The purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions for Native American high school students that result in successful adaptation to an online learning environment.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the conditions for Native American high school students that result in successful adaptation to an online learning environment.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, eight Native American students attending high schools located on Montana Indian reservations, and one urban city, were interviewed. Participants completed online coursework through Montana Digital Academy (MTDA). A theoretical model illustrates the successful adaptation of Native students to online learning.
Findings
Students' learning needs and the online learning environment were congruent. Course offerings at local high schools were limited, resulting in boredom and lack of challenge. Students wanted new and interesting coursework and learning online met those needs. Students worked at their own pace and ability levels and enjoyed the challenge, freedom, and independence resulting from learning online. Students who frequently missed school were easily accommodated.
Practical implications
Students' orientation toward education, such as attitudes toward learning and school, family influences, and interactions with classroom teachers, affected the adaptation process. Participants felt empowered and had more positive expectations for their future as a result of learning online. This was caused by: feelings of independence working without face‐to‐face contact from a teacher; confidence gained when successfully completing assignments; and control felt from being in charge of their own learning.
Originality/value
This paper describes college‐bound Native American high school students' online learning experiences; research on this topic is practically non‐existent. The findings can benefit those who lack understanding of how Native students adapt to an online environment; educators are better equipped to create supports that promote academic success for Native American students.
Details
Keywords
Amit Kumar Srivastava and Sushil
The purpose of this study is to develop a model of strategic performance factors for effective strategy execution.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop a model of strategic performance factors for effective strategy execution.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses multiple methods combining both the qualitative and quantitative research routes to unearth a more complete picture of the phenomenon facilitating accurate, generalizable, and practically useful theory.
Findings
There is a lack of literature on strategic performance factors and their role in effective strategy execution, which turns out be a barrier to the success of strategy execution. This study not only reviews the SPFs in the context of effective performance management leading to effective strategy execution but also identifies linkages among the SPFs to demonstrate the relative criticality of SPFs and how one SPF leads to another SPF. Interestingly, the situation and actor factors, which were explained in a very limited way in traditional models, have emerged as the most influential strategic performance factors.
Research limitations/implications
Although this study attempts to synergize multiple research methods to increase the significance of the findings, a comparatively large sample size would be more useful to test the reliability of the results. Additionally, the SPFs are contextual in nature and, therefore, this study requires extended efforts to test the research propositions in different research settings and reveals the generalized as well as differentiated results. The possible bias in ISM exercise can be improved by having multiple discussions with the respondents. This study extends the theoretical debate on balancing the strategic and operational performance measures for successful strategy execution. The study also fills the gap in the literature by proposing the model of strategic performance factors. Adding methodological value extending triangulation along with the interpretative tool, this study also suggests methodological implication of the research design.
Practical implications
The proposed model of SPF could be useful in measuring the right thing in the right way to ensure effective strategy execution. Management of SPFs such as situation and actor is a further value addition to the debate on balancing lead and lag measures or financial and non‐financial measures. The study demonstrates that organizations should go beyond operation measures (both financial and non‐financial) and also focus on strategic factors such as situation and actors, which actually lead to the other SPFs.
Originality/value
This study took unique steps to integrate the multiple perspectives of performance measures and develop a model which can facilitate effective strategy execution. It not only fills the gaps in the literature but also provides a strategic perspective of the performance measurement and management systems. The methodological experimentation to not only bring rigor in model building but also use interpretive tools is an innovative attempt to clarify the “what”, “how” as well as “why” aspects of model building.