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1 – 10 of 126David Simmonds and Rebecca Gibson
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of approaches to outsourcing HRD in the UK.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of approaches to outsourcing HRD in the UK.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper employs semi‐structured interviews and case studies. The research model was developed from a literature review.
Findings
There are many problems associated with outsourcing any or all aspects of the HRD function. Approaches to outsourcing vary between firms, largely because their impetus for taking training outside is likely to differ. There are certain key issues that need to be considered when trying to make an outsourced HRD strategy successful in any organization: making the right decision about what to outsource; engaging the right providers; and putting measures in place to build and maintain a strong, trusting, effective relationship.
Research limitations/implications
The model should be further tested, applied and refined as necessary.
Practical implications
Organizations wishing to outsource HRD could be guided by the model and findings of this research.
Originality/value
A novel and innovative two‐part model was developed from a literature review and tested against two large well‐known UK organizations. It will be of value to HRD managers and researchers.
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Keywords
This paper aims to focus on the potential advantages and pitfalls of HRD outsourcing.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to focus on the potential advantages and pitfalls of HRD outsourcing.
Design/methodology/approach
Examines the strategy adopted in the UK business of Unilever, an international manufacturer of foods, home‐care and personal‐care products, in outsourcing elements of HRD to Accenture.
Findings
Argues that, although much of Unilever's outsourcing strategy seems to be sound, there are still some points for consideration to ensure its success. One relates to how the company assesses the benefits of training. Thought should be given to maximizing the efficacy of the training activities delivered by Accenture staff.
Practical implications
Emphasizes that approaches to outsourcing vary between organizations, largely because their motivations for outsourcing differ.
Originality/value
Reveals in general that better quality, rather than cost savings, is the most frequent benefit cited from outsourcing.
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Sergio Altomonte, Brian Logan, Markus Feisst, Peter Rutherford and Robin Wilson
This study aims to explore the opportunities offered by interactive and situated learning (e-learning and m-learning) in support of education for sustainability in disciplines of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the opportunities offered by interactive and situated learning (e-learning and m-learning) in support of education for sustainability in disciplines of the built environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper illustrates the development of an online portal and a mobile app aimed at promoting students’ motivation and engagement with sustainability in design, and discusses the outcomes of their testing, investigating users’ acceptance, comparing academic results and analysing feedback.
Findings
The findings add empirical evidence to the view that information and communication technology-enhanced pedagogies can substantially contribute to the agenda of sustainability in higher education, primarily due to their affordance of interactive communication and contextualisation of knowledge, while guaranteeing flexible time and pace of learning.
Research limitations/implications
The study solely focused on the development and testing of e-learning and m-learning tools to foster students’ competence of sustainability in design studio work. The tools trialled were mostly at their prototypical stage and their testing included a relatively short-term evaluation and a narrow, self-selected, user base. However, the approach and findings are felt to be applicable to a much wider range of educational contexts.
Originality/value
Interactive and situated pedagogical methods and tools have the potential to prompt a departure from transmissive educational models, encompassing at once theoretical, experiential and analytic learning processes. This is of value to education for sustainability in disciplines of the built environment due to the requirement to holistically consolidate multi-/inter-/trans-disciplinary knowledge into a coherent design whole.
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Mark E. Haskins, Kristy Lilly and Liz Smith
This case provides students with an opportunity to practice a set of activity-based costing calculations. More importantly, it provides an instructor with the opportunity to…
Abstract
This case provides students with an opportunity to practice a set of activity-based costing calculations. More importantly, it provides an instructor with the opportunity to challenge students to think about and to discuss the rationale used by the case protagonist to revise the means by which the company allocates corporate support costs to the product lines and to the business units. It is best used as an introduction to activity-based costing and/or the more general topic of cost allocations. As such, it is effective for undergraduate and graduate managerial accounting courses, as well as executive education financial management programs.
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Marc Sollosy, Rebecca M. Guidice and K. Praveen Parboteeah
The purpose of this paper is to link firms’ strategic archetypes as formulated by Miles and Snow (1978) to the more recent literature on organizational ambidexterity. Examining…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to link firms’ strategic archetypes as formulated by Miles and Snow (1978) to the more recent literature on organizational ambidexterity. Examining these obvious linkages, the paper also addresses how these firms address their entrepreneurial, engineering and administrative problem domains in relationship with the firm’s strategic archetype.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from 503 firms across the US. Measures previously validated were used to collect information related to the strategic archetype as well as the three problem domains. Multiple discriminant and regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses.
Findings
Most of the hypotheses relating the entrepreneurial (exploration and exploitation), engineering (radical and incremental innovation) and administrative problem (adaptation and alignment) to the four strategic archetypes (defender, prospector, analyzer and reactor) were supported. Additionally, the authors found that the firms that had the closest alignment along the three problem domains outperformed the other firms.
Originality/value
Although the Miles and Snow typology has received considerable research attention, the obvious links with more contemporary research on organizational ambidexterity has been neglected. Through this integration, with more recent key strategic management concepts, this paper shows the utility and current relevance of the Miles and Snow archetypes.
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Sepideh Afsari Bajestani, Polly Stupples and Rebecca Kiddle
The purpose of this paper is to explore and clarify the relationship between creative developments and the concepts of place and placemaking.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore and clarify the relationship between creative developments and the concepts of place and placemaking.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper systematically reviews scholarly literature on the relationship between creative developments and the concepts of place, and critically analyzes the extent to which creative developments acknowledge different aspects of place.
Findings
The findings demonstrate that the relationship between creative development and place is multifaceted, and combines physical, cultural and social aspects of place. However, the literature also calls for the greater valuation of particular facets of place, including the daily experiences of communities and local cultural producers, alongside symbolic and imagined aspects of place, all of which inform either positive or negative perceptions of urban form. In addition, the authors argue that the cultural value of the creative industries needs to be better acknowledged in creative developments, implying support for a range of cultural practitioners.
Research limitations/implications
The authors argue that embracing a more holistic understanding of place in creative development has the potential to minimize the negative impacts sometimes associated with such developments (like gentrification and social displacement) while generating greater social and cultural benefits to people and place. The study findings raise questions that frame a critical research agenda for creative-led developments and creative placemaking in this context.
Originality/value
By examining the broader relationship between creative developments and place and identifying areas neglected by researchers, this research contributes to an articulation of “creative placemaking” that moves creative city policy toward enhancing community development.
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The body of scholarship on YouTube is an expanding area of scholarly inquiry. Existent research indicates that music videos are one of the most salient features of YouTube…
Abstract
The body of scholarship on YouTube is an expanding area of scholarly inquiry. Existent research indicates that music videos are one of the most salient features of YouTube. Interactionist research about popular music has provided important insights through interviews with fans and audience members; however, this work has yet to examine audience engagement with music videos on YouTube. Using Qualitative Media Analysis, I illustrate how the researcher of popular music can work with user comments collected from YouTube. Thematic understandings largely consistent with nostalgia that emerged from an analysis of user-generated comments in response to selected music videos on YouTube are explored. I conclude by suggesting some directions for future research.
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Jennifer Feitosa, Lorena Solis and Rebecca Grossman
To summarize and build on research that explores the influence of culture on team dynamics, particularly over time. Specifically, we explore culture and teams from a dynamic…
Abstract
Purpose
To summarize and build on research that explores the influence of culture on team dynamics, particularly over time. Specifically, we explore culture and teams from a dynamic perspective by providing a framework for understanding both how culture influences team dynamics over time, and where interventions should be targeted at different points to maximize the potential benefits of cultural diversity.
Methodology/approach
Drawing from a prominent model of team development (Kozlowski, Gully, Nason, & Smith, 1999), we provide mechanisms through which culture exerts an influence, as well as the practical approaches that will be best suited for mitigating potential negative effects at different points in time.
Findings
We focus on the following phases: team formation, task compilation, role compilation, team compilation, as well as team maintenance. At first, surface-level characteristics and subgroup formation should be closely monitored along with interventions to develop a group identity when teams are being formed. Later on, emergent states (e.g., trust, conflict) can come to the forefront as team members can develop multiple memberships or yet be resistant to performing in an adaptive manner.
Research limitations/implications
We identify key avenues for future research to serve as a foundation for those studying the cultural diversity within teams via temporal lens, including the role of context and going beyond Hofstede’s cultural dimensions.
Originality/value
Albeit research has started to accumulate regarding how culture influences teams through conflict, communication, trust, cohesion, and creativity, this chapter goes beyond current development to address when different cultural elements influence team dynamics.
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Lorena Gibson, O. Ripeka Mercier and Rebecca Kiddle
In this chapter, we draw upon our experiences as members of Victoria University of Wellington’s Human Ethics Committee (VUW-HEC) to discuss some of the issues that arise when…
Abstract
In this chapter, we draw upon our experiences as members of Victoria University of Wellington’s Human Ethics Committee (VUW-HEC) to discuss some of the issues that arise when researchers are asked to discuss the Treaty of Waitangi1 in ethics applications. Victoria University of Wellington (VUW)’s Human Ethics Policy states that researchers have a responsibility to ensure that research conforms to the University’s Treaty of Waitangi Statute. This statute outlines the principle-based framework VUW has adopted to meet its obligations to the Treaty derived from the Education Act 1989 and other non-statutory sources. Accompanying the Human Ethics Policy is a Human Ethics Guidelines document providing researchers at VUW with information about how they can align their research with Treaty principles, such as those of partnership, protection, and participation. Researchers are encouraged to read these documents before completing the ethics application, which contains a mandatory question asking them to explain how their research conforms to the University’s Treaty of Waitangi Statute. During our time on VUW-HEC, we have observed that this question can be difficult for researchers to engage with in a meaningful way. In this chapter, we do not discuss the specifics of applications or VUW-HEC meetings; instead, we draw on our collective experiences to consider how well our university’s ethics application process creates space for researchers to engage with ‘that Treaty question’.
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