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Describes a team‐building training session for ten members of the UK medical affairs and regional medical advisors division of international pharmaceutical company Takeda.
Abstract
Purpose
Describes a team‐building training session for ten members of the UK medical affairs and regional medical advisors division of international pharmaceutical company Takeda.
Design/methodology/approach
Explains the reasons for the session, the form it took and the results it achieved.
Findings
Details two activities – sculpting a horse's head from a block of ice and designing, making and branding chocolates – which formed the basis of the session.
Practical implications
Reveals that team members learned a lot about themselves and each other during the activities. Participants reported feeling closer as a team and communication within the group is now more relaxed.
Social implications
Highlights the importance of teams “getting away from the work environment” for a while to carry out team‐building activities.
Originality/value
Describes a successful team‐building event carried out in a small division of an international pharmaceutical company.
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Keywords
Sandra Mathers, Kathy Sylva, Naomi Eisenstadt, Elena Soukakou and Katharina Ereky-Stevens
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on young children's learning at home and in early childhood settings, in order to identify key caregiving practices which…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on young children's learning at home and in early childhood settings, in order to identify key caregiving practices which support the learning and development of children under three.
Design/methodology/approach
Starting with well-known reviews carried out in England, the USA, Australia and New Zealand, the authors searched the literature for evidence of the developmental needs of babies and toddlers. They then drew on the psychological and educational literatures to identify key practices supporting physical development, learning and communication, using expert review to build on the scientific research in areas where evidence was sparse.
Findings
The review explores three key areas of practice: play-based activities and routines; support for communication and language; and opportunities to move and be physically active.
Research limitations/implications
This review is not systematic or exhaustive, but aims to integrate current evidence within these three key areas in a succinct and accessible manner. The authors recognise that there are many other dimensions of effective practice, many of which are addressed elsewhere in this special edition, as well as myriad other influences on children's development, including social, family and environmental factors.
Originality/value
Worldwide, growing numbers of children under three are experiencing non-parental care in early childhood settings. In comparison to evidence for preschool children, the literature on effective practice for under-threes is sparse. Given the urgent need for information to guide policy and practice, this paper provides a starting point and calls for a multi-source approach to strengthening the evidence base.
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David Y. Choi and Edmund R. Gray
The purpose of this paper is to examine the venture development processes (or “entrepreneurial processes”) of “sustainable” entrepreneurs, i.e. entrepreneurs who create and build…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the venture development processes (or “entrepreneurial processes”) of “sustainable” entrepreneurs, i.e. entrepreneurs who create and build profitable companies that also pursue environmental or social causes. The paper aims to find how these mission‐oriented entrepreneurs achieve their business objectives while serving their social and environmental causes.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper identifies 21 successful sustainable entrepreneurial companies in various industries ranging from apparel to biotechnology that were exemplary in their pursuit for sustainability. The paper examined their key decisions and activities in their “entrepreneurial process”, collecting most of the relevant information from published or self‐developed case studies.
Findings
The paper finds that most of sustainable entrepreneurs are an unusual breed with limited business backgrounds. Most obtain financing from non‐conventional sources and employ unorthodox, yet sound human resource management practices. They are shrewd in their marketing strategies and effective in running efficient, environmentally sound operations. Also, they find innovative methods for balancing their financial goals against their objectives of making a difference in their environment and society.
Practical implications
The paper's findings help demystify and provide some insights into how values‐oriented entrepreneurs and their companies can simultaneously meet economic, social and/or environmental objectives.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the few studies that examine the business practices of for‐profit, sustainability‐oriented entrepreneurs. It is also one of the few formal studies that identify commonalities among a relatively large and diverse sample of companies. Most important, this research suggests practical guidelines for aspiring entrepreneurs to follow as they build their sustainable business ventures.
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Andy Penaluna and Kathryn Penaluna
The aim of this paper is to respond to the acknowledged dearth of academic discourse on assessment strategies for entrepreneurship education. Using established approaches from…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to respond to the acknowledged dearth of academic discourse on assessment strategies for entrepreneurship education. Using established approaches from design education as its fulcrum, it proposes a generic framework for assessment of “creativity” in an entrepreneurial context.
Design/methodology/approach
This primarily constructivist investigation is considered in the context of recent UK discussions, empirical evidence, literature reviews and government policies. It includes the UK's Quality Assurance Agency – Benchmark Statement for the UK's creative industries and maps the approaches onto entrepreneurship education.
Findings
As assessment of ideas generation, innovation and opportunity recognition are, “Central to developing and learning entrepreneurial behaviours”. There are clear parallels between the pedagogic approaches from “design” disciplines and the learning outcomes advocated in generic curriculum development “for” entrepreneurship.
Research limitations/implications
Business school approaches and their associated challenges dominate the entrepreneurship research agenda. Interdisciplinary research, in particular collaborations between the Business and the Creative disciplines, offers opportunities for constructive alignment.
Practical implications
With no intention of “reinventing the wheel”, more adapting and refining it, the paper's primary intention is to offer a springboard of thought from which creative capacity in enterprise education might be enhanced and assessed.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the ongoing debate surrounding issues of assessment and offers insights into established approaches that have evolved beyond the traditional enterprise education environment, one where credit‐bearing curricula have managed and assessed the creative process effectively.
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Gerard Masdeu Yelamos, Catherine Carty and Aisling Clardy
The purpose of this paper is to examine current momentum in the sport policy arena congruent with the sustainable development agenda. It presents two consensus frameworks endorsed…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine current momentum in the sport policy arena congruent with the sustainable development agenda. It presents two consensus frameworks endorsed by the UN that provide mechanism for coherent action to 2030. With a human rights backdrop it outlines the role of organisations operating in the domains of physical education, physical activity and sport (PEPAS), promoting multidisciplinary partnerships and aligning to global agendas that enhance health and well-being for all.
Design/methodology/approach
This position paper is a narrative literature review reporting on the status of sports policy frameworks in the UN system of relevance to the sport sector generally. It relates these to research evidence on the interlinkage between sport, human rights, health and well-being based on critical literature.
Findings
The advent of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, the Kazan Action Plan, the WHO Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030 and allied developments across the sports movement provides an opportunity for revisiting and realigning the definitions and policy objectives of sport and health.
Research limitations/implications
The author’s bias as a UNESCO chair towards UN frameworks is acknowledged as is leniency towards physical education, PEPAS.
Practical implications
Multilateral agencies, health and sport authorities, are encouraged to review and leverage their resources and engage with the call for action of global agendas to improve public health.
Originality/value
This paper presents the global policy backdrop for action and investment in inclusive sport, physical education and physical activity. It presents a fresh new health and well-being perspective aligned to wider interdisciplinary agendas, on which sport organisations can make a significant contribution.
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Valerie O'Connor, Angela Hamouda, Helen McKeon, Colette Henry and Kate Johnston
The purpose of this research is to discuss the nature of co‐entrepreneurs (i.e. those companies that have a mixture of male and female founding members) within the ICT sector in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to discuss the nature of co‐entrepreneurs (i.e. those companies that have a mixture of male and female founding members) within the ICT sector in Ireland. For the purposes of this paper, the term “co‐entrepreneurship” is used to describe male and female business partnerships. The characteristics of co‐entrepreneurs; their educational, skills and family backgrounds; their current role in the company, and the nature of the team founder structure are examined. A discussion on why the team approach was selected is also included. Other issues explored in the paper include the shareholding percentage of the co‐entrepreneurs and the extent to which the business has a lead entrepreneur.
Design/methodology/approach
In 2003 the authors compiled a database of 1,026 indigenous ICT companies, which were electronically surveyed for information regarding software production, ownership of company and gender of founding members. A total of 24 per cent (81) of the responding companies from this survey indicated that there was a mixture of male and female founding members. These companies were subsequently sent another survey designed to gather information on company background, profiles of co‐entrepreneurs, co‐entrepreneurs' motivational factors and co‐entrepreneurs' roles. A total of 34 (43 per cent) of the companies responded, of which 23 were suitable for the research.
Findings
The findings of the study indicate that the family business or spouse/partner structure represents a major component of mixed gender companies in the ICT sector in Ireland, and that such companies tend to be small, with well‐educated and experienced founders.
Originality/value
A particularly interesting contribution of this paper is the provision of insights into the co‐entrepreneurial partnership through identifying the key differences between the male and female co‐founders. A key conclusion of the study is that there would appear to be a recognition among co‐entrepreneurs that complementary skills and knowledge are critically important in the exploitation of new business opportunities, especially in the IT industry.
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Sarah Gibney, Mark Ward and Sinead Shannon
Housing quality across the life course is an important health determinant. The purpose of this paper is to profile the current housing conditions of older adults in Ireland, and…
Abstract
Purpose
Housing quality across the life course is an important health determinant. The purpose of this paper is to profile the current housing conditions of older adults in Ireland, and to investigate the association between housing conditions and heating problems and two types of non-communicable diseases: respiratory health problems and bone and joint conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data are from the Healthy and Positive Ageing Initiative Age-friendly Cities and Counties Survey, a random-sample, population representative survey of 10,540 adults aged 55 and older collected in 2015–2016. Mixed-effects logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between poor housing (leaks, rot and damp) and poor heating (unable to keep the home adequately warm) and the likelihood of having a respiratory health problem or a bone or joint condition. Results are reported as odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals.
Findings
Overall, 10.2 per cent had poor housing and 10.4 per cent had poor heating. Poor housing and poor heating were strongly associated with respiratory health problems and there was a strong association between poor housing and bone and joint conditions. These associations were not explained by health behaviours or socio-demographic characteristics.
Originality/value
Despite a number of publicly funded schemes available to assist in upgrading and maintaining housing, a considerable number of adults aged 55 years and older continue to report problems which are associated with an increased likelihood of respiratory health problem and bone and joint conditions and present a considerable threat to healthy ageing in place.
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