Intangible Factors Research Articles

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

Abstract Waste is an increasingly significant environmental concern in Singapore in light of the shortening lifespan of the nation's Semakau Landfill, which is expected to reach full capacity by 2035. In order to provide a fresh perspective on the age-old problem of waste management and open different conversations regarding waste, we posit that the obscurement of waste promotes the production of waste in Singapore by desensitizing Singaporeans to their waste and disconnecting them from the waste problem. This article aims to uncover the factors that contribute to the obscurement of waste in Singapore and to explicate how this obscurement disconnects Singaporeans from their waste. Through qualitative interviews and field observations substantiated by secondary data, this article seeks to study how the intangible and tangible factors—educational, sociocultural, and situational—exert a collective influence on waste obscurement and hinder the adoption of waste minimization practices.

Type 1 Diabetes and Health Information Systems: Lessons from Denmark

One of the components of a health system as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) is data that the health system collects, generates, and uses to improve the health of its population. The aim of this paper is to describe key lessons from Denmark in planning, implementing, and using health system-generated data, using Type 1 diabetes as a tracer. A broad literature search was complemented with a review of grey literature, two series of interviews with Danish experts, and feedback from a presentation of these findings to two expert meetings. Denmark, through its unique identifier and data environment, enables the health system to collect a variety of data on Type 1 diabetes. Facilitators and challenges exist for data collection, data aggregation, use of data, communication of data and results, and intangible factors. For each of these, the environment, infrastructure, health system, and Danish society act as facilitators. Barriers relate to data being collected primarily for clinical and administrative purposes, and not necessarily for research, planning, policymaking, or advocacy. Fora are lacking to facilitate the communication and presentation of these results. An intangible element is the trust Danes have in their system, which is hard to replicate. As shown in the Danish setting, contextual factors cannot be negated in developing and implementing data-related solutions at a population level. The lessons from Denmark show that there is the need to conceive and act on all aspects of the data from its collection, aggregation, use, and communication. The last step of interaction between science and policy and practice requires a range of factors, including networks and knowledge brokers.

Public-led shared workspaces and the intangible factors of urban regeneration in UK coastal towns

ABSTRACT Recent studies suggest that policies designed to create new shared workspaces have the power to deliver skills, innovation and new employment opportunities to peripheral areas and lagging economies. We examine this idea using case studies from two British coastal locations and industrial ports of different sizes and governance structures: Portsmouth (Hampshire) and Newhaven (East Sussex). Our findings indicate the need for integrated place-based solutions that are targeted and anchored in the local needs and identities of the place. Governmental frameworks should not only address the physical aspects of regeneration but also the social and institutional ones. Positive externalities are registered when shared workspaces act as social infrastructure. For this to happen, regeneration policy needs to work on community building, regaining local trust and nurturing positive local identities and imaginaries. Finally, we note that fragmented institutional patterns hamper the scaling up of positive externalities at the wider regional scale.

Expanding the Boundaries of Digital Inclusion: Perspectives From Network Peripheries and Non‐Adopters

In this thematic issue, we present research from authors who seek to contest, challenge, and reimagine what digital inclusion is and what it might be. Authors present work from understudied vantage points and “hard to reach” terrains, such as communities that remain geographically, technically, socially, economically, and metaphorically “disconnected”—sometimes by choice. Through their attention to the role of intangible factors like relationality, social capital, emotion, sovereignty, and liminality, the articles collectively push against and expand the boundaries of digital inclusion research and practice.

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION AND SENTIMENT REVIEWS ON SELECTED BOOKING SITES OF MANILA MANOR HOTEL 2019-2021

One approach to significantly enhance hotel products, services, and marketing strategies is through online guest evaluations. However, few research has examined online reviews utilizing a SERVQUAL model for sentiment analysis, therefore addressing this gap, notably in the Philippine hotel industry. The SERVQUAL model, which was modified in accordance with the purpose of the study, served as the foundation for the framework. Customers who had stayed at and evaluated the establishment on Agoda, Kayak, and Booking Web Portal served as subjects, and Qualitative Sentiment Analysis Research design was used. The results were divided into positive and negative sentiments and categorized using the five RATER (Reliability, Assurance, Tangibles, Empathy, and Responsiveness) dimensions of service quality. The validity and reliability of the instruments used can be attributed to the literature utilizing and validating them as a measurement scale of customer satisfaction. Finally, the study revealed that the overall satisfaction of guests at the hotel establishment was heavily influenced by physical hotel features rather than intangible factors. The researchers were then able to provide specific suggestions for improving the hotel service and product quality, as well as prospective program improvements which can also be used by other accommodation.

I Read, Therefore I Am: Examining Nonmedical Reading and Its Relationship to Empathy in Anesthesia Training.

High levels of empathy among resident physicians are associated with improved patient outcomes. Empathy may be learned and practiced when reading nonmedical writing through narrative transportation, a process by which readers identify with characters and become emotionally involved in the plot. We hypothesized that residents and fellows who reported more nonmedical reading would have higher empathy levels and that empathy would decrease during training. An emailed survey was sent to program directors of Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education-accredited anesthesiology residency and fellowship programs, with a request to distribute the survey to trainees. The Toronto Empathy Questionnaire, reading volume, and demographics were included in the survey. Response data were analyzed using a multiple variable regression model. Of 136 responses, 119 were included for data analysis. Seventeen partially completed surveys were excluded. Higher empathy scores were reported among women (P < .0001) and residents who worked 60 to 80 hours per week (P = .039). Age, postgraduate year of training, relationship status, time spent with family, and avid reading were not significantly associated with increased empathy. In this study, we examined whether nonmedical fiction reading would increase empathy in medical trainees. Our study was not able to find any significant association with time spent reading and increased empathy; however, we found that trainees who worked more hours, specifically 60 to 80 hours, had higher empathy scores. Limitations for this study included a smaller sample size. Further research should be done in this field to determine if there are other intangible factors that affect empathy in trainees.

Electromobility Prospects in Greece by 2030: A Regional Perspective on Strategic Policy Analysis

Electromobility represents a strong option for reducing carbon emissions in the road transport sector. This study presents a methodology and a simulation tool that project the evolution of the market share of electric vehicles (EVs) in the new car market. The analysis adopts a stylized regional resolution, which accounts for attributes on the NUTS-2 level, such as the population density, GDP/capita, education levels, and current EV charger distribution, to simulate the uptake of BEVs in different regions. The methodology applies discrete choice modelling techniques, considering tangible and intangible factors, including purchasing and operation costs, an estimated cost for range anxiety and public charging, and a market maturity index. The analysis is based on four different scenarios, referring to the updated Greek National Energy Climate Plan. The results reveal that regions with a higher average income, GDP/capita, and population density show a higher uptake of EVs. Overall, the tool implements a method of simulating the market evolution of EVs up to 2030 in reference to regional parameters and, hence, highlights the regions that require the most attention in order to achieve national targets. The results can inform policymakers in developing tailored strategies and financial support to accelerate the adoption of BEVs, particularly in regions where their uptake prospects are lower.

The dynamics of AI capability and its influence on public value creation of AI within public administration

Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in public administration are gaining increasing attention due to the potential benefits they can provide in improving governmental operations. However, translating technological opportunities into concrete public value for public administrations is still limited. One of the factors hindering this progress is the lack of AI capability within public organisations. The research found that various components of AI capability are essential for successfully developing and using AI technologies, including tangible, intangible, and human-related factors. There is a distinction between the AI capability to develop and the AI capability to implement AI technologies, with more administrations capable of the former but finding difficulties in the latter. A lack of in-house technical expertise to maintain and update the AI systems, legal challenges in deploying developed AI systems, and the capability to introduce changes in the organisation to ensure the system remains operational and used by relevant end-users are among the most critical limiting factors for long-term use of AI by public administrations. The research underlines the strong complementarity between historical eGovernment developments and the capability to deploy AI technologies. The study suggests that funding alone may not be enough to acquire AI capability, and public administrations need to focus on both the capability to develop and implement AI technologies. The research emphasizes that human skillsets, both technical and non-technical, are essential for the successful implementation of AI in public administration.

Emergence of National Nutrition Policy in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: an analysis of collaborations between governmental and external actors

BackgroundIn most developing countries, addressing malnutrition involves a coalition of stakeholders that includes the government and international development partners. This study explores the evolution of the malnutrition actor coalition landscape before and after the emergence of the National Nutrition Policy in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR) in 2008.MethodsA qualitative study was conducted based on the theory of coalition structuring. Twenty semi-structured interviews were performed with representatives of national and international organisations involved in addressing malnutrition in Lao PDR. The information obtained from the interviews was complemented by an analysis of relevant documents dating back to 1990. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. A thematic analysis was performed using NVivo 11 software and the diagrams of collaboration drawn by the participants were turned into a visual collaboration map using SocNetV software. We relied on various types of triangulation to increase the analysis's credibility, reliability, and confirmability.ResultsThe results showed that before the emergence of the National Nutrition Policy, three coalitions representing the health, agriculture, and education sectors coexisted. These colalitions worked largely in silos, although with some interactions when deemed necessary mainly by United Nations agencies. The emergence of the National Nutrition Policy provided the government with an effective political tool for coalescing the three coalitions into a unique coalition involving all major stakeholders in the nutrition field. All three forces that incite actors to collaborate inside a coalition according to the theory of coalition structuring (transactions, control, intangible factors) were mobilised in the creation of the single coalition.ConclusionsCombating malnutrition is a government priority in the Lao PDR. The current study showed that the National Nutrition Policy in Lao PDR has led to a significant evolution in the malnutrition coalition landscape, resulting in improved collaboration among stakeholders. This finding highlights the effectiveness of public policies in facilitating intersectoral activities to tackle complex problems, such as malnutrition.

The geography of sustainability transition and materiality: grid-tied solar photovoltaic technology in Sri Lanka

ABSTRACT The geography of sustainability transition (GeoST) literature views solar photovoltaic (PV) as an off-the-shelf, footloose, absolute technology for bringing about a technological shift in locations with high solar irradiation. Herein, I argue against viewing solar technology in these ways, highlighting that consideration should also be given to the configuration of solar PV that suits the contextual conditions. To this end, I offer empirical evidence for the need to approach solar PV diffusion through a relational perspective. Accordingly, different solar PV technology formats may become necessary for its successful implementation in diverse contexts. Supportive empirical evidence comes from Sri Lanka’s large-scale grid-tied solar PV implementation. I conclude the paper with an analytical consideration of the influence of material factors as being as important within GeoST as that of intangible factors, and that technological shift should be pursued within a location’s contextual relational materiality.

Key aspects of corporate responsibility of aviation enterprises

This scientific article is devoted to the study of corporate responsibility of aviation enterprises and their impact on the general social space. The growing attention to environmental issues puts the reputation of aviation companies at risk and forces them to improve their corporate responsibility. This article proposes to analyze various aspects of corporate responsibility of aviation enterprises and considers prospects for their further development. In conditions of increased awareness of investors and financial institutions, the latter prefer more sustainable business from the point of view of financial, social and economic indicators. In this regard, the importance of intangible factors of economic growth of the enterprise, such as the development of labor potential, promotion of employment, compliance with social protection standards and human rights, implementation of environmental aspects of activity, is increasing. In such conditions, the analysis of the company's social policy, which is implemented by the mechanism of corporate social responsibility, becomes relevant. Under modern conditions of increasing global instability, enterprises are interested in increasing the level of predictability of the process of social and economic development, the institutional environment, the achievement of political and economic stability from local to global levels, the sustainable development of social and labor relations, the absence of social conflicts and economic crises, which is necessary for effective activity Therefore, the formation of a strategy of corporate social responsibility in the practice of domestic enterprises at the level of modern business entities is of great importance, which will ensure their sustainable development.

MNEs' Incentives Under a Global Minimum Tax Based on Accounting Standards

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has proposed a pillar two global minimum tax (GMT) for which the tax base is the jurisdiction-specific effective tax rate (ETR), an accounting metric calculated under the rules of accrual accounting. History has shown that when tax is imposed on accounting numbers, taxpayers often use the discretion available in accounting to manage their tax liability. This paper argues that the discretion that multinational enterprises (MNEs) can exercise within accounting rules to change their ETRs will be limited because increasing ETR (to reduce GMT) also reduces accounting income, which in turn could impose higher financial reporting costs on firms. Financial reporting costs are the costs to firms of reporting lower accounting income, and could include higher borrowing costs or more restrictive covenants imposed by lenders. Firms generally prefer to report sustainable net incomes with a steady growth rate to impress their capital market stakeholders. Lower sustainable accounting income can also adversely impact a firm's stock price through the price-earnings ratio. While planning opportunities available to MNEs to avoid the GMT are not limited to shifting accounting profits across jurisdictions, the alternative of shifting factors of production is likely to be more complex and more expensive to implement, and is likely to remove some of the first-order income tax savings from locating intangible factors of production in low-tax jurisdictions. Avoiding GMT at the affiliate level by inflating ETRs could therefore conflict with firms' overarching objectives of maximizing reported earnings and stock prices. These objectives are also currently aligned with established executive compensation structures that motivate management to increase firms' stock prices.

Drivers of China's high-quality development: The role of intangible factors

Drivers of China's high-quality development: The role of intangible factors

THEORETICAL AND EMPIRICAL LITERATURE OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HUMAN CAPITAL AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

Economic growth, which is prominent indicators of economic performance and welfare conditions, is an important parameter that gives way to government policies. For this reason, it has been the subject of many academic studies by the economics literature. Although in the past it was thought that growth was achieved entirely through physical resources, today growth is based on intangible factors such as knowledge. For the use and supply of information, the presence of people with skills and experience is needed. At this point, Schultz (1961) defined the human stock of a nation with knowledge, skills and experience as human capital. The concept of human capital, which has an important place in the literature within the framework of endogenous growth theories, has been associated with economic growth. However, studies have revealed various results and no consensus has been reached about the relationship between the variables. Therefore, in this study, it is aimed to bring together the theoretical and empirical findings on the relationship between human capital and economic growth.

Assessment of Cultural Ecosystem Services and Well-Being: Testing a Method for Evaluating Natural Environment and Contact Types in the Harku Municipality, Estonia

This study examined the evaluation of cultural ecosystem services (CESs) and their impact on well-being in peri-urban areas, using a case study in Harku municipality, Estonia. CESs, encompassing intangible factors such as emotions and values, are crucial for well-being but challenging to assess. To address this, a pilot method was developed, involving a typology of natural environment types (NETs) and contact types (CTs), assessed by a panel of local experts. The results revealed that “spiritual, historic, and symbolic” gardens exhibited a strong positive connection to well-being. Blue and green spaces offering physical activities and aesthetics were also highly rated. Surprisingly, cemeteries scored higher than expected. Agreement among experts varied, with “parks + sporting” showing near-perfect consensus and weaker agreement found in “parks + food production”, “blue spaces + providing gathering places”, and “green landscape elements + education”, highlighting diverse expert perspectives in identifying suitable combinations of NETs and CTs. This study addresses research-to-practice gaps and methodological challenges in applying CESs within planning frameworks, providing valuable insights for managing and conserving services in peri-urban areas. By testing the proposed method, this research contributes to a better understanding of how CESs can be effectively integrated into planning processes, fostering sustainable well-being in peri-urbanised regions.

Approaches to Assessing Knowledge Level of Business-Organization

The article assesses the level of knowledge of business - organization with regard to transformation processes taking place in conditions of new economy development. Key stages of business-organization evolution were studied: pre-industrial, industrial and post-industrial, as well as the transition period to economy of knowledge. Specific features of creating and exchanging knowledge at each of the mentioned stages were shown. A model of organization in economy of knowledge was put forward, whose distinguishing feature is priority of organizational culture, knowledge and intangible factors, flexible specialization, relevant management and innovation character of all business-processes, as well as implementation of two key goals: maximum satisfaction of customer needs and development of personal abilities. The authors substantiate specificity of knowledge with regard to its dubious nature and propose methodological approach to assessment of the organization level of knowledge, which is based on analysis of 16 indicators combined in 4 groups: dynamics of business-organization development, system of education and training of personnel, scientific and technical and innovation potential, information system and information support of business-organization. In conclusion algorithm of estimating the index of knowledge level is described and advantages of this method are demonstrated.

Students’ Food Consumption Behavior during COVID-19 Lockdown

This study is experimental in nature. The cognitive purpose of this study is to examine the reduction in food waste by students in the economic process during the lockdown. The normative goal is to identify drivers of social rationality of ex ante food stewardship by students, by reducing food waste. The subjects of the study consisted of students from the Faculty of Economics and Management at the University of Zielona Góra, Poland. To achieve the study’s goal, we use Consumer 4.0 model and develop one main hypothesis and six working hypotheses. The hypotheses were verified, and the study’s goals were achieved by employing desk research, followed by the descriptive, comparative, survey, and model methods, accompanied by deduction, induction, descriptive statistics, and visualization. The comparative method was used to perform the study in two periods—lockdown (S1) and pandemic threat (S2)—and to compare with the results of other authors. The model method was used to reflect the factor gap in consumer behavior. The conclusion stipulates that during the lockdown and pandemic risk period the behavior of students was similar and did not reflect food saving by deliberately reducing waste. The reason for this was the demonstrated gap of intangible factors, defined by their weakness, in both analyzed periods, in relation to their optimal level in the theoretical Consumer 4.0 model. This study determined a gap caused by the weakness of intrinsic factors during the lockdown and pandemic risk between the typical student behavior model and the theoretical model of Consumer 4.0, with respect to food-saving practices.

Productivity in the workplace and Its relation to physical and intangible factors

The purpose of this study was to determine and analyze the effect of physical and non-physical work environment on employee productivity. The population of this study consisted of fifty employees of Samsung Experience Store Jayapura. The census sampling method was used to determine the sample size of this study, so that all population members were used as samples. The data source used is primary data, which is data collected directly from respondents through questionnaires by researchers. Descriptive statistical analysis, validity and reliability test, normality test, autocorrelation test, heteroscedasticity test, multicollinearity test, and hypothesis testing through multiple linear regression analysis, partial test, simultaneous test, and coefficient of determination test will be part of the data analysis procedure. The findings of this study indicate that physical and non-physical work environment variables have a positive influence on the work productivity of Samsung Experience Store Jayapura employees. The findings of this study indicate that the physical and non-physical work environment has a positive and statistically significant influence on the work productivity of Samsung Experience Store Jayapura employees.

The role of illustration in pediatric hospitalization.

Health services, in particular pediatric units in a hospital, are increasingly committed to human well-being, on the one hand by researching more effective treatments, on the other hand by promoting emotional well-being for their patients, caregivers and professionals. The investment in making hospital environments and services more humane is evident in several studies and projects disseminated around the world. Even so, and despite these efforts, most people continue to have a negative feeling when they think of a hospital. For an institution whose main objective is to preserve and restore health, a negative impression or a feeling of discomfort can be seen as a factor of stress that does not contribute to the patients’ quick recovery. Although fear or stress reduction values are difficult to quantify, empirical evidence shows that there are intangible factors crucial for the patients’ recovery and well-being 1.This is an issue of increasing importance, therefore this paper will analyze how illustration can play a decisive role in the child’s perception and overall experience in hospital. It will also evaluate how illustrators and storytellers' commitment in creating a positive, playful and comfortable environment for patients and caregivers has been recognised by the whole community. The process of adapting an illustrated children’s picture book to a specific hospital area, its effectiveness and how it can reach other audiences, will be widely analyzed.

Why Agree to a Forest Easement? Perception of the Residents about the Adaptation of the Conservation Easement in Qianjiangyuan National Park

Conservation easements (CEs) were introduced in the Chinese context to resolve the conflict between rural land use and area-based conservation measures. As conservation easements are usually set on private lands, little is known about their adaptation to the collective land tenure. We introduced a social-psychological aspect to sustainable livelihoods (SL) for an integrated decision-making mechanism to assess rural residents’ motivations for granting CEs. We surveyed farmers in the Qianjiangyuan National Park pilot area in order to explore how tangible factors, i.e., the livelihood assets, and intangible factors, i.e., farmers’ perceptions of the livelihood environment, affected their true feeling of conservation easements. Results suggested that CEs that were adapted to the collectively-owned forestland followed a well-established grassroots democracy but sacrificed the CE’s diversity in restricted uses tailored to specific landowners and properties. Institutional capital and perception of the economic environment appeared most important to affect farmers’ acceptance of CEs. Furthermore, the livelihood assets affected farmers’ perception of the livelihood environment, and their acceptance of CEs affected the perception of policy outcomes. Overall, our findings demonstrate the acceptance of conservation easements as a livelihood strategic choice and strengthen the importance of securing economic rights in the changing institutional environment.