Greening the campus: a theoretical extension of the dialogic communication approach

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 520-539 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serena Carpenter ◽  
Bruno Takahashi ◽  
Alisa P. Lertpratchya ◽  
Carie Cunningham
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Dialogic Communication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Communication Approach

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the strategic organization-public dialogic communication practices of universities in the USA. The authors used the dialogic model of communication to explore the extent to which higher education sustainability leaders (SL) at the top 25 USA sustainable engage in relational communication strategies. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with campus sustainability and student group leaders from a mix of regional areas in the USA. The authors examined the transcripts for concepts argued to exist within the dialogic model of communication from the public relations field. Findings Results reveal that SL rely on dialogic communication strategies to recruit active participants, build stakeholder bridges across campus and empower individuals to have an impact within specific sustainability areas. Communicators most likely engaged in empathy, followed by propinquity, mutuality, commitment and risk of the dialogic model. Research limitations/implications The authors extended the dialogic model of communication by identifying theoretical issues and scale items that can be used to measure each dimension of the model in future work. Practical implications The results reveal several ways that institutes of higher education could successfully use relational strategies to promote sustainability across multiple campus groups and departments by recruiting campus ambassadors, collectively defining sustainability and sharing public progress reports. Originality/value Few studies of sustainability in higher education holistically examine the relationship building practices of organizations that promote sustainability, despite the fact that communication is identified as a key factor in the successful implementation of sustainable actions.

Effective strategies for enhancing waste management at university campuses

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 1123-1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kianoosh Ebrahimi ◽  
Leslie A. North
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Waste Management ◽  
Key Management ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Zero Waste ◽  
The Usa

Purpose The purpose of this study is to identify and assess the waste management strategies that should be priorities for higher education institutions. The role of policy instruments (i.e. purchasing policies and recycling initiatives) in implementing sustainable zero-waste management programs at higher education institutions was investigated through comparison of American top-level and Western Kentucky University (WKU) benchmark universities. Design/methodology/approach Waste minimization-oriented policy instruments implemented at American top-level and WKU benchmark universities were analyzed through policy evaluation techniques. Digital surveys were distributed to sustainability coordinators at WKU benchmark and top-level universities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with survey participants. Findings It is important to identify well-defined temporal periods with goals and allocated tasks for direct and indirect stakeholders. Time periods should include planning for readiness programs and infrastructural needs, along with performing comprehensive waste characterization studies. As the waste program matures, the creation of integrated waste management policies with specific responsibilities for all stakeholders and departments will be required. Research limitations/implications The sampling of universities evaluated in this research is not representative of all universities in the USA or internationally, as they can vary widely. Yet, general waste management trends applicable to most universities can be gleaned from this research. Practical implications Widely varying zero-waste strategies are readily implemented at universities. A holistic review of successful waste management plans highlights key management approaches that should be included in all plans to ensure their success. Originality/value This study is one of the first of its kind to holistically evaluate policy factors influencing effective zero-waste management at higher education institutions.

Exploring the impacts of relationship on employees’ communicative behaviors during issue periods based on employee position

2017 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 542-555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yeunjae Lee
Keyword(s):  
Public Relations ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Employee Relations ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Exchange Relationship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Communicative Behaviors ◽  
The Usa ◽  
High Level

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine different communicative behaviors employees engage in according to their position level and the impacts of relationship they perceive. By comparing the behaviors and perceptions of low-, middle-, and high-level employees, the study investigates when and why employees become active in communicative behaviors about an organizational issue. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative online survey was conducted with 412 full-time employees in medium- and large-sized corporations with more than 300 employees in the USA. Findings Results show that those who are the most likely to be active not only in expressing ideas (i.e. voice) to solve an issue but also in forwarding positive information about their organization (i.e. megaphoning) are high-level employees. The findings also reveal distinct impacts of two types of relationship – communal and exchange relationship – on behaviors of employees in different positions. Research limitations/implications The study extended the understanding of relational approach by exploring the consequences of two types of relationship in the context of employee relations, and filled the research gap on relationships and issue management studies in public relations from an internal perspective. Practical implications To encourage employees to engage actively in positive megaphoning and voice during issue periods and to minimize the threats by reducing employees’ negative megaphoning behavior, the study suggested different relationship-building strategies based on employees’ position levels. Originality/value The current work examined the distinct impacts of organization-employee relationships on employees’ internal and external communicative behaviors based on their position level within an organization, especially focusing on employees’ role as potential advocates or adversaries for an organization during periods of an organizational crisis.

scholarly journals Provision of education for sustainability development and sustainability literacy in business programs in three higher education institutions in Brazil, Colombia and Peru

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Franchini Cavalcanti-Bandos ◽  
Silvia Quispe-Prieto ◽  
Alberto Paucar-Caceres ◽  
Toni Burrowes-Cromwel ◽  
Héctor Heraldo Rojas-Jiménez
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Education For Sustainability ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Programs ◽  
Sustainability Literacy ◽  
The Usa

Purpose This paper aims to report on the status and the development of education for sustainable development (ESD) and sustainability literacy (SL) in three Latin American (LA) higher education institutions (HEIs) business programs in Peru, Brazil and Colombia. The paper examines institutional efforts to both introduce and implement ESD curricula and provide SL. Design/methodology/approach The methods used in this paper included reviews of university Web pages and course materials. Structured interviews were also conducted with program leaders, to examine the level of ESD, as input affecting the business programs curricula of the universities concerned. Findings Initial findings suggest that, in the three HEIs surveyed, there is still a tendency to talk about issues related to ESD but actions that confirm this interest are not sufficiently advanced. The authors surveys a sample of business programs curricula and interviewed its leaders and a mixed and dated picture emerged. When compared to other regions particularly the USA and Europe, the findings show that the HEIs surveyed still have not developed enough work to distinguish conceptually between sustainable development, ESD and SL making the embedment of these concepts in the curriculum not fully developed. Originality/value In LA HEIs, the ESD message seems to be slowly taking ground, equipping HEIs to respond to SL concerns. Implementation and practice in some HEIs are still at an embryonic and conceptually confused stage with regard to LA HEIs SL. This paper sheds light to help ESD delivery. It offers some strategies for moving on from this inception phase to a more structured SL provision and ESD outlook.

scholarly journals Lecturers’ perceptions on factors influencing the implementation of bilingual instruction in Indonesian universities

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-216
Author(s):  
Amirullah Abduh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Systematic Assessment ◽  
Bilingual Instruction ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Number Of Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore lecturers’ perceptions on factors that affect the implementation of bilingual instruction (BI) policy in Indonesian higher education. Design/methodology/approach This qualitative study used 15 lecturers who taught in BI programs in three Indonesian universities. The data were gained through semi-structured interviews. The semi-structured interview data were analyzed via thematic approach. Findings The findings of the study suggest a number of factors influencing the implementation of BI, including the support from lecturers, leadership, and government. The availability of adapted curriculum and systematic assessment also influences the successful implementation of BI in Indonesian tertiary education. Practical implications The findings of this study have implications for the success of similar programs and the ways to gain understanding of BI within higher education contexts. Originality/value BI research is not new; however, little information is related to BI in Indonesia. This work contributes to a growing body of literature that explore BI and education factors within higher education setting. The significance of this study is to raise greater understanding of several important factors that influence the implementation of BI policy within university settings.

Diversity leadership under race-neutral policies in higher education

2014 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 708-720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sosanya Marie Jones
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Underrepresented Students ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Bridge Program ◽  
The Usa ◽  
White Campuses ◽  
Qualitative Phenomenological ◽  
Diversity Leadership

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to gain insight about the experience of multicultural administrators who oversee bridge program designed to recruit and retain historically underrepresented students of color. The study was also designed to capture the experience of the multicultural administrator as well as what meaning they made of their role as a diversity leader, and the challenges they face as they try to meet diversity goals under the constraints of race neutrality. Design/methodology/approach – This is a descriptive qualitative multi-case study. In order to gain a better understanding of the experience of multicultural administrators as they try to enact diversity leadership under race-neutral policies a qualitative phenomenological multi-case designed was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with multicultural administrators from four institutions within a southern state of the USA. Findings – Data reveals that seeking to increase and foster diversity on predominantly white campuses under race neutrality is challenging. Many of the administrators expressed concern about how they would maintain and increase diversity and campus inclusiveness without specifically marketing and targeting to groups that are traditionally marginalized. Overall, they described the experience as one filled with heightened awareness of the social and political environment and how senior-level administrators and other offices on campus perceived them and their work. Research limitations/implications – Using a qualitative multi-case study limits generalizability. Also, there are many other factors such as institutional type, location, student population, and institutional capacity that may impact the institutional conditions in which each of these administrators work. Practical implications – The findings of this study can be used to inform institutional policy makers of these struggles as well as provide campus administrators and staff helpful recommendations for dealing with the politics of race neutrality as they continue to fulfill their responsibility to increase diversity on their campuses. Social implications – This paper may raise awareness about the challenges of employing race neutrality, particularly for states and institutions concerned with diversifying higher education. It also highlights the challenges leaders face when dealing with reduced funding and policies that do not support their work. Originality/value – The paper discusses an understudied and under-recognized group of diversity leaders dealing with a current race-neutral policies. It will be of interests to institutional leaders, multicultural administrators, and other types of diversity leaders in higher education.

Emerging themes in creative higher education pedagogy

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-282
Author(s):  
Derrick Robinson ◽  
Ben M. Schaap ◽  
Mejai Avoseh
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Effective Teachers ◽  
Administrative Support ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Higher Education Pedagogy ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Emerging Themes ◽  
Higher Education Instruction

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore emerging themes in which creativity, or creative pedagogy (CP), is aligned with the practices of higher education instruction. The componential theory of creativity (Amabile, 2012) was used as the lens for examining CP of the study’s participants. Design/methodology/approach Using an exploratory case study of institutionally recognized effective teachers at a flagship university in the upper mid-western region of the USA, researchers sought to see which themes emerge and align with the four components of CP. Researchers used semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and artifact data to support thematic development. Findings Four themes emerge from the study to align with CP: administrative support; praxis and environment; content learning; and student independence. Of the four themes, praxis and environment are found to be most dominant in the study. Within each theme, surrounding environment and creative-relevant components of CP emerge as the most dominant. In all, it can be concluded that effective teachers position themselves toward themes and components that offer the most impact for students. Originality/value Applying Amabile’s (2012) components of creativity to analyze the pedagogical practices of institutionally recognized teachers of excellence encourages deeper observation of pedagogical practices on higher education faculty and institutional impact on pedagogy. Recommendations are offered for both institutions of higher education and its faculty.

scholarly journals Winning in the court of public opinion

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soojin Kim ◽  
Arunima Krishna ◽  
Kenneth D. Plowman
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Public Relations ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Crisis Communication ◽  
Communication Strategies ◽  
Legal Counsel ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
E Mail

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore how public relations (PR) professionals develop co-narratives with legal counsel when formulating crisis communication strategies. Understanding how PR practitioners work with their legal counterparts may help lead to more advanced and effective PR practice in the area of crisis communication and management. The authors attempt to do so in this study through interviews conducted with PR practitioners in two Asian countries – South Korea and Singapore.Design/methodology/approachIn total, 11 semi-structured interviews with PR consultants, 6 in Korea and 5 in Singapore were conducted between May and August 2016. Data analyses revealed key points of interest for PR practice.FindingsFirst, PR consultants in both countries reported increased collaboration with legal counsel in times of crisis. Second, PR consultants report that legal professionals have begun to realize the significance of winning in the court of public opinion. However, the process by which PR–legal collaboration takes place to develop co-narratives followed extremely different patterns in the two countries.Research limitations/implicationsThis exploratory study is not exempt from limitations. The findings from this study may not be applicable to other countries. As data collection in both countries relied on snowball sampling techniques, the participants in the interviews may not be representative of PR consultants in South Korea and Singapore. E-mail interviews had limitations due to their lack of richness and details compared to other forms of interviews (i.e. face-to-face or Skype interviews). However, computer-mediated interviews including e-mail interviews can still create good level of understandings about the phenomenon in question.Originality/valueThis study was an attempt to understand PR–legal collaboration particularly in times of crisis and contribute to the development of Asia-centric models of PR practice. There has been little research that explores how legal and PR counsels actually collaborate to devise optional crisis communication strategies for their clients (or organizations) in the times of crisis. Given that crisis communicative strategies have been shown to affect publics’ perceptions of an organization’s credibility and trustworthiness, it is important to understand how PR work with legal practitioners to develop co-narratives for optimal crisis management, and understand how their different professional perspectives, practices, and approaches affect the collaboration.

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.

Framing the role of higher education in sustainable development: a case study analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Suzanna Elmassah ◽  
Marwa Biltagy ◽  
Doaa Gamal
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Educational Leaders ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis

Purpose Higher education institutions (HEIs) should play a fundamental role in achieving the international 2030 sustainable development (SD) agenda. Quality education is the fourth of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), and one of the targets related to this is to ensure that by 2030 all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote SD. Therefore, the SDGs provide a motive for HEIs to integrate SD concepts into their day-to-day practices. This study aims to introduce a framework for HEIs’ sustainable development assessment. Such a framework guides HEIs and educational leaders to support their countries’ commitments to achieving the SDGs. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of a case study analysis of the role and successful techniques of HEIs in achieving SD in three countries, namely, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Primary data was collected by semi-structured interviews with three Cairo University officials, while secondary data was collected by reviewing the universities' official websites, reports, publications and related papers. This study introduces a novel framework for HEIs' SD analysis and assessment, which guides HEIs and educational leaders to support SD to fulfill their countries' commitments to achieving the SDGs. This framework is based on the following five categories: strategic direction and institutional working practices, supporting students, supporting university staff competencies, supporting society's stakeholders and networking and sustainable campus. Consideration is given to the potential role of HEIs to support SD in each of these areas. Findings Cairo University could learn from the novel and pioneer practices of the Leuphana University of Lüneburg, and the University of Tokyo to fill in the gaps it has in different roles. It can also put more effort into adopting the suggested higher education programs of Egypt's Vision 2030. Research limitations/implications This paper is limited to a case analysis comparing three countries, Germany, Japan and Egypt. Second, this study has not considered school education, which is equally essential in countries' SD. Practical implications HEIs can use the framework and the findings in this paper to evaluate their current roles in supporting SD, identify the gaps and take actions accordingly to address their weaknesses. Originality/value The paper compares three universities, one in each of the case study countries. It draws conclusions that identify ways in which the paper's framework and findings can guide SD practice in HEIs internationally, especially those in the developing world.

Exploring the student perspectives on the barriers of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shikha Rana
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Phenomenological Analysis ◽  
Student Perspective ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Student Teacher Relationship ◽  
Academic Courses ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe present study aims to gauge the perspectives of students on the difficulties they faced during online learning during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) through the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) technique.Design/methodology/approachThe current study employed IPA, and it was conducted among the students enrolled for professional courses in the government, private and deemed-to-be universities in Uttarakhand, India, using semi-structured interviews for the purpose of data collection.FindingsThe findings have been grouped under five parts referred to as “superordinate themes” or “barriers” which comprises learning in an online class environment, online learning in the home environment, student–teacher relationship in online learning, technical hindrances in online learning and health issues in online learning. These superordinate themes were further grouped under sub-themes.Research limitations/implicationsThe present study focused on the students of various private, public and deemed-to-be universities of the Uttarakhand region and represents the higher education sector only and did not tap the primary, secondary and vocational education. The students of academic courses or degree courses like arts, commerce, basic sciences and humanities, etc. were not included in the research study. Hence, the study lacks generalizability.Practical implicationsThe research findings of the present study have implications for higher education institutions (HEIs), teachers, students and policymakers.Originality/valueThe present study addresses the methodological gap by offering a new line of research where IPA has been used as the methodology to determine the barriers of online learning in the COVID-19 situation, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, none of the studies have used it so far to ascertain the barriers to online learning from the student perspective.

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