Using competing models to evaluate the role of environmental pressures in ecommerce adoption by small and medium sized travel agents in a developing country

This study investigates the factors that influence e-commerce adoption in SME travel agents in a developing country. The research is based upon a questionnaire survey of travel agents in Egypt and employs advanced statistical techniques to test a conceptual framework that extends the technology acceptance model. Using competing models the study examines the relationship between e-commerce adoption, perceived benefits, perceived barriers and environmental pressures. The results indicate that environmental pressures significantly affect the perceived benefits and barriers of e-commerce adoption, in addition to having an indirect effect on adoption behaviour. Insights are provided into the nature of relationships between the key factors that determine e-commerce adoption and the extent to which they can be used to develop effective strategies for SME travel agent re-intermediation in the global travel market. Implications are identified for practice and government policy in relation to the use of e-commerce in SME travel businesses in developing countries

Unpicking Motives to Purchase Locally-Produced Food: Analysis of Direct and Moderation Effects

Purpose This study investigates how attributes associated with local food (intrinsic product quality; local support) motivate purchase behaviour. Previous research assumes heterogeneity in consumer motivation, but this has never been formally assessed. As such, the influence of local food attributes in motivating product use is integrated into a model in which consumer values and personal characteristics/situational variables are specified as moderators. Design/methodology/approach Eight hypotheses are tested using data collected from a quota sample of respondents recruited via an online panel of 1223 shoppers. A three-stage analysis is employed using structural equation modelling (SEM). Moderation effects are tested using both latent interactions and multiple-group analysis. Findings Shoppers purchase local food more frequently as a consequence of local support rather than intrinsic product quality. Unpicking these relationships reveal that local support has an amplified effect when local identity is higher, and when the shopper is female or of an older age (55yrs+). Surprisingly, the influence of intrinsic product quality is equivalent by gender, age and location (rural/urban). Practical implications Marketers promoting locally produced foods should focus on both the intrinsic attributes of local food as well as the role it plays within the local community. The latter is more likely to be successful with communications aimed at women and older consumers. Originality/value With previous studies focusing on how local food attributes influence favourable consumer behaviours, the current study unpicks these relationships by examining heterogeneity in responses. This is the first study to concurrently use attributes, values and personal characteristics/situational variables in explaining shopping behaviour for local food

“Contagious Accountability”: A Global Multisite Randomized Controlled Trial on the Effect of Police Body-Worn Cameras on Citizens’ Complaints Against the Police

The use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) by the police is rising. One proposed effect of BWCs is reducing complaints against police, which assumes that BWCs reduce officer noncompliance with procedures, improve suspects’ demeanor, or both, leading to fewer complaints. We report results from a global, multisite randomized controlled trial on whether BWC use reduces citizens’ complaints. Seven discrete tests ( N = 1,847 officers), with police shifts as the unit of analysis ( N = 4,264), were randomly assigned into treatment and control conditions. Using a prospective meta-analytic approach, we found a 93% before–after reduction in complaint incidence ( Z = −3.234; p < .001), but no significant differences between trial arms in the studies ( d = .053, SE = .11; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [−.163, .269]), and little between-site variation ( Q = 4.905; p = .428). We discuss these results in terms of an “observer effect” that influences both officers’ and citizens’ behavior and assess what we interpret as treatment diffusion between experimental and control conditions within the framework of “contagious accountability.” This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from SAGE Publications via http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/009385481666821

Wearing body cameras increases assaults against officers and does not reduce police use of force: Results from a global multi-site experiment

Police use of force is at the forefront of public awareness in many countries. Body-worn videos (BWVs) have been proposed as a new way of reducing police use of force, as well as assaults against officers. To date, only a handful of peer-reviewed randomised trials have looked at the effectiveness of BWVs, primarily focusing on use of force and complaints. We sought to replicate these studies, adding assaults against police officers as an additional outcome. Using a prospective meta-analysis of multi-site, multi-national randomised controlled trials from 10 discrete tests with a total population of +2 million, and 2.2 million police officer-hours, we assess the effect of BWVs on the rates of (i) police use of force and (ii) assaults against officers. Averaged over 10 trials, BWVs had no effect on police use of force ( d = 0.021; SE = 0.056; 95% CI: –0.089–0.130), but led to an increased rate of assaults against officers wearing cameras (d = 0.176; SE = 0.058; 95% CI: 0.061–0.290). As there is evidence that cameras may increase the risk of assaults against officers, more attention should be paid to how these devices are implemented. Likewise, since other public-facing organisations are considering equipping their staff with BWVs (e.g. firefighters, private security, traffic wardens), the findings on risks associated with BWVs are transferrable to those occupations as well. This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Sage via https://doi.org/10.1177/1477370816643734

Report: increases in police use of force in the presence of body-worn cameras are driven by officer discretion: a protocol-based subgroup analysis of ten randomized experiments

© 2016, The Author(s). Objectives: Our multisite randomized controlled trial reported that police body-worn cameras (BWCs) had, on average, no effect on recorded incidents of police use of force. In some sites, rates of use of force decreased and in others increased. We wanted to understand these counter-intuitive findings and report pre-specified subgroup analyses related to officers’ discretion on activating the BWCs. Methods: Using pre-established criteria for experimental protocol breakdown in terms of treatment integrity, ten experimental sites were subgrouped into “high-compliance” (no officer discretion applied to when and where BWCs should be used; n = 3), “no-compliance” (treatment integrity failure in both treatment and control conditions; n = 4), and tests where officers applied discretion during treatment group but followed protocol in control conditions only (n = 4). Results: When officers complied with the experimental protocol and did not use discretion, use of force rates were 37 % lower [SMD = (−.346); SE = .137; 95 % CI (−.614) – (−.077)]; when officers did not comply with treatment protocol (i.e., officers chose when to turn cameras on/off), use of force rates were 71 % higher [SMD = .392; SE = .130; 95 % CI (.136) – (.647)], compared to control conditions. When full discretion (i.e., overall breakdown of protocol) was applied to both treatment and control conditions, null effects were registered [SMD = .009; SE=.070; 95 % CI (−.127) – (.146)], compared to control conditions. Conclusions: BWCs can reduce police use of force when then officers’ discretion to turn cameras on or off is minimized—in terms of both case types as well as individual incidents. BWCs ought to be switched on and the recording announced to suspects at early stages of police–public interactions. Future BWCs tests should pay close attention to adherence to experimental protocols

The perceptions of social responsibility for community resilience to flooding: the impact of past experience, age, gender and ethnicity

Community resilience to flooding depends, to a large extent, on the participation of community members to take more responsibility for enhancing their own resilience. The perception of social responsibility (SR) which is argued to be one of the antecedents influencing individual’s willingness to undertake resilient behaviours can significantly contribute to community resilience through individual and collective actions. Understanding of factors influencing the perceptions of SR of individuals within community might help with developing strategies to increase the perceptions of SR. This research explores perceptions of SR in relation to flooding for householders and local businesses and establishes their relationships with experience of flooding and demographic factors of age, gender and ethnicity. The data were obtained via a questionnaire survey of three communities in Birmingham and one community in South East London, UK, three with experience of flooding and one without. A total of 414 responses were received and used in the multiple regression analysis. The analysis identified ‘experience of flooding’, ‘age’ and ‘South Asian’ ethnic group as significant variables, suggesting that older individuals from South Asian ethnic groups with previous experience of flooding are likely to be more socially responsible than others without these attributes

Bullying and harassment and work-related stressors: Evidence from British small and medium enterprises

This article examines the relationship between work-related stressors and bullying and harassment in British small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Using representative data from a national survey on employment rights and experiences (Fair Treatment at Work) this research identifies that bullying and harassment is just as prevalent in British SMEs as in larger organizations. Drawing upon the Management Standards of the Health and Safety Executive a number of significant relationships with bullying and harassment are established. Work demands placed upon employees are positively related to bullying and harassment behaviours, whilst autonomy, manager support, peer support, and clarity of role are negatively associated with such behaviours. The study considers implications for human resource practices in SMEs and the risks of informal attitudes to these work-related stressors in contemporary workplaces are discussed

Undergraduate Background as a Critical Factor in the Learning Capacity and Skills of Chinese Master's Degree Students

The project, a pilot study, was based on Chinese MSc students in the Plymouth Business School (PBS), with the aim of identifying learning differences and support needs between groups of Chinese master’s students with different learning backgrounds in terms of where and how they completed their undergraduate studies. The project focused on identification of disparities between different categories of students in terms of academic performance, learning, research and communication skills and the resulting data, although based on a small sample, identified specific academic support requirements for Chinese students. The internationalisation of higher education has resulted in increasing numbers of overseas students coming to study in the UK. As the largest single group, Chinese students, especially the Master’s Degree students, have been the subject of significant attention in the pedagogic domain. Many studies have been undertaken, often comparative, with Chinese and home students as two distinct groups. (See for example Devlin, S. 2007). What has not been fully recognised and addressed, however, is that the Chinese students are by no means a homogenous group, due to various factors and a significant difference is their educational background prior to studying in western educational institutions. More specifically, Chinese Master’s Degree students may have completed their undergraduate studies in China, in the UK or elsewhere in the west or via a hybrid of Chinese / western courses. It is reasonable to envisage that these differences may have had profound impact on their knowledge structure, learning and communication skills and academic capacity. This may further suggest that students with different undergraduate backgrounds may require different academic support, facilitation and guidance on UK Master’s courses. The project aimed to investigate these disparities in order to identify how to design or refine teaching and coaching approaches accordingly to support students with different backgrounds. The study provides an evidence-based analysis of the implications of different undergraduate backgrounds and different learning cultures on the requirements for learning support for Chinese Masters level students, who comprise a significant proportion of the international student community. The analysis will be used to inform and improve the quality of the learning experience and ultimately the learning outcomes for such students.PedRI

Determinants of Corporate Sustainability Message Sharing on Social Media: A configuration approach

With an increasing number of consumers receiving information on social media, companies have adopted these channels to communicate their sustainability efforts. Digital channels enable reaching large audiences in a short period of time, and engaging consumers in message sharing activities to reap those rewards has its own challenges. Companies need to understand what increases sharing of their sustainability messages, but they must be mindful of not overstating their sustainability efforts which may be perceived as greenwashing. The Information Adoption Model is used to assess how message information quality and source credibility affect sharing of corporate sustainability messages. A fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis is conducted on a survey of UK social media users (n= 527). Results show that dimensions of information quality and source credibility act in combination to influence sustainability message sharing. The study informs managers what to stress in social media message planning to facilitate effective sustainability communications