bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Assessing college women's associations of American specialty apparel brands
Authors: Kwon Wi‐Suk , Lennon Sharron J.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore brand association dimensions important to consumers of US specialty apparel brands targeting young women and develop a valid and reliable brand association scale for assessing and monitoring consumers' associations about brands in this market.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses mixed methods combining qualitative and quantitative approaches through surveys to explore and validate brand association dimensions and develop a quantitative brand association measurement.

Findings

In total, seven brand association themes were identified in the qualitative stage. Through a scale development and validation process, these themes were narrowed down to four brand association dimensions – self‐relevance, service, merchandise, and store environment – represented in a brand association scale consisting of 14 items.

Research limitations/implications

The scale developed in this study is germane to a specific market. However, the scale development procedure proposed in this study can be easily replicated to create brand association measurements for other apparel categories. Future research adopting the suggested scale development procedure may produce findings that allow for comparisons between brand association dimensions that are important in different markets.

Practical implications

This study identifies four brand association dimensions important to US specialty apparel brands and proposes a reliable and valid procedure to develop a measurement that can be used for apparel companies to track their brand associations.

Originality/value

Brand association measures developed in general marketing contexts may not be transferrable to apparel brands. This study addresses the need for developing a brand tracking measure specifically designed for the apparel industry.
The temporary store: a new marketing tool for fashion brands
Authors: Surchi Micaela
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the motivations that lie behind the choice of the “temporary store” as a marketing tool, with particular reference to the fashion sector in Italy. In the UK and the USA, the more usual terminology is “pop‐up store”.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts a qualitative approach, in the form of case studies of two fashion brands using temporary stores in Italy. Data were collected by in‐depth interviews with senior representatives of the two firms, backed by available documentary evidence and observation. Similarities and differences between the two sets of findings were identified and analysed, and conclusions drawn.

Findings

This exploratory study points to the need for further investigation, but its findings provide researchers and practitioners with new information about the use of the temporary store as a marketing tool, and the managerial implications. Though still in its infancy in Italy, it is becoming increasingly common elsewhere, especially in the form of “pop‐up stores” in the USA and the UK.

Practical implications

The study provides interesting and relevant information for marketing planners considering the use of temporary stores, in the fashion sector in Italy but also more widely.

Originality/value

The temporary store has been studied from an exploratory perspective, not simply described, as is the case in of the rather limited material available in the specialist media. Therefore, the study makes a significant contribution to the body of knowledge in the field.
Changes in officer use of force over time: a descriptive analysis of a national survey
Authors: Taylor Bruce , Alpert Geoffrey , Kubu Bruce , Woods Daniel , Dunham Roger G.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Few studies track non‐lethal weapon use by law enforcement agencies (LEAs), the number/level of force used by these agencies, complaints for excessive force, and injuries to officers and suspects, both over time (especially recently) and with a national probability‐based sample. This study aims to address these gaps by developing longitudinal estimates to examine these use‐of‐force issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Two surveys of LEAs were conducted (n=518 and n=357 LEAs), covering 2003 to 2008, and statistical weights were used to align the data to be representative of all state and local LEAs in the USA, including adjustments for survey non‐response.

Findings

Conducted energy devices (CED) deployment has risen significantly (to about 70 percent of LEAs). However, standard baton use is down to 25 percent in 2008 and when available to the officer, batons are more likely to be left in their vehicles compared to CEDs. Baton use and empty‐hand tactics are becoming less commonly used by officers, but CED use was ranked among the most used tactics from 2005 to 2008. Excessive force complaints against LEAs, internally generated, have more than doubled from 2003 to 2008. Officer injuries varied little from 2003 to 2008, but they are still only about half as common as suspect injuries. Also, only 20 percent of LEAs collect injury data in a database, complicating future research.

Originality/value

This is one of the few studies to track, nationally, the types of non‐lethal weapons in use by LEAs, and force level used, providing aid to LEA executives and policymakers who need to follow new trends in non‐lethal weapons.
Outside the interrogation room: the context of confession in sexual crimes
Authors: Beauregard Eric , Mieczkowski Tom
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify factors in sex offenders that act to facilitate or inhibit confession to police. Moreover, it aims to assess possible interactions and differences among factors related to confession specifically for child molesters and those who attack adult victims (rapists).

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use a combination of CHAID and conjunctive analysis to analyze interactions and factors significantly associated with confession to police in a sample of 624 sex offenders.

Findings

The study identifies several factors, as well as interactions among those factors, related to confession to the police. Moreover, rapists and child molesters present different factors related to confession, the former being more related to the criminal event as to the latter being more related to the offender characteristics.

Practical implications

The findings point to the conclusion that investigators need to pay careful attention to the type of victim when preparing the interrogation. Moreover, these crime event characteristics are readily observable factors that can improve the estimation of the likelihood of obtaining a confession. Finally, the several interactions identified confirm the complexity of the decision making leading to confession to police as well as the need to look at the factors in combination as opposed to individually.

Originality/value

This paper is the first attempt to apply a combination of innovative multivariate statistics (CHAID) and a qualitative technique (conjunctive analysis) to investigate factors leading to confession for two specific types of sex offenders.
Arizona v. Gant and searches of automobiles incident to arrest
Authors: Smith Michael R. , Hester Rhys
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze an important new US Supreme Court decision on automobile searches, Arizona v. Gant, and to discuss its implications for police policy and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

Using legal analysis and comparative methods, the paper illustrates how Gant changed settled case law on searches of automobiles incident to arrest, while at the same time leaving important questions unanswered in its wake.

Findings

In Arizona v. Gant (2009), the US Supreme Court held that police may search a motor vehicle incident to arrest, only if the arrestee is unsecured and within reaching distance of the vehicle when the search takes place, or when it is reasonable to believe that officers may find evidence in the vehicle related to the offense for which the arrest was made. This new rule places limitations on police who previously had broad authority to search the passenger compartment of a vehicle whenever the driver or a recent occupant was arrested.

Practical implications

In the wake of Gant, police must adapt their search policies and practices to reflect the new Gant restrictions. Officers should resist the temptation to leave arrestees unsecured while searching a vehicle. At the same time, the seizure of vehicles and subsequent use of inventory searches following an arrest likely will increase.

Originality/value

Police scholars and policy makers will find the analysis of Gant useful in illuminating the legal issues left unresolved by the decision, and the decision's implications for policy and practice.
Citizen support for community policing in China
Authors: Wu Yuning , Jiang Shanhe , Lambert Eric
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This study aims to examine Chinese college students' support for community policing.

Design/methodology/approach

Ordinary least squares regression was used to investigate support for community policing based on survey data collected from over 400 college students.

Findings

Results showed that college students in general had positive attitudes toward the philosophy and practices of community policing. Support for community policing was significantly related to concerns of crime, perceptions of police, and attachment to conventional society. Individual background characteristics had no significant effect on support for community policing.

Research limitations/implications

The use of a college student sample has its weaknesses in that findings of this study have a limited generalizability, and some important predictors in explaining public perceptions, such as neighborhood characteristics, were not included. Future research should collect data from the general public and examine public attitudes toward different elements of community policing, and both perceptual and behavioral dimensions of support for community policing.

Originality/value

This study represents the first attempt to examine Chinese perceptions of community policing empirically. Uncovering factors that affect public support for community policing can provide useful references for police administrators to develop policies and practices that encourage more active community involvement in crime control.
An assessment of South Korean police officers' perceptions of organizational characteristics in the post‐reform era
Authors: Nalla Mahesh K. , Kang Wook
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a broader understanding of police organizational culture in South Korea. More specifically, given its history and culture, the aim is to examine various elements of organizational culture as perceived by line officers and supervisors.

Design/methodology/approach

The data for the present study came from a survey of police officers in South Korea who attended training courses at the Korea National Police University (KNPU), and at the Police Comprehensive Academy (PCA), from June through August of 2008. A total of 406 police officers completed the questionnaires representing an overall return rate of 62 percent.

Findings

The results suggest that, overall, police officers across rank and job assignment were dissatisfied, and at best ambivalent, on all dimensions of organizational culture. Lower ranked police officers, relative to other ranks, appear more dissatisfied with managerial support, open lines of communication, and organizational support. Officers who are part of the police administration (e.g. general affairs, public security, intelligence) are less disenchanted with management support, communication, and innovation than are patrol officers and criminal investigators. This study suggests that both rank and job assignment influences South Korean officers' perceptions of their organizational culture.

Research limitations/implications

This research does not attempt to compare officers' perceptions before and after the Grand Reform, as data are not available for study. In a limited way, it can be interpreted that after over a decade since the implementation of the Grand Reform more work is needed in improving officers' attitudes regarding their organizational climate.

Originality/value

Unlike studies done in the USA, which have de‐centralized police forces, this study offers a unique opportunity to examine the organizational culture of a centralized police force. Additionally, this paper examines the extent to which officers' perceptions of police culture are similar along rank, experience, and job assignment variables.
Citizens' opinions about police discretion in criminal investigations
Authors: Cihan Abdullah , Wells William
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the correlates of citizens' perceptions about the appropriate amount of police discretion in criminal investigations.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected from a random sample of 1,300 households in the USA, this study offers an estimate of citizens' opinions about the amount of discretion granted to police in conducting criminal investigations, and estimates correlations between several predictor variables, including prior victimization and worry about becoming the victim of a crime, and perceptions about police discretion.

Findings

About half of the respondents feel police have the right amount of discretion in conducting criminal investigations. Several variables are correlated with these perceptions, including worry about crime, attitudes about minority civil rights, arrest experiences, and race.

Research limitations/implications

Important police discretionary decisions, like making traffic stops and making arrests, have not been measured. The current study suffers from limitations in the way key concepts are measured. Future research can build on the analysis reported here and make important advancements.

Practical implications

Findings show that important segments of the population believe the police are granted “too much” or “too little” discretion. The results of holding these attitudes remain unknown, but it suggests police can consider ways of addressing differential support for this aspect of policing.

Originality/value

Attitudes about police discretion have generally been omitted from research on opinions about the police. This study offers one attempt to integrate this significant aspect of policing into the existing body of research.
In‐service training of older law enforcement officers: an andragogical argument
Authors: Etter Gregg W. , Griffin Richard
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Law enforcement officers enter police service usually sometime after their 21st birthday. They often remain in police service until they turn 65. To maintain their professional skills and re‐certify their licenses as law enforcement officers, they must complete in‐service training hours. The purpose of this study is to estimate the current number of law enforcement officers over 40 years old and to explore possible andragogical solutions to existing in‐service training methodologies.

Design/methodology/approach

The Police Officer Standard and Training (POST) organizations were contacted in all 50 States in a telephone survey.

Findings

Police training requirements vary widely between States. There are a large number of older law enforcement officers that require in‐service training. This population might be better served using andragogical training techniques.

Research limitations/implications

Although this was a nationwide study, there were certain limitations that must be considered. Only State, county, and municipal law enforcement officers were included in this study. No federal law enforcement officers or agencies were included in this study.

Originality/value

The findings show the extent and amount of in‐service training that law enforcement agencies are required to provide their employees and will be of interest to those in that field.
The future of poverty and development in Africa
Authors: Ohiorhenuan John F.E.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to examine how the conceptualization of development has evolved and how, given emerging global economic trends, this might affect the development industry in Africa. It explores the interplay of ideas and practice, identifies key global drivers and considers their significance for Africa over the next generation.

Design/methodology/approach

Adopting a historical approach, the paper chronicles the changes in the epistemological foundations of development thinking over 60 years of development theory and practice. It also explores how concurrent changes in the international context for development have influenced both the thinking on and management of development. The paper undertakes a scenario analysis in search of an African development narrative that is more appropriate to the challenge of African prosperity over the next 20‐30 years.

Findings

It is shown that the contemporary view of development represents an epistemological shift from a perspective defined by the actual experiences of successful developers, to one defined through the prism of some assumed universal norms. Focusing on a particular scenario of Africa as the “land of the future”, the paper suggests that Africa should reject its portrayal as “victim” in the international community, replace the poverty ideology with one of prosperity, and reject the condescension implicit in regarding Africa as a “special case” that requires continuing intervention. It stresses that the Africa of the future must be globally competitive.

Practical implications

To address the challenge of African prosperity over the next 20‐30 years, an African development narrative generated endogenously and sustained by the energy of the continent's people, is required. Such a narrative requires that African leaders take full responsibility for Africa's destiny and actively develop a uniquely African story and embrace the African development project.

Originality/value

The study provides a historically based alternative perspective to the MDGs as a framework for considering the future of Africa over the next several decades.
Africa 2010‐2020: poverty reduction beyond the global crisis
Authors: Ballantyne Joe , Curry Andrew , Sumner Andy
Published: May 2011

Purpose

What are the implications of the global financial crisis and its aftermath, regionally and globally, for Africa taking a 5‐15 year view? The purpose of this paper is to outline a set of four post‐crisis global economic scenarios to 2020, and will consider their impacts across a range of low income countries.

Design/methodology/approach

The scenarios were developed using a version of the morphological scenarios approach, Field anomaly relaxation (FAR). This approach creates a backdrop of internally consistent futures for policy formation and decision making through identifying and analysing the most significant drivers of change within the global financial and political system. This was then linked to a modelling approach to identify country impacts. The work was developed and tested with stakeholders in the United Kingdom and Kenya.

Findings

Scenarios are plausible, coherent, multiple views of the future, which enable policy‐makers and managers to evaluate strategy or policy choices under conditions of uncertainty. The work creates a structured approach to reviewing outcomes for growth, poverty reduction and the Millennium Development Goals for different types of developing economies, against the background of the financial crisis.

Research limitations/implications

The work was conducted for a public sector client in the United Kingdom, with a limited budget and a limited timescale.

Practical implications

The combination of scenarios and modelling, applied to the field of development, enables greater clarity about the choices presently facing developing African nations. In particular, the economic typology used shows that for the majority of African countries, strategies which improve resilience in the face of rising energy costs and possible food shortages will also generate economic opportunities.

Originality/value

Innovatively, the scenarios were tightly connected to a “soft” model which identifies possible pathways, causal linkages and transmission variables between the scenarios and associated levels of economic growth and poverty reduction via key economic variables. This permits more granular interpretation of the scenario outcomes than conventional scenario analysis techniques.
The fall of the Wall, the rise of the BRICs and the new Scramble for Africa
Authors: Kahn Michael
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to construct a possible future scenario for South Africa in Africa using the backcast approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology followed is to present a brief political and economic history of African colonization and de‐colonization, globalisation and the rise of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICs). Strengths and weaknesses are discussed and used to sketch a desired future scenario from which the backcast is constructed.

Findings

It is suggested that the optimal future is one involving SADC‐MERCOSUR alliance with South Africa and Brazil as the respective leaders

Research limitations/implications

A study of this kind is necessarily speculative.

Practical implications

The paper alerts policy makers to the threats and opportunities inherent in south‐south dialogue.

Social implications

The prospect of collaboration holds promise of social upliftment in the region.

Originality/value

The arguments are original to the author.
Sub‐Saharan Africa's future is not a given
Authors: Spies Philip H.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Given current dystopian perspectives on Africa's future, the purpose of this paper is to emphasise the need for recreative futures studies when designing development programmes for Sub‐Saharan Africa.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper draws on social systems thinking, causal layered analysis and integral futures, and contrasts the interpretative and transformative approaches to futures research.

Findings

Sub‐Saharan Africa reached a crossroad in its development. There are powerful forces that are pushing it back towards a low‐level equilibrium trap – making it easy to imagine a dystopian future as the most plausible one for the region. However, there are also a number of hopeful signs that suggest that committed interventions could turn the tide towards its sustainable development. Such interventions will have to dig deep into the collective consciousness of people and require systemic, multi‐faceted programmes for success.

Originality/value

This paper should be of interest to development planners who are searching for programme options outside of what is considered normal for development planning.
Africa 2060: what could be driving the good news from Africa?
Authors: Gatune Julius , Najam Adil
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to better understand the good news coming from Africa and reflect on ideas discussed at the “Africa 2060: Good News from Africa” conference in April 2010 organized by Boston University's Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer‐Range Future.

Design/methodology/approach

Africa's performance over the last 50 years has been akin to a roller coaster ride of good news followed by bad news, with the bad news dominating. However since the dawn of the millennium Africa's outlook has increasingly become optimistic. As one looks at Africa's future, several questions emerge: which of these gains can be consolidated? Which of the positive trends will be sustained? Has this recent period of global attention provided the continent with a real institutional scaffolding on which a positive future can be built? And what needs to be done to ensure that the dangers of chronic poverty, conflict, and institutional collapse that still lurk in the shadows will be contained long enough that they eventually disappear?

Findings

The authors base their observations on the intense discussions during the conference by practitioners and experts and an engaged and informed audience, plus a broader reading of the literature, including that which was presented at the conference. These observations reflect a locus of expert and informed opinion and provide a window into the priorities that are engaging the imaginations of those thinking deep and hard about Africa's future. The authors distill seven key drivers that are of particular importance in shaping Africa's longer‐range future. Of course, all of these can operate in either a positive or a negative direction. It is the decisions that will be made by African and international policy‐makers, businesses, civic organizations, and citizens today that will determine which direction Africa will be “driven” towards tomorrow.

Originality/value

There are a number of exciting opportunities that await Africa in its future, but many of these also come with potential hurdles and pitfalls. Innovation, entrepreneurship, technology, knowledge, and globalization are among the areas that have generated significant good news to record from Africa. But within each of these areas there is also the potential and reality of bad news. The choice now lies with African citizens, decision makers and societies as to whether they are able to make the type of decisions that will control the negative tendencies of these drivers and accelerate the positive tendencies.
Is e‐government providing the promised returns?
Authors: Srivastava Shirish C.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this viewpoint is to provide a framework for future research on e‐government impact.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a concise review of major e‐government studies, we present a value framework for assessing the impact of e‐government. Specifically, we integrate the two stakeholder perspectives on e‐government namely the “government” and the “citizen” and identify areas where e‐government can provide returns.

Findings

The model delineates three government and five citizen areas where e‐government may create an impact. The three government areas are policy making, program administration, and compliance. The five citizen areas are financial, political, social, ideological, and stewardship. The impact in these areas is created because of two major value‐generating mechanisms: enhancements in efficiency and enhancements in effectiveness. Further, the impact is created at different levels of analyses: local, state, and central governments.

Originality/value

This viewpoint provides a timely discussion on returns from e‐government and provides a value framework for assessing these returns. It also provides several suggestions for future research in this area. This viewpoint is a call for systematic future research on the impact of e‐government.
A critical survey of selected government interoperability frameworks
Authors: Ray Dibakar , Gulla Umesh , Dash Shefali S. , Gupta M.P.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present such an analytical framework for analyzing Government Interoperability Frameworks (GIFs) and to do a comparative analysis of a set of GIFs using the analytical framework. Based on the comparative analysis, the paper presents a set of recommendations useful for new GIF initiatives.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on literature and personal knowledge and experience, an analytical framework is proposed for qualitative comparison of GIFs. The analytical framework is based on three core areas of interoperability frameworks – context, content, and process. A total of 21 GIFs are analyzed and evaluated against the framework. The primary sources of information for the study are the interoperability framework documents. In some cases, published articles, brochures, etc. are used as additional sources of information.

Findings

The comparative analysis shows that the analytical framework adequately covers all the features of the GIFs. Comparative analysis also shows that most of the GIFs concentrate mainly on technical and syntactical aspects only. Organizational and semantic issues are covered only by a handful of GIFs. At the policy level, most common interoperability policies are found to be: the universal adoption of common specifications used on the internet and world wide web, use of XML for data integration and data management, and use of open standards for all public sector information systems. Regarding management of GIF, it is found that German, Greek and New Zealand GIFs document the process of standards life cycle management in a much better way, whereas UK e‐GIFs' coverage of management and compliance mechanism of GIF is excellent. Overall, it is found that the UK e‐GIF is one of the most mature and exhaustive on all counts. German – Standards und Architekturen f¨r eGovernment‐Anwendungen on the other hand is found to be a unique effort. It incorporates features of both an enterprise architecture and those of an interoperability framework.

Originality/value

The contribution of the study is substantial for academia and practitioners. For academics, this framework can be used in future research as a tool to benchmark and grade GIFs. The practitioners, on the other hand, can use the study, to identify various essential features of a GIF which can be very useful for new GIF initiatives. The six‐layered e‐government technical architecture discussed here can be used to check the current status of technical interoperability in an organization and to identify gaps in the technology coverage.
Hybrid simulation and modes of governance in UK healthcare
Authors: Chahal Kirandeep , Eldabi Tillal
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Healthcare organisations exhibit detail and dynamic complexity. It has been argued that discrete event simulation (DES) is ideal for problems exhibiting detail complexity and system dynamics (SD) lends itself naturally to comprehend dynamic complexity. Appreciating the complexity of healthcare, this paper proposes the use of hybrid simulation wherein both SD and DES are integrated symbiotically. The paper further aims to describe how different forms of hybrid simulation can be applied to different modes of governance in UK healthcare.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to find different ways that hybrid simulation can be effectively applied to different problem contexts, a literature review has been conducted to find existing hybrid studies. A meta‐review of literature on different modes of governance in UK healthcare has also been conducted.

Findings

It has been induced from the literature review that hybrid simulation can be used in three different formats: hierarchical format, process‐environment format, and integrated format. Literature on different modes of governance in UK healthcare further points out that there are three modes of governance in UK healthcare: top‐down performance hierarchical mode, network partnership mode, and quasi‐market mode.

Research limitations/implications

It is believed that hybrid simulation will aid in forming a synergy between strategic and operational management. One of the limitations of this paper is that it does not provide any guidance with respect to technical automation of integration between SD and DES.

Originality/value

This paper proposes the use of hybrid simulation for complex healthcare problems and the way it can contribute towards effective decision making within different modes of governance.
Citizen interaction and e‐government
Authors: Reddick Christopher G.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

This paper aims to examine citizen interaction with e‐government using three e‐participation models. The two major research questions of this paper are: what is the current level of e‐participation in the USA?; and what factors explain why citizens participate in online government?

Design/methodology/approach

Survey evidence of citizens in the USA and their use of e‐participation is examined using quantitative methods.

Findings

Citizens were most likely to use e‐participation for management activities. Citizens were much less likely to use the internet for more advanced consultative and participatory activities. Using regression analysis, factors such as demand by citizens for e‐government, the digital divide, and political factors influenced the level of e‐participation.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study imply that governments should do more to stimulate demand for e‐government, address issues of the digital divide, and provide for more open and transparent government. A limitation of this study is its focus on e‐participation through a survey instrument, which does not consider all possible forms of e‐participation.

Practical implications

For e‐participation to blossom, governments should do more to promote citizens' demand for e‐government, bridge the digital divide, and promote more open and transparent government.

Originality/value

Existing research on e‐participation has focused on theory building and case studies; this paper provides empirical evidence, through a survey, of the level of e‐participation and factors that promote e‐participation.
Transforming the practice of student teachers in the UAE through action research
Authors: Littlewood Suzanne
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the outcomes of a final year action research project as part of an initial teacher education (ITE) programme in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken was to examine the responses of graduate and student teachers to interviews and written prompts within a framework of theoretical benefits of action research and reflective practice: linking theory to practice, transforming teaching strategies; transforming student learning outcomes; developing professionalism and lifelong learning; and raising the status of teachers through empowerment.

Findings

It was found that students referred to all of these outcomes in their responses, suggesting that classroom‐based action research is a valuable component of an ITE programme in the UAE.

Research limitations/implications

This is a small‐scale study, but the results suggest that further examination of systematic reflective practice in the form of action research would be useful for teacher educators, especially those working in education systems undergoing reform.

Originality/value

Empirical research into effective teacher education practices in the UAE is limited. This paper will, therefore, be of interest to teacher educators considering action research as a component of ITE programmes and also in terms of considering tasks to promote reflective practice.
Socio‐cultural theory and its place in the development of the teacher education program at the Higher Colleges of Technology
Authors: Bashir‐Ali Khadar
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the meanings and implications of communities of practice; to discuss how socio‐cultural theories and social learning improve pre‐service teachers' understanding of their profession; and to begin a dialogue on how teachers in training can benefit from having a community of practitioners guiding them. The aim here is also to provide a critical re‐evaluation of the state of teacher training in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) by looking particularly at social and experiential learning.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the author reports on a one‐year study case study designed to inform how communities of practice can shape the professional formation of pre‐service teachers enrolled in a teacher training program in the UAE.

Findings

Results indicated that the process of establishing communities of practice around the teachers improves their professional development, however, the danger of emulating poor pedagogical practices modeled by mentor teachers was also found to be a factor for these novice teachers.

Research limitations/implications

This study was confined to the Higher Colleges of Technology in the UAE. The findings of this study need to be confirmed in a wider context.

Originality/value

The study draws attention to the relevance of the community of practice concept and socio‐cultural theory to teacher education.
Becoming readers: our stories
Authors: Kamhieh Celine , Al Hameli Shaikha , Al Hammadi Ayesha , Al Hammadi Nada , Nawfal Iman , Al Zaabi Athra , Khalfan Khulood
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The paper is part of a larger qualitative study of female Emirati university students' leisure reading habits and the purpose is to investigate the factors that have affected the reading habits of six respondents as they tell how they became avid readers.

Design/methodology/approach

Six students, who are very keen readers, were asked to write their stories of how they became readers, starting with their earliest memories of books and reading. Using open and axial coding through constant comparative analysis, the stories were analysed to allow categories and common themes to emerge.

Findings

Although each student's reading journey is a very personal, individual one, there are some common factors which have helped the students become the readers they are today. These include parental encouragement at an early age, particularly that of fathers, intervention by teachers who took an active interest in promoting reading, and the continuing effect of peers as they get older. Students' preference for owning the books, they read suggests the permanence of reading in their lives as they often like to reread books they have enjoyed. Unfortunately, studying at an English‐medium university has resulted in students reading fewer Arabic books than before.

Originality/value

For the first time, the voices of female Emirati freshmen in this paper challenge the myth that Arabs do not read, by showing how positive interventions by parents, educators and peers have helped shape the readers they are today. The paper serves as a reminder to educators to acknowledge the readers our students have become by accommodating and encouraging their extra‐curricular reading in both Arabic and English.
The use of mind mapping to develop writing skills in UAE schools
Authors: Al Naqbi Shamma
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the effectiveness of using mind mapping as a methodology to help students to plan effectively for a writing task under an assessment situation.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology included a variety of qualitative data collection techniques such as interviews, mind map analysis, observation checklist and reflective journal.

Findings

Evidence and research outcomes suggested that mind mapping did help students to plan and organize their ideas for writing tasks under exam conditions.

Research limitations/implications

A major limitation of the research was that the duration of the research was very short. The turnaround time between the introduction of mind mapping, the implementation of the author's teaching strategies and the final mock examination was just a matter of weeks. The results may be more significant if the same students were retested in six months and again in one year, and this would help the author's research to be more reliable.

Originality/value

This research has shown the effectiveness of using mind mapping as a planning tool and offers practical help for teachers who teach writing skills in upper English as a foreign language classrooms.
Emiratizing the education sector in the UAE: contextualization and challenges
Authors: Raven John
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss issues and imbalances in the workforce in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) that result from the nation's relatively recent emergence as a powerful economy in the world. A federal initiative entitled Emiratization is addressed that is intended to improve employment amongst the local Emirati population who, at present, make up a minority of the working population. The role that one federal tertiary education system, the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT), contributes to this process is discussed with specific implications and challenges for Emiratizing the education system.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is based on secondary research concerning employment statistics and policy in the UAE and observations of HCT, specifically the BEd program within the colleges.

Findings

Three main challenges facing HCT in its attempt to train Emiratis for employment in the education sector in the UAE are discussed in the paper.

Practical implications

There are practical implications and suggestions discussed for improving the Emiratization of the teaching sector in the UAE. This sector is highlighted as a core area for the Emiratization initiative by the paper.

Originality/value

The UAE represents a unique cultural context, a blending of languages, religion, politics and ethics, with calls for rapid modernization of its government schools. This paper maps out the growing pains and so is of value to both educators and policy makers in similar settings.
Local needs, external requirements
Authors: Martin Tim , O'Brien Michael
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the experiences of a teacher education program in the United Arab Emirates to demonstrate how a program can best balance the particular needs of a country's educational system with the requirements of international recognition, including benchmarking to international standards and undertaking formal third‐party accreditation.

Design/methodology/approach

The process begins first with the self‐reflection or analysis, reviewing the program terms of curriculum, assessment, clinical practice, faculty and operational indicators, coupled with a formal review of the market and economic drivers to determine future directions for the programs' offerings. After a year‐long analysis, the program was able to look at its operations personally, through the eyes of an external agency familiar with it, and those of an external expert in the field. This triangular process parallels the process that accrediting agencies employ to determine the health or effectiveness of the program to meet its mission.

Findings

After a process of deliberation, the program decided upon the Teacher Education Accreditation Council as the most appropriate agency to pursue accreditation with.

Originality/value

Many times international institutions must sacrifice or modify their existing programs to accommodate the traditional requirements of the outside accrediting agency. However, the paper shows that by thoroughly reviewing and investigating the agencies and their criteria, an institution can determine which agency will serve its needs and provide for a meaningful and successful partnership in the quest for accreditation and recognition.
Influence of spectrum loading on fatigue resistance of AA6082 friction stir welds
Authors: Costa J.D. , Ferreira J.A.M. , Borrego L.P.
Published: May 2011

Purpose

Welded components are often subjected to variable amplitude service loads, increasing the uncertainty of fatigue life due to material strength, notch geometries, defect content and residual stresses. In the case of friction stir welding (FSW) of aluminium alloys no data were found available concerning fatigue behaviour under variable amplitude loading. The purpose of this paper is to determine the fatigue strength of friction stir welds in AA6082‐T6 under constant and variable amplitude loading and analyse the validity of Miner's rule for these specific welding conditions.

Design/methodology/approach

Fatigue tests were carried out in a servo‐hydraulic testing machine using a stress ratio of R=0. Typified Gassner amplitude spectra were considered, using four shape exponent values. Microhardness tests were performed to characterize the Vickers hardness profile in the vicinity of the weld area. Relatively to the base material (BM), the FSW process leads to a decrease of the static mechanical properties.

Findings

Detailed examination revealed a hardness decrease in the thermo‐mechanically affected zone and the nugget zone average hardness was found to be lower than the base alloy hardness. The comparison with data collected from the literature shows that FSW specimens present higher fatigue resistance than specimens welded by metal inert gas and tungsten inert gas processes. However, they still have lower fatigue lives than the BM. Using the equivalent stress calculated by Miner's rule, a good agreement was observed between constant and variable fatigue loading results. The characteristic curve obtained for friction stir welds is higher than the International Institute of Welding (IIW) fatigue class for fusion welds with full‐penetration both‐sided butt joints.

Originality/value

No data are available concerning fatigue behaviour under variable amplitude loading for friction stir welds of aluminium alloys. Furthermore, this paper analyses the fatigue strength of friction stir welds in AA6082‐T6 under constant and variable amplitude loading in order to verify the validity of Miner's rule for this specific welding process. A comparison between characteristic fatigue curves, using IIW fatigue classes (FAT), is also performed.
Finite element analysis and comparison of laser shock peening and shot peening processes
Authors: Ivetic Goran
Published: May 2011

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to give a simple and accurate tool for prediction and comparison of residual stresses in laser shock peened and shot peen treated materials.

Design/methodology/approach

This work applies finite element code ABAQUS in order to compare the residual stress state and plastic deformation in specimens in aluminium alloy 7050‐T7451, treated with shot peening (SP) and laser shock peening (LSP) processes. Both processes are simulated using the Hugoniot elastic limit (HEL) of the material in question, and the processes are modelled using same input parameters (pressure on the surface of the specimen and the duration of contact between the material and the peening medium).

Findings

By using the same approach in both the analyses, a sound comparison of two technologies can be made, by comparing the obtained residual stress profiles. In addition, surface pressure and contact time can be varied easily in a parametric analysis, allowing the calibration of the numerical results.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to simplicity of used numerical models, different process parameters relative to SP process have not been taken in consideration directly, but through their effect on pressure on the surface of the specimen and the duration of contact between the material and the peening medium.

Originality/value

Application of HEL material model, usually applied to LSP problems, to the analysis of SP process gives promising results, in spite of simplicity of used numerical model.