Higher authority organizational stressors among higher education deans: a multiple case study

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfred Huan Zhi Chan ◽  
Mohd Dahlan Malek ◽  
Ferlis Bahari

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify higher authority organizational stressors encountered by higher education deans. Design/methodology/approach This current research employed a qualitative approach utilizing a contextual paradigm with a multiple case study methodology. Findings Out of ten investigated deans in a public higher education institution in Malaysia, nine reported experiences of organizational stressor elements arising from higher authority. Three non-overlapping subthemes were systematically discovered. Practical implications Successful identification of these higher authority organizational stressors has implications for higher education management policies. Policies that reduce or eliminate these stressors may create a positive and progressive environment for deans and the higher education field. Originality/value This study will thus serve to promote a deeper understanding of higher authority organizational stressors encountered by higher education deans.

This chapter presents the outcome of two empirical research studies that assess the implementation and validation of the cybersecurity audit model (CSAM), designed as a multiple-case study in two different Canadian higher education institution. CSAM can be applied for undertaking cybersecurity audits in any organization or nation state in order to evaluate and measure the cybersecurity assurance, maturity, and cyber readiness. The architecture of CSAM is explained in central sections. CSAM has been examined, implemented, and established under three research scenarios: (1) cybersecurity audit of all model domains, (2) cybersecurity audit of numerous domains, and (3) a single cybersecurity domain audit. The chapter concludes by showing how the implementation of the model permits one to report relevant information for future decision making in order to correct cybersecurity weaknesses or to improve cybersecurity domains and controls; thus, the model can be implemented and sufficiently tested at any organization.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 647-671
Author(s):  
Marc van den Berg ◽  
Hans Voordijk ◽  
Arjen Adriaanse

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how demolition contractors coordinate project activities for buildings at their end-of-life. The organizations are thereby conceptualized as information processing systems facing uncertainty. Design/methodology/approach A multiple-case study methodology was selected to gain in-depth insights from three projects with different end-of-life strategies: a faculty building (material recycling), a nursing home (component reuse) and a psychiatric hospital (element reuse). Using a theory elaboration approach, the authors sought to explain how and why demolition contractors process information for end-of-life coordination. Findings End-of-life strategies differ in the degree of building, workflow and environmental uncertainty posed to the demolition contractor. Whether or not a strategy is effective depends on the (mis)match between the specific levels of uncertainty and the adopted coordination mechanisms. Research limitations/implications The explanatory account on end-of-life coordination refines information processing theory for the context of (selective) demolition projects. Practical implications The detailed case descriptions and information processing perspective enable practitioners to select, implement and reflect on coordination mechanisms for demolition/deconstruction projects at hand. Originality/value Reflecting its dual conceptual-empirical and inductive-deductive focus, this study contributes with new opportunities to explain building end-of-life coordination with a refined theory.


2014 ◽  
Vol 114 (9) ◽  
pp. 1396-1414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rieke Bärenfänger ◽  
Boris Otto ◽  
Hubert Österle

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess the business value of in-memory computing (IMC) technology by analyzing its organizational impact in different application scenarios. Design/methodology/approach – This research applies a multiple-case study methodology analyzing five cases of IMC application scenarios in five large European industrial and service-sector companies. Findings – Results show that IMC can deliver business value in various applications ranging from advanced analytic insights to support of real-time processes. This enables higher-level organizational advantages like data-driven decision making, superior transparency of operations, and experience with Big Data technology. The findings are summarized in a business value generation model which captures the business benefits along with preceding enabling changes in the organizational environment. Practical implications – Results aid managers in identifying different application scenarios where IMC technology may generate value for their organizations from business and IT management perspectives. The research also sheds light on the socio-technical factors that influence the likelihood of success or failure of IMC initiatives. Originality/value – This research is among the first to model the business value creation process of in-memory technology based on insights from multiple implemented applications in different industries.


Author(s):  
Brent S. Opall

PurposeThe purpose of this inquiry is to examine why companies create LGBTQ-inclusive work environments and how these firms advance LGBTQ-inclusiveness through CSR practices and address challenges presented by strategic duality.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative multiple case study design, data was collected and then triangulated from interviews and company documents. NVivo, a qualitative research program, was used to organize, sort, query and model the data.FindingsSeveral themes were identified as reasons why Fortune 500 organizations sought to create LGBTQ-inclusive work environments. Themes include a positive return on investment, advancing human rights issues within the framework of corporate social responsibility (CSR), internal organizational pressure and parity with other Minnesota companies. Findings are examined through the theoretical lens of strategic duality.Research limitations/implicationsPrimary theoretical implications include contributions to our understanding of strategic duality by providing a first-hand account from people in organizations that encountered imperatives that to some degree are in conflict. By design, the multiple case study methodology does not allow generalizations to be drawn beyond the organizations included in this study.Practical implicationsBoth managers and researchers will find this study provides valuable insight on how people and organizations experience and navigate strategic duality (pairs of competing imperatives) within the context of the motivation behind creating an LGBTQ-inclusive work environment.Originality/valueThis inquiry provides a unique and valuable account as to why organizations choose to invest resources in creating a LGBTQ-inclusive work environment, the return on investment (ROI) and examines competing imperatives (strategic dualities) faced by management. Similar multiple case studies of this qualitative nature are rare, possibly even non-existent and, therefore, this study makes a significant contribution to the literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 887-901
Author(s):  
Yi An ◽  
Howard Davey ◽  
Harun Harun ◽  
Zebin Jin ◽  
Xin Qiao ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the current state of online sustainability reporting in the Hong Kong higher education sector from a variety of perspectives. Design/methodology/approach The multiple case study was the research method for this research. Content analysis of the university website, as well as interview with university management, personnel in the sustainability office, academics and students, were adopted for data collection. An assessment framework for sustainability reporting was developed as an instrument for content analysis, based on G4 guidelines and prior literature. Findings The authors observe that most Hong Kong public universities have a specific webpage for sustainability reporting on the website, which consists of an amount of sustainability-related information in terms of general aspects, specific aspects and stakeholder participation. Moreover, they notice that Hong Kong public universities attach importance to sustainability and its reporting, and they would like to communicate their sustainability activities to various stakeholders and the community where they operate. Practical implications This paper indicates some practical implications for academics, university management, policymakers and sustainability education amongst universities in Hong Kong and beyond. Social implications This paper argues that universities, as a central place to foster talents and future leaders, should operate in a sustainable manner at the first place and then report their sustainability-related activities taking full advantage of the current information and communication technologies, so as to discharge accountability to various stakeholders and meet the expectations of the community where they operate. Originality/value This paper uses a multiple case study approach to explore the status of online sustainability reporting at Hong Kong universities, which contributes to limited research in the area, particularly for online sustainability reporting in the higher education institutions, and makes some contributions to the extant literature.


Author(s):  
Rita Nasrallah

Purpose – The purpose of this multiple-case study was to examine the ambiguity surrounding course learning outcomes and how they are perceived by faculty members in four private universities, while simultaneously investigating the dominant teaching perspectives, practices and assessment techniques. In parallel, theory of constructive alignment was shared with faculty members and students as a possible teaching-learning model. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a qualitative multiple-case study designed based on Yin’s (2009) case study protocol and Stake’s (2006) cross-case analysis report. In the process, 52 faculty members were interviewed, and 38 of the 52 were observed teaching, plus 15 of 52, faculty members participated in separate focus groups about constructive alignment. Further, 18 students were interviewed in separate focus groups to find out how they perceive effective teaching and constructive alignment. Findings – The findings showed why faculty members misunderstood the course learning outcomes. Both faculty members and students withheld similar perceptions when it came to efficient teaching; however, they disagreed regarding the utility of constructive alignment as a proposed teaching-learning model. The 52 faculty members were mainly knowledge transmitters and this contradicts with the notion of the learning outcomes, which is student-centered. In addition, they are not familiar with the teaching-learning theories or with the various pedagogical tools that may render learning constructive. Research limitations/implications – The fact that this study is a multiple-case study automatically implies that the results cannot be generalized within the larger higher education context. Nevertheless, the research findings can help to clarify the reasons hindering the proper implementation of the learning outcomes in other institutions, as it can serve as a guide to improve all the detected weaknesses, which may be applicable in other contexts. It can also aid administrative bodies at the different institutions in dealing with the obstacles that restrict the workability of the learning outcomes. Practical implications – Teaching in higher education must be nurtured through continuously investing time and effort in supporting faculty members to develop their teaching-learning skills to suit the changing profiles of students to render learning a durable experience. Originality/value – The study is unique in how it combined Yin’s protocol with Stake’s cross-case analysis report. Additionally, the classroom observation instrument was, to an extent, a precedent in terms of higher education research in the Lebanese context. Further, the results obtained added to the results of previous research, i.e. the reasons why the learning outcomes were not functional. Plus, a cyclical/retrograding motion learning model emerged in the process, and the practicality of the theory of constructive alignment in the Lebanese context was questioned.


2022 ◽  
pp. 77-139
Author(s):  
Regner Sabillon

This chapter presents the outcome of two empirical research studies that assess the implementation and validation of the cybersecurity audit model (CSAM), designed as a multiple-case study in two different Canadian higher education institution. CSAM can be applied for undertaking cybersecurity audits in any organization or nation state in order to evaluate and measure the cybersecurity assurance, maturity, and cyber readiness. The architecture of CSAM is explained in central sections. CSAM has been examined, implemented, and established under three research scenarios: (1) cybersecurity audit of all model domains, (2) cybersecurity audit of numerous domains, and (3) a single cybersecurity domain audit. The chapter concludes by showing how the implementation of the model permits one to report relevant information for future decision making in order to correct cybersecurity weaknesses or to improve cybersecurity domains and controls; thus, the model can be implemented and sufficiently tested at any organization.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 6342
Author(s):  
Alberto de la Calle ◽  
Inmaculada Freije ◽  
Aitor Oyarbide

Digitalisation, servitisation, and sustainability are keywords for the current and future development of the manufacturing industry. However, their interaction in the context of an organisation and its supply chain is unclear. This study examines how digital product–service innovation (PSI) or digital servitisation affects sustainability, considering the triple bottom line perspective, as well as identifies the underlying causes. Moreover, this study analyses the role played by supply-chain strategic collaboration, both internal and external to the company, in digital PSI and sustainability. Using a multiple-case study methodology and B2B market perspective, four companies belonging to the capital goods industry were analysed. Our findings indicate that digitalisation is leveraging both basic and advanced services in their impact on economic and environmental sustainability dimensions, while the results are limited in social sustainability. In addition, supply-chain integration is relevant for digital PSI. Internal integration is required for both basic and advanced services, while external integration is especially important in advanced services. We conclude by emphasising that companies should acquire digital capabilities to develop defensive and offensive business strategies that ultimately affect sustainability.


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