Travelling inner landscapes: a longitudinal study on transcultural identity development

2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 272-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude-Hélène Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Identity Development ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Urban Space ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Depth Information ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Single Male ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate insights into the identity construction and development of a selected single male individual in Cape Town, South Africa. It aims at increasing the in-depth understanding of the complexities of identity construction in a transcultural setting and provides emic perspectives on a micro-individual level over a period of ten years. Design/methodology/approach – This research study is based on the post-modernist premise by considering phenomenological and interpretative paradigms most relevant. It is a longitudinal study, conducted with a single individual over a period of ten years by using various research methods as well as triangulation of methods, theories and data. Data were analysed through content analysis. Findings – This research provides in-depth information on the struggle of a single person to construct and re-construct his identity and find answers to the question “Who am I?” in the multifaceted and hypercomplex transcultural environment of Cape Town. It shows the attempts to developing a coherent multiple identity over a period of ten years, reconstructing the past, creating the present and envisioning the future. Practical implications – This research has practical implications for practitioners working with identity (development) in transcultural settings. It provides important in-depth information on “nomadic identities” for coaching, counselling or therapies in transcultural settings. Originality/value – This paper provides new and original insights into long-term identity development of an individual in a transcultural urban space.

Reconciling contradictory paths: identity play and work in a career transition

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando F. Fachin ◽  
Eduardo Davel
Keyword(s):  
Identity Construction ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Career Transition ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Identity Work ◽  
Television Commercials ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Denys Arcand ◽  
Box Office ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the interconnection of identity play and identity work during transitions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors have conducted a 46-year longitudinal and process-based study on film director Denys Arcand. The focus is on his contested career shift from being a political documentary filmmaker to a box-office success and maker of television commercials. Films and media interviews were largely and systematically analyzed. Findings – In order to explain how to maintain a sense of authenticity in transitioning between contradictory paths, the authors highlight how identity play and identity work appear in self-fuelling interaction through four processes (fragmenting, developing, mixing, and extracting). Practical implications – The authors suggest new ways to deal with career transitions as well as identity construction in constraining environments. Originality/value – The authors offer a theoretical framework that makes it possible to combine understandings of identity play and identity work. In particular, the authors develop on how, through play, individuals can create circumstances favourable for performing identity work in the future.

Ruth N. Bolton: Autobiographical reflections

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 244-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth N. Bolton
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Personal Perspective ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Research Career ◽  
Career Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
History Of ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose My goal is to describe my life in marketing over more than 36 years and to help readers better understand (from my personal perspective) the history of marketing. I also aim to lift the curtain on some aspects of service within the marketing community. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an autobiographical sketch. It describes some key moments in my career, as well as describing how my most cited articles came to be written. It emphasizes the contextual factors at work in different periods, so readers can better understand how and why my research evolved in certain ways. I aim to convey the nature and variety of career experiences that were (and are) open to marketing academics. I discuss my experiences at the Journal of Marketing and the Marketing Science Institute. Findings Marketing changed rapidly between 1974 and 2017. Although change can be uncomfortable, I urge marketers to seek exposure to new ideas and practices; they are essential to learning and growth. Unexpected opportunities will come along and an alert individual can learn much from them. My time in industry was a learning experience for me. There are many kinds of interesting and successful careers. Practical implications The marketing field advances, not by the work of a single individual, but from the accumulated work of the entire marketing community. Everyone has a role to play. I encourage each individual to look for ways to contribute. I offer thoughts on how to build a research career based on my own experience. Social implications My thoughts may shed some light on the experiences of a woman academic and the globalization of marketing academia between 1974 and 2017. Originality/value My hope is that this paper contributes to a better understanding of the history of marketing, when it is considered together with other articles on this topic. It may also be useful to people who are embarking upon a career, as well as those seeking to understand the work of earlier marketing scholars.

scholarly journals Capturing the psychological well-being of Chinese factory workers

2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 1269-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Minette Bellingan ◽  
Catherine Tilley ◽  
Luciano Batista ◽  
Mukesh Kumar ◽  
Steve Evans
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Current Approach ◽  
Factory Workers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diary Methods ◽  
Chinese Factory Workers ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Adequate Data

PurposeBusinesses are under pressure to ensure social responsibility in their globalised supply chains. However, conventional factory audits are not providing adequate data about production workers’ well-being. Industry attempts to measure working conditions have shown bias and inconsistency, and there is no consensus on what to measure, or how. Well-being can be intangible and difficult to capture without appropriate theoretical and methodological frameworks. This paper investigates factors influencing the well-being of a Chinese factory’s workers, tests an innovative research method, and proposes interventions to improve well-being in factories.Design/methodology/approachThis is a longitudinal study using the diaries of production workers at a large assembly manufacturing site in China. Workers left daily digital voice diaries about their day, which were analysed to identify factors related to their well-being at work.FindingsThe picture is more complex than the concerned Western narrative suggests. Workers’ personal and professional concerns extend beyond the criteria currently measured in audits, tending to be more relational and less about their physical state.Practical implicationsThe current approach of auditing management practices neglects workers’ well-being. This study offers a more comprehensive view of well-being and tests a new method of investigation.Originality/valueThis is the first study to use diary methods in a Chinese factory. It addresses an issue supported by little empirical evidence. It is the first longitudinal study to hear from factory workers themselves about how they are and what impacts their well-being daily.

Ten years of using knowledge balance sheets in Austrian public universities

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Habersam ◽  
Martin Piber ◽  
Matti Skoog
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Fourth Stage ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Balance Sheets ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a longitudinal study on the use of mandatory knowledge balance sheets (KBS) in Austrian public universities. It contributes to the discourse on fourth-stage intellectual capital (IC) research. Conclusions drawn from the analysis of the empirical material are expected to focus further research on fourth-stage IC and to improve practices of IC disclosure. Design/methodology/approach A mandatory KBS has been used to govern the Austrian Higher Education Institution sector for more than a decade. In a qualitative longitudinal case study, the authors analyze two series of qualitative interviews and documents in order to reveal functional and dysfunctional effects of the KBS in use. Findings The conclusions focus on the communicative culture in the implementation process, the way change processes are organized and the value of strategy for orientation, sense making and an effective allocation of resources. Practical implications The practical implications are twofold: first, to identify aspects of monetary, utilitarian, social and environmental value dimensions, a concerted effort to embed quantitative data in a discourse on qualitative impact on value would be needed. Second, the authors support a “communicative culture first” rather than a “tool-box first” approach. Originality/value Original empirical data have been gathered in a longitudinal study of a valuable and unique case. Retrospectively, a better understanding of the top-down implementation of the KBS and its pitfalls is achieved.

Do public sector mergers (re)shape reputation?

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vilma L. Luoma-aho ◽  
Mirja E. Makikangas
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Public Sector ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Stability ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – The public sector worldwide is under pressure to downsize, which has led to mergers of public sector organisations. This paper seeks to bridge the unstudied gap of what happens to organisational reputation after a merger. The paper discusses change and reputation in the public sector, and reports findings of a longitudinal study on stakeholder assessments of four public sector organisations undergoing mergers recently. Design/methodology/approach – Following a theory-driven content analysis, this longitudinal study compares stakeholder assessments of four public sector organisations' reputations a year before an organisational merger with assessments of the two resulting organisations' reputations two years after the merger. Findings – The paper finds that the mergers did not really re-shape reputation, but the once established reputation persevered. Although the organisations faced greater expectations after the merger, only minor changes in reputation were detected post-merger: the reputation for expertise, heavy bureaucracy and trustworthiness remained strong after the merger, but certain traits, such as being international and esteemed, were lost. In both cases, one organisation's prior reputation slightly dominated the new reputation. Research limitations/implications – The findings may be limited to Finland and other Nordic countries, as well as those countries where trust in the public sector is high. Practical implications – Mergers may not change once-established reputations, and hence the improvements desired by mergers may go unnoticed by the different stakeholders. Organisations merging must prepare for increased stakeholder expectations, as the new organisations arise questions. Previous organisational traits may remain in stakeholders' assessments despite any achieved improvements. Originality/value – This paper addresses the gap in studying organisational reputation after public sector mergers, and contributes to both theory and practice by providing insight into the stability of once-established reputations.

The role of mentoring in early career physics teachers’ professional identity construction

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 128-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Cameron ◽  
Anna Grant
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Professional Identity ◽  
Identity Construction ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Early Career Teachers ◽  
Physics Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Career Teachers ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which external subject-specific mentoring can influence the professional identity construction of early career physics teachers (ECPT). Design/methodology/approach The methodology evolved from the evaluation of a mentoring project, involving semi-structured interviews with a number of early career teachers. Responses from 18 teachers, which related to the impact of the mentoring relationship on their professional identity development, were subject to a process of iterative thematic coding in the context of interpretative repertoires via a collaborative “developmental dialogue” between the managers of the mentoring project and its external evaluators. Findings The analysis of participants’ responses suggested that the nature of the relationship between early career teacher and mentor played a role in the emergence, or suppression, of their professional identities as physics teachers at the start of their teaching careers. In some cases, mentoring provision was little short of a “lifeline” for the teachers. Practical implications Mentors need the opportunity to develop their professional practice and identity through contact with the community of teacher educators. The practice of training, mentoring and coaching teachers should be valued at least as much as teaching itself and should be recognised as its own professional practice. Originality/value This study builds on a number of well-established pieces of research and concepts relating to the challenges facing early career teachers and their professional identity construction. It provides insight into the challenges facing ECPTs specifically, which includes the risk of isolation and unrealistic expectations from colleagues. It not only confirms the merits of external mentoring, but also demonstrates the significant responsibility, which comes with the mentor’s role and the negative impact on teachers’ professional identity construction caused by deficiencies in mentoring.

What comes to mind when you think of sustainability? Qualitative research with ZMET

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-470
Author(s):  
Chiara Mauri
Keyword(s):  
Political Action ◽  
Individual Behavior ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food And Nutrition ◽  
Problems And Solutions ◽  
Key Dimensions ◽  
Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to shed light on the demand side of sustainability, that is, on its perceived meaning. The goal is to understand how people think of sustainability, the concepts they evoke when they talk of sustainability and the images and symbols they use to explain these concepts. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a mixed method. First, ten individuals are interviewed using the Zaltman metaphor elicitation technique (ZMET), a protocol developed by Gerald Zaltman in the early 1990s. The concepts and categories emerging from the ZMET have been analyzed, integrated and classified to identify key dimensions. Findings Ten concepts related to sustainability are the most recurring in the ZMET: problems and solutions, individual behavior, environment and ecosystem, technologies and innovations, social fairness, food and nutrition, mobility, education and mindfulness, sustainable development and utopia/ideal world. Research limitations/implications Ten interviews is a small number to provide a comprehensive analysis of all the meanings of sustainability. To obtain a more complete picture, the number of interviews may need to be increased to 15–20. Practical implications The fact that the two concepts appearing with the highest frequency in the ZMETs are “problems and solutions” and “individual behavior” signals that though people understand that there are many problems to be solved in the world as it is now, even the single individual can contribute with his/her behavior. Social implications Sustainability is an issue that involves society as a whole; hence, its improvement requires concerted political action coordinated at the national and local levels. The key point of this action is education of people, to make them aware of what sustainability really is. Originality/value Although the literature on sustainability is rather abundant, extant literature has mainly focused on the supply/managerial side such as sustainable and responsible companies, corporate social responsibility and also sustainable tourism. This paper sheds some light on the more neglected side of the demand perspective.

Assurance reports included in the CSR reports of French firms: a longitudinal study

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 570-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Gillet-Monjarret
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Longitudinal Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Historical Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Over Time

Purpose This paper aims to examine the practice of sustainability assurance and in particular the content of the assurance reports disseminated in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports. The objective of the research is to study the evolution of the content of the assurance reports of French companies. Have the reports evolved as a result of the standardization and regulation of the audit? Design/methodology/approach A longitudinal study has been carried out on French companies publishing CSR reports and their sustainability information has been checked for several years. The sample is composed of 19 listed French companies and 135 assurance reports over a period from 2001 to 2015. Findings The results highlight a change in the content of assurance reports according to standardization and regulatory of sustainability auditing. The content evolves from a generic discourse to a normative discourse notably because of the realization of a majority of assurance missions by accounting professionals and the increasing use of ISAE 3000 as well as by the introduction of the Grenelle II Law. Practical implications This paper shows how assurance reports have evolved over time in a particular regulatory context of the introduction of a law specific to assurance, Grenelle II Law, using a sample of French companies. Originality/value Although some studies have attempted to provide a historical analysis of this practice, no research has focused on longitudinal analysis in a particular context of introduction of a law specific to the assurance mission. The lack in previous literature resides in the lack of longitudinal analysis of assurance reports in the light of the evolution of the normative and regulatory frameworks.

A longitudinal study of heavy time investment in work

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raphael Snir
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Meaning Of Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Time Investment ◽  
Heavy Work ◽  
Situational Predictors ◽  
The One ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine heavy time investment in work from both dispositional and situational perspectives. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected twice, at the beginning and at the end of a 12-year period, from the same respondents of the Meaning of Work project in Israel. Findings The classification of respondents as heavy work investors (work more than 50 weekly hours) or as ordinary workers is stable over the years, which indirectly supports the dispositional perspective. The situational perspective is generally not supported. Remaining at the same workplace or changing workplaces and a stable or changing classification of a person as a heavy work investor or as an ordinary worker over the years are dependent on each other. However, no relation was found between change in financial needs and a person’s level of time investment in work. Only two out of 14 relevant life events relate positively and significantly to the level of time investment in work over the years: appointment to manage other workers and receiving greater work autonomy. Practical implications The effectiveness of policies designed to encourage working long hours on the one hand, or a work-life balance on the other, is questionable. However, a specific intervention which, based on the findings of this study, may encourage time investment in work is expanding the job vertically. Originality/value This is an exceptional longitudinal study examining stability (over time) and situational predictors of work hours among the same individuals.

Cultural and creative entrepreneurs: understanding the role of entrepreneurial identity

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 290-314 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Werthes ◽  
René Mauer ◽  
Malte Brettel
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Creative Industries ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Creative Identity ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
Mind Set ◽  
Cultural And Creative Industries ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore whether and how entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative industries develop an entrepreneurial identity. It also aims to expand research on cultural and creative entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on longitudinal qualitative cases and analyses the potential entrepreneurial identity development of eight cultural and creative entrepreneurs from Germany. The researchers create a framework to ascertain whether and, if so, how cultural and creative entrepreneurs develop an entrepreneurial identity. Findings The findings suggest that cultural and creative entrepreneurs do develop an entrepreneurial identity and incorporate their cultural and creative identity into that entrepreneurial identity whereas self-reflection is a key driver in the development. Practical implications Cultural and creative entrepreneurs are a key driver of economic development. Hence, it is important to generate a more detailed understanding of their entrepreneurial mind-set and their behaviour. Originality/value The study suggests that cultural and creative entrepreneurs actively develop an entrepreneurial identity and that self-reflection, communication with other entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial experience are the main drivers of their identity development. Nevertheless, their cultural and creative identity does have an influence on their entrepreneurial identity. In addition, the study demonstrates how such entrepreneurs develop their identity.

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