This special issue honors the life and legacy of Michael J. Driver, a renowned scholar whose contributions to research on careers, decision‐making, and cognitive style made an…
Abstract
Purpose
This special issue honors the life and legacy of Michael J. Driver, a renowned scholar whose contributions to research on careers, decision‐making, and cognitive style made an indelible impact on these fields. His often‐groundbreaking work spanning more than 40 years impacted the lives of those whom he taught, mentored, consulted and collaborated with. Dr Driver's impact continues to be felt, as can be seen in the pages of this special issue, which highlights the Driver‐inspired research of several former students who later became colleagues.
Design/methodology/approach
Over the last four decades, Mike Driver has helped shape the way we think about and research careers and career‐related issues. To illustrate some of this impact, we provide a first broad retrospective of his life and career and then four articles – written by former students and colleagues of his – that build on Mike's work in careers, decision making and cognitive style. Reflecting on this collection allows the reader to take stock of Driver's research that is responsible for shaping some of the careers research that continues now and in the future.
Findings
As it would take several special issues to cover the breadth and depth of Mike's scholarly contributions, this collection of five articles is intended to showcase a sampling of Dr Driver's legacy. The articles – representing such fields as leadership, careers, entrepreneurship, and work‐family conflict – demonstrate the reach of Driver's work while providing new insights and offering new avenues for research and practice.
Originality/value
These articles are authored by individuals ranging from junior faculty to senior faculty, scholar to practitioner, and colleague to wife. Individually, each article contributes to our understanding of the many fields Driver's work influences. Together, this collection of articles provides important insights that it is hoped encourage even further research that informs career scholarship and its impact on the development of individuals and their careers within and beyond national boundaries.
Details
Keywords
John Bazley, Cynthia Schweer Rayner and Aunnie Patton Power
Impact investing, Social enterprise.
Abstract
Subject area
Impact investing, Social enterprise.
Study level/applicability
MBA, EMBA, Executive Education.
Case overview
Zoona mobile money: investing for impact details a slightly altered version of the real events that occurred in late 2011 with the series A round of investment in Zoona, a mobile money business in Zambia. The focus is on the decisions that have to be made by the management team of a socially innovative tech start-up (Zoona) providing mobile money and financial services to previously unbanked consumers in Zambia.
Expected learning outcomes
By the end of this case, the student should be able to: understand the basics of term sheets and be able to perform a high level analysis and comparison of two distinct term sheets; identify investor objectives, ultimately recognising the general differences between private equity and venture capital investors; identify and weigh the costs and benefits of term sheets, as well as identify negotiating points and necessary trade-offs in the investment process; and identify and understand the “soft” benefits of investors and weigh these in relation to a term sheet analysis.
Supplementary materials
Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.
Subject code
CSS 1: Accounting and Finance.
Details
Keywords
Managers of information units with limited budgets must find little comfort in the endless stream of ‘never had it so good’ articles. Microcomputers are daily becoming more…
Abstract
Managers of information units with limited budgets must find little comfort in the endless stream of ‘never had it so good’ articles. Microcomputers are daily becoming more powerful and less expensive, today giving computing power that 10 years ago only me largest institutions with access to mainframes could command. Specialised library software capable of handling all the housekeeping and retrieval requirements can be purchased for mere thousands of pounds. And, with a little ingenuity, general purpose software for a fraction of those prices can be purchased and cobbled together to form a workable system designed to meet specific needs.
Artificial intelligence, including expert systems, fuzzy logic, neural networks and genetic algorithms, is increasingly being applied to the solution of a wide range of problems…
Abstract
Artificial intelligence, including expert systems, fuzzy logic, neural networks and genetic algorithms, is increasingly being applied to the solution of a wide range of problems in the monitoring and operation of electricity supply systems. Following the privatization of the Electricity Supply Industry in England and Wales in 1990, there is an overriding commercial incentive for the privatized electricity companies to operate the high voltage transmission networks as economically as possible without compromizing their reliability in a climate of substantial uncertainty as to the generator prices and availabilities that are bid into the pool from day to day and the energy trading contracts that have to be implemented. These circumstances often mean that the transmission and distribution networks must operate close to their defined security limits and still be capable of surviving severe disturbances. Hence artificial intelligence is being applied to the development of online real‐time monitoring systems to assist the electricity supply companies' control room engineers. This paper reviews this field and presents two case studies.
Agency work represents a unique form of employment that has received increased attention in recent years. Supporters of the agency employment industry have cited increased…
Abstract
Purpose
Agency work represents a unique form of employment that has received increased attention in recent years. Supporters of the agency employment industry have cited increased accessibility and flexibility at an individual and organisational level, yet critics have highlighted disparities in treatment and the limited protection afforded by the contract. Previous psychological studies into the working experiences of these employees have forwarded a series of findings that have frequently conflicted, so this paper begins by exploring research into the areas of motive, job satisfaction, job security, and organisational support. The purpose of this paper is to better understand how this form of employment can psychologically affect agency workers by focusing upon these key areas.
Design/methodology/approach
The study's research design incorporated 25 semi-structured interviews with agency workers, recruitment consultants, and representatives from third-party employers. These interviews were then supplemented by longitudinal data from follow-up interviews conducted with agency workers from the initial sample. During the study, the researcher undertook a number of agency working assignments, and ethnographic analysis of diary extracts represented a third source of data.
Findings
Results highlighted the importance of motive, as it was found to influence how agency workers viewed their employment. The lack of obligation in temporary contracts was perceived to lead to isolation from permanent colleagues, increase vulnerability, and reduce job security and organisational commitment.
Research limitations/implications
Findings strongly supported the claim that the pre-assignment motives of individuals had a significant impact upon their resulting experiences. Agency workers employed in longer-term assignments reported greater integration into the organisation, resulting in increased commitment towards the third-party employer, and improved relationships with permanent staff.
Originality/value
The current research incorporated multiple perspectives to create an increased understanding of the agency employment industry and its impact upon individuals.
Details
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Whether you are delivering an update at a staff meeting or addressing shareholders at the annual meeting, you are “performing” as a speaker. Your verbal and non‐verbal…
Abstract
Purpose
Whether you are delivering an update at a staff meeting or addressing shareholders at the annual meeting, you are “performing” as a speaker. Your verbal and non‐verbal communications continually impact others, meaning you are always “on.” How you share ideas on a daily basis determines how you make others feel. Great leaders empower others by making them feel important so they want to follow. This article explores how powerful communication can position you for leadership success, especially during times of change.
Design/methodology/approach
Using multiple examples drawn from the author's work with executives and organizations, the article demonstrates how the right communication techniques can make the difference between success and failure.
Findings
Real‐world experiences illustrate the importance and effectiveness of informing, motivating, and leading people every time you speak. The techniques described include speaking with passion, making quick connections, being fully engaged, and developing and using “keepers” and “power phrases.”
Practical implications
Because effective communication is especially critical during change situations, the article also includes key tips for leaders who need to shape perceptions and influence outcomes under these circumstances.
Originality/value
Leaders who want to communicate effectively can use the article's tips and techniques to practice clear, convincing and credible communication, positioning themselves – and their organizations – for success.
Details
Keywords
Fred Ayres, Alan Duckworth, Margot Lindsay, Mike Pearce and Sarah Lawson
THE PROPHETESSES of Ancient Greece, who were said to provide the Delphic oracles, claimed to have gained their inspiration by breathing a mysterious vapour that rose from a cleft…
Abstract
THE PROPHETESSES of Ancient Greece, who were said to provide the Delphic oracles, claimed to have gained their inspiration by breathing a mysterious vapour that rose from a cleft in the floor. This then gave them convulsions and put them in a fit state for Apollo to make use of them to deliver his messages to mankind. The whole operation was highly suspect, since the output was in the form of mutterings, and a sort of ancient information officer in the guise of a priest was needed to interpret them to the enquirer. The end product was often sound advice, although the answer to an awkward question was given in such a way that whatever happened it could be claimed to have come true.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the practice of comedians in relation to freedom of expression, so as to throw light on the issue of giving or avoiding offence.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the practice of comedians in relation to freedom of expression, so as to throw light on the issue of giving or avoiding offence.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature of comedy, newspaper coverage of comedy in the UK in 2008, observation of comedians in performance, and a small, informal interview programme with stand up comedians were used in the preparation of the paper.
Findings
Stand up comedians, despite their own sense that they defy restriction and popular perception of their material as often offensive, do monitor their material for potential offence. They assess the extent of offence and modify their performances in response. In some cases they apply personal formulae to this process.
Research limitations/implications
The interview programme is too small to claim to be fully representative and is intended only to give an indicative view of the field.
Practical implications
Examination of comedians' practice has implications for information service institutions and the giving of access to potentially offensive content.
Originality/value
The paper may be the first study of comedy in an information science context and it contains implications for further studies that use comedy as an example of content, and creative practice to further develop understanding of information provision issues.