Ali Pakdaman, Goudarz Alibakhshi and Abdollah Baradaran
A couple of decades ago, the negotiated syllabus was introduced as an alternative to the predetermined syllabus. The review of the related studies shows the number of studies on…
Abstract
Purpose
A couple of decades ago, the negotiated syllabus was introduced as an alternative to the predetermined syllabus. The review of the related studies shows the number of studies on the use of negotiated syllabus in English language teaching is scanty. The main purpose of the study was to explore the advantages/merits of employing negotiated syllabus in general English courses that undergraduate students take.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors employed the phenomenology research method to deeply delve into the undergraduate students' perceptions of the advantages of the negotiated syllabus. The phenomenology method is used for investigating human lived experiences through the descriptions given by the people involved in the study. This qualitative research method is mainly used to study fields with little or no knowledge. The authors collected the data through in-depth interviews with the informants (18 students) who were selected through theoretical sampling. The informants were undergraduate students at Allameh Tabataba'i University who were selected through theoretical sampling. The authors listened to the recordings to transcribe the participants' statements and remarks verbatim. Then, we analyzed the interviews thematically through open, axial and selective coding. This study aimed at exploring the participants' perspectives on the advantages of the negotiated Syllabus. The study's main objective was to investigate the advantages/merits of employing negotiated Syllabus in undergraduate students' general English courses.
Findings
Findings revealed that employing the negotiated syllabus resulted in many advantages which were reduced into three axial coding: psychological, pedagogical and individual. Generally, the negotiated syllabus reduces the students' anxiety, improves their motivation, affects their language achievement and develops their critical thinking and learner autonomy.
Practical implications
Teachers are recommended to minimize the constraints and use the negotiated syllabus to optimize language learners' motivation and language achievement in teaching English programs.
Originality/value
The impact of the negotiated syllabus on language learners has been investigated through quantitative research methods. However, the language learners' perceptions of the negotiated syllabus have not been well explored qualitatively.
Details
Keywords
Samira Jalili, Mohammad Amerzadeh, Saeideh Moosavi, Abdollah Keshavarz, Rouhollah Zaboli, Seyed Saeed Tabatabaee and Rohollah Kalhor
Strategic orientation is one of the critical principles affecting the marketing and strategy selection of an organization’s activities, reflecting the strategic tendencies…
Abstract
Purpose
Strategic orientation is one of the critical principles affecting the marketing and strategy selection of an organization’s activities, reflecting the strategic tendencies implemented by the organization to create behaviours, leading to organizational efficiency and better employee performance. Therefore, this paper aims to study the relationship between strategic orientation and performance in Qazvin teaching hospitals through green supply chain management (SCM) to improve employees' performance.
Design/methodology/approach
This was a descriptive– analytical and cross-sectional study. The total number of employees in medical centres was 2,256 people. According to Morgan’s table, the required number of samples was 328, including 10% of the sample loss. The questionnaire was given to 365 staff in different hospitals in proportion to the number of staff. Two statistical software, SPSS24 and AMOS23, were used to evaluate the results.
Findings
All three variables were relatively moderate in the hospitals. The results of evaluating the structural model of the research showed that all the studied hypotheses were significant, except for the relationship between organizational performance and strategic orientation hypothesis. The results also show that this model had a good fit.
Practical implications
The findings can lead to saving the environment, creating a better social image and reducing costs and profitability, allowing managers to know the strategic orientations rather than depending on institutional pressure issues and monitoring guidelines.
Originality/value
Considering the significant relationship between the dimensions of green SCM and the hospitals’ performance, the authors suggest: establishing multilateral co-operation in environmental issues, improving the environmental status of hospitals, reducing waste rates and paying attention to social responsibility of hospitals. In addition, the findings help hospital management to comprehensively understand the strategies for implementing green SCM procedures.