scholarly journals Enhancing professional growth and the learning and development function through reflective practices: an autoethnographic narrative approach

2020 ◽  
Vol 44 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 805-827 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adebayo Serge Francois Koukpaki ◽  
Kweku Adams
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Professional Growth ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Reflective Practices ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Reflective Conversation ◽  
Individual Self ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore ways in which learning and development (L&D) professionals use reflective practice to promote the function of L&D and their own professional growth. The claim that L&D practitioners need to develop their reflective ability to make sense of their own practice is well-argued in the literature, but few studies focus on an in-depth individual self-reflection and its impact on professional growth. Design/methodology/approach An autoethnography and reflective practice design was deployed. The data was collected by sending a semi-structured, pre-set question as a ‘reflective conversation’ to an L&D manager and a 10-hour tape recording of personal reflection over three months.[AQ1] Data was sanitised, transcribed and edited, and a narrative data analysis method was used to analyse the data developed into reflective narratives. Findings The authors find that reflective practice emerges through gradual reflective patterns that define the circumstances surrounding the reflection, the content, exploration and interpretation and confirming the fulfilling of the reflection. Originality/value This paper offers the journey of an L&D manager working in the hotel industry in India. Through a set of reflective practices, including introspection and reflexivity, the manager considers the changes she has experienced. The paper contributes to the literature on reflective practice based on promoting the L&D function as an essential part of the horizontal integration of human resource management in organisations. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Teachers' learning in extraordinary times: shifting to a digitally facilitated approach to lesson study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Calleja ◽  
Patrick Camilleri
Keyword(s):  
Technology Use ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Opportunities For Learning ◽  
Study Process ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe research reported in this paper brings forth the experiences of three teachers working in different schools. These teachers learned about lesson study through a course offered at the University of Malta while, at the same time, leading a lesson study with colleagues at their school. With the COVID-19 outbreak, these teachers had, out of necessity, to adopt and accommodate for their lesson study to an exclusive online approach. This paper, hence, focuses on teachers' learning as they shifted their lesson study online.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a case study that delves into the experiences and perceptual insights that these teachers manifested in shifting to an exclusive online lesson study situation. Data collection is derived from a focus group discussion, teacher reflective entries and detailed reports documenting the lesson study process and experiences. Employing technological frames as the theoretical lens, a description-analysis-interpretation approach was employed to analyse and interpret reflections and grounded experiential perceptions that the respondents disclosed during their lesson study journey.FindingsNotwithstanding their initial discerned sense of loss and unpreparedness of being constrained to migrate lesson study to exclusive online means, teachers eventually recognised that digitally mediated collaborative practices enhanced self-reflection about the lesson study process. Therefore, the extraordinary situation that the teachers in this study experienced not only disrupted their modus operandi but also allowed them to discern new opportunities for learning about digital technology use in lesson study.Practical implicationsDisruption, brought about by unforeseen circumstances, takes teachers and professional development facilitators out of their comfort zones, invariably helping them grow out of their limitations and rethink lesson study practices.Originality/valueIntentionally driven disruptions prompt teachers to resolve their dissatisfactory situations by thinking out of the box, eventually helping them to improve their professional practices.

m-servicescape: effects of the hotel mobile app servicescape preferences on customer response

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 172-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seonjeong Ally Lee
Keyword(s):  
Brand Loyalty ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Mobile Marketing ◽  
Customer Engagement ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Mobile Service ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to explore how customer engagement behaviors and brand loyalty are enhanced through customers’ preferences of m-servicescape, based on the S-O-R model as a theoretical background. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional, online, self-administered survey method was conducted to examine proposed relationships by recruiting previous users of hotel mobile apps in the USA. Findings Results identified aesthetics, functionality and symbolism preferences of the m-servicescape fulfilled customers’ evaluations on autonomy and relatedness needs fulfillment, which positively influenced their engagement behaviors and brand loyalty. Research/limitations/implications This study contributed to mobile marketing research by investigating customers’ preferences of m-servicescapes that enhanced customers’ positive responses in the hotel industry. Practical implications Practical implications are as follows: using a holistic approach to explore mobile service environments in fulfilling customers’ needs, enhanced customers’ engagement behaviors and brand loyalty. Originality/value This study proposed and empirically investigated the role of m-servicescapes in customers’ evaluations on needs fulfillment and their positive responses in the hotel industry.

Understanding the differences of public and private self-service technology

2014 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joel E. Collier ◽  
Daniel L. Sherrell ◽  
Emin Babakus ◽  
Alisha Blakeney Horky
Keyword(s):  
Structural Equation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Self Service Technology ◽  
Individual Self ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential differences between types of self-service technology. Specifically, the paper explores how the dynamics of public and private self-service technology influence customers' decision to use the technology. Design/methodology/approach – Existing customers of private and public self-service technology were surveyed from the same industry. Using structural equation modeling, the authors examine how relevant self-service constructs influence evaluations and attitudes of customers across both settings. Findings – The analysis reveals that customers' control and convenience perceptions differ across public and private self-service technology. Additionally, customers placed a heavier emphasis on the hedonic or utilitarian evaluation of a service experience based on the type of self-service technology. Practical implications – For managers of self-service applications, understanding the unique differences of public and private self-service technology can aid in the implementation and adoption of the technology. By properly understanding the differences of the self-service types, managers can provide a beneficial experience to the customer. Originality/value – By identifying and describing two distinct categories of SSTs, this study allows managers and researchers to better understand how and why individuals choose to utilize individual self-service technologies. Through understanding the unique dynamics of a public and a private SST experience, retailers can determine the appropriate strategy for customer adoption based on the utilitarian or hedonic functions of the technology.

Mentoring pre-service educators in the development of professional disposition

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 196-209 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather D. Kindall ◽  
Tracey Crowe ◽  
Angela Elsass
Keyword(s):  
Professional Growth ◽  
Teaching Profession ◽  
Teacher Preparation Program ◽  
Clinical Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Constructive Feedback ◽  
Professional Dispositions ◽  
Internship Experience ◽  
Clinical Internship

Purpose Professional dispositions must be cultivated through focused self-reflection and targeted, authentic, internship experiences prior to entering the teaching profession. Continued development through mentoring during the clinical internship can enhance the effectiveness of pre-service teacher candidates as instructional leaders. The purpose of this paper is to explore the unique experiences found to be successful in mentoring pre-service teachers from student to professional during an authentic, yearlong internship experience. Design/methodology/approach Intern participants in this pilot study completed an inventory that measured professional dispositions five times during an internship experience. Data were analyzed using a mixed methods study design. Findings Results of the study determined that intern participants held unrealistic views of teaching and did not recognize the importance of dispositional development prior to focused mentoring throughout the year of clinical internship. One central finding in this study is that change and growth about perceptions of professional dispositions can be developed through focused mentoring. Originality/value Mentoring within the teacher preparation program can help in the transition of understanding professional growth and development, attitudes, and the view of complex behaviors. The dispositions necessary for effective teaching can be honed through cultural and clinical experiences, continual self-reflection, constructive feedback on evaluations of teaching, and targeted mentoring before beginning the clinical student internship and throughout the experience.

Confronting the nameless-faceless: a duoethnography of navigating turnover and early career socialization

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norma López ◽  
Demetri L. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Context ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Professional Commitment ◽  
Academic Socialization ◽  
Faculty Roles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Left Behind ◽  
Early Career Faculty ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this duoethnography was to share our narratives as a left-behind early career faculty (ECF) and graduate student with minoritized identities and reflect on academic socialization processes. Specifically, when many scholars are raising alarms about the retention and success of faculty with minoritized identities, it is crucial to recognize the dimensions of socialization within the organizational context of academia.Design/methodology/approachThe authors sought an approach that would facilitate the interrogation of the overlap and divergence of the authors’ perspectives. Duoethnography research design was chosen for its focus on self-reflection as well as on the importance of the expression and consideration of those diverging perspectives. The goal was collaboration to generate a discussion that deepens a complex understanding of socialization in and professional commitment to academia.FindingsThe central insight that surfaced from the analysis of our duoethnography data is the enhanced understanding of the “nameless-faceless” dimension of academic socialization. Endeavoring to understand why faculty leave and how those who are left behind make sense of that departure led the authors to examine the unknown entities the authors are responsible to and for so they may better understand their commitment to academia.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors’ findings reveal that the nameless–faceless element is just a generalized behavior adopted in the interest of restricted and individual advantage. Diversity and equity practices are touted as a priority, but frequently, institutions act in ways that establish their own self-interests. The authors argue that we are all the nameless–faceless when they participate in academic norms that work to uphold and perpetuate traditional practices in academia.Practical implicationsThe authors’ findings point to intentional mentoring and integration of responsibility in faculty roles as potential recruitment and retention tools.Originality/valueThe authors extend the importance of collaboration and mentorship in retaining graduate students and EFC to the concept of intertwined professional commitment, or the theory that it is not simply the outcomes that are influenced by the support and cooperation between faculty with minoritized identities but that our professional commitment to academia is strengthened by that collaboration and witnessing each other's purpose and motivation to remain in academia.

Exploring linkages of performance with metacognition

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 195-207 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul R. Lyons ◽  
Randall Paul Bandura
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measures ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Evaluation ◽  
Secondary Purpose ◽  
Core Self ◽  
And Training ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeIn this exploratory, correlational study the authors set out to demonstrate the relationships as well as inter-correlations among direct and indirect performance measures, along with measures of knowledge of cognition, and evaluation of cognition. The information helps inform manager learning and development. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, primary purpose, to identify linkages of performance with individual’s efforts to improve their learning processes via metacognition; and second, secondary purpose, primarily for the benefit of practitioners, is the provision of detailed information regarding performance measures and practical measures of metacognition.Design/methodology/approachThe study made use of correlation analysis among performance measures and measures of metacognitive effort. The design is not intended to support cause and effect relationships, nor demonstrate the technical, predictive value of measures.FindingsA majority of associations among indirect performance measures with one another and with nearly all of the measures of knowledge of cognition, and evaluation of cognition were positive and significant (mostly at the 0.01 level). Findings offer broad support for the linkage of self-efficacy (SE), and core self-evaluation (CSE) with performance.Practical implicationsRelationships identified in this study may help practitioners alter and improve their practices/methods of identifying individuals who possess attributes that are highly related to performance and learning. The new knowledge may influence decisions about recruitment, selection and training.Originality/valueLittle research has focused on relationships among indirect performance indicators such as SE, CSE and established measures of metacognition. The present study helps to identify important relationships.

Continuous improvement in a university – the first steps: a reflective case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 260-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seamus O’Reilly ◽  
Joe Healy ◽  
Rónán O’Dubhghaill
Keyword(s):  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Continuous Improvement ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Implementation Phase ◽  
Participative Approach ◽  
Tools And Techniques ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Using Lean Six Sigma (LSS) implementation literature as an organising framework, the purpose of this paper is to explore the initial steps in a continuous improvement (CI) journey taken by an Irish university in order to identify the motivations, highlight key challenges and considers the capabilities required to initiate and sustain a CI programme. Design/methodology/approach This study focusses on one case organisation. A participative approach is adopted to learn from the initial steps taken in the establishment of a CI programme. Given this approach, the researchers had access to all documents and related archives associated with this initiative. Hence an iterative learning approach is adopted with the analysis of data from the first 12-month plan informing the next planning and implementation phase. Findings This paper provides a reflective account of why and how a university went about commencing a CI programme. The motivation to establish the CI programme not only reflects the current fiscal environment but also one characterised by a need to respond to a number of increasingly demanding stakeholders. The insights gained highlight the importance of alignment with strategy, role of specialists and use of a structured method informed by a LSS approach. Of particular note is the role of expertise, both internal and external, and within this context the interplay between a formal top-down approach and the coming together enthusiast staff, some of whom had CI experience from previous employment. A number of practical implications were identified as a result of the study including the key role of the project sponsor; the criticality of an understanding of the fundamental LSS concepts and tools and techniques by management; and the key role played by improvement specialists. Originality/value While in recent times a strong case for the application of LSS in HEIs has been made, there is a paucity of case studies based on the reflective practice in the field. This paper is novel in that it aims to address this and contribute to an emerging body of CI literature in the HEI area.

The art of unifying high-performance work practices, employee attitudes, and service quality

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-38
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Employee Attitudes ◽  
Quality Level ◽  
Learning And Development ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Performance Work Practices ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds his/her own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper concentrates on the impact that trust levels between employees and their managers have on their performance and the service-quality level they become focused on delivering. Implementing trust-signaling HR policies, such as a consistently applied and transparent learning and development offering, supports managers in the active work of building trust with their people. Trusted employees reciprocate the feeling and ultimately become higher performers by being more satisfied at work. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Leadership development: an applied comparison of Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle and Scharmer’s Theory U

2015 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 336-342 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher Potter
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Practical Application ◽  
Theory U ◽  
Current Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
A Current

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine two contrasting leadership development methodologies, Reflective Practice and Scharmer’s Theory U. Design/methodology/approach – Gibbs’ Reflective Cycle and Scharmer’s Reflecting Deeply exercise were applied to the same leadership incident on separate days. Findings – Reflective Practice provided helpful insights through focusing on one’s thoughts, feelings and motives during the event, as well as the actions of others and the author’s responses to them. The author found that using Scharmer’s Reflecting Deeply exercise enabled a deeper understanding of the incident to emerge, which also provided new and distinct insights. Research limitations/implications – The main limitation was the case study nature of this exercise; these findings are merely the result of one person’s experiences. Practical implications – To develop rounded leadership skills, leaders can benefit from tapping into all of their resources; these two approaches allow different aspects of one’s intelligence to be accessed, which ought to facilitate greater development. Social implications – Many authors cite a current crisis of leadership, not least of all a perceived failure to tackle the environmental challenges we face. By seeking to develop more intelligent and rounded leaders, leadership itself ought to improve which in turn should help society tackle pressing issues. Originality/value – To the author’s knowledge, a direct comparison of the leadership development methodologies used in this paper has not been previously described. This paper provides useful insights into the practical application of Reflective Practice and Scharmer’s Theory U, which will help inform others seeking to develop as leaders.

scholarly journals Competences in higher education tourism internships

2019 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 64-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel Ferreras-Garcia ◽  
Jordi Sales-Zaguirre ◽  
Enric Serradell-López
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Descriptive Analysis ◽  
Hotel Industry ◽  
Hospitality Management ◽  
Job Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Training Activities ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Tourism And Hospitality ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the level of correspondence between the academic training received by students and the demands of the job market. This was achieved by analysing the competences that are developed in internships to provide useful information for universities, students and tourism companies. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative analysis was carried out using questionnaires administered to the supervisors of students on curricular internships. The level of tourism competences of students on the bachelor degree in Tourism and Hospitality Management at the School of Tourism and Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi was assessed. A descriptive analysis and comparisons of means were carried out to investigate differences in competences between students undertaking internships, according to the hotel department and category. Findings The results of the study indicate that students undertaking internships improve their competences. Whether they undertake internships in one department or another does not affect the level of achievement of most competences. However, the category of a hotel does influence the level of development of the acquired competences. Research limitations/implications A questionnaire should be administered to students on their perceptions of the achievement of competences, as this could be compared with the supervisors’ perceptions. Practical implications The study generates extremely valuable information for companies, universities and students, as it reveals which competences are attained and to what extent. Based on these results, universities can adapt their training activities and the hotel industry will have information on learning processes during internships. Originality/value The analysis provides an innovative research, a real assessment by employers of the competences attained. It also identifies the need for more research on the subject related to employers’ perceptions of the level of competences that students develop in the workplace.

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