Underdeveloped Area Of Research Research Articles

‘I shouldn’t even be telling you that I shouldn’t be telling you the story’: Pseudonymous Bosch and the postmodern narrator in children’s literature

This article furthers the somewhat underdeveloped area of research regarding the consideration of complex theoretical concepts such as postmodernism and metafiction in relation to children’s literature by concentrating on a stunningly complex—although by no means rare—experimental text aimed at 8–12 year-olds. Using The Secret Series by Pseudonymous Bosch as example, I examine how children’s literature can use such strategies to engage a child-reader and make them a tangible part of the construction of the novel. Drawing on elements of Text World Theory, diegetic narrative levels and the concept of the internal author, this study primarily explores the role of the interactive, visibly inventing, postmodern narrator, and, by extension, the dramatization of the reader as a part of the story. Framed against an academic background in which children’s literature was deemed unworthy of study or outright dismissed, this article illustrates why children’s literature is not only worthy of rigorous academic study in its own right but also that it often readily displays enough literary, linguistic, and narratological complexities to rival even the most sophisticated literature for adult readers.

Does it pay to be green? An exploratory analysis of wage differentials between green and non-green industries

PurposeThis paper investigates the potential wage impacts of a shift to more environmentally sustainable production patterns.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical analysis is carried out using labour force survey data and interval regressions.FindingsEstimates at the individual level suggest that small wage differentials exist: individuals employed in green industries earn about seven per cent more than those working in non-green industries.Originality/valueTo date, very little is known about the characteristics of jobs in the green industry and by extension, the labour force effects that can emerge or change as a result of transitioning towards a greener economy. While exploratory in nature, this analysis seeks to shed light on an underdeveloped area of research, namely, wage inequalities associated with transitioning towards green growth.

How adherence to public health measures shapes epidemic spreading: A temporal network model.

The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare the importance of non-pharmaceutical interventions in the containment of airborne infectious diseases. Social distancing and mask-wearing have been found to contain COVID-19 spreading across a number of observational studies, but a precise understanding of their combined effectiveness is lacking. An underdeveloped area of research entails the quantification of the specific role of each of these measures when they are differentially adopted by the population. Pursuing this research allows for answering several pressing questions like: how many people should follow public health measures for them to be effective for everybody? Is it sufficient to practice social distancing only or just wear a mask? Here, we make a first step in this direction, by establishing a susceptible-exposed-infected-removed epidemic model on a temporal network, evolving according to the activity-driven paradigm. Through analytical and numerical efforts, we study epidemic spreading as a function of the proportion of the population following public health measures, the extent of social distancing, and the efficacy of masks in protecting the wearer and others. Our model demonstrates that social distancing and mask-wearing can be effective in preventing COVID-19 outbreaks if adherence to both measures involves a substantial fraction of the population.

Concurrent design of product and supply chain architectures for modularity and flexibility: process, methods, and application

Product design and supply chain design are two key determinants of company competitiveness. However, they follow different design objectives and thus require a systematic trade-off. Although methodologies for product design and supply chain design are well established within each domain in research and industry, an integrated methodology that bridges both design domains is still lacking. Based on a recently introduced concurrent product and supply chain design process, we contribute to this underdeveloped research area with a generic approach towards exploring design tradespace. We introduce a detailed operational process for the concurrent design of product and supply chain architectures. To apply this generic process to the specific trade-off between the product-related objective of modularity and the supply-chain-related objective of sourcing flexibility, we also develop new methods for key steps of the process. We demonstrate the application of the process and the developed methods using an industrial case study of a new product (electric-vehicle battery module). The case shows that our methodology was able to structure the concurrent design process. It hereby ensured an efficient trade-off and led to high-quality designs.

Non-local acute stretching effects on strength performance in healthy young adults.

Static stretching (SS) can impair performance and increase range of motion of a non-exercised or non-stretched muscle, respectively. An underdeveloped research area is the effect of unilateral stretching on non-local force output. The objective of this review was to describe the effects of unilateral SS on contralateral, non-stretched, muscle force and identify gaps in the literature. A systematic literature search following preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses Protocols guidelines was performed according to prescribed inclusion and exclusion criteria. Weighted means and ranges highlighted the non-local force output response to unilateral stretching. The physiotherapy evidence database scale was used to assess study risk of bias and methodological quality. Unilateral stretching protocols from six studies involved 6.3 ± 2 repetitions of 36.3 ± 7.4s with 19.3 ± 5.7s recovery between stretches. The mean stretch-induced force deficits exhibited small magnitude effect sizes for both the stretched (-6.7 ± 7.1%, d = -0.35: 0.01 to -1.8) and contralateral, non-stretched, muscles (-4.0 ± 4.9%, d = , 0.22: 0.08 to 1.1). Control measures exhibited trivial deficits. The limited literature examining non-local effects of prolonged SS revealed that both the stretched and contralateral, non-stretched, limbs of young adults demonstrate small magnitude force deficits. However, the frequency of studies with these effects were similar with three measures demonstrating deficits, and four measures showing trivial changes. These results highlight the possible global (non-local) effects of prolonged SS. Further research should investigate effects of lower intensity stretching, upper versus lower body stretching, different age groups, incorporate full warm-ups, and identify predominant mechanisms among others.

Fertile soil for intrapreneurship: impartial institutions and human capital

AbstractIntrapreneurs, entrepreneurial employees, constitute an important force behind innovations in the economy. Yet, what factors that promote intrapreneurship at the country level are an underdeveloped research area. This paper provides an important contribution regarding the methodological approach and the broad set of potential explanatory factors studied. Based on machine-learning techniques (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) and Extreme Bounds Analysis (EBA)), we investigate the influence of over 60 factors capturing institutional, demographic, cultural, and developmental factors. We find that the quality of government measured as impartiality, i.e. that the public institutions treat the citizens in a non-discriminatory fashion and do not favor some groups or individuals, and the level of human capital, measured as the average years of schooling, are the most important factors predicting the level of intrapreneurship across countries. Instrumental variable results support a causal interpretation. The findings emphasize the importance of policy to establish well-functioning and impartial institutions as well as to promote higher education.

A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY OF ASSETS MANAGEMENT COMPANY , FOCUSING ON INVESTMENT STRATEGIES, PERFORMANCE, AND REGULATORY.

Major shifts in the competitive environment encouraged a recent growth in the number of academic articles devoted to strategic aspects of asset management. Organizations start to recognize that a strategic approach to asset management becomes a source of sustainable competitive advantages and long-term survival in the turbulent environment. However, existing studies are largely case-specific in interpreting strategy and draw on various theoretical grounds and approaches. This leads to little theoretical and methodological consistency in understanding current findings and how to design future studies. The key goal of this paper is to systematically review the existing research through the analysis of over 700 articles devoted to asset management with a focus on strategic aspects. Our key contributions are positioning strategic asset management within the vast field of asset management research, describing the nature of strategic asset management research, and confirming that asset management strategies align with different levels of organizational strategy. We visualize the existing research field, and indicate gaps and underdeveloped areas of research. We also shortly outline future research directions based on our findings, thus encouraging a more coherent development of research on strategic asset management.

Fertile Soil for Intrapreneurship: Impartial Institutions and Human Capital

Intrapreneurs, entrepreneurial employees, constitute an important force behind innovations in the economy. Yet, what factors that promote intrapreneurship at the country level are an underdeveloped research area. This paper provides a seminal contribution regarding the methodological approach and the broad set of potential explanatory factors studied. Based on machine-learning techniques (LASSO and EBA methods), we investigate the influence of over 60 factors capturing institutional, demographic, cultural, and developmental factors. We find that the quality of government measured as impartiality, i.e., that the political institutions treat the citizens in a non-discriminatory fashion and do not favor some groups or individuals, and the level of human capital, measured as the average years of schooling, are the most important factors predicting the level of intrapreneurship across countries. Instrumental variable results support a causal interpretation. The findings emphasize the importance of policy to establish well-functioning and impartial institutions as well as to promote higher education.

Strategic Aspects of Asset Management: An Overview of Current Research

Major shifts in the competitive environment encouraged a recent growth in the number of academic articles devoted to strategic aspects of asset management. Organizations start to recognize that a strategic approach to asset management becomes a source of sustainable competitive advantages and long-term survival in the turbulent environment. However, existing studies are largely case-specific in interpreting strategy and draw on various theoretical grounds and approaches. This leads to little theoretical and methodological consistency in understanding current findings and how to design future studies. The key goal of this paper is to systematically review the existing research through the analysis of over 700 articles devoted to asset management with a focus on strategic aspects. Our key contributions are positioning strategic asset management within the vast field of asset management research, describing the nature of strategic asset management research, and confirming that asset management strategies align with different levels of organizational strategy. We visualize the existing research field, and indicate gaps and underdeveloped areas of research. We also shortly outline future research directions based on our findings, thus encouraging a more coherent development of research on strategic asset management.

Interactive Effects of Approach and Avoidance Job Crafting in Explaining Weekly Variations in Work Performance and Employability

Meta‐analyses on job crafting reveal that while approach‐oriented job crafting (e.g., increasing job resources or challenging job demands) relates positively to employee performance, avoidance‐oriented job crafting (e.g., decreasing hindering job demands) has either non‐significant or negative implications for employee functioning. However, the joint effects of approach and avoidance job crafting remain an underdeveloped area of research. We administered a three‐week diary survey among 87 employees to test interaction effects of approach and avoidance job crafting on employee (other‐referenced and past‐referenced) work performance and employability. Results revealed that decreasing hindering job demands related positively to other‐referenced performance when increasing social job resources was higher than employees’ average, and to past‐referenced performance when increasing structural job resources was higher than employees’ average. Also, decreasing hindering job demands related negatively with employability only at lower levels of increasing challenging job demands, while the relationship was non‐significant at higher levels of increasing challenging demands. These results indicate that considering job crafting strategies in tandem adds to our understanding of their role for employee functioning.

Transdisciplinary knowledge management: A key but underdeveloped skill in EBM decision-making

The ecosystem-based management (EBM) philosophy draws upon the principle that holistic understanding of the system to be governed needs to guide the decision-making process. However, empirical evidence is growing that knowledge integration is still a main bottleneck for EBM decision-makers. This paper argues that transdisciplinary knowledge management (TKM) is a key competence in achieving knowledge integration, while simultaneously it represents an underdeveloped research area in EBM if understood as a process of human interaction. Based on a literature review, this article summarizes and reflects upon the most recent development in the field of TKM. The paper presents a detailed definition and in-depth description of TKM as a process of human interaction and a diversity of organizational structures that effectuate TKM. Theoretically discussed premises are furthermore illuminated and evaluated by a case study that exemplifies pro-active development and implementation of TKM. Deviating case observations are presented as novel contributions to the field. They suggest new ideas and inspiration for future EBM research and policy agendas.

Affective spaces, humour and power in 24-hour care institutions for young people in vulnerable positions

This article examines humour and its connectedness to spatiality in social work by drawing on examples from fieldwork involving vulnerable young people. The article argues that the relationship between a spatial perspective and humour as a phenomenon in social work is an underdeveloped area of social work research. The article draws on De Certeau’s concepts of tactical behaviour and strategically defined spaces, both of which involve a dynamic spatial approach. Connecting these concepts to humour, the article concludes that applying a humour-affective spatial theoretical approach to social work research greatly aids the identification of power dynamics and the tensions that can arise in social situations. In short, the article offers another way of conceptualising the production of the spatial dynamics of power, inclusion and exclusion. The empirical basis for the article is a comprehensive field study carried out at a 24-hour residential institution for children and youth in vulnerable positions.

Accomplishing leadership-in-interaction by mobilizing available information and communication technology objects in a virtual context

Leadership-in-interaction is a somewhat underdeveloped area of research which to date has concentrated on talk-in-interaction to the detriment of other modalities. Consequently, this paper seeks to illustrate how social actors make use of different modalities to accomplish leadership, which we conceptualize as the creation of direction, alignment, and commitment. Through multimodal conversation analysis this paper explores interactions between actors in virtual contexts, a particularly interesting empirical setting as the context offers specific constraints on everyday workplace interaction. By zooming in on the interaction using transcripts of naturally occurring interaction, we find that the accomplishment of leadership, direction, alignment, and commitment, in a constrained virtual context can appear mundane. However, at the same time the accomplishment of leadership calls for the mobilization of several multimodal resources (both talk and information and communication technology objects). The analysis makes it evident that the actors mobilize objects to draw on their situated affordances, in the accomplishment of direction, alignment, and commitment. With a fine-grained analysis of naturally occurring data, we illustrate that leadership is a collective achievement. We also expand the understanding of leadership in practice, especially in virtual contexts, by demonstrating how actors utilize objects and verbal resources in the co-production of leadership.

Psychometric Evaluation of the Chinese Version of the Parent Career Behavior Checklist in a Sample of Non-engaged Youth and Their Parents

Understanding the parental influences on the career development of non-engaged youth (NEY) has been an underdeveloped research area. Furthermore, psychometrically valid and reliable tools for assessing how parents of NEY support their children in dealing with career issues remain largely unavailable in academia. This research aimed to validate a quantitative measure for such assessments. Specifically, the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Parent Career Behavior Checklist (C-PCBC) in a sample of NEY and their parents were examined. Through a community-based project providing career counseling and development services for NEY in different districts of Hong Kong, 142 parent–child dyads completed parallel versions of C-PCBC and other related questionnaires. A multi-group confirmatory factor analyses examining NEY and their parents was conducted. The results demonstrated an acceptable model fit and confirmed a 22-item twofold factor structure, namely parental psychosocial support and parental career-related actions. Moreover, the construct validity of the C-PCBC was supported by significant correlations with parenting and youth development measures. Substantial perceptual differences between NEY and their parents on the degree of parental psychosocial support and parental career-related actions were also found. The present research indicates that the C-PCBC possesses acceptable psychometric properties. However, the results indicate that NEY and their parents have different perceptions of parental involvement, suggesting a lack of parent–child communication and mismatches in expectations. The findings here have implications for how parental support and parent–child relationships should be addressed when providing career counseling and development programs for NEY.

Exploring Relationships among Organizational Culture, Empowerment, and Organizational Citizenship Behavior in the South Korean Professional Sport Industry

The purpose of this study was to examine the structural relationships among organizational culture, empowerment, and organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of professional sports organizations in South Korea. In particular, this study emphasized the mediating effect of empowerment on the relationship between organizational culture and OCB. Research participants were 606 employees affiliated with 42 professional sports teams. The validity and reliability of the involved measures were examined through conducting confirmatory factor, Cronbach’s alpha, and correlation analyses. A structural equation modeling analysis with maximum likelihood estimation was conducted to test the relationships among the research variables. The findings revealed that all of the sub-factors of organizational culture (i.e., clan culture, adhocracy culture, and market culture), with the exception of hierarchy culture, were positively influential of perceived empowerment, which was in turn positively influential of OCB. The path coefficients were statistically significant. The findings further revealed that perceived empowerment partially or fully mediated relationships between the sub-factors of organizational culture and OCB. Unlike previous studies, our study focused on studying organizational culture at a specific managerial level, an underdeveloped area of research in sport management. In particular, the findings of this study contribute to sport management practices by uncovering the mediating function of empowerment on the relationship between organizational culture and OCB, indicating the importance of empowering employees when managing professional sports organizations.

The Future of Biomechanical Spine Research: Conception and Design of a Dynamic 3D Printed Cervical Myelography Phantom.

BackgroundThree-dimensional (3D) printing is a growing practice in the medical community for patient care and trainee education as well as production of equipment and devices. The development of functional models to replicate physiologic systems of human tissue has also been explored, although to a lesser degree. Specifically, the design of 3D printed phantoms that possess comparable biomechanical properties to human cervical vertebrae is an underdeveloped area of spine research. In order to investigate the functional uses of cervical 3D printed models for replicating the complex physiologic and biomechanical properties of the human subaxial cervical spine, our institution has created a prototype that accurately reflects these properties and provides a novel method of assessing spinal canal dimensions using simulated myelography. To our knowledge, this is the first 3D printed phantom created to study these parameters.Materials and methodsA de-identified cervical spine computed tomography imaging file was segmented using threshold modulation in 3D Slicer software. The subaxial vertebrae (C3-C7) of the scan were individualized by separating the facet joint spaces and uncovertebral joints within the software in order to create individual stereolithography (STL) files. Each individual vertebra was printed on an Ultimaker S5 dual-extrusion printer using white “tough” polylactic acid filament. A human cadaveric subaxial cervical spine was harvested to provide a control for our experiment. Both models were assessed and compared in flexion and extension dynamic motion grossly and fluoroscopically. The maximum angles of deformation on X-ray imaging were recorded using DICOM (Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine) viewing software. In order to compare the ability to assess canal dimensions of the models using fluoroscopic imaging, a myelography simulation was designed.ResultsThe cervical phantom demonstrated excellent ability to resist deformation in flexion and extension positions, attributed to the high quality of initial segmentation. The gross and fluoroscopic dynamic movement of the phantom was analogous to the cadaver model. The myelography simulator adequately demonstrated the canal dimensions in static and dynamic positions for both models. Pertinent anatomic landmarks were able to be effectively visualized for assessment of canal measurements for sagittal and transverse dimensions.ConclusionsBy utilizing the latest technologies in DICOM segmentation and 3D printing, our institution has created the first cervical myelography phantom for biomechanical evaluation and trainee instruction. By combining new technologies with anatomical knowledge, quality 3D printing shows great promise in becoming a standard player in the future of spinal biomechanical research.

Dietary Diversity Was Positively Associated with Psychological Resilience among Elders: A Population-Based Study.

The association between dietary diversity (DD) and psychological resilience among older people is an underdeveloped area of research. This cross-sectional study explored the associations of DD with psychological resilience among 8571 community-based elderly individuals. The intake frequencies of food groups were collected, and dietary diversity was assessed based on the mean DD score. Psychological resilience was assessed using a simplified resilience score (SRS). Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression and logistic regression models. Poor DD was significantly associated with psychological resilience, with a β (95% CI) of −0.94 (−1.07, −0.81) for the SRS (p < 0.01) and an odds ratio (95% CI) of 1.83 (1.66, 2.01) for low SRS status. The interaction effects of age with DD were observed for the SRS (p < 0.001) and low SRS status (p < 0.001). Based on separate analyses by age group, the association of a low SRS with poor DD was more prominent in the younger elderly than the oldest old, with OR (95% CI) 2.32 (1.96, 2.74) and 1.61 (1.43, 1.82), respectively. Compared with younger participants with good DD, the risk of a low SRS was greater for younger participants with poor DD, the oldest old with good DD, and the oldest old with poor DD, with OR (95% CI) 2.39 (2.02, 2.81), 1.28 (1.09, 1.51), and 2.03 (1.72, 2.39), respectively. The greatest contribution to DD was from a high consumption of vegetables, fruits, and nuts. Our study suggested that poor DD was associated with a low psychological resilience among the Chinese elderly, especially the younger elderly. These findings suggest that augmentation of DD might promote psychological resilience.

Progress in the Design of Polyoxovanadate-Alkoxides as Charge Carriers for Nonaqueous Redox Flow Batteries

ABSTRACTInnovation in the development of electrochemical energy storage methods is essential if these technologies are to meet the variable needs of the electrical grid. Nonaqueous redox flow batteries represent an underdeveloped area of research in energy storage—one which has seen a recent spike in interest owing to the potential for modular, energy-dense electrochemical energy conversion. Here, we summarize our recent work, focused on the design of polyoxovanadate-alkoxide clusters [V6O7(OR)12] as a new class of charge carrier for nonaqueous energy storage. The synthetic strategies we have employed, including homoleptic ligand substitution, selective ligand functionalization, and heterometal installation, demonstrate the flexibility of this hexametalate platform, and result in significant improvement of molecular properties with relevance to flow battery energy density. The identified homoleptic surface modifications (substituting R = CH3 for R = C2H5) to the polyoxovanadate-alkoxide scaffold yield an increase in stable operating voltage window (from 0.6 V to 1.8 V), as well as an increase in the stoichiometric number of electrons that can be stored at each battery electrode (from 1 to 2). Targeted functionalization at the cluster surface with an ether-based ligand affords [V6O7(OC2H5)9(OCH2)3CCH2OC2H4OCH3], which demonstrates a 12-fold increase in solubility over its homoleptic congener, from 0.05 to 0.60 M in acetonitrile. The substitution of a titanium center into the hexametalate core to generate [V5TiO6(OCH3)13]− further increases the voltage window to 2.3 V, as new heterometal-based redox events are introduced to the profile. Through these studies, we have gained valuable insights into the molecular parameters that determine the energy storage capabilities of multimetallic charge carriers. Collectively, our results highlight new opportunities for polynuclear charge carriers, and emphasize the critical role that synthetic inorganic chemistry plays in the development of effective nonaqueous redox flow battery technologies.

Youth Engagement and Participation: Field-Building Across Research and Practice

Over the last two decades, there has been attention to promoting meaningful youth “engagement,” “participation” and “voice” in adolescent health [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]. UN and other investments in reports, network-building, and meetings like the Bali Global Youth forum raised the visibility of youth engagement as a priority, sharing principles, examples, and challenges across diverse contexts [ [2] , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Recently, the Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing provided an overview of youth engagement and health, including barriers to meaningful engagement [ [15] ]. Despite extensive theoretical, ethical, and practice work on youth engagement, particularly in the domain of sexual/reproductive health, we need more systematic evidence about fundamental process and outcome questions. Rigorous practice-based evidence [ [16] ], enabled by sustained research-practice partnerships [ [17] ], is vital for generating a knowledge base to guide the field. Here, we seek to provide further clarity in this underdeveloped research area, highlighting distinctions among youth participation approaches, and propose a research agenda moving forward.

‘Please tell me when you are in pain’: A heartbreaking story of care, grief and female–canine companionship

What could the underdeveloped research area of canine–human companionship teach us about gendered body work as well as offer to the field of organization studies more broadly? This article responds to recent discussions on the animal in the organizational academy. We share an autoethnographic story of female–canine companionship as experienced by one of the authors of the article and her beloved dog, who is currently living on the borderlines between life and death, joy and mourning. We find this example relevant for raising important feminist concerns among organizational scholars about silenced questions around care and grief as well as for developing more inclusive and ethically grounded approaches to exploring research topics dealing with vulnerability. Finally, this article offers a critical reflection on the potential and limitations of alternative research in the field of organization studies that recognizes our affective relations with animals.