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This perspective article responds to the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) as a significant opportunity for growth among family businesses, highlighting the need for future research to attain a clear picture of the next generation of family business successors.

This is a literature review of current technology adoption within family businesses. The authors offer some research insight to spur critical thinking and discourse around the impact of AI on family business successors.

Family businesses are initially skeptical of AI technology. However, its use and adoption are crucial for the survival of the family business. To leverage this technology, the authors need to investigate the role of the family business successors as “Gen AI.”

It is challenging but necessary to develop policies and educational support for successors to ensure the survival of family businesses worldwide. The authors propose four key areas of future research.

This paper aims to critique a facilitated knowledge management (KM) process that utilises filtered big data and, specifically, the process effectiveness in overcoming barriers to small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs’) use of big data, the processes enablement of SME engagement with and use of big data and the process effect on SME competitiveness within an agri-food sector.

From 300 participant firms, SME owner-managers representing seven longitudinal case studies were contacted by the facilitator at least once-monthly over six months.

Results indicate that explicit and tacit knowledge can be enhanced when SMEs have access to a facilitated programme that analyses, packages and explains big data consumer analytics captured by a large pillar firm in a food network. Additionally, big data and knowledge are mutually exclusive unless effective KM processes are implemented. Several barriers to knowledge acquisition and application stem from SME resource limitations, strategic orientation and asymmetrical power relationships within a network.

By using Dunnhumby data, this study captured the impact of only one form of big data, consumer analytics. However, this is a significant data set for SME agri-food businesses. Additionally, although the SMEs were based in only one UK region, Northern Ireland, there is wide scope for future research across multiple UK regions with the same Dunnhumby data set.

The study demonstrates the potential relevance of big data to SMEs’ activities and developments, explicitly identifying that realising this potential requires the data to be filtered and presented as market-relevant information that engages SMEs, recognises relationship dynamics and supports learning through feedback and two-way dialogue. This is the first study that empirically analyses filtered big data and SME competitiveness. The examination of relationship dynamics also overcomes existing literature limitations where SMEs’ constraints are seen as the prime factor restricting knowledge transfer.

Drawing on the resource-based view of the firm, this article explores the influences of market intelligence on the development of small business marketing capabilities, with reference to specialized marketing capabilities, architectural marketing capabilities and dynamic capabilities.

The conceptual framework and propositions present and interpret the resource–capability complementarity between market intelligence and small business marketing capabilities and outline the relationship between individual capability sets.

Market intelligence is shown to be crucial in the development of small business marketing capabilities and in the implementation of more formalized marketing strategies that allow small businesses to create value for customers and improve their performance. However, the level to which market intelligence is utilized and marketing capabilities are developed is found to be considerably influenced by the small business owner-manager and firm learning.

It is imperative that small businesses acknowledge the practical benefits of market intelligence and harness these advantages accordingly. However, owner-managers must be motivated to encourage the development of more formalized marketing capabilities and act incisively upon the information derived from market intelligence.

Recent research indicates that market intelligence and marketing capabilities can interact to enable a firm to align its resources with the market, by providing customer insights that guide them as to which value-adding activities they should implement. However, extant research in this area remains in its infancy, and very little is known about the adoption processes of market intelligence in small businesses and its role in developing marketing capabilities.

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) is possibly “the richest and most accessible service-learning experience” in the marketing curriculum (Petkus, 2000, p. 68). Yet, despite this recognition, scholars and practitioners continue to lament the pronounced theory-practice gap between how IMC is taught and the practice of it in industry (Schultz and Patti, 2009; Kerr and Kelly, 2017). This research embeds IMC practice within a classroom setting and subsequently explores student marketers' perceptions of their skill development through experiential client-based learning.

An in-depth qualitative study demonstrates the value of integrating experiential learning within an IMC course, captured through students' reflective practice.

Evidence suggests that experiential, client-based projects are suitable for fostering key practice-based skills in the classroom through students “experiencing” IMC at work. However, this is not always easy. In fact, building key skills such as leadership, motivation, communications, organisation and teamwork presents various challenges for students, whilst students appear unaware of other pertinent skills (e.g. persuasion, critical thinking) gained through exposure to “real-world” IMC tasks.

Instructors adopting experiential learning in the marketing classroom have an opportunity to actively design tasks to embed key workplace skills to bridge the theory-practice gap. Client-based projects offer fertile ground for students to experience marketing in action whilst ultimately bolstering their confidence in their workplace skills.

This research contributes to the marketing education literature and acknowledges the importance of embedding key workplace skills into the contemporary marketing curriculum. An overview of challenges and solutions for instructors seeking to adopt experiential learning via client-based projects in the IMC classroom is presented within this research.

The purpose of this paper is to go beyond the predominantly conceptual or normative approach found in the market segmentation literature and focus not only on its actual application but to review the empirical findings themselves (Foedermayr and Diamantopoulos, 2008) so as to provide the basis for identifying and understanding new segments and assessing the strategic development of the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) in Ireland in order to ensure its continued survival, growth and prosperity.

An exploratory methodology is operationalised in this study using qualitative data obtained from 27 participants possessing relevant knowledge and experience of Gaelic football via a range in-depth interviews and focus groups.

This study identifies those existing segmentation bases that are both applicable and non-applicable, to the indigenous amateur game of Gaelic football in Ireland, whilst additionally identifying and developing an understanding of new segmentation bases. Furthermore, it highlights the challenges and opportunities that will require strategic management if the GAA is to successfully maintain and develop its domestic market whilst simultaneously developing its overseas markets.

The findings of this study are limited to the indigenous amateur game of Gaelic football in Ireland. They reaffirm the need to develop segmentation bases for individual sports markets. They highlight issues that will have a strategic impact upon the operations of the GAA and make recommendations for addressing and realising the opportunities that these will present.

This study addresses a research gap in the knowledge in regards to the strategic development and application of existing sports marketing segmentation bases to indigenous amateur sport.

Evidence is lacking as to the superiority of dual-focused versus single-focused approaches in treating depression and alcohol use comorbidity. Different people may also value the different features of treatment options differently, necessitating a decision-support tool. This study aims to test the acceptability, feasibility, safety and potential usefulness of the Alcohol and Depression Decision-Aid for Psychological Treatments (ADDAPT).

ADDAPT was developed according to International Patient Decision-Aid Standards and in consultation with potential end users. Adults with depression and alcohol use comorbidity, who were considering/recently considered psychological treatments, were recruited via online advertisements. After clicking on the study URL, participants accessed the ADDAPT e-book and completed validated and purpose-designed questionnaires.

Of the 24 participants, most would recommend ADDAPT to others (79.2% agree) and endorsed it as easy-to-use (75%), useful in decision-making (79.2%), presenting balanced (87.5%), up-to-date (91.7%), easy-to-understand (79.2%) and trustworthy information (83.3%), which did not provoke anxiety (i.e. safety; 75%). Post-use, participants felt well prepared to decide on treatment (M = 3.48/5) and demonstrated good treatment knowledge (M = 65.83%). All but one participant indicated a treatment choice supported by best available evidence, and decisional conflict scores except for the uncertainty subscale were below the threshold for decisional delay (all M < 37.5/100).

ADDAPT is the first decision-aid of its kind, with pilot findings supporting its acceptability, feasibility, safety and potential usefulness for improving decision-making quality among people considering psychological treatment options for depression and alcohol use comorbidity.

Studies have identified low levels of social support as one of several risk factors for poor psychological outcome following bereavement. Despite this fact, little is known about how bereaved individuals interpret and define social support or which behaviors they perceive as helpful (Cacciatore, Thieleman, Fretts, & Jackson, 2021). The present study seeks to understand the experiences of the support received by Danish families who have lost a parent to death. Individuals recruited from a mutual bereavement support group (N = 87, 25–59 years old) responded to an online survey, which yielded both quantitative and qualitative data, the latter from open-ended questions and comment boxes. The results demonstrated a variety of sources of support. However, some of the bereaved individuals also reported a decided lack of help for both adults and children post-loss. As most respondents were women (93%), future research might shed more light on possible gender differences in the expectations, needs, and experiences of social support in bereavement. The study participants provided elaborate suggestions for the improvement of bereavement support, such as, practical help, access to bereavement support groups, more knowledge on bereavement and grief in the Danish society, and easier access to peer support. The chapter revealed an apparent lack of coordination of the support for parentally bereaved families. Additionally, some groups of bereaved children seemed to be particularly vulnerable and overlooked, namely the very young children, children in late adolescence/young adulthood, and children with special needs.

Increased integration of the social studies into language arts instructional time in elementary schools, has led to a common practice of covering social studies content through use of children’s literature. Though the two content areas are covered in tandem, the primary foci are the language arts objectives. The authors suggest teaching with themed text sets, developed using carefully selected social studies topics and inquiries, not only addresses English Language Arts standards but also allows for authentic and meaningful social studies instruction. A four-step process for developing themed text sets is presented. These are: 1) identify the big idea to be explored, 2) recognize the multiple perspectives needed for a more complete story, 3) locate qualifying texts, and 4) select texts to be included. Each step is demonstrated with three controversial topics in the elementary social studies curriculum: family (Kindergarten-1), civil rights (grades 2-3), and slavery (grades 4-5) and resources are provided for locating texts. The authors illustrate the importance of developing text sets that include multiple perspectives, particularly those lesser-known stories of historical events or themes, to serve as windows or mirrors for children in developing historical content knowledge.

Purpose: The death of a child can elicit enduring and intense parental grief. Additionally, as parents are both confronted with the loss of their child, interpersonal processes come into play. This study aimed to examine the change in reported levels of grief among bereaved parents individually and at a couple-level. The authors examined the differences in grief trajectories between mothers and fathers and whether the reported level of grief of one partner predicts the other partner’s reported level of grief.

Design/methodology/approach: Our longitudinal study included 229 bereaved couples who completed the Inventory of Complicated Grief at 6, 13, and 20 months post-loss.

Findings: A latent growth curve analysis showed that parents reported consistently high average grief levels, mothers reported higher grief levels than fathers, and all parents reported a similar small decline in grief. A cross-lagged panel analysis showed that the grief of one parent affected the grief of the other parent with similar strength. Our results held regardless of the child’s gender and age, but an expected loss was associated with a lower grief level 6 months post-loss and a smaller decline in reported levels of grief.

Originality/value: These findings highlight bereaved parents as a particularly vulnerable population, increase our understanding of change in parental grief over time and of the interdependence of grieving in bereaved couples.

Loneliness is consistently presumed to be a specific ‘social problem’, which accompanies old age and growing older. Ninety per cent of the general population of Britain feel that loneliness is particularly a problem associated with old age. Data concerning the prevalence of loneliness amongst the population aged 65 and over are provided from a quantitative survey of 999 people across Great Britain using a special module commissioned from the ONS Omnibus survey. The overall self‐reported prevalence of loneliness shows little change in the post‐war period and challenges the stereotype that the problem of loneliness and isolation has become more prevalent. Socio‐demographic and health factors were associated with loneliness but contact with family and friends was not. Both quantitative and qualitative data sets illustrate the importance of loss as a theme underpinning experiences of loneliness. Further analysis of these data offers the potential to develop a better understanding of what loneliness really is, what it means to those who experience it may offer the potential to develop interventions and strategies to ‘protect’ older people from this problem.