scholarly journals Undertaking individual transdisciplinary PhD research for sustainable development

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 150-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
John van Breda ◽  
Josephine Musango ◽  
Alan Brent
Keyword(s):  
Problem Formulation ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Transdisciplinary Research ◽  
Epistemic Communities ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Formulation Analysis ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University

Purpose – This paper aims to improve the understanding of individual transdisciplinary PhD research in a developing country context, focusing on three individual PhD case studies in South Africa. Design/methodology/approach – Multiple-case method was used, and three completed transdisciplinary PhD research efforts undertaken at the Stellenbosch University were selected. They were coordinated through the TsamaHub, an inter-faculty platform at the University which organises educational modules for transdisciplinary research. Using actual research experiences and reflections of the three individual PhDs, the paper evaluates their work in terms of ontological, epistemological, methodological and methodical/methods aspects. Findings – The central challenge to individual PhD researchers is engagement with non-academic actors to enable joint problem formulation, analysis and transformation. To overcome this, the paper suggests that developing individual epistemic relationships to build “transdisciplinary epistemic communities” should be considered for inclusion as an intentional aspect of transdisciplinary research design. Research limitations/implications – “Transdisciplinary epistemic communities” is still a concept in its infancy and needs more work before it may be theoretically and practically useful. Practical implications – Continuously guiding the individual transdisciplinary research process in a reflexive, recursive, transparent and equal manner is absolutely critical because transdisciplinary research cannot be done successfully if dominated by overly methods-driven approaches. Originality/value – The discourse around transdisciplinary methodology has major implications for the design of individual PhD research. The paper provides recommendations to enhance the theory and practice of individual transdisciplinary PhD research.

scholarly journals Professional development of sustainability competences in higher education

2017 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 697-714 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim Lambrechts ◽  
Elli Verhulst ◽  
Sara Rymenams
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Change Process ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Constructivist Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Political Analysis ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to provide insights into the relation between professional development (PD) and organisational change processes towards sustainability, with a specific focus on empowerment. Design/methodology/approach The paper builds upon a constructivist approach, combining a literature review, a desk research on key publications and reports and a socio-political analysis to reveal the specific context in Flanders, Belgium. Findings are then connected to earlier insights from research on organisational change for sustainability. Findings The paper provides a number of PD initiatives that focus on sustainability in general and in a single higher education (HE) institution. Framing such initiatives as an organisational change process offers insights on how elements of empowerment are currently incorporated in PD initiatives and how it can strengthen them to lead to the further integration of sustainability competences in HE. Research limitations/implications Limitations are linked with the kind of sources used in the constructivist approach. The analysis only looks at written reports on the topic, albeit it also builds upon the first-hand experiences of educators in the HE institution focused upon in the case. Practical implications There is a need to frame PD initiatives as an organisational change process towards sustainability with specific attention towards empowerment. Without this framing, PD approaches comprise the risk of being left in the margins or being understood as single initiatives without any connection to the bigger picture, i.e. the transition towards sustainability in HE. Social implications Interlinking PD and organisational change provides opportunities to frame the sustainability transition within the university in a wider societal context. Originality/value The paper provides an original contribution to the debate on sustainability competences, as it frames the PD within an organisational context, rather than focusing on the individual role of educators.

scholarly journals Green human resource management

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (7) ◽  
pp. 1041-1060 ◽  
Author(s):  
Azadeh Shafaei ◽  
Mehran Nejati ◽  
Yusmani Mohd Yusoff
Keyword(s):  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Green Human Resource Management ◽  
Organisational Level

PurposeThe study aimed to provide insights on antecedent and outcome of green HRM at the organisational level and the outcome of green HRM at the individual level. It also sought to examine the mechanism through which green HRM would lead to employees’ positive outcome.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative study design using a two-study approach was employed to collect and analyse the data. For study 1, 206 hotels from Malaysia were included in analysis at the organisational level, while in study 2 at the individual level, 508 employees from different sectors provided insights through an online questionnaire. For both studies, partial least squares (PLS–SEM) was used to assess the research model.FindingsAll the proposed hypotheses were supported. Specifically, at the organisational level, organisational environmental culture is positively related to green HRM, and green HRM management positively associates with organisation's environmental performance. At the individual level, green HRM positively influences employees' job satisfaction, and meaningfulness through work is a strong mediator in this relationship.Originality/valueThis study is significant as it contributes to both theory and practice by providing fresh insights on green HRM and its antecedent and outcomes at two levels (organisational and individual) and across two economies (emerging and developed). It also sheds some light on the outcome of green HRM at the employee level which is an area that is still under-researched. By focusing on meaningfulness through work as an important factor, the study contributes to better understanding of green HRM and employees’ positive outcomes.

Social value analysis: the case of Pompeu Fabra University

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 233-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Ayuso ◽  
Pablo Sánchez ◽  
José Luis Retolaza ◽  
Mònica Figueras-Maz
Keyword(s):  
Market Value ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Social Value ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Value Analysis ◽  
Social Accounting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Social ◽  
Accounting Model ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to explore how to quantify the social value generated by higher education from a social accounting perspective. The proposed approach is integrated social value (ISV) analysis, a social accounting model that considers both the economic value and the social value created by an organisation for its stakeholders. Design/methodology/approach The ISV analysis has been applied to Pompeu Fabra University, following a participatory action research process with representatives of the university and its stakeholders. Findings The final ISV includes not only the social value created through the university’s economic activity – captured by economic and financial accounting indicators – but also the specific social value created for the different stakeholders by means of non-market relationships, which were monetised through the use of indicators and financial proxies. Research limitations/implications Like other social accounting methodologies, ISV analysis suffers from some limitations regarding data availability and economic pricing, that partly will be resolved with maturation of the methodology and increasing standardisation. Practical implications By using appropriate proxies, the non-market value of the university can be monetised and integrated with university’s market value. The social value results become a valuable tool for developing useful indicators for internal management and external communication. Social implications The process of measuring the social value created by universities provides a way to meet the rising demands for greater accountability and transparency and facilitates engagement with stakeholders on how these institutions are contributing to a sustainable society. Originality/value ISV is a recently proposed social accounting model that combines an organisation’s economic and social results into a single concept of value creation and thus contributes to advance the field of social accounting.

Exploring entrepreneurial orientation and intentions among technical university students

2019 ◽  
Vol 61 (6) ◽  
pp. 718-736
Author(s):  
Swagatika Sahoo ◽  
Rajeev Kumar Panda
Keyword(s):  
University Students ◽  
Entrepreneurial Orientation ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Entrepreneurial Intentions ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the impact of the contextual antecedents on the individual entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) of university graduates, which, in turn, affects their entrepreneurial intentions (EIs). Design/methodology/approach Primary data were collected in the form of 510 valid responses from engineering students across two technical universities in India, through a structured questionnaire consisting of scales adapted from the extant literature, and the data were empirically validated in this study. The reliability and validity measures of the constructs were validated through the confirmatory factor analysis, and the proposed hypotheses were validated using structural equation modelling. Findings The results of this empirical analysis validate that the contextual antecedents have a significant positive impact on students’ entrepreneurial orientation (EO), which, in turn, has a significant positive influence on EIs. Research limitations/implications This analysis depicts the significance of EO as a perceptual driver at the individual level and substantiates that the availability of resources such as startup capital, access to business information, social networks and supportive university context significantly affects the decision-making process of an individual to venture into an otherwise uncertain occupation of entrepreneurship. Practical implications The study has the likely potential to help university administrators and policymakers to allocate resources, develop strategies and provide effective entrepreneurial learning in entrepreneurship-oriented courses aimed at honing entrepreneurial skills and self-confidence of the university students. This holistic model can be used as a tool for resource planning and prioritising in order to provide the desired contextual support essential for fostering the IEO of the university students towards adopting entrepreneurial career, thereby assisting them to achieve their career goals and the broader objective of nation-building. Originality/value This study adopts an innovative approach to empirically validate the EO construct at the individual level, which has been studied at the organisation (firm) level till today. This research explores the relevant contextual antecedents and analyses their impact on IEO as well as the explanatory capacity of IEO to explain students’ EIs in the contextual backdrop of universities in a fast transitioning economy like India.

Assessing e-readiness of the Copperbelt University, Zambia: case study

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 315-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matuka Chipembele ◽  
Kelvin Joseph Bwalya
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Working Environments ◽  
Methodological Triangulation ◽  
Ict Infrastructure ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
The University

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess e-readiness (preparedness) of the Copperbelt University (CBU) with a view to ascertain the likelihood of the university benefiting from various opportunities unlocked by the adoption and use of ICT in advancing its core mandate of teaching, learning and collaborative research. Design/methodology/approach The study used the network readiness model emanating from the socio-technical theory, which underpins the extended technological enactment framework. Further, it employed a positivist approach and adopted a case study method coupled with methodological triangulation at data collection stage. With a 95 per cent confidence level of a possible sample frame of 2,980, the study sampled 353 respondents with a response rate of 81 per cent. Findings The results show that anticipated ICTs users have not leveraged available ICT infrastructure or are unaware of its existence. Further, quantitative constructs: “accessibility to ICTs” and “requisite ICTs skills” has significant impacts on e-readiness indicators and in integration of ICTs in CBU core business activities. Also, the study argues that institutional ICT policy and working environments reshape users’ perception of ICTs for teaching, learning and research. Research limitations/implications The proposed conceptual framework only accounted for 43 per cent variance of the factors determining e-readiness of CBU. Originality/value Investigating CBU’s e-readiness will enable policy-makers to prioritise interventions needed for transforming the university into an e-ready entity favourably placed to benefit from digital opportunities. Also the emanating conceptual framework is important to theory and practice in integrating ICTs universities business value chains especially in contextually similar environments.

scholarly journals Handbook for Writing and Editing Texts at the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Turnšek
Keyword(s):  
Research Process ◽  
Personal Relationships ◽  
Work Processes ◽  
Practical Advice ◽  
Whole Process ◽  
Individual Work ◽  
Master's Thesis ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship

The learning process at the faculty requires not only attending lectures and active participation in the tutorials, but also intensive individual work of a student, which is often presented in the form of a seminar paper. However, the most important individual work of a student is definitely a final paper - a diploma or a master's thesis. In order to present and facilitate the preparation of written works for the students of the Faculty of Tourism of the University of Maribor, we have prepared this handbook for writing and editing texts at the faculty. The professional monograph covers the chapters that lead the student through the whole process of research and writing their paper. From the initial search of the research idea and the basics of scientific writing and research in tourism, to the individual steps of the research process and research methods. The professional monograph also includes a chapter on personal relationships, which in particular addresses the relationship between a student and a mentor in the process of preparing the paper or thesis. The handbook also provides practical advice on language and text designing, as well as instructions for citing references. The professional monograph, thus, combines basic information that both students of tourism and their lecturers will use in their study and work processes, as they will follow the uniform guidelines for writing texts in tourism at the Faculty of Tourism.

scholarly journals What role can PDP play in identity development and confidence building in non-traditional students?

1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carina Buckley
Keyword(s):  
Identity Development ◽  
Learning Communities ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Development Planning ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Discussion Boards ◽  
Development Unit ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University

The purpose of this paper is to explore the development of a positive learning identity in students, within the context of communities of practice. It considers the role of Personal Development Planning (PDP) in building confidence in inexperienced learners through its use as a tool for transition, engagement and achievement, and its emphasis on learning communities and peer support. It is illustrated by a case study of FdA Early Years Care and Education students, who have been using the Professional Development Unit (PDU), an online accredited unit developed by the CETL Foundation Direct as a version of PDP for work-based learners. The paper concludes that three aspects of the PDU act together as a forum for the exchange and development of ideas, and in doing so support the growth of learning communities that work to affirm the individual. Guided and structured reflection, beginning with a Benchmark Statement and ending with a 360-degree review, is used as a means for aspiration building, and for marking the distance travelled. Social mechanisms are put in place via the discussion boards of the university VLE for confidence building through identification with a valued group and the use of peers as a learning resource. Finally, the fluid boundaries between the workplace and the university, represented as three overlapping circles of self, theory and practice, allow for integrated learning and the introduction of the familiar into the unfamiliar. The PDU is therefore demonstrated here to be a safe area of the curriculum that supports the development and confidence of the new uncertain learner.

scholarly journals EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES IN UNIVERSITY DURING TEACHING GEOMETRY AND GRAPHIC DISCIPLINES TO THE BACHELORS OF TECHNICAL SCEINCES

2020 ◽  
Vol 225 ◽  
pp. 68-75
Author(s):  
O.N. Shevchenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Personal Development ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Professional Standards ◽  
Educational Activity ◽  
Soviet Period ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The University

The education system at the university at the present stage is being created in the context of reforming education and other areas of activity that are closely related to the development processes of civil society. In todays’ Russia, the educational system that developed during the Soviet period has essentially lost its influence, and in accordance with the new challenges of the time, a different system for organizing the educational process is being formed. When teaching bachelors of technical sciences, it is possible and necessary to take into account the educational potential of technical disciplines in the complex process of a future engineering and technical worker personality forming. The methodological basis of the study is the psychological and pedagogical theory and practice of creating a system of educational activity when teaching engineering disciplines at a university with the aim of forming the personality of a competitive specialist in engineering and technology and reflecting the requirements of educational and professional standards for the training of experts in engineering profiles. The purpose of this article is to determine professionally important qualities and professionally significant psycho-physiological properties, based on theoretical analysis and study practical experience in teaching geometric graphic disciplines at a university, which students can form in the learning process for personal development and successful mastering of the profession in accordance with professional standards and the realities of industrial and technical sphere. Graphic culture has an impact on the worldview and moral values of the individual, forms aesthetic tastes, contributes to the formation of a civic position and responsibility. Educational activities at the university should be implemented not only in sports, leisure and entertainment events, but the most important aspects of personal education in learning technical disciplines are the formation of cognitive independence, strong-willed personality, emotional, behavioral, intellectual flexibility, which are the key qualifications of the future engineer. The results can be used in the teaching of graphic disciplines in technical universities.

“You have to say everything is nice here”

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 307-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marc Kalina ◽  
Dianne Scott
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Research Process ◽  
Research Experiences ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Interviews ◽  
Dynamic Representation ◽  
Key Stakeholders ◽  
Local Officials ◽  
Development Processes ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to reflect on the author’s research experiences in northern Mozambique in order explore the multiplicity of gatekeeper relations that arose while seeking to arrange access to both “the field” and respondents, as well as the impacts that these relationships had on the research process. Although this dynamic has been thoroughly described within methodological literature, there exists a tendency to presume research–gatekeeper relations as static; once established, there is little discussion on how the relationships develop or can be managed, once access has (or has not) been achieved. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws upon qualitative fieldwork conducted predominantly in rural communities in northern Mozambique. The study analysed the development of the Nacala Development Corridor programme and the N13 Highway Rehabilitation Project in northern Mozambique in order to examine the impacts of the development on local citizens and examine the relationship between citizen and state within development processes. Fieldwork consisted of three different phases of semi-structured and open-ended interviews with key stakeholders and affected persons, spanning five different interview schedules, and a total of 77 individual interviews and 27 community focus groups conducted along the N13. Findings The study found that duality of Mozambican governance which includes both local officials and traditional leadership contributed to a multiplicity of local gatekeepers which impacted the research process in a multitude of ways. As a result, researcher–gatekeeper relations were not static, but had to be managed throughout the duration of the study. Originality/value This discussion provides a more dynamic representation of the challenges involved with establishing and managing gatekeeper relations in rural, developing, and in particular, southern African, contexts, while offering cautious practical advice to researchers working within rural or southern African contexts.

scholarly journals Reflections on the learning objectives for sustainable development in the higher education curricula – three cases from the University of Belgrade

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 315-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Violeta Orlovic Lovren ◽  
Marija Maruna ◽  
Svetlana Stanarevic
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Study Program ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Linking Theory And Practice ◽  
The University

Purpose This purpose of this study is to explore the integration of the sustainable development concept and goals into the curriculum of higher education studies using the example of three faculties of the University of Belgrade. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative content analysis has been applied on two levels: the evaluation of the sustainability of courses starting from the criteria defined using the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (ASHE, 2017), and the analysis of the outcomes defined in the curricula of subjects within the three faculties using the UNESCO learning objectives related to selected sustainable development goals (SDGs) as a criteria. Findings While the largest number of courses were analyzed from the Faculty of Architecture, the highest proportion of sustainability courses was found in the Faculty of Security Studies. Both study areas reflect a stronger interdisciplinary orientation, although it should be strengthened in the case of the Andragogy study program. Based on the experience of the Faculty of Architecture, the courses implemented by linking theory and practice may significantly contribute to achieving the LOs and to implementing the education for sustainable development. At the University of Belgrade, strategic documents are missing that would encourage and oblige the faculties to apply the concept of sustainability. Originality/value This is the first study to apply this type of curricula analysis at the University of Belgrade. It is performed by teachers from the university, coming from different disciplinary fields but oriented towards an interdisciplinary perspective. Although performed in three specific study areas within a single university, the identified gaps and trends may be useful for planning interventions toward accelerating the implementation of SDGs in the higher education curricula.

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