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Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 August 2023

Anna Mårtensson, Kristen Snyder, Pernilla Ingelsson and Ingela Bäckström

The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of long-term thinking in a non-business context to gain deeper insights into bridging the gap between the theory of long-term…

1595

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore the concept of long-term thinking in a non-business context to gain deeper insights into bridging the gap between the theory of long-term thinking and its application as a management strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

To explore the concept of long-thinking further in a non-business setting, a grounded theory study was conducted with preschool leaders in a municipality in Sweden to examine how the leaders describe, define and apply the concept of long-term thinking in their schools. Interviews with school leaders, both written and oral, were used for data collection.

Findings

This study illustrates that the concept of long-term thinking can be twofold. First, the description can be as an anchor that reflects a mission. Second, the description can be a steering mechanism that guides decision-making. The findings also reinforce the importance of organisations developing an organisational culture that connect their vision and goals with the values and needs of their customers.

Research limitations/implications

This study was carried out in a single organisation and shows a snapshot of the organisation's status at the time the data were collected. Therefore, the findings are not generalisable to all organisational settings; rather the findings may be transferable to other settings.

Practical implications

The results can be used to help identify areas where preschools in a municipal context can engage with sustainable quality development in order to build systems that support work with quality in a more structured way.

Originality/value

Long-term thinking is seen, within both theory and organisations, as necessary to achieve success in terms of sustainable development and quality, and this study contributes with knowledge about the current gap between theories of long-term thinking and practice in organisations.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 35 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 March 2024

Ingela Bäckström, Pernilla Ingelsson, Anna Mårtensson and Kristen M. Snyder

The purpose of this paper is to explore existing and desired methodologies for systematic quality work to promote quality in preschools from the principal’s perspective.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore existing and desired methodologies for systematic quality work to promote quality in preschools from the principal’s perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

A collaborative approach was used in this research project, and principals were asked to complete portfolio assignments. Their answers to those portfolio assignments were analysed by the research team and subsequently compared to total quality management values.

Findings

Existing and desired methodologies for systematic quality work are presented and sorted into 13 and 17 groups, respectively. The principals desire four times more methodologies than they are presently using to promote systematic quality work, and the results show that they must extend their methodologies to support TQM values.

Research limitations/implications

This research is based on answers collected from 18 principals in one municipality in Sweden.

Practical implications

The use of the cornerstone model provides a framework to illustrate the application of TQM in preschools.

Originality/value

Principals struggle to find time for systemic quality work. The presented results can be used to work systematically with quality in preschools and other organizations.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 32 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Kristen Snyder, Pernilla Ingelsson and Ingela Bäckström

This paper aims to explore how leaders can develop value-based leadership for sustainable quality development in Lean manufacturing.

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore how leaders can develop value-based leadership for sustainable quality development in Lean manufacturing.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative meta-analysis was conducted using data from a three-year study of Lean manufacturing in Sweden using the Shingo business excellence model as an analytical framework.

Findings

This study demonstrates that leaders can develop value-based leadership to support Lean manufacturing by defining and articulating the organization’s values and accompanying behaviors that are needed to support the strategic direction; creating forums and time for leaders to identify the why behind decisions and reflect on their experiences to be able to lead a transformative process; and using storytelling to create a coaching culture to connect values and behaviors, to the processes and systems of work.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes insights for developing value-based leadership to support a systemic approach to sustainable quality development in lean manufacturing. Findings are based on a limited case sample size of three manufacturing companies in Sweden.

Originality/value

The findings were derived using a unique methodological approach combining storytelling, appreciative inquiry and coaching with traditional data collection methods including surveys and interviews to identify, define and shape value-based leadership in Lean manufacturing.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 15 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 September 2024

Bo Bergman, Bengt Klefsjö and Lars Sörqvist

The aim of this paper is to investigate the development of the quality movement in Sweden since the mid-20th century. The authors are convinced that a summary of the Swedish…

372

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the development of the quality movement in Sweden since the mid-20th century. The authors are convinced that a summary of the Swedish quality journey so far will offer important lessons for further quality improvements in Sweden and elsewhere.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors study how the quality movement has been included in the industrial agenda and how it has been adopted in student curricula and in research. The authors have a focus on how business leaders have learnt, adopted, adapted and innovated with respect to quality development. often in collaboration with academia.

Findings

Although the quality movement has fit well with the Swedish culture and that successful corporate leaders have successfully used the specific cultural characteristics there is still a lot to be learnt with respect to the public sector, where the ideas from the quality movement have problem to overcome institutional barriers.

Research limitations/implications

The study is limited to the Swedish context.

Practical implications

There is a serious need to revitalize the public sector by getting leaders and politicians to understand the need for systematic quality improvement.

Social implications

If future Swedish achievements with respect to healthcare and other social welfare elements are to once again become world-class, the public sector needs to be open-minded and collaborate with the industrial sector and academia to find cost-effective strategies for making quality improvements. However, the private sector must also be alert not to be overtaken by some highly active Asian countries.

Originality/value

Swedish large companies have been very successful in applying quality leadership – however, in the public sector, this has not been the case. Suggestions for improvement are made.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. 15 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Book part
Publication date: 10 February 2025

Sarah E. Mendelson

The hoped-for “just recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic has not occurred. This chapter examines socioeconomic disparities laid bare by the pandemic in the United States. They…

Abstract

The hoped-for “just recovery” from the COVID-19 pandemic has not occurred. This chapter examines socioeconomic disparities laid bare by the pandemic in the United States. They have left a marked impression, suggesting that the concept of “American exceptionalism” has negative as well as positive connotations especially when compared with other high-income countries. Strikingly, democracy is not delivering for many Americans, and yet that is not a new situation, as much scholarship shows. These findings challenge received wisdom about how this country is in the aggregate labeled “developed” when many Americans live in conditions similar to or worse than those the World Bank categorizes as “developing.” Against this background, the chapter assesses experiential learning models for engaging students on the SDGs to assess these disparities. While researching social justice gaps in Pittsburgh and Atlanta with Carnegie Mellon students, however, the lack of disaggregated data emerged as a human rights issue and major barrier to fulfilling the SDG principle to “leave no one behind” (LNOB). These findings suggest a paradigm shift is needed, using the SDGs to advance human rights, elevating socioeconomic rights, localizing issues, generating disaggregated data to drive policy recommendations, and scaling up the community of practice that is engaged in this paradigm shift. Field building these aspects of sustainable development has the possibility to positively shape policies, outcomes, and help this democracy actually deliver for all, not just for some. For the United States to lead and bolster human rights and democracy around the world, inequalities at home must be addressed.

Details

Higher Education and SDG16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-892-8

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 March 2023

Cortney Norris, Scott Taylor and D. Christopher Taylor

This research aimed to fill several gaps in the tipping literature which has overlooked the server's perspective in identifying and understanding variables that influence a tip…

2630

Abstract

Purpose

This research aimed to fill several gaps in the tipping literature which has overlooked the server's perspective in identifying and understanding variables that influence a tip amount and therefore where they concentrate their efforts during the service encounter. Furthermore, the extant literature has theorized how or why certain variables influence the tip amount, but these studies fail to capture insight from server's which would supplement the theory and provide a more in-depth understanding of the mechanisms at play.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopts a grounded theory approach using semi-structured one-on-one interviews with tipped restaurant employees who were identified and selected using snowball sampling. Content analysis is employed to code and categorize the data.

Findings

The content analysis revealed five categories where servers focus their time and effort to earn tips: service quality, connection, personal factors, expertise and food quality. The server's personality was identified as a variable the tipping literature has largely ignored as a determinant of the tip amount. Server's shift their style of service for groups of eight or more people, and for regular customers, who must dine in the restaurant at least once per week. Lastly, despite the many drawbacks associated with working for tips, servers would not want to replace it with any other method of compensation.

Originality/value

This is the first qualitative study focused on understanding the server's role in the service exchange relationship since McCarty et al. (1990) study. The results provide new insights on the often-studied variables from the tipping literature.

Details

International Hospitality Review, vol. 38 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2516-8142

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 22 October 2024

Stephanie Buelow

School–university partnerships are the core of effective teacher preparation programs, and central to this model are the classroom teachers who mentor preservice teachers into the…

172

Abstract

Purpose

School–university partnerships are the core of effective teacher preparation programs, and central to this model are the classroom teachers who mentor preservice teachers into the profession. This article describes an innovative collaboration that transcends institutional boundaries, operating in a hybrid space, aimed at supporting preservice teachers' development as educators, expanding their professional networks and fostering their sense of belonging and professional identity within a broader community of teacher leaders.

Design/methodology/approach

This article describes a hybrid partnership model that provides preservice teachers with innovative mentoring experiences. Research on hybrid partnership models and boundary-spanning frames the discussion. The article provides a brief overview of two iterations of a collaboration between elementary preservice teachers and a cohort of teacher leaders in a fellowship program. The paper concludes by discussing lessons learned and directions for future research on the topic.

Findings

Preservice teachers benefit from opportunities to engage with a variety of mentors throughout their program. While the classroom teacher serving as a mentor is central to teacher preparation, there is a space for hybrid partnership models that provide preservice teachers additional mentors to support their development and connections to a professional learning community of teacher leaders. Through innovative hybrid collaborations, preservice teachers engage with diverse mentors, expanding their professional networks and preparing them to navigate the complexities of the educational landscape with a sense of belonging and identity.

Originality/value

This article contributes to the literature on hybrid partnership models, aimed at empowering preservice teachers by integrating them into a professional community of teacher leaders, fostering their sense of belonging, identity and preparedness to navigate the complexities of the profession.

Details

School-University Partnerships, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1935-7125

Keywords

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