Academic Gerrymandering? Expansion and Expressions of Academic Work

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 405-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathy Lund Dean
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Academic Work ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Academic Institutions ◽  
Professional Work ◽  
Academic Values ◽  
Administrative Roles ◽  
Academic Administration ◽  
Job Roles ◽  
Institutional Conditions

As academic institutions creatively respond to exogenous forces requiring fundamental re-imagining of academic work, boundaries are being redrawn between traditional academic/professorial work and academic administration, resulting in blended job roles that constitute an incipient threat to academic values such as freedom and autonomy. After contrasting the nature of academic and nonacademic work, I draw on institutional theory to offer a model examining conditions under which blended academic and administrative roles engender four outcomes: positional dexterity, accommodating citizen, grab bag, and academic gerrymandering. I warn against institutional conditions that foster academic gerrymandering, or the “redistricting” of academic work for managerial benefit. I end the article with examples of other professions where administrative and “core” professional work have not been blended intentionally or well, and I suggest topics for future research.

Linguists and language workers

2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-50
Author(s):  
Veronika Koller
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Education Policy ◽  
Higher Education Policy ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
Knowledge Exchange ◽  
Academic Work ◽  
Academic Values ◽  
Conversational Interaction ◽  
Interview Situation ◽  
Academic Interests

In this paper, I address two connected topics: firstly, the relationships between linguists working in academia and language professionals, such as communication managers and consultants, in other sectors; and secondly, how a strong emphasis on knowledge exchange and impact in British higher education policy has led to increased collaboration between academic and non-academic language workers, but also to a realignment of traditional academic values with the interests of practitioners. The investigation is partly based on published reflections – mostly by linguists – on collaborating with (language) professionals in other sectors, and partly on insights from 13 interviews with language workers in consulting, communications and campaigning. The interviews are manually analysed for thematic categories and, where relevant, for pragmatic meanings in the context of the interview situation and conversational interaction. Findings suggest conflicts around registers and timescales, along with concerns over data and the relevance of academic interests. Crucially, language professionals show little concern about collaborating with academics, leading to an imbalance in interests. I supplement the evidence with personal observations on the opportunities and obstacles that are present when straddling academic and non-academic work, as well as with a discussion of how a unidirectional realignment of values changes the nature of academic work.

Is there a Role for Entrepreneurship Education in Veterinary Medicine? A UK Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 251512742110404
Author(s):  
Colette Henry
Keyword(s):  
Veterinary Medicine ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Entrepreneurship Education ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Research Attention ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Graduate Employability ◽  
Science Technology

This article examines entrepreneurship education (EE) provision within UK veterinary schools. Applying institutional theory as a critical lens, the core research question centers on whether there is a defined role for EE within veterinary curricula. Qualitative data gathered from veterinary educators, students, and employers are critically analyzed. Areas where veterinary entrepreneurship educators might enhance their offering to improve graduate employability and increase entrepreneurial activity within the sector are identified. The article contributes to extant scholarship by: identifying the challenges associated with introducing EE into Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematic (STEAM) discipline areas such as veterinary medicine; highlighting the value of institutional theory in critiquing EE within veterinary curricula; furthering understanding of how veterinary EE is perceived amongst key veterinary stakeholder groups/“institutions,” and identifying a potential role for veterinary EE. Novel avenues worthy of future research attention are also highlighted.

Cloud-Based Intelligent Accounting Applications: Accounting Task Automation Using IBM Watson Cognitive Computing

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 199-215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Edward Marshall ◽  
Sherwood Lane Lambert
Keyword(s):  
Data Analytics ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cognitive Computing ◽  
Knowledge Model ◽  
Job Roles ◽  
Computing Model ◽  
Cognitive Services ◽  
Ibm Watson ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT This paper presents a cognitive computing model, based on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, supporting task automation in the accounting industry. Drivers and consequences of task automation, globally and in accounting, are reviewed. A framework supporting cognitive task automation is discussed. The paper recognizes essential differences between cognitive computing and data analytics. Cognitive computing technologies that support task automation are incorporated into a model delivering federated knowledge. The impact of task automation on accounting job roles and the resulting creation of new accounting job roles supporting innovation are presented. The paper develops a hypothetical use case of building a cloud-based intelligent accounting application design, defined as cognitive services, using machine learning based on AI. The paper concludes by recognizing the significance of future research into task automation in accounting and suggests the federated knowledge model as a framework for future research into the process of digital transformation based on cognitive computing.

Institutional Theory and E-Government Research

2008 ◽  
pp. 349-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shahidul Hassan ◽  
J. Ramon Gil-Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Fourth Section ◽  
Current State ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Good Starting Point ◽  
Government Research

Recent developments in institutional theory are highly promising for the study of e-government. Scholars in various disciplines, such as economics (North, 1999; Rutherford, 1999), sociology (Brinton & Nee, 1998), and political science (March & Olsen, 1989; Peters, 2001), have used institutional approaches to understand diverse social and organizational phenomena. Insights gained from these studies can be valuable for guiding research in e-government. In fact, there are some initial efforts in information systems and e-government research that have applied institutional theory and proved useful in generating new insights about how information technologies are adopted (Teo, Wei, & Benbasat, 2003; Tingling & Parent, 2002), designed and developed (Butler, 2003; Klein, 2000; Laudon, 1985), implemented (Robey & Holmstrom, 2001), and used (Fountain, 2001) in organizations. In this chapter, we provide a brief overview of some of these initial studies to highlight the usefulness of institutional theory in e-government research. We also suggest some opportunities for future research in e-government using institutional theory. This chapter does not capture all the essential theoretical and empirical issues related to using institutional theory in information systems and e-government research. Instead, it is a brief review and a good starting point to explore the potential of institutional theory. We hope that e-government scholars find it interesting and useful. The chapter is organized in five sections, including this introduction. The second section provides a brief overview of institutional theory in various disciplinary traditions, with an emphasis on institutional theory in sociology. Then the chapter identifies various patterns of the use of institutional theory in information systems and e-government research. Based on our analysis of the current state of the art, the fourth section suggests some opportunities for future research. Finally, the fifth section provides some final comments.

The influence of institutional and conductive aspects on entrepreneurial innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 366-389 ◽  
Author(s):  
Talah S. Arabiyat ◽  
Metri Mdanat ◽  
Mohamed Haffar ◽  
Ahmad Ghoneim ◽  
Omar Arabiyat
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Institutions ◽  
Entrepreneurial Innovation ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to improve understanding of how different aspects of the national institutional environment may influence the extent of innovative entrepreneurial activities across countries. Several institutional and conductive factors affecting a country’s capacity to support innovative entrepreneurship are explored. Design/methodology/approach Institutional theory is used to examine the national regulatory, normative, cognitive and conducive aspects that measure a country’s ability to support innovative entrepreneurship. A cross-national institutional profile is constructed to validate an entrepreneurial innovation model. The impacts of country-level national institutions on innovative entrepreneurial activity as measured by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor data are assessed through structural equation modeling. Findings Knowledge about the influence of specific institutional aspects on innovative entrepreneurship, and hence of institutional structures within and across countries, is enhanced. For new innovative enterprises, conductive and regulatory aspects seem to matter most. All conductive factors have a significant and positive impact on entrepreneurial activity rates. Research limitations/implications Results could support policy makers and practitioners in evaluating government policies’ effects on innovative entrepreneurship. Interventions should target both individual attributes and context. Future research could include longitudinal designs to measure the direction of causality. Practical implications Aspects such as regulatory institutions, and conductive factors such as information communication technology use and technology adoption, are important for innovation entrepreneurship development. Originality/value The literature on institutional theory and innovative entrepreneurship is highly limited. This study complements growing interest in empirical analysis of the effects of national institutions on innovative entrepreneurial activities and substantiates previous empirical work.

scholarly journals Academic Expatriation to Emerging Economies: A Career Perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 4296
Author(s):  
Sabrine El Baroudi ◽  
Svetlana N. Khapova
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Economies ◽  
Reciprocal Relationship ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Academic Institutions ◽  
Institutional Practices ◽  
Career Theory ◽  
Academic Labor Market ◽  
Academic Labor ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Academic Expatriates

Although the globalization of the academic labor market offers many advantages to academic institutions and their students, less is known about its (dis)advantages for academic expatriates’ careers. This paper seeks explanations of how academic expatriates aspire to invest in their careers in emerging economies by engaging both with the evidence of intelligent career theory, and with the literature on academic expatriation to emerging economies and on higher education. On the basis of these different streams of the literature, this paper identifies and outlines the institutional practices that could influence academic expatriates’ careers. This paper suggests that future research on academic expatriation to emerging economies can develop in at least three directions, namely, (a) the institutional practices at academic institutions in emerging economies, (b) the careers of academic expatriates, and (c) a reciprocal relationship between institutional practices and the individual careers of academic expatriates.

Perspectives of the community-based dementia care workforce: “occupational communion” a key finding from the Work 4 Dementia Project

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 765-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate-Ellen J. Elliott ◽  
Christine M. Stirling ◽  
Angela J. Martin ◽  
Andrew L. Robinson ◽  
Jennifer L. Scott
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Support ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Work Experiences ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Job Roles ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Strong Attachment

ABSTRACTBackground: Community care workers’ experience of delivering support to people with dementia is less researched than that of residential workers. The purpose of the study is to explore community-based dementia care workers’ perspectives about their roles and the contextual variables that impact upon their work experiences.Method: A qualitative design was employed. Twenty-five community dementia care workers (average age 53 years, majority female and employed casually) participated in standardized semi-structured interviews about their job roles, training, employer agenda, organizational support, and intention to stay. A deductive approach to Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was adopted to identify key themes.Results: Three themes highlighted workers’ experiences. Occupational communion described strong attachment to clients and a desire for greater connection with colleagues. Job demands described the challenges of work, which varied with intensity. Job resources ranged from positive (strong organizational commitment) to negative (poor pay and conditions). Occupational communion was identified as a concept that exists at the interface between social and organization psychology that was perceived to be essential for adaptive coping. Identifying themes informed a conceptual model for designing intervention components aimed at improving workers’ skills, capabilities, and employer supportive functions.Conclusion: Occupational communion may be particularly relevant for women's caring careers and future research is needed to explore the relevance of this concept for men. To determine reliable change associated with interventions that target occupational communion, further investigation is required in relation to measurement approaches.

Continuity and Change in Governance and Decision Making in National Sport Organizations: Institutional Explanations

2000 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 293-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa M. Kikulis
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Critical Evaluation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Sport Organizations ◽  
Continuity And Change

The purpose of this paper was to broaden the discussion and debate about the continuity and change in the governance and decision making of Canada's NSOs and to develop arguments that address why institutional theory provides a strong foundation for advancing our understanding and management of this continuity and change. First, the theoritical contributions of institutional theorists are discussed. This is followed by a critical evaluation of previous institutional perspectives on change in Canada's NSOs. Then a description is given of three aspects of governance and decision making—the institutionalization of volunteer boards, the deinstitutionalization of volunteer control, and the semi-institutionalization of paid executive roles—that provides an alternative institutional explanation of continuity and change in governance and decision making in NSOs. The paper concludes with some suggestions for future research and a consideration of the implications for practice.

scholarly journals Environmental information usefulness to stakeholders: empirical evidence from Malaysia

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 348-363
Author(s):  
Ridzwana Mohd Said ◽  
Maliah Sulaiman ◽  
Nik Nazli Nik Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Environmental Information ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Kuala Lumpur ◽  
Professional Networks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fund Managers ◽  
Mba Students ◽  
Normative Pressure ◽  
Lending Decisions

Purpose – The present study aims to examine the effect of environmental information on fund managers’ investment and bank officers’ lending decisions. Specifically, it looks at the effect of qualitative and quantitative forms of environmental information to their decisions. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from the normative pressure of institutional theory, the study seeks to identify the extent to which education and professional networks influence investment and lending decisions of fund managers and bank officers. A laboratory experiment was used to collect the data. Twenty-three subjects volunteered in each experimental group, totalling 69 responses from fund managers and bank officers. The subjects were Master of Administration (MBA) students in universities located in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to proxy for real practitioners. Findings – The results reveal that fund managers and bank officers do not incorporate environmental information in their investment and lending decisions. Thus, the normative pressure of institutional theory is supported. Research limitations/implications – Acknowledging the limitations of data generalisability using student surrogates, future research utilising real practitioners is proposed. Practical implications – Recognising the importance of environmental information to be incorporated in investment and lending decisions of these major stakeholders, the results suggest universities, professional bodies and companies need to raise awareness concerning the importance and relevance of environmental information in various decisions. Originality/value – The study offers some preliminary insights into the use of environmental information by fund managers and bank officers in Malaysia.

scholarly journals Away Inside: Emigrants and Transnationalism Through the Eyes of Political Parties

2011 ◽  
pp. 61-82
Author(s):  
Manuel Abrantes ◽  
Joana Azevedo ◽  
Ana Maria Belchior ◽  
Marco Lisi
Keyword(s):  
Political Parties ◽  
Party System ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Legislative Elections ◽  
Public Officials ◽  
Institutional Conditions ◽  
Empirical Inquiry ◽  
External Voting ◽  
Transnational Citizenship ◽  
The Subject

This article examines how political parties in Portugal organize concerning emigrants and the subject of migration outflow, uncovering the issues and strategies that they favour. The 2009 Portuguese legislative elections offer a privileged site for empirical inquiry. Not only are emigrants able to elect members of the national parliament  through particular voting districts, but also a complete period of electoral campaigning under standard institutional conditions (rather than early elections) could thus be followed in real-time by the research team. Analysis draws chiefly on electoral manifestos, campaign activities, and first-hand interviews with members of the parliament and public officials. A close tie between the capacity of parties to organize abroad and the salience of issues related to the emigrant population in party programs is exposed. It is argued that the ambigous position of external voting between the strengthening of national(istic) bonds and transnational citizenship is disputed within the party system, since attitudes towards each of these perspectives vary across parties. Parties must therefore be understood as key players in the ongoing redefinition of the political agency of migrants, bearing a significant impact on their participation and representation. Last, implications for future research are addressed.

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