The following paper, "Enhancing portfolio risk management: a comparative study of parametric, non-parametric, and Monte Carlo methods, with VaR and percentile ranking" (International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets 16(3) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
International Journal of Reliability and Safety 2024 Vol.18 No.2
Aligning curricula with industry need has long been recognized as an important factor in making academic courses relevant to the job market. One effective approach involves educators collaborating with industry stakeholders to help shape the academic programs offered. Such collaboration leads to knowledge exchange and potentially an improved social impact of the education system in areas relevant to industry. Such an approach can help equip students with practical skills and knowledge that will be valued by potential employers
Research in the International Journal of Business Performance Management looks at one method of aligning higher education curricula with industry requirements through an industry-driven curriculum framework. Tamilselvan Mahalingam of the Higher Colleges of Technology, Dubai Men’s Campus in Dubai International Academic City, UAE, has worked with subject-matter experts from various sectors to review syllabuses in order to identify gaps. The research shows the benefits of the approach in a specific institutional setting, which may well be more widely applicable. The results show the value of integrating an industry-driven curriculum framework into curriculum design and delivery to bridge the gap between academic offerings and industry needs.
Of course, the concept of co-creating curricula is not new, and many educational institutions worldwide have adopted it with varying success. The research literature shows the benefits of such collaborations, including better graduate employability and curricula that better reflect industry requirements. However, the approaches to engaging industry partners differ significantly among institutions, and clear governance structures for these collaborations have proven advantageous.
Mahalingam’s approach fits the mould in this regard. Instead of focusing on developing generic frameworks and best practices and overlooking specific recommendations for co-creating curricula, the new work offers a dedicated framework. This framework can be integrated with the institution’s existing governance system in order to improve collaboration and course content. Mahalingam demonstrates how valuable this framework approach could be and adds that continuous evaluation and adaptation would be important to maintaining its effectiveness in an ever-changing industry landscape.
Mahalingam, T. (2024) ‘Bridging the gap between academia and industry: a case study of collaborative curriculum development’, Int. J. Business Performance Management, Vol. 25, No. 4, pp.589–603.
The following paper, "Bridging the gap between academia and industry: a case study of collaborative curriculum development" (International Journal of Business Performance Management 25(4) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
The following paper, "Using electronic health records to improve healthcare information management" (International Journal of Electronic Healthcare 14(5) 2024), is freely available for download as an open access article.
It can be downloaded via the full-text link available here.
Research in the International Journal of Knowledge-Based Development has found that our feelings and attitudes during times of crises affect our behaviour and that during a globally testing times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, governments should make themselves fully aware of this prior to communicating with the public on the policy matters associated with addressing such a crisis
Kirti Dutta of Rishihood University in Haryana, India, Guillaume P. Fernandez of the Academy of Marketing and Communications SAWI in Geneva, Bart F. Norré and Joaquin Fernandez of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Western Switzerland in Marly, Switzerland, Dorota Reykowska of NEUROHM and Rafal Ohme of WSB University in Warsaw, Poland, Dunia Harajli of the Lebanese American University in Beirut, Lebanon, used the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) in their study. They focused on declared behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and Sweden. Their findings offer useful insight for policymakers hoping to improve the government response to such a health crisis.
TPB, originally developed by social psychologist Icek Ajzen, extended the theory of reasoned action and suggests that our behaviour has three main drivers: personal attitudes and views towards that behaviour, subjective norms, such as perceived social pressures to perform or not perform said behaviour, and perceived behavioural control, the ease or difficulty faced in performing the behaviour.
Dutta and colleagues used this framework to look at the complex way in which people responded to the pandemic. Fundamentally, they found that people’s perceived threats from the pandemic significantly affected their behaviour, as one might expect. But, the effect was both direct and indirect, and attitude then played an important part in how people responded to the different ways in which governments attempted to handle the pandemic. The team notes that in Australia and New Zealand, where the speed with which COVID-19 spread was lower than elsewhere, there were higher levels of social cooperation and positive public attitudes towards the health measures implemented by government. In contrast, the USA, India, and Brazil encountered challenges because of a lower level of public compliance.
The research suggests that policymakers must prioritize understanding and shaping public attitudes through better strategic communication. This would allow them to improve the positive impact of any health measures needed during a future pandemic. Of course, public compliance during such a crisis may well pivot markedly depending on the behaviour and compliance of those policymakers themselves.
In the broader context of the COVID-19 pandemic, these findings emphasize the importance of public attitudes in shaping behaviour. Governments worldwide will have to face global crises again. The study offers useful pointers on enhancing public health strategies and fostering greater social cooperation.
Dutta, K., Fernandez, G.P., Norré, B.F., Reykowska, D., Ohme, R., Harajli, D. and Fernandez, J. (2024) ‘Knowledge of declared behaviour: effect of attitude and intention’, Int. J. Knowledge-Based Development, Vol. 14, No. 2, pp.133–161.
Research in the International Journal of Sport Management and Marketing has investigated the effect of celebrity endorsements on consumer attitudes and purchasing decisions. The work focused on particular well-known brands and the influence of fan identification.
Eduardo Fons, Maria-José Miquel-Romero, Manuel Cuadrado-García, and Juan D. Montoro-Pons of the University of Valencia in Valencia, Spain, surveyed 324 Spanish football league fans. They asked questions to find out about brand recall, brand attitudes, and purchase intentions related to celebrity-endorsed sports brands. The team’s findings challenge the received wisdom that prominent brands significantly benefit from celebrity endorsements. Indeed, the implication is that the glamour has faded somewhat and that fans in this niche are perhaps experiencing celebrity fatigue when it comes to these kinds of so-called influencers.
Since the 1960s, sport has evolved into a major form of mass entertainment. Athletes in many sporting areas, particularly football (soccer) leading players at the big teams have become celebrities. As such, these people can attract not only enormous fees from their clubs but command significant sponsorship from brands hoping to exploit their fame.
Billions of dollars are invested in sponsorships each year, with some two-thirds of that being directed toward sports. Celebrity endorsement as a marketing strategy has for many years been a big part of this especially in attempting to influence younger people with disposable income.
However, the present study suggests that the effectiveness of celebrity endorsements depends on the attributes of both the celebrity and the brand. Celebrities and brands bring unique characteristics to an endorsement relationship, and their compatibility can significantly impact the campaign’s success. The team adds that until this work there was something of a gap in the research literature regarding the differential effects of celebrities and brands in endorsement campaigns, especially when both are already well-known.
The most important finding from the work is that a fan’s identification with a celebrity plays a crucial role in their perception of endorsements. Fans who strongly identify with a celebrity are more likely to recall the endorsed brand and exhibit positive attitudes and purchase intentions towards it. However, for prominent brands, celebrity endorsement does not change this significantly. In other words, celebrity endorsement does not necessarily boost sales of a previously strong and prominent brand. Marketing departments for such brands might save their money and side-step the sports stars.
Fons, E., Miquel-Romero, M-J., Cuadrado-García, M. and Montoro-Pons, J.D. (2024) ‘I like you, but I don’t need you: the diminishing returns of celebrity endorsement for popular brands’, Int. J. Sport Management and Marketing, Vol. 24, Nos. 3/4, pp.244–261.
