scholarly journals A Multi-Framing Approach to Analysing the Effectiveness of the PhD Application Process at the Victoria Business School

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Peter Cooper

<p>In the eight years from 2007 to 2015, Victoria Business School has seen over a 500% increase in the number of annual submissions of PhD applications. The increase in the number of applications is straining the scarce resources allocated to the process and raising concerns about time pressures among some of the PhD Directors.  This research looks to uncover whether the PhD application process in its current form serves the university in achieving its strategic goals and how the process might be improved. Interviewing multiple stakeholders within the Victoria Business School in an semi-structured interview, generated information on different aspects of the process as the stakeholders see it.  The interview data was examined using a multi-framing methodology, analysing the data using the three frames of Business Process Modelling & Notation, Theory of Constraints, and Qualitative Systems Thinking, to draw out different insights and aspects of the problems impacting the PhD application process. In conclusion, it was found the current PhD application process was not effectively supporting the achievement of the university’s strategic goals.  The issues brought out by the application of multi-framing show the PhD application process is not effectively helping the university to achieve its strategic goals. Furthermore, the identification of different issues from each different frame analysis demonstrates the benefits of adopting a multi-framing approach to problem-solving.  Recommendations were made as to how the problems can be addressed, negated or mitigated for the benefit of all stakeholders, while at the same time demonstrating the benefits of adopting a multi-framing approach to problem-solving.  In the end recommendations were made to address all the issues brought out by the different frames. The issues fell into two categories, process issues or university issues, and affected different stakeholders.</p>

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Peter Cooper

<p>In the eight years from 2007 to 2015, Victoria Business School has seen over a 500% increase in the number of annual submissions of PhD applications. The increase in the number of applications is straining the scarce resources allocated to the process and raising concerns about time pressures among some of the PhD Directors.  This research looks to uncover whether the PhD application process in its current form serves the university in achieving its strategic goals and how the process might be improved. Interviewing multiple stakeholders within the Victoria Business School in an semi-structured interview, generated information on different aspects of the process as the stakeholders see it.  The interview data was examined using a multi-framing methodology, analysing the data using the three frames of Business Process Modelling & Notation, Theory of Constraints, and Qualitative Systems Thinking, to draw out different insights and aspects of the problems impacting the PhD application process. In conclusion, it was found the current PhD application process was not effectively supporting the achievement of the university’s strategic goals.  The issues brought out by the application of multi-framing show the PhD application process is not effectively helping the university to achieve its strategic goals. Furthermore, the identification of different issues from each different frame analysis demonstrates the benefits of adopting a multi-framing approach to problem-solving.  Recommendations were made as to how the problems can be addressed, negated or mitigated for the benefit of all stakeholders, while at the same time demonstrating the benefits of adopting a multi-framing approach to problem-solving.  In the end recommendations were made to address all the issues brought out by the different frames. The issues fell into two categories, process issues or university issues, and affected different stakeholders.</p>


2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Shokri ◽  
Farhad Nabhani

Purpose – This paper aims to investigate the feasibility of a systematic Lean Six Sigma (LSS) education through the curriculum of business schools to respond to the existing gap between the graduate’s expectation of employability and skill requirements by the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach – A UK business school has been used as a case study to conduct extensive module and programme review followed by a semi-structured interview with potentially suitable core and programme-specific module tutors and comparative analysis. Findings – The result revealed a high potential of the existing modules in the business schools equivalent to the private sector training providers to increase the level of LSS problem-solving knowledge and skill for all graduates and improve their employability and productivity for the SMEs. Originality/value – The result of this study highlights the role of LSS to reduce the knowledge and skill gap between the business schools as the source of the explicit knowledge, graduates as the knowledge and skill bearer and SMEs as the knowledge and skill users.


2013 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Jennifer Lee Brady ◽  
Annie Hoang ◽  
Olivia Siswanto ◽  
Jordana Riesel ◽  
Jacqui Gingras

Obtaining dietetic licensure in Ontario requires completion of a Dietitians of Canada (DC) accredited four-year undergraduate degree in nutrition and an accredited post-graduate internship or combined Master’s degree program. Given the scarcity of internship positions in Ontario, each year approximately two-thirds of the eligible applicants who apply do not receive a position XX, XX, XX, XX, XX, XX, in press). Anecdotally, not securing an internship position is known to be a particularly disconcerting experience that has significant consequences for individuals’ personal, financial, and professional well-being. However, no known empirical research has yet explored students’ experiences of being unsuccessful in applying for internship positions. Fifteen individuals who applied between 2005 and 2009 to an Ontario-based dietetic internship program, but were unsuccessful at least once, participated in a one-on-one semi-structured interview. Findings reveal that participants’ experiences unfold successively in four phases that are characterized by increasingly heightened emotional peril: naïveté, competition, devastation, and frustration. The authors conclude that the current model of dietetic education and training in Ontario causes lasting distress to students and hinders the future growth and vitality of the dietetic profession. Further research is required to understand the impact of the current model on dietetic educators, internship coordinators, and preceptors as coincident participants in the internship application process.


Author(s):  
Tahir Tahir ◽  
Murniati Murniati

This research is based on learning in tertiary institutions which requires more active, independent and creative learners. of the importance of using appropriate learning methods in mathematics learning at the university level. SCAMPER is a technique that can be used to spark creativity and help overcome challenges that might be encountered in the form of a list of general goals with ideas spurring questions. This research aims to develop students' problem solving skills using the SCAMPER method in terms of student motivation. The population in this study were all semester V students of mathematics education study programs, which were also the research samples. From the analysis of the data it was found that the SCAMPER method was better in developing students' problem solving abilities with an average increase of 0.52 compared to conventional methods with an average increase of 0.45. In addition there is a difference between improving students' problem solving abilities when viewed from their motivation. But there is no interaction between motivational factors and learning methods.


1992 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-42

Sources documents the work of applied and practicing anthropologists. The Project Profiles published here are based on materials submitted to the Applied Anthropology Documentation Project at the University of Kentucky. The project, since its inception in 1978, has attempted to collect the so-called fugitive literature produced by anthropologists during their problem-solving work. The collection has a wide range of different types of materials: technical reports, research monographs, conference papers, practicum and internship reports, legal briefs, proposals, and other materials.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret Burri ◽  
Joshua Everett ◽  
Heidi Herr ◽  
Jessica Keyes

This practice brief describes the assessment project undertaken by the Sheridan Libraries at Johns Hopkins University as part of the library’s participation in ARL’s Research Library Impact Framework initiative to address the question “(How) do the library’s special collections specifically support and promote teaching, learning, and research?” The research team investigated how the Freshman Fellows experience impacted the fellows’ studies and co-curricular activities at the university. Freshmen Fellows, established in 2016, is a signature opportunity to expose students to primary-source collections early in their college career by pairing four fellows with four curators on individual research projects. The program graduated its first cohort of fellows in spring 2020. The brief includes a semi-structured interview guide, program guidelines, and a primary research rubric.


Author(s):  
Eman Elmahjoubi ◽  
Mufida Yamane

Background. The safe use of medicines largely relies on consumers reading the labeling and packaging carefully and accurately, and being able to comprehend and act on the information presented. We aimed to conduct local study on consumers’ perceptions, attitudes and use of written drug information. Methods. A survey included 200 adults of the public in 13 community pharmacies and one main hospital (the University Hospital) in Tripoli city of Libya, using a structured interview technique. Results. The results showed that 73% of participants read drug labels with variation from always (39.72 %) to rarely (10.95%). About 42.46% of pharmacy customers read the Patients Package Inserts (PPIs) routinely, however; 53.42% of them faced difficulties in understanding the labelling. Foreign languages and small font sizes of written information were the most barriers to participants` comprehensibility (44.69 %, 34%) respectively. The findings indicated that 59 % of the respondents were used to obtain information from pharmacists. Despite the relatively high rate of reading to drug labels among pharmacy customers; more than half of them were unable to interpret information correctly. Conclusion. The study demonstrated the need for the implementation of educational and awareness programs for patients by pharmacists to improve the health literacy of medication labels. Steps must be taken to ensure that medicines in Libyan market are supplied with bilingual and non-technical language labels.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Jones ◽  
Helen A. Smith

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate two coaching and mentoring programmes focused on the ever-increasingly important aim of enhancing the chances of professional level employment for undergraduate students, at two UK universities. In addition, to offer recommendations to enhance coaching and mentoring success within higher education (HE).Design/methodology/approachTwo similar programmes are compared; the first study is a coaching programme delivered in two phases involving over 1,500 students within the business school. The second study is a mentoring programme involving over 250 students over a ten-year period within the business school at a different institution.FindingsThe two programmes have been compared against the key success criteria from the literature, endorsed by coaching and mentoring experts. The results highlight the importance of integrating with other initiatives, senior management commitment, budget, an application process, clear matching process, trained coaches and mentors, induction for both parties, supportive material, ongoing supervision and robust evaluation and record keeping.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focuses on two similar institutions, with comparable student demographics. It would have been useful to dig deeper into the effect of the diverse characteristics of coach/mentor and coachee/mentee on the effectiveness of their relationships. In addition, to test the assumptions and recommendations beyond these two institutions, and to validate the reach and application of these best practice recommendations further afield.Practical implicationsThe results identify a number of best practice recommendations to guide HE institutions when offering coaching and mentoring interventions to support career progression of their students.Originality/valueThere are limited comparison studies between universities with undergraduate career-related coaching and mentoring programmes and limited research offering best practice recommendations for coaching and mentoring programmes in HE. The top ten factors offered here to take away will add value to those thinking of running similar programmes within HE.


2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Syed Abdul Hakim Syed Zainuddin ◽  
Mohini Mohamed

Kajian ini bertujuan untuk menentukan keupayaan menyelesaikan masalah matematik bukan rutin di kalangan pelajar tingkatan dua di beberapa buah sekolah sekitar daerah Johor Bahru. Ia difokuskan kepada keupayaan pelajar dalam proses menyelesaikan masalah yang merangkumi: proses memahami masalah, merancang strategi penyelesaian, melaksanakan strategi dan akhir sekali menyemak serta menilai jawapan. Kajian ini merupakan kajian tinjauan. Persampelan adalah secara persampelan kelompok. Sampel kajian adalah terdiri daripada 70 orang pelajar tingkatan dua. Tiga alat kajian digunakan, iaitu ujian penyelesaian masalah matematik bukan rutin, soal selidik berkaitan sikap terhadap penyelesaian masalah dan temu bual berstruktur. Tiga kategori yang dinilai dalam inventori sikap adalah kesanggupan dalam aktiviti menyelesaikan masalah, ketabahan ketika menyelesaikan masalah dan keyakinan diri dalam menyelesaikan masalah. Dapatan menunjukkan bahawa pelajar tingkatan dua mempunyai kemahiran memahami masalah pada tahap tinggi tetapi mempunyai kemahiran merancang strategi dan menulis jawapan pada tahap yang sangat lemah. Manakala bagi kemahiran melaksana strategi, pelajar tingkatan dua ini berada pada tahap yang sederhana dalam menyelesaikan masalah matematik bukan rutin. Dari segi sikap terhadap penyelesaian masalah, pelajar tingkatan dua mempunyai tahap sikap yang tinggi dalam kesanggupan dan ketabahan tetapi mempunyai tahap sikap yang sederhana dalam keyakinan. Temu bual pula mendapati terdapat perbezaan pandangan dan pola penyelesaian antara pelajar yang mendapat skor terendah dan pelajar yang mendapat skor tertinggi ketika menjawab soalan matematik bukan rutin. Kata kunci: Masalah matematik bukan rutin; proses menyelesaikan masalah; kesanggupan; ketabahan; keyakinan diri This study was designed to identify student’s ability in solving non–routine mathematical problem among form two students from schools in the district of Johor Bahru. Its focus is on student’s ability on problem solving process that is: to understand the problem, to plan the problem solving strategies, to carry out the strategies, and lastly to review the answers as well as the overall solution. This study was a form of survey with a cluster sampling. A total of 70 form two students were chosen as research sample. Three instruments were used: non–routine problem solving test, a questionnaires about problem solving attitudes and a structured interview. Three categories on attitudes inventory evaluated were willingness, perseverance and self–confidence on problem solving activity. The findings of the study showed that form two students were skilled in the understanding of the problem but have low skills in planning problem solving strategies and in reviewing the answers. These students have moderate skills to carry out the strategies in solving non-routine mathematical problem. Results of attitude on problem solving showed that form two students have high scores for attitudes on willingness and perseverance but average scores for attitude on confidence. The interview also showed student opinion varied and there is a marked difference in patterns of solving problems across students with lowest scores and highest scores. Key words: Non–routine mathematical problem; problem solving process; willingness; perseverance; self–confidence


2018 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 414-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiasheng D Guo ◽  
William F Vann ◽  
Jessica Y Lee ◽  
Michael W Roberts

Objective: There is a gap in the literature regarding optimal methods for the dental team to help address the childhood obesity epidemic; accordingly, this investigation sought to identify preferred communication approaches the dental team can rely upon to initiate dialogue with caregivers regarding the weight of their children. Study Design: A structured interview guide containing seven potential Healthy Weight Counseling (HWC) approaches and eight follow up questions was developed, pilot-tested, revised and utilized as a structured interview guide. Interviews were conducted at the Children's Clinic at the School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) with 50 participants who are English-speaking caregivers of children ages 4–12. Results: Ninety-four percent of the participants were receptive to HWC in the dental setting. Caregivers indicated varying levels of acceptance for the seven HWC-approaches based on specific word choices in each approach. Sixty percent preferred HWC to be delivered with the child not present while 34% preferred the child's presence and 6% had no preference. Conclusions: Caregivers were open to weight-related conversations in the dental setting but to be well received, the dental team must choose their approach carefully and establish the proper doctor/patient relationship prior to HWC delivery. An individualized HWC-approach tailored to the specific needs of each family is indicated.


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