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1 – 10 of over 5000Nutifafa Geh, Fidelis Emuze and Dillip Kumar Das
The deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) in higher education institutions is beneficial and critical for attaining sustainable campus goals. However, various barriers hamper the…
Abstract
Purpose
The deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) in higher education institutions is beneficial and critical for attaining sustainable campus goals. However, various barriers hamper the adoption of the technology, and unless these challenges are identified, formulating tailor made solutions to boost deployment will be challenging. Thus, this study aimed to identify the barriers to the deployment of PV in the public university sector in South Africa.
Design/methodology/approach
A critical review of the literature was conducted to identify the factors that negatively impact PV deployment. By screening the barriers identified from the literature using a conceptual framework, the barriers that were considered relevant to deployment within a university context were selected. Thereafter, the selected barriers and additional barriers recommended by panellists were verified through a three-round Delphi survey. The factors were either accepted or rejected as barriers in the sector based on the factors' mean score and interquartile range values.
Findings
The study observed that 12 barriers hamper PV deployment in the public university sector. The findings indicated that the top five barriers were the lack of incentives, lack of green building targets, lack of financial resources, high initial cost, and lack of clear policy direction. However, the study found that deployment was not hindered because there was resistance to change or uncertainty of recouping investment costs. The deployment was also not hindered because there was a lack of demand from electricity end-users or a lack of suitable installation space.
Originality/value
Given the lack of empirical studies on the subject in the region, the present study contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying the significant barriers that impede PV deployment in the public university sector. Furthermore, insight is provided on measures that relevant stakeholders can take to motivate and support universities to deploy the technology further.
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Tamer H. Elsharnouby, Said Elbanna, Shatha M. Obeidat and Nasrina Issa Mauji
The influx of expatriates to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has led to labor imbalance inducing these countries to initiate workforce nationalization policies…
Abstract
Purpose
The influx of expatriates to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries has led to labor imbalance inducing these countries to initiate workforce nationalization policies. However, despite the policies' emphasis on increasing the presence of nationals in all sectors, employing nationals in the private sector is still a critical challenge for policymakers. This paper explores local job seekers' and employees' perceptions of employment choices in the private and public sectors.
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting a qualitative approach, data were collected through in-depth interviews with 28 local job seekers, either not currently employed or employed but seeking another job.
Findings
The data revealed a contextualized understanding of positive and negative connotations pertaining to employment in the private and public sectors in Qatar.
Research limitations/implications
Understanding nationals' negative preconceived notions against working in the private sector and the perceived benefits of public sector employment lays the groundwork for developing measures to help policymakers to create labor market-oriented policies that stimulate mobility between the public and private sectors.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the workforce nationalization literature in the GCC countries by examining local job seekers' perceptions associated with employment in the private sector and the public sector. A closer examination of why nationals are hesitant to enter the private sector can propel the pendulum towards higher success rates of workforce nationalization.
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Hawa Ahmad, Suhaiza Ismail and Zamzulaila Zakaria
Drawing on institutional work (Lawrence and Suddaby, 2006; Lawrence et al., 2011), this study aims to explore how the concept of value for money (VFM) is understood in terms of…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on institutional work (Lawrence and Suddaby, 2006; Lawrence et al., 2011), this study aims to explore how the concept of value for money (VFM) is understood in terms of the private finance initiative (PFI) implementation in Malaysia.
Design/methodology/approach
In-depth interviews with 25 actors involved in the implementation of PFI projects at two public universities in Malaysia were conducted. The interviews focused on the ways in which participants in the projects make sense of VFM in their ongoing involvement with the projects. In addition, a review of publicly available documents was conducted to understand the ways in which the notion of VFM is reflected in the policies and procedures of the government. Data from the interviews and documents were analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
It is found that the advocacy work of macro-level actors, as well as micro-level actors, has promoted PFI implementation to achieve VFM. However, to the micro-level actors, VFM is just a concept that carries different interpretations, depending on how PFI fits their everyday functional discourses. In addition, direct negotiation and lack of commercial appreciation are disruptive not only to the achievement of VFM but also to the public sector reform agenda of the country.
Originality/value
The present study contributes to the discourses on the concept of VFM that is assumed to be inherent in PFI. The findings are based on micro- and macro-level actors and cover both advocacy and disruption of VFM achievement.
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Jamel Chouaibi, Giuseppe Festa, Gazi Mahabubul Alam and Matteo Rossi
The aim of this study is to investigate potential relationships between the corporate governance system and the innovation development process, with a specific focus on the…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to investigate potential relationships between the corporate governance system and the innovation development process, with a specific focus on the agri-food sector in the Tunisian context.
Design/methodology/approach
Most studies on innovation management have shown the collective nature of the innovation process, resulting from the multiple interactions that can be established between various actors, internal and external to the enterprise perimeter, which is increasingly digitally open, especially in the COVID-19 era. More specifically, the implementation of an innovation strategy is a risky issue for businesses, most of all when considering its financial requirements and impacts, and thus, appropriate management plays a relevant role in this respect.
Findings
Statistical tests, operated on a sample of 80 Tunisian companies, show that the style of management and the concentration of ownership exert significant influence on the dynamism of technological innovation in the agri-food sector.
Originality/value
The involvement and the commitment of institutional investors can contribute to stimulate the innovation process in the agri-food sector, providing related implications with significant impact, at the scientific and managerial level.
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Muhammad Wahab, Muhammad Aamir Khan, Muhammad Siddique and Fakhrul Hasan
This research designed, optimized and tested a context-specific scale to evaluate public sector employees' pension choices.
Abstract
Purpose
This research designed, optimized and tested a context-specific scale to evaluate public sector employees' pension choices.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors developed the scale using a comprehensive process of interviews and focus groups with experts across academia and finance. The authors used the refined scale to collect data from 564 faculty members in public sector universities following a multistage systematic cluster sampling technique. The findings revealed diversity in choice across different socio-economic and demographic variables.
Findings
The results revealed that items related to the defined benefit pension system explain most of the data variance and are preferred widely. This is followed by a preference for monetizing pension benefits and a defined contribution system. These findings indicated the need for flexible pension plans.
Practical implications
Therefore, the progressive movement towards monetization and the shift from defined benefit to a defined contribution pension system due to economic pressures must be accurately calculated and introduced where it is suitable.
Originality/value
Although the theory of introducing a defined contribution pension system and monetization system is appealing, its practical implementation may not be encouraging for all employees.
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Shahzaf Iqbal, Kamran Moosa and Che Azlan Bin Taib
This study aims to investigate the relationship between management support, quality infrastructure, staff training and the effectiveness of quality enhancement cells (QECs…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between management support, quality infrastructure, staff training and the effectiveness of quality enhancement cells (QECs) established in higher education institutions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were acquired via a structured questionnaire dispatched to faculty members across 12 public and private universities, primarily situated in Punjab, Pakistan. Among the 200 questionnaires distributed, 180 were retrieved and 140 were deemed valid. The proposed relationships were examined using SPSS–25 and PLS–SEM.
Findings
The results show a positive and significant relationship between management support, quality infrastructure and staff training with QECs' effectiveness. The study also highlights that the effectiveness of QECs is “Good” in only two of the 12 universities, while in most universities it is “Barely Acceptable”. Furthermore, QECs' effectiveness is slightly better in public universities compared to private institutions.
Research limitations/implications
The study employs convenience sampling and a cross-sectional approach, focusing on faculty members from 12 universities, primarily in Punjab, Pakistan. To enhance future research, larger samples and probability-based sampling should be considered, while involving quality managers and students for a broader perspective.
Practical implications
The research suggests policymakers and university leaders should strengthen their support by providing resources, quality infrastructure and training for academic and administrative staff. This would enhance the effectiveness of QECs and improve the overall quality of education in both public and private universities.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature on quality assurance in higher education by emphasizing the significance of QECs concerning management support, quality infrastructure and staff training – areas that are often overlooked in Pakistani universities.
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This paper provides insights into Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Accounting and Reporting for the Other Sector, defined as organisations that are not corporations and do not…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper provides insights into Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Accounting and Reporting for the Other Sector, defined as organisations that are not corporations and do not have profitability as their overriding success criterion.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a conceptual paper that addresses the impact of SDGs on the Other Sector and the accounting and reporting of them by these organisations.
Research limitations/implications
There are a number of implications for research in relation to theories, research approaches and the crossing over of disciplines in relation to the Other Sector’s SDGs accounting and reporting.
Practical implications
The research insights from this paper can be applied to inform the SDGs accounting and reporting practice of the Other Sector.
Originality/value
This paper addresses the impact of the recent sustainability development, the SDGs, on a sector that is very different from the corporate sector and highlights the benefit of accounting and reporting of these goals for the Other Sector.
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This study aims to investigate the relationship between top manager tenure and the sophistication level of management accounting system (MAS) in extant literature.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the relationship between top manager tenure and the sophistication level of management accounting system (MAS) in extant literature.
Design/methodology/approach
Cumulating evidence from 31 studies (N = 12,739), this study meta-analytically examines the central question of whether top managers' tenure is significantly associated with MAS sophistication after correcting individual studies for statistical artifacts. The study also assesses the strength of this association bniy exploring the influence of several moderating factors.
Findings
The findings show that long-tenured top managers are not significantly related to MAS sophistication. However, the moderator analtgcqyses indicate that the relationship between top manager tenure and MAS sophistication is moderated by tenure measurement type, firm sector and size. The study provides evidence for the significant moderation of tenure measurement type (i.e. position tenure). The results also argue that top manager tenure matters for MAS sophistication in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and firms in the private sector.
Originality/value
The meta-analysis summarizes existing studies quantitatively to expand prior narrative reviews by providing definitive evidence of the overall effect of top manager tenure on MAS sophistication.
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Vibha Mahajan, Jyoti Sharma, Abhilasha Singh, Stefano Bresciani and Gazi Mahabubul Alam
The purpose of this study is to get an understanding regarding the clusters of middle management employees on the basis of their knowledge sharing behaviour. Designing knowledge…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to get an understanding regarding the clusters of middle management employees on the basis of their knowledge sharing behaviour. Designing knowledge sharing behaviors with a distinct focus for a specified group of employees can be an effective and productive one. As it is often argued that the cluster of employees labeled as “middle management” is the key player for knowledge sharing behaviors – a subject of this study that intends to contribute to management strategy to enhance organizational effectiveness and subsequently to its knowledge sharing phenomona.
Design/methodology/approach
Cluster analysis was adopted as key tool as a part of quantitative method to accumulate the data from 597 employees who are working within the middle management of service sector located in the union territory of India named Jammu and Kashmir.
Findings
Three distinct segments namely – “knowledge sharing adepts (KSA),” “knowledge sharing scrupulous (KSC)” and “knowledge sharing servitudes (KSE)” as the prime domains of knowledge sharing behavior are identified.
Research limitations/implications
To draw a narrow focus, the study was limited to the service sector of a union territory in India, hence the findings may not be generalized. Furthermore, as knowledge sharing behavior of individuals is always evolved out of social and historical practices, findings of this cross-sectional study should ideally be needed to be updated time to time through further research.
Practical implications
Cluster dynamicism of knowledge sharing behavior based on the differentiated and specified group of employee functions distinctly which in turn increases the organizational productivity with a particular focus on the mid-management of the service sector – a key managerial implication of this study.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research paper is the first of its kind in Jammu and Kashmir adding value to the international literature in the area of knowledge sharing behaviors of service sector.
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Naimat Ullah Shah, Salman Bin Naeem and Robina Bhatti
The study aims to identify the prospects and challenges associated with current practices regarding digital data sets management in university libraries in Pakistan.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to identify the prospects and challenges associated with current practices regarding digital data sets management in university libraries in Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional survey approach was used to collect the data from library and information science (LIS) professionals working in public sector university libraries in Pakistan. A four-part questionnaire was used to collect the data from the respondents. The collected data from 371 participants were analyzed using a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS-24 version) and analysis of moment structure (AMOS-24).
Findings
LIS professionals are better placed to support digital data management practices, such as finding, collecting, assessing and analyzing digital data sets and making digital data publicly discoverable and accessible via open access. In spite of this, a lack of leadership support, interest and cooperation among university departments and the absence of a data management plan, policies and procedures were reported as significant challenges.
Practical implications
To meet the needs of data users, LIS professionals must become knowledgeable about managing and reusing digital data sets. Due to the demands of the information society, university librarians need to learn about data-centric practices that can enhance research outputs and provide new insights.
Originality/value
This research paper is extracted from a PhD dissertation to present a contemporary picture of library data management services and the challenges LIS professionals face to provide possible solutions.
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