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Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 August 2024

Zelda S. Bisschoff and Liezel Massyn

The paper aims to close a literature gap by proposing a comprehensive conceptual soft skills competency framework for enhancing graduate intern employability through the…

1577

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to close a literature gap by proposing a comprehensive conceptual soft skills competency framework for enhancing graduate intern employability through the cultivation of employability capital.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employed a theoretical inquiry and delved into the existing literature on employability, soft skills competencies and employability capital to establish a comprehensive foundation to formulate the conceptual framework. A content analysis of existing empirical studies was conducted to derive a generic list of employers’ required soft skills. A Delphi technique was employed to harness expert consensus and insights into the derived framework.

Findings

Employability capital can be cultivated in the setting of work-integrated learning programmes and synergised through emotional and social intelligence interventions to enhance soft skills competency and graduate employability.

Research limitations/implications

The soft skills identified may overlook other important skills required by employers. Increasing participation in the Delphi study could yield additional valuable insights. Validation of the framework is needed in practical settings to understand its effectiveness and applicability to real-world organisational needs.

Practical implications

This study significantly enhances understanding of the role of employability capital in soft skills competency development and graduate employability through work-integrated learning programs and self-development. In addition, the framework has the potential to positively impact the employer-employee relationship.

Originality/value

The key theoretical contribution is a soft skill development framework that offers employers and graduates a means to identify and address deficiencies through WIL and self-development.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 15 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 March 2025

Richard Bonaccorsi and Kalle Lyytinen

Incumbent organizations are being challenged to carry out the transformative change induced by digital transformation. They often address the challenge by creating diverse…

0

Abstract

Purpose

Incumbent organizations are being challenged to carry out the transformative change induced by digital transformation. They often address the challenge by creating diverse, cross-functional teams called breakthrough teams to imagine, plan and execute the change. The teams operate under two opposing pressures: the team’s members must undertake their daily work in the exploitative environment of the incumbent and engage in bold explorations dictated by the team’s change mandate. To address the poor understanding of what makes such teams effective in such organizations, we ask: What team-level factors influence the extent to which breakthrough teams effectively pursue their radical mandate?

Design/methodology/approach

We hypothesize the effect of a team-level factor called “relational climate” – the team’s vision, compassion and relational energy – on team performance defined as innovating radically innovation and engaging in effective processes. We posit that the effect is fully mediated by the team’s two boundary mechanisms – spanning and buffering – which define how the team interacts with its environment. We validate the research model using survey data from 184 teams in 90 organizations engaged in digital transformation.

Findings

We find that teams’ boundary mechanisms fully mediate the effect of the relational climate on radical innovation and process performance. Selective incentives and higher-level information technology (IT) capabilities also have a significant effect on radical innovation.

Practical implications

This study is motivated by the need for scholars and practitioners alike to better understand how to create and manage teams that have radical change mandates. Managers currently are pushed to explore high-growth, high-risk change by establishing cross-functional teams to accomplish such mandates. Our study suggests a two-pronged approach to improve the performance of these teams: (1) cultivate and sustain a strong intra-team climate, enabling a radical vision to emerge, and (2) apply principles to manage team boundaries by determining what needs to be protected from the environment and what needs to be opened to it.

Originality/value

To date, research has focused on organizational and individual-level antecedents of radical change, while team-level studies have focused on marketing and new product development (NPD) teams, which are devoid of radical mandates. The study addresses incumbent firms’ challenge of managing the radical innovation created by digital transformation and demonstrates the significance of three team-level factors on team performance: relational climate, buffering and spanning. To our knowledge, our theoretical model is the first to draw on these constructs to explain team-level radical innovation outcomes.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 28 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 October 2024

Lazare Nzeyimana, Åsa Danielsson, Veronica Brodén-Gyberg and Lotta Andersson

This paper analyses Rwandan farmers’ perceptions of historical drivers of landscape vulnerability (past), current livelihood assets (present) and existing or potential capacities…

292

Abstract

Purpose

This paper analyses Rwandan farmers’ perceptions of historical drivers of landscape vulnerability (past), current livelihood assets (present) and existing or potential capacities (future) to increase resilience to drought. The specific focus is on linking experiences from the past and present with ideas for a drought-resilient future. It explores how farmers' perceptions of past droughts and future visioning can contribute to rural development policy and multi-level collaborations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study was conducted in Bugesera, a drought-prone district in south-eastern Rwanda. Empirical data was collected through participatory observation, semi-structured interviews and focus groups. The analytical points of departure are based on sustainable landscapes and livelihood approaches, combining spatial and temporal perspectives on challenges and opportunities identified by farmers’ communities in addressing droughts.

Findings

All respondents had a high awareness of the impact of droughts. Perceived drivers of landscape change include historical climate events, such as droughts and floods, immigration and agricultural expansion, which have led to demographic pressure on land, deforestation and infringement on natural resources. Factors enhancing resilience capacities include access to diversified sources of livelihood, knowledge of appropriate irrigation techniques and availability of safety nets and credits. Furthermore, farmers identified collaborative opportunities as important for resilience capacity, including peer learning, and sharing best practices through knowledge exchange and on-field training. In addition, farmers brought up the need for innovative institutions that can facilitate access to markets and enable collaboration between different agricultural sectors.

Originality/value

This study analyses farmers’ perceptions of resilience capacities to droughts through a spatiotemporal lens of past droughts, present capital and future challenges by linking scales, knowledge and human–environment nexus. This paper contributes to the knowledge of climate adaptation in Rwanda and to discussions about smallholder farming in the literature on climate change adaptation.

Details

International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, vol. 17 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1756-8692

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 February 2025

Qian Zhang, Zhipeng Liu and Siliang Yang

The construction industry is notorious for high risks and accident rates, prompting professionals to adopt emerging technologies for improved construction workers’ health and…

61

Abstract

Purpose

The construction industry is notorious for high risks and accident rates, prompting professionals to adopt emerging technologies for improved construction workers’ health and safety (CWHS). Despite the recognized benefits, the practical implementation of these technologies in safety management within the Construction 4.0 era remains nascent. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms influencing the implementation of Construction 4.0 technologies (C4.0TeIm) to enhance CWHS in construction organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing upon integrated institutional theory, the contingency resource-based view of firms and the theory of planned behavior, this study developed and tested an integrated C4.0TeIm-CWHS framework. The framework captures the interactions among key factors driving C4.0TeIm to enhance CWHS within construction organizations. Data were collected via a questionnaire survey among 91 construction organizations and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the hypothesized relationships.

Findings

The results reveal that: (1) key C4.0TeIm areas are integrative and centralized around four areas, such as artificial intelligence and 3D printing, Internet of Things and extended reality; and (2) external coercive and normative forces, internal resource and capability, business strategy, technology competency and management (BST), organizational culture and use intention (UI) of C4.0 technologies, collectively influence C4.0TeIm-CWHS. The findings confirm the pivotal roles of BST and UI as mediators fostering positive organizational behaviors related to C4.0TeIm-CWHS.

Practical implications

Practically, it offers actionable insights for policymakers to optimize technology integration in construction firms, promoting industrial advancement while enhancing workforce well-being.

Originality/value

The novel C4.0TeIm-CWHS framework contributes to the theoretical discourses on safety management within the C4.0 paradigm by offering insights into internal strategic deployment and compliance challenges in construction organizations.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 32 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 January 2025

Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley and Thomas Howard Morris

This paper aims to address the concern that humans are experiencing unprecedented, rapidly changing conditions, in part exacerbated by a recent pandemic, digitization and ongoing…

552

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to address the concern that humans are experiencing unprecedented, rapidly changing conditions, in part exacerbated by a recent pandemic, digitization and ongoing wartime.

Design/methodology/approach

A paper that seeks to address what the authors are calling the “Educational Malaise”. The authors achieve this through a conceptual and theoretical exploration of the social nature of human beings and learning in the context of readings of human nature, and moral and rational powers.

Findings

It is proposed that education should be designed to empower learners to meet the demands of rapidly changing conditions. The ability to adapt is of primary importance for meeting the demands of the changing world, and the “Self-Directed Flourishing” meta-framework can help educators to meet this challenge.

Originality/value

Using conceptual and theoretical lenses, in this paper, the authors identify some core problems with traditional pedagogies in formal education and advance a person-centred, humanistic approach to pedagogy. The authors advocate for a new meta-framework for educators: “Self-Directed Flourishing”. The authors propose placing co-creation, courage and conceptual insight at the heart of educational policies and practices, which the authors suggest will nurture a dynamic, adaptable and ethical microculture for human flourishing in 21st-century education and beyond.

Details

Quality Education for All, vol. 2 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2976-9310

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 18 January 2024

Jin Xu, Pei Hua Shi and Xi Chen

This study aims to unveil the pivotal components and implementation pathways in the digital innovation of smart tourism destinations, while constructing a theoretical framework…

846

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to unveil the pivotal components and implementation pathways in the digital innovation of smart tourism destinations, while constructing a theoretical framework from a holistic perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The research focuses on 31 significant urban smart tourism destinations in China. Secondary data was collected through manual search supplemented by big data scraping, whereas primary data was obtained from interviews with municipal tourism authorities. Grounded theory was used to theoretically construct the phenomenon of digital innovation in smart tourism destinations.

Findings

This research has formulated a data-driven knowledge framework for digital innovation in smart tourism destinations. Core components include digital organizational innovation, smart data platforms, multi-stakeholder digital collaborative ecosystem and smart tourism scenario systems. Destinations can achieve smart tourism scene innovation through closed innovation driven by smart data platforms or open innovation propelled by a multi-stakeholder digital collaborative ecosystem.

Practical implications

Based on insights from digital innovation practices, this study proposes a series of concrete recommendations aimed at assisting Destination Management Organizations in formulating and implementing more effective digital innovation strategies to enhance the sustainable digital competitiveness of destinations.

Originality/value

This study advances smart tourism destination innovation research from localized thinking to systemic thinking; extends digital innovation theory into the realm of smart tourism destination innovation; repositions the significance of knowledge in smart tourism destination innovation; and constructs a comprehensive framework for digital innovation in smart tourism destinations.

目的

本研究致力于揭示智能旅游目的地数字创新中的核心组件及实施路径, 并创建一个整体视角下的理论框架。

设计/方法/方法

研究选定中国31座重要城市型智能旅游目的地为研究对象。通过人工检索结合大数据抓取的方式收集二手资料, 以各市旅游主管部门为访谈对象收集一手资料。运用扎根理论对智能旅游目的地的数字创新现象进行理论构建。

发现

本研究构建了一个数据型知识驱动的智能旅游目的地数字创新框架。其中, 核心组件包括数字组织创新、智慧数据平台、多主体数字协同生态和智慧旅游场景体系。目的地可通过智慧数据平台驱动的内生型创新或多主体数字协同生态推动的开放式创新, 实现智能旅游场景创新。

原创性/价值

本研究将智能旅游目的地创新相关研究由局部思考推向系统思考; 将数字创新理论扩展到智能旅游目的地创新的研究中; 重新定位知识在智能旅游目的地创新中的重要地位; 以及构建了一个智能旅游目的地数字创新整体框架。

实践意义

本研究基于数字创新实践洞察, 提出了一系列具体建议。旨在帮助目的地管理组织更有效地制定和实施数字创新策略, 以增强旅游目的地可持竞争力。

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

La investigación se centra en 31 destacados destinos turísticos urbanos inteligentes de China. Los datos secundarios se recopilaron mediante una búsqueda manual complementada con técnicas de big data, mientras que los datos primarios se obtuvieron a partir de entrevistas con las autoridades turísticas municipales. Se empleó la teoría fundamentada para construir teóricamente el fenómeno de la innovación digital en los destinos turísticos inteligentes.

Objetivo

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo identificar los componentes esenciales y las rutas de implementación de la innovación digital en destinos turísticos inteligentes, y construir un marco teórico desde una perspectiva holística.

Resultados

Este estudio ha desarrollado un marco de conocimiento basado en datos para la innovación digital en destinos turísticos inteligentes. Los componentes centrales incluyen la innovación organizativa digital, la plataforma de datos inteligentes, el ecosistema digital colaborativo de múltiples actores y el sistema de escenarios turísticos inteligentes. Además, tanto la innovación endógena impulsada por la plataforma de datos inteligentes como la innovación abierta impulsada por el ecosistema digital colaborativo de múltiples actores contribuyen a la innovación por escenarios en destinos turísticos inteligentes.

Implicaciones prácticas

A partir de las prácticas de innovación digital, este estudio ofrece una serie de recomendaciones dirigidas a las Organizaciones de Gestión de Destinos (DMOs) para la formulación e implementación de estrategias de innovación digital de manera más efectiva, y mejorar la competitividad digital sostenible de los destinos turísticos.

Originalidad/valor

Este estudio avanza la investigación sobre innovación en destinos turísticos inteligentes desde el pensamiento localizado hasta el pensamiento sistémico; extiende la teoría de la innovación digital al ámbito de la innovación en destinos turísticos inteligentes; reposiciona la importancia del conocimiento en la innovación de destinos turísticos inteligentes; y construye un marco integral para la innovación digital en destinos turísticos inteligentes.

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 September 2024

Richard Beach

This paper posits the need for English language arts (ELA) teachers to foster students’ use of languaging about their relations with ecosystems and peers, leading to their…

322

Abstract

Purpose

This paper posits the need for English language arts (ELA) teachers to foster students’ use of languaging about their relations with ecosystems and peers, leading to their engaging in collective action to critique and transform status-quo systems impacting the climate crisis.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the current theory of languaging theory and research that focuses on the use of languaging to enact relations with ecosystems and others and voice emotions for transforming communities and reducing emissions contributing to climate change.

Findings

This review of languaging theory/research leads to identifying examples of teachers having students critique the use of languaging constituting status quo energy and community/transportation systems, respond to examples of characters using languaging in literary texts, using languaging in discussing or writing about the need to address climate change, critiquing languaging in media promoting consumption, using media to interact with audiences and using languaging through engaging in role-play activities.

Originality/value

This focus on languaging in ELA classrooms is a unique perspective application of languaging theory, leading students to engage in collective, communal action to address the climate crisis.

Details

English Teaching: Practice & Critique, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5727

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 27 September 2023

Tomo Kawane, Bismark Adu-Gyamfi and Rajib Shaw

The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled higher educational institutions to implement alternative educational strategies that rely heavily on internet accessibility and utilisation to…

96

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has compelled higher educational institutions to implement alternative educational strategies that rely heavily on internet accessibility and utilisation to monitor and evaluate students. This study aims to find certain indicators for planning and designing future courses of inclusive online education in the domain of disaster risk reduction (DRR).

Design/methodology/approach

The study reviews and analyses online teaching and learning experiences of DRR courses. It uses online surveys and interviews to derive the perspectives of selected students and educators in universities in Asia and the Pacific region.

Findings

Active engagement is considered to be achieved when students are active in chat boxes, through presentations, through assignments and when the video cameras of students are turned on. On the contrary, students perceive active engagement differently because they face emotional disturbances and health issues due to prolonged screen/digital device use, have inadequate information and communications technology infrastructure or have digital literacy deficiencies among others. The study finds that online courses have many sets of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats, when they are balanced, they can improve DRR courses in the future.

Research limitations/implications

The study is based on the outcome of interviews with 10 experienced educators in DRR courses as well as students from different schools taking courses in DRR education. However, the students are not necessarily taking the courses of the educators interviewed due to the inability of some educators to avail themselves and the challenge of contacting the students. This notwithstanding, the results of this study give a general overview of the situation to be considered in the planning and design of online and distance education.

Social implications

The results do not reflect the reaction of students and tutors of the same course. Future studies of collecting and analyzing the responses from the students and the educators with the same course could provide tailored solutions.

Originality/value

This study attempts to find solutions to bridging two different perspectives on teaching and learning. The results would be important to strengthening and designing future online courses.

Details

International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment, vol. 16 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1759-5908

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 30 January 2025

Tiziana C. Callari and Lucia Puppione

The purpose of this study was to explore employees’ perceptions and firsthand experiences of the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) productivity tools, specifically…

164

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to explore employees’ perceptions and firsthand experiences of the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) productivity tools, specifically Microsoft 365 Copilot, on individual and collective learning processes within a multinational corporation. In doing so, the study provides insights into how these tools can shape workplace learning dynamics, fostering both individual skill development and collaborative knowledge-sharing practices.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors collected responses from 357 participants through a survey that included both multiple-choice and open-ended questions. This study focuses exclusively on the qualitative responses. The reflexive thematic analysis method was used to capture and interpret employees’ perceptions of the role of Microsoft 365 Copilot – a generative AI-powered assistant integrated into the Microsoft 365 suite of applications (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) – in enhancing their work and learning opportunities in the workplace.

Findings

The results highlight four key themes contributing to workplace learning. At the individual level, Task Support illustrates the extent to which generative AI productivity tools transform work practices and facilitate both formal and informal learning pathways, while Meaningful Work underscores the tools’ role in enhancing employees’ foundational knowledge through enriched information. At the organisational level, organisational culture suggests the importance of fostering a supportive environment for AI integration, while organisational socialisation highlights its influence on team cohesion and the informal knowledge-sharing processes essential for effective collaboration within and among team members.

Practical implications

The results of this study offer actionable insights for organisations integrating generative AI productivity tools in the workplace. Understanding employees’ perceptions of the role of AI in workplace learning can inform the design of targeted training programmes that promote individual skill development and foster collaborative knowledge sharing. Furthermore, a supportive organisational culture that positions AI as a complementary resource can improve employee engagement, reduce resistance to new technologies and encourage a growth-oriented mindset, ultimately driving both personal and organisational development.

Originality/value

This study shifts the narrative around the role of AI in the workplace by examining how generative AI productivity tools can enhance workplace learning at both individual and organisational levels, rather than focusing solely on their potential to disrupt work through displacement and automation. By positioning AI-based applications as complementary to human work, this approach highlights their potential as enablers of skill development, knowledge sharing and job enrichment, fostering a more adaptive and learning-oriented work environment.

Details

Journal of Workplace Learning, vol. 37 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-5626

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 18 November 2024

Novi Sekar Sari, Ririn Tri Ratnasari and Asmak Ab Rahman

This study aims to determine the influence of experiential value, authentic happiness and experiential satisfaction on the behavioral intention of luxury fashion.

124

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to determine the influence of experiential value, authentic happiness and experiential satisfaction on the behavioral intention of luxury fashion.

Design/methodology/approach

Two hundred online questionnaires were collected from customers who rented or bought wedding dresses between 2015 and 2020, with at least one rental or purchase coming from an Indonesian bridal wedding brand that promotes the idea of marriage under Islamic law. The quantitative methodology used in this study was examined using the Structural Equation Model analysis method with the AMOS 22 software.

Findings

The results showed that all hypotheses were accepted with significant positive influences, including experiential value in halal fashion on authentic happiness, experiential satisfaction and luxury fashion behavioral intention, authentic happiness in luxury fashion behavioral intention and experiential satisfaction, as well as experiential satisfaction in the behavioral intention of luxury fashion.

Research limitations/implications

The data were collected from respondents who have rented and/or purchased wedding dresses. However, the number of respondents who only rent or who only buy was not identified.

Practical implications

The value of experience in halal fashion needs to be increased. Based on the results of this study, it is hoped that marketers can create effective marketing policies and strategies by paying attention to the value of the consumer’s halal fashion experience because it will affect their authentic happiness, experience satisfaction and luxury fashion behavior intention.

Originality/value

This study has unique originality in measuring the variable of luxury fashion behavioral intention, which was adjusted to the object of research, namely luxury fashion.

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