Malin Backman, Hannah Pitt, Terry Marsden, Abid Mehmood and Erik Mathijs
This paper aims to critically reflect the current specialist discourse on experiential approaches to higher education for sustainable development (HESD). Limitations to the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to critically reflect the current specialist discourse on experiential approaches to higher education for sustainable development (HESD). Limitations to the current discourse are identified, and as a result, an alternative approach to the study of experiential education (EE) within HESD is suggested.
Design/methodology/approach
Three research questions are addressed by analysing the literature on EE and experiential learning (EL) within HESD in specialist academic journals.
Findings
There is a consensus among authors regarding the appropriateness of experiential approaches to HESD. However, limitations to the current discourse suggest the need for an alternative approach to studying EE within HESD. Therefore, this paper proposes the application of the learning landscape metaphor to take a more student-centred and holistic perspective.
Originality/value
The learning landscape metaphor has previously not been applied to EE within HESD. This alternative conceptualisation foregrounds student perspectives to experiential initiatives within HESD. The holistic approach aims to understand the myriad influences on students learning, while allowing examination of how experiential approaches relate to other educational approaches within HESD.
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José Fernando López-Muñoz, Josefina Novejarque-Civera and Mabel Pisá-Bó
This study investigates the personal factors influencing innovative entrepreneurship combined with additional contextual insights from high-income European countries…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the personal factors influencing innovative entrepreneurship combined with additional contextual insights from high-income European countries. Specifically, this study has three main objectives: (i) to measure differences in the level of entrepreneurial innovativeness activity among high-income European regions; (ii) to uncover key factors leading to appropriate levels of entrepreneurial innovativeness and (iii) to suggest policies that may enhance the regional level of entrepreneurial innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
A sample of 4,430 nascent and new entrepreneurs from 16 different high-income European countries drawn from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) Adult Population Survey (APS) was used in conjunction with macroeconomic indicators. Data were analyzed using a logistic regression analysis.
Findings
There are significant differences in the conditions that influence entrepreneurial innovativeness in European regions. These variations in entrepreneurial activity can be explained using contextual factors and individual characteristics. Although technological novelty increases the probability of innovative entrepreneurship, the technology effect is significantly greater in Western Europe than other regions across Europe.
Originality/value
This study illustrates how a contextualized view of entrepreneurship enriches the knowledge of the human and dynamic socioeconomic drivers that motivate innovative entrepreneurial action in high-income European countries.
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Increased evidence for the health benefits of probiotics for health restoration coupled with the consumer's inclination towards a safe, natural and cost-effective substitute for…
Abstract
Purpose
Increased evidence for the health benefits of probiotics for health restoration coupled with the consumer's inclination towards a safe, natural and cost-effective substitute for drugs have led application of probiotics as a pharmaceutical agent and are rapidly moving in clinical usage. In this context, this article attempts to highlight the potential of probiotics as a pharmaceutical agent.
Design/methodology/approach
Endeavor has been made to explore the significance of probiotics for the modulation of gut ecology and their action. Potentiality of probiotics for their exploitation as a pharmaceutical agent has also been justified. Limitations of probiotic therapy and the various considerations for probiotic therapy have also been delineated.
Findings
Probiotic organisms influence the physiological and pathological process of the host by modifying the intestinal microbiota, thereby affecting human health. Beneficial effects of probiotics as a pharmaceutical agent seem to be strain and dose dependent and more efficacious with their early introduction. Combination of various probiotics proved to be more efficacious than single strain for exhibiting prophylactic activities.
Research limitations/implications
Reviewed literature indicated that it is difficult to generalize for the beneficial effect of all probiotics for all types of diseases as efficacy of probiotics is strain-dependent and dose-dependent and its clinical application needs long-term investigations.
Practical implications
Clinical trials have displayed that probiotics may alleviate certain disorders or diseases in humans especially those related to gastro-intestinal tract.
Originality/value
Ingestion of fermented dairy products containing probiotic cultures may provide health benefits in certain clinical conditions such as antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, rotavirus-associated diarrhoea, inflammatory bowel disease, inflammatory bowel syndrome, allergenic diseases, cancer, Helicobacter pylori infection and lactose-intolerance. Application of probiotics as a pharmaceutical agent is recommended.
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Lorna Christie, Elizabeth Kempen and Mariette Strydom
The purpose of this paper is to investigate custom-made apparel manufacturing micro-enterprise (CMME) owners’ perspectives of sustainability within their business practices…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate custom-made apparel manufacturing micro-enterprise (CMME) owners’ perspectives of sustainability within their business practices throughout the entire product development process and determine how educational initiatives can promote a more environmentally conscious product development process.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative case study, using face-to-face interviews and observations of CMMEs at an incubation hub presents evidence of owners’ sustainability perspectives.
Findings
Although CMME owners disregard sustainability as a pro-environmental approach within the business context, attempts at pro-environmental subconscious behaviour and a deliberate non-environmental consciousness are evident in sourcing and manufacturing during the product development process.
Research limitations/implications
Because of the case study approach of four CMMEs in an IH, the findings may not be applicable to other small and micro-businesses. Despite this limitation, valuable insights emerged that show the current inaptness of the CMMEs to manage an environmentally sustainable business practice.
Social implications
To promote sustainable development goal 12, related to the clothing and textile industry, it is postulated that CMMEs should be supported to minimise their use of resources, thereby promoting environmental sustainability.
Originality/value
The findings of this study direct the development of higher education educational programmes featuring learning content on pro-environmental design and business practices for CMMEs.
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This paper reviews the literature available on sustainable entrepreneurship along with the terms used interchangeably (as the context demands) and explores the themes research…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper reviews the literature available on sustainable entrepreneurship along with the terms used interchangeably (as the context demands) and explores the themes research have undertaken to explain the concept across multidisciplinary avenues. The purpose of this literature review is to determine the direction of research in the field of sustainable entrepreneurship. It also enables the author to find out the relevance with similar terminologies, i.e. green entrepreneurship, ecopreneurship, ecological entrepreneuship etc. Also, how various differentiating concepts under the guise of sustainable entrepreneurship contribute to the similar goals on organizational level.
Design/methodology/approach
Scopus and Web of Science databases are explored for research articles including term “sustainable entrepreneurship”. A list of 50 most cited articles is extracted from the results and analyzed for underlying themes and trends in current research. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) standard is used to systematically search articles from two databases and filtering for the most relevant manuscripts.
Findings
The categorization of research articles is conducted to understand the direction of research in this field and the emphasis on specific aspects. Themes identified are further elaborated into subcategories to get to the underlying theme of the research article. The research trend implicates the shift toward practical application and evaluation along with conceptual exploration and analysis which is inherent in any field of research.
Originality/value
The literature review in primarily conducted on two most referred databases, i.e. Scopus and Web of Science, as the search for term “sustainable entrepreneurship” yeilded most results in these databases. Also the methodology adopted focused on the most cited articles in the past two decades to extract the themes and subthemes. This allows the researcher to determine the trends and gaps in the current research.