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1 – 10 of 526Jing Bill Xu, Pimtong Tavitiyaman, Xinyan Zhang and Mingfang Zhu
This paper aims to explore students’ work-integrated learning experience. Particularly, students’ application of knowledge and improvement of multiple skills in work-integrated…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore students’ work-integrated learning experience. Particularly, students’ application of knowledge and improvement of multiple skills in work-integrated learning, their influence on positive industry image change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and students’ desired career prospect were explored.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey with valid responses from 168 undergraduate students in hospitality and tourism management was conducted in four colleges/universities in Guangdong, China in 2021. PLS-SEM method was used to analyze the data.
Findings
It was found that students’ multiple skills had improved through application of knowledge in work-integrated learning. Skill improvement helped form positive industry image change and shape future career prospect. However, such positive industry image change did not impact students’ career prospect directly.
Originality/value
Today, work-integrated learning has become one of the most valuable opportunities for students in hospitality and tourism management to gain industry experience. However, recent literature has largely examined the negative impacts of COVID-19, whereas few studies have examined the positive aspects of work-integrated learning.
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Lin-lin Xie, Ziyuan Luo and Xianbo Zhao
This study aims to build a framework of the influencing factors of construction workers' career promotion and identifies the critical determinants so as to propose suggestions for…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to build a framework of the influencing factors of construction workers' career promotion and identifies the critical determinants so as to propose suggestions for the government and enterprises to offer construction workers a path for career promotion.
Design/methodology/approach
In line with the theory of human resources, such as Herzberg's two-factor theory, this study constructs a theoretical framework that affects the career promotion of construction workers. Using evidence from Guangzhou city, valid data provided by 464 workers from 50 sites were collected by a questionnaire survey, and the significance test on the influencing factors of construction workers' career promotion was taken by binary logistic regression.
Findings
The overall career development of construction workers in Guangzhou is worrying. The binary logistic regression indicates that age, working years, type of work, career development awareness, legal awareness, professional mentality, vocational psychological training and career development path are critical factors that affect construction workers' career promotion.
Originality/value
This study for the first time explores the career promotion of frontline construction workers. Specifically, it identifies the critical factors that affect the career promotion of workers and thus lays a foundation for further research and the promotion and continuous and healthy development of the construction industry. Thus, this study is original and has theoretical and practical significance.
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Firdouse Rahman Khan and Jayashree Krishnamurthy
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the various factors that inhibit tourism student’s inclination toward tourism-related entrepreneurial activities in Oman.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the various factors that inhibit tourism student’s inclination toward tourism-related entrepreneurial activities in Oman.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted with 223 students of tourism studies who were selected on simple random sampling basis and were contacted through a well-defined questionnaire.
Findings
The study reveals that the factors like non-discrimination of gender, promotion opportunities and physical working conditions play a crucial role in motivating students to take up tourism-related career. The empirical results also reveal that the high risk of accidents, non-tourism spouse preferences and Omani traditional values discourage tourism. Thus, a natural growth toward setting up of such tourism-related entrepreneurial activities is thwarted.
Research limitations/implications
The study was restricted to undergraduate students of tourism studies in and around Muscat, Oman. The study could be extended to know the insight of the personnel involved in the entire tourism sector in Oman.
Practical implications
The study demonstrates that there is a strong association between the motivating factors and the various reasons that encourage studying tourism. The main factors impeding entrepreneurship tourism are the insufficiency of capital, lack of awareness about the ongoing programmes as well as the lack of entrepreneurial skills.
Social implications
There exists necessity for the government and the related sponsoring institutions to create an ecosystem that facilitates and encourages tourism entrepreneurs. This will in turn help in the process of diversifying Oman’s future economy toward tourism.
Originality/value
Very few studies have examined the entrepreneurship tourism in Oman for sustainable development, and it is a first-hand study of its kind.
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Chiara Mussida and Dario Sciulli
This paper evaluates how the first job when individuals entered the labor market affects the probability of youth being currently employed in formal or informal work in Bangladesh.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper evaluates how the first job when individuals entered the labor market affects the probability of youth being currently employed in formal or informal work in Bangladesh.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis is based on data from the ILO School-to-Work Transition Surveys. The authors use a full-information maximum likelihood approach to estimate a two-equation model, which accounts for selection into the labor market when estimating the impact of entry status on current work outcomes. The main equation outcome follows a multinomial distribution thus avoiding a priori assumptions about the level of individual’s utility associated with each work status.
Findings
The authors find that entering the labor market in a vulnerable employment position (i.e. contributing family work or self-employment) traps into vulnerable employment and prevents the transition to both informal and, especially, formal paid work. This finding holds when accounting for endogeneity of the entry status and it is valid both in the short and in the long run. Young women are less likely to enter the labor market, and once entered they are less likely to access formal paid wok and more likely to being inactive than young men. Low education anticipates the entry in the labor market, but it is detrimental for future employment prospects.
Originality/value
The findings indicate the presence of labor market segmentation between vulnerable and non-vulnerable employment and suggest the endpoint quality of the school-to-work transition is crucial for later employment prospects of Bangladeshi youth.
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Alessandro Lo Presti, Amelia Manuti, Assunta De Rosa and Angelo Elia
The current study makes two main contributions: one theoretical and one methodological. First, it investigated the theoretical prepositions of career sustainability perspective…
Abstract
Purpose
The current study makes two main contributions: one theoretical and one methodological. First, it investigated the theoretical prepositions of career sustainability perspective, which appears particularly suitable for examining project managers' careers' dynamics and patterns, featured by explicit and recursive interactions between individual, temporal and contextual factors. Second, the study aimed to adopt a qualitative approach to this topic as to allow a deeper understanding of individual narratives about careers, highlighting underexplored issues and peculiarities that future research could further examine through quantitative methodologies.
Design/methodology/approach
Project managers' careers are still an under-researched topic, especially through qualitative methods. The study applied career sustainability theory to the realm of project management, moreover, adopting a socio-constructivist perspective. Participants were 50 Italian project managers who were involved through a narrative in-depth interview that focused on career and career success. Their answers were analyzed through thematic analysis of contents and diatextual analysis.
Findings
Results showed that project managers' career could be a prototypical example of sustainable career, basically described in terms of four basic constitutive dimensions as follows: time frame, social space, agency and meaning. Implications for both future theoretical expansion of career sustainability theory and project managers' career management interventions were also discussed.
Originality/value
The originality of the paper could be found in the effort to adopt a socio-constructivist perspective to investigate the topic of career sustainability taking the exemplary case of project managers' career.
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Madhu S. Jadnanansing, Robin B. DiPietro and Mieke De Droog
This study aimed to collect data on the perception of top executive women in the Aruban hotel sector regarding implicit gender bias.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to collect data on the perception of top executive women in the Aruban hotel sector regarding implicit gender bias.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study on the metacognitive processes of awareness, evaluation and autocorrection was utilized. Through purposive sampling women in the top two leadership levels in Aruba Hotel and Tourism Association (AHATA) member-hotels were selected.
Findings
Results showed that a third of the top female executives experienced implicit gender bias career barriers. Different types of bias were identified such as: judgments regarding pregnancy, unequal pay and obstructions by the male general manager. How the women dealt with this bias depended on the type of bias and their personality. The identification of bias and its effects on the career trajectory were also influenced by characteristics of the work setting such as the size of the hotel and functional area.
Research limitations/implications
The research limitations include the chosen scope, the impediment of the generalizability of the findings due to the nature of the study, self-perceived data and possible researcher and respondent bias.
Practical implications
This study added to the existing body of leadership development literature with a focus on the effects of implicit bias on female leadership advancement. Some specific theoretical concepts that were combined in this study are organizational leadership, metacognition and the unconscious mind. The important role of personality was also confirmed in this study however one element that stood out in the current study was the effect of resilience in overcoming perceived barriers and attaining personal career goals. Suggestions and directions for future research are provided.
Originality/value
Despite the fact that gender bias was not observed in an explicit form, participants advised to be aware of the existence and effects of the implicit form and to seek education and guidance from female mentors and to remain goal oriented when confronted with this bias. Since female under-representation in senior leadership positions in other economic sectors is not observed this advice serves as a significant practical implication for the development of female leadership in this important sector in Aruba.
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Mervi Rajahonka and Kaija Villman
This chapter discusses female managers’ and entrepreneurs’ views on lifelong learning. The main empirical data were drawn from interviews with 67 women participating in training…
Abstract
This chapter discusses female managers’ and entrepreneurs’ views on lifelong learning. The main empirical data were drawn from interviews with 67 women participating in training and coaching programmes in South Savo, Finland, in 2017–2021. Many of the women belonged to the working sandwich generation (WSG). The particular focus was on how lifelong learning relates to these women’s careers, wellbeing at work, work–life balance and search for meaningful lives. A model integrating women’s earning, learning and meaning aspects of work and life was developed. The findings of the study show that considering women’s fragmented work careers, lifelong learning is often crucial for them. For an individual, opportunities for lifelong learning and meaningful work assure personal development, wellbeing at work and a sustainable career. For employing organisations, offering opportunities for learning and meaningful work for their employees constitutes a competitive advantage.
Emma Foreman, Sara McMillan and Amanda Wheeler
The community-managed mental health sector needs to meet growing workforce demands. Yet, limited research has explored professional development opportunities and effective…
Abstract
Purpose
The community-managed mental health sector needs to meet growing workforce demands. Yet, limited research has explored professional development opportunities and effective recruitment and retention strategies to support sector growth. One strategy is the use of a scholarship program to increase skills and training, via a University qualification. The purpose of this paper is to explore the progress of 19 mental health scholarship students and the impact of the scholarship on career intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods approach comprising scholarship applications, questionnaires and semi-structured interviews was used to explore the students’ university experiences between February 2013 and January 2015. Course convenors of the Mental Health Program were interviewed. Data were collected across three time-points over 24 months, with each collection informing the next research phase. Data analysis involved thematic analysis and descriptive statistics.
Findings
Deeper knowledge, recognition of experience, new career pathways and improved work practice were benefits. Managing time and study, and work-life balance were the greatest challenges. Completing students displayed a range of internal attributes and accessed external supports. At the time of the study, the scholarships maintained student motivation and intention to work in the sector.
Originality/value
This research provides a deeper understanding of the demographics of the sector’s workforce. Insight into the attributes of completing students was obtained. The benefits realized and the challenges faced by the scholarship recipients will inform ongoing workforce development programs for the community-managed mental health sector.
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Dandi Merga Gutema, Sukrit Pant and Shahrokh Nikou
The global landscape of higher education has witnessed a steady increase in the mobility of international students, as more individuals seek diverse academic experiences and…
Abstract
Purpose
The global landscape of higher education has witnessed a steady increase in the mobility of international students, as more individuals seek diverse academic experiences and cross-cultural learning opportunities. This paper conducts a systematic literature review to investigate trends, research directions and key themes in the literature. By utilising the push–pull factor model the aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing international students' choices to pursue higher education and future career opportunities abroad.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review approach was applied. The selection was made using PRISMA framework-based inclusion and exclusion criteria. The review includes 43 publications from 2010 to 2022.
Findings
The review results revealed five themes of scholarly conversations labelled as (1) betterment of life, (2) policy of the host country, (3) role of institutions, (4) return to home country and (5) social, economic, environmental, individual and cultural factors. The findings emphasise on the significance of factors such as the quality of education, visa requirements, academic reputation, tuition fees, availability of scholarships, job opportunities, social, economic, environmental, individual and cultural factors. The paper also identifies language barriers, visa policies and social integration difficulties as major barriers to international students' stay in the host country after graduation.
Originality/value
This research enhances the current body of literature by conducting a comprehensive analysis of the empirical evidence available in literature that investigates the mobility of international students. The outcomes of this study will make a valuable contribution towards developing a more profound comprehension of the primary factors that influence international students' decision to pursue their education abroad.
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Giuseppe Tacconi, Vidmantas Tūtlys, Marco Perini and Genute Gedvilienė
The present study aims to reveal common and diverging trends in the development of pedagogical competences of vocational education and training (VET) teachers and trainers in…
Abstract
Purpose
The present study aims to reveal common and diverging trends in the development of pedagogical competences of vocational education and training (VET) teachers and trainers in Italy and Lithuania.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured survey was administered to Italian and Lithuanian teachers. The collected data were analysed and compared.
Findings
Results show that there are many common challenges and problems in the development of pedagogical competencies of the VET teachers in both countries; e.g.: the marginalisation of the VET teacher's work and working conditions, especially the dissatisfying wages and poor career opportunities, and the absent or weak institutionalisation of the VET teacher's qualifications and training.
Originality/value
The emerged results can be useful for directors of VET-centres and VET-schools to manage training and pedagogical growth of teachers both in Italy and in Lithuania. Moreover, the outputs can be considered as a set of suggestions also by the policymakers both at national and European level.
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