Background: Globally, unpaid carers face economic and societal pressures. Unpaid carers’ support is valued at £132 billion a year in the United Kingdom (UK) alone. However, this care comes at a high cost for the carers themselves. Carers providing round the clock care are more than twice as likely to be in bad health than non-carers. These carers are therefore proportionately more likely to need statutory services such as health care provision. It is critical that carers are better supported to be involved in the shaping, delivery and evaluation of the services they receive. Unfortunately, qualitative evidence on how carer organisations can do this better is scarce. Methods: Working collaboratively with a community-based carers organization, we undertook a qualitative study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 23 participants. Online, semi-structured, one-to-one interviews were conducted with carers, community organization staff and stakeholders to ascertain their experience and views on the involvement service. Results: Firstly, there are a range of benefits resulting from the involvement service. The carers see the service as an opportunity to connect with other carers and share their views and ideas. Secondly, staff and service providers also reported how involvement gave a platform for carers and was of value in helping them shape needs-led services. Thirdly, we found that barriers to good involvement include the lack of a clearly understood, shared definition of involvement as well as the lack of a diverse pool of carer representatives available for involvement activities. Conclusion: The findings from our study provide important insights into how carers, staff and service stakeholders view barriers and enablers to good involvement. The findings will be of interest to a range of community-based organizations interested in further involving members of their community in shaping the services they receive.

Purpose—Quality service plays a significant role in enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. The main objective of this research is to investigate the effect of Salalah port service quality on customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach—This paper used a quantitative research design. Data were collected from 300 repeated customer of Salalah Port in Oman. Statistical Package (SPSS) version 25.0 was used for analysis of data and adopted to test the hypothesized model. Findings—The research findings confirm the positive influence of the five dimensions of service quality – tangible, empathy, reliability, responsiveness, assurance (TERRA) on customer satisfaction. Originality/value—The findings of this study develop the literature by adding empirical research evidence that the TERRA of Salalah port service quality which have a significant effect on customer satisfaction. The result also provide evidence from the Arab region where the data and research in this region are limited.

This empirical study explores the influence of Hollywood product placements on cultural perceptions and teaching practices of preservice English teachers in higher education in China. Hollywood movies and TV series routinely use product placements as a tactic to blend commercial goals with compelling storylines, which could possibly influence the perceptions, and potential teaching practice of Chinese preservice English teachers. The purpose of this study is to determine the degree to which material culture in the form of product placement in Hollywood affects preservice English teachers’ image of America, and their future teaching practice, altering their expectations and goals as well as how they view the West. The study uses a quantitative study method by means of an online questionnaire (N = 497) and applies structural equation modelling to conduct data analysis. The results find notable significant relationships including those from food, architecture, transportation, and electronic devices to positive image of America, as well as architecture and transportation to potential teaching practice. The most prominent path is from image to teaching. However, certain relationships, including those from fashion to image and food to teaching, do not demonstrate statistical significance. These results contribute to the theoretical and practical understanding of how preservice English teachers see Hollywood’s material culture, and how it affects their perception and possible teaching methods. The findings also demonstrate how preservice teachers’ perceptions and educational approaches are shaped by Hollywood’s material culture in the form of product placement, while simultaneously emphasizing the significance of integration of media literacy and upholding their cultural identity amidst these influences.

This research investigates the determinants of digital transformation among Vietnamese logistics service providers (LSPs). Employing the Technological-Organizational-Environmental framework and Resource Fit theory, the study identifies key factors influencing this process across different three stages: digitization, digitalization, digital transformation. Data from in-depth interviews with industry experts and a survey of 390 LSPs were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM). The findings reveal that the factors influencing the digital transformation of Vietnamese LSPs evolve across different stages. In the initial phase, information technology infrastructure, financial resources, employee capabilities, external pressures, and support services are key determinants. As digitalization progresses, leadership emerges as a crucial factor alongside the existing ones. In the final stage, the impact of these factors persists, with leadership and employee capabilities becoming increasingly important.

service-learning activities are effective in higher education programmes. During the COVID-19 period, universities have implemented this methodology and students have improved their social and practical skills. The purpose of this article is to analyse the role of higher education in the process of adapting teaching based on experiences designed for students to serve the community. This research presents the results of a specific service-learning experience of 35 students from the Teamworking programme during the academic years 2020–21 (online) and 2021–22 (face-to-face), in collaboration with the San Juan de Dios Foundation in Madrid, which provides care for people with disabilities. Students evaluated the experience through a quantitative study based on a questionnaire previously developed by Folgueiras (2013), divided into four dimensions. Students also provided some feedback, explaining that this experience changed their perception of people with disabilities, considering the personal value of contributing to social inclusion through service learning. The results show that through the Folgueiras model, students have strengthened their social skills and competences, and through an applied training project that offers the opportunity to build a real relationship through different activities, where learning was at the centre of the interaction between students and young people with disabilities. In conclusion, although the evaluation was positive in terms of the students’ professional and human development, this project requires continuous improvement in the long term, since the subjectivity of human relationships follows a dynamic course with variables that are sensitive to time and individual experience.

Academic integrity has been at the centre of the discussion of the adoption of Chat GPT by academics in their research. This study explored how academic integrity mitigates the desire to use ChatGPT in academic tasks by EFL Pre-service teachers, in consideration of the time factor, perceived peer influence, academic self-effectiveness, and self-esteem. The study utilized web-based questionnaires to elicit data from 300 EFL Pre-service teachers across educational fields drawn from different schools across the world. Analysis was conducted using relevant statistical measures to test the projected four hypotheses. The findings provide evidence in support of Hypothesis 1, with a statistically significant path coefficient (β) of 0.442, a t-value of 3.728, and a p-value of 0.000. The hypothesis acceptance implies that when academic integrity improves, the impact of the time-saving aspect of the use of ChatGPT Across educational fields study decreases. This suggests that EFL Pre-service teachers who have a firm dedication to academic honesty are less influenced by the tempting appeal of ChatGPT’s time-saving features, highlighting the ethical factors that influence their decision-making. The data also provide support for Hypothesis 2, indicating a substantial inverse relationship with a path coefficient (β) of 0.369, a t-value of 5.629, and a p-value of 0.001. These findings indicate that stronger adherence to academic integrity is linked to a diminished effect of colleagues on the choice to use ChatGPT in Academic tasks. The results suggest that a firm dedication to academic honesty serves as a protective barrier against exogenous pressures or influences from colleagues when it comes to embracing cutting-edge technology. However, in general, these findings revealed there was a negative association between academically related factors (e.g., time factor, sense of peer pressure, language study self-confidence, and academic language competence), as well as an attitude toward adoption of ChatGPT and commitment towards academic integrity.