Roger Palmer, David Croston, Andrew Garvey and Simon Mead
The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of strategy development and implementation for a food sector related non‐departmental public body. This is reviewed against a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of strategy development and implementation for a food sector related non‐departmental public body. This is reviewed against a well‐established model of change.
Design/methodology/approach
A single case study is appropriate where there is a unique example of practice. In this case a newly founded organisation defines and implements its strategy within the context of the English red meat sector.
Findings
The literature provides rather less guidance on strategy selection for not for profit organisations. The network model of strategy was implemented by EBLEX. Market research guided the selection of strategy and implementation involved in‐ and out‐sourcing, communication to stakeholders, project and process based management and the sharing of information and objectives. The need to deliver in the short term may inhibit longer‐term objectives by reducing flexibility and responsiveness. The ability to identify, recruit and retire network partners is a necessary capability. Having developed the organisation afresh, significant challenges lie ahead in generating growth and managing increasing complexity.
Research limitations/implications
A single case study is limited in the extent to which generalisations can be made. There is a need to confirm the emerging findings with additional cases in similar and different contexts. Building on this research, theoretical propositions can be derived to guide future work and to develop theory.
Practical implications
This case provides insight into the management and development of a non‐departmental public body.
Originality/value
This paper investigates a unique opportunity for research in this field.
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The traditional approach to AI is limited because it fails to exploit continuity. The reliance on discrete logic has allowed the rapid initial advance of the subject, but…
Abstract
The traditional approach to AI is limited because it fails to exploit continuity. The reliance on discrete logic has allowed the rapid initial advance of the subject, but constitutes an inherent deficiency. The limitations have become apparent, and are generally acknowledged by a revival of interest in neural‐net, or connectionist, techniques. This approach has become feasible because of technical developments allowing large‐scale parallel operation. Lessons can be learned by considering the evolution of natural intelligence. Recent studies from a biological viewpoint suggest that this has some unexpected features. The idea of concept formation should be extended to include quantifiable concepts, similar to the semantic variables of fuzzy set theory.
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This case study was conducted to assess and make changes to the consortial virtual reference service for the remainder of the period of fully virtual reference (campus closure); a…
Abstract
Purpose
This case study was conducted to assess and make changes to the consortial virtual reference service for the remainder of the period of fully virtual reference (campus closure); a second objective was to consider implications for service design and delivery upon the eventual return to the physical campus.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper begins by introducing the institution, reference practices prior to the pandemic and the changes to reference service necessitated by the campus closure. After a literature review of material related to reference and the pandemic, several years of virtual reference service data are analyzed.
Findings
The use of consortial virtual reference service has significantly increased in the pandemic, as demonstrated by questions asked by users and questions answered by librarians. Changes to work practices based on these data have been made.
Originality/value
This work is original in that it relates to the physical closure of the campus due to the pandemic, about which, to date, little has been published specifically concerning the design and delivery of reference services.
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Francis Vinicius Portes Virginio, Brian Garvey and Paul Stewart
The purpose of this paper is to explore the variation in migrant labour market regimes and what these reveal about variant patterns of state and extra state regulation in two…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the variation in migrant labour market regimes and what these reveal about variant patterns of state and extra state regulation in two contemporary political economies.
Design/methodology/approach
Research based upon a participatory action research agenda in Mexico and the north of Ireland. Migrant workers and their families where involved in the project and its development. This included participation in the research design, its focus and purpose.
Findings
Migrant workers experiences of labour market subordination are part of wider processes of subordination and exclusion involving both the state, but also wider, often meta- and para-state, agents. In different locations, states and contexts, the precarity experienced by migrant workers and their families highlights the porosity of the formal rational legal state and moreover, in the current economic context, the compatibility of illegality and state sponsored neoliberal economic policies.
Research limitations/implications
It is important to extend this study to other geographic and political economy spaces.
Practical implications
The study challenges the limits of state agency suggesting the need for extra state, i.e. civil society, participation to support and defend migrant workers.
Originality/value
Notwithstanding the two very different socio-economic contexts, the paper reveals that the interaction, dependence and restructuring of migrant labour markets can be understood within the context of meta- and para-state activities that link neoliberal employment insecurities. Migrants’ experiences illustrate the extent to which even formal legal employment relations can also be sustained by para- and meta- (illegal and alegal) actions and institutions.
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Gerry M. Rayner and Juliey Beckman
As participation in higher education widens with concomitant increases in the number and diversity of commencing students, so does the need for programs that will support their…
Abstract
As participation in higher education widens with concomitant increases in the number and diversity of commencing students, so does the need for programs that will support their transition and retention. In response to this need, a growing awareness of the value of mentorship in Australian universities has resulted in the introduction of peer mentoring programs for students in many institutions. Mentorship, however, can take many different forms. This chapter reports on a model of academic (faculty) mentorship for commencing science students belonging to a range of defined disadvantaged groups. The program was initially funded by an internal grant, with voluntary participation by eligible students. At the end of the first semester, participants overwhelmingly endorsed the program as having enhanced their transition experience and improved their prospects for academic progress and retention. Despite reduced funding, the program was retained over two subsequent years with slight modifications based on student feedback, together with consideration of its most effective elements. The success of this academic mentorship program demonstrates the potential value of such approaches in the university retention and success of disadvantaged students.
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Most grey literature tends to support the disciplines it serves and does not usually raise issues regarding social, political, or ethical considerations. The “other” grey…
Abstract
Most grey literature tends to support the disciplines it serves and does not usually raise issues regarding social, political, or ethical considerations. The “other” grey literature, publications issued by alternative presses, attempts to inform readers about aspects of a particular scientific endeavor that may have social ramifications. In the electronic age, the World Wide Web has played a major role in making scientific information accessible to a wide audience more rapidly and efficiently. This democratic approach to information dissemination in science is changing the way science is perceived and implemented in our daily lives. Alternative presses in both electronic and print formats will continue to play a role in shaping the science research and public policy agendas well into the future. This article explores the role of alternative presses and its impact on scientific communication.
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Purpose – This chapter will examine the role of Central Park in setting in motion certain practices related to park development as well as revolutionizing park financing in the…
Abstract
Purpose – This chapter will examine the role of Central Park in setting in motion certain practices related to park development as well as revolutionizing park financing in the mid-nineteenth century and again in modern times. It will examine the shift from public financing of parks to the development of public–private partnerships to design, build, fund, and administer urban parks.
Design/methodology/approach – The author takes an historical approach to put contemporary park debates vis-à-vis funding and administration in context. Archival materials are used to examine park financing models all over the country.
Findings – Central Park still continues to revolutionize urban park financing. Cities are cutting back on funding for public parks; as a result, there is a greater reliance on private financing options. Not all parks are in a position to rely heavily on private financing, and this raises questions about access to open space in cities.
Originality/value – The chapter raises questions about equity in the shift toward the private financing of urban parks. It extends the environmental justice discourse to examine open space issues. It examines long-term historical trends in helping the reader understand the contemporary state of urban park financing.
James W. Peltier, Andrew J. Dahl and John A. Schibrowsky
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming consumers' experiences and how firms identify, create, nurture and manage interactive marketing relationships. However, most marketers…
Abstract
Purpose
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming consumers' experiences and how firms identify, create, nurture and manage interactive marketing relationships. However, most marketers do not have a clear understanding of what AI is and how it may mutually benefit consumers and firms. In this paper, the authors conduct an extensive review of the marketing literature, develop an AI framework for understanding value co-creation in interactive buyer–seller marketing relationships, identify research gaps and offer a future research agenda.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors first conduct an extensive literature review in 16 top marketing journals on AI. Based on this review, an AI framework for understanding value co-creation in interactive buyer–seller marketing relationships was conceptualized.
Findings
The literature review led to a number of key research findings and summary areas: (1) an historical perspective, (2) definitions and boundaries of AI, (3) AI and interactive marketing, (4) relevant theories in the domain of interactive marketing and (5) synthesizing AI research based on antecedents to AI usage, interactive AI usage contexts and AI-enabled value co-creation outcomes.
Originality/value
This is one of the most extensive reviews of AI literature in marketing, including an evaluation of in excess or 300 conceptual and empirical research. Based on the findings, the authors offer a future research agenda, including a visual titled “What is AI in Interactive Marketing? AI design factors, AI core elements & interactive marketing AI usage contexts.”