Search results

Sustainable leadership as a concept is both in its infancy and also under researched, with much of the previous work in the area concentrating solely on the compulsory sector. Lambert (2011) argues that existing models are not entirely appropriate for further education due to the landscape in which colleges operate. This paper presents the findings of empirical work which sought the views of principals of general further education colleges (equivalent to United States Community Colleges) in the south east of England and London, UK, as to whether they are in agreement with the component aspects of the framework of sustainable leadership for further education colleges suggested by Lambert (2011).

The author identifies a link between the environment and the wider issue of corporate quality, based on ideas developed within TDG, the parent company for logistics and hire companies (transport companies) around much of the world. Argues that environmental good practice can be built into the activities of a company without additional bureauracracy. Identifies sections of a TQM system that lend themselves to an environmental policy, such as purchasing, in‐process inspection and audits. Concludes that adoption of TQM processes by TDG companies further strengthens the link between quality and good environmental practices.

Many companies have customer service departments which act as a barrier between the company and the customer. Is customer service represented at the top? How credible is a customer satisfaction index? What effect does this have on customer service? This article discusses a tool for assessing the degree of customer focus within an organization’s culture and provides a series of checklist questions.

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings from an action research project in which the researchers sought to develop a set of questions for use by mentors (experienced teachers) and mentees (pre-service teachers) on a course of initial teacher education (ITE) when they first met – the “initial encounter”.

The researchers used an action research approach in order to address the lower retention rate of pre-service teachers from different backgrounds, such as Black and Minority ethnic (BAME) and the issues around mentoring which may exacerbate this problem. Discussions between the course team and participating mentors and mentees suggested that the initial encounter between mentor and mentee was significant, and an action research methodology would allow for developing questions that might structure such encounters.

The researchers found that a useful and effective set of questions could be developed and used by mentors and mentees. Additionally, this process gave researchers insights into the nature of the first encounters between mentors and mentees on an ITE course and how both groups see their roles. In several cycles of action research, the participants produced a number of iterations of such questions, which were refined across a two-year period.

While it is too early to tell if the issues leading to the lower retention rate of pre-service teachers that prompted the project have been reduced in any significant way, the researchers suggest that thinking about these initial encounters can have an impact on the way mentors and mentees go on to build a relationship.

The authors found that there is very little research in the field of teacher education which looks at initial encounters between mentors and mentees, and thus make an original contribution to the mentoring literature.

CAIRS‐LMS is the library management system produced by Leatherhead Food Research Association. It was written up in VINE in detail in the first issue of 1989 (number 74, August 1989). Since then the number of CAIRS‐LMS customers has risen from 70 to 95 and major enhancements to the system have been undertaken or planned. Release +5 is the latest version of the software, currently in the process of being shipped to existing customers. It incorporates facilities such as a new OPAC, simpler print options and menus which link to security levels. Designed initially to be used by LFRA's own library, CAIRS‐LMS has not surprisingly proved to be particularly popular with special libraries. However, it is now beginning to take off in other areas with, for example, several college libraries taking the software on board. Reflecting this, LFRA has incorporated features into the system to meet the needs of such libraries, such as facilities for high volume loans.

The sheer volume of decisions taken within the public sector procurement process prevents perfect and complete information being obtained and applied to every best value tender analysis that is carried out. As such, uncertainty must be accepted as a feature of the best value decision‐making process. This paper reports research which is developing a methodology for utilising the uncertainty component in best value tender analysis in order to create a more transparent decision making process. The main output of the research is the production of a robust support tool which aids the multi objective decision making process within the public sector of the UK construction industry by provoking rational discussion with respect to; the industry’s key performance indicators (KPIs), the client’s attitude to risk and provides a transparent audit trail of the decisions taken. The underlying rationale for the support tool is based on a combination of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), Multi‐Attribute Utility Theory (MAUT) and Whole Life Costing (WLC). The paper demonstrates the practical utility of the methodology of the tool through a tender decision process.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceived role of library personnel in supporting first-generation students at Penn State University Libraries, and also how students’ perceptions of library personnel change over time, and the various experiences that influenced their changes in perception.

This study employed focus groups to solicit input from first-generation students. A four-step team-based approach to qualitative coding process was developed including the development of a codebook informed by common themes and concepts drawn from the literature.

Findings indicate that operating from a deficit of library cultural capital often results in low awareness of available services and changes in perception are more influenced by personal exploration than limited interactions with personnel. Further, while currently employed interventions are well targeted, opportunities exist for enhancing efforts.

As this is a case study, the findings are not generalizable. Per conducting only four focus groups, the experiences of participants may not represent the typical scope of personnel-related interactions.

This study adds to the limited body of evidence that first-generation students’ struggle from a deficit of library-related cultural capital.

Wealth does not exist in infinite volume, it has to be created. The creation of new wealth which is necessary to support growing social expectations is determined by the ability to create new market values in the form of a new knowledge that significantly alters the patterns of expectations. The prevailing mindset, however, currently favours a stable formula for maintaining existing market values. Provides a framework for wealth creation by defining knowledge in a way that encompasses its origins through to the technologies which exploit it in the form of new market values.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how asset-based community development (ABCD) can be used to build inclusive, connected communities that intentionally value the contribution of older citizens.

ABCD was used as an approach to enable older people to transform their neighbourhood and make them a better place to live for all ages. The paper describes this approach and goes on to illustrate how it has been applied in three neighbourhoods using case studies.

The case studies show that by using ABCD, connections can be made between people, associations/clubs, businesses and services, to achieve the aspirations the citizens have for their neighbourhood. The contribution of older citizens to community life is valued and the risk of isolation and loneliness reduced.

The three case studies presented in this paper are unique in that they have applied ABCD with older people taking on the role of community builders and connectors.