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1 – 10 of 14Singular perturbation turning point problems (SP-TPPs) involving parabolic convection–diffusion Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) with large spatial delay are studied in this…
Abstract
Purpose
Singular perturbation turning point problems (SP-TPPs) involving parabolic convection–diffusion Partial Differential Equations (PDEs) with large spatial delay are studied in this paper. These type of equations are important in various fields of mathematics and sciences such as computational neuroscience and require specialized techniques for their numerical analysis.
Design/methodology/approach
We design a numerical method comprising a hybrid finite difference scheme on a layer-adapted mesh for the spatial discretization and an implicit-Euler scheme on a uniform mesh in the temporal variable. A combination of the central difference scheme and the simple upwind scheme is used as the hybrid scheme.
Findings
Consistency, stability and convergence are investigated for the proposed scheme. It is established that the present approach has parameter-uniform convergence of
Originality/value
Parabolic SP-TPPs exhibiting twin boundary layers with large spatial delay have not been studied earlier in the literature. The presence of delay portrays an interior layer in the considered problem’s solution in addition to twin boundary layers. Numerical illustrations are provided to demonstrate the theoretical estimates.
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Elen Riot, Emmanuelle Rigaud and Ilenia Bua
The purpose of the paper is to describe the attempt of a family champagne house to redefine its business organization as a family in a large family of families. This choice…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to describe the attempt of a family champagne house to redefine its business organization as a family in a large family of families. This choice involves defining their activities as entrepreneuring in a specific time and space that all actors experience as their sensible reality. To describe the whole process, the authors call this ensemble a “chronotope,” including the same space and time as part of a common story. The authors assess this narrative strategy in reference to both past conflict in the champagne business and to the present crisis caused by the pandemic in addition to a series of social, economic and environmental changes in the environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The design of the paper corresponds to the case of a champagne family house in its environment with a longitudinal, processual approach of the family business venture before and especially after its sale and buyback by the family. The authors use Bakhtin to insist on the fictional nature of the account of most events as most protagonists adopt different perspectives. The Taittinger family, at the head of the trade house, creates a story that fits in all these perspectives and makes sense to overcome key issues in the business.
Findings
Our findings illustrate the role of the chronotope as a way to broaden the scope of inter- and intra-family relations. This concept also shows the importance of shared experiences, stories and crafted practices to sustain collective work and the meaning associated with the result of this work, in this case, champagne wine. The authors also show the different styles of chronotopes and their role in binding together actors in relation to the transformation of their activities.
Research limitations/implications
The research limitations are of two kinds. The first limitation comes from the choice to focus on the Taittinger family house, as it tends to focus the analysis on their point of view. The second limitation is due to the persistence of the pandemic situation that makes it difficult to test the chronotope idea as it is quite recent. Because of the current pandemic, it is complicated to anticipate what the future could look like and therefore, to imagine the future dimension of the chronotope. To overcome this limit, the authors suggest different scenario that leaves open different possibilities.
Practical implications
The practical implications of this paper could be to see how family business entrepreneurs may benefit from designing their strategy as a rich personal fiction in reference to a chronotope instead of referring to storytelling, communication and brand management or even competition strictly speaking. In turbulent times and to face grand challenges, long-term collaborations require stronger ties and imagination without leaving out emotions. Yet the entrepreneurs may become a victim of their own fictions if stakeholders perceive contradictions or if they were to dislike the new episodes the family invents.
Social implications
The social implications of this case study show the role of business relations built on fiction reflecting strong ties and shared processes such as entrepreneuring in the world of heritage goods where sustainability and endurance matter. This perspective insists on a shared story and it contrasts with more discontinued approaches based on disruptive innovation, opportunism and competitiveness in turbulent times. The chronotope does not ineluctably evolve in different ways, making actors’ perspective shrink, expand or exile. Family entrepreneuring may actively influence this transformation and they may also be framed by it.
Originality/value
The originality of the paper comes from the description of a family business in its environment as a chronotope. Reflecting how related actors in a business field like champagne co-construct a representation, the authors looked for a concept that would accurately reflect this vision, researchers chose the concept of “chronotope,” borrowing from narrative approaches. This approach is transdisciplinary. It is also an attempt to bring researchers at work closer to what actors in the field experiment with and find inspiration in.
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Jhong Yun Joy Kim, EunBee Kim and Doo Hun Lim
This study aims to conduct a quantitative meta-analysis of previous research on lifelong vocational education to generate generalized conclusions about its effects, set directions…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to conduct a quantitative meta-analysis of previous research on lifelong vocational education to generate generalized conclusions about its effects, set directions for future lifelong vocational education and identify implementation measures.
Design/methodology/approach
To conduct a meta-analysis on research results that have a heterogeneous distribution, it is important to specify the analysis category for examining the effects of research variables.
Findings
First, lifelong vocational education has an effect on dependent variables. And action appears to have the highest effect size on dependent variables. Next, when calculating the size of variables that had an effect on lifelong vocational education by educational type, the effect size of informal education was found to be larger than that of formal education. Finally, regarding the effect on the participants, office workers were influenced most, followed by university students, North Korean defectors, job seekers and foreigners.
Research limitations/implications
Although this study attempted to conduct an in-depth analysis of subcomponents, it was not possible to analyze variables at a more detailed level. Therefore, future studies should aim to conduct a more comprehensive analysis of different variables based on a wider composition. Because lifelong vocational education is relevant to people’s daily lives, it should be investigated in the context of their personal characteristics and social backgrounds.
Practical implications
This research was designed to uncover general effects of lifelong vocational education and discover relevant variables affecting lifelong vocational education in South Korea. A meta-analysis of 15 studies with 67 subgroups examining lifelong vocational education was conducted.
Social implications
In the current era of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity), lifelong vocational education needs to be organized systematically, unlike in the past. With the rapid advancements in technology influenced by artificial intelligence and the fourth industrial revolution, there is a surge in social demands for continued reeducation and redevelopment of employees to prepare for talent development paradigm innovation, increasing unemployment among unskilled workers and competence enhancement needs among job seekers and employed individuals.
Originality/value
This study aims to conduct a quantitative meta-analysis of previous research on lifelong vocational education to draw generalized conclusions on its effectiveness and discuss its implications for implementation measures. Specifically, this study will analyze the general effect size; differences in the effect size among different dependent variable groups; and the effect size based on lifelong vocational education participants.
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Ida Gremyr, Christian Colldén, Yommine Hjalmarsson, Marco Schirone and Andreas Hellström
Network configurations have been proposed as an efficient form of organisation and a promising area of research; however, a lack of conceptual clarity can be noted. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Network configurations have been proposed as an efficient form of organisation and a promising area of research; however, a lack of conceptual clarity can be noted. The purpose of this review is to allow for a broad appreciation of network configurations and provide guidance for future studies of the concept.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was conducted based on the PRISMA method; Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched for conference proceedings and journal articles describing organisational networks to integrate resources aimed at care delivery. Around 80 articles were included in the final review and analysed thematically and by use of bibliographic coupling.
Findings
The last decades have seen an increase in the frequency of articles describing networks for healthcare delivery. The most common contexts are care for multiple and/or long-term conditions. Three clusters of articles were found, corresponding to different conceptualisations of networks in healthcare: efficiency-enhancing cooperation, efficiency-enhancing integration and involvement for cocreation.
Research limitations/implications
To increase conceptual clarity and allow the research on network configurations in healthcare to produce meta-learnings and guidance to practice, scholars are advised to provide ample descriptions of studied networks and relate them to established network classifications.
Originality/value
The current review has only included articles including networks as a key concept, which provides a focused overview of the use of network configurations but limits the insights into similar approaches not described explicitly as networks.
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Enric Saurí Saula and Sheila González Motos
Government and councils in Catalonia have adopted a clear-cut 0–3 education and care model involving bolstering the network of public nursery schools and thereby increasing the…
Abstract
Government and councils in Catalonia have adopted a clear-cut 0–3 education and care model involving bolstering the network of public nursery schools and thereby increasing the number of public places available alongside the existing private options. The goal is to increase the availability of formal early childhood education, serving the dual purpose of enabling parents to work while providing education and care for young children. Enrolment rate at the age of two rose by 10 percentage points between 2003 and 2017 and since then it has remained at 60%. From 2017, a sliding-scale fee system was introduced in Barcelona and other cities to reduce economic barriers to accessing public nursery schools. However, this policy has not led to a corresponding rise in enrolment rates for this age group. Our analysis concentrates on mothers opting for school-based services, with the goal of identifying the factors that influence the use of institutionalised early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in Barcelona. Our findings reveal that sliding-scale pricing has increased the enrolment of children of mothers with low incomes in public nursery schools, while the quality of services has attracted middle and upper-class families. Nevertheless, public ECEC services are not adapted to meet the needs of working-class mothers who, although they are not in socially vulnerable situations, cannot afford private nurseries. In sum, family circumstances, primarily factors related to social class, employment status, and the availability of family support, are linked to the likelihood of choosing school-based public ECEC services.
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Josephine Ackim, Rogers Rugeiyamu and Adam Msendo
Deterioration of integrity is featured in public service across the globe, including Tanzania. Local government authorities (LGAs) are among the areas where such practices have…
Abstract
Purpose
Deterioration of integrity is featured in public service across the globe, including Tanzania. Local government authorities (LGAs) are among the areas where such practices have been reported. However, factors compromising integrity in LGAs receives less attention from the literature. Citing 19 LGAs from Tanzania, this study aims to examine contributes to this debate.
Design/methodology/approach
A sequential explanatory research design was applied. Data were collected from 54 respondents through survey questionnaires, interviews and a documentary review. The study was guided by Hoekstra theoretical framework for assessing integrity practices in LGAs.
Findings
The findings revealed that maintaining integrity in Tanzania's LGAs is still challenging. Poor institutionalization processes, institutional unpreparedness, insufficient integrity policy execution and being less informed of moral development of recruited public servants are said to compromise integrity in Tanzania LGAs. This qualifies to conclude that institutional pathologies and moral history of public servants are the major factors contributing to integrity deterioration in Tanzania LGAs. This has resulted in subpar service delivery and the waste of public funds.
Research limitations/implications
This study confined itself to Tanzania LGAs. More studies could be conducted to LGAs in other countries struggling with the same problem. On the same ground, moral development should be studied more to ensure that the public service receives ethical public servants in the future.
Practical implications
The theoretical framework for assessing integrity systems in LGAs as proposed by Hoekstra (2022) could be applied by other countries struggling with the same challenge.
Originality/value
LGAs must implement an integrity-based self-reflection technique that will allow them to assess their current condition and come up with solutions. Furthermore, institutional policies must be strengthened to govern ethical behavior in LGAs.
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Anasuya Kulshekar Lingappa, Lewlyn Lester Raj Rodrigues and Dasharathraj K. Shetty
Women entrepreneurs are often categorized and assessed for various outcomes based on their start-up motivations. It is generally assumed that entrepreneurs with opportunity…
Abstract
Purpose
Women entrepreneurs are often categorized and assessed for various outcomes based on their start-up motivations. It is generally assumed that entrepreneurs with opportunity motivation have better performance when compared to necessity entrepreneurs. This study aims to test these suppositions through the lens of the entrepreneur’s motivation to learn (MTL) and level of female entrepreneurial competencies (FECs), namely, business and management, entrepreneurial, human relations (HR) and personal.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collected from 344 respondents through a survey questionnaire was analyzed using the structural equation modelling – partial least squares method using SmartPLS 4.
Findings
The findings highlight the need of recognizing the differentials between necessity and opportunity entrepreneurs as they were found to influence performance and learning outcomes. Opportunity entrepreneurship was found to significantly impact both MTL and the FECs. The authors also observed that business and management skills along with HR competencies played a greater role in the firm performance.
Practical implications
The findings demonstrate a case for specialized, tailor-made policy approaches rather than the “one size fits all” approach as evident in many government programs. As necessity entrepreneurs form a vital part of the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem, apart from mentoring, need-based competency development programs may be looked at. Opportunity entrepreneurs may need support and encouragement through advanced skilling and uncomplicated funding options.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, empirical studies related to women-owned micro, small and medium enterprises in India establishing the relationship between start-up motivation and business performance are scarce. Even in the global context, this is one of the initial studies to examine the relationship through the lens of MTL and competencies.
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Muhammad Mohsin Hakeem, Hoe Chin Goi and Frendy
This study aims to examine the participants’ [junior high school students and Master of business administration (MBA) consultants] perceptions and utilizations of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the participants’ [junior high school students and Master of business administration (MBA) consultants] perceptions and utilizations of the multidimensional place-based resources within the context of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), specifically focusing on its alignment with the sustainable development goals (SDGs) for quality education. While place-based resources have demonstrated the potential for fostering innovative thinking and collaborative efforts, a gap exists in understanding how these resources can be effectively integrated to bolster learning and sustainable outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopted a single-case research methodology and conducted an in-depth exploration of the integration of place-based resources within the context of ESD using the 2021 Forest Community Outreach (FCO) Project in Ena City, Japan. Questionnaires, daily journals and consultation reports were used for data collection. This study used the coding and qualitative content analysis process to understand the significance of the five dimensions of place-based resources in fostering effective ESD practices.
Findings
The findings show the gap between interest in ESD and utilization of place-based resources as reflected in the perceptions and interests of junior high school participants. MBA consultants acknowledged the relevance of leveraging the five dimensions of place-based resources in the context of ESD. This research enriches the understanding of recognizing and harnessing different resources within the settings, emphasizing the significance of a multidimensional place-based resources approach to effectively incorporate these resources into ESD, thereby fostering learning and practical sustainability outcomes.
Originality/value
This study conducts a novel analysis of diverse dimensions within the realm of place-based resources and their profound influence on the learning experiences and creativity of participants engaged in ESD. The study lays the groundwork for the validation of place-based resource dimensions through collaborative efforts involving stakeholders within the region.
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Aomar Ibourk and Zakaria Elouaourti
Young graduates in Morocco are encountering an increasingly challenging labor market environment. Confronted with intense competition, job insecurity, and unclear career…
Abstract
Purpose
Young graduates in Morocco are encountering an increasingly challenging labor market environment. Confronted with intense competition, job insecurity, and unclear career trajectories, many find themselves in low-skilled positions despite possessing relevant qualifications. This issue is particularly pronounced among vocational training graduates, who experience professional downgrading at a rate three times higher (33.6%) compared to their peers from general education (11.6%) (HCP, 2018). Our study aims to investigate professional downgrading among young vocational training graduates in Morocco, focusing on the factors contributing to this phenomenon and identifying potential solutions to address it.
Design/methodology/approach
Our study is based on the insertion and career path survey conducted by the Department of Professional Training with graduates of professional training programs in Morocco. For this edition, the survey was conducted in 2020, encompassing all 31,498 graduates of the 2016 professional training programs. The Heckman self-selection model is employed to analyze and explore various dimensions of downgrading. Factors such as gender, age, marital status, parental education, and the choice of vocational training field are scrutinized to understand their influence on downgrading.
Findings
The study reveals several key findings: Women exhibit a lower probability of professional downgrading compared to men. Young graduates are more vulnerable to downgrading, emphasizing the necessity for career guidance and mentorship programs to facilitate their entry into the job market. Marital status plays a role, with married individuals having a higher likelihood of downgrading. Parental education, particularly that of mothers, proves critical in preventing subjective downgrading of vocational training graduates, highlighting the need for adult literacy and education programs. The effectiveness of the National Agency for the Promotion of Employment and Competencies (ANAPEC) programs in preventing downgrading among vocational training graduates is questioned, suggesting the need for program revisions tailored to this population. The choice of vocational training field significantly impacts downgrading, with graduates of technical training programs experiencing advantages. This emphasizes the importance of diversifying training fields and aligning them with market demands.
Originality/value
This study provides valuable insights into the phenomenon of professional downgrading among young vocational training graduates in Morocco. The findings emphasize the need for targeted policy interventions. Recommendations include supporting young graduates, reassessing programs offered by the ANAPEC, and enhancing technical training to better align with the evolving demands of the labor market.
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André Rocha and Fernando Almeida
This study aims to explore worldwide innovative solutions that have been proposed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on people’s mental health.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore worldwide innovative solutions that have been proposed to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 pandemic on people’s mental health.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology is adopted, which performs an exploratory study considering the innovative projects identified by the Observatory for Public Sector Innovation framework. Additionally, the analysis of the relevance and characteristics of these projects are explored considering a multidimensional framework composed of five dimensions: novelty level; social need; improvement of society; sector neutrality; and level of emergence.
Findings
The findings reveal that the number of projects in the field of mental health is low, despite their strong relevance to their communities. These projects arise from a strong social need to protect especially the most vulnerable groups in this pandemic and involve a large number of partners in the public sector, business and civil society. The role of volunteering in the revitalization and growth of these initiatives is also recognized.
Originality/value
This study is relevant in both the theoretical and practical dimensions. It allows the exploration of these projects considering the dimensions of social innovation and offers practical implications that allow these projects to be replicated in other countries and regions.
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