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The purpose of this study is to examine well-being messaging on Instagram to understand what constitutes transformative social media advertising with potential to enhance consumer lives and create change at a community and societal level.

A novel-phased approach using transformative advertising research and positive psychology is adopted for an in-depth examination of Lululemon, a well-being brand advocate. The study combines secondary case data, analysis of brand messaging on Instagram, interviews with brand followers, and six months of Instagram posts consumer responses.

Four themes – inspiring personal journeys and potential, encouraging mindfulness and gratitude, supporting connection and community and advancing diversity and equity – are used to develop a typology of well-being advertising message elements on Instagram.

This study contributes to the call for research on transformative advertising by establishing that Instagram is a powerful platform for well-being messages, particularly from brands committed to social issues. Practical implications for brands and avenues for future research are provided.

The authors provide three personal perspectives on personality disorder, based on their involvement in writing, directing and acting in a Resurgence Theatre Company production, Differentia, which provided a dramatic representation of personality disorder. The production was shown at the First National Personality Disorder Congress.

Obesity and associated health risks are significant problems in the psychiatric population. This study measured the impact of increases in state benefits on patients' expenditure on foodstuff and consequent increase in calorie consumption. Data were obtained on increases in state benefits and stock levels of foodstuff ordered by the patients' shop and snack bar before and after the increase in benefits. Calorie levels of the extra stock were calculated. The results indicate that changes in state benefits led to increased expenditure by patients' on foodstuff and a significant increase in calorie provision.

To investigate the possible effects of workplace stress in academics on the student learning experience.

Questionnaires were designed and distributed to all academic staff at a Scottish Higher Education Institute. This measured perceived levels of stress amongst academic staff and the possible impact of this on the learning experience of students.

Stress can be seen to impact both negatively and positively on the student learning experience. However, over half of respondents considered themselves to be considerably or extremely stressed and similar levels perceive that stress causes their teaching to be “below par” thus impacting negatively on the student learning experience.

The research was carried out in one institution and hence results cannot be generalised to cover the whole higher education sector.

The findings, together with a growing awareness of the impact of employee stress on organisations, emphasise the need for the institution, and individuals within it, to control stress levels to ensure the student learning experience does not suffer. The paper does not address the growing phenomenon of e‐learning which may act as a stressor: further research is recommended in this area.

This paper highlights that the detrimental effect of stress does not only impact upon members of staff; stress may also impact negatively on the student learning experience.

This study investigated retail influence on the decision making of both parent and child during the purchase of children’s casual‐wear clothing. Principally, it analyses the impact of influential agents on the buying outcome by examining the parent‐child relationship and the retailer influence in relation to need and motivations. By means of 100 parent and child questionnaires and one retail interview, it was concluded that parents were the most influential in deciding which clothes were bought, but children were found to exert a strong influence. The importance of branding to eight to ten year olds supports previous research in that it is closely correlated to peer pressure and the need to be accepted. Retailers were found to influence decision making mainly by the use of merchandise and branding to attract both children and parents. Recommendations for further research are discussed.

To examine the role of formal qualifications in the career development of contemporary hotel general managers in Scotland.

A questionnaire was used which provided a sound basis for comparing the opinions, performance and career paths of both formally qualified and unqualified general managers.

Key findings identified that formal qualifications were an integral part of career development. They facilitated career moves between companies and allowed prospective managers to “fast‐track” to general management status. Formal qualifications were considered particularly beneficial in developing those functional managerial skills required to succeed.

At this present time of change within the industry, the existing move towards a more business perspective in the role of hotel general manager may in fact be influencing the development of managers’ mid‐career. The actual importance today of food and beverage positions may be far less than it has been during the career development of those managers within the sample. If this proves to be the case, there may be a developing trend of managers entering from outside the industry, directly to general management positions. This poses implications for the seemingly “established” career path of hotel general manager through food and beverage functions and deputy/assistant managerial positions.

The conclusions may also present implications for educationists trying to meet the needs of the industry in developing effective managers and for individuals in the development of their careers.