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1 – 10 of 15Madhavi P. Patil, Ashraf M. Salama, Jane Arnfield and Seraphim Alvanides
This article introduces the “YouWalk-YouReclaim” mobile application as a transformative tool aimed at co-assessing and enhancing campus environments in a post-pandemic context. It…
Abstract
Purpose
This article introduces the “YouWalk-YouReclaim” mobile application as a transformative tool aimed at co-assessing and enhancing campus environments in a post-pandemic context. It seeks to address the need for inclusive, dynamic and technology-driven spaces within university settings.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs a comprehensive assessment framework through a case study at Northumbria University, Newcastle. It involves over 100 students from diverse fields who utilised the application to evaluate significant areas on campus, such as Student Central, Northumberland Road and the Northumbria Library. The methodology places emphasis on direct user engagement and the use of the application’s inbuilt-image library and visual documentation features.
Findings
The application effectively evaluated the functionality, spatial dynamics and user experiences across various campus spaces. Key findings include the importance of adaptability, personalised spaces and enhanced wayfinding to meet the evolving needs of the university community. The study also noted the potential of the app to facilitate multidimensional assessments and support user-centric improvements.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that institutions can leverage technology like the “YouWalk-YouReclaim” app to better understand and optimise their campus spaces, fostering more responsive, user-focused and sustainable environments. The study advocates continuous technological enhancements and user-centred assessments to cultivate efficient and enriching campus experiences.
Originality/value
This study is novel in its integration of digital technology with user-centred approaches to assess and enhance campus environments. By enabling real-time feedback and inclusive participation, “YouWalk-YouReclaim” exemplifies an innovative approach to campus space management.
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With the rise of the gig economy, management positions are increasingly staffed with flexible labor, so-called interim managers. They plunge into organizations for a limited…
Abstract
Purpose
With the rise of the gig economy, management positions are increasingly staffed with flexible labor, so-called interim managers. They plunge into organizations for a limited period, operating in a liminal position as partly insider, partly outsider. Although several contributions to their client organizations are acknowledged, it is unknown how the interim manager’s knowledge from previous assignments is made useful in the new context under these particular working conditions. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of how the interim manager’s knowledge is transferred to the client organization while operating from a liminal position.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents an interview-based multiple case study of six interim assignments where knowledge transfer is considered a social and context-dependent process.
Findings
The findings unveil the multifaceted nature of the liminal position, which consists of task orientation, time limitation, political detachment and cultural distance. These facets contribute to knowledge transfer in terms of new shared understandings and joint interests, which in turn might create new practices that augment continuous knowledge-sharing patterns.
Originality/value
The results contribute to the research on flexible work arrangements by shedding light on how the liminal position, predominantly depicted as an obstacle for the individual, might facilitate knowledge transfer. Through the process of knowledge generation, it is shown how a short-term engagement might enable the organization to increase its knowledge over time.
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Jianguo Li, Yuwen Gong and Hong Li
This study aims to investigate the structural characteristics, spatial evolution paths and internal driving mechanisms of the knowledge transfer (KT) network in China’s…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the structural characteristics, spatial evolution paths and internal driving mechanisms of the knowledge transfer (KT) network in China’s patent-intensive industries (PIIs). The authors' goal is to provide valuable insights to inform policy-making that fosters the development of relevant industries. The authors also aim to offer a fresh perspective for future spatiotemporal studies on industrial KT and innovation networks.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the authors analyze the patent transfer (PT) data of listed companies in China’s information and communication technology (ICT) industry, spanning from 2010 to 2021. The authors use social network analysis and the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) method to explore the problem of China’s PIIs KT from the perspectives of technical characteristics evolution, network and spatial evolution and internal driving mechanisms.
Findings
The results indicate that the knowledge fields involved in the PT of China’s ICT industry primarily focus on digital information transmission technology. From 2010 to 2021, the scale of the ICT industry’s KT network expanded rapidly. However, the polarization of industrial knowledge distribution is becoming more serious. QAP regression analysis shows that economic proximity and geographical proximity do not affect KT activities. The similarity of knowledge application capacity, innovation capacity and technology demand categories in various regions has a certain degree of impact on KT in the ICT industry.
Originality/value
The current research on PIIs mainly focuses on measuring economic contributions and innovation efficiency, but less on KT in PIIs. This study explores KT in PIIs from the perspectives of technological characteristics, network and spatial evolution. The authors propose a theoretical framework to understand the internal driving mechanisms of industrial KT networks.
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Ebenezer Afum, Yaw Agyabeng-Mensah, Charles Baah and Essel Dacosta
This study aims to find out whether firms in the local textiles industry are benefiting from the combined implementation of lean practices (LPs) and quick-response manufacturing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to find out whether firms in the local textiles industry are benefiting from the combined implementation of lean practices (LPs) and quick-response manufacturing (QRM) during the era of COVID-19. The study further explores the mediating role played by quick response manufacturing in the relationship between LPs, internal process performance (IPP) and customer performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire is used to garner data from 123 local firms in Ghana’s textile industry. The analysis for all the hypothesized relationships is done using partial least square structural equation.
Findings
The results of the study indicate that LPs significantly strengthen the implementation of QRM. The result also suggests that LPs and QRM can be combined to influence IPP and customer performance. The results further suggest that QRM mediates the relationship between LPs, IPP and customer performance.
Originality/value
This study proposes and develops an integrated research model that explores the synergistic application of LPs and QRM in achieving improvements in IPP and customer performance from an emergent country perspective during the era of COVID-19. QRM serves as an important mechanism through which the relationship between LPs, IPP and customer performance can be explained.
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Mohamed Aghel, S.M.Ferdous Azam and Md Kassim Aza Azlina
The purpose of this research is to undertake a bibliometric analysis of financial performance research in of higher education sector. The study examines papers over the last…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to undertake a bibliometric analysis of financial performance research in of higher education sector. The study examines papers over the last 2 decades and performed performance analysis, co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling and scientific mapping.
Design/methodology/approach
The study examines 616 documents retrieved from the Scopus database using bibliometric analysis, performance analysis and thematic clustering. The study looked at the scientific productivity of papers, prolific authors, most influencing papers, institutions and nations, keyword cooccurrence, thematic mapping, co-citations and authorship and country collaborations. VOS viewer was employed as a tool in the research to conduct the performance analysis and thematic clustering.
Findings
This study delves into the recent advancements in financial performance research within higher education, focusing particularly on the year 2023, characterized by a peak of productivity with 46 significant articles. Notable institutions contributing substantially to this discourse include the University of Sussex (UK), and Ratio Institute Stockholm (Sweden), each referenced 227 times. The United Kingdom has emerged as a leader in financial performance research, amassing 3,850 citations from 92 publications. Key journals driving this conversation include “Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice” and “The British Journal of Political Science.” The most cited study examines the impact of business-university partnerships on innovation and financial outcomes.”
Originality/value
This is the first study that provides a performance analysis and scientific mapping of the financial performance literature in the higher education sector. In addition, this study is the initial one to do a thorough analysis and organized representation of financial performance in the higher education sector, providing an unparalleled understanding of a hitherto uninvestigated area of academic research.
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Zhuo Min Huang, Heather Cockayne and Jenna Mittelmeier
The study explores diverse and critical understandings of “international” in a higher education curriculum context, situated in a curriculum review of a postgraduate taught…
Abstract
Purpose
The study explores diverse and critical understandings of “international” in a higher education curriculum context, situated in a curriculum review of a postgraduate taught programme entitled “International Education” at a university located in England. Our study problematises and decentres some dominant, normalised notions of “international”, exploring critical possibilities of engaging with the term for higher education internationalisation.
Design/methodology/approach
We examined a set of programme curriculum documents and conducted a survey exploring teaching staff’s uses and interpretations of “international” in their design and delivery of course units. Through a thematic analysis of the dataset, we identify what “international” might mean or how it may be missing across the curriculum.
Findings
Our findings suggest a locally-developed conceptualisation of “international” beyond the normalised interpretation of “international” as the inclusion or comparison of multiple nations, and different, other countries around the global world. More diverse, critical understandings of the term have been considered, including international as intercultural, competences, ethics, languages and methods. The study provides an example approach to reflective scholarship that programmes can undergo in order to develop clarity, depth and purposefulness into internationalisation as enacted in a local curriculum context.
Originality/value
The study provides a first step towards establishing clearer guidelines on internationalising the curriculum by higher education institutions and individual programmes in order to challenge a superficial engagement of “international” within internationalisation. It exemplifies a starting point for making purposeful steps away from normalised notions and assumptions of international education and facilitates development towards its critical, ethically-grounded opportunities.
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Christine Ascencio and Randika Eramudugoda
This paper examines thematic discourses concerning business and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on X (formerly Twitter), aiming to uncover active user groups and evaluate…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines thematic discourses concerning business and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on X (formerly Twitter), aiming to uncover active user groups and evaluate engagement levels across various topics. The study also explores the engagement patterns among different user categories, ultimately seeking deeper insights into platform discourse regarding business and the SDGs.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing unsupervised machine learning technique Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA), we perform exploratory topic modeling on X data referencing business and the SDGs, generating 16 thematic clusters. Subsequently, we analyze user descriptions to categorize users involved in these discussions. Finally, we employ binomial logit models to assess the relationship between topics and engagement and chi-squared test to evaluate the relationship between users and topics.
Findings
The exploratory research identifies 16 business and SDG topics, while the analysis of users reveals 6 stakeholder groups contributing to these discussions. Business groups emerge as the most frequent contributors, posting on topics related to partnership, action advocacy, and economic outcomes. Topics about updates on progress and transformative initiatives garnered strongest support for engagement.
Originality/value
This research not only sheds light on the current state of business and SDG discourse on X, but also underscores the significance of engaging external stakeholders in driving positive social change globally.
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Kate Hogarth, Sumit Lodhia, Amanpreet Kaur and Gerard Stone
This paper aims to explore the extent, nature and communication potential of companies’ use of three popular social media platforms (Facebook, X and LinkedIn) to report on…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the extent, nature and communication potential of companies’ use of three popular social media platforms (Facebook, X and LinkedIn) to report on sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative methodology through the use of the netnography approach was adopted to evaluate the use of social media for sustainability communication by the Top 50 ASX companies. Content analysis of all company posts determined those with social and environmental content. A thematic analysis was performed using the global reporting initiative (GRI) framework to examine the nature of the reporting. The media richness framework was used to measure the communication potential of the social media platforms for sustainability communication.
Findings
The results indicated that the extent of sustainability posts on social media represented less than 20% of total social media posts. The nature of posts by the Top 50 ASX companies was higher on social issues than on environmental issues, which is contradictory to many previous studies. The study also found that while the social media platforms afforded high levels of media richness, most companies failed to exploit the platforms’ full potential to disseminate sustainability information.
Research limitations/implications
This work provides both empirical and theoretical contributions to the ongoing debate concerning the use of social media for sustainability communication. The paper extends Lodhia et al.’s (2020) study of social media use for legitimation purposes and adapts Lodhia’s (2004) media richness framework to social media for sustainability reporting. It adds empirical insights into social media’s communication potential and value for communicating sustainability information.
Practical implications
The extent and nature to which organisations use social media to disclose their sustainability performance has significant practical implications for a variety of stakeholders. The results reveal to these stakeholders and the companies themselves the level of utilisation of social media along with the potential that can be harnessed. These results can potentially improve the quantity, timeliness and usability of sustainability reporting using social media platforms.
Social implications
The study provides valuable evidence to increase understanding of the sustainability social media communication landscape, which organisations can potentially leverage to communicate their messages. Additionally, sustainability awareness is increased across various demographics by disseminating sustainability information to the wider public. This study will assist policy-setters in developing guidance for using social media for sustainability reporting.
Originality/value
This study extends existing literature, particularly the Lodhia et al. (2020) study, which has primarily focused on examining sustainability content in the media with limited exploration of the communication potential of social media platforms to communicate sustainability content.
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Gohar Abass Khan, Irfan Bashir, Mohammed Alshiha and Ahmed Abdulaziz Alshiha
The primary objective of this paper is to determine the factors that affect the entrepreneurship propensity of students undergoing compulsory entrepreneurship education courses at…
Abstract
Purpose
The primary objective of this paper is to determine the factors that affect the entrepreneurship propensity of students undergoing compulsory entrepreneurship education courses at various universities.
Design/methodology/approach
A research instrument was developed and implemented on a sample of 380 students who were offered compulsory entrepreneurship education courses at six major universities in the Jammu and Kashmir region of India. The study employed multiple cross-sectional designs with a simple random sampling technique to gather data. The collected data was subjected to descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling using SMART-PLS (Version 4).
Findings
The findings reveal that conceptualization, opportunity identification and implementation are the three antecedents of entrepreneurship propensity. The results indicate that the conceptualization factor is one of the most important predictors of entrepreneurship propensity, followed by opportunity identification, whereas implementation through education has the weakest influence on students' entrepreneurship propensity.
Practical implications
This research provides important insights to universities for designing and developing entrepreneurship courses that can foster the start-up culture. The results will be helpful for policymakers to devise various programs to boost entrepreneurship.
Originality/value
The study integrated the theories of planned behavior and human capital to evaluate the effectiveness of entrepreneurship courses at the university level. The three factors, namely, conceptual factors, actualization factors and implementation factors of entrepreneurship propensity are under-researched.
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Gaurav Bansal and Zhuoli Axelton
IT security compliance is critical to the organization’s success, and such compliance depends largely on IT leadership. Considering the prevalence of unconscious gender biases and…
Abstract
Purpose
IT security compliance is critical to the organization’s success, and such compliance depends largely on IT leadership. Considering the prevalence of unconscious gender biases and stereotyping at the workplace and growing female leadership in IT, the authors examine how the internalization of stereotype beliefs, in the form of the employee’s gender, impacts the relationships between leadership characteristics and IT security compliance intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
A controlled experiment using eight different vignettes manipulating Chief Information Officer (CIO) gender (male/female), Information Technology (IT) expertise (low/high) and leadership style (transactional/transformational) was designed in Qualtrics. Data were gathered from MTurk workers from all over the US.
Findings
The findings suggest that both CIOs' and employees' gender play an important role in how IT leadership characteristics – perceived expertise and leadership style – influence the employees' intentions and reactance to comply with CIO security recommendations.
Research limitations/implications
This study's findings enrich the security literature by examining the role of leadership styles on reactance and compliance intentions. They also provide important theoretical implications based on gender stereotype theory alone: First, the glass ceiling effects can be witnessed in how men and women employees demonstrate prejudice against women CIO leaders through their reliance on perceived quadratic CIO IT expertise in forming compliance intentions. Secondly, this study's findings related to gender role internalization show men and women have a prejudice against gender-incongruent roles wherein women employees are least resistive to transactional male CIOs, and men employees are less inclined to comply with transactional female CIOs confirm the findings related to gender internationalization from Hentschel et al. (2019).
Practical implications
This study highlights the significance of organizations and individuals actively promoting gender equality and fostering environments that recognize women's achievements. It also underscores the importance of educating men and women about the societal implications of stereotyping gender roles that go beyond the organizational setting. This research demonstrates that a continued effort is required to eradicate biases stemming from gender stereotypes and foster social inclusion. Such efforts can positively influence how upcoming IT leaders and employees internalize gender-related factors when shaping their identities.
Social implications
This study shows that more work needs to be done to eliminate gender stereotype biases and promote social inclusion to positively impact how future IT leaders and employees shape their identities through internalization.
Originality/value
This study redefines the concept of “sticky floors” to explain how subordinates can hinder and undermine female leaders, thereby contributing to the glass ceiling effect. In addition, the study elucidates how gender roles shape employees' responses to different leadership styles through gender stereotyping and internalization.
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