Search results
1 – 10 of 136Rickard Enstroem and Rodney Schmaltz
This study investigates the impact of large-scale teaching in higher education on students’ preparedness for the workforce within the context of evolving labour market demands…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the impact of large-scale teaching in higher education on students’ preparedness for the workforce within the context of evolving labour market demands, the expansion of higher education and the application of high-impact teaching strategies. It synthesizes perspectives on employer work readiness, the challenges and opportunities of large-scale teaching and strategies for fostering a dynamic academia-industry feedback loop. This multifaceted approach ensures the relevance of curricula and graduates’ preparedness while addressing the skills gap through practical recommendations for aligning teaching methodologies with employer expectations.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodically examines the multifaceted challenges and opportunities inherent in large-scale teaching. It focuses on sustaining student engagement, maintaining educational quality, personalizing learning experiences and cultivating essential soft skills in extensive student cohorts.
Findings
This study highlights the critical role of transversal skills in work readiness. It also uncovers that despite its challenges, large-scale teaching presents unique opportunities. The diversity of large student groups mirrors modern workplace complexities, and technological tools aid in personalizing learning experiences. Approaches like peer networking, innovative teaching methods, real-world simulations and collaborative resource utilization enrich education. The importance of experiential learning for augmenting large-scale teaching in honing soft skills is emphasized.
Originality/value
This manuscript contributes to the discourse on large-scale teaching, aligning it with employer expectations and the dynamic requirements of the job market. It offers a nuanced perspective on the challenges and opportunities this educational approach presents, providing insights for crafting engaging and effective learning experiences in large cohorts. The study uniquely integrates experiential learning, co-creation in education and industry-academia feedback loops, underscoring their importance in enhancing student work readiness in large-scale teaching.
Details
Keywords
Ume Rubaca and Majid Khan
The study aims to examine whether job resourcefulness affects task performance through job crafting at the within-person level.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to examine whether job resourcefulness affects task performance through job crafting at the within-person level.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from employees of the tour and travel firms and their supervisors. Multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) was used for analysis due to the repeated data structure, for example, days (n = 900) nested in individuals (n = 180).
Findings
Results show a positive association between job resourcefulness and task performance, with the full mediation of job crafting at the within-person level.
Originality/value
The study concludes that variation in job resourcefulness impacts job crafting and task performance at the within-person level.
Details
Keywords
Lluis Francesc Peris Cancio and Maria Alexandra Monteiro Mustafá
The purpose of this article’s research was threefold. Firstly, it aimed to investigate how social services professionals coped during the pandemic period by comparing their…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article’s research was threefold. Firstly, it aimed to investigate how social services professionals coped during the pandemic period by comparing their involvement in five different national contexts. Secondly, it analysed how these professionals have performed their duties according to the street-level bureaucracy theory. Finally, the third question examines social workers' strategies to guide their professional role when they may have had more discretion in their actions. The research also examined whether discretion has increased during this phase and, if so, how it has been exercised.
Design/methodology/approach
This article is based on the findings of the project called “Theory and Practice of Social Work in the World in Times of Pandemic”, which was funded by the International Association of Schools of Social Work (IASSW). The project involved 11 universities across five countries in Europe and Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Spain and Sweden. The research was conducted over 24 months to analyse the practices and measures taken to protect vulnerable people by adapting social services during the extraordinary period of the pandemic. In addition, the research explored how the awareness of emergency arose among social workers and how it influenced the services delivered from the perspective of the street-level bureaucracy theory. In different countries, the level of resourcefulness of services has varied based on their recognition of the severity of the pandemic and the impact of the government’s narratives. In some cases, these narratives have been conspiratorial or even anti-scientific. Additionally, there has been a reduction in the distance between professionals and clients, increased inequalities in access to services and a positive reassessment of the potential of new professional tools, such as digital social work, in establishing a trusting relationship.
Findings
As revealed in the interviews, the elements shaping this high degree of discretion among social workers can be classified into three levels: macro- and micro- (Saruis, 2015) plus a meso-level. Each level has four significant aspects. At the macro-level, these are legislation, public information, large associationism and integration of the social services-health system. At the meso-level, these are interpretations of role performance by managers technical equipment, self-organization and community action. The micro-level pertains to personal and family situations, emotions, ethics and social workers' direct relationships with those in charge.
Research limitations/implications
This study investigated how social workers responded to the Covid-19 pandemic. The data gathered sheds light on their understanding of the situation, as well as the differences in experiences across the five countries studied. However, it is essential to note that the findings may not apply to all situations or countries. Nevertheless, this research serves as a stepping stone for future studies to delve deeper into the results and explore them in greater detail .
Practical implications
The study highlights the crucial role of social workers as street-level workers in managing, negotiating and creating meaning in the interaction between professionals and the people they serve. This is especially relevant in Latin America. Additionally, the study emphasizes the significance of social workers as policy actors and the political nature of social work practice. The findings also underscore the importance of effective communication and collaboration between social workers, their teams and the organizations they work for. The sources cited in the study are Barberis and Boccagni (2014) and Cuadra and Staaf (2014). The research has also underscored the potential of social service workers to build networks and cooperate. Such networking can play a vital role in implementing their acquired knowledge. The study has, therefore, emphasized the importance of social workers being an integral part of the societies they serve. They need to continuously enhance their communication skills, using all the necessary tools to gain a comprehensive and updated understanding of the evolving needs of their clients. Integrating digital social work as a mode of service provision has emerged as a crucial aspect, especially in the three European countries observed. This approach has demonstrated its potential and is expected to continue being a part of services to some extent, even after the return to normalcy. However, it is essential to ensure that the accessibility and proximity of services are not compromised in any way.
Social implications
An unexpected result was observed during the research: the pandemic circumstances have led to valuable reflections. These reflections can help in rethinking and recreating social services. Social workers have been given a unique opportunity to return to the essence of their profession and develop less bureaucratic and more humane ways of working. This experience has also enabled them to recover a closer relationship with the people they serve. To sum up, this study emphasizes that social workers, when given more leeway in their work, rely on cultivating and upholding relationships with other professionals, organizations and stakeholders to stay connected with the community they serve. This is crucial for ensuring the delivery of effective and sustainable social services.
Originality/value
The research employed a thematic analysis approach (Bazeley, 2007) to identify themes related to the concept of consciousness as derived from the field experiences of social workers. Additionally, an in-case and cross-case analysis method (Fereday and Muir-Cochrane, 2006) was used to connect themes related to individual experiences with those gathered from the overall experiences.
Details
Keywords
Elena Anastasiadou, Jimmie Röndell, Magnus Berglind and Peter Ekman
This study aims to offer a mid-range theory conceptualization of factors central to understanding and facilitating business actor engagement (BAE). Reports on a study of real…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to offer a mid-range theory conceptualization of factors central to understanding and facilitating business actor engagement (BAE). Reports on a study of real estate companies and their sustainable development goal (SDG) driven business initiatives. The aim is to identify the factors that need to be in place to facilitate positive engagement amongst actors in business-to-business (B2B) settings.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study of real estate companies (landlords of business premises) and their business customers (tenants of offices and warehouses) – comprising interviews and workshops – offer insights related to the factors that need to be in place to facilitate BAE types and outcomes.
Findings
The identified central factors of BAE – needed to understand and facilitate positive engagement to unfold – are the actors’ perception of: willingness (to act), resourcefulness (to contribute and solve issues) and influence (to affect decisions) regarding solutions related to the business initiative at hand. Failing to facilitate these factors may result in negative outcomes of BAE where “engagement” merely constitutes perceived obligations and responsibilities.
Research limitations/implications
The study offers theoretical and managerial insights on how to manage the factors needed for BAE. It also sheds light on how actors can use SDG-driven business initiatives to achieve sustainability goals.
Originality/value
It contributes to the concept of BAE, by emphasizing the dynamics of engagement, from the motivational and behavioral dimensions specific to B2B settings. It offers insights how to managerially cogovern rather than control BAE. It presents central factors needed to include and capacitate customers, facilitating successful implementations of SDG-driven business initiatives to reduce absent or negative outcomes.
Details
Keywords
Karen M. Peesker, Lynette J. Ryals and Peter D. Kerr
The digital transformation is dramatically changing the business-to-business (B2B) sales environment, challenging long-standing views regarding the critical competencies required…
Abstract
Purpose
The digital transformation is dramatically changing the business-to-business (B2B) sales environment, challenging long-standing views regarding the critical competencies required of salespeople. This paper aims to explore the personal traits associated with sales performance in a digital selling environment.
Design/methodology/approach
Using template analysis, the researchers captured and coded over 21 h of in-depth, semi-structured interviews with senior sales leaders from various industry sectors, exploring their perceptions of the personal traits now required of B2B salespeople in the digital landscape.
Findings
The research identifies three high-level trait types critical to sales success within a digital selling environment: “analytical curiosity” – the natural motivation and ability to gather and synthesize sales-related knowledge, “empathetic citizenship” – the ability to establish initial rapport while building long-term trust and “disciplined drive” – the exertion of selling effort in a highly focused and methodical manner across all stages of the sales process.
Research limitations/implications
The present data came from interviews with sales leaders in Canada. A more global sample may lead to additional insights. Moreover, the sample was drawn from long-cycle B2B sales environments; conclusions may differ for short-cycle or business-to-consumer markets.
Practical implications
This paper presents a framework for hiring and developing salespeople in the digital sales environment, identifying personal trait types that sales leaders should look for when hiring: analytical curiosity, empathetic citizenship and disciplined drive. The paper identifies how these trait types influence sales success, suggesting that sales leaders could coach and educate their teams to make the best use of them.
Originality/value
This paper presents a conceptual framework for hiring in the digital sales environment and introduces the trait of analytical curiosity not previously discussed in the literature.
Details
Keywords
Melati Nungsari, Kirjane Ngu, Denise Wong Ni Shi, Jia Wei Chin, Shu Yee Chee, Xin Shi Wong and Sam Flanders
Entrepreneurship studies have established various antecedents leading to eventual entrepreneurship by measuring entrepreneurial intention (EI). However, evidence has shown that…
Abstract
Purpose
Entrepreneurship studies have established various antecedents leading to eventual entrepreneurship by measuring entrepreneurial intention (EI). However, evidence has shown that intention does not necessarily translate into behaviour, especially for complex behaviours such as creating a business venture. Hence, this paper aims to examine how contextual and individual factors interact with one another to promote or inhibit one’s translation of EI into entrepreneurial action in an emerging economy.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopt a retrospective qualitative approach by interviewing 37 Malaysian micro and small business owners. Then, multidimensional scaling is used to examine the interactions between the identified factors.
Findings
The authors find that social networks are the main influence on an individual’s propensity to start a business – it provides financial and social capital, provides other means of support such as practical help and business opportunities and instils passion and drive. Furthermore, organisations such as schools, universities and employers play an important role in instilling the motivation for a career shift to entrepreneurship and by providing opportunities to upskill. In addition, the findings indicate that entrepreneurial traits such as proactiveness, resourcefulness and passion enable individuals to overcome entrepreneurial structural constraints, such as lack of resources and negative action-related emotions. By contrast, the role of macro-environmental factors such as governmental support play less prominent roles in the narratives of the entrepreneurs.
Practical implications
This study has important implications for governments and policymakers in implementing support for those transitioning from salaried employment to self-employment and for entrepreneurship interventions to adopt a holistic approach that encompasses building one’s entrepreneurial knowledge, skills and mindsets, alongside providing external incentives.
Originality/value
The authors provide a more holistic approach to exploring the EI–behaviour gap. In addition, this study explored facilitators and barriers to entrepreneurship specific to the context of an emerging economy such as Malaysia, which is highly dependent on small-scale self-employment.
Details
Keywords
Sumaira Nazeer, Muhammad Saleem Sumbal, Gang Liu, Hina Munir and Eric Tsui
The purpose of this paper is to embark on evaluating the role of Chat Generative-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) in personal knowledge management (PKM) practices of individual…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to embark on evaluating the role of Chat Generative-Trained Transformer (ChatGPT) in personal knowledge management (PKM) practices of individual knowledge workers across varied disciplines.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology involves four steps, i.e. literature search, screening and selection of relevant data, data analysis and data synthesis related to KM, PKM and generative artificial intelligence (AI) with a focus on ChatGPT. The findings are then synthesized to develop a viewpoint on the challenges and opportunities brought by ChatGPT for individual knowledge workers in enhancing their PKM capability.
Findings
This work highlights the prevailing challenges and opportunities experienced by knowledge workers while leveraging PKM through implying ChatGPT. It also encapsulates how some management theories back the cruciality of generative AI (specifically ChatGPT) for PKM.
Research limitations/implications
This study identifies the challenges and opportunities. from existing studies and does not imply empirical data/result. The authors believe that findings can be adjusted to diverse domains regarding knowledge workers’ PKM endeavors. This paper draws some conclusions and calls for further empirical research.
Originality/value
ChatGPT’s capability to accelerate organizational performance compelled scholars to focus in this domain. The linkage of ChatGPT to Knowledge Management is an under-explored area specifically the role of ChatGPT on PKM hasn't been given attention in the existing work. This is one of the earliest studies to explore this context.
Details
Keywords
Meghan Grace and Corey Seemiller
Like every generation before them, Gen Zers possess a specific set of attributes. For example, they identify as loyal, thoughtful, compassionate, and responsible. They share their…
Abstract
Like every generation before them, Gen Zers possess a specific set of attributes. For example, they identify as loyal, thoughtful, compassionate, and responsible. They share their sense of ingenuity and resourcefulness with their Gen X parental generation and embrace diversity and inclusion like their older millennial counterparts. And, they connect with their baby boomer grandparents with their shared sense of responsibility. Generation Z is motivated by achievement and making a difference. Although some believe others will let them down, the majority are optimistic about their futures and believe good things will happen for them.
Details
Keywords
Endrit Kromidha and Nia Kurniati Bachtiar
This study explores resilience learning from uncertainty, taking a holistic view by considering individual, firm and contextual factors. Resilience development is understood by…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores resilience learning from uncertainty, taking a holistic view by considering individual, firm and contextual factors. Resilience development is understood by focusing on how uncertainty is related to entrepreneurs and their environment, suggesting that developing resilience needs to be a continuous learning process.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study explores factors related to entrepreneurial uncertainty, resilience and learning. Evidence is drawn from interviews with rural entrepreneurs in two regions of Indonesia, and analyzed using a rigorous approach to generate codes, second-order themes and aggregate dimensions for the theoretical contributions.
Findings
Uncertainty readiness, uncertainty response and uncertainty opportunity for resilience emerge as the key learning areas from this study. They are related to resilience on a personal, community and systemic level. The proposed framework relates learning from uncertainty to the process of developing resilience for entrepreneurs and their communities.
Originality/value
This study proposes a framework based on resilience motivation and learning from uncertainty as usual. It explores the relationships between uncertainty readiness, responses and opportunities with personal, relational and systemic resilience factors. This contributes to entrepreneurship behavior research at the intersection of organization studies and management in the socio-economic and often informal context of developing countries.
Details
Keywords
This study aims to explore the role of frontline service employees’ (FSEs) awareness that their job can be substituted by smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the role of frontline service employees’ (FSEs) awareness that their job can be substituted by smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and algorithms (STARA) in their job autonomy and proactive service performance and when these relationships can be buffered. Drawing on the cognitive appraisal theory of stress, the study examined the mediating relationship between FSEs’ STARA awareness, job autonomy and proactive service performance and the moderating effects of self-efficacy and resilience on this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors administered two-wave online surveys to 301 South Korean FSEs working in various service sectors (e.g. retailing, food/beverage, hospitality/tourism and banking). The Time 1 survey measured respondents’ STARA awareness, self-efficacy, resilience and job autonomy, and the Time 2 survey assessed their proactive service performance.
Findings
FSEs’ STARA awareness negatively affected their subsequent proactive service performance through decreased job autonomy. The negative association between STARA awareness and job autonomy was weaker when FSEs’ self-efficacy was high than when it was low. While the authors observed no significant moderation of resilience, the author found a marginally significant three-way interaction between STARA awareness, self-efficacy and resilience. Specifically, STARA awareness was negatively related to job autonomy only when both self-efficacy and resilience were low. When either self-efficacy or resilience was high, the association between STARA awareness and job autonomy became nonsignificant, suggesting the buffering roles of the two personal resources.
Research limitations/implications
Given that the measurement of variables relied on self-reported data, rater biases might have affected the findings of the study. Moreover, the simultaneous measurement of STARA awareness, self-efficacy, resilience and job autonomy could preclude causal inferences between these variables. The authors encourage future studies to use a more rigorous methodology to reduce rater biases and establish stronger causality between the variables.
Practical implications
Service firms can decrease FSEs’ STARA awareness through training in the knowledge and skills necessary to work with these technologies. To promote FSEs’ proactive service performance in this context, service firms need to involve them in decisions related to STARA adoption and allow them to craft their jobs. Service managers should provide FSEs with social support and exercise empowering and supportive leadership to help them view STARA as a challenge rather than a threat.
Originality/value
Distinct from prior research on STARA awareness and employee outcomes, the study identified proactive service performance as a key outcome in the STARA context. By presenting self-efficacy and resilience as crucial personal resources that buffer FSEs from the deleterious impact of STARA awareness, the study provides practitioners with insights that can help FSEs maintain their job autonomy and proactive service performance in times of digitalization and automation.
Details