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Purpose: Despite the number of quality management procedures being currently applied, construction defects in the domestic sector are acknowledged to contribute to the energy performance gap of buildings. This paper investigates the limitations and challenges to the implementation of project quality plans (PQPs) and their impact on the achievement of expected thermal performance in the UK social housing projects. Design/methodology/approach: A qualitative approach, guided by grounded theory, was used in this research. This methodology provided the structure for systematic data analysis iterations, enabling cross-case analysis. An analytic induction process was designed to seek the explanation of the targeted phenomenon and required data collection until no new ideas and concepts emerged from the research iterations. This study collected data from five social housing projects through interviews, site observations and project documentation. Findings: Multiple limitations and challenges were identified in the implementation of PQP to deliver thermal efficient social housing. Generally, there is the need for more objective quality compliance procedures based on required evidence. When investigating the root of the challenges, it was concluded that the adoption of statutory approval as the main quality compliance procedure led to the dilution of the responsibility for prevention and appraisal of defects that compromised the effectiveness of PQP devised by housing associations (HA) and contractors. Originality/value: This study identifies the shortcomings of PQP in addressing quality issues with potential to undermine the thermal performance of social housing projects. The findings could be used by HA, contractors and policymakers as steppingstones to improve the energy efficiency in the domestic sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The authors aim to contribute to the understanding of the enduring underrepresentation of women in the IT industry by analysing media discourse triggered by a campaign intended to encourage women to join the IT industry. Design/methodology/approach: Internet media coverage of the Little Miss Geek campaign in the UK was analysed as qualitative data to reveal systematic and coherent patterns contributing to the social construction of the role of women with respect to the IT industry and IT employment. Findings: While ostensibly supporting women's empowerment, the discourse framed women's participation in the IT industry as difficult to achieve, focused on women's presumed "feminine" essential features (thus, effectively implying that they are less suitable for IT employment than men), and tasked women with overcoming the barrier via individual efforts (thus, implicitly blaming them for the imbalance). In these ways, the discourse worked against the broader aims of the campaign. Social implications: Campaigns and organisations that promote women's participation should work to establish new frames, rather than allowing the discourse to be shaped by the established frames. Originality/value: The authors interpret the framing in the discourse using Bourdieu's perspective on symbolic power: the symbolic power behind the existing patriarchal order expressed itself via framing, thus contributing to the maintenance of that order. By demonstrating the relevance of Bourdieu's symbolic power, the authors offer a novel understanding of how underrepresentation of women in the IT sector is produced and maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to share learning about practical steps that can be taken to eliminate persistent racism from the workplace, including racism by people who have cognitive impairments who do not understand the impact of their behaviours. Design/methodology/approach: This paper is informed by qualitative research. An independent researcher was commissioned to recruit 45 black British, black African and black Caribbean women living in Norfolk and working for a range of employers. Parameters were agreed in advance (aims, consent, data protection). A list of questions was provided to the researcher. The questions covered experiences of prejudice and discrimination. Data collection included face to face/online/telephone interviews, focus groups and questionnaires. The researcher recorded the women's views and compiled them in a findings report. The report was shared with the women to confirm that their views had been recorded accurately. The author has also convened conversations with over 100 professionals representing providers of public services, including social and domiciliary care. Findings: The author identified that it will be impossible for employers to eliminate persistent racism from their workplaces until all managers consistently and diligently address every report of racism effectively, in line with the steps set out in this paper. The purpose is to establish, over time, a workplace culture where racism is never tolerated or allowed to persist, and workers and managers learn – and become more confident – to recognise, address and eliminate racism at work. Until this is embedded, racism affecting workers will continue to go unchecked and unacknowledged in the workplace. Research limitations/implications: The data gathered to inform this paper (specifically the research commissioned and described in this abstract, in addition to other data, such as conversations convened with professionals) is qualitative data. It cannot be assumed that the experiences of the people interviewed reflect the experiences of all people. However, the voices of participants have highlighted issues to inform future planning. Practical implications: The author must be clear that, so far there has been no definitive solution to persistent racism in the workplace. The learning so far is being shared with the hope that this assists others with developing strategies to eliminate persistent racism. Social implications: Workplaces across the UK are committed to eradicating racism. However, the rate of change is glacial. This research paper shares learning about how to address this, to increase the pace of change, to begin to genuinely eliminate persistent racism from the workplace. Originality/value: To the author's knowledge, the learning from this research is original and not replicated elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The author, who is Chair of Norfolk's Safeguarding Adults' Board (SAB) reflects on the impact of a Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) and the actions that resulted. The purpose of the paper is to provide an insight into a significant SAR and the resulting actions desinged to change practice. Design/methodology/approach: The actions illuminate the power of hospitals and politicians over people's lives. It took the deaths of three young adults with learning disabilities, in a hospital, to move beyond the status quo and organise some very different service responses. Findings: "Progress summits" have considered local and national actions. There have been important gains and setbacks, including the delayed reform of the Mental Health Act. Despite uncertainties, SAB can be detonators to listening and taking action. Originality/value: This is a unique insight into the impact of a Safeguarding Adults Review and the actions that resulted from this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The author will describe the operational tasks of S.44's statutory mandate: for example, commissioning the review; being responsive to the representatives of the relevant agencies concerned; securing pharmacological/medical advice; adding Ben's death to the review; engaging with relatives; and ensuring that "lessons" were foregrounded. How the review was set up/recognising the standout features from the beginning/managing the situation when an agency is withholding information/"drip feeds" information into the review; navigating/steering the Safeguarding Adults Review (SAR) alongside other processes – police/inquest/Care Quality Commission. Design/methodology/approach: This practice paper describes the experiences of coordinating a complex SAR into the deaths of three adults at Cawston Park Hospital in Norfolk. Findings: The system insights that SARs give us prompt exploration of how to inject this learning into current discourse on how we better protect the most vulnerable in our communities. Originality/value: The purpose of this paper is to explore the process and requirements of conducting a complex SAR from the perspective of a safeguarding adults board manager. It will be of interest to anyone who is involved in SARs, in particular safeguarding adult board chairs, board managers, members of SABs and SAR authors as management of SAR is one of the three statutory duties of a SAB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Violence and aggression against mental health professionals is a global concern with well-documented consequences. In the UK, mental health care is increasingly delivered in the community, yet little research has explored practitioner experiences of workplace violence (WPV) outside of inpatient settings. This study aimed to explore how mental health professionals in a UK community mental health team (CMHT) perceive, experience and cope with WPV. Design/methodology/approach: Face-to-face semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten multidisciplinary professionals based in a CMHT in a UK city. Data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Findings: Three interconnected themes emerged. WPV was accepted as inevitable: participants carried on working despite its impact, and feeling unheard by management they gave up on change, perpetuating the perceived inevitability of WPV. Peer support and organisational resources like debriefing, counselling and occupational health improved coping. Stigma and ideas of professional responsibility were barriers to access. Originality/value: To mitigate against the negative consequences of WPV, CMHTs could offer peer support initiatives, improve communication and availability of organisational resources and involve staff in post-incident decision-making. Recommendations are made to shift the attitude of acceptance of WPV and encourage help-seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper investigates how individuals' decision-making approach and perceptions of a game's cognitive realism affect the performance of virtual businesses in a web-based simulation game. Design/methodology/approach: Survey data are collected from 274 business simulation game users and is analysed using the fsQCA technique. Findings: The study identifies three alternative pathways to high and low performance in a business simulation game. Results indicate that a flexible decision-making approach exists in all high performance pathway solutions. Where a game is perceived to be realistic, a more focused decision-making approach is associated with high performance. However, where perceived cognitive realism is absent, a less focused experimental decision-making approach is employed, which increases the chances to achieve low performance. Finally, perceived cognitive realism and an experimental decision-making approach are found to be mutually exclusive for achieving high performance. Originality/value: Whilst the learning benefits of web-based simulation games are widely acknowledged, the complex interplay amongst factors affecting performance in games is under-researched. Limited research exists on how perceptions of a game's cognitive realism interact with user decision-making approaches to affect performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this research was to discover the impacts of taught environmental sustainability-focused geography postgraduate programmes on student attitudes, behaviours and practices in relation to environmental awareness within two research-intensive universities in the UK. Design/methodology/approach: A case study involved online surveys to measure environmental attitudes, behaviours and practices at the start and end of four taught geography postgraduate programmes. Findings: There was widespread attitudinal change and an increasing prioritisation of environmental issues reported among participants after they had completed their programme. However, behavioural change was limited, and there was little evidence of greater awareness being translated into changed practices. The learning benefits included a greater focus on interdisciplinarity, holistic thinking and critical self-reflection. Practical implications: The findings demonstrate that postgraduate taught (PGT) programmes in sustainability improve student awareness and concern about environmental issues but do not necessarily lead to widespread behavioural change. This raises questions for programme convenors about how education for sustainability can be truly transformational and avoid leading students to develop eco-anxieties over the scale of change required. Originality/value: There is a lack of research engaging with students on PGT programmes, especially in understanding their impacts on environmental attitudes, behaviours and practices. The research provides an evidence base for understanding the effects of PGT programmes in challenging student values, attitudes and practices and by implication knowledge transfer post-graduation, with the potential to help protect the environment and identify ways of living better with the ever-changing planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The need to enhance student support is evident in higher education (HE) curricula. In addition to the complications created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the current strategies used in academia are criticised for their lack of appropriate student support in HE. The study focused on the themes under Section 4 of the National Student Survey (NSS): availability to contact tutors, receiving good advice and guidance and availability of good advice. The study aimed to provide recommendations for enhancing academic support by developing drivers that need implementation during course delivery. Design/methodology/approach: A documental analysis and a qualitative survey were adopted for this study. A documental analysis of 334 mid-module reviews (MMRs) from levels three to six students in the built environment (BE) discipline. Critical themes identified from the MMRs were fed forward in developing a questionnaire for academics. A sample of 23 academics, including a Head of school, a Principal lecturer, Subject leads and Lecturers, participated in the questionnaire survey. Content analysis is adopted through questionnaire data to develop drivers to enhance academic support in BE. These drivers are then modelled by interpretive structural modelling (ISM) to identify their correlation to NSS Section 4 themes. A level partition analysis establishes how influential they are in enhancing academic support. Findings: The study identified nine drivers, where two drivers were categorised as fundamental, two as significant, four as important, and one insignificant in enhancing academic support in HE. Module leaders'/tutors' improving awareness and detailing how academic support is provided were identified as fundamental. Differentiating roles in giving advice and the importance of one-to-one meetings were identified as significant. A level partitioning diagram was developed from the nine drivers to illustrate how these drivers need to be implemented to promote the best practices in academic support in HE. Practical implications: The identified drivers and their categories can be used to set prioritised guidelines for academics and other educational institutions to improve students' overall satisfaction. Originality/value: Novelty from the study will be the developed drivers and the level partitioning diagram to assist academics and academic institutions in successfully integrating academic support into HE curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to generate knowledge about relevant evaluation topics that align with and represent the unique character of the midwifery programme for students living in the rural and remote areas of Scotland. Design/methodology/approach: The first two central concepts of Practical Participatory Evaluation (P-PE) framed the research design: the data production process and (2) the knowledge co-construction process. The data were collected using a semi-structured approach via online discussions, dialogues and email-based consultation among programme stakeholders. A structural analysis was performed: the units of meaning (what was said) were extracted, listed and quantified in units of significance (what the texts were talking about), from which the key topics for evaluation emerged. Findings: A community of 36 stakeholdersengaged in the discussions, dialogues and consultations. The stakeholders identified 58 units of significance. Fifteen subthemes were constructed in five main themes: student profile, student well-being, E-pedagogy, student journey/transition from being a nurse to becoming a midwife and learning in (an online) geographically remote and isolated area. The themes, or topics of evaluation, are dynamic functions and underlying mechanisms of the commonly used evaluation measures student progress and student evaluation. Research limitations/implications: This P-PE is a single-site study, focusing on a unique programme consisting of a specific group of students living and studying a specific geographic area, affecting the transferability of the findings. Originality/value: In collaboration with stakeholders, parameters to evaluate the uniqueness of the programme in addition to higher education institution routinely collected data on student progress and satisfaction were systematically identified. The themes highlight that if student progress and satisfaction were the only evaluation parameters, knowledge and understanding of the contributing factors to (un)successfulness of this unique online midwifery programme could be missed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this article, we outline our views on the appropriateness and utility of Return on Investment (ROI) for the evaluation of the value of healthcare quality improvement (QI) programmes. Design/methodology/approach: Our recent research explored the ROI concept and became the genesis of our viewpoint. We reflect on our findings from an extensive research project on the concept of ROI, involving a multidisciplinary global systematic literature review, a qualitative and Delphi study with mental healthcare leaders from the United Kingdom National Health Service. Research participants included board members, clinical directors and QI leaders. Our findings led to our conclusions and interpretation of ROI against the broad QI governance. We discuss our views against the predominant governance frameworks and wider literature. Findings: ROI is in-line with top-down control governance frameworks based in politics and economics. However, there is evidence that to be of better utility, a tool for the assessment of the value of QI benefits must include comprehensive benefits that reflect broad monetary and non-monetary benefits. This is in-line with bottom-up and collaborative governance approaches. ROI has several challenges that may limit it as a QI governance tool. This is supported by wider literature on ROI, QI as well as modern governance theories and models. As such, we question whether ROI is the appropriate tool for QI governance. A more pragmatic governance framework that accommodates various healthcare objectives is advised. Practical implications: This article highlights some of the challenges in adopting ROI as a QI governance tool. We signal a need for the exploration of a suitable QI governance approach. Particularly, are healthcare leaders to be perceived as "agents", "stewards" or both. The evidence from our research and wider literature indicates that both are crucial. Better QI governance through an appropriate value assessment tool could improve clarity on QI value, and thus investment allocation decision-making. Constructive discussion about the utility and appropriateness of ROI in the evaluation of healthcare QI programmes may help safeguard investment in effective and efficient health systems. Originality/value: The article raises awareness of QI governance and encourages discussions about the challenges of using ROI as a tool for healthcare QI governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Circular supply chain management (CSCM) is considered a promising solution to attain sustainability in the current industrial system. Despite the exigency of this approach, its application in the food industry is a challenge because of the nature of the industry and CSCM being a novel approach. The purpose of this study is to develop an industry-based systematic analysis of CSCM by examining the challenges for its application, exploring the effects of recognised challenges on various food supply chain (FSC) stages and investigating the business processes as drivers. Design/methodology/approach: Stakeholder theory guided the need to consider stakeholders' views in this research and key stakeholders directly from the food circular supply chain were identified and interviewed (n = 36) following qualitative methods. Findings: Overall, the study reveals that knowledge, perception towards environmental initiatives and economic viability are the major barriers to circular supply chain transition in the UK FSC. Originality/value: This research provides a holistic perspective analysing the loopholes in different stages of the supply chain and investigating the way a particular circular supply chain stage is affected by recognised challenges through stakeholder theory, which will be a contribution to designing management-level strategies. Reconceptualising this practice would be beneficial in bringing three-tier (economic, environmental and social) benefits and will be supportive to engage stakeholders in the sustainability agenda. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Health and safety is an important issue in workplaces, and despite safety procedures becoming more strict, serious accidents are still happening within the UK construction sector. This demonstrates poor performance in the implementation of safety procedures on construction sites. One of the key challenges is the unwillingness of the site workforce, especially the subcontracted operatives, to adhere to safety provisions on construction sites. As such, this study investigates the strategies for enhancing safe behaviour amongst subcontracted operatives in the UK construction industry. Design/methodology/approach: The study used exploratory sequential mixed method research, involving interviews and questionnaires as means of data collection, and thematic analysis, reliability analysis and exploratory factor analysis as methods of data analysis. Findings: The study suggests that various carrot and stick measures are expected to be put in place as part of the strategies for enhancing safe behaviour amongst subcontracted operatives. These include adequate enforcement of safety practices by the management, operative engagement and motivation, commendation and rewards, site safety targets, leadership style and motivation. Originality/value: Application of the suggested measures could enhance safety on construction sites, as it provides practical measures and solutions for inculcating safety behaviours amongst the site operatives who are most likely to be the victims of site accidents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The adoption of social procurement, the emerging practice of using a firm's spending power to generate social value, requires buying firms to navigate conflicts of institutional logics. Adopting an institutional work perspective, this study aims to investigate how buying firms change their existing procurement institutions to adopt and advance social procurement. Design/methodology/approach: The authors conducted an in-depth case study of a social procurement initiative in the UK. This case study comprised of 16 buying firms that were actively participating in the social procurement initiative at the time of data collection (2020–2021). The data were largely captured through a set of 41 semi-structured interviews. Findings: Four types of institutional work were observed: reducing institutional conflicts, crossing institutional boundaries, legitimising institutional change and spreading the new institutional logic. These different types of institutional work appeared in a sequential way. Originality/value: This study contributes to various strands of literature investigating the role of procurement in generating value and benefits within societies, adopting an institutional lens to investigate the buying firms' purposeful actions to change procurement institutions. Secondly, this study complements the existing literature investigating the conflicts of institutional logics by illustrating the ways firms address such institutional conflicts when adopting and advancing social procurement. Finally, this work contributes to the recently emerging research on institutional work that examines the creation and establishment of new institutions by considering the existing procurement institutions in the examination of institutional work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to examine the effect of Industry 4.0 technology on resilience in established cross-border supply chain(s) (SC). Design/methodology/approach: A literature review provides insight into the resilience capabilities of cross-border SC. The research uses a case study of operational international SC: the producers, importers, logistics companies and UK Government (UKG) departments. Semi-structured interviews determine the resilience capabilities and approaches of participants within cross-border SC and how implementing an Industry 4.0 Internet of Things (IoT) and capitals Distributed Ledger (blockchain) based technology platform changes SC resilience capabilities and approaches. Findings: A blockchain-based platform introduces common assured data, reducing data duplication. When combined with IoT technology, the platform improves end-to-end SC visibility and information sharing. Industry 4.0 technology builds collaboration, trust, improved agility, adaptability and integration. It enables common resilience capabilities and approaches that reduce the de-coupling between government agencies and participants of cross-border SC. Research limitations/implications: The case study presents challenges specific to UKG's customs border operations; research needs to be repeated in different contexts to confirm findings are generalisable. Practical implications: Operational SC and UKG customs and excise departments must align their resilience strategies to gain full advantage of Industry 4.0 technologies. Originality/value: Case study research shows how Industry 4.0 technology reduces the de-coupling between the SC and UKG, enhancing common resilience capabilities within established cross-border operations. Improved information sharing and SC visibility provided by IoT and blockchain technologies support the development of resilience in established cross-border SC and enhance interactions with UKG at the customs border. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study investigates how firm-level governance (FL_G) affects the disclosure of voluntary risk information. Likewise, it explores the influence of FL_G on the informativeness of voluntary risk disclosure (VRD). Specifically, it examines how FL_G shapes the nexus between VRD and firm value. Design/methodology/approach: It uses a sample of non-financial firms from the FTSE350 index listed on the London Stock Exchange between 2010 and 2018. The authors utilise an automated textual analysis technique to code the VRD in the annual reports of these firms. The firm value, adjusted for the industry median, is a proxy for investor response to VRD. Findings: The results suggest that UK firms with significant board independence and larger audit committees disclose more risk information voluntarily. Nevertheless, firms with larger boards of directors and higher managerial ownership disseminate less voluntary risk information. Besides, VRD contains relevant information that enhances investors' valuation of UK firms. These results are more pronounced in firms with higher independent directors, lower managerial ownership and large audit committees. Practical implications: The study rationalises the ongoing debate on the effect of FL_G on VRD. The findings are helpful to UK policy-setters in reconsidering the guidelines that regulate UK VRD and to the UK investors in considering risk disclosure in their price decisions and thus enhancing their corporate valuations. Originality/value: It contributes to the risk reporting literature in the UK by presenting the first evidence on the effect of a comprehensive set of FL_G on VRD. Besides, it enriches the existing research by shedding light on the role of FL_G on the informativeness of discretionary risk information in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to trace the contours of Islamic political economy (IPE) for last four decades with the help of bibliometric analysis. This method does not focus on in-depth literature. However, it reviews more material content of the published papers in the field, generally including the number of publications, authors, title, H-Index and authors' affiliation. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use biblioshiny by R in conducting bibliometric analysis. Based on the results of analysis, the authors only found 39 relevant documents to the topic with the help of keyword of "Islamic political economy". The authors analyse the data and visualize it into bibliometric images for the convenience of the readers. Findings: There are 39 documents on IPE in the annual scientific production. The year 1980 had the lowest productivity at 3% while the year 2007 showed an increase in scientific productivity by 13%. The most significant increase in production occurred between 2014 and 2015 by 8%, while the most significant decline occurred between 2007 and 2008 by 10%. The most significant contributors are Akan, T., Choudhury, M.A. and Asutay, M. According to the Corresponding Author's Country, the UK has eight articles on IPE. Humanomics is the most influential Journal, with six documents. Research limitations/implications: This research only examines documents sourced from Web of Science and Scopus under the title "Islamic political economy" and does not include articles from other sources. This research has implications for future researchers and suggests a shift in recent research on IPE towards exploring current realities and expanding beyond traditional economic and political aspects. The goal is to gain a comprehensive understanding of Islam's role in shaping economic and political systems, promoting inclusive sustainable development and social justice, and exploring its relationship with broader political and economic systems. Originality/value: IPE has become a trendy topic in the early days, the second half of the 20th century, during the revival of the Islamic mode of finance and development. However, with time, the discussion on this topic appeared less in scientific and academic publications; this issue needs an overview of how far this discipline has evolved. This work aims to identify future research trends in this area. Scholars should investigate articles by author, institution, country, databases, data sources with high-impact factors and objective metrics to get new perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the psychological and relational processes of a service user reflective group on a medium secure forensic ward. The group was conceptualised by the service as a component of the therapeutic offer contributing to the patients' journey towards recovery and this study aimed to explore whether the group was being experienced as beneficial, by service users and staff, in relation to recovery concepts. Design/methodology/approach: Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews from 10 participants who had experience of an existing service user reflective group on a medium secure forensic ward. Participants in the study were patients who attended the group (6) and staff members who facilitated the group (4). The data collected were analysed using constructivist grounded theory methodology. Findings: Results formed a flexible, cyclical model based on five key categories: "Group Identity", "Linking Self with Others", "The Changing Self", "Living Visibly in a System" and "Moving On." Practical implications: Findings indicate that service user reflective groups in forensic inpatient settings can contribute to increased interpersonal effectiveness and personal recovery. Originality/value: The role of service user reflective groups in secure recovery has not been explored empirically to date, although they are a suggested intervention to enhance relational security and to aid therapeutic progress within a secure recovery framework. This study aimed to begin to address this gap in research and understanding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Despite the increasing studies concerning external knowledge for innovative firms or for innovations, little research demonstrates as what are those capabilities that enable firms to explore and assess high-valuable knowledge. The aim of this study is to examine those capabilities that aid innovative firms to search and identify the potential knowledge for open innovation. This study is an empirical and theoretical examination of knowledge search and identification capabilities of the UK-based biotechnology firms. The literature has been drawn from the research streams into knowledge management, open innovation and dynamic capabilities. Design/methodology/approach: Forty-five semi-structured interviews with senior-level innovation and R&D managers were completed, and thematic analysis using NVivo 12 was performed. Findings: Evidence from 45 interviews with senior-level innovation and R&D managers in the UK-based biotechnology firms and thematic analysis was used to develop a process framework capturing the key capabilities. By identifying the role and contribution of each of the capabilities in knowledge identification in the practices of open innovation, this study contributes to open innovation and knowledge management literature. Practical implications: Managerial implications suggest knowledge-oriented leads greatly influence the development of identification capabilities. Hence, firms with knowledge-oriented leads are better crafted approaches to achieve competitive advantages in the practices of open innovation. Originality/value: This study offers a new theoretical perspective and empirical evidence to view knowledge identification capabilities as the dynamic capabilities. This study offers a process framework of identification capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to present a bibliometric overview of the academic research on export performance (EP) in the business and management areas. Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric overview of 1,463 papers from 1968 to 2021, including performance analysis, science mapping analysis and graphical mapping, was conducted using the Scopus database. SciMAT software was used for thematic analysis and conceptual evolution mapping of the EP domain, and VOSviewer software was used for graphical visualization. Findings: This study shows that EP research experienced spectacular growth, especially between 1998 and 2003, and the interest in this field continues to increase. Also, the USA and the UK appear to be the absolute leaders in EP research, with the best indicators of productivity and influence in all dimensions analyzed. The findings from the analysis through SciMAT indicate that "capabilities" and "R&D" are the main Motor themes that have contributed the most to the EP literature, whereas "global value chain" and "start-up" are emerging themes as new areas of interest. Research limitations/implications: This study develops a baseline for representing certain and exhaustive insights in the EP field and specifies trends over a period. Using a single database and excluding book chapters/conference papers are limitations of this study. Originality/value: EP is a research field that has gained wide acceptance in the academic community and international marketing literature. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no bibliometric overview has analyzed the EP literature. This study presents the first systematic quantitative analysis of academic research on EP in the business and management areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: University students' lecture theatre concentration levels are significantly related to indoor environmental quality (IEQ). The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between indoor environmental quality (IEQ) and the self-reported concentration levels of university students during the winter at University College London (UCL), UK. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey and physical measurements were used to assess the IEQ factors affecting students' concentration levels. Findings: The lecture theatre design factor was the most significant factor influencing students' concentration levels, and the facility environment was more important than the thermal environment, indoor air quality, and acoustic environment in influencing students' concentration levels in this winter investigation at UCL, UK. Additionally, students prefer a colder thermal environment. The concentration level of students was positively correlated with the indoor air quality and negatively correlated with the acoustic environment. Practical implications: Based on model application, this research could provide lecture theatre IEQ design. This research additionally provides an acceptable indoor thermal environment temperature range based on a large sample, which can be used to calibrate a student performance benchmark. Originality/value: As this study evaluates the IEQ factors that influence the concentration levels of university students, interior designers and engineers should consider the rational layout of these factors. Therefore, this study may provide a reference for the interior environmental design of lecture theatres in educational buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Focusing on the quality of teaching and learning, this study aims to explore the perceptions of accountancy students in two emerging UK Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) of the quality of their learning experiences and the impact of these experiences on generic skills development. Design/methodology/approach: A questionnaire survey was used to collect the data. OLS regression was used to test the hypothesis regarding the impact of student learning experiences (lecturer ability, assessment and curriculum) on generic skills development. Findings: Students value the lecturer as the most important determinant of the quality of their experience. They rated their assessment programme very positively, and the curriculum suggests that students tend to experience a deep blended approach to learning. They also felt that they acquired a wide range of soft competency skills such as those associated with research, critical thinking and time management. Multivariate findings indicate that lecturer ability and curriculum contribute significantly and positively to generic skills development. Practical implications: The study provides a benchmark for international accounting and business educators in any efforts to assess the efficacy of HE delivery since the pandemic. By implication, it enables the identification of enhancements to the previous character of delivery and hence offers the means to direct improvements to the student experience. Such improvements can then be seen in the National Student Survey (NSS) scores, thereby positively contributing to the next Teaching Excellence Framework. Additionally, such tangible enhancements in NSS scores may be advantageous to HEIs, in the UK and other Western countries, in their efforts to recruit international students on whom they place great reliance for increased revenue, to their international business education programmes. Originality/value: This study addresses the research gap surrounding the link between teaching and learning approaches in accounting and the development of generic skills. Furthermore, acknowledging that the COVID-19 pandemic with its imposed structural change in the HE teaching and learning environment ushered in a new model of curriculum delivery, this study reflects on the pre-COVID-19 scenario and gathers student perceptions of their teaching and learning experiences before the changes necessitated by lockdowns. It therefore brings the opportunity to anchor future research exploring the post-COVID-19 environment and secure comparative analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to introduce the concept of using the well-established Shared Lives approach to support survivors of domestic abuse with complex needs including those with learning and physical disabilities, older people and carers. Design/methodology/approach: Survivors with complex needs are often excluded from traditional domestic abuse support services thus increasing their risk and making recovery impossible. Using the Shared Lives approach in suitable cases could address gaps in provision and improve the outcomes for survivors with disabilities, older survivors and carers. Findings: The paper draws on evidence from reports and research about the experiences of these cohorts of survivors to explain how the Shared Lives approach could increase support options for specific categories of survivors. Practical implications: Using the Shared Lives approach to support cohorts of victims/survivors who experience barriers to accessing support could improve outcomes for these people, reduce risk of serious harm and improve quality of life. Originality/value: With the recent recommendation from Association of Directors of Adult Social Services around increasing use of Shared Lives, this paper provides one potential way to meet this recommendation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review on what is known about unpaid family carers who are at risk of or have experienced abuse from the people they provide care for and relevant policy/legal and practice responses for affected family carers. Design/methodology/approach: A literature search was carried out to locate literature relating to unpaid family carers who are at risk of or have experienced abuse from the people they provide care for. This also incorporated grey literature, including policy guidance and law, to determine the existing knowledge base, gaps in practice and areas that might require further research. Findings: The findings suggest that although carer harm is serious, it is under-researched. In addition, the unique needs of unpaid family carers who are at risk of or have experienced abuse, violence and harm from the people they provide care for are subsumed in safeguarding policy/law processes and practice under the auspices of the protection of "adults at risk" rather than the protection of "carers at risk". Research limitations/implications: It is important that those who support unpaid family carers who are at risk of abuse and harm know about their unique safeguarding needs and concerns to offer appropriate support. It is also apparent that policy and law need to address the gap in provision relating to the unique safeguarding concerns involving the abuse of unpaid family carers by the people they provide care for. This paper is based on this literature review and not on other types of research. Originality/value: The paper provides insights into what is known about the abuse of unpaid family carers by the people they provide care for, and the policy/legal and practice responses to affected unpaid family carers. It contributes to the body of knowledge on carer abuse and safeguarding carers from abuse and harm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Major maintenance projects are often regarded as maintenance activities regardless of the projects' complexity and scale. Consequently, very scarce research attention has hitherto been paid to the critical skills required when undertaking these projects. More specifically, the body of relevant knowledge is deprived of a study focusing on maintenance projects within the energy sector. In view of this shortcoming, this research aims to examine the critical project management (PM) skills required to deliver major maintenance projects within the energy sector. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a quantitative research strategy, this study addressed the knowledge gap through a cross-sectional survey of professionals involved in the delivery of major maintenance projects in the United Kingdom's (UK) energy sector. Data obtained were analyzed via descriptive (e.g. frequencies, mean and standard deviation [SD]) and inferential statistical analyses (One sample t-test and exploratory factor analysis (EFA)). Findings: Out of the 45 PM skills identified in the literature and examined by the respondents, the results obtained from the One sample t-test (based on p (1-tailed) = 0.05) showed that 37 were considered to be at least "important," accounting for 80.4% of all the skills identified. EFA revealed a clustering of the PM skills items into seven components: "skills related to work scheduling and coordination"; "communication, risk, safety and stakeholder management skills"; "quality assurance skills"; "people management skills"; "skills related to forecasting scope and duration of outage"; "implementation of processes and time management skills" and "technical/engineering skills and experience pertaining to the outage and local site knowledge." Originality/value: This study has identified and contributed to the limited state-of-the-art skills project managers must possess to manage major maintenance projects in the energy sector successfully. The findings would be useful to organizations within the energy sector in ensuring that the organizations have suitable personnel in place to deliver major maintenance projects on the organizations' assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Grounded in dynamic capabilities theory, this study aims to examine how dynamic capabilities and a transactive memory system (TMS) can build the resilience of service organizations and improve their financial performance. Limited studies examine the link between a TMS and organizational resilience. Design/methodology/approach: The authors test a theoretical model on a sample of 350 UK service firms that were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and analyze the data using partial least square structural equation modeling. Findings: Results highlight the positive effects of a TMS and dynamic capabilities on organizational resilience. Only a TMS and organizational resilience have direct positive effects on financial performance. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to ascertain the influence of a TMS on organizational resilience in service firms following adversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Today social media capabilities have enabled businesses and enterprises to more collaboration, engagement and co-creation with their customers. So the current paper expands on this notion. The aim of this study is a bibliometric analysis to examine the trends of publications in the field of co-creation based on social media. Design/methodology/approach: To data collection of quantitative analysis, Scopus database was selected and the collected data were analyzed using Bibliometrix-package. The Web of Science also was selected to retrieve highly cited and hot papers for qualitative part of analysis besides top 10 Scopus highest citation per year documents on June 6, 2020. Findings: The results indicate insights into research trends pertaining to social media-based co-creation, as follows: starting jump to the publications occurred in this researches from the year 2008 and the growth trend is progressing in recent years; the stressful points are "co-design," "co-creation" and "value co-creation" and concepts such as "open innovation," "co-innovation" and "co-new product design" are new topics that guide future direction; the USA and UK are leaders in number of multiple and single publications; the most active and top journals that are better suited to achieving a high citation rate per year for a related paper were introduced. In addition, the top documents and highly cited papers were qualitatively analyzed on the basis of times cited per year. Research limitations/implications: The current study is not free of limitations. The database was limited to only Scopus. So the patterns and trends generated in the study may not be generalized to all social media-based co-creation research. Of course, the authors did not intend to ignore other contributions. It is mainly because of the number of documents retrieved from Scopus database and the coverage, Scopus was selected. Moreover, other types of research techniques such as correspondence analysis can be incorporated to generate additional meaningful insight. Originality/value: In this time of social media and user-generated content portals, co-creation through social media has become quite popular. So the main innovation of this study is providing a visual presentation of the trends and patterns in the evaluation of social media-based co-creation from the first document about the research area published till 2020. The results of this paper can shed light on the factors that strengthen the contribution of studies in a research area. Generally, the bibliometric items the authors analyzed essentially show the entire field picture and guide researchers toward understanding future trends to produce impactful studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The phenomenal proliferation of crowdfunding platforms raises concerns on the heightened occurrence of financial crimes since billions of funds are exchanged through these online systems frequently. Accordingly, some countries have implemented legislative responses to address these risks, although each countries' laws have varying degrees of severity. Hence, the purpose of this study is to assess the efficiency and robustness of Mauritian laws to combat financial crimes that may arise from a crowdfunding transaction with a particular emphasis on money laundering and tax evasion. Design/methodology/approach: To achieve this research objective, the black letter approach was used to analyse Mauritian rules and regulations on the researched topic and a comparative analysis was carried out against the corresponding laws on crowdfunding in some other jurisdictions, notably the UK and the USA with the view of suggesting the policy recommendations to Mauritian authorities. Findings: It was found that there is still scope for improving the existing legal and regulatory framework on crowdfunding in Mauritius to prevent instances of money laundering and tax evasion. The paper suggests that a crowdfunding operator must be categorised as a reporting person and must carry out regular due diligence checks. There must also be more collaboration in terms of information exchanges and training sessions among the tax authority of Mauritius, crowdfunding operators, fund seekers and investors to shed light on the tax treatment of income and deductions to avoid issues of tax evasion. Originality/value: At present, to the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is amongst the first academic writings on the efficiency of Mauritian laws in dealing with the risk of financial crimes through crowdfunding, and also, because existing literature is quite scarce on assessing the adequacy of crowdfunding rules in developing countries, this research aims at filling in the gap in literature. The study is carried out with the aim of combining a large amount of empirical, theoretical and factual information that can be of use to various stakeholders and not only to academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Financial crime presents a serious threat to the stability and integrity of the global financial system. To combat illicit financial activities, regulatory bodies worldwide have implemented various measures, including the requirement for financial institutions to assess the financial crime risks they are exposed to in the jurisdictions they operate in. These risks include inadequate anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism frameworks and other financial crime risks that have significant strategic implications for firms' geographical footprints and customer risk classifications. This paper aims to make a contribution to the literature by undertaking a cross-country analysis of 158 countries to shed light on what drives perceived jurisdiction risk of the UK financial services firms. Design/methodology/approach: Capturing firms' perceptions of financial crime risk requires significant data collection efforts, including surveys and interviews with key personnel. This can be highly resource-intensive and may require access to sensitive information that firms may be reluctant to share. Furthermore, the dynamic nature of financial crime risks means that perceptions can change rapidly in response to changes in the regulatory and geopolitical landscape. As a result, capturing and monitoring firms' perceptions of financial crime risks requires ongoing monitoring and analysis. Capturing firms' perceptions of financial crime risks at a cross-jurisdictional level is a particularly complex and challenging task that requires careful consideration of a range of factors. As a result of data limitations, empirical investigation of the factors underlying the firms' perceptions of jurisdiction risk is in its infancy. This paper uses regulatory financial crime data from the UK in a multivariate regression analysis, following a general-to-specific approach where any redundant variables were removed from the general model sequentially. Findings: Results suggest that perceived jurisdiction risk is significantly and positively associated with evasion of tax and regulations, while it is significantly and negatively associated with political stability and regulatory stringency. These have important implications for home and host supervisors with respect to the factors that drive perceived jurisdiction risks and the evaluation of the nature of inherent financial crime risks within regulated firms. The findings confirm the critical role of the shadow economy, political stability and regulatory rigor in shaping jurisdiction risk perceptions. From a policy standpoint, the findings support the case for taking prompt policy action to identify, prioritize and implement specific and targeted measures with respect to the shadow economy, political stability and rigor of regulations to improve international firms' perceptions of jurisdiction risk. Originality/value: While there exists different measures of financial crime risk, it is notoriously challenging to capture firms' perceptions of it, particularly at a cross-jurisdiction level. This is because financial crime risks can vary significantly across different jurisdictions due to differences in legal and regulatory frameworks, cultural norms and levels of economic development. This makes it difficult for firms to compare and evaluate the financial crime risks they face in different jurisdictions. Besides, firms' perceptions of financial crime risks can be influenced by a range of subjective factors, including personal experiences, media coverage and hearsay. These perceptions may not always align with objective risk assessments, which are based on more systematic and empirical methods of risk measurement. This paper contributes to the existing literature by undertaking a cross-country analysis drawing on a unique set of UK regulatory financial crime data, which is based on a total of 1,900 annual financial crime data regulatory return (REP-CRIM) submissions to the UK's Financial Conduct Authority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Purpose: Operational risks can cause considerable, atypical disturbances and impact food supply chain (SC) resilience. Indicatively, the COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruptions in the UK food services as nationwide stockouts led to unprecedented discrepancies between retail and home-delivery supply capacity and demand. To this effect, this study aims to examine the emergence of digital platforms as an innovative instrument for food SC resilience in severe market disruptions. Design/methodology/approach: An interpretive multiple case-study approach was used to unravel how different generations of e-commerce food service providers, i.e. established and emergent, responded to the need for more resilient operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings: SC disruption management for high-impact low-frequency events requires analysing four research elements: platformisation, structural variety, process flexibility and system resource efficiency. Established e-commerce food operators use partner onboarding and local waste valorisation to enhance resilience. Instead, emergent e-commerce food providers leverage localised rapid upscaling and product personalisation. Practical implications: Digital food platforms offer a highly customisable, multisided digital marketplace wherein platform members may aggregate product offerings and customers, thus sharing value throughout the network. Platform-induced disintermediation allows bidirectional flows of data and information among SC partners, ensuring compliance and safety in the food retail sector. Originality/value: The study contributes to the SC configuration and resilience literature by investigating the interrelationship among platformisation, structural variety, process flexibility and system resource efficiency for safe and resilient food provision within exogenously disrupted environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of auditor mandatory suspicious activity reporting versus the exercise of professional judgement in the anti-money laundering regimes of the UK and the USA. Design/methodology/approach: The research draws upon the following sources. Firstly, statistics provided by the UK National Crime Agency, 2019 (NCA) regarding suspicious activity report (SAR) filing rates. Secondly, anti-money laundering legislation in the USA and UK. Thirdly, statements made in the political domain in the USA, particularly those which raised constitutional concerns during the progress of the Patriot Act 2001. Finally, statements and recommendations by a UK Parliamentary Commission enquiring into the effectiveness of the suspicious activity reporting regime. Findings: The UK reporting regime does not accommodate professional judgement, resulting in the filing of SARs with limited intelligence value. This contrasts with discretionary reporting in the USA: voluntary reporting guides and influences auditor behaviour rather than mandating it. Defensive filing by UK auditors (defence to anti-money launderings [DAMLs]) has increased in recent years but the number of SARs filed has declined. Originality/value: The study evaluates auditor behavioural responses to legislative regimes which mandate or alternatively accommodate discretion in the reporting suspicion of money laundering. Consideration of constitutional and judicial activism in this context is a novel contribution to the literature. For its theoretical framework the study uses Foucault's concept of discipline of the self to evaluate auditor behaviour under both regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The intent of this Practice Briefing is to provide clarity on drivers of property pricing in a changing economic environment. The principal basis of this analysis is to investigate how properties have been priced relative to interest rates over the long haul. Such an insight may help investors navigate the world of property investment in a post zero interest-rate policy (ZIRP) world. Design/methodology/approach: This practice briefing is an overview of the role of economic drivers in pricing property in different economic eras pre- and post-ZIRP. It looks at returns over time relative to risk criteria and growth. Findings: This briefing is a review of property pricing and its relationship to economic drivers and discusses the concept of return premiums as a market indicator to spot under/over-priced property assets in the market. Practical implications: This briefing considers the implications of identifying salient and pertinent market indicators over time as bellweathers for property pricing. Good property investment is grounded in understanding when assets are under and overpriced relative to investors' expectations of growth and returns going forward. An understanding of markets and the current indicators thereof can provide investors with insights into those criteria. Originality/value: This provides guidance on how to interpret markets and get an understanding of property pricing over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to answer the key questions about the role of digital identities in organisations and within the HR function, the role of regulation in the digital identity space as it catches up with innovators and the vast potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in supporting digital identity. Design/methodology/approach: Developed by using insight from the organisation's extensive experience in digital identities and knowledge of the regulatory environment, alongside experience with the HR industry and relevant customers. Findings: The digitalisation of business processes and the reality of an increasingly geographically distributed workforce have made digital identities for employees an increasingly important element of modern organisational and human resources functions. The benefits of using digital identities for employees are clear. With the growth of remote working and borderless company operations, digital identities provide employers with enhanced security, improved efficiency and cost savings. As organisations embark on their digital transformation journeys, the delicate balance between facilitating employees' access to technology and safeguarding the organisation against cyber threats becomes clear. This intricate compromise requires the precise orchestration of certain processes, governance and technology. Originality/value: In the UK, it is especially important for HR directors to consider the role of AI-empowered employee digital identities. The UK is taking a lead in digitising employee processes, with 68% of respondents in a 2023 poll by SD Worx reporting their company is investing in digital HR and training offerings, compared to a 60% average across Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to explore how HR leaders can help their managers ditch the traditional command-and-control leadership style and instead adopt an enquiry-led management approach – Operational Coaching®. This approach helps managers to develop coaching-related behaviours in their day-to-day interactions with teams, to cultivate a culture that is more collaborative, inclusive and innovative with measurable improvements in engagement, productivity and performance. Design/methodology/approach: Responding to the UK's woeful productivity and employee engagement levels, the Government sponsored a large-scale academic research study (designed, conducted and independently evaluated by the London School of Economics, LSE) to assess the impact of managers learning to use an Operational Coaching® style of management. Managers in 62 organisations across 14 sectors worked through a learning programme designed to build managers' confidence in using intentional enquiry as a part of their everyday management style. Findings: LSE proved, statistically significantly, that managers increased the amount of time they spent coaching their team members by an average of 70% and generated a 74 times return on investment. LSE also noted that intervention group organisations indicated a positive sixfold improvement in employee retention than in control group organisations. Originality/value: When managers learn to use an Operational Coaching® style of management in their day-to-day work with others, it allows them to learn how to challenge, support and grow the capabilities of their team members in ways that measurably benefit the individual and the organisation. Colleagues are more engaged, recognised and rewarded. As their competency and confidence grows, managers are released from aspects of their to-do lists and are able to invest even more attention towards coaching their team members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to examine the processes of sustainability reporting assurance (SRA) and the influence they have on shaping perception from disclosures. Given the evidence of inconsistencies and ambiguities in assurance processes, this paper examines how legitimacy is attained and maintained at different stages of SRA. Design/methodology/approach: Evidence collected from 23 semi-structured interviews with assurance providers (APs), consultants, professionals and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) (non-APs) was used to conduct a thematic analysis from the perspectives of interviewees. Findings: APs and non-APs are united in recognising the value of SRA, although, perspectives on transparency between the two groups differ. Experience and industry knowledge are essential to SRA delivery with non-APs preferring accounting APs. Nevertheless, non-APs are concerned about the role of companies in deciding assurance scope, as it can affect scrutiny. APs favour data accuracy (as opposed to data relevance) assurance due to team dynamics and internal review influences, with the latter also restricting assurance innovation. APs are interested in accessing better evidence and stakeholder engagement evaluations. Providing advisory services was not rejected by all APs. The perspectives of APs and non-APs demonstrate how progress in SRA has gained pragmatic legitimacy with noticeable gaps that serve to undermine attainment of moral legitimacy. Research limitations/implications: SRA is a developing practice that will adopt changes as it continues to mature; some of these changes could impact findings in this research. General perspectives on SRA were sought from interviewees, this affected the ability for an in-depth focus on any of the range of interesting SRA issues that arose over the course of the research. Interviews were conducted with relevant parties in the SRA space that operate in the UK. Perspectives from parties outside the UK were not solicited. Practical implications: Companies make an important decision to commission SRA. Findings in this research have highlighted specific non-APs issues of concern that can be useful in structuring operations and reporting regimes to facilitate assurance procedures. The findings will also be helpful to APs as they can direct more emphasis on stakeholder concerns towards demonstrating greater stakeholder accountability. Regulatory and standard setters can enact appropriate policies that can potentially drive the practice forward for assessment of cognitive legitimacy. Social implications: The findings provide relevant account of stakeholder voices on the quality of corporate disclosures that has a direct effect on the wellbeing of communities and sustainability of societies. Collective stakeholder input on expectations can shape sustainability discourse. Originality/value: This research demonstrates the applicability of financial audit quality indicators in SRA processes, extends the debate around the effectiveness of new audit fields and highlights the challenges of maintaining legitimacy with different audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The authors examine the impact of audit quality (AQ) on classification shifting (CS) among non-financial firms operating in the UK and Germany. Design/methodology/approach: This paper used various audit committee variables (size, meetings, gender diversity and financial expertise) to measure AQ and its impact on CS. The authors used a total of 2,110 firm-year observations from 2010 to 2019. Findings: The authors found that the presence of female members on the audit committee and audit committee financial expertise deter the UK and German managers from shifting core expenses and revenue items into special items to inflate core earnings. However, audit committee size is positively related to CS among German firms but has no impact on UK firms. The authors also document evidence that audit committee meetings restrain UK managers from engaging in CS. However, the authors found no impact on CS among German firms. The study results hold even after employing several tests. Research limitations/implications: Overall, the study findings provide broad support in an international setting for the board to improve its auditing practices and offer essential information to investors to assess how AQ affects the financial reporting process. Originality/value: Most CS studies used market-oriented economies such as the USA and UK and ignored bank-based economies such as Germany, France and Japan. The authors provide a comparison among bank and market-oriented economies on whether the AQ has a similar impact on CS or not among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the current legal framework on money laundering control in the insurance sector. Essentially, this examination is premised on the interrogation of whether it is still appropriate for Mauritius to apply such stringent, opaque and unyielding Anti-Money Laundering/Combating Financing of Terrorism norms and rules on general insurance when developed nations such as the UK and Singapore have done away with them for a more effective combat against money laundering. It would also be assessed why the financial services commission (FSC) is not able to draw inspiration from its British and Singaporean counterparts in fighting money laundering more effectively. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses the doctrinal legal research methodology which is colloquially described as "black-letter law" approach. It is backed up by a contextual legal analysis that is based on an analysis of relevant legal provisions. It relies ground experience from the insurance industry through the experience of the authors. A comparative approach is used with Singapore and the UK as case studies given that there are significant commonalities to the Mauritian jurisdiction as well as useful differences. Findings: It is observed that a move towards a de-regulation of the legal framework on money laundering in the insurance sector with a more relaxed approach is more effective for the Mauritian insurance sector. Evidence is drawn from the Singaporean and British models. A re-structuring of the FSC of Mauritius is also warranted for such an approach to be adopted. Originality/value: This paper is among the first academic contribution that proposes a de-regulation and the adoption of a relaxed approach of and by the Mauritian Insurance Industry for a more effective combat against money laundering. It serves as a legal foundational basis for further research in this direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to use empirical data to examine the hierarchical impact of the Internet of things capability on supply chain integration (SCI), supply chain capability (SCC) and firm performance (FP) in the UK retail industry. Design/methodology/approach: A deductive approach was employed to carry out this research. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed using the partial least square method (SmartPLS 3.3.3) to test theoretical predictions which underlie the relationships among Internet of things capability (IoTC), SCI, SCC and FP. Data are collected using an online survey completed by senior executives of 66 large, medium and small firms within the UK retail industry. Findings: The empirical results of this research reveal that IoTC has a significant positive effect on the UK retail industry FP through the mediating role of SCI and SCC. Practical implications: The research results from this study provide useful management insights for firms within the retail industry into the development of effective strategies for integrating their supply chain alongside the adoption of IoTC into SCI, consequently leading to improvements in FP. Originality/value: Although previous studies have explored the impact of IoT on FP through the sequential mediating role of SCI and SCC, few have explored the impact of the IoT capability (IoTC) on FP through sequential mediators, i.e. SCI and SCC. This study examines the relationship between IoTC, SCI, SCC and FP in the UK retail industry supply chain to address this knowledge gap. Moreover, this study examines the effects of IoTC on FP by applying partial least square (PLS)-SEM techniques. Testing the sequential mediating role of SCI and SCI is undertaken, and the relationships among IoT-enabled SCI and SCC is analysed to improve FP. The robustness check's result through PLSpredict analysis also confirms the power of the model proposed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The use of augmented reality (AR) and experiential learning go hand in hand. Although AR learning opportunities have been well discussed, there is limited empirical research on the use of AR within higher education settings. Drawing from the uses and gratifications theory (U&GT), this study aims to explore the use of AR for learning satisfaction and student engagement, while also examining differences in learning styles. Design/methodology/approach: This study used experiments with higher education students in the UK to explore the use of AR as part of the learning experience. Data from 173 students who experienced AR as part of their learning experience were analysed using partial least square analysis. Findings: The authors found that hedonic, utilitarian, sensual and modality gratifications influence AR learning satisfaction and student engagement. Furthermore, the authors found differences between active and passive learners with regards to utilitarian (information seeking, personalisation) and sensual gratifications (immersion, presence) and effects on learning satisfaction. Originality/value: This study developed and validated a U&GT framework incorporating different learning styles rooted in Kolb's learning cycle. Findings provide important implications for the use of commercial AR applications as part of the learning experience within higher education settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study aims to shed light on the current state of "Dataset repositories" indexed in Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR). Design/methodology/approach: From each repository/record information, the Open-Access Policies, Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH), year of creation and the number of data sets archived in the repositories were manually searched, documented and analyzed. Findings: Developed countries like the United Kingdom and the USA are primarily involved in the development of institutional open-access repositories comprising significant components of OpenDOAR. The most extensively used software is DSpace. Most data set archives are OAI-PMH compliant but do not follow open-access rules. The study also highlights the sites' embrace of Web 2.0 capabilities and discovers really simple syndication feeds and Atom integration. The use of social media has made its presence known. Furthermore, the study concludes that the number of data sets kept in repositories is insufficient, although the expansion of such repositories has been consistent over the years. Practical implications: The work has the potential to benefit both researchers in general and policymakers in particular. Scholars interested in research data, data sharing and data reuse can learn about the present state of repositories that preserve data sets in OpenDOAR. At the same time, policymakers can develop recommendations and policies to assist in the construction and maintenance of repositories for data sets. Originality/value: According to the literature, there have been numerous studies on open-access repositories and OpenDOAR internationally, but no research has focused on repositories preserving content-type data sets. As a result, the study attempts to uncover various characteristics of OpenDOAR Data set repositories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Evidence of overprescribing of psychotropic medicines to manage challenging behaviour in people with intellectual disabilities has led to national programmes within the UK to promote deprescribing, such as stopping the overprescribing of medication in people (with learning disabilities, autism or both). To successfully implement deprescribing initiatives, we need to understand how to engage stakeholders in the process. Design/methodology/approach: In a published systematic review, we reported evidence about the process of deprescribing psychotropic medicines for people of all ages with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour. As a part of the original review, we searched for evidence about stakeholders' experiences of the psychotropic deprescribing process, which was synthesised and reported within the current study. Findings: Six studies were identified. Involving carers and people with intellectual disabilities, providing ongoing support and improving access to non-pharmacological interventions, including positive behaviour support, may contribute to successful outcomes, including reducing or stopping psychotropic medicines and improving quality of life. Implementing psychotropic deprescribing requires a multidisciplinary collaborative care approach and education for stakeholders. Originality/value: There have been no previous reviews of stakeholder experiences of deprescribing psychotropic medications for people with intellectual disabilities and challenging behaviour. The existing literature is scant, and further research is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of dysphagia among adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) referred to speech and language therapy for swallow assessment, providing information on the demographic characteristics, referral trends, co-occurring health conditions and reasons for referrals highlighting the complex health-care needs of this population. Design/methodology/approach: This study used a standardised patient data extraction method over a six-month period involving 74 adults with ID referred to speech and language therapy for swallow assessment. Findings: This study revealed a high prevalence of dysphagia among adults with ID referred to speech and language therapy for swallow assessment. Increasing age and severity of ID were associated with an increased likelihood of swallowing difficulties. Co-occurring health conditions such as mobility difficulties, epilepsy and gastrointestinal conditions were prevalent, suggesting that adults with ID and swallowing difficulties are often living with complex health conditions. Choking incidents and hospital admissions were primary reasons for referral. Research limitations/implications: This study stresses the pressing need for strategies to mitigate risks associated with choking incidents and hospital admission among this vulnerable population. Possible limitations include a reliance on referral and the focus being on a single service over a short period which may limit generalisation to the wider ID population. Practical implications: This study emphasises the need to understand each person's unique profile of health needs and the value of a specialised speech and language therapy service. Social implications: The importance of increasing awareness among caregivers and medical experts is highlighted. Originality/value: The findings underscore the importance of tailored assessment, caregiver involvement and heightened interdisciplinary awareness to effectively manage dysphagia in individuals with ID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This service evaluation aims to understand the experiences of service users (SUs) who accessed an early intervention in psychosis (EIP) service during the Coronavirus pandemic using qualitative and quantitative methodologies and compare these to a previous pre-pandemic study conducted within the same service (Watkins et al., 2018). Design/methodology/approach: This paper collated experiences of individuals accessing an EIP service to inform service development. Questionnaires and individual interviews were conducted to provide quantitative and qualitative data. Descriptive statistics and T-test confidence intervals were created from the results and compared to findings of Watkins et al. (2018). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Braun and Clarke's (2006) thematic analysis. Findings: Data showed participants were largely satisfied with all areas of the service with "work or education", "living skills", and "addictions" scoring highest. Though participants reported no overall dissatisfaction, satisfaction levels dropped in "social activities" compared to the findings of Watkins et al. (2018), perhaps due to the national restrictions put in place to manage the spread of Coronavirus during this time. Interview analysis identified three themes of importance consistent with prior literature, highlighting the importance of relationships and validation during recovery. Research limitations/implications: This evaluation did not consider whether participants had accessed the service prior to the pandemic or only during, meaning that some participants could have a point of comparison with the service pre-pandemic, whereas others might not. Similarly, the participants were not the same as those of the Watkins et al.'s (2018) evaluation, meaning that direct comparisons of pre- and post-pandemic experiences were not possible. In addition, this evaluation collected data at only one time point early in the pandemic; therefore, it is unknown if client experiences of services differed as the pandemic and restrictions continued over time. Originality/value: The Covid-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented challenge for health services, and the effects of this are becoming widely reported. This evaluation of clinical services offers a valuable perspective of service user experience of receiving mental health services during a global health crisis further offering a comparison to pre-pandemic services and the experiences of those who used them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]