Mehmet Turan and Ali Kara
Online social media has become an important marketing communication tool for entrepreneurs and their customers because of its ability to simplify various constraints in the…
Abstract
Purpose
Online social media has become an important marketing communication tool for entrepreneurs and their customers because of its ability to simplify various constraints in the communication process. Online social media allows entrepreneurs to access customers, suppliers, partners and other necessary resources that were not easily reachable before at significantly lower costs. Therefore, the current study aims to examine entrepreneurs’ motivations, expected benefits and intentions to use online social media in an emerging market.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a quantitative approach to investigate the entrepreneurs’ online social media use behaviors. Data are collected from n = 368 entrepreneurial organizations using structured questionnaires and personal interviews. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) along with structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypothesized relationships in the conceptual model.
Findings
Results from the data analyses show that entrepreneurs’ perceptions about efforts needed, performance expectations and various social influences helped explain a significant proportion of the variation in entrepreneurs’ intentions to use online social media. All hypotheses tested in the study were confirmed.
Research limitations/implications
Efforts need to be spent on developing positive entrepreneurial attitudes toward online social media usage. As social media becomes more integrated with personal and business life, entrepreneurs need to use social networking sites to build relationships with existing customers or to reach new customers. A larger and more representative sample would have improved generalizability of the findings about entrepreneurial use of online social media. Future research studies should consider using additional independent measures to validate the study results.
Practical implications
This study contributes to the entrepreneurial literature by providing empirical evidence for the link between entrepreneurs’ perceptions and attitudes about social media and their intentions to use it in an emerging market. Additionally, entrepreneurs need to expend more effort in understanding and effectively using social media and should develop positive attitudes toward online social media. Entrepreneurs’ feelings, perceptions and efforts need to be nurtured through support from online social media providers, educational institutions and local chapters of business organizations (i.e. SBA, Chamber of Commerce) alike.
Originality/value
This research is one of the few studies that has attempted to examine the effects of various antecedent factors in the context of entrepreneurs’ intentions to use online social media for business purposes in an emerging market. This study contributes to the entrepreneurial literature by providing empirical evidence for the link between entrepreneurs’ perceptions and attitudes about social media and their intentions to use it in an emerging market. Additionally, this study contributes to our understanding about the role of social influences, effort and performance expectancies on the formation of entrepreneurial intentions to use social media.
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Mehmet Kivanc Turan, Muhammet Üsame Sabirli, Altug Bakirci, Emirhan Kartal and Fatih Karpat
This study aims to investigate the effects of five different printing parameters, namely, printing speed (PS), printing temperature/nozzle temperature/extrusion temperature…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effects of five different printing parameters, namely, printing speed (PS), printing temperature/nozzle temperature/extrusion temperature, heated-bed temperature, raster angle (RA) and layer height (LT), on mechanical properties.
Design/methodology/approach
American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards were used for the specimen design. Then, the Taguchi method was used for the design of the experiment and an L16 orthogonal array was preferred. Tensile, Shore D and surface roughness tests were conducted on polylactic acid test specimens. The test results were analyzed using the signal-to-noise ratio and analysis of variance (ANOVA).
Findings
As a result of the study, it was seen that RA is the most important parameter for the tensile strength, PS is for the hardness and LT is for the surface roughness. According to the ANOVA results, the effects of the RA, PS and LT on the maximum tensile strength, hardness and surface roughness were 41.59%, 69.51% and 44.6%, respectively.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the most comprehensive parameter optimization studies for additive manufacturing in the literature because it includes five different printing parameters and three mechanical test procedures.
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Halil Yalcin Akdeniz, Mehmet Ziya Sogut and Onder Turan
In recent years, in parallel with the increasing air traffic and the number of passengers in air transport, the number of people exposed to aircraft-induced noise has increased…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, in parallel with the increasing air traffic and the number of passengers in air transport, the number of people exposed to aircraft-induced noise has increased significantly. Especially people living in the areas close to the airports are affected by noise emission during the landing, take-off, taxi and ground operations. Negative effects of noise such as sleep disturbance, lack of concentration, anxiety and high blood pressure cardiac diseases were determined directly or indirectly for human health. For this reason, examining the noise effect caused by aircraft and determining the necessary measures to be taken is very important for the sustainable development of aviation. In the International Eskisehir Hasan Polatkan Airport (LTBY), this paper aims to calculate a noise mapping following international standards in line with the directives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). Also, Annex 8, “Airworthiness of Aircrafts” and Annex 16, “Environmental Protection Volume 1 Aircraft Noise”, which were taken at the International Civil Aviation Convention, were proposed to determine the exposure caused by aircraft noise.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, noise levels for the day (07.00–19.00), evening (19.00–23.00) and night (23.00–07.00) period around LTBY were predicted and calculated by the use of the IMMI software according to the “ECAC Doc. 29-Interim” method for the prediction and computation of the aircraft noise.
Findings
According to the calculated/mapped values, in the 24 hours (Lden), the noise level is 65 dB (A) and above. In the day time zone, the noise level is 63 dB (A) and above. When the calculations for the evening time zone are examined, the noise level is above 58 dB (A). When the calculations for the night time frame are examined, it is calculated that there is no dwelling that is affected by the noise level above 53 dB (A).
Practical implications
Along with future improvements, it is recommended to be applied to other civil airports.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no previous research in the literature on aircraft noise mapping of LTBY. Also, unlike the software commonly used in other works in the literature, IMMI software was used in this study. Such investigations should be carried out in other civil airports in the coming years to struggle with noise emissions and noise control. If noise boundary values are exceeded, action plans should be developed for a sustainable aviation concept. Along with future improvements, it is recommended to be applied to other civil airports.
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Muhammad Mujtaba Asad, Amjad Ali Rind and Amir A. Abdulmuhsin
This study aims to examine the relationship between the different aspects of transformational leadership behaviours of school principals on school culture in the context of…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the relationship between the different aspects of transformational leadership behaviours of school principals on school culture in the context of Pakistan. The findings from this study can provide an opportunity to understand the relationship between transformational leadership and school culture factors and the way these factors influence the school culture.
Design/methodology/approach
The quantitative research approach has been adopted to assess teachers’ perceptions of transformational leadership behaviours at government secondary schools of District Khairpur, Pakistan. The targeted sample size of this study was 300 teachers from five government secondary schools of district Khairpur. Data has been collected by using two survey instruments to assess the degree of transformational leadership style adopted by school principals as perceived by teachers to measure the effectiveness of school culture, whereas descriptive (mean and standard deviation) and inferential (Pearson correlation coefficient) statistical tests have been used through SPSS 23.0 software.
Findings
The findings revealed that there is a moderate positive relationship between transformational leadership behaviours and school culture whilst the Pearson correlation coefficient was (r = 0.624), which indicates that it is statistically significant. The demographic data explored that serving teachers were trained and highly qualified in such schools.
Practical implications
The study contributes to explain the transformational leadership practices in the context of secondary schools of Pakistan for a better understanding of educational organization culture. This study also contributes to the field of educational leadership by highlighting the organization culture through the perceptions of teachers. The Education and Literacy Department, policymakers, educational leaders and schoolteachers may be benefited from the findings of the current study for a better understanding of school culture in secondary schools. This study has also laid the foundation for future research studies in leadership practices in Pakistan and internationally.
Originality/value
Finally, this study contributed to the leadership literature in the context of Pakistan because there are very few studies that have examined the impact of transformational leadership behaviours in education organizations. In addition, this study suggests that the school principals should revisit their school vision and involve teachers in vision formation.
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Fatih Töremen, Mehmet Karakuş and Tezcan Yasan
The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent of total quality management (TQM) practices in primary schools based on teachers' perceptions, and how their perceptions are…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent of total quality management (TQM) practices in primary schools based on teachers' perceptions, and how their perceptions are related to different variables.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, a survey based descriptive scanning model was used. This study was carried out in Malatya city centre on teachers working at primary schools. Using stratified sampling method, 21 schools and 420 teachers working in these schools were selected randomly. A total of 396 of the questionnaires were validated and evaluated. A total of six‐dimensioned and a 60‐itemed questionnaire was administered to these teachers. Data were analysed by SPSS program.
Findings
In the perceptions of teachers, there were some problems with the indicators of TQM practices, especially on the dimension of change management. There were significant differences among teachers' perceptions on TQM practices depending upon the variables of branch, level of education and tenure, while there were no meaningful differences according to the gender variable.
Practical implications
The findings reveal the need for an effective change management, educating staff and utilizing human resources to attain a system‐wide quality improvement, to implement the principles of TQM.
Originality/value
Quality improvement is a continual process that should be taken up from the operational level to senior management. Primary schools, as the basic subsystem of educational super‐system, affect upper level schools with their outcomes. So TQM efforts at primary schools are fundamentally important to achieve a high quality education system. This paper sheds light on how to improve quality at this basic level.
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Mehmet Ozkaymak, Selcuk Selimli, Durmus Kaya and Umit Uzun
The purpose of this paper is to study the fertility potential of the iron- and steel-making process waste granulated blast furnace slag to recover it as a beneficial product.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the fertility potential of the iron- and steel-making process waste granulated blast furnace slag to recover it as a beneficial product.
Design/methodology/approach
This slag fertilizer was mixed with organic fertilizer to enrich and dung the vegetable sets are pepper, lettuce and cucumbers.
Findings
In this study, 100 per cent granulated slag, 75 per cent granulated slag + 25 per cent fermented manure, 50 per cent granulated slag + 50 per cent fermented manure and 25 per cent granulated slag + 75 per cent fermented manure compositions were mixed with water and added to seeding pots. The growth rate of vegetable sets and also the level of contamination of heavy metals such as lead, copper, aluminum, mercury and cadmium were analyzed. The analyses results showed that contamination rates of lead, copper, aluminum, mercury and cadmium in lettuce and cucumber samples were in the range of acceptable levels for human health. Slag fertilizer enforced the set of growth rate and productivity, too.
Originality/value
By the recovery of the waste slag storage, transport and annihilation economical load on the industry would be eliminated, waste recovery contributes to the economical gaining and beneficial recovered products replace the need of fertility products.
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Mehmet Şükrü Bellibaş and Sedat Gümüş
While the current knowledge in the field of educational leadership and management (EDLM) has been primarily based on research produced in English-speaking Western societies, there…
Abstract
Purpose
While the current knowledge in the field of educational leadership and management (EDLM) has been primarily based on research produced in English-speaking Western societies, there have been significant efforts by other societies to contribute to the knowledge production, especially during the past decade. The purpose of this paper is to identify the contribution of Turkey to the international EDLM literature by investigating the topical focus, conceptual frameworks and research designs of papers published by EDLM scholars from Turkey.
Design/methodology/approach
Descriptive content analysis method was employed to examine 315 empirical, review, conceptual and commentary papers published by Turkish scholars in core educational administration and Web of Science journals. The time period of the review left open-ended. However, in practical terms, it begins in the year 1994 when the first article from Turkey was published in any of the selected sources and ends at the end of 2018. Information relevant to the research was extracted from each article and was coded to facilitate quantitative analysis. Using Excel software, descriptive statistics including frequencies and percentages were provided for each research question.
Findings
Results show that Turkish EDLM scholars mostly rely on survey based quantitative research approach, employing advanced statistical techniques in the analysis of the data. However, mixed method and qualitative studies are relatively less common. Organizational behavior, school leadership and emotions stand out as most frequently used topics, while Turkish scholars are not interested in analyzing the educational outcomes such as student achievement and school improvement. Consistent with the findings related to topical foci, a large number of those who were interested in correlational studies examined the relationship between leadership roles and organizational behaviors.
Research limitations/implications
The data set only included journal articles and excluded conference proceedings, books and theses/dissertations. Nevertheless, the authors believe this review adds significantly to previous reviews of local EDLM journals conducted by Turkish scholars. The authors concluded that the Turkish scholars should direct their future research to exploring and better understanding the practices of Turkish principals in schools by: diversifying their research topics; incorporating more qualitative and mixed-method designs; and taking into account specific features of the culture and educational system in Turkey.
Practical implications
Based on the current higher education context, reducing scholars’ teaching load, diversifying research funding opportunities, and modifying access to tenure tracks seem necessary interventions to support EDLM research with strong ties to practice and to the sociocultural context. In addition, policy changes aiming professionalization of administrative positions and establishing some forms of formal training for school principalship are needed. Such changes can help transfer the knowledge produced by the Turkish EDLM researchers to the practice and provide solutions to problems related to school administration.
Originality/value
This paper will add to recent effort to identify how a developing nation outside Western perspective approaches the field, and contributes to the global knowledge base.
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The aim of this qualitative study was to determine what makes school principals successful. The study obtained data through interviews, both face-to-face and via e-mail…
Abstract
The aim of this qualitative study was to determine what makes school principals successful. The study obtained data through interviews, both face-to-face and via e-mail correspondence. Content analysis provides the framework for analyzing the data. The data revealed that successful school principals have three different, but interrelated competencies, which are personal, administrative, and leadership competencies. The study also indicates that those successful principals gave priority to human relations, they see the school as their home where principals created a warm atmosphere, communicated effectively with all stakeholders, committed themselves to their schools, managed schools in a democratic way, solved problems on time and effectively.
Eugenie A. Samier, Eman ElKaleh and Waheed Hammad
This chapter provides a critical and comprehensive review of the internationalisation literature. It starts with a brief discussion of the main factors and features that need to…
Abstract
This chapter provides a critical and comprehensive review of the internationalisation literature. It starts with a brief discussion of the main factors and features that need to be considered when internationalising the educational administration and leadership field. This is followed by a critique of the internationalisation of education and the many challenges that hinder the achievement of proper internationalisation. The third section provides an overview of the internationalisation models and practices in different disciplines such as psychology, sociology and political science, which is followed by a discussion on the internationalisation of education organisations in different countries with some examples from Arab and non-Western countries. The final section presents a critical review of literature on internationalising the curriculum and how culture competency and knowledge acquisition are key factors in achieving effective internationalisation. The chapter concludes with an overview of the book collection and the main ideas and concepts discussed in each chapter.