Judith M Smith and Lisa Duncan
A study was carried out at OILEX from September to November 1999 which examined the extent to which the organisation was capturing and sharing its knowledge and experience…
Abstract
A study was carried out at OILEX from September to November 1999 which examined the extent to which the organisation was capturing and sharing its knowledge and experience. Evidence suggested that OILEX was capturing its experience, but sharing of this experience is limited. There was a need to recognise at top level that transforming “individual experience” into “corporate knowledge” is critical to the long‐term competitiveness of the organisation. This paper outlines approaches to knowledge capture and sharing within OILEX at present, and discusses the recommendations that were made in ways of levering the organisation's competitiveness for the future. External factors such as general trends in the industry, falling recruitment, an ageing workforce and use of contract workers have all made an impact on sustaining knowledge and experience within OILEX. Internal factors such as working culture, the specific demands of project work and the organisational structure are also cited. In a competitive environment, maximising all of the company's assets is crucial. This paper suggests ways in which OILEX can benefit from individual experience through its transformation into group learning, and discusses the implications for the company in adopting a programme of capturing and sharing learning. It goes on to highlight the ways in which more effective Knowledge Management impacts directly on savings in staff time, avoids duplication of work already carried out and allows the whole organisation to learn from previous mistakes. Ultimately, such learning leads to greater efficiency and productivity. Different teams within the organisation are able to draw on the learning of others to respond more quickly to problems. They can then transfer their learning back into the knowledge pool, thereby contributing to a constantly evolving “memory bank” of experience.
Victoria Hogan, Margaret Hodgins, Duncan Lewis, Sarah Maccurtain, Patricia Mannix-McNamara and Lisa Pursell
The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of ill-treatment and bullying experienced by Irish workers and to explore individual and organisational predictors. The most…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence of ill-treatment and bullying experienced by Irish workers and to explore individual and organisational predictors. The most recent national figures available are specific to bullying and predate the economic recession; therefore, this study is timely and investigates a broader range of negative behaviours.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire survey study on a national probability sample of Irish employees was conducted (N = 1,764). The study design replicated the methodology employed in the British workplace behaviour study.
Findings
The results showed that 43% of Irish workers had experienced ill-treatment at work over the past two years, with 9% meeting the criteria for experiencing workplace bullying. A number of individual and organisational factors were found to be significantly associated with the experience of ill-treatment at work.
Research limitations/implications
This study provides national-level data on workplace ill-treatment and bullying that are directly comparable to British study findings.
Practical implications
The findings indicate that a significant number of Irish workers experience ill-treatment at work, and that workplace bullying does not appear to have decreased since the last national study was conducted in Ireland.
Social implications
This study is of use to the Irish regulator and persons responsible for managing workplace bullying cases, as it identifies high-risk work situations and contributing individual factors.
Originality/value
This study provides national Irish data on workplace behaviour and ill-treatment following a severe economic recession.
Details
Keywords
Leanne Jane Staniford, Duncan Radley, Paul Gately, Jamie Blackshaw, Lisa Thompson and Vickie Coulton
The purpose of this study is to explore public health employees' experiences of participating in a commercial weight management programme supported by their employers over a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore public health employees' experiences of participating in a commercial weight management programme supported by their employers over a 12-week period.
Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 employees who had participated in the programme (group-based or online).
Findings
The main motivators for enquiring about and attending the programme were: the offer to attend the programme free of charge, the opportunity to kick start their weight loss efforts, to take part in an academic research study and the opportunity for “shared experiences” with their colleagues.
Research limitations/implications
This study did not allow us to explore the reasons why some employees opted not to take up the opportunity for weight management support through their workplace. Further qualitative research with non-engagers would allow us to inquire about why employees might not engage with WM support and offer alternative strategies.
Practical implications
Employers should facilitate their employees' efforts to lead a healthier lifestyle in the long-term creating employer health and safety policies that actively encourage healthy living and weight management. Improving employee health can contribute to increasing productivity, reducing stress and absenteeism.
Originality/value
This paper presents a novel approach to facilitating employees' weight management. Employees perceived their employer-supported participation in a commercial weight management programme outside of their work setting as a positive experience that assisted their weight management efforts suggesting the acceptability and feasibility of this approach to addressing weight in the workplace.
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Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of documentation on the educational experiences, college readiness and aspirations of undocumented Latinx migrant and seasonal…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of documentation on the educational experiences, college readiness and aspirations of undocumented Latinx migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
Design/methodology/approach
This ethnographic study was conducted in a High School Equivalency Program at a large university in the Midwest. Data was collected during two semesters across a three-year span. Participants included six Mexican migrant and seasonal farmworkers who were preparing to earn their General Educational Development (GED) diploma. Using the grounded theory, data was collected and analyzed simultaneously where initial and focused coding took place, followed by cross-case analysis.
Findings
Analysis of student interviews, participant observations and in-depth fieldnotes that include the K-12 educational experiences, experiences during and after the High School Equivalency Program reveal that undocumented Latinx migrant and seasonal farmworkers aspire to earn a GED diploma to access a better future inclusive of college. However, the legal liminality, the uncertainty and ambiguity of being undocumented, impacts their educational journey prior to, during and beyond the High School Equivalency Program. Furthermore, undocumented Latinx migrant and seasonal farmworkers are unable to change their material conditions with a GED because of their documentation status.
Originality/value
Although researchers have studied the education experiences of Latinx migrant and seasonal farmworkers, analysis and consideration of documentation status is missing. This study contributes much needed findings about the impact of documentation status on the educational experiences, college readiness, and aspirations of Latinx migrant and seasonal farmworkers.
Details
Keywords
Melody L. Boyd and Kimberly A. Goyette
Purpose – Research finds that youths who are able to align their educational and occupational ambitions are better able to realize both. In this chapter, we describe when and how…
Abstract
Purpose – Research finds that youths who are able to align their educational and occupational ambitions are better able to realize both. In this chapter, we describe when and how the educational, occupational, and family aspirations and expectations of a subgroup of youth often marginalized in traditional status attainment research are aligned.
Methodology/approach – We use qualitative data from the Gautreaux Two program in Chicago, which gave vouchers to families in existing public housing to move to low-poverty and racially diverse areas. Our sample includes in-depth qualitative interviews with 93 children in 57 of the families included in the study.
Findings – Our results show that there are two groups of youths – one group whose educational, family, and occupational ambitions are aligned and one whose ambitions are misaligned. Many of the narratives of the youths whose ambitions are at odds reflect the ways in which competing ideologies of success for inner-city children can lead to misaligned aspirations. Both groups of youths also discuss their awareness of the difficulties they face in realizing even their aligned ambitions.
Research limitations/implications – This research provides implications for policies and programs seeking to improve youths' experiences both in housing mobility programs and disadvantaged neighborhoods and schools.
Originality/value of paper – This chapter adds to previous research by considering how youths' family plans intersect with their educational and occupational ambitions. Also, we explore the alignment of ambitions among a group of youths who may be considered socially marginalized, those who have grown up in urban housing developments.
Mary M. Crossan, Henry W. Lane, Roderick E. White and Lisa Djurfeldt
Organizational learning (OL) is receiving increasing attention from researchers and practitioners alike. In fact, some have suggested that the only sustainable competitive…
Abstract
Organizational learning (OL) is receiving increasing attention from researchers and practitioners alike. In fact, some have suggested that the only sustainable competitive advantage is a firm's ability to learn faster than its competitors. In spite of OL's promise, the field has been slow to evolve. The primary impediments to the development of OL theory are that inconsistent terminology is used for comparable concepts and that different definitions are used to describe the phenomenon. Furthermore, many theorists have neglected to make explicit their underlying assumptions about the phenomenon. Employing an inductive approach, this review surfaces the implicit and explicit assumptions of OL researchers, identifying three key dimensions that differentiate perspectives: (1) unit of analysis—individual, group, organizational, and inter organizational; (2) cognitive/behavioral emphasis; and (3) the learning‐performance relationship.
Niklas Humble, Peter Mozelius and Lisa Sällvin
The purpose of this study is to analyse and discuss K-12 mathematics and technology teachers' perceptions on integrating programming in their teaching and learning activities, and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyse and discuss K-12 mathematics and technology teachers' perceptions on integrating programming in their teaching and learning activities, and perceptions on different programming tools.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach of a case study was used, with data collected from three instances of a professional development programming course for K-12 teachers in mathematics and technology.
Findings
The findings show that there are perceived challenges and opportunities with learning and integrating programming, and with different programming tools. Many teachers perceive programming as fun, but lack the time to learn and implement it, and view different programming tools as both complementary to each other and with individual opportunities and challenges.
Practical implications
The practical implication of the research is that it can provide guidance for teachers and other stakeholders that are in the process of integrating programming in K-12 education. Further, the research provides useful information on teachers' experiences on working with different programming tools.
Social implications
The social implication of the research is that the overall aim of the nation-wide integration process might not succeed if the challenges identified in this study are not addressed, which could have negative effects on the development of students' digital competence.
Originality/value
The value of the research is that it identifies important challenges and opportunities for the integration of programming. That is, that many teachers perceive the different programming tools available as complimentary to each other, but are hesitating about what is expected of the integration. Findings could also be valuable for future course design of the teacher professional development.