Sustainability and action research in universities

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 424-439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Wooltorton ◽  
Anne Wilkinson ◽  
Pierre Horwitz ◽  
Sue Bahn ◽  
Janice Redmond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Cultural Transformation ◽  
Community Action ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Institutional Learning ◽  
Learning And Change

Purpose – Academic approaches to the challenge of enhancing sustainability in research in university contexts illustrate that universities are affected by the very same values and socio-ecological issues they set out to address, making transformation difficult at every level. A theoretical and practical framework designed to facilitate cultural transformation is therefore necessary for conceptualising the problem and delineating possible strategies to enhance sustainability in research. Organisational change is also required, possibly on a university-by-university basis, where cross-institutional learning may be possible with personal behaviours that enhance collaboration across disciplinary and administrative divides. Design/methodology/approach – This paper contends that action research, in particular, community action research (CAR), offers the best approach to this task because it focusses on learning and change, and these are both essential to cultural transformation. A case study from a university in Western Australia is used to demonstrate this approach. Findings – The case study analysis shows some evidence for the presence of knowledge for organisational transformation, and that future monitoring cycles will be needed to detect the extent of the change. Originality/value – The paper introduces CAR as an approach to advance the change for sustainability in higher education and discusses some of the implications for universities who are looking to incorporate sustainability as a major part of their culture.

scholarly journals Adaptations in traditional courtyard houses in Baghdad, Iraq

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 348-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rand H.M. Agha ◽  
John M. Kamara
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Physical Spaces ◽  
Adaptation Model

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the adaptations that have been made to traditional courtyard houses (TCHs) in Baghdad, Iraq. The aim is to develop an understanding of various factors in the adaptation of these buildings to suit contemporary lifestyles, which will contribute to the wider field of building adaptability. Design/methodology/approach Empirical evidence was collected through case studies of 12 TCHs in the Al-Kadhimiya area of Baghdad, which involved a physical survey of buildings and semi-structured interviews with 24 occupants. Findings Case study analysis show that building adaptability involves both a change to physical spaces and also to lifestyles; with the latter being more likely when there are limitations in how much change can be made to the physical structure. Research limitations/implications The focus of this research is mainly on users’ adaptation of spaces and therefore does not consider the full range of stakeholders involved in the adaptation process. The findings also only apply to the cases considered and may not be applicable to other house types or locations. Originality/value Studies on building adaptability mostly focus on the ease of change to the building fabric, although the role of users is acknowledged. This study provides insights into the complexity and variety of changes that users can make, which are influenced by lifestyles and driven by the need for comfort. These insights are represented in an adaptation model, which can serve as a basis for further research.

An evaluation of knowledge management tools: Part 2 – managing knowledge flows and enablers

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 1101-1126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Massingham
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Knowledge Flows ◽  
Organisational Performance ◽  
Learning Organisation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
And Performance

Purpose – This paper aims to evaluate a range of best practice knowledge management (KM) ideas used to manage knowledge flows and enablers. In total, four KM toolkits and 23 KM tools were tested over a five-year period (2008-2013), as part of a large-scale longitudinal change project. Each tool was assessed against an evaluative framework designed to test criticisms of KM: strategy, implementation and performance. The results provide empirical evidence about what KM tools work and which do not and why, and outcomes for practitioners, researchers and consultants. Design/methodology/approach – This paper presents a summary of the findings of a large Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Project grant in the period of 2008-2013. The case study organisation (CSO) was a large public sector department, which faced the threat of lost capability caused by its ageing workforce and knowledge loss. The project aimed to solve this problem by minimising its impact via achieving learning organisation capacity. The CSO participating in the study was selected because it was a knowledge-intensive organisation, with an ageing workforce. All 150 engineering and technical staff at the CSO were invited to participate, including management and staff. An action research methodology was used. Findings – The results provide empirical evidence that KM can be used to manage knowledge flows and enablers. The highest rating toolkit was knowledge preservation, followed by knowledge usage. The most value was created by using KM to provide “why context” to structural capital (e.g. reports, databases, policies) (meta-data) and to create opportunities to reflect on experience and share the learning outcomes (peer assists and after action reviews). The results tended to support criticism that KM is difficult to implement and identified the main barriers as participation located at the tactical action research level, i.e. why is this useful? Evidence that KM works was found in progress towards learning organisation capacity and in practical outcomes. Research limitations/implications – The action research cycle and learning flows provide opportunities to examine barriers to KM implementation. The research also presents opportunities for further research to examine the findings in other organisational and industry settings, for example, the relationship between the KM toolkits and organisational change and performance, presents an important area for further research. Researchers might also consider some of the toolkits which rated poorly, e.g. knowledge sharing, and challenge these findings, perhaps selecting different KS tools for testing. The paper has limitations. It is based on a single case study organisation, offset, to some degree, by the longitudinal nature of the empirical evidence. It is ambitious and the findings may be controversial. However, the depth of the study and its findings provide rare longitudinal empirical evidence about KM and the results should be useful for practitioners, researchers and consultants. Practical implications – For practitioners, the research findings provide management with an evaluative framework to use when making decisions regarding KM. The findings provide discussion of KM toolkits and tools that may be used to manage knowledge flows and enablers. In addition to the discussion of each tool, there is analysis of what works and what does not and why, barriers to implementation as well as explanation of their impact on organisational change and performance, and a scorecard to guide toolkit choices. This method should allow managers to make sensible decisions about KM. Originality/value – The paper addresses criticisms of KM by examining the KM toolkits within the context of whether knowledge can be managed, implementation barriers may be addressed and improved organisational performance can be demonstrated. This approach allows generalisability of the findings to enable others to apply the research findings in their organisational contexts. The outcome is three sets of guidelines: strategy: which KM tools work; implementation: addressing barriers; and organisational performance: how to measure value. In doing so, the paper provides a systematic framework for evaluating KM tools. It also provides a rare opportunity to present empirical evidence gathered over a five-year longitudinal study.

Appropriation process of dirty work: focus on health executives in a medical services restructuring

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 569-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Urasadettan ◽  
Franck Burellier
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Essential Role ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Task Shifting ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Dirty Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
French Hospital ◽  
Work First

Purpose The literature related to the dirty work had been mobilised to explain how the changes in hospitals (technification and increasing complexification work in particular) affected the allocation of the function between the various corporation (physicians, nursing staff, administration), and contributed to make them evolve. The purpose of this paper is to better understand in a context of organisational change what is the process that allows individuals to appropriate the dirty work that one tries to delegate to them. Design/methodology/approach To deal with this issue, for a year and a half, the authors conducted a longitudinal case study based on the evolution of the organisational merger between to medical units in a French hospital. Findings The results showed that the appropriation of dirty work first needs the acceptance of task shifting, then a phase to normalise dirty work through various tactics (reframing, refocusing, and team recognition). The authors also emphasised the essential role played by these activities to enhance collaboration between doctors and caregivers in their quest for restructuring and institutionalising change. Originality/value While the literature on dirty work focuses on the “how and why” the allocation of the function between the various corporation can evolve, this research investigates more in depth the working of the appropriation process itself. The issue of appropriation introduces a new element in the framework of dirty work and can constitute an interesting focus for managers looking to enhance organisational change.

Overtourism: a result of the Janus-faced character of the tourism industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 552-565 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Avond ◽  
Chaarani Bacari ◽  
Isabelle Limea ◽  
Hugues Seraphin ◽  
Vanessa Gowreesunkar ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Tourism Industry ◽  
Analysis Approach ◽  
Destination Marketing ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Academic Literature ◽  
Negative Impacts

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the “Janus-faced” character and causes of overtourism to propose recommendations to tackle such a phenomenon. Design/methodology/approach A case study analysis approach is adopted for this study. Studies of practitioners are presented and reflected upon with reference to academic literature on overtourism. Findings The study presents practical examples from Haiti, Nicaragua and Zanzibar. Tourism practitioners’ studies on overtourism are presented and general recommendations on tackling overtourism are proposed. Research limitations/implications This study will be of interest to tourism practitioners and Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) worldwide who seek understanding of the overtourism phenomenon and the associated negative impacts. The study provides useful recommendations that can be used in similar situations of overtourism. Originality/value The paper extends understanding of overtourism causes and consequences. While overtourism is generally looked at from impact studies, this paper argues the urgent need for solutions to tackle the phenomenon.

scholarly journals Naming the parts: a case-study of a gender equality initiative with academic women

2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 358-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aifric O Grada ◽  
Caitríona Ní Laoire ◽  
Carol Linehan ◽  
Geraldine Boylan ◽  
Linda Connolly
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Gender Equality ◽  
Glass Ceiling ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Structures ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Context ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Structural Levels

Purpose – This paper aims to seek to contribute to current debates about the effectiveness of different types of gender equality interventions in the academic context. This paper presents an argument for the need to move beyond an individual-structural dichotomy in how such interventions are perceived. Design/methodology/approach – The paper draws on an action-research case-study, the Through the Glass Ceiling project, to challenge the idea that “individual”/single-actor interventions serve only to reinforce underlying inequalities by attempting to “fix the women”. Findings – It is suggested that actions that support women in their careers have the potential to achieve a degree of transformation at individual, cultural and structural levels when such actions are designed with an understanding of how individuals embody the gendered and gendering social structures and values that are constantly being produced and reproduced within society and academia. The case study highlights the benefits of supporting individuals as gendered actors in gendering institutions and of facilitating the development of critical gender awareness, suggesting that such interventions are most effective when undertaken as part of an integrated institutional equality agenda. Originality/value – By calling attention to the ongoing mutual construction of actors and practices in organizations, this paper seeks to make both a conceptual contribution to how we understand the (re)production and potential transformation of gender relations in academia and to influence wider policy dialogues on diversity at work.

An analysis of the application of process improvement techniques in business process outsourcing

2016 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 321-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronan McIvor
Keyword(s):  
Process Improvement ◽  
Business Process ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Business Process Outsourcing ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Study Approach

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to enhance the understanding of the application of process improvement techniques (PITs) in the business process outsourcing (BPO) process. The paper focuses on how PITs impact the BPO process, and identifies a number of key enablers of applying PITs in the BPO process. Design/methodology/approach – The paper employs a case study approach. In-depth case study analysis of a number of organisations that have employed a number of PITs in BPO is carried out. Findings – The findings support current literature that highlights the importance of formal contracting, relational contracting, and vendor capabilities for applying PITs in BPO. However, the findings also highlight the importance of additional factors, not widely considered in the current literature. The client must possess internal capabilities in PITs and change management to ensure process improvement occurs. Moreover, the findings here have shown that the client must invest in and develop the resources that enhance its capability to employ PITs in BPO. Originality/value – The findings highlight the importance and relevance of process improvement to BPO, and identify a number of important issues for further research in order to bridge the gap between these two complementary areas.

New drivers and challenges in a multi-polar world

2016 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 329-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosa Caiazza
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Economic Power ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Cross Border ◽  
Current Trends

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore current trends in multi-polar world with the aim of assessing new drivers and challenges in cross-border M & A. Design/methodology/approach – A case study analysis of cross-border M & A is described and discussed. Findings – The paper indicates strategic motivations and implementation challenges of cross-border M & A under current pressures of a world characterized by multiple centers of economic power. Originality/value – This paper evidence new direction in cross-border M & A research for reinterpreting existing paradigms and developing new ones.

Emphasising the political and emotional dimensions of organisational change politics with Laclauian discourse theory

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eleanor MacKillop
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Local Authority ◽  
Organisational Change ◽  
Discourse Theory ◽  
The Political ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Emotional Dimensions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore power-resistance plays, or organisational change (OC) politics, from a discourse theory perspective to deepen our understanding of the political and emotional dimensions of these phenomena. Design/methodology/approach – The paper deploys Laclauian concepts of hegemony, fantasmatic narrative and empty signifiers alongside a recently-developed logics of critical explanation approach in the case study of an English local authority formulating a project of integrated commissioning in response to austerity. Findings – The paper demonstrates how OC politics are played out in multiple ways, from social and political negotiations over the meaning of commissioning to the refuelling of the authority’s fantasmatic narrative. Originality/value – The paper’s key value is to illustrate how and why discourse theory can contribute, alongside other discursive frameworks, to the in-depth qualitative and political study of organisational issues such as change.

Exploiting organisational vulnerabilities as dark knowledge: conceptual development from organisational fraud cases

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sigi Goode ◽  
David Lacey
Keyword(s):  
Knowledge Management ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Asia Pacific ◽  
Study Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Knowledge Type

Purpose This paper aims to assert that knowledge of organisational weaknesses, vulnerabilities and compromise points (here termed “dark knowledge”), is just as critical to organisational integrity and hence, must also be managed in a conventional knowledge management sense. However, such dark knowledge is typically difficult to identify and accordingly, few studies have attempted to conceptualise this view. Design/methodology/approach Using a background of fraud diamond theory, the authors examine this dark knowledge using a case study analysis of fraud at a large Asia-Pacific telecommunications provider. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with the firm’s fraud unit. Findings The authors identify six components of dark knowledge, being artefactual knowledge, consequential knowledge, knowledge of opportunity, knowledge of experimentality, knowledge of identity and action and knowledge of alternativity. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to identify a knowledge type based on organisational compromises and vulnerabilities. The paper shows that accounts of organisational weakness can yet provide knowledge insights.

The importance of timing in retail innovation

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 31-33
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Qualitative Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Case Study Analysis ◽  
Management Perspective ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Successful Innovation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint 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 The study focuses on the marketing management perspective with the object to understand the best timing for successful innovation, and to figure out some practices able to support this choice and decrease any risks involved. Starting from a qualitative approach involving a multiple-case study analysis in the fashion retail industry, interesting insights are drawn for managing innovation in retail settings. Such insights have considerable relevance to marketing scholars and practitioners, as they provide indications on the best innovation strategy to be adopted to generate the desirable outcomes. Practicalimplications The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. 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.

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