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The study investigated the impact of digital leadership on teachers' usage of digital educational resources (DERs). The study collected data from teachers and headteachers in four pre-tertiary schools in Ghana. Also, trust was included as the interacting variable to examine its mediating role in digital leadership and digital educational resource usage to better disentangle the relationship between digital leadership and digital educational resource. The study used symmetrical (Partial Least Square-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and asymmetrical approaches (fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) for the analysis of the relationships. The results underpin digital leadership's importance in digital educational resource implementation outcomes in developing countries' pre-tertiary schools. The fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis findings confirm that exclusively using symmetrical approaches for digital educational resource studies may not be sufficient to understand the expected relationships within a proposed model. Under the partial least squares path modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis, trust did not mediate the relationship between digital leadership and teachers' usage of digital educational resources. Sharply from the PLS-SEM findings, the fsQCA revealed that the presence of digital leadership and trust are necessary conditions to predict teachers' usage of digital educational resources. These results and their implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of the push and pull factors that cause professionals to leave academia. Previous research has mostly focused on academic professionals' intent to leave their current organisations and largely neglected occupational turnover, that is, the cases where faculty abandon an academic career. The study included 40 semi-structured interviews and a national survey (N = 410) conducted in 2017. The interviewees consisted of three groups: previous faculty members who left academia, members of universities' upper management (deans, vice-rectors and HR managers) and upper managers and HR managers of public and private organisations employing previous academic faculty members. The survey was sent to all scholars who had left academia in Finland during 2010–2015. The qualitative empirical analysis suggests that most of the internal push factors that caused the academic professionals to leave were inversed external pull factors that lured them away from academia. However, it also hints that in many cases, certain individual factors seem to mediate the two. In practice this means that individual factors, such as lack of interest in research and/or teaching and unwillingness to compete in some positions, also contribute to the decision to leave academia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Due to high demand for international talents and skilful workforces, many countries around the world, especially the ageing populations are now looking for new ways and strategies to attract more international talent. Drawing on push-pull factor theory, integrated with theory of reasoned action (TRA), this research examines international students' intention to stay or to leave the host country after completion of the students' studies. Design/methodology/approach: A conceptual model has been proposed and evaluated aimed at understanding the factors that influence the decision-making of international students studying in Finland. Data were collected from a sample of 292 international students in Finland and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and examine the relationships between various constructs in the model. Findings: The SEM results show that several factors influence students' decision to stay or leave the host country after graduation. Aspects related to host country, institutional and economic factors and social influence (norms) directly impact students' attitude towards staying. In addition, attitude towards staying not only has a direct impact on the intention to stay, but also mediates the relationship between different pulling factors and students' intention to stay in the host country. Moreover, challenges and barriers (such as local language, challenge of finding employment and challenge of assimilating into the community or making friends) have a negative impact on the decision to stay in the host country. Originality/value: This study uses push-pull theory in the Finnish context, contributing to the growing body of literature on international education policies and practices. The findings highlight the need for a more holistic approach to supporting international students, one that considers the students' unique needs and experiences in the host country and provides the students with the necessary resources and support to succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to accomplish three things: (1) to determine the manner in which child labor is exploited; (2) to identify the ecological elements (push and pull) that contribute to the exploitation of child labor; and (3) to determine the challenges that are associated with the management of child labor. It is possible for adults to exploit children through the use of child labor in a number of vocations, including those in the agricultural industry, the garment industry, manufacturing, mining, service industries, and the informal sector. Children's employment is influenced by a number of environmental factors, such as poverty, a dearth of educational possibilities, and a lack of awareness regarding the rights of children. The study discusses a number of elements that operate as pushes and pulles, as well as barriers, that could be encountered when attempting to address the problem of child labor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is continued empirical and theoretical debate about the push and pull factors of immigration and the effects that legislation has. This study contributes towards this debate by identifying the drivers within the United States between 2005 and 2010. This study also puts forth a new more refined definition of restrictive immigration legislation and examines its impact on immigration. Hypotheses are developed to test for the effects of different policies, which are tested using a cross-sectional time series model with fixed effects and Driscoll-Kraay. The results show that undocumented populations were not broadly deterred by state immigration policies, but an E-Verify scheme, which limits access to employment and is punitive against employers was successful in deterring immigration. These findings have important consequences because to date, state immigration policies seem to function as symbolic overtures with very little or no actual policy output. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries are witnessing a rise in the ageing population, which has become a global phenomenon that all nations must address. As the population of greying people is expected to increase in Malaysia, the demand for senior citizen accommodation is predicted to have experienced a major rise by 2030. However, although studies related to retirement villages (RV) are highly important to understand how to provide a better ambience for the elderly, research on the development of retirement villages in Malaysia is yet to gather pace fully. Thus, this paper aims to explore the potential of the retirement village in Malaysia by focusing on the push factors for the elderly to move to retirement villages in the local Malaysian context. The outcome of this paper presents the initial findings derived from a literature review and pilot survey. Eight potential push factors were identified after questions were posed to potential respondents through a pilot survey questionnaire. The research revealed that the main potential reason why the elderly relocate to retirement villages was related to social factors, with the elderly preferring better access to healthcare and support due to their unique requirements. The findings of this study are relevant to Chapter 11, as underlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which call on all governments to offer access to a secure, green environment for everyone, especially the elderly. Theoretically, this research provides the first findings on the elements that encourage the elderly to relocate to an RV when they retire in Malaysia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The way people travel has been entirely altered by COVID-19. Additionally, past studies reported that tourist behaviour has shifted because of the pandemic. Therefore, tourism management must identify the variables that impact tourists' decisions to travel during COVID-19. However, the problem arises since research into tourist motivation, behaviour, and intention to travel in Southeast Asia is still scarce. In light of this issue, this study aims to bridge the gap by analysing tourists' travel intentions during COVID-19 using the theory of planned behaviour broadened with push and pull factors. An online survey among Indonesians was employed to acquire data using judgment sampling. Three hundred sixtyone surveys were completed, and the data were analysed using the PLS-SEM technique. Based on the findings, only one variable had no significant effect on the intention to travel during COVID-19. Besides that, attitude towards a behaviour was the most potent variable affecting a tourist's decision to travel. Thus, this study contributes both theoretically and practically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two models of gambling destinations were developed to illustrate how external shocks from tourist origin countries are spread via tourist flows into destinations. Theorising on such mechanisms made it possible to simulate the driving forces behind business cycles and offer a theoretical construct for numerical analysis. It was found that favourable changes in push and pull factors can create a sound environment of lower prices, more tourism and growing income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A range of different factors drive student decision-making with respect to studying abroad, they are called push and pull factors. They influence in the (non)-mobility experience of students. This paper focuses on the international student experience, predominantly focusing on: credit-degree mobility and bachelor – master students. The aim of this paper is to identify enablers and obstacles within the process of going abroad according to service provision along the international student lifecycle. By applying an innovative method – Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) – to employ new techniques when looking for hidden structures in large numbers of texts (73,715 reviews from international students), we conclude that they exist significant differences between degree and credit mobility students, and not when comparing bachelor and master students. As a result, both groups of students place importance on three main aspects during their international experience: offerings of the city, social life and academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates the factors influencing the number of asylum applications lodged in Denmark. We conduct an analysis of 190 countries of origin over the years 2005–2015. Using panel data and bilaterally expressed variables, we apply the tobit model and the negative binomial regression method for all potential countries of origin as well as for developing countries only. Our results show that among the most significant determinants of the number of asylum applications in Denmark belong the level of political stability and absence of violence, stock of immigrants, extent of freedom, as well as the distance between an origin country and Denmark. When we test these factors under the condition of a violent conflict in countries or origin, we find that their effects decrease. While for some variables, this decline is substantial, suggesting the primary role of conflicts among the push factors, some others (such as distance) remain highly significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present article examines the construction of the migration project of immigrants from rural areas in the department of Tarija, Bolivia, whose destination is the agricultural labor market in the Northwest of Argentina. This paper aims to analyze the impact of push and pull factors on the construction of male and female migration projects. To achieve this objective, an ethnographic methodological strategy was used based on in-depth interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using pull and push factors inspired by the migration theory, this study explains Matthew's Sondergut concerning Jesus' flight to Egypt from the perspective of possible pull–push factors associated with Egypt and Palestine during the first century. Within early Christianity, two perception strands concerning Egypt existed: on the one hand, Jews such as Celsus depicted Egypt negatively as a place of magic and oppression. Yet another perspective portrays Egypt as a place of refuge, recuperation and recovery – a view reflected in Luke-Acts, Matthew and some parts of Mark. Not disregarding views that read the story as Midrash or allegory, this study focuses on Matthew's Sondergut concerning Jesus' flight to Egypt as narrative explainable from a positive migration perspective, and argues that the prosperity of Egypt and possible political turmoil in Palestine during the first century give plausible reconstruct for Matthew's Sondergut regarding Jesus' flight to Egypt as a place of refuge and sustenance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses patterns of international academic mobility and the experiences of foreign staff at South African higher education institutions. Using the "pull and push factors" as a conceptual framework, it argues that the patterns of international academic staff mobility follow the pattern of international cross-border migrants. These are driven mainly by the pull factors which include quest for better opportunities in life including education. This study used both quantitative and qualitative methods to uncover the motivations and experiences of foreign academics in South Africa. The article uses three sources of data namely documentary analysis, statistical data from the Department of Education's Higher Education Management Information System (HEMIS), and data from questionnaires that were distributed to foreign academic staff at the three South African universities; namely, the University of Pretoria, University of South Africa, and University of the Witwatersrand. For the foreign academic staff working in South Africa, it was demonstrated that they have both positive and negative experiences. The negative experiences seem to be related to the major nation building project to overcome racism and xenophobia. The principles of non-racialism and, non-discrimination need to be promoted in order to build an inclusive and socially coherent society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study hypothesized, as part of a broader theoretical formulation, that the size and strengths of the country are inversely related to the volume of international news reporting that takes place in the news media of the reporting countries, reflecting the perceived needs to monitor and understand the international environment. Data analyses in this study which included linear regressions found that variables relating to strengths of a country broadly predicted the size (smallness) of foreign news volume of the countries under study. A long line of past research has investigated the variables that shape foreign news reporting, including the size of the population, Gross Domestic Product, territory, and other elements of the "reported" countries and not of "reporting countries," reflecting a singular focus on the newsworthiness of the countries to news media of other nations. While acknowledging the validity of the past studies, this paper introduces a model for analyzing the flow of international news which considers both the "pull factors" (how "interesting" the countries are to the international audience) as traditionally considered, and the "push factors" (how "interested" the news audiences are in foreign countries). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article aims to sum up the main results of a research project made in 2016 and 2017 about the situation of 1190 Romanian migrants in Western Europe and to give an overview about the push and pull factors, transnational family structures, as well as the challenges and difficulties of the Romanian survey respondents living in Germany, France, the United Kingdom and Italy. It also considers the role of personal networks which represent an important motor of migration and constitute the main motive for the choice of a certain destination region. These migration networks lead to the construction of transnational social spaces between Romania and the destination country and have high influence in the search for housing or jobs but can also influence the integration process abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study contributes to the research domain of self‐initiated repatriation, focusing on the drivers of self‐initiated expatriates' intention to repatriate (ITR). We examine the impact of selected individual characteristics (gender, ethnicity, international experience), contextual factors (spouse job availability, nature of networks, host‐country location) and the established home‐country pull factors (economic opportunities, lifestyle and relational considerations) on self‐initiated expatriates' ITR. We also examine the moderating effects of gender and international experience. Based on a sample of 248 New Zealand self‐initiated expatriates (SIEs), the findings support the role of the established home‐country pull factors, but a number of the additional contextual factors and individual characteristics of SIEs, as well as the moderation effects of gender and international experience represent new findings and offer contributions to the SIE repatriation literature. Key points: Approximately two‐thirds of expatriates in the western world are self‐initiated, which warrants an understanding of the multi‐level and multi‐faceted nature of the self‐initiated expatriate (SIE) repatriation phenomenon.Conditions favouring New Zealand (NZ) SIEs' intention to repatriate are when the SIE is female, has stronger work‐related, compared with social, networks abroad and when there is perceived job availability for the spouse in the home country.Conditions favouring NZ SIEs to remain in the host country are when the SIE has a high level of international experience, is of majority ethnicity and is located in Australia, Canada or United States, as compared to the United Kingdom and Asia.The main home‐country pull factors, namely economic, lifestyle and relational factors, positively influence SIEs' intention to repatriate; moderating roles of gender and international experience are also demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By tradition, the human trafficking discourse focuses on cross-border sex trafficking from impoverished countries to countries with a high standard of living. This article explores whether identified trafficking in the Netherlands corresponds to this. We introduce a model that identifies all possible trafficking situations, and with this, intends to prevent tunnel vision and identify blind spots. Subsequently, we analyze 768 trafficking cases identified by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (2008-2012) and categorize each case according to our model: by form of exploitation and route of trafficking. The data show that (near-)domestic sex trafficking where victims are not pushed out of impoverished countries, but are recruited on native (or neighboring) soil, is the human trafficking situation most commonly identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the negative impact of an incumbent supplier pushing out a buyer, the positive effect of an alternative supplier pulling a buyer, and the mooring impact that prevents a buyer from switching to a supplier in terms of the push-pull-mooring (PPM) model of migration theory. In this context, this study considers a buyer as the immigrant, an incumbent supplier as the origin, an alternative supplier as the destination, and inertia as the hesitance to migrate.Design/methodology/approach This study collected survey data from 148 end-product manufacturers and first-tier suppliers. It tested whether the PPM model fit in a supply chain relationship (SCR) using the partial least squares structural equation modelling approach and SmartPLS package version 2.0.M3.Findings The results support all hypotheses for causal relationships among factors of cognitive, affect, and behavioural intentions of each PPM effect. This study identifies the relative importance of each effect on a buyer’s intention of switching an existing supplier.Originality/value This study presents a new perspective that enhances the understanding of a buyer’s behaviour towards a supplier by applying the PPM model of migration to a manufacturing SCR. It promotes interdisciplinary and integrated views as well as broadens the diversity of the results in the business-to-business context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes push and pull factors of eventual secondary school student's outmigration from the micro-region of Bystřice nad Pernštejnem in the Czech inner periphery in the light of presupposed depopulation trends and manifestations of peripherality and marginality. The outmigration affects primarily the micro-region's centre while small rural settlements as a whole exhibit a population growth. The lack of prestigious and well-paid jobs and limited cultural activities, entertainment, and sports appear to be the main push migration factors. Possible solutions to this situation are limited and should include efforts to strengthen the relationship of the local population to the territory, to maintain the good quality of the environment, and to enhance the feeling of personal safety. It is argued that similar motivations can be expected in the majority of Czech peripheral micro-regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the light of contemporary ageing societies, intergenerational solidarity is becoming more crucial for welfare states. Intergenerational solidarity is a multi-dimensional and multidirectional concept affected by various micro and macro level factors. Education is one of the micro level factors that affect intergenerational normative solidarity and this qualitative study seeks to understand in what ways attitudes differ among different education levels. In this study, 17 pairs of older mothers/mother in-laws and their adult daughters/daughters in law from different educational backgrounds are recruited for semi-structured interviews. Consequently, 5 themes have emerged for adult women: "life aspirations", "attitudes towards care work", "attitudes towards domestic labour", "pull factors" and "push factors". For older women, 3 themes have emerged: "gender of children", "value of children" and "views on care homes". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim of the study is to determine the attributes of a destination that is believed to pull tourists by the local people. Attributes that attract tourists to a destination in literature are obtained from tourists' view. In this study, the pull attributes are obtained from local people's view. In this sense 295 local people were asked about the attributes that is thought to attract tourist to the destination. 18 attributes and four dimensions are derived which are facilities and atmosphere, locality, historicalreligious- natural places and, image. The most important attributes are historical places, religious places, the villages, the climate and the entertaining facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to identify the underlying structures of RV traveler’s pull factors to campgrounds and confirm the results by using exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis with multiple data sets. The results identified the following five dimensions of the campground traveler’s key attributes: Activity, Amenity, Essentials, Price, and Store. The “Essentials” factor had a grand mean of 4.47, which was the highest among the five factors. Therefore, campground owners and managers should pay extra attention to maintaining a high quality on those essential attributes first, before considering adding or promoting any other items. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study investigates retailing activity and trends at different spatial scales for the last quarter of a century, from 1990 to 2015, for Nebraska using data from the Nebraska Department of Revenue. The primary unit of measurement used to assess the retail strength was Pull Factor. The Pull Factor (PF), is widely used to identify and measure leakage and/or capture of retail trade across political boundaries as well as identifying trends over time. Retailing is an important sector of any economy at all geographic levels and is watched carefully as an indicator of overall economic performance. For 2015 total taxable retail sales for the state was over 23 billion nominal dollars (slightly more than 13 percent of State Gross Product) for Nebraska. Results showed that population was the single largest factor that affected retailing activity. An analysis of top retail performers based on population class showed that all but one town employing the tax shift implications, by levying a local sales tax under the Local Option Revenue Act (applicable to cities) or Nebraska Revenue Statue 13-319 to 13-325 (applicable to counties), associated with their being trade-capture municipalities. This study also found that the higher (lower) the purchase index for motor vehicles, the lower (higher) the county retail pull factor for other taxable sales activity. This was because on average rural county residents spent relatively more on motor vehicle purchases than their metropolitan county cousins, which left less disposable income for other retail activity given no drastic differences in median household income levels across the state. Rising unemployment and income stagnation, which reduced buying power and uncertainty among consumers, during the most recent recession years, slowed the growth of the retail sector significantly between the 2005 and 2010 period relative to both the pre-and posttime periods for the state. Recession consequences did not appear to be uniform across the town/city size classes of Nebraska communities. The smallest class of towns, less than 500 people, saw an increase in retail, most likely because retailing services are almost entirely inelastic goods and services that people need whatever the economic climate and the individual's economic condition. The metropolitan areas however saw a slight increase in retail dollar volume between 2005 and 2010 while their share of the state's total retail sales declined slightly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to study what happens when firms misuse customer's information and perceptions of unfairness arise because of privacy concerns. It explores a unifying theoretical framework of perceptions of unfairness, explained by the advantaged-disadvantaged (AD) continuum. It integrates the push, pull and mooring (PPM) model of migration for understanding the drivers of unfairness. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is conceptual and develops a theoretical model based on extant research. Findings - Using the PPM model, the paper explores the effects of information-based marketing tactics on the AD framework in the form of two types of customers. Findings from the review suggest that three variables have a leading direct effect on the AD customers. Traditionally, the fairness literature focuses on price, but findings show that service and communication variables impact customer's unfairness perceptions. This paper examines the importance of these variables, in the context of an AD framework, to help explain unfairness and consider the implications. Originality/value - To explain information misuse and unfairness perceptions, the paper develops a unifying theoretical framework of perceptions of unfairness, explained by linking the PPM model of migration with the AD continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Medical tourism has gained intense momentum within the past two decades, and more Americans than ever before are seeking medical care from international alternatives. Although there has been extensive study regarding the pretravel motivations for medical tourism, there is a distinct gap of empirical research when it comes to travelers’ overall perception of their posttravel medical tourism experience. This study focuses on measuring the relationship between medical tourists’ push and pull factors on the overall perceived quality of their medical tourism experience. This study surveyed U.S. medical tourists who have sought medical care outside of the United States. The research investigated respondents’ perception of the destination location, medical tourism experience, and overall perceived quality. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We tested the applicability of the push-pull-mooring (PPM) migration theory to travelers' airline selection in order to clarify their switching behavior. Based on the extensive review of the literature and open-ended survey, we identified the constituents of four push, three pull, and four mooring factors. A field survey was conducted at an international airport in South Korea, and a total of 529 complete responses were used for data analysis. Our results showed that the PPM model comprising the second-order factor structure provided an acceptable representation of the observed variables in a comparison with the first-order construct model. Results of the structural analysis also indicated that all PPM categories directly affected switching intention. In addition, mooring dimension had a significant moderating effect on the relationship between pull category and switching intention. However, no moderating effect of mooring factor on the relationship between push factor and switching intention was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose There is little research into small higher education institutions and international students’ choice in selecting these institutions. The purpose of this paper is to understand the factors that influence international student choices in selecting a small institution. In particular, this study compares the differences between Chinese students and other international students in selecting an institution, specifically based on sources of information used, usefulness of the information, pull motivations, and reference groups/items.Design/methodology/approach This research study examined undergraduate international students at a small-sized Canadian higher education institution. “International students” were surveyed – as the total population included all students who are studying at the institution on a study permit or a temporary resident (visitor) visa. All full-time and part-time international students attending the institution were eligible to participate in the survey regardless of their faculty or major. For the sampling process, international students at the institution were intercepted on campus using convenient sampling and personal interview method to participate in the survey. In addition, students were invited within the classroom to volunteer to complete the survey. They were able to complete either a paper-based survey or an online survey by following a hyperlink.Findings Results indicate that international students considered “the university’s website” as the most used information source but perceived “direct communication from the institution” as the highest ranked usefulness of the information when selecting a small institution. Further, findings indicate that international student cohorts perceived “environmental cues and educational facilities” as the most important pull motivational factor and the institution itself as the reference that has the most significant influence on student decision making.Research limitations/implications This study was conducted on students who were surveyed following their enrolment and attendance at the institution. Students were surveyed at various stages of their undergraduate studies. As a result, some of these responses may be several years from the actual decision of selecting an institution and student recall may not be accurately reflected. In addition, examining student decision making prior to, during, and immediately following their choice of institution would most likely create better information as student attitudes and perceptions would be recorded closer to the actual decision. In addition, given that these students are attending the institution their actual experience on-campus may have impacted their responses either positively or negatively.Practical implications This study provides insight into international student choice in choosing smaller institutions. These findings can support recruitment policy and strategy for international students and may assist in enhancing institutional performance.Social implications The study reinforces the need for policy makers, institutional leaders and recruiters to understand motivations to pursue overseas studies and to ensure push, pull, and structural factors are aligned for successful student recruitment outcomes. While there is commonality among international student cohorts, there are also significant differences that need to be addressed by institutions and destinations for international students. These findings are presented from one small higher education institution in Canada.Originality/value This study created new knowledge regarding international student decision making in choosing to study at a small higher education institution. The study compared the key factors that influenced decision making and identified differences among Chinese students and other international students. There is little research into the international student decision making and small institutions. This study provides unique insight into international student choice and influences on their decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on international student’s post migration plans treats migration as a binary stay-return category and focuses on push-pull factors as the cause of this migration. In this paper we expand the definition of migration and consider the role of life experiences and aspirations, particularly the concept of home. We ask, what are the different conceptualizations of home and how are these tied to differential migratory plans? We analyze data from 232 interviews with international students from more than 50 countries who attended a flagship public university in Canada from 2006–2013.We find that students have four ways of thinking about home: as host, as ancestral, as cosmopolitan, and as nebulous. These understandings of home correspond to particular post-migration plans. While students who view home as a host plan to stay, and those who view home as ancestral plan to return, those with cosmopolitan and nebulous conceptions of home have more open migration plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates women's economic, political, and social rights in both home and destination countries as potential push and pull factors of female migration. Using a bilateral framework including 104 origin countries and 28 destination countries for the years 1990 and 2000, we document that for female migrants with various levels of education, when women's economic and social rights at home improve, they are less likely to leave, but women's political rights are a push factor. Women's economic rights in destination countries attract female migrants of all education levels but more so those with a tertiary education. Also, women's political rights in destination countries are a pull factor, but women's social rights are not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its ageing population and low birth rates, the European Union (EU) will need to import foreign labour in the next decades. In this context, the EU neighbouring countries (ENC) are the main countries of origin and transit of legal and irregular migration towards Europe. Their economic, cultural, and historical links also make them an important potential source of labour. The objective of this paper is to analyse past and future trends in ENC-EU bilateral migration relationships. With this aim, we specify and estimate a gravity model for nearly 200 countries between 1960 and 2010. Next, we use the model to obtain medium-run migration forecasts. Our results show a clear increase in migratory pressures from ENC to the EU in the near future, but probably lower than initially expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powered drives designed to assist with moving hospital beds are commercially available but no studies have evaluated whether they reduce the push and pull forces likely contributing to injury in caregivers. This study measured hand forces of 10 caregivers maneuvering a manual and powered bariatric bed through simulated hospital environments (hallway, elevator, and ramp). Peak push and pull forces exceeded previously established psychophysical limits for all activities with the manual bed. For the powered bed, peak forces were significantly (p < 0.05) lower for all tasks, and below psychophysical limits. Powered drive reduced peak forces between 38% (maneuvering into elevator) and 94% (descending ramp). Powered drive also reduced stopping distance by 55%. When maneuvering, the integral of hand force was 34% lower with powered drive, but average forces during straight-line pushing did not differ between beds. Powered drive may reduce the risk of injury or the number of caregivers needed for transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the push and pull factors associated with the consumption of Chinese Table Tennis Super League (CTTSL) game events by online audiences and on-site attendants. Design/methodology/approach - Conducting a comprehensive review of literature and a test of content validity, a questionnaire was formulated to assess push and pull motives, event consumption, and sociodemographic variables. A total of 433 CTTSL event consumers, including 225 respondents who primarily followed CTTSL game events via television and webcasting and 208 respondents who primarily consumed the events by attending live game events. Findings - Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that for online consumers, two push factors, self-esteem and drama excitement, were found to be positively related to the event consumption factors; whereas, social interaction and sport performance factors were found to be negatively predictive of event consumption factors. For on-site consumers, none of the push and pull factors were found to be related to the consumption factors. Research limitations/implications - These results indicate that unlike research findings derived in other research settings mainly conducted in Western countries, push and pull factors are more functional for online CTTSL consumers who are of comparatively stronger fandom level, which are likely affected by CTTSL’s contemporary operations. Originality/value - Enriching the dual process theory through examining its applicability in studying sport consumer behavior, from both perspectives of internal and external motivations; applying theories and research findings of internal and external motivations that have primarily been derived in Western countries into a professional sport setting in China; identifying unique and diverse perspectives of professional table tennis consumers in China between online and on-site consumers; contrary to the findings derived in Western countries, the motivational factors are more functional for online CTTSL consumers who are of comparatively stronger fandom level, which are likely affected by CTTSL’s contemporary operations; and conducting microperspective analyses to study Chinese sport consumer behaviors, which has rarely been done in contemporary scholarly inquiries in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Using munificence, real options and ambidexterity theories, the purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how the differential between home and host market environmental conditions affects US international franchising expansion.Design/methodology/approach The authors used firm-level panel data for 151 US-based franchising firms, from Bond’s Guide for Franchise Opportunities, for the years 1994-2008 plus macroeconomic data on the environment, to explain the probability of franchising.Findings The paper finds that the differential in economic growth and economic uncertainty impacts franchisors’ desire to expand abroad on a continual basis.Research limitations/implications Researchers in international franchising should not only focus on host market environmental variables (pull factors), but also on conditions in the home market (push factors).Originality/value The paper adds to environmental explanations of international franchising by focusing on the differential in munificence and uncertainty between home and host countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the early 2000s, asylum policy in Western states has become increasingly dominated by the concept of the 'pull factor'--the idea that the economic rights afforded to asylum seekers can act as a migratory pull, and will have a bearing on the numbers of asylum applications received. The pull factor thesis has been widely discredited by researchers but remains powerful among policymakers. Through an analysis of the pull factor in the UK context, and drawing on insights from Cultural Political Economy, this article argues that the hegemony of the pull factor thesis is best understood as a 'policy imaginary' which has become sedimented through both discursive and extra-discursive practices and processes. The article offers a means of understanding how a common sense assumption--which is challenged by a large body of evidence--has come to dominate policymaking in a key area of concern for politicians and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the challenges associated with the pursuit of a career as an artist, such as job insecurity and an oversupply of labour, many individuals continue to seek a career in this field. Australian artists also face additional challenges, such as geographic isolation from the major art centres of the world, resulting in perceptions of the need to migrate to large cities. This paper explores the push and pull factors influencing the career paths and geographic locations of a group of 20 creative arts graduates from one regional Australian higher education institution. The findings reveal that a range of complex factors, not just the lure of large cities, influences artists’ career decisions. In addition, the findings propose that the complex and highly uncertain nature of a career as an artist is best understood from multiple career theory perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The attractiveness of cities as places to live determines population movements into or out of them. Understanding the appealing features is fundamental to local governments, particularly for cities facing population decline. Pull and push attributes can include economic aspects, the availability of amenities and psychological constructs, initiating a discussion around which factors are more relevant for migration. However, such discussion has been underexplored in studies of shrinking cities. In the present study, we contribute to the discussion by identifying pull and push factors in Portuguese shrinking cities. Data were collected using a face-to-face questionnaire of 701 residents in four shrinking cities: Oporto, Barreiro, Peso da Régua and Moura. Factor analysis and automatic linear modelling were used to analyse the data. Our results show that the economic activity is the most relevant feature for retaining residents. However, characteristics specific to each city, related to heritage and natural beauty, are also shown to influence a city’s attractiveness. The cause of population shrinkage was also found to influence residents’ assessments of the pull and push attributes of each city. Furthermore, the results show the relevance of social ties and of place attachment to inhabitants’ intention to continue living in their city of residence. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Organizations that are subject to increasingly dynamic environments need employees who adapt to changing demands (adaptive performance). Although the literature has studied this type of performance in recent years, the contribution of explanatory models in the context of information systems has been scarce. Based on the migration literature, the article proposes that the individual's intention of adaptive behavior (focused on improving his/her domain of the information system) is influenced by push factors (dissatisfaction, disconfirmation with his/her current domain), pull factors (expected benefits of improving his/her domain of the system), and mooring factors (self-efficacy, inertia, switching cost, and attitude toward the adaptation process). The results of this research may help management to design for change management strategies in the context of information systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The WHO Global Code of Practice on the International Recruitment of Health Personnel (hereafter the WHO Code) was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2010 as a voluntary instrument to address challenges of health worker migration worldwide. To ascertain its relevance and effectiveness, the implementation of the WHO Code needs to be assessed based on country experience; hence, this case study on Sudan.Methods: This qualitative study depended mainly on documentary sources in addition to key informant interviews. Experiences of the authors has informed the analysis.Results: Migration of Sudanese health workers represents a major health system challenge. Over half of Sudanese physicians practice abroad and new trends are showing involvement of other professions and increased feminization. Traditional destinations include Gulf States, especially Saudi Arabia and Libya, as well as the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Low salaries, poor work environment, and a lack of adequate professional development are the leading push factors. Massive emigration of skilled health workers has jeopardized coverage and quality of healthcare and health professional education. Poor evidence, lack of a national policy, and active recruitment in addition to labour market problems were barriers for effective migration management in Sudan. Response of destination countries in relation to cooperative arrangements with Sudan as a source country has always been suboptimal, demonstrating less attention to solidarity and ethical dimensions. The WHO Code boosted Sudan's efforts to address health worker migration and health workforce development in general. Improving migration evidence, fostering a national dialogue, and promoting bilateral agreements in addition to catalysing health worker retention strategies are some of the benefits accrued. There are, however, limitations in publicity of the WHO Code and its incorporation into national laws and regulatory frameworks for ethical recruitment. The outlook is bleak for Sudan unless the country designs and implements a robust national policy for migration management and unless prospects for source-destination country collaboration improve within a more sound version of the WHO Code.Conclusions: The WHO Code catalysed some vital steps in managing migration and strengthening the national health workforce in Sudan. Nevertheless, the country has not utilized the full potential of this instrument. Revisions of the WHO Code would benefit much from lessons of its application in the context of developing countries such as Sudan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth tourism is characterized by diversity of participants' motivation, in which culture-related motivational factors were designated in the previous research as particularly important. Aim of the research is providing contribution to the current findings about general motivation of youth tourists and their motivation to visit Belgrade. Research was conducted via survey in which the respondents rated importance of different push and pull motivational factors on Likert scales. Results indicate that culture-related push factors were rated highly, but lower than having fun, visiting interesting places, getting away from the routine and excitement. The most important pull factors are contact with the local residents and cultural attractions sightseeing, which were rated higher than recreation and engagement in night life, confirming the important role of culture in the motivation of youth tourists. The fact that Belgrade was on the way to another destination and the perceived inexpensiveness of stay in it were rated as more important pull factors than city's attraction base, which is in accordance with the determined transit quality of the visit. By using statistical methods (t-test, ANOVA), it was established that socio-demographic characteristics and trip frequency had significant influence on general and tourists' motivation to visit Belgrade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research focuses on factors that influence self-employment participation, in part because entrepreneurship has been associated with economic growth. This literature has tended to focus only on men or the comparison of women to men, while ignoring substantial heterogeneity in employment decisions among women. By investigating the impact of individual, household, and local economic and cultural characteristics on the labor market outcomes of different groups of women, we get a more comprehensive picture of their self-employment decision. Recognizing self-employment as one of multiple labor market choices, we use multinomial logit and two confidential, geocoded micro-level datasets to study women`s career choices in urban areas. We find that the effects of various push and pull factors differ between married and unmarried women. In particular, more progressive gender attitudes pull married women into self-employment, while household burdens associated with children push them into self-employment. For unmarried women, the local business climate and individual characteristics have the strongest influence. In both cases, the motivations for women are quite different than men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of the impact of climate-driven environmental change on prehistoric human populations is hampered by the scarcity of continuous paleoenvironmental records in the vicinity of archaeological sites. Here we compare a continuous paleoclimatic record of the last 20 ka before present from the Chew Bahir basin, southwest Ethiopia, with the available archaeological record of human presence in the region. The correlation of this record with orbitally-driven insolation variations suggests a complex nonlinear response of the environment to climate forcing, reflected in several long-term and short-term transitions between wet and dry conditions, resulting in abrupt changes between favorable and unfavorable living conditions for humans. Correlating the archaeological record in the surrounding region of the Chew Bahir basin, presumably including montane and lake-marginal refugia for human populations, with our climate record suggests a complex interplay between humans and their environment during the last 20 ka. The result may contribute to our understanding of how a dynamic environment may have impacted the adaptation and dispersal of early humans in eastern Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a method to comprehensively assess the factors that attract intellectual migrants to certain countries. The authors propose a system of pull factors that characterise the attractiveness of living conditions, intellectual employment, research and professional development to potential migrants. Evaluation of its impact on the main indicator of the attractiveness of countries for intellectual migrants ('brain gain' in the Global Talent Competitiveness Index) was conducted using the example of EU countries. To this end, the authors developed a two-stage evaluation procedure, which combines correlation and taxonomic analysis methods. The system of indicators formed was used to make an integrated assessment of the attractiveness of countries based on taxonomic analysis. This assessment helped identify the group of countries (Luxembourg, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the Netherlands) with the highest migration attractiveness in the EU. The proposed methodology allows us to group countries by the level of their attractiveness for intellectual migrants and assess the possibilities of regulating the institutional environment of migration processes. • Intellectual migration and the factors determining it are attracting more and more attention with the development of the economy • Among the factors that are important for each country are the general level of economic development, increasing the tolerance of migrants, their integration into the new environment, creating conditions for the realization of their professional potential, and opportunities for career advancement • EU countries are generally very attractive to migrants – the lowest value of the taxonomic indicator of migratory attractiveness is 0.61 • The application of our proposed method of assessing the migration attractiveness of countries allows determining the reserves for each partial factor, analyzing the best European experience in socioeconomic processes, considering the change of leaders in each partial area • This work is novel in developing a method for index of intellectual migration attractiveness [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study concentrates on factors affecting the intentions of academics attending an academic conference. It highlights the importance of academic conferences and academic conference tourism and discusses meetings, the convention industry and also their utility in the career development of academics. Through qualitative research and a review of the literature on conference tourism push and pull motivation factors are suggested. The power of these factors to predict the intention to attend an academic conference is examined through quantitative research and regression analysis. The results indicate that 'pull' factors are better predictors of the intention to attend an academic conference than motivational 'push' factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]