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Article
Publication date: 6 May 2014

Ortrun Zuber-Skerritt and Eva Cendon

The aim of this paper is to present an interview and postscript that examine the specific meaning, rationale, conceptual framework, assessment and teaching of critical reflection…

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to present an interview and postscript that examine the specific meaning, rationale, conceptual framework, assessment and teaching of critical reflection in and on professional development in management and higher education from an action research perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

This article is presented in the new genre of PIP (Zuber-Skerritt, 2009): Preamble – Interview – Postscript. The Preamble (P) sets out the background, purpose, structure and conduct of the interview (I), which addresses six probing questions and is followed by a Postscript (P) that reveals additional comments and reflections on the interview, and identifies learning outcomes and implications.

Findings

Reflective practice is essential for a deep approach to learning, research and professional development and it is a driving force to enable learners to be adequately equipped for constant and complex change in today's and tomorrow's turbulent world.

Research limitations/implications

The article is positioned to inspire further R&D in the current debate on urgently needed radical and rapid change in higher education for the twenty-first century.

Practical implications

As well as the article's practical suggestions about why and how to develop reflective learning/practice, the PIP conceptual model applied in this article offers a useful practical approach for researchers to explore self-ethnography through interviews.

Originality/value

Two conceptual models illustrate the essence of this article, providing practical help to academics and other professionals to advance reflective practice in research and learning.

Article
Publication date: 16 February 2018

Fellipe Silva Martins and Wagner Cezar Lucato

Studies on the performance of agribusiness cooperatives in Brazil focus on economic and financial aspects. The purpose of this paper is to further delve into such studies by…

6947

Abstract

Purpose

Studies on the performance of agribusiness cooperatives in Brazil focus on economic and financial aspects. The purpose of this paper is to further delve into such studies by investigating which commonly measurable structural production factors (horizontal, vertical and lateral diversification; operating area; number of associates; and time in operation) have greater impacts on the financial performance of such cooperatives.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve such a goal, a survey was conducted with a sampling pool divided by size (annual net revenues of US$ 50 million or higher), and the questionnaire was employed as a method of data collection. The sample was concentrated in the southern, south-eastern and mid-western regions of Brazil; classified by size; and deemed adequate after several adequacy tests.

Findings

The results were analysed using Spearman’s correlation, which showed that there were no significant correlations between the structural production factors considered in this study and the economic-financial performance of agricultural cooperatives, which leads to questions about the effectiveness of employing diversification strategies with a conjoint approach. Nonetheless, it was possible to identify several relationships not mentioned in the original hypotheses that might be addressed further in future studies.

Research limitations/implications

The data obtained should be interpreted with caution because heteroscedasticity was detected. Although the cause could not be clearly identified, the presence of heteroscedasticity could mean that smaller and similar cooperatives present similar variation in their diversification and production base strategies.

Originality/value

This work sought to generate knowledge regarding operations management, which was achieved by demonstrating that production diversification in a dynamic and relevant economic sector, that is, agricultural cooperatives, is limited in terms of financial return when performed in an isolated mode. Hence, cooperatives’ production managers should take into account the totality of structural production factors during their planning activities.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 38 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

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