What do the business employers want? A sequential mixed methods exploration of information professionals’ competencies

2020 ◽  
Vol 69 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 665-680
Author(s):  
Waqar Ahmad Awan ◽  
Kanwal Ameen
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Panel Discussion ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Job Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
Management Professionals

Purpose The job market of library and information professionals has expanded from academic to industrial, special and business libraries. The unique nature of the organizations, their data and clientele demand a different set of competencies. The purpose of this study is to explore the competencies of information professionals from the perspectives of business employers – a comparatively new job place for the library and information management professionals. Design/Methodology/Approach Exploratory sequential mixed methods approach was used to meet objectives of this study in two phases. In the first phase, qualitative data was extracted from panel discussion. Themes were extracted from this qualitative data. In the second phase, a questionnaire was designed which was based on qualitative themes. The instrument contained the nine-point Likert type scale and was filled by the business and industry human resource managers. The quantitatively gathered data were analysed while using descriptive and inferential statistical techniques in the Statistical Package for Social Sciences SPSS version 22. Findings The findings of this study indicate that work coordination, knowledge of intellectual property rights, online searching ability, leadership qualities, trustworthiness and background knowledge of the prospective organizations are the basic competencies required by the business employers. Practical Implications This study will guide the students on which qualities they are required to obtain to qualify for jobs of information professionals in the current employment sector. Additionally, it will provide guidelines to the continuous education programme designers, prompting them to include in their trainings the vital qualities of candidates required by the current job market. Originality Value This is the maiden study that has explored the competencies of library and information management professionals through exploratory sequential mixed methods.

Consumer expenditures on clothing and footwear: a mixed methods study

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Cruz-Cárdenas ◽  
Patricio Arévalo-Chávez ◽  
Jorge Guadalupe
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Physical Space ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Psychological Measures ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Disposal Behavior

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to establish the predictors of consumers’ annual monetary expenditures on clothing and footwear in Quito, the capital of Ecuador, a developing Latin American country. Design/methodology/approach The research followed an exploratory, sequential, mixed methods design. The first phase consisted of in-depth interviews with adult individuals. The second phase involved surveying a similar segment of the population. Findings The present study supports the importance of demographic and psychological factors as predictors. The study also identifies two new groups of predictors: consumers’ reception of used clothing and physical space at home and its management. Practical implications In addition to demographic variables, consumer panels that measure expenditures on clothing and footwear should include psychological measures of participants, particularly clothing involvement. Clothing manufacturers and retailers in developing countries should consider the impact of receiving used clothes by consumers. Because clothing buying and disposal behaviors are positively associated, companies should become more involved in their customers’ disposal behavior. Originality/value The contribution of the present study is twofold. First, it contributes to the understanding of clothing and footwear expenditures by considering the individual consumer as a unit of analysis. Furthermore, it provides insights into this behavior from a little-studied context.

Multicultural teaching competence among undergraduate faculty: a convergent mixed methods study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chandler Puhy ◽  
Nalini Prakash ◽  
Clarissa Lacson ◽  
Joke Bradt
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Teaching Practice ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Student Diversity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Knowledge And Skills ◽  
Teaching Competence ◽  
Quantitative Results ◽  
K 12

Purpose Increased student diversity in universities across the USA has increased the need for post-secondary educators to develop multicultural teaching competence (MTC). Most studies of MTC focus on educators teaching grades K-12. The purpose of this study is to determine how faculty members rate themselves in terms of MTC, what multicultural knowledge and skills faculty report and how they integrate these skills into their teaching practice and what barriers exist to developing and implementing MTC. The purpose of this study was to examine the factors that impact undergraduate faculty integration of multicultural awareness and attitudes into their teaching practices to enhance student learning. Design/methodology/approach A convergent mixed methods study used survey and interview data from undergraduate faculty. Select items from the MTC Inventory (MTCI) and social justice scales (SJS) were administered. Interviews (N = 7) were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Quantitative and qualitative data were compared to examine convergence and divergence. Findings Quantitative results revealed undergraduate faculty’s awareness, knowledge and skills as indicated by percent agreement with items from the MTCI and SJS instruments. Qualitative findings included the following four themes: knowledge building, addressing diversity in the classroom, barriers and challenges, and needs and recommendations. Qualitative data corroborated or explained many of the quantitative results and provided insight into these trends and barriers that impact MTC. Originality/value This is the first study of its kind, to our knowledge, that has used a mixed methods research design to examine factors that impact MTCs and associated barriers among a sample of undergraduate faculty across disciplines in one urban university.

Perceived quality and intention to revisit coffee concept shops in Malaysia

2018 ◽  
Vol 120 (5) ◽  
pp. 1106-1119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiram Ting ◽  
Wee Ming Lau ◽  
Jun-Hwa Cheah ◽  
Yusman Yacob ◽  
Mumtaz Ali Memon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Perceived Quality ◽  
Mixed Methods Design ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Product Service ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Intention To Revisit ◽  
Self Administered Questionnaire

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of perceived quality on intention to revisit coffee concept shops among regular and irregular consumers. Specifically, the framework developed by Pine and Gilmore (2000) is adopted to look into the effect of product, service and experience qualities on intention to revisit. Design/methodology/approach The explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used to articulate the intention of consumers to revisit coffee concept shops. A preliminary study was conducted to define regular and irregular consumers. Self-administered questionnaire was first administered before using interview to elicit more insights and triangulate the findings. Findings The combination of both quantitative and qualitative findings show that the experiences of regular consumers at coffee concept shops include personal routine activities, while the experiences of irregular customers are composed of occasions with specific and collective purposes. While the intention to revisit of the former is related to the product and service quality, the intention of the latter is largely affected by its service and experience quality. Originality/value Given the rapid rise of coffee concept shops in the developing markets, the use of a mixed-methods design provides more insights into the intention to revisit of the regular and irregular consumers. It underscores the importance for the organisations to know what really matters to the diverse consumers.

The approaches used to make change decisions and the influencing determinants

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 269-277
Author(s):  
Zhixian Yi
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Library Directors ◽  
Library Size ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Managing Change ◽  
Information Professionals ◽  
Dual Approaches ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis study aimed for the examination of the change decision-making approaches utilised by academic library directors and the identification and explanation of the determinants of the utilised approaches.Design/methodology/approachThe data were collected from a survey. The content analysis was utilised to analyse the qualitative data. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the quantitative data.FindingsThe findings resulted in the identification of the approaches used to make change decisions and three categories of determinants. Directors actually utilised multiple and dual approaches more than single approaches to make change decisions. The determinants of number of library branches, number of subordinates, total years of directorship and years of present position played a significant role in the utilised approaches to making change decisions. However, the findings demonstrate that the determinants of age, gender, library size, library type, number of different positions, total years of library service and education level were not significant determinants of the utilised approaches to making change decisions.Research limitations/implicationsThe limitation is that the results of this study are not applicable and generalisable to academic libraries beyond this classification using in this study.Practical implicationsThe change decision-making approaches and the identified determinants will be useful and valuable for leaders and managers to make better decisions while managing change in the digital age.Originality/valueThe identification of the approaches and determinants provides information professionals with new knowledge and enables them to reflect the determinants of the utilised approaches and to make better change decisions in a given situation.

Mixed methods research in tourism and hospitality journals

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 1563-1579 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dao Truong ◽  
Rose Xiaoming Liu ◽  
Jing (Jasper) Yu
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Hospitality Management ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Sequential Data ◽  
Management Journal ◽  
Tourism Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Journal ◽  
Tourism And Hospitality

Purpose This paper aims to examine mixed methods research (MMR) that appeared in eight tourism and hospitality journals (“Annals of Tourism Research”, “Tourism Management”, “Journal of Travel Research”, “Journal of Sustainable Tourism”, “International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management”, “International Journal of Hospitality Management”, “Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management” and “Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research”) from 1998 to 2019. Design/methodology/approach This review paper was a mixed methods design and was conducted in three phases. In the first phase, a content analysis was performed to determine if each article could be classified as non-empirical, qualitative, quantitative or mixed methods. In the second phase, descriptive statistics was used to present the number and characteristics of MMR articles. In the third phase, the contributions of MMR to addressing particular issues in tourism and hospitality studies were investigated. Findings This study identified 753 mixed methods articles, wherein 482 articles (64%) were published in the chosen tourism publication outlets and 271 (36%) in the chosen hospitality publication outlets. MMR studies having a dominant focus on specific methods (459 articles; 61%) outnumbered those having an equal focus on the qualitative and quantitative parts (294 articles; 39%). In case one method was dominant, this was typically the quantitative. Sequential data collection was prevalent in most of the cases (94.2%). The contributions of MMR to addressing generic and specific research problems were also analyzed. Originality/value This is the first comparison of MMR in major tourism and hospitality journals.

scholarly journals A mixed methods study exploring the views and experiences of internationally qualified midwives in Australia: Research Protocol (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitra Javanmard ◽  
Mary Steen ◽  
Rachael Vernon ◽  
Megan Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Human Research Ethics ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Transitional Experiences ◽  
Two Phases

BACKGROUND Approximately, 13% of the total Australian midwifery workforce is internationally qualified. Although they play a significant role in the Australian midwifery system, there is limited understanding of their transitional experiences. OBJECTIVE This mixed methods study aims to explore the transitional experiences and perspectives of internationally qualified midwives practising in Australia. METHODS This study uses an explanatory sequential mixed methods design incorporating two phases. The first phase of the study includes an e-survey that will be distributed to internationally qualified midwives in Australia, via the website e-bulletins of the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation and Australian College of Midwives. Additionally, potential respondents will be recruited via social media (Twitter, Facebook) and associated snowball sampling. At the end of the e-survey, respondents will be asked whether they are willing to take part in an interview. Data from the e-survey will be statistically analysed. The results of the e-survey and literature review will help to develop a guide for interview questions, with these interviews taking place during the second phase. A nested sample of participants will be created using the same selection criteria as for the e-survey. Semi-structured interviews will provide a deeper insight into the transitional experiences of internationally qualified midwives. Data will then be thematically analysed. RESULTS An integration of the e-survey results and interview findings will be synthesised to explore and better understand the transitional experiences of this group of midwives. The resulting data may potentially be used to formulate recommendations for future recruitment and retention practices, and to aid the Australian midwifery workforce in valuing diversity and fostering a supportive work environment. CONCLUSIONS At the time of writing this protocol, data collection had not yet commenced, however collection was subsequently completed in late 2018 and analysis is currently underway. CLINICALTRIAL This study was approved by the University of South Australia Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol Number: 0000036397).

scholarly journals Motives to SME internationalisation

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Bowen
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Policy Development ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Government Support ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food And Drink

Purpose This study offers a comparative analysis of attitudes to small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) internationalisation in two different cultural settings, Wales and Brittany. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an in-depth investigation of attitudes to internationalisation among food and drink SMEs using mixed methods and focussing on both SMEs that internationalise and those that do not. This leads to a more comprehensive understanding of the issues influencing attitudes to SME internationalisation, which could facilitate policy development for such companies. Design/methodology/approach Mixed methods are used in this study to provide a richness of data in investigating this complex issue. The majority of research in this field has focussed on quantitative research, however, this study heeds calls for more plurality in research on SME internationalisation to achieve a more detailed understanding of the issues affecting SME internationalisation. This is achieved through an online questionnaire of 169 food producing SMEs in Wales and Brittany, informed by International Entrepreneurship theory. A second phase of semi-structured interviews provides more context to the questionnaire findings, with 37 interviews conducted with respondents from the questionnaire. Each phase was conducted independently, with findings triangulated for further investigation. Findings Companies of all characteristics have the ability to internationalise; however, cultural differences were observed between Wales and Brittany in both attitudes and the conditions for internationalisation. Breton SMEs displayed more proactivity to internationalisation, stemming from more favourable conditions, a greater reputation for food and more confidence. Conversely, Welsh SMEs were more reactive, relying on government support in encouraging internationalisation. Breton SMEs also benefitted from the strong cultural identity of food products, especially through the Produit en Bretagne brand and its network of producers. Originality/value The study makes both a theoretical and methodological contribution to research on SME internationalisation. The comparative study of Wales and Brittany is significant in understanding cultural influences to internationalisation in two regions where the food and drink industry represents an important part of the economy. The focus on a single industry is significant in understanding the particularities of internationalisation within an industrial context, as findings from studies across multiple industries are considered less generalisable. A methodological contribution is sought through using mixed methods to provide a more comprehensive study.

Teaching for international mindedness in Chicago Public Schools International Baccalaureate humanities classes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Tocci ◽  
Ann Marie Ryan ◽  
David C. Ensminger ◽  
Catur Rismiati ◽  
Ahlam Bazzi Moughania
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Phase I ◽  
Classroom Practice ◽  
International Baccalaureate ◽  
Chicago Public Schools ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Learner Profile

PurposeThe International Baccalaureate (IB) programme centers on developing students' international mindedness. Central to this effort is the programme's “Learner Profile,” which details ten attributes that teachers seek to cultivate through classroom instruction. This article reports on the ways that middle grades and high school social studies and English teachers in Chicago Public Schools' (CPS) IB programmes are attempting to implement the Learner Profile as part of their classroom practice to support students' international mindedness.Design/methodology/approachThe project was carried out as a two phase, sequential mixed-methods design. Phase I entailed a survey of IB teachers and programme coordinators across CPS to assess the incorporation of the Learner Profile into instruction. Phase II consisted of mixed-methods case studies of CPS IB programmes selected partially on Phase I data analysis.FindingsWe find that while teachers express high levels of familiarity with the Learner Profile attributes and confidence in incorporating them into practice, we find wide variation in the actual implementation. Taken as a whole, we find CPS programmes take divergent approaches to incorporating the Learner Profile based on differences in understanding of the attributes and its purposes as well as key organizational facets related to implementation.Originality/valueUltimately, we argue that the wide variation and lack of explicit incorporation of the Learner Profile into classrooms is related in large part to the broad, indistinct nature of “international mindedness” as a concept. The programme would benefit from creating more space for teacher and students to critique the concept, especially those working from non-Western traditions.

Voice of farmers in the agriculture crisis in North-East Nigeria

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ferdinand Ndifor Che ◽  
Kenneth David Strang ◽  
Narasimha Rao Vajjhala
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Research Design ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Agricultural Extension ◽  
Sense Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Rural Farmers ◽  
North East ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this study is to uncover ground truth insights underlying the agriculture crisis from the perspectives of rural farmers in North-East Nigeria. The needs of individual farmers are otherwise not adequately reflected in national or regional economic development strategies. Design/methodology/approach A unique sequential mixed-methods research design was adopted for this study. A grounded theory approach was used for the literature review followed by a consensual qualitative research (CQR) technique. Data were collected through a semi-structured sense-making focus group (FG) held at a field site with agricultural extension workers. The CQR technique included brainstorming, the nominal group technique, open discussions, sense-making and consensual agreement on the most important ideas. The FG sense-making was recorded, and discourse analysis was conducted to develop thematic concept maps using NVivo software. Findings Agriculture crisis ground truth insight themes were consistent with the extant literature but several different issues were also found. Rural farmers in North-East Nigeria have significant challenges with government support in six core areas, namely, farm input quality and dissemination, fair input subsidization, training, market facilitation, corruption and insecurity. Research limitations/implications The target population of this study was rural farmers in Adamawa State, North-East Nigeria. A relatively small sample of 16 agricultural extension workers – very experienced farmers who also act as mentors and are paid incentives by the government for doing so – was used. Practical implications In tackling the agriculture crisis in Nigeria, policymakers will do well to recognize the realities that the rural farmers face and their needs, the government must address the areas highlighted in this study where support for farmers lacks and urgently review the current process of farm inputs dissemination. Originality/value Agriculture crisis problems were explored from the perspectives of rural North-East Nigerian farmers, who have not been previously sampled due to cultural, language, literacy and schedule constraints. The extension workers were better able to communicate agriculture crisis insights in modern economic planning terminology because they are well-educated farmers, knowledgeable about the problems due to their field experience and because they have more flexible work schedules. A unique sequential mixed-methods constructivist research design was used with an embedded CQR technique, which would be of interest to scholars and research institutions.

scholarly journals Koha enterprise resource planning system and its potential impact on information management organizations

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 17-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisha Ondieki Makori ◽  
Norak Mauti Osebe
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Information Management ◽  
Enterprise Resource Planning ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Planning System ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enterprise Resource Planning System ◽  
Knowledge Based ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Information Professionals

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on Koha enterprise resource planning system and its potential impact on information management organizations in Kenya against the risks and myths associated with the solution. Design/methodology/approach The study focused on selected scan and analysis of information management organizations using Koha enterprise resource planning system in addition to document or desk review analysis. Expert opinions and ideas of information professionals, especially information systems and information leaders, also provided vital knowledge. Findings Koha enterprise resource planning system as the premier and leading free and open-source software is transforming and integrating information services in knowledge-based organizations. Driving significant forces include economical benefits, global customer base, free use and distribution, technical and online support, compatibility and integration with other technologies and global access to information and organization of knowledge. The study also established that the risks and myths associated with the system such as compatibility and integration with other technological solutions are no longer possible challenges. Koha provides business intelligence and cloud computing solutions over proprietary or commercial systems for managing and supporting information in organizations. Research limitations/implications This study purposively focused on selected information and knowledge management organizations using the Koha free and open-source enterprise resource planning system in addition to expert opinions and ideas of stakeholders in the information industry. Practical implications Koha enterprise resource planning system provides alternative solutions to information organizations already burdened with limited financial resources. In addition, it proves to the entire world that the solution that was developed for rural and small-based information organizations has developed into a leading knowledge enterprise resource planning solution. In information management organizations, Koha enterprise resource planning system is the strategic asset whose growth and use has increased tremendously across the globe. Social implications Potential widespread application and usage of the Koha enterprise resource system that was initially developed for rural and small information organizations is proof enough that the free and open-source software movement can produce best solutions that are economically viable over proprietary systems. Significant impact of the enterprise system across the globe indicates that information management organizations, information professionals and leaders are satisfied with the system. Originality/value In the knowledge-based economy, where technological systems and solutions are fundamental for quality delivery of services to the customers, information professionals must and as always provide the necessary technology, leadership and management qualities. Across the world, Koha free and open-source enterprise resource planning system is increasingly gaining momentum in information management organizations, and Kenyan information professionals are no exception.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document