Information Provisions Research Articles

Tourism and natural disaster management process: perception of tourism stakeholders in the case of Kumamoto earthquake in Japan

ABSTRACT Tourism has a reciprocal relationship with natural disasters. The study aims to investigate the role of tourism as a strategy in the disaster phases based on (2001. Towards a framework for tourism disaster management. Tourism Management, 22, 135–147) and Ritchie (2004. Chaos, crises and disasters: A strategic approach to crisis management in the tourism industry. Tourism Management, 25 , 669–683)’s disaster management frameworks in the case of the earthquake occurred in Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan in April 2016. The analysis was based on interviews with twelve informants and stakeholders in tourism development collected in Kumamoto in summer 2018. The results suggest that the tourism industry contributes differently across the phases of a disaster but is mainly significant in terms of information provisions, communications and emergency accommodations for tourists. More fundamental changes may be observed in the long-term recovery and resolution phases, whereby tourism is most important in information collection, experience learning in disaster, institutional reform and strategy of sustainable tourism development and poster-disaster destination marketing. The study further advances the existing disaster management framework through the enrichment of knowledge from tourism stakeholder perspective. Empirically, the research findings inform tourism development and sustainability strategy of Kumamoto area after a rarely occurred earthquake disaster. Highlights The significance of tourism’s contributions to all phases of the disaster process is different. The tourism industry mainly contributes to information provisions, communications, and preparation targeting at tourists. Tourism can function in an emergency to provide tourists with news about safety, immediate evacuation and emergency accommodation. In long-term recovery, tourism contributes to more fundamental changes in initiating strategy of sustainable tourism development.

Contextual and behavioural factors influencing human-building interaction in university offices: a cross-cultural comparison

This paper presents the outcomes of a survey questionnaire deployed in the buildings of the Faculty of Economics (FE) and Faculty of Arts (FA) of the University of Ljubljana (UL), Slovenia, in a cross-cultural comparison of previous results gathered in three analogous university buildings in Italy. Objective of this study, which was in the Slovenian cases supplemented by qualitative (ethnographic) research approaches, is to provide comparative insights into four key research objectives: (1) cultural, contextual and socio-demographic factors regarding interaction with shared environmental controls (such as adjustable thermostats, operable windows, blinds and shades, and artificial lighting), (2) group dynamics such as perceived social norms, attitudes, and intention to share controls, (3) occupant’s self-assessed ease of use and knowledge of how to operate control systems, and (4) occupant’s perceived comfort, satisfaction, and productivity. First cross-country comparison analysis implies that practices and habits on how occupants interact within public buildings present distinct patterns within EU countries. More broadly, this study attempts to confirm the validity of the mixed methods research, combining quantitative and qualitative inquiry, and the survey instrument, as a way to validate the robustness of outcomes for future studies. In addition, the paper aims at illustrating why and how insights from different fields of social science, including psychology, sociology and anthropology, can foster innovation in the area of adoption and acceptance of technologies in shared spaces. The final objective of the study is enhancing attractiveness and effectiveness of ICT solutions for increasing user awareness and information provisions targeting energy savings, office workers’ productivity and reduced operational energy costs, in the context of the EU H2020 MOBISTYLE project.

Greening offices: Willingness to pay for green-certified office spaces in Bengaluru, India

The rapidly growing construction sector in India has a large resource foot print but can offer a vast potential to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Greening the building sector is feasible through various policy measures and incentives to deal with recycling and waste treatment, reduction in energy use, emissions and the use of other hazardous substances, which have several public and private benefits. The objective of this study is to understand whether or not and by how much would the consumers be willing to pay for green buildings if the information asymmetry is reduced by information provisions of benefits from green buildings. This paper uses a choice experiment to evaluate the firms’ willingness to pay for green-certified office spaces in the Indian city of Bengaluru. The study relied on primary survey data drawn from around 115 firms working in rented office spaces in Bengaluru, who were asked to choose between status quo and different levels of green certification. The Tobit model was used for estimation, and the results show that firms value private benefits like reduction in electricity and water bills, water and waste recycling significantly. The willingness to pay of firms is negatively related to rent of the office space and positively related to annual turnover of the firm and prior knowledge on the green building certification.

The regulation of takeover bids in the UK: An evaluation of provisions for employee involvement

This article evaluates the provisions for information disclosure to employees contained in the UK Takeover Code, following the implementation of the Directive on Takeover Bids (2004/25/EC) in 2006 and further amendments resulting from the Kraft/Cadbury takeover in 2010, among other developments. It contrasts information and consultation (I&C) provisions across other EU directives on employment relations and emphasizes that the Takeover Bids Directive restricts itself to information disclosure, allowing employees merely to append their opinion to the offeree board circular. Detailed analysis reveals that very few opinions have actually been given over the past 12 years (2006–2017 inclusive), and of these almost one-third complain about lack of information. These empirical findings highlight the weakness of the UK provisions, and the article concludes by proposing areas where further regulatory reform might strengthen I&C in the takeover process.

EPA revises industrial safety regulation

The Environmental Protection Agency has reproposed a controversial regulation intended to protect communities, workers, and emergency responders by preventing accidents at chemical plants, refineries, and other facilities that handle large amounts of hazardous and potentially dangerous chemicals. The regulation was issued in the last days of the Obama administration but put on hold last year by incoming EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt. Pruitt’s rewrite removes several provisions pushed by community and worker advocates. It would rescind accident-prevention provisions that require independent root-cause accident investigations, third-party process audits, and consideration of the use of safer alternative manufacturing technologies, according to an EPA summary. It also removes requirements that would have made some plant-supplied information public and provisions for greater emergency response coordination, citing security concerns. Overall, the changes focus on a 25-year-old provision of the Clean Air Act called the Risk Management Program. RMP covers some 12,500 facilities that, according to EPA,

On the Formation of Producers’ Information‐Sharing Coalitions

In this study, we propose a stylized Cournot competition model under asymmetric market information and study the formation of producers’ informational coalitions. We offer guidance towards how the information service operations can improve the producers’ welfare. Our results shed interesting light on farmer producer organizations (FPOs) in their efforts to link farmers in developing economies by integrating market information. To be specific, by focusing on Nash equilibria wherein producers make coalition‐joining decisions, we find that no information‐sharing coalition will be formed when the public information provision is either too low or too high, or when the private information provision is high. When the private information provisions are endogenous, a coalition can be formed between two producers when the public information provision is high, while a fair allocation of payoff can be achieved by the dominant group architecture, but not efficiency in terms of aggregate payoff. The main theme is that the government or NGO should provide right amount of market information to the right target, and too much informational intervention leads to more inefficient production and unstable organization.

Analyzing the change in long-term information provision on cat management around a world natural heritage site

Providing accurate long-term information is essential in enhancing invasive species management. The management of invasive species—for example, outdoor cats—depends on human behavior and requires cooperation among stakeholders. Previous studies have evaluated stakeholders’ attitudes concerning invasive species, however, far too little attention has been paid to long-term information provisions. This study analyzes the information on cats in the Ogasawara Islands, a World Natural Heritage Site in Japan. We used monthly newsletters published by the local government for 21 years, which contain 150 articles about cats. We then applied content analysis to the data to assess both the frequency of keywords and co-occurrence network of words in order to understand the trends in keywords’ appearances and changing contexts. We categorized the data into three periods of seven years each, and found distinct differences. Results showed that information on cat management has gradually changed, as policies have changed. In the first period, there were three co-occurrence networks, which focused on capturing outdoor cats, proper keeping of pet cats, and veterinary care. During the second period, there were two networks, which focused on cat and World Natural Heritage Site management. During the third period, all keywords were connected into one network that included the words “outdoor cat,” “pet,” and “World Natural Heritage Site.” The changes imply that contents of information have shifted from pest management to ecosystem management. Visualizing how this information is provided over the long-term can remind stakeholders of previous communication efforts and enhance their cooperation on future conservation.

Participatory Budgeting: The Knowledge Premises and the Application to Thai Local Governance

The objectives of this research were, to Meta-synthesize the knowledge premises of the participatory budgeting; to investigate elements reinforcing the success of people participation same, and thirdly to recommend approaches appropriating the concept of the participatory budgeting to be implemented in organizing the Thai local governance. A qualitative method was applied to synthesize research works, methodologies, theories, data and field work from five local government organizations. Interviews were also conducted with the central administration personnel the local government specialists and 32 key informants, three focus groups and non-participatory observations. The results revealed the knowledge premises of the participatory budgeting originated in Brazil - a concept offering opportunities for people to participate in decision-making and spending monetary resources. Secondly, the elements reinforcing the success of people participation were the geographic contexts, attributes of people, opportunities offered by laws, the local leaders, common ownership creation, auditability, good governance approach, public relations, information provisions, trust of people, confidence and faith in the management of the local government organization, gaining utilities, responsive to problems, having diverse stages and channels to access information and the vigor of the civil sector. Thirdly, the approaches in appropriating the concept of participatory budgeting to be implemented in organizing the Thai local government involve, the government enacting either laws or rules or ministerial announcements, the local government organizations should orchestrate facilities and monitor ways to welcome people participation, the civil sector has to be enthusiastic, tax money should be spent with efficiency, the NGOs mediate between the local government and the people, and finally, the civil societies (CSOs) should avail opportunities to create networks both from social and political supporters.

THE IMPACT OF DOUBLE TAX TREATIES ON INWARD FDI IN ASEAN COUNTRIES

This study aims to assess the impact of double taxation treaties (DTTs) on FDI inflows in 10 ASEAN countries from 1989 to 2016. There are two objectives of double taxation treaties. The first one is to alleviate the problem of global double taxation, which has a stimulating effect on FDI. The second objective is the sharing of information between governments, which can prevent tax evasion and thus discourage FDI. The findings suggest that new DTTs tend to have a positive but insignificant impact on the FDI inflows into Southeast Asia. However, the impact of older DTTs on FDI is significantly negative, suggesting that the increasing number of DTTs signed by ASEAN countries over time does not lead to more FDI inflows into the region. Overall, the results show that tax treaties have little or even negative effect on FDI inflows into the ASEAN region, which is consistent with most prior findings that DTTs’ impact on FDI into low-income countries is not significant. However, the negative association between DTT and FDI is unlikely to be due to the information-sharing function of tax treaties based on an examination of the exchange of information (EOI) provisions contained in the 430 DTTs signed by ASEAN countries. The author proposes that the negative impact of DTTs on FDI inflows in ASEAN could be driven by factors associated with the ‘age’ of some existing DTTs. For example, certain provisions in some older treaties may have become outdated or irrelevant, thus hindering investment flows into the region.

Breaking the sound barrier: exploring parents’ decision-making process of cochlear implants for their children

ObjectiveTo understand the dynamic experiences of parents undergoing the decision-making process regarding cochlear implants for their child(ren). MethodsThirty-three parents of d/Deaf children participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed, and coded using iterative and thematic coding. ResultsThe results from this study reveal four salient topics related to parents’ decision-making process regarding cochlear implantation: 1) factors parents considered when making the decision to get the cochlear implant for their child (e.g., desire to acculturate child into one community), 2) the extent to which parents’ communities influence their decision-making (e.g., norms), 3) information sources parents seek and value when decision-making (e.g., parents value other parent's experiences the most compared to medical or online sources), and 4) personal experiences with stigma affecting their decision to not get the cochlear implant for their child. ConclusionThis study provides insights into values and perspectives that can be utilized to improve informed decision-making, when making risky medical decisions with long-term implications. Practical implicationsWith thorough information provisions, delineation of addressing parents’ concerns and encompassing all aspects of the decision (i.e., medical, social and cultural), health professional teams could reduce the uncertainty and anxiety for parents in this decision-making process for cochlear implantation.

Energy efficiency barriers in commercial and industrial firms in Ukraine: An empirical analysis

Improvement in energy efficiency is one of the main options to reduce energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. However, large-scale deployment of energy-efficient technologies is constrained by several factors. Employing a survey of 509 industrial and commercial firms throughout Ukraine and a generalized ordered logit model, we quantified the economic, behavioral, and institutional barriers that may impede the deployment of energy-efficient technologies. Our analysis shows that behavioral barriers resulted from lack of information, knowledge, and awareness are major impediments to the adoption of energy-efficient technologies in Ukraine, and that financial barriers may further impede investments in these technologies especially for small firms. This suggests that carefully targeted information provisions and energy audits will enhance Ukrainian firms' investments in energy-efficient technologies to save energy consumption, improve productivity, and reduce carbon emissions from the productive sectors.

Effect of Korean fashion design incubation policies on new fashiondesigner’s brand management

With the increased importance of design creativity in global fashion marketplaces, there have arisen numerous promotional strategies for new fashion designers in Korea, yet little research has been done on this subject. This study examines the new fashion design promotion policies in Korea and their effects from the designer`s perspective. First, we analyzed the contents of twenty-one strategies from thirteen organizations regarding the types of support from the strategies. As a result, four distinct types are identified: new designer recognition; information and consulting support; incubating; and marketing support. Next, we performed in-depth one-on-one interviews with eleven designers who had been awarded from one or more of the fashion design incubation policies. The results reveal that the incubating policies` cash rewards and space support are found to be most effective. In terms of the revised fashion and consulting policy, brand operation had an influence. In addition, fashion the new advertisement and marketing policy had positively influenced the brand development. However, throughout the interview, designers note that the quality of education and information provisions need some improvement. Furthermore, the designers indicate the lack of supervision and professionalism from the marketing departments. Based on this content, this study emphasizes the necessity of an effective fashion design promotion policy, and strategic and consistent support for the whole fashion promotion team. At the minimum, an integrated and united supervision by the organization is necessary and should be taken into consideration.

Effects of a Navigation Program for Patients with Newly Diagnosed Gastric Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: is study was to identify how a navigation program would aect resilience, uncertainty and anxiety in patients with newly diagnosed gastric cancer. Methods: A randomized controlled design was used with 103 participants recruited and randomly allocated in two groups. e experimental group (n=50) received the navigation program, which consisted of information provisions and psychological support, prior to treatment. e control group (n=53) received standard care with general educational intervention only prior to treatment. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS for Windows. Results: Compared with the control group, patients in the navigation program group showed signicant reduction in scores for anxiety (F=5.86, p<.017). However uncertainty (F=0.22, p=.642) and resilience (F=1.06, p=.503) were not signicantly dierent. Conclusion: ese results suggest that the navigation program has positive eects on anxiety in patients with newly diagnosed gastric cancer. We suggest that further studies be conducted to investigate other strategies for increasing the resilience and reducing the uncertainty of these patients.

The Underserved Communities: Overview of Information Services in the Riverrine Areas of Anambra State, Nigeria

Very often, low services are experienced in some areas, denying some people the opportunities to be informed and empowered on improvement of standard of living. This study investigated the riverrine communities of Anambra East and West Local Government Areas (LGAs) with access to library and information services. Two hundred self designed questionnaires were purposely sampled in ten communities in the areas. Questionnaire and interview were used to elicit data from different groups of people in the communities. Data were collected and analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. The study found out that some communities are cut off and cannot be accessed except by river. Also discovered was that the rural dwellers desire information more on health, agriculture and economic activities. The available information provisions are through the NGOs, gate-keepers and friends. There is no rural library or information centre in the areas. The challenges of information services were found out to be lack of funds, transportation difficulty, inadequate personnel and inadequacy of mobile library. It was recommended that the State Library Board should repackage its programs and collaborate with agencies in relevant information services to the dwellers. The government should also include rural communities in its priority of social services.Key words: community, library and information services, riverine areas, rural dwellers service delivery, underserved

Bayesian network-based formulation and analysis for toll road utilization supported by traffic information provision

Congestion pricing has been proposed and investigated as an effective means of optimizing traffic assignment, alleviating congestion, and enhancing traffic operation efficiencies. Meanwhile, advanced traffic information dissemination systems, such as Advanced Traveler Information System (ATIS), have been developed and deployed to provide real-time, accurate, and complete network-wide traffic information to facilitate travelers’ trip plans and routing selections. Recent advances in ATIS technologies, especially telecommunication technology, allow dynamic, personalized, and multimodal traffic information to be disseminated and impact travelers’ choices of departure times, alternative routes, and travel modes in the context of congestion pricing. However, few studies were conducted to determine the impact of traffic information dissemination on toll road utilizations. In this study, the effects of the provisions of traffic information on toll road usage are investigated and analyzed based on a stated preference survey conducted in Texas. A Bayesian Network (BN)-based approach is developed to discover travelers’ opinions and preferences for toll road utilization supported by network-wide traffic information provisions. The probabilistic interdependencies among various attributes, including routing choice, departure time, traffic information dissemination mode, content, coverage, commuter demographic information, and travel patterns, are identified and their impacts on toll road usage are quantified. The results indicate that the BN model performs reasonably well in travelers’ preference classifications for toll road utilization and knowledge extraction. The BN Most Probable Explanation (MPE) measurement, probability inference and variable influence analysis results illustrate travelers using highway advisory radio and internet as their primary mode of receiving traffic information are more likely to comply with routing recommendations and use toll roads. Traffic information regarding congested roads, road hazard warnings, and accident locations is of great interest to travelers, who tend to acquire such information and use toll roads more frequently. Travel time formation for home-based trips can considerably enhance travelers’ preferences for toll road usage. Female travelers tend to seek traffic information and utilize toll roads more frequently. As expected, the information provided at both pre-trip and en-route stages can positively influence travelers’ preferences for toll road usage. The proposed methodology and research findings advance our previous study and provide insight into travelers’ behavioral tendencies concerning toll road utilization in support of traffic information dissemination.

Migration Processes in the Municipal Divisions of the Republic of Bashkortostan

In the conditions of depopulation, the key factor that defines the dynamics and nature of the changes of the demographic characteristics of the population becomes relocation of the population – migration. Today, migration is the cause of significant transformations of demographic structures that define the future dynamics and qualitative composition of the population. Research of the migration processes is usually a complicated task. Assessment of the spatial mobility of the population is the weakest link within the system of demographic statistics and policy. There are certain peculiarities in studying the process on the level of separate national-territorial and administrative-territorial formations. The goal of this article is to analyze the monitoring of migration processes in a number of municipal divisions of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Based on the results of the monitoring, the author proposes some proven technologies that help deter occurrences of xenophobia, national and religious intolerance, and would promote a painless adaptation of the migrants into the social culture of the region. The author makes conclusion on the need to reevaluate the functions of regulating the migration in the area of formation of municipal policy, development of targeted programs of its realization, and complete information and organizational provisions.

Information provision strategies eliminating deluded equilibrium caused by travellers’ misperception

Providing travel time information may be effective at reducing travel costs. However, this information does not always match the actual travel time that travellers will experience. Furthermore, the information is often asymmetrically provided within the network, owing to the limitations of observation devices, prediction model calibration, and uncertainty about road conditions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of predictive travel time information that is asymmetrically provided to travellers. This study formulated a dynamic traffic assignment model in origin–destination (OD) pair with two parallel routes, while considering travellers’ learning processes and within-day and day-to-day dynamics. In this study, it is assumed that different information will be provided to each traveller, according to within-day traffic dynamics. Furthermore, the information is provided for only one of two possible routes, because of observation limitations. The effects of information accuracy are also discussed in this study. The results of numerical analysis indicated that information provisions possibly reduced the negative effects of deluded equilibrium state, even when the information was only provided for one of the routes. Different effects of the travel time information and its variation were illustrated according to the allocation of the bottleneck capacities of two routes.

The impact of the residential lead paint disclosure rule on house prices: findings in the American Housing Survey

In an effort to reduce lead paint exposure in old homes, the residential lead paint hazard disclosure rule (Title X) was enacted in 1996 in the USA, which requires house sellers to disclose known lead-based paint hazards to buyers. The policy is designed to induce individuals’ improved maintenance behaviors through environmental information provisions. Minimizing the impact on housing prices is also the key component of the policy; a decline in the price of old homes because of the policy may lead to higher occupancy rates of the targeted low-income groups into lead paint risk homes. To explore the issue, this study examined whether the lead paint disclosure rule lowered values of old houses using the American Housing Survey data from 1993 to 2005 with the repeat sales method. The findings show the policy did not lower prices of old homes, as it intended.

Information Provision Strategies Eliminating Deluded Equilibrium Caused by Travellers’ Misperception

Providing travel time information may be effective at reducing travel costs. However, this information does not always match the actual travel time that travellers will experience. Furthermore, the information is often asymmetrically provided within the network,owing to the limitations of observation devices, prediction model calibration, and uncertainty about road conditions.The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of predictive travel time information that is asymmetrically provided to travellers. This study formulated a dynamic traffic assignment model in origin-destination (OD) pair with two parallel routes, while considering travellers’ learning processes and within-day and day-to-day dynamics.In this study,it is assumed that different information will be provided to each traveller, according to within-day traffic dynamics. Furthermore, the information is provided for only one of two possible routes,because of observation limitations. The effects of information accuracy are also discussed in this study.The results of numerical analysis indicated that information provisions possibly reduced the negative effects of deluded equilibrium state, even when the information was only provided for one of the routes. Different effects of the travel time information and its variation were illustrated according to the allocation of the bottleneck capacities of two routes.

Risk management policies and practices regarding radio frequency electromagnetic fields: results from a WHO survey.

This study aims to describe current risk management practices and policies across the world in relation to personal exposures from devices emitting radiofrequency fields, environmental exposures from fixed installations and exposures in the work environment. Data from 86 countries representing all WHO regions were collected through a survey. The majority of countries (76.8 %) had set exposure limits for mobile devices, almost all (90.7 %) had set public exposure limits for fixed installations and 76.5 % had specified exposure limits for personnel in occupational settings. A number of other policies had been implemented at the national level, ranging from information provisions on how to reduce personal exposures and restrictions of usage for certain populations, such as children or pregnant women to prevention of access around base stations. This study suggests that countries with higher mobile subscriptions tend to have set radiofrequency exposure limits for mobile devices and to have provisions on exposure measurements about fixed installations.