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1 – 10 of 41Sarah Bibi and Stephen M. Rayner
The focus of this chapter is on teachers’ well-being; specifically, how education policies designed to shape the dispositions and attitudes of school leaders and teachers may  
Abstract
The focus of this chapter is on teachers’ well-being; specifically, how education policies designed to shape the dispositions and attitudes of school leaders and teachers may – purposefully or inadvertently – compromise their well-being and pose a risk to their continuation in the profession. Both national and local policies may be devised, framed and promoted in ways that obstruct the establishment of a culture of care in schools, making it difficult for school leaders to prioritise the well-being of their staff. Our chapter responds to recent research data – published separately by the UK government, teachers’ unions and academic researchers – that excessive numbers of education workers are experiencing poor mental health or work-related stress or are planning to leave the profession. Beginning by proposing an original conceptualisation of the complexities of well-being, we report on an empirical project designed to bring new insights into the challenges facing school leadership, as articulated by teachers in England. Following an online, institution-wide questionnaire made available to all teaching staff, interviews were conducted with teachers. Our analysis brings new insights into individual well-being, well-being culture and the broader ethos of the institution. Under each of those headings, we consider how leadership practices are constrained or enabled by the policy context, how they interplay with the practices of teachers working with students and whether local policy decision-making is informed by a concern to establish and maintain a culture of care, making the institution a place where people want to work and to be.
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The purpose of this paper is to characterize library and information science (LIS) as fragmenting discipline both historically and by applying Whitley’s (1984) theory about the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to characterize library and information science (LIS) as fragmenting discipline both historically and by applying Whitley’s (1984) theory about the organization of sciences and Fuchs’ (1993) theory about scientific change.
Design/methodology/approach
The study combines historical source analysis with conceptual and theoretical analysis for characterizing LIS. An attempt is made to empirically validate the distinction between LIS context, L&I services and information seeking as fragmented adhocracies and information retrieval and scientific communication (scientometrics) as technologically integrated bureaucracies.
Findings
The origin of fragmentation in LIS due the contributions of other disciplines can be traced in the 1960s and 1970s for solving the problems produced by the growth of scientific literature. Computer science and business established academic programs and started research relevant to LIS community focusing on information retrieval and bibliometrics. This has led to differing research interests between LIS and other disciplines concerning research topics and methods. LIS has been characterized as fragmented adhocracy as a whole, but we make a distinction between research topics LIS context, L&I services and information seeking as fragmented adhocracies and information retrieval and scientific communication (scientometrics) as technologically integrated bureaucracies.
Originality/value
The paper provides an elaborated historical perspective on the fragmentation of LIS in the pressure of other disciplines. It also characterizes LIS as discipline in a fresh way by applying Whitley’s (1984) theory.
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Anna Lis and Artur Radzio
This paper aims to show the possibilities of implementing the idea of sustainability in the context of energy transformation using the concept of an industrial cluster. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to show the possibilities of implementing the idea of sustainability in the context of energy transformation using the concept of an industrial cluster. The implementation of the idea of sustainability is of particular importance from the perspective of the functioning of the meta-organisations involved in the implementation and promotion of decarbonisation processes. Industrial clusters, as collective actors initiating collective actions and providing complex governance structures, seem to have a great fit with regard to the needs of disseminating and implementing the idea of sustainable development, also in conjunction with energy development.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical evidence is derived from a case study of Mazovia Clustes ICT (MC ICT). Based on the experience of this cluster, this study wants to show the evolution of the industrial cluster through the prism of its growing activity in supporting energy transition. The authors conducted the research in the period 2022–2023 using in-depth personal interviews and an analysis of the secondary data. The primary technique for data analysis and interpretation was conventional qualitative content analysis.
Findings
As a result of this study, the authors have distinguished three main areas of cluster activity covering the strategic, operational/project and institutional levels. Within the first area, the cluster’s efforts focused on the development of a strategy and involvement in lobbying and co-legislating. The second area refers to the cluster’s activity in the carrying out of national and transnational projects on the creation and implementation of various energy solutions. The activities undertaken in the third area include support for the development of start-ups in the field of energy and involvement in the launch of an energy cluster and the development of distributed energy in Poland. Although the strategic and operational/project levels are characterised by a commonality of activities and goals, there is additionally a commonality of interests at the institutional level.
Research limitations/implications
This paper has its limitations, which primarily relate to the small research sample (the choice of a case study as the main research strategy) and the methods used (qualitative research). Therefore, it is impossible to generalise the results to the entire population of clusters.
Practical implications
This paper has considerable practical value, as the results of this study may be relevant for public authorities interested in implementing energy transition through industrial clusters. The activities described can also be a source of inspiration for other clusters interested in shaping pro-environmental attitudes.
Social implications
The cluster’s activities are closely linked to the three pillars of sustainable development, including the social pillar. The solutions developed within the cluster in the context of energy development are aimed not only at increasing energy efficiency and protecting the environment but also at broader social welfare.
Originality/value
This paper makes an additional contribution to the state-of-the-art of the industrial cluster concept by linking it to the idea of sustainable development, in the context of energy transformation. In addition, it sheds new light on issues related to cluster co-operation, combining the case of the industrial cluster with the very fresh and as yet poorly described idea of the energy cluster.
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Meena Gupta, Prakash Kumar and Aniket Mishra
As the today's world is leading toward the digital dependency and after the world pandemic of COVID-19, the dependency of students and the university is completely through a…
Abstract
As the today's world is leading toward the digital dependency and after the world pandemic of COVID-19, the dependency of students and the university is completely through a digital medium, in context with that the higher education according to the demand of the generation is leading towards digital transformation. The digital transformation in the sector of education is the road map for the sustainable management and development of education. The digital transformation is the new pillar of education in which the students are mostly reliable. The digitalization in the field of education will lead to simple and clarified as well as multiple way for acquiring the knowledge. As the integration of the new model of education system is applied and implemented throughout the globe, the digital medium plays a significant role for the smooth and the systemic development of the model. In this chapter, the pathway for the development of the well-stable and well-developed strategies is considered in which the integration of the essential requirements, proper guidance, and advantages of the model is dependent for the transformation to digital medium of the higher education that will be leading to the development of the management and the education system. The foundation of that transformation model is detailed in the paper for the digitalization of higher education.
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Augustino Mwogosi and Stephen Kibusi
This study aims to identify the barriers that hinder the effective implementation of electronic health records (EHR) systems in developing countries while also uncovering the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to identify the barriers that hinder the effective implementation of electronic health records (EHR) systems in developing countries while also uncovering the critical success factors (CSFs) that can facilitate their implementation. This study focused on the sociotechnical and environmental challenges that influenced the implementation of EHR systems.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a systematic literature review methodology guided by the modified sociotechnical theory. It followed PRISMA guidelines to identify barriers and CSFs. This review included a comprehensive search of academic databases such as Taylor & Francis, Google Scholar, Emerald and PubMed, covering studies published between 2012 and mid-2024. The studies were screened and analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
The review identified several barriers to EHR implementation, including a lack of information and communication technology infrastructure, inadequate training, and limited government support. It also highlighted CSFs such as enhancing training programmes, improving technical infrastructure, fostering government support and addressing privacy and security concerns. This study concluded that a holistic approach addressing technical, social and environmental factors was critical for the success of EHR systems in low-resource settings.
Practical implications
This study offered actionable recommendations for policymakers and health-care leaders in developing countries. These include strategies for enhancing user training, improving technical infrastructure, ensuring government support and addressing data privacy and security issues, which are crucial for successfully adopting EHR systems.
Originality/value
This research comprehensively examined the factors influencing EHR implementation in developing countries, offering a unique perspective by applying the modified sociotechnical theory. It bridged a significant gap in the literature by focusing on the specific challenges faced in resource-constrained environments.
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Rajiv Kashyap, Raza Mir and Stephen C. Betts
Strategy scholars have argued that microlevel behavioral decisions by firms play a disproportionate role in making a firm nimble. Central to this issue is the interplay among…
Abstract
Purpose
Strategy scholars have argued that microlevel behavioral decisions by firms play a disproportionate role in making a firm nimble. Central to this issue is the interplay among several factors, such as actions by individual actors, firm-level decisions and broader changes in the economic environment that lead to a firm being successful in a competitive environment. The purpose of this paper is to offer a theoretical exploration of microfoundations research and subject the idea to empirical analysis using the constructs of customer orientation, competitor orientation and technology orientation as microfoundations of strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
Data collected through a key informant survey of executives were tested through a hierarchical regression analysis.
Findings
The results of the study suggest that the microfoundations of strategy are located more in a firm’s customer and competitor focus, rather than a technological orientation. The findings also suggest that that customer orientation is a significant component of firm-level strategy and needs to be incorporated into decision-making in firms.
Originality/value
This study provides a framework that integrates the structural determinants of firm performance with microfoundations theory to refine our understanding of market knowledge capability.
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The purpose of this chapter is to propose a framework that can assist school leaders in working toward respect that is mutual, and integrated with their other school improvement…
Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to propose a framework that can assist school leaders in working toward respect that is mutual, and integrated with their other school improvement efforts. I define mutual respect as the work of intervening on those power asymmetries typically found in classrooms – both between teachers and students, and among diverse groups of students – by way of according children increased equality, autonomy, and equity. Drawing on empirical examples from an ethnographic and comparative study of four elementary schools situated across two educational systems (i.e., Montessori and International Baccalaureate (IB)) and two national contexts (i.e., the United States and Canada), I highlight the need for a framework for mutual respect. The work of embedding symmetry – particularly in schools, which reflect the racism, classism, sexism, ableism, and heterosexism that is ever-present in broader society – is anything but straightforward. This is because: (1) mutual respect is multidimensional, and these dimensions can reinforce and conflict with one another in unexpected ways; and (2) mutual respect can be operationalized via a school's instructional, organizational, and social practices, again in ways that may conflict or work synergistically. By highlighting the complexity of leading for mutual respect, this framework is a first step toward supporting such efforts in leadership preparation and practice.
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