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This research aimed to measure the influence of resource dependency (trading and/or shareholder's dependencies) squad age structure by building archetypes to identify strategic dominant schemes.

Based on the Ligue 1 football clubs from the 2009/2010 season to the 2018/2019 data, the authors use the k-means classification to build archetypes of resource dependency and squad structure variables. The influence of resource dependency on squad structure is then analysed through a table of contingency.

Firstly, the authors identify archetypes of resource dependency with some clubs that are dependent on the transfer market and others that do not count on sales to balance their account. Secondly, they provide different archetypes of squad structure choices. The contingency between those archetypes allows to identify three main strategic schemes (avoidance, shaping and adaptation).

The research tests an original relationship between resource dependency of clubs and their human resource strategy to respond to it. This paper can help to provide detailed profiles for big clubs looking for affiliate clubs to know which clubs have efficient academy or player development capacities.

This conversation presents the reflections from five prominent disaster scholars and practitioners on the purpose of Radix – the Radical Disaster Interpretations network – as the authors celebrate its 20th anniversary.

This paper is based on the conversations that took place on Disasters: Deconstructed Podcast livestream on the 13th October 2021.

The conversation reflects on personal and professional journeys in disaster studies over the past 20 years and on what needs changing in order to make disaster interpretations more radical.

The conversation contributes to the ongoing discussions around explorations of radical pathways for understanding and preventing disasters.

This paper offers a reflection of a research process aimed at listening to young children's voices in their everyday school life through a play-based context in a Scottish school. Throughout the research process, the complexity of conducting this research was kept in mind as listening to children's voices presents methodological and conceptual difficulties and tensions. Reflecting on the research process after the data was collected, the process was critiqued using Deleuze-Guattarian ideas. The critique aims at opening and challenging each researcher, allowing them to think-again about the next research project aimed at listening to children's voices.

The research involved an observation study that took place over one week in a primary school in Central Scotland. As part of the educators' approach to play-based pedagogy, children had the opportunity to engage in free play throughout the day. Observations were chosen as the main approach to “capture” children's voices in their natural settings.

The empirical research brought forth two main ideas, that of children as agents, and how children amplify their voices through play. The reflective part offers the possibility of understanding the intensities and forces when conducting such research and the possibilities of engaging with these.

This paper offers a critique of research aimed at listening to children's voices. The aim is not to limit engagement in researching children's voices but to open, or make complex, such processes.

Evidence-informed decision-making is considered best practice when choosing interventions in applied settings across health, social care and education. Developing that evidence base, however, is not straightforward. The pupose of this paper is to describe the process implemented by the Sharland Foundation Developmental Disabilities Applied Behavioural Research and Impact Network (SF-DDARIN) that systematically develops an evidence base for behaviorally based interventions.

In this case study, the progressive research steps undertaken by the SF-DDARIN to develop the evidence base for an online reading intervention, the Headsprout® Early Reading programme (HER®), which uses behavioural principles to promote learning to read, are described.

A series of discrete projects targeting gaps in the evidence base for HER^® led to funding two randomised controlled trials in England, one in education and one in health and social care.

This case study illustrates an original, creative and effective way of collaborating across academic research departments and applied settings to extend the evidence base for a chosen intervention systematically.

This paper aims to present an engineering computational method for fatigue life evaluation of welded structures on large-scale equipment under random vibration load.

Based on a case study of the traction transformers, virtual fatigue test (VFT) was proposed via numerical simulation approach. Static analysis was conducted to identify the risky zone and then dynamic response of the risky welds under random vibration load was calculated based on frequency-domain structural stress method (FDSSM) theory, life distribution and associated survivability at various locations of the structure were obtained. Structural modification was finally performed according to the evaluation results. Moreover, experimental test was carried out and compared with the virtual test result.

By applying the virtual test, fatigue life of the complex welded structures on large-scale equipment can be accurately and efficiently obtained considering dynamic effect under random vibration load. Meanwhile, risky welds can be directly determined and targeted modification scheme can be accordingly concluded. Validity of the VFT result was proved by comparing with the experimental test.

The proposed method can help obtain equivalent structural stress and fatigue life distribution of the welded structure at any position with various survivability and make quantitative evaluation on the life-extending effect of the structural modification. This method shows significant cost and efficiency advantages over experimental test during design stage of the large-scale structures in numerous manufacturing industries.

This study examines shareholder and board motivations regarding corporate social responsibility (CSR) to understand boards' stewardship approaches to environmental issues.

Using content analysis, the authors classify CSR motivations in all environmental shareholder proposals and board responses of Fortune 250 companies from 2013 to 2017 from do little (a shareholder primacy perspective) to do much (a stakeholder pluralism perspective). The authors calculate the motivational dissonance for each proposal-response pair (the Talk Gap) and use cluster analysis to observe evidence of board stewardship and subsequent environmental disclosure and performance (ED&P) changes.

Board interpretations of stewardship are not uniform, and they regularly extend to stakeholders beyond shareholders, most frequently including profit-oriented stakeholders (e.g. employees and customers). ED&P changes are highest when shareholders narrowly lead boards in CSR motivation and either request both action and information or information only. The authors observe weaker ED&P changes when shareholders request action and the dissonance between shareholders and boards is larger. When shareholders are motivated to do little for CSR, ED&P changes are weak, even when boards express more pluralistic motivations.

The results show the important role that boards play in CSR and may aid activist shareholders in determining how best to generate change in corporate CSR actions.

This study provides the first evidence of board stewardship at the proposal-response level. It measures shareholder and board CSR motivations, introduces the Talk Gap, and examines relationships among proposal characteristics, the Talk Gap, and subsequent ED&P change to better understand board stewardship of environmental issues.

The case deals with the issue of gaining a sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) in the solar energy market. After completing the case, the student will be able to– develop and apply conventional models of competitive advantage and core competency;– comprehend each step of the business process from a core competency viewpoint;– consider the value of sustainability solutions from a strategic standpoint; and– offer practical templates for creating and implementing a strategy.

This case depicts the challenges faced by Exalta in gaining a SCA because of the imitation of its products by competitors. Exalta, formed in 2008, was among the well-known innovative companies in the solar energy industry in India. In the first 12 years, the company focused primarily on unmet customer demand and developed innovative solar products to address those demands. Overall, over 300 products were launched in the initial years to address the new emerging customer demands. Solar AC, bikes and ventilators were among the popular ones. However, all of its product technology was copied by competitors. In 2021, troubled Exalta was incubated at IIT-Kanpur primarily for a single product, “Magic Inverter,” with substantial funding and IP protection. Despite attempts, Exalta could not capture a recognized market share. In this case, the company’s founder and CEO, Ashutosh Verma, is contemplating two options to gain an SCA: hold the existing and new products or fold the old ones and continue with one or two flagship products, i.e. Magic Inverter and Solar AC.

Graduate, postgraduate level and executive-level courses.

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

CSS 11: Strategy.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/EEMCS-12-2022-0526/

Human resource capability is an important factor in determining institutional capacities in digital records preservation. This study aims to assess human resource capabilities in supporting digital records preservation in Tanzania, with special reference to the Records and Archives Management Department (RAMD) and Registration, Insolvency and Trusteeship Agency (RITA).

This study employed a descriptive case study design with multiple cases to generate insights into the topic under inquiry. Simple random and purposive sampling methods were used to select study respondents. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews and documentary review. Qualitative data collected were subjected to content analysis, whereas quantitative data were analysed using international business machine-corporation-statistical packages and service solution.

RAMD and RITA have minimal human resource capabilities, as they contend with a shortage of qualified staff and technical personnel for digital records preservation. The shortage of funds, lack of management commitment to preserving digital records, lack of staff awareness on digital records preservation and inadequate participation of records practitioners in digital records preservation emerged as pressing challenges the two agencies contended with.

This study’s recommendations include finding alternative sources of funding, employing digital records specialists and provision of training on digital records preservation. Furthermore, this study proposes a framework that institutions can use in assessing human resource capabilities for digital records preservation.

This study contributes new knowledge and insights on the role of human resource capabilities in supporting digital records preservation in a resource-poor country.