The failure of non‐binding declarations to achieve university sustainability

2007 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.A. Bekessy ◽  
K. Samson ◽  
R.E. Clarkson
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Institute Of Technology ◽  
University Leaders ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThis paper aims to assess the impact and value of non‐binding agreements or declarations in achieving sustainability in universities.Design/methodology/approachA case study of Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University is presented, analysing the reasons for lack of progress towards sustainability and evaluating best ways forward. Using a timeline and analysis of historical records for the 12 years since RMIT first engaged in the sustainability agenda, major trends in the process of implementing policies are identified. Secondly, 15 semi‐structured interviews with university leaders and key sustainability stakeholders from across the university are analysed to provide insight into how and why the university has failed to achieve sustainability.FindingsNew implications for successfully achieving sustainability arise from these findings. Accountability is a key issue, as RMIT appears to reap benefits from being signatory to declarations without achieving genuine progress. To ensure that declarations are more than simply greenwash, universities must open themselves up to scrutiny of progress to determine whether commitments have been honoured.Practical implicationsRelying on small‐scale “club” activities establishing demonstrations and raising awareness is unlikely to lead to permanent change. The evidence of RMIT's engagement with sustainability shows that, for example, even when successful pilot studies are conducted, these initiatives may do little to affect the mainstream practices of a university unless certain conditions exist. Furthermore, given the on‐paper commitments institutions have made, and the role of the university in society, small‐scale and gradual changes in university practice are a far from adequate response to the urgent sustainability imperative.Originality/valueThe initial engagement of RMIT University with the sustainability agenda 12 years ago marked it as a world leader in sustainability best‐practice. Analysing how and why such a disappointing lack of action has resulted from such promising beginnings provides insight into future directions for implementing sustainability in universities. The paper argues that considering the key responsibility of universities in leading the sustainability agenda, a more systemic and serious response is required.

scholarly journals The university-to-work transition: responses of universities and organizations to the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
William E. Donald ◽  
Melanie J. Ashleigh ◽  
Yehuda Baruch
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Career Services ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Transition ◽  
Global Labor Market ◽  
Career Literature ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to understand how universities and organizations have responded to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in terms of preparing university students and recent graduates to enter the global labor market, using the accounting, banking and finance sector as a case study. The two research questions are (1) How can university career services and organizations work individually and collaboratively to best develop early career talent following the COVID-19 pandemic? (2) What are the challenges that university career services and organizations face when working individually or collaboratively to develop early career talent following the COVID-19 pandemic?Design/methodology/approachThe data for thematic analysis comes from 36 semi-structured interviews with career advisors (CAs) (n = 19) and graduate recruiters (GRs) (n = 17).FindingsThis study offers some of the first findings on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping to ensure that organizational behavior and career theory literature reflect the dramatically changing landscape in the university-to-work transition.Originality/valueTheoretically, our contribution comes from applying a framework of the career construction theory (CTT) within the context of a career ecosystem to understand the views of the intermediary, meso-level actors, which, to date, have lacked representation within career literature. Practically, we provide an insightful bridge between universities and organizations, offering opportunities for greater collaboration, and enhanced outcomes for all stakeholders.

scholarly journals Practitioner perspectives of multi-agency safeguarding hubs (MASH)

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-20
Author(s):  
Sarah Shorrock ◽  
Michelle M. McManus ◽  
Stuart Kirby
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Governance Structure ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The North ◽  
Everyday Practices ◽  
Agency Practices ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The challenges of transferring the theoretical requirements of an effective multi-agency partnership into everyday practices are often overlooked, particularly within safeguarding practices. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to explore practitioner perspectives of working within a multi-agency safeguarding hub (MASH) and those factors that encourage or hinder a multi-agency approach to safeguarding vulnerable individuals. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews with 23 practitioners from one MASH location in the North of England were conducted, with a thematic analysis being used to analyse findings. Findings The interviews with practitioners illustrated the complexity of establishing a multi-agency approach to safeguarding. It was inferred that whilst information sharing and trust between agencies had improved, the absence of a common governance structure, unified management system, formalisation of practices and procedures and shared pool of resources limited the degree to which MASH could be considered a multi-agency approach to safeguarding. Practical implications Establishing a multi-agency approach to safeguarding is complex and does not occur automatically. Rather, the transition to collaborative practices needs to be planned, with agreed practices and processes implemented from the beginning and reviewed regularly. Originality/value Few studies have investigated the implementation of MASH into safeguarding practices, with this paper providing a unique insight into practitioner opinions regarding the transition to multi-agency practices. Whilst there is a focus on MASH, the challenges to arise from the research may be reflective of other multi-agency partnerships, providing a foundation for best practice to emerge.

Examining the impact of political candidates on hotel revenue

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-53
Author(s):  
Amanda Belarmino ◽  
Elizabeth A. Whalen
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
The State ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Political Candidates ◽  
Bandwagon Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Candidate ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a charismatic political candidate on hotel revenue in the USA, particularly in their home states, through the lens of the bandwagon effect. Previous researchers have found that political primaries have a significant impact on hotel revenue due to travel to those states; however, there has yet to be an examination of the impact of popular political candidates on hotel revenue. Design/methodology/approach This research examined the impact of Bernie Sanders’ campaign on hotel revenue in the state Vermont due to the relatively stable demand experienced in that market. First, the researchers used forecasting methodology and t-tests to determine if there was a significant increase in hotel revenue during the time of the Sanders’ campaign for the state and for Burlington, Vermont, his campaign headquarters. Then, eight semi-structured interviews were conducted with hoteliers in Vermont to determine if the Sanders’ campaign was responsible for the observed changes. Findings While the hotel revenue for the state was not significantly different than what would be expected, the hotel revenue in Burlington did see a significant increase. Hoteliers did attribute an increased awareness of the destination and some specific instances of travelers to Sanders’ campaign. Originality/value This is the first study to date to demonstrate the influence of a political candidate on hotel revenue and demonstrated that the bandwagon effect can impact hotel revenue. For hoteliers, it demonstrates that increased destination awareness can impact behavioral intentions on a small scale.

The impact of extreme weather on mass-participation sporting events

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 95-109
Author(s):  
Julia Kathryn Giddy
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Extreme Weather ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Sporting Events ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sport Events ◽  
Mass Participation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of extreme weather on tourism events through the perceptions of participants, using the case of the 2017 Cape Town Cycle Tour (CTCT). Design/methodology/approach This study utilized a survey method to collect data. Questionnaires were distributed online to would-be participants in the cancelled 2017 CTCT. The questionnaire included both fixed-response and open-ended questions. Findings The results show that participants experienced mixed emotions to event cancellation. Most felt that the weather conditions warranted cancellation, but some concerns emerged as to how the cancellation was managed. In addition, many felt that the organization of the race needs to be rethought due to numerous negative weather experiences in recent years. Research limitations/implications The findings in this study are exploratory. They focus on a single event in one city. However, they provide important initial insight into how sporting event participants react to the negative impacts of extreme weather. Practical implications These results have important management implications in addressing the impact of weather on the events sector. They are significant in understanding best practice with regard to managing participants in the case of weather impacts on an event. They also demonstrate interesting results with regard to participant loyalty among active sport events tourists. Originality/value The originality of this study is in its extension of the broad discussion of the impact of extreme weather and climate change on tourism to the events sector. The implications of changing weather and climatic patterns on events, particularly mass-participation sporting events, are clear and need to be considered in order to effectively manage future impacts on this important economic sector. This is done by providing insight into how participants respond to these types of circumstances.

Ethnographic sensitivity and current recordkeeping

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian Oliver ◽  
Fiorella Foscarini ◽  
Craigie Sinclair ◽  
Catherine Nicholls ◽  
Lydia Loriente
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Information Culture ◽  
Pilot Studies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Analysis Techniques ◽  
Constructive Dialogue ◽  
The University ◽  
University Settings ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the application of information culture analysis techniques in the workplace. The paper suggests that records managers should use ethnographic sensitivity, if they want to have a constructive dialogue with records creators and users, and effect positive change in their organisations. Design/methodology/approach Two pilot studies were conducted in university settings for the purpose of testing an information culture assessment toolkit. The university records managers who carried out the investigation approached the fieldwork ethnographically, in the sense that they were interested in the perspectives of their end users, and tried to understand their information cultures, rather than imposing their recordkeeping concepts and procedures. Findings Information culture analysis was of practical utility in large complex organisations, providing an insight into behaviours, motivations, and most importantly promoted reflection and dialogue among organisational actors. Originality/value The paper raises awareness of the diversity of professional skills and knowledge required by records practitioners. It emphasises that to remain relevant to their organisations, records managers have to be receptive and sensitive to cultural influences.

You’re not a normal student. The meaning of wellbeing for student nurses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Oates ◽  
Timothy Worth ◽  
Sam Coster
Keyword(s):  
Nursing Students ◽  
Sense Of Belonging ◽  
Student Nurses ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Qualitative Inquiry ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose This study aims to explore how student nurses conceptualise their well-being and their views on how to improve student nurses’ well-being. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative inquiry using semi-structured interviews with 17 final year students. Tran-scripts were thematically analysed using Braun and Clark’s six-phase approach. Findings Three themes were identified as follows: “student nurses” “experience of the university”, “the meaning of student nurse well-being” and “how the faculty could improve student well-being”. The findings are interpreted with reference to notions of social capital and a sense of belonging. Practical implications University nursing programmes should embed approaches to student well-being. Higher education institutions should ensure that their social and pastoral offer is accessible and relevant to nursing students. Originality/value The study offers unique insight into student nurses’ self-concept as “university students” in the context of their well-being.

scholarly journals The marketisation of the English higher education sector and its impact on academic staff and the nature of their work

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea Mary Taberner
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Academic Staff ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Plate Glass ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Work Intensification ◽  
Mixed Approach ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the impact of the marketisation of the English HE sector on academic staff and the nature of their professional work is felt to the same degree in different English universities. The study was conducted between November 2015 and April 2017. Design/methodology/approach Using the interpretivist paradigm, a qualitative, inductive approach is adopted. In total, 12 semi-structured interviews of 60-90 min each were conducted with academics of six English university types (ancient, old and new civics, plate-glass, technological and post-1992). Participants who were identified by non-probability sampling included professors, principal, senior and lecturers and associate lecturers. Findings Six key themes emerged regarding the impact on academic staff and their work: efficiency and quantity over effectiveness; autocratic, managerialist ideology over academic democracy and debate; instrumentalism over intellectualism; de-professionalisation and fragmentation of the academy; increased incidence of performativity, bullying and workplace aggression; and work intensification. The ancient university is least impacted by marketisation in terms of academic staff and the nature of their work. Next are the old and new civic universities, followed by technological, plate-glass universities. The most impact is felt by academics (and the nature of their work) in the post-1992 universities. Research limitations/implications There is a relatively small number of interviews in this study; therefore, it is difficult to categorically correlate an academic biography with their opinion in the context of their university type. More male than female participants were interviewed. International staff were not interviewed, and this could bring a varying perspective to the narrative found in this study. A mixed approach in further research would aid this objective. Some of the questioning in the pilot study was not as focused as any further primary research would have to be. Originality/value A further area of study, which could have practical implications, add originality and value would be to investigate how good practice in “employee engagement” in the university context might pave the way forward. This has the potential to benefit academic staff directly and the institution, a win–win solution for all stakeholders.

Implementation of innovative technologies in small-scale construction firms

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacquetta Shelton ◽  
Igor Martek ◽  
Chuan Chen
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Small Firms ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Construction Firms ◽  
Barriers To Implementation ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – The users of construction technologies such as builders and trades people have been acknowledged as sources of potentially important innovations. These innovations may be in the form of safer, less labour intensive, or cheaper methods and processes. The purpose of this paper is to assess whether the Australian construction industry is providing an environment where user-based innovation is being supported and implemented. Design/methodology/approach – An explorative study was undertaken to provide an insight into actual experiences of the implementation of user-based innovation. The data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured interviews providing case studies on multiple aspects of the implementation of innovative construction technologies. The cases involved a cross section of advances, including product, tool, and system technologies. Findings – The main motivation behind developing the technologies was problem solving. The associated industries of manufacturing and retail, as well as consultants within the construction industry present the greatest barriers to implementation. Originality/value – This research provides a better understanding of the factors that are preventing the successful implementation of user-based innovative construction technologies in small firms.

scholarly journals What you see depends on where you look: performance measurement of Australian accounting academics

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1193-1218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Martin-Sardesai ◽  
James Guthrie ◽  
Basil P. Tucker
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
University Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Performance Measurement Systems ◽  
University Leaders ◽  
The Impact

PurposeThis paper explores the impact of contemporary calculative practices, termed “accountingisation”, on Australian accounting academics' values. Also, it seeks to understand the rationale underlying the development of various university performance measurement systems (PMSs), and their implementation and evaluation.Design/methodology/approachA case study approach uses accounting academics' responses to an online survey and also semi-structured interviews with senior research-related leaders in a group of Australian universities. This is supplemented by document analysis. A narrative story-telling approach explores and presents the combined data observations, over the period 2010–2018, of two characters: a “typical” accounting academic and a “typical” vice-chancellor.FindingsThe study contributes to the literature on PMSs in understanding “accountingisation”, the rationale behind the development, implementation and evaluation of performance metrics by senior management and its impact on accounting academics. It juxtaposes and unpacks the complexities and nuances of PMSs and provides empirical evidence by highlighting the perceptions of both the Australian accounting academics and senior university management. The findings demonstrate a level of discontent among accounting academics in reconciling the expectations of increased “accountingisation” within university PMSs. These are juxtaposed against the views of senior university leaders who are influential in determining PMSs.Originality/valueThis paper is novel in considering the implications of “accountingisation” in a contemporary setting, focusing on accounting academics, values and individual PMSs within business schools.

scholarly journals Sounding out d/Deafness: the experiences of d/Deaf prisoners

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Margaret Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Small Scale ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Deaf Person ◽  
Prison Studies ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
The Way

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the lived realities of d/Deaf prisoners in England and Wales, and to explore previous claims that they suffer disproportionately during their time in custody. Design/methodology/approach For the purposes of this study, a qualitative approach was taken. As part of this, 28 semi-structured interviews were carried out at seven adult male prisons in England with a sample of male hard of hearing/d/Deaf prisoners, and staff members who had worked with them. The interviews were recorded using a Dictaphone, and then transcribed as close to verbatim as possible. From this, the transcriptions were analysed using thematic analysis. In addition to interviews, observations were made at each establishment, and later recorded in a fieldwork journal. Findings Findings from the study showed that the way a d/Deaf person experiences prison depends strongly on the way in which they identify with their d/Deafness. However, it was also shown that there is little room for either deafness or Deafness in prison, with severely deaf and culturally and linguistically Deaf prisoners commonly experiencing the pains of imprisonment more severely than their hearing peers as a result of the Prison Service’s inability to accommodate such difference. Originality/value This study fused together the fields of Deaf Studies and Prison Studies in a way that had not been done before, considering d/Deafness in prison on both an audiological and cultural level. Moreover, excluding small-scale unpublished undergraduate dissertations, it was the first empirical study about d/Deaf prisoners in England and Wales to carry out face-to-face interviews with these prisoners. Finally, as the most in-depth research is yet to be carried out about these particular prisoners in England and Wales, a greater level of insight was provided than previously available.

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