Lynn Deeken, Amy Vecchione, Allison Carr, Shelby Hallman, Lara Herzellah, Natalia Lopez, Rob Rucker, Michael Alfieri, Deborah Tenofsky, Anne Moore, Nancy Fawley, John Glover, Bettina Peacemaker and Amy Pajewski
This paper aims to demonstrate the variety of ways institutions and their libraries approach student success both conceptionally and operationally.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to demonstrate the variety of ways institutions and their libraries approach student success both conceptionally and operationally.
Design/methodology/approach
Librarians from eight different institutions of higher education were given a series of questions about student success on their campuses and in their libraries. They responded with written essays describing their experiences and perspectives.
Findings
The contributed pieces in this second installment are collected together and a variety of ways the academic library engage with “student success” are discussed. Initiatives include high-impact practices, fostering academic rapport and creating a sense of belonging, experiential learning and creative spaces and professional development.
Originality/value
These examples help to observe what is happening throughout higher education and see potential paths forward at the institutions engaged in this work.
Details
Keywords
Margie Ruppel and Amy Vecchione
The purpose of this paper is to discover how college students perceive text messaging reference (SMS), chat reference, and face‐to‐face reference services.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discover how college students perceive text messaging reference (SMS), chat reference, and face‐to‐face reference services.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors administered surveys about chat, text messaging (SMS), and face‐to‐face reference to students enrolled in a one‐credit library skills course. Survey results focus on users' willingness to return, their perceptions of chat and text messaging (SMS) reference, and the reasons they choose to utilize different communication mediums for reference service.
Findings
College students value the availability of high‐quality, quick, convenient, personalized reference assistance, regardless of medium used.
Practical implications
Academic libraries can personalize reference services, but also need to offer ways for patrons to ask questions anonymously.
Social implications
Robust communication contributes to the perceived usefulness and success of library reference services. Effective reference service provided at the point‐of‐need helps build positive student‐librarian relationships.
Originality/value
This study aims to contribute to reference services research by bringing new technology into consideration. It focuses on two technologies (chat and SMS reference) in light of another available method (in‐person reference desk). This study is based on a 2002 study about patron perceptions of chat reference (Ruppel and Fagan), which is compared to the current study's results.
Details
Keywords
Abstract
Details
Keywords
Aaron Chee Hsien Tay, Georgiana Glass and Chew Shu Wen
Purpose – This paper aims to provide an overview of how the National University of Singapore (NUS) Libraries has been using FourSquare Specials to engage users and to promote…
Abstract
Purpose – This paper aims to provide an overview of how the National University of Singapore (NUS) Libraries has been using FourSquare Specials to engage users and to promote library activities and events. This paper will describe the implementation of various FourSquare “Specials” in the different library branches and the reactions of the users. Design/methodology/approach – The paper provides an analysis of the check‐ins at the different NUS Libraries. Firstly, there is a comparison of the historical total number of check‐ins at the main Central Library versus other popular venues on campus, as well as a benchmark against other academic libraries internationally. FourSquare Specials were conducted in five of six libraries on Kent Ridge Campus and the total monthly check‐ins at six different NUS Libraries were compared across time to assess the effect of the “Specials” conducted. Lastly, the number of check‐ins as a percentage of walk‐ins is also analyzed. Findings – Overall, the results show that while FourSquare Specials were generally successful in increasing the number of check‐ins, it was unlikely to affect the number of walk‐ins as the vast majority of users were not using FourSquare to check in. Originality/value – This paper describes the use of FourSquare for marketing at an academic library. A description on how to conduct FourSquare “Specials” is included for academic libraries considering running one and possible issues that staff might face running such events.
Details
Keywords
Angelo Rosa, Teresa Angela Trunfio, Giuliano Marolla, Antonietta Costantino, Davide Nardella and Olivia McDermott
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. In Italy, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major cause of hospitalization and healthcare costs. AMI is a…
Abstract
Purpose
Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death worldwide. In Italy, acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is a major cause of hospitalization and healthcare costs. AMI is a myocardial necrosis event caused by an unstable ischemic syndrome. The Italian government has defined an indicator called “AMI: 30-day mortality” to assess the quality of the overall care pathway of the heart attacked patient. In order to guarantee high standards, all hospitals had to implement techniques to increase the quality of care pathway. The aim of the paper is to identify the root cause and understand the mortality rate for AMI and redesign the patient management process in order to improve it.
Design/methodology/approach
A Lean Six Sigma (LSS) approach was used in this study to analyze the patient flow in order to reduce 30-days mortality rate from AMI registered by Complex Operative Unit (COU) of Cardiology of an Italian hospital. Value stream mapping (VSM) and Ishikawa diagrams were implemented as tools of analysis.
Findings
Process improvement using LSS methodology made it possible to reduce the overall times from 115 minutes to 75 minutes, with a reduction of 35%. In addition, the corrective actions such as the activation of a post-discharge outpatient clinic and telephone contacts allowed the 30-day mortality rate to be lowered from 16% before the project to 8% after the project. In this way, the limit value set by the Italian government was reached.
Research limitations/implications
The limitation of the study is that it is single-centered and was applied to a facility with a limited number of cases.
Practical implications
The LSS approach has brought significant benefits to the process of managing patients with AMI. Corrective actions such as the activation of an effective shared protocol or telephone interview with checklist can become the gold standard in reducing mortality. The limitation of the study is that it is single-centered and was applied to a facility with a limited number of cases.
Originality/value
LSS, applied for the first time to the management of cardiovascular diseases in Italy, is a methodology which has proved to be strategic for the improvement of healthcare process. The simple solutions implemented could serve as a guide for other hospitals to pursue the national AMI mortality target.
Details
Keywords
Leonardo Blanco dos Santos and Silvia Marcia Russi De Domenico
– The purpose of this paper is to propose a research agenda on person-organization fit (P-O fit).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a research agenda on person-organization fit (P-O fit).
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of the literature from a bibliometric perspective is performed. All documents indexed in the Scopus database with the term “person-organization fit” in the title were mapped.
Findings
An increasing interest in P-O fit since the 1990s is observed. Amy L. Kristof-Brown, affiliated to the University of Iowa, is the most productive author. All empirical studies from our sample used quantitative methodology and non-probabilistic sample, and 85.9 per cent of them were cross-sectional. The similarity conceptualization of P-O fit and the perceived fit perspective have been adopted more often. Job satisfaction, intention to leave and organizational commitment are the most studied outcomes of P-O fit.
Research limitations/implications
By offering a general view of the production on P-O fit, the paper may be valuable not only for those who aim to start researching on the field, but also for practitioners who may benefit from an overview of the field to evaluate interventions to increase the fit between employees and organizations. Noticing the absence of publications from Latin America, and taking into account the positive outcomes of P-O fit to individuals and organizations, this paper aims to stimulate researchers from this region to develop research on P-O fit.
Originality/value
Original insights for future research are presented: The need for qualitative studies to understand the individual perception of fit; the study of complementary P-O fit from a needs–supplies perspective; and the need to consider the multi-dimensionality of constructs that are taken as content of fit, which may offer a possible answer to Van Vianen’s (2001) claim about the “value of fit”.
Details
Keywords
Vahid Delshab, Mathieu Winand, Saeed Sadeghi Boroujerdi, Do Young Pyun and Abed Mahmoudian
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between employee values and knowledge management (KM) in sport organizations.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between employee values and knowledge management (KM) in sport organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
Data (N = 234) were collected online through a structured questionnaire from employees of 33 sport organizations in Iran. To test the hypotheses, Pearson correlation test and a regression analysis was conducted.
Findings
The results from the study revealed that there were significant relationships between employee values and KM. Both instrumental and terminal values significantly influenced KM.
Research limitations/implications
One limitation of this study is related to the generalizability of the results. Therefore, the current study is required to be replicated with other sport organizations in various sectors (public or private) to improve external validity of the results.
Practical implications
Based on this study, employees of sport organizations in developing countries tend to store knowledge more than sharing and applying it. The findings can be used by human resources and KM practitioners who are interested in developing organizational knowledge through employees’ values.
Originality/value
Through this study, the positive roles of employee instrumental and terminal values, as the key drivers in determining intangible assets in organizations, were found.
Details
Keywords
Shaomin Li, Seung Ho Park and David Duden Selover
The purpose of this paper is to develop the theoretical linkage between culture and economic growth and empirically test the relationship by measuring culture and how it affects…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop the theoretical linkage between culture and economic growth and empirically test the relationship by measuring culture and how it affects labor productivity.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a cross-section study of developing countries and regresses economic productivity growth on a set of control variables and cultural factors.
Findings
It is found that three cultural factors, economic attitudes, political attitudes, and attitudes towards the family, affect economic productivity growth.
Originality/value
Many economists ignore culture as a factor in economic growth, either because they discount the value of culture or because they have no simple way to quantify culture, resulting in the role of culture being under-researched. The study is the first to extensively examine the role of culture in productivity growth using large-scale data sources. The authors show that culture plays an important role in productivity gains across countries, contributing to the study of the effects of culture on economic development, and that culture can be empirically measured and linked to an activity that directly affects the economic growth – labor productivity.