Katherine McKee and Jackie Bruce
The Oaks Leadership Scholars engage in a year-long program grounded in transformative leadership and framed by Project Based Learning to develop identities as advocates and…
Abstract
The Oaks Leadership Scholars engage in a year-long program grounded in transformative leadership and framed by Project Based Learning to develop identities as advocates and activists. Analysis of Scholars’ reflections throughout the year indicate increased representation of their selves as advocates and activists over time and identifies significant events – such as a museum tour and engagement in their year-long project – in the program year. The findings of the study indicate that The Student Leader Activist Identity Continuum is an effective way to conceptualize the year and when paired with intentional teaching of transformative leadership, and can impact Scholars’ concept of self in relation to justice and equity work. The findings of this study indicate areas for future study and could inform curriculum revisions.
Louise Brøns Kringelum and Jacob Brix
This study aims to investigate the implications of applying critical realism to the study of organizational learning. It considers critical realism as an alternate theoretical…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the implications of applying critical realism to the study of organizational learning. It considers critical realism as an alternate theoretical science foundation to the domains of empirical realism and social constructivism that characterize most of the field of organizational learning.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts the approach of a philosophical/conceptual discussion.
Findings
This study finds that the critical realist approach makes it possible for organizational learning researchers to apply a prescriptive change agenda. It requires researchers to study the context in which organizational learning occurs. These two features enable the researcher to propose what the world must be like for organizational learning to occur. Hence, a critical realist foundation moves organizational learning theory a step closer to its theoretical sibling, the learning organization.
Originality/value
This study reveals the potential in applying critical realism to the study of organizational learning and identifies its related strengths.
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This paper aims to present a value cocreation framework that furthers understanding of social value cocreation.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a value cocreation framework that furthers understanding of social value cocreation.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is an interdisciplinary conceptual analysis drawing on social enterprise studies, marketing research and philosophical value theory. It applies a visible-hand approach to the study of market relationships and, in line with philosophical research strategies, unfolds its analysis using conceptual distinctions.
Findings
This study provides a framework that substantiates the distinction between two modes of value cocreation and identifies the structure of the social enterprise business model. It explains how social enterprises can be conceived as role models for for-profit organizations, and it elucidates why social value cocreation is a demanding objective.
Research limitations/implications
This paper develops an integrative, nondichotomist view of value cocreation that does not conceptualize social and economic value cocreation as opposing goals.
Practical implications
Social enterprises can use the business model structure and two modes of value cocreation and view themselves as role models for for-profit organizations.
Social implications
This paper applies a visible-hand approach to both for-profit organizations and social enterprises. Using its framework, for-profit organizations can reflect on the consequences of their actions on society and how social value cocreation can improve social enterprise effectiveness.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, this paper is the first to bridge service-oriented approaches to marketing and social enterprise studies using philosophical value theory to improve understanding of social value cocreation.
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Sony Mathew and Hamid Seddighi
This paper provides remarkable insight into the structural components of a firm's core competence and its development via research and development (R&D) activities for innovation…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper provides remarkable insight into the structural components of a firm's core competence and its development via research and development (R&D) activities for innovation and exporting activities.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have used a positivist design and a deductive methodology. The authors have examined the extant literature developing a theoretical framework to empirically investigate the relationships between a firm's core competence, organisational learning (OL), tacitness, dynamic capability and R&D activities. To carry out this investigation, the authors have collected stratified sample data from 330 firms operating in North East England, a peripheral region of England.
Findings
The authors have found that there are indeed significant statistical relationships between these structural components, R&D activities and a firm's core competence, and this nexus is pertinent to innovation and exporting. Furthermore, it is found that North East England is significantly constrained by the lack of finance, technological capability, experts and brain drain. Based on these findings, the authors propose a cooperative R&D framework to narrow down these constraints to assist firms in developing core competencies for innovation and exporting in peripheral regions.
Social implications
There is an urgent need to investigate the incidence of knowledge-driven activities, R&D, the extent of innovation and exporting activities of firms operating in North East England, a peripheral region of the United Kingdom (UK).
Originality/value
This study provides an original and systematic investigation of the firm's core competence and its formation via key structural components for innovation and exporting within an empirical framework.
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Olivia McDermott, Jiju Antony, Michael Sony and Tom Healy
The main objective of this study is to investigate what are the critical success factors that exist for continuous improvement (CI) methodology deployment in the Irish medical…
Abstract
Purpose
The main objective of this study is to investigate what are the critical success factors that exist for continuous improvement (CI) methodology deployment in the Irish medical technology (MedTech) industry. The research will, in particular, seek to establish if the highly regulated nature of the global MedTech industry is an additional critical failure factor (CFF) for the deployment of CI methodology. The study involves the analysis of the benefits, challenges, CFFs and tools most utilised for the application to the deployment of CI methodologies in the Irish medical device (MD) industry.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative survey was utilised in this study. The main participants were made up of senior quality professionals working in operational excellence, quality consultants, quality directors, quality engineers, quality managers and quality supervisors working in both manufacturing and service sectors from Irish MD companies. A total of 94 participants from the Irish MedTech industry responded to the survey.
Findings
The main finding of this study is that 42% of participants perceived that a highly regulated environment was a CFF to CI, whilst 79% of respondents utilised Lean Six Sigma in their organisations, and productivity and financial factors were found to be the highest reasons for CI deployment amongst the Irish MedTech industry. The top CFFs highlighted for CI in regulated industries were fear of extra validation activity, compliance versus quality culture and a regulatory culture of being “safe”. Another relevant finding presented in this paper is that just over 48% of participants felt that CI tools are very strongly integrated into the industries quality management systems (QMSs) such as the corrective and preventative action system, non-conformance and audit systems.
Research limitations/implications
All data collected in the survey came from professionals working for Irish indigenous and multinational MedTech companies. It is important to highlight that n = 94 is a low sample size, which is enough for a preliminary survey but reinforcing the limitation in terms of generalisation of the results. A further study on a wider European and global scale as well as a comparison with the highly regulated pharma industry would be informative.
Originality/value
The authors understand that this is the very first research focussed on the CFFs for CI in the MedTech/MD manufacturing industry with a specific focus on the highly regulated nature of the industry as a potential CFF. The results of this study represent an important first step towards a full understanding of the applicability and use of CI in the medical-device-manufacturing industries on a global scale.
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Andrzej Szymkowiak, Marcin Adam Antoniak and Barbara Borusiak
The objective of the study is to explain how health orientation influences attitude towards paying attention to nutrition claims (NCs), intention to pay attention to NCs, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of the study is to explain how health orientation influences attitude towards paying attention to nutrition claims (NCs), intention to pay attention to NCs, and willingness to buy products containing NCs.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first study, conducted amongst 770 respondents using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) method, the authors investigated the role of health orientation in explaining intention to pay attention to NCs and willingness to buy products with NCs. The theory of planned behaviour was used as the main theoretical framework. In the second online experiment, carried out amongst 485 respondents, the impact of health orientation on attitude towards the label containing NC and on NC product purchase intention was studied.
Findings
The authors revealed that health orientation plays a significant (direct and indirect) role in explaining attitude towards paying attention to NCs, and intention to pay attention to NCs, as well as NC product purchase intention.
Originality/value
Health orientation appeared to be an important determinant of selecting products with NCs. Consumers' intent to choose products containing claims is mainly determined according to their attitudes driven by health orientation and outcome expectancy. Consequently, intention to pay attention to NCs is strongly related to intention to buy products containing claims.
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Rima Abdul Razzak, Ghada Al Kafaji, Mohammad Nadir Khan, Amar Muhsin Marwani and Yahya M. Naguib
This paper aims to evaluate the effect of consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) rich with total saturated fats on adiposity and serum levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to evaluate the effect of consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) rich with total saturated fats on adiposity and serum levels of vascular cell adhesion molecule (sVCAM-1), a biomarker of endothelial inflammation/dysfunction. Another aim is to evaluate whether supplementation of a phytosomal formulation of curcumin would reduce adiposity measures and sVCAM-1 levels in HFD rats.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted on 17 male rats which were allocated to one of three feeding regimen groups: normal diet (ND); HFD, or HFD with dietary phytosomal curcumin (HFD-C). Anthropometric measures were recorded weekly up to 20 weeks of feeding intervention, at the end of which, sVCAM-1 levels were also compared with one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc analysis.
Findings
The HFD group had the greatest values for raw anthropometric data, and there was a group difference in anthropometric measures, however there was no significant difference between HFD and HFD-C for any measure. The gain at 20 weeks from initial values did reveal significant differences in weight and abdominal circumference between HFD and HFD-C groups. There were significant group differences in sVCAM-1 levels, with only HFD-C displaying significant lower levels than HFD group.
Originality/value
This is the first study that shows the capacity of a phytosomal formulation of curcumin in reducing adiposity and sVCAM-1 levels during daily intake of saturated fats above the recommended level. The results are promising in that this formulation can protect against endothelial inflammation/dysfunction, and can be used as complimentary therapy to suppress dyslipidemia/obesity-related cardiovascular complications.
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Manesh Muraleedharan and Alaka Omprakash Chandak
The substantial increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is considered a major threat to developing countries. According to various international organizations and…
Abstract
Purpose
The substantial increase in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is considered a major threat to developing countries. According to various international organizations and researchers, Kerala is reputed to have the best health system in India. However, many economists and health-care experts have discussed the risks embedded in the asymmetrical developmental pattern of the state, considering its high health-care and human development index and low economic growth. This study, a scoping review, aims to explore four major health economic issues related to the Kerala health system.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of the literature was performed using PRISMA to facilitate selection, sampling and analysis. Qualitative data were collected for thematic content analysis.
Findings
Chronic diseases in a significant proportion of the population, low compliance with emergency medical systems, high health-care costs and poor health insurance coverage were observed in the Kerala community.
Research limitations/implications
The present study was undertaken to determine the scope for future research on Kerala's health system. Based on the study findings, a structured health economic survey is being conducted and is scheduled to be completed by 2021. In addition, the scope for future research on Kerala's health system includes: (1) research on pathways to address root causes of NCDs in the state, (2) determine socio-economic and health system factors that shape health-seeking behavior of the Kerala community, (3) evaluation of regional differences in health system performance within the state, (4) causes of high out-of-pocket expenditure within the state.
Originality/value
Given the internationally recognized standard of Kerala's vital statistics and health system, this review paper highlights some of the challenges encountered to elicit future research that contributes to the continuous development of health systems in Kerala.
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The study examines the social and environmental responsibility indicators disclosed by three International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) corporate mining members in their…
Abstract
Purpose
The study examines the social and environmental responsibility indicators disclosed by three International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM) corporate mining members in their social and environmental reporting (SER) from 2006 to 2014. To achieve this aim, the author limits the data two years before (i.e. from 2006 to 2007) and six years after (i.e. from 2009 to 2014) the implementation of the Sustainable Development Framework in the mining sector in 2008.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the techniques of content analysis and interpretive textual analysis, this study examines 27 social and environmental responsibility reports published between 2006 and 2014 by three ICMM corporate mining members. The study develops a disclosure index based on the earlier work of Hackston and Milne (1996), together with other disclosure items suggested in the extant literature and considered appropriate for this work. The disclosure index for this study comprised six disclosure categories (“employee”, “environment”, “community involvement”, “energy”, “governance” and “general”). In each of the six disclosure categories, only 10 disclosure items were chosen and that results in 60 disclosure items.
Findings
A total of 830 out of a maximum of 1,620 social and environmental responsibility indicators, representing 51% (168 employees, 151 environmental, 145 community involvement, 128 energy, 127 governance and 111 general) were identified and examined in company SER. The study showed that the sample companies relied on multiple strategies for managing pragmatic legitimacy and moral legitimacy via disclosures. Such practices raise questions regarding company-specific disclosure policies and their possible links to the quality/quantity of their disclosures. The findings suggest that managers of mining companies may opt for “cherry-picking” and/or capitalise on events for reporting purposes as well as refocus on company-specific issues of priority in their disclosures. While such practices may appear appropriate and/or timely to meet stakeholders’ needs and interests, they may work against the development of comprehensive reports due to the multiple strategies adopted to manage pragmatic and moral legitimacy.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this research is that the author relied on self-reported corporate disclosures, as opposed to verifying the activities associated with the claims by the sample mining companies.
Practical implications
The findings from this research will help future social and environmental accounting researchers to operationalise Suchman’s typology of legitimacy in other contexts.
Social implications
With growing large-scale mining activity, potential social and environmental footprints are obviously far from being socially acceptable. Powerful and legitimacy-conferring stakeholders are likely to disapprove such mining activity and reconsider their support, which may threaten the survival of the mining company and also create a legitimacy threat for the whole mining industry.
Originality/value
This study innovates by focusing on Suchman’s (1995) typology of legitimacy framework to interpret SER in an industry characterised by potential social and environmental footprints – the mining industry.