Search Results (89)

As climate change intensified water scarcity in Southern Europe, tourism-dependent regions such as Portugal’s Algarve faced growing pressure to adapt their water management systems. This study investigated how hotel groups in the Algarve have adopted and communicated water reuse technologies—specifically desalination and greywater recycling—under environmental, institutional, and reputational constraints. A comparative qualitative case study was conducted involving three hotel groups—Vila Vita Parc, Pestana Group, and Vila Galé—selected through purposive sampling based on organizational capacity and technology adoption stage. The analysis was supported by a supplementary mini-case from Mallorca, Spain. Publicly accessible documents, including sustainability reports, media coverage, and policy frameworks, were thematically coded using organizational environmental behavior theory and the OECD Principles on Water Governance. The results demonstrated that (1) higher organizational capacity was associated with greater maturity in water reuse implementation; (2) communication transparency increased alongside technological advancement; and (3) early-stage adopters encountered stronger financial, regulatory, and operational barriers. These findings culminated in the development of the Maturity–Communication–Governance (MCG) Framework, which elucidates how internal resources, stakeholder signaling, and institutional alignment influence sustainable infrastructure uptake. This research offered policy recommendations to scale water reuse in tourism through financial incentives, regulatory simplification, and public–private partnerships. The study contributed to the literature on sustainable tourism and decentralized climate adaptation, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals 6.4, 12.6, and 13. Full article

Depressive disorders are highly prevalent among older adults (60+) in Europe. Activating these patients was a core component of the GermanIMPACT study, which evaluated collaborative care in a cluster-randomized primary care setting. The intervention group showed a significant improvement in PHQ-9 remission. The aim of this secondary analysis was to investigate which activities were planned and whether their implementation or non-implementation was associated with depressive symptoms (PHQ-9) after 12 months. Behavioural activation data were collected by the care managers. A categorization for activity type (collected as free text) and activity implementation status was developed. The association of successfully implemented activities, planned-not-implemented activities, and the number of activities per patient with the 12-month PHQ-9 total score was calculated using logistic regressions (adjusted for age, gender, living situation/baseline PHQ-9). A total 2188 activities were planned for 136 patients; 66% were successfully implemented. Mean age was 71 (±7) years (78% female; 52% living alone). Activities focusing on “self-care/spirituality” improved the PHQ-9 outcome (OR 1.540; p = 0.048), while planned-not-implemented activities overall worsened it (OR 1.16; p = 0.007). Patient activation is key to treating depressive symptoms in old age. Particularly ‘self-care/spirituality’ activities could be planned, and organizational activities should be closely supported. Full article

The transition to online learning has revolutionized educational experiences while introducing new challenges, such as managing fatigue and staying focused in digital environments. This study examines the relationship between fatigue, social cyberloafing, relaxation, self-regulation, and learning satisfaction in online learning environments. Using an online questionnaire, data were collected from 146 undergraduate students studying at a private university in India. The results show that fatigue is positively related to social cyberloafing, and its impact became negative when relaxation moderated their interrelationship. Further, it was found that social cyberloafing negatively impacted learning satisfaction in students, and when self-regulation moderated this interrelationship, the negative impact of social cyberloafing on learning satisfaction was reduced. Through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT), the current paper highlights that while fatigue and cyberloafing have a negative impact on learning satisfaction, self-regulation acts as an important buffer. This study emphasizes the need to create supportive digital learning environments that address fatigue and promote self-regulation, resulting in higher learning satisfaction. This research contributes to the existing literature on digital well-being and provides actionable insights for educators and learners. Full article

Delirium can occur at any age, although the incidence is higher in older patients and after surgery. Although delirium is an acute, potentially reversible, cognitive disorder, there is evidence that it is associated with increased healthcare costs and imposes a significant burden on patients, families, hospitals, and public resources. The aim of this study was to investigate and assess the knowledge, behaviours, and factors influencing assessments of delirium by hospital nurses so as to predict the factors associated with their current delirium management behaviours. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 342 nurses in different hospitals in Macau. The questionnaires included items on the respondents’ demographic information, knowledge of delirium care, nursing behaviours, and factors influencing nurses’ assessment of delirium patients in their daily practice. The descriptive statistics showed that nurses were found to have a moderate level of knowledge about the management of delirium. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed that patient factors were the most significant, outweighing individual and organizational factors as barriers to assessing patients with delirium. The Pearson’s correlation showed a moderate positive correlation between delirium care knowledge and delirium care behaviour (r = 0.339). With regard to factors influencing delirium care behaviours, multiple linear regression models showed that the significant predictors were years of work experience (β = 0.206, 95% CI: 1.125–3.158), the duration of delirium care courses (β = 0.103, 95% CI: 0.118–3.339), the knowledge of delirium care (β = 0.264, 95% CI: 0.474–1.019), and personal factors influencing nurses’ delirium assessments (β = −0.239, 95% CI: −1.031–−0.432). To enhance delirium management and achieve the optimal care of patients with delirium, formal education and training are crucial. Organizations should develop structured protocols and workflows that empower nurses. By integrating organizational strategies with individual efforts, clinical practices can be improved, resulting in optimal delirium care for patients. Full article

This study examined the relationship between cognitive ability (IQ) and emotional intelligence (EQ) in predicting a range of different performance metrics from a call centre environment. In all, 303 call centre staff completed multi-dimensional measures of both EQ and IQ. We also had recorded nine performance data measures for each individual over a 12-month period. There were a few significant correlations with IQ (4/35) and a few more with EQ (4/28), though all EQ measures were related to “Errors Made over the year”. The performance metric that had most correlates was Average Handling Time (AHT) relating to speed of working. The number of errors an employee made was significantly positively correlated with all four EQ factors. Correlational and Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis highlighted the importance of analysing performance metrics as distinct variables, finding contradictory evidence in the sense that some individual difference factors correlated positively with some and negatively with other outcome measures. The results are discussed in relation to the theoretical implications for researchers interested in analysing call centre performance, and also practical implications for organisations with call centres. Full article

Teachers in Islamic schools are often required to navigate complex identities. They balance personal and/or school-based religious obligations with contemporary secular-based commitments to meet organisational demands for institutional compliance. Behaviourally, the motivations and attitudes of teachers play a vital role in shaping a learning environment that fosters a sense of community and caters to the needs of students. However, recent studies on Islamic education suggest a real struggle in managing such complexities. Consequently, scholars have called for specialized programs to counter such issues, focusing on the need for schools to renew their commitment to promoting educational values, principles and practices that are rooted in the Islamic tradition. Several higher education institutions have responded to this call by establishing programs in Islamic studies and Islamic education. Nevertheless, there is limited knowledge of the organisational and behavioural significance of such programs on the professional identity of teachers. Using semi-structured interviews, this article presents findings from four teachers who had completed a postgraduate qualification in Islamic education at an Australian university. The six-phase thematic data analysis, informed by Muslim identity and an Islamic worldview, revealed that secular teacher education provided participants with ‘a license to teach’ but lacked in ‘nurturing a purpose for teaching’. The findings also revealed a distinct connection between Islamic teacher education, professional learning and professional identity, whereby Islamic-based pedagogies ‘enlightened and empowered’ teachers toward becoming ‘faith-centred’ in their professional practice. While the study was limited to four teachers, it contributes knowledge to the Islamic education, organizational and behavioural fields of inquiry in two ways, by underlining that (i) the professional identities of Muslim teachers are shaped by a knowledge-seeking mindset, and (ii) Islamic teacher education and professional learning create pathways towards the renewal of teachers’ professional identities in Islamic schools. Full article

Introduction: The healthcare sector significantly contributes to environmental degradation, highlighting the need for sustainable practices. Green Lean Six Sigma (GLSS) offers a relevant and impactful approach to reduce healthcare’s environmental footprint while improving efficiency. By incorporating environmental considerations into Lean Six Sigma, GLSS has the potential to mitigate healthcare’s environmental impact and promote environmental sustainability. This study aims to gain insight into healthcare professionals’ experiences with GLSS at their workplace. Materials and Methods: This qualitative exploratory study employed semi-structured surveys based on theory of training evaluation from Kirkpatrick with Dutch healthcare professionals in the first six to eight months after completing GLSS training. Results: Even though 76% (N = 16) of trained healthcare professionals applied GLSS at their workplace and 43% of them (N = 9) completed a project within the first six to eight months after training, they all experienced one or more barriers. The most frequently reported barriers were lack of time, difficulties with project selection and a lack of management support. GLSS project results included reduction of products, energy, costs and travel, green choices in procurement and sustainable food choices. GLSS also helped to create awareness on the environmental impact of healthcare and to optimize processes by reducing costs, waiting time, workload and defects. Discussion: This is the first study to report experiences from applying GLSS in healthcare. Furthermore, it is the first study presenting GLSS training evaluation results in terms of participant behaviour and organizational outcomes. Conclusions: Results of this study can be used to enhance GLSS deployment programs and to optimize organizational settings for successful GLSS implementation in healthcare. Full article

The growth of government (GoG) has garnered significant attention among scholars and practitioners across disciplines such as economics, political science, and public management. Despite the optimism surrounding this concept, its future trajectory in the twenty-first century remains uncertain. Extant literature explaining the rationales for organizational growth in the public sector is inconclusive which pertains mostly to the absence of an appropriate methodological approach. Therefore, this research underscores the need for a comprehensive framework to examine the determinants of the growth. Particularly, the burgeoning literature on new public management (NPM) as well as behavioural public administration provides huge potentials to examine the role of the interplay of organizational structure and learning orientation in exacting the impact of entrepreneurial orientation on the growth of government on GoG. The conceptual framework was guided by the hermeneutic approach that focuses on interpreting texts or phenomena by understanding the contextual elements to uncover deeper meaning and insights. It does so by drawing upon different streams of literature including entrepreneurial orientation, learning orientation, organizational structure, and the growth of government. In order to operationalize the framework, a succinct set of propositions is proposed. The proposed conceptual framework along with suggested research propositions will potentially guide future research to further extend the growth of government literature. Full article

Purpose: This study investigates the relationship between product diversification strategy and cost stickiness, focusing on managerial overconfidence as a moderating factor. It aims to address a critical gap in the literature by providing empirical insights grounded in the Resource-Based View (RBV) theory, specifically examining firms listed on the Tehran Stock Exchange. Methodology: Utilizing a sample of 149 companies from the Tehran Stock Exchange in Iran spanning from 2015 to 2021, this study tests two hypotheses: (1) a positive relationship between product diversification and cost stickiness and (2) the amplification of this relationship by managerial overconfidence. Product diversification is quantified using the Herfindahl Index, while managerial overconfidence is measured through an investment-based index derived from capital expenditures. Cost stickiness is assessed by analysing the asymmetric behaviour of costs in response to changes in sales, focusing on how costs tend to remain high even when sales decrease. Findings: The empirical results substantiate both hypotheses, demonstrating a significant positive relationship between product diversification strategy and cost stickiness. Furthermore, managerial overconfidence amplifies this relationship, highlighting the role of internal resources and managerial perceptions in shaping cost behaviour. Originality: This study contributes substantially to the literature by being among the first to empirically examine the interplay between product diversification strategy, cost stickiness, and managerial overconfidence. Extending the RBV theory to cost behaviour and strategic management provides novel insights for scholars and practitioners in entrepreneurship, corporate strategy, and organizational behaviour. The findings underscore the importance of strategic choices and managerial traits in determining cost stickiness, offering valuable implications for financial analysts, auditors, and stakeholders. Full article

One of the most debated and researched aspects of environmental sustainability concerns the issue of climate change. This paper will review the literature on the individual difference correlates of climate change beliefs (CC), seen as a central aspect of environmental sustainability. It will look at how attitudes and beliefs are measured; the demographic, ideological, and personality correlates of these beliefs; and the research on how they can be changed. This is a rapidly developing area of applied research. Full article

Time perspective is a theoretical construct that describes how humans perceive time, which can influence decision-making and subsequent behavior. Research has shown that an individual’s dominant time perspective can be linked to increased risk of poor health. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between time perspective and perceived social isolation. Specifically, we examined the role of social interaction anxiety in the relationship between time perspective and perceived social isolation in a normative sample of college-aged individuals. Undergraduates (n = 1780) at a large midwestern university completed an online survey. Results revealed that future-oriented, past-positive, and present-hedonistic time perspectives were significantly negatively associated with perceived social isolation. In contrast, past-negative was positively associated with perceived social isolation, and these relationships were partially explained by social interaction anxiety. Understanding dominant time perspectives can help us to better assess health risk factors and may help to develop interventions to promote healthy behaviors. Full article

In universities, perceived unfairness is associated with negative outcomes, such as dissatisfaction, lower engagement, higher drop-out and stress, and poorer mental health. It is, however, still unclear which aspects constitute perceived unfairness in students. Therefore, this qualitative study explored students’ perceptions of unfairness with twenty semi-structured interviews. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed following Mayring’s qualitative content analysis. A set of main codes and subcodes was developed and refined. The identified sources of unfairness can be summarized as organizational aspects, such as the registration and administration processes, the treatment of students, including the behavioural patterns of lecturers and university staff, and the individual situation of students. This study identified different sources of perceived unfairness in the university setting, potentially related to less engagement, higher drop-out rates, and worse mental health of the students. To keep students engaged and healthy, it seems beneficial to address the sources of unfairness. Full article

The importance of nurses integrating effective psychological techniques into their clinical practice is widely recognized. Nevertheless, further evidence from real-world settings is needed to establish nurse-led cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) as an effective approach in clinical practice. This study aimed to examine the clinical effectiveness and predictors of individual CBT for mental disorders delivered by nurses in various routine clinical settings. This pragmatic retrospective cohort study collected data from participants who received nurse-led individual CBT at four institutions from different prefectures in Japan between April 2015 and March 2023. During the study period, 280 clients were referred to nurses for CBT, 240 of whom received nurse-led individual CBT of at least one session. The common primary diagnoses among participants were major depressive disorder (33.8%), social phobia (12.9%), and obsessive–compulsive disorder (10.0%). Of these, 23 participants were ongoing cases at the end of the observation period, and 217 who had completed the course of therapy or discontinued/dropped out from the therapy were included in the analysis (173 completed and 44 discontinued/dropped out (i.e., dropout rate = 20.3%)). Based on the clinical significance definition (primary outcome), 62.4% of the participants who completed the therapy were judged to demonstrate positive clinical significance (recovered or improved), with only a few participants (6.9%) demonstrating deterioration. Significant improvements were observed before and after nurse-led individual CBT across all secondary outcomes, including depression and anxiety symptoms, health-related quality of life, and functional disability (all ps ≤ 0.001). Univariate logistic regression revealed that clients with higher baseline severity of depression and anxiety symptoms were less likely to achieve positive clinical significance following nurse-led individual CBT. The real-world evidence gained through this study will encourage frontline nurses and motivate institutional/organizational leaders and policymakers to employ nurse-led individual CBT, especially for depression and anxiety-related disorders. Full article

One way to achieve energy efficiency in the workplace is to change employee behaviour. Research in this area is limited, and significant gaps remain in understanding differences in how energy is used within workplaces and the suitability of existing frameworks for application in workplace settings. This paper addresses these gaps by applying and further developing the interdisciplinary energy culture framework (ECF) to examine employee energy use in an industrial workplace with an office and manufacturing areas. A mixed methods approach consisting of surveys, a focus group and interviews is applied. Results show significant differences in the office and manufacturing areas, with office areas having a more energy-efficient energy culture. Qualitative results show differences exist due to organizational behaviours, such as the effectiveness of business communications methods, varying levels of investment, the physical environment and work tasks. Results also show external influences, such as government budgets, business structure, and wider organisational cultures, impact energy cultures and how energy is used. This paper proposes modifications to the ECF, which acknowledges the multi-scalar nature of workplace energy cultures. This paper demonstrates how the ECF can be applied to workplace settings, allowing further understanding of how energy is used, and identifying wider organizational, occupational, and individual psychological influences on energy use. Full article

The ability of management to influence employee attitudes and behaviours towards organizational goals is pivotal for an organization’s competitiveness, development, and survival. The study’s objective was to investigate the link between entrepreneurial leadership, competitive advantage, and manufacturing development, mediated by employees’ innovative behaviour, via the lens of resource-based view theory. Convenience sampling was used to collect quantitative data from the 378 manufacturing sector employees through the use of a cross-sectional design. There is a lack of research on the underlying mechanisms by which leaders influence organizational processes, such as innovation stimulation. This study explores the psychological mechanisms influencing entrepreneurial leadership and employee innovative behaviour, revealing that entrepreneurial leadership reduces work uncertainty, encourages innovation, and significantly impacts a firm’s competitive advantage in the market. The findings of the study revealed that entrepreneurial leadership fosters an encouraging and supportive environment in the workplace, which in turn leads to a sustainable competitive advantage. Additionally, the findings showed that innovative behaviour significantly mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial leadership and competitive advantage. By expanding the applicability of resource-based view theory, the results of this research also contribute to the comprehension of the interplay between innovative attitudes, manufactural development, competitive advantage, and leadership, specifically in the context of manufacturing sector organizations. Full article