David L. Giles and Richard J.M. Smith
This article aims to discuss the conceptualisation process of developing a new one‐year taught‐master's programme in educational leadership at an Aotearoa/New Zealand university.
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to discuss the conceptualisation process of developing a new one‐year taught‐master's programme in educational leadership at an Aotearoa/New Zealand university.
Design/methodology/approach
The perspective taken is a highly personalised one from the two lead “drivers” of the programme and outlines the two‐year process of development of the programme from conception through to the first papers delivered in semester one 2008. The article describes the process, the concerns, the underlying philosophy, content and intended delivery pattern within the Master of Educational Leadership (MEdL) programme. As the programme designers, the authors wanted something discernibly different in orientation from the postgraduate programmes offered by other tertiary providers in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The content had to be both educationally and culturally relevant and reflect the nation's bi‐cultural heritage, yet growing multi‐ethnic population base.
Findings
The proposed programme was somewhat controversial and had a rather difficult journey through the New Zealand Vice Chancellors' Committee (NZVCC) that deals with the accreditation process. The philosophy of the programme centred on leadership rather than a management focus. Moreover, the philosophy was premised on both theory and practice as praxis and drew on both developmental and experiential models for leadership development.
Originality/value
This article leads a critical discourse amongst tertiary educators in educational leadership programmes towards a greater exploration and articulation of the critical, humanistic, and phenomenological nature of the programmes it offers.
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Carolina Cuellar and David L. Giles
This article seeks to report on a research inquiry that explored the educational praxis of ethical school leaders in Chile. Behaving ethically is an imperative for school leaders…
Abstract
Purpose
This article seeks to report on a research inquiry that explored the educational praxis of ethical school leaders in Chile. Behaving ethically is an imperative for school leaders. Being an ethical educational leader is something different. It is not only about behaving according to standards, but also rather involves an ethical way of being that engages the leader holistically in their attempt to do the right thing for students.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple case study design was employed to gain insight into the feelings, beliefs and thoughts of ethical school leaders in Chile regarding their educational experiences. To this end, semi‐structured interviews were conducted with eight identified ethical school leaders. The data focused on the commonalities and uniqueness within and across participants.
Findings
Six main themes that reflect the experience of being ethical as a school leader in Chile were identified and included: holding personal and professional ethics as inseparable; “consistently” inspiring practice; valuing others; sustaining a humane view of education; being sensitive to the complex local context; and leading as serving.
Originality/value
Ethical leaders in education have been shown to influence educational contexts from a moral imperative that is grounded in a critical and humanistic concern that deeply affirms “others” as a common good. Becoming and being an ethical leader is indeed an experiential journey that integrates the leader's personal and professional way of being. The findings provide key elements of ethical leadership within a Chilean school context that can influence current and future school leaders' practices and professional development.
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Yaw A. Debrah and Ian G. Smith
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on…
Abstract
Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.
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Paul D. Giles, Alan R. Cunnington, Mark Payne, David C. Crothers and Mark S. Walsh
The Walsall clinic for survivors of myocardial infarction is described. Coronary heart disease is a major health issue in Walsall. The starting point for the project was the…
Abstract
The Walsall clinic for survivors of myocardial infarction is described. Coronary heart disease is a major health issue in Walsall. The starting point for the project was the publication of the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (4S) in 1994, which showed the benefit of cholesterol treatment in these patients. Although the new clinic was established primarily to implement a 4S‐based regime, the cholesterol regime has been modified in the light of newer evidence, and the service broadened to encompass cardiological assessment and the use of other forms of secondary prevention. Several factors have contributed to the success of the service, including support from the Health Authority, patient involvement, partnership with Primary Care and the use of information technology. The latter has integrated routine clinical record keeping and correspondence with complete prospective audit data accumulation and measurement of performance against evidence‐based standards. These principles are of potential value in other clinical effectiveness initiatives.
Qaaid Al-Saraify and David Grierson
Recognizing the demand for a reliable subjective instrument to gather information on walking to occupational activities on the neighbourhood scale, this paper outlines the…
Abstract
Recognizing the demand for a reliable subjective instrument to gather information on walking to occupational activities on the neighbourhood scale, this paper outlines the Neighbourhood Walking to Occupational Activities Questionnaire (NWOAQ) recently developed at the Department of Architecture, University of Strathclyde. The approach follows reliable techniques in the design of questionnaires including the analysis of currently available instruments, interviews with the potential case study participants, and the use of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). It describes the testing of NWOAQ, following a ‘mixed method' adopted to sample the population of three case studies in Basra City, in Iraq (Al-Saymmar, Al-Mugawleen, and Al-Abassya). Cronbach's ‘Alpha Test' (Cronbach, 1951) was conducted on three significant variables selected; ‘the perceived environment' variables; the ‘constructs of the TPB' variables; and the ‘walking outcome' variables. This displayed different alpha levels, which were; 0.76; 0.74; and 0.87, respectively. Based on CAT, the level of internal consistency that would render a group of indicators reliable should be no less than 0.60.
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Liza S. Rovniak and Abby C. King
The purpose of this chapter is to review how well walking interventions have increased and sustained walking, and to provide suggestions for improving future walking…
Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to review how well walking interventions have increased and sustained walking, and to provide suggestions for improving future walking interventions. A scoping review was conducted of walking interventions for adults that emphasised walking as a primary intervention strategy and/or included a walking outcome measure. Interventions conducted at the individual, community, and policy levels between 1990 and 2015 were included, with greater emphasis on recent interventions. Walking tends to increase early in interventions and then gradually declines. Results suggest that increased walking, and environmental-change activities to support walking are more likely to be sustained when they are immediately followed by greater economic benefits/time-savings, social approval, and/or physical/emotional well-being. Adaptive interventions that adjust intervention procedures to match dynamically changing environmental circumstances also hold promise for sustaining increased walking. Interventions that incorporate automated technology, durable built environment changes, and civic engagement, may increase cost-efficiency. Variations in outcome measures, study duration, seasons, participant characteristics, and possible measurement reactivity preclude causal inferences about the differential effectiveness of specific intervention procedures for increasing and sustaining walking. This review synthesises the effects of diverse walking interventions on increasing and sustaining walking over a 25-year period. Suggestions are provided to guide future development of more effective, sustainable walking interventions at the population level.
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Knight's Industrial Law Reports goes into a new style and format as Managerial Law This issue of KILR is restyled Managerial Law and it now appears on a continuous updating basis…
Abstract
Knight's Industrial Law Reports goes into a new style and format as Managerial Law This issue of KILR is restyled Managerial Law and it now appears on a continuous updating basis rather than as a monthly routine affair.