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11 – 20 of over 49000Izabella Steinerowska-Streb and Anna Wziątek-Staśko
The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationship between family firms’ innovation output and the continuous knowledge development of owner-managers. Moreover, the study…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the relationship between family firms’ innovation output and the continuous knowledge development of owner-managers. Moreover, the study aims to investigate the effect of the level of owner-managers’ educational background on family firms’ innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The data originate from a primary research conducted in Poland. A log-linear analysis was used to verify the hypotheses.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that the positive relationship between the higher levels of education of owner-managers and the innovation output of family firms does not exist. However, the innovativeness of family firms is determined by the continuous development of owner-managers’ knowledge. Family firms whose owner-managers continuously expand their knowledge introduce significantly more product and marketing innovations. This relationship appears independent of firm’s size, type of business activity and owner-managers’ educational level.
Practical implications
Understanding how the continuous development of owner-managers’ knowledge influence the firm’s innovation output is potentially valuable for managers of family firms. The findings offer also practical suggestions for policymakers on how to support structures that aim to enhance innovation in family enterprises.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the family business literature by presenting quantitative findings describing links between family firms’ innovation outputs and continuous knowledge development of owner-managers. Thus, the study broadens knowledge on factors determining innovation of family firms and influencing family business heterogeneity.
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The purpose of this study is to discuss the strategies to promote a culture of professional learning within an Australian academic library. As the COVID-19 experience has shown…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to discuss the strategies to promote a culture of professional learning within an Australian academic library. As the COVID-19 experience has shown new and evolving roles require skills, knowledge and abilities that current library employees may not have trained for. One framework which supports continuous professional development and employee motivation is the concept of a learning organisation, where staff across all levels of the library acknowledge the value of continuous learning and autonomously engage in activities to keep their skills up to date and relevant.
Design/methodology/approach
The article is a case study of a three-year period of interventions and outcomes in an Australian academic library.
Findings
The strategies discussed provide insights for library managers and leaders about how organisational change can be incrementally embedded through clarity of purpose, aligned leadership, transparent processes, self-determination and social learning.
Research limitations/implications
The case study examines a single institution.
Originality/value
The paper provides practical strategies and examples from the case study of one university library which has successful embedded workplace learning as a regular and accepted part of staff routines.
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– The purpose of this paper is to explore supportive and shared leadership structures at schools as a function of school culture policies and procedures.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore supportive and shared leadership structures at schools as a function of school culture policies and procedures.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study was conducted at three secondary schools in the Midwestern USA. Administrators and teachers were interviewed, professional learning communities observed and artifacts collected to explore school culture policies, procedures and leadership in the implementation of professional learning community practice.
Findings
This study concludes that school leaders must provide supportive and shared leadership structures for teachers in order to ensure a positive school culture and effective professional learning communities that impact school improvement. Leaders in schools must work directly with teachers to create policies and procedures that provide teachers the leadership structure to directly impact school improvement through professional learning community collaborative efforts.
Originality/value
This study builds on the school culture and professional learning communities literature by exploring existent policies and practices in schools as unique cases. Much of the literature calls for specific case studies to identify issues in the implementation of effective practice. This study is important to the community as specific cases that may inform educational leaders on mechanisms that may be leveraged to ensure successful implementation of policies and procedures outline in school culture and professional learning community literature.
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Gulcin Gumus, Nancy Borkowski, Gloria J. Deckard and Karen J. Martel
As a profession, healthcare management values commitment to lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Individual participation, however, is voluntary and…
Abstract
Purpose
As a profession, healthcare management values commitment to lifelong learning and continuous professional development. Individual participation, however, is voluntary and healthcare managers choose to participate based in part on perceptions of organizational support (rewards, promotion and recognition) as well as on individual values. As women are narrowing the career attainment gap, participation in development activities may play a critical role. This paper aims to present a pilot study which assesses the differences in male and female healthcare managers' participation in professional development activities and perceived organizational support.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory survey was emailed to current and past members of three professional associations who share similar missions “to provide educational and networking opportunities” for their members in the southern region of Florida.
Findings
The findings suggest that women healthcare managers are less likely to pursue professional development activities than their male counterparts even when the outcome (i.e. obtaining professional certification) is associated with career advancement and salary increases. Furthermore, men are more likely than women to attend multiple continuing education programs when paying out of pocket.
Research limitations/implications
This pilot study is one of the first attempts to account for the factors that explain gender differences in pursuing personal development activities. Rather than conclusive judgments, it provides directions for further research.
Practical implications
As professional and leadership competencies become more ingrained in the industry, women may need to recognize and commit to development activities associated with healthcare leadership and management.
Originality/value
Competencies gained through professional development activities may impact career attainment.
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Julia Hope and Silvia Colaiacomo
This chapter discusses a new understanding of how leadership is performed and internalized, from which a sustainable model of supporting and promoting educational leadership at…
Abstract
This chapter discusses a new understanding of how leadership is performed and internalized, from which a sustainable model of supporting and promoting educational leadership at the institutional level can be developed. It focuses on what is actually happening in an institution to capture “leadership” in an English higher education institution (HEI). It considers leadership in the context of a continuous professional development route for Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) at a Post-1960 English HEI. HEA Fellowship and the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) are increasingly used within British HEIs to support the professional formation of university teachers. The SFHEA is an internationally recognized accreditation for experienced university staff (academics/support/administrative) able to provide evidence of a sustained record of effectiveness in their practice, incorporating leadership of specific aspects of teaching and learning provision. Participants are evaluated against the criteria and dimensions of practice set by the UKPSF (UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education), which identifies the areas of competence that need to be demonstrated to achieve Descriptor 3, Senior Fellow. In the UK, it is increasingly the case that HE teacher development programs for new and experienced staff are accredited by the HEA against the UKPSF (Land & Gordon, 2015). There is a dearth of literature on program leadership and sustainable leadership in higher education. This chapter is, therefore, particularly timely and suggests that continuing professional development programs “model” good practice, which participants transfer to their own teaching.
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Titus Ebenezer Kwofie, Samuel Amos-Abanyie and Samuel Owusu Afram
The identification and development of appropriate competencies remain very critical and central to performance measures in mainstream human resource management genre towards…
Abstract
Purpose
The identification and development of appropriate competencies remain very critical and central to performance measures in mainstream human resource management genre towards effective teams. It is posited as a viable means for validating and engendering best practices and developing suitable competencies towards acceptable performance outcome in construction project delivery. The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical professional competencies of an architect in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI) towards effective performance in the construction project delivery.
Design/methodology/approach
From a mixed method design involving semi-structured qualitative interview and a questionnaire survey of architects in Ghana, 16 professional architectural competencies were identified for respondents to indicate their importance to effective architectural practice and consulting in the GCI on a five-point Likert scale. Factor analysis was used to explore the interrelations among the variables and make possible empirical explanations.
Findings
Factor analysis revealed four underlying clusters named in order of their significance as efficient design response to client needs, legal aspects of practice, sustainable design and construction and efficient project management skills. The study provides insight into the contextual practice, characteristics and the critical professional architectural competencies needed by architects in the construction industry in Ghana.
Originality/value
The findings have rigorously revealed and provided clear understanding and insight into the thematic critical professional competencies of architects important to the construction industry in Ghana which should be the focus of architectural training and practice. It is also very important towards developing and stimulating a continuous professional development agenda, developing a body of knowledge of professional practice in architecture and conducting curriculum review to meet current emerging competency profiles necessary for influencing performance levels in the GCI.
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Ashly Pinnington, Hazem Aldabbas, Fatemeh Mirshahi and Tracy Pirie
This study aims to investigate the relationship between different organisational development programmes (360-degree feedback; Coaching; Job assignment; Employee assistance…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between different organisational development programmes (360-degree feedback; Coaching; Job assignment; Employee assistance programmes; On-the-job training; Web-based career information; Continuous professional development; External education provision) and employees’ career development. The implications of the moderating effects of gender on the relationships between these eight organisational programmes and career development are assessed.
Design/methodology/approach
To examine hypothesised relationships on eight organisational programmes and career development, this paper computed moderated regression analyses using the PROCESS macro (3.5), for a two-way analysis of variance (Hayes, 2018). The data collected are based on a survey sample of employees (n = 322) working in Scotland.
Findings
Two main findings arose from this empirical study. First, there are significant direct relationships between seven out of the eight organisational development programmes and their influences on employees’ career development. Second, gender is a significant moderator for four of the programmes’ relationship with career development, namely, coaching, web-based career information, continuous professional development and external education provision. However, gender failed to moderate the four other programmes’ (i.e. 360-degree feedback, job assignment, employee assistance programmes and on-the-job training) relationship with career development.
Originality/value
This paper concludes that closer attention should be given to the organisational design of these development programmes and consideration of potential gender differences in employees’ perception of their importance for career development in their organisation. To date, the majority of research in the literature has concentrated on the impact of training on career development, so this study contributes to the body of knowledge on a set of organisational development programmes and their effect on career development moderated by gender.
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Barbara de la Harpe and Thembi Mason
The promise of Next Generation Learning Spaces appears to remain unfulfilled. This chapter explores why and how the design of professional learning for academics teaching in such…
Abstract
The promise of Next Generation Learning Spaces appears to remain unfulfilled. This chapter explores why and how the design of professional learning for academics teaching in such spaces can and should be transformed. It takes a fresh look at why old professional development is failing and proposes a new way to engage academics in their own professional learning. Rather than continuing with traditional professional development that is most often, ad hoc, formal and centrally driven, comprising mandated professional development workshops and a website that may only be visited once, the chapter explores the move from ‘old’ professional development to ‘new’ professional learning. It draws on the fields of organisational theory, cognitive theory and behavioural economics.
New professional learning is characterised by a ‘pull’ rather than a ‘push’ philosophy. Academic staff themselves drive their own learning, choosing what, when and how they want to learn to become better teachers. Multiple and various learning opportunities embedded in day to day work are just-in-time, self-directed, performance-driven and evaluated within an organisational system. In this way the institutional setting influences behaviour by ‘nudging’ habits and setting defaults resulting in academics making the ‘right’ decisions and doing the ‘right’ thing. By addressing the compelling issue of how to enhance academic staff teaching capability, this chapter can help university leaders to think beyond the professional development approaches of yesterday. Aligning with this new direction will result in enhanced learning and teaching in the future.
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– The purpose of this paper is to look at staff development and its challenges in the University of Malawi Libraries.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to look at staff development and its challenges in the University of Malawi Libraries.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study design was used to collect qualitative and quantitative data. University Budget Estimates from 2004/2005 to 2010/2011 financial years were analysed. Data from the University of Malawi Strategic Plan 2005-2009 were examined. Interviews were conducted with college librarians in the University of Malawi Libraries. Documentary evidence was also used.
Findings
Study findings indicate that staff development in the University of Malawi Libraries has emphasised on professional qualification in Library and Information Studies. However, due to financial constraints, the majority of the library staff lacks LIS professional qualifications. This study recommends that libraries should consider budgeting for continuing professional development (CPD).
Practical implications
Staff development requires continuous funding and time. This study recommends the CPD approach to staff development in academic libraries. The study also recommends the introduction of an education levy to benefit skills and training needs for higher education institutions.
Originality/value
There is dearth of literature on staff development in academic libraries in Malawi. This paper seeks to recommend CPD.
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Global focus on reforming teachers has resulted in the inclusion of multiple survey questions about teachers’ professional learning activities in large-scale international…
Abstract
Global focus on reforming teachers has resulted in the inclusion of multiple survey questions about teachers’ professional learning activities in large-scale international studies. A cross-national analysis of these survey data will likely enhance our understanding and inform the future direction regarding teacher professional development policy and practice. Yet we do not know whether these surveys measure the key features and their contextual factors of teachers’ professional learning activities to allow a systematic cross-national analysis. Based on international and U.S. literature, I develop a conceptual model of teachers’ professional learning activities in global context and analyze relevant survey items used in three major international studies – TIMSS, PIRLS, and TALIS. I conclude the chapter with a discussion of the coverage of these survey items and a direction for improving data collections of teachers’ professional learning activities in large-scale international studies.
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