Learning strategies for competence development in enterprises

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Ulrik Brandi ◽  
Rosa Lisa Iannone
Keyword(s):  
Human Resources ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Competence Development ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Enterprise Level

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine learning strategies for competence development at the enterprise level, and how these can be actualised in practice. The authors focus on three influential aspects, namely: the highest valued employee skills, main triggers for learning and investment in learning, as well as the most successful types of learning. Design/methodology/approach The empirical research was designed according to abductive reasoning. The data draw on research we undertook between 2013 and 2015, including semi-structured interviews with management, human resources and union representatives, as well as questionnaire responses from a total of 31 EU and 163 EU-competitors, across 53 industries and 22 countries. Findings Competence development requires flexible, learner-centred strategies for initiatives that respond to immediate business needs. Additionally, despite soft competences being so highly valued and sought after, investment (financial and other) by enterprises in developing them is low, relative to the investments poured into hard competences. Also, there is a clear employee demand gap for learning that develops soft competences. Originality/value Findings and recommendations are based on a large-scale empirical study, providing state-of-the-art knowledge, upon which we can renew our current learning strategies in workplaces.

Using human resource activities to implement sustainability in SMEs

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 652-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Langwell ◽  
Dennis Heaton
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Research ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Empirical Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Qualitative Research Study ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine how small- and medium-sized organisations that were already participating in recognised sustainability programmes in Iowa, USA, in how they were utilising activities normally associated with human resources (HRs) to implement sustainability – activities included communication, engagement, incentives and recruitment and retention. Design/methodology/approach – The authors were interested in how small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) were utilising HR functions to implement sustainability. This was an exploratory, qualitative research study utilised semi-structured interviews to obtain data. Findings – Based on the findings, some of the functions are being utilised more than others, with some activities not being implemented at all. Research limitations/implications – This research offers empirical research on how sustainability is achieved in SMEs. Practical implications – This paper outlines some practical methods that any SME could utilise to help implement sustainability within an organisation. Originality/value – This paper adds empirical research on how SMEs are implementing sustainable practices into their operations by using activities normally associated with the HR department.

Understanding the cultural concerns of libraries based on automatic image analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 419-434
Author(s):  
Heng Ding ◽  
Wei Lu ◽  
Tingting Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Automatic Analysis ◽  
Automatic Image Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Image Dataset ◽  
Learning Technique ◽  
Semantic Concepts

Purpose Photographs are a kind of cultural heritage and very useful for cultural and historical studies. However, traditional or manual research methods are costly and cannot be applied on a large scale. This paper aims to present an exploratory study for understanding the cultural concerns of libraries based on the automatic analysis of large-scale image collections. Design/methodology/approach In this work, an image dataset including 85,023 images preserved and shared by 28 libraries is collected from the Flickr Commons project. Then, a method is proposed for representing the culture with a distribution of visual semantic concepts using a state-of-the-art deep learning technique and measuring the cultural concerns of image collections using two metrics. Case studies on this dataset demonstrated the great potential and promise of the method for understanding large-scale image collections from the perspective of cultural concerns. Findings The proposed method has the ability to discover important cultural units from large-scale image collections. The proposed two metrics are able to quantify the cultural concerns of libraries from different perspectives. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first automatic analysis of images for the purpose of understanding cultural concerns of libraries. The significance of this study mainly consists in the proposed method of understanding the cultural concerns of libraries based on the automatic analysis of the visual semantic concepts in image collections. Moreover, this paper has examined the cultural concerns (e.g. important cultural units, cultural focus, trends and volatility of cultural concerns) of 28 libraries.

What can a municipality offer to its residents? Value propositions and interactions in a place context

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Källström ◽  
Christer Ekelund
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Abductive Reasoning ◽  
Place Marketing ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Essential Services ◽  
Value Propositions ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of the municipality in the place marketing context and to describe how municipalities work on making their place good to live in. The study rests on abductive reasoning whereby service-based logic forms the study and offers a theoretical framework for how to approach the phenomena. Design/methodology/approach – A qualitative study in the form of 20 semi-structured interviews with leading elected officials and civil servants is used to let us understand how two typical municipalities in southern Sweden work on making their municipality a good place for their residents to live in. Content analysis is used to analyze the data. Findings – The study reveals how municipalities work on creating opportunities for interactions between themselves and their residents, as well as offers insight into what value propositions the municipalities believe they offer their residents. The current study shows that the geographical location and the natural environment, basic and essential services, accommodations, urban quality, recreation and leisure and ambience constitute important dimensions in the place offering. Originality/value – Service-based logic is used as a backdrop to facilitate the analysis in this study, which emphasizes value propositions offered by the municipality and interactions between the municipality and its residents, which increase our understanding of how municipalities work on making their place good to live in. The service-based logic help shed new light on the place marketing context and allows us to understand the context in a new way.

Canadian chefs’ workplace learning

2015 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 522-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulette Cormier-MacBurnie ◽  
Wendy Doyle ◽  
Peter Mombourquette ◽  
Jeffrey D. Young
Keyword(s):  
Learning Outcomes ◽  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Workplace Learning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Professional Groups ◽  
Depth Study

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the formal and informal workplace learning of professional chefs. In particular, it considers chefs’ learning strategies and outcomes as well as the barriers to and facilitators of their workplace learning. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is based on in-depth, face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 12 executive chefs from a variety of restaurant types. Chefs were asked questions that focused on how they learned, the learning outcomes that they experienced and factors that inhibited or facilitated their learning. Findings – Findings suggest that the strategies, outcomes, barriers and facilitators experienced by professional chefs are similar in many respects to those of other occupational/professional groups. However, there were some important differences that highlight the context of chefs’ workplace learning. Research limitations/implications – The sample, which is relatively small and local, focuses on one city in Canada, and it is limited in its generalizability. Future research should include a national survey of professional chefs. Originality/value – Using a qualitative approach, this in-depth study adds to the literature on workplace learning, strategies, outcomes, barriers, facilitators and context factors by addressing a relatively understudied profession.

scholarly journals Teaching innovations in Asian higher education: perspectives of educators

2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 179-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
T.M. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The Other ◽  
Asian Countries ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
The Many

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the teaching innovations that have been implemented in higher education institutions in Asia and the perspectives of educators on them. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 educators who were affiliated with 23 higher education institutions in ten Asian countries/regions. The interviews covered information about the teaching innovations of the participants’ institutions, the characteristics of the innovative practices and the participants’ views on them. The relationships between the characteristics of institutions and their teaching innovations were also examined. Findings The results showed that the teaching innovations included two main categories, namely, those which involved the use of advanced technologies and those which did not. The innovations that involved the use of advanced technologies were mainly from larger institutions, while the other category was mainly from smaller ones and had been practised for less than 1.5 years. Differences were also identified between the two categories in terms of the aims and importance of innovations, innovative features, the evaluation of innovations and improvements needed for them. Originality/value The results highlighted that technology is only one of the many aspects of teaching innovations, which is different from the view prevailing in the literature. They also suggested that differences in the scale of institutions (in terms of number of students) possibly influences the kind of teaching innovations adopted.

scholarly journals Exploring producers' motivations and challenges within a farmers' market

2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (7) ◽  
pp. 2089-2103
Author(s):  
Rosario Michel-Villarreal ◽  
Eliseo Luis Vilalta-Perdomo ◽  
Martin Hingley
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Farmers Markets ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Farmers Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Food Supply Chains ◽  
Part Time ◽  
Short Food Supply Chains

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore food producers' motivations and challenges whilst participating in short food supply chains (SFSCs). This paper compares findings with previous literature and investigates the topic in the context of producers' motivations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper includes a literature review concerning producers' motivations to engage in SFSCs. A case study was designed to investigate motivations underlying producers' engagement in SFSCs, as well as the challenges that they face. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in a farmers' market located in Mexico. Thematic analysis is used to identify the principal issues for producers'. Propositions based on findings are presented.FindingsFindings suggest that small, large, part-time and full-time producers are willing to engage with farmers' markets for diverse primary economic and non-economic motivations. Individual and collective challenges were also identified.Originality/valueThis research helps to explain producers' motivations and challenges within SFSCs in an under-researched context, namely a focus on producers' and in the Global South.

Information processing by elderly consumers: a five-decade review

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gianluigi Guido ◽  
Marco Pichierri ◽  
Cristian Rizzo ◽  
Verdiana Chieffi ◽  
George Moschis
Keyword(s):  
Information Processing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Marketing Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Processing Activity ◽  
Elderly Consumers

Purpose The purpose of this study is to review scholarly research on elderly consumers’ information processing and suggest implications for services marketing. Design/methodology/approach The review encompasses a five-decade period (1970–2018) of academic research and presents relevant literature in four main areas related to information processing: sensation, attention, interpretation and memory. Findings The study illustrates how each of the aforementioned phases of the information processing activity may affect how elderly individuals buy and consume products and services, emphasizing the need for a better comprehension of the elderly to develop effectual marketing strategies. Originality/value The study provides readers with detailed state-of-the-art knowledge about older consumers’ information processing, offering a comprehensive review of academic research that companies can use to improve the effectiveness of their marketing efforts that target the elderly market.

Has Lean improved organizational decision making?

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 536-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Simons ◽  
Jos Benders ◽  
Jochen Bergs ◽  
Wim Marneffe ◽  
Dominique Vandijck
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Lean Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Organizational Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Sustainable Improvement ◽  
Care Processes ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Sustainable improvement is likely to be hampered by ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in care processes (the organization’s decision-making context). Lean management can improve implementation results because it decreases ambiguity and uncertainties. But does it succeed? Many quality improvement (QI) initiatives are appropriate improvement strategies in organizational contexts characterized by low ambiguity and uncertainty. However, most care settings do not fit this context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a Lean-inspired change program changed the organization’s decision-making context, making it more amenable for QI initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – In 2014, 12 professionals from a Dutch radiotherapy institute were interviewed regarding their perceptions of a Lean program in their organization and the perceived ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in their clinical processes. A survey (25 questions), addressing the same concepts, was conducted among the interviewees in 2011 and 2014. The structured interviews were analyzed using a deductive approach. Quantitative data were analyzed using appropriate statistics. Findings – Interviewees experienced improved shared visions and the number of uncertain cause-effect relations decreased. Overall, more positive (99) than negative Lean effects (18) were expressed. The surveys revealed enhanced process predictability and standardization, and improved shared visions. Practical implications – Lean implementation has shown to lead to greater transparency and increased shared visions. Originality/value – Lean management decreased ambiguous objectives and reduced uncertainties in clinical process cause-effect relations. Therefore, decision making benefitted from Lean increasing QI’s sustainability.

Feasibility study of automatically performing the concrete delivery dispatching through machine learning techniques

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 573-590 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mojtaba Maghrebi ◽  
Claude Sammut ◽  
S. Travis Waller
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Human Resources ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Mixing Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Solution ◽  
Learning Techniques ◽  
Ready Mixed Concrete ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the implementation of machine learning (ML) techniques in order to automatically measure the feasibility of performing ready mixed concrete (RMC) dispatching jobs. Design/methodology/approach – Six ML techniques were selected and tested on data that was extracted from a developed simulation model and answered by a human expert. Findings – The results show that the performance of most of selected algorithms were the same and achieved an accuracy of around 80 per cent in terms of accuracy for the examined cases. Practical implications – This approach can be applied in practice to match experts’ decisions. Originality/value – In this paper the feasibility of handling complex concrete delivery problems by ML techniques is studied. Currently, most of the concrete mixing process is done by machines. However, RMC dispatching still relies on human resources to complete many tasks. In this paper the authors are addressing to reconstruct experts’ decisions as only practical solution.

Emotion display and suppression among Arab and Jewish assistant principals in Israel

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khalid Arar ◽  
Izhar Oplatka
Keyword(s):  
Emotion Regulation ◽  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Assistant Principals ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Practical Knowledge ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Personal Needs ◽  
Teachers And Parents

Purpose It is widely accepted that educational leaders and teachers need to manage and regulate their emotions continually, mainly because schooling and teaching processes expose many emotions. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to trace the ways Israeli assistant principals, both Arab and Jewish, manage their emotions at work. Design/methodology/approach Based on semi-structured interviews with 15 assistant principals, it was found that they are required to manage their emotions in accordance with entrenched emotion rules in the culture and society. Findings Most of the Jewish female APs tend to display warmth and empathy toward teachers in order to better understand their personal needs and professional performances. In contrast, Arab APs suppressed or fabricated emotional expression in their discourse with teachers and parents, in order to maintain a professional façade and retain the internal cohesion of the school. Both groups of APs believed their emotion regulation results in higher level of harmony in the school. Empirical and practical suggestions are put forward. Originality/value The paper is original and contributes to the theoretical and practical knowledge.

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