Integration and the liberal arts: a historical overview

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leon Conrad
Keyword(s):  
Liberal Arts ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Arithmetic Geometry ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Classical Greece ◽  
Arts Curriculum

Purpose – The traditional liberal-arts curriculum of the word-based Trivium (grammar, dialectic/logic, rhetoric) and the number-based Quadrivium (arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, music) has an intrinsic unity. Used in an integrated way, it provides a tool for self-development, self-realisation and self-integration. The purpose of this paper is to outline the core nature of the integrative quality of the liberal-arts curriculum, trace the gradual disintegration of the curriculum from its adoption in classical Greece, and provide practical suggestions for the re-integration of the curriculum in the context of modern educational practice. Design/methodology/approach – The paper presents a philosophical survey of the history of the theory and practice relating to the intrinsic integrated quality of liberal-arts education from pre-classical Greece to the present day. Findings – The integrated quality of the liberal-arts curriculum has experienced a gradual disintegration from its adoption in classical Greece to the twenty-first century. The paper provides practical suggestions for the re-integration of an integrated approach to the curriculum in the context of modern educational practice. Practical implications – Re-engaging with the integrated quality of the liberal-arts curriculum is vital for fulfilling the purpose of education as a practice: that of enabling a human being to flourish in a holistic way, in order to take an active role within a civil society. Originality/value – The paper provides a valuable antidote to overly rational thinking by arguing for the need to restore the intrinsic integrative quality of the liberal-arts curriculum in educational practice in order to support the flourishing of individuals, society in order for the emergence of a mutually supportive interaction between them to appear.

Would integrating women's professional care of pelvic organ prolapse improve the symptoms and quality of life: an integrative literature review

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-133
Author(s):  
Nicola Davies ◽  
Teresa Burdett
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Pelvic Organ Prolapse ◽  
Conservative Treatment ◽  
Conservative Management ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Pelvic Organ ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeIntegrated healthcare is a central tenant of the NHS Long Term Plan (NHS, 2019). NICE in 2019 published guidelines; advising the integration of multidisciplinary professionals which may lead to an improvement in conservative treatment methods of pelvic organ prolapse. Therefore, current literature on the conservative treatments for pelvic organ prolapse needs to be reviewed to ascertain if an integrated approach would improve the symptoms and quality of life for women.Design/methodology/approachA systematic review of the literature between 2013 and 2018 was implemented. Papers included were written in English, peer-reviewed and consisted of treatments of pelvic organ prolapse in women. Papers containing surgical interventions, postpartum participants, reviews, evaluations, guidelines, follow-up studies, focusing on cost effectiveness, sexual function were excluded.FindingsSeven studies in total were included, and two overarching themes were identified: quality of life after treatment and the effect of conservative treatment on pelvic organ prolapse symptoms. The literature suggested that integrating care had a more positive outcome on pelvic organ symptoms and quality of life.Research limitations/implicationsTo develop a robust enhanced model of care for conservative treatment of pelvic organ prolapse through more mixed method or qualitative research, that incorporates integrative treatment methods with collaboration from multidisciplinary professionals.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of integrating the conservative management of pelvic organ prolapse is the communication between the multidisciplinary team must be exceptional to ensure everyone understands and agrees the treatment that is being provided to patient. Also, effective teamwork is important to ensure the patient receives the best care with input from the correct disciplines. The multi-professional team will need to have regular meetings to discuss and implement care plans for patients that might prove difficult to schedule due to differing commitments and priorities. This must be overcome to insure a successful and effective integrated approach to pelvic organ prolapse is delivered.Social implicationsThe social implications of integrating the professional approach to women's care of pelvic organ prolapse involves reducing the severity of the symptoms therefore, increasing the quality of life. This may result in the reduction of surgical intervention due to the patient being satisfied with the conservative management. Through integrating the management of the prolapse the patient will receive an accessible individualised care plan pathway that focuses on treating or reducing the impact of the symptoms that are bothersome to the patient whilst managing patient expectations. Patients will also, be reassured by the number of multi-disciplinary professionals involved in their care.Originality/valueGlobal integration of conservative treatments and multidisciplinary-professionals specialising in pelvic organ prolapse and pelvic floor dysfunction is needed.

Hedonic experiences at heritage attractions: the visitor’s perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Carolina Bender ◽  
Manuela Guerreiro ◽  
Bernardete Dias Sequeira ◽  
Júlio Mendes
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Exploratory Approach ◽  
Hedonic Experience ◽  
Using Data

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the hedonic experience and its formation at heritage attractions. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative and exploratory approach was applied, using data from 21 semi-structured interviews and three in-situ focus groups. Findings Findings highlight that senses, imagery and emotions are stimulated by the physical landscape and by triggers of memorable experiences. Research limitations/implications To further explore this topic, a broader range of heritage attractions and perspectives from the diverse stakeholders involved in the management and consumption of these sites is needed. Originality/value Given the scarcity of research dedicated to the hedonic experience at heritage sites, this study provides a contribution by exploring the visitor’s perspective and points out relevant insights. As the hedonic feelings of pleasure, comfort and related affective responses impact the quality of memorable experiences, relevant implications for theory and practice are discussed.

Retirement and organizations: perspectives and challenges for both workers and human resource management

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diogo Henrique Helal ◽  
Cleverson Vasconcelos da Nóbrega ◽  
Tatiana Aguiar Porfírio de Lima
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource Management ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to reflect on retirement, showing its different viewpoints, advocating the need to understand the issue from a procedural and multidimensional perspective, and especially, defending a more active role of human resource management in the process. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents a theoretical framework of retirement, based on a procedural and multidimensional perspective. Findings To study how individuals adapt to retirement permits the discovery, for example, of how they obtain the quality of life after the transition and how they manage the internal and external aspects of the process. Human resource management must treat retirement as a complex and multidimensional phenomenon. This means it should consider retirement not only as a decision but also as a process. Originality/value This essay seeks to reflect on retirement, advocating the need to understand the issue from a procedural and multidimensional perspective, and especially, defending a more active role of human resource management in the process.

scholarly journals Applying educational theory to develop a framework to support the delivery of experiential entrepreneurship education

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 987-1004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Bell ◽  
Heather Bell
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Educational Practice ◽  
Educational Theory ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Learning Theories ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Educational Theories

PurposeExperiential approaches have become increasingly common in entrepreneurship education in response to calls for different approaches to the traditional didactic process-driven approach. Experiential approaches offer the potential to develop the skills and mindset that are required in entrepreneurship. Research has highlighted the critical importance of educator pedagogical competence in the delivery and quality of teaching and learning in further and higher education. Nevertheless, educator narratives and practices are often based on foundations that suggest a lack in the depth of knowledge and understanding of the underlying pedagogic learning theories and practice. This paper brings educational theory and pedagogic practice together in a three-stage framework of the experiential entrepreneurship learning process to support entrepreneurship educators within further and higher education.Design/methodology/approachThis paper reviews and brings together the seminal educational theories and philosophies of constructivism, objectivism, Kolb's (1984) theory of experiential learning, Schön's (1983) reflection-in-action and Mezirow's (1997) theory of transformative learning, to develop a framework which underpins the experiential entrepreneurship learning process.FindingsThis paper develops a three-stage framework which informs the roles of an educator and a learner in experiential entrepreneurship education within further and higher education, based on educational theories and philosophies that inform the learning process.Practical implicationsThe developed framework supports the pedagogic competence of educators in the delivery of experiential entrepreneurship education through a deeper understanding of the supporting theory that informs the pedagogic practice. This will provide consolidation to enable educators to maximise the effectiveness of their educational practice (Kaynardağ, 2019) and can increase the legitimacy of entrepreneurship education (Foliard et al., 2018).Originality/valueThis paper meets calls in the literature to provide a closer engagement between educational theory and pedagogic practice to afford guidance as to how educators can navigate some of the different educational theories and philosophies to consolidate the effective delivery of quality experiential entrepreneurship education. Applying seminal educational theories and philosophies to ensure the quality of experiential education can support the legitimacy of experiential entrepreneurship education.

Understanding museum visitors’ experience: a comparative study

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-71 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Gabriel Brida ◽  
Marta Meleddu ◽  
Manuela Pulina
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Quality Of Services ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Archaeological Heritage ◽  
Museum Visitors ◽  
Heritage Sites ◽  
Cultural Sites ◽  
Museum Marketing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine museum visitors’ experience. The objective of the research is to explore preferences, behaviour, overall. This study experience and the determinants on repeated visits to two heritage sites. In particular, a more comprehensive regression approach is introduced and employed to compare results at two regional museums. Design/methodology/approach – First, a factor analysis identifies a set of orthogonal factors related to visitors’ perceptions on their positive and negative experiences at two different museums. Second, a two-step cluster analysis is implemented to identify specific demand segments. Third, a regression analysis reveals the key determinants that influence visitors’ perceptions on the quality of services provided at the cultural sites. The empirical data were collected at two archaeological museums located in Sardinia and Trentino Alto Adige (Italy). Findings – On the whole, some homogeneous findings have been obtained for the two cultural sites, regardless of the different levels of attractiveness exerted by these two museums. Moreover, the outcomes highlight that the two museums need to be reinterpreted and reorganised with the provision of supplementary services, able to satisfy a broader audience, and enriching their traditional mission that is to collect, preserve and exhibit the archaeological heritage. Practical implications – The methodological approach presented in this paper is for practitioners and curators to deepen their understanding of their consumers and to improve the overall quantity and quality of services offered. Originality/value – This paper presents a novel and integrated approach to investigate customers’ experience and their needs with the aim of improving the overall quality of the services provided at the museum. The proposed methodology is used to analyse multidimensional aspects of the visit to a cultural site. Within the literature on museum marketing and management, this methodological framework can be regarded as an alternative approach to analyse visitors’ experience, characteristics, behaviour, preferences and to elicit specific characteristics of different segments of demand.

The effects of mutuality in exporter-importer relationships

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Farid Ahmed ◽  
Felicitas Evangelista ◽  
Daniela Spanjaard
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Marketing ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Marketing Theory ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Dyadic Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Central Hypothesis ◽  
Relationship Performance ◽  
The Impact

PurposeRelationship marketing has been playing an important role in the development of marketing theory and practice. Though the concept has been extensively applied in international marketing in understanding the dynamics of exporter-importer relationships, few studies have looked at dyadic data to investigate the impact of mutuality of relational variables on the exporter-importer relationships. The objective of this study is to understand the impact of mutuality of key relational variables on exporter-importer relationship performance. A dyadic model of mutuality is proposed. The model highlights the impact of balance, level and quality of perceptual bi-directionality of relational variables.Design/methodology/approachThe model was tested using dyadic data collected from exporter-importer relationships involving Australian exporters and their Southeast Asian import partners through a cross-sectional, quantitative survey. Mutuality of relationship constructs was measured using the perceptual bi-directionality (PBD) method.FindingsThe results support the central hypothesis that mutuality of relational constructs has an impact on relationship performance.Originality/valueThe study is the first to apply the perceptual bi-directionality method to measure mutuality of relational constructs in an exporter-importer setting. The study contributes to the general understanding of international business and exporter-importer relationship performance in particular.

scholarly journals Ecological risk assessment of a subtropical river influenced by discharges of residues from water and sewage treatment plants

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 156-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angélica Megda Silva ◽  
Denis Abessa ◽  
Paulo Augusto Zaitune Pamplin ◽  
Maria Beatriz Bohrer-Morel
Keyword(s):  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
National Standards ◽  
Benthic Community Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sewage Treatment Plants ◽  
Quality Assessments ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Ecotoxicological Assays

Purpose The São Lourenço River (SLR) is used to supply potable waters for the cities of São Lourenço da Serra and Juquitiba, but receives the residues from the water treatment plants (WTPs) and sewage treatment plants (STPs), respectively. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impacts of the discharges of Juquitiba’s WTP and STP on the quality of the SLR, by using an integrated approach based on different lines of evidence. Design/methodology/approach Six sampling sites were established along the river and comprised areas situated upstream and downstream of the discharges. Five sampling surveys were performed between 2004 and 2006 for collecting water and sediment samples for ecotoxicological assays. In two of these campaigns, benthic community structure and geochemistry (metals, nutrients and sediment texture) were also assessed. Findings Concentrations of P, Fe and Al in waters exceeded the national standards, but sediments were not considered to be contaminated by metals or nutrients. Water and sediments tended to exhibit marginal toxicities, excluding the sediments from JQT007 and JQT008 that were frequently toxic. Combination of geochemistry, toxicity and ecological indices indicated that some sites are not degraded, but in some stations the benthic alteration may be due to non-measured contaminants, especially in JQT007 and JQT008. Practical implications As the use of waters from SLR for public supply has increased, these results show that action should be taken in order to reverse the environmental degradation of SRL. Originality/value This research combined sediment and water quality assessments in order to provide a more suitable and reliable diagnostic of the environmental quality of the SLR.

scholarly journals Improving graduate outcomes

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ugochukwu Chinonso Okolie ◽  
Elisha Nwonu Elom ◽  
Paul Agu Igwe ◽  
Michael Olayinka Binuomote ◽  
Chinyere Augusta Nwajiuba ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Semistructured Interview ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Life Problems ◽  
Starting Point

PurposeThis study explores how the implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) in technical and vocational education training (TVET) systems of Nigerian higher education (HE) can enhance quality graduate outcomes. The study also explores the issues and challenges of PBL implementation in the TVET system of Nigerian HE.Design/methodology/approachThis study follows the assumptions of qualitative research. The authors interviewed 55 participants and had a focus group with 7 TVET postgraduate students. The 55 interviewees were drawn from TVET teachers (n = 33; 24 males and 9 females), Directors at National Board for Technical Education (n = 4; 3 males and 1 female), Directors of National Directorate of Employment (n = 5; 3 males and 2 females), Directors at the Federal Ministry of Education (n = 3 males), and industry executives (n = 10; 7 males and 3 females). Data were collected through a semistructured interview approach, transcribed and coded using NVivo 12 plus and analyzed through thematic analysis.FindingsThe results show that PBL in the Nigerian TVET system has positive implications for quality TVET graduate outcomes in that it can enable integrating theory and practice, motivate learning, improve students' self-efficacy, allow students to construct learning on their own, enhance graduate competencies and graduate employability. It also revealed six perceived possible major challenges to effective implementation of PBL in the Nigerian TVET system, which includes inadequacy of teaching and learning facilities; corruption in Nigerian education sector; recruitment of unqualified incompetent TVET teachers; difficulties in identifying real-life problems, among others. Participants offered benchmarks and actions and standards for improving the identified challenges, which formed a framework for coping with issues, challenges, and barriers to effective implementation of PBL in the TVET system of Nigerian HE (Table 1).Originality/valueThe results of this study are original and serve as an advocacy for Nigerian HE authorities to explore how PBL can be implemented in the TVET system to improve graduate outcomes. The study serves as a starting point for more research in the domain of improving the quality of TVET programs in Nigerian HE. Industry leaders and policymakers in Nigeria and other developing countries could use the findings from this study to increase HE and industry participation and partnership for quality of TVET program.

Evaluation of retail service quality – a fuzzy AHP approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 1058-1080 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rema Gopalan ◽  
Sreekumar . ◽  
Biswajit Satpathy
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Service Industries ◽  
Retail Stores ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Major City ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Retail Service ◽  
Retail Service Quality

Purpose – With the growing importance of service quality in Indian retail, it becomes critical for the retailers to identify the appropriate dimensions for their retail stores. In the process of evaluating service quality the decision maker is often faced with ambiguities due to the imprecise information gained from the respondents. The purpose of this paper is to present an integrated fuzzy (fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) approach to help the decision makers/retailers in practicing and judging the priorities of service quality strategies and accordingly benchmarking retail stores in Indian retail environment. Design/methodology/approach – The study incorporated the five basic dimensions of Retail Service Quality Scale proposed by Dabholkar et al. (1996) and the FAHP approach to three leading apparel retail stores of a major city (Rourkela) of Orissa (an Indian state located in eastern part of the country) to determine the weights of criteria and sub-criteria of retail service quality. Findings – The study identified that the dimensions, namely, personal interaction, physical aspects, reliability and policy are perceived as important by the Indian consumers. Merchandise and the store’s willingness to handle returns and exchanges emerge as the most influencing variable affecting the overall service quality of the store. Research limitations/implications – The study was restricted to a major city of Orissa and to three apparel stores. The results obtained may not be extrapolated to the country as a whole. The authors believe that the integrated approach of FAHP could be used by a variety of service industries to evaluate the service quality. The study did not investigate switching behavior among the respondents as they had been visiting all the three apparel stores during the preceding months. Practical implications – The integrated approach of FAHP makes an empirical contribution to the service quality and retail marketing literature by overcoming the uncertainty of concepts those are associated with human beings’ subjective judgments. Social implications – The retailer can improve the quality of service provided by them based on the parameters important in Indian context, which will lead to higher customer satisfaction. Originality/value – This paper can help the retail service providers to identify which of the retail service quality dimensions requires much attention to create sustainable competitive advantage.

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