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Article
Publication date: 28 November 2023

Nancy Duxbury, Fiona Eva Bakas and Cláudia Pato Carvalho

Culture is increasingly recognized as a key component of local development, but this attention is largely focused on large cities. This paper aims to focus on the ways in which…

Abstract

Purpose

Culture is increasingly recognized as a key component of local development, but this attention is largely focused on large cities. This paper aims to focus on the ways in which the innovative, participatory action-research (PAR) methods of IdeaLabs and community intervention workshops are used by two projects with solidarity economy enterprise (SEE) participants to activate place-based cultural resources for local development in small communities.

Design/methodology/approach

An in-depth reflexive analysis undertaken by researchers involved in the two projects, taking a feminist ethics of care perspective, demonstrates the ways in which these two PAR methods promote local development with the goal of fighting against the economic, social and cultural degradation of small cities and rural areas.

Findings

The PAR methods used by the two projects examined stimulate place-based local development initiatives through collaboration and knowledge co-production among participants and researchers. The projects go beyond an instrumental view of the use of culture and the arts for local development to innovate and demonstrate new methodologies for more participatory approaches.

Originality/value

This paper addresses a gap in social economy literature, presenting methods that can be used in PAR projects to catalyse the use of culture as a local development tool by local SEEs.

Details

Social Enterprise Journal, vol. 20 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-8614

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2023

Mojahedul Islam Nayyer, Mukkai R. Aravindan and Thillai Rajan Annamalai

Involvement of lenders for PPP highway projects in India starts after the bid award. The post-award development phase of Toll and Annuity PPPs differ significantly in terms of…

Abstract

Purpose

Involvement of lenders for PPP highway projects in India starts after the bid award. The post-award development phase of Toll and Annuity PPPs differ significantly in terms of potential risk assumed by lenders. This study aims to assess the impact of the transparency law on the post-award development phase of Toll and Annuity PPPs.

Design/methodology/approach

A unique dataset of 469 PPP highway projects implemented in India was used to conduct this empirical study. An OLS regression model was developed to assess the impact of the transparency law on the post-award development phase.

Findings

Enacting the transparency law increased the duration of the post-award development phase of Toll projects; however, its impact on Annuity projects was not significant. Moreover, Toll and Annuity projects with a longer post-award development phase had a shorter construction phase. The post-award development phase of the Toll projects was relatively more sensitive to technical, economic and location-specific variables than Annuity projects. Length of road stretch, duration of the concession period and individual income of end-users significantly impacted the duration of this phase of Toll projects.

Practical implications

Transparency law can improve risk mitigation of Toll projects during the post-award development phase.

Originality/value

The impact of transparency law on PPP projects has never been assessed. This study assesses its impact on the two forms of PPPs. It also highlights the determinants of this phase and how they differ for the two forms of PPPs.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 14 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 December 2023

Daniel Coughlin and Binky Lush

At the authors’ libraries, they consolidated two departments and attempted to find ways to increase productivity, reduce duplication and improve job happiness within their…

Abstract

Purpose

At the authors’ libraries, they consolidated two departments and attempted to find ways to increase productivity, reduce duplication and improve job happiness within their software development teams. The authors have lost institutional knowledge when developers leave the team, yet the authors remain responsible for critical library services. The merging of the authors’ departments provided the opportunity to rethink how their teams are structured and whether a different model could provide better professional development, more knowledge sharing and better stability of their services. This article presents a case study of moving from a project-centric approach to a platform-based model.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors met with those responsible for establishing priorities for their services and developers to assess successful and unsuccessful implementations and pivoted based on those assessments.

Findings

The authors found that their developers were happier to increase their portfolios and professional development, and the librarians were satisfied with more stable services during a particularly unstable time within the authors’ institution.

Originality/value

This is a practical example of a positive way to structure development teams in libraries. Frequently, teams support a single service to the library because of the criticality of that service on a day-to-day basis, but that can create a lack of shared knowledge during institutional instability. This study reveals the benefits of a platform-based approach, including increased developer happiness, reduced disruptions due to staff turnover and improved system stability. It also discusses the challenges of managing product owners' expectations and balancing feature development with maintenance work.

Details

Library Management, vol. 45 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 December 2022

Samuel Façanha Câmara, Brenno Buarque, Glauco Paula Pinto, Thiago Vasconcelos Ribeiro and Jorge Barbosa Soares

This study aims to evaluates a public policy program that finances projects for the development of innovative technological solutions. This paper analyzed the influence of human…

1674

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to evaluates a public policy program that finances projects for the development of innovative technological solutions. This paper analyzed the influence of human and social capital on the development of the projects, under the perspective of the policy’s effectiveness and efficiency. This specific policy adopted the funding model of economic subsidy by means of grants, which shows the significant engagement of the public sector in applying nonrefundable resources more directly through loans, assuming the role of an entrepreneurial state, according to Mazzucato (2011, 2018) and Tavani and Zamparelli (2020).

Design/methodology/approach

This is a quantitative-descriptive study, according to Marconi and Lakatos (2017). This study is descriptive, for presenting information on innovation projects funded by FUNCAP (Ceará Foundation for Support to Scientific and Technological Development). In addition, this study is quantitative, by establishing multivariate relationships among the variables that relate to human capital and social capital, which are relevant to technological and innovative development, and by introducing variables on technological evolution, proposed as measures of the program’s effectiveness (DTRL, MkTRL) and efficiency (ETRL).

Findings

This paper sought to contribute on public policies for innovation, more specifically on analyzing variables that may affect the development of technological and innovative projects in knowledge-intensive companies. The authors studied capitals potentially important for these companies in the development of innovative projects. Specifically, the authors sought to understand the importance of human capital and how it reflects in technical and scientific knowledge of the project team and of social capital and how it reflects the connection and social relationship among different team members. The results presented that the degree of efficiency of the public funding program depends on how much the teams of the benefited projects have accumulated knowledge, skills and technical capacities – the so-called teams’ human capital.

Research limitations/implications

It is important to address the research sample as a research limitation, which had 72 responses obtained, from a submission rate of 284. Another study limitation is on the qualitative analysis of the topics addressed from the companies and policymakers perspectives, considering that the quantitative nature of the study does not allow for a deeper understanding of the qualitative perspective of the actors involved in the phenomenon studied. As recommendations for future studies, it is suggested to conduct qualitative studies on the aspects studied here. In this sense, it is possible to conduct case studies for specific companies, or policymakers, to clarify and deepen the relationships between the themes addressed here.

Practical implications

As for the practical implications of the research, both for managers of public funding programs and for company managers, the benefits of human capital, related to innovative project development teams, are important in programs that deal with technological development projects. In practice, this means that the greater the human capital of academic background of the members of the supported project teams, the more efficient the projects are in the process of developing their technologies by using the resources provided (Ashford, 2000; Chen et al., 2008; Lerro et al., 2014).

Social implications

Hence, the authors conclude that the evaluated innovation-funding program through grants achieved acceptable results in terms of promoting the technological evolution of the benefited projects and bringing the technologies closer to the market. Its efficiency was the least favorable result, showing that the program needs to focus on improving this specific aspect. Within the investigated program, the issue that needs enhancement (efficiency – ETRL) was the one that presented significant relationships with the human and social capital of the benefited projects’ teams. Thus, it is possible that, by selecting more projects that have teams with high capital, the efficiency of the public policy, in this case the development of projects with high technological and innovative potential, will be possibly reached.

Originality/value

The findings strengthen the need for innovation public policies designed and implemented in a systemic way in the science, technology and innovation ecosystem, to provide a technological infrastructure and human capital necessary for developing projects with high technological and innovative potential (Ergas, 1987; Audretsch and Link, 2012; Caloghirou et al., 2015; Edler and Fagerberg, 2017; Silvio et al., 2019).

Details

Journal of Science and Technology Policy Management, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4620

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 December 2022

Paul Di Gangi, Robin Teigland and Zeynep Yetis

This research investigates how the value creation interests and activities of different stakeholder groups within one open source software (OSS) project influence the project's…

Abstract

Purpose

This research investigates how the value creation interests and activities of different stakeholder groups within one open source software (OSS) project influence the project's development over time.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a case study of OpenSimulator using textual and thematic analyses of the initial four years of OpenSimulator developer mailing list to identify each stakeholder group and guide our analysis of their interests and value creation activities over time.

Findings

The analysis revealed that while each stakeholder group was active within the OSS project's development, the different groups possessed complementary interests that enabled the project to evolve. In the formative period, entrepreneurs were interested in the software's strategic direction in the market, academics and SMEs in software functionality and large firms and hobbyists in software testing. Each group retained its primary interest in the maturing period with academics and SMEs separating into server- and client-side usability. The analysis shed light on how the different stakeholder groups overcame tensions amongst themselves and took specific actions to sustain the project.

Originality/value

The authors extend stakeholder theory by reconceptualizing the focal organization and its stakeholders for OSS projects. To date, OSS research has primarily focused on examining one project relative to its marketplace. Using stakeholder theory, we identified stakeholder groups within a single OSS project to demonstrate their distinct interests and how these interests influence their value creation activities over time. Collectively, these interests enable the project's long-term development.

Details

Information Technology & People, vol. 36 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-3845

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 9 August 2022

Dieudonné Sawadogo, Seydou Sané and Somnoma Edouard Kaboré

The objectives of this study are twofold: first, to identify the effect of sustainability management on the success of international development projects, and second, to…

1240

Abstract

Purpose

The objectives of this study are twofold: first, to identify the effect of sustainability management on the success of international development projects, and second, to investigate the moderating role of political and social skills on this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a quantitative research methodology based on questionnaire data collected from 43 international development project managers from various fields in Burkina Faso (West Africa). Descriptive statistics and exploratory and confirmatory analyses using principal component analysis were used to assess the quality of the measurement model. A multiple regression analysis based on the partial least squares approach was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that sustainability management positively contributes to the success of international development projects. However, given the specificities of these projects and their perception of success, the project coordinator's political and social skills do not predict a greater impact of sustainability management on the success of international development projects. The study also found that project coordinators prioritize their technical skills over behavioral ones.

Originality/value

This study fills a gap in the literature, given that little is known about the moderating role of political and social skills in the effect of sustainability management on the success of specific projects such as international development projects.

Details

Journal of Business and Socio-economic Development, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2635-1374

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 July 2023

Kari-Pekka Tampio, Harri Haapasalo and Jere Lehtinen

The research problem in this study is how a client (as a project owner) should organise early stakeholder involvement and integration in the front-end phase of a project. This…

1018

Abstract

Purpose

The research problem in this study is how a client (as a project owner) should organise early stakeholder involvement and integration in the front-end phase of a project. This study aims to create normative managerial statements as propositions from the client's perspective and to combine them into a set of activities enabling efficient organisation in the front-end phase of a hospital construction project.

Design/methodology/approach

Action design research (ADR) was carried out in a large hospital construction project where the first author acted as an “involved researcher” and the other authors acted as “outside researchers”.

Findings

The authors created seven normative managerial propositions that were verified by the case project stakeholders and developed a managerial framework describing the client's essential stakeholder involvement and integration activities in the front-end phase of a hospital construction project based on these propositions. The authors have also depicted the subphases of the front-end phase: value definition phase in the client permanent organisation, value proposition phase in the client Programme Management Office (PMO) and finally development phase in the alliance organisation ending on the final investment decision.

Practical implications

The collaborative contract delivery model enables the early involvement and integration of stakeholders. It has been somewhat surprising to note the extent to which collaborative contracts change the client role in the project front-end. The results offer practical activities for how clients can manage front-end activities in collaborative contracts.

Originality/value

The case project offered a platform to analyse how the collaborative contract delivery model changes the emphasis of activities in the front-end of a project. One of the key benefits of collaborative contracts is that development, design and delivery occur partially in parallel, thereby enabling contributions from production to be included in the design and development. The benefit of having a real-life case under study provides the possibility to triangulate and analyse rich data, however limited by the qualitative case method.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 16 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 November 2023

Geetika Jaiswal, Elizabeth Newcomb Hopfer and Devona L. Dixon

This study aims to promote sustainability-based education in fashion design and merchandising program to enhance students’ knowledge, skills and attitude about sustainability…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to promote sustainability-based education in fashion design and merchandising program to enhance students’ knowledge, skills and attitude about sustainability development, organizational responsibility and personal responsibility from the cotton industry perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

To conduct this study, three learning components were considered: learning from experts, learning by doing and outreach activity. Sustainability-related topics were strategically incorporated in different courses for one year; project-based learning approach was adopted; and pre–posttest survey was conducted to study the impact of sustainability-based education on student learning outcome. Rand’s principles-attributes matrix was applied to analyze the impact of sustainable education on student learning outcomes.

Findings

The results of course projects indicated enhanced student’s abilities on using use different types of cotton materials in product development, creative use of cotton in visual merchandising and development of business plans focused on sustainability. The two-group mean comparisons showed a significant positive impact on students’ knowledge in cotton and sustainability, followed by students’ skills and attitudes.

Originality/value

In response to the lack of systematic approach to incorporate sustainability-related topics in textile and apparel design discipline, this study offered an opportunity to involve approximately 110 students in various sustainability-based teaching and learning projects.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 25 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 July 2023

Stephan Kudyba and Agnel D Cruz

Digital transformations of business processes are on the rise and the result is a need for a better understanding of how the elements of intellectual capital (IC) play a role in…

Abstract

Purpose

Digital transformations of business processes are on the rise and the result is a need for a better understanding of how the elements of intellectual capital (IC) play a role in achieving successful digital project outcomes. New structural capital in the form of digital technologies must be identified and understood. Evolving skills of human capital in assimilating digital elements must also be considered, while collaboration within the development process involving relational capital provides a critical integration among these IC elements. This study illustrates the importance of identifying and managing the integration of IC components within an agile project management framework that are essential to achieving success for a digital initiative. More specifically, this study describes the process by which a multinational technology-based products company successfully developed a dynamic decision support platform utilizing an agile approach to guide a project management team to better manage the company's operations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study focuses on a case analysis approach of a multinational commercial and consumer products company. The paper presents existing research on the evolving state of project management for digital initiatives and focuses on agile methods. This study then delves into the case analysis that illustrates how IC played an integral role in the company successfully developing effective decision support involving an interactive dashboard using agile Project Management (PM), which enabled the project management team to better manage resources.

Findings

An examination at the case level illustrates that effective management and integration of IC has positive effects on project outcomes. While a balanced approach is evident as a requirement, the unique characteristics of the agile project management approach entails greater emphasis on select elements to adapt to a more dynamic development process.

Originality/value

This work depicts the complexities in providing analytic-based decision support in an agile/flexible project management scenario. This work adds to existing research by illustrating elements within IC categories and the elements' interdependencies that play an essential role in achieving success in this more flexible project environment.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 24 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 September 2021

Scott Strachan, Louise Logan, Debra Willison, Rod Bain, Jennifer Roberts, Iain Mitchell and Roddy Yarr

As higher education institutions (HEIs) have increasingly turned to consider sustainability over the last decade, education for sustainable development (ESD) has emerged as a way…

Abstract

As higher education institutions (HEIs) have increasingly turned to consider sustainability over the last decade, education for sustainable development (ESD) has emerged as a way of imbuing students with the skills, values, knowledge, and attributes to live, work, and create change in societies facing complex and cross-cutting sustainability challenges. However, the question of how HEIs can actively embed ESD more broadly in and across curricula is one that continues to challenge institutions and the HE sector as a whole. While traditional teaching practices and methods associated with subject-based learning may be suitable for educating students about sustainable development, a re-orientation towards more transformational, experiential and action-oriented methods is required to educate for sustainable development. The need for educators to share their practices and learn lessons from each other is essential in this transformation.

This paper presents a selection of practical examples of how to embed a range of interactive, exploratory, action-oriented, problem-based, experiential and transformative ESD offerings into HE teaching practice and curricula. Presented by a group of academics and professional services staff at the University of Strathclyde who lead key modules and programmes in the institution’s ESD provision, this paper reflects on five approaches taken across the four faculties at Strathclyde (Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Engineering and the Strathclyde Business School) and examines the challenges, practicalities and opportunities involved in establishing a collaborative programme of ESD.

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