Greg Rolan, Tom Denison and Christine Mackenzie
The paper aims to present the results of a research project designed to explore the impact of the establishment and operation of a broadband enabled digital training facility at…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to present the results of a research project designed to explore the impact of the establishment and operation of a broadband enabled digital training facility at the Mill Park public library, focusing on the role of public libraries in both engaging and educating local communities and exploring issues related to the provision of training through public libraries, benefits or problems in doing so and the relationship to new and existing services.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper takes a case study approach, following the development of the training program and changes implemented throughout the first two years of operation.
Findings
The Mill Park Library has successfully met, if not exceeded, the goals of promoting broadband services, up-skilling the community and promoting digital readiness within it local community. Both directly and through partnerships with other organisations and schools, it has not only addressed the needs of community members but also engaged them more fully with the library’s other services.
Practical implications
The paper offers insight into the value of strong community-based networks in supporting the successful design and implementation of information and communication technology (ICT)-related training programs.
Originality/value
The paper offers insight into the value of strong community-based networks in supporting the successful design and implementation of ICT-related training programs.
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Brendan Fitzgerald, Wayne Hawkins, Tom Denison and Tegan Kop
This chapter looks at Australian public libraries and how they have developed and delivered inclusive service to people with disabilities over the past decade or so. As digital…
Abstract
Purpose
This chapter looks at Australian public libraries and how they have developed and delivered inclusive service to people with disabilities over the past decade or so. As digital technology impacts the public library sector the question of “how are libraries responding?” emerges, especially for the one in five Australians living with disabilities. This chapter is focused on how the public library network is delivering digitally inclusive services to people with disabilities.
Methodology/approach
The approach was to examine the international obligations, related governance, and professional standards that apply to Australian Public libraries; the current disability and digital inclusion related research from the past decade; and highlight some of the better examples of practice in Australian public library service.
Findings
This chapter is not a comprehensive examination but rather a summary scan of digital inclusion practice. However, it raises a number of questions for further investigation: research as to how these obligations are put into practice; how they can be better shared and learnt from; and more importantly how the aspiration of “inclusion for all” is being met.
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Thoah Kim Thi Ninh, Kerry Tanner, Graeme Johanson and Tom Denison
Higher education reform in Vietnam has recently required university libraries to improve their quality, to evaluate their performance, and to be accountable for the purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Higher education reform in Vietnam has recently required university libraries to improve their quality, to evaluate their performance, and to be accountable for the purpose of quality assessment and accreditation. Systematic performance measurement is an integral part of this process. The aims of this paper are: to provide an overview of the current state of performance development in Vietnamese university libraries; to address issues related to the measurement of library performance; and to propose an approach to evaluation for university libraries in Vietnam.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews the literature on library performance measurement, with particular focus on university libraries in Vietnam. Relevant documents relating to performance measurement were examined, and two case studies of performance measurement in university libraries in Vietnam were carried out.
Findings
It is critical that university libraries in Vietnam develop systematic performance measures and apply different methods and tools for performance measurement. To succeed, cooperation between the administering authority, university administration and library management is essential.
Research limitations/implications
This paper reports on the first phase of a doctoral research project at Monash University. Further research is being undertaken to develop a framework for quality assurance and performance measurement for Vietnamese university libraries. The efficacy if this framework is yet to be tested through its deployment in practice.
Originality/value
While performance measurement is well established in Western countries, it is less so in Vietnam. The current research is seeking to develop a performance measurement framework for university libraries that is attuned to the Vietnamese context. The paper stresses the urgent need for the development of effective performance measures and systematic performance measurement systems amongst this sector.
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Tom De Clerck, Leen Haerens, Delfien Van Dyck, Geert Devos and Annick Willem
Professionalization is an important issue in many all-volunteer nonprofit organizations (e.g. recreational sports clubs). Therefore, this study relied on the competing values…
Abstract
Purpose
Professionalization is an important issue in many all-volunteer nonprofit organizations (e.g. recreational sports clubs). Therefore, this study relied on the competing values framework and self-determination theory to investigate whether a newly developed intervention can effectively strengthen the management processes and leadership styles in all-volunteer sports clubs.
Design/methodology/approach
For this purpose, a rigorous non-equivalent pre-test post-test control group design was used. The intervention involved two sessions organized in sports clubs in which internal stakeholders (e.g. board members, coaches, volunteers) were invited to discuss change initiatives aimed at enhancing the organizational processes.
Findings
An effect on both the management processes and leadership styles was found. As for the management processes, the intervention had an impact on the internal processes, with especially the development of an internal communication plan and the annual assessment of the organization's operations being promoted by the intervention. Regarding the leadership styles, the intervention had an effect on the controlling and chaotic leadership style, with leaders becoming less chaotic and controlling in situations in which (respectively) the business plan was established and the tasks were distributed within the organization.
Originality/value
This intervention study adopted an innovative approach to organizational intervention research by focusing on the enhancement of both the management processes and the leadership styles. Its principles are also relevant and valuable to organizations operating in other organizational contexts.
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Jackie W. Deem, Pam J. DeLotell and Kathryn Kelly
This study investigates the relationship between employment status (full time (FT)/part time (PT)), organizational culture and institutional effectiveness in higher education. The…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates the relationship between employment status (full time (FT)/part time (PT)), organizational culture and institutional effectiveness in higher education. The purpose of this paper is to answer the question, “Does the growing population of PT faculty preclude effective cultures from developing and, accordingly, adversely affect institutional effectiveness?”
Design/methodology/approach
The study surveyed 159 PT faculty and 65 FT faculty from seven schools of an online, proprietary university. The instrument, consisting of the Organizational Culture Survey Instrument and demographic questions, was distributed and data collected utilizing an online survey application. Statistical analysis methods including descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and correlation analysis were used to analyze the data.
Findings
The study found no significant differences between perceptions of organizational culture or institutional effectiveness FT and PT faculty. Inter-school differences in perceptions were identified. Further research in this area is warranted to investigate discipline as a cause for the inter-school differences.
Research limitations/implications
The study included respondents from only one online university. Therefore, additional studies involving traditional, ground based and hybrid institutions are required to establish generalizability. Additionally, self-assessments of institutional effectiveness were used. Future studies should consider quantitative research models for the measurement of institutional effectiveness.
Practical implications
The study indicates that PT faculty are not less committed to the institution than their FT counterparts. This strengthens the case for using PT faculty, particularly in an online environment.
Originality/value
This study investigates the relationship between organizational culture and institutional effectiveness in higher education from the faculty perspective. This has not been done before.
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For over three decades, vector autoregressions have played a central role in empirical macroeconomics. These models are general, can capture sophisticated dynamic behavior, and…
Abstract
For over three decades, vector autoregressions have played a central role in empirical macroeconomics. These models are general, can capture sophisticated dynamic behavior, and can be extended to include features such as structural instability, time-varying parameters, dynamic factors, threshold-crossing behavior, and discrete outcomes. Building upon growing evidence that the assumption of linearity may be undesirable in modeling certain macroeconomic relationships, this article seeks to add to recent advances in VAR modeling by proposing a nonparametric dynamic model for multivariate time series. In this model, the problems of modeling and estimation are approached from a hierarchical Bayesian perspective. The article considers the issues of identification, estimation, and model comparison, enabling nonparametric VAR (or NPVAR) models to be fit efficiently by Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) algorithms and compared to parametric and semiparametric alternatives by marginal likelihoods and Bayes factors. Among other benefits, the methodology allows for a more careful study of structural instability while guarding against the possibility of unaccounted nonlinearity in otherwise stable economic relationships. Extensions of the proposed nonparametric model to settings with heteroskedasticity and other important modeling features are also considered. The techniques are employed to study the postwar U.S. economy, confirming the presence of distinct volatility regimes and supporting the contention that certain nonlinear relationships in the data can remain undetected by standard models.