Cristóvão Dinis Sousa, António Lucas Soares and Carla Sofia Pereira
In collaborative settings, such as research and development projects, obtaining the maximum benefit from knowledge management systems depends on the ability of the different…
Abstract
Purpose
In collaborative settings, such as research and development projects, obtaining the maximum benefit from knowledge management systems depends on the ability of the different partners to understand the conceptualisation underlying the system’s knowledge organisation. This paper aims to show how information/knowledge organisation in a multi-organisation project can be made more effective if the domain experts are involved in the specification of the systems semantic structure. A particular aspect is further studied: the role of conceptual relations in the process of collaborative development of such structures.
Design/methodology/approach
An action-research approach was adopted, framed by a socio-semantic stance. A collaborative conceptual modelling platform was used to support the members of a research and development project in the process of developing a lightweight ontology aiming at reorganising all the project information in a wiki system. Data collection was carried out by means of participant observation, interviews and a questionnaire.
Findings
The approach to solve the content organisation problem revealed to be effective both in the result and the process. It resulted in a better-organised system, enabling more efficient project information retrieval. The collaborative development of the lightweight ontology embodied, in fact, a learning process, leading to a shared conceptualisation. The research results point to the importance of the elicitation of conceptual relations for structuring the project’s knowledge. These results are important for the design of methods and tools to support the collaborative development of conceptual models.
Originality/value
This paper studies the social process leading to a shared conceptualisation, a subject that has not been sufficiently researched. This case study provides evidence about the importance of the early phases of the construction of ontologies, mainly if domain experts are deeply involved, supported by appropriated tools and guided by well-structured processes.
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Marina Duarte, Sandra Sofia Caeiro, Carla Sofia Farinha, Ana Moreira, Margarida Santos-Reis, Constança Rigueiro and João Simão
This study aims to explore the alignment between strategic plans of the Portuguese public higher education institutions (HEIs) and their perception of the integration of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the alignment between strategic plans of the Portuguese public higher education institutions (HEIs) and their perception of the integration of sustainability in education and curricula.
Design/methodology/approach
The strategic plans from 15 institutions were selected for content analysis; data about the integration of sustainability in education and curricula, from these HEI, were collected with an online questionnaire (self-report survey). Qualitative and quantitative analyses were performed.
Findings
Strategic plans of the Portuguese public HEIs seem to not be sufficiently aligned with self-assessment integration of sustainability in education and curricula.
Research limitations/implications
The classifications used in the content analysis were constructed and revised by the authors to reduce coder interpretation issues and subsequent bias in the results. However, some subjectivity could remain. The analysis of strategic plans and self-report surveys answered by top management, or a technician, does not assess the practices and sustainability implementation in education and curricula.
Practical implications
This study allows the self-report of already-implemented practices to be compared to the planned strategy of HEI governance in Portugal as stated in their strategic plans.
Originality/value
An analysis and respective insights on the lack of connection between strategic planning and self-report practices about sustainability implementation, using Portugal as a case study.
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Cristina Sofia Coelho, Catarina Pereira Faria, Filipa Oliveira, Carla Vale Lucas, Sónia Vasconcelos and Luísa Soares
Tutoring or mentoring is a form of mutual and informal learning which has distant origins. This is a way of sharing knowledge and experience which has been proved to be extremely…
Abstract
Purpose
Tutoring or mentoring is a form of mutual and informal learning which has distant origins. This is a way of sharing knowledge and experience which has been proved to be extremely useful in educational settings, particularly where there is a peer that plays the role of tutor. Despite its informal characteristic, tutoring should be a structured process, with defined goals and clear roles for both: tutors and tutees, those who benefit from tutoring. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
As this paper aims to explore a pilot project, it was used as a reflexive and practical methodology, in a case study, analyzing the number of participants attending the project as well as the contents of the training course.
Findings
In this first project in a Portuguese university, 35 students attended as candidates to tutor, participating in the training course, showing interest in helping their colleagues.
Originality/value
This proposal for a tutoring program in a public higher institution aims to train college students to help other colleagues, giving academic support, helping in the adaptation to academic context, promoting autonomy in learning, sharing effective strategies and helping in maintenance of positive interpersonal relationships. These aspects are very important to promote academic success in higher education.
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Sílvia Monteiro, Leandro Almeida and Adela García-Aracil
This study addresses the specific topic of transition between higher education and the world of work, taking differences naturally inherent to the individual and to the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study addresses the specific topic of transition between higher education and the world of work, taking differences naturally inherent to the individual and to the surrounding micro and macro contexts. With a holistic approach, this paper aimed to provide a deeper understanding about the university-to-work transition process in a period of turbulence and continuous changes in the labour market.
Design/methodology/approach
The three research questions that guide this qualitative study are as follows: (1) What are the factors that facilitate the transition to the labour market? (2) What are the factors that constrain the transition to the labour market? (3) What are graduates' perceptions of their employability? To answer these questions, eleven graduates were interviewed about facilitators and barriers of the transition process and perceptions of employability. Data collected from the interviews were then related to categories previously defined from the literature review. Version 12.0 of the NVivo software was used to support the process of data analysis.
Findings
Overall, participants' discourse refer to a multidimensional and dynamic perspective of factors related with work transition and employability. The obtained results indicate that the lack of career agency during graduation and professional experiences, together with late career exploration processes, represent possible barriers of transition, especially in study fields with targeted job offers. Likewise, experiences promoting the development of competencies through supportive practice from teachers, mentors and colleagues are referred as facilitators of transition.
Practical implications
One of the most consistent outcomes of the interviews conducted concerns the importance of a stronger focus on developing practical experiences during higher education studies. This empirical study demonstrated how this type of experience can mitigate the impact of the transition from university to the labour market.
Originality/value
This empirical study demonstrated how work being integrated into learning in curricula can mitigate the impact of the transition from university to the labour market. It offers important insights about possible strategies that could be adopted to promote graduates' employability from a perspective of shared responsibility.
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Valeria Allegra, Carla Zarbà, Giovanni La Via and Alfonso Silvio Zarbà
The purpose of this paper is to analyze international orange trade as different types of orange juice seem to obtain the favor of newer food consumption patterns as opposed to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze international orange trade as different types of orange juice seem to obtain the favor of newer food consumption patterns as opposed to fresh oranges. In addition, the authors will outline market tendencies that could be useful to stakeholders interested in any way in the sector.
Design/methodology/approach
This document uses the Lafay index (LFI) in order to evaluate the intra-sectoral trade specialization; however, the social network analysis (SNA) approach is used to connect the international trade relations and to refine, classify and prioritize the countries having a central role in the orange juice world trade network. For both indexes, UNCOMTRADE has been used.
Findings
The findings show that the growing orange juice trade is the leading global growth factor as opposed to the sale of fresh oranges. It appears that major trade revenues come from orange juice concentrate (Frozen Concentrated Orange Juice (FCOJ)). Business takes place mostly in Europe.
Originality/value
This study shows for the first time that the current orange juice export competitiveness is crucial to the long-term survival of the orange sector. This study valuably contributes to the less known literature regarding FCOJ and Not From Concentrate orange juice trade relevance.