Search results

This study aims to explore the opportunities and challenges Self-directed Support policy has presented to Scottish social enterprises, thereby increasing understanding of emerging social care markets arising from international policy-shifts towards empowering social care users to self-direct their care.

This study used guided conversations with a purposive sample of 19 stakeholders sampled from frontline social care social enterprises; social work; third sector; health; and government.

An inconsistent social care market has emerged across Scotland as a result of policy change, providing both opportunities and challenges for social enterprises. Social innovation emerged from a supportive partnership between the local authority and social enterprise in one area, but elsewhere local authorities remained change-resistant, evidencing path dependence. Challenges included the private sector “creaming” clients and geographic areas and social enterprises being scapegoated where the local market was failing.

This study involved a small purposively sampled group of stakeholders specifically interested in social enterprise, and hence the findings are suggestive rather than conclusive.

This paper contributes to currently limited academic understanding of the contribution of social enterprise to emerging social care markets arising from the international policy-shifts. Through an historical institutionalism lens, this study also offers new insight into interactions between public institutions and social enterprise care providers. The insights from this paper will support policymakers and researchers to develop a more equitable, sustainable future for social care provision.

In Scotland, the self-directed support (SDS) legislation is a catch-all payment system which brings challenges to local authorities, service delivery organisations and the service users it is intended to empower. Set against a backdrop of cuts to local authorities and third-sector funding, this policy presents third-sector organisations with both the opportunities and challenges of commercialising their activities to become more sustainable. The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence of the challenges faced by one charity as it engages in a process of hybridity to accommodate changes in its funding due to the introduction of SDS.

The paper utilises a case study approach. The paper captures the experiences and views of managers, staff and parents advocating for their children through interviews with a purposive sample from each group. The challenges of gathering data and giving a voice to caregivers advocating for children with complex needs are discussed, particularly the difficulties in accessing a hard to reach group.

The findings identifies issues which have arisen because of the proposed changed in strategic direction of the organisation due to the introduction of SDS and are all related to hybridity. The findings are arranged in four sub-sections based on the themes that emerged from the qualitative data generated from the interviews: the practical delivery of care; tensions between care and quality, the care workforce, and the parent perspective.

SDS policy has had unexpected impacts and reactions whilst rolling out across regions in Scotland, but policymakers and those involved in the care sector, including consumers, face significant challenges in gathering evidence not only from the vulnerable populations this policy affects but also from organisations already under pressure from austerity-led cuts. This paper presents the challenges to organisations involved in caring for children with complex needs, who are a particularly neglected group of stakeholders.

Organically arising barriers to organisational transition from charity to social enterprise are presented, as staff and caregivers react to the prospect of SDS uptake affecting their organisation. Proactive attempts to embrace a hybrid approach by the organisation are analysed.

Understanding how social care organisations and clients are reacting to the implementation of individual payments as opposed to the previous system of block contracts is crucial as the sector faces very real prospects of organisations closing when individuals are able to pick and choose care. A policy based on choice and control for the consumer risks removing choice through a loss of services in the marketplace, leaving vulnerable populations at risk.

This study is unique. No research has been done exploring the transition of charities servicing children with complex needs in anticipation of self-directed payments creating an open market. The paper further contributes to the existing knowledge regarding hybrid organisations within the third sector.

The purpose of this paper is to examine issues academics at importing institutions face while delivering Australian degrees in Malaysia. Transnational higher education (TNE) has been widely researched. However, less widely researched is the area of understanding what academics at the offshore locations need to uphold the required academic standards of their partnered exporting universities. This area warrants close attention if Australian and other transnational education universities are to sustain their growth through a partnership model with offshore academics delivering a portion (often a substantial portion) of the teaching.

Two focus groups were conducted with a mix of long standing and newly recruited Malaysian lecturers who taught into an Australian degree through a partnership arrangement. The semi-structured questions which were used were derived from a preliminary literature review and previous internal institutional reports.

The findings from the focus groups indicate that TNE is largely “Australian-centric” when addressing the standard of academic quality and integrity. The findings pointed not so much to any sustained internationalisation of curriculum or administration or personnel but more as internationalisation as deemed required by the local academic.

To a greater extent, the findings highlighted that equivalent student outcomes do not necessarily equate to equivalent learning experiences or teaching workload. In fact, the frustration of the interviewees on the tension to fulfil the home institution curriculum and helping students to “comprehend” an Australian-centric curriculum translates to “additional and unrecognised workload” for the interviewees.

The article reviews and describes the stages of an information consultancy project, using the example of the establishment of a library and information unit in the management training centre of a large financial institution. The stages dealt with are: initiation; data collection; data analysis; presentation of results and implementation. The article concludes with some general reflections drawn from the case study on important factors in successful information consultancy and on the qualities needed by a successful information consultant.

Since the 1980s, and especially after China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1991, international educational collaborations have developed in China. Spurred by economic, cultural and educational factors, joint programs have become an essential supplement to Chinese education. Despite the obvious and diverse benefits brought about by joint programs, various challenges arise. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the benefits and challenges generally and then in a more targeted way through the lens of one Sino‐Australian partnership.

This paper uses a case study of one joint Australia‐China program to explore the development, benefits and challenges of joint programs in China and suggest how to improve the overall quality of the joint programs which will further international collaboration of educational institutions in China.

Joint programs are a strategic component of the expansion and globalization objectives of the Chinese government. They offer more opportunities for Chinese students to receive an overseas education, enhance the research profile of Chinese universities and promote new ways of teaching and learning. For the Australian government, transnational education and the model of joint programs are helping to build Australia's research reputation, develop alternative teaching and learning ideas and promote global citizenship. Challenges include linguistic issues, financial problems, inefficient management, program assessment, qualifications, skills of teaching staff and different ways of thinking.

Enhancing pedagogical quality within a business paradigm is a unifying imperative.

The paper presents a new case study analysis for joint program educators and decision makers.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a suite of academic literacy multimedia materials for Chinese students and reflect on educational approaches for the workplace.

The literature review informed the initial resources which were trialled with volunteer groups of Chinese students in both Australia and China. A series of focus groups, follow up interviews and a workshop formed the basis of this qualitative study

Academic literacy is one of the graduate attributes which students should obtain through their studies. Another area which demands student and employer attention in a globalised world is intercultural skills. It was found that students' engagement with interdisciplinary generic skills is lacking, sometimes due to the mostly textual way universities attempt to communicate with students about these skills. The multilayered, multimedia approach was successful; it is inclusive and sustainable for higher education and the workplace. A cross‐cultural understanding of academic literacy should enhance graduates' employability.

The resources developed and assessed can be employed to enhance the transition of non‐Western students into the western higher education classroom and workplace.

The project advances existing national and international knowledge particularly with regards to teaching academic literacy to international students in Australia and the use of multimedia tools to assist understanding of key concepts and adoption of appropriate behaviours. Therefore, the use of a similar approach is suggested for business settings particularly for new graduate employees' learning of intercultural skills.

The article explores the role of information brokers and information consultants, their development, reasons for their emergence, their main characteristics and activities and their relations with libraries. Finally, the future of information brokers/consultants is examined.

Examines why most of what appear at first to be good merger or acquisition deals fail.

Describes five steps through which HR can help to make a merger or acquisition a success.

Highlights the importance of: making the vision tangible; getting the right integration team; good communication; ensuring that performance reviews are correctly focused for members of the integration team; and thinking about the future beyond the end of the business integration.

Warns HR against focusing too closely on the transactional side of resource management rather than the development of the organization.

Details how mergers and acquisitions can be made to add value, to the benefit of society as a whole.

Reveals how to “bring to life” a new vision and new way of working after a merger or acquisition.