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Strengths-based professional development has been associated with positive outcomes in academia and in the organizational workplace. Students pursuing their doctoral degrees in the biomedical sciences in the US are often on graduate assistantships, where they experience an academic component to their training integrated with an employee-like existence. The individual who serves as their academic and research advisor is often their supervisor, who pays their stipend. The traditional training structure poses unique challenges and may be accompanied by stress, burnout and imposter phenomenon. The purpose of this study is to utilize a strengths-based approach to equip students with essential personal and professional skills that build self-awareness and self-confidence further preparing them for their future in the scientific workforce.

The authors developed and implemented a novel strengths-based professional development cohort program for doctoral students in the biomedical sciences at a research-intensive (R1) institution. The program was designed to create a supportive and inclusive space for participants (n = 18) to explore their identity as a student and scientists and to develop and leverage their talents for more effective and strategic use. Program outcomes were evaluated through a mixed methods case study design using a post-program Likert-based survey (n = 10 participants) and participant interviews (n = 13). Explanatory sequential design was used in the interpretation of the findings.

The results show that the program had a positive impact on students’ perceptions of themselves as scientists, as well as on their self-efficacy, self-confidence and interpersonal interactions in the research setting.

This strengths-based professional development program demonstrates immense potential as a model to equip students with self-awareness and a new foundation of essential skills needed to supplement their technical and scientific training for their future careers in the team-based workplace.

This study demonstrates how professional development programming can complement scientific training by equipping students with self-awareness and other lifelong skills to navigate feelings of imposter phenomenon and interpersonal relationships in the team-based workplace.

Older people in Ethiopia are a vulnerable group due to the lack of governmental and societal support. The absence of national social protection and the decline in family support contributes to older adults’ vulnerability, furthering a climate of ageism. This study aims to explore the role of the Ethiopian Elders and Pensioner's National Association (EEPNA) in reframing the image of older adults and advocating for their rights.

Data were collected using multiple approaches: interviews with older adult members of EEPNA (n = 8), a focus group of older members (n = 7) and key informant interviews (n = 3). Narrative data was analyzed using thematic content analysis.

Findings revealed that EEPNA plays a pivotal role in promoting access to services and advocating for older adults’ rights, offering capacity-building programs, supporting vulnerable older adults to gain access to secure incomes and strengthening the network of older peoples’ associations. Older participants noted that the government had not ratified the National Convention for Older People, creating a considerable challenge to the association’s efforts.

Stakeholders can advocate with and on behalf of older adults to enhance the societal view of older adults in Ethiopia and to promote policies to increase their access to needed resources.

Using a strengths-based approach, this study presents the perspectives of older adult advocates who are fighting to create awareness of the needs of vulnerable older people in Ethiopia and to advance their rights.

Although strengths use support (SUS) has been shown to facilitate employee strengths use and work engagement, little is known about how senior managers’ SUS affects middle managers’ SUS. The purpose of the present research was to examine the trickle-down effect of SUS from superiors on SUS for subordinates.

A two-wave questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from middle managers (n = 228) at a global manufacturing firm in Japan.

The results of structural equation modeling indicated that (1) SUS from superiors indirectly promoted SUS for subordinates mediated through middle managers’ strength use, and (2) SUS from superiors indirectly promoted SUS for subordinates mediated through middle managers’ strength use, and subsequently through their work engagement.

As the respondents were middle-level managers at a manufacturing firm in Japan and were all Japanese nationals, indigenous culture and traditional work mentality may have affected the results.

To create a supportive learning culture in an organization, human resource (HR) managers need to encourage senior-level managers to provide SUS for middle managers through HR systems such as training, appraisal, and survey feedback.

This study may be the first to clarify how SUS from superiors is linked to SUS for subordinates by identifying the mediating effects of strength use and work engagement, based on the Job-Demand Resources model, the Social Cognitive theory, and the trickle-down effect.

Proposing a strengths-based perspective for innovative work behaviour (IWB), the purpose of this paper is to explore character strengths (CS) as antecedents to IWB. Extending the literature and operating in the framework of positive organisational behaviour, this paper considers creative self-efficacy a crucial link between CS and IWB. The role of growth mindset and learning organisation in facilitating IWB, presented as a conceptual model, contributes to the theory in this field, aiding in developing an overarching theory to understand IWB.

A narrative literature review was performed on the CS, IWB and positive organisational behaviour literature to adapt theories and develop propositions for the conceptual model.

This paper develops a conceptual framework proposing direct relationships between CS and IWB. This study posits creative self-efficacy (CSE) as the mediator between this relationship and growth mindset, learning organisation as the moderators for the link between CS and CSE and CSE and IWB.

The paper presents a conceptual framework focusing on the positive personality traits of employees, precisely their CS. This study explores how leveraging these strengths can enhance their capacity for IWB. The suggested model also prompts additional research in understanding IWB.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the conceptual framework proposed is the first to explore the diverse individual differences factors and the role of contextual facilitation in enhancing employees’ IWB. This study contributes to the growing field of positive organisational behaviour and assists HR managers in tapping into employees’ internal resources. This paper’s theoretical and practical discourse can inspire future research and encourage a strengths-based view of workplace processes.

Evidence has indicated plausible effects of employees' use of their personal strengths at work on their attitudes, performance and well-being. Although the use of personal strengths was also expected to benefit others in the organization, such effects have rarely been examined. Here we studied associations of principals’ use of their personal strengths with principals’ own engagement and with the strengths use and engagement of teachers under their supervision, anticipating that principals’ and teachers’ strengths use and engagement would be associated with students’ achievement.

We surveyed 92 Israeli principals and 474 of their teachers. Measures included self-reported strengths use and engagement of the participants’ and schools' student matriculation achievements.

The findings generally supported the hypotheses. HLM analyses indicated that principals' use of their personal strengths was associated with their own engagement and with teachers' strengths use and work engagement and teachers’ engagement (but not their strengths use) was associated with student achievement.

These findings suggest the beneficial impact of principals' use of their personal strengths on teachers, with practical implications for fostering principals’ and teachers’ flourishing and creating and supporting humanizing schools, by building on principals’ and teachers’ strengths and fostering their use at work.

This is the first study about the potential effects of principals’ strengths use on their own engagement and on others in the school. The significant associations found propose a promising path forward for principals’ positive impact on teachers and students.

In response to observed changes in the evolving needs of our community, and a call for proactive, strategic planning from campus administration, library and key learning commons partners gathered for a retreat in June 2023 to focus on rightsizing to answer six key questions: What is the right mix of collections to support the teaching, research and learning goals of the Seattle University community? What is the right variety of spaces to support the teaching, research and learning goals of the Seattle University community? What are the right mix of on ground and virtual services to support the teaching, research and learning goals of the Seattle University community? What technologies are needed to support the teaching, research and learning goals of the Seattle University community? What is the right staffing (model, levels+) to support the teaching, research and learning goals of the Seattle University community? What type of library and learning commons do we want to be in five years?

The article discusses and provides review of literature on concepts like rightsizing and appreciative inquiry/ strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results (SOAR) analysis. It will describe how note-taking, and qualitative analysis of feedback gathered during an in-person exercise can be used to identify actionable goals and activities as a follow-up to an in-person retreat.

To focus this conversation, an appreciative inquiry approach using a SOAR analysis was used, instead of a traditional strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, to utilize a constructivist approach to future thinking. This case study will explore rightsizing as it pertains to academic libraries, and the use of SOAR as a framework for capturing feedback and discussion.

As the article is a case study, it represents feedback collected specifically from one university library and learning commons. However, the questions asked, and the consolidated feedback are broad enough to be applicable to similar library systems.

The authors aim to demonstrate how appreciative inquiry and strength-based discussions using SOAR can lead to meaningful future-thinking conversations that might otherwise feel threatening. As rightsizing is often connected to downsizing, or conversations about reductions, using techniques like SWOT analysis which focus on weaknesses and threats can lead to anxiety and fear for participants. It can limit conversation, when members of a focus group or retreat feel unwilling to participate. By using constructivist approaches, it invites introspection and participation in a positive way, and focuses on forward thinking – and not just thinking of the present.

Rightsizing discussions are not particularly new or unique to libraries but are most seen in articles discussing collections. The scope of this project was to assess not only collections, but services, technology, staffing and spaces – in addition to our collections. Similarly, SOAR analyses are not the most common form of strategic analysis, and an appreciative inquiry approach to a rightsizing conversation in academic libraries is a relatively timely and new topic.

In this article, we highlight ways in which disability critical race theory (DisCrit) (Annamma et al., 2013), inclusive education and community-based participatory research (CBPR) can be used within professional development schools (PDS) to provide students with disabilities with more access to inclusive classrooms. At a grade 4–6 elementary school, we developed a model of a critical PDS to promote inclusive education and facilitate the transition of students of color with disabilities from self-contained to inclusive classrooms. We conducted semi-structured interviews and used action plan meetings with school administrators, teachers, professionals and students with disabilities and their parents to assess the impact of our critical PDS model. Findings suggest this model had a positive impact on administrators’ and teachers’ critical consciousness, ideological and instructional practices, students of color with disabilities’ social, academic and personal outcomes, as well as a schoolwide culture of inclusion and social justice. This study can inform tailored professional development efforts to improve educators’ inclusive practices.

We conducted semi-structured interviews and used action plan meetings with school administrators, teachers, professionals and students with disabilities and their parents to assess the impact of our critical PDS model.

The findings of this study suggest this model had a positive impact on administrators’ and teachers’ critical consciousness, ideological and instructional practices, students of color with disabilities’ social, academic and personal outcomes, as well as a schoolwide culture of inclusion and social justice.

This study can inform tailored professional development efforts aiming to improve educators’ inclusive practices.

We developed a model of a critical PDS to promote inclusive education and facilitate the transition of students of color with disabilities from self-contained to inclusive classrooms.

The Grey System Theory (GST) is an emerging area of research within artificial intelligence. Since its founding in 1982, it has seen a lot of multidisciplinary applications. In just a short period, it has garnered some considerable strengths. Based on the 1987–2021 data collected from the Web of Science (WoS), the current study reports the advancement of the GST.

Research papers utilizing the GST in the fields of economics and education were retrieved from the Web of Science (WoS) platform using a set of predetermined keywords. In the final stage of the process, the papers that underwent analysis were manually chosen, with selection criteria based on the information presented in the titles and abstracts.

The study identifies prominent authors, institutions, publications and journals closely associated with the subject. In terms of authors, two major clusters are identified around Liu SF and Wang ZX, while the institution with the highest number of publications is Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Moreover, significant keywords, trends and research directions have been extracted and analyzed. Additionally, the study highlights the regions where the theory holds substantial influence.

The study is subject to certain limitations stemming from factors such as the language employed in the chosen literature, the papers included within the Web of Science (WoS) database, the designation of works categorized as “articles” in the database, the specific selection of keywords and keyword combinations, and the meticulous manual process employed for paper selection. While the manual selection process itself is not inherently limiting, it demands a greater investment of time and meticulous attention, contributing to the overall limitations of the study.

The significance of the study extends not only to scholars and practitioners but also to readers who observe the development of emerging scientific disciplines.

The analysis of trends revealed a growing emphasis on the application of GST in diverse domains, including supply chain management, manufacturing and economic development. Notably, the emergence of COVID-19 as a new research focal point among GST scholars is evident. The heightened interest in COVID-19 can be attributed to its global impact across various academic disciplines. However, it is improbable that this interest will persist in the long term, as the pandemic is gradually brought under control.

The purpose of this article is to develop a new model called strategy segmentation methodology (SSM) by combining the Kraljic portfolio matrix (KPM) and the supplier relationship model (SRM) so that the buyer company can effectively conduct its relations with its suppliers.

The importance weights of the criteria defining the dimensions of each model are calculated with the single-valued neutrosophic analytical hierarchy process (SVN-AHP) method. Subsequently, the derived importance weights are employed in the single-valued neutrosophic technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (SVN-TOPSIS) method to obtain the scores of the suppliers and their supplied items. In order to illustrate the feasibility of the proposed methodology, a case study in the machinery industry is performed with the related comparative analysis.

The implementation of SSM enables to formulate various strategies to manage suppliers taking into account the items they procure, their capabilities and performance and the supplier–buyer relationship strength. Based on the proposed strategies, it is concluded that the firm in the case study should terminate its relationship with six of its suppliers.

Although KPM has become the basis of purchasing strategies for various businesses, it neglects the characteristics of suppliers and the buyer–supplier relationship. In this study, KPM is integrated with the SRM approach presented by Olsen and Ellram (1997) to overcome these disadvantages of KPM. The novel integration of the two approaches enables the realization of a robust and reliable supplier classification model.

This paper aims to explore the importance of tailored faculty development for neurodiverse business educators. It focuses on how specialized support can enhance research output, teaching effectiveness and service contributions within the academic community.

This paper’s conceptual approach uses elements of autoethnography to inform and support prior theoretical and empirical work. An explication of how neurodiversity can be integrated into faculty development efforts is presented with emphasis on individualized support systems, empathetic mentorship and customized teaching and research support strategies to leverage often unrecognized abilities.

The research identifies that neuroatypical faculty possess certain strengths such as heightened problem-solving skills and attention to detail, which, when supported, can significantly enrich the academic environment. However, there is a lack of targeted support mechanisms for, and general awareness of, these faculty. The paper proposes modifications to existing faculty development activities, emphasizing general and individualized approaches to better harness the talents of neurodiverse educators.

Implementing the proposed strategies will foster an inclusive educational atmosphere while enhancing academic creativity, innovation and productivity. This approach also aligns with important trends in diversity and inclusion, promoting a more equitable and dynamic academic environment.

This research contributes to the field by extending the discourse on neurodiversity in higher education beyond student-focused initiatives to include faculty development. It provides actionable strategies to create inclusive environments that leverage the cognitive strengths of neurodiverse faculty, a relatively unexplored area in business education.