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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 3 April 2017

Gareth Abrahams

The purpose of this paper is to ask how two normative definitions of sustainable development identified in the Brundtland report contribute to individual definitions constructed…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to ask how two normative definitions of sustainable development identified in the Brundtland report contribute to individual definitions constructed by a network of professional actors working in the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on 74 questionnaires generated from a purposive sample of professional actors working in the construction sector. These questionnaires are analysed using a coding strategy based on pre-defined categories generated from a review of academic and policy literature.

Findings

The results show that these definitions mostly appeal to actors working in roles with a strong input into the design process. The evidence suggests that all professional actors in the construction industry construct definitions of sustainable development to valorise their professional role, to support professional critiques of the industry or to reinforce their personal ideological beliefs.

Research limitations/implications

These results present a challenge to a normative agenda aimed at “pinning the concepts down” to an unequivocal, universal definition. It suggests that research might be better redirected towards a context dependent and pragmatic use of the term.

Practical implications

These findings suggest that future policy making should acknowledge multiple, sector and role-specific definitions of sustainable development. It also suggests that a better understanding of this diversity within the construction industry could improve the efficiency of the design, procurement and construction process.

Originality/value

These findings provide new insight into the “in use” definitions of sustainable development in the construction industry and question some of the academic arguments that support a single, universal definition of the term.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 August 2021

Monica Consolandi

Seniors are nowadays at the core of important reflections to understand both how to ensure them a proper quality of life and better recognize their social role, providing them…

Abstract

Purpose

Seniors are nowadays at the core of important reflections to understand both how to ensure them a proper quality of life and better recognize their social role, providing them services and proper health care to value them as persons and resources. This paper aims to find a through definition about who is a senior, in the author’s opinion the starting point to help them flourishing.

Design/methodology/approach

As an example of definitions, an online dictionary and two geriatric text-books are quoted, highlighting qualities and rights referred to seniors especially in the delicate context of the health-care system.

Findings

The lack of a commonly shared perspective on this delicate kind of patient entails the difficulty to reach a coherent and satisfying definition about who a senior is.

Originality/value

The lack of a commonly shared definition leads to inevitable misunderstandings and could explain the arduousness of considering seniors in all their aspects. Further investigations are suggested.

Details

Working with Older People, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-3666

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 July 2015

Liangzhi Yu

The purpose of this paper is to redefine information and other associated library and information science (LIS) concepts and to reformulate the mission of the library and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to redefine information and other associated library and information science (LIS) concepts and to reformulate the mission of the library and information profession and the problem of LIS using these concepts.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a deductive approach to conceptualization, starting from one given, a priori concept.

Findings

This paper develops a constellation of concepts which offer mutual clarification for each other. Having defined data by drawing on its existing denotations, it defines “information” as the combined product of data and meaning, and “document” as the combined product of information and media; it defines “knowledge” as one type of meaning and “work” as one type of information. It shows that the mission of the library and information profession is to ensure maximum discoverability and accessibility of information, and that LIS is structured into two fields correspondingly, each consisting of three tiers of knowledge: philosophical foundations, theories, and technologies.

Practical implications

The redefinition of basic LIS concepts may have practical implications for LIS curriculum design and for the cultivation of professional identity among LIS students in the all-encompassing I-Schools.

Originality/value

This study has formed a coherent conceptual framework for LIS and has clarified the hitherto rather confusing relationship between data, information, and knowledge, and the rather nebulous structure of LIS problems; it sheds some light on the source of conflicts between the subjective and objective conceptualization of information and questions the prevailing understanding of work as ideas or meanings.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 71 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 31 December 2003

Mats Alvesson

The paper reviews some basic themes in postmodernism and argues for a moderate incorporation of these themes in organization studies and methodology. This approach, named…

Abstract

The paper reviews some basic themes in postmodernism and argues for a moderate incorporation of these themes in organization studies and methodology. This approach, named interpretive unpacking, takes issues of multiple and fluid meanings, ambiguities and fragmentation seriously without the a priori privileging of these qualities over assumptions of stable meanings and coherence in social phenomena. The suggested position is illustrated in the fields of identity and image in organization studies through a critical reading of a key text. Assumptions around identities, identification, beliefs, perceptions and images are here problematized and seen as themes for critical exploration and careful interpretive inquiry rather than as robust starting points for the formulation of hypothesis for testing.

Details

Post Modernism and Management
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-573-4

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2012

James Osei Mensah, Gorkem Copuroglu and Fred Appiah Fening

The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent of implementation of quality management in Ghana.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent of implementation of quality management in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

After thoroughly reviewing and reading available literatures in the field of interest, semi‐structured interview questions were prepared. Semi‐structured interview was opted for, in order to obtain in‐depth responses from the respondents. To cater for inter‐lingual differences and inconsistencies, a double translation of the completed interview questions was necessary.

Findings

It was revealed that awareness of quality management is relatively high among the Ghanaian multinational firms that have some degree of expatriate management and they performed fairly well. However, they still trail their international counterparts with similar top management commitment and resource base. On the other hand, the study revealed a low degree of quality awareness among firms owned and managed solely by Ghanaians and their performance, with the exception of long‐established and well‐resourced government enterprises, was poor.

Originality/value

The paper describes an exploratory study. The finding is that quality management practiced by Ghanaian firms (both multinationals and indigenous) is not a total approach and hence the conclusion is that total quality management, by implication, is not yet being practised in Ghana.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 29 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2008

Hugh Middleton

Consideration is given to the extent to which the DSM and ICD approach to psychiatric case definition and treatment supports clinical activity. Their validity as a way of defining…

Abstract

Consideration is given to the extent to which the DSM and ICD approach to psychiatric case definition and treatment supports clinical activity. Their validity as a way of defining ‘mental illness’ is found wanting and they do not, in themselves, usefully guide treatment. These conclusions are set in a critical realist approach to ‘mental illness’, which draws attention to the legitimacy of several differing perspectives, each reflecting their own sets of interests and allegiances. DSM‐V and ICD‐11 are due to be published in 2012 and 2014 respectively, and their architects are called upon to be clear about which of these constituencies they are representing.

Details

Mental Health Review Journal, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-9322

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2016

Vuokko Pihlainen, Tuula Kivinen and Johanna Lammintakanen

The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of management and leadership competence of health-care leaders and managers, especially in the hospital environment…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of management and leadership competence of health-care leaders and managers, especially in the hospital environment. Health-care leaders and managers in this study were both nursing and physician managers. Competence was assessed by evaluating the knowledge, skills, attitudes and abilities that enable management and leadership tasks.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review was performed to find articles that identify and describe the characteristics of management and leadership competence. Searches of electronic databases were conducted using set criteria for article selection. Altogether, 13 papers underwent an inductive content analysis.

Findings

The characteristics of management and leadership competence were categorized into the following groups: health-care-context-related, operational and general.

Research limitations/implications

One limitation of the study is that only 13 articles were found in the literature regarding the characteristics of management and leadership competence. However, the search terms were relevant, and the search process was endorsed by an information specialist. The study findings imply the need to shift away from the individual approach to leadership and management competence. Management and leadership need to be assessed more frequently from a holistic perspective, and not merely on the basis of position in the organizational hierarchy or of profession in health care.

Originality/value

The authors’ evaluation of the characteristics of management and leadership competence without a concentrated profession-based approach is original.

Details

Leadership in Health Services, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1879

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2004

Abstract

Details

Quality in Ageing and Older Adults, vol. 5 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-7794

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2019

Laura MacLean and Ashraf M. Salama

With the majority of people living in cities it has become increasingly important to examine the relationship between the qualities and characteristics of an urban setting and the…

Abstract

With the majority of people living in cities it has become increasingly important to examine the relationship between the qualities and characteristics of an urban setting and the perceived satisfaction of its users. Discourses on Quality of Urban life (QOUL) show that the preponderance of existing empirical studies and measurement frameworks have been developed based on Western case studies or standards. Rapid urbanisation of cities in Africa and Asia, however, has dramatically impacted the use of space, and in many cases has resulted in intense urban transformations that impacted communities. This prompts questions about the quality of life (QOL) of residents and the liveability of their environments. Thus, this research argues that although there are many aspects of urban life that are pan-cultural, there are also culture specific features that make urban life unique in each city or setting. Consequently, QOUL studies should balance universal values and context-specificities. Following identification and critique of QOUL models, the paper calls for a new model to examine context specificities. The model aims to highlight the important role that context and culture play in urban life while underscoring the relevant core dimensions of QOUL studies.

Details

Open House International, vol. 44 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

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