Claire Jennifer Hughes and Gillian Saieva
The purpose of this paper is to explore how curriculum design, internal infrastructures and support systems have had to be innovated to best meet the requirements of Higher Degree…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore how curriculum design, internal infrastructures and support systems have had to be innovated to best meet the requirements of Higher Degree Apprenticeships (HDA) programmes within the business management portfolio at Solent University. This paper is written from the perspective of University, apprentice and employers’ journeys to support accidental and aspiring managers in the pursuit of the destination of “management professional”.
Design/methodology/approach
Feedback and insight from both apprentices and employers were gathered from a range of organisations within both public and private sectors; these were then reviewed as part of this case study approach. All of the samples either had practical knowledge of an HDA and were currently active in the study or were supporting apprentices in the workplace. The other sample groups were internal colleagues who were identified because of their current working knowledge of providing infrastructure support for the HDA provision. From this, thematic analysis was conducted to allow the analysis of patterns of feedback or concerned areas of employees, which allowed researchers to identify where the challenges and blocks were occurring along the journeys. The samples were identified from within the Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeship and Level 5 Operations and Departmental Manager HDAs. A case study methodology was used.
Findings
From the analysis of the feedback and insights, there were a few themes which were identified and will be discussed further within this paper as to how Solent has approached these areas and will: provide outcomes around how Solent worked with employers to help them understand the benefits of implementing HDAs; outline how innovation in central service infrastructure took place to support employers and apprentices in the on-boarding both to ensure the correct assessment of apprentice suitability and route and also to support their apprenticeship journeys; discuss how we have effectively de-mystified some of the more challenging areas of the HDAs including that the 20 per cent off-the-job training will be “time out of the office” and how this can be positively managed to benefit both the apprentice, employer and organisation; and define how support mechanisms can ensure a high-level “apprentice experience”, whilst supporting them to balance the rigorousness of work and study.
Research limitations/implications
There is still much research to be completed in the area of impact and added value not just at the micro-organisational level but also at the macro-UK economy and GDP levels, alongside further research on how to market and de-mystify the common misconceptions so as to avoid blockers to enable even more apprentices to enter the market. Finally, research needs to be undertaken around the best pedagogic practices to support these apprentices.
Practical implications
The challenges and complexities of being involved at the trailblazing stage are that you are working on a pilot basis, which does not always make for a smooth journey. This case study does not offer any final solutions, and the expectation is that these areas will evolve and require change over the next few years. Instead, this case study hopes to give the reader the knowledge and confidence that they are not alone in the challenges they face; by being trailblazers in a new wave of HDAs, solutions will evolve over a period of time.
Social implications
All training providers should also regularly remind themselves, especially when those bumps in the journey are felt, that by developing and delivering HDAs they are greatly moving forward widening participation to an even wider net of people than ever before and assuring a future of well-developed leaders and managers.
Originality/value
As HDAs are new area, there is currently ahead of limited discussion on the practicalities of developing and delivering these, and this case study aims to aid this discussion for peers across the sector who have either not entered or are very new to HDAs, providing them guidance on areas to consider.
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Angela Burrows, Claire Warner, Jennifer Heath and Saskia Keville
Mental health (MH) and caring can be demanding for those directly and indirectly impacted. An under-researched area is that of professionals’ personal experiences of caring for a…
Abstract
Purpose
Mental health (MH) and caring can be demanding for those directly and indirectly impacted. An under-researched area is that of professionals’ personal experiences of caring for a loved one with MH difficulties. This study aims to provide an in-depth exploration of psychologists’ experiences of caring and its impact on clinical practice.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 11 psychologists with experiences of caring for a loved one with a diagnosed MH condition and/or MH distress participated in semi-structured interviews focused on caring experiences and its impact. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
Themes identified were as follows: personal and professional roles; the emergence of a carer identity; carer stress and strain; impact on professional practice; and dual positioning.
Originality/value
This study highlighted the knowledge and value of listening to professionals with lived experiences. Their ability to understand stigmatisation through personal caring experiences may facilitate the mitigation of this for vulnerable people attending clinical services.
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Candida G. Brush, Patricia G. Greene and Friederike Welter
The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief history of the evolution of the Diana Project and the Diana International Research Conference. The authors examine the impact of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief history of the evolution of the Diana Project and the Diana International Research Conference. The authors examine the impact of the publications, conferences and research contributions and consider key factors in the success of this collaborative research organization. They discuss the ongoing legacy, suggesting ways to extend this into the future.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses an historical narrative and a citation analysis.
Findings
The Diana Project was founded by five women professors in 1999 with the purpose of investigating women’s access to growth capital. Following a series of academic articles, and numerous presentations, the first Diana International Conference was held in Stockholm, Sweden. At this convening, 20 scholars from 13 countries shared their knowledge of women’s entrepreneurship, venture creation and growth, culminating in the first volume of the Diana Book Series. Since then, 14 international conferences have been held, resulting in 10 special issues of top academic journals and 11 books. More than 600 scholars have attended or participated in Diana conferences or publications.
Research limitations/implications
Contributions from the Diana International Conferences’ special issues of journals and books have advanced theory across topics, levels, geographies and methods. Articles emerging from Diana scholars are some of the top contributions about women’s entrepreneurship and gender to the field of entrepreneurship. Future research directions are included.
Practical implications
This analysis demonstrates the success of a unique woman-focused collaborative research initiative and identifies key success factors, suggesting how these might be expanded in the future.
Social implications
To date, more than 600 scholars have participated in the Diana International Conferences or publications. Diana is the only community dedicated to rigorous and relevant research about gender and women’s entrepreneurship. Going forward, efforts to expand work on education for women’s entrepreneurship, women entrepreneurship faculty and careers, and women entrepreneurs, gender and policy will take place to extend this legacy.
Originality/value
The paper is unique in that it is the first to show the substantial legacy and impact of the Diana project since its inception in 1999. Further, it demonstrates how a feminist approach to entrepreneurial principles can yield insights about this unique research initiative and collaborative organization.
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Nadia Zainuddin, Julia Robinson, Jennifer Algie and Melanie Randle
This paper aims to examine driving retirement and its impact on the well-being of older citizens. The concepts of value creation and destruction are used to understand older…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine driving retirement and its impact on the well-being of older citizens. The concepts of value creation and destruction are used to understand older consumers’ experiences with the self-service consumption activity of driving. This paper formally introduces the concept of value re-creation, as a means of restoring the overall value lost from the destruction of certain components of previous value structures. In doing so, this paper explores the different ways that resources across the micro, meso and macro levels of the ecosystem can be re-aligned, in order for older citizens to maintain their well-being after driving retirement.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative, individual-depth interview approach was undertaken with 26 participants living in New South Wales, Australia. The participants comprised of both drivers approaching driving retirement age, as well as driving retirees. Thematic analysis was undertaken to analyse the data.
Findings
The findings identified that emotional value in the forms of freedom, independence/autonomy and enjoyment, functional value in the forms of convenience and mobility and community value are created from driving. Driving retirement destroys certain components of this value (e.g. enjoyment and convenience) irrevocably, however freedom, independence/autonomy, mobility and social connectedness can still be maintained through re-aligning resources across the micro, meso and macro levels of the ecosystem. New components of value are also created from driving retirement. These include peace of mind, which contributes to the re-creation of the emotional value dimension, and cost savings, which creates the new value dimension of economic value. These changes to the value structure effectively re-create the overall value obtained by individuals when they retire from driving.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this work is the formal introduction of the concept of value re-creation at the overall and value dimension level, and development of a conceptual model that explains how this value re-creation can occur. The model shows the resource contributions required across all levels of the ecosystem, expanding on existing conceptualisations that have predominantly focussed on resource contributions at the individual and service levels.
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Mohammadreza Akbari and Robert McClelland
The purpose of this research is to provide a systematic insight into corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate citizenship (CC) in supply chain development, by analyzing…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to provide a systematic insight into corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate citizenship (CC) in supply chain development, by analyzing the current literature, contemporary concepts, data and gaps for future discipline research.
Design/methodology/approach
This research identifies information from existing academic journals and investigates research designs and methods, data analysis techniques, industry involvement and geographic locations. Information regarding university affiliation, publishers, authors, year of publication is also documented. A collection of online databases from 2001 to 2018 were explored, using the keywords “corporate social responsibility”, “corporate citizenship” and “supply chain” in their title and abstract, to deliver an inclusive listing of journal articles in this discipline area. Based on this approach, a total of 164 articles were found, and information on a chain of variables was collected.
Findings
There has been visible growth in published articles over the last 18 years regarding supply chain sustainability, CSR and CC. Analysis of the data collected shows that only five literature reviews have been published in this area. Further, key findings include 41% of publications were narrowly focused on four sectors of industry, leaving gaps in the research. 85% centered on the survey and conceptual model, leaving an additional gap for future research. Finally, developing and developed nation status should be delineated, researched and analyzed based on further segmentation of the industry by region.
Research limitations/implications
This research is limited to reviewing only academic and professional articles available from Emerald, Elsevier, Wiley, Sage, Taylor and Francis, Springer, Scopus, JSTOR and EBSCO containing the words “corporate social responsibility”, “corporate citizenship” and “supply chain” in the title and abstract.
Originality/value
This assessment provides an enhanced appreciation of the current practices of current research and offers further directions within the CSR and CC in supply chain sustainable development.