Compensation Management Practices in Software Industry: A Case Study

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer and explore innovative strategies for building and sustaining digital initiatives at information organizations. Although the examples provided are based on case studies at an academic library, the practices are rooted in project management principles and therefore applicable to all library types, museums, archives and other information organizations. The innovative strategies on staffing and funding will be particularly useful to organizations faced with monetary and staffing shortages and highlights collaborative management practices. Design/methodology/approach Concept of strategic and collaborative management practices led by an experienced project manager cross-trained in management, technical and soft skills enables the successful development and sustainability of digital initiatives. A cross-trained librarian’s management practices of leading the Digital Scholarship Initiatives at a particular university will be examined as a case study and aided with literature supporting the need for digital initiatives leaders to have training beyond the credentials of librarian, curator, archivist or historian in the technologically savvy twenty-first century ecology of information centers. Findings The innovative strategies implemented in the case study yielded increases in the number of hours of digital lab usage, digital projects developed, seminars or workshops presented, attendance of library hosted events, number of programs implemented and awareness on campus, all with limited staff and funding. The variety and level of production and marketing is instrumental to the growth and sustainability of digital initiatives. Practical implications The innovative strategies emphasized in this paper use the concept of borrowed or shared time to start staffing needs and is particularly helpful to organizations that do not have a strong line of dedicated staffing or funding to begin building digital initiatives. Offers small ways to start immediately while setting the stage to plan for big ideas for the future. Originality/value This paper suggests a credentialed information expert, such as a librarian, archivist or curator, that is, also cross-trained in project management and technology is the key to not only successfully leading digital initiatives but is instrumental for its sustainability and the marketing, growth and future of digital initiatives.

Download Full-text

Runoff, soil loss, and soil properties as influenced by land use and management practices: Case study from the Upper Blue Nile basin, Ethiopia

10.1002/essoar.10501734.1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Kindiye Ebabu ◽

Atsushi Tsunekawa ◽

Nigussie Haregeweyn ◽

Enyew Adgo ◽

Derege Meshesha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Management Practices ◽

Nile Basin ◽

Blue Nile ◽

Blue Nile Basin ◽

Land Use And Management ◽

Upper Blue Nile Basin

Download Full-text

Organic agriculture in Argentina's Pampas. A case study on Pampa Orgánica Norte farmers

Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems ◽

10.1017/s1742170521000338 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Silvina M. Cabrini ◽

Luciana Elustondo

Keyword(s):

Management Practices ◽

Active Role ◽

Organic Production ◽

Organic Certification ◽

Technology Generation ◽

Natural Grasslands ◽

Organic Farmers ◽

Sheep Production ◽

Certified Organic

Abstract Faced with a society that demands the reduction of negative environmental impacts of agriculture while producing high-value, healthy food for local and export markets, Argentina is currently in a debate on the alternative paths toward sustainability in agricultural production. Argentina is ranked second in the world in terms of land under organic certification. Extensive sheep production in Patagonia natural grasslands accounts for most of this area and harvested organic area remains a very small fraction of total harvested land (0.6%). This paper aims to contribute to the discussion of opportunities and limitations in organic farming as an ecological intensification alternative for Argentina's Pampas. A case study was conducted on Pampa Orgánica Norte. This is a group of nine organic farmers that manages field crops and livestock-certified organic production. Farmers interviewed in this study considered different criteria including economic and environmental attributes when choosing to produce organically. However, the main drivers for conversion to organic production are related to environmental factors, in particular ecosystem protection. The main limitations in organic production are related to crop management practices, primarily weed control. To achieve the goal of increasing organic production a more active role of the public sector in technology generation and transfer was demanded by farmers.

Download Full-text

Communicate belonging? Duoethnography of an organisational change study

Journal of Organizational Ethnography ◽

10.1108/joe-01-2019-0004 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽

Author(s):

Ivana Crestani ◽

Jill Fenton Taylor

Keyword(s):

Change Management ◽

Sense Of Belonging ◽

Management Practices ◽

Organisational Change ◽

Change Initiatives ◽

Content Type ◽

Inclusive Language ◽

Employee Resistance ◽

Practical Implications

PurposeThis duoethnography explores feelings of belonging that emerged as being relevant to the participants of a doctoral organisational change study. It challenges the prolific change management models that inadvertently encourage anti-belonging.Design/methodology/approachA change management practitioner and her doctoral supervisor share their dialogic reflections and reflexivity on the case study to open new conversations and raise questions about how communicating belonging enhances practice. They draw on Ubuntu philosophy (Tutu, 1999) to enrich Pinar's currere (1975) for understandings of belonging, interconnectedness, humanity and transformation.FindingsThe authors show how dialogic practice in giving employees a voice, communicating honestly, using inclusive language and affirmation contribute to a stronger sense of belonging. Suppressing the need for belonging can deepen a communication shadow and create employee resistance and alienation. Sharing in each other's personal transformation, the authors assist others in better understanding the feelings of belonging in organisational change.Practical implicationsPractitioners will need to challenge change initiatives that ignore belonging. This requires thinking of people as relationships, rather than as numbers or costs, communicating dialogically, taking care with language in communicating changes and facilitating employees to be active participants where they feel supported.Originality/valueFor both practice and academy, this duoethnography highlights a need for greater humanity in change management practices. This requires increasing the awareness and understanding of an interconnectedness that lies at the essence of belonging or Ubuntu (Tutu, 1999).

Download Full-text