Giving lectures a voice for a cross-cultural audience

The purpose of this poster is to outline a current research project investigating the value of the inclusion of online audio lectures, in units involving cross-cultural student audiences. This research project arose from two contributing factors: The increase in the number of international students, studying both on and off campus, and the movement for universities to go 'online'.

Giving young Emirati women a voice : participatory action research on physical activity

International evidence on health promotion indicates the importance of regular physical activity for preventing and reducing the incidence of obesity and chronic diseases. This study investigated the relationship between physical activity and the social milieu of young Muslim women in the United Arab Emirates. This participatory action research project included semi-structured in-depth interviews and focus groups and yielded qualitative data. Set within a context of rapid social change, perceived barriers to daily exercise influenced participants’ physical activity levels and overall well-being. Results indicated a lack of physical exercise and strategies were proposed for implementation by college staff and students.

Antecedents and consequences of customer satisfaction with interactive voice response

The aim of this study was to empirically test a model of antecedents and consequences of customers’ satisfaction with interactive voice response (IVR). IVR is a commonplace selfservice technology, yet it has seldom been the focus of academic research. As customers’ frustration with IVR is apparent, understanding how customers evaluate IVR and their subsequent behavioural intentions is important. Findings of a study of Australian Football League members who were users of its IVR system indicated that customer satisfaction resulted when it was easy to use, offered fast service and provided customers with feelings of control. Overall satisfaction with the IVR system was related to customers’ intentions to reuse it and their trust in the AFL. Managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

A new dimension of organizational justice : procedural voice

Dimensionality of the Colquitt justice measures was investigated across a wide range of service occupations. Structural equation modeling of data from 410 survey respondents found support for the 4-factor model of justice (procedural, distributive, interpersonal, and informational), although significant improvement of model fit was obtained by including a new latent variable, “procedural voice,” which taps employees’ desire to express their views and feelings and influence results. The model was confirmed in a second sample (N = 505) in the same organization six months later.

‘My school has been quite pushy about the Oxbridge thing’ : voice and choice of higher education

Whilst government policies are now pushing teachers to listen to pupils, this concern is largely framed within the school improvement agenda. This is not the only arena where listening to pupils counts. This article examines the ways in which two young people, making a significant choice about which university to attend, felt unable to discuss their interests and concerns with their teachers. In one case, this resulted in a young woman doing less well in her examinations in order to avoid getting her first preference of Oxbridge, and securing her ‘real choice’ at another Russell Group university. The other was not invited by his school to apply to Oxbridge, despite a desire to go there which he felt unable to articulate at school. We suggest that, given the current concern over widening participation, these two cases provide hints that all is not well with school gate-keeping and career guidance procedures.

A study of performing techniques and interpretations of G.F. Handel's operatic and oratorio arias for contralto voice

A comprehension of the interpretations and performing techniques of Handel's works is sought in order to perform a program of his vocal works. Genres, 17th and 18th century performance practice, modern interpretation of the repertoire and the author's personal realisations are examined.

Voice art

This study investigated people's ability to control changes in voice volume in order to create digital art. The results demonstrated that with practice, people without previous vocal training are able to improve control over their voice volume. However, it is not sufficient to create art.

There's a fly in my soup : the influence of service guarantees and personal requests on customer voice

Anecdotal evidence suggests that service guarantees and personal requests by service workers encourage customers to voice following failure. However, empirical support for these tactics in facilitating complaints to the organisation is limited. To address this deficiency, a 3 (guarantee treatment: none, unconditional or combined) x 2 (personal request to voice: yes or no) x 2 (failure severity: minor or major) full factorial, between subjects experiment was conducted in a restaurant context. Findings suggest that offering a service guarantee, regardless of whether it is unconditional or combined, can encourage voice. Severity of the failure was also found to be associated with voice. Surprisingly, however, a personal request to voice was not related to customers’ voice intentions. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Giving the people a voice? Experiments with consultative authoritarian institutions in China

In the last decade Chinese consultative authoritarianism has been renewed through many political and administrative innovations and tools. Authoritarian rule in China is now permeated by a wide variety of consultative and deliberative practices. These practices stabilize and strengthen authoritarian rule, leading to deliberative authoritarianism, an advanced form of consultative authoritarianism. This paper discusses two experiments—deliberative polling at Zeguo, Zhejiang, and a township election in Ya'an, Sichuan. Through these two cases we examine the direction which the development of consultative authoritarianism is presently taking, and the potentials and limitations of such input mechanisms in an authoritarian setting.