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Article
Publication date: 1 November 1969

Peppy Barlow

The real issues in Irish education are, in the words of Sean O'Connor (Assistant Secretary to the Department of Education): ‘Equality of educational opportunity for all and the…

Abstract

The real issues in Irish education are, in the words of Sean O'Connor (Assistant Secretary to the Department of Education): ‘Equality of educational opportunity for all and the fashioning of education so that it is responsive to the, aptitudes of the individual pupil’. Perfectly standard aims, shared in theory at least even by the Black Paper brigade. The problem in Ireland is to find any significant level on which they are being discussed. Two major factors continually militate against it. The first is the power struggle between the State and the various participant religious bodies, in which all sides busily avoid confrontation. The State because it lacks the power to make its aims effective through a rationalization of the largely privately run sectors, and cannot therefore afford a political clash with those who control them, the controlling forces because they cannot fully accept ideas that imply a reorganization which would diminish, probably eliminate, their power.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 11 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Article
Publication date: 10 April 2017

Anthony M. Grant, Ingrid Studholme, Raj Verma, Lea Kirkwood, Bronwyn Paton and Sean O’Connor

There is limited empirical literature on the effectiveness of leadership coaching in healthcare settings. The purpose of this paper is to explore the efficacy of leadership…

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Abstract

Purpose

There is limited empirical literature on the effectiveness of leadership coaching in healthcare settings. The purpose of this paper is to explore the efficacy of leadership coaching for individuals implementing strategic change in the Australian public health system.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a within-subjects (pre-post) design, participants (n=31) undertook six one-hour coaching sessions. Coaching was conducted by professional leadership coaches. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected.

Findings

Participation was associated with significant improvements in goal attainment, solution-focused thinking, leadership self-efficacy, perspective-taking capacity, self-insight and resilience, and ambiguity tolerance. There were significant reductions in stress and anxiety. The benefits of coaching transferred from the workplace to the home. Many participants reported being able to use insights gained in coaching in their personal lives, and reported better work/life balance, less stress and better quality relationships at home.

Originality/value

Few studies have provided evaluation of leadership coaching in healthcare setting. Leadership coaching in the public health system may be an important methodology for facilitating goal attainment and fostering resilience in this vital social sector, benefiting workers in the health services, their families and ultimately their patients and the broader community.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 31 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 May 2018

David Butler, Robert Butler, Justin Doran and Sean O’Connor

Growing evidence suggests regional economic factors impact on individual outcomes, such as life expectancy and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact…

Abstract

Purpose

Growing evidence suggests regional economic factors impact on individual outcomes, such as life expectancy and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact that player-specific and regional differences have on the number of senior international appearances football players accumulate over the course of their careers, for six UEFA member countries, from 1993 to 2014.

Design/methodology/approach

The research employs a Poisson regression model to analyse the impact of individual and regional factors on the number of senior international caps a footballer receives over the course of their career.

Findings

The results indicate that both individual and regional variables can explain the number of caps a player receives over the course of their career. The authors find that an individual’s career length positively influences the number of international caps accrued. Players born in wealthier and more populous regions accumulate a greater number of international appearances. Distance from the capital has no effect, however, the number of youth academies in the player’s region of birth has a significant positive effect.

Research limitations/implications

The analysis is limited to regional variations within economically developed states. It would be interesting to test whether the correlation between relative regional development and international success exists in less developed countries. The authors only address mens international football in this study and cannot comment on the generality of the findings across genders or sports.

Practical implications

The results can provide insights for local football authorities and policy makers concerned with regional characteristics and those interested in the development of elite talent.

Originality/value

This is the first study to analyse a pan-European data set, using an increasingly adopted econometric method to understanding regional economic development – Poisson modelling.

Details

Journal of Economic Studies, vol. 45 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3585

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 July 2005

Sean O'Connor

In 2000 a consortium headed by David Richards acquired the commercial and promotional rights to the World Rally Championship (WRC) via International Sportsworld Communicators…

Abstract

In 2000 a consortium headed by David Richards acquired the commercial and promotional rights to the World Rally Championship (WRC) via International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) Ltd. ISC planned to market the WRC with the stated objective of gaining a top five position as a global sports television brand. This case study was developed between 2000 and 2003 by the author, a marketing professional in the WRC, based on interviews with ISC management. The ISC marketing strategy was found to be divided into four phases: research, development and planning, execution, and evaluation and revised strategy.

Details

International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, vol. 6 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1464-6668

Article
Publication date: 17 October 2016

Stephen Brosnan, Eleanor Doyle and Sean O’Connor

The purpose of this paper is to offer clarity on a central concept introduced in Porter’s The Competitive Advantage of Nations, i.e. the cluster. The authors situate the concept…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to offer clarity on a central concept introduced in Porter’s The Competitive Advantage of Nations, i.e. the cluster. The authors situate the concept introduced by Porter (1990) relative to two of its antecedents, the industrial district and industrial complex. Placing the cluster in a historical context permits consideration of the extent to which it, as a concept for analysis, may be differentiated from other geography-based approaches to economic phenomena. In this way, this paper examines the added value of the cluster concept derived from economic factors.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a detailed literature review tracing the evolution of theories of location and agglomeration into which Porter’s cluster fits. The evolution of Porter’s own conceptualisation of the cluster and how this relates to theoretical clarity surrounding the concept is explored. Comparative analysis of theories of location, agglomeration and clustering is provided to identify similarities and differences across the approaches and identify the added value of the cluster concept in relation to other approaches.

Findings

Clustering represents a process associated with spatial organisational form which may offer advantages in efficiency, effectiveness and flexibility. Cluster benefits can be appreciated through the lens of Young’s (1928) identified sources of increasing returns. A key aspect in clustering is revealed in terms of its role in enabling four sources of increasing returns. The authors outline how these sources of increasing returns are related to “soft” processes of networking, interaction and individual and collective learning. Porter’s Diamond is a self-reinforcing system which can permit increasing returns and reinforce such tendencies of economic activity within agglomerations.

Originality/value

Added value from Porter’s cluster concept is identified in the context of both its locational anchoring and in terms of its potential for understanding the role of exploitation of increasing returns for development. This points to the importance of focusing on clustering as a process rather than on cluster within typologies of organisational form. This implies that the nature of relationships (and how they change) within and across markets, institutions and actors lies at the heart of clustering because of their roles in knowledge-generation, including innovation, knowledge sharing and upgrading.

Details

Competitiveness Review, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1059-5422

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 August 2003

98

Abstract

Details

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, vol. 75 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0002-2667

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2008

Marie Van Hout and Sean Connor

The research aimed to identify ‘(1) current volatile solvent use practices, (2) health beliefs and perceived effects of volatile solvent use, (3) social dynamics of volatile…

Abstract

The research aimed to identify ‘(1) current volatile solvent use practices, (2) health beliefs and perceived effects of volatile solvent use, (3) social dynamics of volatile solvent use, (4) significance of reputation, and (5) barriers to volatile solvent use intervention’ in a sample of Irish adolescents (Carroll et al, 1998, p1; Anderson & Loomis, 2003). Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 20 adolescents who reported inhaling volatile solvents, during the course of doctoral research (n=1,400) investigating substance misuse among adolescents aged 12 to 18 years in Ireland. Their average age was 13.2 years, and they used a range of substances. Solvent users were found to be most commonly congregated in small peer and sibling groups and one young male also reported using alone. These young people indicated their average age of initiation of inhalant use as 10.3 years and most did not use inhalants after the age of 13 years. This coincided with first‐time alcohol use, at an average age of 12.5 years and experimental use of cannabis in some. All reported some awareness of short‐term medical risks involved in solvent use, and most commented on negative effects, such as headaches, dizziness and vomiting. Teachers, probation and juvenile liaison officers, health promotion and drug education workers, youth workers, social workers, and parents should ‘familiarise themselves with the real world experiences of adolescent volatile solvent users’; in order to develop appropriate and timely drug education interventions (Carroll et al, 1998 p6).

Details

Drugs and Alcohol Today, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1745-9265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 March 2010

Anthony M. Grant and Sean A. O'Connor

The purpose of this paper is to explore the differential effects of problem‐focused and solution‐focused coaching questions by means of a literature overview and results of an

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the differential effects of problem‐focused and solution‐focused coaching questions by means of a literature overview and results of an exploratory pilot study.

Design/methodology/approach

In a problem‐focused coaching session 39 participants complete a range of measures assessing self‐efficacy, their understanding of a problem, positive and negative affect, and goal approach. They then respond to a number of problem‐focused coaching questions, and then complete a second set of measures. The 35 participants in a solution‐focused session complete a mirror image of the problem‐focused condition, responding to solution‐focused coaching questions, including the “Miracle Question”.

Findings

Both the problem‐focused and the solution‐focused conditions are effective at enhancing goal approach. However, the solution‐focused group experience significantly greater increases in goal approach compared with the problem‐focused group. Problem‐focused questions reduce negative affect and increase self‐efficacy but do not increase understanding of the nature of the problem or enhance positive affect. The solution‐focused approach increases positive affect, decreases negative affect, increases self‐efficacy as well as increasing participants' insight and understanding of the nature of the problem.

Practical implications

Solution‐focused coaching questions appear to be more effective than problem‐focused questions. Although real‐life coaching conversations are not solely solution‐focused or solely problem‐focused, coaches should aim for a solution‐focused theme in their coaching work, if they wish to conduct effective goal‐focused coaching sessions that develop a depth of understanding, build self‐efficacy, reduce negative affect, increase positive affect and support the process of goal attainment.

Originality/value

This is the first study to explore this issue.

Details

Industrial and Commercial Training, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0019-7858

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 November 1969

John Horgan

‘We think it will be a long time’, wrote the editor of the Irish Jesuit review Studies in the autumn of 1968, ‘before the teaching Orders and Congregations in Ireland withdraw…

Abstract

‘We think it will be a long time’, wrote the editor of the Irish Jesuit review Studies in the autumn of 1968, ‘before the teaching Orders and Congregations in Ireland withdraw from their historic teaching function here; we do not share the fear of one of our commentators that they will some day be required to do so.’

Details

Education + Training, vol. 11 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Book part
Publication date: 8 November 2010

Sean M. O’Connor

Improving the commercialization of university research has become a national priority. Most existing programs focus on training and supporting faculty and students to be the…

Abstract

Improving the commercialization of university research has become a national priority. Most existing programs focus on training and supporting faculty and students to be the entrepreneur. However, programs are also needed to train and support those who will serve the entrepreneur. This chapter asserts that professionals with specific expertise in serving entrepreneurs are a critical, yet overlooked, part of the “innovation ecosystem” necessary to commercialize university research. It provides an overview of the Entrepreneurial Law Clinic at the University of Washington, which provides a multidisciplinary teaching, research, and service platform that assists University spin-offs while developing the next generation innovation ecosystem. Bringing together law, business, and engineering students to work with tech transfer licensing officers and faculty researchers to spin off a university technology involves many challenges. Yet, it can be done and the benefits are manifold. This chapter outlines three key issues for this kind of program. First, who is the client: the tech transfer office or the faculty researcher? Second, how to mediate among the different visions for how to commercialize the technology through the spin-off – including whether the technology is ready for commercialization or needs to undergo further translational work. And third, how to ensure that all the different students are being properly supervised and that all project members are keeping appropriate confidentiality toward the technology and business plans. The chapter shows how the missteps, conflicts, and confusion that naturally arise for each team project actually provide the best teaching moments for team members, supervisors, and faculty alike.

Details

Spanning Boundaries and Disciplines: University Technology Commercialization in the Idea Age
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-200-6

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