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1 – 10 of over 13000This conceptual article aims to examine the application of interpretative phenomenology to research on teacher experience. It covers methodological theory and practical…
Abstract
Purpose
This conceptual article aims to examine the application of interpretative phenomenology to research on teacher experience. It covers methodological theory and practical interpretative approaches that are pertinent for generating useful insights into an educational issue.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on an illustrative research on secondary teachers' disciplinary and pedagogical reasoning and classroom practices in Ghana, this article explores the author's musings and introspection around carrying out an interpretative phenomenological research and demonstrates how the approach helped to amplify teachers' voices.
Findings
The article demonstrates that the canons of interpretative phenomenology and qualitative research in general, while translatable to practice, need to be regarded as a series of emergent decisions and actions rather than prescriptive set of principles. The article explains that educational researchers must recognise interpretation as the lifeblood of the approach and move beyond the description of essences and explicate participants' experiences of phenomena using workable frames of interpretation.
Originality/value
The article extends the current methodological knowledge base by contributing to international discussions on qualitative research and to an understanding of the applicability of interpretative phenomenological research design to research on teacher reasoning and practice. It also serves as a useful methodological resource for novice researchers.
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Sebastian Knebel, Mario D. Schultz and Peter Seele
This paper aims to outline how destructive communication exemplified by ransomware cyberattacks destroys the process of organization, causes a “state of exception,” and thus…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to outline how destructive communication exemplified by ransomware cyberattacks destroys the process of organization, causes a “state of exception,” and thus constitutes organization. The authors build on Agamben's state of exception and translate it into communicative constitution of organization (CCO) theory.
Design/methodology/approach
A significant increase of cyberattacks have impacted organizations in recent times and laid organizations under siege. This conceptual research builds on illustrative cases chosen by positive deviance case selection (PDCS) of ransomware attacks.
Findings
CCO theory focuses mainly on ordering characteristics of communication. The authors aim to complement this view with a perspective on destructive communication that destroys the process of organization. Based on illustrative cases, the authors conceptualize a process model of destructive CCO.
Practical implications
The authors expand thoughts about a digital “corporate immune system” to question current offensive cybersecurity strategies of deterrence and promote resilience approaches instead.
Originality/value
Informed by destructive communication of cyberattacks, this theory advancement supports arguments to include notions of disorder into CCO theory. Furthermore, the paper explains where disruptions like cyberattacks may trigger sensemaking and change to preserve stability. Finally, a novel definition of ‘destructive CCO’ is provided: Destructive Communication Constitutes Organization by disrupting and destroying its site and surface while triggering sensemaking and becoming part of sensemaking itself.
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There has been much interest in evidence‐informed decision making in education – identifying effective ways of increasing the use of research evidence to provide a basis for…
Abstract
Purpose
There has been much interest in evidence‐informed decision making in education – identifying effective ways of increasing the use of research evidence to provide a basis for management decision making, in both the private and public sectors. However, in education, although there has been much speculation and discussion, there has been a paucity of recent empirical research evidence that provides insights into the characteristics, practice and mechanisms of successful research utilisation strategies. This study aimed to explore how research evidence was successfully disseminated and how the barriers to research use by head teachers (principals) were successfully addressed. The study was qualitative and exploratory in nature and aimed to identify examples of projects led by, and supported by, local education authorities (LEAs), that aimed to help education practitioners to access, engage with, and use the findings from published research and research carried out by themselves, and shared with others.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents and discusses the findings from an empirical study conducted in eight local authorities in England and Wales.
Findings
The research evidence suggests that to improve research use among managers in education, strategies should focus on facilitating communication networks, partnerships and links between researchers and practitioners, with the key long‐term objective of developing a culture that supports and values the contribution that research can make to management decision making in education.
Originality/value
Managers in local education authorities (LEAs) can help to build networks, develop partnerships between professionals locally, nationally and internationally, and also act as change agents in the dissemination and adoption of new ideas. However, the research focused on illustrative examples of research use – and further research is needed to evaluate the impact of using research for decision making in education.
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Kamal Dhawan, John Tookey, Ali GhaffarianHoseini and Amirhosein GhaffarianHoseini
A long-term collaborative public water infrastructure procurement contract in New Zealand adopts “Enterprise Alliance” delivery (strategy) with a Construction Consolidation Centre…
Abstract
Purpose
A long-term collaborative public water infrastructure procurement contract in New Zealand adopts “Enterprise Alliance” delivery (strategy) with a Construction Consolidation Centre (CCC) (operational) logistics solution. New Zealand's unique spatial, market, regulatory and economic circumstances present a research gap pertaining to the sustainability impacts of the combinatory implementation. The paper suggests a literature review-based research framework for examining these.
Design/methodology/approach
Systematic literature review (SLR) discovers unique New Zealand attributes, and sustainability impacts of both the approaches overseas. Towards formulating a research framework, the paper discusses sustainability of construction and its New Zealand context, and research focus within the implemented model. Significant issues from SLR reveal Design, Logistics, Impacts and Spin-offs research domains. The paper suggests a research framework and examines an appropriate research design.
Findings
CCC implementation under a programme alliance is without precedent in New Zealand. Variance of New Zealand's unique attributes from North American and European characteristics behind successful implementation are likely to impact domestic outcomes. A research framework to test this hypothesis will enable investigating the relevance of the concepts to New Zealand settings and provide a contextual implementation datum. Implementation benchmarks will potentially influence public policy and enrich indigenous knowledge corpus, potentially transferrable to associated domains (urban planning, transportation and energy).
Originality/value
The paper attempts to define a research direction in the domain of applying supply chain management principles to the New Zealand's construction sector by investigating the employment of a CCC in a collaborative environment as an infrastructure project delivery vehicle with sustainability leanings.
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Jill Frances Atkins, Federica Doni, Karen McBride and Christopher Napier
This paper seeks to broaden the agenda for environmental and ecological accounting research across several dimensions, extending the form of accounting in this field by…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to broaden the agenda for environmental and ecological accounting research across several dimensions, extending the form of accounting in this field by encouraging research into its historical roots and developing a definition of accounting that can address the severe environmental and ecological challenges of the 21st century.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors explored environmental and ecological accounts from the dawn of human consciousness across a wide variety of media and in a broad range of forms. This theoretical approach reacts to the cold capitalist commodification of nature inherent in much environmental accounting practice, which documents, values and records usage of natural capital with little attempt to address depletion and loss.
Findings
By analysing the earliest ecological and environmental “accounts” recorded by humans at the dawn of human consciousness, and considering a wide array of subsequent accounts, the authors demonstrate that rather than being a secondary, relatively recent development emerging from financial accounting and reporting, environmental and ecological accounting predated financial accounting by tens of thousands of years. This research also provides a wealth of perspectives on diversity, not only in forms of account but also in the diversity of accountants, as well as the broadness of the stakeholders to whom and to which the accounts are rendered.
Research limitations/implications
The paper can be placed at the intersection of accounting history, the alternative, interdisciplinary and critical accounts literature, and environmental and ecological accounting research.
Practical implications
Practically, the authors can draw ideas and inspiration from the historical forms and content of ecological and environmental account that can inform new forms of and approaches to accounting.
Social implications
There are social implications including the diversity of accounts and accountants derived from studying historical ecological and environmental accounts from the dawn of human consciousness especially in the broadening out of the authors' understanding of the origins and cultural roots of accounting.
Originality/value
This study concludes with a new definition of accounting, fit for purpose in the 21st century, that integrates ecological, environmental concerns and is emancipatory, aiming to restore nature, revive biodiversity, conserve species and enhance ecosystems.
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Loretta O'Donnell, Robin Kramar and Maria Dyball
The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges in adding a critical realist epistemological perspective to a positivist approach in research on listed companies by equity…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the challenges in adding a critical realist epistemological perspective to a positivist approach in research on listed companies by equity researchers and other financial services professionals.
Design/methodology/approach
A purposive sample of publicly available equity research reports was examined to assess the dominant epistemological approach to investment analysis.
Findings
It was found that there is an absence of a critical realist epistemological approach to investment analysis, confirming the dominance of a positivist approach to obtaining and analysing investment information.
Research limitations/implications
This research drew on a small, purposive sample, and could be followed by more wide‐scale research. Taking a critical realist approach may create a clash of “institutional logics” which will need to be considered by a range of stakeholders.
Originality/value
Equity research reports are examined through the lens of critical realism. This exploration allows for an additional epistemological perspective on analysis of firm value.
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Access to unbiased self-reported (primary) data for a normative concept like social sustainability has been a challenge for construction project management (CPM) scholars, and…
Abstract
Purpose
Access to unbiased self-reported (primary) data for a normative concept like social sustainability has been a challenge for construction project management (CPM) scholars, and this difficulty has been further amplified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This paper aims to address this issue by asserting the suitability of secondary data as a methodologically sound but underutilized alternative and providing directions for secondary data-based research on social sustainability in a project setting.
Design/methodology/approach
By drawing on a framework for social sustainability and using “project-as-practice” approach as its point of departure, this conceptual paper identifies possibilities for utilizing multiple secondary sources in CPM research.
Findings
The paper provides a roadmap for identification of secondary sources, access to data, potential research designs and methods, limitations of and cautions in using secondary sources, and points to many novel lines of empirical enquiries to stimulate secondary data-based research on social sustainability in CPM.
Social implications
Indicated secondary sources and empirical opportunities can support research efforts that aim to promote societal welfare through construction projects.
Originality/value
The presented guidance will assist researchers in identifying, accessing and utilizing naturalistic, secondary data for designing and conducting empirical research that cuts across social sustainability and CPM. This, in turn, will facilitate methodological pluralism and “practice turn” in such research endeavors.
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Previous research on classroom uses for political cartoons identified two negative trends: creative stagnation (as teachers utilized them solely for interpretation) and age…
Abstract
Previous research on classroom uses for political cartoons identified two negative trends: creative stagnation (as teachers utilized them solely for interpretation) and age limitation (as researchers suggested they fit best with gifted and older students). Recent scholarship has addressed both trends by enabling young adolescent students to creatively express newly generated understandings through construction of original political cartoons. During such authentic assessment activities, students demonstrated high levels of criticality by using effective and efficient technologies to create original political cartoons, which then elicited constructive whole class interpretative discussions. This prior research did not detail specific methodological steps that positively influenced students’ original political cartoons. This paper compares students’ original political cartoons generated from two methodological approaches that differ in two small, yet consequential steps. One teacher required students to utilize concept maps and substitution lists prior to original political cartoon construction while the other did not. Based on the collected data, these two steps enabled the former teacher’s students to more effectively incorporate intricate and complex encoded messages through the use of abstract symbolism and complementary textual statements. The findings prove meaningful for teachers and researchers interested in enabling students’ creative and critical expressions of historical thinking.
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The research involved a funeral home manager who used case research within another funeral home to learn more about how to manage his own workplace. This research aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
The research involved a funeral home manager who used case research within another funeral home to learn more about how to manage his own workplace. This research aims to investigate for the first time how funeral homes can strategically manage the marketing of their services to customers during emotional times in their lives.
Design/methodology/approach
The two methodologies of convergent interviewing and case research in a funeral home workplace are described in detail.
Findings
The case research revealed what strategic marketing management principles have to be emphasized in the unique context of funeral homes, and the related need to develop a hybrid strategy. The project demonstrated that a case research project can align a formal research project with the professional development of managers.
Practical implications
The paper provided the first author with a valuable learning experience of management in his industry, and provides other funeral home managers with a detailed guide to doing their strategic marketing management.
Originality/value
The authors’ contributions are the first example of case research used for workplace learning in a blend of formal academic research and workplace learning. It is also the first academically rigorous coverage of strategic marketing management workplace practices in the unique context of funeral homes; they were uncovered in interviews across a range of staff levels in a funeral home.
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