounding the relationship between national identity and donor behaviour. Whereas much research has investigated how consumer ethnocentrism impacts upon purchase decisions, this conversation has not been extended into the realm of charitable giving. Given the current political and economic debates surrounding immigration policy and European Union membership, the issue of how national identity impacts upon charitable choice appears more pertinent than ever. Findings: A review of existing literature concludes that consumer ethnocentrism may not be an applicable construct in the context of charitable giving. This paper proposes an alternative concept, charitable ethnocentrism, be used to further investigate donor decision making. Public attitudes towards relevant political policies surrounding austerity and official development assistance (ODA) are also identified as factors which may influence charity choice. Implications: This discussion informs future research addressing how donors choose between what is a growing range of charitable causes. Specifically, the paper focuses on the distinction between supporting charities that are local, national or international in scope, and identifies relevant constructs that may explain how donors prioritise causes that serve different beneficiaries. Contribution: In an increasingly competitive charitable marketplace, this paper aims to stimulate empirical research that could influence future fundraising strategies used by charities. In academic terms, this paper instigates a timely discussion surrounding donor decision making, bringing together relevant concepts surrounding national identity that have not previously been considered in a third sector setting

Charity Begins at Home? Investigating the role of national identity in donation preferences towards local, national and international charities

A growing number of charities across the UK are competing for donations from the general public, and donors are faced with a plethora of options when choosing charitable causes to support. One criteria that may be used in this respect is distance; that is, whether the beneficiaries of their donations are based locally, nationally or internationally. It has been argued that donors who feel a moral obligation to co-nationals are more likely to donate to charities closer to home. Such an obligation may be borne from a sense of national identity, a person’s sense of attachment to their home country. Equally, recent changes in the UK’s political environment, primarily the austerity measures first implemented in 2010 and growing criticism around the allocation of overseas aid, may subsequently change how donors feel about donating to international charities. This study aims to investigate if patriotism and nationalism, the two widely accepted dimensions of national identity, impact on donor behaviour towards local, national or international charities. Furthermore, the study will also explore if attitudes towards two political issues, austerity and overseas aid, are related to charity choice. The findings will have implications for charities looking to attract and retain donors