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1 – 10 of 124Anthony Alexander, Helen Walker and Mohamed Naim
– This study aims to aid theory building, the use of decision theory (DT) concepts in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) research is examined.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to aid theory building, the use of decision theory (DT) concepts in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) research is examined.
Design/methodology/approach
An abductive approach considers two DT concepts, Snowden’s Cynefin framework for sense-making and Keeney’s value-focussed decision analysis, in a systematic literature review of 160 peer-reviewed papers in English.
Findings
Around 60 per cent of the papers on decision-making in SSCM come from operational research (OR), which makes explicit use of DT. These are almost all normative and rationalist and focussed on structured decision contexts. Some exceptions seek to address unstructured decision contexts via Complex Adaptive Systems or Soft Systems Methodology. Meanwhile, a second set, around 16 per cent, comes from business ethics and are empirical, behavioural decision research. Although this set does not explicitly refer to DT, the empirical evidence here supports Keeney’s value-focussed analysis.
Research limitations/implications
There is potential for theory building in SSCM using DT, but the research only addresses SSCM research (including corporate responsibility and ethics) and not DT in SCM or wider sustainable development research.
Practical implications
Use of particular decision analysis methods for SSCM may be improved by better understanding different decision contexts.
Social implications
The research shows potential synthesis with ethical DT absent from DT and SCM research.
Originality/value
Empirical behavioural decision analysis for SSCM is considered alongside normative, rational analysis for the first time. Value-focussed DT appears useful for unstructured decision contexts found in SSCM.
Originality/value
Empirical, behavioural decision analysis for SSCM is considered alongside normative rational analysis for the first time. Value-focussed DT appears useful for unstructured decision contexts found in SSCM.
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Eleonora Zuolo, Géraldine Sauty and Sandra Mereu
The contemporary French public research and higher education environment is complex and diverse. This chapter is based on major evolutions that occurred since 2000, particularly…
Abstract
The contemporary French public research and higher education environment is complex and diverse. This chapter is based on major evolutions that occurred since 2000, particularly for universities. This timespan reflects the period during which the research management and administration (RMA) profession developed in this country. The development of this profession is closely linked to the new need for universities to obtain external resources. The changes in universities occurred differently according to their size and internal organisation. Research Managers and Administators (RMAs) acquired visibility to become important elements in the smooth running of research activities of universities and research organisations. Yet, there are still some challenges to face at organisational level for the profession to become essential and well-recognised, such as the lack of a national network.
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Anthony Alexander, Maneesh Kumar and Helen Walker
The purpose of this paper is to apply the aspects of decision theory (DT) to performance measurement and management (PMM), thereby enabling the theoretical elaboration of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to apply the aspects of decision theory (DT) to performance measurement and management (PMM), thereby enabling the theoretical elaboration of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity in the business environment, which are identified as barriers to effective PMM.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of decision theory and PMM literature establishes the Cynefin framework as the basis for extending the performance alignment matrix. Case research with seven companies explores the relationship between two concepts under-examined in the performance alignment matrix – internal dominant logic (DL) as the attribute of organisational culture affecting decision making, and the external environment – in line with the concept of alignment or fit in PMM. A focus area is PMM related to sustainable operations and sustainable supply chain management.
Findings
Alignment between DL, external environment and PMM is found, as are instances of misalignment. The Cynefin framework offers a deeper theoretical explanation about the nature of this alignment. Other findings consider the nature of organisational ownership on DL.
Research limitations/implications
The cases are exploratory not exhaustive, and limited in number. Organisations showing contested logic were excluded.
Practical implications
Some organisations have cultures of predictability and control; others have cultures that recognise their external environment as fundamentally unpredictable, and hence there is a need for responsive, decentralised PMM. Some have sought to change their culture and PMM. Being attentive to how cultural logic affects decision making can help reduce the misalignment in PMM.
Originality/value
A novel contribution is made by applying decision theory to PMM, extending the theoretical depth of the subject.
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Lalina Coulange, Kari Stunell and Grégory Train
In March 2020, with only two working days’notice the French national education system went online due to the coronavirus pandemic. This study explores the relationship between the…
Abstract
Purpose
In March 2020, with only two working days’notice the French national education system went online due to the coronavirus pandemic. This study explores the relationship between the move to distance learning, the teaching practices employed and the socio-economic context of the learners in French schools during this period. We ask how far the changes in teaching practices during the coronavirus crisis were influenced by the social context of teaching. And to what extent this context influenced the focus of the pedagogical continuity those teachers set up.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of the literature situates the study within the field of mathematics teaching practices. The study was carried out through a multidimensional analysis using multiple correspondences of the responses of 368 French secondary school mathematics teachers to an online questionnaire.
Findings
We found that the unprepared move to distance learning impeded the employment of dialogic practices. The socio-economic situation of the teaching was identified as a determining factor in the teachers' different interpretations of the term pedagogical continuity. Whilst those working in more deprived areas tended towards practices which focused on maintaining pupils' links with school, consolidation of knowledge and providing social/affective support, those teaching a more privileged public favoured tools and practices which allowed them to focus on the disciplinary content of their teaching.
Practical implications
The challenge of maintaining dialogic activities – teacher education to combat inequalities.
Originality/value
A quantitative study of mathematics teachers providing pedagogical continuity through distance learning for the duration of the crisis.
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Zack Zdenek Cernovsky, Paul Victor Fayez Istasy, Yves Bureau and Simon Chiu
The retrospective diagnosis of concussion is often missed by clinicians. We present a brief scale for retrospective assessment of the immediate concussion symptoms (ICS) to…
Abstract
The retrospective diagnosis of concussion is often missed by clinicians. We present a brief scale for retrospective assessment of the immediate concussion symptoms (ICS) to facilitate the diagnosis of patients without visible head injury or full loss of consciousness. We administered the scale to 90 survivors of car accidents (mean age 42.0, SD=13.6; 33 males, 57 females) at 2 to 33 months after their accident. Our scale consists of 6 items and these were endorsed by the following % of our respondents: feeling dazed (64.4% of our 90 respondents), stunned (73.3%), confused (70.0%), disoriented (62.2%), dizzy (57.8%), and loss of consciousness (22.2%). The statistical properties of the scale are satisfactory (Cronbach alpha = 0.74). The scale correlates with post-accident insomnia (r=0.28), depression (r=0.29), and also with Rivermead measure of the chronic post-concussion syndrome (r=0.34). The ICS scale could be used as a starting point in longitudinal research with brain imaging procedures to evaluate the stages of recovery from the initial concussion. Attached are the English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, and Czech versions of our scale.
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Julian N. Marewski, Konstantinos V. Katsikopoulos and Simone Guercini
Are there smart ways to find heuristics? What are the common principles behind heuristics? We propose an integrative definition of heuristics, based on insights that apply to all…
Abstract
Purpose
Are there smart ways to find heuristics? What are the common principles behind heuristics? We propose an integrative definition of heuristics, based on insights that apply to all heuristics, and put forward meta-heuristics for discovering heuristics.
Design/methodology/approach
We employ Herbert Simon’s metaphor that human behavior is shaped by the scissors of the mind and its environment. We present heuristics from different domains and multiple sources, including scholarly literature, practitioner-reports and ancient texts.
Findings
Heuristics are simple, actionable principles for behavior that can take different forms, including that of computational algorithms and qualitative rules-of-thumb, cast into proverbs or folk-wisdom. We introduce heuristics for tasks ranging from management to writing and warfare. We report 13 meta-heuristics for discovering new heuristics and identify four principles behind them and all other heuristics: Those principles concern the (1) plurality, (2) correspondence, (3) connectedness of heuristics and environments and (4) the interdisciplinary nature of the scissors’ blades with respect to research fields and methodology.
Originality/value
We take a fresh look at Simon’s scissors-metaphor and employ it to derive an integrative perspective that includes a study of meta-heuristics.
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With the aim of monitoring the existing regulations that are applicable to community of owners facing delinquency, in view of the importance of this issue for the achievement of…
Abstract
Purpose
With the aim of monitoring the existing regulations that are applicable to community of owners facing delinquency, in view of the importance of this issue for the achievement of the Urban Agenda, the present study aims to analyse the most stringent and controversial measures available for the community of owners facing delinquency from a comparative perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The present work addresses the recent legislative amendments that have taken place at national level in this field in several countries and analyses to what extent they have addressed the delinquency problem faced by community of owners.
Findings
The current paper shows that, in the end, legal certainty, the prospective legal and economic effects on mortgage lending and constitutional concerns are the underlying reasons behind the reluctance to implement some stringent measures to face delinquency. It also shows that recent amendments concerning alternative dispute resolution mechanisms are a missed opportunity.
Social implications
Community of owners plays a key role in cities for the achievement of the Urban Agenda, so the periodical contributions from co-owners are paramount to the proper implementation of urban regeneration, energy efficiency and accessibility policies. To this end, the paper analyses existing regulations that are applicable to community of owners facing delinquency, which may increase in the coming years due to the current socioeconomic context.
Originality/value
This paper builds on existing research and goes one step further by addressing the recent legislative amendments that have taken place recently at national level in this field. These measures may serve as an inspiration to other EU legal systems.
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Jin Gao, Julianne Nyhan, Oliver Duke-Williams and Simon Mahony
This paper presents a follow-on study that quantifies geolingual markers and their apparent connection with authorship collaboration patterns in canonical Digital Humanities (DH…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper presents a follow-on study that quantifies geolingual markers and their apparent connection with authorship collaboration patterns in canonical Digital Humanities (DH) journals. In particular, it seeks to detect patterns in authors' countries of work and languages in co-authorship networks.
Design/methodology/approach
Through an in-depth co-authorship network analysis, this study analysed bibliometric data from three canonical DH journals over a range of 52 years (1966–2017). The results are presented as visualised networks with centrality calculations.
Findings
The results suggest that while DH scholars may not collaborate as frequently as those in other disciplines, when they do so their collaborations tend to be more international than in many Science and Engineering, and Social Sciences disciplines. DH authors in some countries (e.g. Spain, Finland, Australia, Canada, and the UK) have the highest international co-author rates, while others have high national co-author rates but low international rates (e.g. Japan, the USA, and France).
Originality/value
This study is the first DH co-authorship network study that explores the apparent connection between language and collaboration patterns in DH. It contributes to ongoing debates about diversity, representation, and multilingualism in DH and academic publishing more widely.
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Vasja Roblek, Vlado Dimovski, Simon Colnar, Maja Meško and Judita Peterlin
This research examines the transformative impact of the “Great Reset” on organisational theory through the thematic network analysis of managerial responses from Germany, France…
Abstract
Purpose
This research examines the transformative impact of the “Great Reset” on organisational theory through the thematic network analysis of managerial responses from Germany, France, and Spain, emphasising the importance of technological integration, remote working, and resilience.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaire responses from managers in Germany, France, and Spain were examined using thematic network analysis to understand remote working, digital transformation, and organisational resilience.
Findings
Managers highlighted the pivotal role of technology in reshaping future work systems, especially in telecommuting and digitising business procedures. This transformation requires upskilling, shifts in management approaches, and a modernised employee assessment structure.
Originality/value
This study offers practical insights into implementing the Great Reset framework and explains its impact on technological progress, managerial strategies, and organisational resilience.
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