The purpose of this study is to find out what kind of contextual factors that positively or negatively influence effective school improvement (ESI) in The Netherlands.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to find out what kind of contextual factors that positively or negatively influence effective school improvement (ESI) in The Netherlands.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the above‐mentioned purpose, Sun's contextual level model with ten contextual factors and 48 indicators has been used to carefully identify and evaluate three large Dutch ESI programs.
Findings
The findings showed that the factors fostering ESI at the Dutch contextual level were: external evaluation and external agents; national goal setting in terms of student outcomes; an adequate time, financial and human resource support; strong centrally steering and empowering ESI; national goal setting in terms of school improvement; engendering a culture in support of ESI; school accountability; offering school some autonomy. The factors hindering ESI at the Dutch national contextual level were: market mechanisms, allowing too much school/teacher autonomy in test taking; and instability of school staff and school counselors.
Practical implications
Sun's model with ten factors and 48 indicators can be used to identify or to evaluate the positive or negative factors at the contextual level of any ESI programs in different countries. The findings of this study may have significant implications for ESI, practice and policymaking.
Originality/value
The paper identifies and evaluates positive or negative contextual factors of ESI.
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Elfie J. Czerny and Dominik Godat
Innovation originally meant ‘change’ or ‘renewal’. Over time, it became associated with creating new products, methods, materials, markets, and forms of organisation. Today, in…
Abstract
Innovation originally meant ‘change’ or ‘renewal’. Over time, it became associated with creating new products, methods, materials, markets, and forms of organisation. Today, in everyday language, innovation is used as a much broader term that encompasses non-materialistic, non-economical ideas such as social, educational, philosophical, political, environmental, or spiritual innovations. What makes something innovative is subjective and depends not only on the perceived novelty of the content but also on the co-constructed meaning of what is possible or what it changes in our lives. Therefore, innovation leaders must also become experts in co-constructing meanings with their teams. In this chapter, a structured solution-focused framework will be introduced with the intent to support innovative teams in maintaining effective team dialogue, foster more innovative team collaboration, better innovations, or an improved innovation process. In fostering an interactive and dynamic team process, solution-focused leaders engage in deliberate interactions that often initiate a positive dynamic leading into an even more innovative future.
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This chapter examines the Netherlands’ challenges in safeguarding its low-lying coastline against rising sea levels and the consequences of coastal defense strategies on marine…
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This chapter examines the Netherlands’ challenges in safeguarding its low-lying coastline against rising sea levels and the consequences of coastal defense strategies on marine life, particularly in relation to SDG14. Sea-level rise necessitates increased soft coastal defense strategies, affecting seafloor areas and marine biodiversity through sand extraction and sand nourishments. The use of hard structures for coastal defense contributes to the loss of natural coastal habitats, raising biodiversity concerns. The chapter explores the potential benefits of artificial hard surfaces as marine habitats, emphasising the need for careful design to prevent ecological problems caused by invasive species. Strategies for enhancing biodiversity on human-made hard substrate structures, including material variations, hole drilling, and adaptations, are discussed. The ecological impact of marine sand extraction is examined, detailing its effects on benthic fauna, sediment characteristics, primary production, and fish and shrimp populations. Solutions proposed include improved design for mining areas, ecosystem-based rules for extraction sites, and ecologically enriched extraction areas. The ecosystem effects of marine sand nourishments are also analysed, considering the impact on habitat suitability for various species. The chemical effects of anaerobic sediment and recovery challenges are addressed. Mitigation measures, such as strategic nourishment location and timing, adherence to local morphology, and technical solutions, are suggested. The chapter underscores the importance of education in Nature-based Solutions and announces the launch of a new BSc programme in Marine Sciences at Wageningen University & Research, integrating social and ecological knowledge to address challenges in seas, oceans, and coastal regions and support SDG14 goals.
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Seidali Kurtmollaiev and Tor Helge Aas
On the one hand, there is a long tradition of approaching management control and innovation as opposites that prompt organisational tensions. On the other hand, recent studies…
Abstract
On the one hand, there is a long tradition of approaching management control and innovation as opposites that prompt organisational tensions. On the other hand, recent studies have shown that management control may foster innovation and promote innovative behaviour. At the same time, both these perspectives focus on innovation management, and discussions regarding the role of management control in innovation leadership are conspicuously absent from the literature. In this chapter, we analyse how innovation leaders use management control in two service companies. We demonstrate that, in contrast to innovation managers who employ management control systems primarily for planning, monitoring, and evaluation purposes, innovation leaders use management control for advocacy, engagement, and visibility.
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Stephanie Kaudela-Baum, Karina R. Jensen and Rob Sheffield
This chapter first describes the essential aspects of a currently changing world, which is characterised by digitalisation, globalisation and politically unstable situations…
Abstract
This chapter first describes the essential aspects of a currently changing world, which is characterised by digitalisation, globalisation and politically unstable situations. Based on this transformation context, key concepts such as leadership, innovation, innovation leadership and leadership competences are introduced, along with a new definition and framework for innovation leadership. The chapter discusses the distinction between innovation leadership and innovation management, and the connecting lines between these two concepts. The innovation leadership framework is described and related to the individual contributions of the authors in the book. The chapter frames these contributions along the dimensions of self-leadership, team leadership, organisational leadership and ecosystem leadership.
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The following bibliography focuses mainly on programs which can run on IBM microcomputers and compatibles under the operating system PC DOS/MS DOS, and which can be used in online…
Abstract
The following bibliography focuses mainly on programs which can run on IBM microcomputers and compatibles under the operating system PC DOS/MS DOS, and which can be used in online information and documentation work. They fall into the following categories:
Citizen participation in urban governance has established itself as a paradigm, promising greater democracy, empowerment, and more cost-effective public service delivery against…
Abstract
Citizen participation in urban governance has established itself as a paradigm, promising greater democracy, empowerment, and more cost-effective public service delivery against the backdrop of increased urban conflicts. The dominant focus on the “citizen” or even “smart citizen” in the context of smart cities and urban innovation is however a relatively recent phenomenon. A growing number of initiatives seek to revamp the smart city as a human smart city. Therein, design thinking and human-centered design have become the buzzwords of choice to describe “putting people first” approaches that promise to develop solutions tailored to citizens’ needs. What was previously known as user-centered design in the context of information and communication technology (ICT) product and service development now proliferates the urban through innovation labs or civic hackathons. But what are the implications of using design thinking in a smart city context? And moreover, how to unpack human-centered design and design thinking within urban scholarship? This chapter contextualizes the phenomenon of design thinking in cities and renders implicit design thinking processes more explicit. Drawing upon ongoing research in Manchester and Amsterdam since 2014, my work-in-progress suggests that governing through design thinking results in a designing of the social rather than for the social. This trend requires historically informed political analysis and alternative ways to govern if the “right to the smart city” is not to become yet another iteration of shape-shifting neoliberal strategies.