Search results

People living with a disability (PWD) are often a marginalized vulnerable group who are economically and socially disadvantaged. This paper aims to explore the implementation of new social and financial policy reforms aimed at transforming the disability sector. Using the capabilities approach, the authors explore the experience of carers and evaluate how this sector may have become more exposed and vulnerable as a consequence of the new policy.

This is a qualitative study with two rounds of semi-structured interviews; at initial-phase (n = 18) and post-phase (n = 14). Thematic analysis was applied to the capabilities and vulnerabilities framework to categorize and analyze the interview data.

The findings show that there are many ways PWD and carers are experiencing increased levels of vulnerability because of their capabilities. There is evidence of increased vulnerability in the intersections between PWD/carers’ inherent nature, the disruption to vital social relationships and conflicting values and interests of stakeholders and the complexity of situational policy changes.

Practical implications developed from the findings include identifying ways the government can improve its social marketing communication strategies. They also highlight the importance of building effective social support networks and provide guidelines for measuring capacity building to address some of the underlying factors leading to vulnerability.

This paper introduces into social marketing, the three-factor vulnerability framework, which conceptualizes the nature of vulnerability, and examines and evaluates the intersections of these factors in relation to the capabilities approach.

Teachers have access to a growing range of online tools to support course delivery, but which ones are valued by students? Expectations and satisfaction are important constructs in the delivery of a service product, and how these constructs operate in a service environment, such as education where the student can also take on the role of the customer is unknown. This study focuses on the student perspective of online tools. The aim of this paper is to measure students' expectations and perceived importance of, and satisfaction with, a range of tools available in a virtual learning environment.

A quantitative survey (n=396) was conducted and descriptive measures and statistical analysis were produced.

Results show that the tools that enable instructors to communicate with students and vice versa are more important to students and more satisfying to them than tools that enable students to interact with each other. Also, business students appear to be different from non‐business students, with respect to desired communications tools.

The findings help us to understand business students' communication preference, which in turn helps teachers to create an educationally meaningful learning environment.

This work connects an established model for online interactions with students' expectations and level of satisfaction with tools that are currently being used in the online education environment.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate key criteria underpinning network-facilitated green innovation capability development in micro-firms.

Micro-firms, those firms with less than ten full-time employees, need to continuously innovate in order to sustain their business in the emerging green economy. This study uses an interpretive multiple case approach to explore micro-firm owner-manager (O/M) green innovation activities, encompassing O/M views on facilitated network engagement in Ireland and Canada over a 12-month period.

The findings show that proactive implementation of green innovation is influenced by the O/M’s natural environment orientation and the potential for economic gain, while facilitated networks provide an additional resource that the O/M can draw from that allows the O/M to test new ideas, comprehend new and existing legislation and identify potential supports in pursuit of green innovation capability development within the micro-firm.

This study offers a contribution to knowledge in the areas of green innovation, micro-firm capabilities and facilitated network engagement. However, the sample size is small and distance was a challenge, yet data and case protocols are in place which allow for replication of the study. As the research is embedded in the resource and capability theories, alternative theoretical frameworks may shed a different light on the research question.

Prior studies have found that facilitated networks have a positive impact on micro-firm sustainability as these networks enhance the firm’s constrained resource base. The proposed framework can be used as a guideline for support organisations including facilitated networks in assisting micro-firms in reaching their green innovation goals and objectives. It can also be used by micro-firms in the attainment of the green innovation capability.

Computing has become the classic example of the philosophy that ‘small is beautiful’ — currently known as the Felicity Kendall syndrome. As the hardware has become smaller so it has, paradoxically, become more powerful; and, more important still, the price has come down in, if anything, an even greater ratio. The progression can be summed‐up — if a certain well‐known company will excuse the plagiarism — by the acronym 3M: mainframe, mini, micro.

This paper explores the role of goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in embedding strategic learning plans in small firms. The research question asks, does an external learning intervention influence how strategic learning plans are embedded in small firms?

Insights from in-depth action research carried out with three small firm owner-managers (OMs) inform the study.

Findings present valuable insights into how small firms learn strategically, and the link between OM goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in pursuit of embedded learning. A framework for embedding strategic learning plans in small firms is presented.

This study offers a contribution to knowledge in the areas of small firm learning, strategic planning and social learning theory. While the sample size is small, data and case protocols are in place which allow for replication of the study. As the research is embedded in social learning theory, alternative theoretical frameworks may shed a different light on the research question.

The study will be of interest to practitioners working in the design, development, delivery and evaluation of learning interventions for small service firms. Given the importance of the small firm sector to the global economy, the research may also be of interest to government agencies, who strive to protect the survival and growth of small firms generally and who set aside resource amounts each year to fund training programmes for small firm OMs.

The research contributes to the body of existing knowledge in the small firm setting concerning social learning theory and small firm learning strategies. It has identified a link between OM goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in pursuit of sustainable organisational learning in small firms and offers a framework for embedding strategic learning plans in small firms. The study answers calls for a more robust framework to advance understanding of how OMs learn and whether that learning is consequently embedded in the organisation. The proposed framework can be used as a guideline for support organisations in assisting small firms in reaching their learning potential. It can also be used by small firms in the attainment of strategy learning capability.

This paper explores the role of goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in embedding strategic learning plans in small firms. The research question asks, how are strategic learning plans embedded in small firms?

Insights from in-depth action research carried out with three small firm owner-managers (OMs) inform the study.

Findings present valuable insights into how small firms learn strategically, and the link between OM goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in pursuit of embedded learning. A framework for embedding strategic learning plans in small firms is presented.

This study offers a contribution to knowledge in the areas of small firm learning, strategic planning and social learning theory. While the sample size is small, data and case protocols are in place which allow for replication of the study. As the research is embedded in social learning theory, alternative theoretical frameworks may shed a different light on the research question.

The study may be of interest to practitioners working in the design, development, delivery and evaluation of learning interventions for small service firms. Given the importance of the small firm sector to the global economy, the research may also be of interest to government agencies, who strive to protect the survival and growth of small firms generally and who set aside resource amounts each year to fund training programmes for small firm OMs.

The research contributes to the body of existing knowledge in the small firm setting concerning social learning theory and small firm learning strategies. It has identified a link between OM goal setting and external accountability mechanisms in pursuit of sustainable organisational learning in small firms and offers a framework for embedding strategic learning plans in small firms. The study answers calls for a more robust framework to advance understanding of how OMs learn and whether that learning is consequently embedded in the organisation. The proposed framework can be used as a guideline for support organisations in assisting small firms in reaching their learning potential. It can also be used by small firms in the attainment of strategy learning capability.

A view of Islam as a comprehensive way of life for its adherents is presented. The spiritual and ethical reconstruction of individuals, societies and the world order are given in a socio‐economic framework. The principles of Islam and brotherhood, with reference to the Quran, are explained in some detail.

This paper discusses the influence of human sociality on choice behavior, through association with social networks and the influence of these networks on constraints, perceptions, preferences, and decision-making processes. The paper discusses ways to incorporate these factors into choice models, while retaining the aspects of the theory of individual rationality that are predictive. Finally, the paper outlines an econometric method for solving the “reflection problem” of determining whether social affiliations follow preferences, or preferences follow social affiliations, by distinguishing opportunity-based and preference-based motivations for association with social networks.