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This chapter will focus on the use of evaluative research in higher education policy analysis. The approach will be illustrated by reference to higher education policy in Scottish higher education, with particular reference to the longitudinal evaluative research of support of teaching and learning (T&L) (the Quality Enhancement Framework or QEF). The chapter will discuss the features of the research process which are shaped by evaluation theory. We adopt a theoretical position on policy research which foregrounds the situated experience of policy as a core research focus. Policy is depicted as being underscored by an implicit theory of change which is used to structure and orientate the research focus. The design of the research is characterised by the involvement of potential users of the research output, with implications on the way in which findings are articulated, presented and ultimately used, along with aspects of the evaluative research design. The case study of the QEF will be contextualised, and the intersection between the design features and theoretical approaches, and the use and usability of research outputs, will be established.

This article identifies a central paradox in “open learning” – that in a commercial context its “openness”, seen from instrumental and prescriptive perspectives, will be restricted. The authors suggest that the effective implementation of open learning in work organisations requires the kind of planning, co‐ordination and structure which so reduces learner empowerment that “differentiated training” becomes a more appropriate term. The authors consider the practical implications of their findings.

Presents a new powerful multiple‐criteria decision‐making (MCDM) framework with an approach that combines recent results from several related areas. The De Novo programming and external reconstruction approach (ERA) provides the overall structure for the algorithms and the sequence of r‐constrained linear programs generated by the ERA‐framework is solved. This is by a parallel implementation of a powerful interior point algorithm called the conjugate gradient method (CGM), selected because it is particularly suitable for parallel processing. Gives details of the proposed parallel implementation of the CGM, together with the algorithm. Presents an analysis of the parallel performance and discusses theoretical speed‐up.

The purpose of this paper is to expose the playout of power dynamics when a new business intelligence (BI) system is implemented in a central pharmacy department in a National Health Service (NHS) hospital. The authors aim to explore the assumptions, experiences and actions of organisational stakeholders and ascertain how different professional groups obtain influence, power and control during this process.

In this research the authors employ structuration theory (ST), to establish how and where domination is achieved. To achieve this, the authors investigate the production and reproduction of structure as part of a longitudinal assessment using interviews and questionnaires.

Constant renewal and evolution are crucial in the implementation of a BI system. During the process of implementation and change many stakeholders resent the change. Disempowering these users leads to new power structures led by BI analysts.

The findings from this paper can help strengthen implications of BI systems implementation and better understand the impact these systems have on wider stakeholders. With coherent communication and an engaged attitude new BI systems can be implemented without alienating the key user stakeholders.

This paper differs from other papers by advocating that new systems and processes alter individual power structures in organisations, disrupting internal dynamics and introducing new aspects of control and dominance.

The Egyptian Revolution gave birth to an intriguing community of graffiti artists that have been going through successful social learning processes. The naturally formed learning groups provided a fertile substance for social learning research and called for a comparison between the nature and elements of social learning and those of the learning taking place in the more traditional settings in an attempt to magnify factors of success. The purpose of this paper is to draw upon Wenger’s (1998) theory of Communities of Practice (CoP) and examines three major elements of learning in relation to it; namely, motivation, social practice, and the role of experts.

The paper offers an in-depth analysis of perceptions of six Egyptian graffiti artists of their learning experiences.

The paper argues that the motivational factor is underdeveloped in Wenger’s theory and that a concept that encompasses a combination of intrinsic motivation (IM) and identified regulation would provide a more accurate description of the driving force of a successful social learning process.

Although a snowballing approach was adopted, reaching the interviewees was not an easy task for security reasons; therefore, limiting the number to six was forced upon the researcher. Yet, a sense of saturation was reached. The paper underlines the vital role of social practice, which places meaning at the centre of learning, calls for revisiting the role of experts in Wenger’s theory and claims its marginality.

Conclusions of this study suggest that the idea of a combination of passion and goal as core components of a CoP is an underdeveloped concept in Wenger’s (1998) theory and that outward motivational factors need to be discarded from the equation. This research proposes that a combination of IM and identified regulation provide a more accurate description of the driving force of a successful social learning process.

The necessity to assess and manage supply chains to be free from social problems such as human and labour rights abuses has become particularly apparent since the introduction of conflict minerals regulations in the United States (Dodd-Frank Act) and the European Union. Similarly, stakeholders demand that products are free from social problems. Ever more companies are therefore challenged to assess and manage social issues in their supply chains. At the same time, the increasing literature on assessment and management of social issues is disperse and an overview missing. This paper aims to provide an overview of the existing literature on social assessment and management approaches relating to conflict minerals and connected to social issues in supply chains.

A review of the academic literature on social assessment and management of conflict minerals to provide an overview is currently missing. This paper addresses this gap by systematically reviewing the existing research literature on approaches for the social assessment and management of conflict minerals from a supply chain perspective.

The systematic literature review found 21 social assessment and 30 social management approaches with reference to conflict minerals, with the most referenced approach being the OECD guidelines. Overall, the conflict mineral related literature discusses rather general social assessment and management approaches, such as codes of conduct, while the effectiveness of the approaches is not analysed in depth. The paper finds that an analysis of the effectiveness and interlinkages of different approaches is missing. The large variety of social and human rights issues addressed in the academic literature ranges from corruption to violence, going beyond the scope of regulations focused on conflict minerals. This indicates that regulations on conflict minerals and the consequences for management are seen as a specific case with wider implications for future regulations and the necessity for management to solve social problems in supply chains in an effective way.

The review paper is conceptual and develops a framework to classify social assessment and management approaches for conflict minerals, drawing on the supply chain management literature.

The overview reveals that research refers to broader social assessment and management approaches indicating wider implications for assessing and managing social issues in supply chains in general, irrespective of whether they are conflict mineral related. Research has, however, so far not addressed the effectiveness and interlinkages between social assessment and management approaches. The aim of the emerging regulations, however, is to foster more effective management of social issues in supply chains. Management is therefore challenged to develop and implement innovative approaches to effectively reduce social problems in supply chains beyond conflict minerals. Conclusions are drawn for management and research.

The paper highlights the need for collaboration with NGOs, industry associations and suppliers, recommending to engage in supplier development.

The paper conducts the first systematic review of academic literature on conflict mineral related social assessment and management approaches. A framework is proposed to classify social assessment and management approaches based on supply chain management literature. While conflict minerals often represent a small fraction of components in a product, they can have huge and costly implications for companies, which require (potentially) large changes for the sourcing and supply strategy of a company. Conflict mineral regulations represent the first attempt to regulate social and human rights abuses in supply chains holding companies responsible for misconduct caused by suppliers abroad.

This paper aims to describe a methodology to optimize the trajectory of unconventional airship performing a high-altitude docking manoeuvre.

The trajectories are based upon Bezier curves whose control points positions are optimized through particle swarm optimization algorithm. A minimum energy strategy is implemented by considering the airship physical properties. The paper describes the mathematical model of the airships, the trajectories modelling through Bezier’s curves and the optimization framework. A series of test cases has been developed to evaluate the proposed methodology.

Results obtained show that the implemented procedure is able to optimize the airship trajectories and to support their in-flight docking; a strong influence of the wind speed and course on the trajectories planning is highlighted.

The wind speed considered in these simulations depends only on altitude, and gusts effect has been neglected.

The proposed model can support the study of unconventional airship trajectories and can be useful to evaluate best in-air docking strategies.

The paper addresses the problem of trajectory optimization for a class of new air vehicles with an heuristic approach.