Learning in The World Café: an empirical evaluation

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald Ropes ◽  
Han van Kleef ◽  
Giovanni Douven
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Cafe ◽  
The World ◽  
Collaborative Learning Environment ◽  
Commercial Organizations ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This study aims to evaluate The World Café (TWC) method as a social collaborative learning environment. TWC is a widely used large-scale intervention for such things as organizational change and development or community development programs. Design/methodology/approach Three World Cafés were organized as part of a university research project on promoting sustainability-oriented innovation in the logistics sector. A total of 18 participants representing public and commercial organizations were interviewed on their experiences. Findings Learning processes are linked to social and cognitive aspects that TWC intervention effectively structures. Practical implications If a World Café is implemented according to the basic principles, it can be an effective environment for organizing non-formal learning in organizations. Originality/value Although the gray literature on World Cafés is full of anecdotal evidence about its effectiveness, there is a dearth of empirical research underpinning the claims.

How to make the whole organization “Agile”

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 10-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Denning
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Creative Economy ◽  
New Firms ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Framework ◽  
The World ◽  
Business Challenges ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Agile is the umbrella term for a family of management practices, which include Scrum, Kanban, and Lean. To investigate Agile management as it was being practiced in large firms, in 2015 Scrum Alliance, whose mission is “to transform the world of work,” launched a Learning Consortium for the Creative Economy (LC), composed of a group of firms that included Microsoft, Ericsson, Magna International, Riot Games and others. Design/methodology/approach The group conducted site visits to learn from each other’s experiences with Agile. The questions to be explored included: To what extent are Agile management practices in fact occurring at scale in old and new firms? How effective are these management practices? Is it possible for the whole firm, particularly older firms with entrenched bureaucratic cultures, to become Agile? Findings The LC found that Agile management is already taking hold in large-scale implementations in both new and old firms. The LC observed that some firms were implementing Agile for large-scale, complex business challenges in areas beyond software, including operations where reliability is an issue. Practical implications Agile was seen as a different way of understanding and acting in the world. The successful firms were “being Agile,” not merely “doing Agile” within their existing management framework. Originality/value In the world of Agile management, delivering value to customers is the goal of every individual in the organization. Profits are seen as the result, not the goal. The Learning consortium sites visit offer managers an opportunity to study this philosophy in practice.

Big data and academic libraries: is it big for something or big for nothing?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeyinka Tella ◽  
Kehinde Khadijat Kadri
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Academic Library ◽  
Empirical Evaluation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Review Analysis ◽  
The World ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The paper examined big data and academic libraries and emphasized whether it is big for something or nothing. Design/methodology/approach A conceptual and review analysis of documents was adopted to determine the concept of big data, the sources, the features, the relevance to academic libraries, specific case studies from around the world that have made use of big data, uses of big data in academic libraries, a review of best practices in the use of big data in academic libraries and the challenges. Findings The paper reports that although big data is indeed very big in academic libraries because there are evidences of its adoption and best practices in its use in academic libraries across the world, available challenges can render it big for nothing. Research limitations/implications This study is limited in terms of using literature review approach to discuss big data and academic libraries. The study is also limited in terms of focusing academic libraries and not taken other types of libraries into consideration. Practical implications The study has created awareness on the part of academic libraries stakeholders including authorities, librarians and users on the relevance of big data in academic and how big indeed it is in academic library landscape. The study also implied future related studies can borrow ideas from the current studies, which will inform whether an empirical evaluation is possible on the subject matter. Originality/value The paper is the original idea by the author, and it is to emphasize the relevance of big data in academic libraries and to prepare academic libraries that have not been tapping the opportunities of big data to get ready.

Decent work: stakeholder priorities

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Tarrant
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Development Programs ◽  
Decent Work ◽  
Work Skills ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Original Approach ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to consider the usefulness of “decent work” as a construct, whether a collaborative approach helps to highlight problem areas and what lessons can be identified and generalized in respect to impact in context. Design/methodology/approach Data is gathered from stakeholders employed by organizations in Scotland using mixed methodology including survey data, focus group data and a large scale poll for low-paid employees and interviews for employers and advocates of work quality. Findings The results suggest that “decent work” priorities identified by low-paid employees are primarily “hard” variables, employers’ primarily identify “soft” variables and advocates identify a mix of hard and soft variables. Practical implications Therefore to engage all stakeholders a set of “soft” and “hard” priorities should be recognized and implemented in policy development and professional development programs focusing on “decent work” skills and knowledge introduced to support employers who are currently not perceived as providing “decent work”. Originality/value This paper has an original approach in that it identifies what matters and who can make a difference in a collaborative research study in a national context.

How Phillips saw the light

2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 29-31
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Business World ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Freak Show ◽  
The World ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
The One ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose 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 The problem with developing a reputation of being something of an oracle in the business world is that all of a sudden, everyone expects you to pull off the trick of interpreting the future on a daily basis. Like a freak show circus act or one-hit wonder pop singer, people expect you to perform when they see you, and they expect you to perform the thing that made you famous, even if it is the one thing in the world you don’t want to do. And when you fail to deliver on these heightened expectations, you are dismissed as a one trick pony, however good that trick is in the first place. 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.

How to do business in Brazil

2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (8) ◽  
pp. 36-38
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business People ◽  
The World ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Specific Culture ◽  
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 It is said that Latin America is one of the hardest places in which to do business, and within Latin America as well as considering the differing challenges that Argentina or Columbia may present, Brazil is perhaps the most difficult place to go to in order to develop trade and commercial agreements. In addition to the different language as compared to the rest of the region, there is a very specific culture and life view that will be wholly alien to many business people, whether they are from developed or developing countries around the world. Practical implications 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.

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.

The fierce urgency to create safe spaces for the heart in relation to sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Livingstone
Keyword(s):  
Creative Thinking ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Safe Spaces ◽  
Doctoral Research ◽  
The World ◽  
Moral Superiority ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Made In

Purpose The paper aims to rediscover the subtle heart and discuss its importance in relation to conversations regarding sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Based on the imaginal approach of the author’s doctoral research, this paper is informed by the discourse of transpersonal psychology, attempting to open a space through which it becomes possible to perceive the heart differently. Findings This paper discusses the idea that knowledge as generated through the heart has been rendered subservient to knowledge generated through the mind/brain through a dominant/medical narrative (Bound Alberti, 2012). This means that the heart’s wisdom and the heart’s benevolent qualities cannot gain traction at the level at which decisions are made in society. Research limitations/implications While the heart is not unproblematic, and can carry notions of moral superiority, this paper is written as an appeal to create safe enough spaces to bring the heart back into conversation at the level of political discourse. Practical implications This paper suggests that it is the approach of the heart, the qualities and characteristics that the heart embodies, and the different way of being in the world that the heart makes possible, which could play an important role in guiding us towards a more sustainable world. When taken seriously, the heart offers a way of engaging with, and thinking about, ideas of relationship, wholeness and interconnection – all of which have been identified as important by numerous scholars in relation to engaging with global challenges (de Witt, 2016). Social implications This paper suggests that it is the approach of the heart and the different way of being in the world that the heart makes possible, which could play an important role in guiding humanity towards a more sustainable world. Originality/value Since the late 1900s, scholars have been calling for creative thinking in relation to engaging with the myriad of issues facing our planet, and this paper is written as a response to that call – creating a platform for the heart to speak and making a case for its importance in conversations relating to sustainability.

Nine emerging student needs

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Hines ◽  
Alexandra Whittington
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Student Life ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Cafe ◽  
The Future ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose A research project exploring emerging student needs explored six aspects of student life: living, learning, working, playing, connecting and participating. Design/methodology/approach A modified version of the University of Houston’s “Framework Foresight” method was used to explore the future of six aspects of future student life. The resulting scenarios were analyzed for their implications, including the use of the World Café technique, and ultimately led to the identification of nine emerging student needs. Findings Nine specific emerging needs of future students could be used strategically by institutions of higher education to guide and inform planning and to generate innovative ideas for university offerings. Specific examples of offerings that would meet the projected future needs are recommended. Research limitations/implications In terms of research limitations, the paper is focused on the needs of students and does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of all of the issues influencing higher education. It views the future of higher education through the lens of students and their emerging needs. Practical implications The paper is intended for educators, researchers and administrators to provide insight on how the needs of students, their key customers, are evolving. Originality/value This piece explores student life in its totality as way to more accurately identify student needs in the future.

scholarly journals Renewable energy sources in future energy balance of the republic of Kazakhstan

2018 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 03006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bekzhan Mukatov ◽  
Ravil Khabibullin
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Development Strategy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy System ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Basic Principles ◽  
The World ◽  
Main Factors ◽  
The Republic

The article describes the main factors determining the development of renewable energy sources in the world. The assessment of the applicability of foreign RES development strategies to Kazakhstan’s energy system has been made. The main tasks facing Kazakhstan’s energy system with large-scale implementation of renewable energy were formulated. On the basis of the analysis and performed calculations recommendations and basic principles have been made on development strategy of renewable energy sources in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

The big bath of demonetization in India: strike on black money for corporate governance

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 594-600 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandeep Goel
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Corporate World ◽  
The World ◽  
Future Improvement ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
The Government ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to focus on the concept of abolition of black money and the demonetization movement started in India for cleaning black money and its impact on corporate world and Indian economy. It discusses the corporate governance effect of the demonetization scheme and various policy measures taken by the government to unearth and curb the black money in the country. It also states the challenges in its process of implementation and implications for future. Design/methodology/approach It appraises and reviews the concept of demonetization and its process in India since its implementation on November 8, 2016. Findings The biggest positive effects of this move were eradication of stocked and staked up money, cleansing of the financial system and improving governance in India. But its implementation had mix outcomes with its own challenges for future improvement. Practical implications The lessons drawn from the experience are expected to pave way for the countries at large. Originality/value It is an original paper on demonetization in India, and it is hoped that the lessons learnt thereof will pave the way for the world at large.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document