scholarly journals The business rescue practitioners’ professionalism: are we there yet?

Author(s):  
Onesmus Ayaya ◽  
◽  
Marius Pretorius ◽  

Purpose and context: The purpose of the study was to explore the construction of professionalism in a multiple professional bodies (MPB) landscape in South Africa (SA) and demonstrate how this construction can be used to enhance a professional accreditation regime. Professional accreditation has become a pre-requisite for business rescue practitioners (BRPs). The Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) licensing is linked to multiple professional bodies’ knowledge and practices but are not generic. This study was guided by one key question: How do PBs providing BRPs construct professionalism, and to what extent can the existing construction of professionalism facilitate the development of a professional accreditation regime? Research design and methods: A qualitative research design used required researchers to use four consecutive steps, namely (a) interviewing member services’ managers at four professional bodies (PBs); (b) systematic content analysis of codes of professional conduct and policy statements to identify constituent professionalism notions; (c) a systematic search of the literature to identify notions of professionalism mentioned in definitions and explanations of the construct; and (d) analysis of notions of professionalism using the constant comparison procedure to reveal critical themes. Results: A total of 90 separate notions of professionalism were identified in the 192 scholarly papers included in our study. The identified themes within business rescue practitioner (BRP) professionalism (emphasising relational aspects) point to practitioner dealings with (i) clients (business rescue candidates); (ii) government and others; (iii) the PB; and (iv) oneself to gain the essence of occupation. There is fragmentation between the constructed conceptualisations of professionalism among PBs, leading to an incoherent and inconsistent expert accreditation regime. Practical implications and value: The results from the indicated exploration steps were used to advance a programmatic framework to construct professionalism in an MPB landscape and set a future research agenda. The results also show that business rescue practitioners’ professionalism cannot be attained in a multi-professional body setting with an integrated professional accreditation framework.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
Author(s):  
Onesmus Ayaya ◽  
◽  
Marius Pretorius ◽  

Purpose of the research: To identify and explore the construction of professionalism in a multiple professional bodies (MPB) landscape in South Africa (SA) and demonstrate how such construction can be used to enhance professional accreditation regime. Design of research and methodology: The study used a qualitative research design. This required five consecutive steps of (a) interviewing member services managers at four professional bodies (PBs); (b) systematic content analysis of codes of professional conduct (CPCs) and policy statements to identify constituent professionalism notions; (c) a systematic search of the literature to identify notions of professionalism mentioned in definitions and explanations of the construct; and (d) analysis of notions of professionalism using the constant comparison procedure to reveal key themes. The results in (a) through to (d) were used to advance a programmatic framework to construct professionalism in an MPB landscape. Research results: The construction of professionalism is linked to services rendered and competencies in the MPB landscape. The existing licensing regime encapsulates the increased importance of the MPB landscape, leading to a shift away from a conventional conceptualisation of professionalism in a single professional body (PB) setting. A total of 90 separate notions of professionalism were identified in the 192 scholarly papers included in our study. The identified theme within BRP professionalism (emphasising relational aspects) point to practitioner dealings with (i) clients (business rescue candidates); (ii) government and others; (iii) the PB; and (iv) oneself to gain the essence of occupation. There is fragmentation between the constructed conceptualisations of professionalism among PBs, leading to an incoherent and inconsistent expert accreditation regime. Practical implications and value: The findings of the study are useful in the integration of practitioner learning and development practices in the PBs whose members serve as BRPs. BRP is a regulated occupation and requires a distinct professional accreditation framework (PAF) to integrate multidimensional professionalism in the MPB landscape. Approaches to enhance accreditation should consider delineating BRP services and task from interview results from a community of practitioners. The PAF will structure the construction, investigation, and documentation of occupational professionalism required by the licensing authorities. It will also help delineate BRP as a discipline worth of academic and professional pursuits with known competencies.


2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oana Alexandra Albertsen ◽  
Rainer Lueg

Purpose – This paper aims to review the literature on the balanced scorecard (BSC) system. The BSC may well be one of the most popular performance measurement systems, but this is not synonymous with successful. The inventors of the BSC, Kaplan and Norton, actually emphasize that a BSC can only really impact the organizational performance if it is linked to the actors’ intrinsic and extrinsic incentives. As BSC has existed for more than 20 years, the authors find it relevant to survey the extant literature which elaborates on the BSC-incentives link within organizations. Design/methodology/approach – This paper identifies 117 empirical studies from leading academic journals published between 1992 and 2012 and then assesses 30 of these studies, which present the BSC-compensation link within the BSC literature. The authors analyze both research design (authors’ perspective) and the actual findings in the field (organizations’ perspective). Findings – First, it was found that only 30 of 117 empirical studies have a research design that is comprehensive enough to capture a full BSC as suggested by Kaplan and Norton, and only six of these studies elaborate on the link between the BSC and compensation. Second, extant research lacks valid constructs for the BSC and focuses too much on planning (ex-ante) with the BSC and not sufficiently on evaluation and control (ex-post). Third, the authors demonstrate that empirical BSC literature relies very strongly on field research in small and medium enterprises compared to similar research. Overall, the authors claim that the “relevance” of the BSC remains unproven. Originality/value – The authors synthesize the empirical BSC literature and derive a future research agenda.


Author(s):  
Anselmo Ferreira Vasconcelos

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the demographic diversity of the so‐called 100 best companies to work for in Brazil and probe whether they exhibit any age bias and discrimination and, if so, in what degree it occurs.Design/methodology/approachDrawing predominantly on Great Place to Work® Institute Brazil lists, the author develops, through a historical research method, the analysis of the published data of those organizations over the decade between 1998 and 2008.FindingsThe results show that older workers were being sidelined by top‐tier organizations in Brazil. Further, the findings suggest that just some worker groups were being benefited by the 100 best organizations to work for; at the same time, it seemed that they are not interested in other ones.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough some triangulations were done with the Minister of Labor statistics, this investigation it is not completely exempt of bias. In light of this possibility, future research should focus on those organizations that show an undeniable age bias in their workforce demographic diversity composition.Practical implicationsThe paper argues that behind the ageism concept lies an inadequate appreciation for some human beings. As a result, organizations that are concerned with better corporate reputation and images should hunker down to eliminate the signals of ageism and the lack of demographic diversity within their workforces.Originality/valueThis paper shows the results of a qualitative research design focused on Brazilian corporate settings reality. It examines the demographic diversity of the 100 best companies to work for in that country and identifies, in which degree, age bias and discrimination were found inside them, specifically over the period between 1998 and 2008.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 689-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchini Senarath Jayasinghe ◽  
Raufdeen Rameezdeen ◽  
Nicholas Chileshe

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the synergies between post-end-of-life of building (PEoLB) concepts and operations to achieve sustainability. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted using 65 articles published between 2006 and 2017, and it has been subjected to descriptive and thematic analysis. Findings The descriptive analysis revealed that the majority of the articles were about (60 per cent) PEoLB operations, followed by (23 per cent) PEoLB concepts. Only 17 per cent of the articles have dealt with PEoLB-related strategic approaches. The thematic analysis elaborated on the literature development; interrelationships between PEoLB concepts and operations; impediments of introducing sustainability on these operations, remedial measures and information-based strategic approaches to achieve sustainability. Based on the findings, a conceptual framework for sustainable PEoLB operations is proposed. Furthermore, four areas of potential future research are discussed. Research limitations/implications This study presents a future research agenda including best practices to plan PEoLB operations and the development of optimisation models, risk management and information-based strategic approaches. Practical implications The proposed conceptual research framework triggers and nurtures potential pathways to introduce sustainable PEoLB operations under sound information flow. This could create a basis for future empirical studies in filling the identified gaps in literature. The framework could also assist practitioners in mitigating risks associated with transportation, storing and contamination of salvaged materials through enhanced information flow. In addition, the framework provides some managerial guidance to organisations seeking ways of establishing sustainability during reverse logistics (RL) operations. Originality/value This paper presents an SLR of an emerging area of research that encapsulates closed-loop supply chain through sustainable RL operations. The study highlights the interrelationships between PEoLB concepts and operations. It develops a robust approach to effectively manage the PEoLB operations underpinned by a sound information flow to facilitate sustainability.


Author(s):  
Kathy Ning Shen

Identity-related processes have been identified as important in explaining virtual community (VC) member behavior as well as informing system design of VCs. In particular, the two distinct identity processes of self-verification and identification have been identified and investigated separately, portrayed as two distinctive or contradictory identity processes with different practical implications. This chapter compares and reconciles these two theoretical perspectives in explaining VC participation. Based on a critical and comprehensive review of prior literature, the author identifies three major theoretical gaps that suggest how VC research and management can be advanced through an identity perspective. Finally, the chapter is concluded by discussing key implications of applying identity perspectives in VC research and future research agenda.


2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 1686-1704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rob Law ◽  
Davis Ka Chio Fong ◽  
Irene Cheng Chu Chan ◽  
Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong

Purpose This paper aims to comprehensively and systematically review the state of customer relationship management (CRM) research on hospitality and propose future research agenda. Design/methodology/approach All hospitality-related CRM articles since its introduction as a concept in 1988 were collected. The retrieved articles were then chronologically and thematically analyzed. Findings Hospitality CRM research has rapidly grown from the initial relationship marketing concept into social CRM. Five research foci were identified, including CRM planning and implementation process, organizational support, technology and tools, customer perspectives and characteristics and outcome and impact. Three potential pitfalls were observed in the existing literature. A comprehensive research framework incorporating the five research domains and three key players was proposed. Practical implications Hospitality practitioners should take an integrated perspective on the five major domains of CRM and the three key players to ensure that informed decisions can be made. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature through its qualitative and critical assessment of existing hospitality CRM literature, which can guide future research.


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 375-393 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahana Wiradanti ◽  
Stephen Pettit ◽  
Andrew Potter ◽  
Wessam Abouarghoub

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to review the literature on peripheral ports, hub ports and concentration – deconcentration factors. This is an issue, as investments in port development in more peripheral locations are challenging due to the difficult financial situation currently faced by the maritime industry.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a narrative literature review focusing on peripherality in the context of seaports and transport. Moreover, it gathers the reasons why ports concentrate–deconcentrate, and how these factors evolve over time.FindingsThis paper develops a future research agenda for peripheral ports.Practical implicationsThe paper provides insights for ports in developing countries in their efforts to upgrade their port facilities and infrastructure.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the research on ports in peripheral locations which have been under studied compared to larger hub ports.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 1212-1235
Author(s):  
Hartmut Behr

While contingency and negation are relatively well-established notions in the theoretical analysis of international relations, their practical implications remain under-conceptualised. In order to discuss the question of how to act under conditions of contingency and negation, this article, in a first step, triangulates both with Aristotelian noesis. Such triangulation suggests that the consequences of political action cannot be predicted and always have inadvertent consequences due to the contingent and historically and intellectually negated and refutable (even self-refutable) character of politics. It therefore appears as irresponsible to enact policies with interminable consequences. Rather, responsible political action — which is responsible precisely as, and only if, it accounts for contingency and negation — must hence act only in such a way that its consequences are reversible. In a second step, policy theory is critically reviewed in light of reversibility and its underlying philosophical principles, trying to bridge political philosophy and policy studies for a mutually enriched analysis of politics. Such a bridging exercise not only brings enhanced normative reflection into policy studies, but also, in reverse, hints at the crucial aspect of the non-linear unfolding of action consequences, which is, in addition to questions for a future research agenda, discussed in the concluding section. These discussions are understood as a twofold, yet interlinked, contribution: first, to develop a concept of reversibility as a practical response to the philosophical notions of contingency and negation; and, second, to bridge two different paradigms, encouraging the synergy of scholarly expertise for the management of contemporary international and global problems.


2014 ◽  
Vol 48 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 380-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Dibb ◽  
Cláudia Simões ◽  
Robin Wensley

Purpose – Describing marketing practices is fundamental to understanding both the scope of marketing practice and the actual value it adds to the organization. This paper aims to clarify the reach of marketing practice and the nature of activities that marketers carry out. Design/methodology/approach – The study uses mixed methods, involving qualitative document analysis, qualitative interviews and a quantitative managerial survey. Findings – The findings reveal consistency in the views of academics and practitioners across the following disaggregated elements of practice: stakeholder and relationship marketing, customer analysis, marketing-mix management/marketing planning, and the centrality of customers. However, when these themes are integrated into broader categories of practice, the activities are parceled and prioritized in different ways by the different data sources. Practical implications – The findings have implications for how marketing is practiced and taught and for the future research agenda. Originality/value – This study considers the functional practices within marketing and clarifies the scope of marketing practice.


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