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Book part
Publication date: 26 April 2024

Floyd D. Beachum and Yalitza Corcino-Davis

The evolution and trends of special education and educational leadership are evident, especially in recent years. The former has strived to provide equitable educational…

Abstract

The evolution and trends of special education and educational leadership are evident, especially in recent years. The former has strived to provide equitable educational opportunities to students with disabilities. The latter has dealt with how people in positions of authority in K-12 schools create policy, use resources, and influence other people to achieve educational goals. Together, these notions constitute an idea that school leaders and administrators can provide insight, oversight, assistance, and guidance toward creating educational environments for students with and without disabilities. This chapter examines the current state of special education and educational leadership by exploring the evolution of special education, relevant legal cases, and the enactment of inclusive education. Furthermore, this chapter addresses contemporary issues for leaders, such as the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic, while dealing with special education and the increasing pressure from families for equity for students with disabilities.

Details

Special Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-467-8

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 November 2022

Hamfrey Sanhokwe

Exposure to a public health threat of significant proportions made current models inadequate to explain the failure phenomenon in small businesses. Hence, the need to reimagine…

Abstract

Purpose

Exposure to a public health threat of significant proportions made current models inadequate to explain the failure phenomenon in small businesses. Hence, the need to reimagine the phenomenon. Borrowing from the principles of biology, this study extended theoretical and empirical perspectives on the failure phenomenon by unpacking its constituent elements and the measurement metrics using the regeneration lens.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a cohort tracked over time, the study estimated the survival probabilities of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) with and without regeneration using the Kaplan–Meier method. The study investigated the factors that predict enterprise regenerative capacity using the multivariate Cox proportional hazard ratios.

Findings

Rates of interruption in business activity, by month, ranged between 0% and 18% during the follow-up period. True mortality rates hovered between 0% and 4% over the same period. Over three in five SMEs that experienced interruption in business activity without ceasing operations regenerated at some point in time during the follow-up period. The survival probabilities beyond the follow-up period were 0.85 and 0.44 with and without regeneration effects, respectively. Fresh capital injection (+), the introduction of new/improved processes or products/services (+), perceived business outlook (+) and the presence of debt (−) influenced the capacity to regenerate.

Research limitations/implications

The cohort was followed for only six months. There is a need to continue interrogating the failure phenomenon in other contexts over longer periods using the regeneration lens. Bringing on board academia, financial institutions and other SME-related ecosystem players will be strategic.

Practical implications

The approach provides a more nuanced understanding of the life and well-being of enterprises under conditions of disruption. Improving the precision and validity of failure-related statistics enhances their utility in policy and remediation-related discussions.

Social implications

The results did not show significant differences in SME mortality rates between male and female-owned enterprises. The results provide further evidence that the failure phenomenon is ungendered. As such, financial institutions and the SME ecosystem at large must eliminate perceptual gender biases in the financing and other support to SMEs.

Originality/value

The study used the principles of biology to reimagine the failure phenomenon in small businesses. The approach breathes life into entrepreneurship research and policy.

Details

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2053-4604

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 March 2024

Ingela Bäckström, Pernilla Ingelsson, Anna Mårtensson and Kristen M. Snyder

The purpose of this paper is to explore existing and desired methodologies for systematic quality work to promote quality in preschools from the principal’s perspective.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore existing and desired methodologies for systematic quality work to promote quality in preschools from the principal’s perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A collaborative approach was used in this research project, and principals were asked to complete portfolio assignments. Their answers to those portfolio assignments were analysed by the research team and subsequently compared to total quality management values.

Findings

Existing and desired methodologies for systematic quality work are presented and sorted into 13 and 17 groups, respectively. The principals desire four times more methodologies than they are presently using to promote systematic quality work, and the results show that they must extend their methodologies to support TQM values.

Research limitations/implications

This research is based on answers collected from 18 principals in one municipality in Sweden.

Practical implications

The use of the cornerstone model provides a framework to illustrate the application of TQM in preschools.

Originality/value

Principals struggle to find time for systemic quality work. The presented results can be used to work systematically with quality in preschools and other organizations.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

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Article
Publication date: 25 December 2023

Kirsty Lilley

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how often survivors are dismissed and unsupported in response to actively reaching out for help with distress. The author hopes the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to illustrate how often survivors are dismissed and unsupported in response to actively reaching out for help with distress. The author hopes the vignettes written about in this piece will serve to support and contribute to a body of work, which will educate professionals how to better support. The author shares various experiences when opportunities to help were denied and the impact this had on recovery. It is also noted that the responses of some health professionals mirror the original trauma suffered and therefore add to distress unnecessarily.

Design/methodology/approach

The author has written about various experiences in different settings in which the support offered fell below professional standards and contributed to further unnecessary distress. The writing is evocative and rich in descriptive detail of the event and then implications of the event on recovery.

Findings

The author concludes that it is helpful to use experiences of being dismissed and unsupported by various professionals to contribute to a body of work, which will hopefully educate and support those in caring professions to support survivors better. The author notes that responses to requests for help can unintentionally and intentionally further exacerbate the distress already experienced by those living with traumatic early life experiences and relational abruptions.

Originality/value

This is the author’s unique and first-hand lived experience of reaching out for help in relation to the distress experienced as a result of early life traumatic and adversarial experiences. The author notes that it is helpful to write about these difficult experiences with the hope that they will inform educational programmes to support health professionals in how they respond to people experiencing trauma. This has helped the author regain a sense of agency in contributing to the prevention of further unhelpful responses from various health professionals to those in distress. The vignettes are rich, deeply evocative and moving. The writing process also helped the author make sense of these further difficulties and how they impacted the recovery process.

Details

Mental Health and Social Inclusion, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-8308

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Article
Publication date: 23 April 2024

Margaret Anne Murray and April Marvin

The Astroworld concert tragedy is used as an example of crisis (mis)management and the potential utility of the 4R model. Although the 4R model has been implemented in high-risk…

Abstract

Purpose

The Astroworld concert tragedy is used as an example of crisis (mis)management and the potential utility of the 4R model. Although the 4R model has been implemented in high-risk emergency management situations, it is useful in the PR field because of its actionable approach, creating a way for practitioners to prepare for and manage crisis situations.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an analysis of the crisis that occurred at Astroworld, spanning preparation, day-of events, casualties and enduring reputational impact. The paper applies the 4R method to the Astroworld tragedy to show how it could have lessened or even prevented the tragedy. Finally, the SCCT model is used to explain why the official post-crisis statements were ineffective.

Findings

Social media has heightened the importance of a quick and effective organizational response to risk and crisis situations because poor responses can go viral quickly. However, social media also provides intelligence and crowd sourced information that can inform PR practitioners of emerging crisis scenarios. It is also an underutilized tool for two-way communication during crises.

Practical implications

The 4R approach is beneficial to general practitioners as it simplifies crisis best-practices, something essential for quick action. As our world changes and becomes less predictable, practitioners must have a clear plan to protect their organizations and the public surrounding them. This approach includes reduction, readiness, response and recovery, which are all essential in crisis communication.

Originality/value

The 4R method has not been explored or applied in the PR field. This paper highlights how the model has been utilized in the emergency management field and illustrates the way 4R can serve the PR field.

Details

Corporate Communications: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1356-3289

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Article
Publication date: 6 October 2023

Shumaila Hafeez, Mumtaz Ali Memon, Muhammad Zeeshan Mirza, Muhammad Mustafa Raziq, Naukhez Sarwar and Hiram Ting

The objectives of this study are twofold: firstly, to examine the effect of job variety on employee engagement and job burnout, and the effect of employee engagement and job…

Abstract

Purpose

The objectives of this study are twofold: firstly, to examine the effect of job variety on employee engagement and job burnout, and the effect of employee engagement and job burnout on employee happiness and job stress, respectively. Secondly, it examines the mediating role of employee engagement between job variety and employee happiness, as well as the mediating role of job burnout between job variety and job stress.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from front-line nurses working in the health sector in Pakistan's major cities. A total of 169 samples were collected using online and face-to-face data collection approaches. The theoretical model was tested using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) in SmartPLS 4.0.

Findings

The findings of this study highlight that job variety has a positive impact on employee engagement, which in turn leads to employee happiness among professional frontline nurses. Additionally, job variety as a demand increases employee burnout, which subsequently increases frontline nurses' job stress. The results also indicate that employee engagement mediates the relationship between job variety and employee happiness, while burnout mediates the relationship between job variety and job stress.

Originality/value

To date, there has been little research investigating the dual impact of job variety, leaving a significant gap in the existing literature. This study aims to address this gap and provide implications for both academics and HR managers by challenging the misconception that job variety is always a positive job resource.

Details

Journal of Management Development, vol. 43 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0262-1711

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2024

Fang-Chi Lu and Jayati Sinha

This study aims to examine the influence of social media usage (SMU) on minimalist consumption and how the fear of missing out (FoMO) underlies this effect.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the influence of social media usage (SMU) on minimalist consumption and how the fear of missing out (FoMO) underlies this effect.

Design/methodology/approach

Four preregistered correlational/experimental studies (n = 1,763) are used. A pilot study (n = 436) examines the correlations between SMU, FoMO and minimalism. Studies 1 (n = 409), 2 (n = 415) and 3 (n = 503) further investigate the influence of SMU on minimalist consumption intentions, including mindful purchase, forgoing free products and decluttering, and test for evidence of mediation via FoMO by measuring or manipulating FoMO.

Findings

The results show that a high SMU makes consumers susceptible to FoMO, leading to impulsive purchases and careless product acquisition. However, when campaigners promote minimalism as a social media movement, they can activate FoMO, persuading consumers to practice decluttering.

Research limitations/implications

Future research might examine how subjective age affects FoMO and minimalist consumption tendencies. Could campaigners use young social cues to make older consumers more susceptible to FoMO appeals? Could old social cues cause younger consumers to perceive greater social responsibility and to embrace minimalist consumption?

Practical implications

Minimalist lifestyles can promote sustainable consumption. This research provides insights into how SMU is a double-edged sword – it can cause FoMO users to disdain minimalism. However, it can promote minimalism if a minimalist campaign is strategically positioned as a social media movement using a FoMO-laden appeal.

Originality/value

Extant consumer behavior research on minimalism has just begun to investigate the antecedents of minimalist consumption. FoMO is conceptually related to minimalism, but the relationship between FoMO and minimalist consumption has not yet been empirically tested. This research fills these gaps by examining SMU and the associated FoMO as antecedents of minimalist consumption. Empirical evidence for the impact of SMU on various minimalist consumption behaviors and the mediating role of FoMO is provided.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 58 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Aswathy Sreenivasan and M. Suresh

This study aims to emphasize the integration of lean start-up and design thinking approaches and investigate how they may be used together.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to emphasize the integration of lean start-up and design thinking approaches and investigate how they may be used together.

Design/methodology/approach

The report uses a systematic literature review methodology to analyze and summarize previous research on combining lean start-up and design thinking. Inferences were discovered and analyzed after relevant publications were chosen based on predetermined inclusion criteria.

Findings

The research shows that combining lean start-up and design thinking significantly impacts entrepreneurship. Start-ups can efficiently uncover consumer needs, reduce risks and improve their product or service offerings by combining the client-centricity of design thinking with the iterative and data-driven concepts of lean start-up. This integration promotes an innovative culture, gives teams the freedom to try new things and learn from mistakes and raises the possibility of start-up success.

Research limitations/implications

The dependence on pre-existing literature, which might cover only some potential uses and circumstances, is a weakness of this research. It is advised that more empirical research be conducted to determine the precise circumstances in which the integrated strategy performs best. Future studies should also explore the difficulties and drawbacks of using these approaches to offer suggestions for overcoming them and maximizing their advantages.

Practical implications

The findings have significant ramifications for business owners and other professionals working in the start-up environment. The combination of lean start-up and design thinking emphasizes the relevance of early customer interaction and empathy-driven design. To foster creativity and hasten the expansion of start-ups, practitioners are urged to create a comprehensive strategy that integrates the advantages of both techniques. Through this integration, business owners may develop solutions that appeal to their target market, increasing adoption rates and market competitiveness.

Originality/value

This study is interesting in comparing lean start-up and design thinking, emphasizing the overlaps and benefits of their application to entrepreneurship. This study discusses successful start-up methods by offering suggestions for future research and practice. It also provides a basis for further developing and adopting the integrated approach.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2071-1395

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 August 2023

Mariam Al Dhaheri, Syed Zamberi Ahmad, Abdul Rahim Abu Bakar and Avraam Papastathopoulos

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of individual dynamic capabilities (DC) constructs and whether they had comparable effects on a company’s competitiveness in market…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the effectiveness of individual dynamic capabilities (DC) constructs and whether they had comparable effects on a company’s competitiveness in market turbulence (MT). This study used quantitative methods to determine how the DC elements, sensing, learning, integrating and coordinating, influenced competitiveness, with the moderating role of MT during a real-time crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data was gathered from 426 tourism small and medium-sized enterprises (TSMEs) in the United Arab Emirates and analyzed quantitatively.

Findings

The study found that not all DC constructs were equally important in promoting competitiveness. TSMEs’ survival depended more on sensing and integrating capabilities than learning and coordinating capabilities, and on how these capabilities were used by managers or owners of TSMEs. The study found no moderation effect of MT.

Research limitations/implications

The generalizability of the results was hindered by the study’s focus on TSMEs in a single geographic location. The reasons for lack of proper mobilization of DCs constructs were not explored, but the data on the relative efficacy of DC constructs during a crisis significantly contributed to the literature.

Originality/value

This study emphasized ways that companies could improve firm competitiveness during a crisis by deploying DCs to optimize operations. The implications for research, practical aspects and limitations are presented and discussed.

Details

Journal of Asia Business Studies, vol. 18 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1558-7894

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 March 2024

Natalie Todak

This study explores how police culture is experienced by women officers serving in positions where they are significantly underrepresented (i.e. leadership and elite specialty…

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores how police culture is experienced by women officers serving in positions where they are significantly underrepresented (i.e. leadership and elite specialty units) and the environmental factors that shape these experiences.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative analysis of transcripts from interviews with 71 women serving in male-dominated roles was conducted (N = 39 ranking women; N = 32 women on elite units).

Findings

Participants described five occupational, organizational and assignment-level factors that shaped their workplace experiences. While some contextual forces at play are similar for women working patrol (e.g. traditional police culture, the underrepresentation of women in law enforcement) unique position-level factors were also identified (e.g. the high-risk and consequential nature of the work).

Practical implications

While the cultural environment for women patrol officers has improved in the past few decades, the same cannot be said for women working in positions that are still dominated by men. More attention to this area of policing is needed to ensure gender diversity is achieved throughout organizations and not only in positions deemed suitable for women.

Originality/value

The study extends research on women in policing beyond the focus on patrol. Further, it explores the assignment- and rank-based perspectives of police culture, which are largely absent from the literature.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

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