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This paper explores a sample of data collected from a UNICEF Eastern Caribbean rapid assessment on teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in eight countries. The primary investigation method was mixed and captured data from key participants/stakeholders in education using CAPI Technology and Video Conferencing tools. Statistical analyses and qualitative thematic analysis were conducted to report on findings using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences and Nvivo Qualitative Software. The data on online teaching and learning from Barbados was selected for further review and presented an opportunity to assess the Barbadian experience against other developing and developed countries. In assessing these perceptions in a sample of primary and secondary schools, stakeholders were generally dissatisfied with the online and blended learning modalities citing challenges relating to the equality and equity in access to devices and the enabling environment that facilities effective online teaching and learning.

This research introduced the new construct of ‘perceived COVID-19 vaccine pressure’ (i.e., the psychological strain associated with societal demands on vaccine taking) and examined the initial psychometric properties of a newly proposed measure. The study surveyed 411 Barbadian respondents to examine their level of perceived COVID-19 vaccine pressure using an online survey modality. The results revealed strong and robust psychometric properties for the scale and its unidimensionality. Younger and employed respondents as well as those working in the tourism and hospitality and government (public) sectors experienced the greatest internalised vaccine pressure relative to other respondent groups. Only initial/preliminary evidence of the scale’s validity and reliability was revealed by this cross-sectional study. A follow-up study (using CFA on a new sample) is needed to provide stronger evidence for its validity and reliability. Understanding the dynamics of perceived or internalised vaccine pressure might help explain the positive or negative effects of societal pressure and its implications for vaccine hesitancy and other vaccine-related attitudes and behaviours. The study is the first to conceptually discuss and empirically examine the mental health strain occasioned by societal demands placed on individuals to take a COVID-19 vaccine.

This article investigated the mediating role of job satisfaction between four ability-based emotional intelligence (EI) dimensions and contextual performance and counterproductive work behaviors (CWBs), and controlled for Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, and Agreeableness. Based on data collected from 222 employees, results supported the hypothesized partial mediation model. Job satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between (a) the ability-based EI dimension, regulation of emotion, and contextual performance, and CWB-I and CWB-O; (b) the ability-based EI dimension, selfemotion appraisal, and CWB-I and CWB-O; (c) the ability-based EI dimension, use of emotion and contextual performance; and (d) between Agreeableness, Emotional Stability, and Conscientiousness and contextual performance and CWBs. Implications, limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.

This study tested the direct effects of three dimensions of organizational justice – distributive justice, procedural justice, and interactional justice – on contextual performance, counterproductive work behaviors, and task performance. The study also examined the moderating effects of an ability measure of emotional intelligence (EI) on the justice–performance relationship. Based on the data from 211 employees across nine organizations from the private and public sectors in a developing country in the Caribbean, the results revealed that all three justice dimensions had significant effects on task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behaviors in the expected direction. Composite EI and its four subdimensions (appraisal and expression of emotion in the self, appraisal and recognition of emotion in others, regulation of emotion, and use of emotion) moderated the relationship between procedural justice and contextual performance, but failed to moderate other justice–performance relationships.

The study investigated the psychometric properties of the State Trait Anxiety Inventory—Trait Scale (STAI-T: Spielberger, 1983) in a Caribbean university student sample. Participants were 415 undergraduate students (75% female) who completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait Version (STAI-T; Spielberger, 1983), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; Beck, Steer, & Brown, 1996), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS; Zung, 1965), the Ego Resiliecy-89 (ER-89; Block, 1989), and the Perceived Stress Scale-Ten Item Version (PSS-10; Cohen et al., 1983). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to examine the construct validity of the trait anxiety scale in terms of factor structure, convergent, discriminant, and nomological validities. CFA results revealed that a two-factor solution (trait anxiety absent and trait anxiety present) provided significantly better fit than the one-factor model of trait anxiety. There was clear evidence of convergent validity, discriminant validity, and nomological...

This study draws on data from an online survey of a cross-section of Barbadian employees who are members of either defined benefit or defined contribution schemes. The results were heavily consistent with those from the United Kingdom. Generally, employees lack the basic knowledge to manage their own pension plans and they often times treat issues pertaining to retirement with low priority. Furthermore, results show that an extremely high weighting is attributed to property and land as assets for retirement. One major finding that came out of the study was that there are cultural differences between the United Kingdom and Barbados, where in the United Kingdom there is an individualistic culture, in contrast to the collectivist culture of Barbados.

The study represents an exploratory attempt to capture the underlying reasons for tourists' decisions to visit a destination. The main objective of this study is to examine the specific case of a tourism destination, investigating first whether there are differences between motivations of those who are from different countries traveling to the destination of Barbados. Secondly, the study examines whether there are any differences in the motivations between male and female tourists, and among tourists of different age groups. Thus, it is a comparative study of differences in motives between specific groups. As a result, it attempts to incorporate the experiential view into a construct such as the image of the tourism destination. This article seeks to propose an integrated approach to understand tourist motivations based on origins and how these contribute to the tourists' perception of a destination.

This paper explores the impact of several factors on current participation practice and the willingness of employers to introduce participation at work. Data were obtained from a cross-section of 93 organisations, obtained from a stratified sample of 200 organisations from various industries in Barbados. Organisational size, industrial origin and union presence were not significant determinants of current participation practice. However, a cost reduction strategy was negatively associated with current participation governing management of people. Innovation-based strategies were positively related to willingness to introduce participation regarding the management of people. Perceived participation outcomes such as job satisfaction, increased joint benefits and reduced absenteeism were associated with current participation regarding the management of people as well as willingness to extend participation in the same area.

This paper investigates the relationship between the number of human resource management (HRM) practices adopted and organizational demographics among hotels in Barbados, as well as determining the extent to which strategic human management (SHRM) is practiced. A quantitative survey was administered to 46 hotels out of a population of 75 hotels. The findings revealed that more than half the sampled hotels adopted more than 14 HRM practices; that hotel size (by employee level), hotel room prices and age of hotel were significantly related to the number of HRM practices adopted. All hotels engaged in strategic planning and the majority had a HR strategy formally endorsed and actively supported by the hotel's top management and that HRM strategies are integrated with business strategies and HR strategies are deliberately integrated with each other. These findings suggest that there is widespread adoption and a growing level of interest in HRM, as well as considerable importance being attached to str...

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to use social exchange theory (SET) to examine a model where supportive and unsupportive manager behaviors (SMB and UMB) interact to predict employees’ engagement, job satisfaction and turnover intention. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional online survey collected data from 252 UK-based employees of a global data management company. Findings Factor analysis confirmed manager behaviors to consist of two constructs: supportive and unsupportive behaviors. Structural equation modeling indicated SMB predicted job satisfaction and turnover intentions, but not engagement. Job satisfaction, but not engagement, mediated the SMB-turnover intention relationship. UMB only predicted job dissatisfaction. Neither job satisfaction nor engagement mediated the UMB-turnover intention relationship. UMB undermined the positive relationship between SMB and turnover intention. Practical implications The behaviors assessed can be integrated into various stages of a manager’s development process to serve as guidelines of good practice. Crucially, findings suggest managers can exhibit both supportive and unsupportive behaviors, and that consistency in behaviors is important. The study also provides evidence that supportive managers can help reduce turnover intention through job satisfaction. Originality/value SET was used as a framework for SMB, UMB and engagement. To the authors’ knowledge this is the first study to examine the interaction between SMB and UMB.