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1 – 10 of 10Jeff Gold, John Walton, Peter Cureton and Lisa Anderson
The purpose of this paper is to argue that abductive reasoning is a typical but usually unrecognised process used by HRD scholars and practitioners alike.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to argue that abductive reasoning is a typical but usually unrecognised process used by HRD scholars and practitioners alike.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a conceptual paper that explores recent criticism of traditional views of theory‐building, based on the privileging of scientific theorising, which has led to a relevance gap between scholars and practitioners. The work of Charles Sanders Peirce and the varieties of an abductive reasoning process are considered.
Findings
Abductive reasoning, which precedes induction and deduction, provide a potential connection with HRD practitioners who face difficult problems. Two types of abductive reasoning are explored – existential and analogic. Both offer possibilities for theorising with HRD practitioners. A range of methods for allowing abduction to become more evident with practitioners are presented. The authors consider how abduction can be used in engaged and participative research strategies.
Research limitations/implications
While this is a conceptual paper, it does suggest implications for engagement and participation in theorising with HRD practitioners.
Practical implications
Abductive reasoning adds to the repertoire of HRD scholars and practitioners.
Originality/value
The paper elucidates the value of abductive reasoning and points to how it can become an integral element of theory building in HRD.
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Andrew J. Hobson, Linda J. Searby, Lorraine Harrison and Pam Firth
European hotels, which tend to be individual businesses, have a hard time resisting the continued globalization pressure. In order to survive the fierce international competition…
Abstract
European hotels, which tend to be individual businesses, have a hard time resisting the continued globalization pressure. In order to survive the fierce international competition, Europe's hotel business needs to offer their potential customers an added value that they do not receive from hotel chains. The author shows how European hotels can prevail by developing international service competencies.
Melissa Husbands and Julie Prescott
The purpose of this study resolved to evidence worldwide studies addressing the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic on higher education (HE) academic staff. Particularly in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study resolved to evidence worldwide studies addressing the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic on higher education (HE) academic staff. Particularly in relation to wellbeing and pedagogical role, as part of a parallel study exploring the impact of COVID-19 on academics’ pastoral role.
Design/methodology/approach
The systematized review identified eight relevant studies that shed light on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on university academics’ well-being.
Findings
The review highlights the paucity of research in this area, with no studies, at the time of the review, considering how academics responded to a broadening of their pastoral role amidst an evolving academic landscape, and how are universities supporting them.
Research limitations/implications
Firstly, only eight relevant studies were included, affecting generalisability of results owing to uneven distribution between geographic regions. Secondly, participants across the eight studies accounted for less than 0.05% of a population of 6 million university academics worldwide (Price, 2011). Thirdly, most of the studies used cross-sectional design, limiting assessment of the longer-term impact of an evolving HE landscape.
Practical implications
The findings of this systematized review can be placed in the context of illuminating research deficits within a shifting HE landscape. Specifically, no studies that the authors are aware of have investigated how academics are responding to a broadening of their pastoral role amidst an evolving academic landscape, and how are universities supporting them.
Originality/value
In providing pastoral support to students, the mental well-being of academics is frequently ignored (Urbina-Garcia, 2020). The provision of well-being support by university management for academics appears to be “limited to non-existent” (Hughes et al., 2018, p. 49). Critically, the Coronavirus pandemic appears to have both accelerated and precipitated a step-change to pastoral care within the HE teaching ecosystem. The impact of a broadening pastoral role on academics' well-being has yet to be fully realized and understood. The authors have subsequently conducted an empirical study to address this embryonic area of research.
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The purpose of this paper is to make the case for bringing compassion to students in educational settings, preschool through graduate school (PK-20).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to make the case for bringing compassion to students in educational settings, preschool through graduate school (PK-20).
Design/methodology/approach
First, the author defines what is meant by “compassion” and differentiates it from the related constructs. Next, the author discusses the importance of bringing compassion into education, thinking specifically about preschool, K-12 (elementary and middle school/junior high/high school), college students, and graduate students (e.g. law, medical, nurses, counselors and therapists-in-training). The author then reviews the scant empirical literature on compassion in education and makes recommendations for future research. In the final section, the author makes specific and practical recommendations for the classroom (e.g. how to teach and evaluate compassion in PK-20).
Findings
While there is a fair amount of research on compassion with college students, and specifically regarding compassion for oneself, as the author reviews in this paper, the field is wide open in terms of empirical research with other students and examining other forms of compassion.
Research limitations/implications
This is not a formal review or meta-analysis.
Practical implications
This paper will be a useful resource for teachers and those interested in PK-20 education.
Social implications
This paper highlights the problems and opportunities for bringing compassion into education settings.
Originality/value
To date, no review of compassion in PK-20 exists.
Peter O. Akadiri and Paul O. Olomolaiye
Selection of sustainable building materials represents an important strategy in the design and construction of a building. A principal challenge therefore is the identification of…
Abstract
Purpose
Selection of sustainable building materials represents an important strategy in the design and construction of a building. A principal challenge therefore is the identification of assessment criteria based on the concepts and principles of sustainability, and the process of prioritizing and aggregating relevant criteria into an assessment framework. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to fill these gaps by describing the development stages of key assessment criteria used within an assessment tool under development for sustainable building material selection in the UK building industry.
Design/methodology/approach
After conducting a thorough and systematic literature review, a total of 24 sustainable assessment criteria (SAC) based on the triple bottom line and the need of building stakeholders were identified. A survey of UK architects and designers was conducted to capture their perceptions on the importance of the criteria. A total of 490 questionnaires were mailed out to participants for completion. An initial and follow‐up administration of the postal survey generated an overall response rate of 20.2 per cent. Factor analysis was utilized to group the criteria into assessment factors for modelling sustainability of building materials.
Findings
The result revealed that all criteria were considered important, with “aesthetics”, “maintainability” and “energy saving” the three top criteria considered for building materials selection. Factor analysis shows that these SACs can be aggregated into six factors namely: “environmental impacts”, “resource efficiency”, “waste minimization”, “life cycle cost”, “socio benefit”, and “performance capability”. Since these criteria were derived from the survey through expert opinion, consideration of these six criteria in material selection will ensure sustainability of building projects.
Research limitations/implications
The sampling method does not include other stakeholders, who in a way influence material selection, such as the client. The sample size may need to be extended to include more stakeholders involved in material selection in order to minimize sampling error. However, the importance of the study remains, for the limitations do not detract from them, but merely provide scope for further research.
Originality/value
The current study contributes to the building industry and sustainability research in at least two aspects. First it widens the understanding of selection criteria as well as their degree of importance. It also provides building stakeholders a new way to select materials, thereby facilitating the sustainability of building projects.
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David Lorenz and Thomas Lützkendorf
The purpose of this paper is to explain the rationale for integrating sustainability issues into property valuation theory and practice and to provide initial suggestions for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explain the rationale for integrating sustainability issues into property valuation theory and practice and to provide initial suggestions for valuers on how to account for sustainability issues within valuation reports.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors emphasise the key role of valuation professionals and of the valuation process itself in achieving a broader market penetration of sustainable construction. It is explained that, on the one hand, property valuation represents the major mechanism to align economic return with environmental and social performance of property assets, and thus to express and communicate the advantages and benefits of sustainable buildings. On the other hand, it is explained that gradual changes in market participants' perceptions in favour of sustainable buildings must be reflected within the property valuation and associated risk assessment process (otherwise valuers would produce misleading price estimates). The authors identify both the financial benefits and risk reduction potential of sustainable design as well as valuation input parameters that would allow these benefits to be reflected in property price estimates.
Findings
The authors show that the main reasons for immediately and rigorously integrating sustainability issues into property valuation are as follows: more sustainable patterns of behaviour are urgently necessary to sustain the viability of the Earth's ecosystems; a huge untapped market potential exists for sustainable property investment products and consulting services; sustainable buildings clearly outperform their conventional competitors in all relevant areas (i.e. environmentally, socially and financially); neglecting the benefits of sustainable design leads to distorted price estimates; and reflecting sustainability issues in property price estimates is already possible and the validity of this decision depends solely on the valuer's capability and sophistication to explain and justify his/her assumptions within the valuation report. However, it is also shown that efforts need to be undertaken to improve the description of property assets in transaction databases in order to provide the informational databases necessary to empirically underpin a valuer's decision to assign a “valuation bonus” to a sustainable building or a “valuation reduction” to an unsustainable/conventional one.
Originality/value
The paper postulates that valuation reports should be extended to include the following additional elements: a clear description of the availability of certain sustainability‐related property characteristics and attributes; a statement of the valuer's opinion about the benefits of these characteristics and attributes; and a statement of the valuer's opinion about the impact of these benefits and/or risks on property value.
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Robert Thompson and William Green
Institutions of higher education (IHE) should be leaders for demonstrating sustainable building, landscaping, and operational practices. IHEs intensely use resources and are…
Abstract
Purpose
Institutions of higher education (IHE) should be leaders for demonstrating sustainable building, landscaping, and operational practices. IHEs intensely use resources and are nearly microcosms of the larger world. Yet, relatively few IHEs have assumed a strong leadership role by pursuing sustainability in a comprehensive manner. In particular, few examples exist where top administrators have made sustainability a high‐profile, campus‐wide priority. In the absence of strong administrative leadership, proponents of sustainability need to develop strategies that do not assume a top‐down approach.
Design/methodology/approach
This article examines the institutional structures and demands at many IHEs that make it unlikely that top administrators will make sustainability a priority. It also examines why supporters of sustainability will have to contend with faculty, staff, and students who may not see sustainability as an important issue or who must engage in sustainability efforts within the constraints of other institutional demands.
Findings
The authors present two overarching strategies for supporters of sustainability. First, they look for ways to push sustainability on to the IHE's “action agenda”. Second, they work to implement sustainability incrementally through discrete projects.
Originality/value
The authors offer specific recommendations for overcoming barriers to participation, pushing sustainability on to an IHE's action agenda, and keeping the process of incremental implementation moving forward.
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Arrick L. Jackson and John E. Wade
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between social capital and police sense of responsibility and their impact on proactive policing.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between social capital and police sense of responsibility and their impact on proactive policing.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained from surveys of 353 police officers from a mid‐Western police agency. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the relationship between social capital and proactive policing and the mediating impact of police sense of responsibility for explaining proactive policing.
Findings
Social capital demonstrates a significant relationship with both sense of responsibility and proactive policing. However, findings suggest that the amount of crime within the community has the most significant impact on police sense of responsibility and their subsequent proactive behavior. Further, social capital is only moderately mediated by sense of responsibility in explaining proactive policing.
Research limitations/implications
The research limitations of this study include: results may be skewed toward reflecting the perceptions of younger officers; this study is a cross‐sectional study, therefore, no data are provided in this study to indicate whether police opinions and behavior might change if their job assignments were different; and the scales utilized in this study may not be exhaustive.
Originality/value
Many explanations have been advanced to account for police proactive behavior. Social capital is the least developed concept in this regard. The mediating role that officers' sense of responsibility has in the relationship between social capital and proactive policing is assessed.