Sharon Mader and Elizabeth Park
The proliferation and popularity of microcomputers have precipitated a revolution in online searching. Complex, costly online systems such as DIALOG and BRS, normally utilized in…
Abstract
The proliferation and popularity of microcomputers have precipitated a revolution in online searching. Complex, costly online systems such as DIALOG and BRS, normally utilized in libraries or information centers by professional searchers, have produced user‐friendly and inexpensive offspring. These scaled‐down systems, designed for use at home or in the office, are advertised and discussed in popular magazines.
This paper aims to question whether the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education adheres to the theory upon which it was based and to examine the actions of the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to question whether the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education adheres to the theory upon which it was based and to examine the actions of the Association of College and Research Libraries following the Framework’s release and its consequences.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is an essay-style viewpoint, reflecting the observations and opinions of the author.
Findings
The author criticizes the Association of College and Research Libraries for its inaction in educating member librarians about how to implement the Framework and observes ideological rifts that were exposed within the academic librarian community as the Framework was being discussed following its adoption.
Originality/value
This paper is meant to provoke thought and generate discussion in regard to the Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education.
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Keywords
The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with orientation to library facilities and services, instruction in the use of information resources, and research and…
Abstract
The following is an annotated list of materials dealing with orientation to library facilities and services, instruction in the use of information resources, and research and computer skills related to retrieving, using, and evaluating information. This review, the fifteenth to be published in Reference Services Review, includes items in English published in 1988. A few are not annotated because the compiler could not obtain copies of them for this review.
Nancy Dennis and Nancy Dodd Harrington
Over the past twenty years, bibliographic instruction has evolved from teaching students the mechanics of locating research materials to a process‐oriented approach that…
Abstract
Over the past twenty years, bibliographic instruction has evolved from teaching students the mechanics of locating research materials to a process‐oriented approach that emphasizes analyzing research needs, framing a research question, and evaluating the search results. In the last decade alone, academic librarians have extended bibliographic instruction to cover online catalogs, CD‐ROMs, and database searching, in addition to teaching print resources and the card catalog. We are still defining a paradigm for teaching end‐users. Some of the assumptions associated with the teaching of print resources, for example, can be applied to the teaching of information technologies, while others cannot. Our efforts are further complicated by the rapid development of new types of technologies, by vendor refusals to adopt a standard command language or user interface, and by our patrons' varying responses to both computers in general and electronic research sources in particular.
The purpose of this paper is to present the necessary accessories for creating a job description, through a model. The model concentrates on the person and a job description…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the necessary accessories for creating a job description, through a model. The model concentrates on the person and a job description document, which is capable of connecting and synchronising the organizational goals. The author introduces a tool that assists in creating job descriptions.
Design/methodology/approach
In the present paper the author integrates the conclusions of the authors on the subject and her own research results, on the basis of which she creates a three dimensional (3D) job description model. This 3D model could be used as a resource in the human resource development field.
Findings
The elements of the resulting job description document: the method specific accessories of the job descriptions. The content specific accessories of the job descriptions. The person specific accessories of the job descriptions.
Research limitations/implications
The 3D job description, which is presented in the study, was preceded by the development of a general model. The very first application of the general model was in connection with competence tests, which have gained popularity lately. Competences can be classified in different ways. Each aspect of classification corresponds to a face of a tetrahedron, five of which comprise the model. This model is also adaptable for other kinds of research used at research centres, educational institutions and companies.
Practical implications
The 3D job description being presented was developed as a special, multi-dimensional data model. The model allows us to discover and present the causal relationships and the connections between the parts and the whole of job description elements. It demonstrates the interacting factors clearly due to the fact that the tetrahedrons can be rolled over one another, and it is adaptable for the mapping of the connections between these factors.
Social implications
The model is capable of defining the central elements. In this case, the people and the organization of work are in the centre. The 3D job description is adaptable for modelling by the exploration of logical links, so it can show what kind of “whole” is generated by the given elements and what parts it consists of. Therefore the model can be interpreted as a network of connections, which is capable of illustrating the vertical and horizontal structure, due to the special form of tetrahedrons. The model is perfect for the demonstration of the connections between contents on the faces of the tetrahedrons, due to their form and movability.
Originality/value
The elaboration and presentation of the general model, protected by design patent (90 806 D0500121) in Hungary, was stimulated by the fact that during different kinds of research and analyses it is an important task to explore the influencing factors, elements and their connections. This is of primary importance especially at the early stage of research and analysis, because the negligence of these in the early stages results in the fact that those particular factors can be taken into account only during a repeated analysis.
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Keywords
Colin C. Williams and Gamze Oz-Yalaman
The temporary enforced closure of businesses in response to the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in governments in Europe and beyond offering short-term financial support to the…
Abstract
Purpose
The temporary enforced closure of businesses in response to the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in governments in Europe and beyond offering short-term financial support to the businesses and workers affected. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate a group of workers unable to benefit from the short-term job retention schemes and support to the self-employed made available by governments, namely, those whose paid work is comprised wholly of undeclared work, and how this could be addressed.
Design/methodology/approach
To identify those whose paid work is entirely undeclared, a Eurobarometer survey of undeclared work in Europe is reported conducted in September 2019, just prior to the pandemic, and involving 27,565 face-to-face interviews in 28 European countries.
Findings
The finding is that the paid work of one in every 132 European citizens is comprised wholly of undeclared work, and these workers are concentrated in non-essential businesses and activities severely affected by the lockdown. These workers whose paid work is comprised wholly of undeclared work are significantly more likely to be widowed or divorced/separated, living in households with three or more adults, without children and most of the time have financial difficulties in making ends meet.
Practical implications
Given that businesses and workers in the undeclared economy are largely unable to work under lockdown, it is argued that providing access to short-term financial support, through a regularisation initiative based on voluntary disclosure, would not only provide the income support these workers need but also bring them out of the shadows and put them on the radar of the state authorities, thus transforming undeclared work into declared work.
Originality/value
This paper shows how in the current or repeat lockdowns, the short-term financial support made available by governments can be used to transform undeclared work into declared work.
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Keywords
Raja Sreedharan V., Vijaya Sunder M. and Raju R.
The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on the critical success factors (CSFs) of various continuous improvement (CI) like total quality management (TQM)…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the existing literature on the critical success factors (CSFs) of various continuous improvement (CI) like total quality management (TQM), Lean, Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma (LSS), and perform a content analysis (CA) leading to an agenda for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
CA is based on literature review of 41 papers published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals. A four-stage methodology is used by the authors, with Stage 1 featuring relevant material collection; Stage 2 presenting a descriptive analysis; Stage 3 outlining the category selection; and Stage 4 featuring the material evaluation using clustering and Pareto analysis.
Findings
The CA revealed various research implications and directions for the future. The number of studies in the literature regarding CSF assessment is found to be far from substantial while compared to CI implementation. Assessment methodologies developed have been ranging from qualitative to quantitative models. Key gaps were identified and directions for CSF assessment are proposed which requires further validation.
Research limitations/implications
Only articles that appeared in peer-reviewed journals were analyzed; conference papers, reports, manuals and white papers from practice were excluded. Another limitation of the paper would be the scope of CA limited to four CI constructs – TQM, Lean, Six Sigma and LSS. Research implications indicate that the future studies in this domain would be intensive toward analyzing the vital CSFs for enterprise organizational excellence and not merely process excellence.
Practical implications
This review study can serve as a resource for both researchers and practitioners to understand the importance of CSFs and positioning CSFs for the successful implementation of CI programs.
Originality/value
The CA on the existing literature on CSFs for CI presents a unique, systematic effort to identify an agenda for future research. This study is the apparently the first of its kind on CSF assessment.