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This paper examines the impact of the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs) on community investment (CI), otherwise known as corporate philanthropic expenditures, among Canada's leading private sector companies. The study investigates whether there have been discernible shifts in CI relative to net profit after tax (NPAT) before and after the introduction of the SDGs in 2015, and whether corporations' commitment to the SDGs and/or membership in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) have resulted in material increases to CI expenditures. The analysis is based on descriptive statistics, comparing the mean and standard deviation of CI as a percentage of NPAT across 58 firms included in our study. The findings reveal a minor decrease in CI as a percentage of NPAT following the introduction of the SDGs and lower average CI amounts among corporations committed to the SDGs and firms with UNGC membership. This paper offers an interpretive analysis of the results, highlighting the implications of potential greenwashing and the importance of corporate transparency. Further, we emphasize the need for policies to ensure genuine corporate financial commitment to socioeconomic and environmental causes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twelve qualitative case studies in German and Canadian hospitals and IT companies were used in this mixed-methods study analysing the labour market outcomes of immigrants. The reported case studies investigate the immigrants' recognition, integration process and the usability of foreign qualifications, skills and work experiences in the labour market. Furthermore, the strategies and rationales of employers and employees within the recruiting process are analysed. Here, the focus lies on the transferability and obstacles of cultural and social capital across country borders as well as the relevant framework conditions. This paper refers to Bourdieu's approach towards different types of capital as well as the rational choice theory. The results demonstrate that immigrants in both countries face more obstacles accessing the labour market within the health sector than within the IT sector. The context of the recruiting situation strongly affects the strategies and behaviour of the employers or the recruiters. Within these sector- and country-specific confines, individual factors determine the immigrants' labour market success. Furthermore, the sector and the country affect the relevance of each individual factor in the recruiting process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing research and public policy investment in the development of technologies to support healthy aging and age-friendly services in Canada. Yet adoption and use of technologies by older adults is limited and rates of abandonment remain high. In response to this, there is growing interest within the field of gerotechnology in fostering greater participation of older adults in research and design. The nature of participation ranges from passive information gathering to more active involvement in research activities, such as those informed by participatory design or participatory action research (PAR). However, participatory approaches are rare with identified barriers including ageism and ableism. This stigma contributes to the limited involvement of older adults in gerotechnology research and design, which in turn reinforces negative stereotypes, such as lack of ability and interest in technology. While the full involvement of older adults in gerotechnology remains rare, the Older Adults' Active Involvement in Ageing & Technology Research and Development (OA-INVOLVE) project aims to develop models of best practice for engaging older adults in these research projects. In this comment paper, we employ an unconventional, conversational-style format between academic researchers and older adult research contributors to provide new perspectives, understandings, and insights into: (i) motivations to engage in participatory research; (ii) understandings of roles and expectations as research contributors; (iii) challenges encountered in contributing to gerotechnology research; (iv) perceived benefits of participation; and (v) advice for academic researchers. Plain English summary: More investments are being made to develop technologies that support healthy aging and age-friendly services in Canada. However, not many older adults use these technologies and those who do tend to stop using them after some time. Gerotechnology is a field of study that combines an interest in gerontology and technology. Within gerotechnology, researchers are learning more about how to encourage older adults to participate in research and the design of new technologies. There are different ways that older adults participate in gerotechnology research, with some approaches being more passive than others. In participatory design and participatory action research projects older adults are encouraged to engage more actively as co-researchers. However, researchers have found that there are some limitations to engaging older adults actively in research, including ageism and ableism, meaning that older adults are perceived to be capable of contributing based on their age and cognitive or physical abilities. These stereotypes have limited how often and how much older adults actually contribute to technology research and design. The Older Adults' Active Involvement in Aging & Technology Research and Development (OA-INVOLVE) project aims to address these gaps. In this comment paper, we present a conversation between academic and older adult researchers who have contributed to OA-INVOLVE. The goal of this conversation is to explore together: (i) motivations to engage in participatory research; (ii) understandings of roles and expectations as research contributors; (iii) challenges encountered in contributing to gerotechnology research; (iv) perceived benefits of participation; and (v) advice for academic researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to add to the research literature and begin to fill the gap in knowledge about shared parenting arrangements for women with young children and who have experienced domestic violence (DV), in three Canadian provinces; Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. Method: This paper reports on the qualitative findings from a mixed methods study on shared parenting from women with children ages 4 and under. Twenty women participated in one-on-one individual interviews through electronic platform utilizing Zoom. Thematic analysis is used to analyze the data. Results: Despite efforts to not exclusively recruit women who had experienced domestic violence (DV) from their former partner, all participants identified as survivors of DV and ongoing survivors of DV, specifically, coercive controlling behaviours. Five themes describe the women's experiences of shared parenting with young children: 1) walking a tight-rope; 2) navigating post-separation relationships; 3) emotional realities of shared parenting; 4) shared parenting outcomes; and, 5) structural challenges. Conclusions: This paper not only adds to the significant and longstanding gap in knowledge directly from women with children ages 4 and under in shared parenting relationships, and who have experienced DV, and also helps to inform social service and legal actors. It is timely with the amendments to the Divorce Act in Canada which now includes DV as a factor in determining the best interests of the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores ordinary individuals' understandings of nationhood. In so doing, it focuses on the case of Armenian migrants from Turkey to Canada and their conceptualizations of the host country. The paper captures multiple strands of nationhood and argues that these are pertinent to different boundary-making processes. The outer boundary of nationhood is defined along inclusive and civic lines where difference is recognized and appreciated. Living with difference, on the other hand, brings to the fore the tension between recognizing it on the one hand and accommodating it on the other. The case study further reveals how the exercise of state power and individuals' encounters with the state shape their understandings of nationhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Variations in customer expectations pose a challenge to service quality improvement in the airline industry. Understanding airline customers' expectations and satisfaction help service providers improve their offerings. The extant literature examines airline passengers' expectations in isolation, neglecting the overall impact of online reviews on service quality improvement. This paper systematically evaluates the airline industry's passengers' expectations and satisfaction using expectation confirmation theory (ECT) and the SERVQUAL framework. The paper analyzes online reviews to examine the relationship between airline service quality attributes and passengers' satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach: The SERVQUAL framework was employed to examine the effects of customer culture, the reason for traveling, and seat type on customer's expectations and satisfaction across a large sample of airline customers. Findings: A total of 17,726 observations were gathered from the Skytrax review website. The lowest satisfaction ratings were from passengers from the USA, Canada and India. Factors that affect perceived service performance include customer service, delays and baggage management. Empathy and reliability have the biggest impact on the perceived satisfaction of passengers. Research limitations/implications: This research increases understanding of the consumer expectations through analysis of passengers' online reviews. Results are limited to a small sample of airline industries. Practical implications: This study provides airlines with valuable information to improve customer service by analyzing online reviews. Social implications: This study provides the opportunity for airline customers to gain better services when airline companies utilize the findings. Originality/value: This paper offers insights into passengers' expectations and their perceived value for money in relation to seat types. Previous studies have not investigated value for money as a construct for passengers' expectations and satisfaction relative to service quality dimensions. This paper addresses this need. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the double tracking control problem for the complex dynamic network (CDN) with an unavailable link state. Firstly, from the angle of a large-scale system, the dynamical model of CDN is described by the vector differential equations, which consists of node dynamic subsystem (NDS) and link dynamic subsystem (LDS), in which the weighted-values of links are regarded as the state variables of LDS. Secondly, to realise the double tracking control (DT-Control) of CDN, the presented DT-Control scheme in this paper includes the synthesis of controller for NDS and the coupling term in LDS, which can ensure that the two subsystems track the given reference targets. The tracking of NDS contains the synchronisation of nodes as the special case, and the tracking of LDS shows that the eventual topologic structure of CDN will be determined only by the given link reference signal. Due to the economic and technological limitations of sensors in the practice applications, this paper assumes that the state variables of LDS are unavailable in the DT-Control scheme. Finally, the engineering simulation example is given to verify the validity of DT-Control scheme proposed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of breast cancer amongst older adults in Canada is increasing. This patient population faces unique challenges in the management of breast cancer, as older adults often have distinct biological, psychosocial, and treatment-related considerations. This paper presents an expert consensus of the Canadian treatment landscape, focusing on key considerations for optimizing selection of systemic therapy for advanced breast cancer in older adults. This paper aims to provide evidence-based recommendations and practical guidance for healthcare professionals involved in the care of older adults with breast cancer. By recognizing and addressing the specific needs of older adults, healthcare providers can optimize treatment outcomes and improve the overall quality of care for this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Oil price shocks greatly impact the global economy, but the effects vary among countries. While higher oil prices benefit oil-exporting countries, they harm the economic performance of oil-importing nations, and vice versa for lower oil prices. However, economic relations, such as trade, can mitigate the impacts of oil price shocks on both groups. In this paper, the authors aim at estimating the effects of oil price shocks on the major net oil-exporting and net oil-importing countries while accounting for international trade. Design/methodology/approach: The authors derive a reduced form of a macro model and set up a Panel VAR model to estimate the direct and indirect impacts of oil price shocks on economic growth. The sample includes data on macroeconomic variables from 30 oil-exporting and oil-importing countries that comprise more than 73 percent of the world's economy. The authors construct the spillover variables using bilateral trade matrix. To control for institutional and structural variations across the countries, they are divided into four groups of developed and developing oil-exporting and oil-importing countries. Findings: The results reveal that all oil-exporting countries have significantly benefited from oil price shocks, although trade has dampened the effect. The positive growth effect has been more pronounced in oil-exporting developing countries. The impact of oil price shocks on oil-importing countries has been negative with a one-year delay, but not statistically significant, and trade has only had a small effect. The effect has been more substantial in oil-importing developing countries. Research limitations/implications: One of the limitations of this study is the focus on trade as the main spillover channel. Given the data availability, other channels such as foreign investment and financial markets can also be included in future studies. Practical implications: Removing trade restrictions would help both oil-exporting and oil-importing countries to mitigate the negative impacts of the oil price shocks. However, the asymmetric oil-macroeconomy relationship across oil-exporting and oil-importing countries puts oil-exporting countries in a more vulnerable position as they cannot rely on trade with oil-importing countries to reduce the negative impacts of lower oil prices on their growth. Therefore, it is crucial for oil-exporting countries to reassess their oil-dependent development plans and invest their oil revenues in non-oil sectors to diversity their economies and prepare for a future with reduced dependence on oil. Social implications: The recent technological advances, structural changes, and increasing energy efficiency suggest that major oil-importing countries will become less dependent on oil in near future. As a result, oil-exporting countries will also need to undergo structural changes in order to sustain their income level. These significant changes will have important social implications, particularly in the labor market, during the transition, for which preparation will be necessary. Originality/value: While the literature on the total impact of oil price shocks on either oil-exporting or oil-importing countries is rich, studies on their spillover impacts are limited. Recent research has shown that trade and migration can affect the impact of oil price shock on the economy in federated countries such as Canada. However, the trade effect on oil price shocks in the international level, where countries are subject to different regulations/restrictions and institutional variations, remains scarce. By considering the trade relationship between different groups of oil-exporting and oil-importing countries, the authors aim to contribute to the literature of the global impacts of oil price shocks on the world economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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