Earthquake preparedness in higher education structures

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 175-187
Author(s):  
Sanaz Sohrabizadeh ◽  
Katayoun Jahangiri ◽  
Parvin Shafiei Moghaddam ◽  
Hamid Safarpour ◽  
Zahra Eskandari
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Earthquake Preparedness ◽  
The Matrix ◽  
Educational Structures ◽  
Internal And External Factors

Purpose Universities and higher education institutes are key pillars of all societies, as the result of their important roles in education, research and training of human resources. Nevertheless, similar to other social structures, universities need to be prepared for natural disasters. This study aims to measure and analyze the level of earthquake preparedness in a higher education institute in Tehran, Iran. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study was conducted in 2017 in a higher education institute through three stages of tool, namely, development, preparedness evaluation and strength–weakness–opportunity–threat analysis. The valid and reliable tool was applied for assessment of college preparedness through a field survey. Factors affecting the obtained level of preparedness were categorized into internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) factors to decide on an appropriate strategy for promoting the preparedness level. Findings Content validity index and content validity ratio of the tool were 88 and 98.85 per cent, respectively. The reliability of the tool was measured to be 98 per cent using the kappa coefficient. The level of preparedness was estimated to be weak. The final value of the matrix of internal and external factors was higher than average, which can be improved in the form of strength–opportunity strategy. Originality/value It is highly suggested to allocate a specific budget for improvement and evaluation of preparedness measures in all parts of education systems. In addition, making the preparedness measures as the mandatory duty for educational structures can be considered by decision-makers and managers at the national and local levels.

Intellectual property rights policies of higher education institutions (HEIs) in India: a cross-sectional study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vijay Kumar Sattiraju ◽  
Ravi Pandey ◽  
Ramjee Pallela ◽  
Anindya Sircar ◽  
Virendra S. Ligade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Intellectual Property Rights ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Innovation Practices ◽  
Ipr Policy

Purpose The purpose of this study is to assess the intellectual property (IP) policy and innovation practices of higher education institutions (HEIs) and to understand the impact of national intellectual property rights (IPR) policy at the ground level. It identifies the barriers of HEIs in the generation of IP, its commercialization and technology transfer. Design/methodology/approach This cross-sectional study aims to understand the innovation practices and IP policy framework of HEIs in India. It was studied in a qualitative approach with a structured questionnaire tool deployed to the top management of HEIs (targeted respondents), using convenience sampling methods. Findings The results imply that IP policies and innovation practices of HEIs in India are evolving and need to align with the global standard as envisaged in the national IPR policy. Lack of commensurate incentives to the inventors, linkages with industries and facilities were found to be major barriers among HEIs and research institutions. Institutional IP policy shall be framed to promote industry linkages with universities resulting in successful IP generation and technology transfer. Research limitations/implications The sample size in this study is less; however, it does not have an impact on the study outcome, as it is a qualitative approach. Practical implications This study brings awareness among stakeholders of IP generation and commercialization regarding the barriers and needed changes to overcome them through policy. Social implications It helps policymakers to redesign the tools of IP and innovation policy to enable the innovation promotion at HEIs. This study identifies innovation practices and institutional barriers in the generation of IP. Originality/value This qualitative survey-based study helps in understanding the innovation practices of HEIs in India. It also aims to identify the barriers of HEIs on the generation and commercialization of IP.

scholarly journals Factors affecting the capabilities of family development centre staff regarding promotion of pre-school language learning amongst parents in Thailand

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-56
Author(s):  
Warunsicha Supprasert ◽  
Piyatida Khajornchaikul ◽  
Kitiphong Harncharoen ◽  
Pimsurang Taechaboonsermsak ◽  
Supachai Pitikultang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Language Learning ◽  
Marital Status ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Stepwise Multiple Regression ◽  
Family Development ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Appraisal Support

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors contributing to the competencies and capabilities of Family Development Center (FDC) staff in order to promote pre-school language developmental support amongst parents. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 260 FDC staff under the supervision of Thai local authorities in the rural province of Suphanburi in Thailand from July to September 2016. Self-administered questionnaires were used. Eligible participants with at least a year’s experience on the FDC committee were purposively selected. Analyses were performed by descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, Spearman’s correlation, χ2 test and stepwise multiple regression. Findings Only 23.5 percent of staff had a high level of capability. The respondents’ perceptions of their self-capability were influenced by motivation, attitudes toward promoting language learning amongst parents, self-efficacy, sufficient budget and receiving constructive appraisal support (r=0.387, 0.328, 0.366, 0.106 and 0.104, respectively). Marital status was negatively associated with FDC staff capability (r=−0.172). The multivariate analysis showed that 23.9 percent of the variability of FDC staff’s self-capability could be explained by their motivation for working, attitude, self-efficacy and marital status (p<0.001). Originality/value Research findings could be used to improve motivation for working, positive attitudes and self-efficacy regarding parenting promotion for pre-school language development to achieve standardized quality performance. Results of this study could also form the basis for designing effective training programs for FDC staff in the context of the specific organization and community.

The impact of COVID-19 on UK higher education students: experiences, observations and suggestions for the way forward

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muzammal Ahmad Khan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Teaching Staff ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to examine the experiences of UK higher education students and the impact that emergency-imposed changes had on their learning, teaching and assessment (LTA) during the lockdown. It reflects on the views of students on how these changes impacted their education and personal circumstances. It makes suggestions, based on student observations, on how educators might support students’ LTA learning experiences more effectively. Design/methodology/approach The study uses an anonymous online questionnaire, imposed by lockdown and closure of universities, to gather the views of HE students across the UK on how COVID-19 and lockdown affected their education and personal circumstances. Using a cross-sectional study, participants were asked to complete several questions, providing quantitative and qualitative data which is analysed for the study. A total of 349 participants took part in the questionnaire and data were analysed descriptively. Findings Key findings suggest that the use of online virtual classrooms as a substitute for traditional face-to-face LTA has its positives and its negatives. The most significant positives are the “flexible assessments” and “digital content” and, in contrast, one of the significant drawbacks is the lack of interactions, this being true for both male and female students. However, as compared to females, males found to be missing “the campus life” more during the lockdown. Finally, the majority of student felt that there was a lack of support from the university and teaching staff during the lockdown. Universities’ governance must take control of how this issue is driven forward and learn from the experience of students. Originality/value The study makes three contributions: firstly, using students’ views to open a fresh debate on LTA approaches during the pandemic; secondly, examining the impact on student experiences due to the changes introduced because of lockdown; and finally, suggesting strategies to be implemented by HE management based on the opinions of participating students.

Everything changes? A repeated cross-sectional study of organisational culture in the public sector

2017 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Chandler ◽  
Balazs Heidrich ◽  
Richard Kasa
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Organisational Culture ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Demographic Changes ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organisational Level ◽  
Over Time

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how organisational culture has changed between 2011 and 2016 in a higher education institution (HEI) that has been faced with both significant internal and external changes. There are three areas to be examined: the change in culture on an organisational level, the demographic changes in the workforce, and the changes in values and perceptions of the workforce over time. Design/methodology/approach This is an explorative study and a repeated cross-sectional study of the organisation. The authors used the same methodology and approach for both the 2011 and 2016 studies, namely, the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument was used to ascertain respondents values and perceptions. The instrument was distributed in printed format to all members of staff and approval was received prior to distribution. Results were tested for significance using Cronbach’s α and ANOVAs. Findings There were demographic changes in the workforce primarily for age, occupation and tenure of staff, but little change in gender. Despite these changes in the workforce, on an organisational level perceptions and values have changed little over the five-year period, despite a multitude of external and internal developments. Although there were statistically significant differences between culture types and demographics (age, tenure, gender and occupation), there was no single demographic with a statistically significant difference for a particular culture type, either in values or perceptions. Research limitations/implications The study questions the concept of organisational culture being affected by internal integration and external adaptation over time. Results indicate that culture is, by itself, either slow to react change, or does not react at all. A high response rate would be best for getting a clear picture of the culture of the organisation and a qualitative study is necessary (and planned) to develop the findings further, as well as triangulate the findings of this study. Practical implications This study should be of interest to practitioners as it presents the caveat that organisational culture of this study cannot be expected to change on its own, and highlights the need for a planned change process for the organisational culture to adapt to the changing needs of both the external and internal environments. The potential for resistance to change in this organisation appears is high and values and perceptions appear unrelated to any particular demographic. Social implications Although the authors cannot generalise from this longitudinal case study, the authors can consider some potential social implications, especially if further studies confirm the findings. First, despite government attempts to develop higher education in Hungary, staff perceptions and values within the institution are harder to change. Second, any attempts to revitalise the organisation from the inside (such as in this case with the forced retirement of older employees) seem unfruitful. Finally, the HEI is struggling to survive, and yet employees seem to not be a part of that struggle. Originality/value Although there are studies of organisational culture in HEIs, very few have undertaken a longitudinal approach. The study takes place in a unique situation: just before and just after extreme changes – both internally and externally – have taken place. Few studies question the organic and evolving nature of culture as it is difficult to predict when changes will occur. The study is in the unique position of having been able to do so.

scholarly journals Kidney donation: bridging the gap in the shortage of kidney transplants in Malaysia

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farida Islahudin ◽  
Intan Azura Shahdan ◽  
Li Ming Kua
Keyword(s):  
Program Implementation ◽  
Knowledge Score ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Kidney Donation ◽  
Attitude Score ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Maximum Score ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Willingness To Donate

PurposeThe purpose of this study was to identify factors that affect willingness to donate kidneys posthumously among Malaysians.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based cross-sectional study assessing demographics, attitude, spirituality, knowledge and willingness to donate a kidney was conducted among adult Malaysians with oral informed consent. The total number of samples was 1,001 respondents. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed.FindingsA total of 29.17% (n = 292) were willing to donate kidneys, while the remaining 70.83% (n = 709) were not. The mean spirituality score was 80.95 ± 13.79 (maximum score 100), mean attitude score was 52.88 ± 8.074 (maximum score 70) and mean knowledge score was 1.84 ± 0.99 (maximum score 5). A higher score demonstrated a stronger spiritual level, positive attitude and better knowledge. Factors affecting willingness to donate a kidney were ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] = 15.625, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.043–0.094) and attitude toward kidney donation score (OR = 0.924, 95% CI = 0.902–0.945).Originality/valueCulture-specific steps to improve programs that may contribute toward improving kidney donation posthumously among Malaysians should be developed. Results drawn from this work demonstrate that policymakers, health-care workers and stakeholders should work together to promote effective policies and program implementation to reduce the ever-increasing gap between the need and shortage crisis of kidney donation.

EMPLOYEE RETENTION IN A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION: AN ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE

2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
B J Erasmus ◽  
A Grobler ◽  
M Van Niekerk
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Employee Turnover ◽  
Intent To Stay ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Highly Qualified ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
High Performing ◽  
Organisational Climate ◽  
Talent Retention

Talent retention and employee turnover are major concerns for higher education institutions (HEIs) because they are losing highly qualified staff to the private sector and to other HEIs that are able to offer better rewards and benefits. The turnover of talented staff is therefore a major concern for the institution under investigation. The retention and voluntary turnover decisions among a workforce of 4 651 employees was thus investigated. A quantitative cross-sectional study was conducted by means of the objective analysis of organisational data in combination with the structured questionnaire (organisational climate survey). Descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to analyse the data across demographic groups, including age, employment category (academic as well as professional and support), etc. The results indicated that the institution’s turnover rate was acceptable (4.34%) and that dysfunctional turnover was marginal because employees with below-standard performance ratings had voluntarily resigned. Positive correlations and significant beta (b) values were reported between Organisational citizenship, Leadership, My manager and Compensation and the employees’ intent to stay in or to leave the organisation. These organisational climate factors were found to explain approximately 30 per cent of the variance in the employees’ intent to stay in or to leave the organisation. The article recommends that a talent retention tool be developed. In addition, it contributes to the literature on retention and turnover of high-performing employees, as it underscores the importance of measuring employee turnover

scholarly journals The Effects of the Civility, Respect, and Engagement in the Workplace (CREW) Program on Social Climate and Work Engagement in a Psychiatric Ward in Japan: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 320-330
Author(s):  
Utako Sawada ◽  
Akihito Shimazu ◽  
Norito Kawakami ◽  
Yuki Miyamoto ◽  
Lisa Speigel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Work Engagement ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Social Climate ◽  
Psychiatric Ward ◽  
Medical Doctors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Utrecht Work Engagement Scale ◽  
Healthcare Settings

Background: Good social climate and high work engagement are important factors affecting outcomes in healthcare settings. This study observed the effects of a program called Civility, Respect, and Engagement in the Workplace (CREW) on social climate and staff work engagement in a psychiatric ward of a Japanese hospital. Methods: The program comprised 18 sessions installed over six months, with each session lasting 30-min. Participation in the program was recommended to all staff members at the ward, including nurses, medical doctors, and others, but it was not mandatory. A serial cross-sectional study collected data at four time-points. Nurses (n = 17 to 22), medical doctors (n = 9 to 13), and others (n = 6 to 10) participated in each survey. The analysis of variance was used to evaluate the changes in the following dependent variables, the Essen climate evaluation schema (EssenCES), the CREW civility scale, and the Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES) over time. Result: We found no significant effects. The effect size (Cohen’s d) for EssenCES was 0.35 from baseline to post-installation for all staff members. Effect sizes for EssenCES for medical doctors and UWES for nurses were 0.79 and 0.56, respectively, from baseline to post-program. Conclusions: Differences in social climate and work engagement among Japanese healthcare workers between the baseline and post-installation of the CREW program were non-significant.

scholarly journals Rurality and Dropout in Virtual Higher Education Programmes in Colombia

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 4953
Author(s):  
Alfredo Guzmán Rincón ◽  
Sandra Barragán ◽  
Favio Cala Vitery
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Hierarchical Cluster ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Evaluation Instrument ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Social Stratum ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Rural Student

As part of the 2030 Agenda, higher education has been conceptualised as one of the ways to overcome the social disparities experienced in rural areas in Colombia. Thus, in concordance with the benefits of this level of education, the state has been designing public policies during the last few years, in order to facilitate access to undergraduate programmes to these populations, focusing mainly on the implementation of the virtual modality. In this context, it is recognised that access itself is not enough, but that continuance and timely graduation are required to materialise the benefits obtained along with a higher education degree; hence, dropout is a subject of interest for study, especially due to the high rates existing in the rural student population. Therefore, the event of dropout becomes an obstacle to social change and transformation in rural areas. Thus, this article aimed to identify which individual, institutional, academic and socio-economic characteristics influence rural student dropout in virtual undergraduate programmes in Colombia. For this purpose, an exploratory, quantitative and cross-sectional study was proposed, with a sample of 291 students to whom a student characterisation instrument and a classroom evaluation instrument were applied. With these data, it was proceeded to establish which of them had deserted, constituting the extraction of the sample of the study, which were 168. With the information, an exploratory factor analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and descriptive statistics were used to establish which explanatory variables are involved in the dropout of this type of student. The results showed that the academic variables analysed do not have an impact on the event, while marital status (associated with family obligations), age, social stratum, work obligations, parents’ level of education and type of work, income and type of employment relationship of the student, and, finally, the number of people who depend on the family’s income do.

scholarly journals Recovery, quality of life and issues in supported housing among residents with co-occurring problems: a cross-sectional study

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-87
Author(s):  
Linda Nesse ◽  
Marianne Thorsen Gonzalez ◽  
Geir Aamodt ◽  
Ruth Kjærsti Raanaas
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Supported Housing ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Housing Satisfaction ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Staff Support ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sense Of Home

Purpose Recovery for residents who experience co-occurring problems and live in supported housing takes place in everyday contexts. This study aims to explore residents’ self-reported recovery and quality of life and examine the relationships between these factors and issues in supported housing. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study was conducted at 21 supported housing sites in six cities across Norway. A total of 104 residents (76 men and 28 women) responded to measures of recovery (Recovery Assessment Scale – Revised), life satisfaction (Manchester Short Assessment of Quality of Life), affect (single items), staff support (Brief INSPIRE) and sense of home (single items). Findings Linear regression analyses indicated associations between recovery and staff support (B = 0.01, 95% CI = 0.01-0.02, ß = 0.39), housing satisfaction (B = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.07-0.22, ß = 0.38), sense of home (B = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.14-0.32, ß = 0.49) and satisfaction with personal economy (B = 0.11, 95% CI = 0.05-0.17, ß = 0.33). Similarly, associations were found between life satisfaction and staff support (B = 0.03, 95% CI = 0.02-0.04, ß = 0.46), housing satisfaction (B = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.46-0.80, ß = 0.60), sense of home (B = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.42-0.87, ß = 0.51) and satisfaction with personal economy (B = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.19-0.50, ß = 0.39). Originality/value The findings imply that core issues in supported housing, namely, staff support, housing satisfaction, sense of home and satisfaction with personal economy, are associated with recovery and quality of life.

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