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1 – 10 of 342David Ebbevi, Ulrica Von Thiele Schwarz, Henna Hasson, Carl Johan Sundberg and Mandus Frykman
To review the literature and identify research gaps in the role and influence boards of directors of companies have in occupational health and safety (OHS).
Abstract
Purpose
To review the literature and identify research gaps in the role and influence boards of directors of companies have in occupational health and safety (OHS).
Design/methodology/approach
This was done in a scoping review built on a structured search in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, PsycINFO, Sociological Abstracts, CCInfoWeb, EconLit, Web of Science, CINAHL and gray literature. Citations and reference lists were tracked. Inclusion criteria were publication in English. Exclusion criteria were studies covering companies using subcontractors to arrange OHS, or with <250 employees.
Findings
Forty-nine studies were included. The majority contained empirical data (n = 28; 57%), some were entirely normative (n = 16; 33%), and a few contained normative claims far beyond empirical data (n = 5; 10%). Empirical studies gave no insight into the scope of impact of board activities on OHS, and no studies assess the causal mechanisms by which board activities influence OHS outcomes. Most studies focused on both health and safety (n = 20; 41%) or only safety (n = 15; 31%). Context might explain the focus on safety rather than health, but is not clearly elucidated by the studies. Several studies are describing leadership behavior, although not framed as such. A narrative summary is presented to facilitate future research.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should include: (1) which board activities influence OHS, (2) how board activities influence OHS, (3) the influence of context and (4) the leadership role of boards of directors.
Originality/value
This study identifies a total lack of research on the basic mechanics of the relationship between boards and OHS.
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Leanne Johnstone, David Yates and Sebastian Nylander
This paper aims to better understand how accountability for sustainability takes shape within organisations and specifically, what makes employees act in a Swedish local…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to better understand how accountability for sustainability takes shape within organisations and specifically, what makes employees act in a Swedish local authority. This aim moves beyond the prevalent external face of accountability in social and environmental accounting research by observing how employees understand and act upon their multiple accountability demands.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a single case study approach within a Swedish local authority, drawing from qualitative data including semi-structured interviews, site visits and governing documents.
Findings
Sustainable action is not only the product of hierarchically enforced structural accountabilities and procedures but often must be reconciled with the personal perspectives of the public sector employees involved as part of an accountability dynamic. Additionally, the findings reveal that hierarchical accountability, rather than serving to individualise and isolate employees, acts as a prompt for the more practical and personal reconciliations of accountability with the ethics and experiences of the individual involved.
Practical implications
Greater consideration to employee socialisation processes in public sector organisations should be given to reinforce organisational governance systems and controls, and thus help ensure sustainable behaviour in practice.
Social implications
Employee socialisation processes are important for the development of sustainable practices both within and beyond organisational boundaries.
Originality/value
This study considers the interrelatedness of hierarchical and socialising accountability measures and contributes towards the understanding of the relationship between these two accountability forms, contrary to previous understandings that emphasise their contrasting nature and incompatibility.
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David Trafimow, Ziyuan Wang, Tingting Tong and Tonghui Wang
The purpose of this article is to show the gains that can be made if researchers were to use gain-probability (G-P) diagrams.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to show the gains that can be made if researchers were to use gain-probability (G-P) diagrams.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors present relevant mathematical equations, invented examples and real data examples.
Findings
G-P diagrams provide a more nuanced understanding of the data than typical summary statistics, effect sizes or significance tests.
Practical implications
Gain-probability diagrams provided a much better basis for making decisions than typical summary statistics, effect sizes or significance tests.
Originality/value
G-P diagrams provide a completely new way to traverse the distance from data to decision-making implications.
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Dave C. Longhorn and John Dale Stobbs
This paper aims to propose two solution approaches to determine the number of ground transport vehicles that are required to ensure the on-time delivery of military equipment…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose two solution approaches to determine the number of ground transport vehicles that are required to ensure the on-time delivery of military equipment between origin and destination node pairs in some geographic region, which is an important logistics problem at the US Transportation Command.
Design/methodology/approach
The author uses a mathematical program and a traditional heuristic to provide optimal and near-optimal solutions, respectively. The author also compares the approaches for random, small-scale problems to assess the quality and computational efficiency of the heuristic solution, and also uses the heuristic to solve a notional, large-scale problem typical of real problems.
Findings
This work helps analysts identify how many ground transport vehicles are needed to meet cargo delivery requirements in any military theater of operation.
Research limitations/implications
This research assumes all problem data is deterministic, so it does not capture variations in requirements or transit times between nodes.
Practical implications
This work provides prescriptive details to military analysts and decision-makers in a timely manner. Prior to this work, insights for this type of problem were generated using time-consuming simulation taking about a week and often involving trial-and-error.
Originality/value
This research provides new methods to solve an important logistics problem. The heuristic presented in this paper was recently used to provide operational insights about ground vehicle requirements to support a geographic combatant command and to inform decisions for railcar recapitalization within the US Army.
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Tim Gorichanaz, Jonathan Furner, Lai Ma, David Bawden, Lyn Robinson, Dominic Dixon, Ken Herold, Sille Obelitz Søe, Betsy Van der Veer Martens and Luciano Floridi
The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss Luciano Floridi’s 2019 book The Logic of Information: A Theory of Philosophy as Conceptual Design, the latest instalment in his…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review and discuss Luciano Floridi’s 2019 book The Logic of Information: A Theory of Philosophy as Conceptual Design, the latest instalment in his philosophy of information (PI) tetralogy, particularly with respect to its implications for library and information studies (LIS).
Design/methodology/approach
Nine scholars with research interests in philosophy and LIS read and responded to the book, raising critical and heuristic questions in the spirit of scholarly dialogue. Floridi responded to these questions.
Findings
Floridi’s PI, including this latest publication, is of interest to LIS scholars, and much insight can be gained by exploring this connection. It seems also that LIS has the potential to contribute to PI’s further development in some respects.
Research limitations/implications
Floridi’s PI work is technical philosophy for which many LIS scholars do not have the training or patience to engage with, yet doing so is rewarding. This suggests a role for translational work between philosophy and LIS.
Originality/value
The book symposium format, not yet seen in LIS, provides forum for sustained, multifaceted and generative dialogue around ideas.
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Lisa A. Mainiero and David M. Mangini
This article showcases how mobile app technology can enhance leadership education through a new mobile app called My Student Leader. My Student Leader represents a novel approach…
Abstract
This article showcases how mobile app technology can enhance leadership education through a new mobile app called My Student Leader. My Student Leader represents a novel approach to leadership education so that students may use smartphone technology to enhance student leadership development on campus. The app facilitates the creation of Leader Plans associatedwithservicelearningactivitiesandcampus eventswhichthencanbeemailedtoteam members, faculty and staff.There also is a section for students to write a Leadership Legacy reflection. This application brief addresses the stages of development of the app and the outcomes associated with mobile technology use for leadership education.
Ravit Alfandari, Gemma Crous and Nuria Fuentes-Peláez
The objective of the chapter is to provide an integrative appraisal of recent participatory research projects with children on violence and maltreatment conducted by members of…
Abstract
The objective of the chapter is to provide an integrative appraisal of recent participatory research projects with children on violence and maltreatment conducted by members of the COST Action CA 19106 working group on children's participation (WG3) and their colleagues to identify what is working well and what needs to change in future research. The evaluation of research examples clustered around four key questions: Why, when, how and how much do children participate in research? Data were collected using a unified tool designed to characterise participatory research, which was distributed among WG3 members. In addition, chapters of the current book were another source of data about participatory research. Overall, data on 19 studies involving 46,761 children were collected and analysed using Shier's matrix. Findings show that most studies (n = 10) engaged children as consultants to adults in data collection, whereas a few studies (n = 5) demonstrated a more children-led research approach. The analysis uncovered specific areas where more progress is required, including engaging children in decisions about the research topic, involving young children, utilising methods that are more natural and familiar to children, and gaining children's reflective accounts about their participation experience. The authors encourage scholars to publish their work to advance evidence-based knowledge and skills in participatory research with children about sensitive topics.
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