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Firstly, this study diagnosed professional competence amongst Chinese vocational students within a broad range of the manufacturing sectors; then, the authors examined how different types of P-E fit (job, organisation and vocation) and internship quality jointly shape the newly acquired professional competences of interns.

This study utilised the COMET methodology to conduct a large-scale assessment of professional competence amongst 961 graduates from vocational colleges who had successfully completed internships. Participants actively engaged in the data collection process by responding to questionnaires that sought contextual information concurrently.

The majority of students have attained fundamental functional competencies, indicating their fulfillment of basic requirements. However, there is a tendency to overlook the cultivation of shaping competence. Three types of P-E fit and task characteristics are positively correlated with professional competence. The indirect relationship between P-E fit and professional competence mediated by task characteristics was verified through P-V fit and P-J fit except for P-O fit. Overall, the model explains 39.2% of the variance in professional competence.

“How to promote professional competence” has been highlighted as an important topic in vocational education. This paper contributes to identify the characteristics of a quality internship program for vocational colleges and firms. These insights are important in considering a student-centred approach, design internships programmes that better fit their own abilities, needs and vocations, avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach to implement internships and thus, enhance students' professional development.

This chapter sought to answer the following questions: (a) what does special education means for students with intellectual disability?, (b) what is being done, and (c) how do we maintain tradition? The answers, while complicated, suggest special education for students with intellectual disability historically and currently involves attention to what, how, and where, with the how being the key elements of special education for students with intellectual disability. This chapter discussed the what, how, and where for students with intellectual disability in a historical and current framework while also providing evidence-based practices for students with intellectual disability to implement to maintain the tradition of high-quality services.

This study aims to support researchers and practitioners in finding suitable instruments for future research studies and organizational quality assessments.

Employees’ success of learning at work is strongly influenced by the quality of the workplace learning environment. In the recent decades growing effort has been given to the development of surveys to measure the quality of workplace learning, resulting in a large number of available survey instruments. This study conceptually draws on a 3-P model and uses a qualitative metasynthesis to collect and categorize n = 94 surveys that intend to measure the quality of workplace learning (WPL).

The results underline that research on WPL environments is a highly interdisciplinary endeavor, where every discipline enriches the field by a new perspective and own foci. Overall, this study finds a focus on learning culture and working conditions, on social and functional inclusion of the learner and on support and feedback during training. Products of WPL such as professional competences or career aspirations play a minor role.

With the integration of quality measurement instruments from various research studies, this study produces an interactive online instrument map that gives a broad, yet organized overview of available quality measures in the WPL field.

Based on the principle of equality, individuals with disabilities have the right to equal job opportunities and career advancements and to actively participate in the economy like other members of society. This study aims to provide an integrated description of discriminatory occupational practices and behaviours that individuals with disabilities face. This study followed the descriptive analytical approach to achieve the objectives. A questionnaire was used for data collection purposes.

The target population for this study was male and female employees with disabilities working in the Jordanian Government sector for the years 2019–2022 in all governorates of Jordan. The sample method used was purposive-convenient random sampling, and the size of the sample valid for statistical analysis was n = 1,043. Using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (v26), a number of statistical tests were conducted to infer the features of the researched phenomenon.

This study found an overall moderate level (mean = 2.76) of practices and behaviours of job discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the Jordanian public sector. All proposed practices and behaviours were at moderate levels of agreement, with the highest discriminatory behaviours being in the areas of training and learning opportunities (2.88), followed by job performance evaluation (2.84), work leave and vacation (2.75), integration and social participation (2.74), career advancement and promotion (2.73) and, last, the distribution of tasks and responsibilities (2.61). Furthermore, it was found that there are significant differences in the levels of discriminatory practices and behaviours towards people with physical disabilities, individuals with visual impairments and psychological disabilities, new employees at work and those with a low level of education. In addition, employees at higher administrative levels (manager, deputy/assistant manager and head of department/division) and workers in the southern and central governorates are exposed to the highest levels of discrimination.

Lack of data: There is often a lack of reliable and comprehensive data on employees with disabilities, making it difficult for researchers to accurately study and understand the experiences of this population. Stigma and discrimination: People with disabilities often face stigma and discrimination, which can make it challenging for researchers to engage with them and collect accurate information.

Moreover, it was found that the main agencies to which cases of discriminatory practices towards individuals with disabilities working in the Jordanian public sector are reported are the direct managers/supervisors (n = 381), the ministry to which the institution/department belongs (n = 278) and the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (n = 261).

Supporting social inclusion: Employment can provide a sense of purpose, identity and social inclusion for people with disabilities, which can have a positive impact on their disabilities and overall quality of life. Improving diversity and inclusion: The inclusion of employees with disabilities can contribute to a more diverse and inclusive workplace, where all employees feel valued and respected.

This study found that discriminatory practices against employees with disabilities in the Jordanian public sector were largely because of a lack of awareness of reporting mechanisms and negative attitudes towards individuals with disabilities. This study proposes solutions such as raising awareness among non-disabled employees, implementing penalties for discriminatory behaviour and updating legislation for the rights of individuals with disabilities.

This chapter examines early childhood pedagogy in Germany. It developed in the wake of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) education debate, and the expansion of higher education led to new types of application-oriented courses. For a long time, child day care in Germany was not seen as a subject of theoretical worth. Vocational training for kindergarten teachers, overwhelmingly employed in day care centers, has not yet been academized. The academic study of childhood pedagogy is a thereof separate project, taught especially at universities of applied science. Nevertheless, constructions of new disciplines are directed toward professional fields, for which they claim relevance with their academic training. With its focus on “Bildung” childhood pedagogy in Germany claims to offer a scientifically based solution to the practical problems of action in child day care. This chapter discusses the specific content of the curricula statistical figures of graduates at universities and in the fields of practice. It provides first empirical clarification on observable phenomena of a scientific “penetration” of cognitive rationality in kindergartens. It fosters an academic habitus that induces a distancing from direct interaction with children, leads to a diversification of tasks in day care centers, and promotes hierarchical processes of professional role differentiation in the field of childcare.

Based on cognitive appraisal theory of stress, this study develops an integrated model to examine the double-edged sword effect and boundary conditions of the impact of organizational crisis on employee behavior.

This study collected 672 employees’ data through three stages of longitudinal follow-up. Hierarchical regression analysis and SPSS macro process were used to test the hypotheses.

The paper finds that organizational crisis induces unethical pro-organizational behavior through enhanced job insecurity and foster taking charge by stimulating career calling. Employee resilience negatively moderates the relationship between organizational crisis and job insecurity as well as the indirect effects of organizational crisis on unethical pro-organizational behavior through job insecurity. Conversely, it positively moderates the association between organizational crisis and career calling and the indirect effects on taking charge through career calling.

This study not only expands the research on the mechanisms of organizational crisis' effects on employees' behaviors but also provides practical guidance for corporate managers on how to respond to organizational crisis.

The following insights are available to organizations and managers: first, this study confirms that organizational crisis can be perceived as threatening stressors that create job insecurity, which in turn leads to pro-organizational unethical behavior. Therefore, managers in organizational crisis should focus on stress regulation and guidance, pay timely attention to changes in the mindset of employees to reduce job insecurity, and strictly prohibit unethical pro-organizational behavior. They should promptly calm and control the atmosphere of panic and anxiety in the organization, do a good job of coordinating the division of labor, reduce personnel conflicts and contradictions, create a good organizational climate and reduce employees' sense of stress and negative perceptions of organizational crisis, thus reducing job insecurity and being able to meet the challenges in a better state. Secondly, this study confirms that employees also perceive organizational crisis as challenges and develop career calling, which in turn inspires proactive change behaviors. This suggests that managers in organizational crisis should promote the positive perception of organizational crisis as challenge, stimulate the career calling of employees in organizational crisis and call on and encourage employees to actively adopt taking charge. Therefore, managers should promptly give employees work affirmation, rewards and punishments, enhance the sense of participation and intrinsic motivation of subordinates, improve self-efficacy and self-confidence levels, effectively reduce the negative perception of organizational crisis, awaken positive psychological energy within individuals, increase their sense of belonging to the organization and thus, increase employees' awareness of the positive challenges of organizational crisis, stimulate employees' career calling through positive and optimistic beneficial pressure drive them to lead the corresponding changes in the crisis. Finally, this study confirms that employees' own resilience can change the double-edged sword effect of organizational crisis. Employees with high resilience are more likely to see organizational crisis as challenge and are thus more likely to develop career calling and are more inclined to initiate change, while employees with low resilience are more likely to see organizational crisis as threat, are more negatively affected by them, develop greater job insecurity and are, thus, more inclined to commit unethical pro-organizational behaviors. This reflects the fact that organizations should constantly cultivate employees' resilience and enhance their cognitive toughness at the same time. For instance, the organization can regularly use promotional lectures and scenarios to help leaders and employees establish corporate ethics, strengthen moral beliefs and correctly understand the nature of unethical affinity behavior. Managers should encourage and advocate positive and correct behaviors such as overcoming difficulties, positive innovation and positive suggestions to promote the sustainable and healthy development of the organization.

The results of this study can increase the organization’s understanding of the negative effects of crisis, help the organization take measures to manage and guide the employees in organizational crisis, more effective and targeted functional changes within the organization, reduce stress damage and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of crisis management. It is also beneficial to improve competitiveness and foresight in the organization’s industry and enhance organizations and employees’ resilience.

This study explores the double-edged sword effect of organizational crisis on employees’ behavior from the perspective of the cognitive appraisal theory of stress, which theoretically opens up a new research perspective, enriches the research in the fields of organizational crisis and taking charge, pro-organizational unethical behavior relationship and practically provides theoretical guidance for enterprises and managers on how to effectively respond to organizational crisis from the employees, which is of great practical significance.

Existing conceptual, empirical and case studies evidence suggests that manufacturing industries find the joint implementation of Kaizen philosophy initiatives. However, the existing practices rarely demonstrated in a single framework and implementation procedure in a structure nature. This paper, therefore, aims to develop, validate and practically test a framework and implementation procedure for the implementation of integrated Kaizen in manufacturing industries to attain long-term improvement of operational, innovation, business (financial and marketing) processes, performance and competitiveness.

The study primarily described the problem, extensively reviewed the current state-of-the-art literature and then identified a gap. Based on it, generic and comprehensive integrated framework and implementation procedure is developed. Besides, the study used managers, consultants and academics from various fields to validate a framework and implementation procedure for addressing business concerns. In this case, the primary data was collected through self-administered questionnaire, and 244 valid questionnaires were received and were analyzed. Furthermore, the research verified the practicability of the framework by empirically exploring the current scenario of selected manufacturing companies.

The research discovered innovative framework and six-phase implementation procedure to fill the existing conceptual gap. Furthermore, the survey-based and exploratory empirical analysis of the research demonstrated that the practice of the proposed framework based on structured procedure is valued and companies attain the middling improvements of productivity, delivery time, quality, 5S practice, waste and accident rate by 61.03, 44, 52.53, 95.19, 80.12, and 70.55% respectively. Additionally, the companies saved a total of 14933446 ETH Birr and 5,658 M² free spaces. Even though, the practices and improvements vary from company to company, and even companies unable to practice some of the unique techniques of the identified CI initiatives considered in the proposed framework.

All data collected in the survey came from professionals working for Ethiopian manufacturing companies, universities and government. It is important to highlight that n = 244 is high sample size, which is adequate for a preliminary survey but reinforcing still needs further survey in terms of generalization of the results since there are hundreds of manufacturing companies, consultants and academicians implementing and consulting Kaizen. Therefore, a further study on a wider Ethiopian manufacturing companies, consultants and academic scale would be informative.

This work is very important for Kaizen professionals in the manufacturing industry, academic and government but in particular for senior management and leadership teams. Aside from the main findings on framework development, there is some strong evidence that practice of Kaizen resulted in achieving quantitative (monetary and non-monetary) and qualitative results. Thus, senior management teams should use this research out to practice and analyze the effect of Kaizen on their own organizations. Within the academic community, this study is one of the first focusing on development, validating and practically testing and should aid further study, research and understanding of Kaizen in manufacturing industries.

So far, it is rare to find preceding studies proposed, validated and practically test an integrated Kaizen framework with the context of manufacturing industries. Thus, authors understand that this is the very first research focused on the development of the framework for manufacturing industries continuously to be competitive and could help managers, institutions, practitioners and academicians in Kaizen practice.

This paper aims to analyse the influence of workforce diversity on the firm’s likelihood to develop organisational innovations. Operationalising human resources diversity is not straightforward, and its effect has been rather overlooked in the context of non-technological innovations. This study analyses the impact of task-related diversity among research and development (R&D) unit workers and women R&D workers, in particular.

To estimate the impact of task-related diversity on firm propensity to undertake organisational innovation, this study uses a generalised linear model (GLM) – with a binomial family and log–log extension. GLMs are used to control problems of over-dispersion, which, in models with binary response variables, could generate inaccurate standard error estimates and provide inconsistent results.

This paper provides three important results. Firstly, employee diversity increases the firm’s propensity to engage in organisational innovations. Secondly, the influence of each facet of task-related diversity varies depending on the type of organisational innovation considered. Thirdly, gender has an effect on the innovation process; this study shows that women play a different role in the production of non-technological innovations.

This paper makes several contributions to the literature. Firstly, it makes a theoretical contribution to research on innovation management by considering the influence of human resources diversity on the development of non-technological innovations. Secondly, this study analyses the role of workforce diversity in an R&D department context to clarify the contribution made by women R&D workers.

This study investigates the various themes around the demand-driven approach of vocational education and training (VET). The study focuses on investigating two major aspects of VET. Firstly, the extant literature has been systematically classified based on seven parameters: Geography, Focus on Vocational Education, Research Methods, Economic Sector, Origin of Study, Type of Training and Level of Skill. Secondly, this study has explored various themes around the VET implementation, performance gaps and road ahead.

Thematic analysis with the systematic literature review (SLR) method is applied to 50 research papers on VET, published between 2011 and 2022.

This systematic review has found that experiential compliments VET and VET is the medium of skill development. Further, it was extracted through themes that VET may help ensure alternate employment in rural areas and contribute to micro- and macro-level economic development. Also, there is a requirement to adopt a demand-driven approach to VET by localizing VT content and delivery.

The study's findings are directed towards the need for demand-driven and customized VET. This study also explores many potential areas for further empirical research through various themes.

This study is a novel effort that extracts the themes constituting the effect of VETs along with the descriptive analysis of the extant literature using the SLR approach. The study has rationalized the findings by providing due coding to various parameters in the previous studies under investigation.