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1 – 10 of 82

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore barriers and pathways to a whole-institution governance of sustainability within the working structures of universities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on multi-year interviews and hierarchical structure analysis of ten universities in Canada, the USA, Australia, Hong Kong, South Africa, Brazil, the UK and The Netherlands. The paper addresses existing literature that championed further integration between the two organizational sides of universities (academic and operations) and suggests approaches for better embedding sustainability into four primary domains of activity (education, research, campus operations and community engagement).

Findings

This research found that effective sustainability governance needs to recognise and reconcile distinct cultures, diverging accountability structures and contrasting manifestations of central-coordination and distributed-agency approaches characteristic of the university’s operational and academic activities. The positionality of actors appointed to lead institution-wide embedding influenced which domain received most attention. The paper concludes that a whole-institution approach would require significant tailoring and adjustments on both the operational and academic sides to be successful.

Originality/value

Based on a review of sustainability activities at ten universities around the world, this paper provides a detailed analysis of the governance implications of integrating sustainability into the four domains of university activity. It discusses how best to work across the operational/academic divide and suggests principles for adopting a whole institution approach to sustainability.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 24 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 1 August 2023

Julie Stubbs, Sophie Russell, Eileen Baldry, David Brown, Chris Cunneen and Melanie Schwartz

Abstract

Details

Rethinking Community Sanctions
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80117-641-5

Book part
Publication date: 9 August 2023

Greg Martin

Cultural criminologists have long been interested in the politics of crime and deviance, whether that be in relation to youth subculture resistance or the social reaction to…

Abstract

Cultural criminologists have long been interested in the politics of crime and deviance, whether that be in relation to youth subculture resistance or the social reaction to transgression evident in the media construction of folk devils and moral panics. While contemporary ‘new’ cultural criminology continues to be focused on the situated experience of deviant ‘edgeworkers’, this chapter argues cultural criminology’s concern with the crime-media nexus provides particularly fertile ground for exploring insights provided by activists, academics, professional journalists and citizen journalists around informal interventions on formal criminal justice processes using social media and digital technologies. Drawing on examples from a burgeoning body of crime-media research, the chapter makes a case for ‘cultural criminology activism’, which, like activist criminology, is consciously disengaged from mainstream criminology’s alignment with the neoliberal-carceral state and its reformist agenda.

Details

The Emerald International Handbook of Activist Criminology
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80262-199-0

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 August 2020

Janet Haddock-Fraser and David Gorman

Anyone seeking to influence another is a potential leader. Within higher education, determining what an institution should undertake on sustainability can be daunting…

Abstract

Anyone seeking to influence another is a potential leader. Within higher education, determining what an institution should undertake on sustainability can be daunting. Sustainability leaders face labyrinthine, multifaceted sub-cultures, influencers and viewpoints across staff, students, government, business and alumni all with an opinion on whether, how and in what order of priority sustainability should be taken forward. In this paper we take on this challenge by synthesising and critically evaluating core principles and working models for influencing and leading for sustainability in higher education. We identify a series of eight challenges affecting delivery of sustainability and seek to understand how conceptual models and principles in sustainability decision-making and leadership could address these. We draw on the experience of both authors, in tandem with comments from workshop and leadership training programme participants who attended the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) Leadership Lab training in the UK, as well as reflections arising in a detailed case study from the University of Edinburgh. We bring key insights from theory and practice for the benefits of individuals or teams seeking to influence and persuade key decision-makers to embrace the sustainability agenda.

Details

Emerald Open Research, vol. 1 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3952

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 October 2023

Andrew Whitworth

This study aims to discern medieval information literacy (IL) practices through scrutiny of medieval manuscripts: both the content and the “marks of usage” evident therein.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to discern medieval information literacy (IL) practices through scrutiny of medieval manuscripts: both the content and the “marks of usage” evident therein.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis of the writing of scribes. Engagement with selected primary texts (manuscripts) and prior scholarly investigations.

Findings

Ample evidence exists of the practice of IL in the medieval era, and how it was transmitted and negotiated across time and space. Popular guides for scholars, including Hugh of St. Victor's Didascalicon, and the marks of usage left on manuscripts by readers/scribes, are evidence of how members of scholarly communities engaged in collaborative metacognitive work, helping each other with tasks such as understanding the ordinatio (organisation) of texts; cross-referencing; locating information; and making judgments about relevance, amongst others. New practices were stimulated by key historical transitions, particularly the shift from ecclesiastical to secular settings for learning.

Research limitations/implications

This is a preliminary study only, intended to lay foundations and suggest directions for more detailed future investigations of primary texts. The scope is Eurocentric, and similar work might be undertaken with the records of practice available elsewhere, e.g. the Arab world, South and East Asia.

Originality/value

Some previous work (e.g. Long, 2017) has investigated medieval scholarly communities by retrospectively applying notions from practice theory, but no prior work has specifically focused upon IL as the practice under investigation.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 80 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 9 January 2024

Jodi Brooke Patterson and Michelle Kimzey

The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship between trait and situational empathy, and the effect of educational activities on empathy of nursing students towards…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine the relationship between trait and situational empathy, and the effect of educational activities on empathy of nursing students towards people living with dementia.

Design/methodology/approach

This embedded mixed-methods study compared trait and situational empathy examined situational empathy pre/post didactic and experiential activities with nursing students and used qualitative data from focus group discussions to corroborate the quantitative data.

Findings

There was no significant difference between trait and situational empathy. Post intervention scores (situational) demonstrated improvements on empathic concern, shared affect, empathic imagination, helping motivation and cognitive empathy. Focus group discussions supported quantitative findings and also included distress.

Research limitations/implications

Limitations include lack of generalizability, single group threats and exclusion of stakeholder input. Single group threats include absence of a control group, familiarity with the CSES from pre-test to post-test and reactive measurements, as the students were observed by faculty while completing the Dementia Live activity. The perspective of stakeholders would strengthen the impact of the results on implementation.

Practical implications

Information gleaned from this study can help inform administrators in education and in practice. CliftonStrengths assessment and Dementia Live simulation activities can be used for administrators, faculty and students in schools of nursing as well as administrators and health-care workers.

Social implications

Information from this study can impact those living with dementia as well as their caregivers.

Originality/value

Most studies involving health-care students and empathy do not delineate between trait and situational empathy. This study is unique in that it measured both and sought a relationship between the two. Determining one's personal attributes such as trait empathy, can help students capitalize on their strengths and ultimately enhance patient care.

Details

The Journal of Mental Health Training, Education and Practice, vol. 19 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-6228

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 April 2023

Michelle Russen and Mary Dawson

The purpose of this critical review is to address issues with the current school of thought that diversity must come before inclusion in the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this critical review is to address issues with the current school of thought that diversity must come before inclusion in the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) process and propose an alternate solution.

Design/methodology/approach

This review takes a critical constructionist lens such that changes in social norms have morphed over time, refining the meaning and implementation of DEI initiatives in research and the workplace. This review is framed within the context of hospitality organizations.

Findings

The conflicting results in DEI research (whether DEI practices are positive or negative) are explained by diversity being the core factor. It is proposed that inclusion is the starting place and determinant of success in creating a diverse workforce. If inclusion comes first and is followed by equitable treatment, then diversity (and diverse representation) naturally follows.

Research limitations/implications

This review offers a novel perspective on the relationship between diversity, equity and inclusion, which was previously ambiguous. Research rarely includes all three as variables in the past, and does not use diversity as an outcome, but rather as a starting point.

Originality/value

This research suggests that unless an organization begins with an inclusive climate, there will be no benefit to having diverse candidates, nor will there be long-term retention of a diverse staff. It is recommended to begin with inclusion, implement equitable practices and diversity will increase through the enacted and espoused values.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 36 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 January 2024

Kedir Assefa Tessema

This study aimed to investigate the sensemaking strategies employed by early-career employees working within organizationally constrained environments.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the sensemaking strategies employed by early-career employees working within organizationally constrained environments.

Design/methodology/approach

Grounded in the sensemaking-as-accomplishment framework, a longitudinal multi-case study was conducted, involving three early-career employees. These participants were interviewed multiple times concerning tasks they themselves identified as anomalous and ambiguous.

Findings

The study's findings illuminate how early-career employees utilize sensemaking strategies to accomplish anomalous-ambiguous tasks. These strategies are interwoven with deliberate efforts to mitigate organizational constraints that exist in the organization or arise during the execution of complex tasks.

Research limitations/implications

Notable limitation pertains to the time gap between task completion and the interviews. Conducting real-time interviews concurrently with task execution or immediately afterward was not feasible due to constraints in participant availability. This research has implications for organizational learning initiatives, particularly those encompassing employee-driven self-learning components. Insights derived from studies like this can inform the development of effective self-learning schemes within organizations.

Originality/value

Previous sensemaking research focused on what takes place in high-reliability organizations. This study explored sensemaking strategies in workplaces that are organizationally constrained.

Details

Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, vol. 19 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5648

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2023

D. Christopher Taylor, Michelle Russen, Mary Dawson and Dennis Reynolds

Applying signaling theory to Schein’s organizational culture framework, this study aims to explain how restaurants communicate that their establishments value wine through…

Abstract

Purpose

Applying signaling theory to Schein’s organizational culture framework, this study aims to explain how restaurants communicate that their establishments value wine through multiple cultural attributes.

Design/methodology/approach

A phenomenological research design was adopted to conduct three focus groups with 14 restaurateurs about wine culture. Conversational analysis with Straussian coding was used.

Findings

A comprehensive definition of wine culture was provided, and five factors emerged that signal the presence of a wine culture. A wine presence includes a wine list, marketing efforts, community involvement and restaurant aesthetics. Employee traits are defined by individual attributes, communications skills and overall knowledge (training). Restaurant identity reflects the cultural alignment and customer relationship expectations set forth by ownership. Organizational structure reflects a restaurant’s hierarchy within which an individual or department is afforded the freedom to invest in wine. Future alignment reflects generational differences and trends in wine preferences and consumption.

Research limitations/implications

Researchers are provided a wine-culture definition and framework for wine research. Restaurants can use the study’s findings to formulate strategies for establishing a wine culture.

Originality/value

This study provided a framework for restaurateurs who wish to be known for wine to implement. Researchers and restaurateurs may facilitate communication between guests, staff and an organization regarding wine as a means of creating a competitive advantage.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

1 – 10 of 82