bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Postgraduate students' experiences and perspectives on transformation of teaching and learning in tertiary education
Authors: David Solomon Arulraj , Hill Christopher
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Tertiary education has been going through dramatic transformation in recent times. Such transformation is seen in teaching and learning at tertiary education. This study, therefore, aims to understand the transformation of teaching and learning in tertiary-level education, particularly by accounting the experiences and perspectives of postgraduate learners.

Design/methodology/approach

The study narrowed higher education transformation into four key drivers such as expansion, excellence, extension, external and explored their dynamics and impacts for teaching and learning in tertiary education. The data was gathered from 25 doctoral students from three different cohorts, who shared their critical reflection on their experiences and perspectives on the transformation of teaching and learning in a reflective journal. The 25 reflective journals were used as the qualitative transcripts for analysis. Standard required ethical protocols were followed in the research. The results were analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

The findings indicate that teaching and learning in the higher education are transformed largely using technology, by engaging various stakeholders, several pedagogic methods, a range of assessments and numerous contents and materials. The findings suggest that higher education transformation has affected teaching and learning in tertiary education positively in the UAE, while identifying some relevant areas for improvement.

Research limitations/implications

Single data and small sample size (although suitable for the study) are the limitations. The experiences and perspectives of the postgraduate scholars on teaching and learning offer relevant insights for postgraduate learners, academic, researchers, curriculum developers, policymakers. The study asserts that accounting student's experiences and perspectives supports the understanding on the transformation of teaching and learning in tertiary education.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the ongoing debate on how students are helping shape teaching and learning practices in tertiary education, particularly from the UAE context using informed critical reflection. The study contends and concludes that teaching and learning in tertiary education are continued to be shaped by emerging trends and development.
Research evaluation of computer science publications using Altmetrics: a cohort study of Indian Central Universities
Authors: Lamba Manika , Kashyap Neha , Margam Madhusudhan
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Social interaction applications and reference tools are actively used by researchers to share and manage their research publications. Thus, this paper aims to determine the scholarly impact of selected Indian central universities.

Design/methodology/approach

This study analyzed 669 articles having both Dimensions citations and Altmetric attention scores published by 35 Indian central universities for 4 subfields of Computer Science using Altmetric Explorer. This paper determined each university’s contribution in the studied subfields of Computer Science and the correlation among Altmetric attention score (aggregated and individual), Dimensions citation, and Mendeley readership counts for all 669 articles and stratified percentile sets of top 25%, and top 50% of the overall number of articles.

Findings

The findings showed that Jawaharlal Nehru University had the maximum Altmetric attention score, Banaras Hindu University received the maximum Dimensions citation, and University of Hyderabad (UoH) received the maximum number of Mendeley readers. Each central university was examined individually and then ranked based on their median values of Dimensions citations and Altmetric attention scores. Further, Twitter had the maximum Altmetric coverage, followed by Google+, Patent and Facebook for the retrieved articles. A significant strong positive correlation was observed between the Dimensions citation and Mendeley readership counts for all the three categories.

Research limitations/implications

Both Altmetric attention scores and Dimensions citations can help funding agencies to assess and evaluate the research productivity of these universities, thus, making important decisions such as increasing, decreasing, re-distributing their funds.

Originality/value

The current body of research is focused mostly on relationships between citations and individual Altmetric indicators predominantly. For most of the studies, the citations were retrieved from Scopus, Web of Science or Google Scholar database. It was observed that by far, no study had examined the relationship between citations retrieved from Dimensions database, Altmetrics scores (both aggregated and individual) and Mendeley readership counts.
Ontology, sovereignty, legitimacy: two key moments when history curriculum was challenged in public discourse and the curricular effects, Australia 1950s and 2000s
Authors: Keynes Matthew R. , Marsden Beth
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the ways that history curriculum has worked to legitimise dispossession through narratives that elide questions of Indigenous sovereignty, and which construct and consolidate white settler identity and possession.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper uses two case studies to compare history education documentation and materials at key moments where dominant narratives of settler legitimacy were challenged in public discourse: (1) the post-war humanitarian agenda of fostering “international understanding” and; (2) the release and educational recommendations of the 1997 Bringing them Home Report.

Findings

The paper shows that in two moments where narratives of settler legitimacy were challenged in public discourse, the legitimacy of settler possession was reiterated in history curricula in various ways.

Practical implications

This research suggests that the prevailing constructivist framework for history education has not sufficiently challenged criticisms of the representation of Aboriginal history and the history of settler-colonialism in the history syllabus.

Originality/value

The paper introduces two case studies of history curriculum and shows how, in different but resonant ways, curricular reforms worked to bolster the liberal credentials of the settler state.
The homotopy perturbation method for fractional differential equations: part 1 Mohand transform
Authors: Nadeem Muhammad , He Ji-Huan , Islam Asad
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study aims that very lately, Mohand transform is introduced to solve the ordinary and partial differential equations (PDEs). In this paper, the authors modify this transformation and associate it with a further analytical method called homotopy perturbation method (HPM) for the fractional view of Newell–Whitehead–Segel equation (NWSE). As Mohand transform is restricted to linear obstacles only, as a consequence, HPM is used to crack the nonlinear terms arising in the illustrated problems. The fractional derivatives are taken into the Caputo sense.

Design/methodology/approach

The specific objective of this study is to examine the problem which performs an efficient role in the form of stripe orders of two dimensional systems. The authors achieve the multiple behaviors and properties of fractional NWSE with different positive integers.

Findings

The main finding of this paper is to analyze the fractional view of NWSE. The obtain results perform very good in agreement with exact solution. The authors show that this strategy is absolutely very easy and smooth and have no assumption for the constriction of this approach.

Research limitations/implications

This paper invokes these two main inspirations: first, Mohand transform is associated with HPM, secondly, fractional view of NWSE with different positive integers.

Practical implications

In this paper, the graph of approximate solution has the excellent promise with the graphs of exact solutions.

Social implications

This paper presents valuable technique for handling the fractional PDEs without involving any restrictions or hypothesis.

Originality/value

The authors discuss the fractional view of NWSE by a Mohand transform. The work of the present paper is original and advanced. Significantly, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no such work has yet been published in the literature.
Building demolition risk assessment by applying a hybrid fuzzy FTA and fuzzy CRITIC-TOPSIS framework
Authors: Alipour-Bashary Milad , Ravanshadnia Mehdi , Abbasianjahromi Hamidreza , Asnaashari Ehsan
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Demolition is a high-risk operation in construction projects that may lead to serious accidents. Risk assessment is a fundamental step in managing demolition risk and preventing casualties and financial losses. The present study aims to provide a framework to identify, analyse and evaluate the risks in building demolition operations.

Design/methodology/approach

According to previous studies and the use of expert knowledge, 10 possible risks of the building demolition operation were identified. Subsequently, these risks were assessed using a combination of fuzzy logic with fault tree analysis (FTA), criteria importance through inter-criteria correlation (CRITIC) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS). Then, the risks were classified with the help of a risk decision matrix (RDM), and appropriate treatment strategies were presented according to the level of importance of each risk.

Findings

Considering the obtained magnitude for each risk and its rating, building collapse and noise pollution were identified as the most and least significant risks, respectively. The results of this study were in good agreement with the data provided by the Iranian Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare, as well as obtained results of the previous studies on demolition.

Originality/value

This paper provides a novel framework for assessing the risks in building demolition operations. The findings of this study help demolition project managers to manage the risks in their projects properly.
Are environmental-related online reviews more helpful? A big data analytics approach
Authors: Mariani Marcello , Borghi Matteo
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Based on more than 2.7 million online reviews (ORs) collected with big data analytical techniques from Booking.com and TripAdvisor.com, this paper aims to explore if and to what extent environmental discourse embedded in ORs has an impact on electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) helpfulness across eight major destination cities in North America and Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

This study gathered, by means of Big Data techniques, 2.7 million ORs hosted on Booking.com and TripAdvisor, and covering hospitality services in eight different destinations cities in North America (New York City, Miami, Orlando and Las Vegas) and Europe (Barcelona, London, Paris and Rome) over the period 2017–2018. The ORs were analysed by means of ad hoc content analytic dictionaries to identify the presence and depth of the environmental discourse included in each OR. A negative binomial regression analysis was used to measure the impact of the presence/depth of online environmental discourse in ORs on e-WOM helpfulness.

Findings

The findings indicate that the environmental discourse presence and depth influence positively e-WOM helpfulness. More specifically those travelers who write explicitly about environmental topics in their ORs are more likely to produce ORs that are voted as helpful by other consumers.

Research limitations/implications

Implications highlight that both hotel managers and platform developers/managers should become increasingly aware of the importance that customer attach to environmental practices and initiatives and therefore engage more assiduously in environmental initiatives, if their objective is to improve online review helpfulness for other customers reading the focal reviews. Future studies might include more destinations and other operationalizations of environmental discourse.

Originality/value

This study constitutes the first attempt to capture how the presence and depth of hospitality services consumers’ environmental discourse influence e-WOM helpfulness on multiple digital platforms, by means of a big data analysis on a large sample of online reviews across multiple countries and destinations. As such it makes a relevant contribution to the area at the intersection between big data analytics, e-WOM and sustainable tourism research.
Electrophysiological assessment of cushions as attachment objects
Authors: Lee Okkyung , Lee Yejin
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate the effects a cushion has on electrophysiological signals and to identify the important design elements required for manufacturing better therapy cushions.

Design/methodology/approach

Four types of attachment cushions were manufactured by changing the shell fiber (cotton or microfiber) and the interlining (synthetic loose fiber or buckwheat). The products were evaluated by 20 healthy individuals (10 stable cushions and 10 unstable cushions). We examined the participants by electroencephalography (EEG) and electrocardiography (ECG).

Findings

The authors found significant differences in both EEG and ECG between participants with unstable and stable attachment types.

Originality/value

A complex approach to emotional product evaluation was attempted by analyzing differences due to design variables of cushions through subjective evaluation as well as EEG and ECG.
Adoption and use of electronic voting system as an option towards credible elections in Nigeria
Authors: Omotayo Funmilola Olubunmi , Adekunle Olasubomi Adetutu
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the adoption and use of electronic voting (e-voting) system as an option to credible elections in Nigeria, as well as the factors that could influence the readiness of Oyo state citizens in Nigeria to use the system.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopts the survey research design, while the Technology Readiness Acceptance Model provides the theoretical framework. A two-stage sampling procedure (random and convenience) was used to select 500 Nigerian citizens, who are of voting age, while data were collected with a structured questionnaire.

Findings

Findings reveal that the citizens are ready to use the e-voting system if adopted by the Nigerian Government. Optimism and innovativeness are positively correlated, and perceived discomfort and perceived insecurity are negatively correlated, with readiness to use e-voting system by Oyo state citizens. The Technology Acceptance Model constructs (perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use), as well as computer self-efficacy also have positive correlations with readiness to use of e-voting.

Research limitations/implications

The population of the study was limited to only citizens in one state of the federation; hence, the results cannot be generalised to all citizens in Nigeria.

Practical implications

The study contributes to existing knowledge on adoption and use of technology and confirms that optimism and innovativeness are motivators and discomfort and insecurity are inhibitors of intention to use and actual usage of technology. Hence, these constructs should be taken into account and promoted when Nigeria is planning to adopt the e-voting system.

Social implications

This paper could assist the Nigerian Government on the factors to consider when implementing the e-voting system.

Originality/value

This paper is one of the first pieces of empirical research that attempted to investigate the factors that could promote acceptance and use of the e-voting system in Nigeria.
Fuzzy set approach to measuring urban poverty: a case of Lagos State slums
Authors: Popogbe Oluwaseyi Omowunmi , Akinleye Simeon Oludiran , Oke Mautin David
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to measure multi-dimensional poverty in Lagos State slums. This study is relevant because slums are becoming a present-day reality for urban cities and it is now paramount to understand the dynamics of deprivations suffered under various dimensions in the slums.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi-stage sampling technique is used to sample 400 respondents from five slums (Makoko, Iwaya, Ilaje, IjoraBadia and Amukoko) in Lagos State and information have gotten using a structured questionnaire. The fuzzy set approach to measuring multi-dimensional poverty index (MPI) is used in estimating the MPI for the slums.

Findings

The findings from the study show that although all the slums have varying MPI; however, the average MPI for the slums is 0.49. Further findings show that majority of the households are largely deprived in the education dimension, proceeded by the living standards dimension and finally, health dimension.

Research limitations/implications

The current study focused on a few selected slums in Lagos State and findings show that it may be erroneous to absolutely adopt policy implications derived for other major slums in cities around the world.

Originality/value

This study advances the frontier of slum studies in Nigeria by following an analytical path in understanding the degree of poverty in the slums.
Is the country-level income an important factor to consider for COVID-19 control? An analysis of selected 100 countries
Authors: Durmuş Veli
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the association between economic activity in a country, as measured by the gross domestic product (GDP) and the control of the COVID-19 pandemic outcomes, as measured by the rate of incidence and mortality increase per 100,000 population in different countries using up-to-date data, in the light of public health security capacities including prevention, detection, respond, enabling function, operational readiness, as measured by the 2019 State Party self-assessment annual reporting (SPAR) submissions of 100 countries.

Design/methodology/approach

For this analytical study, multiple linear regression analyses were performed for each variable with the COVID-19 incidence and mortality rates, while controlling for Human Development Index (HDI) and GDP.

Findings

Countries with higher income levels were significantly more likely to have a higher incidence and mortality rate per 100,000 population. Among the public health capacity categories, prevention of the infectious disease and detection of the pathogens were significantly associated with lower incidence and mortality of the COVID-19 pandemic. The country-level income was found to be an important negative predictor of COVID-19 control.

Practical implications

These findings present to decision-makers in organizing mitigation strategies to struggle emerging infectious pandemics and highlight the role of country-level income while trying to control COVID-19. In order to determine the priority settings for the fight against pandemic, national policy-makers and international organizations should notice that countries in a high-income group had better health security capacities than that of other income groups, particularly in low- and lower-middle-income groups. The results of the capabilities of health security by the income group can assist health policy makers and other international agencies in resource allocation decisions and in mitigating risk with more informed resource planning.

Social implications

The income level of countries may have a positive effect on public health strategies to mitigate the risk of infection of COVID-19. This study may assist the local public authorities to gain a better level of understanding on the relationship country-level income and COVID-19 outcomes in order to take appropriate measures at the local level. The results also highlighted the importance role of public health security capacities for the pandemic control policy.

Originality/value

Although previous studies have examined to assess the public health capability by country-level and to describe cases and deaths by continent and by country, very limited studies have evaluated the rate of incidence and mortality of COVID-19 by country-level income and by health expenditure using the data on the health security capacities with analytical and practical approaches.
Investigating the causes of increasing consumer demand for real estate housing in Bangladesh
Authors: Parvez Mazed , Rana Sohel
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find out the causes of increasing population in the real estate area. The demographic in information of the respondents and the level of satisfaction was also carried out for this study.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors use both primary and secondary data. Total 329 respondents were surveyed at the real estate area after completing sample size determination. Secondary data was collected from journals, real estate offices and papers. After that, using regression and correlation analysis, the data was analyzed and finalized.

Findings

This study identified migration as the most critical variable. The study determined ten hypotheses and only accepted two. By that, this study finds out the causes of the increasing demand of plots and flats in real estate.

Originality/value

This study will work as a baseline study for the real estate sector in Bangladesh. Most of the research on Bangladesh’s real estate is done mainly on real estate market assessment and consumer satisfaction. Nevertheless, this study will find out the causes of the increasing population in real estate.
Planning a research lesson online: pre-service teachers' documentation work
Authors: Hernández-Rodríguez Omar , González Gloriana , Villafañe-Cepeda Wanda
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The authors developed a lesson study innovation for bridging pre-service teachers' experiences in an early methods course and clinical experiences focusing on the development of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). The authors analyze one planning meeting by a lesson study team comprised of four pre-service teachers and one cooperating teacher. The purpose of this research was to determine the nature of documentation during the online planning meeting and how the cooperating teacher facilitated the documentation process.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used Gueudet and Trouche's (2009) documentation framework to determine the way the lesson study team in our study used all the resources available to plan a lesson. They analyzed the video recordings of the meeting to examine the interplay between material, didactical and mathematical components during the discussions. The material components included the Teacher Desmos Activity Builder and the eTextbook. The didactical components included assessment, scaffolding, multiple representations and problem-solving activities. The mathematical components pertained to systems of linear equations and inequalities with two variables.

Findings

The authors’ findings show that the cooperating teacher performed an invariant set of actions for improving the research lesson and, also, gave recommendations about how to implement the lesson. In facilitating the planning discussions, the cooperating teacher made explicit the relationship between material, didactical and mathematical components. The authors’ work has implications for supporting the preparation of facilitators of online planning sessions during lesson study.

Research limitations/implications

The authors did not have access to the planning meeting where the PSTs created the draft of the research lesson. In addition, they are reporting the observations of only one online meeting.

Originality/value

The authors’ work has implications for supporting the preparation of facilitators of online planning sessions during lesson study.
Implementation of lean in IT SME company: an Italian case
Authors: Torri Marco , Kundu Kaustav , Frecassetti Stefano , Rossini Matteo
Published: February 2021

Purpose

In spite of huge advancement of Lean in the manufacturing sector, its advantage in the service sector is not fully investigated. The purpose of this paper is to cover this gap in particular for the information technology (IT) sector through the implementation of the Lean philosophy in a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME), operating in the IT sector.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study is conducted and following the A3 model, Lean is deployed in the case company. Data were collected through on-site interviews, waste sources were identified and then countermeasures for their reduction were proposed and adopted.

Findings

This study reveals that the implementation of the Lean practices in an SME operating in the IT sector offers good operative and financial results, thanks to the higher productivity obtained through the reduction of non-value-added activities.

Research limitations/implications

This paper reports a single case study, not enough to generalize the results. Moreover, more Lean tools and practices should be tested in IT companies to assess their effectiveness.

Practical implications

This paper increments the knowledge base for the application of Lean and A3 model outside the manufacturing industry. This paper should assist practitioners and consultants who have the desire to understand a better way of Lean implementation in fast-growing IT industry and in SME.

Originality/value

Research on Lean implementation in an SME company and in IT sector is scarce. This study aims to assess the efficiency of the adoption of Lean practices following the A3 model. The results could be highly valuable for similar companies (dimension or sector), especially those that are facing transition situations in terms of size and at the same time want to improve their operations performance, efficiency and avoid waste.
Critical success factors of Lean Six Sigma from leaders’ perspective
Authors: Alnadi Mohammad , McLaughlin Patrick
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to provide a synthesis of the results of the previous literature on leadership behaviours that enable successful Lean Six Sigma implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

The published literature that relates to leadership and Lean Six Sigma has been included. A thematic analysis was conducted on the previous literature which helped in identifying the relevant aspects and associating the behaviours with specific aspects.

Findings

After analysing the literature, seven key aspects have emerged: communication, culture of continuous improvement, coaching and developing employees, creating vision and aligning goals, employee motivation, employee empowerment and leadership commitment and support. The main leadership behaviours that facilitate and support Lean Six Sigma implementation have been summarised.

Originality/value

Thematic analysis in this field is scarce, so identifying the leadership behaviours’ themes can help researchers in developing a framework of leadership behaviours. Organisations and practitioners of Lean Six Sigma can take into consideration these behaviours as a key to the successful implementation of Lean Six Sigma. They can adjust their behaviours and know the behaviours that need to be developed amongst leaders. This would facilitate the Lean Six Sigma journey by overcoming the challenges that face practitioners during Lean Six Sigma implementation.
Filling the gaps: how the non-faculty mentor role contributes to the doctoral program support structure
Authors: McConnell Kat R. , Geesa Rachel Louise
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate mentors' and mentees' perspectives of the mentor role within an education doctoral mentoring program at a mid-sized public institution.

Design/methodology/approach

Data from individual interviews with mentors and mentees were collected as part of a larger case study of a doctoral mentoring program. Mentees were doctor of education (EdD) students in their first and second years of the program. Mentors were identified as individuals who graduated from or are further along in the doctoral program. Five (N = 5) mentees and seven (N = 7) mentors participated in interviews, which were then transcribed and coded to identify emergent themes, along with transcripts of presentations given by the mentors.

Findings

Four themes emerged within the data: differentiating support roles, mentoring as a way to identify gaps in doctoral student needs, mentoring as support for doctoral student success and ways to provide suggestions for mentoring program improvement. Results indicated that mentors and mentees viewed the mentor role as being unique from the roles of faculty advisor and dissertation chair. Mentors and mentees alike responded positively to virtual mentoring.

Research limitations/implications

Participation by mentors and mentees was limited to first- and second-year doctoral students; thus, dissertation-stage students' perceptions of mentoring could not be determined. Implications include the value of mentoring in filling the gaps of support for doctoral students and the capability of mentoring programs to be adapted to unexpected circumstances such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Originality/value

This study targets scholar-practitioner students in an EdD program, who are often overlooked by mentoring literature, and distinguishes research between faculty mentoring and mentoring performed by other students/recent graduates. Additionally, the pandemic gave the authors an opportunity to explore adapting mentoring to virtual formats.
Learning to level up: personal narratives about mentoring for the professoriate during a crisis
Authors: Sellers Kathleen , Amatullah Tasneem , Malin Joel R.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The authors' purpose is to illuminate ways in which care within the mentor–mentee relationship influences the efficacy of mentoring for/in the professoriate, within and beyond the novel circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

A narrative inquiry design drew on the authors' distinct positionalities and experiences of mentoring and being mentored by one another to provide a multi-layered analysis of mentor–mentee relationships. Utilizing care theory, we paid particular attention in our narratives and analysis to the affective dimensions of mentoring within the distinct context created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Findings

Our data analysis revealed three themes: (1) mentor humility was relevant to mentees' success, (2) relationship longevity mattered, and (3) caring mentoring relationships were affectively and empirically generative.

Research limitations/implications

Narrative inquiry, generally, is limited in its generalizability but can be a powerful tool to facilitate knowledge sharing. Our analysis suggests areas which merit further research and may have broader implications. Namely, during trying times the normalization of professor humility may enhance the quality and generativity of the mentoring relationships, especially when combined with networking support.

Practical implications

We make seven recommendations to enhance the efficacy of professors as mentors and mentees in need of mentorship.

Originality/value

Mentors who practice care-for their mentees, as opposed to care-about, enhance the efficacy of the mentoring relationship.
Exploring online mentoring with preservice teachers in a pandemic and the need to deliver quality education
Authors: Ersin Pınar , Atay Derin
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Social constructivism in teacher education highlights the importance of social interaction between preservice teachers (PTs) and their cooperating teachers (mentors) for effective mentoring. Mentoring relationship between PTs and mentors had to take a different path due to the pandemic when face-to-face education shifted to online education. The purpose of the present study was to explore online mentoring experience from the perspectives of PTs.

Design/methodology/approach

The methodology was qualitative. 35 randomly selected PTs were interviewed after the completion of an eight-week online school experience course. Data obtained from focus group interviews were analyzed using pattern coding.

Findings

Overall, the PTs mostly had a positive online mentoring experience. They reported receiving sufficient contextual and technological support when needed with limited professional support. However, they expected their mentors to allocate more time and their university supervisors (USs) to control practicum schools and to provide more online teaching samples and guidelines. They indicated that when they did not receive supports this was entirely due to the pandemic.

Research limitations/implications

This research could inform USs and mentors who coordinate mentoring programs at schools and universities so that they might take an urgent step to restructure mentorship training, putting emphasis on the online aspect. Given the number of the participants, this research is limited in scope.

Originality/value

This research contributes to a body of research that investigates how online mentoring may be more effective. To create positive online mentoring relationships, following suggestions are provided to mentors: providing ongoing online support to PTs to overcome online mentoring challenges, spending an extra hour with PTs for reflection and making use of multiple contexts for PTs' professional ownership.
Redefining mentorship in an era of crisis: responding to COVID-19 through compassionate relationships
Authors: Lasater Kara , Smith Christy , Pijanowski John , Brady Kevin P.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to investigate mentorship practices during the COVID-19 pandemic and to consider how mentorship could be improved to support students of educational leadership (EDLE) during crises.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants in this collective self-study were four faculty members (i.e. the authors) within an EDLE program in one public, research-intensive university in the southern USA. Data sources were memos, email correspondence, reflective dialogue, course evaluations and meeting notes. Analysis involved dialogic engagement among the research team to identify emergent themes.

Findings

Analysis revealed five themes that reflect our collective experiences as mentors during the pandemic. These themes were challenges created by dismantled systems; meeting students' needs for understanding, flexibility and meaningful learning experiences; evolving personal–professional boundaries; grappling with our own sense-making and well-beingness; and clarifying values and priorities.

Practical implications

The pandemic exemplifies the need for a deeper conceptualization of mentorship that stimulates more intimate, compassionate relationships between mentors and mentees. When mentorship is grounded in compassion, intimacy and mutual vulnerability, it demonstrates a genuine ethic of care and concern for others that is supportive of well-being and serves as a model for mentees entering the profession.

Originality/value

This paper extends disciplinary knowledge by focusing on the mentorship of EDLE students during crises and provides insights on how mentorship could be enacted to mutually support mentor–mentee well-being.
The effect of independent directors' financial expertise on the use of private information in setting bank CEO bonuses
Authors: Liu Guoping , Sun Jerry
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine whether independent directors' financial expertise affects the use of private information in setting bank chief executive officer (CEO) bonuses.

Design/methodology/approach

The association between future firm performance and bank CEO bonuses is used to measure the incorporation of private information into bonuses. Both level and change specifications are employed to test the effect of independent directors' financial expertise on the use of private information in setting CEO bonuses.

Findings

It is found that future firm performance is more positively associated with bank CEO bonuses for banks with a higher proportion of financial experts among independent directors than for other banks. The findings suggest that independent directors with financial expertise can more effectively use private information in setting bank CEO bonuses.

Originality/value

Research on independent directors' role in the use of private information in setting compensation is valuable for understanding how corporate governance can enhance the efficiency of CEO compensation contracts. This study indicates that financial experts on the bank board play an important role in this regard.
Experiences and perceptions of body weight among Turkish immigrant women in Norway
Authors: Rieger Erin Yildirim , Terragni Laura , Czapka Elzbieta Anna
Published: February 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to explore beliefs and experiences of Turkish immigrant women in Norway related to body weight, nutrition and exercise practices.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has a qualitative research design. Ten semi-structured interviews and a focus group were conducted with a purposive sample of Turkish immigrant women residing in Oslo, Norway. Themes were identified in the transcripts using systematic text condensation.

Findings

Participants viewed Turkish women as more commonly overweight or obese compared to Norwegian women. Weight was discussed openly among Turkish women and a preference to lose weight, both as individuals and among community members more broadly, also emerged. For participants, this represented a generational shift. Participants identified their barriers to weight loss, including norms around socialization and food in their community and exercise and eating practices during the long Nordic winter.

Practical implications

Participants expressed a tension between concern about health impacts of overweight and obesity and the desire to uphold cultural practices around food. Weight-related health-care initiatives for Turkish immigrant women can take into account such experiences shaped by their interaction with multiple cultures.

Originality/value

Participants emphasized that perspectives about weight in their Turkish immigrant community were influenced by the transition toward thin weight ideals in Turkey. Self-image regarding weight was also situated within the context of being immigrants in Norway.
Customer satisfaction, value for money and repurchase intent in the context of system delivery projects: a longitudinal study
Authors: Haverila Matti , Twyford Jenny Carita
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Drawing upon the relational exchange theory, the longitudinal relationship between various stages of project management customer satisfaction, value for money and repurchase intent are examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a survey questionnaire, data were gathered over four consecutive quarters (N = 2,537). The statistical methods included exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory composite analysis (CCA) and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM).

Findings

Project management was perceived as a three-dimensional construct (proposal, installation, commissioning/start-up). There was a significant longitudinal relationship between project stages and satisfaction in the complete data set. The results varied on the quarterly basis. The relationship customer satisfaction/repurchase intent was significant in the whole data set and during all quarters. This was the case for the relationships between value for money and customer satisfaction and between value for money and repurchase intent. The effect sizes were small between project management stages and customer satisfaction, small to medium for the value for money construct and large for the customer satisfaction construct.

Originality/value

An important implication is the significant relationship between the stages of project management and satisfaction. However, the effect sizes were small, however. The importance of the effect size in comparison to the significance of the relationships is highlighted especially when the sample size is large. The paper also confirms the linear relationship between satisfaction and repurchase intent. The nature of the relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty is based on a moderate exchange relationship in the relational exchange continuum. The study contributes to the relational exchange theory in the context of project management.
Finding the roots: experimentation in innovation project management
Authors: Dutra de Abreu Mancini de Azevedo Pedro Henrique , Passos Silva Larissa
Published: February 2021

Purpose

Project management practices have been losing its central place in innovation processes within the companies due to its excessive control-oriented phased approach. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to propose and examine the project management practitioners' experiences on the systematic use of an experimentation framework to manage innovation projects.

Design/methodology/approach

Three case studies were carried out in three different Brazilian companies for a ten month period. The authors have chosen these companies for the following reasons: they were all in an innovation context; they have never carried out a project based on experimentation and they had previous experience with project management traditional tools.

Findings

The findings have shown that our framework can contribute to the project management available toolkit; once the rigid experimentation process, the authors’ proposed made it easier for project management practitioners to adapt to more flexible approaches. Nonetheless, stakeholders' involvement has shown to be a key success factor on the deployment of the framework.

Practical implications

Managers still need to add expertise in flexible methods into their managerial skills, so they are able to deal with innovation just as they deal with traditional processes they were trained to. This suggestion can also be extended to the business schools.

Originality/value

The case studies have shown that traditional project management practices can also be applied in innovation projects. So despite of generally being the opposite of an experimentation process, those practices are relevant in project management discipline, which means that formal project management training is still a good ally to project management practitioners.
Positive and proactive leadership: disentangling the relationships between stress, resilience, leadership style and leader satisfaction/well-being
Authors: Shelton Charlotte D. , Hein Sascha D. , Phipps Kelly A.
Published: February 2021

Purpose

This study aims to analyze the relationships between leader resilience, leadership style, stress and life satisfaction. It reflects an emerging theoretical framework that positions resilience as a capacity that can be developed vs a response mechanism driven by innate traits.

Design/methodology/approach

To test three research hypotheses, online survey data were collected from 101 E.M.B.A. alumni of a US-based university using a cross-sectional, correlational research design. The results were analyzed using multiple linear regression. The authors assessed resilience, leadership style, stress and satisfaction/well-being using standardized inventories.

Findings

The results support previous research that has identified a significant relationship between resilience and positive leadership. Unique to this study, however, is the finding that work process behaviors (e.g. time management, cooperation, receptiveness) rather than traits (e.g. optimism, self-esteem, locus of control) are the resilience factors most associated with a positive leadership style. Work process skills significantly interacted with stress level to moderate leadership style. Additionally, a positive leadership style moderated the impact of stressful life events on leader satisfaction/well-being.

Research limitations/implications

Key limitations are sample size and the risk of common method variance. Though numerous procedural steps were taken to control for these issues, future research with a larger and more diverse sample is needed.

Practical implications

Organizational stress is pervasive, and resilience is increasingly recognized as a foundational leadership skill. This study provides empirical data documenting positive relationships between resilience, constructive leadership and leader satisfaction/well-being. This research also identifies work process behaviors (e.g. time management, cooperation and receptiveness) as the primary resiliency factors associated with sustaining positive leadership behaviors in times of stress. These results support previous research findings that have positioned resiliency as a capacity that can be developed, providing further support for investing in resiliency training for leaders.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the literature by analyzing resilience more comprehensively than previous studies. It extends the theoretical understanding of resilience beyond traits using an 160-item inventory that assesses four discrete domains of resilience. The results provide support for the importance of developing process skills in leaders to increase resiliency; thus, increasing the probability, they will model constructive leadership behaviors in times of significant stress.