Applying the adaptive model of comfort

This note is directed to one major aspect of the comfort of building occupants – namely, thermal comfort. Even though it may be difficult to isolate thermal sensations from the whole of comfort itself, humans have a strong physiological connection with their thermal environment. Our thermal perceptions and sensations often vary greatly, especially between our indoor and outdoor environments. We may be totally comfortable lounging under a shade cloth on a 35°C day with a stiff breeze enveloping our body, but would never tolerate similar conditions indoors. Such divergent perceptions of the same thermal stimulus across differing contexts raise countless questions about just what the determinants of thermal comfort actually are, and how they may be managed against the demands for an environmentally responsive architecture.

Prediction intention to quit in the call centre industry: does the retail model fit?

Purpose – Models of workplace turnover are rarely assessed in contexts other than that in which they were developed. This reduces their generalizability and their usefulness in providing managers with guidance as to what they might do to reduce workers intentions to quit. The purpose of this study is to test a model derived from a study of shop floor retail salespeople in the call centre environment.

Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire measuring the variables in the model was completed by 126 call centre representatives recruited from 11 call centres in Melbourne, Australia.

Findings – Although the model was supported, the interactions among the variables differed. In particular, stressors played a bigger, albeit indirect, role in the intention to quit.

Practical implications – Call centre managers need to consider carefully the aspects of the work environment that may be stressful. If appropriately addressed, turnover may be reduced, and productivity increased.

Originality/value – This paper demonstrates that the model of turnover derived from shop floor salespeople is generally robust in the call centre setting. It provides management of call centres with some guidance as to the factors associated with turnover and areas that can be addressed to reduce it.

Testing the Fit of the BANKSERV model to BANKPERF data

To date, financial institutions have no recognised publicly available and standard scale to measure the quality of their services (Bahia and Nantel, 2000). Much of the service quality literature has focused on two measures, SERVQUAL and SERVPERF. Although debate continues about the pros and cons of these individual measures, the reality is that neither is industry specific. The BANKSERV instrument was developed to measure service quality in retail banking as perceived by customers. It was designed to allow customers to reflect on their expectations and perceptions in single statements. This paper reports the results of a confirmatory factor analysis conducted to test the fit of the BANKSERV model to data collected using a perceptions-only measure (BANKPERF). Data were collected via questionnaire, with a sample of 348 banking customers being obtained. Findings suggest that the ‘goodness of fit’ of the BANKSERV model to the observed data was ‘marginal’.

Cross-discipline collaboration and innovation in the design studio : drawing on the Bath model

As information expands and comprehension becomes more complex, so the need increases to develop focused areas of knowledge and skill acquisition. However, as the number of specialty areas increases so the languages that define each separate knowledge base become increasingly remote. Hence, concepts and viewpoints that were once considered part of a whole become detached. This phenomenon is typical of the development of tertiary education, especially within professional oriented courses, where disciplines and sub-disciplines have grown further apart and the ability to communicate has become increasingly fragmented.
One individual and visionary who was well acquainted with the shortcomings of the piecemeal development between the disciplines was Professor Sir Edmond Happold, the leader of the prestigious group known as Structures 3 at Ove Arup and Partners, who were responsible for making happen some of the landmark buildings of their time, including Sydney Opera House and the Pompidou Centre, and the founding professor of the Bath school of Architecture and Civil Engineering in 1975. While still having a profound respect for the knowledge bases of the different professions within the building and construction industry, Professor Happold was also well aware of the extraordinary synergies in design and innovation which could come about when the disciplines of Architecture and Civil Engineering were brought together at the outset of the design process.
This paper discusses the rational behind Professor Happold’s cross-discipline model of education and reflects on the method, execution and pedagogical worth of the joint studio-based projects which formed a core aspect of the third year program at the School of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the Bath University.

International and interdisciplinary approach to curriculum : the Melbourne model

‘The Melbourne Model’ is a new approach to university curriculum that has been adopted recently by the University of Melbourne, Australia. It incorporates elements of the 3+2+3 or three cycle structure identified in the Bologna Process, and of the objectives of ‘liberal education’ evident in undergraduate education in North America. The Melbourne curriculum model is internationally aligned, while simultaneously responsive to the particular context of Australian higher education policy. The new curriculum also incorporates interdisciplinarity of several variants in order that all students are exposed to and learn about alternative knowledge domains, methods of investigation and enquiry, and different ways of knowing. Interdisciplinary study in the Melbourne Model is ensured through a requirement that students study one quarter of their subjects outside their core curriculum, a requirement known as ‘breadth’. This paper examines two aspects of the Melbourne Model curriculum: its international nature and interdisciplinary character.

Interdisciplinary higher education and the Melbourne model

The so-called ‘Melbourne Model’ has recently been adopted by the Council of the University of Melbourne, Australia after a long consultation process and widespread media attention. It proposes the design of new subjects which offer what are referred to as ‘different ways of knowing’ from students’ ‘core’ disciplines, partly through ‘the delivery of breadth subjects that are interdisciplinary in character’. This paper explores interdisciplinary higher education in the light of The Melbourne Model’. Definitional issues associated with the term ‘academic discipline’, as well as the newer terms ‘interdisciplinary’, ‘pluridisciplinary’, ‘cross-disciplinary’, ‘transdisciplinary’ and ‘multidisciplinary’ are examined. Some of the pedagogical issues inherent in a move from a traditional form of educational delivery to that underlined by the Melbourne Model are outlined. Some epistemological considerations relevant to multidisciplinarity and interdisciplinarity are discussed.

To save or to consume: linking growth theory with the Keynesian model

In the neoclassical growth theory, higher saving rate gives rise to higher output per capita. However, in the Keynesian model, higher saving rate causes lower consumption, which may lead to a recession. Students may ask, “Should we save or should we consume?” In most of the macroeconomics textbooks, economic growth and Keynesian economics are in separate, sometimes unsequential, chapters. The connection between the short run and the long run is not apparent. The author builds a bridge between the neoclassical growth theory and the Keynesian model. He links the Solow diagram and the IS-LM curves and depicts the short-run to long-run transition of the economy after changes in saving and other macroeconomic policies.

Towards the confirmation of the MOA model : an applied approach

The aim of this paper is to develop a grounded understanding of the role that the MOA constructs play in influencing environmentally responsible  behaviour. Data collected is used to qualitatively confirm the MOA Model (Rothschild, 1999) in an environmental management application and provide a basis to inform the development of a comprehensive quantitative causal investigation. This study will seek to determine the specific contributions of each MOA factor in the study context. The case study chosen for this investigation is representative of other social marketing applications for the MOA framework. The case study concerns the behaviour of agrarian land managers with respect to the rabbit pest problem affecting rural Australia. The paper concludes by confirming the appropriateness of the constructs within the MOA Model.

Testing the circumplex model of emotions in a consumer setting

There is widespread belief that more positive emotional reactions to consumption situations will lead to positive business outcomes such as increased market share through the combination of increased loyalty, repeat purchase and strengthened reputation. However, most of the psychological work on emotions has not dealt directly with consumption experiences, but rather broader everyday experiences. In this study, psychological models of emotion were tested using magazine subscribers, specifically looking at their emotional responses to the magazine and the overall subscription package. The aim was to determine whether one of the major theories on emotional structure, the circumplex model, is relevant and consistent when applied specifically to a consumption experience. The results are positive, with the model being supported, and they provide insight into the structure and relations of different emotional responses (e.g., satisfaction, delight) consumers might have to a consumption experience.

Where is the business model for citizen journalism?

Citizen journalism is not stealing much of the audience from traditional journalism. To date, it has failed to find a viable business model in the sense that it does not pay for itself. Yet it threatens traditional journalism because it has the potential to fragment audiences. That means that traditional journalism is going to have to revise its values and practices. The most likely scenario is a coming together of professional journalism and user-generated content and comment. Even so, the same dilemma confronts all forms of journalism: how to access financial support for "quality ".

The "HEALTH" model- part 1 : treatment program guidelines for complex PTSD

This paper outlines the development and piloting of the “HEALTH” model for treatment of Complex PTSD in clients who have experienced multiple traumas across childhood and adulthood - particularly child sexual abuse and sexual assault in adulthood. As a guideline-based treatment model, HEALTH outlines six stages of intervention: (1) having a supportive therapist; (2) ensuring personal safety; (3) assisting with daily functioning; (4) self-regulation - learning to manage core PTSD symptoms; (5) treating Complex PTSD symptoms; and, finally, (6) having patience and persistence to enable “ego strengthening”. Using a case study approach, we provide both qualitative and quantitative assessment data for the individuals in the study, all of whom displayed numerous pre-treatment symptoms of Complex PTSD. Such programs are different to standard PTSD treatment programs that focus predominantly on core PTSD symptoms of re-experiencing, avoidance and arousal. The results of this study provided support for the use of guideline-based treatment programs that cater specifically for the needs of those who have suffered long-term/multiple trauma experiences by targeting Complex PTSD symptoms.