The Effect of Career Plateauing as a Mediating Factor on Nurses' Job Satisfaction and Promotability

AIM

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of career plateau as a mediating factor on nurses' job satisfaction and promotability.

BACKGROUND

A nurse's career, as well as other professionals, may arrive at a point where further hierarchical development is limited. Nurses may remain longer than expected in the same position within an organization and may be plateaued, resulting in career dissatisfaction, job dissatisfaction, and turnover.

METHODS

This is a descriptive correlational study. Two hundred twenty-one nurses were recruited from 1 university hospital in Egypt. Respondents completed the self-administered, printed questionnaires. Measures included career plateau, job satisfaction, and promotability questionnaires. Findings were investigated via descriptive and inferential statistics as well as structured equation modeling to examine the mediating effect of career plateauing on job satisfaction and promotability.

RESULTS

The mean scores of job satisfaction, career plateauing, and promotability were 3.09 ± 0.71, 3.75 ± 0.43, and 3.70 ± 0.53, respectively. Data revealed that nurses' career plateauing accounted for 34% and 18% of the variance of their job satisfaction and promotability, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Career plateauing is a significant determinant of nurses' job satisfaction and promotability.

Using wearable devices to generate real-world, individual-level data in rural, low-resource contexts in Burkina Faso, Africa: A case study

Background

Wearable devices may generate valuable data for global health research for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, wearable studies in LMICs are scarce. This study aims to investigate the use of consumer-grade wearables to generate individual-level data in vulnerable populations in LMICs, focusing on the acceptability (quality of the devices being accepted or even liked) and feasibility (the state of being workable, realizable, and practical, including aspects of data completeness and plausibility).

Methods

We utilized a mixed-methods approach within the health and demographic surveillance system (HDSS) to conduct a case study in Nouna, Burkina Faso (BF). All HDSS residents older than 6 years were eligible. N = 150 participants were randomly selected from the HDSS database to wear a wristband tracker (Withings Pulse HR) and n = 69 also a thermometer patch (Tucky thermometer) for 3 weeks. Every 4 days, a trained field worker conducted an acceptability questionnaire with participants, which included questions for the field workers as well. Descriptive and qualitative thematic analyses were used to analyze the responses of study participants and field workers.

Results

In total, n = 148 participants were included (and n = 9 field workers). Participant's acceptability ranged from 94 to 100% throughout the questionnaire. In 95% of the cases (n = 140), participants reported no challenges with the wearable. Most participants were not affected by the wearable in their daily activities (n = 122, 83%) and even enjoyed wearing them (n = 30, 20%). Some were concerned about damage to the wearables (n = 7, 5%). Total data coverage (i.e., the proportion of the whole 3-week study duration covered by data) was 43% for accelerometer (activity), 3% for heart rate, and 4% for body shell temperature. Field workers reported technical issues like faulty synchronization (n = 6, 1%). On average, participants slept 7 h (SD 3.2 h) and walked 8,000 steps per day (SD 5573.6 steps). Acceptability and data completeness were comparable across sex, age, and study arms.

Conclusion

Wearable devices were well-accepted and were able to produce continuous measurements, highlighting the potential for wearables to generate large datasets in LMICs. Challenges constituted data missingness mainly of technical nature. To our knowledge, this is the first study to use consumer-focused wearables to generate objective datasets in rural BF.

A survey of transformational leadership traits for South African academic libraries in Gauteng province, South Africa

Purpose

The purpose of the paper was to survey transformational leadership traits in three academic libraries in the Gauteng province in South Africa. The three academic libraries were chosen based on the fact that two of the universities were residential research-intensive universities and the third was an academic library of a distance learning university.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted a quantitative approach with a survey design in three academic libraries in the Gauteng province in South Africa in which a close-ended questionnaire yielded quantitative data. The study included 29 academic staff from the rank of assistant librarian to the director from the three academic libraries, as these are the personnel in leadership positions. To code and analyse, quantitative data from a Likert scale, SPSS version 25 was used. Cronbach's alpha was used to evaluate the instrument's reliability on the five constructs used in this study to determine readiness to adopt a transformational leadership style. The overall level of internal consistency exceeded the theoretical minimum of 70 percent. The Shapiro-Wilk test was used to determine the normality of the data and the p values were greater than 0.05 (p > 0.05). Tables have been used to present descriptive and inferential statistics based on data.

Findings

Participants expressed favourable opinions about academic libraries' ability to learn from the best practices of others in the profession, with mean scores greater than 3.5 on a 5.0 scale. Participants' perceptions of transformative versus traditional management styles yielded a moderate mean score of 3.0, with moderate mean scores ranging from 2.8 to 3.3. The average score for talent identification and succession planning in academic libraries was 3.5. Perceptions of leadership responsibilities had a mean score of 4.1, with attributes on leadership responsibilities scoring at least 3.5. Perceptions of problems for the next generation of leaders in academic libraries were moderate, with a mean score of 3.2 on a scale of 5.0.

Research limitations/implications

Only three of the seven public university libraries in the Gauteng province in South Africa were surveyed in this study. The sample size was reasonably small for generalizations beyond the South African Gauteng province academic libraries. However, it was felt useful for this particular case. A survey of all 26 South African public universities is required to assess transformational leadership traits in academic libraries.

Practical implications

Next-generation leaders in South African academic libraries are perceived as not being aggressive in terms of team building, coaching and motivating others.

Social implications

In the wake of COVID-19, new leadership traits such as scenario planning are needed for academic libraries.

Originality/value

Leadership studies abound in the library and information studies (LIS) profession and they are not new. However, research on transformational leadership in South African libraries is still in its early stages. As a result, this study fills a gap in the literature on transformative leadership in academic libraries in South Africa.

Thriving in the post-Covid-19 era: a new normality for libraries' service offering

Purpose

Social distancing and physical closure triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic put the libraries' viability under stress. Although the spread of the pandemic enacted a new normality for library management, little is known about the ingredients that are needed in the recipe for increased libraries' attractiveness. The article addresses the current gap in the scientific knowledge, unveiling what libraries can do to thrive in the post-Covid-19 era.

Design/methodology/approach

Secondary data were collected from the census study accomplished in 2020 by the Italian Institute of Statistics on a large sample (n = 3,531) of libraries operating across Italy. Three regression models were run to obtain evidence of the factors affecting the capability of small-, medium- and large-sized libraries to attract users amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

Findings

Digitization did not significantly add to the attractiveness of libraries. Users appreciated the enrichment of loan services: more specifically, enabling people to access loan services online boosted the libraries' attractiveness. Furthermore, virtual reading groups, online laboratories and social networking improved the libraries' ability to attract users. Medium-sized libraries involved in literacy promotion reported a larger number of users.

Practical implications

Libraries should reframe their encounter with the audience sticking to a cyber-physical perspective, exploiting digital tools to establish a continuous exchange with users and engage them in a service experience which is aimed at individual and collective empowerment.

Originality/value

The article advances the understanding of the new normality heralded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, it illuminates avenues for further development to shed light on the libraries' ability to thrive in the post-pandemic era.

Bibliometric visualisation of industrial and organisational psychology during COVID-19 pandemic: Insight for future research

Orientation

Industrial and organisational psychology (IOP) researchers have shown their contribution to solving COVID-19 pandemic in the workplace through the enormous number of studies.

Research purpose

This study intended to map IOP research related to the COVID-19 crisis to provide the research issues that have emerged and potential for future research.

Motivation for the study

All the IOP levels (worker, team and organisation) were impacted by COVID-19, and they continuously change. Researchers must be careful in directing their research and avoid focusing on certain levels or problems.

Research approach/design and method

A bibliometric visualisation analysis method was adopted in this study.

Main findings

The bibliometric results showed that the prominent keywords in IOP research-related COVID-19 are ‘human(s)’, ‘COVID-19’, keywords related to subject characteristics and mental health. Six clusters on the map showed the prominent themes: mental health, health care workers as the research subject, specific workplace issues, digital technology, methodologies used, and country. Furthermore, in every cluster, the depth overview of study results is presented. The top issues were at the worker-level, while the organisational-level issues gained limited attention.

Practical/managerial implications

For practitioners and managers, this study provides a complete picture of emerging issues during COVID-19 crisis ranging from causes, risk factors and solutions. For researchers, this study can provide insight for further research.

Contribution/value-add

This study provides a comprehensive overview of the IOP issues related-COVID-19 that will be beneficial as the basis for policymaking and recommendations for future potential areas.

Examining the differences between information professional groups in perceiving information ethics: An analytic hierarchy process study

Information and communication technology (ICT) has a great impact on contemporary society and people’s lives. Especially with the pervasive access to rapidly developing technology, the impact of ICT on society and human values, the norms of ICT use, and the ethical issues derived from them are beyond the past ethical framework and deserve more research attention. The purpose of this study was to explore the key factors that influence the decision-making behaviors of information professionals when they are faced with information ethics issues. The study adopted the analytic hierarchical process method to develop the evaluation framework and criteria for information professional ethics and employed the professional fields of library and information science and information technology as examples to compare whether information professionals in different fields make different judgments on the aforementioned decision-making criteria. The results of the study validated the professional information ethics hierarchy and criteria and contributed to the field of information ethics research by providing information on the aspects that need attention in the cultivation of professionals in different fields.

The University Library’s Strategic Process: Competing Through Plans, Positions, and Resources

The traditional notion of university library strategy has been that of a pattern of goal-oriented activities that implement a strategic plan. Through conceptual analysis, this paper integrates strategic planning with two other perspectives—strategy based upon competitive position and upon library resources—to propose that a university library can best serve its academic community through a “strategic process” when supporting research and teaching. Drawing extensively upon applicable library science and strategic management literature, the paper presents the potential contribution of each perspective and of the entire strategic process using relevant examples. Successfully applying the strategic process enables university library managers to move forward with optimism in difficult competitive and financial situations. The process enables the university library to gain sustainable competitive advantage over its competitors by providing faculty and students with intellectual value in support of their discovery and education. As it operates, the strategic process empowers the university library to fulfill its traditional mission—providing persistent, generalized access to information—but to do so in transformed ways. The process also enhances library managers’ ability to communicate such successes to university decision-makers, illuminating the library’s effective use of scarce financial resources.

How Facial Symmetry Influences the Learning Effectiveness of Computer Graphic Design in Makeup Design

This study explored the learning effectiveness of drawing makeup designs by computer graphic design and compared the learning differences between traditional hand-drawn and computer-assisted teaching in cosmetology students at universities. The statistical analysis methods of factor analysis, descriptive statistical analysis, and paired sample t-test are used to analyze the difference in students’ learning attitudes before and after the course. It also explored students’ learning effectiveness. The subjects were 55 students from a cosmetology department of a university in Taiwan. The results showed that using a computer tool to create makeup designs improved the overall student learning effectiveness and effectively promoted students’ interest in learning. Moreover, through focus group interviews, changes in the learning effectiveness that were brought about by the use of computer graphic design tools were obtained. Among them, the mirror function could best meet the needs of students for makeup symmetry and design drawing speed and improve their satisfaction with computer graphic makeup. The results of this study are improving the learning effectiveness, maintaining a positive attitude and increasing willingness to learn, and the systematization and digitization of makeup design, and the results could promote teachers to obtain more efficient teaching quality, improve students’ professional skills, and result in better learning results.

Search engine optimization (SEO) for digital marketers: exploring determinants of online search visibility for blood bank service

Purpose

Given that online search visibility is influenced by various determinants, and that influence may vary across industries, this study aims in investigating the major predictors of online search visibility in the context of blood banks.

Design/methodology/approach

To formalize the online visibility, the authors have found theoretical foundations in activity theory, while to quantify online visiblity the authors have used the search engine optimization (SEO) Index, ranking, and a number of visitors. The examined model includes ten hypotheses and was tested on data from 57 blood banks.

Findings

Results challenge shallow domain knowledge. The major predictors of online search visibility are Alternative Text Attribute (ALT) text, backlinks, robots, domain authority (DA) and bounce rate (BR). The issues are related to the number of backlinks, social score, and DA. Polarized utilization of SEO techniques is evident.

Practical implications

The methodology can be used to analyze the online search visibility of other industries or similar not-for-profit organizations. Findings in terms of individual predictors can be useful for marketers to better manage online search visibility.

Social implications

The acute blood donation problems may be to a certain degree level as the information flow between donors and blood banks will be facilitated.

Originality/value

This is the first study to analyze the blood bank context. The results provide invaluable inputs to marketers, managers, and policymakers.

Libraries respond to the COVID-19 pandemic: drawing a science map of published articles

Purpose

The lockdown of libraries has led to changes in the delivery of services. Reviewing many studies in this regard appears to be of great importance. Thus, this study aims to analyze the articles related to libraries and COVID-19 using the co-occurrence analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study is applied in terms of purpose and scientometrics in terms of type, which has been conducted using a retrospective bibliometric analysis method and drawing a science map. The relevant keywords were searched in the Scopus and 225 articles were reviewed in terms of author, year of publication, journal, organization and subject. Then, the VOSviewer software was used to analyze and illustrate the keywords and draw the scientific map of the articles.

Findings

The results showed that 225 articles by 496 authors from 66 countries and 379 organizations were published in the subject area of libraries and COVID-19. These articles have received 620 citations. The co-occurrence analysis of words showed that these scientific productions are classified into four clusters: “The role of libraries and librarians”, “The use of media, social network and communication technologies in order provide library services”, “Online Library Services” and “Infodemic and misinformation in the COVID-19 Pandemic”.

Originality/value

It is the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic that a scientific map has been drawn up of studies that have examined the role of libraries in this pandemic. The results of the present study may help libraries to access what they need to consider in any crisis.

Search tools and scholarly citation practices in literary studies

Purpose

The wide adoption of web-scale discovery tools calls into question the usefulness and viability of traditional subject indexes. This study examines this question of usefulness in the context of the discipline of literary studies. To what extent can researchers rely on the primary database devoted to language and literature study to discover relevant scholarship, and how does the database's performance compare to other common search tools?

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses a random sample of citations from articles published in the flagship journal, PMLA, to see how well the sources cited by literature scholars are covered in various search tools, including the MLA International Bibliography.

Findings

Of the search tools investigated, Google Scholar found the largest number of citations, even when limiting to literary scholarship. However, the eclecticism of citations suggests that scholars benefit from using a variety of search tools and methods.

Originality/value

Although other studies have looked at discoverability in certain subject areas, this one focuses on literary studies. An understanding of the relative coverage of different search tools can inform librarian practices and recommendations.

Services personalization in digital academic libraries: a Delphi study

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the realm of literature about personalization of digital library services. This paper focuses on users’ unique needs and will identify different types of personalized services. Therefore, this study has identified different types of services personalization in the context of digital academic libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

In this research, the systematic review method has been used to obtain the relevant indicators of different types of personalization in the context of libraries. To explain basic indicators, a Delphi method has been used. The Delphi panel’s members consisted of 15 experts (faculty members, researchers, professional users and software designers). A purposeful sampling and the Delphi fulfillment process were performed in three rounds. After collecting data, descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation), inferential statistics (binomial distribution test) and the Kendall coordination coefficient were used to determine the consensus rate among experts.

Findings

A total of 103 indicators were extracted for different types of personalization through a systematic literature review. Of these, 90 indicators were considered significant in the experts’ view. Generally, content personalization, interactive personalization, collaborative personalization and information retrieval personalization are the main components of personalization types, each of which has its own indicators.

Originality/value

This study has dealt with the issue of what is personalized in the context of digital academic library. The findings should be helpful and effective in the development of a holistic view on personalization of services in digital libraries.

How do Asian international students use Australian university libraries? A literature review

The findings of this literature review are applicable to university libraries globally, as students accessing libraries are now more culturally diverse than was the case historically. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, this diversity was due to increased numbers of international students attending selected universities in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, the UK and Canada. The literature suggests that the different information seeking, cultural transition, information disruption, English-language challenges and learning styles of Asian international students are not fully understood by western university libraries. Consequently, university libraries may not have strategically aligned to their university’s internationalisation objectives. Lack of understanding of the experiences of Asian international students potentially attenuates their well-being and academic success. Furthermore, this lack of adaption could place universities, such as those in Australia, at risk of not meeting national regulatory compliance expectations. This review examines the literature about the context of Asian international students’ use of Australian university libraries and introduces a research project that explores the lived experience of using Australian university libraries. The review identifies literature regarding the changing profile of Asian international students enrolled in Australian universities, their information-seeking behaviour, cross-cultural dimensions, their communication skills, and the expectations of an Australian university library. The review of this literature also seeks to explore who is studying international students, which methods are being used to do so, and which topics are of particular interest to the researchers. Finally, the review considers new post-COVID-19 pandemic opportunities for both libraries and other service areas to understand the needs of Asian international students as universities competitively recruit for their return.

Cybersecurity Behavior among Government Employees: The Role of Protection Motivation Theory and Responsibility in Mitigating Cyberattacks

This study examines the factors influencing government employees’ cybersecurity behavior in Malaysia. The country is considered the most vulnerable in Southeast Asia. Applying the protection motivation theory, this study addresses the gap by investigating how government employees behave toward corresponding cyberrisks and threats. Using partial least-squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), 446 respondents participated and were analyzed. The findings suggest that highly motivated employees with high severity, vulnerability, response efficacy, and self-efficacy exercise cybersecurity. Incorporating the users’ perceptions of vulnerability and severity facilitates behavioral change and increases the understanding of cybersecurity behavior’s role in addressing cybersecurity threats—particularly the impact of the threat response in predicting the cybersecurity behavior of government employees. The implications include providing robust information security protection to the government information systems.

The impact of academicians' cultural and social capital on their individual job performance

Purpose

The aim of this study is to analyze whether or not the interaction between academicians' cultural and social capitals has effects on their individual work performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A structural model was developed in the study to test the correlations between cultural capital, social capital and individual work performance. The data of the study were collected from 2,855 academicians.

Findings

The findings of the study indicate that both cultural and social capital has a simultaneous positive effect on individual work performance. It is also found that the cultural and social capital can account for 39% of the individual work performance and that social capital is a dominant driving force.

Research limitations/implications

Although the cultural and social capital has significant effects on the individual work performance, these effects are not of casual nature.

Practical implications

Therefore, it is possible to argue that the cultural and social capital in higher education institutions should be encouraged. Future studies may employ samples of individuals to see whether not these effects have causal characteristics.

Originality/value

The findings of the study contributed to the existing knowledge on the work performance describing the new correlations among the patterns.

University Library Space Renovation Based on the User Learning Experience in Two Wuhan Universities

University library spaces play an important role in the learning experience of students. However, the traditional designs for these learning spaces no longer meet the needs of users, and researchers have been turning their attention to university library space renovation. By combing existing theories and practices, this study determined a framework of six university library space renovation design principles and subsequently conducted a survey to examine university library space user learning experience in two university libraries in Wuhan, China. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS. From the questionnaire-based survey results, this study determined seven design elements that affect the learning experience of university library users. The results of binary logistic regression showed that two elements, indoor physical space comfort and indoor acoustic environment comfort, have positive effects on the frequency and length of visits to the library. Key spatial elements that can promote library space users' learning experience were also identified, thus providing data that can reliably inform future design strategies for the space renovation of university libraries.

Using Curriculum Mapping as a Tool to Match Student Learning Outcomes and Social Studies Curricula

The interest in program- and colleges of education- level evaluation and alignment of student learning outcomes to course content has been increasing over the past several decades. Curriculum mapping establishes the links between content and expected student learning outcomes. Curriculum map is an overview of what is taking place in the classroom; and it includes evaluation tools and activities. Social Studies Department, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) College of Education Zuba, Abuja, recently completed an accreditation exercise by National Commission for Colleges of Education Abuja, Nigeria. The audit reported that there was no match between the student learning outcomes and Social Studies curricula. The purpose of this paper was to align the Nigeria Certificate in Education (NCE) (Social Studies) minimum standards with student learning outcomes to determine gaps and redundancies. The paper also looked at how virtual education enhances curriculum mapping during COVID-19 pandemic. Minimum standards learning outcomes were modified from existing learning outcomes to better align with college learning outcomes and the Social Studies Core and Elective Competencies. All NCE Social Studies courses were mapped to the Social Studies Core and Elective Competencies and assessed to determine the gaps and redundancies. The study used the documentary research method. The purposeful sampling strategy was used to select the research site. Potential gaps were defined as coverage for each competency in about ≤20% of the courses and potential redundancies was considered as coverage of ≥80% of the courses. The mapping exercise revealed gaps; and no redundancies in course content. The findings of the mapping exercises should be used to improve the content provided to NCE Social Studies students at FCT College of Education Zuba, with the overall objective of enhancing the quality of the education provided to those students and helping them to be better students that are prepared for a successful career in Social Studies.

Embedded librarianship and Greek academic libraries

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed overview of the role and participation of embedded librarians in the academic e-classroom. More specifically, this paper reflects the perceptions of Greek academic librarians regarding the use of learning management systems (LMSs). Furthermore, it seeks to highlight the most popular software, to list the services provided through LMSs and to determine the level of librarians’ engagement with LMSs. Finally, it investigates the challenges and benefits of their use.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey research was used as the methodological design. An adequate questionnaire was created for the collection of quantitative data to study the activities and experiences of academic embedded librarians.

Findings

According to the study findings, a considerable percentage of academic librarians use the potential of LMSs, indicating that embedded librarianship is the future for Greek academic libraries. However, it seems that LMSs are not fully exploited even during the pandemic when the libraries remained closed.

Research limitations/implications

This study was exploratory in nature and thus its scope was limited. It was limited to embedded librarianship in academic libraries.

Practical implications

Embedded librarianship comes with many challenges for its practitioners; yet, it also has the potential to connect libraries and librarians directly to the overall institutional aims and enhance their positions in the academy.

Originality/value

The role and participation of embedded librarians in Greek academic institutions is a research area that has not been fully investigated. Therefore, this paper can give insights into this critical issue, especially during a pandemic.

Controls and performance: assessing the mediating role of creativity and collegiality

This study examines the mediating role of two types of employee related behaviour, creativity and collegiality, in the association between the use of Snell’s (1992) three control types (i.e. input, behaviour, and output) with individual employee job performance and organisational performance. An online survey questionnaire was used to collect data, with 203 responses received from Australian lower-level managers. The findings reveal that while output controls influence both individual employee job performance and organisational performance directly, creativity and collegiality play significant roles in mediating the associations between input and behaviour controls with both individual employee job performance and organisational performance. Overall, the findings contribute to the MCS literature by providing an empirical insight into how the use of different types of controls can enhance specific aspects of performance, i.e. individual employee job performance, and organisational financial and non-financial performance, via employee related behaviour (creativity and collegiality). Such findings have important implications for practice.

Sustaining multilinguality: case studies of two multilingual digital libraries

Purpose

This study aims to understand the technical and operational challenges encountered by multilingual digital libraries and their strategies to solve problems in sustaining multilinguality services for digital libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the multiple-case method, this study investigated two digital libraries that have sustained multilinguality for over a decade: the World Digital Library and the Digital Library of the Caribbean.

Findings

This study identified eight factors that contributed to the success of the two multilingual digital libraries and eight technical and operational challenges they have faced. A framework for digital libraries to sustain multilinguality is proposed. This framework illustrates the challenges and strategies to address the challenges in 11 aspects: creation, leadership, collaboration, content, metadata, translation, funding, technology, preservation, staffing and copyright.

Research limitations/implications

This study focused on two multilingual digital libraries administered in the USA, though they do not fully represent multilingual digital libraries in the USA. Therefore, the findings from the study may not apply to multilingual digital libraries the USA or other countries. As on-site interviews of both digital libraries were conducted at the beginning of 2019, the timeframe of this study is up to that date.

Practical implications

With more users worldwide seeking information online, more digital libraries will be providing multilingual services. This study provides guidelines to digital library developers and archivists for building and sustaining their digital libraries or archives. The experience and lessons learned from these two digital libraries may also help to better understand challenges and use effective strategies in building and sustaining multilinguality.

Social implications

The users and communities of digital libraries will be able to learn the benefits and challenges as related to building and sustaining digital library services. These services always need support to better serve their users and communities.

Originality/value

As the first multiple-case research that investigates in-depth challenges and approaches of digital libraries in sustaining multilinguality, this study presents a general picture of how the two digital libraries have succeeded in sustaining multilinguality. Theoretically, the study enriches the literature by providing a more comprehensive sustainability framework for multilinguality. This framework specifies possible aspects to consider for gaining sustainability of multilingual digital libraries and offers useful guidelines and insights for the digital library community to build multilingual services.

The making of accessible Android applications: an empirical study on the state of the practice

Nowadays, mobile applications represent the principal means to enable human interaction. Being so pervasive, these applications should be made usable for all users: accessibility collects the guidelines that developers should follow to include features allowing users with disabilities (e.g., visual impairments) to better interact with an application. While research in this field is gaining interest, there is still a notable lack of knowledge on how developers practically deal with the problem: (i) whether they are aware and take accessibility guidelines into account when developing apps, (ii) which guidelines are harder for them to implement, and (iii) which tools they use to be supported in this task. To bridge the gap of knowledge on the state of the practice concerning the accessibility of mobile applications, we adopt a mixed-method research approach with a twofold goal. We aim to (i) verify how accessibility guidelines are implemented in mobile applications through a coding strategy and (ii) survey mobile developers on the issues and challenges of dealing with accessibility in practice. The key results of the study show that most accessibility guidelines are ignored when developing mobile apps. This behavior is mainly due to the lack of developers' awareness of accessibility concerns and the lack of tools to support them during the development.

Authentic leadership in a pandemic world: an exploratory study in the Indian context

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the strategies that helps leaders be authentic in order to be able to respond proactively and become effective in helping their organisations they lead in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative approach, 25 business leaders from diverse sectors were interviewed to understand what sustained them in an adverse context.

Findings

Results reveal various dimensions of authentic leadership in a disruptive environment. Authentic leaders have to exhibit distinct behaviours that stems from re-examining oneself to reaffirming organisational purpose. Reimagining the work is emerged as the newer dimension to the authentic leadership considering the context of COVID-19.

Practical implications

The results of the study provides insights for anyone leading organisations in today's disruptive business environment. The findings of this study can be used further to undertake quantitative studies to test professional relationships and understand the leadership strategies at different time frames.

Originality/value

This paper addresses the strategies that leaders successfully follow to withstand the COVID crisis and highlights the different roles and behaviours that helped leaders to address the crisis confidently.

Leadership presence: A concept analysis

AIM

To examine the concept of Leadership Presence.

BACKGROUND

Presence is an essential factor in a leader's repertoire. However, the concept is not well-defined, or the significance understood on how leadership presence affects individual and organizational outcomes.

DESIGN

Walker and Avant's modified method of concept analysis DATA SOURCE: Literature from multiple scholarly databases were searched. The search terms "leadership," "presence," "physical presence," and "leadership presence" were imputed using established inclusion criteria: full text, peer-reviewed, and printed in the English language from 2016 to 2021.

REVIEW METHODS

Articles examined to determine the context of leadership presence and to understand and identify the antecedents, attributes, and consequences of leadership presence.

RESULTS

Eighteen articles met inclusion criteria and were examined. Antecedents consisted of elements that represented the internal complexity of the organization and the presence of external threats. Attributes included a leader's emotional intelligence, a vision for improvement, and a commitment to successful caring and patient outcomes. Consequences evolved from organizational and individual elements of leadership presence.

CONCLUSION

By understanding the concept of leadership presence, nurse leaders can appreciate the meaning, implications, and contributions of this concept and employ leadership factors that influence nurse, patient, and organizational outcomes.

Data science education programmes in Middle Eastern institutions: A survey study

In response to the current trends in dealing with data in academia, various research institutions and commercial entities around the world are building new programmes to fill the gaps in workforce demand in specific disciplines, including data curation, big data, data management, data science and data analytics. Thus, the aim of the present study was to reveal the reality of data science education in the Middle East and to determine the opportunities and challenges for teaching data science in the region. Thirteen countries in the Middle East were offering 48 data science programmes at the time of the study. The results reveal that these data science programmes significantly use the words ‘data’ and ‘analytics’ in their names. With regard to the academic affiliations of the data science programmes, the study found that they are offered in a variety of schools, especially computer science, information technology and business. Moreover, the study found that computer science is the dominant trend in the programmes. Data science programmes have a significant overlap with other programmes, especially statistics and computer science, because of the interdisciplinary nature of this field. Data science schools in the Middle East differ in terms of their programme titles, programme descriptions, course catalogues, curriculum structures and course objectives. Broadly, this study may be useful for those who are seeking to establish a data science programme or to strengthen data science curricula at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

The influence of the psychological contract on employee engagement in a South African bank

The workplace is characterised by numerous contracts of agreement that an employee and employer must sign to formalise their employment relationship. The informal agreement, known as the psychological contract, is often overlooked, although it is pivotal in determining the engagement of employees in an organisation. This study aimed to probe the perceptions line managers have of the influence of the psychological contract on employee engagement in a South African bank with a particular focus on how the integration of technologies from the Fourth Industrial Revolution may have impacted the workplace in the banking sector. The study was carried out using a qualitative research approach. A purposive random sampling strategy was used to select participants who were interviewed using semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. The data collected were analysed using thematic analysis, and verbatim quotes were used to support emergent themes. The findings of the study revealed that continuous change in the world, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, influences employee expectations. Thus, organisations must be able to quickly adapt and adjust their talent attraction and retention mechanisms. Talent management, the nature of the business, structure and operations, the nature of the work environment, and emotional needs are the themes that emerged from the study. With the constant change in the world of work, including industry disruptions continually imposed by the 4IR and other factors, employees’ expectations are ever-changing. Thus, organisations must keep adapting to attract and retain talent. This study adds value by addressing various aspects aligned with competitively adjusting to the current and future world of work.

A novel application of the Lego® Serious Play® methodology in mental health research: Understanding service users' experiences of the 0-19 mental health model in the United Kingdom

AIM

The 0-19 model is an example of a service that has been retransformed in line with UK's recent policies. However, there is limited qualitative research exploring young people's experiences with the accessibility and acceptability of retransformed models through more participatory qualitative approaches. This study aimed to understand service users' experiences of accessibility and acceptability with the 0-19 model and its service provision. In addition, we also aim to outline the process and application of the Lego® Serious Play® methodology to the context of children and young people's mental health research and reflect on the usefulness of this novel approach and its potential for further research use.

METHODS

A qualitative methodology based on the Lego® Serious Play® approach was used to investigate service users' perceptions of the accessibility and acceptability of the 0-19 model. This novel approach is viewed as a facilitator of engagement, which also stimulates critical thinking and reflective practice. All interviews were thematically analysed.

RESULTS

Seven participants constructed 14 models and provided metaphorical narratives for them besides engaging in group discussions. Thematic analysis of the participants' models and narratives resulted in six identified themes: accessibility, doors into the unknown, let it out, overcoming obstacles, less is sometimes better and satisfaction with the 0-19 model and its provision.

CONCLUSION

Participants in this study perceived the 0-19 model as acceptable and, to a degree, accessible. Participants identified a range of barriers to accessibility, such as inconvenient locations, long waiting and inflexible working times.