James P. Spillane and Allison W. Kenney
Research, spanning half a century, points to the critical role of school administration and to the successful implementation of US government policies and programs. In part these…
Abstract
Purpose
Research, spanning half a century, points to the critical role of school administration and to the successful implementation of US government policies and programs. In part these findings reflect the times and a US educational governance system characterized by local control, a constitutionally‐constrained federal government, resource‐poor state governments, and an overall system of segment arrangements for governing education. However, the US education policy environment has changed dramatically over the past several decades, with standards and high stakes accountability becoming commonplace. The purpose of this paper is to examine the entailments of shifts in the policy environment for school administrative practice, focusing on how school leaders manage in the middle between this shifting external policy environment and classroom teachers.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper's focus is on how school administration manages the dual organizational imperatives of legitimacy and integrity in a changing institutional environment. This paper is an essay in which the authors reflect on the entailments of shifts in the education sector for school administration over the past quarter century in the USA.
Findings
While considerable change for school administrative practice is suggested, the authors argue that organizational legitimacy and organizational integrity are still central concerns for school leaders.
Originality/value
Although the paper's account is based entirely on the US education sector, several aspects of the framing may be relevant in other countries.
Details
Keywords
Vidar Halldorsson, Thorolfur Thorlindsson and Michael A. Katovich
This chapter explores the role of informal sport in the development of top-level Icelandic athletes. The approach is explorative and intended to develop an empirically grounded…
Abstract
This chapter explores the role of informal sport in the development of top-level Icelandic athletes. The approach is explorative and intended to develop an empirically grounded theory. We conducted semistructured interviews with 10 Icelandic elite athletes. Our analysis suggests that the development of free play may be of central importance to the development of elite athletes. Free play offers the opportunity to foster intrinsic motivation, mastery of skills, flow, craftsmanship, and aesthetic experience. We suggest that these qualities are important in the development of top athletes, especially in their early sport career. Our analysis also highlights the importance of unsupervised informal peer interaction. A pool of unsupervised peer networks can serve as a prerequisite for the development of informal sport that may promote qualities that are desirable for the development of top-level athletes. Our analysis further suggests that the contribution of informal sport depends on how it interacts with other elements in the social context and its relationship to formal sport.
Details
Keywords
Previous discussions have characterized hookup culture as ambiguous by nature, but social psychological theory tells us people dislike ambiguity in practice. Meanwhile, a myriad…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous discussions have characterized hookup culture as ambiguous by nature, but social psychological theory tells us people dislike ambiguity in practice. Meanwhile, a myriad of undefined relationship terms (e.g., talking to, hanging out, having a thing) arose and have remained in use. I examine (1) whether these different “situationship” labels have distinct affective meaning and (2) what that suggests for those occupying the concomitant identities (i.e., assess the behavioral and emotional consequences of being “someone in a _____ relationship”).
Approach
Using affect control theory and a sample of young adults in defined (N = 50) and undefined (N = 43) relationship types, I test if affective ratings of various relationship label identities are statistically distinct. I then computationally model social events with each relationship label as actor (X identity performs [behavior]), compare their differing levels of social discomfort, and empirically predict the emotions each identity would feel.
Findings
Undefined relationship labels are not synonymous. Correspondingly, the nature, emotions, and expected behaviors of the individuals with those labels' related relational identities are not equivalent. In cultural evaluation, all undefined relationship labels are lower than all defined relationship labels. In event simulations, predicted deflection levels and actor consequent emotions (how normative is it and how jarring does it feel) were patterned by the labels' cultural evaluation ratings, these correlate with relationship commitment level.
Implications
By interpersonal necessity, individuals make fine distinctions in shared meanings within a cultural context of constant redefinition. Physically and emotionally negative behaviors are culturally more expected and accepted in undefined contexts by the culturally-understood nature of – and shared perspectives of participants concerning – those relationships’ parameters.
Details
Keywords
The purpose is to bring together all bibliographic references of the published literature on electronic books (e‐books) and related technologies in one source so that it will save…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose is to bring together all bibliographic references of the published literature on electronic books (e‐books) and related technologies in one source so that it will save time for others in conducting literature searches and reviewing the developments.
Design/methodology/approach
The information included in this bibliography is collected systematically from all the published sources in the world such as journal articles, conference papers, conference proceedings, books, reports and PhD theses on e‐books until the last quarter of 2004. Mainly it covers e‐books, e‐books publishing, the impact of e‐books on different types of users, e‐book publishing techniques and trends, e‐book user interfaces and other technologies related to e‐publications.
Findings
As computer usage continues to grow exponentially, the desire of users to use electronic publications (e‐publications) has also increased tremendously. This has led to the publication of materials in electronic form as e‐publications on both CD‐ROMs and web. The e‐book is one of the several forms of e‐publications and its popularity has been growing steadily for the past decade.
Originality/value
This bibliography will be useful to all researchers conducting research in any areas related to e‐books and e‐book publishing.
Details
Keywords
Stephen Gilson and Elizabeth DePoy
Purpose – This chapter discusses a study in which we examined campus architecture, spatial design, aesthetics, and cultural policy with regard to the manner in which attributes in…
Abstract
Purpose – This chapter discusses a study in which we examined campus architecture, spatial design, aesthetics, and cultural policy with regard to the manner in which attributes in these visual and textual entities shape the full range of diversity of the student body or the individuals and collective group who study within the university.
Methodology – This chapter presents the qualitative element of a larger multi-method inquiry. The data for this study were generated from a sample composed of eight universities in four states in the United States and of cultural policy documents from multiple universities in addition to the eight specific universities that were visited on-site.
Findings – Twelve themes emerged from data derived from campus visits to eight universities representing diverse geographies and institutional structures and from analysis of the cultural policies of 30 institutions of higher education. Taxonomic analysis (analysis of the organization of themes and their relationships to one another) revealed important directional associations among the themes yielding rich findings for future theory development and testing.
Implications – The findings yielded important understandings about the influence of cultural policy as reflected in the campus community, on inclusion, exclusion, and diversity. Of particular note were the unexpected thematic findings regarding the political, proprietary preferences of “disabled” groups related to space ownership and the future implications of occupying specialized designated architectures. We conclude with conceptual and methodological directions for expanding this research agenda internationally and for informing change in cultural policy and architectures on campus communities.
Details
Keywords
Young‐joo Lee and Jeffrey L. Brudney
The purpose of this paper is to examine how the perceived benefits and costs of volunteering affect participation. Based on this rational choice approach, the research tests a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how the perceived benefits and costs of volunteering affect participation. Based on this rational choice approach, the research tests a multivariate model of the determinants of volunteering.
Design/methodology/approach
The database for the empirical analysis is the 2005 Americans' Time Use Survey. To estimate the model of participation in volunteer activity, this research uses the complementary log‐log technique.
Findings
The findings support the central hypothesis that participation in volunteering decreases as the opportunity cost of volunteer activity increases. In addition, participation in volunteering increases as people perceive themselves as more embedded in their communities, thus suggesting that rational individuals make strategic assessments in their decisions to volunteer based on the level of trust in the exchange relationship.
Research limitations/implications
The findings suggest that policies that promote a sense of embeddedness in the community, as well as those that link the workplace and volunteer opportunities, would help motivate rational individuals to volunteer. In‐depth interviews to ascertain people's motivations to volunteer would be useful to supplement the findings.
Practical implications
The findings suggest that policies that promote a sense of embeddedness in the community, as well as those that link the workplace and volunteer opportunities, would help motivate rational individuals to volunteer.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the understanding of volunteer behavior as a rational choice in an exchange relationship. Based on these findings, this research argues that policies that promote a sense of community embeddedness as well as those that link the workplace and volunteer opportunities, help motivate rational individuals to volunteer.