Search results

1 – 10 of over 323000
Book part
Publication date: 15 March 2007

Matt Smith

The spatial and often binary orderings of development discussed above have underpinned the dominant formations of development knowledge and the configuration of whose authority…

Abstract

The spatial and often binary orderings of development discussed above have underpinned the dominant formations of development knowledge and the configuration of whose authority counts in development decisions and debates. Since these orderings of knowledge, authority and space are a pivotal feature of development, it is important that qualitative researchers engage with and challenge them. The contributions by Humble and Smith and by Yanacopulos challenge the construction of development research along North/South lines. Exploring what counts as development research, Humble and Smith note a geographical orientation towards research in the South to the exclusion of other approaches, informed by the historical influence of colonialism, the anthropological tradition and an increasing de-politicisation of development. This spatial filtering privileges certain sets of development knowledge and hence conceptions of what development is or should be. Drawing on their experiences of research with NGOs and in UK schools the authors make the case for critical engagement with the meanings of development in the North, challenging the traditional boundaries of what counts as development research. Yanacopulos, in Chapter 3, also takes up this challenge, but in this case arguing that we need to “think about the ways that development actors, structures and dynamics operate at a global level” (p. 35). Focusing on the rise of Transnational Advocacy Networks (TANs) and their roles in development, Yanacopulos explores the methodological challenges of researching a potentially fluid formation across national boundaries. But in doing so, she also demonstrates the important role qualitative methodologies can play in generating new understandings which challenge the North/South boundaries of development.

Details

Negotiating Boundaries and Borders
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-7623-1283-2

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2010

Heli Koukkari

The purpose of this paper is to study innovation processes of the construction sector from the viewpoints of research‐based consultation at VTT Technical Research Centre of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study innovation processes of the construction sector from the viewpoints of research‐based consultation at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

Design/methodology/approach

The starting point of an internal analysis and benchmarking concerning the role of a research centre come from a Finnish product manufacturer that challenged its capacity to a short introduction lead‐time. Understanding as an opportunity, a core team is set up representing different expertises, and a co‐operation project is proposed to the manufacturer. In addition, an in‐house follow‐up project is created. After completing successfully the product development project, and based upon findings of the follow‐up project, a feasibility study is conducted concerning consultation packages for development of construction products and concepts. However, during this study phase, the objective of packages is replaced by an ideal of a collaborative process that integrates competencies, tools, and management of a research and development organisation, and links them to those of the customer.

Findings

The process model of a multi‐disciplinary commercialized research‐based consultation is a new way to organise work of a research centre, and its core is collaboration with the customer. During the follow‐up process, feasibility study and development of a research‐based process, approaches of the Action Research were applied. A market study and two external evaluations were made that gave partly consistent partly inconsistent results with the learning outcome concerning appeal of the new type of partnership. New sector‐wide strategies at the national and European level show however that key findings were justified. Next challenges in the development of the multi‐disciplinary innovation services concern internationalisation, external networking and globalisation.

Originality/value

The paper offers insight into the transformation of a research centre into an innovation partner with the construction industry.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 17 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 4 October 2013

Christopher S. Collins

The African continent is filled with a textured history, vast resources, and immense opportunity. The landscape of higher education on such a diverse continent is extensive and

Abstract

The African continent is filled with a textured history, vast resources, and immense opportunity. The landscape of higher education on such a diverse continent is extensive and complex. In this review of the landscape, four primary topics are evaluated. The historical context is the foundational heading, which briefly covers the evolution from colonization to independence and the knowledge economy. The second main heading builds upon the historical context to provide an overview of the numerous components of higher education, including language diversity, institutional type, and access to education. A third section outlines key challenges and opportunities including finance, governance, organizational effectiveness, and the academic core. Each of these challenges and opportunities is interconnected and moves from external influences (e.g., fiscal and political climate) to internal influences (e.g., administrative leadership and faculty roles). The last layer of the landscape focuses on leveraging higher education in Africa for social and economic progress and development. Shaping a higher education system around principles of the public good and generating social benefits is important for including postsecondary institutions in a development strategy.

Details

IThe Development of Higher Education in Africa: Prospects and Challenges
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-699-6

Book part
Publication date: 14 August 2014

Francis Atuahene

Tertiary education in Ghana has seen rapid advancement over the past two decades. This growth is the result of transformative policy reforms such as upgrading polytechnics into…

Abstract

Tertiary education in Ghana has seen rapid advancement over the past two decades. This growth is the result of transformative policy reforms such as upgrading polytechnics into higher education status; the establishment of the University of Development Studies (UDS) in the northern part of the country; the amalgamation of existing Colleges of Education into degree awarding institutions; the creation of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) to provide supplementary financial support for infrastructure, faculty research and development; expansion of distance education programs; modification of the student loan scheme; and a conducive regulatory environment that encourages private sector participation in higher education provision. In spite of these developments, the system continues to face several challenges such as limited funding to support academic programs; limited participation rates for low-income students, females, and minorities; difficulty recruiting and retaining young academic and research faculty; inadequate research capacities; limited ICT infrastructure to enhance instruction and curriculum delivery and inadequate facilities to support science and technology education; etc. This chapter focuses on the state of public higher education in Ghana with emphasis on current growth and challenges. The chapter offers descriptive analysis based on government policy reports and documents, enrollment data from universities in Ghana, and data from the Ministry of Education and the National Council for Tertiary Education in Ghana.

Details

The Development of Higher Education in Africa: Prospects and Challenges
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-699-6

Book part
Publication date: 24 October 2019

Philippa Smales

International development and humanitarian work, including research and evaluation practice, relies upon the development of strong and trusting relationships between…

Abstract

International development and humanitarian work, including research and evaluation practice, relies upon the development of strong and trusting relationships between practitioners, researchers, local partners and communities. Due to these relationships, research conducted in developing countries and particularly in relation to development practice raises distinct ethical issues and dilemmas. The aim of this chapter is to discuss the importance of the consideration of ethics in international development and humanitarian research and how organisations can incorporate a culture of ethical inquiry into research and evaluation practice. It will highlight that good intentions and policy documents are alone not enough for when practitioners are working in development. It will also examine how principles and guidelines drafted expressly for and by the Australian international development sector is being used as a facilitator of ethical inquiry and good practice.

Details

Ethics in a Crowded World: Globalisation, Human Movement and Professional Ethics
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83867-008-5

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 June 2017

David Coghlan

For 30 years the series, Research in Organizational Change and Development (ROCD) has provided an extensive range of scholarly research and philosophical reflections on the field…

Abstract

For 30 years the series, Research in Organizational Change and Development (ROCD) has provided an extensive range of scholarly research and philosophical reflections on the field of organization development and change (ODC). On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the first volume, this chapter poses the question as to how we might learn about the philosophy of ODC research from the 24 published volumes. Taking the author’s explicit pursuit of the question as a process of interiority, it invites readers to engage with the question themselves and thereby enact interiority within ODC itself.

Details

Research in Organizational Change and Development
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78714-436-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2023

Meifang Li and Yujing Liu

With the deep development of the new technological revolution and industrial transformation, the development, application, expansion and integration of digital technology provide…

Abstract

Purpose

With the deep development of the new technological revolution and industrial transformation, the development, application, expansion and integration of digital technology provide opportunities for transforming the manufacturing industry from traditional manufacturing to intelligent manufacturing. However, little research currently focuses on analyzing the influencing factors of intelligent development in this field. There is a lack of research from the perspective of the digital innovation ecosystem to explore the intrinsic mechanism that drives intelligent development. Therefore, this article starts with high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises as the research subject to explore how their digital innovation ecosystem promotes the effectiveness of enterprise intelligent development, providing theoretical support and policy guidance for enterprises to achieve intelligent development at the current stage.

Design/methodology/approach

This article constructs a logical framework for the digital innovation ecosystem using a “three-layer core-periphery” structure, collects data using crawling for subsequent indicator measurement and assessment and uses the fuzzy set Qualitative Comparative Analysis method (fsQCA) to explore how the various components of the digital innovation ecosystem in high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises work together to promote the development of enterprise intelligently.

Findings

This article finds that the various components of the digital innovation ecosystem of high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises, through mutual coordination, can help improve the level of enterprise intelligence. Empirical analysis shows four specific configuration implementation paths for the digital innovation ecosystem of high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises to promote intelligent development. The core conditions and their combinations that affect the intelligent development of enterprises differ in each configuration path.

Originality/value

Firstly, this article discusses the practical problems of intelligent transformation and development in the manufacturing industry and focuses on the intelligent development effectiveness of various components of the digital innovation ecosystem of high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises in the context of digitalization. Secondly, this article uses crawling, text sentiment analysis and other methods to creatively collect relevant data to overcome the research dilemma of being limited to theoretical analysis due to the difficulty in obtaining data in this field. At the same time, based on the characteristics of high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises, the “three-layer core-periphery” digital innovation ecosystem framework constructed in this article helps to gain a deep understanding of the development characteristics of the industry's enterprises, provides specific indicator analysis for their intelligent development, opening the “black box” of intelligent development in the industry's enterprises and bridging the gap between theory and practice. Finally, this study uses the fsQCA research method of configuration analysis to explore the complexity of the antecedents and investigate the combined effects of multiple factors on intelligent development, providing new perspectives and rich research results for relevant literature on the intelligent development of high-end equipment manufacturing enterprises.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 30 December 2013

Jarkko Saarinen

Travel and tourism have had a long history in the Nordic countries, but research on tourism has a relatively short tradition in the region. Recently, academic interest in the…

Abstract

Travel and tourism have had a long history in the Nordic countries, but research on tourism has a relatively short tradition in the region. Recently, academic interest in the Nordic tourism space has grown and diversified especially as a result of increasing numbers of academics and institutions involved with tourism geographies and studies and education in the region. The Nordic context has provided thematic focus areas for empirical studies that characterize tourism geographies in the region, with topics including nature-based tourism, utilization of wilderness areas, second-home and rural developments, impacts in peripheries, and tourism as a tool for regional development. In addition, there are emerging research themes outside of the traditional core topics, such as urban, events, and heritage tourism.

Details

Geographies of Tourism
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78190-212-7

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 24 August 2011

Tommy Tsung Ying Shih

Researchers continue to seek understanding of industrialization as a state managed process. How to create and implement new industries based on advanced knowledge is on the policy…

Abstract

Researchers continue to seek understanding of industrialization as a state managed process. How to create and implement new industries based on advanced knowledge is on the policy agenda of many advanced nations. Measures that promote these developments include national capacity building in science and technology, the formation of technology transfer systems, and the establishment of industrial clusters. What these templates often overlook is an analysis of use. This chapter aims to increase the understanding of the processes that embed new solutions in structures from an industrial network perspective. The chapter describes an empirical study of high-technology industrialization in Taiwan that the researcher conducts to this end. The study shows that the Taiwanese industrial model is oversimplified and omits several important factors in the development of new industries. This study bases its findings on the notions that resource combination occurs in different time and space, the new always builds on existing resource structures, and the users are important as active participants in development processes.

Details

Interfirm Networks: Theory, Strategy, and Behavior
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78052-024-7

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 29 September 2015

Megan Y.C.A. Kek and Sara Hammer

In this chapter, we report on a meta-analysis of 30 refereed journal articles published between 1996 and 2015 by academic developers from Australasia, Britain and South Africa. We…

Abstract

In this chapter, we report on a meta-analysis of 30 refereed journal articles published between 1996 and 2015 by academic developers from Australasia, Britain and South Africa. We used a disciplinary lens to examine academic development research during this period. Specifically, we analysed the academic development literature to identify ‘ways of knowing’, the extent of explicit use of theories and research methods. Findings indicate that academic development research continues to be largely experiential, under-theorised and fragmentary. Articles analysed tended to fall within three research clusters, including education and educational psychology; professional learning and scholarship of learning and teaching; and sociology and philosophy. Qualitative research methods and psychological and sociological disciplinary lenses were dominantly referenced and adopted.

Details

Theory and Method in Higher Education Research
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-287-0

1 – 10 of over 323000