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1 – 10 of over 23000
Article
Publication date: 1 February 2016

Anne Tsui

Value-free science is an ideal that is neither possible nor desirable, especially for social sciences. The subject of social sciences is individuals and groups; hence social…

3518

Abstract

Purpose

Value-free science is an ideal that is neither possible nor desirable, especially for social sciences. The subject of social sciences is individuals and groups; hence social, moral, ethical, or political values are inherent and unavoidable in all steps of the scientific process. Further, the authority of science requires the scientist to be responsible experts in ensuring the reliability of knowledge and in assessing the risks in applying the research findings in social policies and practices. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the role of values in business school research.

Design/methodology/approach

The author explains the two primary types of values relevant for science: epistemic – norms and standards to ensure good science – and social – criteria not relevant for discovering the truth of knowledge but may influence decisions related to science especially in evaluating the cost of wrongful conclusions from the research evidence. Based on an analysis of published criticisms of business school research and the author’s own analysis, the author describes how business school research is infused with social and political values, undermining the objectivity and quality of science by business scientists.

Findings

The author endorses the idea of responsible sciencescience that recognizes the mutual dependence between science and society, and that aims to satisfy both epistemic and social values. The author offers a modest proposal to encourage transformation of business school research to meet both rigor (valid and reliable knowledge) and relevance (useful for practice) – the hallmark of responsible science.

Research limitations/implications

The ideas in this essay have implications for further work on identifying the relevant epistemic and social values to guide business school research.

Originality/value

The idea of responsible science can potentially transform business school’s research to become both scientifically rigorous and societally relevant.

Details

Cross Cultural & Strategic Management, vol. 23 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5794

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2016

John Forge

The purpose of this paper is to address the topic of the social responsibility and the scientist from a philosophical perspective. This is a (relatively) neglected topic, as…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to address the topic of the social responsibility and the scientist from a philosophical perspective. This is a (relatively) neglected topic, as philosophers have tended to focus on moral responsibility. Nevertheless, it is important, and timely.

Design/methodology/approach

Analytical, based on the author’s previous work. This is not an empirical study.

Findings

That it is essential for scientists to adopt a global outlook with respect to their social responsibilities. This is in (stark) contrast to the conclusion that would be reached for moral responsibility.

Research limitations/implications

In addition to offering some concrete proposals (see below), a general approach to the question is offered that will be useful for further work.

Practical implications

Were the suggestions for socially responsible science put into practice, then this would entail a re-orientation of some parts of scientific research; for instance, a moratorium on weapons research.

Social implications

The long-run social implications of not re-orienting science, for instance not to focus even more effort on climate change, will be negative in the extreme.

Originality/value

The social responsibility of science has always been important, but it is even more important today. By focussing on global responsibility, this paper offers a new approach.

Details

Annals in Social Responsibility, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3515

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 May 2023

Jorge Pereira-Moliner and José F. Molina-Azorín

This study aims to highlight the importance of developing academic research in tourism and hospitality management into a more responsible approach, applying a multistakeholder…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to highlight the importance of developing academic research in tourism and hospitality management into a more responsible approach, applying a multistakeholder model. This multistakeholder approach forces the tourist community to be considered when identifying the gaps and impacts of academic research.

Design/methodology/approach

This study suggests action research as one of the appropriate methodological approaches for conducting responsible research, as action research allows challenges to be overcome through the interaction of researchers and stakeholders. Principles of responsible research are indicated and exemplar studies that use action research are described.

Findings

Proposals and recommendations for responsible research are identified, such as demand-driven research, action research as a methodological approach and a way to address societal challenges, and the importance of considering the research ecosystem. In addition, some advantages (funding, reputation and legitimacy) and barriers (resources and publication) of responsible research are explained.

Practical implications

Practical implications are described. Conducting responsible research is oriented toward identifying real practical implications proposed and validated by the tourist community instead of being proposed solely by the researchers.

Social implications

This paper emphasizes the need to work together with the tourist community and their stakeholders to enhance the real societal impact of academic research in tourism and hospitality management.

Originality/value

The authors would like to raise a self-critical debate for the future enrichment of research in the tourism industry. Research in this industry can contribute to solving significant societal problems. Responsible research can help scholars to be part of the solution to these challenges, working together with different tourism stakeholders.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 36 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 28 February 2019

Leyte L. Winfield, Lisa B. Hibbard, Kimberly M. Jackson and Shanina Sanders Johnson

The racial and ethnic representation of individuals in the workforce is not comparable to that in the general population. In 2010, African Americans constituted 12.6% of the US…

Abstract

The racial and ethnic representation of individuals in the workforce is not comparable to that in the general population. In 2010, African Americans constituted 12.6% of the US population. However, African Americans represented less than 5% of PhD recipients in 2010; African American women comprised less than 1% of the degrees awarded in that same year. These disappointing statistics have sparked conversations regarding the retention of underrepresented groups with a focus on what helps to ensure these individuals will transition through the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pipeline. This chapter provides insight into the elements of the Spelman College learning environment that empower women of African descent to become agents of their success while facilitating their movement through the STEM pipeline. The chapter focuses on interventions and resources developed in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department to foster student-centered learning. Described herein are cocurricular strategies and course-based interventions are used synergistically to enhance student outcomes. The approach to curricular innovation is framed by theories related to community of inquiry (CoI), metacognition, agency, and self-regulated learning. Strategic institutional investments have underpinned these efforts. In addition to providing a snapshot of student outcomes, the authors discuss lessons learned along with the realities of engaging in this type of intellectual work to elucidate the feasibility of adopting similar strategies at other institutions.

Details

Broadening Participation in STEM
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78756-908-9

Keywords

Content available
Book part
Publication date: 23 October 2020

Abstract

Details

International Perspectives on Policies, Practices & Pedagogies for Promoting Social Responsibility in Higher Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83909-854-3

Book part
Publication date: 23 October 2003

Beth E Jackson

Epidemiology is often described as “the basic science of public health” (Savitz, Poole & Miller, 1999; Syme & Yen, 2000). This description suggests both a close association with…

Abstract

Epidemiology is often described as “the basic science of public health” (Savitz, Poole & Miller, 1999; Syme & Yen, 2000). This description suggests both a close association with public health practice, and the separation of “pure” scientific knowledge from its application in the messy social world. Although the attainability of absolute objectivity is rarely claimed, epidemiologists are routinely encouraged to “persist in their efforts to substitute evidence for faith in scientific reasoning” (Stolley, 1985, p. 38) and reminded that “public health decision makers gain little from impassioned scholars who go beyond advancing and explaining the science to promoting a specific public health agenda” (Savitz et al., 1999, p. 1160). Epidemiology produces authoritative data that are transformed into evidence which informs public health. Those data are authoritative because epidemiology is regarded as a neutral scientific enterprise. Because its claims are grounded in science, epidemiological knowledge is deemed to have “a special technical status and hence is not contestable in the same way as are say, religion or ethics” (Lock, 1988, p. 6). Despite the veneer of universality afforded by its scientific pedigree, epidemiology is not a static or monolithic discipline. Epidemiological truth claims are embodied in several shifting paradigms that span the life of the discipline. Public health knowledges and practices, competing claims internal and external to epidemiology, and structural conditions (such as current political economies, material technologies, and institutions) provide important contexts in which certain kinds of epidemiological knowledge are more likely to emerge.

Details

Gender Perspectives on Health and Medicine
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-239-9

Book part
Publication date: 17 May 2018

Amelia Gibson, Sandra Hughes-Hassell and Megan Threats

Purpose – We examine the reading lists for required foundational library and information science (LIS) courses at the top 20 American Library Association-accredited LIS programs…

Abstract

Purpose – We examine the reading lists for required foundational library and information science (LIS) courses at the top 20 American Library Association-accredited LIS programs in North America; explore the extent to which critical race theory (CRT) and other critical literatures, methods, and approaches were engaged; and discuss the implications of the findings for LIS education.

Methodological Approach – We conducted quantitative and qualitative content analyses of foundational required readings for the top 20 Master of Library Science/Master of Library and Information Science programs (as ranked by U.S. News & World Report). The sampling process was twofold. The initial sampling included development of the foundational course sample, and the secondary sampling included development of the sample of required readings.

Findings – The vast majority of the required foundational courses examined provided students with little to no exposure to CRT or critical theory.

Originality/Value – CRT and its related concepts provide a structural framework for preparing LIS students and graduates to recognize and address racism, to understand “how power and privilege shape LIS institutions and professional practice” (Cooke, Sweeney, & Noble, 2016, p. 107), and to embrace social justice as an LIS value. Incorporating CRT into existing courses is the first step in pushing the profession in this direction.

Details

Re-envisioning the MLS: Perspectives on the Future of Library and Information Science Education
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78754-884-8

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 11 April 2019

Trin Thananusak and Shaz Ansari

The authors explore the emergence of altmetrics and Open Access (OA) publishing and discuss why their adoption in the management field lags behind other fields such as life…

Abstract

The authors explore the emergence of altmetrics and Open Access (OA) publishing and discuss why their adoption in the management field lags behind other fields such as life sciences. The authors draw on the status literature to discuss the knowledge production and consumption underpinned by the ‘Impact Factor’ metric and high-status ‘Toll Access’ journals and their implications. The authors explain the rise of altmetrics and OA publishing and their implications on the production and consumption of knowledge. The authors then examine the current situation, challenges and offer reflections on the management field’s progression towards a more open research regime in the digital era.

Details

The Production of Managerial Knowledge and Organizational Theory: New Approaches to Writing, Producing and Consuming Theory
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78769-183-4

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 April 2017

Rezaul Kabir and Hanh Minh Thai

The theoretical and empirical relationships between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance are not without controversy. Yet, CSR activities are…

8381

Abstract

Purpose

The theoretical and empirical relationships between corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate financial performance are not without controversy. Yet, CSR activities are increasingly undertaken by a large number of firms, not only in developed countries but also in emerging countries. This paper aims to investigate the moderating effect of different aspects of corporate governance, which are foreign and state ownership, board size and board independence, on the relationship between CSR and financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of Vietnamese listed firms is analyzed. Robust regression analysis is performed using ordinary least squares as well as fixed-effects and two-stage least squares model.

Findings

Ordinary least squares regression results show that CSR activities affect the financial performance of firms positively. Furthermore, corporate governance features like foreign ownership, board size and board independence strengthen the positive relationship between CSR and financial performance, but there is no such impact of state ownership.

Originality/value

Previous studies mostly investigate the direct effect of CSR on financial performance. A few studies examine the moderating effect of corporate governance, which is ownership concentration and board gender diversity. As an emerging country, Vietnam has some specific characteristics on corporate governance. This paper contributes by investigating the moderating effect of few major aspects of corporate governance, which are foreign and state ownership, board size and board independence.

Details

Pacific Accounting Review, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0114-0582

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 November 2019

Jan Bebbington, Henrik Österblom, Beatrice Crona, Jean-Baptiste Jouffray, Carlos Larrinaga, Shona Russell and Bert Scholtens

The purpose of this paper is to interrogate the nature and relevance of debates around the existence of, and ramifications arising from, the Anthropocene for accounting…

8794

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to interrogate the nature and relevance of debates around the existence of, and ramifications arising from, the Anthropocene for accounting scholarship.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper’s aim is achieved through an in-depth analysis of the Anthropocene, paying attention to cross-disciplinary contributions, interpretations and contestations. Possible points of connection between the Anthropocene and accounting scholarship are then proposed and illuminated through a case study drawn from the seafood sector.

Findings

This paper develops findings in two areas. First, possible pathways for further development of how accounting scholarship might evolve by the provocation that thinking about the Anthropocene is outlined. Second, and through engagement with the case study, the authors highlight that the concept of stewardship may re-emerge in discussions about accountability in the Anthropocene.

Research limitations/implications

The paper argues that accounting scholarship focused on social, environmental and sustainability concerns may be further developed by engagement with Anthropocene debates.

Practical implications

While accounting practice might have to change to deal with Anthropocene induced effects, this paper focuses on implications for accounting scholarship.

Social implications

Human well-being is likely to be impacted if environmental impacts accelerate. In addition, an Anthropocene framing alters the understanding of nature–human interactions and how this affects accounting thought.

Originality/value

This is the first paper in accounting to seek to establish connections between accounting, accountability and the Anthropocene.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 33 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

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