Sustainable imaginaries: a case study of a large suburban Canadian university

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip Vaughter ◽  
Steve Alsop
Keyword(s):  
Community Organizing ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
National Level ◽  
Management Program ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
High Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to explore the concept of sustainability imaginaries – unifying core assumptions on what sustainability entails held by stakeholders – set within a large suburban Canadian university. The study aims to expand the field of research into imaginaries by focusing on imaginaries within an institution as opposed to a societal or national level. Design/methodology/approach The paper is conceptual in nature and draws upon empirical tools, such as collaborative thematic coding of interviews of university community members, to illustrate emergent imaginaries around sustainability at the institution. Findings This paper identifies four core sustainability imaginaries in an analysis of the interview data: sustainability as performance, sustainability as governance, sustainability as techno-efficiency and sustainability as community organizing. The paper then uses these imaginaries to analyse two recent university-wide events: the establishment of a high-level sustainability council and an energy management program. Research limitations/implications Because of the institutional focus of this study, the research may lack generalizability to other institutions. Thus, researchers are encouraged to explore what other imaginaries may exist at other institutions. Practical implications This paper includes implications for how universities can manage conflicting expectations and definitions in relation to new sustainability initiatives on campus. Originality/value This paper offers reflections on the concept of sustainability imaginaries and what they might offer the field of sustainability in higher education.

Ecological footprint: a tool for environmental management in educational institutions

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 675-690
Author(s):  
Katherine Ortegon ◽  
Pilar Acosta
Keyword(s):  
Ecological Footprint ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Educational Institutions ◽  
Practical Calculation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Standard Tool ◽  
Sustainability Initiatives ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, as few universities have assessed their ecological footprint (EF), a benchmark for Colombian universities is presented. Second, a practical calculation tool for measuring the EF in educational institutions (EIs) is developed. The purpose of this tool is to facilitate the process of assessing the EF in EIs that are starting sustainability initiatives and to unify criteria with those already involved. Design/methodology/approach The development of the Ecological Footprint for Educational Institutions (EFEI) calculator is detailed showing the seven categories analyzed and the adaptation to the Colombian context. Findings Results are presented from a case study of EFEI implementation at Universidad Icesi. Furthermore, the relation between these results and the action taken to mitigate EF at the university is detailed. Practical implications Colombian EIs have recently joined the sustainable campus movement. The EF methodology and this tool serve to assess impacts and identify what EIs can do to ameliorate their environmental stewardship. Social implications EIs are called on to lead by example in terms of sustainability, not only in teaching and researching cutting-edge technologies but also in being sustainable and transferring this knowledge to future generations. Originality/value First, an EF benchmark for Colombian universities is presented. In addition, a unified methodology for EIs is developed. The availability of a standard tool will encourage other EIs to move forward in the effort to achieve a sustainable campus.

scholarly journals Collaborative open strategic planning: a method and case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 832-852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Amrollahi ◽  
Bruce Rowlands
Keyword(s):  
Strategic Planning ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Planning Process ◽  
Formal Method ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Level ◽  
Open Strategy ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how collaborative information technology (IT) tools and a crowdsourcing model can be leveraged for the purpose of strategic planning. To achieve this objective, a formal method of open strategic planning (OSP) is proposed. Design/methodology/approach Based on a review of the literature a set of activities, stakeholders, and governing rules are identified in the form of an OSP method. The proposed planning method is implemented in a case study of strategic planning in an Australian university. Observations by the research team, and archival records were used to ascertain the relevance of the used method. Findings A method for OSP is presented and assessed. The method contains four phases: pre-planning, idea submission, idea refinement, and plan development. These phases cover the activities required from conceptualization to preparing and publishing the strategic plan. The findings clarify how the principles of OSP helped the organization to include more stakeholders and provided the opportunity to make the planning process transparent through use of a collaborative IT tool. Practical implications The study provides managers and planning consultants with detailed guidelines to implement the concept of open strategy. Originality/value This study is among the few to propose a method for OSP based on empirical research. The study also shows how collaborative IT tools can be used for high-level organizational tasks such as strategic planning.

Firm-brand community value co-creation as alignment of practices

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 596-620 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per Skålén ◽  
Stefano Pace ◽  
Bernard Cova
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Brand Community ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Collaborative Practices ◽  
Brand Communities ◽  
Managerial Implications ◽  
Collaborative Platform ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute knowledge regarding the nature of successful and unsuccessful value co-creation processes between firms and brand communities and the strategies used to address the latter. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on a netnographic study of the online collaborative platform known as Alfisti.com, which carmaker Alfa Romeo launched to enhance co-creation with its most devoted consumers, the “Alfisti”. Findings – The findings identify three groups of collaborative practices: interacting, identity and organizing practices. The paper details how firm and brand community members enact the elements – procedures, understandings and engagements – of collaborative practices and how the alignment of these enactments impacts value co-creation. Research limitations/implications – The paper suggests that co-creation of value succeeds when the enactment of collaborative practices aligns, i.e. when firm and brand community members enact practices in a similar way, and that co-creation fails when the enactment of practices misaligns. Firms and brand communities use three realignment strategies – compliance, interpretation and orientation – to address the misalignment and failure of co-creation. The fact that the research draws on a single qualitative case study is a limitation. Practical implications – Managerial implications include using realignment strategies to manage firm-brand community co-creation. Originality/value – Creating an empirical-based framework regarding successful and failing co-creation and how the latter is addressed in the context of brand community makes the paper original.

Digital decisions: user-driven digitization

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Sussmeier ◽  
Heather Perez
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Selection Strategy ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Digital Collections ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
Selection Strategies ◽  
University Archives ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine digitization selection strategies to optimize usage by examining digital collections at Stockton University, comparing the library-driven projects to the community-driven ones. Design/methodology/approach Case study of digitization selection strategy for Special Collections and University Archives, comparing library-driven to community-driven approaches. Findings Based on webpage analytics of the digital collections, community-driven digitization projects are more successful than library-driven ones. Research limitations/implications As a case study, this paper only analyzes a select number of digital collections from one institution. Practical implications Those responsible for digitization selection may wish to allow community members to propose collections for digitization. Originality/value To the authors’ best knowledge, no other known studies have used user analytics to compare community-driven digitization projects to library-driven ones.

From applicant to designated European Capital of Culture

2015 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 715-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Ejgod Hansen ◽  
Markus Laursen
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Stakeholder Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
European Capital Of Culture ◽  
Critical Phase ◽  
Research Interviews ◽  
High Level ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
The Way

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the management challenges related to the transition from the application phase to the delivery phase of the project of being a European Capital of Culture (ECoC). Design/methodology/approach – Case study based on qualitative research interviews with the management team, combined with existing research on ECoC and documents on the Aarhus 2017 project. Findings – The first main finding is that the challenges are caused by the way in which the transition from applicant to designated ECoC includes a change in management, shifting from a project to a programme structure and change in organisation. The second main finding is that stakeholder management in relation to politicians and cultural agents is challenged by a high level of ownership and expectation. Research limitations/implications – The study focuses on just one case and one phase of the project. Practical implications – Consequences for the way ECoC are managed and the programme organised could be drawn from this. Originality/value – The originality of the work is in that it studies this very critical phase in the project’s life-cycle in great detail, and focuses specifically on the management of ECoC.

Size does matter – span of control in hospitals

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 192-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Holm-Petersen ◽  
Sussanne Østergaard ◽  
Per Bo Noergaard Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Hospital Staff ◽  
Leadership Capacity ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Span Of Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Frontline Leaders ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Centralization, mergers and cost reductions have generally led to increasing levels of span of control (SOC), and thus potentially to lower leadership capacity. The purpose of this paper is to explore how a large SOC impacts hospital staff and their leaders. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on a qualitative explorative case study of three large inpatient wards. Findings The study finds that the nursing staff and their frontline leaders experience challenges in regard to visibility and role of the leader, e.g., in creating overview, coordination, setting-up clear goals, following up and being in touch. However, large wards also provide flexibility and development possibilities. Practical implications The authors discuss the implications of these findings for decision makers in deciding future SOC and for future SOC research. Originality/value Only few studies have qualitatively explored the consequences of large SOC in hospitals.

How “The Three Rules” guide strategy and investment decisions at Deloitte Consulting LLP

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 7-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Moffatt
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
First Case ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Thought Leadership

Purpose – This case example looks at how Deloitte Consulting applies the Three Rules synthesized by Michael Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed based on their large-scale research project that identified patterns in the way exceptional companies think. Design/methodology/approach – The Three Rules concept is a key piece of Deloitte Consulting’s thought leadership program. So how are the three rules helping the organization perform? Now that research has shown how exceptional companies think, CEO Jim Moffatt could address the question, “Does Deloitte think like an exceptional company?” Findings – Deloitte has had success with an approach that promotes a bias towards non-price value over price and revenue over costs. Practical implications – It’s critical that all decision makers in an organization understand how decisions that are consistent with the three rules have contributed to past success as well as how they can apply the rules to difficult challenges they face today. Originality/value – This is the first case study written from a CEO’s perspective that looks at how the Three Rules approach of Michael Raynor and Mumtaz Ahmed can foster a firm’s growth and exceptional performance.

Promoting authenticity through celebrity brands

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Kennedy ◽  
Stacey M. Baxter ◽  
Alicia Kulczynski
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Consumer Attitudes ◽  
Purchase Intentions ◽  
Consumer Perceptions ◽  
Positive Outcomes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Monetary Compensation ◽  
High Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to examine the importance of celebrity brands in influencing consumer perceptions of celebrity authenticity, which drives positive consumer attitudes and intentions. In addition, the notion of low-celebrity investment is investigated as a factor that diminishes the positive outcomes associated with celebrity brands. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 examines the effect of brand situation (endorsement versus celebrity brand) on consumer attitudes and intentions. Studies 2 and 3 investigate the role of celebrity authenticity in explaining the effects observed in Study 1. Study 4 examines celebrity investment as a bound of the phenomenon. Findings Study 1 demonstrates that consumers report heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands when compared to endorsements. Studies 2 and 3 provide evidence that authenticity explains the effects observed in Study 1. Results of Study 4 show that when consumers are aware of low-celebrity investment, the celebrity is viewed as inauthentic regardless of brand situation. Research limitations/implications This research is limited as it focuses only on known celebrity endorsers who were matched with products that had a high level of fit. In addition, purchase intentions were measured as opposed to the study of actual purchase behaviour. Practical implications This research has important implications for the development of endorsements and celebrity brands by demonstrating that consumers view celebrities as authentic when they are involved with brands for reasons other than monetary compensation. Originality/value This research shows that consumers have heightened attitudes and intentions towards celebrity brands compared to endorsements. This research identifies celebrity authenticity as the process underlying the observed phenomenon. However, celebrity investment is identified as a boundary condition demonstrating that knowledge of low investment results in a celebrity being viewed as inauthentic.

Doing the strategy hard yards

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-21
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Successful Strategy ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
High Level ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper reviews the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoints 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 If you search images of the word “strategy” on the internet, three of the first seven images to appear on Google (other search engines are available) include chess pieces, while two of the top ten hits involve light bulbs. Aside from the obvious conclusions that any strategic discussion should either involve chess grand masters or well-lit rooms, it is clear that most people assume winning games with lots of moves are possible is the key to a successful strategy. But is this a valid analogy, even at a high level? 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.

scholarly journals Bringing the national interlending system into the local document supply process – a Swedish case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 104-109
Author(s):  
Ylva Gavel
Keyword(s):  
System Integration ◽  
Management System ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Local Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe how systems automating the local document supply process (such as integrated library systems and ILL management systems) can be integrated with systems automating regional document requesting (interlending). This is illustrated with a case study of DocFlow, an ILL management system developed in-house at Karolinska Institutet and its integration with Libris, the national interlending system in Sweden. Design/methodology/approach – The present paper describes how system integration between Libris and DocFlow was accomplished in practice. It also discusses various aspects of integration between systems offering automation of document supply. Findings – Integration between local document supply workflows and regional document request flows may involve techniques such as import of outgoing and incoming interlending requests, synchronization of status values between systems, exchange of messages between systems and quick links to the native interfaces of external systems. Practical implications – The paper brings up various aspects to consider when developing or procuring a system for the local management of ILL workflows. Originality/value – The paper may provide a deeper understanding of system integration, as it applies to the document supply process.

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