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1 – 10 of over 1000Ayesha Nousheen and Farkhanda Tabassum
This study aims to asses students’ sustainability consciousness (SC) in relation to their perceived teaching styles in seven public sector institutions in Pakistan.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to asses students’ sustainability consciousness (SC) in relation to their perceived teaching styles in seven public sector institutions in Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey technique was used to collect data from respondents. Grasha’s (1996) Teaching Styles Inventory and Gericke et al.’s (2019) Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire were used to collect data pertinent to teachers’ teaching styles and students’ SC, respectively. This study’s population was 1,986 students studying in seven educational institutions. A sample of 993 students was selected for the study. Out of the 993 questionnaires distributed, only 753 respondents returned the questionnaire completely filled, resulting in a response rate of 75.83%. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to analyze the data.
Findings
The results show that students’ mean scores on environmental and social dimensions were higher compared with the economic dimension. Similarly, students’ scores were relatively higher on the knowledge and attitude dimension while lower on the behavior dimension. Moreover, the expert and formal authority teaching styles were the most prevalent teaching styles. Furthermore, SEM results show that various teaching styles affected students’ knowledge and attitude; however, only the delegator teaching style affects all three dimensions of SC.
Research limitations/implications
This research has implications for educational institutions and policymakers to ensure dedicated efforts to promote and integrate education for sustainable development into the educational system and achieve sustainability goals by 2030.
Practical implications
The study findings will help future teachers to effectively integrate sustainability education into their classrooms.
Originality/value
This research expands the discussion on the effectiveness of various teaching styles on SC in teacher education programs.
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Gustavo Hermínio Salati Marcondes de Moraes, Bruno Fischer, Sergio Salles-Filho, Dirk Meissner and Marina Dabic
Knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms (KIE) strongly rely on scientific and strategic research and development (R&D) capabilities to achieve higher performance levels. Hence…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge-intensive entrepreneurial firms (KIE) strongly rely on scientific and strategic research and development (R&D) capabilities to achieve higher performance levels. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to disentangle the effects of scientific capabilities and strategic R&D on KIE performance; and how the constituent elements of these dimensions can be configured to generate conditions for high performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors’ empirical setting involves companies that submitted projects to the Innovative Research in Small Businesses (PIPE) program in Brazil. The authors then run partial least square structural equation modeling to verify how scientific and strategic R&D capabilities influence the performance construct. Second, the authors apply fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to identify configurations that are equifinal in terms of generating superior performance.
Findings
Findings indicate a strong association between scientific capabilities and KIE performance. The configurational approach outlines the existence of multiple paths to success, but human capital stands as a core condition throughout estimations.
Practical implications
The authors’ assessment has implications for how KIE firms are managed according to their organizational profiles and trajectories. Also, it advances the authors’ comprehension on how entrepreneurship policies can better target these distinct profiles.
Originality/value
The authors’ analysis provides new evidence on the inherent complexity behind the generation of high performance in KIE when addressing their portfolios of knowledge-related capabilities. More than that, the authors were able to identify the existence of heterogeneous profiles that can equally lead to higher levels of performance.
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Natalie A. Graff, Bart L. Fischer, Henry L. Bryant and David P. Anderson
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the Dual Use (DU) Option – a crop insurance policy created by the 2018 Farm Bill – relative to other policies available to dual-purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the Dual Use (DU) Option – a crop insurance policy created by the 2018 Farm Bill – relative to other policies available to dual-purpose annual forage producers. The new policy combines existing rainfall-based policies for annual forage crops and multi-peril policies for grain, allowing coverage for multiple crop uses on the same acres during the same growing season.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a simulation model to examine crop insurance choices for a typical Texas dual-purpose wheat farm. The certainty equivalent (CE) of wealth is used to rank choices within and between three insurance plans and to analyze the effects of those choices over a range of producer risk aversion levels and for three cases of yield expectations.
Findings
The DU Option is more preferred as risk aversion increases, but it is not universally preferred. Therefore, while the policy can be a viable risk management tool, certain restrictions may be limiting its effectiveness.
Practical implications
The findings of this paper can help explain farm-level decision making related to dual-purpose annual forage crop insurance program choices.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the literature by documenting a new crop insurance program made available in the 2018 Farm Bill and provides insights into producers' possible choices by evaluating extensive scenarios.
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Gabriela Trindade Pinheiro, Gustavo Hermínio Salati Marcondes de Moraes and Bruno Brandão Fischer
Social contexts and academic environments are key elements in the debate about drivers of entrepreneurial intention and behavior in tertiary students. Nonetheless, the underlying…
Abstract
Purpose
Social contexts and academic environments are key elements in the debate about drivers of entrepreneurial intention and behavior in tertiary students. Nonetheless, the underlying dynamics of student entrepreneurship remain elusive. This study aims to contribute to this discussion by creating an original model that addresses the perception of entrepreneurs and potential entrepreneurs regarding the relationship between social norms, the university environment of support to entrepreneurship and the perceived satisfaction about universities’ conditions to nurture entrepreneurial orientation.
Design/methodology/approach
To investigate the hypotheses, a quantitative approach has been chosen through multivariate data analysis using partial least squares structural equation modeling applied to a sample of 595 students from 66 Brazilian universities.
Findings
The results indicate that social norms affect how students perceive their university environment in terms of entrepreneurial support. In turn, students’ impressions about such environment shape their levels of satisfaction. However, in contrast with the theory of intention–action gap, differences between actual and potential entrepreneurs could not be identified.
Originality/value
The originality of the research lies in filling an entrepreneurial intention–action gap among undergraduate students, with consistent results in a developing country. Additionally, the research presents new insights for researchers, policymakers and practitioners, exploring the students’ perceived satisfaction in relation to the university environment to support entrepreneurship.
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Isa Mustafa, Justina Pula-Shiroka, Besnik A. Krasniqi, Veland Ramadani and Liridon Kryeziu
Informal entrepreneurship challenges sustainable economic performance and is a barrier to productive entrepreneurship. In this context, the level of development of formal and…
Abstract
Informal entrepreneurship challenges sustainable economic performance and is a barrier to productive entrepreneurship. In this context, the level of development of formal and informal institutions and their impact on informal entrepreneurship is crucial. This chapter examines the informal sector entrepreneurship in Kosovo using institutional theory lenses. Using a survey with 500 owners/managers of private companies, the study finds that the service industry has the highest participation in the informal economy compared to other sectors. On average small firms, compared to larger ones, report a higher percentage of unreported incomes. Our findings also suggest that when informal entrepreneurs perceive penalties for tax avoidance from tax authorities as high, they tend to have higher compliance with reporting their income. In addition, our findings indicate that the higher the vertical (trust in formal institutions) and horizontal distrust (trust in business partners), the higher the involvement in the informal economy. The chapter concludes with some policy implications for tackling the informal economy in Kosovo and similar institutional contexts.
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Jonathan Simmons and Smridhi Marwah
This chapter shares the experiences of two graduate students as they navigated higher education during the pandemic. Engaging in graduate study during the pandemic shaped their…
Abstract
This chapter shares the experiences of two graduate students as they navigated higher education during the pandemic. Engaging in graduate study during the pandemic shaped their socialisation experiences, challenged their understanding of themselves as scholars and impacted their relationships with mentors. This chapter shares personal reflections of their experiences and explores their sense of professional identity and aspirations for the future.
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Edson Sadao Iizuka, Gustavo Hermínio Salati Marcondes de Moraes and Melissa Galdino de Souza
There is no consensus on the most effective way to foster entrepreneurship in educational institutions, and educational policies on entrepreneurial activity differ significantly…
Abstract
Purpose
There is no consensus on the most effective way to foster entrepreneurship in educational institutions, and educational policies on entrepreneurial activity differ significantly amidst organizations and contexts. Thus, the objective of this research is to analyze influence of the college environment and entrepreneurial characteristics on the entrepreneurial intention of Brazilian high school/technical students.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical research used partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and a sample of 384 students of technical courses, such as Administration, Systems Development, Chemistry, Secretariat, among others.
Findings
The proposed model was validated, and the hypotheses were confirmed, proving suitable for high school/technical education. Assessing the high school environment with this model can help determine each organization's strengths and weaknesses and, indeed, the impacts on the ecosystems in which it operates. The results of the multi-group analysis indicate differences concerning the courses as well.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitations involve non-probabilistic sampling procedures and the collection having been carried out with a single cross-section.
Practical implications
For managers and teachers, this article presents indicators to qualify the activities of the educational environment, considering teaching activities, extracurricular activities, fairs, actions of teachers and students, among other initiatives.
Social implications
The article contributes to high school managers, particularly in technical schools, so that they understand the factors that influence the profile and entrepreneurial intention of students; in other words, something that can impact the lives of thousands of students, teachers and the community itself.
Originality/value
This research presents a novel analysis of the antecedents that drive student entrepreneurship in an underexplored educational context in a developing country. The results show the necessary conditions for technical schools to foster entrepreneurial activity, feeding innovation ecosystems with entrepreneurial talent.
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Liupengfei Wu, Weisheng Lu and Chen Chen
This research aims to develop a blockchain smart contract–enabled framework to resolve power imbalance problems in construction payment.
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims to develop a blockchain smart contract–enabled framework to resolve power imbalance problems in construction payment.
Design/methodology/approach
This research adopts a design science research method to develop the blockchain smart contract–enabled framework. The authors then develop a prototype system. Finally, the authors evaluate its performance in solving power imbalance-induced payment problems.
Findings
The results show that the prototype system can resolve power imbalance problems in construction payment by allowing project participants to make transparent and decentralized decisions that are self-enforceable by blockchain smart contracts.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides theoretical explanations for how blockchain smart contracts can resolve power imbalances in construction payment; based on that, it proposes a novel blockchain smart contract–enabled method to rebalance the power of stakeholders in construction payment. Thus, it contributes to the body of knowledge on blockchain technology and construction payment.
Practical implications
This study moves beyond a conceptual framework and develops a practical blockchain smart contract system for resolving power imbalances in construction payment, strengthening construction project members' confidence in using blockchain technology.
Social implications
The proposed blockchain smart contract–enabled solution helps mitigate negative social impacts associated with late payment and non-payment. Furthermore, the research maximizes trust among participants in payment processes to inspire collaborative culture in the construction industry.
Originality/value
This paper introduces a novel blockchain smart contract integrated method, allowing project stakeholders to resolve power imbalance problems in construction payment through decentralized decision-making.
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Desislava I. Yordanova, Albena Pergelova, Fernando Angulo-Ruiz and Tatiana S. Manolova
Despite the important role of entrepreneurial implementation intentions for closing the intention-behavior gap, empirical evidence on their drivers and mechanisms is scant and…
Abstract
Despite the important role of entrepreneurial implementation intentions for closing the intention-behavior gap, empirical evidence on their drivers and mechanisms is scant and inconclusive. In the case of college students’ technology-driven entrepreneurship, the objective of the present study is to examine whether implementation intentions are contingent on the university environment in which the progression from entrepreneurial intentions to subsequent actions unfolds. The sample for this study is composed of 299 Bulgarian STEM students, who reported technology-based entrepreneurial intentions. A binary logistic regression is applied to examine four specific mechanisms that facilitate or impede the students’ actual implementation intentions. Findings suggest that students enrolled in universities that provide greater concept development support are more likely to have formed specific implementation intentions, while students in more research-intensive universities are less likely to do so. Practitioner implications and recommendations for future research are provided.
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This chapter seeks to investigate the role of student emotional intelligence (EI) in countering in-class cyberloafing behaviour by students, by exploring the mediating role of…
Abstract
This chapter seeks to investigate the role of student emotional intelligence (EI) in countering in-class cyberloafing behaviour by students, by exploring the mediating role of boredom proneness through a quantitative approach. A sample of 163 postgraduate university students in India was selected. The authors assessed the mediation model using PROCESS macro. The authors found that students who are more aware of their emotions are better equipped to handle internal and external distractions and work towards a desired goal or outcome and therefore are less likely to experience boredom. Results from this study revealed a significant direct and indirect negative relationship between students’ EI and cyberloafing behaviour. This chapter contributes to the body of literature by highlighting the positive effects of EI as an important antidote to student cyberloafing behaviour. On the practical front, the findings of this study can be used by academicians who are charged with the responsibility of understanding and enhancing student learning by diminishing cyberloafing behaviour among them. The proposed framework could provide a foundation for countering cyberloafing behaviour in educational settings.
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