Nicola Jayne Williams-Burnett and Heather Skinner
The purpose of this paper is to present a critically reflective account of the process of conducting an impact evaluation of a dance-theatre company’s staged productions and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a critically reflective account of the process of conducting an impact evaluation of a dance-theatre company’s staged productions and workshops.
Design/methodology/approach
There are two main approaches: the introspective critical reflection on the process of performing an impact evaluation; and the drawing/colouring methods used to perform it.
Findings
It is more difficult to provide impact evaluations of the soft rather than hard outcomes of publicly funded performance arts. The engagement of third-party evaluators may help overcome the challenge that many “accepted” approaches are outwith the skill or financial resources of smaller non-profit organisations.
Research limitations/implications
Although based on a single case, the authors believe that the evidence how the use of innovative methodologies may be more appropriate to performing arts impact evaluations, even those less familiar to management researchers.
Practical implications
This paper offers insights into various methods of impact evaluation that may be of use to smaller non-profit arts organisations who may be constrained by limited skills and financial resources.
Originality/value
This paper provides an original contribution to understanding innovative methodologies to perform arts impact evaluations, particularly those assessing soft outcomes, and a contribution in recognising the role of academic researchers in performing such evaluations.
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Philip Lawrence and Simon Gill
This paper sets out to outline a human hazard analysis methodology as a tool for managing human error in aircraft maintenance, operations and production. The methodology developed…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper sets out to outline a human hazard analysis methodology as a tool for managing human error in aircraft maintenance, operations and production. The methodology developed has been used in a slightly modified form on Airbus aircraft programmes. This paper aims to outline a method for managing human error in the field of aircraft design, maintenance and operations. Undertaking the research was motivated by the fact that aviation incidents and accidents still show a high percentage of human‐factors events as key causal factors.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology adopted takes traditional aspects of the aircraft design system safety process, particularly fault tree analysis, and couples them with a structured tabular notation called a human error modes and effects analysis (HEMEA). HEMEA provides data, obtained from domain knowledge, in‐service experience and known error modes, about likely human‐factors events that could cause critical failure modes identified in the fault tree analysis. In essence the fault tree identifies the failure modes, while the HEMEA shows what kind of human‐factors events could trigger the relevant failure.
Findings
The authors found that the methodology works very effectively, but that it is very dependent on locating the relevant expert judgement and domain knowledge..
Research limitations/implications
The authors found that the methodology works very effectively, but that it is very dependent on locating the relevant expert judgement and domain knowledge. Using the method as a prototype, looking at aspects of a large aircraft fuel system, was very time‐consuming and the industry partner was concerned about the resource implications of implementing this process. Regarding future work, the researchers would like to explore how a knowledge management exercise might capture some of the domain knowledge to reduce the requirement for discursive, seminar‐type sessions with domain experts.
Practical implications
It was very clear that the sponsors and research partners in the aircraft industry were keen to use this method as part of the safety process. Airbus has used a modified form of the process on at least two programmes.
Originality/value
The authors are aware that the UK MOD uses fault tree analysis that includes human‐factors events. However, the researchers believe that the creation of the human error modes effects analysis is original. On the civil side of the aviation business this is the first time that human error issues have been included for systems other than the flightdeck. The research was clearly of major value to the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Airbus, who were the original sponsors.
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Jaco Lok, W. E. Douglas Creed and Rich DeJordy
The concept of (self-)identity has become increasingly central to institutional theory’s microfoundations, yet remains relatively underdeveloped. In this chapter, the authors use…
Abstract
The concept of (self-)identity has become increasingly central to institutional theory’s microfoundations, yet remains relatively underdeveloped. In this chapter, the authors use an autobiographical interview with a gay Protestant minister in the US to explore the role of narrative conventions in the construction of self-identity. The analysis of this chapter offers the basis for a new understanding of the relation between institutions, self-identity, and agency: how we agentically engage institutions depends not only on who we narrate ourselves to be, but also on how we narrate ourselves into being. This suggests that narration as a specific modality of micro-institutional processes has important performative effects.
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Chantal Hervieux, Eric Gedajlovic and Marie‐France B. Turcotte
The paper aims to answer how important institutional actors, such as academic researchers, consulting firms, and foundations, are tracing the boundaries of social entrepreneurship…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to answer how important institutional actors, such as academic researchers, consulting firms, and foundations, are tracing the boundaries of social entrepreneurship (SE) and how they justify SE as a legitimate form of social purpose organization.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper employs a discourse analysis methodology.
Findings
The paper finds traces of the legitimacy issues in the literature on non‐profits and, based on this, argue that a new institutional domain is being constructed. The paper concludes that in this new domain not only is the use of market‐based initiatives seen as a legitimate means of funding a social mission, but also it has now become the normative way and one that is promoted by consultants and foundations concerned with social entrepreneurs and their initiatives.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the developing norms of SE.
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Markus Kantola, Hannele Seeck, Albert J. Mills and Jean Helms Mills
This paper aims to explore how historical context influences the content and selection of rhetorical legitimation strategies. Using case study method, this paper will focus on how…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore how historical context influences the content and selection of rhetorical legitimation strategies. Using case study method, this paper will focus on how insurance companies and labor tried to defend their legitimacy in the context of enactment of Medicare in the USA. What factors influenced the strategic (rhetorical) decisions made by insurance companies and labor unions in their institutional work?
Design/methodology/approach
The study is empirically grounded in archival research, involving an analysis of over 9,000 pages of congressional hearings on Medicare covering the period 1958–1965.
Findings
The authors show that rhetorical legitimation strategies depend significantly on the specific historical circumstances in which those strategies are used. The historical context lent credibility to certain arguments and organizations are forced to decide either to challenge widely held assumptions or take advantage of them. The authors show that organizations face strong incentives to pursue the latter option. Here, both the insurance companies and labor unions tried to show that their positions were consistent with classical liberal ideology, because of high respect of classical liberal principles among different stakeholders (policymakers, voters, etc.).
Research limitations/implications
It is uncertain how much the results of the study could be generalized. More information about the organizations whose use of rhetorics the authors studied could have strengthened our conclusions.
Practical implications
The practical relevancy of the revised paper is that the authors should not expect hegemony challenging rhetorics from organizations, which try to influence legislators (and perhaps the larger public). Perhaps (based on the findings), this kind of rhetorics is not even very effective.
Social implications
The paper helps to understand better how organizations try to advance their interests and gain acceptance among the stakeholders.
Originality/value
In this paper, the authors show how historical context in practice influence rhetorical arguments organizations select in public debates when their goal is to influence the decision-making of their audience. In particular, the authors show how dominant ideology (or ideologies) limit the options organizations face when they are choosing their strategies and arguments. In terms of the selection of rhetorical justification strategies, the most pressing question is not the “real” broad based support of certain ideologies. Insurance company and labor union representatives clearly believed that they must emphasize liberal values (or liberal ideology) if they wanted to gain legitimacy for their positions. In existing literature, it is often assumed that historical context influence the selection of rhetorical strategies but how this in fact happens is not usually specified. The paper shows how interpretations of historical contexts (including the ideological context) in practice influence the rhetorical strategies organizations choose.
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C. Gustav Lundberg and Brian M. Nagle
This study explores feedback-induced and spontaneous postdecision restructuring in a complex decision environment. We examine the impact of experience, decision norms, and the…
Abstract
This study explores feedback-induced and spontaneous postdecision restructuring in a complex decision environment. We examine the impact of experience, decision norms, and the actual decision on postdecision restructuring tendencies. Experienced and novice auditors performed an aspect rating task as part of a going concern judgment. After a break, all participants were asked to recreate their decision stage aspect ratings, but only the experiment group received outcome feedback. We find that the restructuring tendencies are impacted primarily by experience and the original audit report choice. The post-decision restructuring more often than not is a result of adjustments made by participants lacking outcome feedback. This spontaneous defense is particularly vigorous when the report choice violates perceived experience-group norms and base-rates
Victoria Knight and Hannah Goodman
This article presents the findings of a survey into the personal safety provisions, services and training for key public service providers and users in Leicester city. The article…
Abstract
This article presents the findings of a survey into the personal safety provisions, services and training for key public service providers and users in Leicester city. The article offers some definitions and approaches to personal safety, which illustrates the breadth and extent to which personal safety is understood. The survey highlights perceptions and experiences of personal safety of workers from a range of agencies in the community in Leicester city. The findings suggest that personal safety is important in terms of debates and decisions about occupational health and safety, delivery of public services, diversity, social inclusion and crime and disorder. The article advocates the need to raise the profile of personal safety especially in service provision, services and training.