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This article considers how recommendations from the Caulkins and Reuter paper in this edition could be implemented at a neighbourhood level. The authors, the Chief Executive and Police Borough Commander for the London Borough of Barnet draw on their experience in Barnet. They argue that crime is not just a police issue and that a harm‐reduction approach to enforcement fits in well with a multi‐agency response where the role of the local authority is critical and the approach is responsive to the needs of residents.

This paper is an initial attempt to discuss the American institutionalist movement as it changed and developed after 1945. Institutionalism in the inter-war period was a relatively coherent movement held together by a set of general methodological, theoretical, and ideological commitments (Rutherford, 2011). Although institutionalism always had its critics, it came under increased attack in the 1940s, and faced challenges from Keynesian economics, a revived neoclassicism, econometrics, and from new methodological approaches derived from various versions of positivism. The institutionalist response to these criticisms, and particularly the criticism that institutionalism “lacked theory,” is to be found in a variety of attempts to redefine institutionalism in new theoretical or methodological terms. Perhaps the most important of these is to be found in Clarence Ayres’ The Theory of Economic Progress (1944), although there were many others. These developments were accompanied by a significant amount of debate, disagreement, and uncertainty over future directions. Some of this is reflected in the early history of The Association for Evolutionary Economics.

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) has its roots in the world of Organisational Development (OD), however, as a strength-based approach which is intrinsically creative and generative, it has been found to work well in many other fields. The purpose of this paper, Part 1 of 2, is to provide an introduction to AI and suggests its potential in homeless work. Part 2 reports a pilot study of implementation and evaluation.

This is a conceptual paper suggesting a new approach to the development of a Psychologically Informed Environment (PIE). The background of the approach (AI) is given, the pilot project described, and the way it contributes to a PIE is discussed. The beneficial and practical link with Positive Psychology is also explored. Part 2 will describe the outcomes of the implementation of AI in pilot at a homelessness hostel in Westminster.

AI has its roots in the world of OD, however, it has been found to work well in many other fields. The paper highlights some of the aspects of AI and Positive Psychology which could be meaningful to hostel residents, and give it robustness and psychological sophistication when used by staff and residents. The paper also considers the benefits of using AI with staff as a tool for organisational learning, there by making it an ideal approach for hostels which want to become a PIE.

AI is well-established as an OD process and less well known as a personal development approach and has not previously been articulated as a tool for working with hostel residents or for developing PIEs. The openness of PIEs to alternative psychological approaches is indicated. AI is a strength-based approach, and a well-structured alternative to some of the problem-based psychological approaches that have been used. In addition, AI supports defining features of a PIE such as reflective awareness.

Part One of this duo of papers outlined the appreciative inquiry (AI) philosophy, a strengths-based “positive psychology” and organisational development (OD) approach which is intrinsically creative and generative, and has been found to work well in many fields. The purpose of this paper is to describe its application in homeless hostels and demonstrates the benefits of using AI with the staff and residents, as both a personal development and an OD tool for hostels who want to become a psychologically informed environment (PIE).

This is a case study exploring a new approach to the development of a PIE. The background of the approach and the way it contributes to a PIE as described in Part One is briefly summarised, and the implementation pilot project is discussed; the appreciative conversation and the 5 D cycle are key AI “tools” which were used. The inclusion of positive psychology approaches is referenced. In addition, in the spirit of evidence-generating practice in PIEs, preliminary quantitative and qualitative findings are reported to identify the outcomes of the approach – including client motivation, desire to build positive relationships, and increased emotional awareness.

Residents responded very well to the approach, and a high proportion continued to apply their learning, making major steps towards independent living. This was backed up by quantitative data demonstrating effective outcomes for the supported housing sector, and qualitative themes start to illuminate the psychological processes behind the outcomes. The openness of PIEs to alternative psychologies is further demonstrated. The model was rolled out to other Westminster hostels.

AI is well-established as an OD process and less well known as a personal development approach; but has not previously been articulated as a tool for working with hostel residents or for developing PIEs. This strength-based approach is an alternative to some of the problem-based psychological approaches that have been used. In addition, the AI intervention illustrated defining features of a PIE such as reflective awareness.

This paper reflects on experiences when traditional IT approaches were used to design large IT systems and ended in failure. The main reflections focus on the reasons for system failure and how they relate to the diversity of knowledge, managing knowledge, and the understanding gaps that may exist between the business and the system developers. The study reveals that the understanding gaps mainly result from lack of knowledge of business operations on the developer side, matched by lack of technical appreciation and knowledge on the user side. To help address the knowledge‐gap problem, a practical approach employing soft‐systems, diagramming and set mapping techniques is proposed and described.

Reflects on experiences when traditional IT approaches were used to design large IT systems and ended in failure.

The requirements‐gathering process is usually a very complex affair and can represent a major obstacle to successful system development. It is argued here that one reason for systems development projects' poor performance, or even failure, is the mismatch between the customer and the developer technical knowledge/understanding instigated by the differences in the cultural background of both sides. The main argument focuses on the reasons for system failure and how they relate to the diversity of knowledge and the understanding gaps that may exist between the business customers and the system developers.

The study reveals that the understanding gaps mainly result from lack of business operations knowledge on the developer side, matched by lack of technical appreciation and knowledge on the user side.

A practical approach using diagramming and Set mapping techniques is described, with an explanation of how it can be used to enhance human interaction in requirement identification and consequently help address the knowledge‐gap problem.

The purpose of this study is to examine learning style instruments used in Arab countries to measure higher education students’ learning styles, identify the most common instruments and determine whether the reliability and validity of these instruments have been verified in Arab contexts.

A comprehensive review of the existing literature using several databases and search engines. Descriptive statistics, such as frequencies and percentages were used to present the results.

There are only a few published studies related to learning styles in Arab countries, with the majority published between 2012 and 2016 using samples drawn from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq. The most common learning style instrument is the Felder–Silverman/Solomon Index of Learning Styles. The reliability and validity of this instrument require further investigation.

This study is not without limitations. First, it covers only publications in the English language. Second, the paper focuses on research involving higher education students. Third, only research that was available online was used in this study. Nonetheless, the findings have several implications for researchers, educators and human resource development managers. For researchers, this study highlights research gaps that need to be filled. It also serves as a basis for more analytical and in-depth studies. The data also helps educators become more informed about the learning style instruments commonly used in the Arab context and whether the results from these instruments are dependable. Human resource development managers can draw on these findings to choose instruments that have proven reliable and valid.

This study is the first attempt to examine learning style instruments used in Arab countries and to explore whether the reliability and validity of these instruments have been verified in Arab contexts. This paper is a useful contribution to research into learning styles and learning style instruments.

This research employs a transformative service lens to examine the role of the supply chain ecosystem in ensuring the health and safety of employees and customers as a well-being outcome during the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

This is a conceptual paper examining the response of the supply chain to the current food crisis caused by the pandemic.

Based on the service-dominant logic (SDL) paradigm, the COVID-19 examination of the supply chain ecosystem provides a foundation for further research employing a transformative lens.

The COVID-19 situation is primarily explored from a Western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic (WEIRD) societies’ context. Future research should explore the applicability of the transformative service lens to other societies.

The conceptual discussion and research agenda provide direction for researchers, practitioners and policymakers towards a transformative supply chain ecosystem.

This research includes the well-being of employees and customers in the service supply chain outcome measures, draws supply chain management into the TSR domain, while also solidifies a service ecosystem perspective of supply chain management.