bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THE CHALLENGES OF ASIAN DISTANCE EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Authors: Fei Yang Jack
Published: August 2016

Distance education systems make global educational more accessible for an increasing number of students. Distance education, which offers the conveniences of flexible time and place for study, can allow many students from different societies and cultures-regardless of race, gender, age, and nationality differences-to have equal opportunities. Nevertheless, there are still many challenges and limitations that a global distance education system has to overcome. The discussion in this paper is focused on differences between the East and the West. The writer suggests that primary issues to consider in order to develop a global distance learning system are: assuring consistent educational quality, gaining confidence in social perceptions, accommodating diverse learning/teaching styles, and creative approaches to accommodating language differences.
THE CHALLENGES OF KNOWLEDGE CONSTRUCTION THROUGH E-MODERATING AT UNIVERSITAS TERBUKA, INDONESIA CASE STUDY: TUTORIAL ONLINE IN MATHEMATICS COURSES
Authors: Suroyo  , Ismarwati Atun
Published: August 2016

Implementation of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in distance learning requires some efforts to succeed. Currently in using internet for learningassisted service, UT has utilized tutorial online for 171 courses. In the implementation of tutorial online UT found many constraints such as the number of students who use tutorial online facility is relatively small, low capability of using ICT, high cost, low accessibility, and technical difficulty. E-moderating is one of the learning approach to be used in evaluating tutorial online for two sample courses in Mathematics MATK4531- Structure of Algebra and MATA4350-Mathematics of Finance. Research on the implementation of the on-line tutorials indicates that the development stages of tutorial online could facilitate learning experiences but there are some difficulty in accessing and socializing the facilities for new students. The efforts to acquire learning effectiveness in Tutorial Online at UT should be creatively develop.
FACTORS AND PRACTICES IMPROVING STUDENT COMPLETION RATE: A COMPARISON OF TWO DISTANCE LEARNING COURSES
Authors: Fan Rocky Y. K. , Lee Linda Y. K.
Published: August 2016

Numerous approaches have been attempted to tackle the problem of student attrition in open and distance education. To increase the retention rate, many of these approaches concentrated on the problem and emphasised on rectifying factors that contribute to the attrition. Literature has sometimes overlooked the reasons that promote student retention. To gain insights from successful examples, this study compares the characteristics of a nursing course with a 91% completion rate and a mathematics course with 46%. It aims to identify factors and practices that improve the quality of an open and distance learning course, its students, and hence the completion rate. The two courses for comparison are similar in many aspects such as being 10‐credit foundation courses, having similar student support, and presenting under the same set of university policies; nevertheless, there are significant differences between them.
A CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP AND AN INNOVATIVE AND EFFECTIVE MULTIMEDIA ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNING AND TEACHING WEBSITE
Authors: Baobin Zhao , Arridge Richard , Dailin Liu , Muzhen Fang
Published: August 2016

"in2english" as an innovative and effective multimedia English language learning and teaching website came about through a creative partnership between the British Council (BC), the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), China Central Radio and Television University (CCRTVU) and CRTVU-Online Distance Educational Technology Limited (CRTVU-Online). As a cooperative endeavor it combines British expertise in English teaching and development of online materials with CCRTVU's knowledge and experience of the English learning environment in China as well as expertise in ICT and development of online materials. At its inception many of the website's features were innovative and cutting edge. The free website goes beyond text and makes extensive use of multimedia. Since its launch on 5th November 2002 the website has welcomed nearly 10 million unique visitors, visited 18 million times, from its target audience of business people, English teachers, young professionals and their children. During five years of development "in2english" has evolved into a highly interactive community. "myin2english", a personalized feature, helps foster the learners' participation and ventures into the world of mobile learning highlight its continuing commitment to innovation. However, it is also a time to reflect on the lessons learned about Chinese learners' attitude to online learning. A retrospective and critical approach is needed to see how far we have come, how creative and innovative we are now and how we should proceed in the future.
DESIGNING INTERFACE FOR INTERACTIVE MULTIMEDIA: LEARNER PERCEPTIONS ON THE DESIGN FEATURES
Authors: Kulasekara Geetha Udayangani , Jayatilleke Buddhini Gayathri , Coomaraswamy Uma
Published: August 2016

Interactive Multimedia (IMM) package has a greater potential of supporting individual differences of learners due to its inherent strength of media attributes. This study was carried out to explore the design features of IMM, which was specially designed to support the open and distant learners, studying Microbiology as a part of the B.Sc. Degree program, of the Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL), with the purpose of explaining the dynamic abstract concepts in Microbiology. When designing the IMM emphasis was placed on the design features, interface design in particular, in order to help the learners to achieve a meaningful learning experience. The purpose of this research paper is to explore learner perceptions of the design features of the IMM and, in developing a more user friendly, authentic instructional package. As such, quantitative and qualitative research methods were used by means of questionnaires, interviews and observations. Evaluation reveals many supportive and constructive outcomes, and suggests improvements in providing a better support for learners studying science subjects at a distance. In the context of the university using new technologies, especially for delivery, the results of this study would be a great asset.
STUDENT COACHING FOR RETENTION IN A DISTANCE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT
Authors: Benaya Tamar , Zur Ela
Published: August 2016

The Open University of Israel (OUI) is a higher education institution with an open admission policy which is based solely on distance learning and self-study. The teaching method practiced at the OUI is a combination of traditional and web-based distance learning. One of the issues of great concern in all institutions and even to a greater extent in open and distance learning institutions is student retention. In an attempt to deal with this problem, the OUI decided to embark on a Retention Project which aim is to help new students to overcome the hardships of the first course. The new students were offered to be paired up with senior students who would accompany and coach them throughout their first semesters. This paper describes the Retention Project, and it presents results concerning the performance of the coached students, their retention at the OUI and the means of communication used by the coached students and their coaches in a distance learning environment.
STUDENT ACTIVITIES IN ONLINE ASSESSMENT
Authors: Yuliastuti ES Eko , Helmiatin Helmiatin
Published: August 2016

Universitas Terbuka (UT) in Indonesia provides a number of tutorial services to its students. The models of tutorial services are correspondence and face-to-face tutorials, tutorials through radio, written tutorials through internet, and written tutorials through the integration of fax-internet. Some of those models use the internet, such as the online tutorial. To improve the student's knowledge, UT also provides online assessment (OA). One of the intentions of online assessment is to help student to practice their ability in answering the final examination. At first, online assessment was called self-test. The self-test gives 15% contribution to the final scores. UT has provided online assessment since 2007. The online assessment could be accessed at http://student.ut.ac.id.The online assessment doesn't give a score or contribution to the final score. At this time, UT has uploaded 457 subjects of online assessment from 862 subjects at all faculties, or 53,02%. The Faculty of Teaching and Educational Studies has 247 OA, Faculty of Economics has 54 OA, Faculty of Social and Political Science has 57 OA, and Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science has 99 OA. This study is to evaluate student activities and the development of the subject in online assessment. Results showed that in the second period of 2008, the Faculty of Teaching and Educational Studies has uploaded 185 OA, the Faculty of Economics has uploaded 51 OA, the Faculty of Social and Political Science has uploaded 24 OA, and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science has uploaded 77 OA. From the information we could observe the development of the online assessment from year 2008 until the first period of 2009. The faculties have the online assessment target until the first period of 2009. The data show that in 2009, the Faculty of Economics targeted 53 of the subject has OA, while the Faculty of Social and Political Science has 124 OA, the Faculty of Teaching and Educational Studies targeted 195 OA, and the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science targeted 101 OA. Universitas Terbuka (UT) with an open and distance learning system, provides an alternative study program for students with inexpensive cost. The information and communication technology facilitates students to study trough the internet. But only 3 or 4 %of the students take this opportunity.
THE USE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN UNIVERSITAS TERBUKA LEARNING: ALUMNI AND STAKEHOLDER PERCEPTION
Authors: Listyarini Sri , Ratnaningsih Dewi Juliah , Yuliana Ernik
Published: August 2016

The use of technology in UT instructional media allows students of the Open University of Indonesia (Universitas Terbuka, UT) to improve their knowledge and skills without being hampered by distance, space, and time. This study explored the perception of UT alumni and stakeholders about the benefit of using information and communication technology (ICT) and learning media obtained during their study period in UT. The information was gathered from a tracer study conducted in 2008, which was used to evaluate 5 study programs at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Educational Science in the use of ICT and instructional media. The data were collected from 37 UT regional offices through questionnaires to a sample of alumni teachers and their principals, as well as interviews with selected alumni and stakeholders. According to the surveys and interviews, both alumni and stakeholders perceived that alumni had improved in their knowledge and skills of ICT and learning media. However, according to alumni perceptions, the knowledge and skills they had learned from UT were relatively low. On the other hand, stakeholders perceived that the alumni had good knowledge and skills of ICT and learning media. We argue that differences in perception between alumni and stakeholders result from different experiences and expectations on the part of each group.
e-Portfolio Standardization for Sustainable Learning Communities
Authors: Shon Jin Gon
Published: August 2016

A portfolio is used to plan, organize and document learning, and it accumulates results of learning. However, there are some problems in managing a portfolio. For example, it is very difficult to keep the portfolio in the original form physically, and it requires a lot of time and effort to keep it updated. These problems can be solved by an electronic portfolio (e-portfolio), a collection of electronic evidence assembled and managed by a user, usually on the Web. It can efficiently support a learner to manage his or her learning history and keep on learning more to move on to the next level in life so that the learning community becomes more sustainable. This paper explains why e-portfolios are needed to nurture sustainable learning communities. An overview of e-portfolios has been introduced with definitions, advantages, and types of e-portfolios. Furthermore, global trends of e-portfolio applications and Korean activities in e-portfolio applications have been described. Finally, global e-portfolio standardization activities are explained, followed by Korean e-portfolio standardization activities.
Development of a Computer-Aided ODL Course Development Tracking System (CDTS)
Authors: Abeywardena Ishan Sudeera , Chye Ho Sinn
Published: August 2016

Constant emphasis and close attention paid to Quality Assurance in the production of Open Distance Learning (ODL) course materials at Wawasan Open University (WOU) had necessitated that the whole process of course materials development be clearly defined and tracked systematically. Although a Standard Operating Procedure already exists, yet its implementation by way of manual tracking could not always guarantee that the work delivery timelines are diligently tracked and crucial inputs from all key stakeholders in the course development team are received in a timely manner. There was also a need to ensure that Schools and their academics (course coordinators), the Registry, Educational Technology and Publishing Unit, IT Services and Learning and Library Services could track the developmental stages of any named course at any specific time.

A new software application had been developed in-house at WOU which enables all the key stakeholders to keep track of all stages of the course development chain from start to end. The application, built on the Microsoft .NET framework using a centralized MS SQL Server database, serves as a central repository of all the information relevant to the course development cycle and manages the archiving of all the documents. The application can generate (i) course development status reports for ongoing development, (ii) the complete course development report for the courses which have been completed and (iii) summary reports of the progress of any on-going or completed course development for management purposes by the Deans and Directors of the relevant academic support units.

A pilot study was conducted involving participation of a small group of selected key stakeholders. It provided valuable feedback which had helped the software development team to further fine-tune the application before the system gets deployed in July 2010.

This paper describes the development process and the workings of the Course Development Tracking System (CDTS). It discusses the implications of implementing the system in a real-world environment
Personalised system of instruction: The ODL way
Authors: Arumugam Prakash
Published: August 2016

All academic institutions subscribe to systems and methods that are deemed appropriate for the delivery of courses or programmes to the general masses. Some emphasise on physical delivery as in conventional institutions. Some employ a blended approach as in distance learning institutions. In modern times, we see conventional institutions making use of a mixture of conventional face-to-face and modern e-learning approaches in delivering programmes.

In the 1960s, an experimental method of instruction was introduced by Fred Keller. It was aptly named Keller's Personalised System of Instruction (PSI) and it stayed on the educational radar right through the 70s and 80s. This non-traditional method of instruction, which dominated colleges and universities, was regarded as superior to conventional methods. It was originally used in a conventional education setting or face-to-face teaching environment. Unfortunately, its popularity slowly waned in subsequent decades. The original PSI method contained five defining features and these are applied, inadvertently or otherwise, by distance education institutions in their delivery of courses.

The purpose of this study is to examine the exploitation of PSI in the delivery of courses at Wawasan Open University (WOU). To facilitate the investigation, the elementary level Microeconomics course was selected. The study reveals that PSI principles, in general, are applied in WOU with twists that fit into institutional and cultural norms, bearing in mind the attention the university pays to quality.
Supportive role of the “CBCI Chair” at IGNOU in ODL programme development
Authors: Thomas Gracious
Published: August 2016

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI) Chair at Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) was established with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between CBCI and IGNOU on 29 February 2000 to plan, design, develop and launch socially relevant programmes of study in the areas of HIV/AIDS social work, philosophy, etc. The one-time endowment grant of US$125,000 facilitates the programme development process without any financial contribution from IGNOU. In the 13 years of its existence, the CBCI Chair has developed eight programmes – from Certificate to Doctoral programmes. Some of these programmes have been revised. Over 30,000 students have enrolled for these programmes, which are being offered in 12 countries. Although the chair follows all the prescribed procedures for programme development and launch, the nature, scope and financial viability being enjoyed by the Chair facilitates timely decision making and achievement of targets. The CBCI Chair is a success story in Open and Distance Learning (ODL) as it has helped in the establishment of the first School of Social Work in ODL, the Centre for Tibetan Studies and the Mother Teresa Chair. The Chair has been instrumental in providing scholarships and awards to several students. This paper examined the what, why and how of the CBCI Chair and the implications it has as a model towards targeted interventions in ODL systems, quality assurance, maintenance and sustainability.
Development of an assessment tool to measure the prior experiential learning of adult learners: The case of Wawasan Open University
Authors: Kooi Liew Teik , Ping Teoh Ai , Bhandigadi Phalachandra
Published: August 2016

Recognition of prior experiential learning offers a vital contribution to supporting lifelong learning around the globe. The Malaysian government has placed great emphasis on lifelong learning in developing a knowledge society to achieve its goal of becoming a developed nation by the year 2020. Hence, the efficacy of recognition of prior experiential learning acts as a mechanism to enhance social equity and social inclusion in the Malaysian higher education context. In tandem with this, Wawasan Open University (WOU)'s vision and mission is to enculturise lifelong learning and provide access to adult learners who may have previously missed the opportunity to pursue higher education. Since its inception in 2007, WOU has developed a mechanism to review, recognise and accord validity to all prior experiential learning (PEL) of the learners. WOU's PEL comprises a series of assessment filters in three stages that are systematically utilised to gauge the learner's level of preparedness to embark on their tertiary education. These stages are (i) Certificate Attestation and Work Experience Portfolio, (ii) Diagnostic Test and (iii) a six-month HeadStart programme.

This study investigated the effectiveness of the mechanism and its assessment tools in measuring prior experiential learning of the students. The authors examined the GPA/ CGPA performance of two groups of learners. The first group consisted of those who have passed the diagnostic test and proceeded directly to undertake their degree studies. The second group comprised learners who were unsuccessful in their diagnostic test and had to undertake a six-month HeadStart programme prior to commencing their degree studies. The authors then conducted an analysis on the correlation between the Diagnostic Test results and the GPA/CGPA scores obtained. Similar correlation analysis was also carried out to examine whether learners who had undergone the six-month HeadStart programme performed better in their tertiary studies. Support services offered to these two groups of learners were also identified. The findings from this study also reveal the appropriateness of the various components embedded in the Diagnostic Test as well as the courses offered in the six-month HeadStart programme that aimed to strengthen the learners' knowledge, skills and attitudes prior to pursuing their tertiary studies.

Open Universities that subscribe to the philosophy of broadening access to higher education may explore the possibility of adopting the tested bridging programme developed by WOU for weaker Open Entry students to enhance the success rate of students and reduce attrition rate.
Open learning and Rabindranath Tagore's idea on mass education: A critical study on Lokshikkha Samsad
Authors: Mandal Manan Kumar
Published: August 2016

The ODL system is holistic as it can incorporate multiple learners from various locations compared to conventional education system. In India, the first Asian Noble laureate poet and humanist Rabindranath had a unique idea of mass education long before the establishment of open institutions around the world. He pointed out two directions of education: education of pleasure and education of need. These complex relations have been immensely propagated through the formation of Visva-Bharati University (1916) and Sriniketan. Rabindranath's ideas of education focused on self-respect and self-reliance or 'Palli-punargathan' (resurrection of villages) as well as social ethics.

He proposed a unique education policy to incorporate aged and female learners of remote villages of Bengal in 1936. This was implemented in Visva-Bharati through the newly formed 'Lokshikkha Samsad' (Mass Education Council, 1937). This idea is similar to the open edu-cation system today. According to an advertisement published in Visva Bharati University Bulletin (August, 1937), there was a plan for an examination system to accredit knowledge of the margin . The concept of study centre, customisation of exam rules for learners, plan for home-assignment, through postage, were also introduced. The centre targeted aged females who faced difficulties obtaining proper education. Records of who have enrolled and passed show us that this attempt had gained popularity initially. Local Bengali language was used as the medium of instruction. Rabindranath believed that the university is not only a centre for knowledge distribution but also a centre of new knowledge generation. "Lokshikkha Granthamala" (Mass Education Publication Series) was another attempt to expand open learning through Open Education Repository. This publication series was content oriented, well-written and low-priced. It also served as an example of open book system as well as re-pository of knowledge for a university that thought of open learning long before the establishment of open universities around the world.
Applying networked learning to improve learner interactions: A new paradigm of teaching and learning in ODL
Authors: Cheng Tung Lai
Published: August 2016

Historically, much of online distance education has been plagued by issues such as a lack of participant interaction from learner-to-learner or learner-to-instructor. With the development of Web 2.0 and the recent emergence of social media sites, there are new opportunities for distance learners to practise 21st-century skills in collaboration, knowledge sharing and developing critical thinking. General interest regarding networked learning pedagogies has shifted to the use of social media tools as a replacement tool to enhance student learning in the Web 2.0 environment. The integration and use of social networking technology as a distance learning platform seems to hold promise for the distance learning mode. Many distance education institutions have traditionally employed a learning management platform (LMS), which in a broad sense does promote a certain exchange of information between learners. However, these platforms suffer from not performing in "real time" and are very much lesson-focused. In contrast, networked learning, which relies heavily on social networking media, can offer a better learning environment to students. The important feature is that it focuses on people (the learners) rather than simply the content, which, in turn, helps build a "learning community". This paper explores the pedagogical linkages between the networked learning approach and social networking media. A comprehensive technical literature review of the history of social media networking in the ODL environment and the primary role and impact on ODL are discussed and analysed. This exploratory paper provides some insight into the strategies ODL institutions could adopt to better understand the new paradigm of teaching and learning in a networked world.
Mastering New Information through Facebook and a Discussion Forum: A Comparative Analysis
Authors: Subramaniam Nantha Kumar , Kandasamy Maheswari
Published: August 2016

This paper investigated the effect of productive failure (PF) as an instructional strategy in computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) groups using Facebook and a discussion forum. PF is an instructional mode design that advocates the delaying of support for the learners during learning — the more they struggle, and even fail, while trying to master new information, the better they are likely to recall and apply that information later. PF has been used successfully in the classroom. However, it is not known whether the use of a PF instructional modewith adult learners in CSCL groups such as Facebook and discussion forums will produce such a positive effect. A discussion forum is an important platform used to deliver teaching and learning via the Web, while the use of social media, especially Facebook, for teaching and learning has gained prominence lately. This paper reports an initial study that compares a ‘productive failure’ instructional design in CSCL groups through Facebook and a discussion forum. Five Facebook and five discussion forum groups participated in the study. Both groups solved ill-structured complex problems in small groups without the provision of any support or scaffolding from their instructors. The findings suggest that the Facebook groups produced a variety of scope for discussion and deliberation for solving the problems and were more successful in sustaining the discussion compared to the discussion forum groups. Facebook groups also had a higher critical thinking ratio than the discussion forum groups. Based on these findings,the implications of a PF instructional design for adult learners are presented.
Mobile phone intervention for Sri Lankan mushroom producers
Authors: Wijeratne Mahinda , Silva Nilantha De
Published: August 2016

It is well-known that traditional methods of technology dissemination are not cost-effective; and that extension agencies are limited very much by personnel resources in approaching the clientele they need to contact. Therefore, at present, many sectors of the world economies are attracted to the use of ICT for technology dissemination. However, such interventions are not common in the agricultural sector, especially in developing countries. Realizing this, the Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension at the University of Ruhuna, Sri Lanka, implemented a programme ‘Lifelong Learning for Farmers’ (L3F), employing ICT as one of its components. For this programme, the University of Ruhuna collaborated with the mobile phone company Mobitel(PLC) Ltd and developed an IVR (interactive voice response) system to approach clients.

Mushroom production is essentially small-scale and remains a cottage industry. In order to raise the living standards, it is necessary to provide scientific information to scattered production units. Such efforts will turn them into commercial producers and provide an opportunity to compete in the local and foreign markets. This investigation focuses on the use ofmobile phones for technology dissemination to small-scale mushroom producers. The IVR system embedded different two-minute messages employing ODL techniques over six months. The entire series of lessons included the establishment of a mushroom shed; the preparation of the growing medium; filling bags and sterilization; inoculation and incubation of mushroom spawns; harvesting; pests and disease control; processing and preservation; seed production; and business planningand financial management. The results showed that 5,583 clients listen to the lessons; and, according to the spatial distribution, the majority of them were from wet zone districts as the climatic conditions are favourable for the enterprise. However, feedback is still limited.
KNOU-UNESCO Cooperative Model for PCPD Region Development
Authors: Seol Jinah
Published: August 2016

This study aims to explore KNOU's potential for supporting international education programmes and to propose a cooperative model between KNOU and UNESCO for establishing an open and distance learning (ODL) system in the ‘post conflict, post disaster’ (PCPD) regions. Coupled with UNESCO's expertise in rehabilitation programmes, KNOU will be able to initiate an international ODL programme by transferring its experience and technical and media know-how to the respective developing countries. This study examines pedagogical usage of ICTs and a possible collaborative model among institutions in three phases: an introduction stage, a development stage, and a completion stage. To strategically effect an international cooperative model, four potential action plans by KNOU are suggested. First, KNOU and UNESCO should construct a team that will choose a PCPD country as a case study and consult specific strategiesfor the implementation of the KNOU model. Second, leadership seminars and training programmes should be developed concurrently. Third, networking and cooperative systems should be set up with local universities. And, finally, student exchange programmes and overseas volunteer programmes should be designed and operated. Utilization of its advanced and systematic DE cooperative model will allow KNOU, as one of the leading ODL institutions, to carry out a meaningful international cooperative venture with UNESCO.
Impedance and resistance of carbon ink during cure
Authors: Samano Anthony , Xu Yanmeng , Harrison David , Hunt Chris , Wickham Martin , Thomas Owen
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The resistivity of cured conductive ink films are dependent on a wide range of process parameters. An early indication of the resistivity that is likely to result following curing can enable these parameters to be optimised and, therefore, improve product quality. This paper aims to report on the use of alternating current (AC) impedance measurement techniques on curing printed ink films as a means of assessing the resistivity likely to be attained following the curing process.

Design/methodology/approach

Impedance measurements (100 Hz-10 MHz) were performed on curing conductive carbon ink films printed on polyethylene terephthalate substrates during convective heat curing. A jig was designed to incorporate the test structure in an convection oven such that the effect of cure on the structure impedance could be investigated.

Findings

The initial impedance was found to decrease with an increase in the measurement frequency. As the ink films were cured, the impedance magnitude across the 100 Hz-10 MHz range converged with the direct current (DC) resistance value. For a given ink, the ratio of initial AC impedance at 10 MHz to final cured resistance was found to be consistent, thus giving a method where final conductivity can be estimated before cure.

Originality/value

Data from printed ink resistance measurements are required to ensure the optimal conductivity of printed devices. However, after the printed structures are fabricated and cured, it is too late to optimise process parameters, leading to significant wastage. AC impedance measurement can give an indication of the final cured resistivity whilst the structure is freshly printed and still in its curing phase, enabling the printing process parameters to be adjusted to improve the resistivity of subsequently printed devices. Measuring AC impedance of printed ink structures in a production environment can, therefore, improve output.
Implications of a shadowing/mentoring programme for aspiring principals
Authors: Service Brenda , Dalgic Gulay Erin , Thornton Kate
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of a shadowing/mentoring component of a post-graduate programme designed to prepare deputy and assistant principals for the principalship.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research design is a qualitative evaluation of the shadowing/mentoring component of a principal preparation programme. The experiences of 13 individual aspiring principals who had taken part in the programme were explored using semi-structured interviews.

Findings

– The shadowing/mentoring component of this programme allowed the aspiring principals to gain an understanding of the complexity of a principal’s role by shadowing and being mentored by experienced principals in a range of New Zealand schools. In addition to providing them with a network of effective principals, the experience led the aspiring principals to reflect on their leadership development.

Research limitations/implications

– The study drew on a small sample of 27 students enroled in the programme, 13 of whom were included in the data collection process.

Originality/value

– This study presents the views of aspiring principals who valued the opportunity to relate theory to practice as part of a post-graduate programme.
Mentoring and induction for new assistant principals: the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute
Authors: Liang Jia , Augustine-Shaw Donna
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to present findings from an initial year of mentoring and induction provided to new assistant principals (APs) served by the Kansas Educational Leadership Institute (KELI) and to identify program characteristics that support leadership development for first year APs.

Design/methodology/approach

– The current research utilized surveys and interviews for data collection. The participants included 12 new AP mentees and five mentors currently participating in the KELI program. Two comparable questionnaires are designed to examine perceptions of both groups on the effectiveness of the program in general, mentoring/induction approaches used, and the appropriateness of the intensity of engagement required. The semi-structured interviews provide contextualized understanding of the same aspects examined in the surveys.

Findings

– The findings reveal that mentees found mentoring/induction experiences with KELI highly valuable. The mentor-mentee matching mechanism together with other structured components in the KELI program such as mentor coaching training and multiple professional learning opportunities was instrumental for promoting a trustful relationship, reciprocal learning, and personalized and growth-based assistance that are key to successful mentoring/induction experiences.

Research limitations/implications

– The study findings will inform the research-based requirements in KELI’s model and further define effective components in serving the unique and varied responsibilities inherent in the AP position.

Originality/value

– There is a need to identify elements in effective mentoring and induction support for new APs and to encapsulate best practices to further develop skills and dispositions for this important leadership position.
The substance of entrepreneurship and the entrepreneurship of substances
Authors: March Raymond J. , Martin Adam G. , Redford Audrey
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to clarify the distinctions and complementary of William Baumol and Israel Kirzner’s classifications of and insights into entrepreneurship, and thus providing a more complete taxonomy of the substance of entrepreneurial activity. This paper also attempts to clarify distinctions between unproductive and destructive entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

– This paper illustrates a more complete taxonomy of the substance of entrepreneurial activity by examining entrepreneurial innovation in drug markets both legal and illegal, identifying cases of productive, unproductive, superfluous, erroneous, destructive, and protective entrepreneurship.

Findings

– This paper finds that the classifications of entrepreneurship (productive, superfluous, unproductive, erroneous, protective and destructive) put forth by Baumol, Kirzner, and the institutional entrepreneurship literature are complementary. While Baumol seeks to explain the disequilibrating tendencies of entrepreneurship, Kirzner seeks to explain the equilibrating tendencies of entrepreneurship within the institutional context.

Originality/value

– This paper utilizes case studies from legal and illegal drug markets to uniquely and better explain the six cases of entrepreneurship. This paper also contributes to the literature by clearly articulating the complementarity of Baumolian and Kirznerian entrepreneurship.
Productive versus unproductive entrepreneurship
Authors: Gohmann Stephan F. , Hobbs Bradley K. , McCrickard Myra J.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the correlation between the degree of economic freedom in state institutions and industry employment and then determine how these correlations relate to economic growth.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors find the correlation between employment and economic freedom for each NAICS industry code and then calculate total employment in industries with positive correlation and negative correlations. The authors use these values in a GDP equation.

Findings

– The authors find that employment growth in industries characterized by a negative correlation is associated with a decline in state per capita GDP. When the correlations between employment and economic freedom are positive, state per capita GDP tends to grow, even after accounting for overall economic freedom in the state.

Research limitations/implications

– Eliminating or reducing opportunities for firms to use government institutions to gain special treatment will lead to greater economic growth.

Originality/value

– This paper allows the data to determine which industries potentially engage in productive and unproductive entrepreneurship.
US phytosanitary restrictions: the forgotten non-tariff barrier
Authors: Jouanjean Marie-Agnes , Maur Jean-Christophe , Shepherd Ben
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to provide new evidence that the US phytosanitary regime is associated with a restrictive market access environment for fruit and vegetable products. One chief reason seems to be that the US regime uses a positive list approach, under which only authorized countries can export.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology of the paper is primarily qualitative. This paper reviews the US sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) system and its scope for use to protect markets, in addition to protecting life and health. The approach is institutional and political economic.

Findings

For most products, only a portion of global production is authorized for export to the USA. Even among authorized countries, only a small proportion is actually exported. As a result, the number of countries exporting fresh fruit and vegetables to the USA is far lower than those exporting to countries like the EU and Canada, but it is on a par with markets known to be restrictive in this area, such as Australia and Japan. Using a data set of fruit and vegetable market access and political contributions, this paper also provides evidence showing that domestic political economy considerations may influence the decision to grant market access to foreign producers.

Originality/value

The US SPS system has not previously been analyzed in this way, and the distinction between negative and positive list approaches is highlighted in terms of its implications for third-party exporters. Similarly, the analysis of political contributions is novel and suggestive of an important dynamic at work in the determination of the US policy.
Reassessing North-South relations: the case of North-South preferential trade agreements
Authors: Sahakyan Davit
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purposes of this paper are to provide a new framework for the (re)assessment of North-South relations, with a specific focus on North-South preferential trade agreements (PTAs); advance a new mechanism of how first-order, i.e. Southern countries’ first, North-South PTAs can affect the outcomes of second-order, i.e. Southern countries’ subsequent, North-South PTA negotiations; and re-examine the effects of North-South power asymmetries on the outcomes of North-South PTA negotiations.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper focuses on how North-South power asymmetries affect the outcomes of North-South PTA negotiations. It introduces the concept of “first-order” and “second-order” North-South PTAs to show that the “order” of an agreement can be a crucial factor in PTA negotiations. The claims of the paper are also supported by primary data obtained through the author’s personal interviews with European Union and USA trade officials and policy-makers (see Appendix).

Findings

The paper advances a new theoretical framework that takes a longer-term view on North-South trade relations, whereby, against the backdrop of the proliferating PTAs, first-order North-South agreements can raise the bargaining powers of Southern countries during subsequent North-South PTA negotiations, with strong implications for both developed and developing countries.

Research limitations/implications

The paper is largely theoretical. A systematic empirical study of North-South PTAs will be required to validate or refute the theoretical framework advanced in this paper.

Originality/value

The paper introduces a new variable, namely the “order” of an agreement, which affects the logic of North-South PTA negotiations. Hence, the paper sets out a new theoretical framework that allows for a more accurate assessment of North-South power asymmetries and their effects on the outcomes of North-South PTA negotiations.
A strategy model – better performance through improved strategy work
Authors: Friis Ole , Holmgren Jens , Eskildsen Jacob Kjær
Published: August 2016

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a strategy model which explains what organisations should focus on in their strategy work, both in terms of the environment and how the strategy is implemented. In addition, the purpose is to demonstrate how this can influence and improve the organisations’ performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses different state-of-the-art strategy approaches to create and validate a solid and causal strategy model, which was validated by making use of a questionnaire.

Findings

The nature of strategy is complex, and organisations are indeed facing more complex tasks which require that internal resources are available to meet the environmental demands, develop an effective strategy for today and tomorrow, implement the strategy and execute the action plans. A model consisting of five areas divided up in strategy content (productivity, flexibility and innovation) and strategy process (execution and culture) has been validated, and the empirical results indicate that execution and innovation are the areas in which organizations face the greatest challenges.

Originality/value

Suggesting a new strategy model designed to evaluate companies’ strategy work.
Are they really persuaded with the brand embedded in the game?
Authors: Vashisht Devika , Pillai Sreejesh S.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of the paper is to examine whether there is any difference in persuasion of brands embedded in the advergame because of the differences in nature of the game (speed), and are there any differences in persuasion in the same context if the brand is prominently placed versus subtly placed and congruent versus incongruent with the game context.

Design/methodology/approach

A 2 (nature of advergame: fast or slow) × 2 (brand prominence: prominent or subtle) × 2 (game-product congruence: high or low) between-subject measures design is used; 280 graduate students participated in the study. A 2 × 2 × 2 between-subjects ANOVA is used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The findings support that slow-paced advergames with prominent brand placements result in high ad-persuasion compared to subtle brand placements. On the other hand, fast-paced advergames show no difference in persuasiveness despite the fact that whether it is a subtle placement or prominent placement. Furthermore, results also indicate that slow-paced games with prominent placement in low game-product congruence condition resulted in high ad-persuasion compared to that in high game-product congruence condition.

Research limitations/implications

The process of experimentation used in this study to collect responses were susceptible to some limitations. However, findings of the study are very important for advertising practitioners in terms of game design, implementation and for an effective use of brand and product placements in advergames.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature of online advertising, specifically advergaming context by exploring the impact of nature of game and brand prominence on gamers’ ad-persuasion. Also, this study is the first attempt toward understanding the moderating role of game-product congruence on gamers’ ad-persuasion in the context of advergames.
Hard versus soft leadership? Examples and illustrations
Authors: Rao M.S.
Published: August 2016

Purpose

The purpose of this research paper is to explore soft leadership to achieve organizational excellence and effectiveness.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper elaborates with 11 Cs that constitute soft leadership – character, charisma, conscience, conviction, courage, communication, compassion, commitment, consistency, consideration and contribution. It differentiates between hard and soft leadership.

Findings

It concludes that exploring soft leadership helps greatly for the leaders to satisfy all stakeholders to achieve organizational excellence and effectiveness.

Practical implications

It unfolds that soft leadership can work for any company and country regardless of its size or budget.

Social implications

The social implications of this research suggests that stakeholders of both profits and nonprofits must reap the rewards of soft leadership.

Originality/value

It emphasizes that soft leadership creates a resourceful environment to enhance employee engagement to achieve organizational productivity and performance.