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1 – 10 of 42Rubaya Rahat, Piyush Pradhananga and Mohamed ElZomor
Safe-to-fail (SF) is an emerging resilient design approach that has the potential to minimize the severity of flood damages. The purpose of this study is to explore the SF design…
Abstract
Purpose
Safe-to-fail (SF) is an emerging resilient design approach that has the potential to minimize the severity of flood damages. The purpose of this study is to explore the SF design strategies to reduce flood disaster damages in US coastal cities. Therefore, this study addresses two research questions: identifying the most suitable SF criteria and flood solution alternatives for coastal cities from industry professionals’ perspective; and investigating the controlling factors that influence the AEC students’ interest to learn about SF concepts through the curricula.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used the analytical hierarchy process to evaluate the SF criteria and flood solutions where data were collected through surveying 29 Department of Transportation professionals from different states. In addition, the study adopted a quantitative methodology by surveying 55 versed participants who reside in a coastal area and have coastal flood experiences. The data analysis included ordinal probit regression and descriptive analysis.
Findings
The results suggest that robustness is the highest weighted criterion for implementing SF design in coastal cities. The results demonstrated that ecosystem restoration is the highest-ranked SF flood solution followed by green infrastructure. Moreover, the results highlighted that age, duration spent in the program and prior knowledge of SF are significantly related to AEC students’ interest to learn this concept.
Originality/value
SF design anticipates failures while designing infrastructures thus minimizing failure consequences due to flood disasters. The findings can facilitate the implementation of the SF design concept during the construction of new infrastructures in coastal cities as well as educate the future workforces to contribute to developing resilient built environments.
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Erica Gilbertson, Amy Murphy, Sonia Janis, Kathy Thompson and Michael Harris
The purpose of this action research study was to design, implement and evaluate interventions that enhanced the induction program for new teachers in a P-12 school district. At…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this action research study was to design, implement and evaluate interventions that enhanced the induction program for new teachers in a P-12 school district. At the outset, we hoped the study would provide new teacher support resulting in improved teaching practices, increased job satisfaction and/or increased teacher retention among the target population. With this in mind, our research question was: What structures and supports from a school-university partnership facilitate capacity-building among university teacher education faculty, school and district leaders, mentor teachers, and new teachers in the context of an induction program?
Design/methodology/approach
This study used an intervention-centered mode of action research methodology that aims to make systems-level change. This type of action research intends to solve real organizational problems with a focus on conducting “research in action” rather than “research about action” (Coghlan and Brannick, 2014, pp. 5–6). This approach necessitates that data collection and analysis are iterative processes, occurring throughout the research process, instead of solely at the end stages of the research process. Our action research process used Coghlan and Brannick’s (2014) action research cycle model. The cyclical four-step process includes constructing (verifying the problem in the local context), planning action, taking action and evaluating action. Facilitated by the interim director of a Professional development schools (PDS) partnership in the Southeastern United States, a team of co-researchers which included three university teacher education faculty and four school district administrators used action research methodology to create systemic change that enhanced the district’s induction program. We collected data through multiple qualitative methods, including surveys, focus groups, observations and interviews during the course of three action research cycles. These data and our theoretical framework (complex adaptive systems theory and social network theory) informed two major interventions that supported new teachers during the challenging first year of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
Findings
The interventions and the research process were mutually beneficial for both institutions and contributed to professional learning and growth at the individual, group and system levels. The three major findings described include: (1) engaging in collaborative action research is mutually beneficial for both schools and universities; (2) induction programs benefit from university resources; (3) learning communities build all educators’ professional capacity.
Research limitations/implications
Our research recommendations are: (1) more research is needed on the benefits of school-university partnerships to induction programs; (2) school-university partnerships should leverage action research to improve systems; (3) within school-university partnerships, the connection between collaborative leadership and sustainability requires further research. One limitation was that this study was conducted in a single school-university partnership context involving a large public university and a mid-sized public school district that had a well-established partnership. More induction-centered research is needed in different types of school-university partnership contexts that have varying levels of longevity and partnership structures.
Practical implications
Our recommendations for practice include (1) school-university partnerships should leverage collaborative learning communities to catalyze individual, group and systems-level learning and change, and (2) school-university partnerships must prioritize induction support to strengthen the teaching profession.
Originality/value
Since Hunt’s (2014) literature review on induction support in PDS partnerships, very few empirical studies have been conducted in this research area. This study, which examined induction support in a PDS partnership over a two-year period, makes a significant contribution to the scholarly literature on induction teacher support in school-university partnership contexts. Facilitated by the interim director of a PDS partnership, a team of co-researchers, which included three university teacher education faculty and four school district administrators, used action research methodology to create systems-level supports that enhanced the district’s induction program.
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Taylor A. Foerster, John L. Koprowski and Matthew M. Mars
A relocalization movement, often referred to as neolocalism, is a foot with the aim of rekindling local and regional bonds between people and communities by intentionally and…
Abstract
A relocalization movement, often referred to as neolocalism, is a foot with the aim of rekindling local and regional bonds between people and communities by intentionally and comprehensively crafting senses of place through various promotional strategies. Local-scale businesses often contribute to neolocal efforts through the integration of “place” with their brand development and marketing schemes. Together such efforts converge to form local consumption spaces that foster both economic vibrancy and social cohesion within and across communities. While sometimes recognized as a secondary benefit, environmental stewardship has yet to be fully developed as a neolocal construct and consistent trait of local consumption spaces. In this chapter, an extensive review of the intersection between the environmentalism, neolocalism, and eco-entrepreneurship literature is used to conceptually frame the notion of eco-consumption spaces. The insights generated lead to a proposed research agenda that includes recommendations pertaining to both empirical settings and methodological strategies.
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This paper aims to overcome the limitations of studies on work-life balance, which have focused on Western countries without considering “mental” dimensions of gendered childcare…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to overcome the limitations of studies on work-life balance, which have focused on Western countries without considering “mental” dimensions of gendered childcare. By concentrating on South Korea as a case study, this paper also aims to examine how the gendered division of childcare changed when Korea's work-life/family policy followed European work-family conciliation policy.
Design/methodology/approach
The Korean Time Use Survey (KTUS) in 2009 and 2019 are used for multiple regression analyses. Based on discussions about theories on unpaid work distribution within households and its stratification effects, this study examines the relationship between wife's and husband's behaviors and the stratification effects in the gendered division of childcare alongside the work-life/family policy change.
Findings
Substantial findings indicate the necessity of strengthening various legal and institutional structures that might increase husbands' characteristics of caring masculinities. Additionally, while policies developed to support flexible working arrangements, low-income women at risk of being trapped in dual poverty of time and income should be carefully considered.
Originality/value
This study focuses especially on South Korea, thereby contributing to understanding how national policy and gendered distribution of childcare are related. Notably, this link has not been widely discussed in the literature on work-life balance. It also suggests viable directions for future policies depending on gender and socioeconomic status.
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Haiyan Song, Hongrun Wu and Hanyuan Zhang
This study aims to investigate low-carbon footprint travel choices, considering both destination attributes and climate change perceptions, and examine the impacts of nudging (a…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate low-carbon footprint travel choices, considering both destination attributes and climate change perceptions, and examine the impacts of nudging (a communication tool to alter individuals’ choices in a predictable way) on tourists’ preferences for carbon mitigation in destinations.
Design/methodology/approach
A discrete choice experiment questionnaire was administered to a sample of 958 Hong Kong respondents. Hybrid choice modeling was used to examine the respondents’ preferences for destination attributes and to explain preference heterogeneity using tourists’ climate change perceptions. The respondents’ willingness to pay for the destination attributes was also calculated to measure the monetary value of the attributes.
Findings
Destination type, carbon emissions and travel cost had significant effects on tourists’ choices of destination. Nudging increased tourists’ preference for low-carbon footprint choices. Tourists with higher climate change perceptions were more likely than others to select low-carbon destinations with carbon offset projects.
Practical implications
The findings of this study provide an impetus for destination management organizations to support local carbon offset projects, implement policies that mitigate carbon emissions and develop sustainable tourism to fulfill tourists’ demand for low-carbon footprint travel choices. Based on the findings, policymakers could promote sustainable tourism by publishing relevant climate change information on social media.
Originality/value
This study addressed a gap in the literature on tourist travel choice by considering carbon emission-related attributes and climate change perceptions and by confirming the role of nudging in increasing the choice of low-carbon destinations.
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Arianna Barbin, Mark Manning, Kari Davies and Miranda A.H. Horvath
There is a surprising lack of underpinning evidence relating to how police specialism is defined, conceived and operationalised nationally. This study aims to shed light on the…
Abstract
Purpose
There is a surprising lack of underpinning evidence relating to how police specialism is defined, conceived and operationalised nationally. This study aims to shed light on the development of specialism, adding insights towards academic and police knowledge on the topic.
Design/methodology/approach
Exploratory research was conducted to draw evidence on police specialism in England and Wales according to publications in the literature and insights from high-ranking police officers. A total of 57 documents and 10 officers’ accounts were thematically analysed. Five main themes have been identified, relating to the development, impact and barriers of specialist units, knowledge and training.
Findings
Socio-cultural, policy-based and historical information that contributed to the development of specialism in its contemporary form were discussed. The conceptual triggers for the institution of most specialist units were disasters and a need for modernisation. In both cases, police forces were faced with the inability to keep up with emerging threats and new criminal techniques. Some exceptions apply, with specialisms of sex offences still being underdeveloped and underfunded compared to other crimes. Overall, although specialism has the potential to positively impact police efficacy, the specialist knowledge of officers working within specialist units is frequently inferred – rather than measured.
Practical implications
Organisational support and the quality of training impact specialism effectiveness. The substantial lack of resources allocated to specialism means that training for some crime types is either unavailable or difficult to complete. Police officers fear that specialism might lead to elitism and corrupt police practices. There is no evidence, however, that elitist beliefs are the direct result of specialism or rather additional co-occurring organisational, cultural and force-specific or role-dependant factors. Police officers’ wellbeing and specialist capacity take a significant toll.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this was the first modern study of its kind that investigated how police specialism is conceived, instituted and prioritised in England and Wales.
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The term neurodiversity is used to discuss human neurological variation, differences in human cognition, and a social movement that aims to change the way that society views and…
Abstract
The term neurodiversity is used to discuss human neurological variation, differences in human cognition, and a social movement that aims to change the way that society views and responds to people who are neurodivergent. While the cognitive differences associated with autism are often discussed in terms of deficits, in recent years autistic autism researchers have been reframing autistic cognition from a neurodiversity-affirming lens that illuminates autistic strengths. Based on characteristics of autistic cognition from a neurodiversity-affirming perspective, this chapter describes neurodiversity-affirming autistic social entrepreneurship and systems thinking approaches and argues that all autistic-owned and -led businesses that align with the mission of the neurodiversity movement are by definition social enterprises. It is hoped that this chapter will assist in reframing autistic cognition from its current deficit conception and encourage the development of business support services that are more appropriate for autistic social entrepreneurs.
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