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Article
Publication date: 1 February 2010

Williams E. Nwagwu

Understanding learning and information needs of youth could provide planners with information required to address the needs of youth in a community. Using data collected from 220…

Abstract

Understanding learning and information needs of youth could provide planners with information required to address the needs of youth in a community. Using data collected from 220 and 250 male and female youth through Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and a questionnaire survey respectively, this study investigated the information and learning needs of youth in Uzoagba, a rural community in southeastern Nigeria. Two categories of youth could be identified based on their information practices. They are those under 12 where education, health/ HIV/AIDS and income dominate. Another is the group of those above 12 where the issues that dominate their needs are income/employment and education. In summary, youth want to remain healthy to develop their personal efficacy through education and then be usefully integrated into wider social and economic life. Meanwhile, they are concerned about how to participate in generating income to achieve this ultimate aim, and to assist their families and community.

Details

World Journal of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-5945

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Article
Publication date: 30 October 2009

Max Fridell, Rebecca Newcom Belcher and Phillip E. Messner

This paper seeks to apply discriminate analysis to determine principal's leadership styles differences between genders in USA Midwest public schools. A distinction is to be made…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to apply discriminate analysis to determine principal's leadership styles differences between genders in USA Midwest public schools. A distinction is to be made between “servant” (seen as aligned with emotional intelligence) and “traditional” (or top‐down) leadership. The debate between the traditional (or, top‐down) leadership approach, versus the servant (which is seen as aligned with emotional intelligence) leadership approach is ripe for investigation.

Design/methodology/approach

E‐mail based surveys from 445 responding public school principals comprised of men (n=265) and women (n=180) were quantitatively analyzed. The self‐selected sample for the study was drawn from public schools in three Midwest states in the USA. The inventory contained 40 content items prepared on a five‐point Likert scale and one demographic question. Content and construct validity were evaluated and significant difference tests were performed. The study sought to clarify which cluster of items from the Servant‐leadership Styles Inventory (SSI) best described gender membership and, thereby, proffered possibly gender oriented servant‐leadership styles utilizing discriminant function analysis methods.

Findings

This study has established that SSI items identified with Servant‐leadership dimension are reliable and valid; however items aligned with Traditional leadership dimensions were found to be less reliable and valid. Additionally these results have shown that Servant‐leadership items can be effective in differentiating between men and women principals. It is important to note that both men and women equally reported that they were reluctant to use Traditional leadership styles. No differences between genders in Traditional leadership styles usage were found. However, there were significant differences between men's and women's Servant‐leadership style usage.

Research limitations/implications

Current research shows that men and women operate differently. What has been lacking, however, is an instrument that discriminated between male and female leadership styles. This study is bounded by the following limitations: by location, the study is restricted to USA Midwest practicing public school principals; to the gender based perceptions of principals in Midwest USA, other factors such a training, experience and longevity are unknown; and it is also unknown as to the instrument's cultural biases when applied to other countries and regions in the USA. However, the instrument may open opportunities for cultural and gender based leadership research studies when applied to new populations.

Practical implications

This paper reports the development of a new research instrument, the SSI. The instrument utilizes 20 traditional leadership styles and 20 servant leadership styles to query subjects. The instrument was found to be reliable and valid, especially the servant leadership items.

Originality/value

The paper shows that four Servant‐leadership styles lend understanding to the field, and help begin a discussion of feminine servant‐leadership style. These four newly identified styles are: daily reflection; consensus building; healing relationships; and drive sense of self worth. The feminine leader is more likely to hold and practice these values than male leaders.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 30 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

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Article
Publication date: 1 October 2004

Elaine Enarson and Lourdes Meyreles

This article provides an introduction and assessment of the English and Spanish literatures on gender relations in disaster contexts. We analyze regional patterns of differences…

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Abstract

This article provides an introduction and assessment of the English and Spanish literatures on gender relations in disaster contexts. We analyze regional patterns of differences and similarities in women’s disaster experiences and the differing research questions raised by these patterns in the scholarly and practice‐based literature. The analysis supports the claim that how gender is theorized makes a difference in public policy and practical approaches to disaster risk management. We propose new directions in the field of disaster social science and contribute a current bibliography in the emerging gender and disaster field.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 24 no. 10/11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

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Article
Publication date: 12 April 2024

Sandra Carrasco and Irene Perez Lopez

This study explores the opportunities for a gender-inclusive architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, focussing on the gap between architectural education and…

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores the opportunities for a gender-inclusive architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, focussing on the gap between architectural education and practice. This study focusses on three research questions: (1) What factors influence women architects' career retention and advancement in the AEC industry? How can practice outcomes be linked with educational approaches for gender inclusion in the AEC industry? (3) What critical factors can enable structural changes in architecture education, including AEC-related subjects and practice/career pathways towards gender equity?

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on a systematic literature review (SLR). The established timeframe for selecting papers in this study considered the last 20 years, as various seminal studies in feminism and gender inclusion in architecture emerged in the early 2000s through the definition of keywords used in two prestigious databases. The academic articles selected were filtered through a process of inclusion and exclusion, following criteria for suitability and relevance using a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews (PRISMA) diagram.

Findings

This study revealed key trends in the literature review consistent with the research questions, including (1) the disproportionate struggles women face at individual, interpersonal and organisational levels and the gender-based bias from entry and progression in the AEC industry that also requires multi-level interventions; (2) traditional architecture education affects female students and educators who find networking, social capital and leadership opportunities to challenge gender-based stereotypes and promote workplace equity, and finally, (3) observe enablers for fostering equity in architecture and education, which should not be limited to policy-driven interventions but structural transformations through transparency, mentorship, leadership, awareness raising and empowerment of women and men, promoting inclusivity and gender equity in the AEC industry.

Research limitations/implications

This study considers a global understanding of gender equity in the AEC industry, regional and country-specific analysis needs to be considered in future studies. The study's focus is on women’s inclusion, acknowledging the limitations of conventional binary gender concepts; future studies need to include the experiences of LGBTI + communities and other underrepresented groups. The literature review considers only academic articles; future research should also consider industry reports, government initiatives and organisational documents for a broader understanding of diversity efforts in business.

Originality/value

This paper observes the issues for gender-inclusive architecture within the context of a male-dominant AEC industry through linking architectural education and practice. Studies rarely focus on this link and address workplace issues. This study highlights this link and extends the discussion through the critical literature review, providing a new ground for geographic-specific or intersectional studies.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

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Article
Publication date: 1 February 1993

Victor Ayeni

The focus on women and gender‐related issues is clearly one of themost important concerns of development administration today. Againstthis background, examines the problem of…

Abstract

The focus on women and gender‐related issues is clearly one of the most important concerns of development administration today. Against this background, examines the problem of ensuring that gender issues are fully incorporated into management education in Africa. The discussion elaborates on why and in what direction and strategies African universities, defined as the centre of the intellectual concerns raised, should take on the matter. Existing theories do not provide clear guidelines. Hence proposes some alternative possibilities based on the principle of representation and decentralized administration. It is noted that the challenge of sensitizing public management education in Africa to gender concerns is not solely an intellectual one. It has political elements too. In effect, therefore, it is important to reiterate the need to guarantee all relevant social groups′ meaningful participation in the development process.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

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Article
Publication date: 5 January 2024

Juan Pablo Martínez Guzmán

The purpose of this research is to further the understanding of how to implement gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) systems. The author explores whether GRB reforms might benefit…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to further the understanding of how to implement gender-responsive budgeting (GRB) systems. The author explores whether GRB reforms might benefit from integration into a performance-oriented budgetary structure and whether GRB's equity orientation is linked to additional implementation challenges.

Design/methodology/approach

This research follows a qualitative case study of South Korea guided by a predetermined research framework and built from extensive documentation, archival records and expert interviews.

Findings

GRB’s integration into a performance framework can be burdensome, and the equity orientation of GRB results in additional implementation challenges, such as higher vulnerability to the political context and active resistance from public officials.

Originality/value

This research shows that integrating GRB with performance systems may require overcoming significant administrative obstacles. Also, GRB’s equity orientation is linked to a higher vulnerability to the political cycle and active resistance from civil servants.

Details

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1096-3367

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Article
Publication date: 22 June 2012

Regine Bendl and Angelika Schmidt

In this paper the authors aim to examine the forms in which feminist activism is played out at contemporary managerial universities and pose the following question: what notions…

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Abstract

Purpose

In this paper the authors aim to examine the forms in which feminist activism is played out at contemporary managerial universities and pose the following question: what notions of feminist activism and feminist theory have to be revisited in order to sustain the target of gender equality and support its move further into the centre and the mainstream of managerial universities?

Design/methodology/approach

Based on action research the authors document a workshop which they organised for different constituencies (administrators, researchers and feminist activists) working towards gender equality at an Austrian university and discuss its results in the context of feminist theory.

Findings

The five voices collected at the workshop show that feminist theories are still the underlying guiding principles for feminist activism towards gender equality at managerial universities. As this is the first time that different generations of feminist activists have been present at managerial universities and are working in a top‐down environment supported by administrators responsible for gender equality, common practices that have been successful to implement gender equality in the past have to be refined and new spaces for collaboration established.

Originality/value

This is the first paper that explores the multiple voices amongst those engaged in the process of transformation towards gender equality at contemporary managerial universities. It shows that an open discussion of complementary and conflicting ways in which the representatives can construct their selves, their strategies and their actions is required in order to start “managing the management” anew – from a higher level than the feminist grassroots activists in the 1980s and 1990s.

Details

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, vol. 31 no. 5/6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7149

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 21 August 2015

Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Peter Hancock and Max Oliveira

This chapter critiques the forceful institutionalization of gender mainstreaming into development programs.

Abstract

Purpose

This chapter critiques the forceful institutionalization of gender mainstreaming into development programs.

Methodology/approach

The data was generated from literature review and a research-based case study of the World Bank’s Community-Based Rural Development Projects in a Ghanaian township using ethnographic research methods such as participant-observation, focus group discussion, and individual interviews.

Findings

Our study found that gender mainstreaming has become popular, with the majority of international development agencies, such as The World Bank, AusAID, USAID, and the UNDP, adopting it as an overarching framework for developing and delivering their programs and services. The concept has also made its way into government policies globally over the past decade and has a strong influence on aid projects, even on gender-neutral programs. Our ethnographic research revealed that it is problematic to simply use gender mainstreaming as a policy initiative. The research case study presented showed that, in their quest to involve women in decision-making processes in rural localities, officials who implemented the CBRDP targeted women, although improving gender equality (through the process of gender mainstreaming) was not an objective of the CBRDP project per se. As a result, the project was jeopardized, some local people misconceptualized the CBRDP as a “women’s empowerment initiative,” leading to apathy on the part of men, some of whom resented the CBRDP by preventing their wives and daughters from participating in it, ultimately causing a negative outcome.

Originality/value

We seek to alert international development organizations and practitioners that implementing gender mainstreaming programs and policies without considering local conditions and social relationships will fail to deliver the desired outcomes for the intended beneficiaries.

Details

At the Center: Feminism, Social Science and Knowledge
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-078-4

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Article
Publication date: 24 August 2012

Juan Antonio Aguirre Gonzalez

The purpose of the study was to contribute to a better understanding of the climate change problem in naturally protected areas in developing countries, based on women's…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to contribute to a better understanding of the climate change problem in naturally protected areas in developing countries, based on women's perceptions and to determine whether national parks should take an active role in providing climate change educational information and activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The work reported in this paper was carried out at Vulcan Poas National Park, Costa Rica, and the analysis drew on a sub‐sample of 162 Costa Rican women and 273 American women. The material collected was analyzed using a combination of ANOVA, correlation and standardized derived regression modelling using the forward elimination technique.

Findings

Climate change certainly ranks below personal and immediate risk in terms of perceived importance and the top‐level risks reported by respondents related to immediate personal concerns. The key explanatory variable in the case of the Costa Rican women is the relative educational level of the person and the park's ability to educate people about climate change. In the case of the American women, the variables included in the final model were: industrial emissions, deforestation and aerosol sprays. The results indicate that a significant difference exists between the two groups with regard to current perceptions about the threat from climatic change, and the likely importance of the problem in 50 years' time. Costa Rican women appeared to exhibit a more complex problem‐reaction‐action behavioural continuum than the American women in the study. In both cases it is unclear as to the role played by protected areas in terms of the impact of information and education provided in relation to climate change.

Research limitations/implications

The role of the parks as a source of education and information about the topic is not clear. However, it was established that there is an overall interest in the topic among women visitors, particularly local women. This level of awareness could be harnessed to develop strategies for combating and mitigating climate change, and in this sense, national parks might play an enhanced role as a place of learning about the topic.

Originality/value

This study is the first of its kind. In previous studies, women's reactions to climate change have been investigated much less than men's.

Details

Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, vol. 4 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4217

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Book part
Publication date: 10 November 2011

Camilla Perrone

The contemporary city is a field with a myriad of problems that require deep reflection and the questioning of habitual ways of thinking and acting. This chapter examines some of…

Abstract

The contemporary city is a field with a myriad of problems that require deep reflection and the questioning of habitual ways of thinking and acting. This chapter examines some of these, while seeking a path – or perhaps a way out – in order to deal with the difficulties linked to the most pressing emergent phenomena: the multiplication of new citizens, the complicated mosaic of differences, the spread of voluntary communities and the requests for recognition in a socially diverse and multiple society.

The reflections brought together in this chapter leave behind mundane literary routines, imprisoned in the clichés of the discourse on post-modernity, to single out a ‘field of practices’ that is enigmatic but at the same time constitutes and generates a new idea of urbanity. DiverCity (Perrone, 2010) is the literary and evocative figuration that recounts this set of practices. The figuration uses a ‘play on words’ between diversity and city, in which the two concepts are understood as entities with a one-to-one correspondence, an ontological interconnection. DiverCity is the outcome of a process to produce and exchange multiple, plural, interactive (built up during the action), expert and experiential knowledge.

Details

Everyday Life in the Segmented City
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-259-3

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