Evaluation of Information System Investments: A Value Dials approach to closing the theory-practice gap

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 276-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Elisabeth Frisk ◽  
Frank Bannister ◽  
Rikard Lindgren
Keyword(s):  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Action Research Project ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
Evaluation Approach ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
A Value ◽  
Ex Ante ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap

Failed or partially failed information systems (IS) investments continue to be a problem in both public and private sectors. Although there are many causes of such failure, lack of clarity about the goals and benefits expected and how they are to be realized is one of the major contributors. This is particularly so in the public sector where the purpose of IS investment is not to increase profits, but to accomplish social and political goals. One way of reducing failure and wastage rates is to have ex-ante evaluation. Over the past three decades IS research has proposed a plethora of new theoretical approaches to improving ex-ante evaluation, but with a few exceptions, these have had little impact on practice. This paper presents a way to address this gap between theory and practice. It proposes a way in which managers can improve IS investment evaluation by changing perspective from a focus on traditional analytic tools towards a design attitude that seeks to develop multi-criteria IS evaluation approach based on contextual experience and prior knowledge. The proposed approach enables organizations to design and develop a value case using value dials as a common language that defines what constitutes the value of particular IS investments for a specific context. To assess its effectiveness, this approach was applied using a multilevel dialogical action research project within a Swedish public organization. The findings show that managers in this organization significantly improved the effectiveness of their evaluation of IS investments.

scholarly journals Reflecting on the contemporary relevance of the forgotten management pioneers: A creative auto/biography

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 205979911986328
Author(s):  
Hester Nienaber
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Base Change ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Organisational Performance ◽  
Relevant Today ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
And Control

Management theory and practice are characterised by the ‘theory–practice gap’. A way of addressing this divide is to engage in reflective practice, in this instance, a creative auto/biography. This different way of presenting an old issue demonstrates how the original teachings of the management pioneers remain relevant today. The central issues are the purpose of the organisation and the role of both leadership and employees in unlocking human competence in pursuit of organisational performance. The concepts ‘autonomy’ and ‘control’ transpired as crucial, which could easily be misunderstood or misapplied. This personal reflection presents evidence on which to base change, enhancing the well-being of employees, societies and the profit of organisations. This article contributes to knowledge by making inaccessible knowledge, accessible and inclusive, and the expectation that the meaning emanating from this reflection will result in the management audience to reconsider management, advancing management science and benefitting society at large.

The Interplay between Theory and Practice in HRD

2016 ◽  
pp. 47-65 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew W. Gosney
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Careful Evaluation ◽  
Compelling Reason ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
Modern Era

While few would argue that a tension exists between HRD theoreticians and practitioners, few models explain why such tension exists. Leveraging Gosney's Model of Modern Era Theory & Practice Generation in HRD (Gosney, 2014; Gosney & Hughes, 2015), a careful evaluation of current HRD context and informing philosophy reveals compelling reason for the theory-practice gap. In reviewing both the current historical context, capitalism, and the predominant informing philosophy, pragmatism, both theoreticians and practitioners are better equipped to understand and ameliorate the divide. The chapter concludes with specific recommendations to the discipline, including a more robust exploration by theoreticians of pragmatism as an informing philosophy in HRD and the adoption of critical thinking as a core competency in practitioners.

Organisational Structure and Project Success: The Mediating Role of Knowledge Sharing

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (02) ◽  
pp. 2050007
Author(s):  
Muhammad Mustafa Raziq ◽  
Mansoor Ahmad ◽  
Muhammad Zahid Iqbal ◽  
Malik Ikramullah ◽  
Maha David
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Sharing ◽  
Project Success ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Organisational Structure ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Public Firms ◽  
The Public ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Telecom Service ◽  
The Relationship

This paper looks at the relationship among elements of an organisational structure (i.e. formalisation, centralisation and integration) with project success, and examines whether the relationships are mediated by knowledge sharing. There is limited understanding with regard to how various elements of organisational structure relate to knowledge sharing and project success. Taking a contingency approach and grounding our argument in the resource-based view of the firm, we show that certain elements of organisational structures have positive implications for the project organisation. We draw on survey data from 220 respondents serving in (public and private) project-based telecom service provider firms in Pakistan. Our results show that formalisation and integration are conducive to project success, but centralisation is negatively related to project success. Knowledge sharing mediates the relationship between integration and project success for both the public and private telecom firms, but in case of formalisation, knowledge sharing mediation exists only for the public firms. Based on these results, we draw some implications for theory and practice.

Locality Pay: Balancing Theory and Practice

1991 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 397-408
Author(s):  
Charles Fay ◽  
Howard Risher ◽  
Paul Hempel
Keyword(s):  
Theory And Practice ◽  
University Of Pennsylvania ◽  
State University ◽  
Pennsylvania State University ◽  
Resource Quality ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
Wharton School ◽  
Office Of Personnel Management ◽  
Public And Private Sector

At the time this article was written, Howard Risher was a Principal with the Wyatt Company in Philadelphia. He is currently President of Human Resource Quality in Villanova, PA. He has over 20 years of compensation consulting experience in both the public and private sector. He served as the project manager for the pay reform study commissioned by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. He is currently a member of the National Academy of Public Administration panel that is studying alternatives for reforming the federal classification system. He has a B.A. in Psychology from Pennsylvania State University and an MBA and a Ph.D. from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

scholarly journals KOREAN SCIENCE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS AND ACTUAL USAGE OF EDUCATIONAL THEORIES/TEACHING STRATEGIES IN THEIR TEACHING

2016 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 411-423
Author(s):  
Jongwon Park ◽  
Youngmin Kim ◽  
Jongseok Park ◽  
Jin-Su Jeong ◽  
Young-Shin Park
Keyword(s):  
Science Teacher ◽  
Science Teaching ◽  
Science Teachers ◽  
Teaching Strategies ◽  
Science Classroom ◽  
Science Teacher Education ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Educational Theories ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap

Many researchers have reported that there is a significant gap between theory and practice in education. This research sought to contribute to this work by examining the theory/practice gap in secondary school science teaching in South Korea. To do this, a questionnaire was developed to investigate the gap between Korean science teachers’ knowledge about Educational Theories and Teaching Strategies (ETTS) and the usage of it in their science classroom. The questionnaire was administered to 87 science teachers and results showed that even though participants were knowledgeable about many ETTS, only 26% of the teachers reported using it in their teaching. Major reasons reported for this gap in theory and practice were restrictive educational environments that did not support the use of ETTS, irrelevancy and difficulties of ETTS, and students' low interest in learning science. However, teachers’ perception of the importance of ETTS positively affected their usage of ETTS. Implications of the results are discussed, and alternative in-service training program is suggested to activate science teachers’ ETTS what they already know and to guide them to use ETTS in their actual science teaching. Key words: theory-practice gap, science teacher education, secondary science teacher, teaching strategy.

Connections Between Theory and Practice in Teacher Education

2013 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 97-105
Author(s):  
Nabi Bux Jumani
Keyword(s):  
Teacher Education ◽  
Student Teachers ◽  
Professional Education ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Focus Group Interview ◽  
Education Programme ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
The Relationship

A fundamental component in professional education is the link between theory and practice. However, students in professional education programmes experience a lack of coherence between theory and practice which is often described as theory practice gap. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between theory and practice in MA Education Programmes offered by International Islamic University and to contribute with knowledge about how to bridge the gap between theory and practice in teacher education programme. Data were obtained through focus group interview with 40 MA Education female students who completed their four months teaching practice in December 2011. Data reveal that student teachers are quite satisfied with their pedagogical preparation and find difference in theory and practice in teacher education institutions and practice schools in Pakistan. Data indicate that student teachers were not allowed by schools to implement their learnt teaching strategies.

The Interplay between Theory and Practice in HRD

2021 ◽  
pp. 737-756
Author(s):  
Matthew W. Gosney
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Core Competency ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Careful Evaluation ◽  
Compelling Reason ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
Modern Era

While few would argue that a tension exists between HRD theoreticians and practitioners, few models explain why such tension exists. Leveraging Gosney's Model of Modern Era Theory & Practice Generation in HRD (Gosney, 2014; Gosney & Hughes, 2015), a careful evaluation of current HRD context and informing philosophy reveals compelling reason for the theory-practice gap. In reviewing both the current historical context, capitalism, and the predominant informing philosophy, pragmatism, both theoreticians and practitioners are better equipped to understand and ameliorate the divide. The chapter concludes with specific recommendations to the discipline, including a more robust exploration by theoreticians of pragmatism as an informing philosophy in HRD and the adoption of critical thinking as a core competency in practitioners.

Die Herausforderungen der digitalen Kommunikation für den Staat und seine demokratische Staatsform | The Challenges of Digital Communication for the State and its Democratic State Form | Les défis de la communication numérique pour l’État et sa forme démocratique

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Social Communication ◽  
Constitutional Law ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Supreme Courts ◽  
Digital Revolution ◽  
The Public ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
Points Of View ◽  
State Form

Constitutional law must integrate the changes in the structure of social communication in the course of the digital revolution into the edifice of constitutional law and general constitutional doctrine, just as it must integrate the increasing dehumanisation of decisions by algorithms and artificial intelligence in both the public and private law spheres. The discussion on these multi-layered and complicated issues were lively debated by experts from theory and practice at the Societas Iuris Publici Europaei (SIPE) conference. Another topic of the conference was the acceptance of the primacy of Union law by the national supreme courts and the question of whether and how a convergence of the different points of view would be possible here.

The theory/practice gap in B2B marketing: reflections and search for solutions

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 619-625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evert Gummesson
Keyword(s):  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Grand Theory ◽  
Content Type ◽  
B2b Marketing ◽  
Range Theory ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Generation ◽  
Theory Practice Gap ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose – The purpose of this study was to suggest pragmatic ways of dealing with the business-to-business (B2B) theory/practice gap. Design/methodology/approach – Reflecting on experience both as a researcher and practitioner. Findings – B2B marketing is characterized by complexity. There is no straight way to harmonize the relationship between its theory and practice but there are ways to make the two benefit from each other. A dilemma is that academics and practitioners are rewarded for different types of achievements. Research limitations/implications – Scholars can be made aware of the need for close involvement through action research and case theory to secure access to high-quality data in a complex B2B reality, and to their mission to contribute better real world based theory. Practical implications – The article can make practitioners aware of the value of grand theory to improve the pragmatic use of mid-range theory as it materializes in models, checklists and heuristics. Originality/value – The simultaneous emphasis on explicit and tacit knowledge in both theory generation and practice, and a framework of theory generation that sorts out substantive, mid-range and grand theory relationships.

scholarly journals Blurring Public and Private Sociology: Challenging an Artificial Division

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 19-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Butler
Keyword(s):  
Critical Realism ◽  
Hybrid Approach ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Public Sociology ◽  
Academic World ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
The Public ◽  
Theoretical Approaches ◽  
Professional Sociology ◽  
Second Modernity

This article encourages sociologists to take a hybrid approach to the incorporation of public sociology into the discipline. The idea of public sociology rests upon a double conversation between sociologists as public actors, and the involvement of the ‘extra-academic’ world into the dialogue. However, the separation of public sociology from professional sociology is artificial. The division of labour between those working solely in academia, and those reaching out to the public at large is imaginary: sociologists do work in both the public and private. By blurring the line between public sociology and professional sociology (which constitutes a ‘privacy’ of sorts), sociology is able to reach a larger audience. To illustrate this argument, I examine how three theoretical approaches within sociology, governmentality literature, critical realism and second modernity, exemplify both public and private sociology, while remaining methodologically coherent and rigorous. These approaches show sociology to be a field in which disparate, multiple, fluid theories and metatheories exist side-by-side in work that is both public and professional.

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