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Article
Publication date: 18 July 2019

Hooman Doosti, Kourosh Fathi Vajargah, Abasalt Khorasani and Saied Safaee Movahed

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and analyze the dominant discourses of the workplace curriculum in Iranian organizations.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate and analyze the dominant discourses of the workplace curriculum in Iranian organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

The research data were collected through in-depth interviews with 30 professionals working in the field of workplace curriculum in three groups of consultants, managers and experts who were selected purposefully and with a theoretical sampling strategy. To analyze the data, thematic analysis method was used. The themes are extracted and categorized into three phases, namely, descriptive coding, interpretive coding and determination of overarching theme. To validate the data, collaborative research technique, member checking and researcher review and, to make sure of findings’ reliability, reliability index between two coders were used.

Findings

Based on the findings, the kind of planner’s look at the workplace curriculum commonplaces will shape the nature of the curriculum and in terms of this look define and redefine the workplace curriculum discourses. Therefore, based on perceptions and attitudes in these areas, 11 different discourses are recognizable from the workplace curriculum. These include suppression discourse, justification discourse, ceremonial/ formality discourse, administrative discourse, engineering discourse, economical discourse, psychological discourse, partnership discourse, research discourse, developmental discourse and, finally, multi-cultural discourse.

Practical implications

The common goal of all learning professionals in the workplace is to play the role of a strategic partner, or at least be a good partner for the organization. One of the main challenges of learning and development professionals in the workplace is increase in integration and alignment between learning programs and developmental opportunities with business organization strategies. Achieving this important goal is possible when we have a proper understanding of the current situation and condition. Various situations and conditions are identified and described in the form of 11 discourses. If the authors do not look at the context and proper understanding of the main concepts – The main concepts of each discourse are put into a quill – in which any discourse that was created, the authors will not be able to make the appropriate strategies. A good doctor will hear and understand well before the first thing.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the few studies that offer a variety of discourses for the workplace curriculum.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 31 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2019

Maria Golubovskaya, David Solnet and Richard N.S. Robinson

This paper aims to challenge existing assumptions in talent management (TM) research, showcasing a misalignment between commonly held assumptions and the characteristics of the…

2068

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to challenge existing assumptions in talent management (TM) research, showcasing a misalignment between commonly held assumptions and the characteristics of the youth-intensive hospitality sector workforce.

Design/methodology/approach

Following a review of the TM literature, Piirto’s educational talent pyramid is adopted to conceptualize a recalibration. Drawing on multidisciplinary literatures (i.e. adolescent development, youth employment, positive psychology), and adopting a (talent) developmental approach, a reframing of prevalent TM discourses is enunciated based on the logic that the hospitality workforce is predominantly in a developmental state.

Findings

TM discourses are misaligned with the workforce composition of the hospitality industry, which is dominated by young, often unexperienced, workers. The need for dramatically recalibrated TM structures and underlying assumptions, centred around a greater attention to the “development” of talent and a more employee-focused and inclusive approach, can facilitate greater alignment between TM and hospitality.

Research limitations/implications

This paper extends a body of work advocating for more inclusive TM and developmental postures. The contribution, via a hospitality industry context, has been to create linkages between talent- and youth-development discourses.

Practical implications

This paper outlines a number of implications, among which are a pathway forward for hospitality industry to rebuild its poor HRM image and conversion of “transient” hospitality jobs to career jobs (for youth).

Originality/value

This paper identifies youth as a distinct workforce entity and suggests that hospitality jobs represent a critical developmental context for young people, resulting in a series of critical implications for TM practice and theorizing.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 31 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2010

Khali Victor Mofuoa1

Goulet (1996) declared that a new paradigm of development is clearly in gestation. Such paradigm centers on human development as an end, with economic development as the means…

Abstract

Goulet (1996) declared that a new paradigm of development is clearly in gestation. Such paradigm centers on human development as an end, with economic development as the means (UNDP, 1994). In fact, the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), identify human development as a key to social and economic progress. Indeed, MDGs have become a universal framework for development, and a means for developing countries and their partners to work together in pursuit of a shared future for all. However, from all indications, developing countries, particularly in Africa, are not on target on any of the goals. In order to achieve the MDGs, developing countries are urged to mobilize additional resources and break with business as usual syndrome. Thus the challenge of the MDGs underscores the need for Africa to wake up and exploit the opportunities that “Botho” can offer in the continent’s quest for a “second independence” (Ake, 2001; Nnoli, 2003) and/or a “second liberation” (Nnaemeka, 2009) from protracted development crisis of the modern history. Such a need, however, according to Tambulasi and Kayuni (2005) begs the question: Can African feet divorce Western shoes? Of course, there is a wider list of thoughts to be produced on that topic. The paper intends to reflect on “Botho” as a resource for a just and sustainable economy towards Africa’s development path in modern history.

Details

World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, vol. 6 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-5961

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 May 2019

Louise Whittaker and Graunt Kruger

The purpose of this paper is to explore practitioner and academic conceptualisations about what drives individuals (who are the target of financial inclusion efforts) to adopt and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore practitioner and academic conceptualisations about what drives individuals (who are the target of financial inclusion efforts) to adopt and use financial services. It compares this with individual’s personal subjectivities to understand how the similarities and differences might contribute to problems in financial inclusion efforts.

Design/methodology/approach

To uncover such conceptualisations, a Foucauldian discourse analysis of three texts is conducted.

Findings

The analysis uncovers the ways in which financial subjects are produced. Important points of discontinuity are evident between texts, pointing to potential failures within financial inclusion constructs. Distilling aspects of continuity between texts shows up three kinds of subjects produced predicated on the site of economic engagement as owners of bodies, tangible property and intangible property. These subjects are shown to all share concerns with income and expense management. The analysis shows that subject positions and strategic actions (including the use of financial service providers) are mutually reinforcing, and that therefore financial subjects will engage only to the extent that the product or service enacts their subject position. With the financial subject as the starting point, it is possible to understand the use or rejection of particular financial products and services.

Research limitations/implications

Asset building is proposed as a field of activity not currently considered part of mainstream financial inclusion, questioning the terms on which individuals are to be financially “included”.

Originality/value

Approximately 2 billion people globally, and 66 per cent of adults in sub-Saharan Africa, are excluded from the formal financial system. While financial inclusion is considered beneficial, many projects face significant challenges. This suggests insufficient understanding of what drives individuals to adopt and use financial services. This paper makes a contribution by exploring the gap between academics, practitioners and individuals using a method that has not previously been applied in this field, and uncovering differences in understanding that have not previously been explored. The insights into financial inclusion in provided in this paper are original in the literature.

Details

European Business Review, vol. 31 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-534X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 October 2019

Lambert K. Engelbrecht and Abigail Ornellas

Within a neoliberal environment, financial vulnerability of households has become an increasing challenge and there is a requirement of financial literacy education, a necessary…

Abstract

Purpose

Within a neoliberal environment, financial vulnerability of households has become an increasing challenge and there is a requirement of financial literacy education, a necessary activity to facilitate sustainable development and well-being. However, this is seldom a mainstream discourse in social work deliberations. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

First, introducing the neoliberal impact on financial well-being and capability for vulnerable households, the authors’ postulation is substantiated on a seven-point argument. The contexts of financially vulnerable households are sketched. Second, a conceptualisation of financial literacy is offered, and third, perspectives on and approaches to financial literacy as a fundamental capability are presented. This is followed by a theoretical foundation of community education as a practice model in social work to develop financial capabilities. In the fifth place, prevailing practices of Financial Capabilities Development (FCD) programmes are offered. Subsequently, the implications of a neoliberal environment for social work practice are examined.

Findings

The revised global definition of social work encourages the profession to understand and address the structural causes of social problems through collective interventions. As a response, it is argued that community education towards FCD of vulnerable households within a neoliberal environment should be an essential discourse in social development.

Originality/value

The authors reflect on the significance of FCD, highlighting its contribution towards human security and sustainable development. Although this paper draws on Southern African contexts, the discourse finds resonance in other contexts across the world.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 46 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 August 2015

Bokgyo Jeong

This paper aims to examine the distinctiveness of South Korean social enterprises from a historical institutionalism perspective. From this perspective, the author focuses on the…

2383

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the distinctiveness of South Korean social enterprises from a historical institutionalism perspective. From this perspective, the author focuses on the proactive roles played by the government in the process of emergence and formulation of social enterprises in South Korea. The author roots this paper in the concept of the developmental state and examines how this concept applies to newly emerging social enterprises in South Korea.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper first introduces the process of South Korean social enterprises’ emergence as an independent phenomenon. The author explains the process with a link to governmental actions, such as the introduction of public programs and government acts. Second, this paper introduces the concept of developmental state which captures the proactive role of the state in social, economic and political development in South Korea. Third, this paper applies the institutional framework proposed by Kerlin (2013) to see how the South Korean social enterprise model can be located from a comparative perspective and how the South Korean model can contribute to the expansion of the existing framework.

Findings

This paper finds that the state involvement in South Korea is a reflection of the historical path of the developmental state. The cross-comparison of South Korean social enterprises from a historical institutionalist approach finds that the South Korean case may contribute to the ongoing scholarly debate by suggesting taking a Weberian ideal type of an interventionist state into account for an extension of the proposed framework. This paper also uncovered the strategic approach of the South Korean Government in utilizing this public policy tool by adopting and combining existing social enterprise models.

Research limitations/implications

This paper demonstrates the state’s intents to mobilize economic and societal resources as public policy intervention tools, which can be understood from a developmental state context. This role would be distinct when compared to those in Europe and the USA. This paper has a limitation to restrict its analytical scope to formally recognized social enterprises because it focuses on the role of the state in utilizing social enterprises for public policy agenda: social development and social welfare provision.

Practical implications

As a practical implication, this study might provide an insightful framework for South Korean public policy makers, outlining the contributions and limitations of state-led public policies associated with social enterprises. As seen in the historical path of governmental interventions, governmental public policies do not necessarily guarantee their sustainable community impacts without the consideration of private or nonprofit actors’ spontaneous involvements. The flip side of state-led interventions requires policy makers to become more cautious, as they address social problems with public policy intents.

Originality/value

The majority of current studies on social enterprises in South Korea mainly focus on reporting the quantitative increase in the number of registered social enterprises. Beyond this quantitative description of its achievement, this paper also provides a historical narration and philosophical background of this phenomenon. Additionally, it shows how this artificial government intervention in social enterprises could be accepted from a historical perspective and brought remarkable responses from the private and civil society sectors in South Korea.

Details

Social Enterprise Journal, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-8614

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1999

Laurence O’ Connell, Paula Clancy and Chris van Egeraat

Explores the link between research practice and business education. The work of Michael Porter has a long association with the field of marketing. Focuses on the Porter’s diamond…

6826

Abstract

Explores the link between research practice and business education. The work of Michael Porter has a long association with the field of marketing. Focuses on the Porter’s diamond model of national competitive advantage (1990). Draws on recent experiences from an empirical investigation into sources of competitive advantage and suggests that the model is useful as a conceptual framework for practitioner‐orientated discourse concerning developmental issues. Outlines the process of review that led to a set of specific action outcomes. Doing so highlights the reflective nature of the research process and provides insights into the usage of theory in a pragmatic manner. In particular, suggests that for those “less steeped in the management life‐world” such an account may facilitate a reflective turn in their appreciation of the relationship between marketing management theory and practice.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 33 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 October 2013

Julie McLeod and Katie Wright

The purpose of this paper is to examine expert ideas about education for citizenship in 1930s Australia. Drawing on a larger study of adolescence and schooling during the middle…

1188

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine expert ideas about education for citizenship in 1930s Australia. Drawing on a larger study of adolescence and schooling during the middle decades of the twentieth century, the paper explores the role of international networks and US philanthropy in fostering the spread of new psychological and curriculum ideas that shaped citizenship education, and broader educational changes during the interwar period. A second purpose is to provide historical perspectives on contemporary concerns about the role of schooling in addressing social values and student wellbeing.

Design/methodology/approach

The discussion is informed by approaches drawn from Foucauldian genealogy and historical studies of transnationalism. It examines constructions of the good and problem student and the networks of international educational expertise as forms of “travelling ideas”. These transnational exchanges are explored through a close analysis of a defining moment in Australian educational history, the 1937 conference of the New Education Fellowship.

Findings

The analysis reveals the ways in which psychological understandings and curriculum reforms shaped education for citizenship in the 1930s and identify in particular the emergent role of psychology in defining what it meant to be a good student and a good future citizen. The paper further finds that Australian education during the interwar years was more cosmopolitan and engaged in international discussions about citizenship and schooling than is usually remembered in the present. Elaborating this is important for building transnational histories of knowledge exchange in Australian education.

Originality/value

The paper shows the value of a relational analysis of school curriculum and psychological understandings for more fully grasping the different dimensions of education for citizenship both in the interwar years and now. It offers fresh perspectives on contemporary educational debates about globalisation and youth identities, as played out in current concerns about social values and schooling.

Details

History of Education Review, vol. 42 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0819-8691

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 July 2009

Vincenza Priola and Matthew J. Brannan

The growth of women in management has been argued to offer a route to reduce organizational and social inequality. The purpose of this paper is to explore the careers and…

2281

Abstract

Purpose

The growth of women in management has been argued to offer a route to reduce organizational and social inequality. The purpose of this paper is to explore the careers and experiences of female managers from a variety of organizations operating in the West Midlands region of the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on 56 interviews conducted with women managers within various sectors. The interviewees also completed pictorial careers maps, which along with interview recordings were analyzed.

Findings

The key themes to emerge from this research centre upon the factors that draw women into management (which we term seductive elements) as well as some of the hindering practices that prevent women from progressing. Significantly, we find that managerial careers are associated with gendered assumptions and practices (e.g. facilitating and developing people) which contribute to construct management (done by women) as bounded‐up characteristically with “feminized” behaviours.

Research limitations/implications

The research is based upon a relatively small sample that is multi‐sectorial. Wider studies that increase population size, together with deeper studies that hold sectorial variables constant would further add weight to the findings presented here.

Practical implications

The paper draws attention to the “lived reality” of doing management, which, we argue often, for women in particular involves the reconciliation of contradictions and conflicting pressures. We draw attention to the lack of “alternative models” of organization and highlight the potential for gender‐focus mentoring and management education.

Originality/value

The paper is of value in giving voice to a selection of women managers by allowing them to reflect upon and explore their experience of management. The paper also documents the day‐to‐day reality of women's managerial careers that require the re‐enactment and reproduction of stereotypical gender norms.

Details

Equal Opportunities International, vol. 28 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0261-0159

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 October 2020

Priscilla Twumasi Baffour, Wassiuw Abdul Rahaman and Ibrahim Mohammed

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of mobile money access on internal remittances received, per capita consumption expenditure and welfare of household in Ghana.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of mobile money access on internal remittances received, per capita consumption expenditure and welfare of household in Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used data from the latest round of the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 7) and employed the propensity score matching technique to estimate average treatment effect between users and non-users of mobile money transfer services.

Findings

The study finds that using mobile money is welfare enhancing, particularly for poor households and the channel by which it impacts on welfare is through higher internal remittances received and per capita expenditure. The results from the average treatment effect indicate that mobile money users receive significantly higher remittances and consequently spend averagely higher on consumption than non-users.

Research limitations/implications

Although the data employed in this study is limited to one country, the findings support the financial inclusion role and developmental impact of mobile money transfer services. Hence, mobile money transfer services should be promoted and facilitated by the telecommunication and financial sector regulators.

Originality/value

In addition to making original contribution to the literature on the welfare impact of mobile money, the study's use of the propensity score matching is unique.

Details

Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences, vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2054-6238

Keywords

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