Memory objects and boarding school trauma

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-226
Author(s):  
Christine Trimingham Jack ◽  
Linda Devereux

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide language and meaning to open up silence around traumatic boarding school memories through the symbolic aura (Nora 1989) surrounding key memory objects. The secondary aim is to illustrate to historians the importance of paying attention to interviewees’ discussion of material objects as clues to uncovering deeper, unexplored memories. Design/methodology/approach The approach draws on Vamik Volkan’s (2006) understanding of “linking objects” – significant objects preserved or created by traumatised people. Traumatic emotions become linked with loss and grief associated with the object, turning it into a tightly packed symbol whose significance is “bound up in the conscious and unconscious nuances of the relationship that preceded the loss” (Volkan, 2006, p. 255). The experiences of the two authors are examined as exemplars in this process. Findings The exemplars illustrate how complicated and long term the process of remembering and understanding is for those who experience boarding school trauma and the power of “linking objects” to open up memory surrounding it. The case studies also alert educational historians to how emotionally fraught revealing what happened can be and how long it may take to confront the events. Originality/value Linking objects have not previously been used in relationship to surfacing boarding school trauma. The paper is also unique in offering deep analysis of boarding school trauma undertaken by skilled educational researchers who incorporate reflections from their own experience informed by broad theory and pertinent psychological research.

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-324 ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier González-Benito ◽  
Gustavo Lannelongue ◽  
Luis Miguel Ferreira ◽  
Carmen Gonzalez-Zapatero

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between the environmental management of purchases and firm performance. The authors examine the moderating role played by two variables: the establishment of long-term relationships with suppliers and the strategic integration of the purchasing function. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conduct an empirical study on a sample of 100 Portuguese firms. Findings – Evidence reveals that green purchasing management improves the performance of the purchasing function, although the impact is greater when the organisation forges lasting alliances with its suppliers. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the study of the consequences of introducing environmental practices into the purchasing function, especially with regards to the formation of a panel of sustainable suppliers. Specifically, this research provides evidence to show that the implementation of those practices has positive impacts on the operating performance of the purchasing function and that the said effect is greater when a firm establishes long-term relationships with its suppliers.


Author(s):  
Nopadol Rompho

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between levels of human capital and financial performance of firms that use two distinct human resource management (HRM) strategies. Design/methodology/approach A survey of 128 HRM managers was conducted to assess differences in human capital between firms using different HRM strategies. A multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the relationship between firms’ human capital and financial performance. Findings The results show that companies employing a make-organic strategy have a higher level of human capital than companies employing a buy-bureaucratic strategy. There was no relationship between the level of human capital and long term financial performance of firms with both make-organic and buy-bureaucratic strategies. Research limitations/implications This research contributes toward understanding the effect of HRM strategy and facilitates an optimal strategy choice depending on the organization. However, this study did not consider the lead time between changes in human capital and the effect on financial performance. Practical implications The research encourages firm managers to understand the value of human capital, preparing them for changes in the future. Originality/value This study is among the first to investigate the relationship between human capital and financial performance considering different HRM strategies.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

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 their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings MNEs are grappling with the growing and permanent shift toward sustainable business practices. In EDMs, MNEs face increased challenges, but are able to form markets in the image they want, influencing business practices for the long-term. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists 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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (10) ◽  
pp. 30-31 ◽  

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 their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This research paper, using survey data from Iranian SMEs, concentrates on the relationship between cultural intelligence, tolerance for ambiguity, and corporate entrepreneurship to reveal how companies can increase the effectiveness of their strategic activity within their particular market. Originality/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists 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.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-Hua Li ◽  
Yang Cao ◽  
Yong-Xin Wu ◽  
Xiao-Ning Bai ◽  
Jia-Wei Mao

PurposeThis paper aims to establish the relationship between crosswind speed and pantograph-catenary lateral deviation, as well as quantify the influence of crosswind speed and rod size uncertainty on pantograph-catenary contact reliability.Design/methodology/approachThe closed vector method is used to establish the pantograph-catenary kinematics formula. A new prediction model is proposed by using the bird swarm algorithm to optimize the grey model. The lateral deviation of the pantograph and catenary is predicted via the new model. Then the relationship between the effective length of the rod and operating mileage is inferred by combining the effective length theory with the Gamma process, as well as the pantograph-catenary contact reliability model is established according to reliability theory.FindingsThe results obtained show the impacts of uncertainty design parameters of pantograph rods on pantograph-catenary contact reliability index, and the results at crosswind speed of 0 ms−1 and 5 ms−1 are 5.0630 and 4.1442, respectively. The reliability decreases with the increasing crosswind speed, and can be greater than the reliability calculated for rod size degradation due to long-term use.Originality/valueMost preceding works on pantograph-catenary contact reliability were based on principles of dynamics, without considering the pantograph-catenary relative motion. This research reveals the law of pantograph-catenary relative motion for uncertainty design parameters and crosswind, and quantifies the reliability from the angle of kinematics.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-40
Author(s):  
Raymond Pun

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the library’s on-going relationship with the academic resource center (ARC), and how over the past two years, there have been new services and programs thriving as a result of this collaboration. The paper presents three case studies that demonstrate the library’s collaboration with the ARC and assesses the opportunities and challenges in working with this department in a new university. Design/methodology/approach – The approach of this paper is to explore three case studies on how the library collaborated with the ARC in supporting students. The case studies explore the opportunities for partnerships in developing innovative services, programs and resources. Librarians are integral members of the ARC and are embedded in this community by providing support to the department as well. Findings – The paper finds that collaborations between the library and the ARC are mutually beneficial: academic libraries may consider partnering with tutoring centers to create synergies in enhancing the students’ research experience. However, not all collaborative projects or programs are successful or repeatable in success. They are still opportunities to build and strengthen the relationship between the library and the ARC. Originality/value – This paper presents three case studies on how the library works closely with the “Global Academic Fellows” (GAF) from the ARC. The GAFs work closely with faculty and librarians as they teach, tutor and collaborate with different university departments to create programs or initiatives that enrich the student experience and the university. Their roles have been instrumental in collaborating with the library to create innovative programs, events and support services throughout the two years since the university opened in 2013.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl-Jacob Mickelsson

Purpose The paper aims to introduce the idea that consumers have relationships with their own recurring activities. Instead of the usual notion of investigating the relationships between actors, or between actors and their possessions, the paper focuses on the relationship between an actor and a particular activity in which the actor regularly participates. Design/methodology/approach The paper is conceptual and exploratory in nature. It discusses different perspectives of consumer activity in marketing and then introduces a relationship view of activity. The paper proceeds to outline the conceptual foundations of this view by applying relationship characteristics found in the literature. Quotes from runners’ blogs are used to illustrate the different identified relationship themes. Findings The paper argues that consumers can be seen as having long-term relationships with their activities, and it introduces the concept of the “activity relationship”. The paper proceeds to demonstrate how this concept differs from the previous conceptualization of consumer activity and relationships. Research limitations/implications The activity-relationship perspective on consumer behavior opens up new venues for marketing research. It also facilitates new types of marketing practice, whereby producers can focus on supporting their customers’ relationships with valuable activities. Originality/value The paper presents a novel perspective on relationships. It contributes to consumer research and the customer-dominant view of marketing, whereby the customer’s perspective is put in focus and businesses serve as ingredients in the customer’s own context.


2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1138-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bouchra Abdelilah ◽  
Akram El Korchi ◽  
Mohammed Amine Balambo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to clarify the confusion between flexibility and agility. The paper traces the evolution of agility and the evolution of flexibility over time, analyses their drivers and different elements, draws the boundaries between them and defines their relationship. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review of flexibility and agility was developed. Papers written between 1920 and 2017 were reviewed and analyzed using a structured review technique. The identified papers focus on flexibility and agility, relating both to manufacturing and the supply chain. Findings Agility is the natural evolution of flexibility. Until the 1990s, the term “flexibility” was used to refer to agility, but, because of market changes, competitiveness and the need for speed, the term “agility” was coined. While flexibility is considered as an operational ability, agility is a strategic ability that enables a firm to establish a strategic long-term vision. In fact, flexibility is an agility capability, among other capabilities such as responsiveness or speed. There are also several types of flexibility that are used as agility sub-capabilities, or as agility enablers, which further confirms the idea that flexibility is a part of agility. Research limitations/implications This research is a systematic review of the existing literature on the concepts of flexibility and agility. Although it is theoretical, it could provide a set of hypotheses that would enable an empirical study to be conducted into how firms from different industries perceive flexibility and agility and how they implement each of them. Originality/value Flexibility and agility are two distinct characteristics that enable a firm to gain a competitive advantage by responding quickly and effectively to changing customer demand. However, there is confusion between these two concepts in the academic and professional literature, with both terms being used to refer to the same idea. Our literature review aims to draw the boundaries between flexibility and agility by analyzing the evolution of the two concepts and detailing their respective drivers and elements, in order to bring more clarity to the nature of the relationship between flexibility and agility.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  

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 their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings Disruption to business is inevitable during a global crisis situation. Organizations can be better positioned to manage negative consequences by developing business models that shape a long-term commitment to sustainable goals which can bring benefits to the firm and its different stakeholders. 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.


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 their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings The overall capability of an organization to learn can be enhanced further through unlearning and relearning. However, the relationship between these latter constructs is subject to considerable debate and their precise contribution to the learning process remains somewhat unclear as a result. 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.


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