In the years before 1967 there had been increasing internal demand in BOAC for secretarial training. The real causes for these demands were not difficult to establish. Not only…
Abstract
In the years before 1967 there had been increasing internal demand in BOAC for secretarial training. The real causes for these demands were not difficult to establish. Not only were bosses dissatisfied with the quality of secretarial work but, in addition, secretaries seemed to feel that they were a neglected training population. There appeared to be few ideas about what kind of training should be given and especially what the training objectives should be. In 1967 it was decided that the General Training Branch should devote some resources to examine the training needs of this group of staff and to produce a systematic model training scheme. Most secretaries receive their basic training in the skills of shorthand and typing at Commercial College or Technical College before joining the company. For those who need further coaching in these subjects, there are a number of courses available. The training described here was not concerned with improvements in these areas of the basic secretarial skills: it was concerned with the concept of the secretary contributing to the effectiveness of the executive for whom she worked. By providing training based on needs identified in interviews with a large sample of BOAC bosses and their secretaries and allowing for feedback and follow‐up, a training system was established which is flexible and has been updated and adapted to particular needs. In this first article, the investigations leading to the design of training and a few typical training sessions are described. A later article will describe the arrangements made for monitoring, evaluating and modifying the system with some results of the evaluation exercise.
The previous article described a system of training for secretaries based on a study of the secretary's role. These courses were designed after a systematic collection of…
Abstract
The previous article described a system of training for secretaries based on a study of the secretary's role. These courses were designed after a systematic collection of information on training needs — by questionnaire and by interview with both boss and secretary. The courses are being subjected to a programme of evaluation, the first part of which is described here.
Articles in June and July ICT have described a system of training for secretaries in BOAC giving, in some detail, the analysis of training needs, the design of courses and the…
Abstract
Articles in June and July ICT have described a system of training for secretaries in BOAC giving, in some detail, the analysis of training needs, the design of courses and the system and result of in‐course evaluation. This article deals with post‐course evaluation and attempts to consider the cash value of the training.
Cheryl L. Burleigh, Margaret Kroposki, Patricia B. Steele, Sherrye Smith and Dara Murray
The purpose of this literature review was to identify best practices in coaching faculty within higher education and the subsequent benefits of effective faculty coaching programs…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this literature review was to identify best practices in coaching faculty within higher education and the subsequent benefits of effective faculty coaching programs for the retention of quality faculty. In higher education, where an emphasis is on the delivery of curriculum for student learning, faculty performance reviews are not universally defined, nor are coaching practices consistently employed. Giving teaching performance feedback promptly to faculty may be a means to foster professional growth and enhance the implementation of progressive practices to benefit student learning.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors undertook a content analysis of current literature on the evaluation and coaching practices of higher education faculty that specifically addressed the quality and timeliness of feedback and gaps in practices.
Findings
Through this study, the authors gleaned recommendations for improving faculty evaluation, coaching, and feedback.
Practical implications
Developing coaching programs to include all higher education faculty may lead to improved teaching performance and alignment of the faculty with institutional goals. The insights from this study may provide the impetus to develop structures and processes for university-based professional development and coaching programs that could lead to positive student learning outcomes and better relationships among faculty.
Originality/value
This is the first review to use Cooper's systematic examination of current literature to explore the topics of faculty support, coaching, and development within higher education.
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Patricia Guarnieri and Ricardo Corrêa Gomes
This paper aims to demonstrate how public procurement can be strategic.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to demonstrate how public procurement can be strategic.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted following the protocol from Pagani, Kovaleski and Resende (2015), called Methodi Ordinatio, to select the relevant literature on this topic. The analysis of papers selected was carried out following the procedures of categorical content analysis (Bardin, 1977).
Findings
In all, 68 full papers were analyzed from Science Direct and Web of Science. The results present the main characteristics of publications analyzed and the authors propose some categories of strategic practices related to public procurement that are in turn related to: sustainability, partnerships and supplier management, information systems and technology and other issues.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitations of this paper are: the publication period considered of the articles selected is from January 2012 to March 2017; the databases Science Direct and Web of Science are selected as the sources of articles; the Methodi Ordinatio is used as the basic protocol of the SLR and, consequently, the inclusion and exclusion criteria described in the steps of the protocol are used.
Practical implications
Showing how the public procurement can be strategic, this paper highlights the benefits of best procurement practices; similarly, it highlights those practices adopted by the private sector, which can highly contribute to the creation of value in public services that are aligned with the concept of obtaining “the best value for money”.
Social implications
The incorporation of strategic practices in public procurement can result in the best expenditure of public resources and the reduction of corruption in the process of procurement.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to synthesize the knowledge on strategic procurement, a topic exploited by few people in the public organizations. It differentiates from other literature reviews already published, considering that these studies do not deal, specifically, with public procurement and, also, do not use protocols of SLR. Moreover, this paper indicates a future agenda of research, which can aid researchers and practitioners acting in this field of knowledge.
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Patricia Huddleston, Anna R. McAlister and Fashina Alade
This conceptual paper provides an overview of eye-tracking technology (ETT) as a process-tracing method to study children’s consumer behavior. This paper aims to provide a…
Abstract
Purpose
This conceptual paper provides an overview of eye-tracking technology (ETT) as a process-tracing method to study children’s consumer behavior. This paper aims to provide a literature review of the child as consumer-focused eye-tracking research, identifying theoretical and research gaps. This paper discusses the benefits, drawbacks and ethical implications of ETT and highlights opportunities and best practices for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper details eye movement and how ETT captures it. This paper delivers a typology of different approaches to eye-tracking research and presents information about ETT equipment and metrics. This paper also summarizes previous studies using eye tracking to study children. This paper concludes with research questions and topics for future research where ETT can be used to study child consumers in contexts such as playing advergames, using social media and shopping (in-person and online).
Findings
ETT is commonly used to assess children’s behavior in a variety of contexts but has scarcely been used to study children’s consumer behavior. ETT has great potential to be used to better understand children as consumers.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to review using ETT to study children’s consumer behavior.
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Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and…
Abstract
Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and shows that these are in many, differing, areas across management research from: retail finance; precarious jobs and decisions; methodological lessons from feminism; call centre experience and disability discrimination. These and all points east and west are covered and laid out in a simple, abstract style, including, where applicable, references, endnotes and bibliography in an easy‐to‐follow manner. Summarizes each paper and also gives conclusions where needed, in a comfortable modern format.
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Patricia Dearnaley and Joanne E. Smith
The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a wider debate around the coordination of workforce planning in non-statutory services (in this case, specialist housing for older people…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to stimulate a wider debate around the coordination of workforce planning in non-statutory services (in this case, specialist housing for older people or those with long-term health and social care needs, such as learning disabilities). The authors argue that current NHS reforms do not go far enough in that they fail to include specialist housing and its workforce in integration, and by doing so, will be unable to optimise the potential efficiencies and streamlining of service delivery to this group.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper used exploratory study using existing research and data, enhanced by documentary analysis from industry bodies, regulators and policy think tanks.
Findings
That to achieve the greatest operational and fiscal impact upon the health care services, priority must be given to improving the efficiency and coordination of services to older people and those requiring nursing homes or registered care across the public and third sectors through the integration of service delivery and workforce planning.
Research limitations/implications
Whilst generalisable and achievable, the model proposed within the paper cannot be fully tested theoretically and requires further testing the in real health and social care market to evidence its practicality, improved quality of care and financial benefits.
Originality/value
The paper highlights some potential limitations to the current NHS reforms: by integrating non-statutory services, planned efficiency savings may be optimised and service delivery improved.
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In this paper, I demonstrate an alternative explanation to the development of the American electricity industry. I propose a social embeddedness approach (Granovetter, 1985, 1992…
Abstract
In this paper, I demonstrate an alternative explanation to the development of the American electricity industry. I propose a social embeddedness approach (Granovetter, 1985, 1992) to interpret why the American electricity industry appears the way it does today, and start by addressing the following questions: Why is the generating dynamo located in well‐connected central stations rather than in isolated stations? Why does not every manufacturing firm, hospital, school, or even household operate its own generating equipment? Why do we use incandescent lamps rather than arc lamps or gas lamps for lighting? At the end of the nineteenth century, the first era of the electricity industry, all these technical as well as organizational forms were indeed possible alternatives. The centralized systems we see today comprise integrated, urban, central station firms which produce and sell electricity to users within a monopolized territory. Yet there were visions of a more decentralized electricity industry. For instance, a geographically decentralized system might have dispersed small systems based around an isolated or neighborhood generating dynamo; or a functionally decentralized system which included firms solely generating and transmitting the power, and selling the power to locally‐owned distribution firms (McGuire, Granovetter, and Schwartz, forthcoming). Similarly, the incandescent lamp was not the only illuminating device available at that time. The arc lamp was more suitable for large‐space lighting than incandescent lamps; and the second‐generation gas lamp ‐ Welsbach mantle lamp ‐ was much cheaper than the incandescent electric light and nearly as good in quality (Passer, 1953:196–197).
OF old the public library was wont to take its reputation from the character of the newsroom. That room, as everyone knows, attracts every element in the community and it may be…
Abstract
OF old the public library was wont to take its reputation from the character of the newsroom. That room, as everyone knows, attracts every element in the community and it may be it attracts especially the poorer elements;—even at times undesirable ones. These people in some towns, but perhaps not so often now‐a‐days, have been unwashen and often not very attractive in appearance. It was natural, things being as they are, that the room should give a certain tone to the institution, and indeed on occasion cause it to be avoided by those who thought themselves to be superior. The whole level of living has altered, and we think has been raised, since the War. There is poverty and depression in parts of the country, it is true; but there are relief measures now which did not exist before the War. Only those who remember the grinding poverty of the unemployed in the days, especially the winter days, before the War can realise what poverty really means at its worst. This democratic levelling up applies, of course, to the public library as much as to any institution. At present it may be said that the part of the library which is most apparent to the public and by which it is usually judged, is the lending or home‐reading department. It therefore needs no apology if from time to time we give special attention to this department. Even in the great cities, which have always concentrated their chief attention upon their reference library, to‐day there is an attempt to supply a lending library service of adequate character. We recall, for example, that the Leeds Public Library of old was first and foremost a reference library, with a lending library attached; to‐day the lending library is one of the busiest in the kingdom. A similar judgment can be passed upon Sheffield, where quite deliberately the city librarian would restrict the reference library to works that are of real reference character, and would develop more fully the lending library. In Manchester, too, the new “Reference Library”—properly the new Central Library—has a lending library which issues about 1,500 volumes daily. There must be all over the country many libraries issuing up to a thousand volumes each a day from their central lending departments. This being the case the department comes in for very careful scrutiny.